Ollie's ODDJOBS
In standard trim, the Kawasaki Z440 LTD of the early 1980s is one of those motorcycles which history seems happy to overlook. But Ollie Hulme – equipped with a pith helmet and ray gun – has found the Z440 which time forgot…
If you live a life that involves coaxing recalcitrant bits of ancient machinery back into life, and the chances are that if you are a RealClassic reader then you are indeed doing just that, then you probably also know a bit about steampunk or at least can recognise it when you see it, even if you think it’s nonsense. But just in case, here’s a brief explanation.
Steampunk is fantasy fiction that imagines an alternative reality in which the steam power of the 19th century dominates technology thereafter. Some devotees take their alternative ideas into the real world, with conventions and gatherings awash with Victorian-inspired pith helmets and corsets, top hats, gold braid and ray-guns. And lots and lots of brass.
Inevitably, this style has slipped into the world of motorcycles. After all, what selfrespecting hero, or indeed villain, wouldn’t want a buffed-up two-wheeled steed to rattle around on while performing dashing or indeed dastardly deeds? A motorcycle would be essential transport for a steampunk hero in their quest to rescue their beloved from the claws of their old nemesis the mysterious Count Von Somebody, who is threatening a fate worse than death.
Some steampunk creations are wildly over the top, such as the Kawasaki Z750 twin with self-raising suspension draped in chains and grime that I spotted at the Bristol Bike Show. Others are milder but have a greater sense of fun, like Paul Keeton’s Ketonski SP444.
This is based on another unloved Kawasaki twin. For some reason, late 1970s and early ’80s Kawasakis lend themselves to this sort of thing. They had a sort of unfinished finish when they came out of the factory that works well with the look. The Ketonski SP444 is based on a bike that is even more derided
t han the Z750 twin; the shockingly dull, beltdriven d Z440 LTD factory custom. I spotted it t at the Kickback Custom Show tent at the Prescott P Bike Show this year.
Getting close to the Ketonski was a challenge c all weekend. While the Kickback t ent was filled with remarkable custom creations, c the shiny Kawasaki was surrounded by b visitors all the time, everyone getting a close look at the machine, appreciating t he attention to detail and the obscure mechanical, m painted and etched jokes. Some of o the detail you could barely see, such as the brass b telescope rear light that shines tiny red skulls s at vehicles following, while others are more m obvious, like that cast-iron tractor seat and a the bevel gear throttle.
The build took Paul 18 months (or as he h says ‘two weeks off a divorce’) and cost around a £2500 – including the LTD’s £650 asking a price. eBay provided the early 1900s acetylene a lamps and fire extinguishers and a was also used to source cheap Indianmade m brass telescopes to be fashioned
into lamps and/or blasters. The wiring loom was wrapped in fabric tape and hides neody-mnium magnets that stick it to the frame, removing the need for ties or pvc tape. That’s an idea well worth nicking, if there isn’t some terrible technical reason why you shouldn’t (such as the magnets sucking out all the electricity or similar).
In order to use vintage-style reverse handlebar levers Paul created a cable-operated front brake master cylinder mounted to the forks. It has a Victorian headsup-display with the idiot lights at the back of the headlight and a plastic tube fuel gauge. Obscure gags pepper the outside, some so hidden you need a magnifying glass to spot them. The rear monoshock was welded up in situ, in order to make sure it was lined up properly. This was fine until Paul realised he hadn’t threaded the drive belt in place first, so he had to cut the swinging arm and install a removable bobbin to get the belt in. The major advantages of the belt drive are that it doesn’t spray all that brightwork with a film of chain lube, and it makes things a little more vintage to look at.
The Ketonski was the first bike Paul has ever built. He’s taught himself to spray paint with a £15 spray gun and rattle cans, to bend pipes by heating them and packing them with sand to avoid creases and kinks, to etch brass (by studying YouTube videos), to silver-solder to attach brass to steel and to blow plastic mould to make the lamp lenses. The acetylene lamps were stripped of their nickel coating by a chromeplater, and all the brass was polished and then the large bits sprayed with three coats of two-pack lacquer and small pieces covered in clear nail varnish.
Paul doesn’t actually like the bevel drive throttle as it’s both too big and made of aluminium. He’s going to build a forge and see if he can cast one out of brass instead…
Paul had no trouble getting Ketonski SP444 on the road. ‘It fulfils all MoT requirements; lights, indicators, horn, and reflector. The only thing the MoT inspector queried was if I could have a yellow headlight. I declared everything and had no trouble insuring it with Carole Nash, although it costs twice as much as my Honda VFR800.’
And he does ride it, though he admits that the tractor seat is a little uncomfortable. ‘I ride it anything up to 50 or 60 miles to local bike meets and events. Lowering the seat height to make a bobber may look cool but the increased hip angle makes my hip ache. For events further away, especially on motorways it rides in the back of my VW Transporter.’
At Prescott, the Ketonski was one of a few bikes from the Kickback tent to take to the much-vaunted hill climb course, burbling away happily and proudly displaying its Best Budget Build rosette. With the building bug biting, but not enough funds to start another powered two-wheeler project, Paul’s attention has turned to bicycles, turning a BMX into a replica of the pre-war Italian Velocino, something that is almost as curious as the SP444 and actually made it into production.
I suspect that in a steampunk reality, the SP444 would be just what you need to catch the evil count, making his getaway in his nuclear-powered zeppelin…