Kawasaki H2 Love by Phil Green

Today, we're handing over duty to guest blogger Phil Green. To say Phil is a petrolhead is a bit of an understatement. From articles delving into the issues of Spitfire carburation (the fighter plane, not the car), to a full Stag restoration (yes, the car), and a smattering of restored motorcycles, Phil's love of things with wheels and engines is obvious.

In this post, Phil takes us through some of his 'adventures' in motorcycle restoration. Whether you're considering a restoration of your own, a classic bike lover, or simply on your coffee break, grab your cup, put your feet up, and read on …

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It was a key step almost always undertaken by people of my generation when buying a secondhand car or motorcycle ... purchasing The Workshop Manual. Automatically following the act of acquiring a new vehicle came the primeval urge to understand how it worked … and therefore how to fix it!

The one and only time I ever departed from this sacred routine was back in the early 1980s when, quite incredibly, I purchased a Workshop Manual for a motorcycle that I had never even seen due to its rarity in the UK, and actually had no plans to buy at the time. I'd never seen this manual on sale before, but such was my fascination with Japanese two strokes, I went ahead and splashed out on a manual for a vehicle I did not have. The manual was for a Kawasaki H2 750 Mach IV. 

My background is engineering and, as I progressed up the managerial ladder, I spent more and more of my time pushing around paperwork, rather than engineering, and problem-solving, which was a cause of much frustration to me. Purchasing a house in 1999 with a tandem garage was the turning point, and a 1971 Triumph Stag restoration was my saviour in subsequent years. A few years ago, I had the Stag on the road (come on, they are never really finished), and my thoughts turned to other possible projects.

I have always been a two stroke freak, and grew up on Yamaha parallel twins, but the large Japanese two stroke triple models were out of production when I passed my driving licence, and seemed unattainable for some reason at the time even though the secondhand option was a possibility.

As the Stag continued to consume less and less of my time, I began toying with the idea of returning to my first love, and decided I should look around for a project bike to restore. Engine capacity had to be as big as possible and definitely a two stroke from the 70s. The ideal candidate appeared to be a Suzuki GT750, or ‘kettle’ as they are affectionately known in the UK. I began researching and scanning advertisements of bikes for sale, and was shocked by the prices these 40-year-old-plus bikes were commanding. It would appear that prices were being driven up by demand from my generation attempting to relive their youth, or (as in my case) owning a machine they could only dream of when younger.

In actual fact, there were two candidate models I had in mind for a new project: either a Suzuki GT750 or a Kawasaki 750 H2, although I felt it very unlikely that I would locate the latter model as relatively few had been imported into the UK back in the 1970s. In fact, even though I had the Workshop Manual tucked away somewhere in my attic, I could not remember ever having seen or touching such a bike, even at the numerous shows and race meets I attended back in the day.

I generated several automated searches online, but the demand for these bikes and the prices paid for them were severe obstacles. I did not want a finished bike. It was essential it was a restoration project as I get such enjoyment from doing the work myself. I had done everything I could on the Stag, even spraying the bodywork in a single-width garage, and I can honestly say it was, well, let’s call it 'character-building,' though I would not have missed every torturous step forward, and occasional step backward, for the world.

Frustratingly, my search continued for several years without success, during which I became aware that many project bikes were actually being imported from the USA where they existed in much larger number than in the UK. Ideally, I wanted a bike that was complete rather than a box of bits. I always felt it was safer to buy a complete bike and take it apart to check that all the parts are present, and there are no difficult-to-source items missing.

After a few agonising near misses with GT750s and one H2, I did manage to finally source a 1976 Suzuki GT750A in January 2020, much to my delight. Incredibly, I found it on eBay, which is hideously competitive, but the stars were aligned that day and I barely hesitated before pressing the ‘Buy It Now’ button. The bike was an unrestored Canadian import that clearly had not run for some time, but would turn over with compression, and appeared complete, apart from lack of an airbox.

The bike came with a NOVA (Notification of Vehicle Arrival) which I have since learnt is essential when importing a vehicle in terms of possible tax liability, but no original ownership documents. This caused a slight problem when I tried to register the bike with the DVLA, but, a quick phone call later, the department was happy with the bike’s history and the dating certificate I had sourced from the VJMC (Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club), and I was promptly issued a V5. Okay, the first logbook issued was for a Kia 750 (?) which was swiftly corrected, but I did find the whole experience relatively straightforward. I needed a dating certificate for the bike from the VJMC in order to ensure that I received an age-relevant number plate, which would classify the bike as an historic vehicle and therefore free from road tax (and MOT, as it transpires).

Transporting the Suzy through my house to the garage was an experience I do not think my son and I will ever forget (the outside route was not possible because of a 90 degree passageway and single doorway into my garden). Even though I had checked the dimensions of the Suzy, it felt huge when trying to push it up the steps and through my front door. To this day, I am not clear how the handlebars went through the front doorway. I sat astride the bike whilst my son pushed and, suddenly, we were inside! We then transited the living and dining rooms before exiting into the rear garden via French doors. The lack of a working front brake added to the ‘excitement’ going down the garden steps to my small shed where the bike was stored.

So, I had bagged the Suzuki! But I needed to sort out the garage access and better storage. During the first lockdown, I managed to get another set of French doors installed between my workshop and garden, and also removed a wall, allowing a motorcycle to be wheeled straight through from garden storage to the front of the house. Even though Suzy was temporarily in a very small, shed, I did start the restoration process. In all honesty, it kept me sane during the spring/summer lockdown as, unexpectedly, I had to survive lockdown alone! 

I began to consider longer term storage for Suzy whilst she was being restored, and when she was on the road again (hopefully, next spring). As I began to ponder the ideal dimensions of a new workshop/storage shed in my garden, a germ of an idea began to form … why stop at one bike … why not size the storage for at least two?

Many friends and family were shocked when the Suzuki arrived, but a few long-term friends were not surprised at all as they knew my history. A couple of them knew of my fascination with the H2, but even they were completely unprepared by what I did  next ...

Unbeknown to most, I had retained my H2 online searches, just in case. Over and over again, I saw completed, highly-priced bikes for sale, but very few project bikes. I got close once when I became aware of an H2 for sale on the south coast that had yet to be advertised. Ahead of the pack for once! But photos supplied by the seller confirmed that the frame had been cut to make a café racer which for me, was a big no-no. I wanted originality of nothing.

And so it went on, with none of my friends really aware of just how serious I was about adding an H2 to the Suzuki. Yes, some knew I still pined for an H2, and sent me links to various relevant photos and videos online, but none realised just what was going on in my head. I had decided to give up on the UK and search overseas, but initial attempts to find an overseas agent were fruitless. Whichever way I looked at it, trying to buy a bike overseas without seeing it, from someone I did not know, and having it shipped to the UK was a huge risk not to be undertaken lightly.

Things suddenly fell into place in June 2020 when a message and photo appeared in a Kawasaki Triple Forum on Facebook. The message read “Anybody fancy a project bike?” and the photo showed two H2s in various states of disassembly on the back of a trailer in New York State, USA. I quickly took the plunge and responded that I was interested, following up with a personal message explaining my desire to find a suitable H2 project.

To his great credit, the seller contacted me again in July to give me first option on one of the two project H2s he had available.There followed several weeks of photos and email exchanges where I questioned everything I could think of. I studied the photos very closely, and I mean VERY closely, blowing them up on the biggest screen I could.

Phil Green and his Kawasaki H2

To cut a long story short, in July I thought 'what the hell!' and agreed to buy the bike. In the meantime, I had realised that the seller was President of the Kawasaki Triple Club, and a renowned expert on all things relating to Kawasaki triples. Even though I did not know him before the transaction, I always felt that he was being very straight with me with everything I asked. But I did  take a big swallow before sending over a deposit – for a bike I had never seen, to a guy I had never met, who lived overseas ...

The purchase price included shipping to the UK, delivery to my home address, and arranging the NOVA and V5. Following payment of the deposit, I tried to relax, but could not help occasionally firing off emails requesting updates. The bike took a long road trip from Michigan to Wisconsin, where it was placed in its container for the journey overseas to the UK.

While all this was going I told absolutely no one at all about what I'd done … well, apart from one friend in Australia and also, strangely Jude at Veloce. Jude had asked why I was purchasing The Kawasaki Triples Bible from Veloce when I did not have a Kawasaki triple … and so I confessed, swearing her to secrecy, but I kept all my other friends and family very much in the dark. Perhaps I was worried it would all go horribly wrong and I would be left with egg on my face.

Come October, I received a phone call from a number I did not recognise, interrupting a work Skype meeting. For some reason I answered the call, even though I did not recognise the number. It was a motorcycle transportation company, advising me that it had an H2 to deliver to me!

And so, on October 13, 2020, I became the proud owner of a 1972 Kawasaki 750 H2 project bike ... boy, did I shock a few people when they finally found out. Would I have done this crazy thing if it hadn’t been for the weirdness of lockdown? Who knows …?

The H2 now sits in my new storage shed patiently awaiting my attention. She will have to wait until after the Suzy is completed, though. 

In the meantime, just where is that Workshop Manual I purchased back in 1980 …?

The Kawasaki H2  

                                                       

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If you'd like to share your stories of restoration successes – or nightmares – or if you've written a post on a subject you think would make for a good guest spot on our blog, email us with your ideas and we'll take a look!

As you might expect, given that our first books were workshop manuals, we have a great selection for anyone working on their own resto project, from two wheels, to four … even three!

With over 80 to choose from we can't list them all here, so click this link …

https://www.veloce.co.uk/store/Workshop-c35031288

… and you can see all our workshop manuals – everything from busses and bikes, to scooters and Reliant Regals! 

The Cars of Eddie Van Halen

October saw the loss of an icon of rock music, and an inspiration to generations of guitar players. Eddie Van Halen passed away at age 65. Eddie Van Halen burst onto the music scene in 1978, with the eponymous album Van Halen. The group was formed in 1972, by Eddie and brother Alex, and continued with varying lineups – including with son, Wolgang – until the present day.

As someone who grew up listening to Van Halen, learning riffs and songs that I still play today (albeit at a fraction of the volume and with a fraction of the talent), I can vouch for the huge effect he had on music, then and now. I may have been a little late to the Van Halen party, but I can still remember the first time I heard the blistering guitar tones: a modded Strat, rewound PAF pickups blasting through a Marshal Plexiglass powered by a Variac (yeah – I’m a guitar nerd). 

Eddie's iconic home-made 'Frankenstrat.'

That sound was to become Van Halen’s trademark 'brown sound,' and partnered to his fluid two-handed playing style, became the defining tone for a generation of guitarists. The song was Mean Street, and the album was Van Halen’s fourth, Fair Warning; it was a hair-raising 'eureka' moment for millions of wannabe Guitar Gods the world over. At that moment, I knew that I was going to be Van Halen one day. Of course, without the skills or ability, that dream never materialised (although I do play an authentic Drop Dead Legs).

Whilst the guitarists among you will be familiar with Eddie’s techniques, tones, and guitars, you may not be so familiar with his love of cars. Along with his fellow bandmates, Eddie loved high-speed driving, almost as much as he loved high-gain playing. His extensive collection changed much over the years, working through a selection of Lamborghinis and Ferraris, to what was to become his last favourite (more on that later). Today, we pay tribute to one of the most influential guitarists of all time, in a manner befitting Veloce – with a look at some of his stunning car collection.

Eddie's 'Van Hauler' C1500 pickup. (Courtesy Hemmings.com)

Possibly one of Eddie’s most well known cars, is this custom Chevrolet C1500 pickup – or Van Hauler. Despite a fairly understated appearance, this beast was built by Hot Rods by Boyd and designed by none other than Chip Foose. 

Sporting subtle Frankenstrat inspired paint, with mods including a rear rollpan, and billet grille, it also sported a not-so-subtle 6.2-litre V8 LT1 engine swap, and independent rear suspension from a Corvette. The truck fell into disrepair, but was restored by Hot Rods by Boyd in 2009, and was auctioned in 2010. A second truck with a more extensive paint job was built for Sport Truck magazine, as a giveaway car.

Staying with trucks, Jim Bassett’s Bones Fab Hot Rod and Muscle Car shop built and maintained the gorgeous Dodge COE, above. Already modified when purchased, coming with a 6.9-litre diesel and four-speed manual transmission, it was further 'improved' with a 7.3-litre turbo diesel, ZF five-speed 'box, and overdrive. 

EVH’s collection features a number of cars by Bones Fab, and the next example is a fine 1970 Chevrolet Nova. As with most things EVH, the car is modded, featuring a 454 LSX motor, good for 650hp, completely revised rear suspension and brakes, and carbon fibre bonnet and boot. It also looks pretty fine in the Cali sunshine in Tang Yellow Orange paint.

1970 Chevrolet Nova …

… looks good from EVERY angle.

Chevrolet features predominantly in Eddie’s collection, with a 1957 Chevy Nomad, perhaps one of his more 'sedate' cars. It is, though, a beautiful example of period styling, stock air and power steering, and V8 power. Stock and steady it may be, but it still fetched a staggering $930,000 at Barret-Jackson’s 2009 Scottsdale auction. A Chevy with 'a little more gain' than the Nomad, was Eddie’s 1955 210, a 408cu-in small-block shoebox Chevy, which Eddie kept until 2016.  

Edie's Nomad. (Courtesy Barret-Jackson)

1955 210. (Courtesy Mecum Auctions)

When he wasn’t getting his adrenaline rush on stage, Eddie loved to race on track. He was known to push his cars as hard as his guitars and amps, and the latest car to become his favourite was an eminently pushable Porsche 911 GT3 RS. 

Sporting '5150' plates (the name of his recording studio, and 1986 album), when asked about the car by Car and Driver magazine, he said;

For one, it’s just so light. But really, it’s the handling. I don’t know how Porsche did it. We raced in the rain at Buttonwillow, which is my favorite track. We raced in the fucking rain and we never lost it, never spun out. BBI [Autosport] did my suspension. I set it up so you can feel it go and you can actually slide the damn car. It’s the first time ever I’ve been able to four-wheel-drift a Porsche. Every other Porsche I’ve ever had, I’ve spun them all. Well, every 911, anyway.

To borrow from Spinal Tap, Eddie liked to turned things up to 11, in stereo, so what better than a pair of Audi R8s to help the volume? The R8 proved to be a firm favourite with Eddie, owning V8 and V10 versions – both six-speed manuals, and both supercharged. Both pretty quick with EVH behind the wheel, too.

For me, though, the car in Eddie’s collection that shows his true petrolhead credentials, as well as a deep appreciation for the spirit of driving – and trailblazing – is his 1972 Lamborghini Miura S. The car – or rather the engine sound – even made an appearance on the track Panama, from Van Halen’s album 1984; the car was backed into the studio, hooked-up to the microphones, and given a good dose of Eddie’s right foot. Fast forward to 2:54 in the video to hear the unmistakeable tone of a Van Halen V12! 

The Lamborghini Miura S. Sounds good too.

Fittingly, the Miura was the first mid-engined production car, the first modern supercar. More than anything, it set the tone for everything that followed … just like the great man himself. 

Carl Lender / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

Eddie Van Halen

1955-2020

A tribute by Kevin Atkins

CarSpotter: the new app from Veloce Publishing

For most of us, long car journeys were a theme of childhood holidays. Trips to distant relatives, museums, wildlife parks … all were highly anticipated during the summer holidays, with adventure almost guaranteed (and not only at our destinations). I-Spy and other spotting games provided friendly (mostly) competition, and we were almost guaranteed to see something suitably eye-catching to keep us intently (and quietly) peering out of the car's rear passenger windows.

When car spotting, that sense of excitement for the rarest, oldest, or newest car still kicks-in today – an excitement that we know to be true for many auto buffs. And that's where our latest app comes in …

Veloce CarSpotter is the iOS app you wish you had had on those long childhood car rides. If mobiles had been around back then. It lets you keep a record of the cars you see on your travels, saving the location, and up to three photos for each car, along with notes on each of your 'Spots.' You can even group your Spots together using your own custom Tags. Oh, and it's COMPLETELY FREE! No in-app purchases, no 'bolt-ons,' and no hidden charges.

With a database of over 68,000 cars, encompassing rare, vintage, unusual, and interesting models, as well as 'standard' vehicles, and spanning over 100 years of motoring history, the cars aren't limited to certain countries or era, so the app can be used to spot cars anywhere.

The cars are curated into themed lists: cars from the 70s and 80s, or from film and TV, for example. We also have Veloce Selects lists that relate to some of our own books and series; now you can see how many of those Classic Fiats or Rally Giants you come across on your travels.

The app comes with ten lists, including six Veloce Selects lists:

• Veloce Selects: 2019 Line-up (Cars from our 2019 programme)
• Veloce Selects: Essential Buyer's Guides
• Film Cars: James Bond
• Veloce Selects: Car-tastrophes
• Veloce Selects: Great Cars
• TV Cars: ’70s & ’80s
• TV Cars: '90s & 2000s
• Film Cars: General
• Veloce Selects: Great Small Fiats
• Veloce Selects: Rally Giants

We'll also be making new lists available as we create them, to keep your app fresh … also FREE! So, if you have an idea, and want us to make a list for the app, let us know and we'll see what we can do!

Now, if you're hankering for some of that 'old school' competition, our app awards you points for each of your Spots … Lotus Europa? That's 250 points added to your profile! Each new Spot means more points to help you level-up. How many points you get depends on what you spot, with points awarded as follows:

• Base score – 100 points, for any Spot.
• Photo bonus – 50 points if the Spot has a photo saved with it.
• New make bonus – 25 points the first time you spot a car from a manufacturer you haven’t seen before.
• New model bonus – 25 points the first time you spot a model that you haven’t seen before.
• Marque score – A variable bonus based on the car maker: the rarer the marque, the bigger the bonus!
• Age score – A variable bonus based on the car's age. The older the car, the bigger the bonus – EXCEPT if it’s brand new, in which case you also get a bonus.

You'll also receive extra points if the Spot is on one of our lists:

• List spot – Additional points if the car is on any of our themed lists (generally 250 points).
• List completion – A BIG points bonus if a Spot completes a themed list (from 500 to 5000 points, depending on the size of the list).

As you collect more Spots, your profile summarises your progress, showing your points total, your current 'Level,' how many cars you've spotted, and over what period. It also shows you interesting stats such as the average age of the cars you've spotted, the oldest and newest cars, and how you're progressing through the lists.

For all the Twitter users among you, there is an option to share your Spots via tweet. The app will add the hashtag #CarSpotter, the model, and the year (if available).

If you find a car that isn't in the app, or one that you don't recognise, the app lets you tweet with the hashtag #CarSpotterID, so you can ask the Twitterati for an identification.

We will be following both hashtags, so do post your Spots and your ID requests. Tweet your score and Level using the #CarSpotter or #CarSpotterID hashstags, and you could also find yourself getting a little 'real-life' bonus from Veloce!

Veloce CarSpotter app is available now; head to our website or direct to the App store and get spotting today!

• Track your spots using a database of over 68,000 cars from 350+ manufacturers
• Save images, location information, and supplemental notes on each spot
• Create custom tags for spots to group them together however you want
• Work through themed lists of over 240 curated cars
• Earn points and level up with older and more prestigious spots, or spotting cars on supplied lists
• Entirely free! No in-app purchases or upfront costs. Just download and get spotting

CarSpotter also lets you choose a colour theme to match your mood.

Veloce CarSpotter is currently only available for iOS devices, and you can find out more over on our website: take a look at Veloce CarSpotter … and start your car spotting adventure today!

Find out more at Veloce: http://bit.ly/VeloceCarSpotter

Get it direct from the App store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/veloce-carspotter/id1500594777