Another Millyard Miracle

[Seeker]

What do you do if you have a few pieces left over from older Kawasaki triples projects including a broken crankcase?

I'd have probably called the scrap metal dealer but I'm not Millyard.

He welds the broken pieces and "just like that" ends up with a superb Kawasaki 500 (530cc) twin cylinder two stroke.

https://www.rideapart.com/news/45984...i-s3-500-twin/

I know it has brand new pistons and a rebore but the lack of piston slap is impressive (speaking as an ex aircooled-Yamaha-2 stroke owner).

[redtrummy]

His Y tube subscriptions are on the rise. Not hard to see why!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48UL3i6SHJQ
An interview and tour around his garage. But the interviewer keeps putting in . (But still worth a look)



His MTB build is worth a look as well - well all his vids are worth a look!


Sad that I actually get excited when he posts a new vid up.



He apparently appears on the Motorbike Show on TV - but I just cannot warm to Howard Coles presentation style so do not watch it

[Seeker]

Originally Posted by redtrummy

He apparently appears on the Motorbike Show on TV - but I just cannot warm to Howard Coles presentation style so do not watch it

It's Henry Coles but I have the same problem, in fact I mute the tv and put subtitles on. His constant uses of "hey" and "man" are annoying.

They had Alan's 6 cylinder Kawasaki "Z1" on last week's show. What always impresses me is the way they always look like stock bikes - just with extra cylinders (or, in this case, one less).

[Craig380]

Originally Posted by Seeker

I know it has brand new pistons and a rebore but the lack of piston slap is impressive (speaking as an ex aircooled-Yamaha-2 stroke owner).

Speaking as an ex aircooled Suzi stroker owner, the Kawa's piston slap and fin ringing is quite audible

But in fairness, the H2 triples were always mechanically noisy: big pistons, big ports and relatively large clearances. Even freshly-rebuilt ones sound like a tin box of nuts & bolts being shaken.

[Seeker]

Originally Posted by Craig380

Speaking as an ex aircooled Suzi stroker owner, the Kawa's piston slap and fin ringing is quite audible

you Suzi 2 stroke owners with your fancy, longer pistons... we Yam owners knew that when it went quiet...

...it had seized

[Craig380]

Originally Posted by Seeker

you Suzi 2 stroke owners with your fancy, longer pistons... we Yam owners knew that when it went quiet...

...it had seized

In 2005, my GT380's motor was getting a little tired, so I bought a job lot of 9 (yes, nine) spare barrels & pistons for my GT380 from a bloke on the Suzuki forums who had loads of spares, for £35.

After discarding the barrels with obviously worn / scored bores there were 6 good usable ones, so I carefully measured and matched pistons to barrels and ended up with a set of 3 that were all nicely in the middle of the clearance range.

A set of genuine NOS rings for a tenner and genuine Suzi head gaskets for another tenner from eBay, new little end bearings etc and I had a nicely refreshed top end for £20 per cylinder. It purred after that, and ran so sweetly.

Unfortunately, the days of picking up job lots of good used parts and cheap NOS bits are now LONG gone.

[gadget]

Always amazed at what he does, majorly clever bloke.
I had a KH400 back in the day when all my mates plumped for the RD400 as their weapons of choice, imo the RD was far better engineered but I wouldn't have changed my KH for the world at the time, when I managed to save enough money to buy expansions for it I fitted them instantly and then rode it back to the dealer to have it tuned n set up properly, it sounded so awesome , I never got tired of those smoking crackling pipes even when left behind by the RD's. Eventually I sold it to help fund a brand new Suzuki Katana in 83 I think.!
Wish I'd never sold it now! Actually ... I wish I hadn't sold any of my 70's/80's bikes.