Old Bike Mart Magazine August 2014 Back Issue

This month’s Muc-Off Star Letter from Peter March, whose 1931 Francis-Barnett Black Hawk sprang a serious petrol leak at the Jack’s Cafe Ton-Up Day on July 13 made me smile, for a similar kind of thing happened to me three years ago.

In Peter’s case, the quick thinking of himself and a small group of ‘rocker’ pensioners – yes, just like me! – averted any possibility of incinerating a row of gleaming cafe racers. In my own case, it was the usual story of one disaster after another when I took my old Kawasaki Z550F to the TT. All went well until the clutch started to slip, while travelling on the M62, and the problem became worse and worse until I finally arrived at my accommodation in Port St Mary.

A visit to Jason Griffiths Motorcycles next day had the problem fixed in no time and, overjoyed, I called into the nearest petrol station and filled
my tank to the brim.

Arriving at Peel Harbour for the usual kipper bap, I parked the bike and was just placing my order when someone shouted: “Is that your bike
over there? It’s leaking petrol like a sieve!” Kawasaki tanks from that era are renowned for becoming laced with rust, but beneath the shiny
paintwork things had deteriorated far more than I could have imagined.

We whipped off the tank, gave away all the petrol to a very grateful lady rider, and purged the fumes inside with the exhaust of my brother’s Honda Pan-European.

We spent the rest of the day at a local boatyard getting every single hole along the bottom seam brazed up until the completely ruined tank was finally free of leaks.

Everything held together until I arrived home in Lincolnshire, and the bike hasn’t turned a wheel since – but if anyone knows where I can find a
new Z550F tank, I’d be delighted to hear!

All the best for now, and keep between the hedges until next time!

Pete