Donington Show 04/02/07 Review and Pictures

[Radar]

I took in the Japanese Bike show and auto jumble at Donington Exhibition Centre on Sunday with Thumper and Scouser of TBF joining me.
Anyway the show was excellent and focussed on the many classic Japanese machines spanning the period from the mid 1960’s to the early 1990’s. As a bit of a Yamaha addict (as some of you might of noticed), I was particularly drawn to anything with the legendary tuning forks symbol attached, with LC club and air-cooled RD club stands being like a bright light to a moth for me. A beautifully restored 1985 RD350 YPVS in the same colour scheme as the one I ran from ’85 to ’87 really caught my eye. God, I want another so badly it almost hurts.

https://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j289/Radarspit/Donington%20040207/P1010017.jpg
I WANT ONE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FS1E mania seems to have swept the classic movement and pristine examples of the iconic sports moped were much in evidence around the exhibition hall. Whatever the merits of the period rivals to the “Fizzie” such as the AP50 and SS50, no other moped from the unrestricted era has achieved such cult status in quite the same way.

https://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j289/Radarspit/Donington%20040207/P1010010.jpg
One of many mint FS1E exhibited

https://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j289/Radarspit/Donington%20040207/P1010026-1.jpg
Nicely done FS1E special

Another bike to catch my eye was the XT500, with a number of immaculate examples on display, including the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics magazine project bike. The rugged purity of the XT and others of this ilk such as the Honda XL500 I find very appealing, and I think that the off road bikes now have become almost too trick to be used in their intended green lane/winter-hack environment.

Despite my obsession with all things Yamaha, Thumper and Scouser managed to drag me onto some other stands too. Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki were obviously well represented, but the super rare Bridgestone was a highlight for me. Thumper was rather smitten with a Suzuki 125 twin. I was slightly perplexed by the total absense of the Honda CB250N Superdream, especially when you consider that despite it’s glacial performance it is by far the best selling bike in the UK from the last 30 years

https://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j289/Radarspit/Donington%20040207/P1010005.jpg
Bridgestone

https://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j289/Radarspit/Donington%20040207/P1010003.jpg
Rare in the UK, Yamaha R1-Z. Looks serious fun

Overall the Kawasaki Triple club boasted the most impressive stand, with pretty much every major model of the infamous triples on display in a showroom like setting. There was an un-used 750 with a sad story attached: The KH had been bought as one of a matching pair by two best friends, but when the first lad died as result of accident on his machine his friend refused to ever ride his when it was delivered a few days later. So there it sat some 30 years later, still perfect only 1-mile on the odometer, poignant.

https://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j289/Radarspit/Donington%20040207/P1010047-1.jpg
Big Kwack Triple, 1 mile only.

It was not the only bike yet to be registered for the road at the show though, an FJ1200 from 1989 and a RD250LC from 1981 were also on dispaly.

https://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j289/Radarspit/Donington%20040207/P1010028.jpg
Unregistered FJ1200

There was more to the show than the rows of gleaming bikes, with many trade stalls and breakers on site too. I picked a up a few bargains myself, notably a new Shark crash helmet for a very good price. However a search for bits for FZ proved fruitless, but many around me seemed to be finding what they were looking for in the hundreds of boxes full of parts on dislay.

Bikes were on sale too and, as usual it was a Yamaha that caught my eye. A dealer had three lovely RD250s for sale and only the sad combination of a full garage and an empty bank balance prevented me from adding to the fleet. That and the prospect of a divorce if I brought another bike home!


All in all an excellent show!

[Blau Zedong]

It was good..picked up an RD250 top end and carbs for £30

If i'd had £1000 and a van there would be trouble
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18:54:48 Rob Fzs: jews don't give away stuff for free

18:54:59 Rob Fzs: unless its their clothes/ hair/ golden teeth

[Kickstart]

Hi

Ooops, knew I forgot something. I meant to go to that show.

Take it you have an FZ750?

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Radar]

[Project9928]

That R1-Z looks lovely, wouldn't mind having a go on one of them. Lol going to have to find more on it now.

Random search found this on it if anyones intrested.

YAMAHA R1-Z
1991 on, 249cc w/c t/s twin,
40hp, 110mph, 45mpg, 295lb
Bare bones, white knuckle stroker twin. Engine’s tough except for clutch, difficult to derestrict without ruining low down power. Both rear disc and mono-shock bearings succumb to harsh winter weather and electrical burn-outs are not unknown around 30k. Proper seat and bars make it rather comfortable and practical.

[Ant]

i went with my dad and we didn't find it a very good show, we had looked around everything and was on our way home after about a hour and a half!. Staffords the place to go for classic shows!
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04 ZX10R ~

[Radar]

[h00dwink]

south east motorcycle show's pretty good for some nice classics, a decent amount of niche "clubs" and some fairly decent priced stuff.
minus is that it's pretty small and not worth a long journey.
plus is that it's only like a fiver to get in to.

some of those bikes look wicked by the way.
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Sahf East Winnah 4LYF
https://bikepics.com/members/h00dwink/00sv650s/
www.youtube.com/h00dwink updated regularly

[Blau Zedong]

Thought Stafford was overrated TBH. Was ok if you wanted to buy bikes but for parts it was pretty ordinary. Has to be set against the endless queue to get in and the shite parking arrangements. At Donnington I easily found lots of useful parts at cheap prices, I came back from stafford empty handed (although with a transit and £1K things would of been different).
____________________
18:54:48 Rob Fzs: jews don't give away stuff for free

18:54:59 Rob Fzs: unless its their clothes/ hair/ golden teeth