• Only ridden for 6 laps of the Jurby Festival in 2019
• Extremely rare, race-spec bike
THE BACKGROUND
When it comes to motorbike racing, the Isle of Man TT is the absolute pinnacle of courage and talent. And the riders and machines that succeed there are the stuff of legends. Alan Jackson, an IoM TT winner, rode the Moriwaki ‘Monster’ (based on the Kawasaki Z1000) to 4th place in the 1980 race.
The bike was sponsored by Gordon Pantall, an ex-racer himself, and built from Moriwaki frames imported from Japan. Only one was imported, so it is a incredibly rare bike.
Gordon Pantall was the only one to import a Moriwaki kit into Britain in 1979, and four replicas were born from that kit. For those unfamiliar with the bike, Moriwaki are a Japanese engineering company who have specialised in the design and creation of high performance parts for motorcycles and cars since the early 1970s.
Mr Pantall had parts for the bike in storage until he retired, when he decided to build this full, original specification replica. He completed this in 2018, and the bike was displayed at the 2019 Jurby Festival where it completed six demonstration laps.
The bike has never been raced and has been dry-stored since completion.
It should be noted that this is a track bike and has not been registered for the road. As such, there is no V5 or service history. The owner has built the bike himself over a number of years, after having stored and collected the parts over many years.
All of the bike’s external elements, from the frame and fairing to the seat and handlebars are in fantastic condition. It presents as a fully restored, original 1980 TT racer.
No expense has been spared in building this bike, and a wealth of new and restored original specification parts have been sourced and installed, making the bike look every inch the period racer. These include:
Brand new UK made replica Moriwaki frame, made of bronze welded Reynolds tubing
Frame and swinging arm powder coated in gloss black
Refurbished Dymag wheels, new wheel bearings and new Avon Race tyres
New fibre glass replica fairing, seat and front fender
New alloy Moriwaki replica fuel and expansion tanks
New Scitsu electronic rev counter
Finished in period-correct Moriwaki blue and yellow livery, the bike is a stunning recreation and in almost showroom condition.
Mechanically, the bike has been built as close to original specification as possible. Mr Pantall has used new or high quality refurbished parts throughout. He assures us that the bike runs perfectly.
The frame was built to accept a twin-shock or single-shock set-up at the rear. It currently runs the twin-shock set-up, as per the original 1980 racer.
The list of parts used in the build is extensive, but includes the following:
New box section swinging arm with needle roller bearings and aluminium chain adjusters
New Hagen rear shocks with spring/damper adjustment
New Moriwaki/Kyaba front forks and yokes
Refurbished AP Racing callipers and master cylinder
Kawasaki front floating discs and standard rear disc
Refurbished Z1R crankcases
Moriwaki 998cc 10:1 pistons
Moriwaki spec new replica F1 race cams
Gas-flowed cylinder head with large inlet and exhaust valves and H/D valve springs.
Under bucket shim arrangement
Standard Kawasaki clutch assembly with bearing release mechanism and H/D springs
Kawasaki Z1000 carburettors with velocity stacks
New oil cooler, pipes and fittings
New Dyna ‘S’ electronic ignition system
Engine filled with 10/40 Mineral Race Oil
As can be seen from the specification, enormous care has been taken in creating this replica, and the level of craftsmanship on display is wonderful to behold.
If you’re a fan of motorbikes, and especially if you’re a fan of the TT, then Moriwaki is a name you’ll know well. The Japanese engineers are renowned as creators of high performance motorsport parts. So the opportunity to get your hands on a full Moriwaki replica – especially one with the provenance this bike has – is not to be missed.
Gordon Pantall was a racer in his own right, before going on to sponsor a race team, and this is a spot-on replica of Alan Jackson’s 1980 bike which came 4th in the TT. You simply won’t find another one of these anywhere else. Hand-built by Gordon himself to the very highest standard, its a genuinely incredible machine.
Of course, you need to remember that this is a pure racer, built for the track and intended to be used there. They weren’t called ‘monsters’ for nothing, and this is certainly no road bike. But it is one of the rarest, best engineered and prettiest racers we’ve seen in a very long time. The Moriwaki livery has always looked great, and here it’s presented in as-new condition, making it the kind of bike that would be the highlight of any collection you care to mention.
It may well be a monster, but this is one monster we’d really like to take home. We’re not sure it can be tamed, but we’d definitely be willing to take our chances…
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Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.
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1980 Kawasaki Moriwaki ‘Monster’ Racer
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