Some sorta Sanctuary!

Inspired by the great specials builds from AC Sanctuary, Bob Haughton and friends set about making their own Zed homage!

- BOB HAUGHTON

This bike has been a long time coming, ever since I saw the first of the Sanctuary bikes when I was working in Japan in the truck business.

I was talking to Buzzard…. Well, let’s paint the picture. Buzzard is a good mate by the name of Dave Ennis. We called him Buzzard back in the 1970s as he had a big hooter and it’s kinda stuck. You’ve seen his stuff from BuzzWorkx before, back in the March 2020 issue. Well, Buzzard said we could do it better than that and for sensible money. Okay, so, looking back, the sensible money bit didn’t quite work out!

Buzzard and I have been mates since we were teenagers on mopeds and have mainly had Zeds of one shape or another over all those years. Partners in crime you may say, or birds of a feather (he is Buzzard after all!).

I have some standard Zeds, but since my time in Japan I have always wanted a Sanctuary-style special which will look like a 1970s Z1 but ride like a modern bike. So I drew up an initial spec to cover the handling, braking and performance and we sat down and agreed it in detail.

The 1977 Z1000 was chosen as a donor bike as it was a good running machine and has the best of the engines for tuning. We stripped the bike, removed all the unnecessary brackets and metalwork from the frame and welded in a PMC frame kit. We have used these before and they really stiffen the frame and stop it shaking its head. Much needed if we’re going for more power… Buzzard has a mate who he did his apprenticeship with at a well-known airline; he is an aviation welder so the welding is just amazing!