Catalogue correct

I’m sure you’re familiar with the scene, you’re checking a bike over and thinking ‘well, that’s lived a life…’ then you look a bit closer and it becomes clear it may have been well used but it hasn’t been hacked around. Then an even closer inspection shows it’s complete and undamaged, with all unobtainable parts still in place – at this stage it cries out for a ‘catalogue correct’ restoration.

Such was the scene with classic car restorer and MX racer Mark Gessey, when he was asked to have a look at this 1987 350 KTM MX for Maxxis 2 series racer Mel Pocock. “Originally I was supposed to be restoring the bike for Mel,” says Mark, “not that he’s got any particular connection with it other than his dad used to race one.” As is the way of things time went on and Mark ended up buying the bike off Mel and doing it himself.

Mark admits it is handy being able to do almost everything in-house with only powder coating, shock gassing and