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ON ANY SUNDAY ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL The movie that’s inspired motorcylists for 50 years JUNE 2021 ISSUE #497

‘RACING ’ IS LIFE McQueen and s e l c y c r o t o m his

d e r c h t i w s SleFivde desert-style Triumphs hit the dirt

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Editor Gary Pinchin, gary.pinchin@bauermedia.co.uk Art editor Austin Smith, austin.smith@bauermedia.co.uk Production editor Mark Holmes, mark.holmes@bauermedia.co.uk Technical editor Rick Parkington, classicbike.workshop@bauermedia.co.uk Editorial assistant Colleen Moore, colleen. moore@bauermedia.co.uk, 01733 468099 Head of Publishing Steve Herbert, steve.herbert@bauermedia.co.uk Cover image: Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

EV E RETT CO LL E CT IO N IN C / ALAM Y STO CK PH OTO

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JUNE 2021 • ISSUE #497

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‘Harvey’ had a major inspirational role in On Any Sunday – as well as many other Hollywood movies...

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HATS OFF TO HARVEY This issue of Classic Bike is our tribute to Bruce Brown’s On Any Sunday, the ultimate motorcycle movie that was released in 1971 – a film that had a massive effect on me, and I’m sure many others, in shaping our motorcycling lives. A film that, even today, continues to inspire. One of the key characters in the film was Harvey Mushman, a guy who lived and breathed motorcycles and liked nothing more than to race his Triumph desert sled or Husqvarna motocrosser at weekends. That spirit, in essence, was the message of On Any Sunday. Of course, it focused on the exploits of some legendary motorcycle racers – every cinema production needs its leading characters. But ultimately the film was a tribute to all the guys like Harvey, who wanted to ride motorcycles – whether they raced on the road, dirt or beach, or even just cruised around on the roads, occasionally going to watch the races. On Any Sunday laid the entire world of motorcycling before a generation of youngsters like me, who were just discovering the freedom that a motorcycle offered. It brought all the joy, sorrow and incredible drama of motorcycle racing to the silver screen, examining every discipline up close – but managed to do so by making it all seem so much fun. You knew, from the moment you watched it, that your life could

not be fulﬁlled without trying to experience some of that yourself, no matter which side of the race track fence you might be on. You didn’t need to be a racer – but, of course, you did need to ride a motorcycle... The fact that, even after a busy day at work, Harvey chose to hang out with two of his racing buddies and play-race on the beach, underlined that the fun never stopped if you had motorcycles in your life. So, thank you, Harvey. Thank you, Mert Lawwill. Thank you, Malcolm Smith. And thank you, Bruce Brown – 50 years on, your movie is still as fresh and as inspiring as it was way back in ’71.

Enjoy the issue

Gary Pinchin Editor 3

GARY MARGERUM

Issue #497

DAVID NEWHARDT, COURTESY OF MECUM AUCTIONS

DA N M A H O NY

Five Triumph desert sleds ready to roll off-road

Mert Lawwill’s Grand National title was on the slide in 1970

The Norton P11: one of our selection of ‘Bikes for every Sunday’

BAUE R A R C HI VE

62 28

On Any Sunday – 50 years on

Starting our celebration of the best motorcycle movie ever

Big picture: Bud Ekins

Looking at the legend who paid for and starred in On Any Sunday

The West Coast guy synonymous with racing Triumphs off-road

The desert racers

Desert-style Triumphs

The ultimate inspirational motorcycle movie in the making

Norton P11 Norton’s natty take on the desert sled – a cool bike for hot rides

Just like Steve’s Meticulously-researched McQueen Triumph replicas from Ace Classics

These guys don’t need snow to have a whole lot of fun on their sleds

Triumph T120 desert sled McQueen was an avid collector of motorcycles – this is one of ’em

Historic pictures from the golden era of cactus-dodging scrambles

Steve McQueen

Hodaka You’ve got to love the US brand that gave the world the Combat Wombat

Mert Lawwill Interview We talk dodgy Harleys, prosthetics and MTBs with the AMA ace

REGULARS AN LS2 BOB HELMET & BULLET JACKET

Man and machine in magnificent harmony: Steve McQueen and a Husqvarna 400 Cross

TURN TO P91

Classic World 6

DTRA CHAMPIONSHIPS Discovering why dirt track racing is on an upward curve in the UK

DICK MANN OBITUARY H ON DA

Tribute to the recently-departed all-round American racing legend

THE WAY WE WERE Want to know how to jauntily tout a pipe on a bike? Look here

YOUR CLASSICS A cool-looking Bud Ekins homage and a well-fed Z

LETTERS Complimentary missives overwhelm us (well, there’s one...)

DIARY Yes, you read it right – there are some events going on at long last

Classic Market 105 BUYING AND SELLING Fancy some Commando action? A bit of market realism? Here it is

68 80

McQueen’s $230,000 Husky

Going... going... gone – that’s the reviews. There are previews, too

112 BUYERS’ GUIDE: TRIUMPH TIGER CUB Does exactly what it says on the tin – tips for teeny Tigers T R I UM P H

HARLEY- DAVIDSON

R O B WAL LS / SHU T T E R STO C K

108 AUCTIONS

The Husqvarna 400 Cross Steve larked about on at the end of OAS

Husqvarna CR450 A young man’s yearning for a Malcolm Smith-style bike satisfied

Harley-Davisdon XR750

Started as a pig to race (ask Lawwill) but became the ‘winningest’ US bike

1970 AMA National season

Triumph ﬂat-trackers British-built versions of US dirt racers in 250 and 750cc flavours

special offer

Standout stats from the year of racing focused on by On Any Sunday

Our Classics Gareth gets his ’71 DT360 ready to dirt-track race, On Any Sunday-style

WIN

COMPETITION

Costs you nothing to enter and you might win an LS2 lid and jacket...

Reach out – we’ll be there In the event of it being difficult to find this magazine in the imminent future, we will do our best to ensure we will still be available on digital platforms. If you can’t find us, or if you’re stuck at home, please consider: downloading our app from the iOS or Android app stores. Or if you’re a Kindle Fire user, you can download our magazines from the Amazon Newsstand. If you are a print subscriber and we cannot deliver issues to you owing to the Covid-19 situation, please visit www.greatmagazines.co.uk where clear updates will be given in due course.

JUNE 2021

French style master Dimitri Coste, showing the sideways attitude that won the DTRA Four-Stroke Championship in 2019

OBITUARY WAY WE WERE EVENTS YOUR CLASSICS LETTERS

DICK MANN OBITUARY

T HE WAY WE WERE

Race ace remembered

Dashing flashbacks

Clockwise from top left: Vintage class attracts riders with vintage boots and gnarled hands; James Smith on his Harley XR750 replica at Kings Lynn; Lucia Aucott at Greenfield on her ‘Angry Wasp’ Ossa; Chris Jenner shaving off the loose rubber to maximise grip (or confidence in his tyres...) s a motorcyclist, I can’t count the amount of times I’ve watched On Any Sunday – and I know for a fact I’m not alone in that. For some people, the legacy of the classic Bruce Brown ﬁlm is insigniﬁcant – a nod to a different time, perhaps, or an interesting look at Steve McQueen. For many motorcyclists, they are glad that things have moved on since 1971 and would never think to look back at that era in some sort of golden light. But I’m sure many of you reading this will know that what Bruce Brown captured was something special. Something that has been lost from the world we live in now, but something worth preserving the vestiges of – be that through the machines, clothing, memorabilia or even a subtle nod to the style. There is a collective of riders out there for whom On Any Sunday is like Top of the Pops; merely the crest of the wave that was crashing through the world in the early ’70s,

the bit that had the visible impact on the world of motorcycling. The groundswell of culture that ran underneath it, carrying its weight and giving it energy, still lives on to this day. It’s out there, wild and free and just as cool as it was then. I have been lucky enough to have made five consecutive pilgrimages to California to soak it up. Hell on Wheels, Hello Engine, Glen Helen, Perris, Willow Springs. I’ve ridden on the beaches and in the desert of the Baja Peninsula and have been lucky enough to see some of the most beautiful vintage bikes in the USA, piloted by some of the masters: Go Takamine, Roland Sands, Steve Caballero, Meatball. Bruce was never far from my mind, especially as I’m a surfer, too. But it’s our shores that the bikes all came from – and on our shores the spirit is also very much alive, due in part to the Dirt Track Riders Association. The DTRA host a flat-track race series that is firmly on the global map. The talent and standard of racing is incredible and the whole organisation is second to none. Anthony

DTRA Brown and his partner Anna run the burgeoning club with a team of helpers. Anthony is a legend in his own right; his contribution to the culture of dirt-track racing is immeasurable, as is the work he continues to do to inspire the next generation of riders, challenge the current one and facilitate the older racers. The pits of a DTRA round are a special place. The variety of machines from the super-modern to the ancient is enough to get anybody excited. The bark of the hot motors, the puffs of summer pit-dust, the smell of two-stroke ﬂoating through the air. In the fastest classes, riders mostly choose to ride ﬂat track-converted modern motocross bikes called DTX bikes. These run 19in front and rear wheels with the control Dunlop DT3 tyres and are lowered and stiffened for the job at hand. Lots of riders choose to ride traditional framers – often Rotax, sometimes Japanese or KTM singles

‘THE VARIETY OF MACHINES IN THE PITS AT A DTRA MEETING WILL GET ANYBODY EXCITED’

Top to bottom: On Any Sunday star David Aldana showing why he’s an absolute legend at the MCN Show, Peterborough. Dimitri Coste’s Trackmaster Triumph ready to rip; John Harrison is the embodiment of vintage style.

DTRA 2021 SCHEDULE May 8-9 Jun 12-13 Jul 17-18 Aug 14-15 Sept 11-12

King’s Lynn, Norfolk Greenfield, Lincolnshire Amman Valley, Wales Redcar, Teesside Greenfield TT, Lincolnshire

in flat track-specific frames, R6-style forks, single or monoshock with sleek race tanks and glassfibre seat units. Flat track bikes only run a rear brake, except in the case of a TT round which has a jump and a couple of right turns – or wrong turns if the oval is your thing. There are fun classes for ‘Mini-bikes’ and Youth classes too, but the Pro, Hooligan (big production twins) and Thunderbike classes are the bikes that go fast; often really fast into the ‘short track’ ovals – bar to bar, foot down, sideways before tucking in for the straight in a cloud of dust. Riders wear steel shoes on their left foot and skilled racers lean their bike into the corner, throttle elbow pointed upwards, left hand pushing the bike down using the power of the machine, flirting with the edge of control to drift round the oval, inches from their competitors. That is the silhouette; the elbow up, the bike leaning, drifting sideways, rider hanging on. It’s one thing going fast, but it’s another doing it in style; the same style as Malcom Smith, Mert Lawwill, Mark Brelsford, Dave Aldana and co. Usually in one corner of the pits, eating cake together, scratching their heads, are a gang of riders from all walks of life who are the full package – the Vintage class riders, with the boots, the leathers, the helmets, the spirit and definitely the bikes. The Vintage class is perhaps not the fastest, but it’s certainly not a parade – and it definitely provides me, as a photographer, with some of the best moments. Some of these riders are exactly what you would expect: ageing, finicky, period-obsessed men with probably a little bit too much money and time to burn. Others in the class are not what you might expect – young guns willing to learn, listen, get stuck in and involved... and often take podiums. Pro-class rider and Hooligan champion Gary Birtwistle cleaned up on a BSA a few seasons ago, and fellow Pro-class competitor Sean Kelly is the current vintage champ on his USA import Yammy two stroke. Lucia Aucott has been campaigning her Ossa like an angry wasp running laps with style and finesse for two seasons and putting it on two-stroke podiums. Although there are two separate classes, the Vintage class ride together, whether they are on two-stroke or four-stroke bikes. The class regularly sees Harley WLs, Trackmaster Triumphs, Bultaco Astros, Ossas, BSAs, Huskies and just about anything else that is pre-1975, air-cooled and twin shock. Exempt from the control tyres, the Vintage class

s Take a ride Mweitmhoru y La ne down

NAME THAT BIKE... Got an old pic with a mystery bike in it? Send it to the address at the bottom of the page and CB expert Rick Parkington will have a go at identifying it for you

ONE SUNNY SUNDAY These photos were taken on a Sunday ride out to Ashby-de-la-Zouch, which found us all relaxing by the locks on the canal which can be seen in the background. They show long-time pals Pete Cherret on his Yamaha RD250 and Phil Geeson on his Norton Commando 850, along with my girlfriend Val (on the fence – now my wife) and my BSA A65 combo. (If the owner of JRB 752J is out there and would like history or photos, I have plenty!) Many happy memories of miles covered in usually glorious weather. I have always had a soft spot for the Birmingham brand and have an A65 Lightning Bolt (Lightning with Thunderbolt single carb head) in the garage at present. John Barnard

SOLD BETWEEN SERVICES Having seen Jock McFadyen’s Honda CB72 and CL72 in the Your Classics section of the April issue, I thought I’d send you a photo of the first CL72 I ever saw, taken in 1964/65. I was a member of the 1st East Anglian Regiment for two years in Aden, on pay of £7/15 shillings (£7.75p) per week. One day, I went down to Malla straight, where a lot of my army and RAF friends were quartered. There was a motorcycle shop with a new Ducati Elite 200cc for sale for £150 in duty-free port. As I got to the shop, a Brit pulled up on a CL72; the guy was a pilot for Aden airways flying a DC3, and sometimes they would fly us into the desert. He was selling the bike because he was at the end of his tour; he’d just used the bike to commute to the RAF Khornakser airfield, so the bike had less than 600 miles on the speedo. I bought it from him for £125; then, when I left Aden, I sold it to another serviceman. This is a picture of the bike. I’ve also sent a picture of me on my father’s bike in around 1943, which I think was a BSA Sloper. I am still riding a BSA M20 – the same one that I passed my test on in 1961. Eddie Smith, Lawford, Essex

BREWING UP 80,000km ON A KETTLE Following the article in the March issue about the Suzuki Kettle, here is a photo of mine in 1978 during a holiday in Corsica. It was a GT750A, which I bought in 1976 and kept for 10 years, covering 80,000km without any trouble with the engine, frame or anything else! Silent and smooth, its 67 horsepower was quite enough in those days! It was a really good bike – solo or with passenger – just a little heavy. There were only two downsides. The first on was that, when riding in the wet, the front discs didn’t work – you had to rely on the rear drum. Secondly, the four mufflers and the low mudguard did not make it easy to change the rear tyre if you got a puncture. But despite this, I remember it fondly. Philippe Contant, Dolomieu, France

SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO: CLASSIC.BIKE@BAUERMEDIA.CO.UK

DTRA

‘RIDERS BASH BARS, SHUT EACH OTHER OFF, RUN EACH OTHER WIDE’

Clockwise from top left: Mike Fisher on his very competitive Bultaco Astro; Coste, in signature white leathers, celebrating another heat win at Greenfield; Rik Bearcroft’s Triumph – a go-bike that could easily be a show bike; John Harrison and Jon Dyer battling it out at the MCN Festival isn’t a sideshow or procession of collectables; these bikes are ridden, not hidden. Like all flat-track machines, they are often low, stripped back, simplified, lightened and styled correct to the pre-75 style. The riders run them hard. A battle for fifth or sixth can take place over an entire season and it really matters to these folks. Riders bash bars, shut each other off, run each other wide – and that’s just in practice. Then they help each other to fix their bikes just to do it all again in the heats and finals. The stalwarts of the class – John Harrison, Rick Bearcroft, Jon Dyer, Norm Joss, etc – are often the ones who are instrumental in propping up the DTRA. They’re at every meeting, headsets on, flags in hand, helping the team to ensure the smooth running of the weekend. The younger energy ensures that the class is kept alive, with Frenchmen Dimitri Coste and Hubert Bastie bringing a style and flair to the class that keeps the sub-set of riders on their toes. The bikes come and go in the Vintage class, and so do the riders. One thing for sure is that it takes time, dedication, knowledge and commitment to ride a 50-year-old motorcycle

in anger and keep it running race-ready for the next meeting. There have been very few vintage bikes that haven’t had some real character and charm out on the track. There have been a great deal more that are the absolute embodiment of the spirit of the classic era of flat-track racing. It might not be on every Sunday, but for at least five weekends this year you can see or compete in a Dirt Track Racing Championship that is something really special – a community of like-minded people whose passion for turning left is unrivalled. The roar of the vintage bikes juxtaposed with the bark of the tight, modern 450s is something special to spend a weekend around. If you plan on riding, you will be welcomed with open arms and I am confident that you will want to give back as much as you get from joining the DTRA. If you plan on watching, the obligatory soggy speedway-track chips covered in dust will take you back to a place or purity in the motorcycle world that has always existed. It’s just in better shape now, thanks to the DTRA and all involved. dirttrackriders.co.uk

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DA N M AH ON Y

OBITUARY

Dick Mann 1934-2021 We celebrate the incredible life of the On Any Sunday star, BSA rider, Daytona 200 winner and general all-round American racing legend WORDS: MICK DUCKWORTH PHOTOGRAPHY: DAN MAHONY, BAUER ARCHIVE A HERL & BSA

lthough short in stature, Dick ‘Bugsy’ Mann was a giant figure in US motorcycle sport. In a career stretching from the 1950s to the 1970s, Mann was twice US Grand National Champion, won two Daytona 200 epics and was the first of only three racers to win rounds in all five of the championship’s disciplines: the mile, half-mile, TT and short track on dirt, plus asphalt circuit racing. He won a Bronze Medal in the 1975 ISDT, shone in motocross (a sport he helped launch in the USA), campaigned for track safety and built frames for dirt track and off-roading. Mann was truly versatile, but his special skill was racing on rough tracks. “Anyone can be a superstar on a track as smooth as asphalt, but dirt track can be brutal,” he told me in a 1997 interview for CB. The motorcycling world was saddened when Dick Mann died on April 27, aged 86, after suffering latestage dementia. In his prime he was admired for his technical wisdom, feared as a determined competitor and liked for his amiable and unassuming nature. The circumstances of Mann’s earliest years in Nevada and Utah were difficult. His miner father left

home when he was four and during wartime his mother took him to Richmond, California, where she cut steel with a torch in a shipyard. An association with BSA that lasted until the brand’s 1973 demise began in his teens, when he taunted Harley-Davidson riders by blowing them away on his 125cc Bantam. He had stints working for BSA dealers, who supported his forays into racing, starting on a dealersupplied twin-carburettor A7 twin, while his early mentor was legendary BSA Gold Star tuner/rider Albert Gunter. Graduating to Expert status in 1955, Mann finished second at Daytona in 1958 and 1959, riding 750cc HarleyDavidson KRs on the old beach course. His first National win, at the 1959 Peoria TT on its undulating dirt course, was on a borrowed Gold Star. In 1962, Mann was provided with a Matchless G50 by AMC’s importer, raced to victory in the 100-mile Loudon road race and collected another second at Daytona behind Triumph’s Don Burnett. Controversy followed; under production-based rules, a rigid-framed G50 flat-tracker Mann built was banned, then he was stunned to find the standard frame declared illegal for the 1963 Daytona 200. In the 1997 interview, Dick told me he believed Triumph’s US operation DAN M AH O NY

Above: Mann on a BSA A50R in the 1968 road race at Loudon, New Hampshire

Left: On a 1964 Matchless G50 at the Ascot TT

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OBITUARY DAN M AHO N Y

Right: Getting some air off a TT jump at Ascot Park on a Matchless G50 Far right: Flat-track on dirt ovals was his forté. Mann (#2), leads David Aldana (#13) and Scott Brelsford (#84)

Right: The veteran, victorious at the 1970 Daytona 200, flanked by Gene Romero (left) and Don Castro Far right: On a BSA, leading JPN Nortonmounted Phil Read, , at Ontario circuit, California in 1972 used its influence within the AMA governing body to exclude him from the year’s biggest road race. He took revenge by becoming 1963’s National Champion. He won the Ascot TT National on the G50 (eligible under less-strict TT rules) despite a nasty crotch wound and amassed points on Gold Stars in dirt and asphalt rounds. Legalised for 1964, the G50 took Mann to wins in three road races plus Peoria, and second place in the championship. Helping to put Yamaha on the map in the USA, Mann took the only Grand National win by a 250cc machine – on a TD1 twin at the Nelson Ledges road circuit in 1965. He was still caning Gold Stars on the dirt in 1967, winning both the Peoria TT and the Reading half-mile on ageing singles. By now they could only be kept competitive against factory Harleys with extreme tuning and frequent crankcase changes. BSA shipped A50R racing twins to the US, but Mann found their lack of power and reliability disappointing. The AMA’s new 750cc formula for 1970 swept away a long-standing 500cc limit on ohv engines in road racing and flat track, allowing BSA and Triumph’s 750c triples to contest Daytona. But 36-year-old Mann was not invited into the BSA team. Faced with no 200 ride, he was approached by former G50 tuner Bob Hansen of American Honda, who needed a US rider to join a factory-backed team on CB750-based fours. Offered a $10k bonus for a win, Mann signed up. In the race, Honda’s nominated British riders Ralph Bryans and Tommy Robb struck engine trouble, while Mann gave Honda its desired coup by winning at 102.69mph. Knowing the cam chain was the four’s Achilles heel, Hansen had fitted a new one and Mann, to the chagrin of Japanese personnel, chose very high gearing and rode steadily

to nurse his engine. As fast lappers dropped out one by one, the astute American pressed on to take the chequered flag by eight seconds from Gene Romero’s Triumph. Signed by a wiser BSA team for 1971, Mann gave the troubled factory a swansong US title. He won the Daytona 200 again, leading BSA/Triumph’s glorious 1-2-3 and averaging a record 104.737mph. He didn’t have a top-spec engine, as allotted to 1970 US champion Gene Romero, Mike Hailwood and Paul Smart, but the latter two retired and smooth-riding Mann headed Romero’s Triumph and Don Emde’s year-old BSA. Dick told me he’d misjudged one turn during the 53 laps, due to his innate eyesight problem in shifting focus from distant to close. After captaining the US team at the 1971 Anglo-American Match races, Mann returned to the Grand National fray and went to the road race finale at Ontario, California with a slender points lead over Romero. Both riders crashed, Romero in the first of two legs and Mann in the second, but Mann remounted to clinch the title. Mann and Romero were the only US-based BSA/Triumph riders kept on after 1971. Equipped with BSA’s A70 750cc twin-cylinder engine, Dick’s last AMA national wins were in 1972 on the Homewood Mile and at Peoria for the fourth time. BSA’s 1973 collapse meant racing his Wenco-framed triple in Triumph colours and in the next year he joined the rush to Yamaha’s TZ750, well on the pace at Daytona with a Don Vescotuned four until a rear tyre broke up. Although retired from the National scene, he kept competing for many years, winning an American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) Over 60s motocross event in 2002, three years after surgery for throat cancer.

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B I LLET CUT S C REW F I T SUBFRAME REBUIL D K I T For fusing broken vertebrae • Bone repair only Does not prevent paralysis

C U STO M MAD E F O R TH E R I D ER

V I S IT U S AT B I K E RTE K S H O P.C O.UK

BIKES REPAIR EASIER THAN BIKERS TA K E R E G U L A R B R E A K S T O AV O I D R I D I N G T I R E D

THE WAY WE WERE

Reaching a Zenith

Right: John Saunders’ dad Frank on a JAP-engined Zenith (probably)

Cherished photos capture John Saunders’ dad and uncle on tasty inter-war tackle THE PHOTO ABOVE right is of my dad, Frank Saunders (born 1904) on a mystery bike in Acton, West London in the early 1920s – scarily, no front brake visible! Frank and his older brother Syd owned many renowned bikes in the 1920s and ’30s, including a Triumph Model H, Rudge Multi, Zenith, Douglas and OK Supreme. I am fortunate to have photos of some of them handed down to me. The pic of Syd on the Rudge Multi (right) was taken in the back garden of the family home in Chatsworth Gardens, Acton, West London around 1920. Syd was a draughtsman for various aircraft companies, then ended up being a lecturer in Newport, Isle of Wight, where he retired and passed away in 1975.

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HI JOHN, I’d say this one is Frank’s Zenith. It’s a JAP engine and probably the side-valve 3.5hp (500cc). It has the famous ‘Gradua’ expanding pulley on the crank. Most pulleys could be adjusted to raise or lower gearing, but it had to be done with spanners at the roadside. The Gradua gear was operable by a handle on the tank, enabling it to be done on the move; this made Zenith owners so successful in competition that for a time they were barred from entry. Not surprisingly the company took advantage of this and included prison bars and the word ‘BARRED’ in their trademark. I would guess the bike dates from around the time of the Great War and it does, in fact, have a front brake – of sorts. It’s a stirrup type – as fitted to old bicycles, with blocks pulled upward against the front wheel rim. All the best, Rick Parkington

John Saunders

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TWO FROM THE ’20S Could you please identify the bikes in the enclosed photo? The very smart rider is my friend’s father and I think the NR plate is from Leicestershire in the ’20s. Could the rear bike be a BSA Sloper? I have no idea what the front bike is. Iain Davidson

HI IAIN, you’re quite right – the rearmost bike is a BSA Sloper, probably from 1929/30 and Cambridgeshire registered. The bike in the foreground is a 1926-ish New Imperial and probably the 250cc ohv Model 5. These were apparently good for 60mph, so quite a sporting model for the time. Great photo, thanks for sending it in, Rick Parkington

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DESERT RACERS

The start line of 37th Big Bear Run stretches for a mile, as the 800 riders wait for the 9.30am ‘bomb’ which signals the start of the race

GOING SLEDDING WORDS: GEZ KANE PHOTOGRAPHY: GARY MARGERUM

YOUR CLASSICS Right: Jack’s made a great job of his 1970 Triumph Daytona T100R - it looks ready to take on the California desert Inset: Engine internals were in good condition, but the motor got a full rebuild anyway

Below: The bike in the state it was in after its return from the States

MINE’S A BUD Jack Curwell bought himself a project as a birthday present – and turned it into this desert sled in a homage to Bud Ekins

MY FAMILY ARE all very much into custom builds and restorations. Myself, my brother Sam and my dad David have built many bikes over the past few years – all leaning towards the off-road style, as we come from a trials background. Over the last few years I’ve restored an RT360 Yamaha and built a BSA C15 trials bike, but as my 30th birthday was looming in April last year I was looking for a present to myself. I came across a 1970 Triumph Daytona T100R being imported by Huggy’s Speedshop in Atherstone (now based at Mallory Park); I had dealt with these guys before – they are top notch and were very fair with the price. So the deal was done and the long six-week wait for the bike to arrive in the UK began. During this time I was looking for inspiration for the build and came across the

Ace Classics Bud Ekins desert racer special – I decided that was the style I was going to go for. When I ﬁnally received the bike, it was showing just 3600 miles on the clock – although it had obviously been laid up for a good number of years, I was not at all disappointed with its condition. So the stripdown began. When it comes to a project, I will always lean towards a US import from a dry state, and this paid off, with 90% of the nuts and bolts coming undone with no seizing issues. As I’d recently sold the RT360, I had a bit of cash to get going straight away, so the frame and any other black parts were sent off to the powder coaters – this saved a huge amount of time compared to my usual ‘sanding and wet painting’ process. While the frame was away, I tore the engine down to ﬁnd

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Nothing compares to Z

Jack went for a single Mikuni carb and Electrex World ignition it in very good condition, although I decided to do a complete rebuild anyway. This included all bearings, new standard big-end shells and new Hepolite +30 pistons, with the barrels bored to suit. The engine came together really well, the only problem being a slight crack in the cylinder head – this resulted in a sleeve being machined and pressed in by myself and my dad (who is pretty handy with the lathe). This is apparently a quite common ﬁx for these 500 heads – it seemed to work a treat for me, anyway. I stripped the wheels down and had new stainless rims laced onto the reconditioned hubs with stainless spokes, as the old chrome rims had pitted quite badly over the years. A few good friends of mine are well acquainted with old Triumph twins and put me onto Allens Performance – they supplied the Mikuni for the single carb set-up I wanted. As an off-road fan, I’d decided on this as low-end torque is what I aimed for, rather than a revvy top end. I’ve left the cams set up for twin carbs, though, and feel I have a great range throughout now it’s set up correctly. I opted for the Electrex World ignition with no lighting kit; it was a doddle to set up and I’ve had no trouble with this kit or the one I use on my C15 trials bike. Being a fabricator by trade, I’ve been able to make or alter a few one-off parts such as the exhaust extender so my girlfriend Fleur’s shoes don’t melt when she rides pillion with me! I’ve also removed the outer lip of the front drum backing plate, which is purely aesthetic but I really like the look. It’s really smooth to ride and I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out. Now I’m looking forward to the next project – maybe a 6T rigid trials bike, although there’s nothing on the horizon just yet – and some dry roads now spring’s here... Jack Curwell

This Z900 arrived in my family in 1993, having been purchased by my brother from the previous owner, who was a chap known to him. We knew then that the bike was cherished and had never been out in crap weather. The bike at this time still had very low recorded mileage. During my brother’s ownership the bike was stored in my garage, during which time I occasionally rode it to keep things ticking over, and to keep the MoT updated – but over time he lost interest in it, so in 2011 I made him an offer and became the owner. It has never been restored and is serviced and kept polished by myself. I have most of the old MoT certificates to verify the mileage. The only major parts that have been changed are the exhausts; that work was carried out at Cosmo Classic Motorcycles. The bike’s only exposure to adverse conditions was during a summer weekend trip to France via the Newhaven ferry; I think the French weather decided that the bike, my wife, myself and a friend and his wife on their Triumph needed a good soaking. The bike comes out to follow the Pioneer Run and the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run from our home in Redhill – but only if it’s dry. The bike is kept in a dry garage and only comes out for runs on warm, dry days. Last year, I reluctantly sold my other old bike – a 1961 250 James Commodore with only 12,500 miles on the clock, which was originally owned by my father-in-law. I am now 65 years old and have ridden bikes most of my life. Most of my other bikes have been various Hondas, but none of them compare to the Z900. Martin Keel

Above: Martin bought the bike from his brother and knows it’s been well treated

Right: You can tell at a glance that this machine is Martin’s pride and joy Jack (left), his brother Sam (centre) and dad David love building off-roaders

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GOING SLEDDING

Andy wanted the worn, patinated look of a wellused machine. He got it

1959 Triumph T110 Owner: Andy Noakes THIS IS A BIKE that nearly never was. Andy had been on the lookout for a pre-unit project for a while when his mate Ian Williets turned up a wreck of a T110 about two and a half years ago. “I knew I wanted a desert sled from the outset,” says Andy. “But my original plan was for a shiny as-new machine. I had a photograph of a bike I liked the look of as my inspiration and it was immaculate. Ian’s already built a couple of show ponies for me, so I thought I’d go that way with it. As the build started to come together, though, I started leaning more towards a worn, patinated look. “Ian’s a show-standard restorer and he took a bit of convincing at first. The way I wanted to go with the project was probably a bit out of his comfort zone at the time. But he really got into it and I can’t speak too highly of the job he’s done. I had a lot of input in terms of what I wanted the bike to look like and everything seemed to work first time round. It all came together pretty quickly thanks to Ian.” Ian has rebuilt the engine – as he has on all the Wiltshire sleds (Kev has gone his own way with his machine, see page 38). It’s in standard tune and is essentially a brand new engine inside the original cases. “I wanted to keep it standard, both for reliability and ease of starting. It’s about riding, not racing,” Andy explains. “I wanted lights on it so I can use it year round and not get caught out if it gets dark while I’m out. We’ve kept the six-volt dynamo

lighting from the donor bike and it’s good enough for what I need. The lights might not be the brightest, but they’ll see me home OK. “From the start, I wanted this to be a bike that would be easy and fun to ride – and, at the same time, not so shiny that I’d be afraid to get a few scratches on it. I think we’ve achieved that. It starts easily, goes well and I love riding it. Job done, I’d say.”

Below: Engine is rebuilt to standard spec, to keep Andy’s regular ride reliable and easy to start

YOUR LETTERS

Trident and tribulations I AM WRITING to you in response to a couple of articles in the April edition. The first was on the 50th anniversary of the ‘Match Races’ first held 1971. Apart from the thought that ‘it can’t have been 50 years ago’, memories came flooding back of those days of howling Triumph and BSA triples. The old marketing adage ‘win on the Sunday, sell on the Monday’ was true – for me, at least. I purchased a Trident T150V in February 1974. I still have the bike, which is in full operational order. The second article evoked a feeling of ‘so it wasn’t only me’. The feature to which I refer is the Barry Hart interview. The particular sentence that caught my eye was: “That taught me it wasn’t just the British motorcycle industry that was rife with poor managers, it was all British industry.” That sums up many of my experiences with a significant number of company managers I encountered running my own business selling and supporting CAD-CAM systems for 40 years. Many had little real experience in their companies’ area of operation and were increasingly risk averse. The worst sector I encountered was banking. Trying to secure loans for equipment was always an uphill struggle. The excuse from one particular bank when approached to assist in establishing,

Brit Paul Smart leads American Dick Mann in the 1971 Transatlantic Match races, 50 years a go

in my case, a laser scanning and reverseengineering service, was that the project was too innovative! The point I would like to make is that Barry Hart fell foul of the unwritten rule – ‘If I don’t understand it, don’t support it’. That is why, I believe, many parts of our manufacturing industry is in such dire straits.

Like Barry Hart (left), reader Mark Hebbard has experience of incompetent management in British industry

Mark Hebbard

March issue stirs memories and prompts praise The March issue, with a Kettle on the cover, reminded me of my experiences with one. In the summer of ‘74, I purchased a blue GT750M to replace a 500 Matchless that simply wasn’t up to my daily commute to college. The G80 may only have been 13 years old, but it was hatched in another era. After exiting the education system, I went despatching on the Suzy. Having replaced the three sets of points ignition (which were a pain to time with a dial gauge) with a Lucas RITA ignition, it proved to need little maintenance and was more than equal to a ‘Scotland and return’ of 875 miles – possibly a daily record for a Kettle? It was smooth, quiet, torquey and dead reliable, and 30k miles passed in little more than a year. Unfortunately, the flip side was not so nice. Brake disc and pad

materials resulted in a wet weather braking performance that varied between nothing and locked up. I’d also been ignorant of what was meant by a ‘tankslapper’ until the Suzuki gave me a sharp introduction when testing its straight-line

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performance one sunny day. When it happened again, I decided enough was enough. It had to go. My pal Rob Duebel wasn’t so lucky. He had a drum-braked 750J like the one featured in CB. It went lock to lock in a moment and spat him off. Fortunately, he had a full set of leathers on and got away with it. The experience was pretty much the end of his biking career, whereas I traded the GT in for a (new) yellow Duke 750 Sport. Mark Stanley

I expect the life of a magazine editor involves lots of difficulties and not much praise. So let me reverse the trend and congratulate you on the March issue of CB, which is a fine piece of work. The magazine is going through something of a golden period right now. It has had ups and downs over the years but,

as a subscriber since the first issue, I have stayed with it through the times of fat and lean. Particular favourites in this edition were the Patchett article – just the sort of thing I like. Seeing Norman and Clive out on their Triumph twins hit a good spot. But the Hicken piece, the Rickman Zundapps, the Spanish models, seeing Barry on a Kettle, and the 500 Ducati racer were all good stuff, too. The design has settled well, and the front cover is epic. Bravo, fellow-Moonraker, Charlie Webster

DIARY

Hoping for an endless summer Our diary pages are back as the event season starts to move up through the gears...

Left: A massive congregation of CCMs will be gathering for the marque’s birthday

CCM CELEBRATED IN CUMBRIA

JUNE 26-27

Westmorland MC CCM 50th Anniversary meeting, Crooklands, Kendal Anyone who misses the old Nostalgia Scramble and Trial at Sedbergh should stick this event in their diary straight away. Two days of classic motocross action at Crooklands – including a special celebration of 50 years of the iconic CCM marque – rounds off a week of classic action in Cumbria. The action starts with the Bultaco Revival Nostalgia Trial on June 19, with John Lampkin as guest of honour. Then there’s a brace of conducted road runs on Wednesday, June 23 (starting from the Heaves Hotel, Levens, near Kendal) and a run over the route of the 1913 ISDT on Friday, June 25, starting at Hayes Garden World, Ambleside. But it’s the two days of classic motocross action on June 26-27 that will be the centrepiece of the week for many. There are classes for all pre-78 machines, plus air-cooled, twinshock 125s and – of course – more CCMs of all ages than you can shake a stick at. Already, CCM founder Alan Clews’ son Austin and works riders Vic Allan, Jimmy Aird, Bob Wright and Mike Barnes have confirmed they’ll be there – but there’ll be plenty more, too. Be there and feel the earth move. facebook.com/westmorlandmotoclub/

June 5: Rufforth Autojumble, Rufforth Park, Rufforth, North Yorkshire Return of the north’s regular jumble event at Rufforth. You’ll need a mask for the indoor halls, but it’s a small price to pay. rufforthautojumble.com June 6: Reliance Trial, Northern British Bike Championship round one, near Buxton, Derbyshire Spectators might still be barred (check before you turn up), but at least you can get your trials iron out of hibernation and get it dirty again. poacherspre65trials.co.uk June 6: Newark Autojumble, Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire The Midlands autojumble scene continues to get back on track with the

big Newark jumble making a welcome return to something approaching normality. newarkautojumble.co.uk

June 13: Triumph Bike Day, Ace Cafe, Ace Corner, Stonebridge, London Show off your Meriden (or Hinckley) metal and enjoy a day out at London’s favourite classic bike-friendly cafe. london.acecafe.com June 19: Kempton Park Motorcycle Autojumble, Kempton Park Racecourse, Middlesex I don’t know. No autojumbles for months and then you get three in a month. Who’s complaining, though? Get your wallet out and splash some cash. kemptonautojumble.co.uk

June 20: Pre-65 Motocross Club meeting at Marks Tey, Essex With luck, you’ll be able to watch some classic scrambles action here at last. Classes for pre-60, pre-65 and pre-68 classic solos, plus a Greeves-only class and the ever-popular pre-84 sidecars. pre65.co.uk June 20: Stanhope Classic Trial, Northern British Bike Pre-65 Trials Championship, Stanhope County Durham More classic trials action. It’s round two of the championship, so all the major players will be there. northernbritishbikechampionship.co.uk June 26/27: Romney Marsh Jumble and Show, Romney Marsh, Hamstreet, Near Ashford, Kent This is now a two-day event. The Elk crew promise live bands and a beer tent, as well as loads of classic bikes and a bustling autojumble. Cheap ‘garage clearout’ pitches are just £15 and there’s a Bikemart area where you can display complete, running machines for sale. elkpromotions.co.uk June 27: Honda Owners Club Classic Show, Sammy Miller Museum, Bashley Cross Road, New Milton, Hampshire. Classic Honda fans won’t need asking twice to head down to Sammy Miller’s most excellent museum on the fringes of the New Forest to enjoy this show. Admire the Hondas outside and check out the newly-extended museum, too. sammymiller.co.uk June 27: Triton and Cafe Racer Day, Ace Cafe, Ace Corner, Stonebridge, London Cafe racers at a cafe. What could be better? Fire up your bike, dust off the leather jacket and head for the Ace to enjoy the bikes and a bacon roll. Bliss. london.acecafe.com

BEEZUMPH IS A NON-RUNNER Regrettably the Trident and Rocket 3 Owners Club has taken the decision not to run their popular track-based Beezumph Rally this year. The event was to have run at Snetterton circuit on August 20-21, but problems with scheduling provisional dates with Snetterton and the uncertainty concerning the release of lockdown and associated safety measures mean the club have reluctantly decided to cancel this year’s event. tr3oc.com

Changing government guidelines regarding social gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic may affect event plans. Please check before travel.

left of the bike) and the rear brake operating rod was beefed up from 1/4in diameter to 5/16in and routed inside the frame to protect it from damage. Throttle cables were routed over the top of the tank – with clips to hold them in place – and scrambles-type footrests were fitted. That was it. From dirttrack-ready TT Special to desert racer. If only life – or at least motorcycle sport – was so simple these days. Like any competition machine, the bike has clearly evolved over the years. The exhaust has been replaced with a twin high-level system and the original handlebars and bash plate are gone. Doubtless, the paintwork – apparently applied by Kenneth ‘Von Dutch’ Howard, though it shows none of his trademark flamboyance – along with the mudguards and other details have been altered over the years, but the basis of the bike is the T120C McQueen bought back in 1963. McQueen probably only used the bike in anger for two or three years. Around 1966, he built a Rickman-framed Trophy for desert use. More competitive than the modified T120C, the Rickman would have given McQueen an edge – and what racer doesn’t want that? McQueen may have been seduced by the ‘new tech’ of the Rickman chassis (and, later still, by the agility and power of a Husqvarna two-stroke) but it’s bikes like the T120C that instilled his love of desert racing, cow trailing with his buddies and just plain fooling around on two wheels. Sold by Bonhams for $84,240 (£55,843) in 2009, by the time it came on the market again in 2016, a willing bidder was happy to pay $103,500 (£79,079) for it. Its value – thanks to its association with the ‘King of Cool’ – is only going one way. This unassuming Triumph twin has a lot to answer for. ARCH I VE A H E RL

A R C H I V E S A H ER L

Below: Details like the tank-mounted map bag and extra-long rear wheel spindle with a tommy bar screwed into the spindle head have been faithfully reproduced

McQueen on his modified Triumph TR6 during the 1964 International Six Days Trial in East Germany

drum, while the rear is a seven-inch single-leading-shoe drum. For the ISDT, the riders would have had competition brake linings on their bikes, but the replica has standard linings. The rear wheel spindle on the ISDT bikes was longer than stock, with a tommy bar screwed into the spindle head and corresponding nut to allow the QD wheel to be unbolted quickly without the use of spanners. The rear dampers are Girling racing shocks with chrome tops, while the tyres are Continental TKC80 – 100/90 x 19 on the front, 4.00 x 18 at the rear. The replica weighs 370lb (168kg), with a 55.5in (1409mm) wheelbase and a seat height of 31in (787mm). Kev also points out: “There are no knee rubbers on the threegallon fuel tank and there’s a tank-top-mounted map bag. A map was absolutely vital in the ISDT. It makes you realise how good the enduro guys were – riding such heavyweight bikes and mapreading while trying to maintain a strict time schedule. Plus, they had to work on their own bikes. “The stock TR6 came with a grey-topped seat, but that was swapped to a black one with a zipper in the rear of the seat for the ISDT,” Kev explained. “The seat foam was removed at the back of the seat, so the riders could safely store inner tubes, cables and as many tool as possible. The ISDT guys had to do all their own maintenance out on the course – and back at the paddock before they entered the parc fermé.”

ARCH IV E A H E RL

ON ANY SUNDAY CB celebrates the enduring appeal of Bruce Brown’s inspirational movie, released 50 years ago. Dedicated to Bruce, Steve McQueen, Mert Lawwill, Malcom Smith and all the racing heroes who made it a joy to behold BY GARY PINCHIN PHOTOGRAPHY: ARCHIVE A HERL AND BAUER ARCHIVE

n Any Sunday is the greatest motorcycle movie ever made. No question. Those who saw it back in the day have never forgotten it and, 50 years on from its release, newcomers to motorcycling still cite it as an inspiration. It follows the exploits of motorcycle-mad Steve McQueen, dirt-track racer Mert Lawwill and off-road hero Malcolm Smith, plus a cast of many other motorcycle racers, through the 1970 season. It portrays not only the thrills and drama of competition, but also the camaraderie of motorcycle people – and the joy riding bikes can bring. The film was the brainchild of Bruce Brown, who had already produced a string of successful surfing films, including Endless Summer, which is regarded as the stand-out sports movie of the era. Bruce was much more of a surfer dude than a motorcyclist initially, but was inspired to make On Any Sunday after seeing the jump scene in The Great Escape. He didn’t even get into motorcycles until he was in his thirties, first riding a Honda 50 on dirt, then progressing to a Tiger Cub – but he then took part in some desert races, loved the people and just got hooked on the bike scene. A special commemorative box set of On Any Sunday was released several decades after the launch of the film, containing three DVDs and including previously unseen footage from the film, along with a tribute to McQueen, interviews with Lawwill, Smith and many of the other

characters featured in the movie. There’s also an interview with Brown in the box set, in which he says: “I’d always done surf movies, [but] can I do another subject where it can come out and people can enjoy it? The mission was to show the general public these are a bunch of nice people and give the sport [of motorcycling] some respect it deserves.” Brown pitched the idea to Steve McQueen – but it was very different to the regular kind of sell to sign up the star of the show. Brown recalled: “I went to see Steve McQueen. He was one of my heroes. I didn’t even known him. I told him what I wanted to do. He went: ‘That sounds great. What do you want me to do?’ I said: ‘Well, pay for it.’ “He goes: ‘I make movies – I don’t ﬁnance them.’ I said: ‘Well, you can’t be in my movie then.’ He laughed. He called me the next day and said: ‘OK, let’s go for it.’ With McQueen, Lawwill and Smith, Brown had his three key characters for the movie and, after ﬁlming throughout the 1970 racing season, released the most inspiring documentary about motorcycling that has ever been produced. Not only is it a great movie with some of the most amazing slowmotion and on-bike footage of the era, it projected an authentic image of motorcycling as a respectable thing to do and – thanks to Brown’s brilliant narration and dry wit – above all else, a lot of fun! If you’ve seen On Any Sunday, you’ll know what we’re talking about. If you’ve never seen it, treat yourself to the box set for the full experience. You will not be disappointed.

Above, left to right: Mert Lawwill, Steve McQueen, cameraman Bob Bagley, Malcolm Smith and director Bruce Brown on location at the Camp Pendleton Marine base in California Far Right: Brown was a latecomer to motorcycling, while McQueen, Lawwill and Smith (right) were steeped in it

HOMAGES TO McQUEEN

Great Escape 1961 Triumph TR6 BY FAR THE most memorable McQueen two-wheeled action sequence in any of his movies is the motorcycle chase in The Great Escape. Hiltz (McQueen) jumps one line of barbed wire fencing marking the German/Swiss border, only to fail at the second when the German soldiers open fire on him. McQueen was riding a Triumph TR6, painted up took like a German military machine, for some of the chase shots, but it’s commonly known that Steve’s mate and fellow American Bud Ekins did the actual jump shot used in the movie. Plenty of Great Escape replica Triumphs have been built – and Dick Shepherd has even restored what is said to be the original bike used in the film, but arguably none has been as painstakingly prepared as the one Ace Classics produced for Cedric. “We originally planned to use a complete machine as the donor bike, but then found a matching-numbers 1961 Triumph in bits and used that instead,” explains Kev. Ace first had to restore the bike, then age the factory-fresh finish to give it the right kind of patina expected of the used and abused motorcycle that appeared in the WWII movie. “We studied all the still images and we’ve gone through the film, freeze-framing it to get every last detail correct. That, to me, is the real joy of a project like this – the research. Plus, there’s so much more that goes into a build like this than a straightforward restoration project where you take new parts of the shelf. We used new parts, then have to age them!” Ace rebuilt the engine to stock spec, except for 7:1 compression pistons instead of 8.5:1. Things like the three-gallon duplex tank, oil tank, handlebars and headlight are stock TR6, but visual mods include a 1954 pie-crust half-width hub for a more period look than the stock full-width hub, which meant using 1946-1956 fork bottoms. These slightly longer forks altered the stance of the bike, which meant feet had to be added to the

‘THE REAL JOY OF A PROJECT LIKE THIS IS THE RESEARCH’ KEV RUSHWORTH, ACE CLASSICS

bottom of the mainstand to adjust this. A bike with off-road pretensions would not have a mainstand, but Cedric specified one for displaying the bike in his ‘museum’. The bike also has a 56-tooth bolt-over sprocket, now a hardto-source American aftermarket accessory, which offers more acceleration for off-road racing than the stock 46-tooth version. McQueen didn’t like the Dunlop solo rubber saddle and had it reworked with extra foam and a canvas covering – which Ace have replicated using material from a military surplus holdall. The most striking characteristic of this bike is its aged patina. “It’s amazing really,” says Kev wryly. “It looked so scruffy when we finished it, but it was effectively a brand new motorcycle before we aged it to get the right look.”

Above: McQueen on the original bike that did the most famous bike jump in film history Below: Tank dents and exhaust rust were painstakingly created to get a battle-scarred look

ON ANY SUNDAY

“Why do they do it? There’s no answer to that. If you ask them, they say simply... ‘It’s what I like to do’” Bruce Brown

ON WITH THE RACE FACE

THE JOY OF MOTORCYCLES

“I don’t wanna hurt anybody, but I just wanna get up there and get third – no matter what. It’s gonna be either I get third or come and visit me in hospital. I dig carnations, man.”

“To some people a motorcycle is work. Or a way to get to work. Or a way to get away from it all to get to the solitude of open country. A motorcycle is whatever you want to make it. Turn it on, you can give yourself a real thrill...”

Gene Romero’s thoughts, going into what would be the AMA title decider at the Sacramento Mile – which he would win to claim the 1970 AMA Grand National Championship. Brown described the Triumph rider as: “The most flamboyant of all the racers”.

Bruce Brown’s opening narration in the movie A R C HI VE A HE RL

HAVING A LAUGH

A DIVERSIFIED EYE

On Any Sunday wasn’t just about racing. Brown’s great attribute as a film-maker was to show that riding motorcycles was just a bunch of good-time fun. He showed kids messing around on mini-bikes and adults messing around on dirt bikes. He said:

$313,000

“Probably the most fun bit of motorcycling is to load up your bike in a pick-up truck and head into the country. It’s time to relax and have fun. It’s called cow-trailing.” In the UK we call it trail riding

The budget Brown had to make the movie. In the three-disc box-set of On Any Sunday, Bruce Brown pays tribute to Steve McQueen – during this he explains Steve was “my partner in On Any Sunday. He provided the funding and his company, Solar Productions (logo above) handled the business. My crew and I made the movie.”

Although the film focused on three main characters, and looked closely at dirt-track racing, motocross and enduros, it also covered sidecars, drag racing, ice racing in Quebec, Bonneville Speed Week, trials and desert racing. It also took in the Widowmaker Hillclimb, a 45° haul on a dirt track up the side of a mountain. A section devoted to speedway was also filmed for inclusion in the movie, but it had to be cut because the running time of the film was considered too long. Sadly, those rolls of film that ended up on the cutting floor were lost for ever.

“You never know how fast you can go until you fall down” That’s how David Aldana explained away crashing 15 times during the 1970 racing season, the season captured on film by Bruce Brown and his crew in the filming of On Any Sunday. To be fair, Aldana also won three National races on his works BSA and claimed third in the championship. A pretty impressive rookie season!

The influencer Incredibly, that’s how many starters there were for the Elsinore Grand Prix in 1970, when On Any Sunday rolled into town to film the race. And the town was the centrepiece of this endurostyle event that ran through the streets, then out into the country trails. Some 50,000 spectators watched Husqvarna rider Malcom Smith dominate the race. Brown calculated that Smith made some 7000 passes as he lapped riders up to three times in the 10-lap enduro.

While most of the beach riding shots were filmed in Northern Baja, Mexico, some extra closing clips of McQueen, Lawwill and Smith play-racing on a beach were shot at Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps base in California. It seems that Brown’s initial request to shoot the action there was turned down flat by the military. So the next day, McQueen called the base to ask permission – and was greeted with open arms. Brown commented: “It was pretty amazing the doors he was able to open.”

RO B WAL LS /SH U T T E RSTO C K

A RC HIV E A H ERL

SECRET SCRAMBLER

“A one-million dollar body out there with a possibility of being used by someone for traction in a corner. If the movie studio moguls realised what he was doing on a Sunday afternoon they would have a coronary.” Bruce Brown’s comment on how Steve McQueen’s desire to go motocross racing drove him to do it behind the backs of film executives.

Leap of faith Legend has it that Steve McQueen’s performance in The Great Escape inspired OAS director Bruce Brown to get into motorcycles. Once he saw the jump sequence over barbed wire (actually carried out by McQueen’s mate, Bud Ekins), he was convinced he needed to make a movie about motorcycles.

A powerful philosophy Steve McQueen, entered under the name of ‘Harvey Mushman’, finished tenth in the Elsinore Grand Prix on a Husqvarna. He said of racing motorcycles:

“Every time I start thinking this world is all bad, then I start seeing some people out there having a good time on motorcycles... it makes me take another look”

ANGLO-AMERICAN

Yes, man “I used to sell Husqvarna motorcycles and spares, and Bruce was a customer of mine. He suggested he was going to make a motorcycle movie. I said: ‘Yeah I’ll do it’. It was the best decision I ever made.”

While Malcom Smith and Steve McQueen rode Husqvarna dirt bikes in the beach riding scenes, Mert Lawwill’s choice of machine was a Greeves Challenger motocrosser with Harley decals on the fuel tank. Malcom Smith, in his book Malcolm – The Autobiography, said: “He put the Harley badge on it to keep his sponsors happy.” Lawwill was a factory Harley rider throughout his pro-racing career.

Malcom Smith on how he became one of the stars of On Any Sunday.

Wheelie cool

Three into one

The amazing stand-up wheelie sequence performed by a youngster riding a Honda 50cc monkey bike in the early scenes of the film featured seven-year old Jeff Ward, who became one of the most successful American motocrossers, winning nine AMA national titles and seven MX des Nations golds. He then turned to Indy Car racing and was third in the 1997 Indy 500 and second in ’91. Brown’s depiction of mini-bikes in the movie led to a boom time for that segment of the industry!

Here’s what you get in the OAS triple-DVD box set The first DVD features the original movie, with added exclusive footage of Steve McQueen. The two other DVDs are produced by Dan Brown, Bruce’s eldest son. In the package are: On Any Sunday Revisited with extra unseen footage, plus Motocross, Malcolm and More – an extensive look at the off-road racing side of the movie, with more unseen footage and interviews. You can find it on amazon.co.uk

Power up Brown’s close-up action shots and helmet-cam footage were highlights of On Any Sunday. A tight budget forced Brown to improvise by using 24-volt batteries in his 12-volt film cameras to create a crude high-speed camera (right: Harley rider Mark Brelsford wears Brown’s helmet cam). A R C HI VE A H E R L

DESERT RACERS

SLED HEADS On Any Sunday reﬂected the prime of US desert racing – a sport in which Triumph and BSA riders like Bud Ekins excelled, propelled by their purpose-built desert sleds PHOTOGRAPHY: BAUER ARCHIVE

his is Bud Ekins on his desert sled Triumph during the 1956 Catalina Grand Prix, a race that was held between 1950 and 1958 on the island of South Catalina, some 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles. Ekins was one of the heroes of the sport. Born in Hollywood, he worked in his dad’s welding shop and used to ride a 1940s Triumph in the hills near his home, gaining the experience to eventually compete in local desert races. By the mid-1950s he was a top-level off-road racer and, after some success on a Matchless, earned himself a works ride with AMC in the 1952 European Motocross championship. He returned home to race off-road events for the West Coast Triumph importers, Johnson Motors (JoMo) and won the prestigious Big Bear Run three times during the ’50s, establishing himself as one of the stars of American off-road motorcycle sport. By the 1960s he’d opened a Triumph dealership in Sherman Oaks, California and was instrumental in teaching Steve McQueen, one of his customers, the ﬁner points of off-road racing. In 1964 Ekins, his brother Dave and McQueen were part of the Triumph-backed US team at the ISDT in Germany. Bud would go on to win four ISDT gold medals and one silver in seven years of ISDT competition. Ekins also became a leading Hollywood stunt rider in a career than spanned 30 years and, of course, was famous for completing the jump over the barbed wire fences in The Great Escape, in which McQueen played the lead role. In retirement

Ekins continued to run a motorcycle dealership, selling vintage bikes. He died on October 6, 2007. When Ekins won the Catalina Grand Prix in 1955, he lopped a massive 10 minutes off the race record riding his JoMo Triumph. The Catalina GP featured two races – one for bikes up to 250cc and another for those over 250cc. There was a mass start near the golf course club-house on the outskirts of Avalon and the terrain included paved streets, dirt-track fire roads, undulating horse trails and even a section over the golf course! The up-to-250cc bikes raced a six-mile course on a Saturday, then on Sunday a four-mile loop was added for a field of almost 200 in the 10-lap, 100-mile race for the over 250cc machines! The Catalina GP only lasted until 1958, by which time the cost of getting to and from the Island by either plane or boat, with so many competitors, proved prohibitive. But on the mainland, there were many similar enduro-style off-road races that continued to flourish, such as the Elsinore Grand Prix, Greenhorn Enduro, Cactus Derby River Run plus the famous desert races like the Baja 500 and Baja 1000, Mint 400, and Barstow to Vegas. The high point for off-road racing came in the late 1960s and early ’70s – around the time of On Any Sunday – and the cut-down, high-piped desert sleds from British marques like Triumph, BSA and Norton spawned the so-called ‘street scrambler’ style, embraced by all the major motorcycle manufacturers of the time. Turn over for a pictorial spread of desert sleds in action...

DAN M A HO NY A R C H I VE A H E R L

A R C H I VE A H E R L

Mert Lawwill does his sideways thing during filming for On Any Sunday. Bruce Brown is directly behind Mert on the infield, getting as close to the action as possible with his camera

Lawwill grids up for the start of the 1970 Daytona 200 on his KR750 factory Harley

Lawwill, Malcolm Smith and McQueen take a break from cow-trailing and play-racing

Lawwill (#1) on the Sportster-derived racer which made his 1970 season so frustrating

DA N M A HON Y

Lawwill (#1) follows the guy with the counterweighted helmet cam (#11) during OAS filming

Not all the desert races were started with the riders sitting on their bikes. This circa 1970 shot shows the US desert race version of a traditional Le Mans start. Talk about ‘run to the hills’

WHO NEEDS A DESERT? Bruce Brown’s iconic movie made desert sleds super-cool. Half a century after the ﬁlm’s release, they still are – even when they’re miles away from the nearest sand dunes

GOING SLEDDING WORDS: GEZ KANE PHOTOGRAPHY: GARY MARGERUM

GOING SLEDDING

Below: Desert sleds are the bareknuckle boxers of the bike world – no frills, all thrills

he imagery of hundreds of bikes and riders going at it hammer and tongs in the wilderness of the western deserts of the USA, as shown in On Any Sunday, catapulted the desert sled/street scrambler look into motorcycling’s mainstream. They’d already been around for a good while, with Triumph’s Trophy of 1956 – in its quasi-off-road incarnation of the ‘Trophybird’ – having been developed specifically for the American market and aimed squarely at the increasingly popular sport of desert racing. The Trophy dominated the desert race scene during the ’50s and ’60s, racking up countless wins and becoming the go-to mount for club racer and hotshot alike. In more modern times, the film has undoubtedly been responsible for a lot of riders getting hooked on the style of the desert sled. Those unforgettable images of the essence of desert racing have been burnt into the minds of a generation of riders, and the stripped-down, pared-back, roadsterturned-desert-racer has entered the realms of motorcycling folklore. Even today, does anything on two wheels look cooler than a dusty, Triumph desert sled? Norton, AMC and BSA fans may think differently of course, but I don’t think so. Neither do any of the handful of dog walkers, ramblers and horse riders we encounter as we get the bikes ready to go, if their smiles, nods and cheery ‘good mornings’ are anything to go by. Everyone, it seems, loves a good sled. Deserts are a little thin on the ground in rural Wiltshire, so the byways that dissect Salisbury Plain will have to do for today. We’ve pulled together five relatively recent desert sled builds – and (most of) their Triumph-mad owners – to find out just why these timeless bikes are still fresh, current and oh-so-cool. Four of the owners form part of a loose collective of classic bike fanatics from Wiltshire, who’ve pulled together to lease an industrial unit where they have the space, facilities and mutual support to indulge their passion properly. The fifth ‘sledder’ is none other than Kev Rushforth, well known in Triumph circles as part of the Ace Classics dynasty. We have some extremely tasty tackle lined up for our day of living the desert sled dream. It may be a sun-splashed Monday morning on Salisbury Plain, rather than a Sunday race day in the scorched desert of California, but we’ve got the bikes – and we can dream. Gentlemen, start your engines.

“There’s something about going riding with your friends, a feeling of freedom, a feeling of joy that really can’t be put into words. It can only be fully shared by someone who has done it” BRUCE BROWN

Above: It may be a Wiltshire dirt track, rather than the Mojave Desert, but a man can dream...

1966 Triumph TR6 Owner: Ian Williets UNFORTUNATELY, WORK commitments have prevented TR6 owner Ian Williets from joining us for a blast up on the plain – but his loss is good mate Robin Ludwell’s gain, as Ian has entrusted Robin with his TR6 desert sled for the day. Robin’s grin (plastered with dust) tells its own tale, but I catch up with Ian the next morning to find out what turned him on to the desert racer thing. “Building that bike for Andy Noakes (see page 36),” he says, simply. “I’d restored loads of bikes by then, but they were always catalogue-spec builds. The trouble is, it’s got so expensive to do that properly now. Building the bike for Andy opened my eyes a bit. It gave me a lot more freedom. So, when I spotted a TR6 frame and engine for sale on Cliff Rushforth’s stand at Netley Marsh autojumble two years ago, I thought I’d have it. Three weeks later, my own desert sled was finished.” That’s seriously quick work. But then, Ian has been building Triumphs since getting into British classics some 13 years ago and has amassed an enviable stash of parts for his favourite Brit twins. “I wish I’d got into it earlier,” he confesses. “But I was racing Yamaha solos and sidecars for years and had a crack at trials and enduros. You can’t do everything, I suppose.” Maybe not, but Ian has taken to the classic world – and

‘IAN HAS AN IMPRESSIVE HOARD OF PARTS; THE BUILD ONLY TOOK THREE WEEKS’

Triumphs in particular – like he’s been immersed in it forever. He’s a highly regarded engine builder and restorer, and Ace Classics have called on his services to prepare their race bikes. You don’t get that gig easily. Part of the reason the build only took three weeks is that Ian has an impressive hoard of parts to call on. “The bike was basically just a matching frame and engine,” he says. “But I had petrol and oil tanks, a decent pair of wheels that only needed cleaning up, and a good pair of shocks. I did have to buy pipes, carburettor and handlebars – and I picked up brake plates and yokes from an autojumble. I’ve rebuilt enough Triumph engines now, so that didn’t take me long and I’ve got a spray booth here in the workshop, so I handle all the paintwork myself. On these builds, I’ll put on a base colour, then another over the top of that and rub it back to reveal the base colour and even bare metal – in patches. Then I lacquer over it to protect it from rust. It gives the tinware a great aged look.” But, while Ian’s revels in a ‘freestyle’ build, he’s aware that not everyone is a fan. “I try to keep all my modifications reversible,” he explains. “So, for instance, when I built the short seat, it had to have new hinge mountings. But I’ve left the originals on the frame in case a future owner wants to restore the bike to standard condition.” Ian has really embraced custom building, but he admits he gets almost as much pleasure from seeing other people ride and enjoy his creations as he does from riding them himself. “I took this to the Malle Mile last year, but I didn’t ride it because I was still recovering from a road crash. I lent it to a lad called Toby who the Ace Classics boys knew. His Yamaha had blown up and he’d never ridden a Brit bike before. He did really well on this. Who says Japanese bikes are more reliable?”

Above: Owner Ian Williets has perfected the art of ‘distressed’ paintwork, as applied to his TR6

Right: Ian (right) and mate Robin Ludwell, who needed little persuasion to step in and ride the bike for our photoshoot

GOING SLEDDING

Andy wanted the worn, patinated look of a wellused machine. He got it

Below: Engine is rebuilt to standard spec, to keep Andy’s regular ride reliable and easy to start

1965 Triumph T120C Owner: Harry Cole HARRY’S TAKEN A slightly different route to desert racer nirvana. A committed collector, he’s fallen in love with Triumph’s off-the-peg dirt racer, the Bonneville TT Special, and plans to own one from each year of production. Back in 2014, he travelled to Las Vegas for the two massive auctions at the start of the year and came back with three TT Specials and this bike – a T120C from earlier in 1965, before Triumph applied the ‘TT’ prefix to engine numbers in December. “This bike’s effectively a spare,” Harry explains. “So I decided to build this one as an off-road rider rather than a catalogue-correct resto.” Leaving aside the thorny issue of what actually defines a TT Special, Harry’s T120C is a pretty rare machine. Only around 775 ‘official’ TT Specials were produced that year, alongside about 100 T120C Competition Sports models. Whichever it is, Harry’s not precious about using it on the dusty Wiltshire trails. “When I bought it, the bike had been restored, but it wasn’t quite as I wanted,” he says. “I brought it over to Ian’s workshop and we made a few changes. We fitted new wheels, a shorter seat and a chopped rear mudguard. The engine is still stock and I’ve kept the bike road legal so I can tackle some greenlanes. I’m well pleased with how it’s turned out. “For me, the appeal of the bike – and the whole street

Harry reckons his bike sums up Triumph’s golden era of the ’60s

scrambler/desert racer thing – is all part of my fascination with the era. I love the music, sport and bikes of mid-’60s America – and the Triumph brand is a vital part of that. The mid-to-late-’60s were a golden era for Triumph and this bike sums that all up for me.” It’s an ideal mount for Harry, who’s not all that keen on riding on the road. “I love bikes,” he smiles. “But I like to do my own thing. I have a Manx Norton for track day use – and now I’ve got this, I’ll be exploring the tracks and byways on it.”

‘THE ENGINE’S STOCK AND I’VE KEPT THE BIKE ROAD LEGAL SO I CAN TACKLE SOME GREENLANES’

1957 Triumph TR6 Owner: Kev Rushforth IF YOU’RE INTO old Triumphs – and pre-unit twins in particular – you probably know Kev Rushforth already. Along with dad Cliff, he runs Ace Classics, the go-to supplier for pre-unit Triumph twin owners. Naturally, his take on the desert sled theme is a pre-unit machine – a 1957 TR6 – but it’s also been built using as many genuine or replica parts as would have been available to a typical desert racer back in the day. “I’ve tried to use as many genuine parts as possible for the build,” Kev explains. “I’ve been gathering parts for this bike for years and finally got round to building it last year. I’ve wanted to build my own desert sled for a long time – I’ve built so many for customers, but I wanted mine to be a period-correct replica of a typical racer of the late ’50s. Once I had the 1957 TR6 rolling chassis – with single-downtube frame – I had my starting point.” Unlike the other bikes we’re riding today, the engine in Kev’s bike is built like a serious racer, rather than a softly-tuned play bike. “I’ve built the engine with high-performance cams, MAP Cycle Enterprises conrods and forged high-compression pistons,” he reveals. “Drive is through a five-speed gearbox from a late T140. It’s a quick motor.” Looking over the bike, Kev’s attention to period detail is apparent. The throttle cable clipped onto the top of the fuel tank so you can change it quickly on the trail without removing the tank is a nice period touch, while the flat front mudguard is another period-correct replica from the Ace catalogue. The Bates seat is a period original, there’s a genuine bolt-on, 60-tooth Webco rear sprocket, and Webco rocker caps, handlebars, carb spacers and air filter. Ace Classics now offer an ever-growing range of desert racer parts, too – and the exhausts are Ace’s Ekins

Right: Throttle cable clipped to the tank is a neat period touch that reflects the attention to detail on Kev’s sled Left: Engine is tuned to desert racer spec, with genuine period parts from the likes of Webco

pattern items, carefully hand-aged to complement the period finish of the rest of the bike. Even the tyres – a 3.50 x 19in Ensign front and a Continental TKC80 rear – look the part. It’s clear as Kev goes through the build with me, that Ace Classics have realised just how popular the desert racer look has become today. “I reckon you could bolt a nice desert racer together over a weekend using our parts and a decent donor bike,” he confirms. I’ve been looking at ways of getting younger people into classic bikes for years and the street scrambler/ desert racer thing seems to be the way forward. The bikes are cool and it’s easy to get the parts to build them now, too. “I think the desert racer look is here to stay.”

GOING SLEDDING

Dec about to take to the trails on Salisbury Plain – he plans much more off-road fun in the future...

1965 Triumph TR6 Owner: Declan Williams

DEC WILLIAMS IS the odd one out in our gang of five. While the others have ridden bikes all their lives, Dec had a bike in his teens, but then gave up two wheels for decades, before rekindling his interest when he approached his 50th birthday. “I actually passed my test on my birthday,” he recalls. “I had a Triumph Speed Triple – but, if I’m honest, it was too fast for me. My mate Gerry Gurke pushed me – in a good way – into classic bikes. I got Ian to build me a TR6 road bike and I haven’t looked back since.” The TR6 is a lovely, restored example and Dec loves it. But when he walked into the workshop one day and saw the scrambler that Ian had just finished for Andy Noakes, it was a case of lust at first sight. “Straight away, I knew I had to have a bike like that – and Ian agreed to build one for me,” explains Dec. “Ian found a donor bike at Ace Classics for £3500 and cracked on from there. He’s completely rebuilt the engine and forks and was a big help in guiding me on styling the bike. It’s got no lights – I don’t need them. I love the simplicity of the bike and it’s been a lot cheaper than a concours restoration. Including the donor bike, it’s cost me around £7000. I don’t think that’s bad.” Neither do I. And now he’s got the bike registered on an agerelated plate, the fun can really start for Dec. “I plan to come up to the plain with a mate who knows the routes and just enjoy it for what it is,” he reveals. “To me, bikes should be about having fun and my scrambler is just that.”

‘TO ME, BIKES SHOULD BE ABOUT HAVING FUN – AND MY SCRAMBLER IS JUST THAT’ Including the donor bike, bought for £3500, Dec’s bike has cost him £7000

GOING SLEDDING

Now it’s my turn... Below: Squint, and you could believe Gez is riding Dec’s TR6 sled in Baja California (almost)

I’VE BEEN WATCHING the boys having fun all morning, like that young lad I once was, hanging over the beech paling fencing at our local motocross track. Today, though, Dec and Andy have promised me a blast on their bikes - once they get back from an hour-long exploration of the warren of byways leading across the plain. First up, I hop onto Andy’s ’59 pre-unit. It’s a great looking bike – they all are – and, still warm from Andy’s ride out, it starts first kick. The engine sounds sweet and, snicking it into first, I’m once more seduced by the familiar smooth surge of power from a well built Triumph twin engine. Engaging second takes a cultured right foot, but I soon get the hang of it and can revel in the smooth power and gorgeous rasp from Ace Classics’ Ekins-spec high-level pipes. The bike feels perfect for the firm, chalky surface of the permissive byway I’m riding. Sure, when the surface gets a bit more rutted and undulating, the weight of the Triumph and its road-biased suspension means I have to slow down a bit and stand up on the footrests – but for a day exploring the hard-packed chalky trails across the plain, Andy’s bike would be a superb companion. No wonder he’s smiling. Swapping onto Dec’s unit-construction bike, the revs seem to pick up a fraction quicker – but that may just be down to different gearing. At the speeds I’m travelling at, I can’t discern any superiority of the later duplex frame, either, but what I can say with certainty is that both these bikes offer a slightly different riding experience to a stock Triumph twin. They’re both low, light and sure footed on loose surfaces, the brakes are just the right off-road balance of power versus sensitivity and the smooth power delivery from the relatively softly tuned engines is perfect for this kind of low stress, high grin riding. It might not be the Californian desert, but Salisbury Plain on a beautifully sunny Monday will do for me. I’d happily take either one of these bikes home.

‘THE RELATIVELY SOFTLY TUNED ENGINES ARE PERFECT FOR LOW STRESS, HIGH GRIN RIDING’

Above: ‘Right, which way to Elsinore?’

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HUSQVARNA CR450

‘THE NUMBERBOARDS AND AIR FILTER COVER ARE NEW; I’VE SENT THE ORIGINALS TO MALCOLM SMITH FOR HIM TO SIGN!’ Above: There’s no excuses – if you’ve got a Husky, this is what you have to do with it

Ewan spotted the CR450 for sale on eBay. “I had pit bike when I was young and I’ve got a BSA A7 tracker, so I wanted something like a classic motocross bike. I bought this 450 from a guy in Essex,” he says. “But the bike is originally from Oregon [as the original tech inspection decal on the fork leg attests]. It was in a bit of a state when I bought it, though. It ran terribly. There were jets missing in the carb and the plastics were wrong. “I bought it to race with the Mortimer club and was booked to ride in my first race when the Covid thing hit. Now things are reopening, I intend to start racing it. And from what I’ve experienced riding it on a practice track, it also needs constant maintenance. It’s really temperamental. “This is my first time working on two strokes and it’s nice to be able to learn something new. But for an engine with so few internal parts, you can get so many problems! It had several electrical problems, which I solved by fitting a new electronic ignition. It’s also had a rebore and new piston. I’m slowly working through the issues – partly to overcome the bodges that have been made to the bike over the years. But also due to the age of the machine. “I was riding it yesterday when the exhaust cracked all along the seam. I spent the evening rewelding and repainting it. When I got the bike, it had an ugly and restrictive 1970 silencer welded onto the expansion chamber. I cut it off with the angle grinder, then replaced it with a more periodcorrect silencer [known as the ‘hand grenade’ silencer] from

Husqvarna Vintage Parts (husqvarnavintage.com).” This UK-based company, run by Charlie Preston, has a huge inventory of new, NOS and secondhand parts for Husqvarna motocross machines. With almost three decades of experience, they’re also happy to answer any technical problems associated with the Swedish-built off-roaders. “I’ve bought most of my spares from Charlie,” says Ewan. “But I also got some bits from America and the piston came from Italy; since buying it, though, I’ve heard there’s a company in the States getting them made now. “You’ll notice the numberboards and air ﬁlter cover on the bike are brand new – I had to buy them recently, because I’d sent the originals off to Malcolm Smith for him to sign! I’ve heard he’s away in Baja for a few weeks, so I guess I’ll have to wait to get them back. They’re really cool, because they’re covered in original 1970s decals!” There’s also a faded AMA Pro Racing logo on the top of the fuel tank. And talking of originality, Ewan even managed to source a period 1970s Husqvarna race shirt that’s from a shop called CES Cycles of Casper, Wyoming (see above). The 450 continued in production until 1975 – but in motocross, Husqvarna and the other European manufacturers faced an onslaught from the new Japanese bikes which changed the face of the sport forever. Not that Ewan’s bothered about that. He’s got his classic Husky now, and just like Malcolm, aims to be out there racing on any Sunday.

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FOTO S I NT E RN AT IO NA L/S H UT T E RSTO CK

STEVE McQUEEN

“RACING IS LIFE. ANYTHING BEFORE OR AFTER IS JUST WAITING” PHOTOGRAPHY: ARCHIVE A HERL, SHUTTERSTOCK, GETTY IMAGES & ALAMY

teve McQueen needs no introduction to people outside the motorcycle world. He’s recognised as one of the most famous actors of all time, who in the mid-1970s was also regarded as the highest-paid in the movie industry. Petrolheads the world over, however, recognise him as one of their own kin – and will have heard his ‘Racing is life’ philosophy many times. McQueen made movies featuring bikes and cars, he raced bikes and cars – and he rode bikes and cars in his spare time. He tried to persuade directors of the ﬁlms he worked on to incorporate a motorcycle chase – and often succeeded. And if there wasn’t a motorcycle scene in the movie, he always seemed to have one available to mess with off set, as several of the archive images on these four pages show. Car fans will associate him with Le Mans or Bullitt. Motorcycle enthusiasts associate him with The Great Escape and On Any Sunday. The Great Escape was his day job. It’s common knowledge that it was his mate and professional stunt rider Bud Ekins who performed the memorable jump over the barbed wire on a 500cc Triumph – but McQueen rode himself in a lot of the chase scenes. On Any Sunday was a totally different Some waiting is more fun proposition. As mentioned earlier in the than other waiting, as magazine, McQueen bankrolled Bruce McQueen demonstrates Brown’s ﬁlm and starred in it along with while hanging out on his Mert Lawwill and Malcolm Smith. This Husqvarna 400 Cross racer wasn’t work. It was all about messing around

on motorcycles – and the documentary gives a real insight into McQueen’s love of racing off-road, and the sheer pleasure of hanging out with mates, play-racing on a beach. People forget that McQueen was a talented racer. He represented his country in the 1964 ISDT and endured a dramatic time on a works Triumph that almost seemed scripted by Hollywood (as described on page 54). The footage from the arduous Elsinore Grand Prix featured in On Any Sunday shows his dirt riding prowess – he ﬁnished tenth in the event on a Husqvarna, which was no mean feat in itself. And that certainly wasn’t a one-off – McQueen was no dilettante dabbler, he also raced regularly in off-road enduro-style events on his desert sled Triumphs, or in motocross with his Husqvarna. The ‘King of Cool’ did what any of us would have done, given the considerable disposable income that his day job provided – he bought lots of motorcycles. He ended up owning over 200 (vintage bikes as well as period off-road racing machines), plus old cars and even planes. In later life he could often be seen wandering around amongst all the other classic bike enthusiasts at swap meets, buying old parts for his collection of bikes. The legend succumbed to cancer on November 7, 1980. He was just 50 years old – but the legacy of one of the coolest dudes ever to grace the silver screen, or be part of the motorcycle racing fraternity, lives on as strong as ever today. Turn over for a feast of McQueen motorcycle shots

The face says it all, as Steve washes down the desert dust and touts trophies with buddy Bud Ekins

Waiting at the startline’s a bit more tense – are those forks working properly?

His FIM licence: it sold for £26,670 in 2009

The eyes show the intensity of a racer

Who needs a folding chair when you’ve got a Triumph Bonneville?

Timing is crucial in the ISDT. Checking his watch in East Germany, 1964

Is he setting the sag on Bud Ekins’ Triumph or just mucking about? The clue’s in the smile...

Why replace when you can upgrade? Venhill control cables and braided hoses – made in the UK since 1970. venhill.co.uk

Nearly on track Last year, we introduced Gareth’s pair of ’70s Yamaha DTs. They’re not the easy winter projects he expected, but he’s almost turned one into a ﬂat-track racer... WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY GARETH ASHMAN

GARETH ASHMAN In between persuading CB’s advertising department to don fancy dress for ‘teambuilding’ exercises, Gareth’s a seasoned flat-tracker with a lust for classic bikes.

Right: Gareth’s dirt tracker is based on a US-model 1971 DT360 RT1 MX

AT THE END of a bloody awful 2020, we were all hoping for the man in the red suit to come our way with something rather special in his sack. I was no different, of course, and was excited about what might be on the way to help along the rebuilds of my 1976 Yamaha DT250C Enduro & 1971 Yamaha DT360 RT1 MX (US model). He arrived driving a Parcelforce van the day before Christmas Eve, with a fantastic set of wheels. I had sourced a pair of secondhand hubs on the internet for the DT360, which I plan to race in this year’s DTRA series (see page six) and sent them away to Central Wheel Components. They came back perfectly sandblasted, ceramic coated and beautifully laced with stainless spokes to a new pair of 19in hoops. At just over £700, it’ll be the most costly expense for this rebuild – but they’re worth every penny and shine like hand-made jewellery. That evening, I rushed see Mark, a mechanic friend of mine – he put the new Dunlop racing tyres on, then ﬁtted new bearings and dust seals all round. Electrical tape was applied to prevent a tube puncture, and we had to blow them up to about 60psi to get them to seat on the narrow rims properly – we only run 15psi on track. On the bright side, it’ll make the rolling chassis a bit easier to roll around the garage, though! I’d decided to ditch the standard-ﬁt oil pump for racing, so I removed the clutch cover on the right-hand side to get access to the mechanism. I’m happy to run premix, which will not only save weight, but will also be less complex and more reliable under strain. My architect friend, Howard, designed a blanking plate and gasket for me that allows removal of the pump unit itself, and he 3D-printed at home. It was clear early on that this was not going to be a concours rebuild – partly due to my lack of skill and budget, but ultimately because it’s going to be a racing bike. If I get it looking too perfect, I’ll never want to get it covered in shale or risk throwing it down an oval. I just can’t help polishing up all the pitted and salt corroded parts with

‘THIS WAS NOT GOING TO BE A CONCOURS REBUILD – IT’S GOING TO BE A RACING BIKE’

rotary tool as they come off, though. I get a strange satisfaction in doing this and it didn’t take long before all the ally parts and cases were looking better than they probably have in years. You have to take it steady – go too hard or too fast, even with a rubber attachment, and you risk etching some permanent new patterns in the soft alloy. As half the electrics were missing when the bike arrived from the US, I took the opportunity to buy an electronic ignition kit to replace the standard flywheel, magneto and points set-up. This was dead easy to fit and will provide a much stronger and more reliable spark than the original kit. The only problem I encountered was in trying to set the timing. The manual states 2.6mm before top dead centre in the case of the DT360, so I screwed a dial gauge into one of the spark plug threads. It’s not a twin spark – the second one is a back-up for when the first one oils up and fails, but I just couldn’t get a reliable reading. I’m pretty certain this is due to the angle at which the plug enters the head, so I’m going to have to take the cylinder head off to get the job done. I need to repair an exhaust stud thread on the barrel anyway, so this will be no bad thing; I’ve left the bolts and studs on top, soaking in oil until the time comes. I ordered some new cables during the stripdown – I won’t be running a front brake for racing, I only needed a throttle and clutch cable. These are not readily available over here, so I enlisted the help of Venhill Engineering with their excellent ‘custom build’ service. I sent them the two original cables – and perfect brand new replicas arrived back less than two weeks later. They will also sell all of the component parts if you would like to build up your own. While waiting for parts, I found the time to strip down and clean the forks as well as replacing the leaking fork

The DT360, as it arrived from the States. It’s an RT1 MX USA model from 1971, the same year On Any Sunday was released. If you look carefully, you might even spot one in the film!

Far Left: Hubs are secondhand,rims and tyres are new

Left: Gareth likes to unwind with a bit of therapeutic polishing using his rotary tool Right: Electronic ignition was a doddle to fit, replacing the standard flywheel, magneto and points, and supplying a stronger, more reliable spark in the process,

OUR SUNDAY CLASSICS Right: Original yokes were replaced with XS650 units to take the wider front wheel and tyre Middle: Gareth made a makeshift fork seal pusher, using an old metal dust seal, a bit of M8 threaded bar and some nuts and washers Right: Orange overload in the garage now, with the DT360 being painted the same colour as Gareth’s DT250 (below) Far right: Gareth takes his angle grinder to the rear subframe to make the new seat unit fit seals, after soaking the rubber gaiters in a bucket of hot water to help twist them off. A friend told me the tops of the fork leg above the seals where the circlip wire sits is notoriously fragile and can be easily damaged by somebody as ham-fisted as me trying to lever out the fork seals with a screwdriver. I made a makeshift seal pusher, using an old metal dust seal from the original front wheel and a bit of M8 threaded bar with some nuts and washers, which worked a treat. You don’t need a lot of fork travel for flat-track racing, so I replaced the oil with a thicker grade from Motul. The original yokes had to come off, as they weren’t wide enough to take the wider front wheel and Dunlop tyre, and I bought a secondhand set from an early model XS650 from DK Spares in Staffordshire (only very early XS650 or XS1 yokes will fit). The whole lot just bolts straight on, with the only consideration being that the shaft is too long. I got around this with a spacer under the top yoke and fitted some new taper roller bearings sourced from Yambits. I took the precaution of using the brilliant Park Tools CS-2 drift to carefully fit the bearings, so I wouldn’t damage them by trying to knock them on with a punch or screwdriver. DK also sent me a front wheel spindle from

Right: The other DT, the 1976 DT250C Enduro with its inspirational colour scheme – and now with a newlyfabricated seat bracket (above)

an XS650, which my friend Ped turned down to the thinner 16mm size to fit the DT360 hubs. While there, he also made up and welded on a new bracket to replace the missing seat catch unit for the DT250 – it works a treat now, and just needs a spot of paint when the weather heats up. Local engineering firm RJ Sutton made me some wider spacers for the new front wheel set-up and also built up the front brake hub casing, so it reaches the front fork stop to prevent it from spinning round. I started to think about a colour scheme and the paintwork as I went on. Every man and his dog goes for the classic but clichéd Kenny Roberts yellow with black and white speedblocks. As great as this looks, I’m not Kenny Roberts, and it’s really been done to death. I love the flat Newport Orange scheme of my later 250 (see left), so decided to paint the 360 in the same colour. I rubbed down the tank, filled in some of the numerous dents and called in the services of our brilliant local car paint fix-it man, Dave Lord. He should have retired a few years ago, but loves his work so much he now sees it as more of a hobby. He returned it to me, along with an aftermarket seat unit that I’d found online, looking fantastic and ready to fit some vinyl graphics and a few coats of lacquer. I took the angle grinder to the rear subframe to make the new seat unit fit and thought about how to fashion some brackets and fixings to bolt it all on. I realised that the rear hub I had is actually from an MX250 of the same vintage. As it happens, this is a bonus as there’s no cush-drive set-up – the rear sprocket just bolts straight onto the hub. I ordered a new chain, sprockets and handlebars, which arrived from Renthal just before this issue of CB went to press. By my reckoning, all I need now is a new pair of new shocks from Hagon, but I’ll wait until I can fit the new rear wheel to work out if I will need a slightly different length. Then I can start to think about putting it all back together, setting the ignition timing and seeing if I can actually get the thing running...

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HOMAGES TO McQUEEN

#955 1961 Triumph TR6 desert sled

Above: Ace Classics reproduction of the 1961 TR6 desert sled was a big challenge Below: McQueen waiting to do his thing on the original #955 desert sled

A R C H I V ES A H E R L

DURING 1962 Steve McQueen played lead roles in Hell is for Heroes and The War Lover. In his spare time, he rode a Bud Ekinsbuilt Triumph in desert races, so Cedric asked Ace Classic to build a replica of his mount – a pre-unit TR6. Ace used a basket case 1961 TR6 with matching engine and frame numbers, which they’d bought from the States, as their starting point for the project – but there was a major challenge when it came to building a faithful replica. “There was a very limited number of images of McQueen on the #955 bike, but it seems it was built for McQueen by Bud Ekins in – I’m guessing – 1961. I say that, because it could only have been from 1960 to 1962, because those were the only years of the duplex frame for the pre-units. My thinking is that Ekins built the bike in late ‘61 for McQueen to race in 1962. “When you look at any of the bikes Ekins built, he seemed to like to use the early half-width air-scoop front brake. To use this front wheel, you need to change the entire front end. McQueen’s TR6 sled features the one-year-only 1957 front brake plate and one-year-only ’57 fork sliders – the first Triumph forks with the bottom fork caps. Previous years featured the half-width hub and a ‘push-through’ spindle.” The standard front brake used on this bike would have been the eight-inch full-width hub, but the benefit of using this halfwidth hub was that it was a lot lighter – and using the air scoop brake allows air though it to keep the brake shoes as cool as possible – even way off-road in the desert. McQueen’s bike had chunky 3.50 x 19in tyres instead of the standard 3.25. “He would have used Dunlop Trials Universals, but we couldn’t get those any more, so this is an Ensign Trials tyre from the Vintage Tyre Company,” explains Kev. Von Dutch would probably have painted the numbers and done the Triumph script on the tank. “He did loads of work for McQueen and, looking at the original pictures, you can see his trademark lettering style, which is different to the standard Triumph logo of the time. Our paint guy, Terry, replicated Von Dutch’s work and distressed it to give it that used look, which the customer wanted.” The petrol tank is smaller than the standard 1961 version. McQueen’s bike had a 1957 Tiger 100RR tank with the taps facing backwards. These one-year-only tanks are really rare now, so we modified an early 1960s Tiger 100SC tank, which is this shape and is set up like the tank on McQueen’s bike. The swingarm and subframe are standard, apart from the rear

footrest mounts being cut off, and the sub-frame loop being bent up a little to suit the lightweight alloy rear mudguard that’s fitted. The rear wheel is a standard 18in WM3 with a Continental Twinduro TKC80 4.00 x 18in rear knobbly tyre – the same as used on the ISDT replicas. Girling-type shocks have been used (back in the day, Girling Racing Shocks would have been used). McQueen’s bike had a Bates seat – but with so few images to work from, it took six attempts to create the right style. The TR6 motor was rebuilt by Ace Classics’ resident mechanic Alan. It’s got E3134 cams, originally designed as a Bonneville inlet cam. “It’s interesting that many Triumph cams used the E3134 profile and that the TriCor E3134 Q cam was a different profile to the factory E3134 Q cam,” comments Kev. “We fitted one on the inlet and exhaust to give the bike brisker acceleration. “When we restore any bikes or rebuild engines, we always go for a low compression. This one is 7:1, to make it easy to start and easy to ride. It also helps with today’s fuels and the bikes still go very well. We reckon Ekins would have gone for 10:1 or 11:1 in McQueen’s competition engine.” The head is standard, but with an 80-thou head gasket. Kev explains: “We’ve found that all the old cylinder heads have been skimmed so much you need a thicker head gasket to get the right deck height to ensure the pushrod tube rubbers seal correctly. The carburettor used on the replica is an 11 /16in Amal 376. It has a Lucas K2F Competition magneto – but there’s no battery fitted, so, as the original bike had lights, Ace Classics fitted an alternator and Boyer power box, which is a self-regulating rectifier with an internal current and voltage storing capacitor. The primary chaincase is one that Ace Classics manufacture as a reproduction part for the duplex alternator Triumphs, and they aqua blasted all the engine cases to give a worn look. The high-level exhaust was an aftermarket addition on McQueen’s bike, possibly from Flanders (set up in 1945 by desert racing enthusiasts Earl and Lucile, they still sell a huge range of motorcycle accessories, specialising in handlebars). Ace modified a heat shield to match the original.

#502 1963 Triumph T120 TT desert sled Above: Massive air filter on this unit twin sled reflects a period mod favoured by Bud Ekins

WITH THE TR6 sled delivered, Cedric asked Ace Classics to create a replica of another McQueen desert racer – but this time based on a unit construction Triumph. Kev says: “Cedric spotted McQueen’s bike with the number 502 number plate. It’s based on a 1963 T120 TT – another bike built by Ekins. The original machine was sold at a Bonhams auction – but after hard use by McQueen, it finally featured a 141 numberplate, a green tank [the original was black] and a few bits different to the original build.” Cedric wanted it closer to the original build. But how could he be sure that the 520 was the same bike as the 141 sold at auction? “The alloy shield on the right-hand side of the bike and the great big air filter added to the original filter are identical on both bikes – both mods that Ekins would have made when he built the bike,” Kev insisted. There were only half a dozen original pictures available of the #502 to work from. “We knew it was a 1963 model, as the footpegs were bolted underneath – Triumph only did that for one year,” says Kev. We used later pegs, modified by hooking them upwards, then added the flat protection plates that Ekins used to prevent the pegs piercing a hole in the cases in the event of a tumble.” The basis of a bike was a matching frame and engine – a 1963 T120 basket case which Kev’s dad Cliff had brought amongst a batch of Triumph bikes and spares from the States. “We rebuilt the T120 engine pretty much as standard, but fitted

‘THERE WERE ONLY HALF A DOZEN ORIGINAL PICTURES OF THE #502 TO WORK FROM’

a 16-tooth countershaft sprocket (19 is stock Bonnie and the 1963 TT model had a 17-tooth). Again, we wanted acceleration. Ignition is a Boyer Powerbox [self-regulating rectifier with an internal current and voltage storing capacitor] with no battery. It’s got twin Amal Monobloc 389 carbs with stock air filters – but, like Ekins did, we’ve added big foam filters with an alloy shield at the back of them to stop the motor sucking in sand.” The front end is 1957 Triumph, which is what Ekins used. “He seemed to prefer them for all his desert racers – right up to 1966, because it allowed him to use the lighter half-width hubs,” says Kev. “Triumph only did these for one year and they feature boltup fork bottom caps. The front brake has an air scoop, but Ekins blocked it up with a blanking plate to keep the sand out; we’ve done the same. Back in the day, the blanking plate was actually on the Triumph competition parts list!” The front wheel is fitted with a 350 x 19 trials tyre – an Ensign Universal by Vintage Tyres – on a 1957 Triumph rim. The rear tyre is a Continental TKC80 4.00 x 18 (they would originally have been Dunlops front and rear) on a stock ’63 rear rim. The seat is an original Bates which Kev bought for £60 at an autojumble – a steal, as they go for up to £600 online. The filler neck and oil feed was relocated to the back of the stock oil tank, just like Ekins did –but the oil return feed from the front of the motor to the oil tank is a dummy on the Ace replica. Other period touches include high-level pipes with no silencers but heat shields, the massive sump shield, and alloy mudguards. The rear light is also a Bates replica. Kev added: “The original bike had no headlights, but the customer lives in France and it’s law there that the bike has to have lights if it’s ridden on the road. So we made QD lights using a Bates-style headlight – and when he takes them off, there’s the numberboard to fit.”

HOMAGES TO McQUEEN

‘THE REAL JOY OF A PROJECT LIKE THIS IS THE RESEARCH’ KEV RUSHWORTH, ACE CLASSICS

Above: McQueen on the original bike that did the most famous bike jump in film history Below: Tank dents and exhaust rust were painstakingly created to get a battle-scarred look

HODAK A

Dishy in the dirt US brand Hodaka’s off-roaders with goofy names were serious fun PHOTOGRAPHY: BAUER ARCHIVE

Right: Hodaka may have looked like they were having a laugh, but models like this 1970 Super Rat were good enough to be hunted out by America’s off-road cool cats Inset: The bikes’ prowess was well proven in US dirt and desert racing

ne thing Bruce Brown did so well in On Any Sunday was capturing the fun of motorcycling – and there was never a motorcycle brand more dedicated to fun than Hodaka. The company enjoyed an all-too-brief reign as ‘America’s favorite trail bike’ – the rather apt subtitle to Ken Smith’s excellent Hodaka history, published in 2014. Wacky model names like Super Rat, Dirt Squirt, Road Toad, Wombat and even Combat Wombat, whimsical marketing speak, plus cartoon-style graphics, underpinned the Hodaka fun-bike image. But the bikes were as serious as anything else on the burgeoning trail bike market – which this American company played a big part in helping grow. Lightweight and easy-to-manage two-stroke off-road recreational bikes were becoming all the rage in the late 1960s. In fact, while you might argue it was Yamaha’s DT1, first unveiled at the Tokyo Show it the autumn of 1967, that defined the market for road-legal motorcycles that could be used on or off-road without serious mods, it was Hodaka who gave US buyers an American-built trail bike. Except it wasn’t built in America. Hodaka was owned by the Japanese Oishi brothers in Japan, but their worldwide importer was a company called Pabatco (Pacific Basic Trading Company) which was based in Athena, Oregon and run by a group of people who just happened to be motorcycle enthusiasts. Pabatco, a subsidiary of Farm Chemicals of Oregon (which distributed Shell’s oil and chemical products to the agricultural industry) at that time, was formed as an import/ trading company in 1961, and one of their first clients was

KNOW YOUR HODAKAS Underneath the often kooky names there’s a roster of pukka machines that helped to blaze a trail for dirt bikes in the USA

Yamaguchi. This was a Japanese firm that made smallcapacity two-stroke motorcycles (49cc and later 80cc) with engines supplied by Hodaka – a company formed in the early 1950s to produce motorcycle transmissions, but also developed its own small-capacity two-stroke engines. But just as Pabatco was making great strides in the States with Yamaguchi, the Japanese firm suddenly closed shop in 1963, leaving Pabatco without bikes to sell – and Hodaka was left high and dry. Pabatco’s general manager Henry ‘Hank’ Koepke persuaded Hodaka to build bikes which Pabatco would design and market. The first of these arrived in the States in 1964 – the Ace 90, which used a four-speed 90cc development of Hodaka’s Ace 80 three-speeder used previously by Yamaguchi. It came with a bright red frame and chrome tank, which would become an early Hodaka trademark. The Super Rat was later introduced as a motocross version of the Ace, followed in 1972 by the Wombat 125 trail bike and, a year later, by the Combat Wombat (a Wombat motocrosser) and the Dirt Squirt. Later in the ’70s the ‘big four’ Japanese manufacturers began to dominate the market, sending Hodaka sales into a decline, and Shell (who had bought out Farm Chemicals in 1965) closed Pabatco in 1978. Hodaka sold all its tooling and production machines to Korean company Daelim. Hodaka produced over 140,000 motorcycles, many bought by newcomers just discovering the delights of riding on and off road. Today the brand is celebrated by the annual Hodaka Days in Athena, Oregon which includes a parade of original bikes plus off-road competition events.

ACE 100

DIRT SQUIRT 100

WOMBAT 125

The Model 92 Ace 100 was originally produced in 1967. It featured an air-cooled, pistonported, two-stroke engine and fivespeed gearbox housed in a red tubular steel frame, with suspension by telescopic forks and twin shocks, and running on 17in wheels (2.75in front, 3.00in rear). The original Ace produced 9.8bhp at 7500rpm, 6.7ft lb of torque at 5500rpm, weighed 175lb (79kg) and offered eight inches of ground clearance. Hodaka claimed its chrome fuel tank offered over 110 miles of ‘back country cruising’.

The Dirt Squirt, launched in 1973, was voted ‘Best 100cc Playbike’ by readers of US mag Dirt Bike – ahead of the Yamaha DT1, Hodaka’s own Road Toad, Honda’s XL100 and Suzuki’s TC100. With a 100cc engine and the clutch/transmission from a 125, it was stripped of lights and given full motocross-style mudguards. It came with 19in front wheel and a 17in rear, with 2.75in and 3.25in knobblies respectively. Hodaka’s marketing crew dubbed it ‘The fun hundred’ and claimed: ‘This tough little bike really separates the boys from the toys’.

‘It won’t run out of guts before you do,’ said Hodaka of the Wombat 125, a bike they claimed: ‘shares a trait with the funny little animal it’s name after... they both love to root around in the dirt’. First produced in 1972, the reed-valve, two-stroke, air-cooled, single-cylinder Wombat featured a dual downtube, full cradle frame, with mounts for the twin shocks. It came with a 21in front wheel and 18in rear, shod with trials-pattern tyres. The endurostyle machine was road legal with a full lighting kit, and a US forestryapproved spark-arrestor exhaust.

COMBAT WOMBAT 125

SUPER COMBAT MX125

ROAD TOAD 100

The wonderfully named Combat Wombat, spawned from the Wombat, featured tweaked cylinder porting and a tuned exhaust, along with a large air cleaner. There was a narrowed fuel tank, motocross-style saddle and high-mounted mudguards with mudflap extensions. The 21in front and 18in rear tyres were full knobblies and the forks gave 5.7in of travel, with the adjustable shocks offering six different settings. There was also an ‘accessory trail lighting kit and enduro/cross reed valve kit’ for the Combat.

Hodaka called this, their limitedproduction 123cc race bike: ‘no frills, just pure motocrosser’, but it was soon usurped by Honda’s CR125 Elsinore and Yamaha’s YZ125. It came as standard with CDI ignition, a 32mm Mikuni carb, reed-valve induction and porting. There was also a close-ratio fivespeed gearbox, low-level exhaust pipe, shoulderless alloy rims, plastic ‘fenders’ plus a new orange and blue livery that the marketing blurb claimed: ‘makes this second generation Hodaka stand out from all those that have gone before’.

Hodaka’s advertising for the Road Toad 100 claimed to be a message from an owner and was headlined: ‘Your Road Toad is all the dirt bike I need.’ Essentially a road-going version of the Dirt Squirt, the Road Toad, in garish green livery, was manufactured from December 1974. It featured a 98cc reed valve five-speed motor with its cylinder inclined by 25° and had a 7.2:1 compression ratio, 26mm carb and Kokusan flywheel magneto. The fuel tank held 2.8 gallons, and the 228.8lb bike had 2.75 x 19in front and 3.50 x17in rear tyres by Nitto.

FASCINATING CREATURES Ken Smith’s fabulous book Hodaka, the Complete Story of America’s Favorite Trail Bike was published in 2014 and reveals the full story of this intriguing marque. In addition to detailing all the models, it features fascinating artwork and publicity material produced by Pabatco. Find copies on Amazon and eBay (prices vary).

MERT LAWWILL | Interview

‘WE ALL KNEW THE MOVIE WAS GOING TO BE AUTHENTIC, NOT A FAKE’ We talk to Mert Lawwill, the 1969 AMA Grand National Champion and On Any Sunday star whose post-racing career has included creating a proper Harley street tracker... and a range of medical prosthetics WORDS BY ALAN CATHCART PHOTOGRAPHY: ARCHIVE A HERL, GARY PINCHIN ARCHIVE, BAUER ARCHIVE, ALAN CATHCART ARCHIVE, KEVIN WING & RICH COX

f Mert Lawwill’s name comes up in conversation, and you have to ask: ‘Mert who?’, then you don’t have a handle on American Grand National racing heritage and you’ve never seen On Any Sunday. For Lawwill, today an amazingly active 81, was AMA champion in 1969 – and the movie chronicled his bid to defend his title the following year. Lawwill became a professional racer in 1964 and won his first AMA national at Sacramento in 1961. After a 15-year professional racing career, he hung up his racing leathers in 1977, forced to retire at the age of 37 due to an inner-ear disorder that affected his balance. During that time, he’d amassed a total of 161 AMA Grand National race finishes, including 15 race wins covering every series discipline (mile, half mile, TT and short-track) except road racing, at which he finished second in the 1965 Daytona 200. Mert then became one of the top US designers of motorcycle race chassis, before turning his expertise to the rapidly growing world of mountain bikes, developing a revolutionary rear suspension system which took the bicycle industry by storm. Lawwill’s off-road pedal-

racing products became much prized by top riders around the world, and his mountain bike designs won numerous national and world titles. Further conﬁrming his wide-ranging talents, Mert turned to developing a prosthetic device that bolts on to the handlebar of any bike – with or without an engine – to enable amputees to get back in the saddle again. He’s followed that with a shock absorber for a prosthetic hand, which cushions the effects of violent impacts. There’s also a prosthetic elbow in the works, for above-elbow amputees. While doing all that, he still found the time to turn his attention to building a street bike – for himself and for customers to buy. “People had been after me for almost 10 years to build a street tracker that looked exactly like a dirt-track racer, but was street-legal enough that you can ride

Lawwill showing the style that made him a championship winner. Shame the Harley wasn’t up to the job of helping him defend his title in 1970, as chronicled in On Any Sunday DA N M A HO N Y

through town on it,” explains Mert. “For many years I didn’t believe there was a big enough market to support that, until ﬁnally back in 2005 I started developing the Lawwill Harley Street Tracker. I’ve made 20 of them since then, based on brand new XL1200 Sportsters.” Here’s what Mert has to say today about his post-racing exploits – and his part in a certain famous movie about motorcycles... This year is the 50th anniversary of On Any Sunday being on public release. Did you and the other guys involved realise at the time this would be such an enduring inspiration to motorcycle fans worldwide? Oh, not at all! Actually, the way it started was that I was in the pit area at the Sacramento Mile, and Bruce Brown came walking down through, and says: ‘I’m going to make a motorcycle movie, do you want to be part of it?’ I was so into motorcycles that I had no clue who he was, and I thought: ‘OK, here goes another home movie maker’. So I said: ‘Ah sure, no problem,’ thinking that’d be the last I’d see of him. Never did I believe that it could have ever turned out to be what it became.

And how did Bruce take it from there? Every week he would go to the AMA Nationals. In fact, at one point he was so concerned that people might think it was a Hollywood movie, and he wanted to make sure that we all knew it was going to be authentic, not a fake. So he came up to my Bay Area home in Tiburon – he lived in Southern California and I’m northern – and jumped in the truck with me. We travelled together all across the States from race to race, because he wanted to get a feel for what it was really like, not just what Hollywood thought it was. Was there any sense for you and the other ﬂat trackers back then that this was something a bit special, or was it just another media task a professional racer did as part of his career? No, I just thought it was just another thing to do. I didn’t think it was anything special at all. But Bruce was great to have along and he was just hilarious! I mean, I had to stop him a lot of times – I’d get a tummy ache from laughing so much! He was just such a character to be with – a genuinely funny and entertaining person.

MERT LAWWILL | Interview Did Bruce already know a lot about AMA racing or did he pick it up along the way? No. In the early days he and his surfer friends used to come to Ascot Park in Gardena every Friday night, just to watch the motorcycle races. Apparently he got to thinking this is too good of a sport for people not to realise what it is, so then he decided to make the film. You knew nothing about his surfing movie Endless Summer at the time? That’s right. I’m was so focused on motorcycles that I didn’t even know that he had made a film! I thought he was an amateur film maker – but then he’d take a film crew to a race meet and they’d have a guy filming from here, and a guy filming from there. When I was all done, they’d do what they called a ‘speedy edit’, and they would run the film through some sort of editor thing, and they’d say: ‘Well, this is absolutely no good – that can’t be used for anything,’ so they’d throw that out; then with other footage they’d say: ‘This is possible, we’ll save this’. I think they saved about 150 hours of footage! He and his whole crew were just amazing people, and we ended up being best friends for many years.

Yes. Harley-Davidson wasn’t prepared and didn’t have a motorcycle designed for racing [for the new rules]. So we just took the street Sportster and tried to make that into a racer, but it was not designed that way and it was a total catastrophe. The Sportster had to be de-stroked, but from an engineering standpoint everything was wrong. The stroke-to-bore ratio was wrong, the rod length to the stroke was wrong... I mean it was not designed to be a race engine at all. The connecting rods were too long and left the piston at the top of the stroke too long. It’s one of the reasons that it generated a lot of heat – plus they were iron-barrelled motors, so they didn’t cool anyway. What was it like working on the movie, and having all the technical problems with the Harley to cope with as well? It was just a full-time job. We worked around the clock trying to keep that thing running. And that’s why I began to have, you know, small failures, because you don’t have time for details, you’re fixing all the main-event problems. I had a helper, ‘Bee’, but I was the mechanic, so I was pretty flat-out wrenching and riding. I didn’t get much rest! Tell us about the helmet camera that Bruce had you wearing - it looked like it weighed a ton! It did! In fact what we did is, we put a weight on the other side of the helmet to help balance it out, because we learned early on that the camera just being on one side of the helmet was too heavy, and the rider that was filming would end up with a really tired neck.

Did he bring anybody else along with him, travelling around the AMA Nationals? No, the crew had a separate truck. I remember Alan Seymour was one of the main film guys at the time - and now and then he would jump in the van with Bruce and we’d all travel together. But generally we’d just meet at the track and then they’d record everything that was going on. Did you know Malcolm Smith or Steve McQueen before the movie? The movie mostly put us together. However, I did race against Malcolm at Ascot in the early days, but I didn’t really know him then, and anyway, he didn’t like Ascot – he said it was too intense. We were talking about flat track one day when we were doing some filming, and he said: ‘You know, Mert, what you do is totally crazy!’ And I said: ‘Are you kidding me? What you do is crazy! Riding across a desert out in the middle of nowhere, where you have to jump over a mountain without ever knowing what’s on the other side, but you’ll jump over it anyway.’ I added: ‘I can’t do that, I’ve got to know where I’m going – flat track only, no hills for me except in a TT race!’

When you look back at On Any Sunday now, how do you view the movie’s effect on the sport, and on motorcycling in general? Well, the effect it had both on the sport and on motorcycling was super dramatic. No one ﬁlm has ever done anything that even approaches what that ﬁlm did to update the world about motorcycling.

‘STEVE AND I WE GOT TO BE REAL GOOD FRIENDS, AND WE WERE LIFELONG FRIENDS AFTER THE MOVIE’

What was it like spending time on set, and on bikes with McQueen and Malcolm? When I first met Steve, we were doing the filming down on the beach – you know, the beach scenes that you’ve seen – and we were invited to stay at Bruce’s house in Dana Point, at the southern end of LA County, while we did the filming. The funny thing is that when we went in the house, Steve looked around and the kid’s bedroom, was covered in pictures of myself and Dick Mann and other motorcycle racers – but no movie stars! Steve said to Bruce: ‘Don’t your kids ever go to the movies?’ Did you get to know McQueen pretty well during the course of the filming? Yes, we got to be real good friends, and we were lifelong friends after that until he sadly met his end. When you won your AMA Grand National championship in 1969, you raced the KR750 as 750cc flatheads were allowed while overhead valve engines were limited to 500cc. Then for 1970, the year Bruce made the film, the rules permitted 750 overhead-valve motors across the board. Is that anything to do with you having a difficult season in 1970?

And it came at the time when some of the outlaw bike gangs had given motorcycles a dirty name in America. Did this go some way towards redressing that? Yes. Early on, when I started racing, my parents said: ‘You’re not going to ride a motorcycle – only bad people ride motorcycles’. But I just wanted to race so bad, so I went ahead and raced anyway. The end of the story was my parents became my best fans. Early on, though, it was a real problem and the only reason I got to ride at all was my brother came home with a little Corgi, a little British-made scooter. That was the ﬁrst motorcycle I rode; in fact, I’m looking for one now – I’d like to put one in my collection of items so that I have the beginning of my career to the end of my career. Anyway, it got me started on two wheels, and once I could do that better than my friends, well then that’s all I did – I concentrated on riding motorcycles. I was not a good student scholastically; I’ve only gotten a couple of part-time years at college. I’m a self-taught person. But you taught yourself not only how to win at motorcycle racing, but also how to produce prosthetic tools to help the disabled enjoy life. Yes. The ﬁrst hand I made was for Chris Draayer after he lost his arm in a race crash in 1967. He took it out for a ride, came back and said: ‘That’s the worst thing that I’ve ever tried!’ From that, I learned your knuckles are here, your wrist is there, your elbows here, and if you don’t mimic all those energy-transfer points precisely, an amputee will tell you in a heartbeat. The brain is just hardwired to know what’s good and what isn’t. In 1990, I called some prosthetic companies,

DAN M A HO NY A R C H I VE A H E R L

A R C H I VE A H E R L

Mert Lawwill does his sideways thing during filming for On Any Sunday. Bruce Brown is directly behind Mert on the infield, getting as close to the action as possible with his camera

Lawwill grids up for the start of the 1970 Daytona 200 on his KR750 factory Harley

Lawwill, Malcolm Smith and McQueen take a break from cow-trailing and play-racing

Lawwill (#1) on the Sportster-derived racer which made his 1970 season so frustrating

DA N M A HON Y

Lawwill (#1) follows the guy with the counterweighted helmet cam (#11) during OAS filming

MERT LAWWILL | Interview

Prosthetics are another passion of Mert’s in helping surgical amputees get back on two wheels

Mert was in early on the mountain bike craze; this is his 1979 Pro Cruiser

‘IT FELT LIKE EVERYONE WAS AFTER ME TO PRODUCE A STREET TRACKER’

Mert Lawwill’s Harley Street Tracker embraces all the key design cues from his old XR750 racer

and I said: ‘I’m thinking of making some prosthetic hands for [people who ride] bicycles and motorcycles’. And they all said: ‘Don’t waste your time. First of all, if you’re an amputee and you’ve lost your hand, you can’t do anything. And, if there’s any way that can be rectiﬁed, nobody would then want to ride a bicycle or a motorcycle.’ So you can see how the world has changed since then, by moving away from that attitude! Are you still developing prosthetics? Yes, I’m working on an electronic arm – it’ll be a complete arm. The big difference is that it’s got a shock absorber in it. What happens with a normal prosthetic arm is, if you go downhill on a bicycle or a motorcycle, and you have a big impact by hitting something, it will shatter the elbow and then you are one-armed for the rest of the day. So mine has a shock absorber in it that’s electronically controlled, and I’ve got an accelerometer that you mount on the handlebar. So when you go downhill, it tells you that you’re going downhill, and it sends a signal to the shock, the shock becomes stiff, and then the guy can go downhill using both arms. Incredible! You’re obviously an extremely inventive person and not just in that ﬁeld. I’m not sure how many motorcycle fans know you invented the mountain bike, too – and that because of that you’re the only person in the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame as well as the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. That’s right. I was so early in the mountain bike game that one day I went into the local bicycle shop that’s owned by my partner Terry

Knight, and I said: ‘I think I’ll make some BMX frames’. Terry said: ‘No, no, you’ve got to make a mountain bike frame’. I didn’t even know what a mountain bike was, so he schooled me on that, and we made the first mountain bike frames. I did that way back in, I guess, the late ’70s. I called it the ‘Lawwill Mountain Bike’. I couldn’t get a dealer anywhere, so I changed the name to Pro Cruiser, because cruisers were big then, and instantly I got dealers all over – even in Hawaii. It’s all about branding! Branding and timing. I was ahead of my time as far as naming it was concerned. And then you produced your Harley Street Tracker, with your own innovative rear suspension. How did that happen? It felt like everyone was after me to produce a street tracker, so I said: ‘If I’m going to make a one, I might as well update it a little bit. I started with a brand new Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200R right off the showroom floor and took everything away but the crankcases. I decided to put the bicycle-style rear suspension on it. Then I wanted the two carburettors on the right and the exhaust pipes on the left [like the XR750 race bikes], so I found a foundry in Mexico and they cast a bunch of heads for me. I only had enough parts made to do a limited run of 20 – and delivered 19 of them. I didn’t know what the market would bear, so I put $26,000 on the first batch and sold out right away. The last ones now go for $40,000 – but, even at that, I go broke trying to make them, so I’m not making any more. • mertlawwill.com & mertshands.org

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HARELY-DAVIDSON XR750

Who’s the daddy? After a poor start, Harley’s XR750 became the ﬂat-track king PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY HARLEY- DAVIDSON AND BAUER ARCHIVE

he filming of On Any Sunday throughout the 1970 racing season coincided with the debut of Harley-Davidson’s XR750 in American dirt-track competition. Harley’s previous side-valve KR750, which Mert Lawwill had used on his way to securing the 1969 American Motorcyclist Association National title, had become obsolete when the AMA change their rules, making 750cc four-strokes eligible to race, irrespective of valve type, in their Grand National Championship events. Until then, only machines with 500cc ohv engines were allowed to race against the super-successful 750cc side-valve-powered bikes (Harley’s KR750 flatheads). With race team manager Dick O’Brien at the helm of the development team, Harley opted to use a Sportster-based, racer with a shorter stroke (from 96mm to 82mm) for the XR750, utilising modified cast-iron heads and cylinders, a magneto instead of generator, and improved oiling. The early iron-head XRs proved fragile, with most of their major problems caused by overheating due to the lack of adequate cylinder finning, something which earned them the unfortunate nickname ‘waffle irons’. The reliability issues ultimately led to Lawwill’s thwarted title defence, with his frustrations captured in the movie. Gene Romero and Triumph won the Grand National series in 1970, and Dick Mann was champion in 1971 on BSAs, but Harley bounced back for 1972 with Mark Brelsford. A protégé of Lawwill’s, he took the title after the new, more powerful all-aluminum alloy XR750 engine was introduced. The alloy XR750 would go on to dominate flat-track racing for decades, with the unique power delivery of the 45° V-twin proving hard to beat on the variable surfaces of the American mile and half-mile dirt ovals.

‘THE ALLOY XR750 WOULD GO ON TO DOMINATE FLAT-TRACK RACING FOR DECADES’ Jay Springsteen, Rookie of the Year on an XR750 in 1975, won three consecutive AMA titles – and of the 398 nationals he rode, he won 43 of them. Scott Parker was just 17 when he won his ﬁrst big race on an XR. He won nine AMA titles, and his all-time 94 Grand National record number of wins came as a Harley rider. Chris Carr won the title in 1999; then he, too, went on a ﬁve-time spree, winning it from 2001 until 2005. Kenny Coolbeth also earned fame, winning three AMA Grand National titles on XR750s from 2006 through to 2008. Harley made around 500 XR750s, with the last complete bike coming off the production line in 1980 – although they continued to supply engines to racers. Between 1972 and 2015, the XR750 won 37 of 44 AMA Grand National titles, racking more wins than any other motorcycle in AMA racing history and earning the accolade of being the ‘most successful race bike of all time’.

Above: Mark Brelsford took the AMA Grand National title back for Harley in 1972, after two years of domination by Triumph and BSA

ROLLING CHASSIS The XR750’s 1972 redesign resulted in a new, lighter frame – a tubular steel full-cradle with Ceriani forks and twin Girling shocks. The 19in spoked wheels had four-inch wide rims, and the 2.5-gallon fuel tank and seat were glassfibre. Brakes? There were none...

ENGINE The short-stroke alloy engine, designed by Dutch engineer Peter Zylstra, had a bore and stroke of 79mm x 76mm compared to the iron engine’s 76mm x 81mm. The alloy material of the motor dissipated heat better than that of the iron-head engine, and the new cylinders and rocker boxes came with heavier finning to aid cooling. The complete engine unit was 17lb (7.7kg) lighter than the iron-head engine.

CYLINDER HEADS The top end was redesigned with a shallower 68° included valve angle, compared to the 90° angle of the iron head. Noted porting and flow development engineers CR Axtell and Jerry Branch were drafted in to assist with development.

CARBURETTORS The twin 36mm Mikuni carbs (38mm for the road racing XRTT) were located on the right side of the motorcycle, while the exhausts exited on the left, feeding into twin megaphones. Harley weren’t keen to reveal horsepower at the time; race team manager Dick O’Brien was quoted as saying: ‘It’s enough,’ but did admit that maximum power was developed at 7800rpm and maximum torque came at 6000rpm.

A 1975 XR750. If you’re looking for classic dirt-track style, there’s no need to look any further

ROMERO’S BIG YEAR BAUE R A R CH IV E

Gene Romero on his way to winning the 1970 Sacramento Mile to clinch the Number One plate. Tucked into his slipstream are Dick Mann (BSA), Mert Lawwill (Harley-Davidson, #1) and Don Castro (Triumph, #11Y)

he 1970 AMA Grand National Championship was the main focus of Bruce Brown’s On Any Sunday movie. Brown followed the exploits of 1969 champion Mert Lawwill, but the Harley rider, having claimed the number one plate by relying largely on the trusty KR750 flathead, was battling with the unreliable new XR750 ohv V-twin in 1970 and, despite posting three wins, didn’t feature in the title race. The series was won by Triumph rider Gene Romero after a battle with BSA rivals Jim Rice and Dick Mann. While Rice won six races early in the year, Romero posted consistent results to remain in contention and finally wrapped up with a sensational victory in the Sacramento Mile after Rice had crashed in a heat race. All the drama was caught on film by Bruce Brown to offer a compelling, and lasting, insight into the series.

H ON DA

Standout stats from the US championship highlighted in OAS

The age at which Gene Romero became the youngest-ever AMA Grand National Champion. The Triumph rider came with a late charge in the series to wrestle the title from Jim Rice. Romero was factory-backed, but also had help from famed tuner CR Axtell.

The number of dollars Dick Mann collected for winning the Daytona 200. By winning the race, he earned $4000 in prize money. The other $10,000 was win-bonus cash from Honda. It was Mann’s first win at the track, having made his Daytona debut 15 years earlier. His victory in the Daytona 200 also gave Honda its maiden victory with the brand new four-cylinder CB750. BAUER AR CHI VE

ARC HI V E A HE RL

Race winners Twelve different men posted race victories during the season with BSA and Triumph riders topping the table. Here’s the final winners’ list...

The number of race wins registered by BSA works riders in the 1970 season – Triumph may have won the title, but they were only ranked third in the win ers’ table. BSA Harley-Davidson Triumph Yamaha Suzuki

11 7 5 1 1

Palmgren (#6) on the XS650 Yamaha in 1970

XS650 Chuck Palmgren scored the first-ever win for an XS650-based ohc twin on the dirt ovals when he took the Nazareth Mile (actually a 11 / 8-mile oval) riding a Trackmaster-framed Shell Racing Yamaha.

Name Jim Rice Gene Romero David Aldana Mert Lawwill Dave Sehl Dick Mann Gary Nixon Mark Brelsford Eddie Mulder Bart Markel Chuck Palmgren Ron Grant

Manufacturer BSA Triumph BSA Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson BSA Triumph Harley-Davidson Triumph Harley Davidson Yamaha Suzuki

Wins 6 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1

DA N MA H ON Y

BSA/Triumph

Six wins from Jim Rice (left) and three from David Aldana (right) went a long way to helping BSA with their 11 victories.

The number of different disciplines that made up the championship. There were 22 scheduled dirt-track oval races, one mile (5), half mile (10) and quarter-mile shorttrack (2), and TT races which were oval dirt tracks with infield jumps (5). Plus there were five road races, making a 27-round AMA Grand National Championship. Two rounds were cancelled, but the 25 races still faced riders with an arduous season that criss-crossed the United States.

BSA/Triumph took their triples out on a dirt track oval for the first time for practice at the Santa Rosa Mile, although Jim Rice won the race on a BSA twin.

Aldana TRIUMPH/BSA

David Aldana’s Talladega victory on the BSA Rocket 3 at an average 104.589mph was the fastest road race ever in the States at that point. Aldana was in his rookie season as a pro.

Championship top ten

Prizes make points For the 1970 season, the AMA awarded championship points according to the size of the race prize fund and not the type of event it was. At the top end of the scale, an event with a purse in excess of $15,000 paid 101 points for a race win, while prize money up to $6999 would only reward a win with 26 points. The purse for the Daytona 200 was $24,500, while the Cumberland Mile and the Ascot and Terre Haute Half Miles only posted a fund of $6000 each.

Lawwill Mert Lawwill’s win at the Cumberland Mile was the first AMA Grand National victory for the new XR750. Lawwill’s other 1970 wins were on a Sprint (a Harleybadged Aermacchi single) at Houston and aboard a 900cc XLR at the Ascot TT.

Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Name Gene Romero Jim Rice David Aldana Dick Mann Don Castro Mert Lawwill Mark Brelsford Chuck Palmgren Tom Rockwood Gary Nixon

Manufacturer Triumph BSA BSA BSA & Honda Triumph Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson Yamaha Triumph Triumph

Points 667 574 459 412 392 313 312 303 301 271

TRIUMPH FLAT TRACKERS

A RCH IV E A H E RL

Beautifully BRUTAL

Neil Armstrong loves the poise and purpose of ﬂat-trackers. That’s what inspired him to build this pair of Triumphs – along with some input from one of the racing stars of On Any Sunday

TRIUMPH FLAT TRACKERS

WOR DS A ND P H OTO G RA P H Y BY GR E G M O SS & BAU E R A RCH IVE

Above: Neil Armstrong’s garage is festooned with flat-track racing paraphernalia... and his 250 and 750 Triumphs

here’s something about vintage flat track bikes that has instant appeal; the swept-back bars, the teardrop tanks, the engineering and aesthetics only emphasises the balls-out motorsport that is flat-track racing. It has gained huge appeal in the UK in recent years thanks to the DTRA (see page 6) and other oval-track events in Europe with retro-styled bikes and classics – and even newcomers talk of the influence On Any Sunday has had on them. But for Neil Armstrong, owner of these two stunning Triumphs, his love of flat track started in the late ’70s. Like a lot of schoolboys of that era, he was obsessed with Evel Knievel and his daring, often doomed exploits. It was his bike especially that sparked his interest. “When Knievel turned up in 1979, other than his antics, it was the bike that absolutely caught my imagination,” says Armstrong in a soft Yorkshire accent. “I remember him being on Blue Peter and praying to god that they didn’t ask him any ignorant questions, because my hero was turning up with his XR750. I just wanted to take it all in, freeze-frame the memory.” The famed Harley-Davidson that Knievel rode was essentially a modified dirt tracker and is probably one of the last bikes you’d choose to launch over a collection of buses in Wembley stadium. But, of course, that’s what he did in 1975, clipping the last bus on landing and taking a massive tumble.

Right: Sonny Nutter (#19), and Triumphmounted Jim Odom (# 77) and Eddie Mulder (# 12), giving it some TT action at Ascot in 1970. Evel Knievel’s more outrageous jumping antics on a flattrack Harley hooked Neil on the US style

DAN MAH O NY

This glimpse at the world and style of flat-track bikes – and a form of racing that didn’t really exist outside of the States back then – acted as an inspiration for Armstrong. ‘I spent my childhood riding around in my dad’s Land Rover or my mum’s Austin looking out the windows for one of them bikes; where do you find one of them? There was no computers, no Google, just a bit of Motorcycle News with a few black and white pictures of Kenny Roberts and the like. These bikes were kind of about, but they didn’t look like any other Harley I’d ever seen. The style of the bike – I couldn’t get over the style... but I could never find one,” he explains. So began Armstrong’s search for his very own genuine tracker. Fast-forward some 40-odd years and Neil and I are in Armstrong’s garage at the end of a quiet road among the Cheshire countryside. We’re surrounded by flat-track racing paraphernalia. Cylinders, carburettors and sprockets line the shelves and posters of racing legends cover the walls. Cups of tea in hand, we chat about the pride of his collection – two Triumph trackers of the early ’70s, a 750 and a 250. I’d first seen these bikes at Prescott Bike Festival; Armstrong was weaving them up the hill, looking like he’d just come back from the Sacramento Mile in vintage-style red and white leathers and matching old-school helmet. He was clearly trying his best to make them turn right – not something you normally do on a tracker, but he was making a good job of it. The bikes looked fantastic and made a striking contrast to the more conventional modern and classic race bikes that littered the paddock that weekend. Armstrong bought the 750 first, in 2003. “I found that in the back of a container in Barnsley, amongst a yard of Americana – Chevys and Mustangs and all sorts of stuff – and I spotted a frame and forks painted royal blue. I knew straight away that it was a Trackmaster. It came with the tank, no engine whatsoever, the oil tank was scrap, the shockers were scrap, the forks were basically scrap – so I was ultimately buying a frame. I paid £400, which I think would be fairly difficult to do nowadays.” he says with a wry grin. Once he’d got the Trackmaster – a much sought-after frame, as anyone familiar with the world of dirt-track will know – his next task was to amass the mountain of vintage parts to bring it back to its former glory. Over the following years he made invaluable contacts in the UK and in the States, where tracker parts were plentiful at the time.

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TRIUMPH FLAT TRACKERS He managed to pick up an immaculate 750 T140 Triumph engine from Nick Simpson at Sussex’s K&S Motorcycles. “It was a flat-track engine and it was mint. It came with the carbs and still had the dirt on it from its last race. I took the head off, had a look in, and there was some tremendous work. Everything was polished. It had got the Megacycle cams in there. I took the barrels off and everything had been whittled down and polished. I put it back together and thought: ‘There’s a better man than me that’s been in here,’ so I bolted it back together, got the oil pressure up and put some juice in it and she ran like a gem.” Armstrong reckons it’s hard to put an exact year on the frame, but says it dates from somewhere between 1970 to 1975, although the engine is definitely from 1973. The motor is built exactly as a flat-track bike would have been in that era, apart from the addition of a few parts including an oil breather pipe, oil pressure clock and a Morgo rotary pump which maintains a constant 60psi, whether the oil is warm or cold. The process of restoring the 750 took six years and at first, although Armstrong had been fascinated by the sport, he admits he knew little of the mechanics and design involved. “When I first bought that frame, all I knew about flat-track racing was – and I hadn’t even come across the film On Any Sunday – they had 19in wheels and they went round in circles.” As the project grew, so did his knowledge of the sport and the engineering involved. He’d been lucky enough to be provided with contact details of ex-racers in the US who he’d regularly speak to, including Neil Keen and David Aldana. Armstrong speaks with wide-eyed wonder when he mentions his luck at being introduced to all these icons of the sport. He recalls Neil Keen, a legend in his own right, telling him back in 2008 that he was going to get a friend to give him a call to pass on some tips and advice on Trackmaster Triumphs. The next thing he knew, the late, great Gene Romero was on the phone to him. “Now, bearing in mind this was in 2008, I didn’t really know who he was,” explains Armstrong.

“So, suddenly I’m talking to this guy and he’s talking about racing at Daytona. You get all this history. I didn’t realise how famous in the bike world he was – and here he is, offering words of encouragement and help about how you set things up. He was so polite, such a nice guy; he gave me his number in case I had any questions and then he’d ring me again to say: ‘How are you getting on?’” It’s clear that Armstrong feels honoured to call the likes of Romero, Keen and Aldana his friends, though he refers to himself as a ‘mere mortal’ in their presence. He speaks of all the people he’s met with such excitement and humility, and is proud that his bikes bear the signatures of Romero and Aldana on their numberboards after he got them signed when he met them at the Stafford Show. Having worked hard to get the 750 finished to an immaculate and historically accurate standard, the accrued level of knowledge and experience stood him in good stead when he made the decision to get a ‘little brother’ to go with it by buying a 250 tracker in 2010. The project started from bare basics – a Sonic Weld hardtail frame with forks, wheels and a TR25W 250cc engine, shipped over from the States. Armstrong wanted it to sit with the 750 as a pair – just like the American factory Triumph riders would have had in the ’70s. It wasn’t uncommon for dirt-track racers to travel from race to race with both a 750 mile/half-mile bike and a 250 short tracker in the back of the van. Armstrong rebuilt the 250 engine to ﬂat-track spec with relative ease. It has a ported head with twin plugs, a Triumph piston but with a Carillo rod, and a lightened and balanced crank – the kind of spec that BSA and Triumph singles ran in 1970/71 before the two-strokes became the bikes to have in the 250cc short-track class. By chance, Neil discovered an old ticket stuffed in the handlebars of the 750 Trackmaster with a name and address on it. “It had the name Chaz Beaumont written on it, along with his address – somewhere in Iowa – and it had the number 27K on it.’ So I ﬁgured that was his number.

Left: US flat-track legend Gene Romero, here on a 250cc Triumph, provided encouragement and set-up tips with Neil

‘GENE ROMERO CALLED ME IN 2008. I DIDN’T KNOW WHO HE WAS’

Below: Neil’s shorttrack 250 is based on a Sonic Weld hardtail frame with a TR25W engine that he’s rebuilt to flat-track spec

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TRIUMPH FLAT TRACKERS Right: The 750’s a bit of a handful, so it’s no wonder Neil’s broken with flat-track tradition and put twin brake discs on the front...

Below: The 750 has a Trackmaster frame, a soughtafter basis for flat-track bikes

I’ve looked through the old AMA numbers (the letter indicates the region the rider is from – K was an Iowa designation, Idaho was either Q or W – Editor). I can’t find mention of 27K anywhere in the National records, but I thought: ‘I’ve got to put that number on it’. Hence the 27K on the numberboards of both of my bikes.” The Trackmaster-framed Triumph barks into life and the sound reverberates across the fields. Armstrong sweeps round the bends, foot out, boot skimming the asphalt. Although he’s taking it relatively easy, the bike is clearly a handful, especially on the right-handers – but then a tracker is designed only to turn left, after all. “The 750 is very hard to ride,” he confirms. “The clutch is extremely hard to pull. There’s heavy springs, so there’s no clutch slip – you don’t want that wheel to stop spinning on a dirt track. To change the gear you have to reach off the peg – you’re almost changing gear with your leg rather than your foot, it’s that far out of the way. “She’s pretty violent on the throttle, too. I often describe it as like riding a steam engine, there are levers all over the place. It’s hard to ride but the idea [in flat track racing] was to get it into top gear and leave it there; it was only the handlebars and throttle that they needed.” Alongside the 750, the TR25W looks tame and dinky. “It’s a joy to ride, it’s so light and small,” beams Armstrong. “I wouldn’t say I have a favourite, but when I get on the 250 I’m probably less cautious. I think the 750 could beat me, but the 250 won’t. I like the little thing; it makes me smile,

‘THE 750’S VERY HARD TO RIDE; IT’S PRETTY VIOLENT ON THE THROTTLE’

my conﬁdence levels go up on that one, I’m in charge of that.” They’re engaging and fun bikes to ride, but it’s the process of returning them back to their former glory and meeting all the unexpected characters along the way that has made it all worthwhile for Armstrong. “The information and knowledge is as much a passion as the actual hardware involved,” he admits. I love working on them – it’s 70% spannering, another 25% of it is sociable and then 5% riding, which is probably good because I’m rubbish at that! “It’s just the style. It could be any ﬂat-track bike – they’re just easy on the eye, good to look at,” he adds. Having achieved my Evel Knievel lookalikes, on a quiet day I can push them out into the garden, put them on a stand, open a can of Guinness and just look at them.” And, frankly, I can’t think of a better view to share with a cold Guinness, either.

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srmclassicbik es.com 01970 627771

A genuine film star The beach bike McQueen goofed around on in OAS languished in obscurity for years – but now it’s a megabucks motorcycle WORDS: GEZ KANE PHOTOGRAPHY: BONHAMS, BAUER ARCHIVE & SHUTTERSTOCK

Above: Husqvarna 400 Cross that McQueen rode in the end sequence of On Any Sunday was holed up in a shed for decades until its rediscovery

teve McQueen bought his first Husqvarna in 1968. He’d been watching factory star Bengt Aberg piloting a Viking 360 at Santa Cruz, California, in the fledgling Inter-Am series. Aberg’s performance – and the new, open class Husky – so impressed the film star that he offered to buy the bike on the spot. Edison Dye, the US Husqvarna importer and a major player in the rise of motocross in the USA, brokered the deal and McQueen’s love affair with the Swedish marque was kindled. But this 1970 400 Cross is a bike that very nearly slipped through the net. In fact, it did slip through the net for a number of years. Bearing in mind that the bike sold for a

staggering $230,500 (£165,695) when it was offered at Bonhams’ Barber Museum Sale in October 2018, it’s hard to believe it changed hands for just $1500 as recently as 2008. Back in the day, McQueen used the bike – which he bought, along with four others, through his Solar Productions company, as he did most of his vehicles – for a few seasons before selling it to a local dealer in 1972. The second owner bought it without knowing anything about the McQueen connection and raced it a for a few seasons locally before retiring it to his shed. Which is where it stayed until 2008, when it was dug out and sold a couple of times before Husky fan Rob Phillips bought it for that $1500. Rob planned to restore the bike at ﬁrst, but did a little digging into its past

RO B WALLS /SH U TT ERSTOCK

HUSQVARNA 400 CROSS

and, through Don Ince, who had Edison Dye’s original sales records, discovered its links to McQueen. That changed everything – even if Rob didn’t have any evidence that the bike was used in the filming of On Any Sunday. But just having been owned by McQueen – which Rob knew as he’d tracked down the original sales documents and certificate of origin – he realised he’d have to preserve the bike’s character and history. Accordingly, Rob undertook a very sympathetic recommissioning to ‘as last raced’ condition and the bike went on display at the San Diego Auto Museum for a number of years. In January 2013, the bike was offered for sale at Bonhams’ Las Vegas sale, with the McQueen provenance its main attraction. On sale day, it failed to make its $80,000 reserve, but was sold privately shortly after the auction. It was the new owner’s research that finally nailed down the complete story of the bike – and almost tripled its value. For the final scene in the film, Bruce Brown already had in mind the kind of imagery he wanted to create. And he found the perfect location to shoot it, on a stretch of golden beach – the only problem was, it was inside the US Marine Corps’ Camp Pendleton training base. There was no way they would let three bums on motocrossers in there. Unless one of them was Steve McQueen. A call from McQueen to the camp commander (see page 30) saw the film crew allowed in to shoot the iconic closing sequence – and the strict military paper trail they had to follow to be allowed in, included an itemised list of bikes, frame numbers and the names of the riders. Bingo! Bruce Brown’s daughter had kept the original letter from her father to the camp commander and the legendary status of the bike was revealed. In October 2018, the bike sold at auction again – this time with the benefit of a concrete connection to the finest motorcycle film ever made and the charismatic superstar who had ridden and owned it.

Above: McQueen on a 400 Cross – he bought five Husqvarnas after seeing a factory bike being raced

‘IT CHANGED HANDS FOR $1500 IN 2008, THEN SOLD FOR $230,500 IN 2018’

Husqvarna racing headline

Torsten Hallman was 250cc World Champion for Husqvarna in 1962

As the 1960s rolled to a close, Husqvarna were on a roll of their own. And that made them irresistible to a dyed-in-the-wool racer like Steve McQueen. On Any Sunday might have made Huskies cooler than cool in the States, but they were already the dominant force in world motocross. Husqvarnas had won 500cc world titles back in the four-stroke era with Bill Nilsson and Rolf Tibblin – but as the two-stroke became the dominant force in the sport, a new era of Huskies led the way. Husky two-strokes won nine world MX titles from 1962-79. In 1962 Torsten Hallman became the first two-stroke world champion (in the 250 class) for Husqvarna, and in 1979 Håkan Carlqvist clinched their last title before the company passed out of Swedish ownership in 1987. At sub-international level, Husqvarnas were just about untouchable until the Japanese factories got their act together in the mid-’70s. When Steve McQueen laid his own money down for those three 1970 400 machines, they were quite simply the best over-the-counter open-class racer you could buy. On Any Sunday might have put Husqvarna at the top of the tree in America when it came out in 1971, but the 400 Cross was already there.

HUSKY CHOICE When Ewan Burgess went looking for a twinshock motocross bike, it had to be the sort of thing Malcolm Smith would’ve raced PHOTOGRAPHY: GARY MARGERUM, ARCHIVE A HERL & BAUER ARCHIVE

f you wanted to race off-road competitively at world or national level in the late 1960s and early ’70s, a Husqvarna two-stroke was the bike to have. If you were a Swedish rider called Bengt Aberg, you would win 500cc world championships on one, and if you were Torsten Hallman, a 250 version would bring you a world title, too. Malcolm Smith was the only American to win a gold medal at the 1970 ISDT – the year On Any Sunday was ﬁlmed. His choice of bike? Husqvarna. And as the ﬁlm portrays, it was Steve McQueen’s choice when it came to events like Elsinore or other major enduros.

Right: Bengt Aberg won two motocross 500cc world titles for Husqvarna

In Europe, Aberg won his titles in 1969 and 1970, pushed hard by Arne Kring. Another Husky rider, JN Roberts, won the world’s largest motorcycle race, Barstow to Vegas, in 1970 – beating 2000 other riders. Husky also won the major US desert races like the Mint 500, Baja 500, Mexican 1000, plus the Jack Pine Enduro – and the Inter-am, then a new international motocross series in the States. Husky’s rider roster also included enduro stars Dick Burleson, John Penton – and of course – Malcolm Smith. ‘More raw torque than any dirt machine you’ll ever ride,’ said an American motorcycle magazine describing the 400cc Husky. The line was used by Husqvarna in its advertising campaign at the start of the 1971 season to promote their 250, 360 and 400cc off-roaders. But when Husqvarna developed its range for 1972, they went even further and produced a 450 version! Today, the Husqvarna is still a bike to have for classic twinshock motocross. Ewan Burgess was brought up watching On Any Sunday, thanks to his motorcycle-mad step-dad. Ewan might only be 22, but he lives completely in the late 1960s/’70s era. His day job is working at Ace Classics in London and we’ve featured some of the Triumphs he’s worked on before, including the McQueen replicas. But when Ewan wanted to race on the dirt, he went looking for a Husky to race in the Pre-74 class. “I spend my days working on Triumphs, so I wanted to get something different,” he says. “I saw a couple of classic Husqvarnas at the Malle Mile and really fancied one. My step-dad always had old bikes and had the ﬁlm on DVD, so that’s where I got interested in old bikes. It’s all down to

HUSQVARNA CR450 A RCHI VE A HE R L

On Any Sunday, really. What a great movie. It wasn’t so much Steve McQueen for me, but Malcolm Smith. He could ride any kind of off-road event and what he did was incredible. I think the film was the biggest promotion for him ever.” Ewan’s Husky is a 1972 CR450 – the biggest Husqvarna single-cylinder two-stroke off-roader when it was built. The CR was built for motocross, while a WR450 model with lights was produced for enduros. Another gem in Husqvarna’s advertising, placed by the importer based in New Jersey, used a Malcolm Smith comment proclaiming: ‘Big, steady, smooth power that’s real comfortable,’ to described Husky’s meaty performance. American mag Cycle World went further and said of the 450: ‘There is no question that Husqvarna’s big bore racers such as the 450 ‘Desert Master’ are for riders with an exceptional amount of courage and expertise’. Ewan certainly agrees: “I think I jumped in the deep end with this bike. It’s a bit of an animal,” he says with a grin. The 450’s motor came with an 84mm bore compared to the 81.5mm of the 400 and it was a tad faster but also heavier. The twin-plug head (the plug lead could be swapped to the spare plug if the original began to whisker up, and some riders used the spare plug hole to fit a decompressor) and barrel were in aluminium alloy and the iron-lined cylinder had five ports, fed by a 36mm Bing Type 54 carburettor. Husky offered both close and wide-ratio gearbox options and more marketing blurb claimed that Smith preferred the close-ratio version, while JN Roberts preferred the wide-ratio

Left: Malcolm Smith, haulin’ on a Husky. In Malcolm, The Autobiography he says despite it being such an stunning image, he can’t recall where it was taken, but it’s probably Lake Chapala, Mexico, during the Baja 1000 450. Roberts, known as ‘The Desert Fox ’, won Barstow to Vegas an incredible four consecutive times from 1968-71 on Huskys and was the Swedish company’s desert racing champion. Ewan’s bike has a six-speed ’box, but he reckons to race it in the twinshock class he’d have to fit a five-speed cluster. Unusually, the Husqvarna gear-shifter shaft can be fitted on the left or right side – with a kit to relocate the brake lever to the opposite side. When American weekly Cycle News tested the bike in September 1972, they noted that riders struggled with the left-sided kickstarter, because it was so short for a high-compression big-bore two-stroke

Below: Ewan getting his Husky dusty. He plans to race it with the Mortimer club when the pandemic settles

Left: High-level pipe gave the Husky good ground clearance but roasted the rider’s inner leg; triangular decal is a faded ’70s AMA Pro Racing logo that required a hefty kick to light it up – which tends to subscribe to the idea of the bike needing a decompressor. The Husky frame consisted of a single top tube that arced down over the engine to connect to two parallel tubes to form the cradle. The twin tubes formed a V-shape at the front of the engine and then connected to the single downtube. For 1972 the fork rake was 31° (it was 30° in 1971) and trail was increased from 5.25in to 5.8in – all designed to slow the steering down. The engines of the 1972 Huskys were also moved slightly forward in the frame, which was also wider at the rear than before. Cycle World said the forward-mounted engine was also a good two to three inches higher in the frame than a Maico or CZ – and because of this, it was hard to get the bike into turns, though once it was in there, it would hold the line well. The Husky had the advantage in ground clearance due to its high-mounted pipe (some motocrossers of the era

still had low-slung pipes). The high pipe tended to burn the rider’s inner leg, though, despite its perforated heat shield. All Husqvarnas came with a silver-grey painted frame, and for 1972 the tanks of the CR450s were orange with a chrome panel, edged with a white pinstripe. On Ewan’s bike the orange paint has been rubbed away by years of hard use, the burnished area revealing more of the chrome base. The 1970s Huskys came with their own-brand forks with 6.75in of travel, plus Girling rear dampers, though Ewan’s bike has aftermarket NJB shocks. Original Akront rims would have been ﬁtted with Trelleborg rubber at the factory, but Ewan’s bike has a Dunlop Sports 80/100 x 21in front and a Pirelli Garacross 4.00 x 18 rear. The single-leadingshoe brakes (front and rear) were described by Cycle News as the best in the business. Those alloy mudguards on Ewan’s bike are stock, as is the rubber extension ﬂap on the front one, and agricultural-looking front mudguard bracket.

Below: 1972 bike had increased rake and trail to slow down the steering

HUSQVARNA CR450

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1963

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Why replace when you can upgrade? Venhill control cables and braided hoses – made in the UK since 1970. venhill.co.uk

GARETH ASHMAN In between persuading CB’s advertising department to don fancy dress for ‘teambuilding’ exercises, Gareth’s a seasoned flat-tracker with a lust for classic bikes.

Right: Gareth’s dirt tracker is based on a US-model 1971 DT360 RT1 MX

‘THIS WAS NOT GOING TO BE A CONCOURS REBUILD – IT’S GOING TO BE A RACING BIKE’

The DT360, as it arrived from the States. It’s an RT1 MX USA model from 1971, the same year On Any Sunday was released. If you look carefully, you might even spot one in the film!

Far Left: Hubs are secondhand,rims and tyres are new

Right: The other DT, the 1976 DT250C Enduro with its inspirational colour scheme – and now with a newlyfabricated seat bracket (above)

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Sh In ip ter pi na ng ti Se ona rv l ice s

BSA Gold Star Clubmans 1959 .£18,950

Norton 650SS 1962 .....................£9,950

Vincent Comet 1950................. £23,950

Norton Commando 1969 ........ £10,950

Brough Superior SS80 1924....£127,500 Humber OHV 350 1929 ............ £10,950 AJS Model 16 LDT 1948................£4,950 BSA B40 1961 .................................£3,750 AJS Trials Special 1964 .............. £10,750 Yamaha YG1F 1971 .......................£2,950 Honda CL175 1972 .......................£2,950 Honda Four Classic Racer ......... £14,950

Suzuki T500 1972 ..........................£7,750 Gilera 50 Trial 1973.......................£4,950 Suzuki T500 1973 ..........................£6,950 Mondial 125 Cross 1973 ..............£3,950 Honda CB500 Four 1974 ..............£8,950 BMW R60/6 1974 ..........................£4,950 Ducati 900SS 1993........................£6,500 Gilera Nuovo Saturno 500 ..........£6,950

Tel: 01252

Cosmo Classic Motorcycles Ltd ARIEL VG500 DELUXE TWIN PORT, black, unrestored and lovely, 1937 ............. £12500 ARIEL VG500 DELUXE TWIN PORT, black, unrestored and lovely, 1947 ............... £9995 BENELLI 750 SEI, red, very original, superb, 1977 ................................................. £17500 BMW R80/GS ENDURO, white/blue, superb, 1981 .................................................. £9995 BROUGH SUPERIOR SS 80, all matching No’s, restored, mint 1924 .................. £129995 BSA A7SS, green/chrome, older restoration, superb, 1961 ...................................... £7500 COVENTRY EAGLE FLYING 8 E120, unrestored and lovely, 1929 ........................ £94995 HARLEY DAVIDSON 45 WLC, white, older restoration, vgc, 1942 ........................ £14995 HUSQVARNA 360C SPORTSMAN, red/chrome, unrestored, 1970 ....................... £12500 INDIAN CHIEF ROADMASTER BONNEVILLE 80, black, superb, 1952.............. £39, 995 LAMBRETTA SX150 INNOCENTI, grey, extremely original/unrestored, 1968 ......... £5995 LAMBRETTA SX150 INNOCENTI, apple green, fully restored, mint, 1968 .............. £7995 LAMBRETTA GP150 INNOCENTI, white/blue, fully restored, mint, 1971 ................ £7995 LAMBREATTA LD AVV MARK 111, blue/white, older restoration, 1957 .................. £4995 NORTON BIG 4, sliver, much older restoration, vgc, 1950 ....................................... £6500 ROYAL ENFIELD CLASSIC PEGASUS EDITION, service brown, mint, 2018 ......... £7500 SHELL GAS/FUEL PUMP, red/yellow, restored, superb, circa1940’s ...................... £3995 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T140ES EXECUTIVE, smoke red, vgc, 1980 ................... £7500 TRIUMPH TRIDENT T160V, red/white, US import, superb, 1975 ............................ £9995 TRIUMPH LEGEND T160V, red, matching No’s, low miles, superb, 1978 ............. £17500 VELOCETTE VENOM CLUBMAN, black, genuine, restored, mint, 1964 ............... £14995 YAMAHA RD400F DAYTONA SPECIAL, white, matching No’s, superb, 1979 ........ £9995

625444

Mobile: 07809 894777

Tel: 01424 437719 HASTINGS, E. Sussex

www.ClassicSuperBikes.co.uk

1957 BSA BANTAM D3 £1,995

www.cosmoclassic.co.uk

WE SELL CLASSIC BIKES

Call 07932 577377 • www.wesellclassicbikes.co.uk

1965 Triumph T100SS £5950

1929 Triumph 500 CN £7995

1920 Rudge Multi 500cc £13,995

1959 BSA RGS Rep 650cc £6995

1961 BSA Super Rocket 650cc £6650

1957 Velocette Thruxton Rep 500cc £10,500

1964 Norton 650SS Cafe Racer £12,950

1958 BSA Road Rocket 650cc £7850

1958 BSA A7SS 500cc £4995

1952 Vincent Rapide Series C 998cc £57,500

1950 Matchless G80S 500cc £4995

1930 Norton Model 18 500cc £13,750

1958 Greeves Scottish 20TA £4195

1958 AJS Model 30 500cc £6250

1964 Triumph Metisse Pre-Unit £8995

1956 Triumph T20 Plunger £5995

1975 Honda CB360 £3895

1931 BSA L31-6 DE LUXE 350cc £8450

1963 Velocette Venom 500cc £8995

1953 AJS 18CS 350cc £8995

1938 Douglas Aero DC38 600cc £8995

1974 Moto Guzzi 250TS £4995

1971 Triton 650cc T120 Pre-Unit £10,500

1940 Ariel W/NG 350cc Trials £5450

1930 OK Supreme Vintage 500cc £8995

1976 Suzuki GT550 £6995

1961 Velocette Venom 500cc £7750

1969 Norton N15CS 750cc £8450

1977 Yamaha RD200 £3995

2003 Triumph Thunderbird £4250

Part Exchange your WATCH, SHOTGUN, GOLD OR JEWELLERY ??? Go To Our Site For More Classic Motorcycles For Sale World Wide Shipping Easily Organised! Email Us With Your Address For A Quote. info@wesellclassicbikes.co.uk

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Jacksons of Knebworth Sales, Service & Repairs of all classic, vintage & veteran motorcycles

ARIEL ARROW Choice of two from .......................£3495 ARIEL NH350 1957 Excellent condition ................£4995 BSA BANTAM D14 project,.................................... SOLD DOUGLAS MK-V 1951 Immaculate, the best available .............................................................................. SOLD EXCELSIOR TALISMAN TWIN TT1 1951 Good original condition ..............................................................£3995 FRANCIS BARNET LIGHT CRUISER 175CC 1959 in original condition ..................................................£1995 FRANCIS BARNET PLOVER 86 150CC 1959 Restored .............................................................................£2250 HUMBER LADIES BICYCLE 1928 ...........................£295 MATCHLESS 650 CSR 1959 Very nice sporty twin £6995 MATCHLESS G80S 1955 ......................................£4850 MOTO-GUZZI V50 MK-2 1981 ..............................£2495 NORMAN B3 197CC 1959. Good condition ...........£2995 NORMAN B3 ROADSTER 250 2-T Nicely restored . SOLD NORTON DOMINATOR 99 DELUXE 1962 Superb ..£6995 NORTON ES2 1955 Nicely restored ......................£7895 RALEIGH LADIES BICYCLE 1935 ...........................£450

SCOTT FLYING SQUIRREL 600 1949 ....................£8995 SUNBEAM S8 1952 Very tidy machine .................. SOLD TRIUMPH 3HW 350 OHV 1944 Well restored .......£5995 TRIUMPH T20 TIGER CUB Unﬁnished project, nearly there.....................................................................£2500 TRIUMPH T120 BONNEVILLE 1966 95% restored, thousands spent on new parts, needs ﬁnishing .....£5500 TRIUMPH T100 1956 Superb condition, Engine rebuilt by Hughie Hancock, matching no’s, good history, lovely genuine bike .........................................................£8495 TRIUMPH T150V TRIDENT 1973 Absolutely superb .............................................................................£9750 TROJAN MINIMOTOR on Gents Raleigh bicycle, rebuilt engine ..................................................................£1295 VELOCETTE MAC 1956 ....................................... £6995 VESPA 125 1962 Restored ...................................£3995 WANTED - VELOCETTE GTP, later foot change model in any condition. HYDRAULIC WORK BENCH/BIKE LIFT, used once, like new ....................................................................... SOLD

All classic bikes wanted good/bad or ugly! Restored or original, incomplete/unﬁnished projects, what have you? UK Collection & Delivery service available Find us on Facebook - Jacksons classic bikes

124 London Road, Knebworth, Herts SG3 6EY 01438 812928 harvey-jackson@btconnect.com

A n d y Est. 1972 Tier nan

1931 AJS S12 250cc nice machine ...........................................£7,250 1938 AJS 26 350cc charming ....................................................£9,000 1938 AJS 38/26 350cc honest original machine .....................£10,750 1957 AJS 30 600cc clean and presentable ...............................£4,650 1922 AJS Model D 800cc honest machine ..............................£20,000 1954/57 ARIEL NH 350cc choice of 2 ........................................£5,300 1956 ARIEL FIELDMASTER 500cc fresh from storage................£5,250 1958 ARIEL VH 500cc nice late model .......................................£5,350 1956 ARIEL VB 600cc outstanding .............................................£7,250 1947 BSA C10 250cc smashing machine ..................................£4,350 1932 BSA BLUE STAR 350cc nice honest bike ..........................£9,750 1927 BSA L27 OHV 350cc full of potential .................................£9,000 1952/55 BSA B31 350cc choice of 2 ........................... £4,500/£4,650 1930 BSA L31-4 350cc exacting restoration .............................£9,650 1927 BSA S27 500cc lovely vintage bike ................................£10,000 1948/54 BSA A7 500cc choice of 2.............................. £6,500/£5,350 1931 BSA SLOPER 557cc SV last owner since 1952 .................£7,500 1955 BSA A10 650cc choice of 2 ................................. £5,500/£6,500 1959 BSA RGS Replica 650cc well presented ...........................£7,850 1963 BSA SUPER ROCKET 650cc barn discovery ......................£4,850 1931 COVENTRY EAGLE 500cc OHV selling for customer ...........£13,500 1952 EXCELSIOR TALISMAN Twin 250cc quality early machine £6,000 1924 FHW MOTORS 680cc selling on behalf of customer .......£25,000 1959 FRANCIS BARNETT Plover 150cc appealing lightweight...£2,000

1934/36 FRANCIS BARNETT Cruiser 250cc choice of 2 ... £4,750/£5,250 1962 FRANCIS BARNETT Cruiser 250cc twin pretty bike...........£3,650 1914 JAMES PEDAL TRICYCLE Very Authentic ..............................£925 1932 JAMES V-twin 500cc unique and desirable ....................£15,000 1921 LEVIS 211cc nicely equipped............................................£7,500 1955 MATCHLESS TWIN 600cc presentable ..............................£4,250 1938 NORMAN Motorbike 98cc ﬁrst year of manufacture.........£1,750 1960 NORTON 50 350cc slimline featherbed.............................£6,000 1951 NORTON BIG 4 600cc nice honest machine ......................£5,500 1937 OK SUPREME G/37 250cc exclusive machine...................£6,750 1960 PANTHER 45 Sports 325cc fully refurbished ....................£5,500 1957 RATIER L7/8 750cc ex French police ................................£7,000 1938 ROYAL ENFIELD KX 1140cc tidy example........................£27,500 1921 RUDGE MULTI-TT 500cc selling for customer .................£16,500 1957 SCOTT BIRMINGHAM MODEL 596cc choice of 2 ...............£8,750 1932 SUNBEAM 8 350cc smart machine...................................£9,650 1951 SUNBEAM S8 500cc outstanding......................................£9,000 1914 TRIUMPH 4HP Veteran gleaming museum quality ..........£12,500 1967 TRIUMPH T20B 200cc super cub, pretty example .............£3,750 1961 TRIUMPH 5TA 500cc T100 trim .........................................£4,250 1966 VELOCETTE LE 200cc desirable Lucas electric model ......£3,350 1936 VELOCETTE KSS 350cc very attactive cammy ................£13,850 1959 VELOCETTE VIPER 350cc very good bike ..........................£7,500 1935 VELOCETTE MSS 500cc beautiful museum quality .........£10,000 BARN DISCOVERY 40+ BRITISH CLASSICS DETAILS SHORTLY

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Aprilia 6.5 Stark low miles V good .......................................................£4,500 Bimota DB4 low miles V good.. £7,500 Bimota YB10 new .................... £11,000 Ducati 350 Street Scrambler, 1972, restored and lovely......................£9,500 Ducati 750 Sport 1974, lovely £35,950 Ducati 750SS restored lovely ...................................................£155,000 Ducati 888SP5 excellent, great history low miles ....................................£26,495 Ducati 900SS 1977 restored by us, simply the best you’ll ﬁnd .........£45,000 Ducati 900, Egli inspired special, stunning......................................£24,950 Laverda 750SFC replica, nice condition ....................................£13,950 Mondial Piega new..................£18,000 Moto Guzzi 500GTS lovely.....£15,900 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport excellent .....................................................£14,950 Moto Guzzi 850T really lovely .. £7,950 Moto Guzzi T3 California, choice ........................................ £6,950-£8,950 Moto Guzzi Centauro GT 600 miles from new ............... £7,490 Now £6,950 Moto Guzzi LeMans 3 V good. £7,950 Moto Guzzi Spada one owner 10,000 miles and stunning ......................£8,500 MV Agusta 860 Magni UK supplied bike in excellent condition ........£59,950 HRD Vincent Rapide 1948, V good .....................................................£49,000

Ducati 750GT 1975, fully restored by us .................................................................£36,000

Ducati 750SS Replica complete new build by us ............................................................£45,000

MV Agusta 500/3 ....................................£POA

Ducati 900SS Special ground up new build by us .......................................................£24,950

Unit 8c, Stowmarket Business Park, Ernest Nunn Road, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 2ED

Tel: 01449 612900 Web: www.madeinitalymotorcycles.com Email: info@madeinitalymotorcycles.com Wednesday-Saturday 8.30am-5.00pm. Please call ﬁrst if travelling any distance

Italian Bikes always wanted any condition. Try Us.

Unit A4, Northﬂeet Industrial Estate, Lower Road, Northﬂeet, Kent DA11 9SN

TR6C Desert Sled 1969 .......................... £12000

Clarke’s Classics

BRITISH & AMERICAN BIKES ALWAYS WANTED. Call Phil now 01322 383431. Evenings 01732 822475.

Matchless G9 Deluxe 1954 ...................... £5800

Velocette MSS 1939 superb ................... £12500

BSA A65 1972 .................................................... £4750 BSA Rocket Goldie Replica................................ £9000 James Captain 1956 .......................................... £1400 Matchless G9 1955 ............................................ £5750 Norton Commando Fastback 1971 Restored .. £11000 Triumph TR6 1967 Restored............................. £10500

Triumph TR6C 1971 Restored ........................... £7750 Triumph T120 US Spec, 1966 Restored ........... £10500 Triumph T120 US Spec, 1967 Restored ........... £10500 Triumph T120 US Spec, 1968 Restored ........... £10500 Triumph T120 US Spec, 1970 Restored ........... £10500 Triumph T120V, 1972 Restored .......................... £7750

E-mail: info@clarkeclassics.co.uk

Triumph Trident T150 restored ............... £11000

Please visit: www.clarkesclassics.co.uk

BSA A65 ................................................... £5500

BRITISH & AMERICAN BIKES ALWAYS WANTED - BRITISH BIKES CAN BE FOUND TO MATCH YOUR REQUIREMENTS - SHIPPING AT COST Classic Motorcycles; Norton, Triumph, BSA, Harley Davidson and many more. British and American Bikes are our Speciality

T120 1972 restored .................................. £7800

Digital Ignition Systems | Alternator Regulators Classic Tachometers | Accessories For Vintage Motorcycles and Classic Racing 2- and 4-stroke | Moto Guzzi, Ducati, BMW, BSA, Honda, Yamaha, etc.

Busestraße 26a | 28213 Bremen | Germany | fon +49(0)5409 - 9 06 98 26 | mail info@elektronik-sachse.de

WANTED

Classic Motorbikes & Scooters Anything considered – from a rusty old bike to one in mint condition. Instant cash paid!!! Based in Surrey. Buying bikes all over the UK and worldwide!

Contact: 07494 626118 Email: scooteronbikes@hotmail.com IBUYANYCARANDMOTORBIKE.CO.UK

TONY HAYWARD NEW SPARES FOR TRIUMPH TWIN AND TRIPLES AND PERFORMANCE PARTS:

PRICES FOR PRIMARY BELT KITS START AT £205+VAT = £240 Tony Hayward, 28 Kelsterton Road, (Dept C.B.), Connah’s Quay, Deeside, Clwyd, Nr Chester CH5 4 BJ. Tel/Fax: 01244 830776

WELLSEAL Special offer £9.99*

* Website shows the list price prior to discount

www.tracytools.com

Vehicle Wiring Products

We supply a comprehensive range of wiring products for repair, modiﬁcation or complete rewire to your classic bike

THREADING SPECIALIST •Taps and Dies •Special Threads •Centre Drills •Clearance Bargains •Diestocks •Drill sets (HSS) boxed •Drills

•Drills set (loose) HS •Endmills •Lathe Tooling •Reamers •Slot Drills •Tailstock Die Holder •Tap Wrenches •Thread Chasers

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www.tracytools.com

Tracy Tools Ltd

Tap & Die Specialist, Engineer Tool Supplies

C A FR E TA E LO GU E

Visit our website, phone or email for a free catalogue

www.vehicleproducts.co.uk

Tel: 0115 9305454 Email: sales@vehicleproducts.co.uk Vehicle Wiring Products, 9 Buxton Court, Manners Ind.Est., Ilkeston, Derbyshire DE7 8EF

BIKES FOR SALE

AUTOJUMBLE

RARE ROYAL ENFIELD INTERCEPTOR 1A TT7 1968 American spec chrome tank, matching nos, part restored needs completion TEL: 07770567630 DEVON SUZUKI GS550E 1980 49000 miles, t&t till August, very tidy condition, many new parts, good runner, not import bike £1750 ONO TEL: 01453 549976 GLOUCESTERSHIRE YAMAHA XT500D 1977 Matching numbers frame and engine, Reg UK 10/11/1977, 1 previous owner, bike stored in dry conditions 1983 - 2020, restored £7999 TEL: 07798554535 PORTSMOUTH

AUTOJUMBLE

BIKES WANTED ANY CLASSIC MOTORBIKE From basket case to one in nice condition, good price paid TEL: 01513742466 UK BMW AIRHEAD Consider anything from early 70s to early 90s TEL: 07836 758534 TYNE AND WEAR CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE In any condition for genuine enthusiast, anything considered good price paid TEL: 07961560860 UK

CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE In any condition from a basket case to one in nice condition TEL: 07811189755 UK

BSA GOLDSTAR DBD34 CYLINDER HEAD 500CC TEL: 07855707862 BRISTOL

CB MAGAZINES/GIVI TOP BOX £25, also some parts for Honda sabre motorcycle, open to offers TEL: 01252 656818 UK

HONDA CD175 ENGINE 1980S Any reasonable offer accepted buyer to collect TEL: 07828087684 KENT LADIES AKITO MERCURY Plus leather jacket, perfect size 18, £50 ladies, akito t-force leather jeans, perfect size 18 £50 TEL: 07804 219057 TYNE AND WEAR

LEWIS LEATHERS GENTS Western jeans 32" waist, short leg VGC, £50, vintage rucka barry sheene PVC jacket, brand new, size 38 £40 TEL: 07804 219057 TYNESIDE MOTORYCYCLE MAGAZINES WANTED 1964, May, June, July and August TEL: 01493 665557 NORFOLK SINGLE BIKE TRAILER With loading ramp, new wheels complete, with 2 spares, size 2mx1m, strap brackets, lights, locking hitch, good condition £150 TEL: 07850 863374 NOTTS

SINGLE BIKE TRAILER With loading ramp, brackets for straps, lights, on mini wheels with a spare,very strong, 2m x 1.3m, mudguards £300 TEL: 07850863374 NOTTS

CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE WANTED In any condition from a basket case to one in nice condition, cash waiting TEL: 07811189755 UK HONDA/YAMAHA/SUZUKI/ KAWASAKI 70's, 80's restoration projects or immaculate bikes TEL: 07936086102 YORK VARIOUS Classic Honda c50/70/90/cg125/cd175 or any small Suzuki/Kawasaki/Yamaha any condition good price paid TEL: 01704331519 UK VINTAGE FLAT TANKER MOTORCYCLE 1925-29 350/500cc, OHV/SV, oily rag condition, buyer to ride not resell TEL: 07413935748 HANTS

PARTS WANTED ARMSTRONG LEADING LINK FORKS A complete pair wanted TEL: 01704 501039 SOUTHPORT

MODEL/TOY MOTORBIKES 1950-70s model/toy motors bikes wanted by Britains, Timpo, Lone Star, Charbens, and plastic toy figures, buildings, soldiers, forts, farm, garden, catalogues TEL: 07823443474 LEICESTER

PAIR OF FRAMES To attach Rodark panniers to a 1962 650 Triumph Trophy TEL: 07881684028 CHESTER

Classic Coatings Ltd “the perfect finish” • Powder Coating • Motorcycle & Automotive • Diamond cutting • Alloy Wheel Refurbishment & Repair • Vapour & Bead Blasting • Tyre Fitting

www.classic-coatings.co.uk Lincolnshire 01476 576087

MOTORCYCLE

DENT REMOVAL

Paintless Dent Removal Specialist z z z

Any tank No cutting No filling

BEFORE

www.motorcycledentremoval.co.uk

AFTER

07968 360225

TRIUMPH T140 BONNEVILLE Complete range of T140 Bonneville spares by worldwide mail order

Build your next project using one of our tailored kits available for these donor bikes: Honda CX500 1978-1982 Triumph 750/900/1200 1992-1998 Honda 250/400 1978-1984

DIY Electric Start Kit now available for home/workshop installation

Shropshire Classic Motorcycles www.triumphbonneville.com info@triumphbonneville.com Tel: 01743 860146

SHROPSHIRE CLASSICS ••••••••••••••••••••••••••

MOTOR-CYCLE SEAT RENOVATING SERVICE Suppliers of new seats for most British classic bikes Loose covers & foams supplied. Please phone for details and price list

R. K. LEIGHTON

Unit 2, Partridge Court, Price Street, Birmingham B4 6JZ. Tel: 0121 359 0514. Email: info@rk-leighton.co.uk www.rk-leighton.co.uk

Made in UK. Shipped worldwide.

www.caferacerkits.co.uk

ITALIAN MOTORCYCLE SPECIALIST Moto Guzzi V7, 1973

BIKE OF THE MONTH

Moto Guzzi LeMans I, 1977 Moto Guzzi V50 MkII, 1981 Moto Guzzi 500 GTS, 1937 MV Agusta 175, 1954 MV Agusta 350GT, 1979

Benelli 750 Sei, 1975 Ducati 900ss, 1980 Ducati 750 Santa Monica, 1987 Ducati MHR, 1983 Ducati 500 Pantah, 1980

Ghezzi-Brian SuperTwin, 2002 Gilera Saturno 500, 1954 Laverda 500 MontJuic, 1980 Triumph Tiger 100, 1968 More Stock Online...

The Garage, West Chiltington, West Sussex RH20 2QR 01798 813260 www.dimarino.co.uk

AJS & Matchless Owners Club Unit 3, Robinson Way, Kettering, Northants NN16 8PT Telephone 01536 511532

MONTHLY MAGAZINE TECHNICAL HELPLINE PARTS SERVICE DVLA APPROVED DATING CLUB FORUM RALLIES AND RUNS

www.jampot.com

Alan Fox Coachlining Authentic hand coachlining for over 25 years Quality paintwork services also available

Tel: 0121 682 5080 Mobile: 07853 831594 Email: afox68@hotmail.com

Made in England • Custom Built Shocks

® ho e l c y c r o t mo

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Suitable for: vintage/classic/modern motorcycles Used by:

Police, Suzuki GB, Condor Ferries etc Ideal for: van, trailer, workshop, transportation, and security* (*Thatcham approved version)

www.bumpstop.co.uk

tel: 01604 845050 sales@bumpstop.co.uk

DAVE COOPER

TRAILERS

(CB), Unit 7, Pettings Court Farm, Hodsoll St, Wrotham, Kent, TN15 7LH Tel/Fax: 01732-820082 Mobile: 078607 02112

CLIP-ON ADJUSTABLE BIKE RACKS: £69.50 INC P&P JUNIOR RACKS 50cc-80cc SENIOR RACKS 100cc-600cc

www.hagon-shocks.co.uk 020 8502 6222

Fits any vehicle with British Standard Towbar and you can still tow with the rack in use. Made from 4mm British Steel tubing. Finished in protective enamel, light boards, tie down straps and double racks also available.

TRAILERS SINGLE BIKE – £289 TREBLE BIKE – £379

DOUBLE BIKE – £349 SIDECAR – £365

(All prices inc VAT). Delivery service available. Spare Wheel £28.50 extra

Trailers come complete with independent suspension, clip-on loading ramp, tie down loops, wheel support clamps, security locking facility, removable light board and six enamel colours. “New” wall mounting brackets – to hang trailer on your garage wall £15.00 pair.

Email: info@davecooper.co.uk

Prices include light board and ramp.

www.davecooper.co.uk

Starters » Bike Lifts » Wheel Clamps » All made in Britain

Mob +44 (0)7780 840330 » solomotorcycleproducts@gmail.com

www.solomotorcycleproducts.com

AUCTIONS BUYING SELLING ANALYSIS

Edited by Gez Kane

1977 NORTON COMMANDO 850

£15,989

This 1977 MkIII Commando 850 Roadster has had a nut-and-bolt restoration

Going Commando The only vibes you should get from Norton’s parallel twin are good ones... s Norton’s Commando the ﬁnest Brit twin ever built? Plenty of people think so. And even if you disagree, it’s hard to knock the short-term stopgap model that stayed in production for 10 years and scooped up ﬁve MCN Machine of the Year awards in a row from 1968. Along the way, it won a legion of fans for its performance, excellent handling and more than decent reliability (apart from the illstarred Combat-engined models). Essentially, the Commando engine is little more than the old Atlas unit, canted forward a touch in an all-new frame – importantly with rubber Isolastic engine mounts. The ingenious engine-mounting system isolates the rider from all but the worst of parallel-

twin vibes and that ‘old’ Atlas engine is still potent enough to give a wellfettled Commando a top speed in excess of 115mph. Along with handling to (almost) match the revered Featherbed frame and plenty of midrange torque from the 73 x 89mm long-stroke engine of the original 750 model, the Commando provides a wonderfully relaxed yet exhilarating ride. The heavier, 828cc ‘850’ model, introduced for 1973, gives even more bottom and midrange urge, a left-foot gearchange for those who prefer it and perhaps offer slightly better build quality at the expense of a little ultimate top-end performance. But either version makes a great buy – particularly when you factor-in the parts back-up and the availability of myriad upgrades

and improvements that can make your Commando into exactly the bike you want it to be. Indeed, so good is the spares backup – from specialists such as Norvil and Andover Norton – and the aftermarket products available for the Commando, that it is possible to build a bike from brand new parts (or have it built for you). Available upgrades range from brand new strengthened crankcases and cranks to twin-disc brake set-ups and electronic ignition. It’s easy to see why a Commando makes a near-perfect everyday classic ride. This stunning late-model 1977 MkIII Commando 850 Roadster, ﬁnished in John Player Norton colours, is on sale at Motorcycles Unlimited in West London and is a real head-turner.

105

BUYING & SELLING The subject of a full nut-and-bolt restoration, for which there’s a wealth of receipts, documentation and a host of build photographs, it’s up for £15,989. The matching-numbers bike has been fitted with an upgraded starter motor (which, we are assured, fires the bike up first time), an RGM front master cylinder, electronic ignition and a single-carb conversion. It’s a stunning example of the final variant of this great British motorcycle. Go Commando! • motorcyclesunlimited.co.uk

Find more Norton Commandos – along with hundreds of other bikes for sale, both classic and modern – at motorcyclenews.com ABOVE: Later 828cc version of the parallel-twin engine has more grunt than original 750

LEFT: This bike can push the speedo up towards 120

FAR LEFT: classic look and noise from ‘peashooter’ exhausts

In the market for a Commando? Non-smoker? Perhaps one of these non-John Player Commandos might suit you better...

106

1969 Commando 750S £11,999

1968 Commando Fastback £12,999

1972 Commando Cafe Racer £12,995

1968 Commando Fastback £8995

A matching-numbers example of the desirable 750S street scrambler. Fully restored and ready for summer posing.

Very early, first year model from the first production run. Lovely example of possibly the most collectable Commando model.

Completely rebuilt and literally as new. Only 14 miles since its restoration and transformation. A café racer without tears.

In original condition and ready to ride. A desirable early Commando at a very attractive price.

classicbikes-sussex.co.uk

waccy.co.uk

wesellclassicbikes.co.uk

DEALER EXPERT

1983 HONDA CB1100RD RSC engineering for the road makes Honda’s over-thecounter production racer über-desirable

JOSHUA WEXHAM We Sell Classic Bikes

‘Classic bikes can be a safe and enjoyable investment’ ur currency is devaluing in purchasing power. The government aims for two per cent inflation a year of the total currency supply through quantitative easing (currency printing), but this has increased dramatically over the past year due to Covid-19 and the effects this has had on the economy. So it’s important to invest your currency into appreciating assets to beat the inflation rate. Classic bikes have been a great investment over the years. Most classic bikes go up in value steadily each year due to the fact there is a consistent demand and a fixed supply, making them a non-inflationary asset. I know most of us buy them to enjoy the riding and ownership experience – but that just means investing in classic motorcycles is much more enjoyable than alternative investments and a good diversification in an investment portfolio. The important things to consider when investing in a classic motorcycle are: Originality: Does the bike look original, with correct parts and its original engine? Condition: Has it been restored; if so, to what standard? Or is it in original condition? Mechanics: Do all mechanical parts on the bike work well; what’s their condition?

It might have been conceived with the sole purpose of winning productionclass road races, but Honda’s mighty CB1100R actually makes a surprisingly good road bike. And the allure of its hand-built quality, limited production run (just 4050 examples were built, spread over B, C and D variants) and genuine all-round performance continues to make the CB1100R a highly desirable machine – and one that’s unlikely to drop in value any time soon. There’s no such thing as a cheap CB1100R – was there ever? But what you get for your money is the ﬁnest air-cooled sports bike ever produced by Honda. Engine architecture is based on the successful CB900, but with forged high-compression pistons, beefed up rods to cope with the extra 20bhp it pumps out compared to the 900 and agreeably lumpy cams. The rest of the bike is pure RSC (Race Service Centre) techno-porn, with fully adjustable 39mm forks (on C and D models) and attention to detail you won’t see on any other Honda this side of an RC30. It’s a genuine 140mph bike, too – not bad for something that’s almost 40 years old. This Italian-market 1983 CB1100RD model has been in the private collection of Marc Earl, proprietor of Earl Classics in Kent, for the last year – and he’s reluctantly letting it go for £18,750. Marc’s the third UK owner since the bike was imported in 2006 and it’s covered just 24,000km, runs perfectly and has just been serviced. • earlclassics.com

History: Does it come with good history – old log books, MoTs, receipts, handbooks? Registration: Does the bike come with a current log book or does it need registering. All of these can affect the value of a classic motorcycle, so it’s import to check these before going ahead with a purchase. But some models or types of bike are undervalued and have better than average potential to appreciate in value. Here’s a few of my tips in different price brackets. £4500-6000: BSA A7 Shooting Star. A handsome looking, pre-unit classic with an ally-head 500cc motor that you can pick up for around £5000 in good condition. Comparing this to the Triumph T100 of the same era at £7000-8500, the BSA certainly looks to be undervalued. £6500-7500: Norton Dominator 99. A great spec with the Featherbed frame, Roadholder forks and a 600cc engine that’s a match for most of the 650s of its time. £7500-£8500: 1930s Saddle tankers seem to be priced well at the moment. You can pick up a nice 350cc ohv example for around £8000. They’re great fun, too. Take a bit of care when choosing a classic bike and you’ll see investment can be both safe and enjoyable. wesellclassicbikes.co.uk

THREE BE AU TIF UL INV ES T MENTS F ROM JOSH AT W E SEL L CL ASSIC BIK ES

1958 500cc BSA A7SS £5995 Very original; starts, rides and runs very well. Receipts for new main bearings, crank regrind, etc.

1940 350cc Ariel W/NG Trials £5450

1929 500cc Triumph CN £7995

‘Civilianised’ military model with telescopic forks, alloy mudguards. A lot of fun.

Lovely, Banbury-eligible, vintage side-valve. Recently rebuilt, in excellent order.

107

AUCTIONS SO LD FO R

MECUM

£214,312

MECUM LAS VEGAS SALE | APR 28-MAY 1

Full house in Vegas American sale conjures up great bikes, big numbers and a feelgood atmosphere

Right: 1969 BSA Lightning looked a bargain at the price

Below: 1973 Suzuki TM400 Cyclone, reviled in its day, is getting its revenge as a classic bike

SO LD FOR

MECUM

£6747

108

inally, Mecum’s Covid-delayed 2021 Las Vegas Sale has happened. And, as a sign that the auction world is returning to something like normal at long last, it was a pretty compelling one. Over four days, 1309 lots went past the block and, while not all of them were motorcycles – automobilia and a handful of Harley-Davidson-themed guitars made up a minor percentage of the catalogue – the vast majority were. In a world disrupted by an international pandemic, Mecum’s energy, enterprise and industry in pulling together such a big, varied list of lots is to be applauded mightily. While the numbers of bidders in the sale room may have been down a bit compared to a typical Mecum Las Vegas sale, there was no shortage of keen buyers. As is often the case at Las Vegas, American bikes topped the sale. At the top of the tree was a rare 1907 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank, built using mostly original parts – including factory original engine, carburettor, fuel and oil tanks, seat, forks and hubs – and beautifully ﬁnished, the machine sold for $297,000 (£214,312). Joining the Strap Tank in $200,000-plus territory were a brace of superb Knuckleheads from the JC Burgin collection. An ultra-rare 1943 E Model, one of just 158 built, sold for $220,000 (£158,750), as did a 1946 FL. Dirt bikes made up a good proportion of the sale – and there were some interesting results among the motocross machines on offer. While a very tidy example of Honda’s CR125 Elsinore – a 1977 model that was equipped with lovely period aftermarket upgrades including an FMF Porcupine head, FMF pipe and alloy swingarm – made $5500 (£3969),

SOL D F OR

£2381

MECUM

Above: Rare Harley-Davidson Strap Tank secured the highest price

two bikes that were almost universally reviled back in the day made considerably more. A 1974 Yamaha SC500 – regarded as overweight and ill-handling when it was a new model – sold for $7150 (£5160), while a 1973 Suzuki TM400 Cyclone, which was frequently described as virtually unrideable in standard form, changed hands for $9350 (£6747)). Time changes everything... Honda’s CB750 continued its upward trajectory in the collectors’ market, too. A 1970 ‘sandcast’ model sold for $33,000 (£23,812), while another early 1970 example made an impressive $55,000 (£39,687). But there were plenty of bikes to appeal to the buyer of more modest means, too. A tidy, though admittedly far from mint, 1969 BSA Lightning from the Dick Ray Collection, sold for a very reasonable $3300 (£2381)). That’s doesn’t sound like a bad buy. Overall, Mecum must be delighted with how the sale panned out. Their hard work in bringing the Las Vegas sale to town in difﬁcult circumstances really paid off – for both sellers and buyers. I’d bet the next one will be even bigger and better, too. mecum.com

AUCTION EXPERT

H&H LIVE ONLINE SALE NMM JUNE 9

Marvellous middleweights

MIKE DAVIS

Medium-sized machines line up for online sale Entries continue to sign up for H&H’s first live sale of the season back at their favoured venue, the National Motorcycle Museum (all being well). As CB went to press, H&H was confident there’d be around 100 bikes going under the hammer on June 9. There’s some pretty rare machinery on offer, as H&H’s Mike Davis reveals in his guest column on the right. And, with bikes from 2012 to 1999 catalogued already, there’ll be no shortage of variety. One unusual machine due to go past the block is the 1961 Cheney TriBSA pictured below. Frame-building guru Eric Cheney is better known for his motocross frames, but this fusion of a fully-rebuilt pre-unit Triumph TR5 engine, BSA gearbox and Cheney frame looks built with serious riding in mind. It sports Gold Star brakes (an eight-inch front and seven-inch rear), belt primary drive and a BTH magneto conversion. It certainly has the makings of a fun package and carries an estimated of £7000-8000. For the more flamboyant, there’s a 1971 Honda CL350. Built for the US market, the CL350 was based on Honda’s CB350 roadster and H&H are offering a restored example – with original high-level exhaust, NOS fuel tank and correct grey control cables – with an estimate of £3000-4000. Or, if your tastes are a little more conservative, what about a 1954 BSA A7 twin that’s been in its current ownership since 1964. Restored in the ’90s and used regularly since, its estimate is £4000-5000. More bikes are being signed up daily. Whatever you’re after, the H&H sale looks like being one to watch. handh.co.uk

H&H AUC TIONEERS

‘I’ve been following a certain bike for around 15 years’ love my job. In a way, it’s what I’ve been doing all my adult life, because I’ve always had an inquisitive nature – especially when it comes to old bikes and cars. I caught old bike fever from my grandfather – he was one of the first hundred or so members to join the VMCC when it was formed in 1946. My father’s membership number is under 800, too, so it didn’t take long for him to join in. I signed up when I was 16 and even then, I used to keep my ear to the ground for old bikes for sale. About 65-70% of vendors contact me through H&H because they’re actively looking to sell. As for the other 30%, they can take a little more finding... Networking is a huge part of tracking down machines that might be for sale. If I hear a rumour that there might be an old bike for sale somewhere in a village, I’ll put fliers through every door. And if a bike isn’t for sale at a particular moment in time, I try to keep in contact with the owner in case things change. Often we’ll become friends and sometimes it takes years to consign a bike. You just have to keep chipping away. I attend hundreds of classic and vintage bike events, too. It’s surprising what turns up just through chatting with like-minded

old bike enthusiasts. I recently went to look at a bike and spotted a few more hidden away under a workbench. They ended up being consigned for sale as well. Just sometimes, though, the detective work is for myself. And sometimes I can still draw a blank. I’ve been following a particular bike for around 15 years, hoping to buy it for my collection. It’s a 1919 New Imperial Ladies Model and, though it’s nothing special, it is a rare machine. I’m really into my New Imperials – especially unusual models – and this would really round out my small collection. It’s a 275cc JAP-engined side-valve and I’d love to do the Banbury on it. It was in a museum in Pembrokeshire for years, but disappeared when the museum closed in the early 2000s. It still appears on the DVLA database, but the trail has gone cold. If anyone knows where it is, I’d love to buy it. Hopefully, someone will tip me off. But, in the meantime, it’s back to the detective work, finding a more dream bikes for others to bid on at our sale at the NMM on June 9. Mike has worked for H&H for almost three years. His particular weakness is for prewar machines such as New Imperials. handh.co.uk

T WO R A RITIES F ROM THE H & H SA L E & A PL E A F ROM MIK E

1982 Laverda Jota 120 Formula prototype

1914 Sparkbrook V-twin

1921 New Imperial Ladies Model.

Estimate: £12,000-14,000 Believed to be one of only seven prototypes of a proposed Slater brothers Laverda special model.

Estimate £22,000-24,000. Believed to be the only surviving 1914 model and one of only three known V-twin Sparkbrooks.

Fair price paid Can you help Mike track down the bike of his dreams? He’d love to add it to his collection.

1961 Cheney TriBSA looks built for serious fun

109

BONHAMS

AUCTIONS ESTIMATE

£250,000 £300,000

Above: Distinctive E90 AJS 498cc dohc parallel twin engine has been run since its restoration

B O N H A M S S U M M E R S TA F F O R D S A L E

JUL 2-4

A prickly project

Rebuilt Porcupine racer sure to be one of the stars of Bonhams’ three-day Stafford sale Stealing the show at the rescheduled Bonhams Stafford Sale this summer will almost certainly be the ex-Ted Frend, circa 1949 E90 AJS Porcupine racer. Though the bike cannot be confirmed as one ridden by the south London ace in period, it

ESTIMATE

£8500 £9500

CHARTERHOUSE SALE

LEFT: The Porcupine was previously owned by renowned racer Ted Frend

JUN 30

Anyone for triple?

was owned by him for many years. The machine was in pieces at the time of Ted’s death in 2006 and was bought by close friend Ken Senior. Ken had the bike rebuilt and restored prior to his death in 2019; it has been run since the restoration and is an extraordinary survivor of a model that claimed the first ever 500cc GP title. It’s estimate is £250,000-300,000. Other recent consignments for the sale include more bikes from the National Motorcycle Museum collection, including a 1975 NVT Cosworth Challenge P86, with internal parts missing (est £20,000-30,000) and a 250cc Excelsior Manxman, believed to be Tyrell Smith’s TT mount for 1938 (£18,000-26,000). bonhams.com

LEFT: Very originallooking Triumph Trident has had little restoration work carried out

Below: 1938 125cc Terrier looked a delightful ticket to pre-WWII riding

Tasty T150 looks a treat for June sale All being well, Charterhouse’s sale at the Haynes Museum on June 30 will mark another step on the road back to normality, with the return of a live audience in the sale room for the Dorset auction house. The catalogue is building up nicely, with a good cross-section of British classics, Japanese machines and a sprinkling of trials irons on offer. A UK-registered 1970 Triumph T150 looks good, described as an easy starter and a good runner. as well as being mostly original with little restoration work having been carried out. It certainly looks the part and carries an estimate of £8500-9500. At the other end of the scale, a 1973 Bultaco Sherpa T, in running order and with V5C and a spare tank and seat unit, looks like good fun for its estimate of £1000-1200. charterhouse-bikes.com

110

SO LD F OR

£1200

C H E F F I N S V I N TA G E S A L E A P R 2 4

Tenaciously tempting Lovely pre-war offering shouldn’t lead to a resto that disappears down a rabbit hole Cheffins online vintage sale on April 24 proved a worthwhile source of affordable classics and projects alike. At the top end of the sale, a Seeley (replica) AJS 7R racer made £10,500 and a tidy matching-numbers 1952 Vincent Series C Comet requiring recommissioning sold for £16,000. But it was into the slightly lower price brackets that most of the 34 motorcycle lots fell. A charming, 1938 Montgomery lightweight was a case in point. The 125cc Terrier, with its three-speed handchange Villiers engine, may not break any speed records (or even limits), but its promise of pre-war motorcycling for a hammer price of just £1200 looked tempting. With its original Kingston-upon-Hull registration, a free turning engine and original lighting equipment, it looked like a relatively easy restoration/ recommissioning project. cheffins.co.uk

CLASSIC NUMBER PLATES

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TRIPLES WORKSHOP

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We’ve lived and breathed these beasts, since the Seventies. • Restoration work undertaken. • Engine rebuilds. 7HPU[^VYR [V JVYYLJ[ VYPNPUHS ÄUPZO • Speedo’s restored. • Stockist of Wossner performance pistons. • We don’t sell any other parts at all!

Call NEIL on 07785 115559 (T) West Yorkshire e-mail: triplesworkshop@btinternet.com Opening hours Mon-Sat 9am-6.30pm. CLOSED SUNDAYS Callers by appointment only

VINTAGE & CLASSIC MOTORCYCLES BOUGHT & SOLD! MACHINES / COLLECTIONS WANTED

ANY YEAR - ANY CONDITION - FROM BASKET CASES TO CONCOURS! WILL COLLECT! OUTRIGHT CASH PAYMENT! CONTACT: RICHARD GAUNT

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BUYING GUIDE

TRIUMPH TIGER CUB

CARBURETTOR

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

This endearing lightweight remains a cult favourite, cramming a lot of entertainment into a small package

Pre-1958 Cubs use Amal 332 carburettors. Between 1958 and 1961, all Cubs had 17mm Zenith carbs, though, before Triumph returned to Amal instruments for 1961 (in the US) and 1962 on the home market. Spares for Zenith carbs are practically non-existent these days and almost all Zenith carbs will be badly worn by now. A new Amal should keep you going.

WORDS: GEZ KANE PHOTOGRAPHY: TRIUMPH & BAUER ARCHIVE

s Triumph’s T20 Tiger Cub (in any of its myriad variants) a great bike? Probably not. But can a Cub be great fun? Undoubtedly. Triumph’s little overheadvalve single remains one of the favourite lightweights of the classic world, combining great looks, punchy performance and enormous charm. Based on the company’s 1952 Terrier – a 150cc machine with plunger frame and an attractive forward-sloping single-cylinder ohv engine producing 8.3bhp – the Cub added a little pep and performance. With 10bhp available at 6000rpm, the 199cc T20 Cub proved signiﬁcantly more popular and won thousands of loyal fans during a 15 year production life. Produced in roadster, street scrambler, trials and scrambles competition, trail bike and even military models, there’s a Cub to suit just about everyone. But if you’re thinking of buying one, it pays to do your homework before buying. The Cub was produced in so many different versions that detailing all of them – including all the various

permutations of forks, wheel sizes, engine modifications and so on, would take up most of this issue. But help is at hand in the form of Tiger Cub expert Mike Estall’s definitive book, The Triumph Tiger Cub Bible, which is back in print (in paperback, from Veloce Publishing) for around £30. It’s a good investment for any potential (or existing) Cub owner. FORKS We won’t try to compete Forks vary between the with Mike here; it makes different models. There are more sense to classify heavyweight and lightweight Cubs according to variants, with internal and whether they are one external springs. It might take of the up-to-1957 a bit of research to determine plu nger-f ra med which type of forks are models or a 1956-on correct for a particular swingarm machine and model. which of the four types of engine they have. The first Cubs have the ‘round head’ engine (with round head and barrel castings), with its one-piece crankcase – the pressed-up crank is inserted into the case from the drive side. These engines, which were produced (with various updates) until

Left: Early Cubs had plunger frames, with swingarm models entering the fray from 1956

112

BRAKES Cub brakes are only marginally effective – even for a 200cc lightweight. A high-lift brake-operating cam is available from UPB – it brings the brake shoes into contact with the drum earlier and improves performance. Machining the shoes concentric with the drum will help, too.

1959, feature a single-row primary chain and the contact-breaker points located in the familiar distributor-type housing on top of the crankcases. The second generation of Cub engines is the ‘oval head’ unit, which ran from 1958. Initially, these retained the onepiece crankcase, though with a deeper primary chaincase to accommodate a duplex primary chain. Head and barrels are oval, as the name suggests. In the following year, the third incarnation of the Cub engine appeared

ENGINE Tiger Cubs can leak oil from just about everywhere. Early engine cases were cast from alloy with an extremely high aluminium content and are very thin. They distort as the engine heats up, causing leaks. Use Three Bond on all mating faces instead of gaskets. Leaks from the pushrod tube seals can be sorted with modern seals. Pre-’62 cranks with a plain bush timing-side main bearing can be OK as long as the oil is kept immaculately clean and the two gauze filters – one in the bottom of the crankcase and one in the oil tank – are cleaned during every oil change. The sludge trap in the crankshaft flywheel also needs cleaning out periodically. For a bit more performance, UPB offer big-bore conversions and a long stroke crank – although some machining is necessary when you go beyond 220cc.

TIMELINE 1953 T20 Tiger Cub appears at the Earls Court Show

1954 The 199cc Cub joins the 150cc Terrier in Triumph showrooms. It has a plunger frame like the Terrier; capacity hike is due to a bored and stroked engine.

1955 Three-plate clutch replaces original two-plate unit mid-year.

1956 Swingarm frame is introduced late in the year.

1957 T20C model joins the range, featuring upswept pipes, plus longer fork stanchions and rear suspension units.

1958 Oval-head engine replaces the round-head design. The T20S appears; a variant of the T20C, it is available in standard, trials and scrambles spec.

1959

Two-piece crankcase introduced.

PRIMARY DRIVE IGNITION Electronic ignition is a worthwhile improvement. Various options are available. If you have a TR or TS20 with energy transfer ignition, electronic ignition is a must.

Above: With a Cub you get entertaining cornering and the style of the bigger Triumph twins, for much less layout

The first round-head engines have a single-row primary chain – the clutch baskets and plates for these are almost impossible to find now. Clutch baskets can be refurbished, though, and Ford Cosworth timing chains are the right pitch. The later clutches can still suffer from slipping and uneven release. An aftermarket alloy pressure plate and careful setting up help.

with vertically-split crankcases – though still with the oval head and barrel. From 1962, the points were relocated to sit behind a cover in the timing-side outer engine cover and an improved oil pump helped lubrication. Triumph certainly saved the best until last, though – in the shape of the 1965 ‘square barrel’ engine. With a greater area of ﬁns on the head and barrel, cooling was improved, and combined with a needle-roller big-end and an uprated oil pump, it was the

engine the Cub had been waiting for. Earlier engines can be upgraded and brought up to near enough 1965 speciﬁcation – although at a cost. But, if your heart’s set on one of the earlier models, why not? You can justify it in the knowledge that blatting around back lanes on a well sorted Cub is one of classic motorcycling’s simple pleasures. Sought-after models like the Mountain Cub or any of the 14.5bhp sports variants command a premium, so check engine and frame numbers

1960 T20SL in road (low pipe) or scrambles (high pipe) versions.

1961 This is the only sales year in which the T20SL is offered.

1962 Ball-race timing-side main bearing replaces the earlier bush. Mid-year, the points move from distributor-type housing to timingside outer engine case.

1963

T20SS street scrambler launched on US market. T20SH (Sports Home) model goes on sale in the UK. High-compression piston, sports cam and larger inlet valve boost power to 14.5bhp at 6500rpm. Two more models with the new ‘sports’ engine, the T20SC

Continues on page 114

BUYING GUIDE TIMELINE (scrambler) and T20SR (road) join the range along with trials and scrambles competition models TR20 and TS20 (with no lights and energy transfer ignition.

1964

T20M and T20SM trail bikes – mainly for the American market – are launched, as is a military version, the T20M WD.

1965

Last year of the ‘pure’ Triumph Cub. New, square barrel, side-points engine with uprated oil pump and needle-roller big-end. The Bantam Cub is launched late in the year – a side-points T20 engine in a BSA D7 Bantam frame.

1966 Bantam Cub continues. A Super Cub – with a BSA D7 Bantam and (later) a D14 frame – joins the Bantam Cub

1967 Super Cub (still with Bantam frame) joins Bantam Cub in the range.

1968 Super Cub production continues. 1969 Production of all Cubs ends.

RESOURCES The Tiger Cub Owners and Enthusiasts Association The club for Cub (and Terrier) owners. Authorised for machine dating by the DVLA, too. tigercubclub.com

Greystone Enterprises Specialist Cub and Terrier parts supplier. tigercubspares.co.uk

Meriden Off Road Motorcycles Parts, engine rebuilds, repairs and restorations. Long-time Cub specialists with bags of experience meridenoffroad.co.uk

UPB Parts and upgrades for trials use. Many of them – like their big-bore conversions - will suit road bikes, too. upbuk.co.uk

Burton Bike Bits Specialist Triumph parts supplier with plenty of Cub items in stock. burtonbikebits.net

114

carefully if you’re after a cataloguecorrect bike; there are plenty of bitzas out there. But parts availability is pretty good and there are plenty of modern upgrades and improvements to keep any Cub purring happily for years. A Tiger Cub can also make a great trials iron for pre-65 events. Plenty come up for sale – from converted roadsters starting from around £3000, to super-competitive one-off builds at up to £7000. There’s a classic road racing class for them – and I’ve even seen a couple doing OK at classic scrambles. That’s what I call versatility!

THE RIDE Cubs have character in spades. That’s why riding one is always a much more rewarding experience than you’ve any right to expect from a simple 200cc, push rod engine. Throw in styling that takes its cues from Triumph’s iconic twins, snappy acceleration and a top speed around 70mph and you’ve got the recipe for a machine that punches well above its weight. A cursory jab at the kickstart is all it takes to get any well-prepared Cub lit up for action. The exhaust note is just the right side of loud and, as long as you’ve got the clutch set up just so (they can be prone to slip) the fourspeed gearbox is light and positive. Although there’s not a massive hit of acceleration on offer, it’s easy enough to keep up with most trafﬁc on a Cub – certainly up to 50mph or so. With only 230lb (104kg) to sling around, handling is never really an issue. Without enough power to tie the relatively insubstantial frame in knots, making reasonably rapid progress is just a case of keeping the throttle open

Above: The Cub’s prowess was endorsed by some leading off-road riders of the day

PRICES based on road model MINT £4500-£5500 GOOD £3500-£4500 PROJECT £1200-£1800

Below: Eddie Austin, of the Waterlooville A-Team, in extreme trials action on a Cub at Ben Meon chalk pit

SPECIFICATION 1962 TRIUMPH T20SH TIGER CUB Engine ohv four-stroke single Bore x stroke 63 x 64mm Capacity 199cc Compression 9:1 Claimed power 14.5bhp at 6500rpm Carburettor Amal Monobloc Gearbox Four-speed Ignition Battery and points Brakes Front 5.5in (140mm) sls, rear 5.5in (140mm) sls Tyres Front: 3.00 x 19in, Rear: 3.50 x 18in Weight 230lb (104kg)

and not slowing down for anything – just like teenage learners would have treated their Cubs back in the ’60s. While the brakes are tiny 5½in units, they’re actually moderately effective – unless you’re absolutely ﬂat out. That’s more than can be said for the forks – even the so-called heavyweight versions. There’s not much in the way of damping, but it’s something Cub owners just learn to live with. If you’re into trials, a Cub can be brilliant fun and seriously competitive. There’s enough urge to tackle anything you’ll face in the average pre-65 event. With a 50in wheelbase, even a standardframed bike turns well; with modiﬁed internals and decent shocks, a well sorted Cub will match any twinshock. But, whether on or off road, a Cub can deliver serious riding enjoyment. On the face of it, it’s a pretty basic lightweight motorcycle, but it somehow manages to be more than the sum of its parts. The crack of the exhaust, cheerful rattle of valve gear and peppy performance combine happily to provide an entertaining ride. A morning (or afternoon) on a well-sorted Cub will leave you with a smile on your face. And that’s worth a lot these days.

Mereworth, Kent 01622 814140 Viewing by appointment only

1948 Brough Superior SS100 Replica £139,995

1936 Brough Superior SS80 £74,995

1951 Vincent Rapide Series C £49,995

1950 Vincent Meteor £17,495

1952 Norton Domiracer £8,995

1956 BSA Gold Star 350 rep £11,995

2019 Enﬁeld Interceptor £4,995

1964 BSA Lightening £6,995

1965 BSA Rocket £6,995

1957 Velocette MAC £7,495

1934 Rudge Special £10,495

1932 Sunbeam 9A £13,995

1955 Triumph T110 £7,495

1969 Triumph TT Special Replica £9,995

1954 Triumph T100 Tiger £8,995

1955 Triumph Speed Twin £7,995

1952 Triumph T100 Tiger £8,995

2008 Triumph Thruxton £6,495

1929 Norton Model 18 £22,995

1995 Aprillia Moto £4,995

2002 Harley-Davidson 883R cafe Racer £7,495

1980 Ducati 900SS £29,995

1998 Ducati M600 £3,995

1981 Ducati Darmah £13,995

1993 Ducati 888 SP5 £24,995

2021 Brough Pendine S Ex Demo £49,995

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