Volume 35 Winter 2008
Dot Motorcycle Club Journal
Dot Motorcycle Club Journal Dot Motorcycle Club Committee President:
Michael Wade
Chairman:
Pat Davy
Secretary:
Ann Davy
Treasurer:
Norman Rothe
Membership:
Mark Gooding
Jim Evans Mike Sumnall Richard Cusworth
Editorial Address Richard Cusworth 34 Skipton Road Barnoldswick Lancs BB18 5EG Tel 01282 850405 Email rcusworth@aol.com Mobile.07980427280
Editor’s Page. Happy New Year All. I must apologise for the late arrival of this edition due to various reasons, some are beyond my control some are not. Reflecting on the past year it would seem that as a Club it has been successful again with many awards collected both by members on their own and as the Club. Over the past few years we have seen this Journal both increase in size, the use of more colour and hopefully a more varied content. In the first issue I produced I wondered whether or not we could keep up the good work of Mike Moore looking back over the last six years since I took over I would like to think we have succeeded but your help is still required. Material is always welcome but please by the date specified . It makes life a lot easier. Richard.
Items included and views expressed in the “Journal” do not necessarily represent those of the Editor, The Committee or the Club in general. Whilst every care is taken, no responsibility is accepted for errors or incorrect descriptions. All possible care is taken of members articles and photographs, but no responsibility for loss or damage can be accepted.
DEADLINE FOR NEXT JOURNAL Feb 29th 2
From the Chair.
By Pat Davy
The Committee wish all members and their families a very Happy Christmas and a New Year that brings you all you wish. What do I wish for next year? Well eight members to volunteer a nice tidy Dot for exhibition on the Club stand at Stafford in April would be nice. Next year sees the centenary of Dot’s first and only TT win in the Isle of Man. Mike Moore is working flat out to get his re-creation of Harry Reed’s winning Dot completed in time for this anniversary in June. If he gets it done in time I will make application for a Dot stand at the October Stafford Show as well as April. This will of course entail me badgering members for the loan of further bikes. Boxing Day is traditionally the day to clear the Christmas hangover with a little motorcycle sport. I remember years ago riding, often through thick snow, to Pirbright for the Whitley Club’s Boxing Day scramble. Dots abounded in the smaller class, often ridden to success , in fact this is my first recollection of the marque. It is appropriate therefore, when thumbing through Motor Cycling for December 23rd 1954, to share with you this little piece by Oxley the renowned cartoonist. May I suggest you save it for Christmas afternoon whilst sitting in front of a roaring fire replete with turkey and pud and toying with a balloon of Remy Martin. Pat. 3
December 23, 1954
TRIALandERROR Reminiscence of a Boxing Day Expedition by ALEX OXLEY (who did the drawings too)
WITH .an, instinct, born of long practice, I straightened my tie and clicked my heels as the voice of the Editor came peremptorily over the phone just before last Christmas "Sharpen that pencil, Oxley. I want one volunteer you to cover a Boxing Day trial. Words, .as well as drawings,mind! " \' • * ... •'; One doesn't argue on such occasions! Fortunately my buddy with the sidecar outfit and the in growing enthusiasm for motorcycling sport, be it trial, scramble, racing or whathave you, hadn't any thing special to do on the Boxing Day and reckoned that a few hours spent watching other people falling over was just his idea of Christmas fun. So off we went to find the organizing secretary at the start and when we found the organizing secretary Wow! She was a fairy with a fairy chariot (on closer inspection it turned out to be a "Bantam!"). My mental processes worked overtime as I sketched her on my pad and painted the cold black and white in appropriate tones eyes violet, long, dark curling lashes, cherry lips, dimples in those rosy cheeks a wisp of auburn hair escaping beneath her close-fitting helmet. But I was there to work and Joe he's the bloke providing the transport hitched me off: to the first section, rejoicing in the name of "Maloney's Madness." Mr. Maloney must have known his stuff: They came, they saw and they sank! One lad bubbled miraculously through the water and emerged right where I stood, ooze and weed literally dripping from his mud-encrusted face and form. “Clean?” he asked cheerfully, 4
Seeing me with pencil and pad. “Positively Persil� I flashed back, pretty bright I thought, right off the cuff , like that. The next section was more notable for its hunks of nearsolid terrain which the riders flung about in all directions like missiles. One must have been a guided missile for it caught me fair on the chin and disintegrated in my mouth! The Contents of my vacuum flask were sacrificed in the sacred cause of denture swilling! A real hill claimed our attention next, and we stopped to see the sidecars perform. Several shot up and away like rockets with no trouble at all. And then came one who must have been a London taxi driver in private life (no, it wasn't "Cabby" Cooper!). He seemed to be obsessed with the short-cut idea. Indeed) he laid one on for my special benefit the resultant chairobatics are perhaps beside the point but worth mentioning, if you look at the accompanying bold freehand sketch you will see what I mean. It was, the oak 'tree that suddenly jumped into his way that started it all two forward loops, a roll and a backward flip and then there was nothing on the meter! But it made our day. Thanks, Ed., for sending us!
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The Colorado DOT THE DOT CYCLE & MOTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY was the first concern to come up with the idea that two-strokes could devastate their big-bore counterparts by dint of superior handling, lightness and a bit of power. In fact, British rider Bill Baraugh in the early fifties ran his Dot so well against larger machines that the other riders had no choice but to protest that he was riding out of class. More recently, competitors to this small British company caught on and Dot was somewhat eclipsed by machines with engines that put out more frightening amounts of power. Things promise to be different, judging by the prototype of the new 250cc scrambler to be sold on these shores. Called the Demon, like its predecessors, Dot looks graphically different this year, although this is only a result of its being fitted in fibreglass trappings instead of the familiar alloy. The real changes, however, are on the inside and the first external clues to these are the tuned expansion chamber exhaust and the name, "Alpha," appearing for the first time on the crankcase. Dot previously employed the Villiers 36A engine, but it had been drawn out to the end of its string in the course of year-in, year-out improvements. The new engine is based on the beefier Alpha bottom half including crankcase, crankshaft and connecting rod assembly. Dot adds its own aluminium alloy cylinder, into which is pressed a liner thick enough to take several rebores. The exhaust port has been reshaped, and widened. As a wide port has a tendency to break piston rings, the port is bridged, and the makers claim that all piston ring breakage troubles have been eliminated with this new system. An aluminium cylinder head, with centrally placed spark plug, gives the Demon 12:1 compression. In accordance with good mud plugger practice, the finning on both head and cylinder is widely spaced to prevent clogging. The finning is slotted forward of the intake to reduce heat transfer to the incoming fuel charge; if there was no interruption of metal in the finning at this point, heat from the hottest area of the cylinder, near the exhaust, would be conducted back along the fins to the intake. 6
When one tries to extract power from a two-stroke by means of an expansion chamber, port timing becomes more critical. So the new Dot piston is fitted with a higher ring belt to give more precise timing to exhaust and transfer ports. The ends of the piston rings overlap their locating pins to help prevent gas leakage. The engine is carburetted by a 1 and 3/16-inch Amal Monobloc. A small Swedish Stefa magneto smaller, lighter and more trustworthy than the Villiers item it replaces takes care of ignition worries. The expansion chamber tapers out from 1 and 3/4 inches at the exhaust pipe to 3 1/2 inches at its widest section, but then does not taper back in. Instead, the chamber is stoppered by a flat plate, from which issues a rectangular pipe 1 1/4inches by 2 inches. This has been done to achieve maximum top-end power. Dot thus has assumed more fire breathing characteristics than in the past, although it is no low-rpm stump puller. The engine must be brought up "on the pipe� before it begins to pull, and then it starts, in smooth progression, to get quite vigorous. This year the makers have switched to the close-ratio Albion gearbox, which bolts solidly onto the back of the Alpha crankcase, giving sort of a unit-construction effect. The engine-gearbox is cradled in the frame. The frame is Dot's usual, unusual design, employing square tubing at points where great stress occurs. The 1 and 1/4� square tube configuration runs back from the steering head, behind and under the engine and up to the steering head again. The engine cum gearbox is bolted to the frame in four places two forward and two aft. Round tubing departs from the top and bottom of the main frame to go back and up to the rear suspension units. Square tubing appears again in the swinging arms, where it shows to best advantage, lending itself to a better weld than round tube does, and therefore firmer and more rigid attachment to the frame. Front suspension remains the same well-proven Dot version of the leading link system. While it does not offer the most travel we have ever seen on a competition machine, the damping is excellent. The rear units seem to have about the right spring load for a 150 -pound rider on their low setting. Every time we approached a bad 7
section, we gritted our teeth, fearfully anticipating the worst sort of jarring and bottom-whacking imaginable. But it never came. Dot levelled the bumps in an easy rolling motion, which was made even easier by the small-looking but surprisingly comfortable seat (an all too rare item on European-style scramblers). On smoother ground, the machine will lay over and slide nicely, although the 21-inch front wheel and skinny tire provided some hairy moments. Most dry-country riders will probably change to a 19-inch front wheel and a fatter tire, which is better for rocks and sand, while the riders of the Eastern loam may stick with the 21-incher. Riders in the dusty parts of the United States will appreciate the high capacity paper-element air cleaner. This item used to consist of two bells, one on each side below the seat, feeding into a gigantic breather box. Because of the expansion chamber exhaust, there is now only one bell, on the left, but it appears slightly larger (500 square inches of filtering area) and feeds into the same big box. It is recommended that the rider wear full coverage boots to avoid rubbing his calf against the bell when he stands up or lies way back on the seat. The gear shift lever on the prototype was overly long, and thus so susceptible to oscillation during normal progress over rough ground that it would shake itself out of gear. The U.S. distributors of Dot, Van Wyck Enterprises, say that the lever on the production models will be two inches shorter. At any rate, it's easy enough to cut it down to fit one's own boot or shifting style. All in all, the increased power output combined with good handling results in a frisky little charger. Indeed, one feels more secure going over a given section as fast as possible, for dawdling gives an incorrect impression of things, as well as bogging one down. Gearing was a bit high on the test bike and made it necessary to rev the engine in extremis and slip the clutch to get rapid starts. Once we were underway, however, the close spacing of the Albion transmission kept things buzzing nicely through the gears. In spite of raised performance, the Dot is an easy starting machine and refuses to be fouled out in slow going.
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Its forte will continue to be in rough scrambles events, but the new power potential will come in handy for an occasional bash on fast, graded TT tracks.
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Information and pictures from the American publication “Cycle World” With Thanks
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Malvern Classic Bike Show Sunday 4th November 2007. This was our third time exhibiting at Malvern and we were fortunate in that the weather was quite decent for November, if a little chilly for the outside exhibitors. We had planned to show 7 bikes and had persuaded the organizers to let us have a good sized stand with a 30 foot frontage. However it turned out to be one of those occasions when the path of true love became anything but smooth. The first setback was mine. When rebuilding the 2T twin after work on the bores I discovered that the crankshaft was out of alignment. As the engine would have to come down again to rectify that there seemed little point in building it up, so I scratched the entry. Mike Sumnall kindly agreed to bring an extra bike to the one he was already bringing. So far so good, still on track for 7. Then on the Friday before the show Pat Davy’s van expired. As he was to bring 2 bikes, we were down to 5. After some hasty telephoning, Mike Sumnall again stepped into the breach and agreed to bring one of Pat’s bikes, and all the exhibition material, but then he could only bring one of his own bikes, so we were still down to 5. As they couldn’t come until Sunday morning the bulk of the stand would have to be set-up then, but at least we would have the display material, which at one stage had looked very doubtful. Came Sunday morning and Ian Reid and I were down early to ready what we could and to await the arrival of Mike and Pat with bikes etc. Mike and Joan duly drove into the hall, and to my horror there was only one bike on the trailer – down to 4 now! “Only one bike”, I wailed. “That’s right, (said Mike) Pat’s bike wouldn’t fit the trailer.” Pat and Ann arrived in the Punto into which they had managed to cram the Grease-gun special, so at least we were back to 5 bikes, well, four and a half really. From then 12
on things got better. Although the stand frontage was long, the depth was shallow, and by showing the bikes more or less broadside to the frontage we were able to fill the space quite effectively. The new display panels (which I hadn’t seen before as I couldn’t attend either Stafford or Kempton earlier this year) are a great help as they give a substantial feel to the stand as well as being colourful and informative. So, in addition to the Grease-gun special, we had Mike’s replica 1968 Starmaker scrambler (built 2005 from factory supplied parts), with the factory modified frame turned through 90 deg from normal, giving more ground clearance and a lower slung look. Mark Gooding and Clare brought a very smart 1956 Mancunian in green which Mark has just completed, apart from one or two very minor items, for some of which he got the needed bits from the auto-jumble here. It looked superb on the elevated stands. Ian Reid showed his trusty 1962 Trials WR which he has also exhibited at various small local shows in and around Ledbury and over the border into Wales, winning the best bike award at a recent Cleobury Mortimer show. Last, but by no means least, new member Dave Spruce from Stourbridge showed his regularly and well used 1964 Demon square frame scrambler. Dave is an enthusiastic bike collector, as well as an active rider, having many bikes in his stable. He also exhibited today in the private entrants sector a 100 year old bike, which won the best old machine award. To round off the day the Club won the Best Club Stand award. To be honest, the competition wasn’t very stiff but it was nice to get the “gong.” We’ve had awards of one sort or another for 3 consecutive years at Malvern, and if we aren’t careful they won’t want to let us in again. My thanks go to all the above named for their help and support at this event. Norman Rothe
(See Centre Fold For Pictures) 13
Dots on display at a show. Anybody any idea where and when?
Malvern Off Road Show Sat Feb 16th Mike Sumnall is asking for bikes for this event. If you have an off road machine and would like to come along contact Mike.
01270 820408 14
In Memoriam In one of the past issues we told the story of Frank Darrieulat and his connections with Dot. The following appeared in the Old Bike Mart of December last year Some of you may have seen it some not.
Well known sidecar trials star of the 1950s Frank Darrieulat died, aged 93, on 27th October 2007. For the Nationals he had a Gold Star outfit but what set him apart was for Open to Centre Trials he used a 197cc DOT outfit, one of the first to ride such a low powered sidecar. Frank was nicknamed The Birdcage King as his business was making parrot cages; his factory was in North London. He died of cancer in a Bedfordshire Hospice Thanks to OBM Also reported the death of Jim Wallis Jim Wallis died at the age of 74 on December the 12th last year following a short illness. Jim was well known in the North of England as a trials rider first on BSA Bantams then moving on to DOTs, winning many awards in the North and also in the Scottish Six Day Trial. For many years he ran a motorcycle shop in Guiseborough with Richard Scott. After 25 years he went to the Isle of Man and ran a pub called the Liverpool Arms. On retirement he returned to Guiseborough where he spent his time restoring DOT trials bikes to concourse condition collecting many prizes along the way. 15
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Richard Cusworth (Editor, Dot Motorcycle Club Journal) 18 November 2007 Dear Richard In a letter published in the Summer 2007 Journal I commented that all had gone quiet regarding the proposed 1907~2007 Manchester Reliability Trial. Since the idea was mooted in the Winter 2006 Journal no details had been published and nothing had appeared on the website. I was therefore surprised to read in Arthur Ryder’s interesting article (Autumn 2007 Journal) that he did a reenactment of the event and even hung around at the start for any stragglers or other interested members of the club to turn up. As this was in any case a day later than he had originally intended to do the run, may I ask whether he seriously expected company on the run and if so how such people were expected to know it was taking place? Being more interested in riding bikes than polishing them I would probably have made the journey north for the event had I known it was on. As I said in my earlier letter, I feel it would be a shame if the “show� side of things took over from the riding side. Surely there is room for all shades of opinion and activity within our club. Enough of that, may I congratulate Arthur on completing the run, even if his timings were a little suspect. Forty five minutes from Llangollen to Beddgelert (49 miles according to my map) does seem a trifle optimistic, especially on a machine that he says will not do more than 48mph downhill! It would seem that the writer of the caption on the Dot Delivery Tricycle in the Wanaka museum is not alone in not letting the facts get in the way of a good story! Yours sincerely Mike Jackson ( Dot Club Member No 273 )
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VERY RARE tank badges The picture below shows the rare tank badges used by Dots around 1955/1956 before the smaller round yellow plastic ones and after the large transfers used on the earlier models. If you haven’t got any then don’t even ask, they are not available any where, unless you know better.
WANTED Pair of cast aluminium exhaust manifolds for a RCA engine as fitted to the road going Sportsman (see right hand photo) they have a downwards outlet, could swap for a pair as fitted to the RCA Dot scrambles, which have NO kink, ie they vent to the rear. (see left photo) SCRAMBLER
Pat Davy 01283 820563 SPORTSMAN
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Marks Mancunian Twins (Meaning he has two of them) I bought this Mancunian about 3 years ago, from a man in Norfolk. It then transpired that his father in law runs Superior Stainless, a business based here in Essex, making & selling a huge range of classic bike parts made from, you guessed it, stainless steel. Whilst I had taken some pictures when I first went to see it, about 2 months before he offered to me, I don’t have any full frontal pictures when I eventually bought it. These two photos show it when I first put it into the shed, less the mudguards, the second photograph was taken as I made progression with its restoration. This is actually Mancunian number two, the green one, with a painted tank. I bought my first one from Nottingham about 3 months earlier, well I say a Mancunian, there were a number of parts missing, chiefly the mudguards, headlamp cowl, in fact most of the tin ware. Such is life after nearly 50 years of use and abuse. I bought the second bike to assist in rebuilding the first bike. I had plenty of help and advice from other Mancunian owners in the club. I have now reached the stage were by I give advice to other members on things Dot related, how quickly we 20
progress from novice to, I hate the word, expert .Expert just means that I know a little more than the person asking the questions. I had 2 sets of mudguards commissioned from Renovation Spares, and what a very helpful man he is. Granted to have two sets of hand made mudguards doesn’t come cheap, but the rest of the bike didn’t break the bank. The seat pan meant that I had an original to use as a copy, in conjunction with a very good template that Mike Moore lent to me. Using local contacts and a very big guillotine I made two seat pans, one with a rounded rear end and the other with a squared back end. Even in the small production run that the Mancunian had, DOTs managed to make minor modifications from the early models to the later ones. The chief change was that they moved the front engine mounts to make access to the under slung speedo drive more accessible. This also meant a change in the engine plate shape as the early examples were using a similar frame to the 8E engined bikes. The Mancunian was the first bike to be available to the public using the new front cast links forks. The reason that Bernard Scott Wade used the newly designed 9E engine, was that he liked the clean lines it had and it complemented his first road machine since the RST. What also kept me from completing the Mancunian before now, was that I also had a 1962 square frame on the go, and allied to the second Mancunian I had a number of 9E/34A engines to rebuild. So the winter was spent doing engine and transmissions. Well if you have one to do then 3 isn’t any harder and you get into a routine. I also have a third square frame that has been away for 4 years awaiting modification for a special, more in the future about this and that meant I had 8 wheels to rebuild and refurbish, hence the 3 years delay. This didn’t stop me from bringing the bare green Mancunian frame to the Popham bike show in 2006 as it was the bikes 50th birthday. It was also 50 years since the round frame cast link Dot was designed and made. Time passed and I promised that it would be ready for a very large steam rally here in Essex for September 2007. I managed to produce a visually complete machine, even though it doesn’t actually run. These minor details are being addressed over this winter and given a fair wind it will run next Spring. Mark Gooding 21
VILLIERS 9E/30A SERIES GEARBOXES
4 1st gear
1
5
Ratchet wheel(5) drives the layshaft via the dogs and gear number (6)
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2nd gear 3
Main no dogs(3) drives the layshaft via the layshaft with dogs (6)
2 3rd gear Main with dogs(2) drives the layshaft via the layshaft without dogs(7)
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High pinnion Main with dogs Main no dogs Main Ratchet Wheel Lay with dogs Lay no dogs Layshaft
D.11974 D.8496 E.9026 C.8491/1 D.8499/1 D.8497 E.9026 C.8492/1
Gear number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
gears 1 2 3 4
Standard 25 22 19 14 28 23 19 17
Wide 27 24 18 14 28 24 18 15
31A & 35A 27 22 19 14 28 23 19 15
standard ratio 2.94 1.78 1.27 1.00
wide ratio 3.60 2.40 1.35 1.00
31 &35 ratio 3.60 2.18 1.55 1.00
top gear Main with dogs(2) drives the high gear pinion(1) directly
This article has been compiled with the help of Simon Bateman, of Nametab Engineering, Villiers Engine specialist. It is intended to help show the gear arrangement inside the 9E/30A series gear boxes. Mark Gooding 23
Gears in the Villiers gearbox There is a little known detail about the ubiquitous Villiers 9E series gear boxes. It is that in the 1960s Villiers produced a set of near identical gears, primarily for the scrambles bikes. They look the same, they have the same tooth numbers, they even fit the same, but and it is a big but. If they are used alongside the ordinary gears they will wear out in double quick time. Strangely it is the harder gear that wears before the softer one.
Older type
( Later type )
These up rated gears are harder and have a different tooth profile. It is this latter bit that does the real damage, as they don’t mesh exactly with the older types. The profile is slightly thinner on the top They are easily identified as they were renumbered using a series of 2s as in D12222 and they have a thin groove machined into them, either on the face or the outer edge. It is permissible to mix them, so long as they are used as matched pairs on the lay shaft and main shaft. The later type must work in pairs. The Older type pictures show the differences. Mark Gooding, with help from Mike Sumnall
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( Later type )
Letter received from Ted Hardy (regarding the Welsh Run) What a hardy (forgive me: such a good word!) fellow is this Arthur Ryder, whose intrepid trip to the wilds of Wales lifted the winter wearies in the pages of our very excellent little journal (our very excellent little journal thanks to all the hard, but even more excellent, work of Richard. Happy Christmas, Richard. Our thanks go out to you). This really was a worthy effort, and a true piece of daring do. Battling clock, inclement weather and wonky kickstarts - not to mention strange people who thought Dots were made by Francis Barnett - Arthur survived the rigours of wet underwear, of torn trouserwear and, worse still, of gravel filled knees, all in the extremely worthy cause of retracing our founder's tyreprints a hundred years ago. You know, I don't think Harry Reed's own original run to Beddgelert could have been more exciting, or more ably reported. Who is this Arthur Ryder? I hear you say. We saw a picture of his trusty Mancunian, but as usual Arthur's modesty prevailed. 'Not actually', you may say, 'cos he was obviously taking the photo, and it was a solo trip, stupid' - ah, but knowing Arthur as I do (oops, sorry; shouldn't have mentioned that!) I like to think this so. But I can tell you one other thing (very quietly) - that if you attend our club meets, you know him too: he's always there, always ready to help, a sheaf of pertinent bumff to hand. And I can also tell you (very, very quietly now!) that he was a founder member of our club; indeed, he was the founder member of our club, as I happen to know from when he roped me in - er, I mean from when I had the enormous privilege of helping him breathe life into it as the present Dot Motorcycle Club a few years ago now. Arthur was just the same then, always at it, always on the go, -always chivvying-me too just stop blathering-and get on with it-Really, a man of many parts and many guises, and also a great chum and a very worthy 'Dotty'. I hope I haven't given anything away here, but there is (just a last little whisper) another clue in the article. Arthur really wants to be the first to 25
ride the replica of the 1908 Harry Reed TT bike now under construction on this very same run; and all I can say that it really is he who should have first shout if that ever comes off, which I sincerely hope it will - and, really now, that's all I'm going to say. My lips are sealed. Not another word! So, thanks for a terrific article, and an even more terrific ride. Well done, Arthur, and more strength to your knees... - and this also gives me the opportunity to offer my very best wishes to all our members worldwide for the New Year. Happy Dotting. Ted Hardy PS ... if you are beginning to gain a bit better focus on this 'ere Arthur, I moustache you to keep it to yourself. He'd never forgive me if I were to give the game away. Happy Christmas, Arthur. Thanks Ted for the letter and your comments written in your own inimical style. This letter was headed by one of Ted's famous cartoon drawings which I have reproduced on the back cover ( with apologises to Rupert) Richard.
The advert on page 27 was taken from the FBHVC Handbook. Having tried the well known “classic insurers “ and been quoted silly money I tried these . Forty percent cheaper no hassle and prompt service. Now my Dots and my Triumph are covered by them. I would add that I have no connection with this company and that they may not suit everybody, but it is worth asking. Richard. 26
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Dear Richard, Thank you for printing my enquiry about a back number of the Journal. I received a very pleasant response from a number of members and Al Ussher provided the required copy. A big thank you to him and everyone else. Could I be a nuisance again please? I would like to find out a bit more of the history of my SDH Dot and wondered whether I could jog some memories? Any scraps of information eagerly appreciated. Manufactured in May 1953 it was supplied to Rossleigh Motorcycles in Edinburgh. Frame No.H530263, "Scrambler Tuned" engine, and Avon Gripster Tyres. It had Metal Profile telescopic front forks and swing arm frame. There is then a 37 year gap until I acquired it in 1990 from a dealer in Milnsbridge, Huddersfield. By now it was in trials trim, sported BSA front forks, a maroon petrol tank with Woolworths "stick a sole" rubbers attached, and a hefty home made exhaust system (not pretty but workman like). I paid way too much for it as the engine was well and truly knackered. When I bought it the salesman told me that it had been trialed in Lancashire - but I'm not sure I'd rely on that! Anyway I recently enrolled on an evening class in Keighley to commence a full stripdown and overhaul (well that is what I hope for - things look a bit bleak at the moment with the Dot in numberless pieces- will it ever go back together I ask myself). This awakened my interest in the bike's history. I now find (after 17 years ownership!) that the rear frame and swing arm have at some time been severely damaged and repaired in a somewhat heavy-handed, though effective manner. The tank has also taken a bashing. The final clue is this. There is an old square number plate, painted black and doing duty as a competition number plate on the top of the front forks. On stripping this I discovered the Registration Number BCP 146C. Now my Dot was not road registered when I got it and anyway I think that this number dates back to 1965. 28
Well, there it is. Does any of the above ring a bell? I appreciate that this is a humble machine of no significance, but I just love the stories that Bikes can tell. I bought an Indian Royal Enfield earlier this year and took a flyer in writing to a previous owner. His account of his ownership and travels was just so interesting and made me value the bike more. And by the way I really enjoy the RE, particularly as the Dot is out of action -1 even take it gentle greenlaning just to keep my hand in. Well, all good wishes for 2008, and thanks, as always, for your efforts and those of all the other club officers and members who keep the Dot Owners' Club rolling. Stephen Leather
Annual General Meeting 2008 Please note that the AGM of the DOT Motorcycle Club will take place at the Stafford Classic Bike Show on Sunday the 27th April 2008 at approximately 1pm ( Please check exact details with Club Stand prior to this time). If you have any items for discussion please forward them to the Secretary , Ann Davy , as soon as possible. 01283 820563 email: ann@radavy.freeserve.co.uk As Ann is planning on standing down as secretary at this meeting please give this matter some thought as it is most urgent that a replacement is found.
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Telephone/Fax 0161- 834 5472
PROP: ENGLISH SWEDISH WORLD TRADERS LTD.
ST. GEORGE’S HOUSE, 36 ELLESMERE STREET, HULME, MANCHESTER, M15 4JW
Dot Motorcycles have a large number of DOT parts available from stock. In addition we have full time engineering staff who are able to manufacture, in our fully equipped workshop, parts and special components for DOT machines. Among the items currently available:
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Front Forks
Square frame type
Front Fork Links
Spring Steel
Silentbloc Bushes
Fork and Rear Swing Arm
Swing Arm Studs and Nuts Swing Arm Spacer Tubes Taper Bearing Head Races Older Type Ball Races Dot Self-adhesive Badges 8” Front Grimeca Dot Hubs Grimeca Rear Brake Plates Grimeca Front & Rear Brake Shoe Exchange Service British Hub Alloy Front and Rear Brake Shoe Exchange Service Rear Sprockets to fit British Hub and Grimeca Dot Hubs 200/250cc Exhaust Pipes 200/250cc Trials Silencers with heat shield Demon Alloy Exhaust Heat Shield 6E/8E Chrome Plated Expansion Boxes Alloy Sleeve Bolts for Square Cylinders Pistons – 250cc Standard size with rings
Trials Alloy Chain guards Chain Adjusters
all types
Prop Stand and Body
TH/TDH Series (19” stock/21” to order)
Centre Stand
TH/TDH Series models
Footrests
All post war models
Rear Suspension Springs Chromed 65lb & 90lb Engine Plates All models Engine Mounting Bolts and Special BSCy Studs Doherty Ball Ended Control Levers Anti-rock pattern Air Filter Covers and Elements – Double & Single Sided Front Brake Cables for Grimeca Hub Throttle Cables for Villiers Carbs. Slim line front damper shrouds (not chromed British Hub Brake Drum Skimming Service Improved Design Back plate and Points for 9E/32A etc Villiers Front Mudguard Loops All Models Rear Mudguard Loops All S/Arm Models
British Hub Brake Drum Skimming Service Improved Design Backplate and Points for 9E/32A etc Villiers Front Mudguard Loops All Models Rear Mudguard Loops All S/Arm Models
We will quote for any spare for your DOT bike (updated August 2005)
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Ted Hardy
www.dot-motorcycle-club.co.uk dotclub@freenetname.co.uk