drh dr3w w by gregorcoush

IN THE E ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE NAVY... E Vincent’s ‘C’ Comet

Military M20

CIRCULATES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

FEBRUARY 2020

Number 2, February 2020 £4.30 UK Off-sale date 07/02/2020

PRINTED IN THE UK

What could

have been

The Brooklands Motorcycles story

Super fun in a small package

Lightweight Gilera 50 Trial

PLUS TRIUMPHS AT BONNEVILLE THE 1920 PARIS TO NICE TRIAL THE LONDON MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM  GWEN & JACK WHITE STORY

CONTENTS ISSUE | FEBRUARY 2020 Archive photograph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Triumphs at Bonneville. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Subscribe and save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Brooklands Motorcycles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 TUAR event report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 BSA M20 (Royal Navy) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Gilera 50 Trial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Charentes event report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Jack and Gwen White profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Vincent Comet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Closer look – 1920 Paris-Nice Trial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Sketchbook Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Triumph unit twin rebuild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Roy Poynting column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Jerry Thurston column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 You Were Asking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Restoration guide – NSU Quickly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Technical feature – Early motorcycle

manufacture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Classic components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Next month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Diary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Classic camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 POST: The Classic MotorCycle, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ EMAIL: jrobinson@mortons.co.uk

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Percy Tait (1929-2019)

Photography: MORTONS ARCHIVE

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

Classic archive

End

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

New

&Events

Ne s&E ents

Bristol is nearly here!

The 2020 Carole Nash Bristol Classic MotorCycle Show celebrates the 40th birthday of the event. To mark the milestone, organisers are turning back the clock and throwing a 1970s/80sthemed birthday bash and, of course, everyone is invited. Dressing up is encouraged and there will be a cash prize for the best-dressed visitor on both days. Visitors are encouraged to dig out their best 1970s and 80s clobber… flares, tank tops, platform shoes, shell suits, New Romantic frilly shirts – the lot. You will also be able to marvel at the finest examples of private collection motorcycles. Owners spend thousands of painstaking hours ensuring their exhibits are in the best possible condition, ready for display and inspection by the crowds and judges. As expected at the Bristol show, there is a focus on the likes of Norton, BSA, Cotton and

Sunbeam motorcycles and many more. Alongside the machines on the show’s club stands, the private entries will be competing for a host of show awards, including the coveted Best in Show prize.

Free party bags with an advance ticket

What party would be complete without a party bag? Well, in true birthday party style, the first 1000 people who purchase their ticket in advance will be given one FREE party bag per transaction, complete with an assortment of products and offers for any motorcycle enthusiast to enjoy.

Superb displays on club stands

Classic bikes, exotic continentals, rare contraptions… the wonderful and expansive mix of club stands packed into the halls at the Royal Bath & West Showground deliver a rare treat

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

for motorcycle enthusiasts. A quick browse of the A-Z list and all the big hitters are there, from the likes of the multi-interest VMCC and VJMC, through to the specialist owners’ clubs covering marques such as BSA, Norton, Suzuki and Kawasaki, among many others.

Autojumble as far as the eye can see

If visitors are looking for a great day out filled with motorcycle bargains, the 40th Carole Nash Bristol Classic MotorCycle Show

is the place to be. Hundreds of traders showcased their wares last year and this year’s event is set to be even bigger and better. With a mammoth display of spare parts, tools, books, magazines, signs and complete machines, you’ll find exactly what you are looking for. To get your tickets, go to www. bristolclassicbikeshow.com The 40th Carole Nash Bristol show is at the Royal Bath & West showground, ST18 0BD on Saturday and Sunday, February 1/2, 2020.

New

&Events

Book Review

Suzuki motorcycles

Vic Eastwood in action on the BSA in 1965, the year in which he was fourth in the world championship.

Vic Eastwood (1941-2019) Former scrambling star Vic Eastwood has died, aged 78. A member of BSA’s works motocross team, he was fourth in the 1965 500cc world championship, while he also won the 1968 British Motocross GP, riding a Husqvarna.

He placed second in the British championship eight times. During the 1970s he rode for CCM, and then Honda, becoming a Honda main dealer in 1980, a year after his professional racing retirement. He leaves wife Ann and sons Mark and Scott.

Pete Rutterford, partnering Siegfried Schauzu at Brands Hatch in 1970.

Pete Rutterford Sidecar racing passenger Pete Rutterford lost his battle against cancer on November 24, 2019. Pete entered the bike racing world by scrambling various machines before switching to sidecar passengering. He had a lot of success as a passenger to many, including Colin Golesworthy, Georg Auerbacher and Siggi Schauzu, who Pete had much regard for and kept in contact with. Pete’s biggest achievement was winning the world championship in 1971 on

the Fath four URS outfit, ridden by Horst Owelsle After racing, Pete took up aerobatic flying with a Pitts Special, before a crash in foggy conditions ended his competitive flying days. Pete and I met at the Saltbox motorcycle cafe in the early 1960s and we remained friends ever since. He kept riding right up to the end. He will be much missed, not least, of course, by his wife and daughter. Geoff Trotman.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

The Classic Two-Stroke Era 1955 to 1978 Author: Brian Long Published by: Veloce Publishing Ltd, Veloce House, Parkway Farm Business Park, Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 3AR Tel: 01305 260068 Email: sales@veloce.co.uk Fax: 01305 250479 Hardback, 255 x 255mm (landscape); 176 pages with 593 colour and black & white photographs and illustrations. ISBN 978-1- 787112-12-4-7/UPC 6-36847-01212-0 £35 (UK); $60 (USA) Researched and written in Japan by English author Brian Long, with the full co-operation of the factory, here in definitive detail is the story of twostroke Suzuki motorcycles – a series of models that put the company on the map, helping it to survive a difficult era that saw hundreds of Japanese motorcycle manufacturers reduced to just four. Michio Suzuki was born in 1887, near Hamamatsu, an area associated with weaving and the manufacture of cloth Later, like Coventry in England, many companies moved into cycle and motorcycle production. Trained as an engineer, Michio designed a vastly improved weaving loom for his mother that was so successful that it led to the foundation of the Suzuki Loom Works in 1909 – an industry that ran parallel with Suzuki’s later motorcycle production. After the Second World War, Suzuki needed to diversify, as transport was desperately required to get the country mobile again. Suzuki’s first machine was launched in 1952, a 32cc powered bicycle called the Power Free, followed shortly by the 58cc Diamond Free model, which was hugely successful. Suzuki’s first proper motorcycle was introduced in 1953, the Colleda CO, a stylish model with a 125cc side-valve engine. Sales were disappointing, however, and

Suzuki adopted two-stroke engines that were cheaper to make and gave better performances, resulting in the 125cc ST that bore more than a passing resemblance to the DKW RT125. In 1956 came the exciting Colleda 250TT, an impressive two-stroke twin based on the German Adler MB25, with Earles-type front forks. Three years later came the 125cc Colleda Seltwin, equipped with mirrors and direction indicators, it became the world’s first two-stroke twin with a self-starter. Hydraulically-operated drum brakes were also tried, but unsuccessfully. After being completely outclassed in the 1961 grands prix world championship season, Suzuki’s prospects changed after they assisted development engineer and GP star Ernst Degner to defect from the MZ team and East Germany, taking with him a great deal of knowledge and information on two-stroke technology. Suzuki gained many world titles in road racing with Hugh Anderson and Barry Sheene and in motorcross by Joel Robert and Roger De Coster. With stronger emission laws, 1978 saw the end of Suzuki’s first two-stroke era with such memorable machines as the six-speed Super 6 and the air-cooled three-cylinder GT380 and water-cooled GT750. Reviewed by Jonathan Hill.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

New

&Events

NEWS IN BRIEF  CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE WINTER CLASSIC

Motorcycling to Brighton

You’ll need to move quickly to make it to the Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic show, which takes place at the Newark county showground over the weekend of January 11/12, 2020. The guest of honour is ex-world superbike and GP star Frankie Chilli. Details: www.classicbikeshows.com

 GET DIRTY AT TELFORD SHOW

The Classic Dirt Bike show, sponsored by Hagon, takes place at the International Centre in Telford over the weekend of February 15/16, and has US rials star Bernie Schreiber and British 500cc motocross Bryan ‘Badger’ Goss as joint guests of honour. Details from www.classicbikeshows.com

 PIONEER RUN

The Pioneer Run, for motorcycles made before 1915, will be held for the 81st time in 2020, but this year there is a significant alteration – the finish has moved away from Madeira Drive and it now ends at Brighton city airport. Arrival will be expected from 10am after an 8am start at Epsom Downs. The event is on March 22, 2020.

 NEW KINGPIN SITE

Kingpin Components has a new website that now incorporates an online shop. This will make it quicker and easier to search, find, order and pay for products, which can be sent from anywhere in the world. Go to www.kingpin components.co.uk to see the ever-increasing range.

 ACE CAFÉ DATES

There’s another full calendar at the Ace Café in 2020, with a couple of early dates for the diary – the AJS and Matchless day on January 19, and the 59 Club day on February 23.

Martin Hall at the controls of his 1904 Rexette. His passenger looks a little less comfortable, but they managed to ﬁnish.

Cars were undoubtedly the stars of the show at the London to Brighton Veteran run on November 3, 2019, but this truly classic event, which began in 1927, inevitably attracts numerous spectators on bikes of all ages too, some of them following at least part of the route for a change of vantage point. In the last couple of years the Royal Automobile Club, the Pioneer regular John Dudley’s 1910 Arno and a rare 1920s Albert organisers of the event, have car. Spectating and a picnic on the village green – another enjoyable day is almost a given. extended an invitation for pre-1905 two-wheelers, cycles and motorcycles, to join as official entries. While forecars were an early success story, the more conventional motorcycle was still an infant technology, so survivors from that era are not common. There were seven motorcycle entries, with one single-cylinder FN a non-starter. The bikes added variety, interspersed among more than 300 cars. Many of the eligible bikes have Kate Baldock raises smiles as Flying the ﬂag! Uno Levinsson made the journey to Brighton on the family Leon Bollee notches from Sweden on his 1899 De previous occasions, featuring in up yet another run. Dion Bouton tricycle. the Sunbeam MCC’s Pioneer Run. Jonathan Hill had the use outing to the seaside. Too late for engine. An unusual concept, but, of Vintage MCC’s well-known as noted, powered two-wheelers inclusion in the programme, the and well-travelled 1903 were still new technology. unique Slinger was also spotted. Dreadnought. Alan Williams All six motorcycles were A cycle-style machine, this onelooked as venerable as his 1904 classified as finishers – as were off replaced the conventional Kerry, while Ken Lee gave his front wheel with two wheels, the bicycles! 1904 James H. Smith another Alan Turner. ‘fore and aft’ driven by a De Dion

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

THE WAY WE WERE IN

FEBRUARY 1920

The Motor Cycle team enjoyed a brief test ride on the Cotton lightweight motorcycle, with all-new triangulated frame, which the maker – The Cotton Motor Co, 11 Bristol Road, Gloucester – was to launch. What made this new model stand out was its unconventional frame design, which was in accordance with the sound mechanical principle that as it is built of straight tubes they can only be subjected to compression and tension forces. Thus, as far as was possible, all bending forces were negated. By design, the triangulated frame would only have stress or tension at the apex of any set of tubes. The result was Cotton has developed a light, rigid frame with minimal risk of breakage due to metal fatigue. With its perfect wheel alignment, rigid

1945

The responsibility was the overtaker’s – following many hours of debate in Parliament concerning the responsibility of a crash in the event of hitting a vehicle with no rear lights, the Attorney-General issued the

1970

Peter Thornton, president of BSA Incorporated of America, announced at the Anaheim (California) Show that the factory-prepared 750cc BSA

1995

Walter Zeller, BMW factory racing and off-road rider, died on February 4, 1995, aged 67. He was the West German 500cc road race champion in 1951, 1954 and 1955 and also competed at GP level, finishing runner-up

design, and low seat height, the new Cotton provided excellent stability on all road surfaces and in all weathers. Cotton first experimented with their triangulated frame design in 1913 and The Motor Cycle rode this prototype machine, which was also ridden in reliability trials. Drawing from these experiences, the maker developed what was concluded to be a near-perfect frame for the modern motorcycle. Priced at 62 Guineas, the launch model had a 269cc single-cylinder Villiers two-stroke engine, Albion two-speed gearbox/clutch, Saxon front fork and 26 x 2¼in wheels. Once production was underway, the Gloucester maker planned to develop faster touring and sporting models, all employing triangulated frames. following statement. “Even if the vehicle’s rear lights were not lit, any motorist (motorcyclist) who ran into a cycle (or other vehicle) would certainly, as far as I can see, be guilty of negligence.” and Triumph triples entered for the year’s Daytona 200 were capable of over 160mph and would easily hit the 155mph needed to qualify. to John Surtees (MV Agusta) in the 1956 riders’ world championship. He retired from racing after the 1957 season to concentrate on his family’s steel business, later becoming well-known on the European parade circuit. Richard Rosenthal.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

New

&Events

Rachael’s calendar Our regular contributor Rachael Clegg has once again put together her Milestones calendar, with pictures shot on location in the Isle of Man, and with each picture comes a TT-based fact or anecdote. The calendar was shot in November in the Isle of Man with photographer Ian Parry. Rachael said: “It was by far the coldest shoot I’ve ever done – standing at the Bungalow with a fog horn with no clothes on in November was certainly a test of character, and sanity.” The props all form part of Rachael’s story-telling of the TT’s history: “Everything is designed to tell a story – so every prop has relevance to the historical event we are recreating.” Among the many tales in the calendar is that of Barregarrow, where, of all people, the former director of transport drove a dumper truck on to the TT course during a race. To illustrate this, Rachael organised a life-size dumper. “It’s quite unbelievable when you start digging into the TT’s history. It never fails to amaze me!” Milestones 2020 costs £25 and is available from www.rachaelclegg.com while for signed copies email Rachael directly at rachael@rachaelclegg.com

Weaver collection at Mecum auction

Two of the stunning machines offered at the Mecum Las Vegas show. The Brough Superior dates back to 1930, the Indian to 1905.

Bob Weaver, of Grand Island, New York, is offering more than 70 motorcycles from his varied collection, including many low or zero-mile original Japanese, Italian and British motorcycles, at the 2020 Mecum Las Vegas annual antique and vintage motorcycle auction, held over January 21-26 at the South Point Hotel and Casino. Weaver has offered motorcycles at several Mecum Las Vegas auctions, and the response to his quality machines has been exciting, to say the least. Buyers are now especially seeking out

machines from his collection, knowing they will be among the best available. His offerings this year will include US, British, Japanese and Italian motorcycles. A few of the notable entries include a fully restored 1954 Vincent Black Shadow, a very correct 1966 Velocette Thruxton, a onemodel-year-only unrestored 1973 Triumph Hurricane, but, the one garnering the most attention is his restored Brough Superior SS100. Weaver has always brought to auction collectible Japanese motorcycles, and this year will

be no exception. Among the large selection he will present is an original, low-mileage 1990 Honda RC30 race model and a 1980 Honda CBX showing only 93 miles on the odometer. The two oldest motorcycles Weaver will offer include a rare 1911 Pierce Four-Cylinder and a stunning 1905 Indian Single with interesting history and photo documentation. The Weaver collection is among a staggering 1750 machines that will be available for purchase. There’s plenty to ogle at www.mecum.com

Crocker tops the bill at Bonhams A glorious 1940 Crocker Big Tank V-Twin, formerly owned by Crocker employee Elmo Looper, is the star lot at the Bonhams Las Vegas sale on January 23, 2020 at Caesar’s Entertainment Studios. The Crocker comes from the last two years of Crocker motorcycle production, and is one of fewer than 30 Big Tanks variants built. The engine and transmission has been overhauled by marque guru Mike Lange, while much of the rest of the machine has been painstakingly put together over 15 years. Of the top-selling 100 motorcycle sold in the last few years at auction, 15 are Crockers. This one has an

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

estimate of $450,000 to $550,000, which translates as £340,000 to £410,000. The auction has a large collection of V-twins, with Ducati, Indian, AJS and, a long way from home, a brace of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

manufacturer NUTs, one 1913, the other 1925, all among those represented. Another eye catcher is a rather beautiful former South African championship winning 1955 Matchless G45 racer. Details from www.bonhams.com

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

Readers Letters YOUR VOICE & YOUR OPINIONS

Ty yrell ap ppreciated

Fabulous postcard sent to Stanley Woods’ mother, by Tyrell Smith in 1928. The ‘rotten luck’ Smith mentioned must refer to the Junior race, in which Stanley retired.

I would like to extend my compliments to Adam Rear on the Tyrell Smith article in the November 2019 issue of TCM. As a fellow Dubliner

greatly interested in the subject of Tyrell, I felt it was well researched and well written. You can’t fit everything in of course, but like so

many other top notch racers of the period, Tyrell was also a trials man in the winter. He entered the ISDT on a Manxman and won a

gold medal in Wales in 1938. I thought readers might like to see this postcard that Tyrell sent to Mrs Woods, Stanley’s

mother, in 1928. In the Senior that year, Tyrell finished fourth and Stanley finished fifth. Gerry Clarke, Moycullen, Co. Galway, Ireland.

League of nations Following on from my email, published on p16 of the April 2018 edition, I thought I’d share my latest endeavour. To recap: readers may remember my heap of Triumph parts, just like Tim Britton’s ongoing Triumph project. Well, I am pleased to say my pile of junk has now been transformed into a complete motorcycle that starts, runs and is ready for road test, when it gets a bit warmer… The project turned out to be a lot more daunting than expected as I found someone had hacked off all of the frame brackets. All of these had to be remanufactured and welded/brazed back on. The new rear footrest brackets include an extension forward so that they can be used to support the home brewed rear sets, gear linkage and rear brake pedal.

The kick-start lever had to be heated and bent forward to give more knee room then replated on the home plater. Rear chainguard (not in photo) is home brewed as are all of the mudguard brackets, centrestand, sidestand, folding right footrest, etc. I call the machine my ‘Multi-national cafe racer’ as many of the parts required were sourced from abroad. The racing style seat which hinges from the front to give access to the battery and oil filler is from China; tacho and speedo are Smiths replicas from India; chrome (Lucas?) headlight shell from India; headlight alloy/ chromed brackets, bullet type flashers, control box and handlebar switch system from China; and the Siamese exhaust came from a very nice gentleman in Portsmouth. Megga-type silencer

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

(that sounds great and has super chrome) came from China; front TLS modified Enfield front brake was purchased from India many years ago (always knew I would need one…); modified used Piranha electronic ignition system was bought from Germany many years ago for a BMW. Twin 12v coils came off one of my old racers and were found not to be faulty after all; side panel ignition switch and headlight switch from China; display/speedo/ tacho panel uses alloy sheet from a discarded road sign and the Triumph has indicators, high beam and neutral LED warning lights purchased from Italy. Drive side crankcase has been machined to take a Massey Ferguson tractor right angle tacho drive driven off the T90 exhaust cam, the inlet cam

John Senior’s ‘Multi-national café racer’ with all work undertaken at home, with plenty of blood, sweat and tears shed along the way…

is also T90. Good used standard size pistons with new rings are used, but I had to purchase new valve springs and a set of valves. The wiring system is home brewed but I tried to keep to the original Triumph wire colours except where non standard extras are used. An original Lucas AC alternator is used but wired to achieve a full 12v with the voltage controlled via a very neat Chinese rectifier. And so the story goes on and on and on... Thanks to Richard Wheadon from the Triumph Owners’ Club, we have found that my engine and frame left

the Triumph factory as a complete TwentyOne and was supplied to G.B.R. Motors Ltd of Colchester on August 31, 1961, and not only that but Richard, through the DVLA, managed to recover the original 1961 registration number and I have a new log. The pictures show the nearly finished Triumph special, but not the blood, sweat and tears shed while searching for missing parts. All work was undertaken at home, including derusting and replating 80 spokes, with nothing sent out at all. John Senior, via email.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

Readers Letters WRITE TO: The Classic Motorcycle, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, LN9 6LZ EMAIL: jrobinson@mortons.co.uk

Triumphant Tourists Thank you for publishing Triumphant Tourists in the December 2019 and January 2020 issues of The Classic MotorCycle. Angus and Margaret Innes were my parents and, although my entire life has been lived with the knowledge of the amazing journey they took in the 1950s, seeing an account of it in print – beautifully written and lavishly illustrated – has taken my understanding and appreciation of what they achieved to a whole new level. I am so pleased that, through your publication, their story has been brought to the attention of a wider audience, and I would like to thank Mike Lewis for so accurately portraying who my parents were and for writing such a faithful account of their trip. Towards the end of the article, Mike mentions that my parents’ Triumph was stolen. This is indeed the case. It was taken from

the Rolls-Royce car park in Patchway, Bristol, on Thursday, November 14, 1974. Although I was only 10, and my dad was never someone to burden others with his troubles, particularly his children, I know that he felt its loss keenly: he had bought the bike from new and had maintained it meticulously and lovingly. Despite publicising the theft, offering a reward for its safe return, and spending many fruitless hours driving around looking for it, it was never recovered. To this day, its fate remains unknown. I am attaching a page from my dad’s maintenance log in case it might be of interest to your readers. I am not a motorcyclist, so it means very little to me, but nevertheless I find it a fascinating read. To me, it illustrates a couple of things. Firstly, that there can be no doubt that this bike was my dad’s pride

and joy; he knew it inside out and backwards. And, secondly, it is evidence of how the bike was able to carry my mum and dad all the way around the world while providing so little in the way of trouble: with the care lavished upon it, it is hardly surprising it performed so well. Also – and I don’t know whether to feel proud or regretful about this – it shows that whoever stole the bike found themselves in possession of a very reliable machine. I wonder if it’s just possible that this splendid machine is still out there somewhere? As we know from Mike’s article, the bike was a 1954 Triumph T110, registration SHW 129. I can add that its engine number was T11051722, and its frame number was 51722. I am hoping that there is someone, somewhere, who might be able to cast some light on what became of it.

Dad’s hill climb success I have recently found this medal, right, in a box of items that belonged to my late father, W R J Wood. When he was 17 years old he won the medal at a Wye Valley Motor Cycle Club hill climb in 1923. I am trying to find out more about the location and history of this hill climb. You don’t win sterling silver medals in local hill climbs today! I can be contacted by

email at cjw.leafields@ yahoo.co.uk. Christopher Wood.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

A sample page from Angus Innes’ meticulous log.

It will be too late for my mum and dad – my mum died in 1996 and my dad died in 2014 – but now that their story is being told, thanks to The Classic MotorCycle, and a book I am currently researching and writing, it seems just as important to find out what happened to it. I must stress that I have no interest in contesting the ownership

of the bike; my interest is purely sentimental. What a fitting postscript it would make if I were able to write that this ‘fine motorcycle’ is still alive and kicking, and, since its ‘ignominious’ theft in 1974, has enjoyed another 45 years of adventure. Wendy Innes, Goodrich, Herefordshire.

Raleigh corrections A small error appeared in the November 2019 edition of TCM, page 19. It is with regards to a picture of myself with my flat twin Raleigh. The main non-catalogue item on the Raleigh is the front wheel, which I believe is from a Norton of the mid 1920s, instead of an interchangeable dummy rim front brake wheel, as fitted by Raleigh. The drum does give slightly better braking and came with the bike when I bought it and restored it more than 20 years ago. Thank you again for an interesting and well balanced mag. Dave Comber, email, VMCC Raleigh Marque Specialist.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

Taking to the famous salt ďŹ&#x201A;ats, a pair of British enthusiasts, on old Triumphs, have achieved several records. Words and photographs: RHONA GARDINER

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

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MOTORCYCLES

A waiting game Bob Chapman’s Brooklands is an example of a motorcycle that never quite was but really should’ve been. Words and photographs: ALAN TURNER new Brooklands motorcycle? It is an interesting project that has kept the energetic Bob Chapman busy for a few months, a resurrection of a design that, at one time, had shown so much promise. But what is a Brooklands? When The Classic MotorCycle featured the Brooklands Motorcycle Company in 2008, it wass already from a historical viewpoint. The company had produced neither bikes nor bits for some time. To recap on the original article, a long held enthusiasm for Norton singles was the catalyst that established the business. Single-cylinder bikes had been Norton’s mainstay for many years. There were plenty of prewar survivors and the legendary International continued well into the 1950s. All remained eminently suitable for riding, but regular use of bikes of that age inevitably led to wear and tear and the need for replacement parts. By then, what remained of the official Norton business was focused elsewhere. And these were the pre-internet days, when sourcing obsolete motorcycle parts could be a long, frequently frustrating procedure and determination was needed to track down diminishing quantities of new-old stock. Seeing the sale of remanufactured parts as a possible way of keeping their own bikes running, Ian Thompson and Malcolm Nash started producing spares to the original Bracebridge Street specification. The Brooklands Motorcycles business soon grew, the range expanded and customers kept suggesting that there might even be a market for complete bikes.

Left: Salute to BP? The company provided early samples of unleaded fuel. The engine (four-valve at that time) suffered no problems. Below left: Ian Thompson, in cap, was one of the instigators of the Brooklands project and was delighted with Bob Chapman’s work. Below right: Evolution? The Brooklands shows its traditional lines.

A ssmall batch of components was not too difficult to organise, but the huge investment d to manufacture engines and transmissions were steps too far at that stage. If the project was to move forward, where could something suitable be found, preferably of British manufacture? Eventually, a potential B solu ution appeared. A suitable power source could be derived from the Weslake Speedway engine. Harry Weslake specialised in cylinder head gas flow and through his eponymous company had either designed cylinder heads, or been engaged as consultants on such designs, for most of the engines built by the British car industry in the 1960s. The success of the Gurney-Eagle Weslake V-12 Formula One racing car of 1966 brought Weslake firmly into the public eye. Not long after, with patriotic enthusiasm, the company becoming more involved in British motorcycle engines. A number of projects resulted in some outstanding successes. By the time Ian Thompson made his approach, Weslake was riding the crest of a wave. British motorcycle enthusiasts found the country’s influence in Grand Prix road racing sadly minimal but Weslake was making headlines. A totally British company was sweeping the board in speedway, grass- and long-track racing. Achieved with 500cc single-cylinder power units, it appeared to be an easy fit with the ethos of the Brooklands project. In reality, it was far from a simple bolt-in job. Running the engines on petrol, rather than cool-burning methanol, and replacing the total loss lubrication system with a re-circulatory one were two of

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the more immediate problems. There were plenty more, some from quite unexpected quarters. Weslake continued to push ahead with speedway engine development and spin-off road-going versions were never far behind. Brooklands Motorcycles tried various forms of the engine, with overhead valve, or one, or two, overhead camshafts. Initial results were so encouraging it was decided to really push the boundaries. Norton expert Stu Rogers was brought in to help with prototype development. They had the advantage of a sophisticated ‘magic box’ speedway-type ignition system that allowed adjustment of spark intensity as well as various advance curves. With appropriate settings, the engine could be run on almost anything flammable, from paraffin to Avgas. Production of unleaded fuel was only just beginning in Europe, but BP sourced a special sample delivery from Germany to allow testing, which resulted in another box successfully ticked. If Norton still made singles, surely this was how they would have evolved? The design merited a Conservation Foundation award, presented on TV, as well as £2500 from the Ford Motor Company for innovative engineering. There were design features equally applicable to many mainstream production engines. The power outputs and delivery found the next weak link in the Brooklands development process was the redoubtable AMC gearbox. The specification was

changed to a five-speed unit, supplied by Triumph. With manufacturers and suppliers in place, very favourable responses from press reports and road tests, success seemed to be assured. Interest resulted in some preproduction bikes being dispatched to customers around the world. Ian and Malcolm went to see Weslake and put 2: Front end stability down a substantial deposit for 25 Weslake engines, then… from restored In a short run of spectacularly bad luck, both engine Roadholders as well as providing a perch and transmission suppliers went to the wall within days for basic information. of each other. Brooklands received neither engines nor 3: Not yet ﬁnished, parts, but the Weslake deposit money was seized as an but Bob’s working asset by the liquidators. To compound the problem, the standards and bank manager immediately stopped the Brooklands attention to detail are clearly on show. company’s account – but neglected to tell the account 4: Lack of detailed holders! Within a couple of days the company’s name styling in the timing was black-listed everywhere. area reveals the After a while, what remained of Weslake was prototype origins of the engine. regrouping, but saw the future in its aviation ventures. There still remained a glimmer of hope for the original project. Ron Valentine, who had been in charge of the Weslake drawing office, was collaborating with his son, Brian, to continue motorcycle engine development. Brian had worked at Weslake and was long steeped in motorcycle engine preparation. American Bruce Penhall had won both 1981 and 1982 World Speedway Championships with Weslake engines, generating demand for production racing engines but by then, the manufacturers were no longer in a position to

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

1:Tradition demands a traditional brake, this twin-leading shoe combination would have been the best available in the early 1960s.

MOTORCYCLES

capitalise on the interest. Inevitably, the designs would soon be copied and the advantage diluted. Weslake’s reputation had been established in gas flow, as applied to cylinder head design. So how to improve on the effective four-valve layout? Simple logic said: ‘Five valves must be better than four.’ However, achieving that was far from simple and Brian had not been the first to try. Three inlet ports had to be created within the contours of a radiused combustion chamber, offering effective gains in gas flow, operated by valves that had to open sufficiently, but without tangling at full lift. The end result was the BVR-ICV (Brian Valentine Racing – Inclined Centre Valve) engine. A prototype was produced. A single overhead camshaft operated short rockers to act on the valves. Initial trials showed the engine was very effective and for track racing applications it looked as if it was the way to a future. For expediency, and also with an eye on potential sales from engine upgrades, the revised upper works were a straight fit on a Weslake bottom-half. Another of Brian Valentine’s skills was in the field of computers and this was how some design work was done, long before CAD (computer-aided design) became standard drawing office practice. While Brian concentrated on individual challenges, Ian Thompson was looking at the bigger picture. Once more, the technology was immediately transferable to road-going engines. An enormous advantage for

Above: A Brooklands at Brooklands. Mr McCandless’s suspension system would have been a boon around the notoriously bumpy speed bowl.

Brooklands Motorcycles, but how to keep hold of the reins of these new-found horses? To protect the design sufficiently, international patents would have been prohibitively expensive, so it was best to strike an agreement quickly. The design was ceded to Yamaha for both motorcycle and car applications. The Japanese manufacturer got to grips with applying the technology to production and the first of the five-valve engines appeared in the four-cylinder FZ750 of 1985. Brian pressed ahead. There was a lot more prototype work before he committed to an order for 20 sets of top-end castings. The barrel and head arrangement was the same for singles or V-twins, following Weslake’s practice. Some twins had bigger bores to displace more than a litre, a popular option for some sidecar racing applications. The BVR concern, operating from modest premises in rural Kent, had already achieved a reputation for its competition engine preparation. This helped pay the bills and generated useful publicity. The initial batch of five-valve cylinder head castings was faulty. A rescue operation managed to make some of them serviceable and a few singles and twins were sold. Prototype work continued as the possibilities of a road-going version were being investigated. Development work resulted in at least one completed bike. After that setback, worse news followed. Rumours emanating about an impending decision from the

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FIM (motorcycle sport’s international governing body) proved correct. Concern about the power outputs of the new generation of track racing engines was given as the reason as the FIM decreed that, for international competition, track racing engines could have no more than four valves! Brian’s real interest was in racing, but the future of the five-valve was dependent on sales for road use. A formerly dependable customer had now run up a substantial debt with BVR and, suddenly, no more money was forthcoming. With insufficient cash flow, the business collapsed. It was a bitter blow for Brian, he transferred his talents to his computer skills and eventually went on to considerable success in that field. Brooklands Motorcycles progressed to a link with frame specialist Eric Cheney. Initially, Eric was to produce the Featherbed-type frames into which would be fitted Rotax 500cc single-cylinder engines. The engines had already been investigated as an option to either Weslake or BVR engines. As supplied, the Austrian engines felt rather stifled, but minor attention allowed the engine to deliver a lively performance. Then the Ministry of Defence (MOD) wanted design input on specialist motorcycle designs – work in which Eric Cheney excelled and so this became the main focus for Eric until his death. By then, the whole classic scene had changed enormously since the inception of Brooklands Motorcycles and it was considered time to bow out. Ian retained one of the bikes as a tribute to Eric Cheney, a friend and an incredibly talented craftsman. And one of many who had directly, or indirectly, been part of the Brooklands story. The five-valve engine that came to Bob Chapman was passed on to him by his friend Colin Knight. Colin has a

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Above: Bob Chapman picked up the pieces of the project and saw it through.

reputation (and the awards) for some fine restorations of speedway bikes. Word of mouth when buying some Speedway JAP spares led him to the BVR engine. It was owned by Ben Gooch, who had achieved success in sidecar road-racing with outfits using Weslake V-twin engines. As Brian Valentine seemed to be picking up some of the pieces of Weslake, Ben was hoping this would allow access to further developments. When the five-valve project collapsed, Brian gave Ben one of the single-cylinder engines, but Ben could never decide what to do with it. After years languishing in his workshop, he was happy to move it on to Colin. Colin reflected on his investment, realising he was not sure exactly what he had bought! The engine had many elements of a track racing unit – except for the generous cooling fins and a recirculatory oil system. Plainly marked ‘BVR’, it did not tally with any of the engines documented as appearing in speedway from time to time, but the castings indicated it was unlikely to be another one-off special. During the winter show season, Colin displays his bikes at various events. To produce something of a novelty feature, a stand was made to hold the isolated engine and it was displayed alongside his speedway bikes. At a Kempton event, Ian Thompson was surprised to see the engine on display. When Colin confessed he knew little about the unit, Ian offered to fill in the blanks. A long, further meeting with Ian revealed the history of the BVR engine. It was the original plain bearing sohc four-valve engine, the actual unit that had been used to establish compatibility with unleaded fuel. At some later date, it had acquired a five-valve conversion. Fins (based on late-model Gold Star dimensions) had been welded to the cylinder barrel, which had also been increased

MOTORCYCLES

2 in bore size. Lubrication problems had eventually been resolved and the ignition was courtesy of the original programmable ‘magic box’. With such provenance established, Colin decided a continuation Brooklands bike was the only true home for the engine. The standard of Colin’s speedway bike restorations was testament enough to the quality of his workmanship and Ian offered his assistance and support should the need arise, including some of the original Brooklands-sourced parts. Unfortunately, cruel luck paid yet another visit. A period of ill-health for Colin stalled the project’s progress. Joe Howland looks after Colin’s engines. He stripped the BVR and checked it. Until then it was very much an unknown quantity, but Joe found that it was all functioning as it should. Eventually, Colin decided he would pass on the project, but knew the energetic Bob Chapman, a serial restorer of classics, could be relied upon to complete the work. Bob soon assessed what was required. As a frequent visitor to the Kempton Park jumbles, his first piece of luck was with a rather sad looking Norton Featherbed frame. It had been hacked about, but not terminally, and some of the sins were disguised beneath a coating of red oxide paint that had probably been applied with a trowel. Nevertheless, it showed promise and when he stripped it down he could hardly believe his luck. He had unwittingly bought a Manx Norton frame! It augured well for the rest of the project and his luck did not fail him. The Roadholder forks were actually assembled from a selection of bits, some of which even turned up at a boot fair. The clip-ons were among several odds and ends that Bob had in stock at home. The

1: If it’s not Norton – then it will be better than Norton! 2: Gold Star inspired cylinder barrel was more prototype work. 3: Unmachined blank for follower that operates the three inlet valves on a BVR-ICV engine. 4: Combustion chamber revealing the pitmarks due to faulty casting. 5: Five-valve cylinder head casting. Note the solid support for the camshaft and lever followers. 6: The one and only. Another development path resulted in this, the only BVR double overhead camshaft ﬁve-valve engine.

hubs were also sourced from Kempton. The purveyor concerned was a one-time Kempton regular, but seems to have vanished from the scene. Before he did so, he supplied Bob with a pair of replica Manx items. James Rogers at Essex Wheels and Engineering (07887 533118) supplied the rims and laced up the wheels. The twinleading shoe front brake was another Kempton find. Bob works to high standards, but he is also realistic enough to recognise his limitations. The fuel tank was made for him by someone in Wales. The oil tank is a genuine Manx item, as is the rider’s seat. The relevant parts were taken off to F D Motorcycles in Great Dunmow (01371 876027), where Bob pronounced himself wellsatisfied with the paint finish the company applied. The engine came without a carburettor. Bob settled for a 36mm Mikuni and this has the same base set-up as fitting the same instrument to a Manx Norton. With the hardware established, the bike was looking superb. He took it to Rupe’s Rewires (07736 212652) in Oundle, near Peterborough. Suitably impressed with the mechanical side of things, Rupe complemented the effort with a wiring harness that seemed to have the capability of making electrical connections around the bike invisibly. A while afterwards, the bike was started for the first time. At around 580cc, the single needs an energetic kick to start. As Bob is rather slight of stature, this could have resulted in embarrassing problems, but using a Norton Commando primary drive, an off-the-shelf electric starter kit has provided a suitable solution and the installation is as subtle as the rest of the electrics. It is eight decades since Brooklands closed as a race track, but its legend has a long shadow and it seems some of the enduring magic has rubbed off on this End motorcycle, making it worth the wait.

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S Sunny y days, simple i p pleasures The TUAR Club Rally in September is an example of good, pure motorcycling fun. Words and photographs: MIKE DAVIS hat better way can there be to spend a sunny September Sunday than meandering along country byways, amongst the vineyards and through the medieval villages of the Loire Valley? Simple. Doing it on a period motorcycle in the company of people who share your passion – which is exactly what the vintage motorcycle section of the Thouars based TUAR Automobile Club have been doing each autumn for the past 34 years. On a dewy morning, 50 motorcycles, with a combined age of 2668 years, left the market place in Thouars, heading north toward the Loire. They passed through the streets of Montreuil-Bellay, in the shadow of its 1000-year-old castle, before heading for Saumur, where the breakfast stop was taken at the Musée du Moteur – which displays, in a former bottle top making factory, engines from motorcycles to jet aircraft. Back on the road, they headed for Courchamps and lunch, then finally headed south, along roads fringed with vines whose grapes hung heavy waiting to be picked, before a late afternoon return to Thouars with another 115km on their odometers. Many of those participating were couples

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sharing a passion for machines of a bygone age. Two such were Patrice and Catherine Batardière, whose incongruous choice of motorcycles were a 750cc Chang Jiang M72 sidecar combination and a 125cc 1954 Mandille et Roux 528. Patrice required little prompting to explain how a Chinese motorcycle came to be in Anjou. “It had its origins in prewar Germany,” he said. “The Germans supplied BMW R71s to the Russians under the Molotov-Ribbentrop non-aggression treaty and the Russians produced reverse engineered copies as the Dnepr M72. “When production ceased after the war, the documentation, tooling and parts stock was sold to China. My M72 is a Chinese machine. I wasn’t looking for one but 15 years ago, I saw it being advertised for sale in Paris. It had only 600km on the clock and was in very good condition.” Asked about the Mandille et Roux, Patrice continued. “I bought it in Normandy. It was an abandoned restoration, which I finished. I enjoy restoring as much as riding motorcycles. It’s a reliable little machine with a Sachs two-stroke motor. It still has its cork clutch plate – which wears out quickly and needs replacing frequently.”

Among the earlier machines participating were Daniel Courlais’ 175cc 1924 Motobécane MB2 and a 350cc 1925 Française-Diamant belonging to Luc Baillargeau’s father. When asked why he was riding his father’s machine, Luc explained that his father was too tired today – that was understandable, Zoé being 94. “But he’s still riding his motorcycle,” Luc added, “and he plans to be back next year.” Post Second World War French motorcycles were well represented. Two Motoconfort U46Cs, a U22 and a U26; a Motobécane Z2C and D45S; a Peugeot 55T and 56TB; a Monet et Goyon M2V; and a Terrot HCTL. BMWs were numerous. The UK marques present were Sunbeam, AJS, Matchless, Triumph and Royal Enfield. A quartet of Lambretta and Vespa scooters brought up the rear. Someone whose motorcycle saw less road use than he would have wished was Francis Sabourin, whose 175cc 1953 Griffon 676 TC4 was making its first run since he bought it. “I had hoped for better,” Francis sighed. “The problem was the carburettor. The engine hadn’t been run for several years and wasn’t running well today. It gave up not far out of Thouars and wouldn’t restart. So it’s been

| Club Rally

1: Sébastien Roy takes the post-lunch ride on the 1939 Gnome et Rhône AX2 combination. 2: Jean-Michel Roy’s pristine 1939 Gnome et Rhône AX2 with its 1942 lightweight Bernadet sidecar. 3: Patrice Batardière’s 1953 Chang Jiang M72 demonstrates its load bearing capacity.

trailered for most of the day. But I’ll sort it tomorrow.” Francis had exacting requirements when searching for his motorcycle. “I scanned the online advertisements daily for over six months. It had to be a Griffon and this particular model, which was my first motorcycle when I was 17. Also I wanted a 1953 example so we’d both be the same age! I found it two months ago in Bourges.” Another motorcycle marque within the Peugeot group was FMC – France Moto Cycles – an example of which Anthony Colas should have been riding. “I registered my 125cc 1957 FMC 557 TAS for this event but eventually decided to use my 175cc 1953 Peugeot 176 TC 4 [the alter ego of Francis Sabourin’s Griffon] because it’s a more comfortable ride for long distances. “I’ve owned the Peugeot for three years. Before that for six years it was laid up in a barn, where I found it. I undertook a complete rebuild, including remachining the cylinder head, liner, connecting rod and piston. After reassembly it ran much better. As to the frame, tank, mudguards and foot guards, I’ve adopted a light touch. I like originality – or, as we say, dans son jus.” Anthony was one of a number of first timers participating. “It’s my sort of event. An interesting route, relaxed, noncompetitive and in the company of equally passionate people. To me, it’s what classic motorcycling is all about.”

Catherine Batardière’s 1954 Mandille et Roux 528 at rest over lunchtime.

The 1953 Peugeot 176 TC4 of Anthony Colas keeps bigger company at Courchamps.

A pierre apparente wall provides a beautiful backdrop for Daniel Courlais’ 1924 Motobécane MB2.

The ride on his 1936 Terrot HDA gives Patrick Bourcin the biggest smile of the day.

Trailer bound. Francis Sabourin’s 1953 Griffon 676 TC4 looked good but performed poorly.

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M20

Ship-shape! L

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This is a ridden-not-hidden bike, one of four of the BSA side-valves Len owns. There’s another, Army, WD M20 from 1939, in bits. There’s Len’s 600cc M21 sidecar outfit, on which, one fierce January day in Holland for the ironically-named Hot Rod rally, he drove me and another pal from the rally HQ, a Second World War bunker on the north coast, to an estuary where a Russian-built hovercraft took us down-river right into the middle of Amsterdam for some R and R. There’s also a ‘smarter’ 1947 girder-forked civilian M20 – the M-Series would be the last BSAs to get telescopic forks. “But it’s almost too pretty,” Len laughed. “I use the Navy one much more.”

M-Series man

The blue bike has certainly led an interesting life. In 1952 it was taken out of RN service and, in workshops at Castle Donington, was given a full service overhaul and a respray in “all-over khaki – including the engine!” said Len, presumably for duties with the British Army. The M20 soldiered on until 1969, when it had been sold off as surplus at Ruddington depot, outside Nottingham. Dawson’s Car and Motorcycles, a Nottinghamshire dealer, sold it on to Donald McCleod, a woodworker living on the Isle of Raasay off the eastern coast of Skye, opposite Applecross, and later, in Caithness. The canny, self-sufficient folk of the Western Highlands and Islands clearly appreciated the sidevalve engine

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

Above: Did we mention it was a wet day? Historic but useable Royal Navy M20 is not too smart for that to matter.

layout’s simplicity and durability. Mr McLeod eventually moved south, and Len bought the M20, by then in two tea-chests, from him at Coleshill, Oxfordshire, in the late 1990s. While stripping it, Len found that the back end was all Navy blue, and so he decided to restore it as a Navy machine. He used the M20 on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum near Yeovil as a template for details, like the fact that Royal Navy motorcycles, unlike the Army ones, which often featured regimental or divisional colours on their petrol tanks, only painted ‘RN’ and their contract number there. One reason Len chose the Senior Service finish was that his father had been a 25-year Royal Navy man, entering aged 14 as a cadet at Dartmouth in 1928, and retiring as a lieutenant commander in 1953. During the war he was the commander of a flotilla of LCTs (landing craft, tanks) whose duties included dropping commando units of Vladimir Penniakoff’s PPA (Popski’s Private Army) in southern Yugoslavia to raid airfields behind enemy lines, and the Normandy landings. Once completed to his satisfaction, Len used his blue M20 for classic road trials like the Westward Ho!, for a VMCC tour based at Wells, and abroad for BSA rallies like the John Bull. It was raining on the day of our test, but neither bike nor rider were deterred. That was despite its square rear tyre being “at least 20 years old” as Len laughed, adding sarcastically: “It likes white lines!”

M20

1: Lucas four-position lightswitch gave ‘off’; T for tail-light only (for convoy work); L for low or pilot light; and H for high or main headlight (in wartime obscured by blackout mask).

2: WD M20’s Amal 276 carb suffered heat problems worse than postwar models, whose wide alloy spacer separated carb from hot cylinder. 3: Engine has been upgraded with a 1951-on type alloy cylinder head, rather than the cast iron original. Below: At around 370lb and with just 4.6in of ground clearance, M20 was not ideal off-road, but okay on naval bases and for convoy duty.

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L-WD-MCTI circular shielded tail lamp. From early in 1942 a universal (Norton-designed) pannier rack, and a pillion pad plus footrests, were fitted, doubling-up the machine’s carrying capacity. To suit this, the previous horizontally-mounted field-stand clipped to the near-side, was replaced with a new, much longer, diagonally-mounted one. By late 1942, with the Japanese cutting off supplies, all rubber fittings such as knee-pads and handlebar grips were deleted and the rear mudguard lost its raised central rib. During 1943 the three-gallon petrol tank’s rear right end was cut away to make room for a hose from the carburettor to the tank top-mounted Vokes air filter. Though developed for desert conditions, the indented tank was fitted to all M20s from then on, Len’s mid-1944 example included, whether the filter and hose were present or not. Also in late 1943 the sump-shield was enlarged, with upturned edges now covering the frame rails and the crankcase sides. Early in 1945, with the Blitz over, the ammeter was removed from the headlamp shell, and the previous four-position light switch was replaced by a simple ‘change-over’ switch, with a main switch tch of a different pattern mounted on a bracket beneath h the off-side of the saddle. Aside from its weight, limited ground clearance, and clog-prone mudguards too close to the wheels, the M20’s famous durability served the Forces well. However, one further problem could involve hot starting. Sidevalves run hot anyway, and the WD M20s lacked the thick alloy spacer found on postwar models between the iron barrel and the carburettor. Without the spacer, fuel could all too easily evaporate in the carb and prevent ignition. One further little-known featu ure of these WD machines was that, whether to detter the enemy, or light-fingered civilians, or comraades on

Above: London-based WRNS in 1941. The machines are a mixture of Triumphs and BSAs. Below: Original Smiths Chronometric speedo.

the scrounge, they fitted an immobiliser in the form of a section of the HT lead that could be unscrewed and removed. Willin’ Len performed uncomplainingly and at length for the camera, so the M20’s engine, despite heavenly water-cooling from the wet weather, got hot. It declined to re-start until some time had passed and its plug had been changed. Len had replaced the original cast iron cylinder head with a 1951-on alloy one for its better finning and slightly cooler running, and that head uses a more readily available long-reach spark plug. Once the BSA had fired up again, I hopped aboard sharpish for the run home. The single-spring clutch, inherited from the prewar Empire Star and fitted to BSA’s WD (and subsequently, AA) sidevalves to save time and cost, worked well enough, but required a patient approach to changes. In fact patience was the watchword for this ride, with the wet roads, drizzle, and that 20-plus-year-old rear cover all discouraging heroics. Before too long I was back in the sidevalve rhythm – deliberate changes, carefully incremental use of the throttle (don’t give any of the 13bhp awa away unnecessarily), and settling in to enjoy a nice soft riide. The llong bike was comfortable enough, though the girder forks, while fitted with a steering damper an nd feeling stable, were never going to soak up as a many bumps as teles would. At first the engine backfired a little in top as I throttled off going downhill, but then it settled down. In a gulley further downhill, approaching a sharp right uphill turn, I downshifted too fast, hit a false neutral, and then got a higher gear than I was expecting. But we swung round r the sharp turn with no problem, and the engine’s tractability hauled me steadily on up and a through, despite the steep gradient. Beforre too long, I was reminded about the

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

Trial 5V

Just thejob

Proving that 50cc machines can be viable and most importantly lots of fun, this little Gilera is testament to the ‘small is beautiful’ mantra. Words and photographs: JAMES ADAM BOLTON ecause it seems that over the last 25 years it has become more and more impossible to ride motorcycles off-road through our green and pleasant land in the UK, when I found myself living in rural Italy with my Italian girlfriend Sara 20plus years ago, I was determined to get onto two wheels and along as many green lanes and up as many hilltops as possible. So, that meant something reliable, with enough clout and flexibility to deal with off-road conditions, light and manageable at the same time, and easy to pick up if dropped. Then, Sara also decided that she wanted a bike to ride too, and it had to be something that could also be used to run errands around the local village if needed. Pretty quickly, I picked up a well used but cheap 1985 Yamaha XT600 Tenere that proved to be an excellent all-rounder, and it was as good along river beds as it was on the road to the beach, but it was tall, heavy, and no good for Sara. Then, whilst rummaging through the basement of someone who had machines of Italian provenance – Minarelli, Cimatti, Testi and the like – I spotted a dusty and unloved 1973 Gilera Trial. In the mid 1970s, I remember older brothers of kids I knew owning Gilera

The 1970s was to be the age of the 50cc machine – and Gilera was at the forefront.

1: The Gilera 5V Trial in the Piaggio museum, used by Gigi and Nicolò Crosa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. 2: The footrests are ﬁxed, which isn’t always great off-road. 3: The top half of the engine, with its generous ﬁnning, was based on the earlier 50cc Gilera Regolarità.

2 44

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Trials, or Fantic Caballeros, or Garelli Cross machines, but they had pedals, like a moped did. The Gilera Trial in front of me had a traditional clutch, and a gear lever. 5V on the tool box cover means ‘5 velocità’, or five speeds, confirming that this was a proper motorcycle, and its raised silencer meant that ground clearance was pretty good. It was in decent original condition, and the owner Paolo assured me it would run fine with a little fettling, and that in fact it was a surprisingly strong little bike. “It’s a 1973 model, and has the 7hp kit – it’s fast!” I wasn’t really sure what he meant by that, but I liked it, and knew Sara would like it, so struck a good deal and bought it. Heart of the Gilera Trial is a single cylinder, twostroke 49.797cc motor, with a 38.4mm bore and 43mm stroke, and a compression ratio of 5.5:1. Like most twostroke machines of the time, it was fuelled by a fuel/oil mixture in the tank, 4% in the Gilera’s case. Gilera had been bought by Piaggio in late 1969, and their years of two-stroke Vespa experience was put to good use building up a range of decent quality smaller machines. This 50cc motor was to become the mainstay of a range of Gilera models introduced in 1971 at the Milan Show including the Trial, the Touring, RS and Enduro, and there was also a 7hp 5V Trial offered, but you had to be 16 to ride it! Piaggio had also been advised that the motorcycle market was going to pick up in the early 1970s, and add to that the fact that trials and motocross bikes were all the rage, reflecting the massive popularity of the offroad sport at the time. By the mid 1970s, virtually every major manufacturer keen to cash in on the trend offered something with knobbly tyres and raised handlebars; the Ducati had their Scramblers, Gilera their famous 50cc Trial and Enduro models, Fantic the Caballero, and Garelli their Tiger Cross. Not really proper off-road machinery, but road models with lights and horns, but

ill r | Trial 5V

Left: Gigi and Nicolò Crosa during their attempt at the mountain. Their altitude record for a motorcycle wasn’t bettered until 2015.

FINER DETAILS

1973 Gilera 5V Trial

ENGINE TYPE Air-cooled two-stroke single BORE X STROKE 38.4 x 43mm CAPACITY 49.797cc CARBURATION SHB 18mm Dell’Orto COMPRESSION RATIO 5.5: 1 BHP 6.75 at 7600rpm MAX SPEED 73kmh/45mph GEARBOX Five-speed FRAME Tubular double cradle tube frame WHEELBASE 1190mm LENGTH 1850mm WIDTH 725mm HEIGHT 1090mm GROUND CLEARANCE 220mm DRY WEIGHT 75kg

Left: What teen wouldn’t want a Gilera Trial!

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

with differing altitudes, and a studded front tyre to give more traction. After a seven-day recce on foot to find the most direct path up, avoiding the nine rivers that crossed the traditional route up the mountain, and to acclimatise to the altitude and climate as much as possible, the ascent on the Gileras began on the October 10, 1971. The first day saw the brothers arrive at 3700m/12,139ft, passing through thick jungle on the steep ascent, and a night spent in a tent braving temperatures of -14°C. The next day, the landscape turned to harsh lava and sand, with air becoming more rarified, the brothers carried on, but the going was tough, and their breathing laboured. After six hours of riding (up a steep mountain, remember) and with the summit in sight, arriving at 5180m/17,000ft, they were exhausted, and had to make the tough decision to stop, just 715m/2300ft below the 5895m/19,341ft summit. However, their adventure gave the young brothers the world record for the highest ever ascent on a motorcycle that stood for many years, and held now by Chilean Gianfranco Bianchi, who rode to 6471.2m /21,230ft 11in on a fuel injected Suzuki 450 on the Ojos de Salado Volcano, in the Atacama Region of Chile, on March 22, 2015. Very different to a 50cc two-stroke Gilera, and not getting so much higher than the brothers almost 44 years earlier! The two Gileras suffered no mechanical issues on their way up Kilimanjaro and proved to be utterly reliable under very tough conditions, so a delighted Piaggio had no hesitation in putting the 5V Trial into full production and on sale not long after.

Lesser heights

Inspired by the brothers, but looking to scale lesser heights, I got busy in sorting out the Trial for regular use. Although it had sat around unused, the Gilera was in a remarkably good condition for a 40-year-old bike, and I really like its early 1970s appearance – burnished orange frame and ‘cappuccino’ paint and graphics colours. I changed the oil for the gearbox/clutch, fitted a new spark plug, and cleaned through the Dell’Orto SHB18 carburettor, which not surprisingly had plenty of old two-stroke gunk in it. The front Metzeler 2.50x19in ‘Six Days’ tyre was oldish but had plenty of tread and no signs of cracking, so I left it, but replaced the worn out 3.00x17in rear tyre with a new off/on road one made by Vee Rubber, and it turned out to be a very good tyre. I checked and adjusted the chain, using the attractive ‘snail’ adjusters, and decided the sprockets were used but good. The chrome on the now rare high level silencer was not bad so I just gave it a polish, and noticed ironically that it was stamped ‘Lafranconi – Mandello del Lario’, home of one of Gilera’s greatest manufacturer rivals, Guzzi. Cables checked and lubricated and brakes adjusted, and fuel tap cleaned through, I then filled the very clean internally fuel tank with fresh two-stroke mix, and kicked over the little motor, using the slightly inconveniently positioned kick-start lever. After some slight initial hesitation, the motor burst into life with a reassuring bloom of blue smoke from the long exhaust system. A ride around the yard showed that all the gears engaged smoothly and the brakes worked efficiently enough, considering their tiny size. Some occasional bogging down of the motor under acceleration required some fiddling with the pilot jet,

ill r | Trial 5V

but once idling nicely, the Gilera was fit for a ride up the nearest hill, and I always believed that an old bike just needs a good thrashing to clear out the cobwebs after sitting idle. I was slightly concerned about the possibility of seals having dried out, but with front wheel pointing up the nearest track, the motor is willing and snappy on the throttle. And as I make my way up the nearest hill, up a rough track crossing through pine trees, the small 50cc motor really impresses with its flexibility and sheer grunt. Its designer Luigi Piazza also designed the works 50cc Gilera Regolarità machines for the 1971 season, and utilised the same widely finned cylinder head to aid cooling as much as possible. I now start back to thinking what Paolo the seller had told me about this being an unrestricted 7hp version of the earlier restricted Gilera Trial, and the fact that this bike has the rounded shape on the nearside cover to accommodate the enlarged ignition flywheel, introduced from the beginning of 1973. In fact, in Italy, you could buy a kit to derestrict the Trial from a miserly 1.4hp to 7hp, including a larger SHB 18 carburettor, which this bike is wearing. Whatever, you rev it, and it goes, and like billyo. Though physically small and designed for er, younger people, it’s fine to ride, and I’m standing on the footrests a lot of the time anyway. It’s a shame they don’t fold up to avoid contact with rocks and tree roots as they’re fixed, but seem strong and are dimpled for better grip. The double cradle frame feels pretty stiff too, and the excellent Ceriani front end, and three way adjustable rear shocks also work well, considering their age, though one fork seal lets go pretty soon after.

Above: The Gilera remains in Italy, known as the ‘Gilerina di famiglia’ – the family’s little Gilera.

Ground clearance is a very good 220mm, and along with the high level silencer, whose chromed grille protects the leg from any inadvertent burning, gives the Trial a proper off-road ability. And at only 78kg, and with wide bars to manhandle the Gilera in the right direction, it’s an easy bike to manoeuvre with pleasure. In fact, after a while, the Trial becomes the first choice for exploring the many ‘strade bianche’ (typical Tuscan cart tracks), woods, and hilltops nearby, and none of it is fenced off, private or out of bounds. The biggest danger might be being warned off by a 500lb male wild boar… The Gilera Trial also did its job as village transport, and Sara, who was riding fast Italian mopeds at 14 (and so probably much more experienced than me on this capacity machine) enjoyed the easy nature of the Gilera. We would take rides out on the XT600 and Trial together, taking on dried-out riverbeds, muddy furrowed tracks and thick forest trails. It was fantastic. But circumstances changed, and we returned to the UK. The Gilera has stayed in the village in the fatherin-law’s basement, surrounded in good company by other classic bikes, but every time we go over we pull it out, start it up and ride it around. It’s become know as the ‘Gilerina di famiglia’, or the family’s little Gilera. My daughter – having been sat on the seat as a baby for a snap, replicating previous generations’ photos – took her first ever brief ride on the back of a motorcycle on the Gilera Trial. Maybe she’ll want to own it one day, and have her own adventure, inspired by the two brothers who rode a Trial up Mount Kilimanjaro, and I’m starting to believe more and more that lots of fun is to be End had on smaller machines. Long live 50cc!

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

The way out west The Tour Poitou-Charentes Motos Anciennes sees a ﬁne collection of old machines take to the rural roads of western France. Words and photographs: MIKE DAVIS or those who want more than a day in the company of like-minded riders, similar motorcycles and the perfect way to experience south-west France, the biennial Tour Poitou-Charentes for vintage motorcycles provides the answer. This year, its 71 entries spanned a period of 35 years – from 1930 to 1965 – and all but one were of European manufacture. The tour covered over 600km in four days and with a wealth of travelling mechanical experience and equipment, allowing eight en route breakdowns to be repaired, not a single entrant failed to complete the distance. Early on the first morning motorcycles gathered steadily in the shade of the 12th century royal abbey at Celles-sur-Belle. Soon the lengthy convoy rolled though the abbey gates and headed south-west. After a stop at Rochefort and a ferry crossing at the mouth of the Gironde, all assembled at Vensac, in the Médoc wine producing region, where the first night was spent. Next morning the tour stayed close to the banks of the Gironde until another ferry took it back across the river to Blaye. From here the company struck out east until it reached Villebois-Lavalette, the second night’s stop,

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

where they enjoyed a splendid dinner at the 19th century Château de la Mercerie. On the third day the group headed north, detouring into the Périgord region and then taking country roads parallel to but away from the N10, before reaching Couhé. The final day’s stage was short, despite a brief halt at Exoudun, heading west back to Celles-surBelle in time for lunch. One of the oldest participants – machine, not man – was Eric Hardouin’s 350cc 1932 Dollar R2. He explained: “One of the advantages of being a member of the Amicale Dollar, is that I was able to find this bike. I hadn’t owned a Dollar previously – before I’d had 1950s machines – but a friend had one and allowed me to ride it. I was smitten. I tracked this one down to St Etienne and bought it in 2013. I’ve improved it a little and I’ve enjoyed over 6000 trouble free kilometres on it.” This was Eric’s first tour. “I approached it with some trepidation, knowing I couldn’t carry many spare parts and hoping that I’d prepared the Dollar adequately for the Tour’s 600km. But I worried needlessly. The organisation was faultless and I had no problems. It was a fantastic experience.

Scenic roads, beautiful villages, convivial company and excellent food. I hope to participate again in two years.” Steve Lallemant is a veteran of the tour, but 2019 was a first time for his 750cc 1938 René Gillet G2 combination. “The reason is that, I suppose, I’m spoilt for choice. I’ve been collecting vintage motorcycles for 10 years and I now have 20. The René Gillet is ideal for long distance touring, which influenced my decision to use it on the tour this time. Five years ago I saw a small ad offering it for sale in Lyon,” Steve explained. “Its condition was poor but the price was right. So I bought it. Since then I’ve undertaken a total restoration.” Jean-Guy Pigeon from the Dordogne had switched the machine he was using. “I had registered my 1000cc BSA G13 but it suffered a fractured cylinder head so I switched to my 1956 500cc Ariel. I bought it in Holland in 2012. It had been superficially restored but the engine was running poorly, so I rebuilt it. Knowing my machine is mechanically reliable enabled me to enjoy the tour from start to finish.” Didier Beldent intended to use his 750cc 1951 CEMEC L7 for the Tour but finally decided on his much rarer 500cc 1936 OHV

l ssi si tour | France

2 1: The morning dew adorns Steve Lallemant’s 1938 750cc René Gillet G2 combination.

2: Dominique Rousteau’s 1934 350cc Gillet Herstal HG 20 stands alongside her husband Alain’s 1931 500cc HG 24. 3: Eric Hardouin’s 1932 350cc Dollar R2 rests under the abbey walls awaiting the start of the tour. Above: Gérard Armand’s 1940 490cc Norton 16H was one of many British-made machines participating in the tour.

Peugeot 515 GTS. “I bought the Peugeot in Florac, in Southern France, 11 years ago,” Didier related. “It was dismantled during the war, to avoid requisition, and not reassembled until much later. It remained in the same family until I bought it. “It’s a superb ride – powerful, immense torque and very rare. It’s the model which took the 24 hour record at Montlhéry in 1934, covering 3000km at an average speed of 118kph, a record which stood for 40 years. It’s a privilege to be able to ride it.” This year’s event was the fifth tour. “I had the idea,” said organiser Bernard Guerineau, “when the biennial Tour de France Motos Anciennes came through nearby Melle 11 years ago. “That covers some 4500km in just over three weeks. My idea was a shorter tour, in duration and distance, in the alternating years. Since then it’s grown in popularity and size, despite which the number of entries is capped in the interest of safety and enjoyment.” That popularity was evident from the fact that entries closed long before the event, thanks in no small part to Bernard’s meticulous and participant-focussed organisation of it. “The tour attracts riders not just from France but across Europe,” he continued. “However, not yet from the nd UK. Perhaps that will change in 2021?” E

Bags packed for two and 600km, the 1940 350cc Velocette MAC awaits owner Jean François Briand.

The 1946 350cc Terrot RGAS combination of Thierry Popieul awaits the tour’s start at Celles-sur-Belle.

Proud owner Didier Beldent shows off his rare 1936 500cc Peugeot 515.

Spruced up for its departure on tour, Etienne Mousserion’s 1950 350cc Monet et Goyon PS47 attracted many an admiring glance.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

d Gwen White | Proﬁle

A classic couple Jack and Gwen White were the ﬁrst couple of trials – though in different eras – with Jack’s success coming in the 1930s and Gwen’s 20 years after, with Jack her mentor.

Words: ANDY WITHERS Photographs: ANDY WITHERS, RAY BIDDLE, MORTONS ARCHIVE orks trials rider Jack White (always known to friends as Jackie) was a star of the competition motorcycle scene in the 1920s and 1930s, a stalwart of the International Six Days Trial (ISDT) and the Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) riding a works Ariel. After the Second World War, he met Gwen Wickham, 24 years his junior, and taught her to ride a motorcycle – she subsequently competed as one of only a small number of female competitors in the Scottish Six Days Trial in the 1950s, initially on a works-supported FrancisBarnett. They married in 1958, Gwen giving up her competition career to raise their two daughters, though the couple’s names remained involved in the motorcycle scene through to Gwen’s passing in 2018.

Against all odds

Jackie White was born in 1906. He was considered by many as the best smaller capacity trials rider of the pre Second World War period, riding his works Ariels to many successes, but during his childhood, such activity would have seemed very unlikely. At an early age, Jackie contracted polio and his parents were told his life was likely to be short and painful. He spent a long time in the unfortunately named Treloar ‘Cripples Hospital’ in Alton Hampshire, inactive for two years, strapped to a bed with spinal and leg problems. Against the odds, though, he did survive. Although Jackie’s family had no interest in motorcycles, he became the first motorcyclist in his family, buying a 211cc two-stroke Levis at the age of 14. His illness did have a lasting effect on the way he rode a motorcycle, as he was unable to manoeuvre one leg so he couldn’t stand or crouch while riding, essential skills you would think for trials and other motorcycle disciplines. But Jackie didn’t let this disadvantage hold him back – by 1924 he had joined the Southampton and District Motorcycle Club after just two years of riding, and, in 1925, having swapped the Levis for a 250cc two-stroke Velocette, Jackie entered his first motorcycle trial. Trials at this time were in the process of changing

The 1936 ISDT gold medal and plaque.

From the 1934 ISDT in Germany, gold medal and plaque – note the swastika.

Jackie’s Scottish Six Days gold e d a l s, f r o m 1 9 3 3.

The reverse of the 1934 medal.

from the reliability events where completing the course was the aim (with no outright winner) to observed trials with hazards and special tests which were to become ‘sections,’ with an overall victor declared. As he stepped into the world of competition, between 1925 and 1929 two more Velocettes, a Sunbeam, an Excelsior and later Ariels followed as Jackie’s preferred mounts.

Treasures of success

Gwen Wickham, at the 1953 West of England Trial, with a lemonade bottle. The photograph was taken by the Francis-Barnett rep.

Jackie White competing in white shirt and gloves – an unusual trials look!

Five women riders in the 1952 SSDT: From left, Molly Briggs, Joan Stack, Leslie Blackburn, Barbara Briggs and Gwen Wickham.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

A hunt through the treasure trove that is Jackie’s medal and trophy collection with family friend and classic motorcycling guru Mike Jackson (‘Old M J’) uncovered the spoils of some of Jackie’s early successes. Local clubs – including Bournemouth Gypsy MCC and Portsmouth MCC – were particularly active in oﬀering a wide range of events in the 1920s and 30s. Medals were gained from many events including ‘the American hillclimb’, the ‘Freak Hillclimb 1927,’ The Hartney Wintney Trial, The Bennett Cup Trial 1928 and many more. More prized treasures were found, which we will come to later.

Getting the works

Jackie’s prowess in local events came to the attention of the works motorcycle teams as he moved to ride an Ariel, being very successful in muddy conditions in particular, using his always-seated riding style. In 1930, his successes earned him a prized place in the Ariel works team, although some reckon he was offered a works ride so the factory could have a little more control over the unusual modifications he made to his machines. At the time, Ariel was one of the glamour marques of British motorcycling. Two of Jackie’s works Ariels are still linked to the White family, complete with Jackie’s modifications. In 1985, Doug Dunford, from Southampton DMCC, reminisced about a visit to Alec Bennett’s Motorcycle Shop in Portswood, Southampton in the 1930s. Doug wrote: “As a young motorcyclist I spent a lot of time peering in motorcycle showrooms at shining new models that I could never own. On one occasion… watching a fellow who had just taken delivery of a new 250cc Ariel and was carefully modifying the shape of the tank with a wooden mallet. “I asked the shop manager Mr ‘Pop’ Yarnold what the modification was all about, and was told the mallet wielding man was Jack White, an up and coming trials rider who had polio as a child and was left with a leg that would not bend so the petrol tank had to be shaped to accommodate it, as also did a forward footrest and modified gear pedal.” Old M J also recounted Jackie’s modification techniques. “He heated up the girder forks with a

d Gwen White | Proﬁle

welding torch and then rode it into a wall to steepen the fork angle, it was as technical as that. Jack also ﬁtted friction dampers to the forks of all his machines.”

Ariel works

Jackie joined Len Heath, Jimmy Edwards, Alf West and Fred Povey in the Ariel works team, as one of many riders who were supported by British motorcycle manufacturers. Jackie performed on the biggest stages with Ariel, including the ISDT, and the three longest running UK trials, the Scott, the SSDT and the Perce Simon.

The ISDT

The ISDT, which Jackie rode seven times between 1933 and 1939, unusually for him on bigger Ariels, is pretty well documented. It brought Jackie great success, achieving three gold medals. In 1933, on a 499cc single, he completed the event in Wales, but came away with no award after losing 100 marks on day three. Germany in 1934 proved to be Jackie’s most successful ISDT – riding a 497cc single, he won both an individual gold medal and a team gold for the Ariel works team, with Edwards and Heath. The treasure trove of medals revealed an interesting piece of world history with swastikas adorning the plaque for the 1934 German event, a sign of what was to come. A further individual gold followed in Germany in 1936, but 1935, 1937 and 1938 ended in disappointment with retirements. Salzburg in Austria

Above: Jackie White on the right on his Ariel – note the chainguard, which is the same as today. Who are the other riders?

was the controversial venue for the 1939 event with the threat of war from Germany across the border. Regular updates on the political situation led to the British team, which included Jackie, not knowing what to do with the imminent declaration of war. On the fourth day of the event, the British riders, with the exception of the military teams, were advised to leave Austria for a neutral country. Riders – including Jackie – syphoned petrol, which was rationed for the trial, from cars, and abandoned clothes and belongings, to make haste over the mountains to the border with Lichtenstein. This event is often referred to in the trials world as the ‘Great Escape.’ The military teams and one civilian rider (Marjorie Cottle) left the following morning (day ﬁve) escorted to the Swiss border by event organisers. Results for the event were annulled in what was Jackie’s last ISDT.

The Scott Trial and Scottish Six Days

Jackie won the 250cc class at the Scott Trial seven times before the Second World War and although records are incomplete of Jackie’s success in the SSDT, aka ‘The Scottish’, he took special gold awards for best 250cc in both 1931 and 1933, while in 1934 he achieved his best result, ﬁnishing third overall. In 1935, he shared in the Silver Team Cup success along with his Ariel teammates Edwards and Heath. Like many, Jackie developed a love aﬀair with the Scottish. He notably shared this enjoyment in 1939 with a 17-year-old budding journalist Ralph Venables. White and Venables travelled with

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

Jackie’s Ariel team to the event for Ralph’s ﬁrst visit, sparking a lifetime of comment on the event and this started Venables’ passion – he rarely missed a Scottish in the next 60 plus years.

The Perce Simon

Jackie’s motorcycling successes were interrupted but not stopped by the Second World War. The Perce Simon Trophy Trial began in 1936 in memory of Perce, who was killed in a southern scramble. Jackie came close to victory, finishing runner-up in 1937 to Perce’s brother Frank Simon, taking a single dab, and then again finishing runner-up to Fred Rist in 1939. But it was the first trial after the war in 1946 when Jackie White got his name on the famous trophy. By that time, Jackie’s career was coming to a close, but meeting Gwen in the late 1940s extended his involvement in competition.

Gwen starts to ride

Gwen’s interest in motorcycling began in 1946 watching Wembley Speedway near her London home, but a move to Southampton resulted in meeting Jackie, who helped her fulfil her ambition to learn to ride a motorcycle. The start of Gwen’s illustrious trials career soon followed, with a ride in a Sunbeam MCC’s Novice Trial in 1950 riding Jack’s ‘Flying Flea’ Royal Enfield. Coincidentally, also taking his first ride on that day was John Jackson, elder brother of Old M J. Jackie then prepared a 125cc Bantam for Gwen to compete in local and some national trials including the West of England, Welsh Two Days, Cotswold Cups, The Hoad and the Perce Simon, where she competed from 1951 through to 1957. Participation in national events was limited as they were held on a Saturday and Gwen

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

Above: The 1933 ISDT, with number 84 Jackie e White, with the 497cc Ariel. Right: Jackie (right) opening the Southampton and District MCC clubhouse with Don Rickman, Neville Goss and Peter Williams.

couldn’t always get time off of work. Of particular note, Gwen achieved first class awards in the Highland Two Day Trial in Scotland and in the Meech Cup Trial run by Weymouth and South Dorset club, finishing ahead of John Jackson, now an accomplished rider, and one George Greenland, who still competes. At her favourite national, the West of England Trial, she achieved the strangely termed ‘Powder Puff’ award for best woman rider.

Gwen goes to the Scottish

Two years after learning to ride, Gwen progressed to a works-supported 197cc Francis-Barnett complete with Jackie’s modiﬁcations of friction dampers and the altered steering head angle. Jackie returned to the SSDT to ride along with Gwen on a similar machine. Gwen said it was one of the greatest adventures of her

d Gwen White | Proﬁle 2

1 life riding from Edinburgh to Fort William, which was the route it took at the time. As well as Jackie’s support, because female competitors were rare and only five women rode in 1952, Gwen said a real fellowship developed between the five women (Molly Briggs, Joan Stack, Leslie Blackburn, Barbara Briggs and Gwen) and the support from male riders was ‘generous and heartwarming.’ Unfortunately for Jackie, his Francis-Barnett developed an ignition problem and he had to retire on the Wednesday, leaving rookie Gwen to press on. Her machine didn’t miss a beat, and she duly finished her first Scottish. Gwen was seen by the 1952 Scottish winner Johnny Brittain as a ‘good luck charm’ as she returned for a second ride in the 1957 event where Johnny achieved his second and only other Scottish win. In 1957, after two years riding a Francis-Barnett, Gwen rode a 197cc James Commando, but unfortunately after a fall on the Wednesday the frame was twisted and the chain came off the sprocket frequently during the final days of the trial. Despite this handicap, Gwen was one of only two women competitors to make it to the finish, one place behind Molly Briggs. Gwen said the thing she enjoyed most about trials was the ‘fun, camaraderie and challenge.’

Post competition

Jackie and Gwen married in 1958 and their daughters were born soon after, signalling the end of Gwen’s competition career. But both remained on the trials scene including regular visits to the SSDT until their deaths. Jackie was 24 years Gwen’s senior and died in 1977, with Gwen passing in 2018. Gwen continued to be a motorcycling celebrity in

4 1: Gwen with Barry Sheene. 2: Gwen in later years on the Ariel Colt. 3: The 350cc Ariel, still used regularly as intended. 4: Celebrating Gwen’s life – ‘Old M J’ (Mike Jackson) and Jeff Smith. 5: The 250cc Ariel, which still doesn’t lead a sedate life.

5 her own right as a pioneering female in competition, she mixed with motorcycle royalty like Barry Sheene, Giacomo Agostini and such at concours events and classic runs, never knowingly missing an opportunity to ride a range of motorcycles. However, riding Jackie’s Ariel Colt in original trim was her preferred choice. She continued Jackie’s love aﬀair with the SSDT, returning many times including accompanying Ralph Venables for his last visit to the Scottish in 2004 – ironic, as Jackie had accompanied Ralph on his ﬁrst.

Latter years and the future

Jackie began the Jack White Trial in 1952, initially as a national trial. This is still run today by Southampton and District Motorcycle Club as an open trial where the family and the works Ariels often attend to keep Jackie’s legacy alive. Two of Jackie’s works Ariels remain linked to the family but are looked after by Ariel enthusiasts with clear instructions to be ‘maintained’ but ‘not restored.’ They are still used in competition at the Talmag Trial and on classic runs, showing 1930s machines in near 1930s spec. To celebrate Gwen’s contribution to the motorcycle world, the 2018 Perce Simon Reunion was dedicated to Gwen, who helped to take this event from strength to strength. Jeﬀ Smith and the Rickman brothers Don and Derek were among the 150 who congregated to celebrate her life and acknowledge her passing. Gwen regularly rode in the Moidart Run in Scotland and for the 10th Anniversary Run the organisers dedicated the run to Gwen’s memory with Ivan Haskell completing the run on Jackie’s 250cc works Ariel, Gwen’s End favourite machine.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

| Comet

Superb

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

t | Comet

1: The triangulated rear subframe was instigated by Vincent in the 1920s, and remained basically unchanged through the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whole life. 2: Nice, plush dual seat, while much of the opposition still had a single saddle. 3: The big headlamp gives a different, more classic look to the Comet.

4: With a few subtle tweaks to the styling, this handsome machine looks great and stands out from the crowd.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

1: It took a bit of patience to acquire, but Steve Morris is delighted with his motorcycle. And so he should be. 2: Another aluminium casting, this time for the hinged rear mudguard. Tommy bar eliminated the need for a spanner to undo it, too. 3: There are dual brakes front and rear. 4: Slightly tilted up silencer emits a lovely bark.

1 2

FINER DETAILS

VINCENT COMET

ENGINE Air-cooled OHV single cylinder four-stroke

CAPACITY 499cc BORE 84mm STROKE 90mm COMP RATIO 6.8:1 CARBURETTOR Amal TRANSMISSION Burman four-speed foot change IGNITION Lucas six volt magneto automatic advance

FUEL CAPACITY 3¾ gallons SUSPENSION Front, Girdraulic; Rear, pivot action hydraulically damped BRAKES Twin on each wheel WHEELBASE 56in WEIGHT 413lb TOP SPEED 88mph PRICE NEW £190 plus £51 6s tax

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

cylinders and separate hydraulic unit, maintains contact with the road in a leech-like fashion, but so effective is the hydraulic damper that, as with the front fork, there is never any suggestion of excessive reaction or patter. “Front and rear suspension characteristics harmonise in an exemplary manner and result in steering and roadholding, which is not only a sheer delight, especially at high speeds, but which also makes maximum contribution to safety.” The report went on to say: “At very low speeds there is a slight heaviness in the steering but this sensation is soon lost when the speed is above 10mph, and in any event it is unnoticed when the rider has had a few hours’ experience with the machine. As with all Vincent machines, the rider sits high on the comfortable Dunlopillo-filled Feridax dual-seat, with the layout of the footrests and the narrow, almost straight handlebar such that he is over the machine in a slightly crouching position. This riding position plays an important part in inspiring confident, fast travel, for which Vincents are renowned.” They were equally complimentary regarding the starting and especially the superb brakes on the half-litre machine. “Starting required a fairly lusty swing on the pedal and then a first time response was usual if the engine was hot. Under cold-starting conditions, a flooded carburettor and a closed air slide, together with a fractionally opened throttle, gave the same quick start.

Strikingly efficient

“The Vincent has two interconnected brakes for each wheel. On the machine tested the front wheel brakes were strikingly efficient – light, powerful and progressive in action. As the figures show the Comet can be stopped from 30mph in the unusually short distance of 26ft, more than this the pleasure of using the silky deceleration of the front brakes is enhanced by a fork which does not deflect markedly under braking.” As I was soon to find out, although 70 years might have passed since the road test, Steve’s Comet still stands head and shoulders above most of the period opposition. Following the 1950s tester’s instructions, starting the big four-stroke was equally as easy and one swing of my size 10 boot had the bike booming into life, quickly settling in to an even beat. Unlike the big twins from the same maker, the Comet has a Burman gearbox and clutch fitted and both were superb. With the engine ticking over like a Swiss watch, the clutch freed cleanly and quickly and, with first gear noiselessly engaged, we were on our way. Initially, the footrests seemed a little high, but once free of the 30mph limit the riding position afforded by the almost straight handlebars and footrests came into their own. As the testers commented on in 1950, it brings the rider into a slightly crouched – but comfortable – riding position and as I covered the miles, it soon became obvious to me that the bike has been designed by a proper motorcyclist who wanted to get from A to B in a fast but safe manner. Unlike most, if not all, of the period opposition – whose braking ability is probably best described as ‘marginal’ – the twin set-up on the Series C single is in a class of its own and certainly when you need to use it you could well believe you are riding a machine from the 21st century, not one that is seven decades old. There are a few nice and useful few deviations from

Trial over adversity

Although the road conditions in France 100 years ago were awful – a legacy of the recent war – organisers succeeded with their plan to successfully hold a long distance trial, until they were delivered a body blow weeks after the event. Words: RICHARD ROSENTHAL Photographs: MORTONS ARCHIVE n New Year’s Day 1920, The Motor Cycle carried an editorial feature confirming the proposed Paris-Nice Trial would go ahead. Assembly would begin on February 10, 1920, with the scheduled start on February 13. The route was in four segments: Paris to Dijon of 193 miles, Dijon to Lyons 124 miles, Lyons to Marseilles 193 miles and Marseilles to Nice 140 miles, a total of 650 miles (1040km). An average speed of 18.75mph (30kph) was set for all classes of motorcycles and outfits with a tolerance of 10 minutes at open and hidden checkpoints for over 250cc solos and 350cc sidecars and 15 minutes for machines under these limits. The Motor Cycle’s editor supplied the entry forms to British riders, while MG (Gaston)

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Sweerts, Motocyclisme, 1 Citè Paradis (Xe) Paris, handled Continental enquiries and completed applications. Entries closed on January 15 at standard rate and January 30 for double fees. Within a week, 55 entries were lodged, including from many British riders mount on ABC, Dot, Douglas, James, GN, Matchle New Imperial, Royal Enfield, Scott, Sunbe and Triumph machines. French privateer entries were strong but the national factori were lukewarm to the concept. The first of a number of dark clouds appeared when the Union Motocycliste de France flexed its muscles for the first time, banning all secret checkpoints and insistin that many more detail machine parts must be sealed than planned by Sweerts.

Above: On the left unbeam teamsters illies (left) and utherford, then on e right, the two alian Stucchis of elaunay and Isoldi. Left: The silver cup, arded for best erformance of an ternational club. It, alued at £100, was arded to the Moto lub de France.

ok | Paris-Nice Trial

For their part, the ACU assisted all British entries regarding the legal and customs requirements of France and ensured fuel supplies were available en route to Paris for those riding to the start. After the first flurry, entries slowed and many French teams and factories continued dallying. Among the late British entries were Kaye Don (Zenith) and Fred Dover (Triumph), while Norton confirmed a sidecar team comprising Harold Petty, Stanley Parker and Victor Horsman, driving Big Four outfits. The entry list closed at 114, with the organisers confident that at least 100 would start. The British teams began arriving in Paris to ensure they were on time for the sealing of their machines. And Sweerts assured all sufficient fuel would be available en route, despite the shortages across France. While many French riders withdrew their entries, citing machine non-availability, fuel shortage scares or lack of factory support, in the case of works riders organisers accepted further late entries, including Russell King (Scott) and Max Cyril Morris (Matchless). In fairness, French factories were struggling to get back on their feet and the nation’s roads were in appalling conditions.

Heavy military equipment, tanks and lorries had left them severely damaged and with endless burnt out and abandoned vehicles on every route, there seemed to be many greater priorities than supporting a four-day trial that before the war had been a privateers’ jolly. British entrants took a range of routes to Paris – some took the train to the capital via Boulogne, while others rode their machines to British docks, then, after the ferry crossing, on to Paris. Customs officials allowed some British riders through without demanding duty, while others, including seasoned ace Rex Mundy (Rover), were considered suspicious and then, when they discovered a cache of new spares in his

pockets, demanded a heavy levy. However, it was Dr. Low, who was to follow the event with his audiometer (the scourge of many Brooklands habitues), who fared the worst. Train staff viewed him with suspicion, customs officers took an instant dislike to ‘the man with the small coffin’ under his arm and his Parisian taxi driver loathed him! British entrants and reporters discovered many potholes on their ride from the ports to Paris, though nearer the city some major routes had been recently resurfaced. There were fuel shortages, but The Motor Cycle crew discovered when petrol was available, it was about 15% cheaper than in the UK. While the Automobile Club de France

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l s r lo look | Paris-Nice Trial

taxi driver dumped in favour of a luxury Hispano-Suiza saloon. By the overnight stop at Dijon, nine entrants were out, and despite some early manipulation of the rules to aid early arrivals at checkpoints, 28 riders had been docked marks for late/early arrival at one or more checkpoints. A couple didn’t complete the first day until after midnight and many of the French latecomers hadn’t lit their lights, despite the pitch black evening. After another cramped night’s accommodation, though nourished by coffee and rolls, riders again set off in darkness, albeit flagged away on to better roads and some beautiful scenery when they crossed the Juras. Maurice Greenwood’s 1914 Connaught (three-speed Armstrong hub gear), and Brunell’s baby Triumph were going well, climbing all hills easily, while the Sunbeam, Scott and Harley-Davidson teams made light of the conditions with well-oiled ease. Rex Mundy (3.5hp Rover s/c) was also going well, despite the language barrier between the English driver and French passenger/navigator. French Blèriot drivers were suffering endless punctures as their distinctive disc wheels were proving unforgiving as they hit potholes. Major Empson tipped his AV Monocar on its side to replace a rear spring and a number, including M. and Mde. Psalty (3½hp Rover s/c) had strapped broken stays and guards in place. Before the brake test, Pletsier rolled his Harley-Davidson outfit, pinging his passenger over the wall he was avoiding. Without further ado, the duo pulled the plot into shape and continued. By this stage, the performance of one rider, Kaye Don, whose V-twin Zenith accelerated up even there steepest hills, was looking the strongest. Riders enjoyed modest temperature rises but not the dust of the dry limestone roads. Before lunch, Graeme Fenton

Grapperon’s Bleriot, in front of Lacour’s GL outﬁt.

(ABC) was out with engine failure and Dover’s Triumph broke its sidecar chassis. However, those who restarted and complete the run to Lyon enjoyed a super warm welcome from the Lyonnais and The Moto Club de Lyon especially, where the two-stroke Scotts were a real crowd-puller. A good evening was thoroughly enjoyed. Under moonlight, the survivors set off for Valence, with lunch at Avignon Salon, and the overnight stop at Marseilles, 205½ miles away. It was cold and misty, with many riders bleary eyed after a heavy night with the Lyon

Club and soon poor Brunell was out, after an uncomfortable night, with his luggage left in Dover’s abandoned sidecar outfit. As he negotiated the Lyon tramlines, he dropped into a deep hole, flew over the handlebars and crumpled his front wheel. As a good sport, he then stood by the hole to warn others of its evil intent. Despite the tough going, Douglas Hawkes and his wife were enjoying the going with their AJS, until a sidecar spring snapped and from then on, Mrs Hawkes’ ride was less comfortable. Geoffrey Hill’s Triumph broke

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

Competitors arriving at Mont-Agel after the ascent of La Turbie. In the foreground is MJ Mulliman, Harley-Davidson.

its rear wheel spindle – Hill carried on to the finish with his rear wheel wobbling violently. While the French riding Rovers and twostroke Moto-Solos progressed at a steady pace, their countrymen on Indians, Harley-Davidsons and American Excelsiors regularly powered by the field, then deliberately lost time by making repairs and adjustments in an attempt to keep to the schedule, before again blasting by all and sundry in clouds of dust. Alongside this show, Don and his Zenith gave a consummate display of professional trials riding, with his Zenith among the fastest and most powerful on the hills.

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After their night in Marseilles, the entrants enjoyed their only daylight start of the event, thanks to the final day’s shorter distance of just 140 miles. Not that this helped Horsman (Norton), who soon realised he’d left his wallet, containing a considerable sum, in his hotel room. And while he was wiring the hotel manager to secure its return, fellow Norton teamster Petty forgot which side of the road he needed to ride on, colliding with a car on a series of sharp bends. Petty suffered a broken nose and his machine was badly damaged. Mechanical repairs, yet more punctures and further frame and sidecar chassis

fractures slowed some survivors. Such was the state of the Hawkes’ outfit, Mrs Hawkes completed the last day’s run into Nice perched on the machine’s carrier, having abandoned the deteriorating sidecar to their luggage. Warm sunshine and better roads ensured good moods all round as riders made their way along the Cannes promenade beside the beautiful blue Mediterranean Sea and to lunch. While rolls and coffee satiated ravenous souls, the locals decorated them and their machines with wild mimosa. Then it was on to Nice, where a couple spilled lightly on loose gravel, tea at Nice Golf Club

ok | Paris-Nice Trial and, finally, the finish. Don roared in fir much to the excitement of the large gat crowd, and was the first to park by the N Atlas Garage. In a chill wind, most unlike the Rivier the brake test was run on the next day. Riders were given 15 minutes to ready their mounts, with one of the first, that man Don, initially disqualified by the sergeant of police for attempting the test with his pipe in his mouth, even though he’d scored a maximum. Later, after the error of his ways was forcefully explained to him, he was allowed another go, to score another maximum. And Guiguet, who’d completed more than 700 miles with only half a handlebar, misunderstood t instructions twice before getting it right score seven out of 20. Next day, the cold start test took plac the large New Atlas Garage. Entrants pu to the line with a cold engine and, at the go, flooded the carburettor to start the engine with kick start, handle or bump start. Then the officials made their final tally of the score sheets, thus rounding off the proceedings.

Leading results:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Kaye Don, 6hp Zenith. . . . . . . . . . . . . 154.92 marks Barthelemy, 499cc Rover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150.8 Leslie Guy, 532cc Scott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149.3 Verpault, 988cc Harley-Davidson. . . . . 146.13 Jesse Baker, 532cc Scott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144.5 E Chapman, 8HP Morgan-MAG. . . . . . . . . 144.5 Maurice Greenwood, 293cc Connaught . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141.97 8 Tom Gillies, 3½hp Sunbeam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139.7 9 Clarrie Wood, 532cc Scott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139.6 10 Colombel, 348cc Douglas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138.72

Class awards:

250, Solo, E Dubost, 248cc Motosolo . . . . . . . 127.2 350, Greenwood, 293cc Connaught . . . . . . . 141.97 500, Barthélémy, 499cc Rover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150.8 750, Don, 6HP Zenith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154.92 500, Sidecars, Guiguet, 3½hp GL . . . . . . . . . . . 125.52 750, Douglas Hawkes, 748cc AJS . . . . . . . . . . . . 135.52 1000, Verpault, 988cc Harley-Davidson 146.13

Factory team winner

Scott (all 532cc solo models): Clarrie Wood, Harold Wood and Leslie Guy. Club team winner: Moto Club de France Starters 69 (40 solo, 25 sidecars and four cyclecars). Finishers 43 (22 solo, 20 sidecars and one cyclecar)

On his French-made ABC – built under licence by Gnome-et-Rhone – Detruche missed the top 10 by a couple of marks.

Note: Although Naas (ABC) initially retired and was towed for some of the route by a Douglas motorcycle, he was recorded as a finisher in 34th place. But E Chapman, who finished sixth overall, driving his 8hp Morgan-MAG, wasn’t listed as the winner of the cyclecar class.

Sting in the tail

A week after publishing their reports and results, the motorcycle Press carried their reflections of the event, reporting how clean winner Don’s Zenith was after the event and recording its spirited performance on the hillclimb, how well the New Atlas Garage suited trialists and that many of those forced to retire followed the event by train. Then, a month later, The Motor Cycle and rivals carried the headline ‘Paris-Nice Results Annulled.’ The Union Motorcycliste de France (UMdF) refused to accept the results, stating “individual competitors have been robbed of the fruits of their victory by the negligence or incompetence of the organisers”. In conversation, the UMdF added the private organisers (most events at the time in France were privately organised) were unable to supply proof of their results lists, checkpoint data and the arrangements at the overnight stops and finish were far from perfect. In the organisers’defence, it was considered by many entrants and rival publications, Gaston Sweerts of Motocyclisme had done well to organise such an ambitious event so soon after the war’s end and with roads and services struggling to cope after four years of conflict. But the UMdF would have none of it, stating if any maker or individual undertook any advertising or other promotion related to their ‘claimed’ performance in the trial, they would face severe penalties under international rules as far as it was concerned it was End a ‘non-event’ and hadn’t existed.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

Rebuild | Triumph unit twin

What’s it say on the tin? Restoration life is contrary enough without misleading labels. Words and photographs: TIM BRITTON n this life there are those who can maintain a sense of order in their working practices – such an aim is admirable and I’m always in awe of such people. On the other side are the totally disorganised restorers. Most of us will fall somewhere in between the two extremes. So we have lots of boxes with all sorts of things in. This project is a bit of a mix of all sorts of things – mostly Triumph, with the odd bit of BSA chucked in – in other words pretty much what I had on the shelves. There are imperial fasteners alongside more readily available metric ones and to complicate matters even more, instead of the steel plates to mount the engine in the frame, I’ve used thicker, aluminium alloy ones, which means even if I had the original fasteners, they would be too short. Shortening bolts isn’t a difficult task, especially with stainless steel not rusting once cut. As for measuring the length

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needed, I’m led to believe that it’s not good practice to have thread resting on such an engine plate, as it will wear the hole. The ideal is for the unthreaded shank to take the weight, yet allow for the bolt to be fully tightened without reaching the end of the thread. The M8 bolts I used are a good fit in the original 5⁄16in holes, but there is too much shank sticking through and the thread needed cutting further on to the bolt. Pushing the bolt through I marked the shank with a pencil and then clamped the bolt in the soft jaws of my vice. All was well so far – my thread gauge told me I had an M8 x 1.25 thread and my tap and die box had just such a die in it. Slipping it in the die holder and squirting a bit of cutting fluid on the bolt, I tried to screw the die down the thread, but it went right over the thread and dropped on the vice. The type of dies I have come with a cut in them so they can be adjusted either slightly wider or smaller,

so a thread can be cut to match the existing one. Using the screws in a die holder isn’t difficult, but there was no way this die was ever going to fit an M8 x 1.25 thread and an inspection after a 20-minute pout showed why – someone had put a 3/8in by 26tpi die in the M8 box. I should have checked, but I hadn’t. The right die was in another box… With bolts cut and enough thread sticking through on which to locate a nut, I think the accepted practice is one-and-a-half threads sticking through a Nyloc nut. This ticked off another job and meant an altogether tidier appearance. The next job on my notepad was the timing chest screws – I gave up trying to sort them from my box of oddments and bought a set from Draganfly. They all screwed in nicely and the timing cover was in place, but it will have to come off again as, a) there’s no gasket goo on the case faces and, b) a reasonably priced later cover, with points in

Classic sife

1 the side, did turn up, but it hadn’t arrived in time for the feature. Something I’d been ignoring – out of fear if truth be told – was that the engine wouldn’t turn over on the newly-acquired kick-starter. Everything was in place and working well when the engine went together earlier in this saga, but I’ve had the gearbox end cover on and off many times and I was fearful that I’d locked the gearbox. As the primary side needed investigating to see if the alternator I had handy was going to fit, I wondered if this was where the problem was. I recalled feeling the primary chain was a bit tight when it went on, or tighter than I felt it should be, so much so that the tensioner didn’t really need to be in there. My thinking was that the engine sprocket, at 26t, might be too big for the 350 but

3 1: The bolt tabs are bent slightly inwards, so moving them back will gain a bit of clearance. 2: Like this, but it is still not enough, so the stays will be cut and a bit added in. 3: The top mount shows the mudguard is a different proﬁle to the stay. Some rubber washers will both insulate the mudguard from splitting and take up the clearance. 4: New case screws, with the grotty ones on the right.

4 6

5: There – much tidier. Though the day after the picture a later case was sourced... 6: Bolts are longer than needed and the alloy engine plates are thicker than steel ones. 7: I couldn’t ﬁgure out why the die wouldn’t screw on the threads, until I checked the die itself.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

Rebuild | Triumph unit twin

according to the parts manual for the year the 3TA, 5TA and T100 all used the same 26t duplex sprocket. Still, I might see if there is a 25t one out there. Taking the tensioner off didn’t ease the locked engine problem and, as there’s neither chain nor gearbox sprocket in place, I couldn’t knock the bike in gear and rock the engine back and forth to see if that would free it off. Instead, off came the timing chest cover and a large socket went on the end of the crank nut. No, I didn’t heave on the bar with as much force as I could muster, as if there was something seriously wrong causing the lock-up, this would only make it worse. As it had all been working earlier, I reasoned the problem couldn’t be much and this proved to be the case. Moving the crank back a little – less than a few degrees – everything felt smooth and letting go of the bar allowed the crank to spin easily to the bottom of its stroke under its own weight. As far as I could tell the issue was caused by the timing gears just locking slightly, maybe 50 years of wear and tear had opened up the tolerances a little, but the job was sorted. If the pushrods had been in place then this could have caused

the problem too with sticky valves, but they were not, so the finger of accusation was firmly pointed at the timing gears. However, everything is turning over nicely again now, though the head and barrel will have to come off soon, as the compression plate I knew I had turned up will reduce the ridiculously high 11.5:1 compression ratio, though by how much I don’t know.

A little too close

As the original wheel size on a 3TA is 17in, increasing it to 21in moves the tyre 2in closer to the mudguard and none of the original stays will fit. In any case, the original huge mudguard was never going to go back on the bike, even if I had one to refit. What went on was an old alloy guard and some stays from a reader. The clearance is just okay in the dry but it would soon clog off-road. Looking at the set-up, another quarter of an inch could be teased from the originals by bending the bolt hole tabs. Doing this improved things slightly, but not enough. I plan to cut the stays slide in a round bar in the ends and move the back out until it looks right. This is not exactly scientific, but it will work, and once that is

done, I will measure the gap and a welder friend will weld it up for me.

Tank top

Remember tank-tops? Yeah, the fashion faux pas of the 1970s. Well, this tank isn’t anything like that at all, but it will be a top job once I get it transferred to metal. The process will involve a lot of cardboard, then some plywood or even real wood. Next, once the shape is formed, someone with more metalworking experience than I will make it. I’m told making a basic tank isn’t difficult, and this might be the case for welders and the like, but I’ll satisfy myself with the making of the wooden former. Before going down this route, I looked at several other options, such as using a Cub tank, or modifying an original unit one, but they were dismissed because a Cub tank wasn’t available or I didn’t want to destroy an original unit tank, which turned out to be from a 650 and wouldn’t have fitted in place even before the frame was altered. It is my intent to make the tank in such a way that it will be insulated from the vibrations a Triumph makes. Obviously, there need to be certain oil

8: Nice and neat on this side.

9: Ready for trimming, now the thread has been cut. 10: Gentle pressure on the bar showed there was only a minor lock – it freed easily and turned delightfully. 11: An alternator will produce the power and need some spacers to make sure it sits in the correct place. 12: Odd little bits had been missed, like this copper washer for instance.

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Classic sife feed unions in place and I’ll likely use the original Triumph ones, as I have some to hand, and I will see where I go from there.

Next on the list

Hopefully, as I write this bit before Christmas, there will be time to work off the excesses of the feasting by doing some more work in the workshop. I know there will be an instant tidy-up of the engine, as the distributor is due to go and the points in the side case will fit on. This leaves a great hole in the crankcase. Triumph did produce a blanking plug for this task, and it likely has a part number and a description, but try as I have, I can’t find any information on this. That said, it won’t be a huge task to make something suitable that will press in and be retained by a simple bolt. There might well need to be a different exhaust cam to fit, but this will depend on the sort of ignition system I use. Changing the cam won’t be a huge problem – the head and barrel have to come off anyway, as I have the compression plate to fit and the cam can be removed with the engine in place, although I recall that I wasn’t actually able to do that at the start of the rebuild. But, otherwise, the project is moving forward and I have a nice, neat 6in End headlamp to fit too.

15 16

13: No, I’m not making the oil tank out of cardboard – though I believe drop tanks for Second World War ﬁghter aircraft were occasionally made from papier mache. 14: Hours of endless fun can be had from cutting cardboard... 15: ...and holding the bits in place with sticky tape. 16: The ideal set-up for engine plate bolts or studs. 17: I’m expecting the engine to be cleaned up once the distributor is done away with.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

sife Classic

Opinion | Roy Poynting

Is the future electric? As the electric bicycle/motorcycle concept increases in popularity, will it go the way of pioneer motorcycling... or autocycles?

f you are an active pedal cyclist – especially if you ride in a group – you’ve doubtless noticed how many electric bicycles there are on the roads and tracks nowadays. You may even have one yourself. Electric bikes (also known as pedelecs or e-bikes) have been around for decades, of course, but comparatively recent improvements in battery and motor technology have enabled them to combine reasonable range and speed with manageable weight. Hence their increased popularity. So what? Well, writing about a 1950s autocycle recently, it struck me how much these machines were aimed at exactly the market targeted by the makers of today’s e-bikes, and I wondered if their rise and demise could tell us anything about the future. Looked at objectively, the autocycle was a poor thing compared with proper motorbikes – lacking in power, versatility and braking – but it was a true motorised bicycle, enabling cyclists to go much further and faster than would otherwise be the case. And, going back another 50 years, you find exactly the same situation with what we now term veteran motorcycles. It was no coincidence that many of the pioneer companies, like James and Rudge, were initially makers of pedal cycles who decided to motorise their products for the same reasons. It’s not in human nature to be satisfied with the status quo, however, and within 20 years or so the pioneer machines were given gearboxes, clutches, kick-starters, chain drive and decent brakes, and were transformed from barely usable novelties into proper motorbikes. Unfortunately, for the long-term prospects of the autocycle, there was no way the process could be repeated after it was introduced in the mid-1930s. Remaining as it was – with no gears, poor brakes and pedal-assisted starting and hill-climbing – didn’t allow it to compete with more sophisticated transport, yet significant development would have made it indistinguishable from a proper motorbike. The autocycle survived while prospective customers could afford nothing better, but once they became more affluent after the Second World War, it was no longer required. Will electrically-powered bikes grow into something with a life of their own – like pioneer motorcycles – or will they fizzle out like the autocycle? There’s actually no technological problem in developing electric motorbikes to fulfil any reasonable customer requirement, as shown by those already able to lap the TT’s Mountain course at well over 100mph in the TT-Zero. But as yet there is little sign that they will create their own market niche between

Roy Poynting has been a regular contributor to The Classic MotorCycle since 1995 when he entered and won a writing competition. A veteran of many restorations, he continues to be an enthusiastic rider.

simple pedelecs and petrol-powered motorcycles (and scooters). Typically hypocritical Government attitudes are partly to blame for the slow take-up. Because, while there are no road tax and insurance charges for basic pedelecs, anything able to go faster than a running man is treated exactly as if it was petrol-powered. And although the authorities theoretically encourage switching to electrically-powered vehicles (while ignoring problems in electricity generation, and pollution caused by mining and dumping the essential rare minerals) their attention is focussed on cars. It almost seems they’ve a hidden agenda to discourage motorcycling of any kind, despite its undoubted environmental and congestion benefits. In any case it would probably take more than Government initiatives and a social conscience to persuade most motorcyclists to switch from internal combustion engines to electric motors, because even car-like prices haven’t discouraged ownership of conventional superbikes (and classic bikes). There is something about the visceral feel of a reciprocating engine that appeals to most of us; indeed, I recently heard a television pundit declare that if ultra-smooth electric motorcycles were all that was available, he’d give up motorcycling altogether. To me that smacks of cutting off your nose to spite your face. I love motorcycling in any form, especially when propelled by a conventional engine running perfectly (it can happen even in a classic motorcycle!). But I also wish to arrive safely and reliably at my destination, and if it has to be on a silent and vibration-less electric motor, then so be it. Diehards, occasional riders (and cosseted television personalities) wouldn’t go that far, but even if they shun electric motorcycles, I notice many of them hedge their bets and balance riding pleasure with practicality by buying modern retro-styled conventional motorcycles. So far, the only makers of electric bikes who have tried to take advantage of this have produced machines with batteries held in finned cases unconvincingly trying to look like cylinder barrels. But why not go further and add a modicum of synthetic vibration and noise? There could even be a hint of burnt Castrol-R, because vegetablebased oil wouldn’t spoil the ‘green’ credentials! Who knows? The first manufacturer to try it might become a laughing-stock, or they could attract loads of customers enthralled by traditional motorcycling, but less keen on the dirt and inconvenience that goes End with it!

Will electrically-powered bikes grow into something with a life of their own – like pioneer motorcycles – or will they fizzle out like the autocycle? 76

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

sife Classic

Opinion | Jerry Thurston

Doesn’t time fly? The year 2020 marks 30 years since Jerry Thurston was ﬁrst in the employ of The Classic MotorCycle, and he’s still delighted to be involved. hree decades ago, I was employed selling advertisements over the telephone for a motocross magazine, but my perhaps slightly odd fascination for really old motorcycles did, however, make me a strong candidate for the vacant advertisement manager’s job on The Classic MotorCycle, a title at the time relatively recently acquired by the now defunct EMAP (East Midlands Allied Press, now Bauer) company. This was a job I wanted very badly, so I was overjoyed when I was successful, finding myself as one of a team of five, with advertising, editorial and production all crammed into a small ground floor office in Peterborough. At times, this cell could be quiet and studious, with nothing but the tap-tap of keyboards as the editorial team wrestled with deadlines and I tried to make advertising calls as quietly as I could. At other times, it would be gloriously noisy, with everybody chipping in ideas for feature titles. These would come one after another until somebody hit on an ideal that everybody liked. But, always, everything stopped for the tea trolley, heralded by the clink of cups, as the redoubtable catering team heaved the clattering contraption, loaded with gallons of boiling water, from office to office. Although I was in charge of the advertising, on occasions I would be called upon to make up numbers as a rider for a group test. There was an unspoken rule for this though – only on big machines, as my 6ft 5in form made me look somewhat ridiculous on smaller stuff. While being occasionally called upon to ride ‘big bikes’ was never a bad thing, some of the outings were definitely better than others. On the not-so-good front, I clearly remember riding a side-valve Harley-Davidson, literally completed the day before. The timing cannot have been right on it as it was running so hot that the fresh powder coating on the cylinders began to bubble, and the heat against my legs was almost unbearable. “Just one more pass for the camera, Jerry,” was almost more than I could bear and it was a blessed relief to hop off and give my partially cooked shins some cool air. I managed to catch the eye of the owner/restorer who, to his credit, managed to look unbothered and casually remarked: “No worries, I’ll sort that later.” One of the best experiences came from a day that somewhat disappointingly finished early with all the pictures done in double-quick time – at not much past

2pm and the snapper announces it’s all good to go. I must have looked a bit downcast with the spectre of an early bath looming, as the owner sidled up and said: “Enjoying it?” “Yes, immensely” I replied. “Okay,” says the owner, “There’s plenty of fuel in the tank. Off you go, see you in an hour or two!” Ironically, while I remember the generosity of the owner and the glorious time I had winding through the lanes, I can’t for the life of me recall what the bike was! Perhaps one of the highlights of those early years was watching the late Brian Woolley riding my Zenith Gradua V-twin. Brian was chosen to do the road test because in the 1950s he too had owned an example. Wind on 40 years to a bumpy fen road in the middle of nowhere, and Brian was to be reacquainted with the Jerry Thurston bought his first make and model he had owned. This was the first time vintage motorcycle I had let anybody ride it and I stood half-terrified, halfwhen he was 17. excited as Brian was shoved off and banged the valve For a time he was The Classic lifter shut. MotorCycle Despite the four decades since he’d been on one, the advertising manager. moment the engine fired, he was at one with it. I stood Now 30 years on from buying his fascinated as the familiar splatter of two barely silenced first old bike, Jerry cylinders faded into the distance, then waited slightly still owns and nervously as the sound and the bike disappeared. loves them and is especially fond of Around 10 minutes later the Gradua could be heard fast, noisy again, it was going well, very well indeed. Brian hove flat-tankers. into view crouched over it, riding with fine style… 100 yards off he pulled the valve lifter and stopped neatly right by us. He lifted his goggles and remarked completely deadpan: “I’d forgotten how bloody frightening these things were, you can ride the bugger for the pictures!” I’ll spare some blushes and not name the chap who mistimed the run and jump-start on my rather ornery 1917 Harley-Davidson and managed the first 100 yards of his test ride sitting on the carrier before managing to haul himself on board. Sadly the photographer hadn’t got the camera ready, or the moment would have been captured and the images up on the office wall in double quick time. So, it is 30 years later and I’m still here and just as enthusiastic about vintage and classic motorcycles as I ever was. The only thing that has changed is that I am now sort of poacher turned gamekeeper, having found out a decade or two back that writing about motorcycles was much more satisfying than selling adverts for End them. Long may it continue.

So, it is 30 years later and I’m still here and just as enthusiastic about vintage and classic motorcycles as I ever was. 78

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

You were asking | Expert advice

You were asking Your queries resolved with Richard Rosenthal

It’s a Rover

This emotive period photograph rear wheel, accessory speedometer of an unknown rider with his driven from the front wheel and very old unknown motorcycle acetylene headlamp. No rear appeared when emptying a late lamp is fitted and wasn’t a legal elderly relation’s house. The requirement until 1927, although motorcycle appears distinctive many fitted them before this date. with a strange bump on the Bearing the Cambridge petrol tank with what looks registration mark EB 791, one like a syringe poking through it. imagines this scene was captured Can you identify the machine in one of the villages around and have you any notion of the then University town – the location? Cambridge became a city in 1951 Jonty West, email, UK. for what was cited at the time The machine is a circa 1913/14 as ‘exceptional circumstances.’ 499cc single cylinder side-valve We could imagine this scene Rover. And you went some of the with water or milk cart in the way to identifying it, Jonty, by background and flat landscape noting it had a distinctive bump almost anywhere in the county, with syringe to the side of the although the style of the cottage fuel tank. is suggestive of north rather than This is its oiling system, with south Cambridgeshire. direct Best and Lloyd-type hand In 1885, J K Starley launched pump. The rider would give the his safety cycle using the engine a couple of squirts of oil on ‘Rover’ brand and after further starting and then further squirts development manufacture of oil every four to five miles, or at started over the winter of 1885/6 least this is what we do with our at the Meteor Works, West 1911 Premier and 1910 Campion- Orchard, Coventry. The enterprise JAP fitted with similar pumps. was quickly successful and they However, it looks as through timed their entry into what was to the rider in your photo has become a highly lucrative market, replaced the original pump knob perfectly. with the top of a domestic water Starley died in 1901, soon tap. Perhaps the original fell off after the Rover board considered on the rough roads of the period. adding motorcycles to their The machine is fitted with three range. And by late 1903 they’d speed hub gear and clutch to its developed a fairly advanced 3HP

What a lovely photograph, the subject being a 1913/14 period Rover – the location most likely being Cambridgeshire.

sound machine. Sales weren’t what the board hoped and after about 1200 machines were built, motorcycle production ended in 1905. A few years later, they took the same route as Singer and others, by using a 208cc automatic inlet valve MAG engine installed into an adapted Rover cycle. It’s believed some were fitted with Motosacoche kits and a few built as complete lightweight Motosacoche-like motorcycles. Then during 1910, J K Starley junior let it slip to the press the company was working on the design of an all new motorcycle with a ‘slide-valve engine.’ Whether this was a slip and it should have been side-valve is unclear. But, whatever, this project was abandoned and with just six weeks to go to the launch off the new Rover

motorcycle at the London Show, John Greenwood designed an all-new machine with 499cc side-valve engine. It not only went on display but was a success straight from the box. Sure, Greenwood had probably taken a look at the best on the market (the Triumph) but his new model was quite distinctive in many respects, and certainly wasn’t the slavish copy some other makers produced. In the first season almost 500 3½hp Rovers were sold, and more than double that figure in the following season. Although initially direct drive, it then gained a hub rear gear (initially Armstrong then Sturmey-Archer) and later a countershaft gearbox, but this Greenwood-designed engine with minor revisions remained in production until the earlyy 1920s.

Velocette MSS wiring I’m confused. My late 1950s AJS and Matchless singles have positive earth wiring which I am told is the Lucas way, yet when I collected my newly purchased 1955 Velocette MSS from a dealer in running order, it is wired with negative earth. I daren’t start it again (although the dealer did and I even had a brief run up the road on it) until I understand what is going on. Tony Fleming, email Correct, is the one word answer, Tony. To elaborate… Lucas, who made by volume

the most electrical parts for British motorcycles of the period, initially employed a negative earth system for motorcycle wiring (i.e. negative pole of battery and appropriate components connected to earth, in most cases the motorcycles’ chassis). Circa 1951 (-ish, and again slightly variable) Lucas changed to a positive earth for motorcycles, and I think cars, but as I don’t play with four wheeled contrivances, I can’t be certain. And your two late 1950s AMC singles are correctly wired

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

The Velocette . correctly, wired with negati

with positive to earth as Lucas intended at the time. However, your Velocette was fitted with Miller electrical equipment, including dynamo, when it left Veloce Ltd, Hall

Green Works, Birmingham 28, which always had negative earth, as you have discovered. Worry no more Tony, and enjoy. The MSS is superb and easy to live with.

YOU WERE ASKING IS SPONSORED BY CASTROL CLASSIC OILS

The Corgi and Welbike familial links A few years ago I inherited an Excelsior Welbike from a like-minded military friend. In fact, he built it (or had it built) using a new (possibly old stock or replica) frame and a Villiers Junior engine. He painted it khaki, which I’ve camouflaged with off-white to match my Bedford military truck and Humber car. I don’t join the military scene but occasionally take one or other vehicle along with the Welbike to local fetes. For the past two years, I’ve been asked about the relationship between the Welbike and the Corgi – one chap adamant my machine is a Corgi and not a replica of a Welbike. Mr Pearson, enquiry at Kempton Park autojumble/ show, December 2019. There is a relationship between the Welbike and Corgi. The designer of the first prototype Welbike was J R V Dolphin, who was based at the military research establishment at Welwyn, Herts, and he was also responsible for the Corgi launch. The background is that the British Airborne forces needed a disposable, cheap, rugged, easyto-handle light motorcycle, for their use in war zones after glider, parachute and at times aircraft landings. This led to the design and development of the Welbike, along with the James ML and Royal Enfield Flying Flea. In 1942, Dolphin designed the fold-up machine powered by a single speed clutched Villiers Junior De-Luxe autocycle engine able to be fitted inside a standard cylindrical parachute drop container. A prototype named the Welbike (Wel from Welwyn) was built and later delivered to the Excelsior Motor Co. Ltd., Kings Road, Tyseley Birmingham 11, a renowned motorcycle maker from the pioneer days who built the famous Excelsior Manxman

Nice colour photograph, out of the Rosenthal collection and from a few years back, of a Corgi at what looks to be a summer time steam engine rally or similar.

before the Second World War. Excelsior made a range of improvements to the design, both for use in the field and for the machine to enter quantity production. Then, at military request, the engine was mildly uprated and machined with greater bore/ piston clearance and other tolerances so it could be ridden flat out from first start-up without going through the running process. A number of pre-production prototypes were built by Excelsior for assessment and the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment (AFEE) in an act of extreme cruelty, the tiny motorcycles were even tested towing their own drop canister fitted with wheels and loaded to 350lbs. Quick and easy to produce, the fold-up motorcycle largely fitted its bill, although how many were actually used is open to debate – let’s say between ‘a few’, ‘some’ and ‘quite a lot!’ The Welbike was built in three development types: Mk.I as per final pre-production types, total

of 1183. Slight revisions to include lack of rear mudguard led to a contract for 1400 Mk.II Series Is, and a final contract with again further design tweaking saw the delivery of 1340 Mk.II Series II Welbikes (Ref: British Armed Forces Motorcycles 1925-45, Chris Orchard and Steve Madden ISBN 0-7509-4451-X). Despite the building of nearly 4000 machines, surprisingly few survived the war to be sold on at military surplus sales, although some abandoned (lost) examples later surfaced in private hands. For the last 30 years, a tiny cottage industry has built replica Welbikes, including the one you have Mr Pearson. J R V (John Robert Vernon) Dolphin CBE (1905-73), a graduate of Loughborough Engineering College, was later Commanding Officer of the Special Operations Executive Station 1X (Welwyn), where he designed other military equipment including the Welman single person submarine. On leaving the Army, he founded the Corgi Motorcycle Co. Ltd. among other companies – hence the link

with the Welbike – and took his Welbike design to Brockhouse Engineering (Southport) Ltd, Crossens, Southport, who had acquired in 1938 Vulcan Motor and Engineering Co. Ltd. works, to put it into civilian production. Brockhouse – who were involved in many engineering projects, probably some in association with J R V Dolphin – developed the design into the mini scooter/motorcycle with the fold-down handlebars we know. In place of the Welbike’s Villiers engine, an Excelsior Sprite autocycle engine with clutch was used. Initially push-start, it soon gained a kick-starter and an optional platform or tradesman sidecar was offered too. Over its 1948-54 production run it was developed, noted by a series of Mks.I to IV. For example, in 1949 options of a two-speed gearbox and telescopic front fork were offered. During its six-year production run, it is estimated over 27,000 Corgis were built, some of which were sold as the Indian Papoose in the USA, often by catalogue and department store chains.

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You were asking | Expert advice

You were asking

Excelsior Manxman examined

Researching the Manx GP history of Excelsior Manxmans, I discovered the engine was designed by Blackburne, who then got into financial difficulties. Excelsior personnel had to nip post-haste to Blackburne’s works to pick up patterns, castings, jigs and designs before the liquidators moved in, and then arrange manufacture of the Manxman engine in Birmingham. It all seems too much like an Agatha Christie novel to be true. Over to you, Richard. Sylv Sutton, email, East Anglia. As many before have written, ‘fact is often stranger than fiction,’ and the coincidence this month of two YWA questions involving the Excelsior factory furthers this thought. Excelsior – who’d built their first experimental motorcycle The full range of Excelsior Manxman models. in 1896 – were one of the first racing factories with their works supported riders, notably Harry Martin, initially competing on the cycle tracks of the UK, Ireland and the Continent. Roll the clock forward almost three decades and with the UK and much of the world in deep recession, Excelsior were marketing the cheapest motorcycles on the British market, the 98cc Villiers Midget powered two-speed Universal BD, priced at Four-valve version of the Manxman, this one of 350cc. 14 Guineas (£14-70). Despite the parlous national trading situation, rather than Tragically, seasoned campaigner season. The plan was Excelsiors’ pull their horns in, the Excelsior Frank Longman died in Ramsey new road-going motorcycle board continued to go racing Hospital after a second lap crash would be based on these and wanted to steal a march riding an Excelsior-JAP. machines and folklore suggests it on their rivals in the 250cc It was apparent to Eric Walker would have been marketed as the class, who were racing similar of Excelsior the Mechanical ‘Excelsior Marvel.’ powerful JAP and Blackburne ohv Marvel was too complicated for Designed at Blackburne by H J engines. So Excelsior asked their ‘Ike’ Hatch, the Mechanical Marvel a production fast roadster/racer. friends at Blackburne, Bookham, Something simpler was needed powered four of the Excelsiors Surrey, to come up with a more and this was the sohc two-valve raced in the 1933 Lightweight powerful engine. Excelsior Manxman, which TT. Other than an end of first This led to the design, building was first raced in the 1935 IoM lap tie with J O Duncan (Cotton), and use of one of the most Lightweight TT. It led to the 250, Excelsiors led the race and complicated racing 250cc engines 350 and 500cc single cylinder sohc although Wal Handley dropped of the early 1930s. Named the two-valve Manxmans, which out on the last lap with engine Mechanical Marvel, it had a problems, Syd Gleave won by over were built up to the Second radial design four-valve cylinder two minutes from Charlie Dodson World War. head operated by two pairs of They were by engine design (New Imperial) at 71.59mph, pushrods, and would have been tough, reliable and able to sustain with a fastest lap of 72.62mph. expensive to make. It was both high speeds for almost ever, and Crabtree brought another expensive and time consuming as a complete motorcycle, they Marvel in in fifth place while to maintain during a full racing handled well, but were a little Barrow went out on the first lap.

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heavy. Excelsior offered them in various forms including a clubman racer/roadster. Eager to continue racing as a front runner, Walker (for Excelsior) asked Hatch to design a four-valve cylinder head for the Manxman engines and in 250cc form this design finished second in the 1937 and 1938 IoM TT Lightweight race ridden by Ginger Wood. There were a number of other developments of the Manxman engine by both the factory and privateers, and it continued racing well into the 1950s on the track and the grass. Now back to your tale, Sylv. Largely, its origins are true to the fact, although to my mind history has been muddied over the last 80-plus years. For example the late Titch Allen (co-founder of the VMCC) wrote that H G (Henry George) Tyrell-Smith made the fast dash to Bookham for his new employer Excelsior (he was formerly with Rudge as racer/engineer) to collect the patterns, castings etc for the four-valve (racing engine) design as the liquidators circled. Other sources state this was for the slightly earlier two-valve engine design. So yet more intrigue added.

Restoration guide | Expert advice

NSU QUICKLY 1953-65 THE SPECIALIST

NSU Quickly Spares is a comprehensive resource for just about anything pertaining to the German mopeds that sold in thousands. As well as running a mail order operation to supply parts, the business can also undertake refurbishment work on some of the mechanical and electrical sub-assemblies. Roger Worton is the man with the knowledge and our thanks to him for overseeing this guide. â&#x2013; www.nsuquicklyspares.co.uk; 01908 314797

MODEL HISTORY

Rebuilding its war-shattered factory and products, NSU developed pressed-steel motorcycle frames and the 1953-launched Quickly N moped became a successful application of the technique. In Britain, it was a reliable, economical and well-finished commuting alternative to the home industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offerings. Its popularity soon turned into a huge demand, initially met by distributors Vincent Motorcycles, no less. The design evolved. By 1955 a larger fuel tank was the most obvious change. Mudguards offered greater enclosure, wheel rims became chrome plated. Later, there were three-speed gearboxes and pivoted fork rear suspension. The wheel rim diameter was reduced. The N in its various evolutions was listed until 1962, by which time the N23 became the new base model. The range had expanded to variants with passenger accommodation. Continental buyers had sporting alternatives from the mid-1950s, although these offered form, rather than performance function. The exception was the Quick 50 of the mid-1960s, essentially a small motorcycle with a new power-train that included a four-speed gearbox. By this time, the moped market had many choices and Quickly sales were falling away. The focus at NSU was on its Ro80 car project and the last mopeds were made in 1965. Overall production was more than a million. 01

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WORDS: ALAN TURNER

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PRICING

Quickly models continue to surface, often discovered long abandoned in garages. Allegedly complete projects will probably lighten the wallet by £250 for the common models. Early small tank models are now on collectors’ radar and will command a lot more, as will some of the continental sports rarities. Around £1500 should secure a fully restored, road-ready example of one of the more common machines.

IN CONCLUSION

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An NSU Quickly is an ideal introduction to restoration. The mechanical side is as basic as it gets, although the cosmetics of the sheet metal construction could prove more challenging. Parts are rarely a problem, but the special tools are not so common. When it was introduced, the inherent quality of the Quickly immediately raised the bar for commuting two-wheelers. It also opened up a new market that most British manufacturers only entered by establishing a link with continental companies to import, or manufacture their designs under licence. In turn, by the early 1960s, Japanese imports offered further levels of refinement. While models such as the N represent the essence of what the Quickly was all about, long distance travel was not intended. For more practical use, the comfort offered by any of the later dual seat, rear suspension versions is well worth seeking out. With a growing interest in smaller bikes, there are many groups of likeminded enthusiasts providing opportunities to ride and socialise. The power output is modest, even compared to some of its contemporaries. ‘Quickly’ might be a relative term for the performance, but it is apt for the spares and knowledge back-up that will maximise the End bike’s readiness to ride.

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THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

Technical feature | Motorcycle building

We’re often told a photograph never lies – well, until they could be digitally manipulated that is. But all isn’t what it seems in this famous 1903 sporting image. The machines with huge engines are racing or high speed mounts and the ﬂurries of dust and smoke behind them conveys an image of speed – until you look at the wheel spokes. They’re stationary! More to the point, these are examples of hand-built motorcycles using components available in the day, with the De Dion Bouton-like engine of the machine closest to the camera probably displacing 800-1000cc.

DIY motorcycles – 1902 style For most of us, building a special or making an ideal from scratch may today be a concept of the imagination only. But in the Edwardian days it was exactly how many enthusiasts were able to take to the roads on a motorcycle. Words and photographs: RICHARD ROSENTHAL ome of us have built, owned or bought hand-built motorcycles, often specials crafted from existing machines to make the ideal mount of our dreams. And the name proudly emblazoned on its tank gives us a clue as to the origin of the constituent major components, or at least the engine and frame. Favourites include Triton (Triumph engine, Norton Featherbed frame), TriBSA (Triumph engine, BSA frame), Grumph (Greeves frame, Triumph engine) and Norvin (Norton frame, Vincent engine), among others. Then we’ll have all espied many others, (Velton, NorSuzuki, Japton…), plus classic/ modern engines installed in bespoke frames, such as Metisse, Seeley and Harris. The examples are endless and an internet search or trawl through adverts and specialist catalogues will uncover much of what

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you need to build your dream motorcycle. And of course there is nothing to stop you making (or having made) components to suit your scheme. The first small, high-speed petrol engines appeared 125 years ago, thanks to the intuitive design work of Georges Bouton. Other designers soon developed their own but De Dion Bouton set a new standard and changed vehicle engine concepts forever. Previously, units were large capacity, low speed engines which produced tiny amounts of power in relation to their cubic capacity. These were used successfully – by standards of the period – for cars, threewheelers and carts. A small number of makers installed them in motorcycles with the leading manufacturer of the day Hildebrand & Wolfmüller building and selling between 800-2000 (estimates vary)

in the period 1894-7. Their 1488cc twin cylinder engine which employed the rear wheel/axle as its crankshaft developed about 2½bhp to power along what was the world’s first production motorcycle at a 12-15mph cruising speed. A handful of rival designers took a similar route when building their motorcycles, including Colonel H Capel Holden RA in the UK, who unveiled his 3HP Holden with low speed engine in 1897, which employed the rear wheel/axle as its crankshaft. The launch of the first 140cc De Dion Bouton high speed engine, which produced initially ½hp but was soon further enlarged/ developed, and those of rivals, sidelined the low speed engines overnight. And by 1903 the large capacity, low speed petrol engine was confined to history for most vehicular applications.

Classic sife Although De Dion Bouton appear initially to have planned their small, high speed engine for tricycles, the first of which they launched in 1895, they weren’t averse to selling loose engines and additionally began licensing their engine design to others, including MMC in the UK. By 1897, engineers and enthusiasts were clipping the De Dion Bouton and rival small high speed engines to existing cycle chassis or even building sturdier chassis to cycle-type designs. French domiciled Russian emigres Eugene and Michel Werner were among the first to go into motorcycle production with a machine fitted with a high speed engine, the Motocyclette, comprising their own motor mounted above the front wheel, driven by belt from the engine pulley. Earlier, they experimented with a rear mounted engine and later revised their cycle chassis to move the engine from above the front wheel to within the frame and in front of the pedal crank, which became known as the ‘Werner position.’ Rivals took alternative routes and for a couple of years the Werners’ protected their patented designs with lawsuits issued to those they considered copied their design, though rivals soon found ways of circumnavigating their patents. In the 1890s, cycling had become a hugely popular pursuit and means of personal transport. To meet demand, many cycle makers and cycle component makers were established and with the mushrooming interest, massive fortunes were made in months for clever/lucky entrepreneurs. Every town and many villages had specialist cycle makers who often built bicycles in small volume, using their choice of components available on the trade and often private market. Components available included frame lugs, tubes or frame kits, pedal cranks, front forks, handlebars, levers, brakes, wheel hubs or complete wheels, sprockets… In fact, everything required to build cycles. Although still a tiny interest compared

The Minerva story is well known and their kits so well made, arguably building a motorcycle with appropriate cycle and Minerva kit is an act of assembly, rather than building. Nonetheless, imagine the thrill just before Christmas 1903, when a parcel containing a Minerva kit was delivered by the postman. Forget the socks and aftershave… I’m off to the shed! Although slightly out of focus, this delightful Madeira Drive, Brighton, Pioneer Run picture is, for me, highly evocative of those past times.

with the cycling boom, enthusiasts and engineers were building their own ‘perfect’ motorcycle. For many it made sense to use an existing cycle chassis or build their owner sturdier structure using existing cycle frame lugs, to which they clipped an engine with drive usually to the rear wheel – but sometimes the front – by pulleys and direct belt. Seeing another potential boom, entrepreneurs quickly entered the ‘motorcycle market’ with components and even kits to help the would-be motorcycle maker. Arguably the first successful entry to this market was Minerva, but to set this in perspective, while Minerva and others enjoyed success, many more floundered, as motorcycling in the Edwardian period didn’t boom in the way cycling had a few years earlier – it was more a

case of enthusiasm for powered twowheelers gathering pace, rather than accelerating away. Sylvain de Jong founded his Antwerp cycle making business in 1897 and soon employed the brand Minerva. Circa 1899, Ernest Zürcher and Herman Lüthi offered their newly designed, 211cc four-stroke engine with automatic inlet valve to de Jong, who instantly spotted it as a winner. The trio (Zürcher, Lüthi and Minerva) patented the design (including in the UK) on February 9, 1900. An astute businessman, Sylvain not only offered complete machines and loose engines, but, cleverly, a cycle motorising kit, comprising engine, tank housing surface carburettor, accumulator and ignition trembler coil, drive pulleys, drive belt, levers, exhaust system and the odds required to covert a cycle into a motorcycle.

Minerva was by no means the only cycle motorising kit on offer in the pioneer days. Swiss brothers Henri and Arman Dufaux founded their Acacias, Geneva company in 1899 and by 1901 had taken out patents for their cycle motorising attachment, which they named the Motosacoche (‘moto sa coche’ roughly translates to ‘motor in a bag’). The superb, neat attachment housing motor, fuel tank, ignition system and all other parts was mounted to a clad subframe, which slotted into the frame of standard gents’ cycles, as illustrated here. As well as offering these for more than a decade, they also built complete machines under their own brand and for branding by rivals, helping others including Royal Enfield and Singer. Alongside the work, they offered superbly engineered proprietary engines under the MAG (Motosacoche Acacias Geneva) brand.

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Technical feature | Motorcycle building Build your own

If you wanted to make the entire machine yourself, a number of ‘how to’ features, including a series published in 1901, detailed everything you needed to know to build a 194cc automatic inlet valve powered machine, including pattern making, casting, machining, making the ignition system, fabricating a carburettor and mounting the unit over the cycle’s front wheel. This was published in 1901 over 14 parts, in The English Mechanic and World of Science and Art. Such was the pace of motorcycle development, by the time the series was in print, it was already time for updates, and further parts detailed how to make a motorcycle frame with the engine mounted within. Then, later in the year, readers explained how they mounted the engine in the frame of a conventional sturdy cycle… Someone you know has one of these, which, as projects are getting completed, is nearing the top of the pile ‘for restoration.’ Progress may be reported in future YWA columns in a year or so… Similar was publicised by others, including in a small volume edited by Paul Hasluck and published by David McKay in the USA during 1906. This marvellous little book has been reprinted more recently and copies can be found via the internet. Literally, it details everything you need to know to build a motorcycle. It may seem today impossible to build a motorcycle from scratch, but for a few enthusiasts in the later Victorian and Edwardian

period, it was their only hope of getting on the road. The accompanying photograph depicts the product of one enterprising soul who has used a gent’s cycle as his starting point. The front forks are substantially beefed up to support a 150-200cc engine, possibly of his own design or perhaps sourced from America, with

round belt drive to the front wheel and a band brake to the rear wheel. Hopefully, after all his effort it ran well, although the thought of a lusty four-stroke engine mounted above the front wheel isn’t for everyone, unless you cut your teeth making deliveries every Saturday morning on a butcher’s cycle!

The BSA story

Marque books, motorcycle encyclopaedias and features inform the BSA board, unsure of the long term future of motorcycling, waited until the 1910 Olympia Show to unveil its first production motorcycle. Some continue to imply BSA took a long, hard look at the best single cylinder motorcycle on the UK market, the Triumph, before designing their own. All true as far as it goes, but not the full story. BSA had been one of the pioneers of the cycle trade when in 1888 the War Office decided to re-equip the British Army with Lee-Metford rifles designed by William Ellis Metford and in service 1888-1926. Suddenly, the Small Heath factory had to quadruple arms production to 1200 rifles a week, forcing them to abandon their growing trade in cycle and components manufacture, despite their success in these fields. In 1892, they returned

to the cycle business, primarily as a manufacturer and supplier of components for the manufacturing trade. Such was their success, they had to introduce round the clock shifts and by 1895 women were filling vital roles on the production and manufacturing lines for the first time. As the interest in motorcycling gathered pace, the BSA board

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weren’t convinced with the viability or profitability of building complete machines but in a rather ‘halfway house’ act began designing motorcycle frames and their components, along with associated parts compatible with leading proprietary engines of the day. Thus, they supplied malleable iron frame lug casting, frame tube, frame kits and at times complete frames for others to complete as

motorcycles. The accompanying three images detail what BSA was offering in 1902/3. Additionally, a few machines were built for BSA, using their rolling chassis, by Birmingham based engineers, onto which they applied the BSA logo. But this wasn’t an attempt to enter the motorcycle manufacturing world, but rather a promotional tool for their components.

Classic sife

Think of frame components and we often think of Chater-Lea Fittings or Sun Cycle and Fittings as leading suppliers of frame lugs, tubes, frame kits and complete frames. Both in fact built complete machines to rival makers’ designs, with the customer’s brand or logo applied, as well as their own motorcycle ranges. The Chater-Lea frame depicted here has a steering head extension, enabling the fitment of larger capacity engines than a Minerva below the downtube. In the 1903-6 period, they also supplied a conversion kit of lugs and short tubes enabling makers and individuals to convert a standard gent’s cycle frame to accommodate the fitment of larger engines, as depicted here. Another Chater-Lea product in the c1902/7

period was their braced rigid front fork, complete with suitable steering head lug. One could remove a standard cycle steering head, then peg and hearth braze this Chater-Lea steering head in place, or alternatively use this set, along with other appropriate Chater-Lea lugs, to fabricate a complete motorcycle frame.

In 1902/3, Eadie, like BSA and Chater-Lea, offered the lugs and tubes for complete frames to suit your choice of engine. These could be tailored to suit your engine and although most frames were designed to accept 28 x 1½in wheels/wheel rims, they would make to order sets to suit smaller 26in wheel sizes. This Eadie advert of the period illustrates how the rear frame fork legs were kinked to accommodate a belt rim for the belt drive transmission.

London-based David Citroen handled Minerva sales in the UK, with his first batch of 100 Minerva kits being sold in double quick time. More followed, leading de Jong to formalise an arrangement with Citroen. Soon, cycle component specialists and other engineers were offering components – or a series of components – to assist both professionals and privateers in their quest to build motorcycles. There were many entries into this market, including by Chater-Lea and BSA which offered more substantial lugs and kits to make sturdier frames for motorcycles, Chater-Lea and others produced front forks (initially unsprung) while bolt-on kits to convert rigid cycle forks into sprung designs were soon offered. Adverts for motorcycle wheels, wheel hubs, freewheels, fuel tanks, levers, belt rims, pulleys, tyres… began to surface in the press c1900/01 and by 1902 a huge range of choices was on offer. Initially, engines offered were De Dion Bouton or to De Dion Bouton design under licence, but by 1898/9, others offered engines too, some satisfactory

and other less so. Significantly, in the UK, JAP offered its first commercially available proprietary engine in 1902, a 293cc single cylinder four-stroke unit with automatic inlet valve and a special crankcase casting and clip to attach underside to a cycle’s downtube. Once underway, JAP didn’t stand still, and within a year they offered their first ohv unit, albeit initially with a single push/pull rod which with rocking arm above the cylinder opened the inlet or exhaust valve on timed demand. It wasn’t long before they adopted a two pushrod design and mechanical side-valves for other designs. While some motorcycle component makers from c1901/2 only wanted to supply the trade in volume (albeit often small volume) others would serve individuals with single items. However, the home build motorcycle enthusiast was well catered for, as concerns like Brown Bros offered a huge choice of motorcycle-building components, attractively promoted in large catalogues. Under each heading – frame components, engines, wheel hubs… – there would be a

choice. Thus, in theory, an enthusiast armed with a wheelbarrow could visit the local branch and buy everything with which to build one’s ideal motorcycle, cart it home in the barrow and start work instantly. In practice, some items needed ordering with delivery to your local rail station. Motorcyclists being motorcyclists, often had their theories of motorcycle or component design, therefore not only did they mix and match what was on offer but they’d also made or commissioned to their pet design. And at every stage, specialists were on hand to fill in gaps with the items one couldn’t complete in the home or small professional workshop, plus services included everything you may need from pattern making and casting to hearth brazing and wheel building. Cycle factories and shops, engineers, blacksmiths, idealists and many more built (or attempted to build) motorcycles either singly for themselves or as preproduction development research. Lots soon realised such wasn’t for them or it would be unprofitable, while others went

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

Technical feature | Motorcycle building

While BSA, Chater-Lea and Eadie were success stories, other makers also built acceptable frames and/or manufactured suitable frame components, including the maker here of the Lion Motor Cycle Frame, namely The Lion Cycle Co of South Lowestoft, Suffolk, but were less fortunate. Likely as not there was nothing wrong with their product, but motorcycle frames were never a big seller for this East Anglian maker and they soon disappeared from the market.

Brown Bros not only offered complete motorcycles, which almost certainly were built or part built for them leaving their staff to complete any ﬁnal assembly, they also offered every single part needed to build your dream motorcycle or car in 1903. The sample page here details just some of the items on offer, while the rest of this catalogue and their accompanying trade catalogues detailed everything else.

Week on week, the motoring and ﬂedgling motorcycle press carried letters and features written by readers, who ranged from well-meaning but misguided souls with no practical experience, to adept professionals. Taking frames as an illustration, here are two examples, one each for a motorcycle and a tricycle forecar chassis. Some also included design improvements, which predated manufacturers’ thinking, while others were, erm, potty. Both designs depicted here look serviceable, but others were so bizarre one realises some produced their sketches at home with imagination rather than design acumen. However, without this huge storm of ideas, the development of motorcycles would have been slower.

Thinking of the bizarre, this reader’s design proposed a front wheel drive motorcycle with its front wheel rim driven by bogies. One assumes the build of such a machine never happened, but if you know differently we’d be pleased to hear from you!

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

into series motorcycle assembly. None more successfully than a certain Coventry cycle maker which, from 1887, traded as the Triumph Cycle Company, later restructured with updated trading names. Arguably, it all began in c1897 when Mauritz Schulte bought an imported Hildebrand and Wolfmüller motorcycle from its Munich maker. Doubtless Schulte and Siegfried Bettman of Triumph experimented, until by 1903 they offered their first motorcycle, by design a heavyweight cycle-like motorcycle frame fitted with a Minerva kit. Soon they switched to JAP and other power, then their own engines and we all know where that led, with the brand still a world leader more than a century later. Now, transport yourself back to 1902/4 and build yourself a motorcycle. You End know it makes sense!

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Modern accessory house makers imply paddock stands are a modern contrivance – we classic enthusiasts know better, but even I was surprised to discover this Millennium motor bicycle stand, which dates from 1902. Rear carriers which double as a stands were available by this date, but this design is intended to serve exactly as a modern paddock stand and is just the thing when you test your work when building a motorcycle in 1902.

Pace of change. The DEC engine with automatic inlet valve advertised in 1902/3 can be classed as the ‘old’ as it's made with a cast mounting lug for clip ﬁxing to the underside of the steering head to pedal crank downtube, a concept which rapidly fell from favour during 1903/4. Although some engines stuck to automatic inlet valve design for a decade or more, it was yesterday’s feature. The ohv JAP engine illustrated here, unveiled in 1903, was the ‘new,’ and although its single push/pull rod operating the rocking rocker to open valves was a short-lived concept for the Tottenham maker, it illustrates the advanced thinking of some designers and the pace of change.

In sheds, back yards and workshops around the world, skilled enthusiasts have crafted their perfect motorcycle and still do, often with a tiny budget and therefore using what was available at no or little cost. Registered in 1912, but with some much older parts, this unknown London enthusiast has turned the barrel from a solid billet, seemingly fabricated an ohv concept with downdraft from the carburettor, revised the magneto drive to the open Bosch magneto, fabricated a leading link leaf spring controlled front fork, and, well, we hope he enjoyed the product of his labours. Did he continue developing this machine? Did he build others? Or was he lost in the First World War? We will never know, but we can admire his ingenuity, even if it is not to our thinking. Now it’s your turn!

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

Classic components | Early JAP engines

In the beginning

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John A Prestwich & Co – known as ‘JAP’ – powered motorcycles from the pioneer years to the 1950s. The company made plenty more too, but here’s how it all began... Words: RICHARD ROSENTHAL Images: MORTONS ARCHIVE

efore we begin properly, a few notes… This short JAP engine series began with the firm’s twostroke units last month, because that’s the easy bit! Also, this column has stuck to its one page format, to give an insight rather than in-depth examination of the subject. Even extending JAP engines to a series will allow no more than a glance at the huge product range of this London maker. Engine capacities quoted in this series are those published by JAP themselves. These don’t always tally precisely with calculations using bore and stroke dimensions, however, it isn’t our role to rewrite history, so we won’t. John Alfred Prestwich (1874-1952) founded JAP of Tottenham, North London in 1895, initially working in the cinematographic and photographs fields. He wasn’t only an intuitive designer, but at times an astute publicist for his products. This led him in his early engine designing days to make extravagant claims about his experience in this field. Past scribes have made much of this, but first hand experience of his products confirms they are the business, and nit

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

picking discrepancies are therefore confined to the round filing cabinet. It is generally accepted JAP didn’t make motorcycles, which is true… to a point. They did, especially in their early days, build – or have built – what amounted to demonstration vehicles for promoting their engines. Now, to the main story. While John Prestwich may or may not have experimented with internal combustion engine design in the mid to late 1890s, he certainly built a steam engine when 14 and he started development work c1901 on his first internal combustion engine to enter production. This 293cc (70 x 76mm) automatic inlet over side exhaust valve engine entered the market place during 1902, initially with cast lug to crankcase for clip-on mounting under the machine’s steering head to pedal crank downtube. Soon, it was also offered without this lug for upright mounting within the motorcycle frame. Decades ago, I was lucky enough to enjoy a 20 mile run on a 1901 Johnson, retro fitted in 1902 by its maker with an early production 293cc JAP engine, thanks to the generosity of its then owner Stan Greenway. It proved a

lusty motor compared with some offerings of the day, easily cruising at 25-28mph. Little wonder JAP were building these units in batches of about 100 – large figures for the time – from launch. In 1903, JAP unveiled its first ohv engine, with a quoted capacity of 437cc (85x76mm). Although produced in tiny numbers compared with the marque launch engine, its ohv design, with single push/pull rod operating a pivoted rocker to open either inlet or exhaust valve, illustrates Prestwich’s advanced thinking. By 1904, John Prestwich’s mind had turned to passenger transport, evidenced by his JAP Dual Sociable three-wheeled car, with driver and passenger sitting side-by-side. For this, he’d developed a 539cc (85 x 95mm) single cylinder engine, which was also available for purchase as a proprietary unit. At approximately the same time, he unveiled a 402cc (82x76mm) single cylinder four-stroke engine which was ably demonstrated in a ‘JAP’ motorcycle at a Kent hill climb, and then the 1000 Mile Reliability Trial by factory employee Mr BowyerEnd Lowe. JAP was well on its way.

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AJS STORMER 250, good useable condition, been dry stored for about a year, put some fuel in and it started after a few kicks, £2795 Tel. 07969 254753. Hants

AMBASSADOR 1958, 197cc classic, has been rebuilt to a high standard with many new parts, £3000 ono Tel. 01787 279168. Suffolk

ARIEL Red Hunter, 1954, 350cc, with Steib sidecar, good condition, working order, £7000 Tel. 07933 777409. Hereford

ARIEL LEADER 1962, engine rebuilt by professional, matching numbers, reg no. KF0 370, many factory extras, vgc, £3350 ono Tel. 07845 902840. Glos

ARIEL LEADER 1960, matching numbers, a beautiful bike, £2995 Tel. 07743 370641. Staffs

ARIEL NH 1955, exceptionally clean, original maroon paint, great runner, own and ride an original solid bike, delivery possible, £4650 Tel. 07932 094979. Email. buckleygeoff@ hotmail.com North Lincs

BENELLI LS500 1977, four cylinder project, engine running, selling as a project but bike is in original and nice condition, new battery, £1945 Tel. 07748 975241. Essex

BIANCHI MT61 1961, rare ex Italian military, very nice original condition with correct high level exhaust etc, with V5C, £4250 Tel. 07798 866071 for details. Middx

BMW K100RT 1988, original bike, same owner since 1992, 62,000 miles, great tourer, details of history, MoTs, service etc, genuine bike, £1450 Tel. 07890 302045. Northumberland

BMW R100GS 1992, good original condition, panniers, kickstart and an updated rear White Power rear shock, MoT, £4350 Tel. 07798 866071. Middx

BMW R80ST 1984, unrestored, unmolested & original machine with the larger GS tank & BMW panniers, starts and rides well, 73,000 miles, currently on Sorn, £3000 no offers Tel. 07505 936566.

BOMBADIER CAN AM 1980, 250cc ex WD acquired as a runner for renovation project but never started, in original ex WD condition with comprehensive workshop manual, £1100 Tel. 07981 397039. Bedford

CLASSIC BIKE

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BMW R75/5 1973, toast rack model, SWB wire wheels and drum brakes, excellent used condition, may do a deal for Guzzi V50, £4150 Tel. 07582 902120. Lincs

BMW R80RT 1992, £2500 Tel. 07956 599417. Hampshire

BSA Rocket 3, Mk2, UK spec, 1971, vgc, recent Nova 850cc conversion, Rob North electric starter, recent new carbs, runs well, £10,750 Tel. 07941 928952. Warks

BSA A50 1964, Royal Star, undergone a full restoration, immaculate condition, very low mileage, £6000 ono Tel. 07724 461447. Stoke-on-Trent

BSA A7SS 1954, older restoration, still vgc, fitted A7 iron cylinder head and indicators, 12 volts electrics, £4650 no offers Tel. 01289 303077.

BSA B31 1954, starts and rides well, everything as it should be, great mag dynamo etc, £3800 Tel. 07825 339376. Devon

BSA BANTAM 1957, been stored away in a barn for years, excellent project for someone, Tel. 07972 009572. Glasgow

BSA BANTAM 1967, good condition, the bike is at Bridlington, £2500 Tel. 07816 561852. Co Durham

BSA BANTAM 1953, rare Lucas ign, model 125 plunger, vgc, lots of history, correct paint colour, runs well, £2000 ono Tel. 01263 862631. Norfolk

BSA BANTAM D7, 1964, good condition, runner, with V5C, older restoration, not used, £1600 ono Tel. 07776 284175; 01502 716875. Suffolk

BSA C15 250, 1965, showroom condition, new clutch and cable, new valves, powder coated frame, new rims and exhaust, £2665 Tel. 07748 975241. Essex

BSA C15 Trials, 1960, oil leak, £800 Tel. 07434 252460. Devon

BSA GOLD STAR Catalina replica, bike is in Cornwall, £9000 Tel. 07779 742629.

BSA GOLD STAR 1954, Phil Pearson DBD34 604cc engine, GP carb, electric starter, oil filter, std g/box, low mileage, s/s fittings, £14,000 Tel. 07964 20050. Notts

BSA STARFIRE 1968, £2900 Tel. 01889 570265; 07975 672997. Staffs

BSA WM20 1940, full history, one of the first 5000 produced for war effort, served in Middle East and Germany, £6000 Tel. 07563 149322. East Sussex

COTTON JAP 350cc Sports, 1937, owned over 50 years, matching numbers, fitted foot change gearbox, runs and rides well, original reg no, £9000 ono Tel. Brian 0116 2880266. Email. brimat@talktalk.net Leics

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DUCATI 1000S Sport, 2008, 6500 dry miles, custom fuel map, K&N filter, Fresco silencers, Speedy moto adjustable clip-ons, £12,000 Tel. 07957 483841. Bristol

DUCATI 900SS 1979, silver, very good, second owner for 25 years, restored 25 years ago by the best Dutch Ducati Specialist, very reliable, €26,500 Email. slagerijjanson@planet.nl

FRANCIS-BARNETT Falcon, 1954, 197/3, carrier, windscreen, full width hubs, improved rear suspension, new tyres, battery, £1995 firm no offers Tel. 01749 678252. Somerset

FRANCIS-BARNETT Fulmar, 1962, 8113 on clock, one of the last models of this bike built by a great British company, dry stored for many years, vgc, £2500 Tel. 07539 688428. Leics

FRANCIS-BARNETT Falcon 197cc, 1956, trials spec, Suzuki forks and wheels, reconditioned after 30 years in storage, ring for details, £1500 Tel. 01270 662186. Cheshire

GARELLI CONCORDE 50cc, 1982, very tidy, found in shed, everything working, starts and runs well, £600 Tel. 01622 676324. Kent

GREEVES SPORTS TWIN 1963, 25DC Greeves Roadster, vgc, non transferable original Ipswich reg number, engine Bateman converted to 3T, stainless spokes, luggage rack, £3995 Tel. 01473 780614. Suffolk

HONDA 125CG 1982, one owner from new, genuine mileage 31,779, MoT, phone for details, £1600 Tel. 07730 215484. Yorkshire

HONDA C72 250cc, 1965, 19,000 miles, runs lovely, all MoTs and books, good wheels and tyres, nice condition, £2200 Tel. John 01443 226706. Wales

HONDA CB400 1982, good useable classic, too heavy for owner, will sell or exchange for low lightweight classic pre 1990, £1250 Tel. 07807 053708. Durham

HONDA GL650 restoration project, been stored outside, no MoT for 3 years, slight surface rust on brake discs etc from being stood, 1983 model, £600 Tel. 07397 528051. Argyll

HONDA NTV650V 1996, 92,000 miles, powerbronze fairing (some damage to bottom R/H panel), stainless exhaust, MoT 2020, £750 Tel. 07470 859610. Leics

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HONDA CB750 K5, import, 8700 miles, good condition with alloy rims and stainless spokes, Motad four into one exhausts, K&N pod air filters, £4500 Tel. 07957 483841. Bristol

HONDA CL200 twin, 1974, excellent condition, starts on the button, sounds beautiful, tax and MoT free, V5, ready to go, £1650 Tel. 01484 649119. Yorks

JAMES 1946, 98cc autocycle, excellent condition/runner, starts easily, new tyres, resprayed, rare classic, no MoT and tax reqd, £1250 Tel. 01484 649119. Huddersfield

JAWA 350 1990, 12V, very good condition, new tyres, chain and battery, MoT, £695 Tel. 01270 662186. Cheshire

JAWA/CZ 175 trail, genuine barn find, showing low 8000 miles, no documents, sold as project bike, been used on a farm, £750 Tel. 01723 372219. North Yorkshire

KAWASAKI W650 2001 650 twin bevel drive ohc electric/kick start, lovely condition, owned by me for 10 years, only selling as no longer used, £3499 ono Tel. 01527 526778. Worcs

LEVIS 600 1937, used on local run in Lancashire, good condition, restored 5 years ago, not original hubs and gear box, tidy bike, rare bike, £10,950 Tel. Glen 07751 260056.

MATCHLESS 1940 ex-WD 350cc, girder fork, rigid frame, G3 with V5C, dismantled, incomplete, ideal winter project, £2700 Tel. 01522 753100. Lincs

MATCHLESS 350 rigid trials Iron, 1937/47 frame, 1954 GLC motor, AMC gearbox, many mods, very competitive and in vgc, offers in region £4500 Tel. 07968 609013. Hampshire

MATCHLESS G12 650cc CSR, 1959-1960, new clutch fitted, dynamo serviced, new pickups fitted, £5350. Hein Gericke Bike trousers, waist 32”-36”, £40 Tel. 01765 606298. Nth Yorks

MATCHLESS G15CS 1967, clean tidy running bike, not concours or original but in vgc, V5C in my name, dating cert, £9500 may take p/x Tel. 01328 700711. Norfolk

MATCHLESS G3 racer project, early post war period, part finished, powder coated, delugged frame, new alloy rims, rear set mounts, Burman CP gearbox, £1900 ono Tel. 07970 653847. Nr Glasgow

MATCHLESS G3LS 1961, exfire service, good condition, recent new big-end, carb and battery, take Triumph T100, 5T, 6T rigid frame, cycle parts in p/x £2750 Tel. 01289 303077.

MATCHLESS G5 1960, vgc, owned 5 years, rarely ridden, apart from oil changes, all it’s had done is replace a mudguard bolt Tel. 07503 672821. Cumbria

MOBYLETTE N40VS 50cc, 1974, running, on Sorn, fitted topbox and toolbox, some spares, £595, delivery 50 miles Thetford for petrol Tel. Richard 01842 819969. Norfolk

MORINI 350 K2, 1985, recommissioned with new Avons, stainless Hagon Shocks, battery, chain/sprockets and cam belt, vgc, 21,000 miles, £3000 Tel. Paul 07518 519374. Oxfordshire

MOTO GUZZI 1000 Crossbow Spada Special, 1980, 44k, owned 35 years, dry stored, needs recommissioning, includes full fairing, £4950 Tel. 07941 684073. Powys

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MOTO GUZZI V9 Roamer, 2017, ‘17 reg, engine bars, rack, topbox, screen, handguards, immobiliser, USB socket, 6500 miles, immaculate, £5795 poss p/x smaller bike or combination Tel. 07913 032864. Yorkshire

MOTO GUZZI LE MANS Mk II, red over green paintwork, twin headlamp conversion, Koni shocks, new battery, 37,000 miles, stunning condition, year’s MoT, £6750 Tel. 01723 372219. North Yorkshire

MV AGUSTA F4 750SR, reg 2004, showroom condition, only 594 miles from new, SPR spec engine, clutch and close ratio gearbox, £25,000 Tel. Jon 01708 342587. Essex

MV AGUSTA F4 AGO exclusive registration plate, comes complete with Ltd Edition (no. 275 of 300), 2004 model, MoT, 4250 miles, signed by Agostini, £19,995 Tel. 07974 816110.

NORTON 1948 Big 4 fitted with model 19 engine, included in sale is the original rebuilt Big 4 engine with matching numbers, £8000 ono Tel. 07960 404932.

NORTON Model 50, 1957, good unrestored condition, lovely patina, owned 10 years and used regularly, good starter/runner, £4500 Tel. 01225 762124. Wiltshire

NORTON Classic Rotary, number 007 of only 100 produced, matching numbers, starts, runs and rides perfect Tel. 07989 417323. Kent

NORTON 50 1936, 350cc, good running order, reliable, clean, original and a joy to ride, gently restored 1980, recent new tyres from Beaulieu, £9250 ovno Tel. 07808 378577. Kent

NORTON COMMANDER Rotary, very clean original standard bike, starts & runs well, but will require to be properly recommissioned, 11,216 miles, £9500 Tel. 07971 033902. Grampian

NORTON DOMINATOR 1963, 600cc cafe racer, matching numbers, chrome frame, rear set rests with Manx gear and brake levers, offers over £6000 Tel. 07801 801435. West Midlands

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NSU QUICKLY 23F 50cc, 1964, exceptional condition, great looking moped, three gears, historic vehicle, tax and MoT exempt, £1450 Tel. 07790 614755. Cheshire

NVT RAMBLER 125 Trail, 1978, new brakes and wheel bearings, rare British bike, £1150 Tel. 07518 208596. Somerset

CLASSIC BIKE

INSURANCE

NORTON DOMINATOR 1960, 600cc, Slimline, original reg, nice bike, £4950. Velocette MAC, 1953, beautiful bike, old log book, original reg Tel. 07743 370641. Staffs

NSU QUICKLY F23, 1966, original and tidy bike, £650 Tel. 07821 713850; 01635 47519. Berks

PANTHER M120 1960, 650cc, combination, hitched to a nice Watsonian single seater sidecar which is on a Panther chassis, V5C and old logbook, £7895 firm Tel. 07798 866071. Middx

PEUGEOT P55C 1949, 125cc, two stroke, good running, original condition, French classic, £2250 Tel. 07756 567248. Dorset

PEUGOET barn find, built in 30’s, complete & in original condition, with rare dynamo Maglum, very good engine compression, £1400 or €1570 Email. casino. rs@gmail.com France

ROYAL ENFIELD Bullet EFI B5, 2017 ‘67’, perky and light, electric and kick start, last non ABS bike, vgc, 4400 miles, £3000 Tel. 01291 641073. Chepstow

ROYAL ENFIELD Pegasus, 2018 rare bike in green, excellent condition, 1500 miles, just serviced, rides beautiful, £5750 ono Tel. 07929 135239. Birmingham

ROYAL ENFIELD Bullet 350cc, 1954, very original, Redditch built with original number, green log book & V5C, excellent all round, £3500 Tel. 01723 372219. North Yorkshire

ROYAL ENFIELD Crusader Sports 250cc, 1959, restoration project barely started, V5, original handbook, some spares, engine has been started, new clutch, £1200 Tel. 07981 397039. Bedford

RALEIGH RUNABOUT 1965, there can’t be many unrestored rally runabouts like this, not a barn find, call Steve for info if interested Tel. 07858 233372. Oxon

SUNBEAM S8 1949, ready to ride, unconverted 6V electrics, a new battery, starts, runs and ticks over with a lovely sound, MoT, £6000 Tel. 07710 164432. Worcs

SUZUKI GSF600 Bandit, 1997, 2 owners, genuine 8437 miles, Sorned 19/7/2014, now recommissioned, new battery, filters, oil, plugs, carbs cleaned, MoT, £1250 Tel. 01289 303077.

SUZUKI T500 1975, UK bike, good running order, paint recently done, chrome in good condition, tax & MoT exempt, £4950 Tel. 07882 129671. Suffolk

SYM FIDDLE III 200 Scooter, 169cc, four stroke single, 12 months old, 100 dry miles, garaged, vgc, swap for Bantam D14/4 in vgc Tel. John 07510 355079. Cornwall

TRIBSA 1957, BSA A10 frame, Triumph 6T engine, alternator primary cases, BSA gearbox, coil ignition, Dellorto carb, Siamese pipes, £6500 may take p/x Tel. 01328 700711. Norfolk

TRIUMPH cafe racer, 1954, non runner, owned since 1970, never used, it has been on show in my house since 1989, £2500 Tel. Rob 01672 540225. Wilts

TRIUMPH Mountain Cub, 1965, professional receipted engine & primary drive rebuild, 9:1 piston, r/cam, new tyres, £3250 ono Tel. 07961 948279. Somerset

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PARTS, SPARES & SERVICES

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

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TRIUMPH Trophy 3, 1992, good original condition, 30,000 miles, MoT June 2020, serviced, Givi luggage included, £1350 Tel. 07722 749635. London

TRIUMPH ADVENTURER 1997, restyled as Thunderbird, vgc, 14,000 miles, owned 15 years, new battery, front pads, spare saddle, £3450 Tel. 01243 375064. Hampshire

TRIUMPH DAYTONA 1994 Speed Triple look-a-like, new tyres, full brake reline, new spray clutch, starter and battery, carbs rebalanced, valves reshimmed, 14,996 miles, £1500 Tel. 07954 122255. Tyne & Wear

TRIUMPH Speed Triple 955i, 2002, very good condition, fantastic sounding high level Triumph exhaust, full service history, MoT May 2020, £2299 Tel. 07767 152081. Somerset

TRIUMPH T100 Trophy, 1971, fully restoration with everything done six years ago, unused since, matching nos, £6750 Tel. 01404 814427. Devon

TRIUMPH T110 1956, Iron Head model, mag just been refurbed, first kick starter, may p/x why? Can deliver at cost, £6950 Tel. 07443 642408. West Yorkshire

TRIUMPH T120 Bonneville, stunning, really good bike in A1 condition, new paint, wheels, tyres, forks, shocks, indicators, £9995 Tel. Dot 01983 873186. Hants

TRIUMPH T120R Bonneville 1966, good runner, good chrome work, complete bike, great restoration project, new tyres, £6200 Tel. 07365 297414. Hampshire

TRIUMPH T140 Bonneville fitted with Rickman fairing and child/ adult Watsonian sidecar, comes with colour matched Rickman trailer in red/gold, on Sorn, £6500 Tel. Mike 01612 054620.

TRIUMPH T140 1981, Bonneville, MoT, owned for nine years, £5495 Tel. 07887 818851. East Sussex

TRIUMPH T595 Daytona, 1999. pro paint gold wheels, high level Triumph exhaust, 24,000 miles, full service history, £2299 Tel. 07767 152081. Somerset

TRIUMPH T140W TSS, 1982, excellent original condition, German market model with 17,000kms on clock, owned since 1985, rare useable classic, £6000 Tel. 07879 633814. Norfolk

CLASSIC BIKE

INSURANCE

TRIUMPH T140E 1978, Bonneville, 750cc, great starter, runs well, low mileage bike, racing brakes fitted, been stood a year, clutch needs freeing up, £5000 no offers Tel. 07365 297414.

TRIUMPH T140E 1978, export model, only 10,700 miles very original and standard in outstanding condition, matching numbers, t&t exempt, £6695 ono, poss p/x for smaller Brit or Jap Tel. 07538 713806. Leics

TRIUMPH T150V 1972, V5, Sorn, good original, unrestored, running order. T150 1972 dismantled for restoration. BSA Rocket 3, 1972 dismantled, incomplete project, £8500 for everything Tel. 07594 506435. Kent

TRIUMPH 900, 6500 miles, MoT June 2020, extras fitted from new, alarm, screen and centre stand, £4995 Tel. 07850 339159. Lancs

TRIUMPH 900 Daytona, 35,000 miles, recent pads front & rear, June MoT great condition overall, few marks on tank/fairing paint but no dents Tel. 07815 570951. Cambs

TRIUMPH TIGER Cub Trials, 1960, two of: one road registered, nice very good condition, £3950/£3750 Tel. 07932 645544. Devon

TRIUMPH TR6C 1971, Trophy competition, low mileage, starts and runs well, needs high side pipes, a new rear stop light lens, tank could use a respray hence £5000 Tel. 07365 297414.

TRIUMPH TROPHY 1967, no expense spared, nut and bolt rebuild 2012, only done 1400 miles, matching nos, over £10k spent, do a deal on Harley 45 or Shovelhead, £8000 Tel. 07732 335888. Northampton

TRIUMPH TRW Mk3, manufactured in 1964, museum stored, it runs but requires fine tuning, original condition, £5500 ono Tel. 01296 670420. Milton Keynes

VELOCETTE KSS Mk2, 1938, been in storage for a number of years but woken last week, starts and ran well, £8000 Tel. 01603 745922. Norwich

VELOCETTE MAC 1953, original bike, nice bike, £4850 Tel. 07743 370641. Stoke-on-Trent

VELOCETTE VENOM 1965, matching numbers, restored 2007, e/start, KTT services clutch and primary belt drive, panniers, some history, could deliver, £10,950 Tel. 07875 341145. Nottingham

VESPA 90cc, complete nut and bolt rebuild by Anglia Scooters, inc frame respray by RoadRash Paintworks, 12V conversion, Banana Racing SIP exhaust, £3800 ono Tel. 07506 336573.

VINCENT wanted Tel. 01270 842206. (t)

YAMAHA MT-01 1670cc, 90bhp, 2005, 30k, all original, 3 keys inc master, good tyres etc, new MoT on request, ride away, £5500 Tel. 07941 684073. Powys

YAMAHA RD400D in Kenny Roberts colours, recent rebore, rechromed exhausts, Newtronic ignition, TT100 tyres, £5500 Tel. 01246 221627. Derbyshire

YAMAHA XT500E 1978, 15,3k miles, two previous owners, running and good to go, £4000 Tel. 07540 590793. Scotland

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THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

0800 781 9308

Carole Nash Insurance Consultants Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

POLISHING & CHROMING

RESTORATION

SPEEDO REPAIRS

Speedo’s Ian Bartram

POWDER COATING

Chronometrics repaired, restored, recalibrated. Also clocks to anti-clock conversions (speedo’s or rev counters), PA speedos, 8 day and Quartz clocks, prewar amp meters. All instruments to original specs.Fast efficient service Reasonable prices 12 months guarantee. WE ARE ALSO HAPPY TO PURCHASE FAULTY SPEEDO’S OR TAKE THEM IN PART EXCHANGE Ian Bartram, Enfield Mill Lane, Barnby, Beccles, Suffolk NR34 7PZ. Tel 01502 476612

TAX DISCS

SPARES

TRANSFERS

WANTED

TIGER CUB SPARES

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

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For Sale

BSA/ARIEL 3 1971, 50cc, excellent runner/condition ready to go, MoT & tax exempt, dare to be different, spare wheels, V5 in my name, £650 very cheap classic machine Tel. 01484 649119. Huddersfield. BULTACO SHERPA 325, 1980, for restoration, used in SSDT, some works parts, £1000 Tel. 07872 073148. Dorset. DOUGLAS MK4 1950, black and silver, good original condition, easy starter excellent runner, everything works as it should, transferable reg, new gel battery fitted, £4200 ono Tel. 01179 041333. Bristol. DOUGLAS MK5 1952, polychromatic green, not run since respray, waffle box silencer new exhaust pipes, new wheels, tyres, handlebars, saddle battery, original transferable reg no, £4200 ono Tel. 01179 041333. Bristol. FRANCIS-BARNETT PLOVER 1955, project for the winter, 90% tinwork, resprayed, complete bike in bits, some parts rechromed, V5, old log book, £600 ono Tel. 07833 906774. Oxfordshire. FRANCIS-BARNETT Plover, front brake and forks from 197, Villiers engine 150cc, Sorn, repainted, new seat, £2000 Tel. 01425 476061. Dorset. HONDA DREAM 50cc, very rare collectors item, commemoration model of the 1962 works 50cc racers, this 1997 machine is brand new, part of a collection, never been started, £6300 ono Tel. 01522 703687. Lincs. ROYAL ENFIELD EFI Bullet, September 2015, 4040 miles, on Sorn Tel. 01254 852437. Lancs. ROYAL ENFIELD Bullet 350, 1960, Redditch built, original registration, number with Club Dating Certificate, first registered 1964, good unrestored original condition, apart from 1953? fuel tank, 51,200 miles, some spares, £3000 ono Tel. 01545 560418. West Wales. YAMAHA FZR750 Genesis, first registered in UK in 1989, after it was imported from Japan, great example of a great classic, it was the best bike going in its hey day, engine and brakes have had a full breakdown and rebuild, it’s had new brake calipers, new brake pistons, new fuel pump, new tyres, carbs have been returned, it even has a lot of spare parts, fairing etc, £5000 Tel. 07388 224735. Lancs.

Parts For Sale

ARIEL front number plate, steering damper knob, Burgess silencer, Norton damper knob, Triumph vokes filter, original parts Tel. Albert 02088 944704. Twickenham. BSA A65 spares inc crankcases (bare) (two sets) plus cams, clutch drum sprockets etc, Star Fire oil pump, +40 compression, p/ rings Tel. 01772 783774. Lancs.

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AMAL std carb 1”, WD pattern, 7 degree float bowl, with control cables, £25; matching pair mag/air slide levers, sound usable condition, £15 postage at cost Tel. 07970 653847. Scotland. Email. gacorner@ yandex.com AMAL MONOBLOC CARBS 375/34 and 375/59 complete in good condition, £40 each plus £3 p&p. Amal small carb 3/4” bore not complete for parts, £20 plus £3 p&p Tel. 01179 041333. Bristol. GEARBOX FOR ENFIELD model J, fully restored, no gear lever or kickstart lever, £250 Tel. 07752 572464; 01780 764840. South Lincs. NORTON COMMANDO rear brake plate c/w shoes etc, £35. Fastback original FI/Glass tank green c/w cap, sound, £85. Cams x 4 for refurb Tel. 01772 783774 . Lancs. NORTON FRONT MUDGUARD genuine NOS to fit Atlas, Domi, ES2, Mod 50, excellent condition good enough to chrome still with most of original primer, hence £450. Norton 650SS crankcases good condition small repair professionally done, matched pair, £600. Some other SS items available, Commando clutch basket, thought new but stained from storage, unsure which year, £100. Haywood belt drive clutch basket, older type, 40mm belt, 55T, used but very good condition many miles left, came off Triumph Racer, £100. Unity Manx tank strap toggle clip as new £35. Tiger Cub oil tank no dents c/w filter, £35. Fiberglass Cafe Racer tank large Manx style, BSA type flip top filler, not to fit featherbed, known to be original period item, solid but has been repaired during its lifetime, never used personally so cannot guarantee fuel tight, £100. Enfield India Bullet rectifiers NOS 6 off older type, £10 each. All items p&p to be agreed before dispatched, photos available if required Tel. 07974 091767. Somerset. TRIUMPH CRANK 1938, Speed Twin, £450. Petrol tank grill, £20. Oil pressure gauge, £20. Lucas head lamp rims, £5 Tel. Albert 02088 944704. Twickenham. TRIUMPH PRE-UNIT TR6/ T120 duplex frame models, pair front exhaust pipes in excellent condition as little used, £75 pair. Tiger Cub silencer good non rusty undamaged condition but not the best quality hence only £15, ideal green lane bike. Also industrial 240V sewing machine suitable bike/car trimwork, £220 Tel. 01865 762859 or 07960 447592. Oxon. VE LOCE T T E VE N O M ENGINE unused since purchased, has a squish conversion using Viper cylinder head by Criterion who also overhauled the rest of the engine supplying invoice listing work done Tel. 01427 788167. Lincs.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

YAMAHA YPVS 350cc, Harry Barlow chrome exhausts with new ali cans, excellent condition, both pipes exit on right hand side of bike, £400 Tel. 07483 318257. Kent.

Wanted

AJS/MATCHLESS 16MCS, 1955 propstand wanted Tel. 07711 505093. Cheshire. AUTOCYCLE Cyclemotor, Flying Flea, Brockhouse Corgi, British moped or similar small motor bike wanted for a restoration project, damaged or incomplete ok, will travel Tel. 07983 832076. Staffs. BROCHURES AND SALES CATALOGUES wanted for pre-war motorcycles: Norton, Triumph, BSA, Indian, Harley, Vincent, Velocette and any other makes, why? Tel. 01457 872788. Lancs. BSA BANTAM PROJECT wanted any model, in any condition from D1 to B175 any spares too Tel. 07538 696157. Leics. BSA GOLD STAR DBD34 crankcases wanted, your price paid for good pair, also wanted DB32 head, pay cash and collect Tel. 07711 956049. South Yorkshire. BSA GOLD STAR parts wanted, DB32 exhaust, cam idler pinion mag, pinion DBD34 crankcases or bottom end, will pay good price and collect Tel. 07711 956049. South Yorkshire. CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINES 1983 & 1985, January, February, April, September Tel. 01604 763501. Northampton. CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINES 1982 January, April, May, June, July, October, November; 1983 April May, June, August, Sept, October, November; 1985, Feb, April Tel. 01604 763501. Northampton. DOUGLAS 2 3/4 PARTS wanted: 1913 model, petrol tank, levers, rear rack, frame in any condition for a couple of parts, seat, one exhaust and one inlet head covers, gearbox pully and mag drive gear cover. 1923 model, levers, seat, front wheel spindle, petrol and oil caps for the petrol tank, front stand, front brake mechanism and the bar that goes between the forks, rear brake mechanism, brace from seat to frame, rear brake pedal and gear change handle Tel. Andy 07773 663403. Email. andy@ balgores.com FRANCIS-BARNETT, James, Greeves or similar wanted for a restoration project, will travel Tel. 07983 832076. Staffs. GNOME RHONE beautiful 1957, 125cc two stroke, part exchange for unrestored kit car Tel. 07756 567248. Dorset. LOOKING FOR PANTHER Model 100S, 1960, registration no 85 THK, Essex frame no 27423 still exists? Sold some years ago for restoration, would be interested in possible purchase if considered of this machine Tel. 01284 753974. Suffolk.

SPEEDOMETER WANTED for British bike, Smiths chronometric either 80mph or 120mph one for repair ok, can you post? Tel. 07538 696157. Leics. TRIUMPH SPARES WANTED pre-unit anything projects, barn finds, pre-war or post war. For sale K2F mag and BTH mag both complete, need refurb, £100 each includes p&p Tel. 07743 642408. West Yorks. WANTED 19” 40 HOLE WM2 rim to suit single-sided 8” BSA front hub. Needn’t be pristine will be painted, or complete front wheel with good chrome or stainless rim, with or without brake plate Tel. Alan Hughes 01633 894042. frodshamflyer@hotmaI.com WANTED 1953/4 Manx seat, original seat in useable condition, even if tatty. Also 1953/4 Featherbed Inter parts wanted, especially original tool tray & photos of Inters in 1954 Clubmans Email. recycledreading@gmail.com WANTED CLASSIC BIKES all makes of British bikes, two stroke, four stroke, anywhere, spares or unfinished projects wanted cash on collection Tel. 07443 642408. West Yorks. WANTED FOR AJS 1930 R12, 250cc, timing chain cover with oil pump or oil pump parts only Tel. Albert 02088 944704. Middx. WANTED NORTON 1926, 16H top, bottom fork, yokes, front and rear Enfield, hubs for same. Dunlop rubber, saddle. Photograph of Jack Findlay with 250cc, Mondial, 1963, TT Silver Bronze replica Tel. 07791 796983. Nth Ireland. WANTED NSU QUICKLY Quickly, Puch Maxi, Cycle Master or just parts Tel. 07790 168224. Warks. WANTED MOTORCYCLES CLASSIC, any condition including projects, parts also wanted, collection from anywhere, motorcycles sold on your behalf. Tel. 0161 748 0865 Manchester, email: rajonesclassicmotorcycles@ gmail.com web: rajonesclassicmotorcycles.co.uk (T). RO665233C

Miscellaneous

BIKE TRAILER will take 1-3 bikes, good sound condition, Brands Hatch area, £140 Tel. 01474 874571. Kent. BSA A50 & A65 Haynes workshop manual, 1962 to 1973, unused, as new condition, £8.50 free postage Tel. 07989 951895. Canterbury. CLASSIC RACERS quality prints, size 24” x 18”, of Barry Sheene, Mick Grant, Eddie Lawson and Rob McElnea, leftover stock from a retired Fine Art Mail order Co 2000 prints with some postage tubes, retail value £12,000, sell as a job lot for £950 ono may split Tel. 01495 759234. Gwent. DUEL SEAT new for 535 Royal Enfield GT never used Jap model 80 outboard motor two stroke plus user handbook all working seat, £50. Engine £70. Tel. 07548 207144. Essex.

OFFROAD BOOKS Moto Cross The Golden Era by Paul Stephens, £35. Off-Road Giants Vol 1 by Andy Westlake, still in wrapper, £25. Off-Road Review Reference Library Vol 1 and 2 by Deryk Wylde, £25 each, postage on each book £5 if required, located Yeovil Tel. 01935 428203. ON TWO WHEELS 1-8 bound volumes, this collection covers a fascinating time in motorcycle history, seat and read for hours, all in excellent condition, £125 inc post Tel. 01708 342587. Essex. PROTAR MODEL 1.9 Manx Norton model still in box, needs building, £40 ono. 1.9 Norton Commando model, still in box needs building, £40 ono, funds will be split for charities Tel. 01543 683891. Staffs. SUNBEAM PIONEER RUN items: 60 years, programmes, badges plaque, flags, finishers awards, cups, have to collect Reading area, donation to SSAFA Forces charity Tel. 01491 628015. Oxon. VINCENT RAPIDE and AJS 7R Prints, size 24” x 18”, superb quality, leftover stock from a retired Fine Art Mail Order Co, 300 prints and some postage tubes, value £3000 sell for £350 Tel. 01495 759234. Gwent. WORKSHOP MANUALS Honda CB250 to 400 Twins, 1977 to 1979. Honda CX/G500 + 650 V Twins, 1978 to 1986. Honda CB250 + CB400 Super Dreams, 1978 to 1984. Moto Guzzi 750-850-1000, V Twins, 1974 to 1978, £12 each plus postage Tel. 07470 387302. Durham. WULF SPORT Breed II Enduro/Trail two piece suit, blue, size XXL, 48”-50” chest, 42”-44” waist, good condition £40 plus p&p Tel. 01495 759234. Gwent. DYNAMOS, DYNAMOS, Dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos, dynamos. Paul Dunn 01782-856839. (T). PA663231C

ANDY TIERNAN buys all pre war BSA’s, also consider flat tankers, all makes especially Y13 v-twins. Tel. 01728 724321, 07802 896114 (T) or email: andybuysbikes@hotmail. com AN665264C WANTED PANTHER model 100/120, 600/650, fair price paid. Tel. Andy Tiernan 01728 724321, 07802 896114 (T) or email: andybuysbikes@hotmail. com AN665265C WANTED BRITISH AUTOJUMBLE spares or part projects, BSA, Norton, Triumph etc. Try us on top prices, friendly family firm for over 20 years. Collect anywhere especially Midlands, Stoke, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Derby. Tel. P. Dunn Dynamos, S-o-T 01782-856839. (T). PA663228C

Next Month ON SALE February 7, 2020

Oh-so-original example Remarkable unrestored Francis-Barnett The Classic MotorCycle is brought to you by... EDITOR James Robinson Tel 01507 529405 Fax 01507 371066 email jrobinson@mortons.co.uk REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Tim Britton, Jonathan Hill, Roy Poynting, Richard Rosenthal, Martin Squires, Jerry Thurston, Alan Turner, Andy Westlake, Steve Wilson. CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE James Adam Bolton, Mike Davis, Andy Withers. PRODUCTION EDITOR Sarah Wilkinson ART EDITOR Kelvin Clements DESIGNERS Tim Pipes, Michael Baumber PICTURE DESK Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield

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THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE (USPS: 710-470) is published monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $63 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft, WI and additional entries. Postmaster: Send address changes to THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com PRINTED BY William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton. © Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. ISSN No 0263-0850

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Fold up, put away In the 1920s, quickly detachable sidecars were big news, if the press was to be believed… Image: MORTONS ARCHIVE n an article published on February 17, Lawrence, London agents for Dorway. Sandum get a good shout too, as well as 1927, The Motor Cycle had a story entitled ‘Quickly Detachable Sidecars’ myriad pictures, and it’s no surprise there’s a large advert extolling and advertising the with a sub-heading of ‘Sidecars which will Sandum too within the same issue – it was pass through a 28 inch gate’ which was available ‘From all major agents’ apparently written by the wonderfully titled Friar John. – and the advert appeared in the next few too. As headings and introductions Others featured in the folding sidecar article go, that pretty much said it all. The – such as Whitley and Hopley – also have picture reproduced here was captioned: adverts too. Cynical? Well, yes, but that’s the “Illustrating the case with which the Sandum folding chassis was manipulated.” But it isn’t reality. So whether The Motor Cycle staff actually the Sandum that gets first mention, that thought detachable sidecars were a good honour going to Dorway, who have a third thing and wanted to feature them, or were of a page advert in the same issue, as well told to say so by their paymasters, is a moot as there being a big advert from Glanfield

106

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | FEBRUARY 2020

point, but, still, cover them they did. The Sandum featured is attached to that most contradictory of motorcycles, the Triumph Ricardo. Why contradictory? Well, it featured an advanced and powerful four-valve engine, in the same aged chassis as used for the side-vale models; a true case of the engine performance being way above what the chassis was designed for. And just look at that stirrup front brake too, though later Ricardos (they were made 1921 to 1927) did feature a drum brake, which means this one was at least a few years old when the picture was taken, as Ricardos from End 1925 had a better set-up.