BUYING GUIDES Roya al Enfield Constellation Ariel Huntmaster Honda CB250K
NORTONHARLEY
Café Racer
BUY SELL RIDE RESTORE
JUNE 2019
Hailwood’s
comeback ... and how it nearly didn’t ne happen
No. 337 June 2019 £4.30 UK Off-sale date 26/06/2019 PRINTED IN THE UK
WORKSHOP
NEW RETRO Stunning Magni 750 7 Tributo
PROJECT N Norton t b bottom tt end stripped
HOW TO Run R n in a rebuilt reb engine
Welcome
Old meets new
I
still love the Stafford show, there’s always something different and it makes you feel like you’re part of a much larger classic world. This month I had one of those lucky ‘pinch me’ moments, being fortunate enough to spend a little time with some true racing legends – in no order, Charlie Williams, Alex George, John Cooper, Ben and Tom Birchall and Ian Hutchinson. Being a journo and working around racing a little, I’d spent some time with Ian, knew what troubles, pain and hard work he’s had to endure, as well as how honest and damn talented he is. It was great to see him feeling confident, on the mend and he was saying he’s just bought an old Bultaco trials bike. It was also really interesting to see Hutchy talking to the racers from previous generations, about their lives, careers and how the world of bike racing differs nowadays. The mutual respect was evident among these guys. I’d never met Charlie Williams, Alex George or John Cooper before, and what true gentlemen they are. Being able to get a first-hand glimpse into the world they came from was incredible and totally different to today’s racing. They may have got start money in the old days, but boy did they earn it. If you want to know more, both Charlie and John have books out at the moment. I’ve read John’s, and have just started Charlie’s – both well worth a read. The Norton has been causing headaches
this month. You would have thought with a Norton it would just be a case of ordering anything you need; but oh no. Commando parts, not a problem, and even Dominators are well catered for. But singles? Then good luck. I completely understand it’s supply and demand, but what do I do? The valve guides, cams, cam followers, cam follower guides and rockers are knackered. Valve guides are no issue and thanks to a bimble around the stalls at Stafford a cam follower guide turned up (coincidentally, why don’t autojumble stalls put a simple list of what era or makes of parts they have? Other than frames or tanks giving you a clue, you have no choice but to root around the boxes – it’s like doing your weekly shop wearing a blindfold). But the hard-wearing faces of the rockers and cam followers need building up where they’ve worn, then grinding or linishing down. So it has got me investigating engineering practices, which has all got quite fascinating – well to a Luddite like me. Stelite welding or spraying, hard chrome, nitriding – how is best to refinish these parts? I’m still looking into it; will I revert to old-school methods, or will modern technology have the answer? Old meets new again; I’ll let you know who wins. In the meantime, my friend, Neville, lent me his ES2 off-roader, so I could feel what all the hard work is for – it’ll be worth it, and the Norfolk Norton Owners’ Club had a splendid, one owner from new, N15CS on their stand at a local
vintage show; so more motivation. The bike meet season has started in full swing again, and where I live in Norfolk we are blessed. Old Buckenham Two Wheel Tuesday sees upwards of 500 bikes on a good evening, the Whitwell and Reepham Railway is still busy every Friday and first Wednesday of the month the Mid-Norfolk Railway has one at Dereham station. First Thursday is Krazy Horse in Bury St Edmunds with bands, hot rods and a great night, while Wells-nextthe-Sea usually has a few bikes anytime. Check out your area – ask at shops or check the likes of Facebook; there’s bound to be several. You can arrive mounted on a classic, a modern, big or small and enjoy what others have turned up on. Who doesn’t like looking at bikes with a burger and a beer? One of my favourite sights is the race leather-clad riders looking at the older bikes – I wonder if they’ve tried a classic? They’re welcome to have a go on my B31 – I’ll bet you a pint they come back smiling. Old meets new, new meets old. In a world that seems hell-bent on polarising people against each other, it’s nice to see biking transcend above such behaviour. Get out there! Enjoy the weather, enjoy the mag and be good good.
Matt Hull editor@classicbikeguide.com CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2019
3
Contents
011
008 From the archive
044 Honda CB250K
084 Norton Harley special
011 Honda Dax ST70
050 Ariel Huntmaster
090
058
093 Yamaha YDS3
John Surtees, the Mountain TT course, an MV Agusta – could a photograph be any better? MACHINES THAT MATTER
It was small, fun and fitted in an overnight bag. The motorbike that promoted two-wheeled fun
018 020
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News
Stafford show and other goings-on in our world
BUYING GUIDE
Once a learner bike, the CB now makes a cracking smaller classic BUYING GUIDE
Ariel quality meets BSA spares availability – a sumptuous mile-cruncher
What’s on
Pack some sarnies and head out there
060 Steve Cooper
Steve looks at some of the many bikes he’s tested over the years
062 Paul Miles
Paul muses over waking his many machines up for those days of summer
It took a lot of work, but this Featherbed frame looks like it was designed for the Harley V-twin HOW IT WORKS Threads Our new technical writer, Hutch, looks at how to identify threads RESTORATION
One man was brave enough to take this full resto on and the results are brilliant
to: run your new 101 How engine in How high do you rev it, how much throttle and how fast? Your running in questions answered
024 Letters
064 Paul D’Orleans
106 Project Norton
026 Products
066 Mike Hailwood poster
113 Reader ads
Members’ 030 Goodwood Meeting
machines – 068 Hailwood’s part 10 129 Next month
Royal 036 Enfield Constellation
076 Magni MV750S Tributo 130 Frank Westworth
A lovely account of one of the UK’s earliest CB750s
Books, security and cameras! We tempt you…
We look at the bike racing from Goodwood’s first meet of the year BUYING GUIDE
Beefy and powerful, Enfield’s twin is a great alternative with good back up
4
JUNE 2019 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
Paul looks into the history of café racers
The man himself
The final instalment, looking at Mike’s famous comeback
Magni marries their classic beauty to a modern MV engine and the result is stunning
Things get a little tricky when we find issues in the bottom end…
Buy! Buy! Buy! Sell! Sell! Sell!
For your delectation we have BSA Rocket Gold Star, Triumph T120 and we rebuild our Norton big end
Sidecars. Which is Frank’s choice of tug?
030
036
044
050
068
076
084
090
101
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CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2019
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From our archive
■ Capturing a moment in time Several elements made me choose this image – John Surtees in 1960, en route to winning the Senior TT. His MV Agusta was easily the fastest bike compared to the following gaggle of Norton singles, with a time of 2 hours, 12 minutes and 35.2 seconds, at an average speed of 102.44mph. MV Agusta team-mate, John Hartle, was second, three minutes behind, at a speed of 100.44mph. Hartle reversed those positions in the Junior. Outclassed by the MVs, Mike Hailwood and his Norton came a remarkable third, just three minutes behind Hartle, with an average speed over the six laps of 98.29mph. Just think about that – 226 miles at almost 100mph average, on a single-cylinder Norton with 1960s suspension and tyres. Talented riders and amazing bikes aside, spare a thought also for the photographer, shooting the fastest bike in Grand Prix racing, coming headon, with a glass plate camera – no autofocus, no motordrive, slow shutter speeds and, oh, sitting on a grass bank on top of a mountain…
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JUNE 2019 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
ENJOYED THIS PREVIEW? THE BEST ACTION IN TRIALS AND MOTOCROSS
DIRTb bike ke
VELO MAC MA S SPECIAL PECIAL NORTON RT RTON INTER AJS SCEPTRE SCEP E SPORTS! SCEPTR SPORTS POR ! PORTS
CLASSIC
#48
ISSUE
Forty-eight Autumn 2018
OCTOBER 2018
No. 330 October 2018 £4.30 UK Off-sale date 31/10/2018
MOTO MEMORIES // TECH TALK // MONTESA COTA 200 // BULTACO MATADOR
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Running, Riding & Rebuilding Running, Rebuilding Real RealClassi RealC Classic C lassi Motorcycles
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HOW THE LEGEEND BEGAN
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