Buying guide
Triumph
3TA
WORDS BY OLI HULME PHOTOGRAPHY BY GARY CHAPMAN
WHAT IS IT?
Triumph’s first and smallest unit twin
GOOD POINTS?
The looks, the ride and the engine
BAD POINTS?
Some of the original Lucas parts were of variable quality and the early handling was a little unpredictable
COST?
Restoration project: Basketcase: £1500 plus) Good runner: £25004000 Concours/museum quality: £5000
Buying guide
I
T HAD BEEN a frustrating day. A 350-mile round trip had been made to ride a small selection of classics. It had been a decidedly risky plan in any case given the time of year, but the weather forecast had been for a little light rain first thing, with things getting brighter later. However, when we arrived it rained. And rained... Sometimes in torrents, sometimes in that nasty greasy drizzle that coats the roads with a mixture of water and spilled diesel, making things ultra-slippery. I’d manage to grab a few rides, but it was tough getting the best out of what was on offer. There was a two-stroke trail bike that produced most of its power at 5000rpm. This was something of a challenge on the slippery road, as was the gearshift on a somewhat primitive old British single. The skies began to clear a little. A diminutive 1965 Triumph 3TA was wheeled out into the weak sunshine. The roads hadn’t really dried, but a proper ride was what was needed, and I wasn’t convinced that an under-powered unit Triumph was going to cut it. The little twin hadn’t been used in anger for a while, but after a splash of 95 octane was put in the tank and the carb was tickled, it started first throw of the kick-start. Helmet and jacket were donned as it burbled away happily. Although it looked tiny compared to Triumph’s other unit twins, after slinging a leg over it didn’t feel small once I was in the saddle. Admittedly, as a later model, it had a 30in seat height and 18in wheels, and it was a surprisingly good fit. The seat felt a little firm being of the sprung type which was popular in the mid-1960s before the invention of high-density foam. Time to take it on the road. I pulled in the impressively light clutch and it snicked into first; and we were off. All those tiny frustrations that had built up all day just evaporated. According to legend, the 3TA wasn’t supposed to handle thanks to the flimsy frame but this late model did, sweeping along at around 50mph beautifully. The gearshift was near perfect. The power delivery was as smooth as a very smooth thing. The controls, as they used to say, really did fall easily to hand. There were none of those archaic and arcane rituals you often have to become accustomed to on an old Brit which can spoil the initial riding experience. On the road that firm seat was found to be more than capable of cushioning the behind, and this 55-year-old motorcycle felt entirely capable of hauling me around. Now I might have been slightly biased, as I really do like my Triumph twins, but this was lovely. The first real contact I had with Triumph’s offerings had been a when a mate in the sixth form bought a bathtub 350. Not bothering with such fripperies as insurance, road tax or indeed a licence, his £50 3TA cut something of a dash in the bike shed parked next to Fizzies and Honda 125s. I was smitten. Years on, while pootling about on the tiny, allegedly under-powered little twin it made it me wonder just why anyone wouldn’t want one in their shed. It’s a little gem of a bike.
1957: TRIUMPH CHANGES EVERYTHING
In 1957, while most other manufacturers were persevering with the separate engine and gearbox arrangement for their machines, Triumph came up with the basis of a design that would last until the end of the 1980s – and the look continues into the Hinckley Triumph twin of the 2020s. The 1957 engine was a 350. Triumph decided that the model it would go into would be called by two
34
MAY 2020 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
“Although it looked tiny compared to Triumph’s other unit twins, after slinging a leg over it didn’t feel small once I was in the saddle”
Buying guide names – it could be the 3TA, a continuation of the 3T branding used on their pre-unit 350, and it could also be called the Twenty-One, partly to mark the 21st anniversary ry y of the establishment of the Triumph Engineering Company, and partly because in the USA, a 350 was in the 21 cu in class. The American obsession with not adopting the metric system surv rvives v to this day with Harley-Davidson model codes. The new design became known as the unit construction engine. This meant the engine and gearbox sat in the same casings and the primary ry y drive centres were fixed. Apart from the casings and the primary ry y drive arrangement the new engine wasn’t that different from the old. It still had vertically split crankcases, a forged crank and a bolted-on central flywheel and external pushrod tubes. It was still dry ry y sump with a separate oil tank and the gearbox held its own lubricant. The top end used a cast iron barrel which Triumph painted silver, so it matched with the alloy cylinder head. The valve inspection covers were screwed on and would work loose if the engine was revved hard, resulting in a number of imaginative solutions being found by owners. Ultimately the factory ry y fitted small spring clips to hold them on to the twins. Under the timing cover on the left was the oil pump and gears to the twin camshafts. Behind the block was a car-type distributor. This allowed the use of a single set of points with a condenser and a twin-lobed cam. Adjusting the timing could be carried out by rotating the unit. Below that there was a four-speed, one-downthree-up gearbox. Fuel got pumped in through a single Amal Monobloc. Air to this came through a rubber hose
SPECIFICATION
from an oblong air filter attached forward on the left of vertical main frame rail. The frame was a little flimsy – designer Edward Turner was never one to expensively over-engineer things. There was a single downtube and a single top tube, which curv rved v downwards at the steering head and a dibble cradle at the bottom. This bore more than a little resemblance to the frame used on the Tiger Cub, which used the petrol tank to stop things flexing. The rear sub-frame was bolted on. In 1965 the 3TA got an extra tube from the top of the steering head. At the front end the 3TA followed Triumph styling cues with a nacelle enclosing the headlight and speedometer, but the bodywork was the real surprise. The motorcycle press had been banging on about enclosure with an almost religious zeal. The Motor Cycle was so keen on the idea they designed their own. So, manufacturers bought into the idea, with Triumph including the ‘Centurion’s Helmet’ front mudguard, so called because it looked like, er, a Roman centurion’s helmet. At the back you got the ‘bathtub’ rear enclosure. This was made of two pressed steel panels sealed in the middle by a rubber trim. On the plus side this kept the road muck off your brogues and flannel trousers. It also made access to the rear end to deal with chain adjustment and punctures far more of a chore than it needed to be. The 7in brakes front and rear did the job (though they might lack a little power on 21st century ry y roads). In 1964 rear enclosure was partially dropped, with a conventional rear guard used in conjunction with a kind of half bathtub that swooped round the back of the engine. The
ENGINE: 348cc OHV vertical twin BORE/STROKE: 58mm/65.5mm COMPRESSION: 7.5:1 GEARS: four WHEELS: 3.25 x 17/18 FRONT SUSPENSION: Telescopic hydraulic forks REAR SUSPENSION: Twin shock swinging arm BRAKES: 7in single leading shoe LENGTH: 84in (2133mm) SEAT HEIGHT: 29in (745mm) WHEELBASE: 52in (1370mm) DRY WEIGHT: 345lb (156kg) FUEL TANK: 3 gallons (13.1l) POWER: 18.5bhp @ 6500rpm TOP SPEED: 80mph
original air filter was replaced by a pancake type. The distributor also departed, and the points were moved to the end of the exhaust cam at the front of the engine. There were two sets of points and thanks to a combination of poor design and equally poor manufacture by Lucas, setting the points was problematic. Eventually Lucas redesigned the points, but by the time they did the Triumph reputation had been badly damaged. As a ‘touring’ model, the 3TA retained the headlamp nacelle until the model was dropped in 1966.
A FASTER 350
A sportier version, sans bathtub, had been launched in 1962 without the nacelle and was called the Tiger 90 – presumably because Triumph were try rying y to convince buyers their littlest twin would top 90mph. It featured a pair of 9:1 compression ratio pistons, compared to the 7.5:1 of the 3TA. It revved harder too, claiming a max rpm of 7,500. In the last year of 3TA production it got 12v electrics too. The Tiger 90 bowed out in 1968, by which time development of its 350cc replacement, the stillborn DOHC Triumph Bandit 350, was well underway.
TRY A TRIUMPH
Thinking of buying a 3TA? Before the term was coined these were entry ry-level y Triumphs. If you are lucky, a machine will have had a gentle life, but there’s a
SPECIALISTS: Monty’s Classic Motorcycles montysbritishclassicmotorcycles.com Tri Cor/Andy Gregory www.tricor-andy.com OWNERS’ CLUB Triumph Owners’ Club
Buying guide fair chance it will have been hammered. Look out for normal evidence of butchery like rounded-off bolt heads and nuts. Try to get hold of original factory pictures of the model you are after to compare with machines in the flesh. There are thousands of restored bikes out there, but a 1960s factory photo of the bike should show you what it’s supposed to look like – try searching www.mortonsarchive.com. Get an original factory workshop manual too, it’ll save you hours of time looking at possibly inaccurate stuff on the internet. Getting bodywork has always been an issue as a lot of the unpopular bathtubs and big front mudguards got binned early on. Glass fibre replicas can be found. Spares back-up generally is really good; all those normal day-to-day engine and cycle parts are readily available. If you want to keep your 3TA rolling, fit a solid-state regulator/rectifier, get rid of the points and fit electronic ignition and a three-phase alternator to provide more amps at lower revs. If you are no stickler for originality and would rather be able to stop, look out for a TLS front brake hub from a late 500 twin or Triumph/BSA 250 single. A 3TA is easy to chuck about, a doddle to start and stylish as hell, in the later half-shrouded versions at least. Okay, so perhaps the early model with the bathtub rear end might be a little questionable in the looks department but you can’t see it while you are on the move. Some people like those enclosures, any yway y. The 3TA seems ideal for anyone who is short in the inside leg, feels uncomfortable hauling around something bigger or just needs something that’s easy to start but isn’t a modern retro. If you haven’t got a Triumph twin, and haven’t owned one before, the 3TA has to be the cheapest way to Triumph twin ownership and if you are lucky, you’ll end up with a cracking little bike. Thanks to Lawrence at Classic Motorcycles Ltd for the use of their lovely 3TA, which at time of going to press is still available. See our back page for details.
ALSO CONSIDER: Norton Navigator/Electra Not many other manufacturers built small twins, but Norton was the exception. The Navigator has enough performance for cruising the byways and excellent handling. The Electra was slightly bigger and had the benefit of an electric start. Light and agile, with great steering and stopping, both are worth a look. Prices: low £2500, high £6500 BSA B40 The B40 was similar to the 3TA in that it had a unit engine and modest workmanlike performance. Basically, a bored out C15, they are sound and usually reliable if treated kindly and understressed. Good spares availability. The sports SS90 version is now very rare. Prices: low £2000, high £3500 Matchless G5 One of the AMC ‘lightweight’ singles, the G5 was a bigger version of their 250, built with better forks but with a poor brake from the AMC two-stroke range. AMC’s effort at unit construction features a rotating gearbox for adjustment purposes. Surprisingly quick and pleasant to ride though the riding position is a bit of a perch. Prices: low £2000, high £4000
Buying guide
Thunderbolts
AND LIGHTNINGS… All hail BSA’s finest – the mighty A65
WORDS BY OLI PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHIPPY 'PIN SHARP' WOOD
T
HE A65 WAS the flagship BSA bike for most of the 1960s. Along with its smaller sibling, the A50, they established a look that lasted for a decade with multiple models, states of tune and levels of equipment. The engine, dubbed the ‘power egg’, was far more modern to look at than that of the preunit A10 and while those looking for up-to-date styling liked it, more traditional buyers were upset that it was so different to the earlier twins. Motorcyclists have often been conservative when it comes to radical change, but there was no looking back with the styling, when other manufacturers preferred more gradual updates. The Americans, who BSA might have expected to welcome curves and clean lines, were also far from keen, describing the power plants as ‘those watermelon engines’. The move to a unit construction engine was a big one for BSA, and the look was an extension of that used on their C15 and B40 unit singles and which was originally based on the design Triumph used on their little Tiger Cub. Apart from appearances, one big change for riders was the reversing of the gear shift. After years of BSA’s one-up, three-down changes, the gearbox became one-down, three-up. Although considered a unit-construction engine, the gearbox was separate in the engine casings with its own oil supply. A clever addition on the earlier engines, which was later discontinued, was the positioning of a pair of plugs under a pear-shaped plate on the primary drive cover. One plug allowed access to the clutch adjuster screw in the centre of the clutch pressure plate, while the other meant you could adjust the individual spring tensions on the clutch, and all without removing the primary chaincase. The cylinder bores were marginally undersquare, with a bore and stroke of 75mm by 74mm. Under all the polished casings, the A65 followed the principles established by BSA with the A10. A 360-degree crankshaft was fitted, there was dry sump lubrication and valve operation was
conventional with a single camshaft mounted behind the cylinders. The pushrods ran in a tunnel between those cylinders while the top end had an alloy head with much more substantial finning than the A10 and a one-piece alloy rocker cover. The design, with the gearbox and vertically split crankcase all as one unit, was intended to reduce oil leaks, as was the clever design of the top end. There are just three gaskets between the bottom barrel flange and the tappets. This compares to the 14 gaskets and seals on a Triumph unit engine, all of which could fail and spread Duckhams 20/50 all over your trousers. BSA gave the bike coil ignition, an alternator and a triplex primary drive chain driving a fourspeed gearbox, while a four-spring clutch ran in an oil bath.
WEAKNESSES
Although BSA had gone all out for modernity with the styling, they retained the use of a lot of metal on the first models, which were fitted with heavily valanced painted mudguards front and back, a headlamp nacelle and large metal side panels. Today, any A65 that’s still running will probably have been taken apart and put back together many times, so most of the weaknesses with the A65 design should have been sorted out. One was the alloy oil pump that would warp and fail to deliver enough pressure.The oil that did get through was sent to the big ends via the timing-side main bush and through the crankshaft by the overworked pump, against centrifugal force resulting in an under-oiled left big-end bearing with the result that the left-hand con rod could fail. And then there was the infamous and possibly unfairly maligned timing side crankshaft bush. Originally the engine was fitted with a ball race bearing on the drive side, but this was replaced with a lipped roller main bearing. When subjected to serious high-speed running this could turn in its housing, loosen off and then the cage would start to fall apart. This then started the timing side plain bush to turn in its housing and fail.
THE ‘POWER EGG’ – AN OWNER’S VIEWPOINT We asked Brian Pollitt of the BSA Owners’ Club the three most important questions you should ask about any old motorcycle. What’s good about them, what’s bad, and which one should we buy? The last answer may surprise you…
you can buy an A50 which vibrates less. Many people run on about the bush, but change the oil regularly and fit a filter. If it is not thrashed, you can see up to 70,000 miles on a single bush. The alternative is to have an end feed conversion.”
What’s good about the A65, Brian? “The A65 is a good, fairly reliable bike with a sturdy frame. It comes in many guises, so there is a model for every ryone, y from the day to day commuter to the ‘tape up the glass’ clubman’s racer. It is easy to tune and uprate to whatever spec you desire. Despite what people say about the ‘egg’ engine it is a good-looking bike.”
What’s the best A65? “I have ridden most of the range and have a very ry y low mileage MKIII Spitfire which I use regularly. My preference and that of most others is that the later OIF models are the best. By that time most of the problems had been ironed out, if only they had done something about the Comical hub brakes. But that said, many people reckon with a bit of work, the brake can be made to perform well. My own A65 has had a lot of time spent on it by me, so the 190mm front brake works well and the carbs now work in synchronisation. It starts easily, ticks over and stops well. A couple of people who have ridden the bike, say it is the best A65 they have ridden, so really I should plump for that one.”
What’s bad about the A65? “The two main downsides are the vibration and the main bearing bush. The vibration can be dealt with by balancing the crank. It doesn’t get rid of it, but the area of most vibration can be moved up or down the rev range, to where the bike is not revved so much. Or
WHAT IS IT?
BSA’s last production twin
GOOD POINTS?
A well looked after one offers good handling, a punchy engine and a smooth gearbox
BAD POINTS?
A few well publicised engine issues and some buzzy vibration on the twin carb machines
COST?
Basketcase/project: £2000 plus Oily rag runner: £3500-5,000 Concours: £8000
Buying guide
There were other issues with the A65 when it was new, such as badly designed Lucas points that would bounce at high speed, with the possibility of piston seizure as the timing went to heck. The clutch was fairly stiff and there was heavy primary chain wear. A 12v upgrade to the electrical system was available, but this originally required the installation of two 6v batteries, rather than a single 12v unit. And there were irritating design touches. The screwheads on the side-panel retaining Oddie studs/Dzus fasteners were supposed to be undone by using a coin, but the crossheads weren’t big enough for a coin bigger than a sixpence and a sixpence didn’t produce enough purchase to undo them. The toolbox was too small for the tools provided. The A65s were thought of as vibratory and owners reported that the BSA factory simply weren’t putting them together very well, which meant plenty of trips back to the dealership to have faults rectified. Yet a well set-up late 1960s A65 is no slouch. BSA claimed their Spitfire variant was good for 120mph out of the crate. The original frame was similar to that used on the last A10s and was a solid double cradle affair fitted with Silentbloc swingarm bushes for most of the run. There were, at first, reasonable and then excellent brakes and decent two-way damped forks borrowed from Triumph were used from 1968. When the ‘Oil in Frame’ design arrived in 1971 that frame was designed for the BSA rather than for the Triumph twin that also used it, and it fitted the A65 rather better. Finding an A65 is not hard to do, with plenty to choose from in all kinds of conditions and a variety of prices, though with the plethora of models, it’s possibly best not to set your heart on one particular type of machine. They might not quite have Triumph’s glamour, or Norton’s class, but if you find a rare original, get a restored one, or build one yourself, they’re still a route to Brit-twin heaven.
THE STAR TWIN
The first A65 from 1962 was branded as the Star Twin, a name that had first been used for the top of the range 1949 A7 and A10 models. On launch the Star Twin 650 came in polychromatic blue, or as an option in red or
SPECIFICATION: (1965 ROCKET)
ENGINE: Air-cooled ohv twin BORE / STROKE: 75mm x 74mm CAPACITY: 654cc COMPRESSION: 9:1 POWER: 45bhp @ 6250rpm LUBRICATION: Dry sump IGNITION: 6v Lucas points CARBURETTOR: Amal Monobloc TRANSMISSION: Triplex chain GEARBOX: Four-speed foot change FRAME: Twin downtube duplex cradle FRONT SUSPENSION: Telescopic forks, hydraulic damping REAR SUSPENSION: Swinging arm, twin Girling three position shocks FRONT BRAKE: 8in sls drum REAR BRAKE: 8in sls drum TYRES: 3.25 x 18 front 3.50 x18 rear WHEELBASE: 54in GROUND CLEARANCE: 7in SEAT HEIGHT: 31.5 in DRY WEIGHT: 390lb TOP SPEED: 108mph
black. These first A65s had those big heavily valanced mudgu guards, u headlamp nacelle and large metal side panels. It was smaller and lighter than the A10 and lacked the previous twin’s presence. These A65s were also the first to become cheap enough for the café racer crowd, who would try ry y to increase speed by reducing weight. They would chuck away mudgu guards, u side panels and nacelles and fit cheap alloy guards, gu u glass fibre racing tanks and headlights from Pride and Clarke and Vale Onslow. This in turn means that much of the a original tinware was long ago cast into the builder’s skip o of time, making such items hard to come across today. o There were three-way adjustable Girling shocks, a single T Amal Monobloc carb hidden from view and from easy A access by the side panels, forks from the A10, a steering a damper and 18-inch wheels. It had a top speed of just d over 100mph. o
THE A65R ROCKET T
In late 1963 BSA launched a sportier version of the A the A65R Rocket. This had more power, thanks A65, tto a lumpier camshaft, stiffer valve springs and a compression ratio that jumped from 7.5:1 to 9:1. c There was a beefier clutch to cope with the extra power, but just as important was the refreshing of the styling. The big metal fork shrouds were replaced by chromed cups and rubber gaiters, the mudguards were changed to chromed steel, the headlight nacelle was replaced by a chromed item, and you could specify the addition of a rev counter. This modification required the replacement of the timing case, the fitting of a different headlight and a mounting plate for the extra clock. The Rocket had a lighter Siamesed exhaust system. The already big steel side panels got even bigger to accommodate the extra 6v battery ry y in case the 12v system was fitted. Road testers from The Motor Cycle clocked the A65R at 108mph in 1964, which wasn’t quite as quick as its rivals, but was pretty good for a twin cylinder motorcycle with a single carb.
THE LIGHTNING AND LIGHTNING CLUBMAN
Speed was clearly the key when try rying y to flog the A65, and in October 1964 the A65L Lightning and proddyracing Lightning Clubman arrived. These sporty twins came with light alloy cylinder heads with twin splayed inlet ports and a pair of Amal carbs with stylish chromed filters, the camshaft and exhaust from the Rocket and, on the Clubman, a close-ratio gearbox. The Clubman had rearsets, a reversed gearshift pedal and a new camplate, so the one-down, three-up gearchange sequence remained the same. The front wheel grew to 19 inches on the
Buying guide front, and both tyres got fatter. The fitting of the extra carb meant the side panels got smaller, to allow the fitting of the air filters. These panels were a lighter glass fibre construction. The Lightning had straight bars and there were dropped bars on the Lightning Clubman, which produced 51bhp at 6750rpm and was blisteringly fast. Following the fashion of the times, US models were thought to be big city steeds and had smaller tanks than European models which were expected to cover greater distances and had a 3.5 gallon tank.
SPITFIRE II, THUNDERBOLTS AND HORNETS
1965 saw the arrival of an even more powerful A65, the Spitfire MkII special. There hadn’t been an A65 Spitfire MkI, as a version of the old A10 had been given Spitfire badging in the 1950s. The A65 Spitfire took compression to 10:1, had a racing cam, two Amal Grand Prix racing carbs, alloy wheel rims and a bigger front brake. A twogallon tank was fitted. There was a new off-road version too. The Hornet had the fire-breathing Spitfire engine with Monobloc rather than GP carbs, the Spitfire’s tank, no lights, straight-through high-level exhaust pipes and yet fatter tyres. The basic single carb A65 got a new name, becoming the Thunderbolt, which was the cheapest BSA 650. Road tests suggested that in the real world it was the single-carb Thunderbolt that was the most usable A65. The carbs on the sportier models got a cable each, the clutch became a three-spring, six-plate item (though this wasn’t always the case. BSA often fitted whatever they had in the stores) while the forks were now those also fitted to the Victor single.The speedometer, which had previously been dri riven i from the gearbox now operated with a cable stretching to the back wheel.
SPITFIRE III
In 1966 the Spitfire III was offered with a gorgeous five-gallon racing petrol tank as an option and in 1967 the engine got a new and rather stylish finned rocker cover which became a popular retrofit. Some changes to the way the ignition timing was set up were introduced, allowing more accurate strobe timing. The wheel at the
back grew to 4.00x18. A highly optimistic 150mph speedometer was fitted in a rubber cup to stop the buzzy BSA from shaking it to bits, and there were new cushioned handlebar grips to save the rider from similar treatment. The Spitfire got two of the spanking new Amal Concentric carbs that boosted power still further, to 55bhp. 1967 saw the Spitfire get another performance boost, now touching 56.5bhp at a tooth rattling 7200rpm. The superb Triumph TLS front brake was pressed into service on the Lightning and Spitfire, Lucas finally sorted out their dodgy points design and Amal Concentrics became common across the range. Oil supply to the rockers was improved. A significant style change arrived when BSA decided that in order to make production easier, all the twins would be built to American spec, with high bars and other previously US-only touches like side reflectors.
THE FIREBIRD AND THE LAST TRADITIONAL TWINS
In the autumn of 1968, the A65 lost its place at the top of BSAs product tree with the launch of the 750cc Rocket 3 triple. The Hornet was rebadged as the Firebird and given lights and silencers. The Spitfire was no longer needed as a sports flagship and was dropped, leaving the Thunderbolt and the Lightning carrying the twincylinder banner in the UK. The Firebird was officially made for export only, though a few escaped onto the home market. The Lightning’s place as a performance mount was starting to fade, and road testers could only coax 104mph out of it. Build quality was slipping too, and these late Lightnings were prone to wearying vibration, blowing headlight bulbs and fractured brackets. At lower speeds however the Lightning and the Thunderbolt were comfortable beasts at 70-75 mph. In 1969 some Firebird and the Lightning models got new petrol tanks, derived from those fitted to the smaller Victor and Starfire singles, with big knee cut outs and quick-fill caps. The 1970 production year saw changes to the engine. There were modifications to the crankshaft to reduce vibration, con rods were bigger and larger studs were used to secure the bottom of the cylinder barrel. There were cut outs above the studs to make access easier to nuts with a new design to help clamp everything together. Triumph’s three ball cam ramp was adopted to operate the clutch and a new cast iron oil pump was fitted. Frame mods saw an inch added to the swing arm and the bushes became phosphor bronze.
OIL IN FRAME TWINS
In November 1970 BSA’s last desperate dice were rolled, though they were thrown with such style and chutzpah you wouldn’t have thought it was a company on the verge of collapse. The A65 got a major revamp. The engine remained virtually the same as in 1970, but everything else changed. A new, tall, dove grey frame carried the oil in the rear spine. Forks were of the modern Ceriani-style with alloy fork legs. Triumph’s brake was ditched in favour of the conical hub, a brake that’s great when properly set up and terrible the rest of the time. New, slender tanks were fitted, cast aluminium airboxes held the filters and the megaphone silencer arrived, except on the Firebird. There were indicators, decent lights, if the vibration didn’t shatter the bulb filaments, and new, ugly and difficult to use Lucas switchgear. Build quality was occasionally poor when new and niggles ranging from collapsing headlight brackets to a frame tube/oil tank that could fracture at the base frustrated some buyers. CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || NOVEMBER 2019
41
Buying guide TWILIGHT OF THE TWINS
Sales collapsed in 1971, not least because BSA had spent so much time and money on failed projects like the Ariel 3 and the Fury 350 that they couldn’t get the bikes they did make into the showrooms. There were also problems getting buyers to ride them out of those showrooms. Honda by now had launched the CB750 four and Yamaha the XS-1 650 twin in the US, which hit sales. The last, rather sad catalogue, arrived in 1972 and included the Rocket 3 and the B50 Gold Star, the single carb Thunderbolt and the twin-carb Lightning; two near-identical Oil in Frame bikes. These were fitted with a petrol tank that would, subtly modified, become the ‘bread bin’ fitted to the T140 Bonneville. BSA’s engineers and American buyers hadn’t quite given up with the ‘power egg’ and 200 new long-stroke 751cc engines were built mostly for export to the USA to be used in dirt track bikes. A handful arrived in UK shops as the A70, but while the creators had faith in the engine, the bankers didn’t and after a messy and dubious attempt to save BSA failed, production ended for good.
THINKING OF BUYING ONE?
If you are searching for an A65, Mike Ives Motorcycles is a good place to start. Mike has a decent selection of the twins, and when we visited had a quartet for sale: a 1965 Rocket, a 1967 Thunderbolt with a Lightning head and two Amal Concentric carbs, a 1969 Thunderbolt, which, thanks to confusion over frame numbers ended up being registered as a 1962 model, and a 1972 Oil in Frame Lightning. Mike suggested that the best of the bunch was the 1967 Thunderbolt/Lightning and that’s what we wheeled out. The first impressions were of the lines. The A65 is clean. There’s nothing sticking out anywhere, no jagged edges to catch yourself on, no big flat bits of metal requiring a tortured riding position. With a US tank but UK bars the riding geometry is near perfect, and it’s easy to paddle around. Controls are minimal. No choke levers are needed, and just two switches on the handlebars control the horn and
TOP: Thunderbolt ABOVE: Later flat side panels BELOW: Oli getting too attached to one of Mike Ives’ bikes...
the dip switch, with the lights operated by a toggle switch on the headlight. After tickling both carbs, two kicks got things rolling, the first to get the fuel into the inlet tract, the second to bring it into life with a satisfying whoompf. Immediately apparent on the road were the lightness of the clutch and how slick the gearchange is. One down, then up all the way. The 1960s suspension copes well with the potholed Yorkshire roads and cornering is very much a case of point – lean it into things and give it a squirt and you’re out the other side, looking for another decent curve to enjoy. The front brake, Triumph’s TLS drum, is near perfect. I was momentarily confused by the speed of the thing, which appeared to leap up to 70 in rapid steps – it wasn’t until later that I realised it had a kph speedometer, having been restored in Denmark. Vibration is very different to the other 1960s and 70s twins I’ve ridden. There’s nothing near to the rhythmic thumping of a Royal Enfield, or the grunty blast of a Triumph. Instead, the Lightning spec engine is a buzzy thing. While doing bendswinging or hacking through traffic such things don’t bother the rider much as they have more important things to think about, but I would imagine that on a long ride it would become wearisome. Power comes in at around 5000rpm, a lot higher than the A65’s contemporaries, and this means buzziness is amplified. While this Lightning/Thunderbolt was a machine with presence, the fitting of the twin carb head makes it feel as if it’s most at home on 100-mile
SPECIALISTS:
Mike Ives www. mikeivesmotorcycles. co.uk SRM Motorcycles www.srmclassicbikes. com Draganfly www.draganfly.co.uk Burton Bike Bits www.burtonbikebits.net
OWNERS’ CLUB BSA Owners’ Club www.bsaownersclub. co.uk
Thanks go to Mike Ives, Mick Roome, Brian Pollitt and Bill Nelson
blasts on our better roads. For the high mileage rider planning days or weeks in the saddle, the single carb Thunderbolt, a smoother and more civilised mount, may be a wiser choice. As well as the four A65s sitting alongside Mike’s selection of Scotts, Panthers, Triumphs and rare French tiddlers, Mike has a further 23 A65s in various states of restoration in Denmark. And he has 70 engines he described as his hoard of “fool’s gold”, accumulated over the years, in between road racing his Matchless Seeley G50 and taking on continental bike trips. A great A65, such as a restored twin-carb Spitfire won’t cost more than £8000, while the Thunderbolt/ Lightning hybrid seen here at Mike Ives Motorcycles is currently listed at £5750. You can pick up a decent runner for less than £5000 and if you want to trawl the classifieds you can pick up a roadworthy A65 for as little as £3500, which makes the A65 about the cheapest big British twin you can lay your hands on, and well worth considering.
TOP TIPS! IN THE WORKSHOP
BELOW: Mike Ives, with his Seeley-framed racer
Mick, the ace mechanic at Mike Ives Motorcycles was introduced as a man who knows all there is to know about A65s and Norton Commandos, and seemed the ideal chap to talk to about BSA’s twin. Mick has a 1966 Spitfire which he’s owned for decades although his Spitfire is fitted with the single carb head from the Thunderbolt. “It came with it fitted so I ran it like that for 20 years. I swapped a Panther for it and was just going to keep it for a bit as a spare bike. But it’s so reliable I’ve kept it ever since. It’s got electronic ignition and with the single carb it is so much easier to keep it running smoothly.
“If you compare the A65 with the T140 Bonneville, there’s a lot less maintenance needed to keep it on the road, especially on the top end. The issues with the timing side bush aren’t as bad as people think. You can convert them, but if you do regular oil changes and use good quality oil, anyone using an A65 today isn’t likely to experience problems. “There’s nothing wrong with the design, although it’s not quite as easy as replacing a couple of bearings if it does go wrong. There were also a few issues in the past with people fitting poor quality pattern parts and below par bushes, that doesn’t tend to happen today. You have to remember these bikes weren’t pampered in their younger days, and owners would look after their bikes by themselves, so you don’t know what one has gone through. The handling is fine, and the later twin leading shoe brake is the best brake they made. Fitting electronic ignition is a must. Setting the tappets is easy with that one-piece rocker cover and tappets with lock nut adjusters, as there is plenty of room to get at things. It’s a lot easier than doing the tappets on the A10 where you really need two people and special tools to set the pushrods. “For parts, scout autojumbles or go to reputable suppliers like SRM or Burton Bike Bits, especially for things like big end shells and sludge trap plugs. Cylinder heads are available, but barrels are harder to find in good condition. The barrels changed in 1970, so you need to make sure you are getting the right one. They can’t be interchanged as the stud size and spacing is different. Steel side panels are difficult to find, and parts for the 1972/73 bikes are the hardest to get. “Fitting a Boyer Power Box, which is an electronic device that does away with the need for a rectifier, capacitor and zener diode and tidies the wiring up is a good thing and use good quality silicone rubber to seal the push-in exhaust headers. “External oil filter kits do give you a bit more oil capacity. I’m not a fan of anti-drain valves to stop wet sumping as they can cause all sort of problems. I’d rather fit the SRM sump plate with a magnetic drain plug and drain the oil out without disturbing the filter. Or you could just use it! If you can’t, then definitely start it up every week for 10 minutes and keep everything circulating, even if you aren’t going to ride it.”
Buying guide NOT TEMPTED BY AN A65? WHY NOT TRY… Triumph 650 Unit Twin Whether a Bonneville or a TR6, a 1960s Triumph 650 is one of the prettiest motorcycles you can buy. The T120 Bonneville is the one with the style, but just as with the A65 the Thunderbolt is more useful than the Lightning, the TR6 is a better real-world mount than the T120. The single carb models are also cheaper, often to the tune of many thousands of pounds. The Triumph’s don’t handle quite as well as the BSA, but they’re so splendid to look at your heart will leap each time you open the shed door. Norton 650 twins If handling is your bag, a Slimline Featherbedframed Norton 650 will walk all over most of its rivals. The twin carb versions, the 650SS or 99SS, were uncompromisingly sporty, the 650SS being tested at 120mph in 1962, 10mph faster that the Bonneville tested the year before. It had twin Amal Monobloc carburettors, twin exhausts replaced an earlier two-into-one and the headlight nacelle was replaced with a separately mounted speedometer and tachometer. The Norton isn’t as pretty as its rivals, and is a good bit heavier than the A65 but as a riding machine it’s hard to beat. If you can find one, the last single carb Mercury ry y is as good as it gets. Royal Enfield 692/736cc twins tw w The Royal Enfield Constellation and Interceptor twins are big old bruisers and are all about power. The Connie is more mechanically suspect, and requires you to wrestle it along, while the Interceptor, despite putting up with Royal Enfield’s somewhat arcane engineering practices, combines the Connie’s brutality with more reliability and useability. Don’t expect subtlety though. These twins are all or nothing.
ES2 ES2s As Project Norton began to take shape in the hands of Matt, I jumped at the opportunity to road test a trio of ES2 models offered by Norton aďŹ cionado Sandy Bloy (Cammy Norton, April 2019).
T
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY STUART URQUHART
he 1957 Norton ES2 pictured hereabouts is a recent Bloy restoration and I had already prepped its story ry y when the ‘triple’ ride offer pinged up on my mobile. Sandy would supply two Easytwos of his own and rope in his good friend Bob to bring along an immaculate 1953 plunger – too good an opportunity to miss. I eagerly accepted and we set about making plans for the next sunny day. Weeks later I arrived at Sandy’s workshop to be confronted by three handsome Norton ES2 singles. I was already fully-acquainted with Sandy’s own 1957 model, and as I shook Bob’s hand I couldn’t help but
drool over his immaculate 1953 plunger. I learned that Bob’s particular ES2 had been given a new lease of life by Sandy, very ry y much along the lines of Project Norton. For the road test Sandy had planned a quiet route that skirted the Sidlaw Hills and offered breathtaking views over Angus. As we donned our kit and started engines, I was brimming with excitement for the ride ahead... and it was dry ry! y A nod from Sandy and we were off. I was soon grinning from ear to ear as our synchronised exhausts thrummed and echoed all around us – a magical sensation that can only be experienced within a group of British classic singles on full crack.
1957 MODEL ES2 The younger 1957 AMC machine which I was riding produced an uplifting beat as it surged effortlessly in pursuit of Sandy’s fast diminishing ironhead. As Bob began to fill my rear view mirror on his 1953 model, I realised I was holding him up. So I crunched down a gear causing the AMC box to voice its concern at my heavy boot tactics. But as I opened the throttle wide, Bob began to shrink again as my thrumming engine worked hard at reeling in Sandy’s stomping ironhead. I was astonished at how much pace Sandy was squeezing out of his earlier machine, and as we thundered past 55mph I just hoped my Easytwo’s brakes would hold back any potential pile-up at the rapidly approaching junction I’d spotted ahead. As I heaved on both anchors, a startled Bob once again filled my rear view mirror. I chuckled when I noticed both his boots were dragging ground in a desperate attempt to scrub off excess speed. I later learned that a poorly fitting pattern brake cable had robbed poor Bob of a normally effective front brake! By now my AMC box was behaving rather well, and as we negotiated a cluster of testing bends, I began to marvel at the impeccable handling and flickable nature of this pre-Featherbed model. Grip and feel were also inspiring, and a series of mid-bend potholes failed to upset this big single’s trajectory and smooth ride. I noted that some engine vibes appeared at around 50mph, but soon departed as the revs and speed began to climb along a straighter section of road. I was having fun! Clutch and throttle controls all felt light, and the 500cc Norton engine was nothing short of responsive and willing. Whenever we stopped to enjoy the views, all three singles fired up again on the first kick. On my
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1957 model no flooding of the Amal concentric or any ignition adjustments were necessary – just deploying the customary valve lifter would ease the big lumpy engine past compression and turn first kick starting into a breeze. Even with ear plugs in, the thumping exhaust note from the original silencer was delightful. It was a truly pleasant ride and as we stopped for
a chat and to rattle off some pics, I was invited to swap my AMC machine for a blast on Sandy’s earlier ironhead model.
1955 MODEL ES2
Once again it was ‘start engines’ and the ironhead puffed into life on my second kick – unfortunately I’d fluffed the valve lifter technique at the first attempt. On the move again, I was immediately struck by the lower gears of the Norton gearbox. The AMC gearbox I was using previously, demanded rapid and slick gear changes; but the Norton ’box was slow and easy to use. A particular delight was holding second, then third gear, to wind up the lazy old engine into a higher performance zone. Third gear proved especially adept in building speed beyond 50mph – then a click into top gear produced an appreciable drop in revs, but a sudden surge of brutal and addictive power. All too soon I was drifting past 60mph. All afternoon the gearbox proved to be faultless and smooth, whether selecting up or down the cogs; and the light-action clutch neither grabbed nor slipped once during our mad dash across The Sidlaws. This 1955 model was also gifted with better brakes than the full width AMC type anchors. However, both were eclipsed by the excellent rear howler on Bob’s earlier machine – it was such a pity his front brake was out of action on the day of our test. Sandy’s 1955 ES2’s handling was pretty good too – provided we avoided potholes and road bumps that spoiled the otherwise smooth and tree-lined routes surrounding the Angus hills. As we upped the pace on the straighter sections, I was launched from the saddle several times – a common occurrence with stiffer rigid or plunger sprung frames. Comfortt
“The bore and piston were fine but the big end was replaced along with a new set of piston rings”
however, was on a par with the later swinging-arm (AMC) model, although I prefer the ergonomics of prewar motorcycles – which are more familiar to me.
1953 MODEL ES2
I was particularly looking forward to having a ride on Bob’s 1953 ES2 – it mostly resembled my much loved prewar Ariel Red Hunter – and is just as handsome. Starting Bob’s dream machine was a piece of cake and the engine seemed to fire up before I had completed the downward stroke of the kick-start. But before we set off on the homeward leg I became a little concerned with the lack of a front brake on Bob’s P&J. I need not have worried; for this 1953 model’s impressive engine braking and wicked rear brake offered plenty of retardation for heart-inthe-mouth moments. Again, I was impressed by light controls and a responsive and torque-laden engine. A wonderfully compliant gearbox and smooth transmission further enhanced this ES2’s manners, as did the lightest action clutch within the group. The ride and handling proved to be very much in line with Sandy’s 1955 model, with both bikes performing extremely well over the country roads we explored. Once we returned to base I asked both owners which ES2 model was their favourite, and why?
SANDY:
“I’ve owned many Nortons throughout my life and the ES2 has always been a firm favourite. They are well designed and robust machines that are simple to maintain. Now becoming quite collectable, the ES2 is nevertheless a reliable and everyday motorcycle that provides endless thrills. I love the early, statuesque, ironhead engines – even the later all alloy motors look impressive, although I’m a sucker for the earlier model ES2’s long pushrod tunnels. “Arguably the final Featherbed models are credited
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as the ultimate British single – cammy Nortons aside. However pre-Featherbed models are cheaper and still offer the club enthusiast a brilliant classic experience. Much as I love my later model ES2, the plunger and rigid models are my favourites – not only are they entertaining to ride, they make fabulous restoration projects with plentiful spares on offer. I will always have one in my shed!”
BOB:
“Sandy and I have enjoyed a long friendship and I benefit from his advice and experience. I have owned several classics and currently garage a Matchless G11 and Norton Dominator – but my Bloy-restored ES2 is my most prized classic. I confess to pestering Sandy relentlessly into selling it to me. I have always admired the tall and elegant engine and the timeless design of the big Norton single. “ES2s are particularly reliable and the power and long-legged stamina of the engine makes it an ideal classic for long distance touring or camping weekends. I take it everywhere and can ride all day long without ever feeling tired. “Furthermore, the ergonomics are the best I have experienced on a classic Fifties motorcycle. I enjoy watching the big single turn heads at classic gatherings and I never tire of talking to other enthusiasts about the joys of owning such a delightful and thrilling motorcycle. It’s a great all-rounder and has never let me down. I will never part with it.”
SANDY’S 1957 ES2 RESTORATION
“Following the sale of my 1953 ES2 to Bob last year, I began the hunt for another Norton project,” explained Sandy. “Of interest were two Atlas projects within NOC circles. A member had advertised both were up for sale ‘due to having too many uncompleted projects’. So I contacted him to see if he had any other potential projects for sale in the hope of finding a
single. During our telephone conversation imagine my surprise when the vendor texted me a picture with the question: ‘Is this you with my wife?’ Naturally I was taken aback; but after studying the digital image that popped up on my mobile’s screen – the penny suddenly dropped, and I realised that I’d met this couple at an NOC rally in Yorkshire. The vendor’s wife had admired my tattoos and tartan kilt, and requested if her hubby could take a picture of Highlander me and her, posing alongside my cammy Norton. Strange but true,” chuckled Sandy. So after such a great introduction the vendor got back in touch and offered Sandy a partly-built Featherbed Dominator, fitted with an ES2 engine. Sandy takes up the story: “Weeks later the vendor called and offered me an incomplete Dommi/ES2 project, along with the ES2’s original frame, wheels and most of the cycle parts that a friend had stashed away in his parents’ loft. I agreed to buy the ES2 engine and parts unseen, and collect them from the vendor’s home in Southend-onSea. However the vendor kindly offered to dry-build the ES2 so that it could be wheeled into a courier’s van and save me a round trip from Perth – I was very grateful, and we shook on the deal. “When the bike eventually arrived in Perth, the only missing parts were a chainguard, centrestand, dualseat and exhaust – all the other cycle parts and tinware were present and in fairly good condition,” confirmed Sandy.
“I began the rebuild in mid-November by pulling the engine apart to check its condition. The bore and piston were fine but the big end was replaced along with a new set of piston rings. Inspection of the top end revealed a cracked exhaust guide – so I replaced both guides before polishing and grinding in the valves. New valve springs were also added during the engine’s rebuild. The gearbox was found to be in good condition and after a lick of protective paint here and there, I fitted new rubbers and chains and used the bike as a runabout for a full year – I wanted to give my 1955 ironhead ES2 a well-deserved rest. But just one Scottish winter knocked hell out of the rebuild and I was forced into undertaking a full and proper restoration.” Second time around, the project ES2 came apart very easily. Sandy sent the frame and other cycle parts to be powder coated black by IPF Coatings in Glenrothes. The wheels were sent to local wheelman George Spence and returned with chrome-effect powder coated hubs, laced to stainless rims and spokes. “I was after a robust and lasting finish that would withstand the worst Scottish weather,” winked Sandy. The petrol tank had ‘been through the wars’ and was expertly restored, lined and painted by professional painter Andy Wardlaw. Sandy discovered a pair of chrome petrol tank side panels within a box of spare parts that came with the bike – ‘an unexpected and lucky find’ according to the big man.
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The dual seat base had already been powder coated and recovered for another Bloy project, but ended up on the ES2 – as did a stock exhaust system. Sandy fitted a new wiring loom and the magneto/ dynamo was professionally restored by Bright Sparks & Co. A solid state voltage control box and rectifier joined the electrical upgrades and Sandy patiently restored the original Lucas headlamp switch back to new. A E Pope restored the speedometer and fitted a new dial but retained the original mileage (Sandy cannot guarantee that the recorded mileage is correct). Other small parts such as levers and rubbers were supplied by Wassel. New drive chains were fitted throughout and new steering head bearings and a damper unit were sourced from Norvil, along with a set of new replica Girling rear shocks. Sandy made up his own control cables and treated all the alloy parts to a ‘spit and polish’ on his dolly mop. The concentric carb was ultrasonically cleaned before new seals and gaskets were added. “I was fortunate to have a store of original parts, all with good chrome, so no outsourced chroming service was required – which is just as well given
the lengthy wait for chroming these days. I also fitted new Commando stanchions and seals to the Roadholder forks. The original bars were swapped for a pair of Commando handlebars which offer better comfort. I also fitted the customary anti-wet sumping tap – which, although a labour saving device, is not to everyone’s taste. AWS taps have always served me well – along with simple magnets that I attach to the drain plug for obvious reasons. “As the project came in various boxes without any legitimate paperwork, I had to apply for an agerelated plate, and I must say that the DVLA provided an excellent service. The ES2 restoration was a fairly simple exercise and the bike has run faultlessly ever since its completion. “I love my Norton ES2s, especially the early Fifties models. Curiously, I often find myself in a line-up of camera wielding admirers – hell bent on a tyrekicking session with my ‘ex’ – who’s now shamelessly fallen into the loving arms of my good friend Bob!” Update: Now that Sandy has a prewar Sunbeam project awaiting his attention, his restored 1957 AMC ES2 is up for sale. Just Google ‘Sandy Bloy Motorcycles of Perth’ and make him a sensible offer.
JOIN TODAY Just £19.50 per year! Probably he BEST VALUE Motorcycle Club In The UK!
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Along with all the above benefits you can also take advantage of our discounted insurance affiliation. Also many Norton parts suppliers also offer additional discount to our members. The Norton Owners Club also has affiliation with The Federation of Historic British Vehicle Club (FHBVC), Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), British Motorcycling Federation (BMF)
Norton Owners Club Ltd: Registered in England No. 12037569 Search “Norton Owners Club”
Forgotten WORDS BY OLI HULME
PHOTOS BY GARY CHAPMAN
The thousands may have stolen the limelight by then, but these 750s kept showrooms alive. What are they like now? Oli tries two out
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750s
KAWASAKI Z750 TWIN
I
T IS CURIOUS how some things lodge in the memory. Back in the late 1970s, as I was failing to pay attention in sixth form, I lived next door to a chap who worked for East Midlands Allied Press in Peterborough, more commonly known as EMAP. I had a moped, and he would generously bring home surplus copies of their motorcycle magazines and hand them over. There would be the stodgy and staid Motorcycle Mechanics, offering such delights as showing you how to fit a new cam chain to your CD175. And there was the then-iconoclastic Bike, the attitude of which was much more to my taste. In February 1979, they printed one of their supertests, marking the launch of the new Honda CB750Z and pitting it against Yamaha’s XS750, Suzuki’s GS750 and Kawasaki’s Z750 twin. I cannot remember what Bike said about the Honda, Suzuki or Yamaha, but the Z750 test’s conclusions have stuck with me. Bike hated it. Compared to the triples and fours it was slow, they said. It was heavy, overcomplicated for a parallel
twin and didn’t handle. The big problem, according to Bike, was the then-new American emissions regulations. They had strangled the Z750. The rerouting of exhaust gasses and the two inadequate carburettors had ruined the DOHC twin. It was, they said: “A motorcycle all bunged up with snot”. It was this phrase that stuck with me. Ever since then I’ve been firmly convinced that the Z750 twin was an absolute dog. Why would Bike magazine lie to me? The Z750 did sit a little uncomfortably in Kawasaki’s range. Their last 750 had been the utterly terrifying two-stroke triple, and the twin was surrounded by the teenage hooligans four of choice, the Z650, and the legendary, if by then a little long in the tooth, Z1000. It was also, often, Brown, which is never a good colour for a motorcycle. The mystery is, why did Kawasaki build a bike like this in the first place? The answer could be a kind of corporate nostalgia. Kawasaki’s first bike four-stroke had been the W1 650 parallel twin, a licence-built copy of the BSA A10. The Z750 filled that hole.
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“The Z750 did sit a little uncomfortably in Kawasaki’s range. Their last 750 had been the utterly terrifying two-stroke triple, and the twin was surrounded by the teenage hooligans’ four of choice”
So I wasn’t expecting much when I turned up at Somerset Classic Motorcycles to try out their Z750. It was badged as a KZ750, Kawasaki adding the K to the front of their bikes in the USA. This import was straight off the boat. It had been given a service including oil, oil filter and plugs. They cleaned the points, put in new clutch plates and springs and fitted a new chain and sprockets. And at first glance it looks in pretty good nick, apart from a dent in the tank. It’s also not brown, but a far classier shade of dark blue, which is a bonus. It’s covered 17,000 miles from new and this light use shows. The original hefty and unwieldy exhaust system, which would have had ugly and heavily seamed silencers and a collector pipe, had been replaced with two custom made stainless steel downpipes and a couple of decibel type megaphones. The big twin is just that. The powerplant is around a third larger than that of a T140 Bonneville, and a lot chunkier than Yamaha’s XS650. This is because there’s a heck of a lot going on in there. There are a couple of chain-driven balancer shafts to smooth out the vibes driven off the centre of the 360-degree crankshaft. The chain also drives the oil pump. There’s a very large electric start, spinning the engine using another chain, and two camshafts, driven by a long, single row, chain. Valve adjustment was through shim and bucket, as on their fours. You might think, that with all this stuff hurtling around inside, the Z750 might produce a lot of mechanical noise – but it doesn’t. The carburettors are Mikuni BS38 CV items, nearly identical to those fitted to the XS650, which were fine when new but can be troublesome 40 years on. But aren’t we all? It was claimed to produce 55bhp, something that was disputed in the press. Cycle World suggested that 40bhp was closer to the mark. Yet another chain, a
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Morse Hy-vo, took the power to the drive train. The big twin fired up on the button and quickly settled down with a throaty burble to a healthy tickover and, after a few minutes to warm up, which seemed like a kind thing to do, first gear was engaged. And there was a massive surprise. I’m used to a Triumph running on Amal concentrics, and the worn out Mikuni BS38s on my Yamaha have recently been replaced by slide carbs, and both have a pretty quick take off. I was expecting that traditional momentary delay as the CV carbs pumped enough fuel to get things rolling. Now either it was the twin cams, or that the carbs were still in tip-top nick, but the big Z shot off faster than either of its rival twins. It was something of a revelation. Where was the promised snot? A quite delicious exhaust note bounced off the hedgerows. It appeared I’d been lied to all those years ago and the Z750 was a very willing mount. Still, the single disc was bound to be rubbish at pulling all the Zed’s 559lb up, right? That disc, a big, stainless, item along with the caliper, was fitted on pretty much all of Kawasaki’s 500cc plus bikes from 1971 to the end of the decade, and had a poor reputation. Yet while it might have struggled with hauling a Z1000 up, or been a bit harsh for a 500 triple, on the 750 it was just about right. Handling? I can’t claim to have tried to scrape any pegs, and the US-market high bars (those on UKmarket bikes were lower) didn’t encourage any serious bend swinging, but the 750 went where it was pointed, and swept round corners with aplomb.
SPECIFICATION: Z750 TWIN
OWNERS’ CLUB Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club www.vjmc.com
SPECIALISTS Z Power z-power.co.uk
ENGINE: 745cc, air-cooled, four-valve, dohc, parallel twin POWER: 55bhp @ 7000rpm GEARBOX: five-speed FINAL DRIVE: Chain FRAME: Steel-tubed double cradle SUSPENSION: Front telescopic forks, Rear oil damped shocks BRAKES: Front single 250mm disc with single piston caliper; Rear 230mm disc with single piston caliper TYRES: Front: 3.35 x 19; Rear: 4.00 x 18 SEAT HEIGHT: 800mm WHEELBASE: 1450mm DRY WEIGHT: 230kg FUEL CAPACITY: 14.5 litres TOP SPEED: 115MPH
The equipment was excellent and the quality of the engineering was outstanding. It was torquey, more than powerful enough and the power delivery all kinds of good things. The balancer shafts turned any great thumping vibes into nothing more than a low buzz. Reports from 1970 suggest that if you try to push the 750 hard, this buzz becomes more marked, even up to the point that at 100mph the experience was close to unbearable. On modern, increasingly crowded roads bestrewn with distracted motorists swathed in airconditioned comfort and distracted by sat nav systems, and with ever present speed cameras and deteriorating surfaces, achieving 100mph seems a moot point, and attempting such heroics on a skinny-tyred Z750 seems tantamount to abuse and might be life-endangering. Now largely forgotten by most, this Z750 turned out to be an example of an excellent and well-built motorcycle and well worth considering. Increasing numbers of long dormant Z750s are emerging from the shadows. This rather charming machine was on sale for £3,495 and for that money, it was a bargain. CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || NOVEMBER 2020
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HONDA CB750K
WHEN HONDA LAUNCHED the DOHC CB750Z, it had big shoes to fill. Honda’s SOHC CB750 four had sparked the company’s transformation into the world’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer. Even in the late 1970’s it remained highly respected, though it was, with a dry sump engine and single camshaft, a little long in the tooth. Honda were now fighting new battles, primarily with Suzuki’s very sporty GS750, launched in 1976 which had stolen the 750 sports bike crown from the old CB750, and with Yamaha, whose more touring orientated XS750 had a shaft drive. Which way should Honda go? In the UK the first DOHC Honda 750 was slightly staid. Usually sold in dull paint schemes, it came
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with Comstar wheels, twin front discs, a rear drum, four exhaust pipes and a tail light borrowed from the CX500 v-twin. The lack of imagination used on the styling makes you wonder if Honda were frightened that overdoing the modernisation of their big four might upset their customers. Neither one thing nor the other, the 750K struggled a little in the marketplace, and once it was joined by the much smarter and sportier “Eurostyle” CB750F and CB900F it was completely eclipsed and quietly vanished from British showrooms. In the USA the 750K had a lower spec but at the same time lasted longer on the dealer’s floors. The US 750K came with spoked wheels, and a single disc at the front and the drum at the back. The four exhaust pipes were still in use, and a stepped seat and high bars suited American riders far more than they would have in Europe. It was sold in the US alongside the CB750F which had a slightly stiffer frame with thicker tubes. Interestingly, the biggest seller in the US was a custom version, the CB750C. The Honda’s big selling point, which marked it apart from its rivals was all in the cylinder head. Honda had dug into their technical bags of tricks and created a four valve per cylinder head. This was a revolutionary move, and it took several years for the competition to catch up. Honda designed the frame to allow the removal of the cam covers without difficulty so you could reset the valve clearances. There are two Hy-vo camchains. One drives the exhaust cam from the crank, and the second, shorter chain drives the inlet cam from the exhaust cam and the arrangement made adjustment easier and more precise. The cams run directly in journals machined into the alloy cylinder head. This was regular Honda practice and was fine as long as
regular oil changes took place and levels were kept an eye on. If not, you could expect trouble. The primary chain was a big Hy-vo item, and connected to the drive train through a rubber cush drive, developed from that used on the SOHC 550 fours. Again, with regular oil changes this was a decent enough arrangement. Neglect it, and the results could be catastrophic. Apart from oil changes, general servicing was limited to checking the valve clearances every 4000 miles, adjusting the chain and changing the 12mm plugs. Alongside the Kawasaki, Somerset Classic Motorcycles had a US-spec CB750K. It was that somewhat dowdy shade of brown, with the single disc and spoked wheels which looked a little strange when mated with that DOHC engine. For 1979, that engine was ultra-modern. With canted forward cylinders, some very precisely machined hard edges and those twin camshafts, it was a world away from even the GS750, a design just three years older. The rest of the bike was a curious mixture of old and new. The original exhaust had gone the way of all things, and Somerset Classics had fitted a new Delkevic four into one. At the back, as it was a US model, the CX500 tail light was now an older style unit mounted on a bracket. There was a shiny, stepped
SPECIFICATION: HONDA CB750K
ENGINE: 748cc, air-cooled, 16-valve, dohc, inline four POWER: 62bhp @ 9500rpm GEARBOX: five-speed FINAL DRIVE: Chain FRAME: Steel-tubed double cradle SUSPENSION: Front telescopic air forks, twin oil-damped shocks damping BRAKES: Front single 296mm disc with piston caliper; Rear 190mm drum TYRES: Front: 3.50 x 19; Rear: 4.50 x 17 SEAT HEIGHT: 797mm WHEELBASE: 1520mm DRY WEIGHT: 253kg/559lb FUEL CAPACITY: 15 litres TOP SPEED: 121mph
OWNERS’ CLUB Honda Owners’ Club www.hoc.org.uk
SPECIALISTS
David Silver www.davidsilverspares. co.uk
seat. Other equipment was very modern. While most manufacturers would fit a conventional speedo/ rev counter/idiot light combination, the Honda had what amounted to a dashboard. One might describe it as BMW like, but the Honda set-up was way more sophisticated than that. There might have only been one brake at the front but that brake, using one piston caliper from the mighty six-cylinder CBX1000, had a performance streets ahead of the old style one fitted to the Z750. Curiously you can’t retro fit a second disc as Honda omitted lugs on the right hand fork leg. The indicators were huge and the switchgear too, was of a new purposeful style. It wouldn’t look out of place on a new bike today. The air forks, as used on the CBX1000 were a bit skinny by modern standards at 35mm, and the rear shocks were old-tech, oil damped Showas. Okay, so what was it like on the road? First of all, I had an experience that might have been familiar to anyone who took a bike for a service at Pride and Clark back in the 1960s, when staff would polish the saddle so the rider slipped about under acceleration and thought their bike was suddenly faster. The shiny seat cover on the Honda had me sliding around all over the place. Pictures of a 750K from 1983 show that the shiny, polished, seat was factory spec and Cycle World complained about the slipperiness of the seat at the time, so it wasn’t caused by decades of wear. Like almost every Honda, the gearshift was slick, and the Honda took off. Handling was neutral rather than positive. Steady as a rock in straight lines and unremarkable but more than adequate on the bends. The Delkevic system wasn’t exactly quiet, and with a ripping sound the CB750K shot forward. And then things got a bit strange. With four cylinders and two cams, you could barely feel anything from the engine. The bike quickly reached a rev limit, so I changed CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || NOVEMBER 2020
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up again. And then the same thing happened. You changed up and you got faster, with almost no feeling at all. And again, change up, go faster, no feel from the engine; just a smooth passage forwards. It didn’t matter what the revs were or what gear you were in. It felt the same throughout the rev range. Most curious. The only indication that you were going faster was the wind in your face and needle on the speedometer, and that wasn’t much help. The 750 came from that strange period in history when the American government, in its infinite wisdom, decided that the best way to save the environment was to impose a blanket 55mph speed limit, and to enforce it they limited speedometers to 80mph. It’s a wide machine, the 750K, with the alternator exposed on the left-hand end of the crankshaft and the ignition module on the other end. The fear that even a low-speed get off would wipe out these components led many riders, as in the case with
MASSIVE THANKS
go to Somerset Classic Motorcycles for the loan of the two 750s. Visit somerset classicmotorcycles.co.uk.
this example, to fit protective crash bars to cover the casings. The wideness of the engine did leave plenty of room for the substantial rubber mounted 30mm Keihin CV carbs, which aided the breathing. Honda had retired the use of steel tubing with chunky alloy castings for footrest hangers. There were a few bits that had deteriorated cosmetically over the years a little, but these were easily replaced items like the Showa shocks, but the original Honda engine lacquer had survived well. The early 1980s were an exciting time for motorcycling. Back when the CB750K was launched it must have startled Suzuki and Kawasaki. Suzuki quickly went on a styling binge that produced their own four valve per cylinder Katana range and GSX models, while Kawasaki dropped their twin, scaled up the z650 to a 750 and the two valve per cylinder air-cooled GPz range soon arrived to compete. And just as they thought they had the measure of the DOHC CB fours, Honda dropped them and brought out their V-four VF750. The CB750K lasted just a few years in the UK, and a little longer in the US, where their Custom and Nighthawk variants lasted longest of all. For the classic buyer with a penchant for the unusual the 750K, marked up at more than £1000 cheaper than the Z750, was certainly keenly priced.
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE…
If you had to choose between them, then the buyer would need to consider that both these forgotten 750s have their virtues and vices. I suspect that the Honda would be much easier to live with than the Kawasaki and you could cover considerable distances on a big comfy four that cost less than the price of a used 125cc single, especially with a bit of baffling of the exhaust. Spares for the Kawasaki are available thanks to the cross platform use on other models, while David Silver Spares have a comprehensive stock list for the CB750K. The head says Honda. There is as always, however, the heart. The Kawasaki has that indefinable but vital thing for a classic motorcycle. Character. Maybe it’s just my predilection for big parallel twins, but had I the garage space, the Z750 would have joined its Yamaha and Triumph siblings. Riding it just made me feel good.