NORTON ATLAS TRIUMPH TRIDENT MILITARY ENFIELD!
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RC REGULARS THE CONTENTS PAGE ................................. 3 Allsorts! From a unique 4-pot AJS, via a WW2 speedway star, a Laverda 500 and a Norton Atlas, all the way to the best BSA single of them all (possibly…). Oh, and a Honda and a Trident, too…
52
TRIUMPH TRIDENT T150 ................................. 6
Triumph’s triples are great bikes. They must be because everyone says so. Frank Westworth awoke some old memories with a day out on a T150
AJS PROTOTYPE FOUR ...................................24
The Japanese invented the 4-cylinder roadster, right? Wrong, Alan Cathcart reports on a seriously heroic Brit machine…
HONDA CB400F ..............................................36
After riding British bikes for half a century, James French recently did the unthinkable… and bought a Honda. How? Why? And is he happy with this momentous decision?
TRIUMPH TIGER CUB ......................................44
What’s the most romantic wedding present you can think of? You thought of a Tiger Cub straight away… didn’t you? Henry Gregson meets a loving couple who share an extraspecial Triumph tiddler
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As regular readers will know, our own Odgie is something of a speedway star. This month he investigates how the armed forces developed the sport during WW2, and then uncovers an Enfield WD single, set up and ready to race…
EVENTS ...................................................... 62 As we finish this issue the rain is lashing against the window, the mighty Atlantic is frothing and foaming, and we’re planning another ride. Been a great year for rides so far
BSA STAR ........................................................60
In the 1930s, BSA developed their Empire Star 500 single into the Silver Star, and then the ultimate Goldie. In the 1960s, Joe Gray recalls doing much the same…
READERS’FREE ADS .................................. 64 What has happened? There’s a load of bikes in there this time. Some corkers, too. Hmmm…
NORTON ATLAS ..............................................72
When it was new, Norton’s 750 twin was a credible challenger for the super-heavyweight title. This tired old example had gone to seed… so Paul Henshaw became its personal trainer and put it through its paces
OLLIE’S ODDJOBS...................................... 98 The streetbike version of BSA’s 250 sports single doesn’t have an entirely unblemished reputation, but the standard Starfire isn’t quite quirky enough for our intrepid explorer of eccentric motorcycles. Enter the flea-bitten lion and a spandex leotard!
LAVERDA 500..................................................80
Although it’s often overshadowed by Laverda’s tremendous triple, the firm’s 500 twin-cylinder powerplant exemplifies engineering excellence. So says Roger Slater, and he should know! This example needed some TLC to return to tip-top condition…
PUB TALK ................................................. 102 It has been a disastrous day/week/month for PUB, but a final success for AJS Mary and the Rex-Acme Villiers…
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TALES FROM THE SHED ........................... 108 Frank picks up the spanners once again. Then throws them down again. This is becoming a habit. So he ran away and went to visit The Reader in a remarkable café…
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ARIEL HUNTMASTER ......................................88
A brief history of time. Robert Davies tells a tale about the restoration of a Huntmaster twin
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WHO’S DONE WHAT REALCLASSIC is edited by Rowena Hoseason and Frank Westworth of The Cosmic Bike Company and it’s written and photographed by you (well, perhaps not you exactly. People just like you. Or possibly actually you. It’s complicated). Chris Abrams of AT Graphics designs the editorial pages, while Mortons Media Group Ltd at Horncastle are in charge of trade advertising, subscriptions, back issues and all the corporate wossname We’re online at www.Real-Classic.co.uk where FrankW’s amazing Toastmaster saga is appearing once more in exciting (possibly…) weekly episodes TRADE ADVERTISERS for the magazine or website should call Helen Martin on 01507 529574, email hrmartin@mortons.co.uk EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES should be sent to Frank@ RealClassic.net or to PO Box 66, Bude EX23 9ZX. Please include an SAE if you want something returned or a personal reply SUBSCRIPTION INFO is on pg114. Call 01507 529529 to subscribe or renew or buy back issues SUBS QUERIES, late deliveries, or changes of address should be directed to 01507 529529, or email subscriptions@realclassic.net ALL MATERIAL in RealClassic is copyright its authors, so please contact us before reproducing anything. RealClassic is printed by William Gibbons & Sons of Wolverhampton. Our ISSN is 1742-2345. THIS MONTH we’ve been reading heaps of Nordic noir by Jo Nesbø who we saw in person and who turns out to be a bit of a rock-climbing rockstarring Scandinavian dude (and his first name is sort-of pronounced ‘you’ while the surname is too complicated to describe). We also enjoyed GREASY BEND by Kris Lackey; an authentic American rural backroads manhunt, and THIN AIR by Richard Morgan, which is a tremendously active SciFi all-action thriller. And it is thrilling, also very violent and with remarkably explicit rude scenes. At least one of us is looking forward to the next… MEANWHILE AT THE MOVIES… Starship Troopers: Invasion proved once again that anime can be so much better than live action; SpiderMan Far From Home proved that it pays to watch the post-credit sequences; The Tundra Book proves that 18,000 reindeer can be fascinating (no, really), and how did we live without Star Trek: Discovery for so long? Michael Burnham is our new hero! RealClassic is published monthly by MMG Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, LN9 6LZ, UK. USA SUBSCRIPTIONS are $58 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI. 54921. Postmaster: Send USA address changes to RealClassic, Motorsport Publications LLC, 715-572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com
FROM THE FRONT Do you have a favourite marque? Even a favourite model? For many years – maybe a couple of decades – I was unfathomably keen on AJS machinery. I owned three for a very long time, although typically only one of them was on the road at any one time, and indeed the very first AJS twin I acquired is still mouldering gently in a remote corner of The Shed. I read everything I could find about AJS, which is a fascinating marque, although a lot of the history seems to be unappreciated in recent years. My enthusiasm was fed beyond reason in the many years I was privileged to edit the AJS & Matchless OC’s magazine, where I discovered that fine club’s excellent Historian – who knew masses about the AJS marque. And he would share it if asked, thanks to John Allen, then. I remember some photos of AJS radios arriving in the post, and being bewildered only a little, as I was by the understanding that AJS built cars and even buses. Plainly they understood the meaning of diversification, where a company spreads its risks by attempting to avoid being dependant on a single market – motorcycles, for example. The irony was that AJS went bust and were absorbed into the Matchless motorcycle empire – Associated Motor Cycles, AMC for short. In these days, almost all the emphasis among almost all my riding friends – with notable exceptions – is in riding post-WW2 motorcycles, and it’s surprisingly rare to stumble across pre1939 machinery being used as anything other than transport to an event, where they tend to be exhibits. And nothing wrong with that. What is a little sad is that almost all the post-war AJS production was of machinery which was effectively simply badge-engineered Matchless kit, whereas prior to their collapse the company built some delightfully adventurous machinery, such as a transverse V-twin, sort-of a 1930s Moto Guzzi, if you like. That was the 1931 S3, a delightful sidevalve with engine and gearbox connected by a shaft, and the final drive by chain. Work that out! And although I knew somehow that AJS had
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built at least one 4-cylinder motorcycle, I’d no idea that it had survived. More – that it was a runner and entirely rideable. So more thanks, this time to Alan Cathcart, who not only knew about it but had actually ridden it. Did he have any photos? Maybe a few words? Of course he did, and you can read them yourself further on into this issue. What a remarkable machine it is, and how remarkable its history, too. A common theme among those who talk endless critically of the old British industry is that the companies were blinkered, unimaginative and conservative. But they often were not. Decently often those same companies had developed and introduced some fascinating, inventive and innovative motorcycles. The snag was that their experiences revealed that the riding public failed to buy them in numbers sufficient to make them profitable, and that was a lesson they learned – although all too often not quickly enough. Ride safely Frank Westworth Frank@realclassic.net
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Photos by Chris Spaett, Frank Westworth
6 I AUGUST 2019
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TRIUMPH T150 TRIDENT
Triumph’s triples are great bikes. They must be because everyone says so. Frank Westworth awoke some old memories with a day out on a T150
T
ridents and I share a love / hate relationship. I try to love them; they manage to hate me. It’s been this way for a very long time. A very long time indeed. The first triple I saw on
the road was actually a BSA Rocket Three in a bizarre shade of bathroom blue. I was trolling along the old A4 aboard my Matchless, and saw an outfit parked up in a layby enveloped in clouds of smoke. Of course I stopped and went to offer assistance. The bike was almost new. This was 1970, maybe 1971, and the triples had been in production for some time, but although Norton Commandos were to be seen around in schoolboy Somerset, the triples were not. But anyway – what was on fire?
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Nothing. The ‘smoke’ was in fact steam. Proud Owner had ridden through a deluge and had parked up for a cuppa from his flask and a sandwich to maintain the inner man. The steam was rising from his gloves, which were resting on the cylinder head and fizzing gently. I was bemused. Why buy an amazing sports bike like the blue BSA and stick a sidecar on it? The sidecar was empty, too. The owner just smiled and offered me some coffee, while pretending to admire my own machine. And a lot of Tridents have passed through
AUGUST 2019 I 7
the various Sheds down the years, all bar one of them T150s, with just the one T160 to add variety and drain the wallet. Every time I decide I really must have another T160, I remind myself of Smoky Joe and shudder, manfully. Most of the T150s were actually pretty good. More to the point, they were all cheap. It’s hard to remember, but there was a time – late 1970s and early 80s – when Tridents were almost unsaleable. There were several reasons for this. The British industry’s dragged-out demise was relatively recent, and as the Meriden Co-Op discovered, the considerable majority of riders wanted reliability and electric starters. My first T150 cost under £100, and I rode it home from Wallasey, on Merseyside. It actually ran quite well … for a twin. The head gasket had blown between the left and centre cylinders, but it ran fine as a single and two half-singles, leaked only a little oil, and was very easy to kick over – if not to start. Bumping was essential, which was no problem back then. And the top ends are easy to work on. Fortunately. Then there was a hiatus of several years, until the great repatriation of tired Brits from the USA began, and once again Tridents were both cheap and plentiful. I bought probably a
Inside the brochure, it is revealed that ‘Trident will give you the greatest ride in two-wheeled history…’ Ad copywriters haven’t changed much down the years
half-dozen altogether over a few years, always convinced that I could fix them up and make a few shillings. Which I did, but spares could be difficult and expensive, the engines were too thirsty for me to want to commute on one, and they were heavy. That sounds impossible, given the mass of much modern machinery, but I felt that they were monsters! Norton’s Commando was much, much more like it. But… every single time we run a feature on a triple, and every time I stumble over one parked up, I simply succumb to almost undeniable lust. They really are splendid machines. Especially T160s, with their electric starts and delicious looks. I had one for many years. I loved it. It was that most torrid of affairs: I lavished untold wealth, lurve and affection, and it repaid me by breaking down, teasingly, all the time and drinking consumable fluids almost faster than I could buy them. Heartache of the most terrifying kind. Of course I want another. This is stupidity of a most identifiable kind. Happily, I am not alone in believing that the best Triumph triples were the last of the T150s, built at Small Heath. I’ve owned three (or maybe four) of those, in both UK and US trims, and they’ve been disturbingly reliable. With one notable exception. That was a US repatriation which came fitted with some monster 3-into-1 exhaust with which it ran perfectly. Replacing the monster loud system with a stock set-up ruined the great running, sadly, so it got its loud pipe back and made a lot of noise. Fabulous noise, but… And… this is faintly embarrassing… while my student / young person buddies had pics of movie / music starlets on their walls, I had two pics of a T150 Trident. I still have them, brochures both, complete with drawing pinholes. But don’t tell anyone. And of course I endlessly ponder over the wisdom, or even sanity, of treating myself to
Triumph’s broch hure for theiir last T150V. 1970s-style out-of-focus is there to project a feeling of speed, apparently
another. I’d prefer a T160, but several people have explained, with only a little weariness in their tones, that it is perfectly possible to fit an electric start to a T150, and T150s are usually quite a lot less expensive to buy than T160s, and in my experience at least T150s are rather less costly to keep on the road. And of course I’ve borrowed several T150 Tridents down the years to provide suitable targets for a story or several. Like the rather handsome example you see before you. It really is handsome, isn’t it? A late UK model T150V Trident, complete with the great big fuel tank and entirely sensible riding position. One of the things a chap needs to remember when writing stories for RC – as opposed to almost all other magazines – is that RC readers are expert. This is true. RC readers all too often know more about the bikes we feature than we do. We so advise all contributors: get your facts
he primary chaincase live a posh modern clut The big triple. It is a monster engine. And it looks stock until you observe the Inside th ch h and d a triipllex chain … but no alternator. Unusual for a British carbs. Amals they’re not bike of its time
8 I AUGUST 2019
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TRIUMPH T150 TRIDENT wrong at your peril, and never present an opinion as a fact, we say. Occasionally… The effect here is that I’ll not now present you with a potted production history of the Trident, nor its impressive competition history, nor the names of its design teams and which kind of dog they owned – things like that. But I will waddle through bits about the actual machine design, before writing about riding – which is what I enjoy the most. For a long time, during the dying days of the classic industry and after its final, terminal struggles, it was somehow fashionable to criticise the Trident engine as a ‘T100 and a half’. That’s inaccurate and unkind. Journalists too often aim for a cheap shot or a cheap laugh, and this is the case here. At least it kept Trident values low, kept them affordable, until relatively recently. In fact, the engine design is very clever. It’s easy to dismiss its unusual bottom end design as being a nonsense (‘three crankcase halves’ The UK bars are oddly up-tipped but are easy on the wrists and arms. Footrests are at least an inch too far forward for FW’s comfort, but match with the high US bars rather better
Frank W has a long history with Tridents. Here’s a reimported US T150V, complete with its US plate, a leftside mirror and the loudest exhaust known in tripleland. Our buddy John B provided the 1990 grasstrack riding shot!
scoff armchair experts), whereas it actually allowed the company to build a new model without spending vast amounts of money which they did not have on new tooling. The bicycle, meanwhile, was pretty much that of the last pre-oily frame Bonnevilles, viewed by many as the best Bonnie
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bicycle of them all. So, the designers, with no budget at all, produced an up-to-the-minute multi using existing production machinery and facilities. The BSA Group simply refused to commit the resources which would have allowed its perfectly fine designers to produce a Brit equivalent of Laverda’s later triple, but their designers knuckled down and built a bike with several neat ideas, they did it quickly and at little cost. I find it impossible to ride a BSA /
AUGUST 2019 I 9
An oil pressure gauge is recommended by many triple experts. However, several others dislike them, citing them as pointless worry meters…
Probably of more use than an oil gauge is the large oil filter, which lives behind the hex-headed cap beneath the engine. Change it often; observe how much muck comes out with the old one, too
Triumph triple without reminding myself of this, especially if I’ve just clambered from a Triumph parallel twin, as was the case when I rode this particular, particularly fine example. The Trident team did several clever things, too. Like the neat oil pump – nothing like the ancient twin-plunger device on all the twins – or the high volume and easily replaceable filter for the oil it pumped. Like the intelligent location of the alternator, inside the timing chest, away from the boiling oil and chain thrash of the primary chaincase. Like the pair of shell-type centre main bearings, clamped up in that centre crankcase ‘half’. And although it was – for a long time – easy to sneer at the old-fashioned ohv design in the first age of production ohc engines, in fact it’s a neat, compact design, allows the engine to fit into a compact frame, and removes the need for a high-pressure oil feed to the engine’s top end. I like the triple engine – does it show? First – and possibly most important – thing first. It’s easy to start. There’s a lot of engine to turn over, so I’m always nervous, but in fact most of the resistance is oil drag and inertia – you’re only bringing a single 250cc cylinder up to compression at a time. Remind yourself of this when puffing and panting a little. It won’t help, of course. Tickling is something of
10 I AUGUST 2019
a ticklish subject with three Amal carbs … and many riders decide to replace them, as seen here in fact, where no tickling is required to coax those three Mikuni carbs into prolonged active life. Much more civilised. That said, all of my own Tridents and Rockets have boasted the original Amals. That’s a thing about ‘enthusiast’ machinery like the triples; there’s a load of lore out there – everyone knows best. As was rarely the case with my own Tridents, the Mikunis perform some kind of magic trick and fire up all together. Back in those faraway distant days, I would typically tickle the easy to reach outer carbs, relying on the choke to infuse the centre Amal with ignition enthusiasm. In practice, this meant that from cold the T150s typically started out as a 500cc twin. It only took a few minutes before the coughing centre pot chimed in, transforming a hesitant stuttering twin into a ferocious triple, with that unique howl for which they should be famous. At least a little bit. Clutches are rarely objects of interest. Except here. Another under-praised item on the triple fancier’s checklist should be the unusual clutch. Neat and compact and using both a pull-rod and a diaphragm spring, with just a single friction plate. Look them up: they work very well indeed. No slip, no drag, light at the lever
This is a big tank. It can carry 4½ gallons, UK gallons, which sounds remarkable and impressive. Except that if the engine’s used to its potential that’s a range of 160 miles … maybe
and progressive in operation. Better than the Commando, in my view, although I should probably whisper that… In use, the triple’s clutch feels faintly unfamiliar at first, with the odd over-centring sensation common to diaphragm springs, but within five miles you’ve simply forgotten about it. Triumph intended to follow the 150 with the T160, and then the 870cc T180, presumably using the same clutch, so it should be decently
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TRIUMPH T150 TRIDENT
Three cylinders, three carbs. These are not the original Amals; these are Mikunis, made in Japan. Expert views on carbs are… complicated
All BSA and Triumph triples carry a large oil radiator. The reason is plain: the engines run hot, and this is also a good way to keep a higher volume of oil in circulation
The oil filler and its dipstick live under the seat. It’s a good idea to check the levels regularly
bombproof on the 750s. Certainly I’ve never had any problems with any of my own or the dozenplus others I’ve borrowed. And the gearshift is excellent, neutral easy to find, and… hang on. I’ve not even told you what the test victim is! OK! It’s a 1975 T150V Trident. Built at BSA’s plant at Small Heath, after production had been halted for a while by the closure of Meriden. Although all the triple engines had been built at Small Heath, the Trident’s frame and running gear were made at Meriden and when the plant was blockaded, production stopped. I’ve never understood why when NVT retooled to restart Trident production they didn’t make the change to the T160, which must have been well into its development cycle by then. If you know, please enlighten me! And of course the moment you sit on a UK Trident, with its low bars and slabby tank, with the engine churning away at a steady 1000rpm tickover, you know – you simply know
– that you’re going to have a special riding experience. And you will. I prefer the UK tank, because the shapely slim US alternative feels far too US Bonneville to me. Always has. The big wide bread bin is hardly the most handsome tank (discuss) but it’s certainly different, viewed from any angle. Enough of that. Into gear. Right foot shift. Click. That is nice. And then… it’s easy, open throttle, catch the revs with the clutch and away you go. There’s a deep vroom from below you. No need to rev it – even though peak torque (45lb-fit is usually quoted) is delivered at a high 6900rpm, it’s not at all easy to stall a triple at low revs. This is possibly down to the considerable inertia of the considerable mass of the great big crank, three pistons and rods – and possibly not. Delight in the smooth, because smooth it is, all the way up to maybe 5500rpm, when it does get a little tingly. Nothing destructive, but it’s there. Triumph offered rubber-mounted footrests for
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This is not, repeat not, a creative place to mount a pillion rest. It’s a lifting handle – a good use for a pillion rest. Also observe the position of the choke lever. Handy (not) to reach from the saddle
the T160, so they were plainly aware. I think I have a pair, somewhere…
AUGUST 2019 I 11
The way the machine rides is entirely familiar to anyone who’s used to pre oilyframe Triumph twins. The frame is very stable, the later-model forks work well and the single disc is … OK. Not spectacular, but more consistent and reliable than the 2ls conical hub which preceded it. Lots of riders fit a second disc. I would too. But the engine is the key to a Trident. It’s always amusing and interesting to contrast the
different approaches of the Norton and Triumph concerns as they tottered towards the approaching superbike age. Norton spent very little on the Atlas engine as it was transformed into the Commando, but invested heavily in the fabled Isolastic bicycle. BSA / Triumph did the reverse. Those who’ve ridden the prototype Trisolastic – a Trident engine unit bolted into a Commando frame – say it’s a remarkable machine indeed. The The last of the classic day s, probably… best of both worlds; quite possibly hard into corners the ultimate Triton. I digress again. without getting stressed, and heavy enough to The Trident feels heavy and it actually is: 460lb as opposed to the 410lb of a T140V make the suspension work, too. Bonneville. There’s nothing unwieldy about Braking is OK. No better than that, as I’ve it, the steering is precise, the ride good by already said, and the Triumph-Lockheed the standards of the day and the handling is caliper is wooden. The pads looked new but exemplary, but it feels weighty when hauling stopping was … OK. hard through a set of familiar tight bends. So that’s that with the intro to the riding. One of the advantage of sourcing so many of The riding itself is a grand experience, even the bikes I borrow from the same generous with those long silencers the sonorous exhaust soul is that I know the local roads very well. zoom is a pleasure, and although the all-alloy This permits a little exploration and indeed engine is a rustler (rather than a rattler), the comparison, and I prefer the Trident to its twinnoises combine to boost the experience, not pot sibling. It feels seriously stable, and indeed detract from it. It’s rapid, too. The 58 horses it is. Sufficiently stable to accept braking quite which apparently reach full gallop at 7250rpm
Back in the 1970s, FW held a dream. This was it, pretty much…
FW’s only real complaint about the Trident was the single disc front end
12 I AUGUST 2019
do not accelerate the Trident in the way that the similar number of dobbins boot a Commando down the road, but despite the lack of the Norton twin’s sheer immediacy the Trident covers the ground very quickly. An almost stock T150 like this doesn’t tempt a chap to play racers, but if you want to press on at A-road speeds you’re not going to be overtaken by very much. So it’s comfortable, quick and capable; what’s not to like? It’s heavy. The front brake is wooden. It’s not exactly chuckitabout fun, as some of the twins are. That’s about it. Right then: time for a second ride, this time without spending half of it wondering what to write about the bike. Tridents are like that: the more you ride, the more you want to ride. Which says it all, really.
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AUGUST 2019 I 13
RC readers write, rant and rattle on...
Summat to say? Send your comments, hints, tips, tales of woe and derring-don’t to: RCHQ@RealClassic.net
RC RHYMES! Fourteen years old and Vespa bought No knowledge to ride must be self-taught Five pounds paid of pocket money Adventures ahead for this school boy brummie A gallon of fuel and fields to hand Bump start to heaven ain’t life grand Ride round in circles till all fuel gone Then push back to home and worried mom This was the start of my biking career Never fails to bring smiles from ear to ear Since these early days many miles have past Over 65 bikes life’s been a blast Race reps and cruisers off road and on For all different reasons I’ve loved
every one See it’s not just the thrill of riding carefree It’s like minded people like you and like me Friendships were formed still going today Just go for a ride let the bike show the way
you. Some like a single or twin or whatever. I think a real mixture makes it perfect. Look at the modern bikes; when you ride to a bike meeting here in Germany, it very often looks like a BMW GS club. No, I like the old bike meetings with the mixture of interesting bikes, some with patina – and some restored so they are like brand new. I think everyone can be proud that such an old thing runs. For most of the riders, their own bike is the ‘best bike’, the one they love (or sometimes hate, with nice interesting names in that special situation). I love my Betty, a BMW R100S, now 41 years old. It’s not original and has plenty of patina, but I like to see other old bikes. Sit upright and love your classic, and do not forget to love your partner more than your bike! Peter Wüster, member
David Angel asked if the BSA timing side bush should be routinely replaced by an expensive roller conversation. I bought a late 1950s A10 in 1970 to perform sole transport duties until I could afford a car. It became my commuting tool until the mid-1980s. At that point a small Honda was purchased and the A10 was retired as a hobby bike. It was time for some tidying up and checking, which included some play in the timing side bush. I took the various bits to Charlie’s Motorcycles in Bristol to discuss oversize bush versus expensive roller conversion. The late Reg Hall crystallised the dilemma with three simple questions. Reg - How many miles has it done on this bush? Me - Best part of 60,000. Reg - How many miles do you anticipate doing on the next one? Me - Er, not many really. Reg - Shall I put an oversize bush in then? Me - Yes please. Was this a wise choice? I do not know as I am not going to take the engine apart just to find out for the sake of this letter. I have done nowhere near another 60,000 miles. I have regularly changed the oil as it is cheaper and a lot easier than replacing bearings. Res ipso loquitur and caveat emptor. Nick Crook, member
We could discuss the ideal ‘classic’ until the cows come home! Everyone has their own definition, everyone is correct and no one is ever wrong. Tastes differ, as do riding demands. All opinions are welcome in RC. Frank W
My view is slightly more complicated. Were I to rebuild – for example – the bottom end of the engine on my A65T, I would get the conversion done. If there was no need to have a rebuild, then – obviously enough – I’d not. Frank W
In between riding my bike, I like to dabble in a little poetry. I would be elated if this appeared in one of your magazines. Keith Delighted to oblige, Keith. By the way, we couldn’t figure out how to respond to your email via text message: a bit too high-tech even for me… Rowena
THAT CLASSIC QUESTION
What is a classic? What is a perfect classic? I think the main point is your personal age, which means which generation. For example, when you started biking in the 1980s then very often you are interested in Japanese bikes. They were everywhere. I started with a Yamaha XS400 and I always have a smile on my face when I see one (not that often now). Of course very old iron is interesting too, like old Brit bikes or old German bikes and the lovely Italians. So I think it is your personal view, what you call a classic. Let the others think in a different way! It is the same with the question ‘What is the perfect classic?’ It is again only up to
14 I AUGUST 2019
BEARING UP
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LETTERS
A CARB SAGA
A big service star to Devon Stainless Rims who manufactured a one-off rear spoke and got it to me in 36 hours, all for the miserly sum of £8.50! Paul Jennings, member I just had some new tyres fitted to my Suzuki TS250. I had been running some mid-knobbly types and I was never too impressed with them on tarmac. After much umming, I finally decided on some new-fangled Adventure / Dual Sport tyres as my riding tends to be 98% tarmac and 2% other. I finally chose Michelin Sirac and I am very impressed with their road performance, they feel very positive with good feedback, and in my opinion they look OK. I’m not too worried about off-road performance; I think it would be me that runs out of performance long before the tyres! They are said to be OK on all but thick mud when a specialist tyre is really needed. So far so good, and a gold star to my local tyre shop for saving me the struggle! Angelo Greco, member
I have just got the petrol and oil tanks back for my 1924 Norton Model 18 restoration project. I had them done by Paintbox, an excellent business in Portglenone, NI. Their standard of work is always concours-winning standard. David Pattison, member A service star goes to Opie Oils of Redruth. I needed a specific oil for my Daytona RS and was recommended Motul. The only stockist in Cornwall was Opie so I had a ride down there yesterday. The chap really knew his stuff, asked a lot of questions and agreed Motul was the one to use. It came at a really good price, and they sell online as well. Dave Capon, member
I assumed there was a problem with my carbs as my Yamaha TR1 would barely run and refused to even contemplate the possibility of a tickover. It had stood for five years so I expected there’d be gunge, gum, varnish and grot which I’ve read about so many times. Until today I’d never actually plucked up the courage to do anything more involved with a carburettor than adjust the tickover. Never had to! I’ve been lucky with my bikes, what with them all being 1970s or early 80s Japanese and pretty much never going badly wrong. The local bike shop wanted £200 to clean the carbs (£200! That was with me removing the things from the bike. I nearly said I wasn’t looking for a new motorcycle…), so I decided that now was the time to bite the bullet. I took a look at what my Haynes manual has to say. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, from the look of that exploded diagram... Anyway, after watching a YouTube video or two I got stuck in. Removing the linked together Hitachi carbs was awkward. The manual says to remove the intake rubbers, remove the throttle cable and choke cable, loosen the clips on the inlet stubs and rotate the carburettor assembly clockwise to remove from the machine. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? There was no way they were coming out without removing the intake stubs. Out came the stubs and they proved to be badly perished and cracked. Carbs out, marvel at the huge space between the cylinders and retire to the dining room table (SWMBO was out). Crud, gunge, varnish and gum abounded. I thought, from my vast experience of watching YouTube videos, that what I’d believed to be a main jet was in fact a pilot jet, so small was the aperture – until I doused it with a mighty squirt of carb cleaner, whereupon it became clear that the hole was somewhat larger than it had at first appeared.
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After a soak in CC and a blast of compressed air, every orifice was clear and clean. Ish. I’m dead pleased with myself. Both pilot jets were completely blocked and both mains (hark at me with the technical talk!) were severely occluded (have to get them exorcised... Oh, wait, that’s ‘occult’). I also discovered a perforated diaphragm which looks like it’s been pinched. A new one is on order. Having to wait for new intake stubs and diaphragm is a blessing in disguise – there’s space now to clean between the cylinders. So the poor running and absent tickover may well have been sorted. In modern parlance, ‘Go me!’ Keith Bennett, member
AUGUST 2019 I 15
TEENAGE DREAMS
BEST BEESA
The B31 which appeared in RC in 2015, being road-tested by FrankW, now resides with me in Cumbria. It still runs well and always puts a smile on my face even though it could not pull skin off a rice pud (yum). It lives in the shed with its fellow BSA, an A10 Golden Flash. I purchased the B31 from Chris at Venture Classics, a long day’s ride from Cumbria. All I’ve done is clean it and replace the light lenses and the front rim. It rides fantastic. I do not intend to restore it to within an inch (or should it be centimetre) of its
life because I like the way it looks, battle scars and all. I just maintain and replace things when needed. If anyone is in the area of Silloth in Cumbria near year, at the beginning of June there is a really good vintage rally with free entry and camping. Tom Halls, RC member That was a great bike. I remember it well. B31s are really good, like a lot of 350 singles of their time: gently tuned, relaxed and very comfortable. You’ve got a cracker! Frank W
In the mid-1970s the Honda CB750/4 was the ultimate in credibility in my eyes. Sparks from the exhaust grounding as they went round the corner into St Mary’s Street, that glorious wail of four cylinders. Commandos, Tridents and Rocket 3s were still glamorous, but the Honda was something else. Three years ago, I got to ride one around Corsica, along with an A10 and A65, and a Hinckley Bonnie. Stepping off the A10, I thought the Honda would be a handful, but what a sweet-natured pussycat it was. Smooth, civilised, never-ending revs... It was obvious why it changed the course of motorcycling. Mark Bailey, member
FORK HANDLES This concerns the BSA B25 and Triumph T25, as described a couple of years ago in the magazine. The BSA has naked forks but the Triumph is fitted with fork gaiters. I have a Triumph TR5T and I want to fit gaiters, but as you are aware they never had them as standard. I believe the forks are identical to the T25’s. I have searched parts books, etc, but cannot find a part number. Can you tell me please, what gaiters are fitted to your T25? Is there a source or a part number? Many thanks for any help or guidance, Phil Booth, member There are several gaiters which will fit those forks. Look for part number 97-1510. And a small gentle word of advice: buy reputable parts from a reputable dealer, that way they should last a long time. Those on our T25SS are LF Harris components and are maybe 15 years old now. Cheap versions have a tendency to fall apart after a very short time. Frank W
16 I AUGUST 2019
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