Real Classic - April 2019 - Preview by Mortons Media Group Ltd

! BSA SS80 ! MATCHLESS G80 ! HONDAMATIC!

ISSUE 180 ! APRIL 2019 ! £3.70

Running, Riding & Rebuilding RealClassic Motorcycles

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TWINS TO TAKE ON THE WORLD

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! BSA SS80 ! MATCHLESS G80 ! HONDAMATIC!

Running, Riding & Rebuilding RealClassic Motorcycles

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TWINS TO TAKE ON THE WORLD

MATCHLESS G80 ...........................................6

ROYAL ENFIELD SUPER METEOR................46

Riders seeking classic credentials attached to all mod cons might seriously consider the last Matchless of the line: a big single with electric start and twin-disc stoppers. Paul Miles gives one a whirl…

Last month, Robert Murdoch introduced us to his electric-start touring twin. This time he shares his riding experiences… and a sudden engine seizure

REALCLASSIC 180; PUBLISHED IN APRIL 2019

RC REGULARS THE CONTENTS PAGE ................................ 3

And now for some things completely diﬀerent. How’s about a frank conversation with Norton’s head honcho? How’s about an automatic Honda? Also a DMW of course

VELOCETTE DOHC RACER...........................54

Back in the day, teenage tearaways made short work of BSA’s 250 single. Frank Melling shares his recollections of the supersport version of the C15

Inspired by Velocette’s dohc racing single, a team of keen enthusiasts set out to build a modern-day development capable of lapping at 100mph. Stuart Francis follows their progress…

HONDA CB750A HONDAMATIC..................30

NORTON GOES GLOBAL .............................62

Twist’n’Go scooters are well known. Automatic cars are even better known. Frank Westworth was entirely unfamiliar with the CB750A Hondamatic, until now…

Norton. Where they are today, and where they’re going. Alan Cathcart interviews Stuart Garner, the company’s owner

WE’VE GOT MAIL! .................................... 14

The endless debate continues endlessly, debating. There are countless questions, and every question has a thousand answers

EVENTS .................................................... 72

The calendar’s ﬁlling up fast. Already shows and runs and invites to remote cafés and trips to visit unremarkable but distant places are colouring in the giant RC wall planner. It’s almost exciting

DMW DOLOMITE.........................................80 MOTO GUZZI V50........................................38

Old Italian motorcycles are unreliable, right? Not necessarily. Kev Brown’s smallblock Moto Guzzi has endured four decades of entertaining episodes in all weathers, and it’s still going strong…

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750S ! BSA

B33 ! PANT HER MOD

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TIC! HONDAMA LESS G80 ! 0 ! MATCH ! BSA SS8

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Martin Peacock had a vision, a conversion on the road to Bude. He understood that he wanted a Commando, and this is how he made it… Part 6: Fuelling Follies and the Joys of Riding

PUB TALK ............................................... 102

PUB the pot-hunter has no events to report on this month – lethargy rules OK – but those projects and bikes call for attention…

TALES FROM THE SHED ......................... 108

Last month, Stu Thomson learned all about Aermacchi’s ‘Wing’ series of singles. This time he tracks down a 1959 Ala Azzurra and starts to prep it for ﬂight…

Frank’s been taken for a ride. Again and again and again. This time he’s been playing hooligan with a sweet 650 twin…

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Some tidy tackle in here, as usual. Also one of Frank’s bikes (but don’t tell him!)

NORTON COMMANDO REBUILD ................86

ON TWINS TO TAKE

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Riding & Rebu Running, APRIL 2019

READERS’ FREE ADS ................................ 74

AERMACCHI BUILD .....................................98 RealClassic

G L O R IO U

GUZZI

Something borrowed, something blue. Rob Davies learns a little about DMW, a largely unsung hero from the past…

EL 35 ES!

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BSA SS80.....................................................22

ISSUE 180

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ISSUE 180 ! APRIL 2019 ! £3.70

THE SWEE

ST 650 OF THETE M ALL

THE WORLD

TURNTO

You won’t ﬁnd RealClassic on the shelves in UK newsagents – but you can save the cost and hassle of mail-ordering each issue with a straightforward subscription. Here’s how!

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WHO’S DONE WHAT REALCLASSIC is cunningly constructed by Rowena Hoseason and Frank Westworth of The Cosmic Bike Co Ltd in Cornwall from your very own wit and wisdom, with contributions from the RC regulars. Chris Abrams of AT Graphics Ltd dazzled us with his feature design, while all the other publishing stuff is handled by Mortons Media Group Ltd at Horncastle COVER PIC this month was taken by that Oily Boot Bob bloke. Top shot, Bob We’re online at www.Real-Classic.co.uk 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 A BOOK OF BONES: the 20th Charlie Parker mystery from John Connolly; THE QUESTIONER by Andrew Vacchs: a scary novella which is all style and no story; MERCY DOGS by Tyler Dilts: a bizarre mix of chronic illness and private detection; THE HANGMAN by Chris White: a serial killer who kills killers! Also four more Robert B Parker’s Spenser stories: TAMING A SEA-HORSE, STARDUST, PALE KINGS & PRINCES and CRIMSON JOY, and the new Lee Child Jack Reacher thriller, PAST TENSE … which was OK, but not thrilling. MEANWHILE AT THE MOVIES the ginger tomcat totally stole the show in CAPTAIN MARVEL; Jennifer Garner’s action-thriller PEPPERMINT couldn’t quite match Salt or Atomic Blonde; season three of THE BRDIGE was definitely our least fave but not as bad as we’d remembered, and we finally started watching THE EXPANSE series… genuine sci-fi with an eye to intelligent detail 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 My first ride on the new Royal Enfield twin – which you can read about further on – was one of those rides to which the thoughts keep returning. Not simply because I enjoyed my time out on local familiar roads – although I certainly did that – but because it offers a sortof perspective to the other 650 twin which has been taking up so much time over what seems like years. It is years, in fact! Blimey, so forth. Two thoughts were endlessly rattling around in the grey porridge I fondly refer to as my brain. First, I wondered why I would ever want more from a motorcycle than the Interceptor offers. And secondly and a little more alarmingly, I wondered why I would somehow be OK when I end up spending about the same amount of money as a new RE would cost on rebuilding a BSA 650 twin. A BSA which will be worth rather less than, say, a six month-old RE in, say, six months’time. The stock answer to the first question is that I don’t commute any more, which means that I don’t ride every day, and can therefore indulge in bikes which are, shall we say, eccentric. This carefully ignores the fact that when I did commute – at one point a 100-miles each way trip – I almost always rode eccentric bikes (ranging from my own rotating Nortons to gems like Moto Guzzi’s splendid Centauro), and revelled in that very eccentricity. How times change! These days my riding tends to be on completely conventional and unsophisticated machines – which is in fact one of the Interceptor’s biggest appeals. Time do change indeed. The second of the two deep thoughts, the one involving the relative costs of, say, our own BSA and, say, a nice new RE 650 with a warranty, is more difficult to answer. Because it’s impossible to accept the logic – the logic which insists that only a daft person would spend enough money in so far vain attempts to fix a fairly unremarkable machine when the same amount of money would provide a new one. And … it was ever thus. There’s nothing even faintly logical about choosing to ride a motorcycle anyway. It’s an emotional thing; a passion thing; a challenge. Well … it should be. This issue also features another new 650 –

although there was no riding involved in this story. At least, not by me. Norton’s incoming pair of 650 twins is about as far from the RE models as it’s possible to be. We talked long and hard at RCHQ about whether we should run the story – given that the new Nortons may not be the kind of machine which will appeal to you, gentle reader. But the story’s fascinating, an insight into the curious world of modern small-scale motorcycle manufacture – British motorcycle manufacture too, not simply British assembly of bikes largely manufactured overseas. I wish them well, although I doubt I’ll ever ride one – my stumpy legs would struggle with the seat height on both of the new Nortons. Unlike the Interceptor. Ever since that ﬁrst ride, I have wanted to repeat the experience. This is unusual – I’m usually happy to return to my own bike for the ride home and indeed spend the ride back comparing a bike I know well – my own – with the test victim. But… my thoughts do keep returning to the Interceptor. It’s such a logical machine, so simple and uncomplicated. So … sensible. And that’s a worry… Ride safely Frank Westworth Frank@realclassic.net

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GOING

ROTAX Riders seeking classic credentials attached to all mod cons might seriously consider the last Matchless of the line: a big single with electric start and twindisc stoppers. Paul Miles gives one a whirl… Photos by Paul Miles

Paul’s Matchless, just after Frank W acquired it and before a decade of ocean salt adjusted its ﬁnish. And much else…

6 I APRIL 2019

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MATCHLESS G80

Almost ready for shipping to Paul. Observe the serious patina!

ike many of us, I’ve enjoyed the long-running saga of Frank’s Devonshire-built, almost-butnot-quite a British bike which has appeared in RC a couple of times. I’d assumed it was a ‘keeper’ because our great leader had told us so on several occasions. So when he mentioned in passing that he planned to have a clear-out I indicated that I might be persuaded to take it on, not believing for a moment that he was ever really going to sell it… A few weeks later the Matchless washed up on these fair North Dorset shores courtesy of another RC subscriber (thanks, Dave). I heaved it onto the bench, noting the sticky front brake; still, I’m sure the rib will eventually pop back into place. The bike looked… grubby. All Frank’s bikes seem to, that’s because he’s a rider, not a polisher. To me, a happy bike (and rider) is a clean one, so I set to with the paraffin and polish and ended up with what you see here. The British-made frame is still pretty much perfect after three decades, but the Italian chrome and alloy hasn’t fared quite so well. The Radaelli wheel rims are especially poor and will need replacing in due course. I charged the battery, changed the oil and filter and attempted to start it for the first time. In case you remained blissfully unaware, the Rotax engine that powers the Matchless came in two flavours: kickstart only, or electrofoot. Frank’s / mine is the latter. One version would cost the keen buyer a fair amount of money, the other about the price of a cheese roll. The reason? It’s almost impossible to kick start one of these. Not only is it left-sided but it has a ghastly fold-at-the-base lever, while the motor lacks flywheel effect so your foot lunges quickly down in a vaguely uncontrolled action and jars your leg. A bit like a Morini but

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APRIL 2019 I 7

Before and after Paul’s heroic course of improvements. How many diﬀerences can you spot? This could be a competition for those wintry April eveningss

Have a spec sheet! Back in 1987 the single-disc kickstart version of the G80 cost £2700; £500 more than Yamaha’s similarly-equipped SRX600 single

without the actual starting bit at the end. This left me with little alternative other than to try the button. It started. I tried again. It repeated the trick. From now on I’m letting the volts take the jolts. The inaugural run was to the petrol station and my ﬁrst impressions were of a harsh ride. The G80 felt tall for what, after all, is just a single, and it was VERY LOUD. The front brakes, despite being twinned examples of Brembo’s ﬁnest, were just shockingly bad. In fairness, I’d been told

8 I APRIL 2019

this had stood for a decade and was in clear need of recommissioning. Having made the epic journey to the fuel stop a mile away, I appraised the Matchless in the daylight. It’s a classically handsome motorcycle with several of the styling cues that make British bikes so desirable. Even that monolithic lump of motor seemed to sit well in the frame: jeez, I must be getting old. I wasn’t quite so enamoured ﬁve minutes later when it wouldn’t start. The motor no longer turned when I pressed the button and I immediately

suspected the scruffy and oily-looking sidestand cut-out switch. Wobbling said switch and pressing the button, I eventually got it to fire up and made it home without further issues. Resolving to bypass the wretched thing, I dismantled half the bike before discovering the truth – it was already disconnected! My forecourt antics had no influence, the Horrid Matchless just decided not to cooperate. This intermittent starting problem got worse, despite my fitting new cables and cleaning all the earthing points. After a while it became apparent that it had to be the motor itself. Removing the forward mounted starter is a straightforward job and I eventually found the issue; the brushes were disintegrating. Some online research revealed the starter motor to be visually similar to that fitted by Armstrong to the military 350 version, not the larger motor used on other 500s, so I took a chance and ordered a new

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MATCHLESS G80

A previous owner had replaced the original shocks with Hagons; too ﬁrm for Paul, and in any case … over-patinated!

A rummage in the Big Box of Bits revealed…

brush set –which went straight in and the Harris has been perfectly behaved ever since. While it was apart, I took the opportunity to change the cambelt; after all, it must be at least a decade old. These aren’t generally diﬃcult jobs but the Rotax, designed for military use, has what must be the easiest design ever made. It took seven minutes from start to ﬁnish! Four Allen screws to remove the cover; line up the markings on the sprockets, slacken the idler pulley and remove old belt. Fit new belt and re-tension the idler. Top tip: the correct tension is when a 5mm Allen key just passes twixt belt and pulley but a 6mm doesn’t. I was taught this by a Ducati expert and it’s always the case. Job done. Now I’d a bike that started easily and promised better reliability, what’s next? A proper ride to establish a list of any issues. One hundred miles later I’d come up with: Far too loud Ride very harsh Brakes appalling, with the front binding on Hopelessly over-geared

The last set of OE Paioli shocks in the whole world (probably)

The ‘silencer’ fitted was a replica Goldie type. Delving into the magic box of bits that Frank thoughtfully sent with the bike unearthed a NOS original silencer. Brilliant! Except, it didn’t fit, as the connector pipe is too large. Hmmm. Taking the opportunity to look down the freshly liberated and surprisingly lightweight Goldie pipe I saw… nothing. It’s straight through. But I didn’t get where I’ve yet to arrive by being unimaginative, so a bit of light bodging saw a universal internal baffle tube fitted. With that the decibels have reduced by about 30%. I’ve made some progress, at least until I unearth the correct link pipe. Frank’s box provided the solution to the second issue, too. A small carton was found to contain the last known NOS set of OE Paoli rear shocks. Fitting them has transformed formed the ride, at least for me. I’ve alwayss found the spring rates on Hagons to be too oo heavy; perhaps I just like it to be soft oft and wobbly. Further delving into Pandora Westworth’s box of treasures ures I unearthed two NOS wiring loomss and a nicely wrapped rapped centrestand!

As sophisticated as many of the motors which propel modern motorcycles from the Far East, the unit construction, air-cooled four-valve Rotax engine used a single, belt-driven overhead cam to generate around 34bhp

No o one knows what this special tool is for. Never reveal that it’s actually a dipstick…

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And, what’s this at the very bottom of the box? Some shiny stainless wheel spindles, which were quickly fitted. Now on a bit of a roll, I stripped the calipers, fitting new seals and pads. The difference was… negligible, harrumph. Quite by chance, I discovered that the brake lever itself had almost dry seized through lack of use and 30 seconds of cleaning and lubrication has restored the twin disc front end to hitherto unimaginable levels of ordinariness. Note to self: check the small things first. Just the gearing left to do. Contemporary tests mention the lack of flywheel effect at

Braking, despite the double-d disc set-u up, was never exactly brilliant. Roadtesters used words like ‘competent’ and ‘adequate’ to describe the eﬀect of the 260mm Brembo discs. Once upon a time, Editor Westworth described the anti-dive system ﬁtted to the 35mm Paioli front forks on the Harris G80 as an ‘odd piece of techno junk…’

APRIL 2019 I 9

The One To Hav ve is the version with h the electric start – as seen here

The brushes proved to be well worn… but are easily replaced

low revs compared to ‘proper’ British bik bikes and and, while that’s true true, the overall gearin gearing hardly helps. The Rotax was unable to pull cleanly under 3000rpm, meaning that even near-50mph cruising required dropping into fourth gear as top would only run cleanly at speeds above that. The ratios were set, no doubt, to maximise the eﬀects of such an eﬃcient, high-revving,

four-valve motor, bestowing the Matchless with an impressive three figure top speed. But unless the rider was howling it everywhere in the wrong gear, it was jerking in and out of the power band at normal speeds. It was really and truly horrid. Counting 20 teeth on the front sprocket, I reasoned that a 19T should help, so I of course ordered an 18, because less is more. Am I not a gearing guru? No, as it turns out. The new sprocket works for a 520 chain, as fitted to all the other Rotax powered bikes except the Harassed, which used a 530 of course. Resigned to fitting a new rear sprocket and thinner chain to go with my newly skinny 18 toother, I once again turned to the Armstrong catalogue. Their

rear sprocket looks similar… perhaps it will fit. It does, but that’s also a different size, with 47 teeth rather than the 46 Harris specified, further lowering the gearing. So equipped, the snatchy, sub-3000rpm pickup has gone, with smooth power and much improved throttle response. I could now select fifth gear at about 30mph and drive cleanly to the new top speed of… 70mph. It appeared that two teeth off the front and one extra on the back has somewhat tamed the tiger of Newton Abbott. By now I was getting pretty adept at this sprocket changing malarkey, so the 19T cog I should have ordered in the first place has been fitted and approved. The machine now feels more long-legged than the go-kart gearing I’d previously used and still allows pleasant thoughts to percolate through to the rider at 50mph yet offers a new top

While the spanners are to hand, it’s a good idea to replace the cambelt. Belts are cheap and the job is easy. Clever touch: if the belt fails the valves close, avoiding that expensive valve / piston conniption

Lining up the timing marks is easy enough…

…and checking the tension is simple too

The sta arter is decently easy to o remove

10 I APRIL 2019

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MATCHLESS G80 but do I find myself looking back at it as I close the shed door? No. Back in the late 1980s the G80 was just about the only brand new British motorcycle one could purchase at vaguely normal prices, a bike hopefully appealing to the rider who yearned for a return to the simplicity of an air-cooled twin-shock classic single. The new generation of Hinckley Bonnevilles, arguably little more than a variation on Harris’ take on an old theme, were still something like 13 years away. Their eventual success proved that the proposition worked, but perhaps customers pining for the good old days just didn’t find the Harris different enough, either in style or performance, to the ageing clunkers they were still running. Strange bike: yes. Nice bike: yes. Forever bike: no.

A small stash of stainless shinybits came with the bike

speed of about 90mph. Having sorted through the initial problems, mostly the eﬀects of long-term storage, and having modiﬁed the suspension and gearing to something more to my liking, what do I think of it? It’s lovely and light to ride and very easy to push around the workshop. Both stands work well and having a bike with an electric start is fast becoming a pleasant exception for me.

The performance is at least on a par with contemporary sporting singles from Japan, such as the SR or XBR 500s, yet, despite that clever four-valve head and abundance of revs it is nothing like a traditional British single to ride. It’s a handsome, comfortable and competent motorcycle which provides endless opportunities to confuse or amuse the gathered throng at an event. For many people that would be enough,

Jobs done! Estimates suggest that LF Harris produced a total of 860 G80s, of which 364 were electric-start twin-disc editions

Hand-built in Devon, the Harris Matchless 500 single used an Austrian engine, a British frame, German battery and switchgear, and Italian brakes, wheels, susp pension and carb

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APRIL 2019 I 11

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

REAL REVELATION I’ve just found RC177, when I bought another bike magazine. I’ve already read it cover to cover, a great magazine. The front page and the article that followed on were terrific. The Triaki or Kawaumph is a revelation. This is the bike that Triumph or Kawasaki should have built. The finish is superb and it puts the new Street Twin in the shade. The paint job, particularly the tank, really set off the whole the bike. Just looking at the pictures you wouldn’t have known it wasn’t factory built. When I’ve finished this I’m going over to the website to order a subscription. Keep up the good work! Terry Pope, member

READING, RIDING REALCLASSIC RealClassic writers and readers, by their own admission and evidenced by the content of the magazine, seem to have an eclectic taste in two-wheeled transport and an interest in its history. There are just the occasional letters from people who think the mag should be devoted solely to really old bikes. Maybe that is why the magazine has retained its popularity over the years and has a loyal and varied group of subscribers and contributors around the world. This is due in no small part to the feeling that you’re a member of a club, where you can contribute views, opinions and helpful tips – you’re not just a subscriber to a faceless magazine. As for the bikes, in each issue there are some large capacity, tiny capacity, modern, some old, some not so old, some unusual, some weird or odd (maybe like some of the contributors!), some specials, and now and again some brand new machines – but those built with the old values of usability and value for money and not outright performance. The appeal for me is that each issue is unpredictable, unlike many of the magazines out there. In RC there may be something out of the ordinary, or a visit to an area / era forgotten by the mainstream motorcycling press. You don’t have to like every article or bike or contributor appearing in the mag, or in fact agree or disagree with any views by readers or contributors.

12 I APRIL 2019

RealClassic also sets a seed of interest about ownership in bikes that hitherto have been bypassed, ignored or just plain forgotten. The magazine can deﬁnitely help someone in the process of their own traumatic rebuild or challenge. The formula works, and keeps the magazine, website and Facebook group alive. So contribute to the debate and content, and I will continue to do the same. Stu Thomson, member 2256 Thanks, Stu. As with so many other things in life, RC is exactly what you make of it… and if anyone would like to see a certain type of bike featured here then the best way to get that ball rolling is to drop us a line and suggest a story! Rowena@RealClassic.net

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APRIL 2019 I 13

BACK WITH THE BM

Following the feature in RC178, over the winter my R100/7 needed some further maintenance and acquired a new driveshaft boot cover to stem a leak from a split rubber. At the same time, I gave the bike a makeover – no café racer or bobber treatment but some alternative rocker covers, petrol tank and seat. This means I

can alternate between a conventional /7 look and the slightly older /6 which I prefer. After changing to an earlier petrol tank, I then needed to fit a /6 seat to avoid a chasm between a /7 dual seat and the tank. One advantage to this change is that the /6 petrol tank avoids the occasional failure of the /7 flush filler cap, so I’ve sidestepped

any future need for surgery with a drill. Overall the bike is the same. It now just has a diﬀerent look without damaging any original BMW components, and is easy to convert between the two styles. Mark Holyoake, member 7138 Handsome… Frank W

TRIUMPH TEARAWAY

As RealClassic is delivered to New Zealand by Steam Packet, I have only just bought and avidly read your December publication. Great article on the T100R and T100C bikes. I consulted my workshop manuals and you were right, the T100C is a single carb Daytona. The ‘softer’T100S was the one with ‘lesser internals’. For the last eleven years I have been living with a 1970 T100T Daytona. One thing you soon find is they suffer from‘cammitus’, a condition the Daytona suffers from below 4000rpm. My research suggests that the E3134 high lift cams have two power steps; one at 4000rpm, the next one at 6000rpm. The motor delivers maximum bhp at 6800rpm. I can attest to this.

The motor has been described as ‘powerful but peaky’. In tackling uphill sections of my favourite country ride, drop below 4000rpm in any gear and there is nothing. You become adept at keeping the revs up and using the gearbox adroitly. The Daytona sounds like a busy motor over 4000rpm, when you wind up to 5 or 6000rpm it gets even busier. And when the motor hits 6000rpm, hang on! The term ‘demented bee’ springs to mind. Even in its earlier, clapped-out days before an engine rebuild, the bike would easily exceed the ton. The 500cc Triumphs are light, agile, easy to start, great for tearing around streets and country lanes, preferably on your own. Bob Dylan and Steve McQueen thought so as well! Andre Jenkin

Thanks. Every time I ride a decent unit 500 Triumph I’m pleasantly surprised by how much fun it is. It’s too easy to forget that there’s a lot of classic performance from bikes with less than 650cc.. Frank W

14 I APRIL 2019

SERVICE STAR! I’d like to give a Service Star to Metals4U. I needed some aluminium bar and ﬂat to make some inlet manifolds for my BSA A65 project. Ordered on Friday and it arrived before lunch on Monday. Great service! Dave Capon, member Agreed! I’ve used them and that was the service I had. Peter Pennington, member I placed an order before leaving work at around 5pm one afternoon and had it delivered at around 10 the next morning. They are really good. Richard Stiles, member

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APRIL 2019 I 15

ANOTHER C10 STORY

The letter from Alan Freke in RC178 reminded me of an event with my first motorcycle, a 1954 BSA C10L. It was 1962 and I was sixteen years old and purchasing my first motor vehicle, a used motorcycle. My mother had suggested a bike; her parents had gotten around England for many years on a bike and sidecar. It seemed a good idea as I needed motor transport to get my first job here in Canada. After looking at a James, my dad thought it best to get the BSA because he was more familiar with four-stroke motors and BSA was a popular brand when he was young. My first ride around the block was uneventful and exciting, however the second ride was not to be. The battery was dead. After an overnight charge I tried again the next day. The ride was somewhat longer but the battery died again. I removed the primary chaincase cover to see if there was a loose wire somewhere. There were a LOT of loose wires! The resin on the Wipac energy transfer unit had dissolved a long time ago. We tried to get the thing to work many times and my dad even enlisted the help of a heavy-duty locomotive mechanic. But it became easier to take shorter rides and recharge the battery before going to bed. A replacement Wipac would have to be ordered from Fred Deeley’s bike shop in Vancouver and cost too much at the time. As time went on, my clutch needed some attention so I took the friction plate to Fred Deeley, whereupon they handed me a bag cork inserts and showed me how to replace the worn corks. It seemed easy enough and my automotive teacher let me bring my

16 I APRIL 2019

bike and project to school where I could work on it in class. The finished friction plate was resurfaced in the wood shop by holding the plate against the large sanding wheel, doing both sides, then being reinstalled back in the bike. I was pretty proud of myself. I had completed my first repair without outside help. A day later, my C10 was parked ready for me to go for a ride to Deeley’s to look at the new bikes. I kick started the BSA … then my hand slipped off the clutch lever. The bike jumped forward, then died. I tried to restart it but something was terribly wrong. There were strange noises coming from the transmission. I took the three-speed transmission apart and I could not believe what I was looking at. The mainshaft was broken in half! I took the broken pieces to Deeley’s, by bus. The parts guys gathered around and looked in amazement. What kind of bike did that? They could not believe a C10L had the power to break its transmission mainshaft. Even more amazing, they had a replacement in stock. They blew the dust off it and sold it to me. The culprit was my new clutch, of course, which gripped very well… I kept the C10 for a year then sold it to buy a used 1953 A10 650. A month after I sold the 250, my bank bounced the check for my bike and the buyer had moved! Derek Smith, member And someone, somewhere is at this very moment staring at a C10 clutch with obscure plates and wondering if it’s a rare prototype! Frank W

More old bikes online: Real-Classic.co.uk

LETTING OFF STEAM

The other day I was idly looking through some old motorcycle books when something caught my eye in‘Motor Cycles – History and Development Part 1’by CF Caunter, published by the Science Museum back in 1955. After covering stories of a few early experimental attempts at making a motorcycle, the author writes;‘If such vehicles were built, all records of them have been lost, and it is not until 1869 that the first known motorised cycle appeared.’ He then goes on to describe the Michaux-Perreaux steam motorcycle, and adds that it is preserved in France in the Robert Grandseigne Collection. If the author is right that the first real motorcycle was made in 1869, then this year marks the 150th anniversary of our hobby. Shouldn’t we be celebrating? Alan Freke, member 1197 Definitely. Any anniversary is a good reason to celebrate, although I think we might actually have missed the moment. The Roper steam velocipede was created in the USA at roughly the same time as the Michaux-Perreaux, and I found them both dated back to 1867. Neither of them get the credit for being the first ‘proper’ motorcycle, mind, which normallyy goes to an 1885 Daimler Reitwagen. This might possibly have something to do with the fact that inventor Sylvester Roper died of a heart attack while riding his steam twowheeler in 1896… Rowena

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