Z
MATCHLESS G2 TRIUMPH MÉTISSE NORTON ELECTRA REBUILD!
Running, Riding & Rebuilding RealClassic Motorcycles
ISSUE 150 OCTOBER 2016 £3.60
WHAT LIES WITHIN
66
REALCLASSIC 150; PUBLISHED IN OCTOBER 2016
RC REGULARS THE CONTENTS PAGE ....................................... 4
BSA FIREBIRD SCRAMBLER ..........................8
MATCHLESS G2 ...........................................48
Firebird! I shall say this more than once: Firebird! Wows R Us
The firebird of Greek mythology lived 500 years before being reborn in a blaze of glory. BSA’s final Firebird will soon be 50 years old, and show no signs of going up in smoke just yet. Rowena Hoseason meets a fabulous beast, recently given a new lease of life…
A cheap and cheerful runabout has turned out to be an ideal lightweight classic for later on in life. Alan Freke explains why he doesn’t need to buy a ‘proper motorcycle’
Every month, this is your chance to have a say, have a rant, argue or simply say nice sweet things…
TRIUMPH MÉTISSE......................................30
It’s insidious, this affliction. You start with a Triumph 650 twin engine and before you can blink it’s sprouted T140 internals and found itself a lightweight Métisse chassis to live in. Odgie meets an owner who’s been utterly infected with enthusiasm… NORTON NOSTALGIA..................................40
Back in 1994, Frank Melling was in the right place at the right time to participate in the revitalised classic Montlhéry track day. Shame he dropped the bike he was supposed to be riding…
WE’VE GOT MAIL! ........................................... 20
ENFIELD CLASSIC COMBO ..........................54
EVENTS ........................................................... 86
Talk about a busman’s holiday. Nigel Shuttleworth owns an Enfield Bullet and has previously written about the 500 Classic so, obviously, his choice of relaxing transport for R&R in south-west Ireland was… an Enfield 500. With a chair attached!
Lots going on: loads to see, folk to meet and places to try to stay dry. Next month is a busy month, so come and visit the RC stand READERS’FREE ADS ....................................... 90
Hmmm. Not so many machines for sale this month. Has everyone decided to hang onto their investment?
VELOCETTE VENOM....................................66
Ace Tester Miles continues his adventures with iconic classics, pulling them off their precious pedestals and bringing them down to earth with a bump. This time, can he live comfortably with Veloce’s famous sporting single?
PUB TALK ...................................................... 102
A visit to the Lakeland Motor Museum and its Campbell record breaking family tribute TALES FROM THE SHED ................................ 108
Galloping along now. The B25SS looks almost like a motorcycle. How long before FW decides that he wants to hear it run – even to ride it?
NORTON MODEL 7 ......................................74
Many classic motorcycles are sold after being in storage for more than a wee while, and are in need of ‘recommissioning’. Stuart Urquhart explores exactly what that might mean, as he makes the acquaintance of Norton’s first post-war twin
RC COMPASS CHALLENGE............................ 114
Some truly remarkable navigational skills and imaginations are on display here. Get riding; it’ll soon be winter!
NORTON ELECTRA PROJECT ......................96
Surely, mused Peter Holland, it can’t be that hard to restore an old British bike? So began a decade-long project to bring a Norton lightweight back to life…
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TODAY & SAVE
At the heart of it all: one subtly modified Triumph engine. Driving through a Norton gearbox, in the very best of traditions
30 I OCTOBER 2016
See RealClassic.co.uk for hundreds of classic bike profiles
TRIUMPH MÉTISSE
It’s insidious, this affliction. You start with a Triumph 650 twin engine and before you can blink it’s sprouted T140 internals and found itself a lightweight Métisse chassis to live in. Odgie meets an owner who’s been utterly infected with enthusiasm… Photos by Odgie Himself
T
here are people who like motorcycles. There are people who love motorcycles. And there are some people whose passion extends way above either of those two statements. It’s known as The Sickness. It’s an affliction that usually becomes apparent quite early in a conversation and you recognise it because you suffer from it yourself, a prime example of ‘it takes one to know one’.
Real Bikes. Real People. RealClassic: online at www.RealClassic.co.uk
OCTOBER 2016 I 31
Back in 1994, Frank Melling was in the right place at the right time to participate in the revitalised classic MontlhÊry track day. Shame he dropped the bike he was supposed to be riding‌ Photos by Carol Melling / Mortons archive
40 I OCTOBER 2016
See RealClassic.co.uk for hundreds of classic bike profiles
A cheap and cheerful runabout has turned out to be an ideal lightweight classic for later on in life. Alan Freke explains why he doesn’t need to buy a ‘proper motorcycle’ Photos by Alan Freke / Mortons archive
66 I OCTOBER 2016
VELO VENOM CLUBMAN
Ace Tester Miles continues his adventures with iconic classics, pulling them off their precious pedestals and bringing them down to earth with a bump. This time, can he live comfortably with Veloce’s famous sporting single? Photos by Paul Miles
F
lushed with the recent relative success of rendering a BSA DBD34 Gold Star almost suitable for regular use on the Queen’s highway, I was given the opportunity to try another of Britain’s legendary post-war sporting singles, the Velocette Clubman. In truth, the actual machine couldn’t quite claim to be a member of that club but rather a tuned homage to this rare beast. Let me expand. Velocette were a small concern, a company that nonetheless managed to punch above their weight, especially when it came to racing. Dealers and privateers took it upon themselves to race and develop the sporting road models, the 350cc Viper and 500cc Venom. The factory took onboard the best of these modifications and in 1960 launched the Clubman with an optimistic claim of 38bhp. Relatively few of these were made but, as is often the way, it was quite possible to
retrofit parts to the Venom and create your own replica. Some go further than others and meet or exceed even the later Thruxton’s extreme state of tune. Most, though, are essentially stock Vipers and Venoms adorned with bodywork parts to achieve the iconic look of the street racer. The motorcycle you see here is one such machine. It started life as a 1959 350 Viper and has benefitted from a Venom top end. The valve sizes are standard Venom but the compression ratio was upped to 8.75:1. Other obvious changes include the beautiful tank, complete with cutaway for the carburettor, thinner mudguards, clip-on bars, steering damper, racing seat, rearsets and 2LS front brake. On the factory Clubman, sparks were taken care of by a BTH racing magneto and a rev counter was available as an option. The bike rolled on flanged alloy rims. This Velocette was built to precisely that specification about fifteen years ago.
Real Bikes. Real People. RealClassic: online at www.RealClassic.co.uk
OCTOBER 2016 I 67
NORTON MODEL 7
The factory saw fit to inflict a poor design of centrestand upon their loyal customers – or maybe riders were stronger in those days. A modern solution is the excellent Norvil bolt-on sidesttand, as see en here
Real Bikes. Real People. RealClassic: online at www.RealClassicc.co.uk
OCTOBER 2016 I 79
PAR ON T E
Surely, mused Peter Holland, it can’t be that hard to restore an old British bike? So began a decade-long project to bring a Norton lightweight back to life… Photos by Peter Holland Left: To a normal person, this might look like a disaster that’s already happened. To the shrewd Nortonist, it looks like a challenge Below: The Norton shows every sign of having been stood for a long time
96 I OCTOBER 2016
I
n the mid-1980s when I advertised my Honda CB250K4, bought new in 1972 and with 75,000 miles on the clock, I thought I’d finished with motorcycles. There was only one respondent and he’d not even make an offer. With heavy heart, a perfectly rideable motorcycle went to metal recycling. Fifteen years later, my brother unexpectedly telephones. Out of the blue he suggests I join a group of his mates on a long weekend to Normandy. On motorcycles. And he has a little Norton in his garage for me to use, bought recently from West Midlands Police at auction. Of course, with me having owned a Norton Navigator before the Honda, Alan knows I have a soft spot for small Nortons. Spare helmet, gloves, and leather jacket can be made available. On the appointed day I drive down from Yorkshire for the start of my foreign adventure. There is no backing out when faced with a 1990 Norton Commander rotary. It looks enormous in its white fairing, panniers, and a radio box behind the single seat.
See RealClassic.co.uk for hundreds of classic bike profiles