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NOW AND THEN N N Lawrence of Arabia’s penultimate Brough
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When I was a boy, in between drawing tiny pictures of Vincents (10p piece for wheels was usual) and daydreaming about what I’d love to own when I grew up (more Vincents, SS100 Broughs, cammy Velos, Gold Stars, racy Sunbeams, Rex-Acmes, maybe the usual stuff for a classic enthusiast, although perhaps not a 10-year-old…) the two actual motorcycles I thought I’d conceivably manage to aspire to acquire were a BSA A65 and a Velocette Venom. In my mind’s eye I could – and still can – picture exactly how each one would look, with central to the mental image of ‘my’ A65, the big, red glass fibre petrol tank. Actually, that was pretty much as far as my daydreaming went, with the petrol tank the key element, with an otherwise standard A65; I wasn’t even fussed about the Spitfire’s twin cabs, for example. The Velo would be black and gold, incidentally, a Thruxton lookalike but with flat bars – I’ve never really got on or felt comfortable with clip-ons. Anyway, the point of my rambling is that I’ve been fortunate enough to have owned or at least ridden most of my ‘dream machines’ one way or another, the irony being that the two machines I thought I’d be content to have and call ‘mine,’ I’ve never actually owned. So I’ve spent plenty of time looking at the Spitfire we have in this issue, and the daydreams have started again. But now I know more about what’s what, and which Spitfire was which, it’s maybe not as simple as it seemed, although it’s been fun to find out more. I didn’t think as high as a Spitfire, really, just a standard A65 but with the Spitfire tank being enough for me. Same with the Velo; it wasn’t a Thruxton, I didn’t set the bar that higgh, just a normal Venom. Incidentally, there’s most of the key components lurking in my shed to build my original ‘dream’ Velo too, but, as with lots of things, tastes have changed and it’s probably not what I’d want now. Although thinking about it… On another note – you’ll notice that we’ve agreed a deal with The Key Collection, who will supply prizes for our Star Letter of the month. These prizes aren’t going to be a can of cleaning spray or a neck tube, but actually good stuff, starting with a pair of handsome boots this month. So get writing!
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JAMES ROBINSON Editor
28 Regular contributors
Tim Britton, Rachael Clegg, Jonathan Hill, Roy Poynting, Richard Rosenthal, Martin Squires, Jerry Thurston, Alan Turner, Andy Westlake, Steve Wilson.
Contributors this issue Rob Davies, Mike Lewis.
THE CLASSIC MOTOR CYCLE (USPS:710-470) is published monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd., PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK . USA subscriptions are $63 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft, WI and additional entries. Postmaster: Send address changes to THE CLASSIC MOTOR CYCLE, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com
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CONTENTS ISSUE | MARCH 2020 Archive photograph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Kempton off-road show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 CBG Winter Classic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Jack Thompson Trial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Brough Superior SS100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Norton Dominator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Francis-Barnett Seagull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Greeves Anglian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 BSA Spitfire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Subscribe and save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Closer look – Summer 1946 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Sunbeam S7/S8 Fellowship interview . . . . . . . . . . 72 Men who mattered – Doug Hele . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Triumph unit twin rebuild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Roy Poynting column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Jerry Thurston column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Sketchbook Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 You Were Asking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
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Restoration guide – Indian Scout 101 . . . . . . . . . . 90 Technical feature – Gearbox development . . 92 Classic components – early JAP engines . . . . . 98 Next month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Diary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Classic camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
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Strong start to the year If the CBG Winter Classic was anything to go by, then this year is going to be a good, busy one. Words: JAMES ROBINSON Photographs: GARY CHAPMAN
W
ith trade stand numbers up, exhibitor spaces full, and visitor numbers higher – much higher – than ever before, the move to a weekend later than traditional (so the second weekend in January, this time January 11/12) seemed a fully vindicated, successful development in the life of the Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic. Not only were numbers all round better than ever, the quality tyy of machines on display – particularly evident in the private entries category – was improved too, with a fine variety tyy including Japanese classics from the 1980s, back to 93-yearold Ken Thirtle’s just restored (and very rare) 1929 Thomann, a machine made in France and painstakingly put together by show regular Ken, in time for the Winter Classic held at Newark. Best in show was Mark Morley’s T500 Suzuki, one of several superb Morley restorations on display. The 1970 500cc two-stroke twin really did glisten under the glare.
From left: 1970s Honda café racer, 1980s Yamaha streetfighter, late 1950s unit 250cc Royal Enfield. You pays your money, you takes your choice…
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THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | MARCH 2020
28
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | MARCH 2020
Francis-Barnett | Seagull Francis
Flight light Seagull of the
This wonderful, cosmetically unrestored 1938 Francis-Barnett is a ďŹ ne working example of an overlooked category: 1930s two-stroke 250s. Words: STEVE WILSON Photographs: GARY CHAPMAN
1936 2020 1936-2020
The magic, g , the machines,,
THE MAN Celebrating an industry great
Colin Seeley stands in front, with Mike Hailwood behind the racer, at Brands Hatch in 1968.
ENJOYED THIS PREVIEW? THE BEST ACTION IN TRIALS AND MOTOCROSS
DIRTb bike ke
VELO MAC MA S SPECIAL PECIAL NORTON RT RTON INTER AJS SCEPTRE SCEP E SPORTS! SCEPTR SPORTS POR ! PORTS
CLASSIC
#48
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Forty-eight Autumn 2018
OCTOBER 2018
No. 330 October 2018 £4.30 UK Off-sale date 31/10/2018
MOTO MEMORIES // TECH TALK // MONTESA COTA 200 // BULTACO MATADOR
3.60
Running, Riding & Rebuilding Running, Rebuilding Real RealClassi RealC Classic C lassi Motorcycles
BOXER CKS TRIC
HOW THE LEGEEND BEGAN
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