The Classic Motorcycle - January 2019 - Preview

LITTLE BIKE LONG LEGS AND BIG HEART LONGEVITY Triumph’s plucky Cub

The Norton ES2 story

CIRCULATES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

JANUARY 2019

Timeless BSA single style

OLGA KEVELOS From pirate pretender to top-class trials rider

A life less ordinary

PLUS  MOTORCYCLES IN 1902THE INGLORIOUS

SCAMP STORY TRIUMPH REBUILD HUSQVARNA COMMUTER  MUSEUM LIVERALLYING IN SPAIN

Editor’s welcome

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Welcome to the first issue of the 2019 series – so it’s time to wish one and all a good riding (and reading) year to come, indulging ourselves in this classic motorcycling world.

This month, I’ve been intrigued by Norton ES2s plus spent far too long looking at the picture of the Crocker coming up in Mecum’s January auction – have a look on page eight, what a great looking motorcycle.

Guess what’s at the top of my new ‘lottery win list…’

A week or two back, a friend sent me a message from the barber shop’s waiting room, saying he’d picked up a copy of The Sun newspaper, in which there was a First World War centenary commemoration supplement, with a few interesting motorcycle-related bits in it, and ‘worth a look.’ So I hotfooted to the garage across the road, and secured my copy, with the ‘100 years – 100 stories’ inset. Over a spread, there were three – very different – motorcycle related tales. One was about Lawrence of Arabia (complete with obligatory sat-on-Brough Superior picture) detailing Lawrence’s actions in the Middle East, then there was the story of Mairi Chisholm and Elsie Knocker, two women (a heiress and a single mother, respectively) who served as Women’s Emergency Core dispatch riders before setting up a field hospital. They’d originally met through their shared love of motorcycling and were comparative regulars in the contemporary motorcycling press, and were dubbed the ‘Madonnas of Pervyse’.

The third man featured was Second Lieutenant Oliver Godfrey (which was actually the first bit my pal in the barbers had spotted). Though erroneously claiming Godfrey had won ‘the first Isle of Man TT race in 1911’ (it was the first Mountain Couse race, not the first TT, that had been in 1907) it did then give an interesting potted history of the Indian works rider, with a couple of facts, including that he was behind the founding of London dealer Godfreys, still trading in the 1960s. What it also said was that Godfrey (a pilot) was one of the early victims of German ace Manfred von Richthofen, the most famous pilot of the war, universally known as the Red Baron and responsible for 80 kills. A terrible and sad irony struck me that Godfrey, a man who was famed for his performances controlling a bright red machine, was killed by a man also famed for his control of a bright red machine – albeit a performance with a much more devastating outcome.

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JAMES ROBINSON Editor

Regular contributors

Tim Britton, Rachael Clegg, Jonathan Hill, Roy Poynting, Richard Rosenthal, Martin Squires, Jerry Thurston, Alan Turner, Phil Turner, Andy Westlake, Steve Wilson.

Contributor this issue Ian Kerr.

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 | JANUARY 2019 Archive photograph .......................................... 6 News ................................................................... 8 Letters ............................................................. 12 Museum Live .................................................. 16 BSA Gold Star ................................................. 18 Subscribe and save ........................................ 24 Husqvarna ...................................................... 26 Lansdowne round-up .................................... 32 Triumph Tiger Cub......................................... 36 Norton ES2 profile .......................................... 42 Scamp moped story ....................................... 48 Spanish rally ................................................... 56 2018 index ....................................................... 58 Olga Kevelos profile ....................................... 60 Closer look – Motorcycles of 1902 ................. 66 Bob Stanley interview .................................... 72 Men who mattered – Harry Baughan........... 74 Triumph 3TA/5TA rebuild ............................. 76 Roy Poynting column .................................... 80 Jerry Thurston column................................... 82 Sketchbook travels ......................................... 84

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You were asking .............................................. 86 Restoration guide – AMC 500cc twins ......... 90 Technical – Fuel tank refurbishment ........... 92 Diary ..............................................................110 Next month ...................................................112 Classic camera.............................................. 114

POST: The Classic MotorCycle, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ EMAIL: jrobinson@mortons.co.uk

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Changing times

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n many ways, this 1962 picture (printed in 1963) could be said to perfectly encapsulate the year it was taken, as a ‘big banger’ British 500cc single is harassed and harried by a lightweight, two-stroke Greeves in a motorcycle scramble on a farm near Salisbury. But the picture wasn’t taken at Salisbury in the UK, but in what was then Southern Rhodesia.

And rather than being the changing of the guard, it was in fact a new guard entirely, as scrambling (motocross) had been introduced to the continent in an organised and structured form as recently as 1961.

The Bogwheelers’ Club in Salisbury was only formed in 1960, with a first meeting

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THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2019

held in then Northern Rhodesia in 1961, where riders from the North and South Rhodesias did battle, or at least tried to, as the first meeting was hindered by huge, torrential downpours, meaning that the locals didn’t fancy it, while the visitors – who’d travelled around 650 miles to the meeting – were determined to have a thrash, despite the track being under 18 inches of water…

But the seed had been planted, and by the time the next meetings were held – in Salisbury, at Caledonia Farm, where our picture was taken – the ante had been upped significantly, to the extent that several pukka scramblers had

been imported, mostly square-barrelled Greeves, while Goldies and Matchlesses, as well as twin cylinder Triumphs, were flogged in an attempt to keep ahead of the buzzing strokers.

But that just mirrored what was happening in the ‘established’ scrambling and motocross world, as the two-strokes took hold and the poor old Gold Star became yesterday’s machine of choice.

Though BSA was to claim world championships during the 1960s (Jeff Smith in 1964 and 1965) with four-strokes, as well as runner-up as late as 1969 thanks to John Banks, they were models that were spawned by the smaller, unit-construction

Classic archive

Four-stroke versus two-stroke, scrambling in Africa in the early 1960s. singles, rather than the big Gold Stars.

That’s what’s going on in the picture shown, the tiddler harassing the bigger bike, as Johnny Osborne fights to keep his BSA Gold Star ahead of Terry Franklin’s Greeves Hawkstone. In fact, in another picture with the same article, Osborne is shown on a Greeves too, so he had clearly gone down the: ‘If you can’t beat them, join them’ route.

The article in question (‘Scrambling on the High Veld,’ in The Motor Cycle, March 21, 1963) was penned by Terry Franklin, the man doing the chasing in the photograph.

The introduction explained: “Rhodesian Terry Franklin, 29, is in England for a year’s

scrambling and trials riding. Before he came over he was a leading light in building up interest in the sport in his home country.”

There are reports of a Terry Franklin being the man responsible for the Ridgeback motorcycle, which was built in small numbers in Bulawayo (the second city in Southern Rhodesia/Zimbabwe) which would certainly make sense – the Ridgeback featured a spine-type frame and Earles-style forks, which would seem logical from a man who raced Greeves.

There’s also reference to Franklin being killed in an accident at Salisbury, which, sadly, would make sense too.

While Osborn and Franklin feature in

our image, they were both riding in the shadows of ‘Africa’s leading scrambler’ – actually a Cornishman – Barrie White, who had moved to Africa to farm in the Umtali area, having been an area champion in Cornwall in 1959. White’s choice of machine was a Matchless G80.

The Southern Rhodesian ‘Salisbury’ is no more, like Southern Rhodesia itself.

Salisbury was renamed Harare in 1982, two years after Rhodesia became Zimbabwe.

The country of what was formerly Southern Rhodesia had dropped the ‘Southern’ bit of its name in the 1960s, as what had been called ‘Northern Rhodesia’ became End Zambia in 1964.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2019

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News&Events

News Events

Crocker to star at US sale 2019

JANUARY 5-6, 2019 NEWARK COUNTY SHOWGROUND, NOTTS,

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facebook.com/classicbikeshows @classicbikeshows

Winter classic

The Carole Nash Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic, being held at Newark showground on January 5/6, welcomes American ex-racer Freddie Spencer as guest of honour. He’ll be interviewed on stage by ex-TT winner Steve Plater. There’ll be a whole raft of classics on display, owners’ clubs and a sprawling autojumble.

Ace Classics calendar Triumph specialist Ace Classics’ 2019 calendar is available now. Beautifully photographed, it’s a must for the Triumph fan. It’s only £10 plus P&P – visit www.aceclassics. co.uk or 020 8698 4273.

Rachael’s TT Milestones

Our monthly contributor Rachael Clegg’s cult Milestones calendar is now available, containing its usual mix of surrealist photography and TT fact. Produced on lovely, heavy art paper, it costs £25; go to www.rachaelclegg.com

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Between January 22-27, 2019, at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Mecum hosts its gargantuan classic sale of over 1750 motorcycles,

with many of the highlight lots coming from the MC Collection, all the way from Stockholm.

Among them are a simply

stunning Crocker V-twin, a 1939 ‘Big tank’ model, restored in Germany, one of the reckoned 72 built.

Have a look at mecum.com

Pioneer Run 2019 The Sunbeam Motor Cycle Club (founded in 1924) staged its first Pioneer Run to Brighton in 1930. The run has been repeated every year since, except in exceptional circumstances, so, consequently, in 2019 the club will be celebrating its 80th running of the event on Sunday, March 24.

The Pioneer Run always attracts the largest gathering of pre-1915 solos, sidecars and tricycles in the world, providing the public with the opportunity

to see some 300-plus early machines aged between 105123 years old, in action on the road and displayed at Brighton.

For some time there has been concern about the safety of riders, where the traditional route rejoins the A23. Therefore, 2019 will see a new route.

Regulations and further information may be obtained from Ian D McGill (01293 771446 or pioneerorganiser@ gmail.com) or visit www. sunbeam-mcc.co.uk

New tyre service offered Vintage Tyres’ new tyre-fitting branch at Bicester Heritage, the UK’s hub of historic motoring excellence, is now open.

The tyre-fitting kit is freshlyinstalled and they are ready to supply and fit tyres to your car or motorcycle from the 1890s to

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2019

the 1990s. They are in Unit 94 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays every week from 10am.

Bicester Heritage is just four miles from junction nine or 10 of the M40 in Oxfordshire. More information from 01869 243528 or bicester@vintagetyres.com

Plaque for McCandless A new blue plaque to commemorate engineer and inventor Richard ‘Rex’ McCandless, creator of the Featherbed motorcycle frame and developer of Gyroplanes, was unveiled recently by GP winner Jeremy McWilliams, at Rex’s family business, W.A.C. McCandless (Engineering) Limited in Belfast.

Apply for the DJ Entries are open for the 2019 commemorative regularity rally which celebrates the 106th anniversary of the staging of the motorcycle road race between Durban and Johannesburg that was staged annually between 1913 and 1936. Motorcycles are therefore limited to those manufactured before the end of December 1936.

This regularity rally has attracted fields of as many as 130 competitors. It carries international status and has drawn entries from as far afield

as Europe and Australia.

The 2019 event will start from the Colony Shopping Centre in Hillcrest, outside Durban, on Friday, March 15, and finish the following day at the Classic Motorcycle Club premises in Germiston the following afternoon. The route is approximately 310km on day one and 328km on day two, making a total of 638km.

Entries will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis and the closing date for is February 1, 2019. The maximum number

Patrick retires After 12 years as a much relied upon volunteer, Patrick Failes (81), recently retired from the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum. A dinner was arranged for Patrick with Sammy and Rosemary Miller and Patrick’s colleagues and friends from the museum.

After 12 years supporting the museum, Patrick will be much missed.

His knowledge of motorcycles and motorcycling history was second to none and Patrick always had a little story to

NEWS IN BRIEF  BONHAMS VEGAS

being accepted for the 2019 event is 100 riders.

If you would like to be a part of this famous event next year, then you will find the regulations and entry forms on the www.classicmotorcycleclub. co.za or clerk of the course Larina MacGregor can be contacted at larina.macgregor@ gmail.com

Happy Sledmere sale days

impart alongside his massive wealth of technical information.

Patrick plans to sell his bungalow and move to Bridport to be nearer family in his retirement.

Tiernan’s charity offering With proceeds going to the East Anglian Air Ambulance, that’s another good reason to invest £10 (UK, including postage) in the annual Andy Tiernan Classics calendar, which is, as ever, beautifully illustrated

by Mike Harbar. Go to www. andybuysbikes.com for details.

With record numbers attending the Dee, Atkinson & Harrison November 3 sale at Sledmere House in Yorkshire, catalogues had sold out before the auction started. Stand out lots included over £8000 for a BSA Rocket 3 restoration project, and £25 shy of £19,000 for a Velocette Thruxton. Over £130,000 of motorcycles were sold. All prices include 15% Buyers’ Premium and VAT. Next sale is March 2, 2019.

Monty’s on the move Triumph specialists Monty’s Classic Motorcycles has moved, and is now in School Lane, Metherell, Cornwall. Have a look at montysclassicmotorcycles.com or 01822 617010.

Steve Goddard (1951-2018) The funeral service for Stephen John ‘Herman’ Goddard took place on Friday, November 16, 2018 at the Three Counties Crematorium, Braintree.

The cortege was led by his wife Barbara on Steve’s favourite bike (a BSA Rocket III) and approximately 50 other motorcyclists followed on behind.

Steve was formerly a ‘rep’ for the National Chopper Club and raced in pre-65 scrambling as he became more and more involved in the old bike world, trading as ‘Steve’s Classics,’ spending time finding, fixing and rehoming bikes and parts for more than 20 years.

He will be sorely missed.

Justin Faithfull.

Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino is the location for Bonhams’ Las Vegas sale, on January 24, 2019. Visit www.bonhams.com

 TORRENS TROPHY

The Royal Automobile Club’s Torrens Trophy (in memory of Arthur Bourne, aka Torrens, the editor of The Motor Cycle) nominees have been announced – they are sidecar racers Ben and Tom Birchall, road racers Peter Hickman and Leon Haslam, and three-times speedway world champion Tai Woffinden.

 BRISTOL SHOW APPROACHES FAST

The Royal Bath and West Showground hosts the 39th Carole Nash Bristol Classic MotorCycle Show over the weekend of February 2/3, 2019.

 ROCKINGHAM CLOSES ITS GATES

After a somewhat patchy career, the chequered flag came down on the Rockingham race circuit on November 24, with a final day’s racing ending 17 years of competition at the Northamptonshire circuit.

 NEW RACE AT GOODWOOD MEETING

Goodwood has announced a third new race at its Members’ Meeting, over April 6/7, 2019. The Sheene Trophy will invite Formula 750 motorcycles that raced in F750 and open 750cc races worldwide up to 1972, so expect Ron North triples, CR750 Hondas and John Player Commandos. It does (and will!) sound great.

 OLIVE GUY

The wife and classic show companion of west country restorer John Guy (whose motorcycles have regularly featured in TCM) passed away recently. Our condolences are extended.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2019

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News Events

Book Review

“The Triumph Trophy Bible” Including unit-construction Trophy-based Tiger models

Author: Harry Woolridge New paperback edition in the Veloce Classic Reprint Series.

Published by: Veloce Publishing Ltd, Veloce House, Parkway Farm Business Park, Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester DT1 3AR Tel: 01305 260068 E-mail: sales@veloce.co.uk Fax: 01305 250479 Softback, 207 x 250mm (portrait); 144 pages with over 130 photographs and illustrations.

ISBN 978-1-845849-74-0 £35; $60 USA; $78 Canada The Triumph Trophy, in production from 1949 until the end of 1983, was one of Triumph’s most popular models, both at home and abroad, with over 113,000 machines being sold.

Why, you may ask, was it called the Trophy? Aware of the prestige and publicity to be gained from success in the International Six Days Trial, Triumph works riders gained gold medals and won the Manufacturers’ Team Prize trophy in the 1948 event, riding modified Speed Twins, an achievement that they repeated in the next three ISDT events. Thus the 500cc TR5 evolved, with many improvements, in 1950 and what other name could it carry but ‘Trophy’?

With a new, shorter and lighter rigid frame, smaller petrol tank, alloy mudguards, lightweight alloy barrel and cylinder head, upswept siamese exhaust pipes and its distinctive exhaust note, the machine had great charisma.

Featuring a QD headlight, it was a popular and versatile machine that could be ridden to work and at weekends in local trials and scrambles and long-distance endurance trials. When gaining a swinging arm frame in 1955, it could be ordered in scrambles trim and became popular in the emerging

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desert races in America where, as the 650cc TR6, it was virtually unbeatable in the 150-mile Big Bear Run. Finally available in full road trim only, with its single carburettor and nimble handling, it became the machine of choice for the serious touring rider.

Back in print due to popular demand, this book is indeed a bible with its short company history and complete yearby-year history of the Trophy (and the unit-construction Tiger) twins from 1949 to 1983. Includes original factory model photographs, technical specifications, colour schemes, engine and frame numbers, model type identification and details of Trophy and Tiger sporting achievements, with many emotive archive photographs.

It covers the Triumph TR5, TR6, TR5A/C, T100S/C, T100C and TR7 models.

Few would be more qualified to write this excellent book than author Harry Wooldridge. A keen motorcyclist, he worked at Triumph’s Meriden factory from 1953 until 1983, finally becoming inspector foreman for motorcycle assembly and production development.

Not only informative, this is an excellent read and highly recommended.

Book reviewed by Jonathan Hill.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2019

THE WAY WE WERE IN

January

1919

Motorcycle factories around the world were quickly reconstructing their businesses as they restarted production lines. While board rooms, managing directors and company accountants were seeking the fastest path into motorcycle production to secure home and exports orders, some leading designers believed makers should first spend time designing new machines rather than rehashing prewar or wartime models.

Mr Granville Bradshaw, designer of ABC motorcycles, presented this case: “The question of reconstruction is one of vital importance to the motorcyclist, the production departments and the designer; and, in my opinion, the motorcyclist should come first.

“There is an enormous gap, stored with knowledge, between the years 1914 and 1919, and, I think, the motorcyclist should benefit by it.

1944

George Brough, maker of Brough Superior motorcycles, was on hand to witness his peacetime works foreman Ike Webb receive his British Empire Medal (BEM) at a recent investiture.

1969

“The production man’s idea of carrying on with 1914 designs for 1919 is surely fallacy, as is the old idea of a machine built up of editions year by year.

“To sit down for a few weeks and thoroughly thrash out the matter, using all the knowledge now available, will, I think, result in better machines, and comparatively cheaper production.

“Personally, I do not intend to the let the public have anything but a complete job, well balanced on all details of efficiency, design and manufacture, a machine thoroughly tested in every way, and produced by methods that will give the rider the value for his money that he ought to have – and I am pleased to say that this is now practically achieved.

“I wish readers of The Motor Cycle all the pleasure possible on their new mounts, together with good roads and petrol in abundance in the year just commenced.”

At that time, Ike was general manager of the Brufsup works, Basford, Nottingham, engaged on essential engineering work for the war effort, rather than making Brough Superiors.

Honda had contracted their former race mechanic Derek ‘Nobby’ Clark to track down 12 works machines which they state had gone ‘missing’ in Europe. Rather than full works motorcycles, it was believed the missing racers

were ‘on loan’ to private riders and teams. Nobby, who was then sharing a flat with Mike Hailwood near London Airport, believed most of the machines comprising 250cc fours and 125cc twins dated from 1962/3.

Britain’s largest motorcycle insurer, the Norwich Union, was replacing the seven capacity band Rider’s Policy with a 17 group Premier Scheme. Following car

trends, from February 1, 1994, motorcycles manufactured after 1980 would be allocated a group dependent on power to weight ratio, type and value.

Richard Rosenthal.

1994

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2019

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Readers’ Letters YOUR VOICE & YOUR OPINIONS

Raised from the rust

I was interested in Greg Turesi’s letter in the December 2018 issue about enthusiasts for both motorcycles and bicycles, as I have this affliction. It can sometimes cause real problems.

I seem to be drawn to what many people would call ‘rusty scrap’ and the problem is then what to do with the latest pile of junk! A few years ago I bought a prewar ‘Jagrose’ 26in framed roadster bicycle in well-rotted condition – wheels collapsed, chaincase shredded, bent handlebars and twisted-spaghetti brake rods. After stumping up 10 quid I had to carry it away from the auction, shedding rust and muck as I went.

Some years later, at

the Founder’s Day autojumble, a poor, orphaned, forlornlooking engine marked ‘Atlas 1921’ in yellow crayon on its bacon-slicer flywheel seemed to call out in a weak voice: “Save me, save me, guvnor.”

Well, how could I refuse the poor thing, so being a sucker, I bought it.

It says ‘Atlas’ and ‘Aston Motor and Engine Co’ on the crankcase, a basic, overhung crank two-stroke of 142.5cc, apparently from an early 1920s lightweight.

A friend reminded me about the Jagrose bicycle as by now I’d forgotten that I’d got it, so I decided that the orphan might get a new home!

I was lucky enough to find a big belt pulley for the back wheel (chaincum-belt transmission),

a small 1920s magneto and a Brown and Barlow two-lever carburettor that even proved to be jetted just right for the engine.

A tandem front hub and a wartime Perry Coaster rear hub make it stop quite well. I built the hubs into a pair of 26 x 1¾in Westwood rims, made up a countershaft for the transmission and welded two fine extinguishers together to make the fuel tank. I spent a lot of time grubbing in skips for scrap metal to make sundry odds and sods.

Armed with a dating certificate, an MoT, insurance and a V55/5 form, I registered it quite easily. The engine was clearly 1923 – from the engine number – and not 1921 and the major cycle parts were of about the same age.

Blackburne? Or is it Anzani?

Just to say I thoroughly enjoyed Richard Rosenthal’s article on Bradbury and the diverse products they were producing. I do have a query regarding the photo of Percy Platt on the Blackburneengined Bradbury (page 87). I don’t think the engine is Blackburne because the barrels look too large, and pushrods are too close together. Blackburne tappets were spaced further apart, except for the famed ‘Parallel Push Rod’ models of the early 1930s.

In Dr Joe Bayley’s book the ‘The Vintage Years

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Percy’s Platt’s Bradbury, perhaps with an Anzani (rather than Blackburne) engine. At least it gives us another chance to use the picture of this stunning machine!

at Brooklands’ there is a similar looking engine in a Trump Anzani (page 121), which may, or may not be from the same manufacturer. Whatever

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2019

engine it had, it does look like a very smart outfit, and I agree with the caption – ‘wow!’

Graham Gasson, via email.

What a smart little device, that’s Derek Langdon’s ‘Atlas.’ Just don’t get too close behind it…

On 9:1 gearing, it’s quite pleasant at 1820mph and climbs hills pretty well. Push it past 20mph and it’s like a dustbin full of bricks; the racket from the engine, snarling from the carb intake and crashing of chains lets you know that the beast is displeased!

The spindly bronze con rod and the heavy castiron bucket of a piston clearly weren’t made for high revs. Treat it with consideration and it purrs along, but don’t

whack the air lever open before it’s ready or you get a spit back through the carb that’s like a cross between a sneeze and a gun going off!

Just don’t dare to get too close up behind it.

It doesn’t smoke much but on 10:1 petrol, the exhaust blasts great gobs of mucky oil out at the unwary, who follow it muttering; “What the hell’s that?”

Derek Langdon, Nottingham.

Right after all...

In Richard Rosenthal’s ‘You were asking’ column in the December 2018, issue, he was taken to task by John, of County Longford.

He pulled up Richard for saying that Stanley Woods was British, stating that Stanley was born November 28, 1903, at 21 Brighton Road, Rathmines, Dublin. So he was ‘Irish.’

But if truth is told, Richard was actually quite correct! At that time the whole of Ireland was an

integral part of Great Britain. As my great grandfather was born in Dublin in the 1860s he may have called himself ‘Irish,’ but any passport he might have had would have said: ‘Nationality – British.’

When Stanley was racing it was indeed after the establishment of the Irish Free State, so he may well have called himself Irish.

But Richard may now leave the naughty step!

Bob Nolan, Liverpool.

Readers’ Letters WRITE TO: The Classic Motorcycle, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, LN9 6LZ EMAIL: jrobinson@mortons.co.uk

Precision identification Honda builder As always, I am thoroughly enjoying the November 2018 issue.

However, one caption on page 15 mentioning Chris Tullet on his 1938 Panther Redwing outfit is why I’m bothering you.

To me, it looks more like the vice-president of our Belgian BSA Owners’ Club Peter Bondue (also present on the West Kent Run) on his BSA Sloper with his son, in a Belgian made Precision sidecar.

I think he’d appreciates seeing his name correctly mentioned.

Another very small mistake (and then I’ll stop nit-picking) in the September 2018 issue: As the Belgian BSA OC, we are very pleased to see our annual John Bull covered, starting on page 54. The BSA M20 with Belgian-built Precision sidecar belongs to our treasurer Marc Vydt.

‘Stoye Seitenwagen’ are German made sidecars, which in 1933

and buyer

A case of mistaken identity. This isn’t Chris Tullet, but Peter Bondue, BSA Sloper and Precison sidecar.

Apologies all round.

the Frenchman Victor Bastide began to make under licence, carrying the ‘Precision’ name.

After the Second World War the Belgian importer (and successful sidecar racer) Frans Vanderschrick acquired permission to build Stoye Seitenwagens under licence too. The Belgian made chairs are also named ‘Precision.’

So the Belgian and French built sidecars both confusingly named Precision are very easily mixed up, as they are visually nearly the same.

However, Marc assured us that his Precision is Belgian made.

Many thanks for a magazine worth reading every time.

Dirk Blondeel, Belgian BSA OC.

Tongue-in-cheek restoration points I see now the error of my ways in ‘restoring’ a 1951 Ariel VH Red Hunter (see photo).

Whatever was I thinking?

According to the article on the Douglas OB in the December 2018 edition of The Classic MotorCycle, one of the major auction houses advises about found classics that ‘… even cleaning it would decrease its value.’ It may not be too late though.

I’m hoping to retrieve my errors and recoup my funds by aiming for the same effect as on the

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Lawrie Bradley might achieve the patina effect by parking his gleaming Ariel outside for a few decades…

‘perfectly patinated Ariel 500 KH Twin’ featured in the same edition of the magazine. I’ve moved the VH out of the shed and into the backyard.

Leaving it out there in

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2019

the weather, I reckon it will look just like the KH Twin in 30 or 40 years. Or might that not be such a good idea?

Lawrie Bradly, Victoria, Australia

With reference to the article ‘Home build motorcycles’ on page 87 of the September issue, while in the Royal Navy in the 1960s and earning long leave periods, I used to work for the Guildford Motor Cycle dealers Minnear and Bruce based in Bedford Road.

The Honda 50s used to be delivered in crates of three to minimise the space they occupied in containers/holds of the delivery ships. One of my jobs was to assemble these machines, road test them and arrange

them for display and sale once they had been checked by the workshop foreman.

I got no wages and was happy to have the job working with bikes.

But I did get a large discount from Mr Bruce when I bought the fourth Honda CB77 to enter the country. The CB77 was a head-turning, innovative machine at the time and the envy of my mates.

Many thanks for a fantastic magazine to which I look forward to every month.

John Burgess, via email.

Bruce Main-Smith’s influence I’ve just heard that we have lost Bruce MainSmith (BMS), one time road tester and journalist of Motor Cycling, or as referred to in those days, the ‘Green Un.’ It was because of the successful 24 hour world record attempt at Montlhery by a 500cc Velocette Venom in 1961 by a team that included BMS (as he was known), that I bought a Velocette in 1962, albeit a 350cc Viper. Insurance for a 500cc Venom was £50, the smaller capacity Viper £12-10s. Having a brand new bike on ‘HP’ I was forced to have fully comprehensive insurance.

The BMS et al record still stands for a 500cc machine. Amazing. The 350cc attempt two years

The late Bruce MainSmith was part of the team which ran a Velocette Venom for 24 hours, at an average speed of 100.05mph.

later was on track to even better the 500 record but gremlins set in.

In his later years BMS had a very successful book business attending all the big shows under the ‘BMS’ title.

Jeff Waller, Spain, via email.

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