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Some say there’s no such thing as coincidence, and, really, I suppose there isn’t, but just sometimes you think, ‘Wow, really, that’s a bit too much.’ I’ve had two such instances this month, one of which was particularly close to home. First was the case of the Lamacraft Mk.VIII KTT, the motorcycle sold by Bonhams at the recent Ally Pally show, and featured overleaf. First of all, the Lamacraft machine is one engine number away from that of another 1939 Mk.VIII belonging to a friend of mine, but that’s not so unusual – the batch of KTTs delivered for the 1939 races are all close together numerically. Even odder was when I looked through and researched Harry Lamacraft, specifically as I found out the air base he flew from on his fateful 1943 mission – Methwold in Norfolk. I went to school in Methwold; it’s a village that happens to host a high school serving many of the supporting villages, of varying sizes. The truth is, I didn’t even know there had been an air base there, though it all makes sense now; the vegetable packing place that employed many of my friends over the years is on the site. What also now makes sense is that there’s one of the RAF ‘markers’ fixed there too – it looks like a model aeroplane stuck to the nearest telegraph pole. This, I’ve learned, signifies the site of an old airbase and is a Norfolk initiative to mark the previous bases. The second was in some ways stranger, and came as I researched ‘Oily’ Karslake, for the ‘Men who mattered’ feature, on page 74. I trail through old magazines to find obituaries, notices, anything really, that can add more to ‘flesh out’ the character of the long departed. Oily’s obituary was in the October 19, 1961 issue of Motor Cycling – and on the facing page was the death notice for C F Edwards, the one and same Cecil Edwards whose Brough Superior sold at Stafford; indeed, that’s how I know Mr Edwards’ first name. It’s funny how things work out. Also this month we managed a couple of late summer/ autumn rides, me putting 100-odd miles on my cousin’s ohc K10 AJS, the freshly restored beauty that has done service at the shows, but will now be ridden. It seems cousin Peter will leave it with me for next year, so I’m making a list of events to try and take part in for 2019, which should be good fun. First thing to do is either strengthen my hand (not likely) or make the clutch lighter – I was in agony!
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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.
Contributors this issue
James Adam Bolton, Michael Davis.
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 | DECEMBER 2018 Archive photograph .......................................... 6 News ................................................................... 8 Letters ............................................................. 12 Stafford Show.................................................. 16 Ariel KH 500 Twin .......................................... 20 Subscribe and save ........................................ 26 Kop Hill Climb................................................ 28 Douglas OB ..................................................... 30 GP Le Puy Notre-Dame ................................. 36 BSA A10 in Scotland – Part 2 ......................... 38 Brighton Speed Trials .................................... 44 Moto Guzzi Ambassador ............................... 48 BSA B2 ............................................................. 54 Inge Stoll profile ............................................. 60 Closer look – Norton lightweight twins ....... 66 Adrian Moss interview................................... 72 Men who mattered – Harold ‘Oily’ Karslake 74 Triumph 3TA/5TA rebuild ............................. 76 Roy Poynting column .................................... 83 Sketchbook Travels ........................................ 84 You were asking .............................................. 86
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Jerry Thurston column................................... 89 Restoration guide – Nimbus four .................. 90 Technical feature – carburettors .................. 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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Lamacraft at speed Recently sold Velocette KTT in 1939 TT action. Photograph: MORTONS ARCHIVE
T
he last Pre-Second World War TT races are arguably among the most written about – certainly in the top half a dozen. The stories of the blower BMWs, V-four AJS, the Norton rear guard, Velocette Roarer, Moto Guzzi V-twins – and that’s just the Senior class, with DKWs, Benellis, Guzzis et al in the smaller classes. Something else which happened at the 1939 TT series was the Isle of Man debut of the Velocette KTT MK.VIII, probably the best over-the-counter racer offered, certainly by a British manufacturer, in the whole preSecond World War period. Possessed of an overhead camshaft engine and swinging arm suspension, it was probably better (certainly better handling) than the likes of the ‘works’ Norton and AJS boys mounts for the 350cc class. So it was no surprise that a look through the entry lists for the Junior TT revealed a plethora of Velocettes – in fact, 35 of the 68
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THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | DECEMBER 2018
listed were on products made at Hall Green, Birmingham. And the majority were on the new Mk. VIIIs though there was a good smattering (five at minimum) of the 1938 Mk.VIIs, similar to the Mk.VIII in many ways – apart from the ‘seven’ had no rear suspension. Perhaps more surprising is how many of the 350cc Velocettes were in the 500cc Senior race. Of 51 Senior entries, there were 19 on Velocettes and though there was at minimum a quartet on the works-only 495cc racers (Stanley Woods – who practised on the blown ‘Roarer’ but was back on a single for the race), Ted Mellors, Ernie Thomas and Les Archer, on a three-year-old ex-works bike), the other 15 had chosen to use their 348cc Junior mounts – which brings us to the featured machine, Harry Lamacraft’s KTT, engine number KTT818, supplied through dealer L Stevens for ‘Mr Lamacraft’ and sold by Bonhams at its ‘Ally Pally’ sale on September 23, 2018. Here, Lamacraft races it in the Senior
race, leading J K Boardman, 490cc Norton, through Kepple Gate. At this stage, Boardman has gained time (he started number 41, so behind number 39 Lamacraft) though come race end, it was Lamacraft who had done the better, finishing a praiseworthy 16th, though only third of the three 350cc Velocettes, with Boardman 25th, after slow second and fourth laps. Lamacraft was a model of consistency, also lapping faster on five of his seven circuits than he did on his best Junior lap, aboard the same machine, shown in the small picture. His time was also nearly 3mph faster in the Senior too, while his finishing position bettered his Junior spot by three places. Harry Charles Lamacraft, universally known as ‘Lammy’ in the motorcycling world, was a TT regular who made his debut in the June races in 1934, his Manx GP bow being in 1931, when he crashed out at Sulby. A professional London-based photographer,
Classic archive
who worked at the British Museum and born in Barnet in 1911, he earned a Brooklands Gold Star (for a 100mph lap) and was a staunch Velocette man; apart from some mainly Lightweight TT (250cc) outings on Excelsiors, it was the black-and-gold racers he preferred. In fact, it was on an Excelsior he scored his best result, ninth in the 1936 race, though it was perhaps his 10th place finish in the 1935 Senior that was his best ever performance ‘on the Island’ – as he was on his trusty 350cc KTT, battling and beating many of the 500cc runners. During the Second World War, Lamacraft was one of Motor Cycling’s recruits into the Royal Signals, as a dispatch rider, though he transferred to the RAF; he had a keen interest in flying prewar. Motor Cycling reported news of his disappearance in its May 13, 1943, edition, thus: “H C Lamacraft, a Sgt Observer in the Royal Air Force, is reported missing following an operational flight over Holland.”
There are no other details in the motorcycle press, but Lamacraft’s name is featured on a memorial to staff killed during the Second World War on the front of the British Museum. Lamacraft was flying in a Lockheed Ventura light bomber of 487 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, and died in a disastrous ‘Ramrod’ (one to be continued regardless of losses) day raid to destroy a power plant on May 3, 1943. Ten out of 11 of 487’s Venturas were downed (the survivor being damaged early on and having to return to base) after their escort of Spitfires was ‘pierced’ with just
five Venturas making bombing runs, when they were ruthlessly picked off, until one remained (that of the squadron leader) before it too was shot from the sky. Lamacraft was 32 when he died, leaving a widow, Ruby, and he is buried in Amersfoot, The Netherlands, while the base he was flying from was in Norfolk, a small village called Methwold, which coincidentally was where the editor of this publication went to high school. The former air base at Methwold (a subsidiary of the bigger RAF Feltwell, still an active USAF station) is now home to End a vegetable processing plant.
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | DECEMBER 2018
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&
News Events
News&Events
Down memory lane reunion Inspired by the late Max King and held every two years in sunny Barnstaple, the ‘Down Memory Lane’ reunion celebrates the best traditions of the ‘Golden Era’ – the period between the end of the Second World War and 1970 when British bikes and riders achieved spectacular results, on and off-road, round the world. The reunion started in 1996 so this year was version number 12, and the number attending holds up well, although there were one or two empty seats this year caused by the relentless march of anno Domini. With Colin Dommett in charge of the proceedings, the theme for 2018 was the International Six Days Trial (ISDT). The dining room display was restricted to three bikes – all ISDT tried and tested models: a 1954 500cc Triumph Trophy, a replica of the works bikes in the
The three machines on display… Francis-Barnett, Ariel and Triumph.
1954 ISDT, now fully restored from a ‘rusty wreck’ by Ally Clift; a Dave Curtis 500cc Matchless (Dave won gold medals in 1956 and 1958) and a 172cc FrancisBarnett, ridden by Ernie Smith,
a member of the F-B works team, in the 1954 event. The Francis-Barnett brought back memories of an earlier reunion when John Harding (a member of the F-B Owners’
Club) rode his bike over the rockery at the rear of the hotel to record a clean – a feat not matched before or since. Happy days! Dave Gittins.
Peter Bennett’s AJS – WKR best in show The report on the International West Kent Run in November’s issue of the magazine rather glossed over the award of ‘Best in Show’ that went to the 1928 AJS K1 V-twin, entered and ridden by Peter Bennett. The bike will doubtless be familiar to some readers, for around 30 years it was owned by Steve Mills. After Steve had initially restored the bike he exhibited it and attracted the attention of Geoff Stevens, of the Stevens family. Steve wrote the book ‘AJS of Wolverhampton’, soon regarded as an authoritative work on its subject. The AJS name retains the power to instil brand loyalty, but the book is now out of print and second-hand copies command asking prices that might
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deserve pause for thought. Through a third party, Peter Bennett bought the bike early in 2018. Once he became familiar with it he found the 800cc V-twin side-valve an extremely competent machine and looked for events where he could use it. As an enthusiastic member of the VMCC, the AJS soon became his bike of choice for section rides in East Anglia. The Banbury Run in June made a further outing and getting the top accolade at the West Kent was totally unexpected. The Distinguished Gentlemen’s Runs have attracted much interest and the AJS and its rider proved eminently suitable for the occasion. No plans for resting up the bike just yet! Alan Turner.
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | DECEMBER 2018
Distinguished Gentlemen! Peter Bennett and the AJS accompanied by Raleigh rider Steve Hallam. (PHOTO: PETER BENNETT)
Hamstreet – gateway to Paris? The Kent village of Hamstreet is approached by interesting, mainly minor roads and given fair weather, the Elk Promotions shows and jumbles prove a popular destination, demonstrated by the long lines of parked bikes that stretch across the generously-sized event field. Years of experience has enabled the Elk team to hone the near-perfect jumble, that successful mix of tradespeople, specialist suppliers and services, the amateur dealers and those seeking domestic peace by selling the complete contents of their stalls at any price. As well as wondering where the oddities for sale might have been hidden for years, there’s always plenty of interesting machinery ridden in for the occasion. The focal point at Hamstreet is the huge marquee, usually featuring literature and other weather-sensitive items. This time, on September 16, one display was given over to ‘Vintage to Voltage’, a unique trail ride that was scheduled to begin a couple of days later. Elk organiser Julie Diplock represented the ‘Vintage’ side of things with a 1926 500cc Triumph Model Q, while Carla McKenzie had a modern ‘Zero’ electric bike. Sadly, Julie did not make the
Triumph TR25W – interesting diversion on BSA’s final peppy 250cc single could make a project for winter and possibly following seasons.
trip. A back injury while starting the Triumph meant she was no longer fit enough to face the tough five-day scheduled ride, but she hopes to try again in the future. Happily, the rest of the team, on a mix of modern petrol-engined trail bikes and electric motorcycles, completed the mission. They rode from Westminster to Newhaven via Brooklands and after the ferry crossing to Dieppe picked up the TET (Trans European Trail). It was far from an easy ride, but the trail took them close to Paris leaving the final kilometres on tarmac to the French capital. Donations for three worthwhile causes will be gratefully received at: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/
NEWS IN BRIEF BONHAMS’ BARBER SALE
At Bonhams’ Barber Museum sale the top price award was shared by two classic motorcycles that couldn’t be more different – the 1970 400cc Husqvarna owned by Steve McQueen and used in the film ‘On Any Sunday’ and a 1928 Windhoff, a German 746cc inline four. Both realised a final price of £174,248. Other McQueen connected items included a Series C Vincent Comet (£47, 814) and a Bell crash helmet, for a heady £16,536. The full results are at www. bonhams.com
BROUGH AT BONHAMS Raleigh RM1 from 1959 apparently needed only paperwork before it was road-ready.
CarlaMcKenzie1 Progress on the run appears on: www.vintagetovoltage. wordpress.com I think it proves the point: you never know what you’ll find at a jumble. Alan Turner.
The disassembled exCecil Edwards Brough Superior, shown here, comprehensively bust its estimate at Bonhams Stafford sale, on October 14, selling for £264,500 – more than double its low estimate. Read the full show and auction report on page 16.
NEWARK WINTER CLASSIC
The CBG Winter Classic, at Newark showground on January 5/6, welcomes American ex-racer Freddie Spencer as guest of honour.
Sunbeam win at sun-blessed Kop Hill 2018
At the recent Kop Hill Climb set in the beautiful Chiltern Hills, The Classic MotorCycle trophy for best prewar went to Paul Stirling with his 1926 Sunbeam Parallel 9, with the postwar CBG cup going to Edward Wallbank, for his Vincent
Rapide with Steib sidecar. It was Paul Stirling’s first Kop and on his way down from Strathglass in Scotland he collided with a large stag, which not only damaged his vehicle but the Sunbeam which broke free from
2019
JANUAR Y 5-6, 2019 NEWARK COUNTY SHOWGROUND, NOTTS,
the ties, breaking off footrests and damaging paint. Paul returned home, repaired the bike and came down for the two days of the event. The trophies were presented by TV antiques expert Eric Knowles. Read the event report on page 28.
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THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | DECEMBER 2018
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&
News Events THE WAY WE WERE IN
DECEMBER 1918
Following its 23rd Ordinary Meeting, the Triumph Cycle Co Ltd announced a shareholder dividend fund after paying all taxes, subscriptions and transferring £35,000 to the War Contingent Reserve of £76,674. This comprised a
1943
An exhibition held by the British Road Federation (BRF) opened in London, devoted to the promotion of motorways and how they could improve the lot of UK road users. The event defined the term ‘motorway’ and how their building could be allied to the
1968
Ed Whittle, from Nixon Hillock, Chorley, had confused his local Lancs vehicle registration authorities. He asked them to register his newly built ‘forecar’ – something they hadn’t been asked to do for over 60 years. Ed’s home designed and built forecar looked in style like the front of a Berkley three-wheeler coupled to the frame and rear of a motorcycle, which provided the power. Built in his spare time over six months, the front comprised a tubular frame clad in aluminium sheet, with steering, brakes and sundries courtesy of an Austin A40. A soft top and Vauxhall Cresta screen protected the driver and passenger from the elements, while entry was by tiny side doors. Power was by a 500cc Norton Dominator engine mounted in a BSA swinging arm frame, with
1993
London design consultants Seymour Powell unveiled a 35cc 130mpg motorised cycle. Priced at around £200, it weighed just 42lbs
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profit over the past year and the remainder that accrued over from the previous year. Continuing this theme of successes, the Bowden Wire Co opened a factory in New York to cope with American demand for their products.
required road reconstruction plan expected after the war’s end. The BRF stated prewar research had confirmed over £20 million was lost per annum in London alone due to congestion, accidents and delays caused by the capital’s poor road network.
earlier BSA gearbox. The idea of the concept was that it would enable motorcyclists to convert their motorcycles into three-wheeled cars for the winter and then back into a motorcycle for the summer – which was a multi-purpose vehicle the likes of which Lancs licensing office staff had never seen before as none of them were old enough to remember the forecars of Humber, Pheonix, King and the like of the pioneer days, which in some cases could be switched from motorcycle to forecar and back by the addition or removal of a fore carriage. Tester Bob Currie found it interesting and its lack of reverse gear caused no problems, but the machine had to be kick-started from outside and the interior noise level was ‘loud…’
thanks to its carbon fibre frame. Seymour Powell’s last foray into motorcycling had involved styling the Norton Commander. Richard Rosenthal.
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | DECEMBER 2018
Book Review
“India: The Shimmering Dream” A captivating window to a forgotten world
Author: Max Reisch, translated by Alison Falls Foreword by: Roger Bibbings Published by: Veloce Publishing Ltd, Veloce House, Parkway Farm Business Park, Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 3AR (First English edition published in 2010 by Panther Publishing) Tel: (01305) 260068 E-mail: sales@veloce.co.uk Fax: 01305 250479 Softback, 148mm x 210mm (portrait), 192 pages, approximately 96 photographs and maps ISBN 978-1-787112-94-0 £14.99 UK, $24.95 USA Nowadays it seems as if virtually everyone is careering off across Africa or Asia on a large and powerful bike with an army of TV trucks in support, but it wasn’t always like that. India The Shimmering Dream is the epic account of two young students who in 1933 rode – well, actually they pushed, pulled, crawled beside, dragged, crashed and only sometimes rode – a funny little two-stroke motorcycle the 8000 hideously difficult miles (13,000 kilometres) from Vienna to Bombay. Bitten by the travel bug at a young age, Max Reisch started by riding across Austria and Italy and later to the Sahara, going through Morocco to Algeria, into the Sahara desert and back via Tripoli. Having gained experience and publicity through his exploits, he was eventually able to receive sponsorship to realise his dream of riding the first motorcycle overland to India. The Austrian Puch factory supplied the machine – a 1933 250cc split single (a double-piston, single-cylinder two-stroke), with three-speed hand-change gearbox. The machine was equipped with a five-gallon alloy fuel tank, a large tank top box, front and rear panniers, spare petrol
and oil cans and a carrier to hold the tent, clothing and a spare tyre. Along with a typewriter and photographic equipment that Reisch and passenger Herbert Tichy were carrying, the bike weighed in at 424lbs. A truly great travel adventure through Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Baluchistan to India. But what really sets this book apart are the wonderful descriptions of the people and cultures, now nearly all forgotten, but hugely relevant in today’s age, all brought evocatively to life by the many excellent photographs. Armed with letters of introduction to Arab sheiks, Persian khans and Indian princes, they were given hospitality by both nomadic tribesmen and Indian maharajas. The writing is so descriptive that the reader almost endures the many disasters encountered by the intrepid pair. Bent and battered it may have been, the amazing little Puch got them home with its engine and gearbox seals still unbroken. First published in 1949, this is the first English translation of this beautifully-written book and is a must for all travel and motorcycle enthusiasts. Book reviewed by Jonathan Hill.
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | DECEMBER 2018
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Readers’ Letters
Readers’ Letters YOUR VOICE & YOUR OPINIONS
Remembering the Hitchcocks
Memories came flooding back when I read the feature ‘Triumphant lives’ about Jock and Don Hitchcock in the September edition of The Classic Motor Cycle. In the mid-1960s I worked for a specialised engineering company in Guildhall Street, Folkestone, about 100 yards along from J.A. Hitchcock & Son, Triumph motorcycle dealers. Despite his reputation, it was logical I should buy my first bike from Jock and I duly took delivery of a brand-new Tiger Cub in the late summer of 1965. It was one of the last ‘all Triumph’ Cubs, as a few weeks later the Bantam Cub replacement was announced. I felt a bit miffed at the time, as I recall that it was about a fiver cheaper than the model that it replaced. The pen-picture of Jock’s personality and attitude to
customers is fairly accurate by my reckoning. I recall him as a great bear of a man, always clad in a voluminous boilersuit. The shop and workshop were crammed and cluttered with stock and bike parts in such a way that it must have been difficult to find items (even a universal part for a non-Triumph owner!). It was not unusual to see Jock working on a machine on the narrow pavement outside the workshop door, presumably for lack of usable space inside. Visiting ‘Mr Hitchcock’ was not for the faint-hearted, as he could exhibit a pretty contemptuous attitude to customers, even some Triumph owners. It almost seemed as though he didn’t really want the trade, but no one doubted his expertise for the marque. Those in the know soon got
A rare sight indeed. Jock Hitchcock… with a BSA twin!
to realise that usually once a week there was a trip to Meriden to load up with ‘supplies’ and new machines. Invariably Jock made the journey (quite an undertaking, given the road system at the time) in his pickup van (an Austin A55, if I remember correctly). This meant that Don would be in charge for the day. In my experience, Don was very different from his father, always cheerful, pleasant to deal with
and keen to be of help. That was the day to visit! They were also Greeves dealers, no doubt due to Don’s sporting connections with the Thundersley firm. I left the area in the late 1960s, but I believe that they later became Jawa/ CZ dealers. But one question remains… How on earth did Jock allow himself to be photographed with that BSA twin? Richard Weller, via email.
More on Morini
Further to your Moto Morini track day, in the November 2018 issue, here’s a photo I took at Misano, Italy in 1992 when we visited the historic GP meeting staged at the Santa Monica circuit. The photo shows a 175cc Moto Morini Settebello that was owned and ridden by Italian journalist and racer Roberto Patrignani. The Settebello production racer was the first mount of a young Giacomo Agostini when he started his racing career. Riding one of these little singles, ‘Ago’ won the Italian 175cc championship in 1962 and 1963. In 1964 he raced the Morini works 250cc single and was Italian champion in that class. The bike behind the
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Settebello in the photo is a 125cc Moto Rumi two-stroke twin, the make that Roberto Partrignani rode when he completed in the 1955 Milano to Taranto long distance event. He finished the gruelling nonstop race in a time of 17 hours and 52 minutes. The winner that year was Bruno Francisci riding a Gilera 500cc four in a time of 11 hours, five minutes. In the 175cc category, Mario Preta, Morini Rebello single, won its class and finished second overall with a time of 12 hours and eight minutes. The single stage marathon Milano-Taranto was 870 miles long and run on open roads until 1956 when it was stopped because of safety concerns after the Mille Miglia long distance
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | DECEMBER 2018
The Moto Morini Settebello; it was what Giacomo Agostini enjoyed his early successes on.
car race tragic accidents of 1957. The postwar events attracted upwards of 300 riders mounted on machines of all sizes from 75cc models through to fullblown 500cc GP racers fitted with lights. Setting off from Milan in the middle of the night, they would race nonstop to
Taranto, pulling in only for fuel and time checks. The fastest time ever was set during the 1955 event by Bruno Francisci riding the unfaired four cylinder 500cc Gilera, averaging 78.90mph for the 870 mile race. Terry Birch, Nottingham.
Readers’ Letters WRITE TO: The Classic Motorcycle, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, LN9 6LZ EMAIL: jrobinson@mortons.co.uk
Calling the Danns Loved the Model 18 AJS story in the July 2018 issue, page six. Any idea where the Danns are now? They’d be
aged well into their eighties, but I hope hale and hearty. Clement Salvadori, California, USA.
The first catalogued ‘Scrambler’ was, it seems, the Velocette offering for 1955.
The first scrambler I recently attended an event in Los Angeles titled ‘California Scramblers’ sponsored by Triumph, with plenty of vintage Triumph desert sleds on display, along with veteran racers.
A question came up as to what company first used the word scrambler in catalogues and the surprising answer was Velocette! Andy Granovsky, via email.
Motorbikes and bicycles I recently saw a fascinating photo on Facebook from the Rudge Motorcycle Club stand at the VMCC West Kent Show, which included three superb Rudge/ Rudge-Whitworth bicycles as well as the motorcycles. The display ably demonstrated the evolution of the machines as naturally the motorcycle was born from the bicycle. This led me to wonder how many veteran, vintage and classic motorcycle enthusiasts also have bicycles in their collections, perhaps following a certain marque. I enjoy riding, researching and conserving late Victorian safety bicycles, some from the manufacturers of later motorcycles and cars. There are many benefits: often cheap to buy and still sometimes given for free when someone is clearing out an old garage or outbuilding, easy to store, easy and cheap to repair, no need to pass a driving test or for insurance and a way of getting some healthy exercise while enjoying the local countryside. My most modern machine is a 1930s Rudge-Whitworth with
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This Rudge-Whitworth bicycle dates to the 1930s.
a larger than average 28in frame and my oldest, an 1892 Singer Modele de Luxe with solid tyres, inch pitch chain and spoon brake. Both are regularly taken out for a breath of fresh air. As a resident of Harrogate, I am a member of Bygone Bykes (Yorkshire) Club and The Veteran Cycle Club, which is the UK’s largest club. Other regional clubs can be found by visiting www.navcc.co.uk. All are friendly with regular rides, magazines, jumble sales and people who are only too happy to share their expertise and knowledge. Perhaps an article featuring owners with their motorcycles and bicycles would be of interest to your readers? Greg Tunesi, via email.
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | DECEMBER 2018
Not that New Imp I enjoyed the feature on Ivor Gilson in the November 2018 edition of The Classic Motorcycle, however I am concerned as to the inaccuracies as to the alleged ex-Leo Davenport New Imperial racer mentioned. Having reviewed the photograph, I would like to point out the following (on the basis that Leo Davenport would have been a works rider): I) The South African machine is fitted with a fourstud bottom end whereas the works machines would have used a six-stud bottom end with pressure box lubrication. II) The South African machine is fitted with an Albion four-speed gearbox which appears to have the kick-starter mechanism removed; the works machines had a
Sturmey-Archer box. III) The petrol tank is a road-going Grand Prix item – the works pattern tanks were much squarer. However, the most glaring error is that Leo Davenport never actually rode a New Imperial in the 1934 Lightweight TT. He rode an Excelsior! I would suggest that with the exception of the petrol tank transfers and the front wheel, the featured New Imp is more likely to be a roadgoing Grand Prix model of 1934 vintage. As far as I am aware, there are more than two of these machines – estimates range from 12 to 25. I’m sorry to sound harsh but once these inaccuracies are put into press, the genie can’t be put back into the bottle. Arwyn Williams, via email.
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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
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