The Classic MotorCycle - January 2014 - Sample Edition

TrIUmPH T20 CUB BABY TRENDSETTER

lady’s CHoICe radCo

pRETTY AS A picTuRE

January 2014

Where legends come to life

Green for

Go! The Shooting Star A7

Velo

mss

A young man’s motorcycle

INSIDE: Outfits for the AA

& RAC BMWs from £650 to £100k

Number 1,January 2014

£4.10

Editor’s welcome New season reflections

OW SUBSCRIBE N FOR ONLY

.50 £18 page 14

And so, to the first issue of another calendar year – 2014. It’s now upwards of 10 years since I took over the editorship of this magazine, and it’s been a time of actually quite a lot of change in the classic motorcycle and, of course, magazine markets.

It’s only when one goes and looks back at an issue from 10 years ago (and I confess I was prompted to do this by our contributor, Alan Turner, who’d been doing it himself) that one realises some of the changes that have taken place in the classic world.

Although the motorcycles we at The Classic MotorCycle focus our attentions on are similar now, there are some changes, especially when one looks at the ads. In 2004, a Vincent Black Shadow was being advertised for £21,500, several Vincent Comets at £5000-6000 and a few Velocette Venoms at around £4k.

Of course, a Shadow is now, what, three times that, a Comet at least double (and more) and good Venoms probably double too. But many other things haven’t changed in price anything like so dramatically or hardly at all; for example, there’s a 1961 Bonneville for around £12k and two pre-unit Thunderbirds for £5k and £6500 apiece; all probably what they’d fetch now. Anything vintage and prewar has also escalated price wise too.

None of this obviously actually means anything, really, but it is interesting to see how things have gone.

I’ve always been quite fascinated by prices and what things (motorcycles) cost at certain times.

Just from interest I pulled out a couple of price lists, one from 1951, the other 1929, just for a look and noted a few down.

In 1951, a Black Shadow was £402, a Rapide £358, a B34 Goldie, £253, a Matchless G9 £249 and a Thunderbird £220, to name a few.

From 1929, an SS100 Brough Superior was listed at £170 dead, a Douglas SW5 (and DT5) £85, a Norton CS1 £77, a KTT Velocette £80 (with a KSS £62), a Model 90 Sunbeam a heady £105, a TT Replica Scott £86, a CTT Triumph £57, a BSA Sloper £51…

So if anyone wants to swap the Douglas and KTT in my garage for an SS100, I’ll happily give them the extra fiver…

The only thing left to do is wish one and all seasonal greetings and best wishes for the forthcoming riding season, and don’t forget, if you’re lucky enough to unwrap an iPad or similar device on Christmas morning and you’re itching to play with it, The Classic MotorCycle is available as a digital magazine and can be downloaded from the outlets advertised below.

JAMES ROBINSON Editor

42 38 Contributors

Peter Ardron, James Adam Bolton, Roy Poynting, Jerry urston, Phillip Tooth, Alan Turner, Richard Rosenthal, Andy Westlake, Steve Wilson.

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

18 CONTENTS ISSUE | JANUARY 2014

Archive photograph ..........................................6 News....................................................................8 Diary ................................................................12 Subscribe and save........................................14 Stafford show...................................................18 Harrogate auction...........................................24 Letters ..............................................................26 Triumph Tiger Cub super profile..................28 End to end ride ...............................................38 Velocette MSS .................................................42 Straight from the plate – 1923 French GP.....47 AA and RAC patrol outfits..............................52 Reader’s restoration – BSA A7SS ...................58 Radco two-stroke............................................62 Ted Mellors reflections...................................68 Closer Look – 1965 ISDT................................74 Andy Tiernan interview .................................78 Classic components .......................................80 Men who mattered – Noel Pope....................82 For various budgets – BMW flat-twins .........84 Roy Poynting column.....................................86

62

Jerry Thurston column...................................88 You were asking ..............................................90 Restoration Guide – Cyclemaster..................94 Technical feature – Girder forks, part II...........96 Next month...................................................112 Classic camera .............................................114

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

Best in show was Mark Cowdery’s Liberty Ranch Model Yamaha.

Special days at

Stafford

Stafford in October is the annual autumnal treat for classic enthusiasts.

Words: James Robinson Photography: Joe Dick/Leanne manDaLL Illustrations: maRtin squiRes

T

he 20th carole nash classic motorcycle mechanics show was held over october 19-20, 2013 at the stafford county showground, where enthusiasts from across the uk, europe and even further afield congregated to enjoy a weekend of motorcycling nostalgia.

Guest of honour was Frenchman christian sarron, the 1984 250cc world champion, who during the 1980s was the only european who could consistently run with the americans and australians, winning the 1985 German 500cc GP en route to third in the championship, the same title challenge position he gained in 1989. Genial and jovial, the

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The ClassiC MoTorCyCle | JANUARY 2014

clermont-Ferrand born 58-year-old chatted happily with fans, and attracted a large crowd whenever he took to the stage. outside, a range of racing exotica – including an mV three – was fired up in the classic Racer GP paddock, while ex-trials star steve colley impressed with his one man arena stunt show, also outside. the classic Dirt bike hall welcomed a steady stream of visitors, with a range of interesting machines displayed, while the autojumble halls were a hustle and bustle of activity too.

Walking around, the display machines were naturally accented towards the 1970s and 80s Japanese scene the show is dedicated to, but that didn’t mean there weren’t some earlier gems to uncover too. the Vmcc stand was a mecca for such investigations, with

Classic event | Stafford

two standout machines being Chris Illman’s 1932 350cc Rudge racer and Pete Lancaster’s 1923 PV Model K. Chris’ Rudge remains untouched since it was last raced in the 1960s, coming complete with number boards and almost half a century’s worth of dust, and was the subject of two ‘offers to buy’ over the weekend – though Chris isn’t selling. He hopes to get the machine back on track before too long.

Pete’s unusual PV – for Perry Vale, the area of south London where the machine was built – was a stunning restoration of this incredibly rare 1923 single.

Best continental went to Alessando Altinier for his incredibly rare Parilla Formula 2, a machine built specially for the long distance road races so popular when it was made in 1956, while the AJMC took the best club stand for its – as usual – eclectic display.

Best in show a rare Yamaha “I only finished it last week,” reported Mark Cowdery, winner of the best in show accolade for his Australian-market 1959 Yamaha YDS1. “Something went wrong at the last minute – basically, the front mudguard fell apart in the chrome dip, so we had to make a new bracket.

“It’s truly agricultural,” he went on, pointing at the footrests attached with U clamps. “It’s simply a YDS1 with added bits to toughen it up.”

The Liberty Ranch Model was made specifically for the south Australian market and was Yamaha’s first purpose built off-road model and can now lay claim to be the rarest of all Yamaha production models. Based on the twin-cylinder two-stroke YDS1 – which set a benchmark for sporting 250cc machines around the world – it’s reckoned by the Australian VJMC that there are two on the road there and this one.

Mark acquired it six years ago as a pile of mismatched parts, then set about painstakingly researching the model and piecing it together. So little information was available that it was a case of doing the best he possibly could – and what a stunning effort it has proved to be.

“Never again,” he reckoned, though he’s got a 1957 YD1 to do next...

“A range of exotica was fired up in the GP paddock.”

1

Come on and feel the noise...

2

Trials display, outside the Dirt Bike hall, with Gloucestershire’s Rob Smart on his beautiful Ariel.

3

From the sketchbook of Martin Squires...

Cotton-Blackburne and David Critchlow’s NSU Rennfox/Sportmax on this page, Norton 16H facing.

The ClassiC MoTorCyCle | JANUARY 2014

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Super Profile | Triumph Tiger Cub

Bonnie baby Growing pains, teething troubles... every child goes through them. And the T20 Tiger Cub was no different as it went through several incarnations.

Words: Steve WilSon Photography: MortonS Media GrouP

‘T

he Baby Bonnie: a real triumph – in miniature!’... that was how the t20 tiger Cub thought of itself.

When it was introduced for 1954 to run beside its predecessor, the 150cc t15 terrier, the two were sharply defined visually. the terrier was still in Captain Sensible amaranth red like the base model Speed twin, while the Cub came on in beautiful shell blue sheen and black, and even sported a high level exhaust system as standard for that first year (though the terrier’s low-level one was also an option).

So if not yet a ‘Baby Bonnie’, it was certainly a ‘tiny ton-ten’, as the 650cc t110 tiger sports had just been introduced in those colours. this seemed to be a case of adopting the usual triumph practice of initiating a utility model which was then followed by a fast version; but a more accurate comparison might be with vespa. the very first version of the groundbreaking scooter had been 100cc. the move to 125cc was found to be what was needed. it proved the same for the Cub and the terrier, which was only £10 cheaper than its 200cc bigger brother. Sales of the 150 fell off rapidly, so that it was discontinued after 1956 as riders embraced the Cub. the tiger Cub was just a bigger terrier, was it? no, some of the smaller bike’s problems had been quite seriously addressed by the introduction of this machine. the main one, among a great many others, had been the t15’s unusual crankcase configuration. the case was split to the left of the centre line, and after the crankshaft had been fed into the main casting from that side, a ‘door’ casting was fitted to complete the arrangement, which also carried the drive side main bearing. this was convenient, but flawed, as it allowed crankcase flex which soon enough caused main bearing and big end failure.

The ClassiC MoTorCyCle | JANUARY 2014

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Who was Ted Mellors?

Ted Mellors was a top level racer in the 1930s, who rode for Velocette, New Imperial and Benelli, among others.

He died in a tragic accident in 1946, aged 39, when he was overcome by fumes as he worked on a car in his garage.

You were asking | Expert advice

You were asking Your queries resolved with Richard Rosenthal

The Russell Looking through Erwin Tragatsch’s Encyclopedia of Motorcycles I discovered there is a machine called the Russell listed for 1913. As you can see, I’m Bob Russell and it would be nice to have a framed picture of one on the wall, if such exists.

Bob Russell, Essex.

A number of encyclopedias by different authors have featured a reference to the Russell. All state “limited production of 172cc and 492cc ohv motorcycles,” suggesting they all used an identical reference source.

Unfortunately this column cannot find the reference source. No Russell motorcycles are listed in the period trade buyer’s guides and there are no pictures of a Russell in the Mortons Media Group Archive. The likelihood is the few Russells built were sold locally.

But where?

If anyone has a reference to the Russell other than from the modern motorcycle encyclopedias, Bob and I would like to hear from you.

Dad’s Velo Could you help me in my quest to track down my father’s 1947 Velocette MSS, registration number DBD 722. Dad, who celebrated his 92nd birthday last May, bought the machine new in 1947 and our family has been trying to find its whereabouts.

Tina Wallman, email.

Words: RICHARD ROSENTHAL

There is evidence of the Northamptonshire registration mark DBD 722 at DVLA. Hopefully the MSS may be lurking in someone’s shed and the accompanying photograph of your father with it in 1947 may jog a few memories, Tina.

Is the MSS Tina Wallman’s dad bought new in 1947 lurking in any reader’s shed?

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Permeable stoPgaP

During a touring holiday, my BSA B33 began clonking mechanically.

Thinking the worst, I lifted the barrel in a jiffy to discover all was well with the engine’s bottom end. Instead, I then found the clutch slightly loose, which was quickly remedied.

In lifting the barrel in the garden of my overnight digs, the cylinder base gasket was destroyed and I fashioned a replacement out of a thick brown envelope supplied by my host.

Mates say oil will escape through the gasket.

Why? And should I replace it? The Beezer had clocked 2800 miles since this ‘bodge’ was carried out.

Rod Hales, email.

There is a view that the best bodges are those which stand the test of time, and your DIY gasket has certainly fulfilled the criteria.

In theory your friends are right – gasket paper is impermeable to oil, whereas brown envelope paper isn’t.

However, compressed between the cylinder base and the crankcases it may well act perfectly as a gasket for years. Some rightly would replace your bodge, Rod, at the first opportunity, while others would leave well alone until it either starts seeping oil or you need to lift the barrel again.

Your call.

Light Tourist Attached is a picture of my relative’s great aunt May (on the motorcycle), great grandad Sydney and great nan Harriet Hulin. The photograph was taken in the Forest of Dean in the mid 1920s. The motorcycle looks brand new and they are really proud of it. I wonder if it’s still around? Or is that wishful thinking?

Bob Marshall, Kent.

The machine is a New Imperial 1A Light Tourist dating from the 1924 season. It’s fitted with a 293cc side valve JAP engine (a 350cc side valve JAP engine was an option at extra cost) driving through a three-speed gearbox and what looks like a Brampton front fork.

New Imperial fitted either Brampton or Druid sidesprung front forks in 1924. Fitted with drum brakes to both wheels, the Light Tourist New Imps were well equipped compared with many rival lightweights.

Carrying a Bristol registration mark issued in early 1924 the Model 1 and 1A Light Tourists were priced at 43 Guineas (£47-30p) ex-factory, though period dealer buyer’s guides issued in autumn 1923 for the following season state £45-15p with lights, horn and other accessories at extra cost.

New Imperial Light Tourist, with members of Bob Marshall’s family.

Charlie Dodson and the IoM TTs

While researching Charlie Dodson’s IoM TT career, I discovered he finished second in the 1934 IoM car TT driving an Alfa Romeo, something you and your fellow writers regularly overlook and I hope my email sets the record straight.

Lu Clayton Jnr, email, Vermont, US. You are quite correct. Often writers like me overlook the car racing careers of racing motorcyclists.

It’s well recorded John Surtees is the only motorcycling world champion to secure a Formula 1 crown.

However, many other racing motorcyclists competed with success on wheels including Mike Hailwood, Freddie Dixon, Kaye Don, your research subject Charlie Dodson and others. For my part, I research and write about motorcycles, motorcyclists plus all associated subjects and while the car career of

You were asking is sponsored bY Castrol ClassiC oils

Free insurance Thought you’d like to see the enclosed ‘free insurance’ certificate supplied in 1939 to my later father-in-law Samuel James Carter. Through the 1930s he rode a 1926 AJS with the London mark YO 6512, which he usually insured with the Prudential Assurance Company Ltd. In his motorcycling effects we have is The Daily Mirror Free Insurance policy No. 978 in his name and issued for a year from January 2, 1939. Have you ever seen such a document before?

John Allen, East Anglia.

Charlie Dodson, after finishing second in the 1934 IoM car ‘TT’.

subjects is mentioned, it is to my mind, for the most part outside the remit of a motorcycle magazine such as The Classic MotorCycle.

Charlie Dodson did indeed finish second in a car race held on a circuit contrived by the RAC on streets of Douglas, IoM, the Mannin Moar rather than a TT. Due to the success of the Monaco Grand Prix, the RAC decided to organise a similar event. The IoM government was willing to close the required streets in Douglas for the event and on July 12, 1933, held the Mannin Beg for normally aspirated (unsupercharged) under 1500cc racing cars and on July 14, 1933, the Mannin Moar for cars with engines over 1500cc with superchargers permissible, both were regarded as non championship Grand Prix. After 50 laps of the 4.6 mile circuit Brian Lewis (Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza) won at over 65mph from Tim Rose-Richards (Bugatti T51) and George Eyston (Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza), the only finishers from 16 entrants and nine starters including the former Brooklands motorcycle racer and record hold Kaye Don (Alfa Romeo).

A year later and on a shorter circuit from a field of 10 starters there were again just three finishers with Brian Lewis (Alfa Romeo Tipo B) winning from Charlie Dodson (Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza) and Cyril Paul driving a Freddie Dixon entered Riley 2600/6. Among the retirements was Freddie Dixon in another Riley.

Which a little poetic licence Dixon may be regarded as the only man to win a TT on two, three and four wheels*.

In 1935, Brian Lewis drove a Bugatti T59 to victory in the Mannin Moar from a field of 14 starters and four finishers to complete a hat trick of victories. * Freddie Dixons two-, three- and four-wheel TT victories: 1923 IoM Sidecar TT 1927 IoM Junior TT 1935 RAC Tourist Trophy – Riley Sprite TT (Ards circuit, Belfast) 1936 RAC Tourist Trophy, with Charlie Dodson – Riley Sprite TT (Ards circuit, Belfast)

Reading the small print, the policy was issued free of charge to readers/subscribers of e Daily Mirror newspaper under a contractual arrangement to buy the paper daily from the policy holder’s newsagent. e underwriter for these policies was the Eagle Star Insurance Co and if the reader cancelled their Daily Mirror subscription arrangement, the policy was declared null and void.

Although a life, rather than motor vehicle policy it had a section dealing with death caused either by a motorcycle or while riding one. A sliding scale of financial benefits applied and not surprisingly motorcycling was near the bottom of the list – level of benefits to the policy holder’s spouse in the event of death for example imply motorcycling was a risky business in 1939.

Pursuit or death caused by:

The ‘free’ insurance certificate and terms.

Seems the ‘best’ way to die was in a train crash…

Notice air travel garners no mention.

Benefit on death in £ UK Sterling

Rail travel Travel by tram, bus, steamer and taxi cab Motor coaches Private cars Work related accidents Amateur organised sport, e.g. football, cricket etc.

Swimming (proven drowning) Motor cycling and cycling Home related deaths

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The ClassiC MoTorCyCle | JanuarY 2014

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Classic Camera | Intrepid adventurer

Returning traveller, December 1950

T

heresa Wallach returns to London in the first week of December 1950, having covered 30,002 miles in the USA and Canada on her Norton International.

The fiercely independent motorcycle explorer was no stranger to long motorcycle trips, having, in 1935, ridden from London to Cape Town on Panther and sidecar, pulling a trailer. Accompanied

by Florence Blenkiron, the journey is documented in a book, The Rugged Road.

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Classic life She was one of only three ladies to earn a Brooklands Gold Star, riding a Francis Beart tuned 350cc ‘cammy’ Norton in 1939, then during the war served as a dispatch rider.

After a spell working for Lagonda, she decided she needed a new adventure and set off for America in July 1947. Meeting her Norton there – it went by ship, she by air – she took just the bare essentials and spent the entire two and a half years ‘living off the back’ of her Norton.

On return, she rode her Inter – registration number HOF 260 – to Norton’s workshop and was presented with a new machine. Soon, bored of austere Britain, she returned to America, opening a motorcycle shop and then motorcycle training schools, on the back of her book, Easy Motorcycle Riding.

She wrote a further book (Motorcycling for Business and Pleasure) as well as The Rugged Road, but the memoirs of her ‘International’; trek were never written, She died on her 90th birthday, on April 30, 1998.

End