The Classic MotorCycle May 2015 by Mortons Media Group Ltd

TOUCH OF CLASS LITTLE RED INDIAN DOUGLAS 90 PLUS SMALL ENGINE V-TWIN

Number 5 May 2015

Levis

£4.10

MAY 2015

so Oh

pretty! PLUS:Triumph Model H resto guide

BSA C11/C12 superprofile Tony Jefferies interview Matchless G9 Race Retro Telford off-road show

Editor’s welcome

OW SUBSCRIBE N FOR ONLY

. 50 £18 page 16

While searching for some data, I came across some statistics, namely that during 1950, 71,458 motorcycles were exported from the UK – in 1949 it was 65,289, of which 25,107 went to Australia. The same year, 3541 went to Switzerland, with only 700 odd more (4267) to the US. Now they’re very impressive numbers – apart from the one relating to exports to the US. But, of course, that market was one which the UK manufacturers was acutely aware that they needed to break, and the man most loudly expressing that opinion was Edward Turner. It wasn’t long before the US was the biggest, most important export market; and that changed the products made by the UK industry. Motorcycles that were a success in the British market – and to a degree those to places such as Australia – were often the machines with no appeal to the American customer, machines precisely like the BSA C11/12s featured in this issue. The small-capacity BSAs really are an underrated machine, and one which is well worthy of consideration for classic enthusiasts. This was underlined to me at the end of last summer, when I rode home from an event in company with a chap on his C11; in fact, a machine identical to that featured on our reprint in this issue. I was on my KTS Velo and he’d said, “If I’m going too slow, then you’ll just have to pass me…” Too slow? The little ohv 250cc BSA was pretty much the same speed as my 350cc cammy Velo; granted the BSA was 10 years younger but the Velo was still in production at the same time as the C11. And the BSA was aimed squarely at the ‘ride to work’ man, with the Velo for the enthusiast. It does provide food for thought and makes one wonder if perhaps a lot of us are barking up the wrong tree… So, now I’ve started thinking that something small, light and uncomplicated could be added to the stable. I’ve touched on it before (that there’s much riding pleasure to be had in these diminutive, lower-powered machines) and now I’m wondering if there might be something in it. In fact, riding something small and lower powered is akin to riding something older. For example, don’t want to outlay for a vintage 350cc ABC or Douglas? Try an LE Velocette. And how about an autocycle instead of a veteran? While riding my 1992 750SS Ducati always reminds me of the Rocket Goldie I used to have; the Ducati cost not much more than 10% of what the RGS did. There might be something in this… Any suggestions welcome!

JAMES ROBINSON Editor

22 Contributors

Roy Poynting, Richard Rosenthal, Jerry Thurston, Phillip Tooth, Alan Turner, 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

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

CONTENTS ISSUE | MAY 2015 Archive photograph ..........................................6 News ...................................................................8 Diary ................................................................14 Subscribe and save........................................16 Letters ..............................................................18 Classic off-road show .....................................20 Race Retro .......................................................22 BSA C11/C12 super profile ............................26 Levis A2............................................................34 Douglas 90 Plus...............................................40 Indian Little Twin ...........................................46 Straight from the plate – 1957 Senior TT ......53 Matchless G9 Super Clubman.......................58 Stevens model.................................................64 What we rode in 1955.....................................66 Hood Jeans .............................................................72 Tony Jefferies interview.......................................76 Men who mattered – Harold Willis...............78 Roy Poynting column.....................................80 Jerry Thurston column ......................................82 Marque of Distinction – Matchless ...................64 You were asking ..............................................88

Restoration guide – Triumph Model H ........92 Classic components .......................................94 Tech feature – New Imperial rebuild, part six.96 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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The ClassiC MoTorCyCle | MAY 2015

Classic Dirt Bike | Show

Off-road enthusiasm Telford’s International Centre was awash with extremely encouraging sights and sounds at this newly branded Classic Dirt Bike show.

Words & photography: MICHAEL BARRACLOUGH

f a single word could be employed to describe the atmosphere at this year’s Putoline Classic Dirt Bike Show, that word would be ‘inspiring’. Motorcycling devotees of all things off-road thronged to the show during the weekend of February 21-22, consolidating a very successful event for everybody involved. Walking past a brace of handsome but slightly careworn Fantic machines early on the Saturday morning, the first thing that struck me was the number of families with young children that were in attendance, which is always a very heartening sight. The sound of a child shrieking or laughing (or occasionally bawling) could be heard once or twice amid the ambient chatter that filled the main halls, and the occasional pushchair could be spotted trundling between the stalls. Naturally the event was not exactly overflowing with young families, but even the presence of a few was enough to affirm that classic motorcycles are something that everyone can enjoy. At 11:36am former Motocross World Champion Graham Noyce took the stage, where he and Classic

1 The show was

replete with vivid and colourful speedway machines.

2 Paul Müller of All-Star Classic Speedway’s rare Fis JAP.

3 A stunning

Douglas dirt tracker.

4 This trials Villiersengined FrancisBarnett is very neat.

5 Though not a dirt

bike, this 490cc Norton side-valve was welcome at the show.

6 Known for their

original and occasionally quite zany machines, this OEC speedway bike is comparatively very normal.

Dirt Bike editor Tim Britton chatted about Graham’s past successes, including his Pinhard Prize win in 1975 and his meteoric rise to off-road stardom. Trials legend Sammy Miller was also among the first to speak, detailing some interesting stories from his illustrious career. Special guest of honour Mick Grant helped to galvanise the occasion by presenting the winners with their awards – more on that later. There were, of course, a great many interesting and beautiful motorcycles at the show, including Martin Lampkin’s world championship winning Bultaco. Known for his requests for ever more powerful machinery, Martin wanted a gutsier machine to help him win the 1975 world trials series, which was the very first time the series was to be a world championship event as opposed to a solely European one, (though the previous ‘European’ championship did, inexplicably, have an American round). Needless to say, the combination of Martin Lampkin’s significant skill as a rider and his punchy new Bulto proved to be a winning combination and he emerged victorious, just as he had done in the European series two years earlier. A number of beautiful grass-track and speedway machines were exhibited by All-Star Classic Speedway, including a very rare Polish machine – a circa 1956 Fis, compete with Polish-made JAP engine. The machine is one of about six known to still be in the country, and features an intriguing ‘metric’ JAP engine (“Nothing fits!” All-Star Classic Speedway’s Paul Müller informs me). Other lovely machines included a beautiful redframed 1954 OEC speedway JAP and a particularly lovely 1928 Douglas DT5. The Douglas was just one of many British bikes on display. Naturally the show attracted a wealth of British off-road icons; there were Greeves and Triumph machines aplenty – plus a Norton 500T or two – but there were other motorcycles that aided in the variation of the overall array. The National Motorcycle Museum’s display featured some splendid Norton flat-tankers, including a circa 1920 490cc side-valve racing machine. Another somewhat evocative sight was a venerable old James Comet – pockmarked here and there with cosmetic rust – nestled between some gleaming motocross bikes. The winners were announced on the Sunday, and their awards were handed out by former Isle of Man TT star Mick Grant. Best in Show (and also best motocross machine) was won by Glen Whittock, Steve Butler and Terry House for their stunning 1981 Maico Mega 2. The award for best road racer went to Steve Linsdell and his 350cc Royal Enfield. John May’s 1965 Bultaco 10 Sherpa won the best trials award, and best enduro went to Heidi Cockerton and her 1965 Suzuki S10. Victorious in the category of best speedway and grasstrack machine was All-Star Classic Speedway’s Paul Müller with his 1974 Jawa speedway machine. All in all the show was well attended and replete with attractive and interesting machinery. A very friendly ambience pervaded the event, and it really lent some credence to the prevailing notion that the Telford show is place where old friends can reconnect and look at motorcycles – and maybe pick up a few bits and bobs from the autojumble stalls while they are at it. End

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | MAY 2015

Douglas | 90 Plus

Plus points What makes this particular example of an already unusual motorcycle even more of a rarity is one of its few concessions to normality. Words: ROY POYNTING Photography: TERRY JOSLIN

eing unconventional was a way of life for the makers of Douglas’ motorcycles, so (if it doesn’t sound too back to front) it’s no surprise that the most ordinarylooking part of the featured motorcycle is actually the most unusual. As aficionados will doubtless have already guessed, I’m referring to a rear suspension set-up looking exactly like that on practically every other bike from the mid-1950s onwards. The point is that while Douglas was among the earliest companies to adopt swinging fork rear suspension (even before Royal Enfield’s trend-setting Bullet) the suspension movement at both ends was initially controlled by torsion bars. A change was soon made to conventional springing at the front, but coil spring/damper units weren’t used at the rear until the Douglas Dragonfly appeared in 1954. Other than novelty for its own sake, the clearest benefit of the straight torsion bars first used on the 1947 Douglas T35 was that they could be hidden inside the bottom frame tubes, with short links to the underside of each fork leg just visible at the rear.

Above and below: Colour images from the Douglas catalogue – from top, the cooking Mk.5, the 80 Plus and the 90 Plus.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | MAY 2015

February 1, 1951

AN INTERESTING REPRINT. SURELY THE MODEL

A PERFECT R. R. HOLLIDAY Describes

An amazingly exact quarter scale reproduction of a 500cc Stevens Combination To convey the true size of this amazing model Stevens outfit its constructor has placed his hand on the saddle.

BOUT 18 months ago the editor heard that a very clever model engineer had almost completed a well-nigh perfect, fully working, miniature motorcycle. But, as so often happens, the news reached us through the friend of a friend whose brother’s fiancee had heard it from the milkman – or something like that – and, beyond the belief that this modeller lived somewhere in Essex, there was nothing to trace his location or even his name. Like the Great Detective at work with his only clue, the editor concentrated on Essex and spread his net. Many people connected with motorcycling in the eastern counties were asked to keep their eyes and ears open and to report any modelling activities that seemed to include motorcycling.

‘Sherlock’ Coles One of the most persistent inquirers, being interested in model making himself, was Sam Coles, the Leyton distributor and amateur cine-photographer. At length, through a club friend, he uncovered the trail, which led him to 177a Francis Road, Leyton – just round the corner from his own premises! Furthermore, the occupier, Mr G F Wills, turned out to be one of his own customers! Yes, Mr Coles could see the model, but it was then, last March, not fully completed – better to wait until it had proved itself with a test run. This was successfully accomplished recently and a few days later the model was in our offices, delighting the staff with its fascinating realism. As the photographs show, Mr Wills’s machine is a virtually perfect copy of a 1936 Stevens, with a Watsonian sidecar. In fact, it is a scaled-down replica of the outfit he himself owns and runs. This motorcycle, of course, was built by the Wolverhampton Stevens brothers after they had ceased to be associated with AJS marque. It featured a

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | MAY 2015

Details of the quarter-scale engine are shown in this close-up of the beautifully built 7.5cc unit.

He would be a clever man who could spot from this picture where the model differs from the original.

February 1, 1951

SURVIVES; DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE?

WORKING MODEL So realistic is the Stevens miniature that one is almost urged to get aboard and ‘try her out’!

embossed aluminium index markings. To make these, stencils were cut in mild steel plate, and sheet aluminium, backed by hard rubber, was forced into the numbers under pressure from a hand vice. The saddle is leather topped on a spring mattress. Leather upholstery on spongerubber is used for the sidecar seat and squab, the body being of thin plywood on mahogany framework. The cellulose-enamel finish to the sidecar was applied by hand, but the chassis and all the black parts of the motorcycle were professionally stove-enamelled and the bright parts chromium-plated.

Road test

495cc engine and the fact that the bore and stroke were respectively 31⁄8in by 4in decided Mr Wills to adopt a scale of 3in to 1ft when he began work, in 1946, on the crankcase patterns. These he made from brass instead of wood; the castings turned out clean and sharp and he went ahead with the crankshaft assembly, which was fabricated and brazed as a one-piece job, it being felt that to attempt a built-up assembly would be risking failure when the engine ran. A departure from the original layout had, of course, also to be made with the con rod in the shape of a split big-end.

Barrel and piston The cylinder barrel was turned from Meehanite and carefully lapped to fit the hardened steel ringless piston. Cast-iron was used for the cylinder head, the fins being cut on a milling machine. Stainless steel valves were equipped with spring-wire coil springs retained by C-washers held in grooves on the valve stems. Nearly all the timing gear was constructed on Mr Wills's second-hand and somewhat antiquated lathe, but the cams themselves, provided a lift of only 1⁄16in were hand filed and compared by eye with the originals. It not being intended to run the engine for long periods, the complications of a working oil pump were avoided by employing petroil lubrication, but the dummy pump was made, complete even to the graduation markings on the thumb-wheel adjuster. Very slightly over-scale, the Amal carburettor was equipped with a simple plunger-type throttle valve, while cork was used for the float. For ignition, Mr Wills adopted the coil system, having decided that a quarter-scale working Magdyno was beyond him. Instead, he located a contact breaker inside a dummy Magdyno, driving it through a train of five pinions from the inlet camshaft. The coil and condenser were housed in a compartment in the fuel tank

and a nickel-iron battery was located in the sidecar locker. A No. 800 cycle battery was fitted into the sidecar body to supply the lighting system which incorporated a twinbulb headlamp controlled by an exact copy of the Miller dip-switch of that period. Two speeds were arranged in the Burman gearbox, controlled by a positive-stop foot change. The kick-starter, however, was found to be not strong enough and starting is now effected by a detachable crank handle engaging with dogs on the engine shaft. Four steel plates and two Ferodo discs were incorporated in the clutch – as in the original – and Renold 8mm chain was used for primary and rear drives. This is out of scale, but it is the smallest size available and does not, in fact, look at all out of character on the completed model.

‘On the road’ the Stevens performs beautifully. Starting is very easy and the little unit, to the accompaniment of a hearty crackle, runs steadily and reliably. With low gear engaged and the clutch gently released, the ‘take-off’ is smooth and easy. Since top gear is identical with that of the prototype, quarter-scale speeds are obtainable and, with the steering locked, the outfit circles merrily at about 10-12mph with the twist grip opened to ‘cruising’ position – a performance which must surely amply reward Mr Wills for the four patient years he has put into this real labour of love.

The frame For the frame, silver-soldered brass tubing was employed – that for the front forks being tapered in the approved manner. Ball bearings of 1⁄16in diameter were fitted in the steering head and adjustable shock absorbers and a steering damper, all performing their proper functions, were included in the front forks. Having obtained some seamless rubber pram tyres of the correct size, Mr Wills built up his wheels to suit them, casting the rims in aluminium. The hubs and brake drums were fabricated from mild steel while stainless steel wire of 0.036in diameter was used for spokes, 1 ⁄16 in diameter counter-sunk, brass rivets, drilled and tapped 15BA, forming the spoke nipples. The brake shoe lay-out, rod linkage, etc. was all copied exactly and the wheels were mounted on very small ball bearings from aircraft instruments. All the controls – throttle, front brake and clutch – were supplied with Bowden type cables and so exact was the ultimate reproduction that even the number plates have

Patience personified! Mr Wills put four years of delicate workmanship into this Lilliputian sidecar outfit, which, when this photo was taken, had just completed a test run, clocking 12mph at 2200rpm. THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | MAY 2015

Restoration guide | Expert advice

Triumph Model H The specialisTs There is no specific club for the Model H, but the Vintage Motor Cycle Club is an obvious port of call for the would-be restorer as the club has a marque specialist for the early Triumphs. Our specialist this issue, who prefers to remain anonymous, advises that as the model celebrates its centenary in 2015, the occasion may be marked elsewhere, as well as a definite event in Cumbria in the summer. Veteran Triumph Spares (www.parts@veterantriumph.co.uk) is a useful source

model hisTory

The Model H is often known as the ‘Trusty’ Triumph, although the alliteration had long been applied to earlier models. Triumph claimed the H was a virtually new design but, in reality, it was an evolution of the Model A. The most important feature was the transmission. Rather than a belt direct from crankshaft to rear wheel pulley, the H used a countershaft gearbox. It was the final link that defined modern motorcycles from the evolutionary veterans. Although the 1915 launch date appeared less than auspicious, the First World War was still getting into its murderous stride and civilian motorcycle trade continued until mid-1916. In spite of Triumph’s strong German connections, around 30,000 Model Hs were supplied for military service. Postwar, some WD bikes returned to the factory, where they were completely overhauled and sold into the civilian market. There was no mis-representation, even the tank badges declared ‘Renovated.’ Consequently, many motorcycles ended up with mixed identities. Complete new machines were also available. While the years of manufacture of engines, frames, gearboxes etc can be determined, the total number of Model Hs built remains something of a mystery, although some sources quote 57,000. By 1920, Triumph offered the SD with chain final drive, the following year the overheadvalve Ricardo. Perhaps that ‘Trusty’ reputation ensured the increasingly anachronistic H was offered until 1923.

Words: ALAN TURNER

Engine A welcome part of the ‘Trusty’ legend is that the engine has no inherent faults. e sidevalve unit combined a bore of 85mm with a stroke of 97mm for 550cc. e barrel and head were one casting, with caps covering the equal-sized valves. Although oﬃcially rated at 4hp, the manufacturer tempted: ‘developing considerably more under favourable conditions’. e crankshaft turned on ball bearings, the big-end used a roller bearing. is was another signiﬁcant advance in

engine design. A single camshaft operated the valves via rockers and clearances were achieved with adjustable tappets. An extra camshaft ramp operated the decompressor, which acted on the exhaust valve when operated by a small foot pedal. A small Renold chain drove the magneto. e carburettor was of Triumph’s manufacture. Restorers of early machines usually assume their projects have zero parts availability. e Model H oﬀers a pleasant surprise in that Veteran Triumph Spares carry quite a

The ClassiC MoTorCyCle | MAY 2015

selection of parts. Among the many consumables listed there are pistons and rings permitting straightforward rebores. Searching for engine castings will involve jumbling and Google-gazing, but patience should be rewarded sooner rather than later. While Triumph may have introduced some updates, all the parts, 1915-23, remained interchangeable. 02

Transmission Beneath an alloy cover, a primary chain (Renold originally) transfers drive

to the four-plate clutch. Veteran Triumph Spares can help with many parts. e drivetrain continues to the Sturmey-Archer three-speed unit; this set the Model H apart from other bikes. e gears were in constant mesh and the factory claimed the design even allowed clutchless gear changes, achieved by a sturdy hand lever pivoting on the frame’s saddle tube. Another improvement was a kickstart to bring the engine to life. Gearbox lubrication required the regular application of an oil gun. Provided there has been some eﬀort with the

slippery stuff, the gearbox is long lasting and gives very little trouble. SturmeyArcher parts can still be found. e final drive was by V-belt, still obtainable from various manufacturers and in different materials. Each will have proponents and opponents. It seems there’s an ideal combination for every bike – it’s just a question of finding it. 03

Electrics e ﬁrst Model Hs were ﬁtted with ML PM1 magnetos, exact copies of the Bosch ZE1,

Classic life “Even after 100 years, ‘H’ enthusiasm shows no sign of diminishing.”

PRICING

Complete, restored and ready to run, a Model H may well command around £10,000 from a dealer. The continued interest in working bikes in ‘oily rag’, original condition means that values of such machines have increased to about the same as restored examples. Kits of parts will be well into the four-figure zone, but even wrong, or missing, parts are temporary, rather than disastrous, setbacks.

01 04

FINAL BIT

unobtainable due to the war. Later machines had the ML K1. As the Bosch was generally held to be a superior unit, many bikes acquired the German magnetos post-war. e last production bikes adopted a magdyno unit as electric lighting took over. Prior to this, Triumph never offered a factory-fitted lighting system, so any number of acetylene lighting kits might have been fitted as aftermarket accessories. Parts availability for any of the systems is marginal.

Cycle parts Triumph claimed its frames were of ‘sturdy construction’, but military service proved this was somewhat optimistic, with quite a few breakages reported. As surviving frames are now a century old, or approaching it, then corrosion may well have taken its toll. e ﬂat tank holds supplies of both petrol and oil and early ones incorporated a fuel gauge. e oil pump is also located on the top of the tank, with an occasional push required to keep the engine happy. e wheels are 26in, front and back,

but beaded-edge tyres are readily available and there is even a choice of brands. e front brake is a stirrup-type bicycle brake, a foot pedal brings a brake shoe into contact with the rear-wheel belt pulley rim. Even with the system in good condition rather than ‘brake’ think of: ‘tempering of forward progress’. 05

Suspension e rigid rear suspension is mitigated only by the Brooks saddle, which can either be replaced, or renovated, including

replacement of the springs. At the front, it was Triumph’s own girder fork. e fear of most riders is that spring breakage causes a semi-collapse of the forks and a rapid proximity to Mother Earth. Accepted wisdom is to use a leather strap (usually a dog-collar) to act as a safety check, but apparently, this method is still far from drama-proof. If the forks need overhaul, the construction methods are less arcane than those used by other manufacturers, and the work is within the capabilities of a suitably equipped home workshop.

Having already been popular for 100 years, enthusiasm for the model shows no sign of diminishing, although with so many owners reporting trouble-free riding experiences, perhaps it is not so surprising. With remarkably good survival rates, there are still quite a few to go round. The First World War and its aftermath ensured the bikes were widely distributed, and they can turn up for sale almost anywhere. The riding experience is pure veteran, except for the gearbox that set the Model H from all that had gone before. With the official four horses reconstituted for real-world performance, combined with the transmission, the Triumph has a good turn of speed and the ability to cope with the most severe of hills. Courtesy of the brakes, descending hills can become far more interesting than their ascents. History may record that the Model H hijacked that ‘Trusty’ moniker, but it is hard to think where it might have been better placed.

The ClassiC MoTorCyCle | MAY 2015

End

Classic life

Classic Camera | Folkestone Road, 1939

A plum job, 1939

t seems 1939 was a particularly fine year for growers of fruit in Kent, with the annual yield of plums being significantly larger than in previous years; so much larger, in fact, that purveyors of the purple fruit in Kent were giving large bags of them away for free to their customers. Owners of garages were well known for handing out bags of plums to paying customers during this brief period in 1939. This photograph was taken on the Folkestone Road in Kent, and shows one such garage owner handing a Sunbeam-mounted customer a bag of plums. We believe that the machine is a 1936-on 500cc Model 9 or perhaps even a 350cc Model 8 (though we welcome correspondence from eagle-eyed readers who can better identify it). Some major changes took place across a considerable portion of Sunbeam’s range of motorcycles in 1936, making it a very important year for the firm. Burman gearboxes, a cradle frame

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The ClassiC MoTorCyCle | MAY 2015

and a flange-fitting carburettor became standard appointments on all Sunbeam motorcycles except the 600cc models. Twin-port heads and even the hairpin valve springs – springs that Sunbeam itself had established – were also eschewed in favour of other fitments. The aesthetic of the Sunbeam also changed slightly; the new machines looked a shade lighter and a fraction sportier. This may have been an attempt to inject a bit more vim and vigour into a marque that was beginning to stagnate. During the closing months of 1936 the Collier family, who by this time owned both Matchless and AJS, purchased the Sunbeam name as well. The parent company decided that, seeing as it now owned three very different but equally famous names, a more all-encompassing name was needed, and so it was re-registered in 1937 as Associated Motorcycles (AMC). At the time of this photograph, the Sunbeam name will have been the property of AMC for nearly three years. d En