r67 jfyt

AN ACTIONPACKED SUMMER OF SPORT INSIDE CLASSIC

eaaping Action A SPORT IS BACK!

Rickman Remembered

Our tribute to a legend

PLUS

Cee Zee Czech’d out

OSSA GRIPPER CAN-AM MIGHTY MATCHLESS

MOTO IN BALANCE MEMORIES

Cause and effect

No change made is completely neutral; there will always be an effect.

O

ne of the big topics in mainstream press at the moment is E10 petrol and how it will reduce the impact on the environment. This is okay as far as it goes and I don’t doubt the idea behind this move to such fuels is well intentioned.

From what I can gather as these theories are put forward is a wholesale switch to more ethanol in fuel will save the planet and be better for everyone. Sorry, not convinced. I’m not a scientist in any way, shape or form and it would be silly of me to pretend I was but a person doesn’t need to be a scientist to understand cause and effect when things are altered.

Let’s put this into a motorcycle context.

The current trend to move trials bike footrests back and down to improve the riding position has the effect of altering the weight distribution too. It also means the rear brake lever won’t be quite so conveniently placed for a rider’s boot, be it left or right. So the effect caused by this alteration requires another part of the motorcycle to be altered. What has this got to do with E10 petrol? Nothing really – but producing more E10 fuel requires a variety of grown crops to be harvested, fermented and distilled. So there is cause and effect on the planet, more bio-fuel crops mean fewer food crops and there is actually only so much room on the planet to grow things. Of course the planet’s population could be shifted and crammed into smaller areas and I read somewhere all seven billion of us on the planet would just about fit on to Shetland island, some at the outer edges would need wellies on though. This would release more land for crops and fuel but the effect would be a depressingly tedious lifestyle such as shown in several sci-fi films.

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❝ This will make a decent feature for the tech section in the next issue but first I must make sure I know what information I need to find out. ❞

E10 fuel has raised its ugly head for me personally in my own club’s recent two-day trial. My 250 Bultaco, which I’ve owned from new, is a 1980 model. In those days leaded four-star petrol was still freely available and I recall a petrol station in the local town had a pump which dispensed five-star too. The Bulto ran quite well on the pump fuel of those days but in 2021 the only fuel at the pump has a percentage of ethanol in it.

The effect caused by this additive is to rot the insides of fibreglass and plastic fuel tanks, melt fuel pipes and carburettor internals to the point where motorcycles won’t run without serious modifications.

There are ethanol-resistant components to tackle the problem; as my Bulto wears an Amal MkII Concentric the point of contact was Amal. The bits that needed changing were the float and float needle plus a few O-rings and the petrol pipe.

These are now ethanol resistant and have been for some years and I’m of the understanding other carburettor makes have similar bits available.

I’d been using some fuel which was probably E5 description and things were okay-ish on day one but a fill up was required for day two and what I bought was E10… oh dear, what a poor show for day two. The poor Bulto wouldn’t run properly, proved difficult to start – even to the point of having to flick the choke on after walking a section and returning to the bike.

In case you’re hanging on this and thinking ‘yes, sounds exactly like my bike’ and hoping for an answer I’ll say now I don’t have an answer as there’s not been time to investigate and check over settings etc. Something I will do is to investigate

what’s going on with this fuel and there are a couple of samples of non-ethanol competition fuel to try. The chap at the local dyno tuning place is looking forward to me turning up with my Bulto to see what is happening with the engine and carburetion at various settings.

This will make a decent feature for the tech section in the next issue but first I must make sure I know what information I need to find out.

I feel the cause of the problems is ethanol and the effect is a poorly running motorcycle. As ‘old’ when describing vehicles has become ‘before 2011’ the inference from officialdom is such machines should be discarded.

All well and good – but the environmental impact of creating our machines does tail off over a period of time and while never a negative, the trade-off compared with making a new motorcycle is significant; so using an old one is, if not ‘good’, perhaps ‘less bad.’

Manufacturing techniques have improved so future environmental impact is reduced during the making of motorcycles but it still takes time for the impact to be traded off. As post-pandemic life begins to return to normal there is a good chance this column will also return to normal and talk about riding, ’recking and repairing old motorcycles, while appreciating we have a responsibility to safeguard the future so there will be motorcycles there for the next generation to ride, ’reck and repair.

AUTUMN 2021 |

3

Regulars 03 In Balance

E10! Grrrrrr...

06 News and views

As the world struggles back to some kind of normality there are new events being launched, postponed events being rescheduled and lots more besides.

46 Subscribe

Find out how to have your copy of CDB land on your doormat on a regular basis.

60 Dicko’s view

Just because you dominate the industry doesn’t mean you ‘get’ every type of biking scene.

82 Moto Memories

There are few ideas which are truly new.

Take electric bikes for instance… yes, they’ve been done before.

On the cover Lewis Bell leaps towards Andy Withers’ camera during the Acorns MCC scramble featured on pages 62-72.

20

11

Features 11

Magical Matchless

If you’ve a Matchless available to ride then why not let a former Matchless works rider ride it for you… and suggest his improvements.

20 Derek Rickman – a life celebrated

Our pictorial tribute to Derek Rickman who lost his battle with cancer recently.

28 Spannerman’s OSSA

Reworking a bike to your own taste is a common theme in these pages. We view Al Winter’s OSSA built to ride and showcase his business.

28

40 Can-Am or CCM

Er… it’s both actually and a very nice job it is too, a far cry from the starting point Chris Marsh acquired.

74

Choices made

In MX, sometimes what you ride is dictated by where and in what class you want to ride… such was the case with this CZ.

62 74

Events 58 Classic Highland

Scottish motorcycle sport made a welcome return when Inverness DMC met the Covid requirements and ran their 2020 Highland Classic Two Day Trial.

62 Events galore

More sport than you can shake a pair of handlebars at, in the south, in the north, in the west and in the east.

Technical 48 In the workshop

The IT has moved to another workshop for more technical stuff to be done, offering a chance to look at other bikes in the stable.

56 Dirt Products

Got something to enhance the off-road experience? Let us know and we’ll tell the world… yes, we will… you can’t stop us!

AUTUMN 2021 | 5

TELFORD 2022 The Hagon-backed CDB Show is Go for 2022!

After months of uncertainty in the world in general rather than just the off-road world in particular, the big news for CDBers and classic dirt bike fans is the Classic Dirt Bike Show will return to the Telford International Centre on February 12-13, 2022. Hagon Shocks is once again pleased to be involved and like the rest of us, the Hagon team are looking forward to an excellent show.

Though details are at the moment basic – little more than the date, February 12-13, 2022 and the ticket prices will be £16 on the gate, £14 advance and anyone 15 years old or under can get in free – there are plans to make the show a postpandemic spectacular.

What will be there is the best in dirt bikes from all disciplines of the sport and all eras which come under the remit of classic and vintage dirt bike stuff, so there’ll be good old Brit iron from the Fifties and Sixties, European stuff from the Sixties on and Japanese machines of all eras. Effectively there’s pre65, classic, twinshock, Evo and Super Evo in trials, scrambles, MX, enduro, grass track, speedway, solo and sidecar so plenty to go at over two days. Add in there will be clubs and event organisers all keen to publicise their events or anniversaries, which set the editor thinking… 2022 will see the 60th anniversary of Sammy Miller’s first SSDT win and the top three bikes from this particular year are still around, they being Sammy’s Ariel, Gordon Jackson’s AJS and Mike Ransom’s Francis Barnet. What a display they would make in front of a massive SSDT backdrop. Still in Scotland, Mick Andrews completed his hat-trick of OSSA wins at the SSDT in

1972... wonder if his three machines are still around?

Of course 1982 saw Bernie Schreiber become the first non-European to win the SSDT. There must be many an anniversary to celebrate as those were just off the top of the editor’s head so, let us know what other anniversaries there are in whatever dirt bike discipline you follow.

It’s not just about the bikes; the show has become a social get-together for friends and riding buddies from all over.

There will of course be guests to chat to on stage but there will be many more

stars from the scene looking round at the bikes they rode, the bikes which inspired them to ride and the ones which came after their day was done. Add in autojumble stalls packed with the elusive bits to finish a rebuild, trade stands with new bits to start your project with, as well as clothing and oils and tyres and chains and... well, you get the picture. If you’re a trader and want a stand, contact Andy Catton on 01507 529430; if you’re an enthusiast and want show tickets, contact Mortons Customer Services on 01507 529529 and we’ll see you in February.

There will be bikes like this...

...bits like this...

...and more bikes on sale at the show.

6 | AUTUMN 2021

Tony Hutcheson (left) and Martin Hagon with 2019 guest of honour Bernie Schreiber as he visited show sponsor Hagon's stand to check out some of its display bikes.

New club gets some practice in North East MXers have a new club to cater for their classic, twinshock, Evo and Super Evo needs. The newly formed Durham & Northumbria Scramble Club launched itself on the scene with a practice day at Blue Barns Motocross track near Lanchester in County Durham on Saturday, June 19. The track proved to be ideal for the ‘old school’ bikes the club caters for.

Preparation of the track, including watering and grading, happened in advance of the riders arriving and the weather was superb on the day. Despite very dry conditions the track held up well although the dust did start to rise a little later in the day.

The club ran three independent classes – Classic/Twinshock (Pre 84), Evo (85-89) and Super Evo (90-99). There were some

Wasp sidecar celebration

Expect bikes like this in action with the new club and lots more twinshock, Evo and Super Evos too.

spectacular bikes on display ranging from total nut and bolt restorations right through to those more ‘organic’ in preparation. Each class had four x 20-minute sessions and all riders remained safe throughout. With loads of smiley faces and great feedback the club is encouraged to greater things. The club would like to express its thanks to Evo-MX for supporting the event as well as Blue Barns MX for providing a brilliant track.

So, if you live in the north and want to be involved look for Durham & Northumbria Scramble Club on Facebook. Or email the club on dnscrambleclub@gmail.com for future events.

Drumlanrig festival of offroad motorsport returns The road to Drumlanrig 2022 continues at a pace. The dates for the diary are June 18-19, 2022 when Galloway MC hosts The Classic Grand National Scramble of Scotland. It won’t just be excellent MX action on a great track in front of Drumlanrig Castle either as this festival will include an oval grass track, a trials competition and road runs too to provide enough motorcycling action for everyone interested in all sorts of motorcycles.

The road runs around the stunning countryside in which Drumlanrig Castle is sited and will highlight and showcase

the Galloway area; if you’ve not been to this part of Scotland it is well worth the trip. Saturday evening grass tracks used to be a part of any scrambles gathering and Galloway tentatively tried to put a shorttracked meet on a couple of years ago… and were overwhelmed by the interest… so 2022 will be bigger and better. Then the feet-up boys said: “Oi! What about us?” It seems there is some rough stuff to put a section or two in so there’s the trials section catered for.

More updates as we hear of them or visit www.gallowaymcc.com There will be close racing at the Castle...

Drumlanrig Castle when the off-road festival returns to the venue in 2022.

Postponed for 2020, the Mortimer Classic MCC’s fourth annual Wasp Sidecar celebration is back in 2021… with twice the energy!

It’s on September 4-5 at Bennetts Hill, Reading and promises lots of thundering sidecar action with some classic solos too. There’ll be 12 races, two classes and the solos so there’ll be plenty of stuff to see, people to talk to… if you can hear anything over the incredible sound of big MX engines being used to the max.

Apprentice support We make no apology for our support of craft apprentices here. The editor himself went through the apprenticeship route to work nearly… well, a while ago. Sealey Tools too is keen to support apprentices and has a new promotion for those learning a trade in the electrical, plumbing, mechanical and engineering fields.

Sealey’s free welcome pack is exclusive to apprentices! You’ll just need to opt into Sealey’s e-newsletter and register your claim on its website: https://www.sealey.co.uk/ It’s valid until December 31, 2021.

Borders Classic Bike Show

The popular Borders Show – at Lacon Childe School, Cleobury Mortimer in Shropshire – is back, with great catering including home-made cakes and an all-day breakfast. There'll be bikes from vintage to classic, trade stalls and autojumble, fire-up for racing bikes and a concours with a big range of awards. Reserved area for bike parking. Admission just £5 – top value.

Enter your bike on www. bordersbikeshow.com All proceeds to the school.

AUTUMN 2021 | 7

The Three Glens Trial In the day Galloway Motorcycle Club was not known as a trials club, despite having members who rode in the SSDT and other big feet-up events. However, there is in the relaunched club a thriving trials group who held their inaugural Three Glens Trial two-day trial in July which was based in the picturesque village of Moniaive in Dumfries and Galloway with facilities such as petrol, shop, hotel and a restaurant on hand. The club has access to thousands of acres offering good scope for a long lap with a variety of sections. Go to www. gallowaymcc.com to keep on top of things.

The sun shone on all, not just Montesa riders, at the Three Glens.

2021 AMCA/CDB British Classic Motocross Championship Gremlins crept into the leading positions in the 2021 series and the points totals of one or two (not all) individual riders was incorrect.

PRE-60: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

Joe Chell........................................................ 120 points Peter Hollinshead .................................................. 110 Simon Chell ................................................................. 105 Micky Allen .................................................................. 101 Ian Lovelock ................................................................... 56

PRE-65 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

Lewis Bell ....................................................................... 108 Ricky Pedder................................................................ 107 Keith Plumtree ........................................................... 77 Geoff Taylor ................................................................... 73 Gene Womack ............................................................. 62 James Thompson ...................................................... 40

Two rounds remain: On Sunday, August 29, at Clun, Shropshire the Moseley club hosts the fifth round.

Some felt the lap was too short when it was last used in 2019. I understand this has been remedied.

Then on September 26, the final round

Dave Gittins has been put back on the straight and narrow so here are the corrected totals after four rounds:

PRE-68 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

Keith Best....................................................................... 112 Chris Collins ............................................................... 104 Nick Archer .................................................................... 95 Mitchell Harris ............................................................ 82 Neil Hiscock................................................................... 47 Martin Kemp ............................................................... 39

PRE-74 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)

Kristian Marshall ................................................... 130 Chris Chell ....................................................................... 97 Kris Winder ..................................................................... 84 Wayne Partington..................................................... 80 Keith Rice .......................................................................... 62 Jos Goddard..................................................................... 49 Nathan Jones ................................................................. 44 Sam Oliver ....................................................................... 43 Greg Speed ....................................................................... 42

of the 2021 series takes place at Llanthony, near Abergavenny courtesy of the Llanthony club. For more details have a look at the AMCA website.

For championship information email Dave at davidgittins650@gmail.com or ring 07971 365177.

Get out your Pre2000 Years ago owners of big Brit bikes bemoaned the lack of events to ride in. Enter the Pre65 scene, then the twinshock owners wanted to haul their bikes out of the shed… A casual comment: “Bet there’s loads of Pre2000 trials bikes in sheds…” led to Market Drayton Motorcycle Club (AMCA Affiliated) introducing a new class to their trials which could persuade owners to haul out their Pre2000 bikes. The first

8 | AUTUMN 2021

trial planned is on October 10, 2021 for Pre2000 bikes only and includes classes for pre2000, air-cooled mono and twinshocks, so if your bike is not a 1999 bike or older, sorry, it’s not eligible!

Start is at Bill Bourne’s farm in Mucklestone, near Market Drayton, Shropshire, at 11am. There’ll be two routes, no silly sections or tight turns needing a hop.

The club is intending to put on a decent course covering

"Use an action pic of a Pre2000 bike but not a twinshock," they said... two farms and there won’t be any roadwork. There’s a maximum of 80 riders, a catering van will be there and if you want to get involved, details of how to enter are at marketdraytonmcc@gmail.com

Editor: Tim Britton cdbeditor@mortons.co.uk 07739 615605 Columnist: John Dickinson Contributors: Alan Telford Media, Andy Withers, Chris Marsh Photographers: Fiona Watson, Awsportsphoto, Nick Nicholls Collection at Mortons Archive Production editor: Pauline Hawkins Art Editor: Kelvin Clements

Sammy on the mike as he chats to Motorbike Show presenter Henry Cole. Peter Hollinshead listens on.

Rickman Enthusiasts Day There was a touch of sadness at the Sammy Miller Museum when it hosted the Rickman Enthusiasts Day on August 1 as Derek Rickman had passed away three weeks before.

His brother Don was on hand to welcome the hundreds of Rickman enthusiasts and 200 Rickman motorcycles to the museum. As a fitting tribute Derek’s 1966 Farleigh Castle winning Rickman was fired up before a minute’s silence in remembrance.

Once the remembrance service had concluded, 50 bikes were paraded in the

museum complex grounds, to the delight of the hundreds of spectators, young and old alike.

Don Rickman thanked everyone for making it a memorable day and requested that the Sammy Miller Museum Trust make this an annual event for the Rickman Enthusiasts. Additionally the Rickman family have put Derek and Don’s world famous winning bikes on loan to the Sammy Miller Museum Trust and these are on display in the museum now. For museum information see www. sammymillermuseum.com

ISDT celebration for opening On a baking hot July day the Duke of Richmond performed the opening ceremony of the new wing at the Sammy Miller Museum in New Milton, Hampshire. With all sorts of motorcycles on display, and a variety of them being run too, crowds were treated to a fabulous motorcycling experience as three Ariel ISDT machines were run, with their original riders Sammy, Gordon Blakeway and Ron Langston on hand too.

Additionally a recent ISDT acquisition was the Royal Enfield Sammy rode as

Designers: Mike Baumber, Charlotte Fairman, Tim Pipes Publisher: Tim Hartley Group advertising manager: Sue Keily Advertising representative: Leon Currie 01507 529465 lcurrie@mortons.co.uk Sales and distribution manager: Carl Smith Marketing manager: Charlotte Park Publishing director: Dan Savage Commercial director: Nigel Hole Archive enquiries: Jane Skayman jskayman@mortons.co.uk 01507 529423 Editorial address PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ. General queries and back issues 01507 529529 24hr answerphone help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk Subscription Full subscription rates (but see page 46 for offer): (12 months four issues, inc post and packing) – UK £20. Export rates are also available – see page 46 for more details. UK subscriptions are zerorated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. Website www.classicdirtbike.co.uk

Ariel's top off-road team (from left) Ron Langston, Sammy Miller and Gordon Blakeway.

part of the Irish Vase Team in the 1956 ISDT – most of the Enfields went out in the beginning of the week, young Miller coaxed his through to the Friday of the tough event. There’s only room for a short piece in this issue, look out for a big feature in CDB 61. The museum details are at www.sammymillermuseum.com

Overseas distribution Marketforce UK Ltd. 0203 787 9001.

Printed by William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton.

CLASSIC DIRT BIKE (ISBN:978-1-909128-87-3) is published quarterly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK .

For overseas subscription packages please visit www. classicmagazines.co.uk/cdb-overseas

On the road for Scottish poppy appeal The Road Run section of the Galloway MCC deserve some mention, having racked up hundreds of miles in support of their chosen charity. This year the charity benefiting from their endeavours is the 100th anniversary

of Poppy Appeal Scotland and the boys and girls involved have chalked up quite a mileage and have already surpassed their target for money raised with still a few runs to go. So well done to them.

Copyright Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

AUTUMN 2021 | 9

10 | AUTUMN 2021

MICK’S MATCHLESS

Magical Matchless Words and pics: Tim Britton Media Ltd

A big single was the mainstay of scrambling for a long time – and arguably, to see and hear these machines in action is the reason for classic sport.

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Above: A clean, tidy motorcycle without being too OTT in the shiny department.

Left: Morris oils are used in the bike but the castor-based lube rather than Golden Film, as on the sticker.

Below left: James Holland made up this rear brake plate, which has lots of cooling holes.

12 | AUTUMN 2021

E

veryone rode big bikes in scrambling at one time, there was nothing else which would stand up to the rigours of such a sport and a competitor needed a massively constructed machine which was weighed in tons. These machines needed physically big lads to ride them as nobody who didn’t wield a hammer or saw, or didn’t haul steel around in heavy engineering during their working week, could hang on to such motorcycles in the footrest-deep mud which made up the majority of even summer scrambles courses in those far-off days of black and white.

Aah! Those were the days. However, like most rose-tinted views of the past, it wasn’t strictly true.

Riders rode what they could get and what they could get was what the British industry made, which were massively constructed machines… er, well, you read the first bit of this piece. For what seems, in these enlightened times, often odd reasons involving taxation classes, weights of machines and so on, a number of factors determined motorcycle capacities.

So, by the Fifties the British industry had settled on 350cc and 500cc four-stroke singles for public consumption. Such machines were expected to transport Joseph Public Esq. to work every day with a minimum of fuss and, perhaps accompanied by the lady of the house, to the local motor club scramble at a weekend where they would see chaps rushing round on 350cc and 500cc four-strokes with the same name on the tank as our enthusiast’s motorcycle. As this feature is about a Matchless let’s say this chap rides a

MICK’S MATCHLESS

G80 Matchless, a nicely made machine and if it could stand side by side with the G80CS the resemblance would be clear. The idea from manufacturers was if the public saw a certain machine doing well in the competition world and a similar machine – but with a comfier seat, larger mudguards, lights and so on – was on display in the nicely appointed dealership in town then perhaps one would be sold.

The competition version would have such things as smaller mudguards of aluminium alloy, perhaps a smaller petrol tank of the same material, a reduced capacity oil tank, single saddle, larger front wheel and so on and hopefully be a little lighter. They were still big machines though and as star Matchless man Dave Curtis said: “I just opened the throttle and hung on…” Sadly for the British industry these glory days didn’t last very long and by the Sixties the idea that a lighter motorcycle, being easier to ride and less stressed, would be more suitable was taking shape.

Unfortunately in the main it was an idea not fulfilled by the British industry as the European makers first, then the Japanese industry, began to dominate the scrambling scene, though the term ‘motocross’ was becoming more common and the day of the big bike was almost over… until the classic scene arrived.

As the newer lightweight bikes arrived on the scene, the older bikes were stuffed in sheds, not so much unloved but outclassed on the track with their riders becoming older with all the resulting issues of bodies not responding the way they did. These riders

Top: Quick-action MX twistgrip helps get the acceleration up.

Above: Rubber mounts like these help the exhaust stay in place and not crack.

Right: Alan Whitton is a well-known name in the off-road world with his aftermarket accessories.



AUTUMN 2021 | 13

still wanted to race though and some enlightened organisers began including, if not events, certainly classes for classics as support races. In the way of these things, interest grew until there was a proper scene for the older bikes with championships and all sorts. Problem was, not a great lot of competition bikes were built in the first place; the factories of the day viewed them as taking resources away from the lucrative road range. Luckily there is no need to stick with standard or catalogue and, as people were doing in period, mixing and matching is allowable. To create a machine from available parts or choosing the best bits from a number of sources is a well-tried concept and whether the result is good, bad or indifferent is dependent on the skills of the builder – be they organisational, financial or engineering skills.

14 | AUTUMN 2021

Above: A big engine has big breathing needs, so the exhaust pipe is a big bore pipe…

Below left: Engine plates are cut from high tensile aluminium sheet, which is light and strong.

Opposite: The filler cap for the oil is clear here. The plug in the steering head foxed me until Peter said: “Mick just found a plastic plug and put it in to fill the hole…”

In scrambling or MX the bits often chosen would be a BSA frame, Norton Roadholder forks, a BSA or AMC gearbox, an engine from Triumph or AMC and while not exclusive these components would represent easy availability combined with a reasonably cost-effective performance. What resulted was a variety of TriBSAs and MaBSAs and it is this last combination which interests us here. Using BSA’s frame was relatively simple as the swinging arm ‘B’ range singles and ‘A’ range twins had broadly similar items and were allwelded rather than brazed and lugged, relatively light and had good handling qualities.

The design of them also means a variety of engines will fit in a BSA frame but, as with many original components, these frames are not as easy to get hold of as they once were. Long gone are the days when the old lad in the grubby store-coat and eco-disaster flat cap who managed the ‘used spares’ department at the motorcycle dealership would suck in his breath, making the dog-end hanging from his bottom lip glow and pronounce “well it’s a Goldie innit,” indicating a godawful collection of tubes crusted in oily filth, “see, ordinary oil dun’t stick like ‘R’ does, proteks it…gorra be a fiver, an’ I’m givin’ it away cheap,” he would say, nodding sagely.

So what do you do if the MaBSA is the way to your MX Utopia and a BSA frame is not available? What you do is slightly tweak the design of a BSA cradle frame to include oil in the tubes and make one, which is what James Holland did when creating this MaBSA for Vic Vaughan to race in such European events as the Trophy des Nations classic over-60 class at Dieskau in Germany. The bike as we photographed it is slightly different from the original Holland build; in part this is because a 20-year race career requires some updating and there have been several owners of this machine

JHS RACING Often a passion for something leads to a person earning their living through their passion. Such was the case with James Holland – the initial builder of this Matchless MXer – when he formed JHS Racing in the mid-90s. It is handy from a magazine point of view to be able to speak to the creator of what is being written about and James gave us lots of valuable information about the machine and how it came about. “In those days,” he begins, “the stocks of new ‘old’ parts were fast being used up and the reproduction scene hadn’t quite got into its stride so a lot of bits we had to make from scratch.” The machine was created for Vic Vaughan to contest the fledgling European series and this went very well as Vic was successful on the continent. “I had a good working relationship with Vic,” says James, “he’s still a good friend and calls in when he’s up our way.”

The racing connection with Vic came to an end when he had a serious accident, from which he has recovered well, thankfully, but decided to hang up his boots.

Just as it was finished for Vic Vaughan.

James tells us he’d built a few MaBSA machines – Matchless engine in BSA frame – and the frame used on this machine is based on those BSA ones. “The main frame section is from T45 tube with CDS steel for the ancillary bits and pieces which are smaller in section. I made up a three-piece rear hub and my own brake plate, essentially to make things as

light as possible but remain within the rules.”

Though still well connected to the classic scene JHS Racing are also involved in the modern world and their exacting preparation, tuning and bike building means they’re at the sharp end too. Check their website www. jhsracing.co.uk for more information on them and what they do.

X

AUTUMN 2021 | 15

Above: When a motorcycle is right all the components seem to flow into place and this MaBSA certainly flows.

Left: While up at Mick Andrews’ place the tail end of the pipe was cut, re-welded and tucked in.

Below: Fork yokes are James Holland bits.

16 | AUTUMN 2021

before it came to Peter Lockwood. Once with Peter it was used by Mick Andrews and Mick wanted a few things done to suit his own style. The first being he wanted to race it in the pre60 class so some of the mods are aimed at ensuring it meets the spec for this era. So, the bike details in this feature are as it is now…

Making the main frame sections from lightweight T45 tube and CDS for the smaller sections saved weight over the original BSA design. Using the frame tubes to hold the oil saves the weight of an oil tank which may not sound dramatic but it does carve vital pounds off the all-up weight. Originally a tubular swinging arm was made and this sufficed for a long time and several owners; however, time and scrambles action stressed this bit and when Peter Lockwood started using it, or more to the point when he put Mick Andrews on it, the component frequently broke. This was apparently common in the day too and a tweak was to use an Ariel swinging arm which, being of oblong box section, was much stronger. Ariel swinging arms are not just lying around either these days so Peter got Pat French at MRD to make a new one inspired by the Ariel design. This stopped the swinging arm troubles but put stress on to the frame which needed gusseting around the swinging arm pivot point. Biggest change from the original is the Norton Roadholder forks; adding these makes the bike legal for the pre60 class and they contain more modern internals while the external appearance is retained. Suspension at the other end is equally

MICK’S MATCHLESS

MICK’S VIEW The name Michael John Andrews has been inextricably linked to the off-road motorcycling world ever since he was innocently watching a section at a trial which seemed to defeat the entry. The observer, a friend of his father, said: “Go on Mick, let’s see what you can do.” What he could do was clean the section and Mick Andrews was set on the path to a life of motorcycling which would see him travel the world over and carve his name on trophies including the SSDT, innumerable national trials and ISDT gold medals. After his initial ‘section’ success a trials bike was acquired and the lad started doing well; just how well was demonstrated one evening when he came home from work to find a works-prepared AJS trials bike in the workshop. “I knew I’d been riding well locally but Hugh Viney had been tipped a wink by Ralph – please pronounce it ‘Rafe’ – Venables, the well-known commentator on the trials world. Venables reckoned I was a lad to watch, Viney agreed and at 17 I was in the works team, heading for my first SSDT.” It wasn’t just trials Mick was expected to ride either as a Matchless scrambler was available to him too. Which makes it fitting he was offered the use of this Matchless by the owner Peter Lockwood. It was two-way traffic too, as Peter got the benefit of Mick’s experience to make the bike work during the time he rode it. Mick retired gracefully from riding the big four-stroke as complications from a shoulder injury caused in the Seventies meant he couldn’t get the best from the bike.

Not every scramble Mick rode a Matchless in was dry. We think this could be a TV winter series event.

interesting and the Ohlins it came with didn’t suit Mick so he asked Julian de Roover to come up with a pair of units constructed from the insides of Bilstein shocks used on Mercedes cars fitted in custom bodies.

De Roover make their own special valves for internal tuning of the damping to the units.

Using a Matchless front hub was also common in the day as it has a decent braking surface but is still light and reliable. It has been reduced in weight even more by the fins being removed and some holes drilled in, not an easy task as it is possible to weaken a component if done incorrectly. The hub is laced into a 21in alloy rim to which a Michelin tyre is fitted. At the rear is one of James Holland’s three-piece hubs, made because originals weren’t available. It too is light, works, has an ultra-light brake plate, an alloy rim and wears a Michelin tyre.

Moving on to the engine and gearbox this MaBSA carries an AMC/Norton gearbox with standard scrambles ratios in. These boxes were tough enough to cope with the stresses produced by a Norton Wasp in sidecar racing so cope with this single quite nicely, even if it is a bit bigger than the 500cc G80CS would have been. At 620cc this engine epitomises the big single concept and runs on methanol to allow for a much higher compression ratio. Peter did tell me it can be interesting to start as the flywheels are quite light and his usual method of firing the MaBSA up is to bump start it. The flip side of this is it picks up quickly on the throttle even though the porting

At the top of the Bonanza Hill. It is an early shot of the bike as the exhaust hasn’t been tucked in yet.

X

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and carburettor have been reduced in size since the original build. Using a total-loss Interspan ignition helps in the bike firing up and also saves a bit of weight over the magneto it would originally wear as even the racing magnetos, while lighter than the road units, are still quite heavy. “I had to have the engine rebuilt when I got the bike as it had been well used,” Peter tells me. “A new liner went in the barrel, new piston and all new bearings and bushes finished the job.” Connecting the engine and gearbox, tucked inside the BSA primary cases, is a chain primary drive and an NEB clutch which stands up to the punishment in a scramble very well, being as it’s derived from a speedway unit.

During the rebuild Peter had the frame painted a light grey, almost like the dove grey BSA used on their oil-in-frame twins. It sets the bike off nicely and is matched to the red touches on the tank and footrests. Standard scramblers, from British factories, would have massive forged footrests mounted a little too far forward for the likes of modern thinking but moving them back requires a bit of thought. The usual answer is to either make a plate which bolts to the primary case on the drive side and another which bolts on to extended studs in the gearbox cover and fit spring-loaded rests or fabricate more brackets to bolt to the frame or engine plates. The first option is used on this bike and has been slightly modified with a strengthener plate welded on at an angle after the rests wilted slightly.

Once Peter had the bike in a decent condition to race it went up to Mick Andrews who made a few detail modifications, one of which puzzled Peter, the others Mick did are more obvious or personal preference. Mick had the original line of the exhaust altered slightly so it tucked in at the footrest and now the pipe is protected a little more and keeps it out of the way of the kickstart too. Mick also fitted Renthal trials handlebars which is his preferred bend but the puzzling bit for Peter was when Mick increased the seat height. “I couldn’t understand why he would want to do such a thing,” says the bike’s owner. “Turns out it’s a suggestion from Hugh Viney – AMC’s comp manager – he always had the seat higher on his bikes which made it easier to go from sitting to standing during an event.” Peter went on to add Mick also had the tank signwritten with his name.

“It was a very successful racing partnership but you know Mick had a serious shoulder injury in the Seventies, didn’t you?” I did. “He was finding it harder to get the best out of the bike and reluctantly had to stop riding it as even with the lightening work done to it, it’s still a big machine.” Naturally I wanted to know if Peter rode it in a scramble or two? “Yes, I have, I used to joke the bike had three great riders on it… and then me,” he laughs.

Above: Rear suspension units are quite trick, the swinging arm is inspired by Ariel’s component.

Right: Valves and ports are slightly smaller than when the bike was built for Vic Vaughan.

Below left: Mick had the signwriting done.

Derek Rickman in action Competitor, manufacturer, businessman are all labels applicable to Derek Rickman.

We concentrate on the ‘competitor’ bit as Dave Gittins celebrates his life.

Words Dave Gittins

Pics Mortons archive

I

t is with great personal sadness that I have to report the death of Derek Rickman, who passed away on Saturday, July 3, 2021 aged 88.

Derek – with brother Don – became a legend in his own lifetime. They were known right across the world as the Rickman brothers, manufacturers of the all-conquering Rickman Metisse motorcycle made initially for off-road, then road-racing, cafe racers, touring and the military.

Derek was the driving force in the very successful business the brothers set up in the early Sixties to make motorcycles their way after their ideas about improving existing models, particularly for offroad, were rejected by the whole British motorcycle industry – then the biggest in the world.

Derek’s father, Ernie Rickman, was a professional

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Below: East Anglia’s Shrubland Park is where Nick Nicholls captured Derek Rickman on a Dot in 1958.

speedway rider at Southampton, but he died in 1948 when Derek was still at boarding school in Somerset.

Derek readily claimed that while at school, and at home, more time was spent perfecting his off-road skills than academic matters. Soon after, Derek left school and started a four-year apprenticeship at Thornycroft Commercial Vehicles in Basingstoke. Weekends were devoted to riding in local trials aboard a 350 BSA. Then Derek discovered motorcycle scrambles (much more exciting) and the rest is history.

Derek’s progress up the Southern Centre competitive ladder was spectacular. The 350 was joined by a 500 Gold Star; expert status soon followed, together with many victories and placings

DEREK RICKMAN PICTORIAL

at trade-supported events in the Southern and adjoining centres.

At the age of 19 he was a member of the British team at the very first British Grand Prix held in Gloucestershire in 1952. Derek finished in third place, ahead of the great Belgian rider, Victor Leloup.

Innovative

In 1959, after their ideas for improving British scrambles motorcycles to match those being made on the Continent, particularly in Sweden, were rejected, the brothers built their own and called it Metisse (the female of the species).

Without any advance publicity it had its debut in March 1959 and was a instant success. Motor Cycle News proclaimed to its 77,000 readers ‘Rickmans Bulbarrow Bombshell’ and the die was cast.

Over the next 10 years or so the Metisse, in a variety of forms – either two- or four-stroke – was  tremendously successful.

Above: Derek lines up to pass in the 1959 Hawkstone British GP. Above right: Hawkstone and the British GP again but 1960.

Centre right: It doesn’t always go right.

Below right: Flying high at the Experts GN in 1959 at Rollswood.

Below left: Brothers but competitors, Rickmans on track.

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In 1966 the first 501-750cc Coupe d’Europe four-stroke series was held: this was an attempt by the UK and Sweden particularly to stem the tide of two-strokes that were taking over the motocross scene at the time.

Derek Rickman was a leading light in its formation and was the first winner ahead of the great Swedish rider, Sten Lundin.

By the end of the decade the British motorcycle industry had virtually disappeared. BSA, once the biggest manufacturer in the world, was on its last legs.

But Rickman Bros (Engineering) Ltd, with Derek Rickman at the helm, was producing and exporting hundreds of machines every week, many of them bound for the American market. The company was honoured with the Queens Award to Industry for Services to Export. 

Above left: A big bike in the big class at Brands in 1966 for the 750 cup.

Above right: Classic action on a classic 500 Metisse. Derek at Hawkstone for the 500 GP. Left: 1964, Brands Hatch and Derek is on a Matchless Metisse.

Look at the crowds at Cadwell as Derek chases Arthur Lampkin in the British 250 GP 1964.

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DEREK RICKMAN PICTORIAL

Derek ahead of the rest on Hawkstone Park’s fearsome hill in 1960.

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A front wheel landing for Derek at Brands Hatch in November 1964.

In 1991, after diversifying into accessories, kit cars, Hondastyle accessories etc. during the previous decade, Derek sold the business. He and Don, who survives his elder brother, were retained as consultants.

Enthusiast

Over recent years Derek has been a regular visitor to important classic meetings, particularly at the Bonanza, at Farleigh Castle and at Mortimer. In 2007 he was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in Columbus, Ohio. The citation describes members as “the people who build, race, modify, report on, tune or otherwise tweak motorcycles”. I can’t think of a more deserving recipient.

Derek is survived by his wife Eileen, four children, 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren from his extended family. Our condolences go to them.

Right: A touch of the hard stuff. Metisse made racers too; Derek tries one at Brands Hatch in 1966.

Below right: Farleigh Castle in 1967 and Derek is on a 440 BSA-powered Metisse.

Below left: An Eso speedway engine powers Derek’s Metisse at a muddy Brands Hatch in 1965.

WELL ATTENDED Derek Rickman’s funeral on July 26, 2021 was very well attended by family, fellow racers and former Rickman employees who all gathered to pay their respects as the man passed the chequered flag in life.

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Future projection Words and pics: Tim Britton Media Ltd

From riding high to being bailed out by the Spanish government, OSSA’s fortunes have been turbulent – but boy, have they made some great-looking bikes.

1981 OSSA Gripper TR80

Below: Subtle modifications can be the hallmark of a successful development – nothing leaping out, just changes revealed under close scrutiny.

D

evelopment is continuous in the motorcycle world. This week’s hot idea is next week’s hasbeen, especially in the world of suspension…

In the biggest change to hit the rear end of motorcycles since someone decided filling a tube with oil and wrapping a spring around it would be a good way to smooth out the bumps as a dirt bike hopped across the terrain, the world was going monoshock or cantilever and woe betide any maker without such a system in the tech departments. Which was pretty bad news for OSSA’s TR80 Gripper models as they had just made their twinshock suspension work brilliantly.

It was as good as it could be for the rear end without being mono… The bike looked great too but it was a twinshock and monos were the coming thing.

The heady days when they were able to field teams

in road racing, MX, enduro and trials were a thing of the past though it wasn’t just OSSA who were feeling the pinch as markets shrank. The changing political climate in Spain too had an effect as their protected market was opening up, their rivals Montesa struck a deal with Honda which allowed the Japanese company access to Spain with fewer taxes and regulations to contend with had they just tried to sell Hondas.

OSSA were not devoid of ideas nor talent to ride the products as, in a complicated manoeuvre, Mick Andrews was allowed to ride OSSA while still technically contracted to Yamaha. Add in the new breed of European riders who didn’t have the ties to the traditional way of trials riding but instead had skills honed in the world of cycle trials. These skills were to transform the feet-up game as the Eighties dawned.

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Above: OSSA relied heavily on their MX engine for the trials unit.

Left: The alloy cylinder is part of the exhaust system.

Right: The owner is closely involved with Weardale Motor Club.

As for development, OSSA’s engineers had managed to somehow keep ideas flowing despite their almost non-existent capital so, when the Seventies were almost through and the Spanish government brought some necessary finance into the company – initially to help it keep on making the 250 model which was selling nicely – there was some finance available to develop the new machine they had dreamed of... and what a bike it was to be. In some respects the new machine was quite radical and bristled with innovative ideas, showing the factory had put a lot of thought into it. Though our feature bike, which we’ll be coming to soon, is a 250 from 1981, OSSA’s first new machine for a long time was the Trial 350 though its actual capacity was just a shade over 300cc.

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Below: Those of us who rode OSSA in the Seventies will recall the earlier, torpedo shaped, silencer which was steel and heavy… very heavy.

Reflected in the new OSSA was a realisation things were going to be different in the trials world and if success was to be had it would mean proper thought had to go into the machine. Looking back to the old days, when louder was thought to mean faster and ear-splitting shrieks accompanied any two-stroke in serious action, was no longer an acceptable state of affairs. Let’s ignore for a moment the noise aspect and concentrate on making the engine work to its optimum. This requires an exhaust to be of certain dimensions and fulfil certain criteria to effectively create the best possible environment for the carburettor to fill and the exhaust gases to be pulled out of the combustion chamber.

This magic is generally termed ‘backpressure’ and it helps an engine produce power where the designer requires it. While OSSA weren’t the first to use the expansion chamber concept in a trials bike they were, as far as we can determine, the first to do it with a degree of success. There is a lot more to this exhausting subject of exhaust design and I’m not going to be explaining it in a short section in a feature about Alan Winter’s well-developed TR80 250.

I will add factors such as pipe length are important parts of the equation and tucking the required length out of harm’s way on a trials bike calls for some creative pipework, as can be seen in the pictures. It also required a bit of a rethink on how frame front downtubes are attached to the rest of the frame. Oh, the new exhaust also made the OSSA quite quiet.

1981 OSSA Gripper TR80

Looking at the frame for a moment, the all-welded and light frame had taken over from such things being created by pinning and brazing steel tubes into a series of castings to produce sub-sections such as the front and subframes which were then bolted together with massive bolts. Such a construction method didn’t require complicated welding technology to be available and the construction soaked up vibration associated with many a British machine. Okay, it was heavy, very heavy with extra ‘heavy’ squeezed in but it was understood. Once welding tubes together to form a structure gained popularity the floodgates opened and all manner of frames were produced; most had a common theme of the full cradle or, if it was open underneath, then the frame tubes had been replaced by a sturdy aluminium alloy bash plate. OSSA produced a frame with a strong top tube to support the steering head at one end.

This was split just above the rear of the cylinder head where straight tubes attached at this point and went to the swinging arm pivot point on either side. Tubes forming the main subframe ran from the rear damper top mount to the underside of the steering head and to the swinging arm pivot. Once the engine was bolted in place the front downtubes could be attached to complete the structure. It also meant removal of two bolts and slackening two others allowed the front tubes to swivel out of the way and the exhaust could be removed or refitted. Such a frame and damper positioning meant the tubes holding the mudguard

Above: Glen Scholey was one of Cliff Holden’s OSSA UK supported riders and recalls the Holden family were good to him.

MOVIE STARS Take a look at OSSA’s logo. At first glance it does resemble a four-leaf clover and for a long time this is what a lot of people, me included, thought it was. Later enlightenment and a delve into OSSA’s history revealed the logo actually is a stylised image of a movie projector.

OSSA began not in the motorcycle industry but in the movie projector manufacturing world in the Twenties when Manuel Giro began making projectors for the Spanish market. OSSA is an acronym made up from the company’s title Orpheo Sincronic Sociedad Anónima.

Giro was interested in motorsports, with powerboat racing figuring highly before being attracted to the world of motorcycle racing. Along with Francisco Bulto… yes, him… the pair were Spanish sidecar champions in the Thirties. It would be Manuel’s son Eduardo who would guide the company to motorcycle success in road racing with Santiago Herrero and a beautiful monocoque 250, then Mick Andrews would stamp the company’s name indelibly on the trials world with a hat-trick of SSDT wins. Along the way Dick Mann would develop a 250 flat track racer and compete in the ISDT on an enduro OSSA too. The company’s fortunes were up and down during the late Seventies and early Eighties and they closed; there was a resurgence in 2010 but sadly it was not to be. OSSA however remain a respected marque in our world.

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Above: From this angle the massive three-metre gap between the ground and bash plate is clear… we’re kidding… actual clearance is 340mm, which internet conversion tells me is 13.380in… or 0.000211 miles… still a big gap however it’s measured.

Left: Another GasGas fitting are the yokes.

They’re reworked to suit the 35mm fork stanchions but look right, the steering stem is 10mm shorter on them than on the OSSA though.

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in place could be considerably smaller diameter than previously needed. Rear suspension was by Telesco and thanks to the mounting arrangement offered a massive, for the time, 7in of wheel spindle travel. Up front were Betor forks with the spindle under the slider rather than in front and leading as with the opposition. OSSAs of the early Seventies, being shorter wheelbased than contemporaries, had a tendency for the front end to tuck in on full lock turns; the traditional cure, or part cure really, was to push the fork stanchions through the yokes so the stanchion nuts were level with the top one.

For the new machine OSSA’s tech department had altered the steering head angle by a degree which made it a much less lively ride in streams and through rocky sections.

All these improvements in the chassis were matched by engine developments too and the new motor got a redesigned crankcase as well as much slimmer outer cases shaped to the primary and ignition internals. Fins on the head and barrel were spaced further apart to aid cooling, a 27mm Amal MkII carburettor handled getting the fuel into the engine where an electronic ignition fired it. Though many contemporaries were heading to six-speed boxes OSSA, possibly due to financial constraints, had five speeds.

In the UK there were a number of riders who were seen on OSSA Grippers and all able to put up decent results in national trials, with Tony Calvert and

1981 OSSA Gripper TR80

Al’s logo is clear and understated.

During the rebuild Al was lucky enough to find a genuine NOS Acerbis fuel tank. These are rare anywhere but extra-rare in the UK where bikes of the era had to have a metal tank.

A cleanable fuel filter keeps any rubbish lurking in the tank from being carried by the 95 octane unleaded petrol into the carburettor. Just visible behind the petrol pipe is the reed valve conversion.

Norman Shepherd taking third places in the Allan Jefferies and the Alan Trophy trials and Glen Scholey winning the Aberfeldy Two Day Trial. Speaking to Glen he recalls Cliff Holden – the OSSA importer for the UK – writing a congratulatory letter to him on his winning the Aberfeldy trial. “The Holdens were very good to me,” says Glen. “Roger, Cliff’s son, is still a good mate and recently sent me pics of a special OSSA he’d done.” Sadly for OSSA though the strife in industrial Spain was too much to surmount and the factory closed its doors.

However it was not to be the end of the road for the later Grippers as, in the same way the pre-65 movement brought about massive developments in the old British machines, so the twinshock scene has given those with a technical mind the chance to develop machines to levels their original factories couldn’t hope to do. This brings us nicely to Al the Spanner’s smart, trick Gripper. In a way this particular bike is the culmination of a few years of experience and thought for Al and stems from his experiences with a 350 OSSA MAR in 1991 when he returned to motorcycle sport from the car world. Says Al: “It was all in bits. I rebuilt it and struggled round the trials courses of the early Nineties on a Seventies bike.” The experience was not good and thankfully ended when club mate Martin Phillipson told Al of a 250 OSSA Gripper for sale. What was on offer was a bike which had caught fire and was not the most promising machine. “The tank and electrics were completely

Right: A slight modification to the damper mounting – they ride on needle roller bearings instead of rubber bungs – means a slightly smoother action for rear suspension.

Right: In order to ease the clutch action Al lengthened the actuating arm, by complete coincidence – he followed the ‘that’s about right’ process – he got it to the exact length the factory did for their team bikes.

The plates it has to lift are Barnett fibre ones.

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Thirty years ago Al used Suzuki RL forks on his OSSA. He used them on this version too, all fully refurbished.

ruined,” Al tells me, recalling the sight of the bike.

“There were other bits damaged too but by this time Quinn’s Motorcycles in Gateshead were effectively OSSA UK and had the remaining spares stock from Cliff Holden’s business and had a tank, seat and the other bits needed too. I rebuilt the engine and had a much happier three years riding this bike in Nineties trials,” the self-employed motorcycle engineer says.

There was a slight hiatus at this point when Al went modern with GasGas, a marque he still fettles in his compact workshop, before a hankering for another Gripper convinced him to buy the bike in our pictures.

“It was advertised as ‘fully restored’ but when I tried to fire it up it couldn’t be persuaded into life.” Al’s first thought was ‘it’ll be the crank seals’ – something most two-stroke owners will be nodding in agreement with and if there are any issues with a bike running or not running this is the first major thing to check after seeing if there’s petrol in the tank and a spark at the plug. In this instance the seals were okay but the crank case bolts were only finger tight and this was the cause of the lack of primary compression.

This caused Al to investigate a bit deeper into his ‘freshly restored’ purchase and uncover a lot more wrong with the bike. The only answer was to pull the engine apart and do a full rebuild on it with

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Above: Rubber mounts help avoid exhaust fractures and this shot shows clearly why the front frame tubes are removeable.

Right: Victory trial, Mick Andrews 230 OSSA. Below: There’s a big spacer between the hub and swinging arm.

every bearing and seal replaced. As the barrel had been rebored in the original restoration and a new piston fitted this was checked and refitted and was to be another source of frustration when the rebuilt machine still wouldn’t run. Deciding it needed a reed valve conversion, something he’d done on his original 250 Gripper 30 years ago, and being reluctant to alter a good barrel, Al got a complete engine from Spain and pulled it apart… there was a ‘light bulb’ moment when the head and barrel came off, the piston was completely different in the engine imported from Spain from the one in the rebuilt bike. “It was an MAR piston and didn’t have the cut outs for the transfer ports in an MX based Gripper engine. I put the piston from this engine in the original machine and it ran quite nicely.” He still went ahead with the reed valve conversion as he recalled the effect it had on his bike

MICK ANDREWS AND OSSA There is little doubt Mick Andrews’ name comes up whenever OSSA is mentioned. The Derbyshire off-road star was instrumental in the Spanish company’s move into the trials world. Says Mick: “I was working at Eric Housley’s dealership in the late Sixties and he showed me a photograph of a nice-looking trail bike with ‘OSSA’ on the tank and the more we inspected it the more we felt it could be rebuilt into a trials bike.” The upshot was Eric sent a telegram to the OSSA factory, no email in those days, to suggest OSSA do just such a thing. “We got a telegram back from them saying yes and would you like to come over, so Eric and I loaded up my Austin A60 pick-up and we headed to Spain!”There followed several fruitful years working with the Giro family, during which time Mick gained three SSDT wins and two European championships for the company. “They were excellent to work with,” said Mick, adding that he and his wife Gill “were treated as family during all our time there.”

The bike Mick developed was initially the OSSA Pennine for the UK market but called the ‘Plonker’ in the US for its low-speed plonking ability and ‘Pluma’ in Spain, an allusion to its lightweight. Once Mick won the SSDT the model became the MAR – Mick Andrews Replica.

1981 OSSA Gripper TR80

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in the Nineties so felt it would be worthwhile doing on this bike. Back then Al fabricated his reed valve block from an RD 250 inlet, yes, we know the RD is a twin but only one bit was needed. The one fabricated for the current bike was created from a combination of a block of alloy, a GasGas inlet and Boyesen reeds.

When new the OSSA would have had a 27mm Amal MKII Concentric carburettor fitted, let’s say these instruments will be pretty well past their best by now and Al fits 28mm PWK carbs to his rebuilds. “They’re a great carb and I sell them as well,” he tells me.

With the engine issues now cleared up, or at least identified, Al went through the unit again and added a primary chain tensioner kit which smooths out any transmission snatch and makes the bike a little bit nicer to ride.

There have been a lot of developments in the frame and chassis department since the OSSA was a current bike; plus a few of the works secrets are now more widely known, as without the factories there’s little point in these tweaks remaining secret. Al had modified the frame a little by lowering the footrests and fitting S3 Hard Rock footrests but has left the major dimensions such as steering head angle as standard. The major changes in rolling chassis come in the form of RL Suzuki leading spindle forks. “I did this on my bike in the Nineties. In those days I put the Suzuki forks, I think the KYB forks are better than the Betor ones, into OSSA yokes which made the wheelbase a bit longer and therefore the bike a little more stable in a straight line. The trade-off is it doesn’t turn as easy.” The difference between Al’s 2021 bike and his 1991 one is the yokes are now GasGas slab alloy ones. “I’ve had to adapt them to take 35mm Suzuki fork stanchions,” Al tells me.

“The GasGas yokes keep the wheelbase as standard but I get better trail geometry with h the th leading spindle.” Before fitting to his h bike Al fully refurbished the forks which included new springs, seals

Right: Man and machine… Al poses casually against the backdrop as his superb OSSA takes front and centre.

1981 OSSA Gripper TR80

AL SPAN MOTORCYCLES With an impressive pedigree which includes handling the workshop for White Brothers in Darlington, Durham lad Alan Winter now trades as Al Span Motorcycles from his base in Crook. His no-nonsense approach to motorcycle engineering has shaken a few fixed-in-theirway factory engineers but team bikes under his care always finished the toughest of events. Al, now 65, rode in north eastern trials from 1974 to 1976 before the lure of four-wheeled motorsport took him away for a few years until 1991 and the ‘gift’ of a 350 OSSA MAR in several boxes brought him back to the feet-up game.

“I rebuilt it and my first trial back was Lambshield Farm – Castleside Club’s course near Edmundbyers – you know what it’s like up there.” After a year with the growing realisation the MAR was not the bike for trials in the Nineties a 250 Gripper came his way which was much better and he enjoyed three seasons on this one, which was the inspiration for his highly developed Gripper in our feature. If you need to contact Al give him a shout on 07900 288705.

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and having the stanchions rechromed by a company in Merseyside who normally tackle hydraulic rams.

“They do a great job, fast too,” he tells me.

Once upon a time there were only steel tube handlebars, massive things which were more likely to break a rock than bend. These behemoths would add considerably to the weight of the bike. Then Henry Rosenthal made handlebars from high tensile aluminium alloy tube. For years his Renthal ’bars were the thing for giving the rider something to hang on to and steer the bike, while there are other ’bars available these days Al still fits Renthals. Though the Spanish industry had embraced aluminium control levers from the early Seventies they were the Amal type, sturdy and certainly lighter than steel levers. However, in common with a lot of owners the originals are replaced by Domino levers; they do suit a bike of this type and are easily available, which is a help as levers are the first thing damaged if a bike goes over. It took a while for the Spanish makers to begin using a 90-degree throttle unit, and the original

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Above: A GasGas rear brake pedal is used here. Hold on – GasGas have hydraulic brakes, don’t they? Yes, Al’s converted this one to rod.

Below: Overall gearing has been settled on as 40t on the rear, 10t on the front though 11/43 and 10/43 have been tried. Chain is Regina in all experiments.

Below left: Personalised number boards are popular.

would be a traditional type with a big loop of cable which could easily catch on trees and make life really interesting as the engine is wound on to full throttle.

These days few use the old style and on this OSSA the Domino right-angled twistgrip is the preferred one. Personally I use the Amal 80/200 unit but only because I like them.

No one would dispute the changes made to tyres since the OSSA was a new machine. In those days Pirelli had the market, they were generally fitted as standard to new machines and were great tyres, then along came sticky Michelins and the world hopped forward. Unfortunately this meant tyres would no longer last the entire SSDT for instance but would have to be replaced regularly. Mind you, in the Eighties few people would ride their bikes to events and the tyres wouldn’t suffer on roads during an event as there were fewer and fewer trials with road work in them. Tyre technology jumped forward again when the top riders went tubeless and gradually the choice for tube type tyres decreased until now there is only one real contender for tube tyres. If a rider wants Michelins on then adjustments have to be made in rims as the two types require a different rim. Al has fitted new Morad rims to his OSSA and the rear one is a tubeless. Are they original? Obviously not. Do the look okay? Yes, I think they do. Finishing off the bike is a genuine Acerbis fuel tank, standard Gonelli mudguards and cables by Al using a Venhill kit for some and Jitsie for others. Clearly the bike is more than the sum of its parts as Al has taken care to do the best possible job. After all it is a shop window for his business, yet the bike is used regularly which is the whole point of the thing really.

AUTUMN 2021 | 39

Badge

of Honour

Pick a name, almost any name Words and pics: Chris Marsh

40 | AUTUMN 2021

CCM CAN-AM

AUTUMN 2021 | 41

BEFORE - THE PROMISE YET TO BE REVEALED

Work needed – but it’s in one bit.

B

adge engineering is a marketing tool that we equate with modern retailers where a manufacturer makes identical products sold under different brand names – but it’s far from new. In fact in the Sixties the British motorcycle industry was the master of the concept with AMC as an example badging a range of models as AJS, Matchless and Norton to capitalise on brand loyalty.

Roll on to the Eighties, when Britain was reduced to having virtually a sole manufacturer, and the Armstrong corporation decided to enter the motorcycle market. Although a successful automotive component manufacturer, Armstrong was new to the motorcycle market. In the early Eighties it diversified into the electronic microchip market and the motorcycle industry, a strange combination at the time.

In 1981 Armstrong acquired the Cotton and CCM businesses to form Armstrong Competition Motorcycles in the hope of leading a resurgence of the British motorcycle industry. By combining all the makes it acquired into one, it sold newly designed bikes under the Armstrong brand.

At the same time Canadian industrial giant Bombardier, the original developer and manufacturer of the Can-Am range of bikes, decided to exit the motorcycle business. Some swift work by Jeff Smith, who was then the product manager for Can-Am, cut a deal with the Armstrong company to adopt its designs and rebadge the bikes as Can-Am for the North American market.

1

42 | AUTUMN 2021

No side panels makes it look odd.

1 Canned Ham is the site for Can-Am enthusiasts.

2 The engine was checked over by Martin Matthews at MotoSWM. He changed bearings and seals and fitted his electronic ignition kit too.

3 Acerbis headlight console fits the period and the bike nicely.

2

But the history of Can-Ams in the UK goes back to 1978 when Andover Norton became the official distributor. They only had limited success in the UK due to the competition of other Europeanbased manufacturers and a declining interest from Bombardier. Similarly, the exit from the market in 1983 did not see the true end for Bombardier as it owned, and still owns, the Rotax organisation which supplied engines to the Armstrong range.

On the announcement of the move to Armstrong, Jeff Smith commented in the official press release: “We’re confident the arrangement for production of our Can-Am motorcycles will provide a top quality product to consumers and dealers in North America.”

Unfortunately it wasn’t to be, with Armstrong ceasing production early in 1987. Bombardier retained the ownership of the Can-Am brand, relaunching in 2000 for a range of four-wheel ATV products. On the demise of Armstrong, CCM was resurrected by Alan Clewes, reviving the CCM name once again for the same model bikes.

Sometimes we choose the bikes we ride from brand loyalty, other times for childhood wishes that remained unfulfilled; at other times fate plays a large part in the choice, in that bikes sometimes find us.

If you were to interview anyone and ask why they choose and ride a particular bike, you would get an individual answer for each bike. Sometimes fate rather than the enthusiast plays a big part in why we end up selecting and restoring a particular bike.

3

CCM CAN-AM

4

I am well known for restoring and competing in Vinduro events for the past seven years on a 175 Can-Am Qualifier. This came to an end in November last year when, for the first time in 30 years, my workshop was burgled, with the bike being stolen and later destroyed. The thief, on realising they had a bike which would be impossible to sell, callously torched the thing instead of letting it be recovered.

Luckily DNA evidence will ensure they spend some time contemplating their life in a small concrete room. Having been through this and suffering from the three As that most classic riders suffer from – age, ache and arthritis – I had consigned myself to not building another bike… and then fate stepped in.

It’s probably an understatement to say I’m a bit obsessive over Can-Ams and have quite a collection, with one of my prized possessions – a 125 T’n’T CanAm trail bike, serial number 10 – being one of the first bikes to be built. So, when I took a call from Paul Wilkinson of Military Can-Am, who asked if I was interested in one of the last Can-Ams made so I could have both ends of the Can-Am story, I was more than interested. The bike in question was actually a CCM 30 Fun Single, one of 35 made by CCM on the demise of the Armstrong brand, a unique combination of a monoshock enduro frame combined with trials motor.

There is no getting over it: this machine can be best described as a ‘parts bin’ special as it truly uses the leftover components of the Armstrong era. Obviously when Clewes bought the CCM name back from Armstrong it came with a certain amount of parts left  over from the previous models.

4 The exhaust is susceptible to damage,. Luckily this one was okay as they’re rare.

AUTUMN 2021 | 43

WHO IS JON SLENZAK? When it comes to working on Can-Ams there is no better person than qualified suspension technician Jon Slenzak.

An American who now resides in the UK, Jon is well known in the suspension world. On completing my bike, Jon told me his story: “I started within Can-Am at the beginning in 1973 and lasted three seasons to 1976. I worked for Malones in New York, who was the distributor of Can-Ams on the East Coast of the States. I later transferred direct to Can-Am to lead the building of their race bikes. My main role was to build the race bikes for Buck Murphy, Tim Harte and Mike Runyard, the main American enduro riders at the time.

They never seemed to stay healthy, so it was an up and down time.

“I had the displeasure of driving the Can-Am race truck.

Damn, that was a bus to drive, weighing well over its safe load, it had a full machine shop in the back. You simply couldn’t stop it. I drove all over the US in that thing. Although the bikes were built in Quebec, our main test facility was in Talladega, so we were always back and forth. I later moved to Europe in the Eighties to set up a company specialising in race suspension for road racing. I got involved again with Can-Am via WP Suspension used on the monoshock bikes.”

5

The bike is based around the 1987 Can-Am ASE frame and body components, with direct link suspension and an earlier Eighties drum-braked Marzocchi front end. By using Rotax’s 350 Jumbo trials motor in an enduro rolling chassis, CCM came up with the really modern concept nearly 30 years before the current trend of European bikes featuring the same set-up – think KTM Freeride and Sherco Long Ride as a couple of examples.

The bike arrived in a condition typical of a 30-yearold dirt bike – unloved, covered in spray paint and with all its plastics missing, which is never promising.

However a good clean-up revealed a much nicer prospect and showed the bike was actually in good condition. More importantly the bike had a clean frame, devoid of rust, showing little wear and was straight, all of which are indications of not too hard a life. Best of all, the header pipe was dent free and the airbox was complete, which was unusual as these two items rarely arrive in good condition or complete given their actual location on the bike. As we were in the middle of another Covid lockdown I decided to tear the bike down and rebuild it.

44 | AUTUMN 2021

ABOVE: Who’s Jon Slenzak? This is Jon Slenzak.

Although in his Seventies, Jon still works every day from his home workshop rebuilding suspension for bikes and cars. In addition he works on complete rebuilds of bikes with his workshop full of Montesas, Suzukis, AJS, Husqvarnas and obviously a few Can-Ams when I visited.

6

As far as I was concerned the good news carried on through the strip-down of the bike; its initial looks belied the actual condition and the further I went into the strip-down the more it appeared to be correct, complete and unworn. The usual items like handlebars, cables and levers had suffered but they are easily replaceable; original-looking, rather than original, was going to be acceptable on this bike. For the same reason the missing plastics weren’t going to be a problem either. The go-to place for cables, in the UK at least, is Venhill, with the company providing not only new cables but Magura levers and one of its own proprietary throttles, all of which are off-theshelf things. A quick call to Renthal had one of its Classic bend enduro ’bars heading my way and this rounded off the controls set-up.

A quick look inside the motor showed it had a new piston so this boded well for the rest of it. To be on the safe side, and it being the same Rotax unit as used in the SWM Jumbo trials bikes, I packed it up and sent it down to Martin Matthews at MotoSWM for a look over. Although the piston was new, Martin thought it best to swap out all the bearings and seals to give it a

5 Shock mount has no linkage, meaning the action is direct.

6 Tailpipe came from California, is lighter than the original and easily packable too.

CCM CAN-AM

7

9

8

10

complete refresh. At the same time he installed one of his electronic ignitions, thus doing away with the hassle of points ignition. This should allow for easier starting and greater reliability of spark.

When built this particular bike would have worn plastics from a variety of places such as Acerbis items with proprietary Armstrong side panels. Luckily DC Plastics in the US make reproduction side panels to fit the bike and which MotoSWM was able to source for me as part of its usual shipment from the US. I swapped the other plastics for UFO vintage units from MD Racing Products as I felt the vintage range better suited the bike and provided an improved enduro rear fender with tail-light. I did revert back to Acerbis for the headlights, using its classic Elba enduro headlight.

The only original part missing from the bike was the side stand. Luckily, I knew exactly who to ask.

Jason Adams of 219MX in Canada is a good friend and regularly travels over to the UK simply to attend the Telford show. Jason’s day job is a supplier of Can-Am parts, both second-hand and NOS. A quick message saw a stand arriving in 48 hours, not a bad delivery giving the pandemic and nearly 3500 miles of shipping.

When a bike is in good basic condition, rebuilds happen quite quickly and straightforwardly with only the issues arising from 30 years of standing in a barn… the bike that is, not me. Anyone talking about frame finishing these days mostly means powder coating and so it is with this bike. As the main point of the build was to create a usable enduro bike which looked nice too, I didn’t go overboard on the polishing side with the alloy components. Instead I cleaned and polished them by hand but not to a mirror finish by any means.

Once the bike was in one bit it was time to start it up. Always a nervous time as one can assume things are okay but… Initial starting and running of the bike showed the original Amal carburettor was not a strong performer, making the bike very difficult to get started with almost no idle adjustment. SWM Jumbos run a Dell’Orto carburettor so it made sense

11

7 Seat styles vary over the years; the Eighties saw the rise of this style.

8 Easiest way to fit a speedo is use an electronic one, note also the time card pouch for enduros.

9 Levers by Magura, through Venhill.

10 White Power suspension… serviced by Jon Slenzak.

11 Venhill supplied not only the cables but one of its throttles too. We reckon the lever is the decompressor.

to try a new one of the same type. The difference was remarkable, second kick and with plenty of adjustment for idle. Once the bike was running to my satisfaction I modified a few bits such as the airbox.

The original box contains a foam air filter stretched over a steel cage but I wanted to make use of the UNI composite filter as used on the later model CanAms. These are much better, being more modern. A modification for me personally was a lever-operated decompressor, as a combination of high-compression trials motor and arthritic knees meant I had trouble giving it a good kick to start.

Once the bike was working I checked over the wheels. With drum brakes at either end the best way forward is to have the shoes relined, which Saftek did with its eco-friendly green lining, which is waterproof too. Michelin enduro medium tyres by EnduroTyres sorted the wheels and new Talon sprockets on the engine and rear hub rounded out the basic rebuild.

To finish the exhaust system I gave it a light rub with sandpaper and a rattle-can of heat dispersant paint brought it up to spec. I ditched the original end can, favouring a new FMF universal two-stroke silencer, as the stock inlet diameter matched the header pipe, allowing for a simple slip-on fitting.

All good so far, unfortunately, the bike came with the traditional CCM suspension set-up – an impossibly high seat with an odd bike geometry – which makes me wonder how much growth the designers expected the human race to achieve in a couple of years. Luckily, I had the correct contact to solve the problem, step in Jon Slenzak. The bike makes use of a 4:1 suspension ratio – one unit of shock movement equals four units of rear wheel travel, giving Jon a head start in making the bike more usable for a 5ft 9in rider. Changing the geometry slightly, dropping the rear shock by 25mm and the front forks by 50mm, the end result was a seat height dropping from 1000mm to a friendlier 800mm.

Hopefully with the pandemic in decline and the dirt bike season once again kicking off, we will be back on the Vinduro scene.

AUTUMN 2021 | 45

DIRTbike

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Most of the exhaust is relatively undamaged; it’s the front 15% which suffers.

48 | Autumn 2021

TECHIE STUFF

BITS AND PIECES…

Those of a certain age will be humming Dave Clarke Five’s song, younger people will just think “what?!?” There’s been a period of inactivity for reasons beyond my control.

Words and pics: Tim Britton Media Ltd

Autumn 2021 | 49

T

here is no shame in admitting a task is beyond you for whatever reason.

These reasons are as varied as lacking in skill, lacking in equipment or lacking in time. For some reason a bunch of these reasons have all banded together and caused a halt in every project I have. This bottleneck has arrived because I neither have the equipment nor the skills needed to weld either steel or aluminium alloy. I could learn these skills but it would require an investment of time and funds which are just not available to me at the moment.

It used to be possible for enthusiastic restorers to take an evening class in necessary skills and actually achieve a level of competency to advance a restoration. Additionally these evening classes, generally at a local tech college, would have access to way more equipment than would be possible for the average enthusiast to justify. Once the pandemic stops interfering in our lives I don’t doubt such classes will start again unless some other factor prevents it. The IT has joined a queue of bikes at Audit CNC Solutions and I’m assured it is nearing the front of the queue. It needs a tweak to the sidestand bracket so the sidestand can fold out of the way instead of wafting about in the breeze; once this is done the new bits from A Yamaha Bits Place can be fitted and there will be a chance to at last see if this thing will make a noise. There are lots of other bits and pieces which have arrived from all parts of the world except Japan. These bits

50 | Autumn 2021

Above: The Musket Muffler bit is a thing of beauty.

Right: Anti-vibration mounts are pretty cool too.

Below: One day the whole exhaust will be nice.

follow the apparently typical Yamaha trait of giving each bit its own part number and this can be a little confusing and tedious as it’s not actually possible to say “I’ll have one of your genuine clutch levers my good chap and here is my plastic payment device to purchase it.” Well it is possible to say it but you may receive a blank look coz the lad is Dutch. Also you may just receive the clutch lever rather than the assembly. I fell foul of this Yamaha trait in the late Eighties when I was prepping my Mono Yamaha for the SSDT. Yamaha had some very nice levers, very light, well made and easily fitted – they having a

two-part clamp which meant the left grip didn’t have to come off to change the lever. Ordering a lever to clamp to the bars as a spare, pre-disc brake days it would do either side, along came the package and in it was just the lever – I’d been expecting the whole assembly. I rang the parts place and asked where the rest of it was: “You only asked for the lever.” No point in arguing as the reply was correct. I learned, a few moments into the conversation, the lever blade I’d got was only one bit of the complete assembly, the others being upper and lower holder, blade, washers and pivots in all, eight separate bits to

make up the lever assembly, all with their own part numbers.

I ordered the bits to mount the exhaust pipe properly as the original rubber antivibration mounts were perished (bike is 40 years old, to be expected) and they arrived at a list of 14 bits. In some ways such a system is good, it means if only one bit is not up to scratch then only one bit has to be ordered, it also means double, triple and quadruple checking of the list – Santa Claus only checked his twice – then having another look to make sure nothing has been forgotten. I suppose some bits could have come from miscellaneous spares such as fasteners and washers if I’d forgotten such things but the bike is wanted to be right and Yamaha have this weird finish on their bolts, it is almost black but not quite, there’s a greenish tinge in it and if one bolt is changed then they all have to change...

Unlike the British industry, when spares departments were staffed by old lads in brown store-coats and they tended to order 40 right-hand widgets from the manufacturer because they always ordered 40 right-hand widgets and ended up with a surplus of right-hand widgets.

This meant when the restoration scene kicked off there were loads of right-hand widgets on autojumble stalls… pity, we needed left-hand widgets. The Japanese industry has a more regimented system involving computers and something called ‘just in time’ stock control which cleverer people than me will know all about but from what I can gather involves knowing how many bikes of a model are being made, what wears out, what can be damaged in an accident and so forth. It keeps a tighter control on stock levels at dealers but means things are not always freely available.

The other side of this is bigger items such as the genuine exhaust system for an IT are not available new but repair sections are, just not from A Yamaha Spares Place. Given the location of the exhaust the vulnerable bit is the front 15% and the rest is unlikely to suffer much damage, beyond going rusty perhaps. This is where Musket Mufflers comes in; they have a thriving business producing repair sections for all sorts of exhausts, not just motorcycle ones. We contacted them, yes, they had an IT 465 repair section and would happily ship it to the UK from…

New Zealand! What arrived is a finelooking bit which will weld on to one of our exhaust pipes and will be a thing of beauty. It’s likely we’ll keep this exhaust for show and patch the other one to use if I fancy doing an enduro. All of this is in the not-too-distant future as I’m assured the bracket will be welded soon and once it is, and the side stand flips back up to where it should, then progress can be made on other bits of the bike.

Above: This little bracket could be used as part of the steering stop.

Right: I think I’ ll get a small piece out of this.

TRIUMPH TALES

While welding and suchlike is unlikely to feature in my own workshop there are a few bits of machinery I’ve collected over the years I’ve been involved in working on my own motorcycles. A drill press was the first acquisition and given the nature of family around me and the area I’m from this drill press wasn’t new but was quite a robust and probably a professional or college thing. Unfortunately I have no idea what make it is or what the specification may be. Why? It was rescued by a parent for whom the concept of leaving the maker’s ID labels on was totally alien along with modern on/off switches, guards and other useful safety devices as he refurbished it with an old washing machine motor, bit of tin and a toggle switch – all three long gone – and the drill awaits restoration itself when I have a free moment. What I do know is the accuracy of drilled holes improved no end with

such a machine. It was superseded by a small bench-mounted drill which had gone above and beyond the call of duty in the years I’ve had it.

A later, much later, addition to the kit was a small lathe, a Hobbymat, which may not be the most exciting lathe in the world but is almost perfect for me and may well be up to the task of accurately machining a nut to go on the end of an exhaust cam to carry the trigger for an electronic ignition… it may be, but I’m probably not, which is why the engine is in the queue at Audit CNC solutions Ltd awaiting accurate machining… also there are the bits of oil tank awaiting welding which means attention can go to other bits hitherto neglected.

Assembling a pile of bits collected over a number of years and not always from the same manufacturer is always going to be interesting. The big bits do  often go together relatively easily and

Autumn 2021 | 51

Top: One side stop in place, the other will mirror it.

Centre: If I’d done this earlier this cable would still be okay.

Left: Triumph used this neat idea to create a stop.

52 | Autumn 2021

slotting alternative non-unit engines into, say, a BSA A7/A10 frame requires making up engine plates from alloy to sit the units properly. Same with gearboxes and many an MXer has been built from a Triumph twin engine, with an AMC gearbox and BSA primary drive sitting in an all-welded BSA single or twin frame as an example. The point being it isn’t an alien concept and the only difference is in the detail; talented people such as Don and Derek Rickman made stunning machines, others less so. So, the big bits go together quite easily, as ever though it is the myriad of smaller details where the bit from make ‘A’ joins components from make ‘B’ so parts from make ‘C’ can line up and so on. I know I wouldn’t be nearly as clever were I to try this and to be honest it has been difficult enough to assemble bits from the same maker and broadly speaking the same year.

One bit which has caused some head scratching has been the steering stops; you know, the bits which prevent the forks from turning too far and denting the petrol tank. On some bikes a simple bit of bar welded to the frame does the job, on others an Allen bolt is screwed into a tapped hole. Some unit Triumphs use an extended nut on the clamp bolt on the bottom yoke which butts against the frame tube as the fork is turned. I’ve never been a big fan of this method, the nuts bend too easily for me and as I’m using BSA yokes – because I want 13⁄8in diameter stanchions rather than Triumph’s 11⁄4in ones and the Triumph

yokes don’t have enough meat on them to bore out – there are other options. The Allen bolt stop idea as used on my B40 was discarded as there’s not a hole in the headstock casting to take it. Almost since the outset this problem has been niggling away, a few ideas came and went, including one which might be revisited eventually.

When Triumph reworked their Adventurer model into something a bit more ISDT suitable the work included adding Betor forks to the Triumph frame. Their solution to the steering stop problem was elegantly simple and possible because of the way Betor yokes are made. An alloy plate, shaped to form a stop, was bolted to the yoke and the lugs butt up against the frame. With glee and pencil and paper I sketched out a similar idea and the two brackets needed to hold it in place, plus the hole for the front bolt. Then the clamp bolt holes needed drilling out as on BSAs they are tapped… and so on. All of a sudden the elegant simplicity was replaced by something incredibly complicated. Back to the sketch pad…

There is a lug cast into the headstock of the frame; it’s for the Triumph steering damper anchor plate to bolt on to. A 10mm bolt slides through this lug, a couple of pieces of alloy plate shaped to fit and held in place by the bolt seem to have done the job. There was nothing fancy about making the bits, a file and drill were all I used, there was some thought perhaps the lug might break but if I got into such a tank-slapper, then a broken lug would be way down the list of things to worry about. All in all though I rather wish I’d done this a while ago as the nice throttle cable I made slipped down under the frame stay and the bottom yoke nipped it and crushed the outer wire so a new cable will be needed.

Thinking more about the yokes, I’m not 100% convinced they look right and may well investigate further. Had there been autojumbles I’d likely have picked up a C15/B40 set which are slimmer than the B25 type I did have in a box under the bench – I think they came with the B40 years ago – though another option is to have a new bottom yoke made which matches the Triumph competition top yoke, or ‘lug’ as Triumph described them.

Both ideas have a lot of merit and which one I go for is as yet undecided… I do want to keep the appearance of the bike as Sixties yet I want it to work too.

Meanwhile as I ponder such things there’s the clutch…three-spring, fourspring, with the baskets having a number of depths too. What I do know is the whole primary drive is quite heavy and works team members such as Roy Peplow had whole drives made from as much alloy as possible…

FUELLING UP

In the good old days when our bikes were new there was this stuff available to use in them… it was called ‘petrol’ and if you’re my age or thereabouts you may remember it. What we used to do was go to a special place called a ‘petrol station’ with a can, in those far-off days I used an oil tin with a pop-up spout, and buy a gallon of this wonder stuff, to which I’d add some two-stroke oil and be set for the coming weekend’s trial.

There were few thoughts about the stuff other than the cost and I remember the shock when a gallon of it broke the 50p barrier…how would we afford it? Gasps of profiteering and so forth ensued.

These days pump fuel by law has to contain a percentage of ethanol. For a few years it has been stable at 5%, but as of summer 2021 here in the UK the mix has been increased to 10%. The problem is ethanol doesn’t react well with the fuel tanks and carburetion systems of our age motorcycles. Yes there are fix-it kits containing parts which don’t rot with the substance to make sure the petrol stays where it should but a bike still has to be altered to run on the stuff. A traditional fix has been to use avgas – aviation spirit – which is more traditional in its compounds.

The problem with avgas is it is refined for slow-running engines, something I didn’t know until recently, as few if any piston aircraft engines run faster than 4000rpm and while it works in motorcycle engines, where even a trials bike revs to 6500rpm, it could be improved on.

Enter Classic Fuel Solutions, who were put my way by John Fleming and Norrie Pattie when they looked for an alternative to avgas for their CZ experiments. Speaking to Chris Hatherall of Classic Fuel Solutions, I learned they had approached petrol refiners through their business and explained a fuel for classic competition use was needed. What has been produced is a traditional fuel for traditional machines and is a 105 octane ethanol-free leaded petrol.

As such this fuel works in the same way petrol did years ago. It is compatible with all oils, be they castor based or modern, so mixing with your

“I remember the shock when a gallon of it broke the 50p barrier…how would we afford it?” two-stroke oil will be okay. It doesn’t rot fibreglass fuel tanks, is safe with carburettor internals and so on.

It doesn’t work on any engine with a catalytic converter but I don’t think many of machines from our era have a catalytic converter in their exhaust systems.

Classic Fuel Solutions have given us a sample of their petrol and a dyno place near CDB’s northern HQ is keen to help us experiment. Sealey Tools have loaned us a remote fuel reservoir and we’re going to see what a dyno says about things. Meanwhile have a look at www. classicfuelsolutions.co.uk or see their ad on p55 of this issue.

THE SAFETY THING I can’t believe I should be writing this but it seems stupidity in the wider world is thriving and all sorts of things are passed off as “well, no one said not to…” and when a packet of salted peanuts has to have a warning ‘may contain nuts’ on it… I’m sure everyone in motorcycle sport will know not to drink petrol, or wash your face with it, or smoke anywhere near it as they will understand bad things will happen. It should be stored in a sealed container, kept away from children and sources of heat. If you have a can of petrol then you should have a dry powder or foam fire extinguisher too, check it is rated for petrol fires and stay safe.

Autumn 2021 | 53

54 | AUTUMN 2021

DIRTPRODUCTS

Got something new, something reintroduced, or the latest thing for classic off-road riders in the feet-up, MX or enduro world? Tell us and we’ll put it here. Contact Leon in advertising on 01507 529465 or Tim Britton on 07739 615605 or CDBeditor@mortons.co.uk

1

1. Getting a grip How much abuse does a dirt bike clutch have to cope with? One moment the bike is trickling along then all of a sudden the throttle is whapped wide open and the poor clutch is expected to grip. Then, as the first turn approaches, the clutch is slipped instead of dropping a gear with the rider’s thoughts only on beating the guy next to him. If the clutch is thought of it is only in the ‘damn clutch is slipping, must get on to VintCo on Monday…!’ VintCo has a wide and expanding range of high-quality replacement clutch kits for Maico, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and of course OSSA which include friction and plain plates with new springs. Contact VintCo now for your new clutch.

What: Clutch plate kit Who: VintCo Where: www.vintco.co.uk 01258 577900 How much: Depends on the model but starting at £79.95

2 2 & 3. Well muffled Exhaust systems on dirt bikes are unfortunately vulnerable given their location on the bike. Our IT465 pipe is a prime example; battered, split, welded, repaired, battered again to the point where it is in terrible condition. The thing is, it’s only the front section which is damaged in action and the rest of the pipe is often okay. Chances of finding a second-hand one in better condition than ours is remote, even more remote is the hope a NOS one is lurking in a parts department somewhere and the real prospect of having to fabricate bits was looking to be the only way forward. Then Musket Mufflers in New Zealand popped up in a search. They do replacement headers for pipes of all types – not just motorcycles – but they had one to suit our IT465 and it headed our way. Sorting the exchange rate from NZ$ to sterling was easy. Supplied coated in black it looks a well-made pipe. Okay, the finish will suffer when welder boy welds it on – but our IT will be resplendent soon.

What: Exhaust repair header Who: Musket Mufflers in New Zealand Where: www.musketmufflers.com How much: Depends on the pipe, contact for cost, import taxes and carriage.

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4. Properly mounted Once exhaust systems on dirt bikes got really big they started suffering from vibration and cracking. The answer was to rubber mount the system and hold it in place with springs which allow it to flex, move and survive the abuse it gets. Mounts perish though, pipes sag and the job doesn’t look right, so we ordered new bits from CMS in Holland. They’re mostly original equipment from the company's vast stocks so they fit properly and come in Yamaha packaging too.

4

What: Exhaust stays Who: CMS in Netherlands Where: www.cmsnl.com How much: For both stays €63.50 plus UK import taxes

5. Full bore

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When the time comes for a rebore on an older dirt bike the problem isn’t getting the bore bored but can be finding a high-quality replacement piston. Luckily VintCo offers a huge range of high-quality racing pistons for many Bultaco, Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, Maico, OSSA, Sachs, Suzuki and Yamaha dirt bikes produced between 1970 and 1981. The kits include piston, rings, pin and clips all identified by OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturers – part numbers are provided to ensure an exact fitment. State-of-the-art materials and manufacturing techniques ensure perfect fit and maximum performance. Most models are also MoS2 coated for rapid, trouble-free running-in.

What: Piston kit for vintage dirt bikes Who: VintCo Where: www.vintco.co.uk 01258 577900 How much: Depends on the bike but starting from £119.95

6. Top Nuts So, some mods to the Can-Am involved a Betor top yoke arriving and suddenly the scabby old formerly chrome-plated steering stem nut just doesn’t look right. A new nut was needed, a bit beyond my ability with a lathe but regular CDB advertiser Audit CNC Ltd is busily expanding its range of replacement bits for all sorts of off-road bikes and said ‘let’s have a look at the original…’ then a few days later added ‘new one ready…’ It’s in high-spec aluminium, screws on easily, is a thing of beauty, fits the Can-Am nicely and maybe other makes using Betor forks.

Need one similar? Get in touch with Ossy at Audit CNC Ltd.

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What: Steering stem nut for Betor yokes Who: Audit CNC Ltd Where: Co. Durham 0191 371 8888 email sales@auditcnc.com How much: Bespoke, call for cost

autumn 2021 | 57

EVENTS SPORT

Highland Classic Action As sporting life battles to return to normal CDB headed to Aviemore for the postponed Inverness & District MCC’s 2020 Highland Classic Two Day Trial – Fantic Edition.

Words and pics: Tim Britton Media Ltd Below right: Gary Macdonald took Dave Stewart’s Cub to the top of the four-stroke unit class.

Below: Guest of honour Steve Saunders looking stylish on a borrowed Fantic. The TRS importer’s own Fantic melted its stator… so far away from the start he was on the way back.

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ll seemed well in the Highlands of Scotland as 2019’s Highland Classic Two Day Trial celebrated the Italian SWM marque with guest of honour Bernie Schreiber in action on a stunning SWM provided by Martin Matthews at MotoSWM. The chat at Telford’s CDB show was all about 2020’s Fantic Edition of the trial – then up popped this pandemic and the world was shut for months as the virus was tackled. With signs of life returning to normal, governing bodies in our sport issued directives to help organisers actually run events; understandably these directives changed almost daily but somehow sport happened in 2021.

One thing which couldn’t happen though was bringing in an overseas guest. At the time of writing foreign travel is still fraught with difficulty, so for the

2021 running of 2020’s Fantic Edition, former British Champion and Fantic works rider Steve Saunders trekked up to the Alvie Estate near Aviemore from his Gloucestershire home, taking with him his 300 Fantic.

Terrain in the Highlands is ideal for trials; there are rocky streams, moorland crossings, banks, drops and so forth – not a great deal of mud but enough to make the odd section slippery.

Inverness & District MCC has a mutually beneficial relationship with the Alvie Estate and works hard to ensure this continues.

After some trepidation in the early years the estate realised the passage of trials bikes around parts of their estate actually benefits the land.

The estate – in the person of the laird, Jamie Williamson – welcomes the event each year.

Left: As this year’s event was to celebrate Fantic, in the holding pen were several Fantics.

Right: North East Centre lad Colin Ward was making his first trip to the event.

Below right: Derrick Edmondson’s trial got off to a great start… pulling the clutch in resulted in the nipple parting from the cable…

Recognising there are a number of different levels of ability and classes of motorcycle making up the entry, the club has two routes through sections.

Riders tackling the easy course miss the odd supertough section as they aim to complete two laps each day of the five- or six-mile course.

Normally there is a presentation immediately after the trial finishes as punch cards are used to record a rider’s score. With social distancing regulations being in place the punch card system wasn’t used for 2021; instead, the old-fashioned observer’s card was in place. The upside is no social distancing problems when recording a score; the downside is it wasn’t possible to rapidly tot up the marks and declare a provisional winner. So there was no presentation – however we are assured things will return to normal for the OSSA Edition on June 11-12, 2022.

Entries for the trial will be online, opening on February 1 next year and closing on April 14.

Above left: Alan Crayk is a former winner of the event, a solitary dab on Saturday saw him drop down the list a long way.

Right: “I know, let’s build a trials bike out of a Norton Navigator…”

Kevin White claims only to be the rider, his dad did the build.

Right: Time constraints meant the podium, supplied by Ricky Mair at Highland Temporary Works, wasn’t used for podium stuff. Laird Jamie Williamson – without whom the trial couldn’t happen – chats with John Moffat (right) in front of the podium.

Left: In the world of trials there are rarities; the Fraser Honda is just such a machine. Jack Roe spotted the bike in a neighbour’s garage in the late Seventies and he’s had it ever since.

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JOHN DICKINSON

Beamish Tales

Pink Floyd sang ‘Emily tries but misunderstands’ – a lyric which could almost be applied to the production trials machines made by The Big Four.

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HILE the many and various Fantics and Honda TLRs dominate the booming twinshock trials scene, this issue's bedtime story features a slightly less obvious candidate. Are you sitting comfortably...?

The Beamish Suzuki trials models – while currently popular as restoration projects where marque specialist Steve Pitt does a cracking job providing spares – are by no means first choice for a twinshock to actually RIDE competitively.

I prove my case by the fact at the Yeadon Guiseley club's Rockshocks Championship round, run in July at Dob Park, Otley, there was precisely ONE such model in the 137-strong entry – take a bow Neil Bowker!

Now, I may have mentioned in previous columns back in the dim and distant I surprisingly earned a penny (and it literally was a penny!) twirling spanners at Crooks Suzuki – just at the time the Beamish Suzuki trials models arrived on the scene.

Fellow employee Nigel Birkett was at the time campaigning the ultra special factory reed-valve RL325s and they were amazing, especially the engine which not only revved when needed but would chug like a diesel in fourth gear.

Many of you know the story better than me. All four Japanese factories, Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki, had a fad of producing trials bikes in the Seventies and all four somehow managed to produce machines that were not quite what they should have been. The ubiquitous little TY175 Yamaha was the exception to the rule and introduced THOUSANDS of newbies worldwide to the delights of trials.

Suzuki's Exacta model was one of the 'nearly but not quite' models and to cut a short story even shorter, Great Britain's Suzuki off-road distributor Graham Beamish enlisted Mick Whitlock to build a suitable frame and the result was the Beamish Suzuki Mk1. The basic five-speed 250 engine, nicked from the

❝All four Japanese factories, Yamaha, Honda,

Kawasaki and Suzuki, had a fad of producing trials bikes in the Seventies and all four somehow managed to produce machines that were not quite what they should have been.❞ TS250 trail bike, was actually a cracker – all it needed was a decent frame – which Whitlock duly supplied in 1976.

And it got even better the following year when the Mk2 version was introduced with modified frame and laid-down rear shocks.

Frank Whiteway, a former Crooks employee turned college lecturer, bought one of the first Mk1s and after trying Frank's bike I took the plunge with a Mk2 from the first batch the following year.

That Mk2 was just a revelation compared with my previous Montesas. The Suzuki had waterproof brakes to start with while electronic ignition meant no weekly battle setting the timing through a hole in the flywheel which didn't match where the points were on the stator! The Japanese suspension was also awesome, especially after getting to understand the air-assisted forks and replacing the overhard Japanese rear springs with (triple yellow stripe) Girlings.

Yup, I loved my RL250Mk2 so much that I actually used to take the engine out occasionally just to polish the bottom rails on that lovely chrome frame.

So, when the all-new 325 – allegedly based on the factory model – arrived in 1979 I just had to have the first one through the door.

Having ridden Birkett's special factory bike I had such expectations.

Oh dear, what a crash to earth. Where to start? The motor was a slug – albeit an unburstable slug. And after you had waited five minutes to reach peak revs it then took another five minutes to die down again.

WHO IS JOHN DICKINSON? John Dickinson has been in, on and around the off-road scene for years. Trained as a mechanic, he spent some time in the motorcycle industry before finding his way into journalism. Thanks to his editorship of a certain weekly paper, he’s well known in the world of trials, enduro and scrambles. Oh, and he can ride a bit.

60 | AUTUMN 2021

And the chassis was just plain WRONG. The front was out like a chopper and the rear wheel felt like it was under the engine. We hived a ton of weight from the flywheel which improved the motor fractionally but gave up on the chassis – what it appeared to need was the steering head moving back an inch with a similar increase in swinging arm length. Some people have subsequently played with tighter fork angles – but that simply isn't the answer.

The harsh truth is, what we had was a beautifully engineered, handsome looking, bulletproof slug. Malcolm Rathmell was signed to ride it for a reputed £40,000! – which Rastus later laughingly refuted – but sadly even trials riding genius Malc couldn't make it work.

To be fair the Beamish did exceptionally well as a sidecar trials tug where the torquey engine was just the job.

A 250cc version was achieved by shrinking another iron liner inside the original iron liner.

Not the best of engineering solutions...

With hindsight the Beamish Suzuki trials episode was a brief one, that started with much promise but which sadly eventually fizzled out in 1981.

So it came as a surprise to me when I actually BOUGHT a 250 (I never learn) in the late 1990s and rode it in a few Wednesday evening trials for old times' sake, before the rattling worn-out piston crashing around in its multiple iron liners drove me mad.

So I dragged it over to Birks' workshop with vague instructions to, "turn it back into a 325 when you have time…" Guess where it still is...!

On a lighter note, we had a batch of the Mk2 Beamish models delivered to Crooks whose gear selection proved to be an interesting 1-2-3-5-4. The problem proved to be that wrongly machined selector drums had been fitted, which necessitated a full engine strip to replace. Thankfully we only had six bikes – I often wondered how many engines other dealers had to strip and rebuild...!

AUTUMN 2021 | 61

Kick-starting sport again After 18 months of sporadic events it looks as if sport is on the way back.

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mid spikes and troughs of pandemic news, when official advice changed by the hour, there was much speculation of how or if motorcycle sport could happen in such an environment. Could organisers meet the requirements laid out for sporting gatherings as authorities tried to balance a return to normality with reducing Covid infections

and having as many people jabbed as possible? The answer is yes: aided by organising bodies’ interpretation of said advice, motorcycle sport happened.

Okay, a trial is probably the easiest of our disciplines to meet the criteria, followed perhaps by enduros – both sports generally don’t attract the sorts of crowds which would cause infection transmission scares – then MX, where

part of the thing involves spectators. So, diligent organisers stepped up to the mark, precautions were taken and a different problem arose… how to fit all the 2020 postponed events into a very short 2021 season before the 2022 season starts… sorry, I don’t have the answer to such a problem, nor of how to get along to all these events. Instead, here’s a selection of events we did get along to…

EVENTS

Rockshocks Series

Above: Ian Peberdy is probably thankful the tree roots are dry.

Left: Matthew Jones is one of many riders who favour Fantic.

Above right: Youth rider Seren Walters has eyes on the ends cards.

Right: Stephen Burgess flicks the front end over a rock on his Yamaha.

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RND 2 RESULTS Class winners only AC Mono Exp AC Mono Club TS Exp TS Club Pre75 Exp Pre75 Club

David Carter Toby Fry Matthew Jones Martin Gilbert Ian Peberdy Tim Wooldridge

RND 3 RESULTS Class winners only AC Mono Exp AC Mono Club TS Exp TS Club Pre75 Exp Pre75 Club

Rocking the series With lots to catch up on, the Rockshocks Classic Trials Series jumped ahead with two events on consecutive days in the South West. Andy Withers was there for us.

Words: Andy Withers Pictures: Awsportsphoto

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evenport DMCC and West of England MC hosted the Rockshocks series with a Saturday and Sunday trial on June 19-20. With an entry limit of 120 per event and given the closeness of both events, priority for entry was given to those who’d entered both trials. Saturday’s Devenport trial was blessed with great weather and the entry had an excellent day. For the West of England trial it shows just how much any organisers are at the mercy of the weather – marked out with the expectation of heavy rain, it actually stayed dry! Still, all riders reported a great two days and the series headed north to Yeadon and Guisley’s trial on July 25, then to Cumberland County’s event in August.

Left: David Carter pushes up a bow-wave in a stream section.

Right: Young Finlay Clarke guides his Yam between the trees.

Davy Morewood James Brooker Scott Cameron Stefan Walters Carl Batty Christopher Myers

Above: Davy Morewood powers up a bank out of the stream.

Right: Scott Cameron balances nicely before tackling the next part of the section.

Below left: Tim Wooldridge keeps the front end light to clear some rocks.

Above: Scott Dommett displaying a nice bit of traditional body lean.

CCM Celebration

The sound of rolling thunder – to pinch Peter Henshaw’s CCM book title – echoed around Westmorland County Showground as CCM’s Golden Jubilee Scramble happened.

Words and pics: Tim Britton Media Ltd

EVENTS

Kendal Classic Scramble

Above: CDB out and about at CCM day 2021.

Thanks to Westmorland MC Ltd for letting us come along.

Right: Peter Hollinshead (454) and Peter Williamson (33) plough up the dust.

Below right: Trevor Calderwood on his CZ. Below: We reckon this is Ryan Ireland throwing up a plume of dirt.

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ust as much major British industry spluttered to a halt in the early Seventies, a fledgling British industry was emerging – though at the time those involved didn’t see it in this way.

How many automotive businesses have been formed because the person in it wanted something which couldn’t be had so decided to make their own version?

Such was the way for Alan Clews, a talented scrambles rider in the Sixties.

He wanted what was the ultimate British machine of the era, a works BSA. The factory wouldn’t release one so Alan set to and made his own version and CCM was born. It seems incredible these events were 50 years ago, yet they are; CCM is still around and the fabulous four-strokes are rightly regarded as classics…fast classics…classics to be used… but classics nonetheless.

THE COST OF RACING It is often said building a bike just takes money but using coins as washers… hmmm. Richard Clarke has owned this 1979 ex-Andy Lee works CCM for 14 years and the tale as it was told to him involved Andy being given an envelope containing his start and prize money for a round of the International series held in France. “It’s a bit like American sport where they have the world series but never leave the US. Inside the envelope was a handful of coins, French centimes, which Andy apparently classed as worthless, useful only as washers, drilled a few out and actually used them as washers.” Richard has kept them on. Eagleeyed CCM enthusiasts will spot the seat cover is all black and the reason for this is Andy and fellow works rider Bob Wright were taller than other team members and wanted a slightly taller seat. Adding foam was the only real way to increase the height but the standard two-tone seat covers wouldn’t fit so two all-black covers were made. Richard, whose involvement with CCM goes back to 1973 when he was in the spares department at Fowlers in Bristol – when they were the distributors for the south of England and backing riders such as Andy Nurden – added: “Lee did some suspension experimenting during his continental racing and this eventually appeared on the following season’s bikes.”

Top left: Andy Lee took the comment ‘paid in washers’ to the extreme…

Top right: …and after being paid in centimes for a race in France drilled them out and used them as washers.

Above right: Lee was quite tall and required a thicker seat for his works bikes.

Above: The bike’s owner Richard Clarke has been involved with CCM since his days at Fowlers in Bristol.

Middle left: There was never any shortage of engineering talent in the UK, talent which devises engines such as this CCM. Far left: Kawasaki KX125s are growing in popularity now races cater for them.

Above: John Griffiths is a regular at Westmorland events, usually mounted on one of Cecil Pearson’s JAPs. Left: CCM’s latest machines on display.

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Left: Given the British summer some kind of covered space is really needed.

Right: Chris Chell’s BSA, resplendent with REH suspension.

Below: Not every twin racing is a Triumph.

CDB headed to Westmorland Showground to catch up with this fabulous celebration of CCMness and found examples of the marque’s various incarnations, from the first ClewsStroka to the latest creations. But the best was on the track, or in the paddock, or anywhere you looked really. There were some real rarities out there: development bikes, works bikes, one-offs even, all brought together under the wing of the club’s scramble. So, take a look at these images from the day and wonder why you don’t have a CCM…unless you do have one, of course.

IN THE FRAME The Seventies saw rapid development in all areas of MX bikes. At the beginning of the decade bikes had carried on mainly in the same vein they always had but at the end of those tumultuous years radical changes had happened. Suspension grew, frame designs and ideas changed; where to mount suspension also evolved on what seemed a weekly basis. Long travel suspension is okay but there is a point where units are too long and in any case it isn’t practical to be buying new units every time an experiment is conducted. Frame tube layout is easier and cheaper to do, which brings us to Keith Jeffery’s 1979 exworks bike. An intriguing frame layout and one which has defeated all attempts to find more information. So if you know anything about it let us know and we’ll pass on the info to Keith.

Above: Lining up for the CCM parade.

Left: Keith Jeffery is keen to find out more about his ex-works CCM… Bottom left: … particularly the unusual frame design. Can you help?

Right: Suzuki and Crooks go together like bread and butter as the Cumbrian dealership was Suzuki focused... still is, actually.

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THREE WHEELS Sidecar sport held on to the big single for trials power longer than the solo scene did and long after a big four-stroke was outclassed in championships Jack Mathews could still take the British title on a CCM. It was a specially built outfit, tailored to Jack and his regular crew man Ray Armstrong to use, and use it well they did in 1972 to win the British Championship. Coincidentally an ex-Jack Mathews chair has made its way to the CDB editor’s workshops – it’s for a Can-Am – wonder if a joint test might be a giggle?

Top: Let’s see… CCM..

CCM…CCM…CCM… this looks like a CCM race.

Top right: Bill Brown… on a sidecar? The Wulfsport supremo happened past our stand and posed next to the Wasp.

Right: Matchless G80CS models were part of the big bike era.

Left: Jack Mathews’ championship-winning trials outfit.

Below: Remember the ‘spot the ball’ competitions in the weekly motorcycle press? This is nothing like them at all… spot the rider though.

Called to The Baa Two days of traditional trials on the Durham/Northumberland border – Castleside Trials Club’s Baa Classic.

Words and pics: Tim Britton Media Ltd

EVENTS The Baa

Top: Jack Metcalfe tries out his dad’s Bulto as a change from modern stuff.

Right: Shaun Brown, up from Lincolnshire, trickles through the early part of section six.

Below: John Mcfarlane goes carefully, those rocks were slimy for early riders.

Below right: Weigh ght well back helps Glen Scholey tackle a tight turn.

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he area around Edmundbyers in County Durham has seen many a North East Centre trial with one common theme… decent length courses. A chance to try out some new ground which butted up against older courses resulted in the inaugural Baa Classic a couple of years ago. The trial proved popular with lots of people wanting to travel north – or south for that matter – to experience how we do things in the North East. With a shorter, sixmile course on Saturday, July 10, starting at noon to break riders in for Sunday’s 11-mile two-lapper proved popular and at 10am on Sunday the entry set off on the moorland course to tackle rocky streams, stony banks, a little bit of mud and a touch of drizzle to enliven things. It is a course which reminded older riders of the ones we were on in the old days…

Top left: Mike Minns gives the rock slab a stern look.

Left: Les Ashby guides his Honda up the small step, look at the rear tyre though.

Above: There are not many Suzuki riders in trials, David Braithwaite rode them in the day and still rides them today.

Above: A Sammy Miller Hi-Boy framed Bulto was state of the art in the early Seventies. Neil Pattinson gets to grips with the one he was riding.

Left: Robin Luscombe tries Bantam power.

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AMCA/CDB British Classic MX Championship The Mick Brooker Memorial Scramble hosted by Acorns MCC at Butterton near Stoke-on-Trent included Round 2 of the AMCA/CDB British Classic MX Championship.

Words: Andy Withers Pictures: Awsportsphoto

RESULTS - WINNERS AMCA/ CDB British Championship Pre60 Race 1: Peter Hollinshead (BSA) Pre60 Race 2: Peter Hollinshead (BSA) Pre65 Race 1: Lewis Bell (Jawa Metisse) Pre65 Race 2: Ricky Pedder (Tri Metisse) Pre68 Race 1: Mitch Harris (BSA) Pre68 Race 2: 1 Keith Best (CZ) Pre74 Race 1: 1 Kristian Marshall (CZ) Pre74 Race 2: 1 Kristian Marshall (CZ) Championship Positions Pre60: 1 Joe Chell 52 Pre65: 1 Ricky Pedder 57 Pre68: 1 Keith Best 55 Pre74: 1 Kristian Marshall 60

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here were four Championship races, two mixed for Pre60, Pre65 and Pre68 and two for Pre74. In the first mixed class Pre68 rider Mitch Harris made the hole shot chased by Chris Collins and Nick Archer. Harris rode superbly to a good rhythm, not making any mistakes for a clear win. Collins was a good second in the race and in Pre68. Lewis Bell pushed through to third and was top Pre65, ahead of Best. Peter Hollinshead took his 650cc BSA twin to eighth in the race and the first Pre60. In the second race Ricky Pedder made the start from Harris, Bell and Best.

Pedder held the lead throughout to be top Pre65 with Best getting closer and closer in second as top Pre68. Hollinshead got past Joe Chell early on to finish with a double Pre60 win.

In the first Pre74 race local rider Chris Chell made the hole shot with Wayne Partington, Kris Winder and Keith Rice in pursuit. Kris Winder took the lead from Chell but Keith Rice stopped on the second lap with a broken frame downtube on his CZ. First-round winner Kristian Marshall worked from mid-pack and got past Chell and then Winder over the main jump. He pulled away for a clear win from Winder and Chell.

EVENTS

ACORNS MCC - Round 2

Above: Mixed day for Kris Winder.

Left: Greg Speed.

Right: Mitch Harris leads the Pre60/65/68 first championship race.

In the second, Greg Speed led Winder into the first turn but at the end of the first lap at the bottom of the hill Winder went down on the slippery grass. On the next lap Speed went down on the back of the circuit leaving Chell in front of Marshall, who eased through to make it three out of three championship wins. Chell was second from Partington and Rice. Winder worked his way back through to sixth.

Top picture: Greg Speed leads the Pre74s.

Above left: Ricky Pedder, Pre 65 Race Two winner.

Above: Lewis Bell – a second Pre65 win.

Top right: Micky Allen, a flying Gold Star.

Above right: Marshall flying high, three out of three.

Left: Mitch Harris, Race One winner Pre68.

Right: Keith Plumtree holding third in Pre65.

Bultaco Revival Nostalgia Trial Postponed from 2020, Westmorland MCC’s celebration of Bultaco went ahead on Saturday, June 19, 2021.

Words & pics: Tim Britton Media Ltd

Bultaco Nostalgia

Above: A bit of self-indulgence, Eric Kitchen caught me on one of the later sections in the trial.

Left: Ian Myers favours Cub power for his riding.

Below left: Guest of honour John Lampkin checks out the advertising for Westmorland’s next event.

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Pre65 pre-unit and unit Michael Irving Ariel 0 Pre65 Twin Philip Houghton Triumph 0 Pre65 Two Stroke John Maxfield BSA 0 Twinshocks Jack Butterworth Fantic 0

EVENTS

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feature at Bultaco Revival Nostalgia trials has always been an appropriate guest connected to Bultaco in some way. For 2020 said guest was to have been John Lampkin, who began his riding career on Bultaco models. So, 2021, John was still keen to come along and on a gloriously warm day there were to be two laps of a course laid out on Holme Farm, near Middleton. To keep things simple there was only one route in each section and unlike previous years when observers used punches to clip the rider’s score card – a system which requires closer contact than social distancing requirements allow – the traditional observers’ cards were in place.

Though the results have been out for a while, our box reminds you of the class winners. Checking the entry there were 26 Bultos in the trial which is a nice turnout.

All in all, despite a hiccup here and there the event was a welcome return to sport.

Roll on 2022.

RESULTS

Left: Roger Williams tackles section three on his Fantic 300.

Below left: Simon Hartley takes a few moments to find something amusing at section one.

Below: Andrew King is feet-up and powering his Fantic over the slippery rocks.

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Out of the blue Sometimes change happens gradually, other times something comes along which forces the world to take notice just by being there.

Words and pics: Tim Britton Media Ltd

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HARPER CZ

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Left: Talon rear sprocket is in place, a Renthal chain provides the drive.

Below: Freshly built and ready to be tried.

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n odd idea had been forming in Sixties MX, an idea so radical it rocked an industry on its heels. This idea would change the face of MX and unfortunately it wasn’t the home industry which would capitalise on it. Big bikes were still winning championships; of this there was no doubt but those winning on such massive machines were sure the day of these machines was over. It didn’t help the cause of the massive scrambler to find the industry supporting it was balanced on a knife-edge and would soon topple, forcing mergers, acquisitions, consolidation and just plain old ‘would the last person out please switch off the light’ as the once-dominant British companies seemed to collapse at the click of a thumb and finger.

BSA had realised, or perhaps more accurately BSA’s Brian Martin and Jeff Smith had realised, their employer’s Gold Star was at the end of the line. The pair instigated a development programme on the new unit road bike machines which would ensure a series of hand-built machines based on these motorcycles would bring the world championship to BSA twice

HARPER CZ

but the ultimate winner was the light two-strokes now being developed in Sweden, the Eastern Bloc and Essex. They were initially for the 250 class where such so-called flimsy machines could cope, or so the establishment thought, and were secure in their knowledge nothing could tackle the premier 500cc class unless it was a massive 500cc machine. Those competing on massive machines always knew a lighter bike was easier and less tiring to throw around, also if it was lighter it could cope with slightly less power, which made the engine’s life easier. Nor would the rolling chassis be so stressed as it wouldn’t have to deal with so much weight, all of which worked well in the 250 class. Then someone thought: “What if we stretched a 250 a little, taking the capacity up nearer 500cc, what would happen?” What happened was the face of MX changed and CZ’s 360 engine powered Paul Friedrichs to world championship status in 1966. Ultimately the rise of the two-stroke would be powered by Japanese engineering but without the groundwork laid down by CZ and others, their task would have been so much harder.

NO FUEL LIKE OLD FUEL The hoary subject of modern fuel in old motorcycles is guaranteed to polarise opinions but, like it or not, ethanol fuel is not ideal in our era machines. One solution has been to use a 50/50 mix of pump fuel and avgas plus two-stroke oil for bikes like the CZ. Thanks to the efforts of Classic Fuel Solutions there is now a competition petrol available; it’s 105 octane and unlike avgas, which I’m told is a slow-burn fuel as aero engines rarely go past 4000rpm, this race fuel is designed for motorcycles running up to 13,000rpm. See their advert in this issue.

The UK press were incredulous as Joel Robert dominated the 250 world championship in 1964 yet the CZ importers had no plans to bring replicas of his machine into the UK. Still Mike Bashford at MotorCycling managed to ride Robert’s actual bike on a scrambles course laid out in Hertfordshire a day after Robert had raced it at Windwhistle Circuit near Chard in Somerset. By all accounts the machine was a little tired and Bashford had to contend with things such as the Jikov carburettor not behaving itself. During his test he casually suggested the bottom to mid-range power was the match for a 500… do we feel someone from the factory read his words? Maybe, maybe not though not long after his 250cc feature Bashford was testing a 360 CZ for MotorCycling.

The 360 in Bashford’s 1966 feature was Chris Horsfield’s and while a works machine it was a 1965 version. To introduce the machine to an eager public Bashford started by laying down the spec of the engine and it corresponds nicely with the engine in our feature machine. CZ engines are fairly robust, not too difficult to work on and have an enviable range of spares available. I’ve heard phrases such as “anything and everything is available” for whatever CZ takes a rider’s fancy when discussing maintenance on these Czech machines. Given how many riders choose to go ‘CZ’ for just such a reason leads me to believe it is an accurate statement. Okay, a 360cc twin port CZ is not just the ‘250’ with a bigger piston, as some said when the bikes were beginning to be used in the 500 class.

With a bore and stroke of 80mm x 72mm compared with the 250’s 70mm x 64mm the 360, while still oversquare, is bigger all round. With these dimensions the 360 gives 32bhp from a 10:1 compression ratio and revs out at 6000rpm. Usefully the bigger engine produced more power mid-range which in an MX is a good thing. Other differences between the 250 and 360 are obvious if the engines are viewed side by side as the 250 has a cast iron barrel while the 360 has a deeply finned alloy one. There are similarities too; both engines have four-speed gearboxes, both sport a crankshaft-mounted clutch and both the 250 and 360 have Elektron crankcases which combine rigidity and lightness. Adding to the light and strong theme was the frame construction which involved chrome vanadium steel tube formed into a cradle and welded together. The rest of the chassis parts formed a curious-to-2021-view mix of steel, alloy and fibreglass components which possibly says more about the Eastern Bloc at the time than any desire to create a machine using these components. For instance, the wheel hubs were cast in Elektron for lightness yet mated to steel rims. Okay, the life of an MX wheel is not easy and steel resists track damage much better than alloy but still… There was praise for the 7in of front and 3.5in of rear suspension travel and our chap in the traditional Barbour suit found to his delight the 

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Below: Kenny Harper gives his race face to the camera.

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360 was much more forgiving to ride in the conditions – a temporary track which thawed, froze, thawed and froze again – of the test day. No matter, history records the prediction by Bashford was correct: Paul Friedrichs would become world champion on a 360 CZ and the Czech make rightly gained its place in MX history. Allied to the seemingly endless supply of bits available for them, it makes these machines so popular in the classic MX scene.

We touched on the reasons for someone wanting to ride a particular machine in the last issue when we featured Kenny Harper’s ex-Stuart Miller CZ and to quickly recap, there are certain rider age/machine age regulations for the ECMO series which Kenny is heavily into. No need to write it all out again as it’s all in issue 59, back issues are available… Suffice to say Kenny is legal for the ECMO. At first glance, both of Kenny’s CZs are similar but there are subtle differences on closer inspection; this one in our feature has some subtle differences. As we spoke about this bike, Kenny told me the frame is probably from the aftermarket industry in the Czech Republic and has a larger seat-to-footrest dimension than a standard frame. “You can see it’s taller by the gap between the bottom of the petrol tank and the top of the engine.” It arrived with Kenny as part of the deal when he bought Stuart Miller’s machines and was clearly built for a different CZ engine.

“The best guess or most likely guess is it’s for a single port motor as it has narrower mounts than the twin port one,” Kenny tells me, “with Stuart

KENNY HARPER Galloway MCC member Kenny Harper began his motorcycle sporting career in the trials game and had four years of trying to keep his feet up in all sorts of terrain before the scrambling bug bit. “I fancied a go at MX in 1979 and I did two seasons of twinshock MX before work. Then life took over and motorcycles had to take a back seat. In 2011 and 2012 I did a few Hare and Hounds type enduros and then in 2015 the idea of classic scrambles appealed,” says the 62-year-old gas engineer before adding: “I started doing the ECMO rounds in 2017 and somehow became the team captain for the Scottish ECMO team in 2018.”

no longer with us this can’t be confirmed though it seems he was building an ECMO compliant bike.” He does know the frame is well made, more rigid than a standard frame so will handle even better. Kenny shipped the frame off to Archie Baird to have the rear engine mounts altered and while it was there to have a chain guide and guard fitted too. “Archie did the blasting and powder coating too, it’s a rather nice blue,” grins Kenny. On the day of our photo shoot the CZ was wearing Marzocchi front forks which were deemed a ‘work in progress’ and by the time the bike was to be raced there would be refurbished CZ forks in place. Not unnaturally I wanted to know if there was some hi-tech reason why CZ forks were to be used over Marzocchi? Turns out the reason is the bike will be slightly lower all round with the original type of fork in the front. Naturally these will be rebuilt in the light of modern experience and include HFS cartridge type internals and will sit in the yokes already in

HARPER CZ

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place which were supplied from the Czech Republic.

Suspension has changed quite a lot since those halcyon days of the Sixties when you got what you were given and liked it or at best a different rate of spring might be allowed. There was a slight move to a more enlightened attitude on rear dampers when Girling introduced a competition strut which could be sent back to the factory and be rebuilt but compared with the development these days it was very basic.

“I’ve put special Falcon shocks on the rear,” says Kenny, adding: “John Fleming has worked with Falcon and devised some internal valving which suits the CZs and  they’re very good.”

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1: Fork yokes are from the Czech Republic where there is a whole industry supporting CZs.

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2: From this angle the bigger gap between the bottom of the petrol tank and the top of the engine highlights the taller frame.

3: On the day Marzocchi forks were in place, we understand CZ forks with HFS internals are now at the front end.

4: Tail pipe has a removable baffle for cleaning and repacking.

5: Renthal handlebars are popular with many racers… and trials riders and enduro competitors.

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7 6: At the front a ‘Tony D’ – Tony Distefano – replica guard keeps the rider clean.

7: Just behind the brake rod, on the swinging arm spindle hexagon is a locking tab; there’s a similar one at the other side too, both prevent the spindle from slackening.

8: Falcon rear shocks have been matched to the CZ’s needs.

9: It is quite a tall bike, so Kenny has plans to lower it slightly.

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8 As with other CZs we’ve featured recently this 360 motor has been up at Norrie Pattie’s workshop to be gone through with a finetooth comb and will now work way better than they did from the factory. Apart from all new bearings, bushes and seals throughout, the four-speed motor has also had a bit of attention to the drivetrain. It seems the crankshaft-mounted clutch isn’t quite up to the job and things can be done to make it better. Once it is sorted the whole thing stands up to race abuse much better and doesn’t give problems during a race. Something else which stands up better in race conditions once modified is the gear-change mechanism. CZs have a particularly long gear change as standard; it can mean the rider’s foot has to be lifted from the footrest to make it work. For years this sort of thing was just shrugged off as “well, CZ you see…” Then Peter Jerred decided to look at the problem and designed a bolt-on linkage system which puts the gear changing into the realms of sanity and almost as if it were a Japanese machine. His neat system is used by a lot of CZ owners.

Also popular with CZedders is the Czech ignition made by Vape. It is a complete replacement for the original and made with modern components so ensures a reliable spark, be the bike hot or cold or the conditions mild or extreme, and the fuel heading to the combustion chamber through the Mikuni carburettor fires at the right time. Originally a CZ would wear a Jikov carburettor but these are pretty basic instruments – hmmm, might get a letter or two about such a comment “Dear Sir, your comment re the Jikov…” – and fuelling the world has moved on.

These days the carburettor of choice is a Mikuni. “I don’t think anyone races without a Mikuni fitted,” says Kenny. “Wayne Partington advised me on the jetting to

9 use and it was pretty much spot on.” Making sure the air is clean when it enters the carburettor is handled by a filter in a massive airbox. “It’s an alloy replica of the original fibreglass ones, the old ones are as good as unobtainable these days,” Kenny tells us.

Unlike the 360 which Mike Bashford tested in the Sixties, Kenny’s bike has aluminium alloy hubs, painted gold, rather than the much rarer Elektron ones. The extra weight – little more than a few grams – is offset by using alloy rather than steel rims and modern Mitas tyres from Bill Brown’s Wulfsport concern mean the wheels could well be lighter than the factory ones of the Sixties. Once the bike was to this stage there needed to be an exhaust system added. The twin-port as original had two exhaust pipes; modern thinking is slightly different and this system consists of a standard front pipe type feeding a collector box made by Archie Baird and joining a rear pipe also by Archie and it is specific to this type of CZ. Crowning glory for a motorcycle is a petrol tank.

Always an eye-catching component, this one is no exception. A standard chromed steel tank with blue paintwork, it sets off the bike a treat. Matching it is a new seat with blue panels which goes to illustrate how much thought has gone into the build. All this effort is to no avail if the bike doesn’t work properly though... so Kenny, how does it go? “As I said before, the bike is a work in progress,” he says, “and the ex-Miller 420 has different power characteristics to this one. Also, thanks to a much stiffer chassis on this 360 the suspension is working much more as it should whereas the 420’s frame has a certain amount of ‘give’ in it.” As the season progresses more fettling will be done on the 360 as building a race bike is only half the story; it’s the final tuning which makes the difference.

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MOTO MEMORIES

f one listens to or reads news reports by the mainstream press when they go on about how alternative power is the way forward then you could be forgiven for believing the whole idea of electric-powered vehicles was discovered last week... by a 12-year-old, who’d put their phone down long enough to prevent their thumbs growing longer. In common with lots of ideas the concept of powering a vehicle, let’s say ‘motorcycle’ as this is a motorcycle magazine, has been around a long time. We could say any motorcycle with a spark plug is powered by electricity anyway but we’ll gloss over this fact and concentrate on the BSA C15 trials bike in the pic with this feature.

It was taken at a motorcycle show in the Sixties – not sure exactly which show, as in those days the captions were written on a piece of paper Sellotaped to the reverse of the print and this has long gone. The bike was built for and used at any number of shows for a few years as an indoor trials demo and the last time I was at Earls Court show this, or a similar machine, was still being used as a visitor attraction.

One could line up, pay a small fee for a charity and silently ride a 20-yard course. It wasn’t fast or exciting but with no clutch and no engine sound it was disconcerting and different enough for a few people to fail the course.

As is clear in the pic there is a massive battery, probably from a wagon and a Siba starter motor to act as the drive unit. While an interesting exercise in creativity, such a machine was never intended to be a viable production one. I seem to recall the total distance travelled before charging was necessary was measured in hundreds of yards rather than miles.

A chance discovery, while looking for something else in a Thirties issue of MotorCycling, was a feature entitled Why are there no electric scooters? and the writer, Carbon, harked back to the period just after the First World War when several manufacturers produced an electric-powered scooter which the rider/driver stood on and made their way to the railway station for the journey into the city. A machine described in the feature had a battery life of 65 miles between charging but was deemed to be incredibly complex to look after. The accompanying sketch showed a chap in a bowler hat and business suit, rather than the spangly catsuit of the Sixties model pictured here, operating the machine.

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Words: Tim Britton Pic: Nick Nicholls Collection at Mortons Archive www.mortonsarchive.com

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SILENT RUNNING