Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2018 i Classic Bike Guide

This Summer Classic Bike Guide went to two very different bike events with a classic theme. I say ‘classic theme’ as these were not your average park up in a cattle shed or the local playing field with your 60s bike and eat sandwiches while discussing whether the exhaust flange is correct on the neighbouring Velocette. The Malle Mile and the Café Racer Cup were about riding and embracing your bike, no matter what it is or what you’ve done to it. The Malle Mile The Malle Mile is organised by the guys at Malle: a couple of classic-riding designers who saw the need for robust, yet attractive luggage for their machines, yet could also double up as practical bags. Aparently, the French word ‘Malle’ translates into ‘tool chest’. Robert…

Further along the paddock is the Triumph and Rocket3 Owners’ Club’s impressive exhibition celebrating 50 years of the Triumph and BSA triples. The exhibition featured some hugely important race machines, such as ‘Slippery Sam’ – the ex-works Triumph Trident, the ex-works Reg Allen BSA Rocket 3, and the Hughes Trident, which was the first Trident to race on the Isle of Man. Other machines included the Des Evans TT Marshals Triumph Trident and 3D Motorcycles’ F750 Triumph Trident, which finished second in the 2013 Classic TT with Gavin Lipton in the saddle. Then there was the Bee Bee Brothers’ F750 Rocket 3, which was raced by Alistair Frame and a striking example of a BSA Mk2 Rocket 3 Home Market production machine. For Dougy Beardsall, the club’s membership secretary, who…

IF YOU ARE looking for a classic motorcycle, some major advantages of going for a Norton twin are spares availability and technical advice, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Norvil to keep the machines rolling. As well as their own name, Norvil own the Commando brand name and have a licence from the trademark owner to manufacture and sell genuine Norton motorcycles and parts. They manufacture genuine Norton parts to original factory specification, except where they have upgraded tooling and revised drawings in order to make parts in newer and better materials, to modern day tolerances for modern day reliability. Original factory drawings are used to make parts that don’t require improvement, though with today’s modern engineering practices, most parts can and have been improved by us…

ENGINE: 597cc OHV vertical twin with light alloy head POWER: 35bhp@6500rpm COMPRESSION RATIO: 7.4:1 CARBURETTOR: Amal Monobloc IGNITION: Coil and points with distributor and auto advance ELECTRICS: Lucas RM15 60W AC generator 6v battery TRANSMISSION: Four-speed gearbox, wet multiplate clutch chain final drive FUEL CAPACITY: 3½ gallons TYRES: Front 3.00x19 rear 3.50x19 BRAKES: Front 8in full width drum, rear 7in full width drum SUSPENSION: Norton Roadholder forks, rear swinging arm twin three-way Girling oil-damped shock absorbers DIMENSIONS: 55½in (1410mm) wheelbase, 5½in (140mm) ground clearance SEAT HEIGHT: 31½in (800mm) WEIGHT: 413lb (187kg)…

Alan Critcher has 18 Greeves of various kinds. “I started riding trials at the age of 10 on a Greeves Scottish and that’s how I got into Greeves.” Among his collection is an Essex Twin. He says: “Essex Twins came in two colours – quaker blue and moorland blue with light mudguards that were very well thought out and have very clever mounts. “The cylinder dimensions on the 4T were the same as the 2T, but there were a lot of external changes. The cylinders had additional transfer ports and piston mods which allowed them to run cooler. “But the 4T was no real improvement over the 2T and it’s less torquey than the 2T as well. Greeves had tuned the 2T engines for better performance than stock. “Brakes are…

The hardest model to restore would be the 1969 version. Lots of parts are unique to this one-year-only machine; a complete bike is the best option. Despite being a parts bin special the TT250 should be relatively easy as a project bike, given its GT250 heritage. Engine bearings can be hard to obtain as can gearbox components. The winged gothic S tank badges can change hands for fierce money. Pricewise the T250 hasn’t, yet, been hit with the ‘sound investment potential’ stick and there are still some reasonably priced examples. Good used examples seem to start around £2500-£3000 with restored or very clean original examples hitting £4000-£5500. Anything above that would have to be mint. You may see the high pipe 1970 T250 II models being sold at a premium…

“ A veritable torrent of answers came back ranging from dropping the entire engine into a bath of red diesel through placing it in a freezer right up to hitting it the rotor with the Red & Black Spanners (aka oxy/acetylene)…” AS THE PHRASE goes, every day is a school day... or at least it has the potential to be one if only you let it. And reaching into my big box of trite journalistic sound bites here’s another hackneyed saying – the man who never made a mistake never made anything. Yet just like every other axiom, there’s more than a grain of truth behind them. Of the various lumps of oriental steel and alloy that variously brighten my days or blight my nights, they all have their pros…

JIS SCREWDRIVERS X 4 For 30 years or so I’ve been undoing the screws on Japanese motorcycles with Phillips or Pozi-drive screwdrivers and they’ve never seemed to fit, and I’ve always put it down to cheap and worn-out Japanese screws or cheap screwdrivers. It’s only recently that I found out about JIS – Japanese Industrial Standard. These screwdrivers look like Phillips items, but their profile is slightly different, and while Phillips screws have a tiny curve at their corners, JIS screws, as used on Japanese bikes, don’t, so when you use a Phillips screwdriver, the blades ‘cam out’ causing the heads to slip and round off. Use a JIS screwdriver and they don’t. This set of four Laser screwdrivers was bought with a couple of Japanese projects in mind, and…

NORVIL Norton specialists Norvil have been hard at work coming up with parts for Norton, AJS and Matchless classics. Long out-of-stock items include mudguard bridges for Matchless G15 and AJS CSR twins and for Norton N15CS Scramblers priced at £34, as well as stainless steel front mudguards for the G15CS & N15CS at £69. Rocker adjusters for pre-1946 OHV Nortons are on offer at £15 and clutch levers for the Norton model 1, 16H, 18, 30, 30M, 40, 40M are available for £46. Norvil also have a range of velocity stacks for Amal carbs and brand-new Norton Commando 850 barrels. Visit Norvil at www.norvilmotorcycle.co.uk to see the full range. SNOODS IN WAX As winter approaches, thoughts turn to chilly extremities. I usually wrap my chin in whatever I can lay…

Postcard from Australia I have the European Bike Guide that came with the June Classic Bike Guide and it’s a splendid publication! In it Oli Hulme invited comments and I have a couple: It doesn’t include Montesa motorbikes although it has Bultaco and Ossa, which are similar. I had a Montesa Scorpion which was a good looking bike. On Page six it has the BMW R50/60 and shows the years as 1951-54 but I think this should be 1955-69, between the /3s and /5s. Art Woldan, Western Australia Honda singles It was great to see a buyer’s guide to the Honda singles in CBG; it even featured a bike from my ‘wish’ list, the CB400SS, though I doubt I’ll see one this side of a lottery win or rich relative…

AS YOU MAY well do, I scout the classifieds, checking those small ads for the chance of finding that perfect bike before anyone else gets the chance; it tickles my ageing fancy. I also check the dealer ads, I check the auctions and even the scary world of eBay. For what? Well, to be frank, I’m not quite sure. Something shiny, something different: something else. Currently I have a hankering for a Triumph pre-unit twin, after giving my Trident or Rocket 3 fantasy a rest to the behest of my bank account. I did enquire about the value of my organs, but a misspent youth put paid to that… My original plan last year was simple. Buy a bike that could sum up British classic motorcycling in one. So start…

TRIUMPH motorcycles has launched a number of offers, including £500 deposit contributions and interest-free finance on some of its model range. Offers include low 6.9% APR finance on Tiger 800, Tiger 1200, Street Triple and Bonneville T100, T120 and Bobber models, plus an additional £500 TriStar deposit contribution on Tiger 800 and Street Triple. A £500 contribution is also available on Bonneville T100, T120 and Bobber along with the Speed Triple S. The Street family models come with interest-free finance over three years on the Street Twin, Street Cup and Street Scrambler bought and registered between by October 31.…

THE UK’S BIGGEST bike show, Motorcycle Live, will open its doors at the NEC Birmingham from November 17-25. There will be at least 38 manufacturers displaying the latest machines, including Triumph, Brough Superior, CCM and Norton as well as a host of larger manufacturers from around the world. Expect previews of the latest machines from a host of manufacturers big and small. Visitors to the NEC might also like to take the opportunity to take a trip to the National Motorcycle Museum, which is next to the venue. Motorcycle parking at the show is free of charge. Advance tickets are on sale now priced at just £19.50 per adult, £12 for seniors, £1 for 11-16-year-olds and free for children aged 10 and under. There is also a £25 advance ticket,…

THE IMPORTER OF Arai crash helmets and RST clothing has warned buyers that fake items bearing its branding have appeared on internet selling sites. The helmet firm posted a message showing an Ebay page with what Arai Helmets UK says is a fake Arai RX-7RRS on sale for £106.99 – the usual price for an RX-7V, the nearest equivalent, is around the £600-700 mark. The RST importer has also warned that RST Blade II jackets, that retail at £249.99 have been faked and sold online for £114.99. The copies are poor, missing the RST branding on the jackets, while the helmets feature wrap-around visors which Arai does not use, and come in poor quality packaging. Arai warned: “Do not purchase these helmets as they are fake. Our helmets are passed…

Vee Two is the largest Ducati Bevel engine parts manufacturer in the world today. It is a world leader in aftermarket desmo cam design and production and also the only company in the world to commercially produce desmo cams of different profiles to original factory camshafts. Paul Taylor said: “The Vee Two Hailwood reflects the fact that Vee Two USA will be very similar to the Bologna NCR race workshop which built Mike’s 1978 bike in conjunction with the Ducati factory. Brook and I have worked together in the past, but we think our different skills offer some excellent opportunities for a future together.”…

Because of my Beeza being obstinate, I chose to use a modern take on the classic café racer, a Moto Guzzi V7. While not exactly in its design remit, it held its head reasonably high on track, despite being up against mainly Triumph Thruxton Rs and Ducatis. With some small tweaks to the handlebar position and raising the pre-load on the rear shocks, it managed to come – last. I have plenty of excuses: knackered knees, touring tyres, no ground clearance on the left (sidestand), a mere 45bhp, single front disc – the truth was the ‘Guzzi and I were outgunned and out-classed. However, the end of the day held a surprise for team CBG – our efforts managed to come to the attention of the marshalls and we received…

ROB BOULTON, FROM Gloucestershire, has a 1959 Model 99 Dominator, which is listed on the original order documents as being an SS – the name referred to ‘Special Spec’ with a black tank and chrome mudguards, not Supersport. His love affair with motorcycles began as an apprentice at the British Aircraft Corporation. “I had a BSA C12 at the time. There were more bikes at the BAC Technical College than cars. Lunch break was like visiting a bike show,” he said. The immaculate 99, which Rob has owned for 25 years, has a Wideline Featherbed frame. Early days with the Dominator were problematic – the crankshaft broke within a year. “The crank had been given a regrind, but it was an awful job.” Norvil found it had been reground without…

Motor Cycling , February 1957 Before handing over the model, Nortons said the 99 should be good for over 100mpg. How wrong they were. One test run produced no less than 112mpg General handling quality was excellent right up the speed range and the combination of a broad, resilient seat and sensibly located adjustable footrests resulted in a high degree of rider comfort. Acceleration from a standstill took to more than 50mph in 5sec. A mile a minute gait was obtained in a further 2sec and the machine would top the ton in a little over 45sec. The charm of this Norton was its snappiness, not only off the mark, but through the gears when the full 31bhp seemed to be doing their job with a will. The Motor…

Just like any old Japanese bike, tinware is one of the biggest issues; it needs to be there and in decent condition. Some of the switch gear is also now incredibly hard to obtain. The electrics are generally robust but age and corrosion can cause issues at terminals; sun-baked imports from America may have mega brittle plastic insulation. Engine parts availability is so-so and varies with whatever old dealers may be moving on via eBay etc. With the bike being popular with clubman racers it’s worth asking around the pits for tips and wrinkles as to what these guys are using to overcome parts shortages.…

“ That invisible thread that unites us all, the way our heads turn whenever a bike rides past cannot be broken, even if it results in a death stare from your significant other. ” IT’S REASONABLE TO assume that by reading CBG you have more than a passing interest in old motorcycles (unless you’re reading this at the dentist’s, and it was this or Gardeners’ World) and have a pretty firm idea about what constitutes ‘old’ in the context of two wheels. Read an American social media site and ‘vintage’ appears to refer to any motorcycle that’s no longer under the manufacturer’s warranty – ‘hey guys, take a look at my vintage Honda Fireblade’ and so forth. Here in Britain, we do things slightly differently, we have rules for such…

VALVE COMPRESSOR Doing a cylinder head strip on a Kawasaki recently required the purchase of a valve spring compressor. The type needed required access at depth on both sides. Many years ago I had one for a BSA A65, which was little more than a solid steel C-clamp with two screwed studs. Searching for a spring compressor online offered up either cheap or very expensive items with little between. So we went cheap, as it seemed unlikely the tool would be used very often. For £14.99 from Amazon the compressor that arrived was in a smart plastic box, with five cups to fit different valve cap sizes. The compressor itself was made of a C-shaped piece of bent black tubing. It worked, after a fashion, and each valve was successfully…

Steve is tanked… I’ve repaired my mate’s super rare Honda CBX250tank for him via lead puddling and tank liner. When I reached 50 holes I gave up counting! I just need to flat it all back now and remove the surface rust...such fun!!! Oli messes with his head Last month we got to work on the Z650 and after trying to find an engineering shop that would carry out the top-end work. But strangely they were all fully booked until December, so decided to strip things ourselves. Getting the head off was easy, once we’d found the hidden ninth bolt, but getting the barrels off was a different matter. It took three days. Eventually we managed it by wrapping two ratchet straps round the bottom of the block, making them…

We all want to see your bike! We’ve teamed up with Carole Nash insurance for a top competition. All we want to see is a great photo of your bike using some of the hints and tips we’ve brought you here. The winner will see their bike displayed on a Carole Nash stand in all its glory at a major show next year, as well as your photograph beautifully printed and mounted in a frame. You’ll even receive a subscription to Classic Bike Guide! The competition is open until November 30, 2018. Send digital photos to editor@classicbikeguide.com or your prints to Classic Bke Guide photographic competition, Mortons media, Mortons Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, LN9 6JR. Good luck! See www.classicbikeguide.com for details, terms and conditions…

EUROPE’S LEADING INDOOR off-road event is back for yet another bumper event this November. Not only will the event be showcasing the very latest off-road models and live trials action, once more there will be superb entertainment, including Mini Bike Racing, Quad bikes and Moto Football. The International Dirt Bike Show is held across four days – November 1-4 – at its now traditional home of Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, in partnership for a third year with oil and lubricant giant MOTUL. Event organiser Mortons Media Group (publisher of CBG) will be looking to build on a sellout 2017 show, with major manufacturers showcasing their latest 2019 machines. Advance ticket sales are now open and can be purchased online at dirtbikeshow.co.uk or by calling 01507 529529. Prices start from £8.…

PRICE: £110,000 ENGINE: Air-cooled Ritorno sohc desmodromic 90-degree V-twin four-stroke, with two valves per cylinder and bevel gear camshaft drive DIMENSIONS: 88 x 74.4mm CAPACITY: 905cc OUTPUT: 89hp at 8500rpm (at rear wheel) PISTONS: Pistal Italy Forged Bridged Slipper type. COMPRESSION RATIO:11:1 CARBURATION:2 x 40mm Dell’Orto PHM IGNITION:Individual Points and condensers each Cylinder, 12v battery GEARBOX: Vee Two five-speed Close Ratio CLUTCH: Vee Two Dry multi-plate SUSPENSION: Front: 38mm Marzocchi telescopic forks Rear: Girling ‘Black’ Gas shocks WHEELBASE: 1450mm WEIGHT: 163 kg with oil, without fuel BRAKES: Front: 2 x 280mm Brembo cast-iron discs with 16mm two-piston Brembo calipers Rear: 1 x 280rrm Brembo cast iron disc with 16mm two-piston Brembo caliper WHEELS: Front: 2.5 x 18 Campagnolo by Marvic Rear: 3.5 x 18 Campagnolo by Marvic TOP SPEED: 158mph…

1949 to 1956: Model 7 (29bhp) built 1952 to 1966: Model 88 (29 to 36bhp) built 1952: Short Roadholders fitted to all Featherbeds 1954: Eight-inch brake introduced, welded rear frame loop 1955: Alloy cylinder head, Monobloc carb, full width hubs 1956 to 1958: Model 77 (31bhp) built 1956 to 1962: Model 99 (31 to 36bhp) built 1956: AMC gearbox introduced, new camshaft, new silencers 1958 to 1960: Non-featherbed Nomad scrambler built for export only 1958: Coil ignition and alternator introduced until 1962 1960: Slimline frame introduced; compression ratio increased 1960 to 1961: 650 Manxman built for export only 1960 to 1968: Atlas (49 to 55bhp) built 1961: Compression increased again on 88 and 99 1962 to 1968: 650 SS (49bhp) built 1963: Production moves to Plumstead 1964: 12v electrics introduced…

1969 T250 Hustler The all-new T250 still carried a few styling cues from the T20. Although the chrome tank panels and rubber knee pads had gone, the tank’s profile had hardly changed. Chrome plated guards replaced the previous silver paint and pinstriped units and the gauges were now two separate units. The T20’s externally, exposed, sprung forks had been swapped for Ceriani type units but fitted with rubber gaiters. Unusually, the deep seat was edged not with a metal strip as was common for the period; instead a series of large rivets were visible on the outer face. The bulbous tank with gold and black winged gothic S badges carried a thick black painted banding to its lower edge. In keeping with the lighter look the bike was offered in…

“ It’s a circus rolling into Keane, New Hampshire, and 16 other mid-sized towns with sufficient bed space for 3-400 dedicants to the cult of the old motorcycle, 100 of whom will be tired, or despairing, or jubilant, or angry, or injured, or simply bemused. ” IT’S ALREADY OVER, reader, but as I write this while heading to the airport for Portland Maine, the next 18 days are a series of question marks on the calendar. Tomorrow is easy; a 50-mile practice run for riders to acquaint themselves with navigating rural roads using roll-sheet rally instructions. The two-page route tomorrow will be replaced with 17 days of much longer instructions, typically 15 or 20 pages, depending on the complexity and length of our daily journey of between 230 to 350…

SEPTEMBER 2018 27 LE Velo Lancs & S Lakes, Gargrave: meet on canal towpath, by bridge in village. Tel: 01772 82516 27 Krazy Horse – Park it in the Market: Greenwich Market. London. food, music, cars and bikes. Greenwich Market, Greenwich Church Street, London, SE10 9HZ 7-10pm. www.krazyhorse.co.uk 29 LE Velo Northampton Gathering: The Lamb, High St, Stoke Goldington MK16 8NR. Tel: 01604 499858. 29-30 National Sprint Association (Northern Section): York Raceway, Seaton Ross, YO42 4SS. www.sprinting.org.uk 30 Ace Cafe London, 59 Club Day + BSA Bantam Meet: Ace Cafe, Ace Corner, N Circular Rd, Stonebridge, London NE10 7UD.london.acecafe.com 30 Sand and Motorcycles: Pages Park, Billington Road, Leighton Buzzard, Beds LU7 4TG. Tel: 01525 373888. www.facebook.com/SandAndMotorcycles 30 The British Two-Stroke Club (Leicester section) The Rutland Borders Run: (venue to be…

“ I expressed sympathy, in a remote way, and pretended to be too busy to chat, as it’s called in the online world. It’s much easier to do that via social media than when your pal is sitting on the sofa and cursing into the beer he’s just liberated from your fridge. Trust me on this. ” LOTS OF FRIENDS talk to me. I have no real idea why this should be so, but it is. Relentlessly, they tell me things; a few of them are useful, but increasingly they are packed with wonderment. Also incomprehension – mine, that is. Such as… a pal announced to me through the ethers that he was “giving up eBay!” His was the exclamation point. There is no recognised punctuation for bewilderment. Yet. But…