Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2019 i Classic Bike Guide

AFTER THE CONTINUAL success of the Bike Shed show in London each year, the team have organised the new festival at Lydden Hill circuit, Kent, over the weekend of October 5/6. Last year Bike Shed tried the idea with the Café Racer Cup, held over one day at Lydden. It was a great success and showed them what people did, and didn’t want. But the hunger for seeing old, custom and retro bikes racing around the track was definitely there. The idea is simple: have several different classes and let people race, but without the usual ritual of tyre warmers, race licences and taking it all too seriously. The Bike Shed Festival is designed to be fun and there will be camping and plenty of places to get decent grub.…

THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE Museum hosts the sixth annual ‘Live’ open day on October 26, when the museum throws open its doors to all, free of charge, for the special event. There will be a host of free attractions including, new for 2019, Henry Cole’s Shed and Buried Live, presented in association with TV channel Quest, the programme’s new home. This brand-new live stage version of the popular TV show will feature all of the popular personalities including Henry Cole and Sam Lovegrove. There will also be a couple of surprise star guest appearances revealing the secrets of their own sheds. The open day will feature a large indoor trade area held within the warm and dry surroundings of both the National Motorcycle Museum, including trade stands and displays from well…

IF YOU ARE looking to equip your workshop with top-notch new kit but worry about the financial outlay, machine Tools specialists Warco may have the answer. Warco is the brand name for Warren Machine Tools Ltd. Established for over 40 years Warco has grown from humble beginnings in the mid 1970s, to becoming one of the leading suppliers of machine tools in the UK, and export machinery all over the world. Warco sell everything from bench grinders to massive workshop lathes and milling machines and a host of tools and parts. The company has now announced that they are able to offer finance facilities for private customers. This facility will soon be available online. Warco is authorised and regulated by the FCA and can quote verbally or in writing. For…

SEPTEMBER 2019 1 2nd Annual Hot Rods: Oldham Rugby Union, Manor Park, Byrth Road, Oldham OL8 2TJ. Tel. 07984 044142. Email benowenpritchard@hotmail.co.uk. 1 North West Classic Motorcycle Show: Cholmondeley Castle, nr Malpas, Cheshire SY14 8AH. www.classicshows.org.Tel. 01484 667776. 1 Motorcycle Fest: White Lion Pub, 46 High St, Baldock SG7 6BJ. Tel. 07963 609143. 1 VJMC Bike Day: Ace Cafe London, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com 1 Sunbeam MCC Greybeards Trial: Jackson Woods, Horsmonden. Tel. Neil Sinclair 07885 660939. Email sinclairndlp@hotmail.co.uk 1 BMPS Magnificent Motorcycles: Llandudno Promenade, Whistle Stop Café, Goldwing, Wirral Wobblers and others. Access prom opposite St Georges Hotel, LL30 2LG. For more info tel. John Dean 07816 066465.johnatsilvergate@aol.com www.bmpsnwales.org.uk 2 SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF REAL CLASSIC 3 Dereham Station Bike night: Norfolk. Mid-Norfolk Railway,…

THE TRIUMPH TR6 Trophy you can see here was supplied to the current owners by Triumph twin specialists Ace Classics of Lee in South London, who can build you a Steve McQueen replica Trophy to order. We spoke to Kev Rushworth at AC about Triumph’s best twin: “The bike is a 1963 Trophy, from the first year of unit 650 production. As a result, it has a number of parts on it that came from the old pre-unit twins. Like the first unit Bonnevilles, it’s got a set of forks from the pre-unit Triumphs sold in 1962/63. “It’s got a Smiths chronometric speedo, rather than a magnetic one, and the footrests are also off a pre-unit bike. You can tell this because they go under the exhaust pipes, rather than…

I paid £450 for a CB650 in the mid-1990s. It was quite a pleasant ride in a restrained sort of a way, neither old nor young and a bit chubby round the middle. It was reasonably light and with a low, stepped seat was attractive to those shorter in stature, while being big enough for those taller and broader. Steering was positive, if unexciting, aided by suspension components designed for bigger bikes. It would go where you pointed it and grounding the low foot pegs clearly showed the overenthusiastic rider when they were reaching the limits of the handling. It was capable of carrying a passenger in comfort. The gearshift wasn’t quite as positive as those Honda had managed in the past and it came with a handful of false…

“A brief burst of frantic running around the garage in Benny Hill style resulted in my finding the pristine (one careful owner, never been used) extinguisher and I pulled the pin, pressed the trigger and….a few bubbles came out, but no sign of any foam” POPPING OUT FOR A BURN Paul shows us that what we think won’t happen, can… MY BIKE CAUGHT FIRE. YUP, PROPER FLAMES. IT was a Triumph of incandescence over reliability, so I should have known it would let me down in spectacular style. This isn’t the first time it’s happened to me either, although in fairness on the last occasion it was a Yamaha and I was but a pillion deadweight. A friend had just purchased a cute little RD200 and for reasons too dull…

ENGINE: 646cc (40 cubic inches) overhead valve, four-stroke with fully enclosed valve gear; alloy cylinder head with high compression 9-1 pistons. Large bore Amal carburettor; full race camshaft; engine has heavy base cylinder block, and heavy duty crank shaft. Dry sump lubrication with double gear type oil pump. Air cleaner. TRANSMISSION: four-speed gearbox with scrambler ratios 6.5 -8.7 -10.2 - 15.3 -1 TYRES: Dunlop Sports 3.25 - 19 front; 4.00 rear. BRAKES: full width hubs, 8in diameter front and 7in rear with finger adjusters. Brake plates polished to high lustre. SUSPENSION: hydraulically controlled telescopic from forks with chrome covers and rubber dust sleeves. Hydraulically controlled swinging arm suspension. Double tube lightweight frame.…

A DISABLED VETERAN who restores motorcycles for charity is back in business, after thieves stole his toolkit, thanks to local motorcycle dealer Fowlers. Former Royal Navy Submariner Mark Hancock, who lost both his legs through illness, restores motorcycles free of charge for the Let’s Do charity, as part of his rehabilitation. Let’s Do is a veteran-run charity which has helped former military and home service people overcome disabilities since 2014, through outdoor activities and events. The future of Mark’s therapeutic hobby looked uncertain after all his tools were stolen during a break-in at his property in July – that is until Bristol motorcycle dealer Fowlers stepped in. Fowlers’ director Stephanie Fowler explained how they became involved: “A friend of Mark’s contacted us through our Facebook page, asking if we were…

THE BIGGEST CLASSIC motorcycle show in the world will welcome the most successful sidecar racer of all time, Steve Webster, as guest of honour this autumn. Steve always attracted a large audience during his racing days, and now fans have the chance to meet the former world champion at the Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show on October 19/20. There will also be an exclusive interview by resident compere and local racing star, Steve Plater. Born in Easingwold, North Yorkshire, Webster won the FIM Sidecar Championship a record-breaking 10 times with Tony Hewitt, Gavin Simmons, David James and Paul Woodhead in the chair between 1987 and 2004. Along the way to securing his record 10 world titles, ‘Webbo’ notched up an unprecedented 31 consecutive pole positions in world championship races…

Velocette LE Would this cleverly manufactured bike be the answer to modern travel? Triumph TR6 This early unit twin is not just beautiful, but easy to live with. Honda CB650 By this time, Honda were getting rather good at this motorcycle lark…. Should you be tempted, here are a few tips to stop you getting carried away... Speak to those in the know – clubs, owners, specialists. Is this the bike for you? Get some quotes – how much are parts, how easy are they to work on and how much will it cost to insure? See if you can have a go on one. This may be tricky, but if you have comprehensive insurance a kind owner or dealer may let you try one out. If you can’t do…

ENGINE: Four-stroke air-cooled parallel twin, OHV, two valves per cylinder LUBRICATION: Dry sump CAPACITY: 649cc BORE x STROKE: 71 x 82mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 8.5:1 CARBS: Single Amal Monobloc/Mk.1 Concentric IGNITION: Points TRANSMISSION: Chain primary drive, wet multiplate clutch, four-speed gearbox FRONT WHEEL: 3.25 x 18/19 REAR WHEEL: 4.00 x 18 FORKS: Oil damped telescopic REAR SUSPENSION: Girling shocks, three-way spring preload FRONT BRAKES: 8ins SLS drum REAR BRAKES: 7in SLS drum LENGTH: 2145mm (84.4in) SEAT HEIGHT: 775mm (30.5in) WHEELBASE: 1410mm (55.5in) DRY WEIGHT: 165kg (364lb) FUEL TANK: 18 litres (4 gallons)…

THE LE IS blessed with one of the oldest and most enthusiastic model-specific owners’ clubs out there. Formed in 1950, the club bought up masses of spares from dealers in the 1970s and 80s, including the Velocette factory’s remaining stock, which they sell along with newly manufactured pattern parts. Carrying out a full restoration and getting technical help or parts will be massively helped by club membership. The club owns a clubhouse in the Midlands and the various branches carry out dozens of rideouts over the year. The owners’ club is the only specialist source of spares for the LE. www.leveloclub.org.uk…

ENGINE: Air-cooled SOHC four BORE/STROKE: 60mm x 56mm CAPACITY: 627cc COMPRESSION: 9:1 POWER: 45bhp @ 8500rpm LUBRICATION: wet sump IGNITION: electronic CARBURETTORS: 4x26mm Keihin PRIMARY DRIVE: Hyvo chain GEARBOX: Five-speed constant mesh FRAME: Welded steel twin cradle FRONT SUSPENSION: Oil/Air damped telescopic forks REAR SUSPENSION: Swinging arm with twin oil damped coil springs FRONT BRAKE: Twin discs with single piston calipers REAR BRAKE: 180mm drum TYRES: 3.50 x 19 front 4.10 x 18 rear WHEELBASE: 57.5 in/1,460mm GROUND CLEARANCE: 6.3 in/160mm SEAT HEIGHT: 30 in/765mm DRY WEIGHT: 212 kg TOP SPEED: 115mph…

“I didn’t know I’d been looking for one of these, but I had, perhaps in penance to the one I found abandoned roadside in 1985, and stripped for its metric bolts and high-pipes, as it was otherwise valueless – but this was Dave Ekins... and Baja.” BAJA BOUND Paul recalls how, and why, he ended up with one of Honda’s scramblers OF ALL THE THINGS CURIOUS ABOUT motorcycling, the magic roundabout retains the capacity to surprise. Which is to say, be careful what you didn’t know you wished for, because you’ll likely get it anyway. I spent a week this July doing the best kind of riding, on an old bike in gorgeous countryside, in company with friends. The bike was a 1965 Triumph Bonneville, the place was the far…

“YOU START IT,” SAYS ANDY, TICKLING THE NEW Amal carbs and putting a foot, clad in a Nike trainer, on the Vincent Rapide’s kick-start, “like a cement mixer.” Vincents have been compared to many things, but a cement mixer isn’t usually one of them. Andy pushes down on the starter and I confidently expect him to suffer a sprained ankle, at the very least. The Rapide starts first time and as it rumbles away, Andy explains: “You get lots of advice about starting a Vincent, I just worked out my own way. You get some fuel in there, pull in the decompressor, get it to TDC and push down hard, but don’t release the decompressor till you are at the bottom of the stroke. The flywheel momentum that’s built up…

EDITOR || Matt Hull editor@classicbikeguide.com PUBLISHER || Tim Hartley thartley@mortons.co.uk ART EDITOR || Kelvin Clements DESIGNER || Tim Pipes PICTURE DESK || Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield EDITORIAL ASSISTANT || Jayne Clements PRODUCTION EDITOR || Sarah Wilkinson GROUP ADVERTISING MANAGER || Sue Keily ADVERTISING || Kieron Deekens 01507 529413 kdeekens@mortons.co.uk ARCHIVE ENQUIRIES || Jane Skayman 01507 529423 jskayman@mortons.co.uk SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER || Paul Deacon CIRCULATION MANAGER || Steven O’Hara MARKETING MANAGER || Charlotte Park PUBLISHING DIRECTOR || Dan Savage COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR || Nigel Hole PRINTED BY || William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton. ISSN No 0959-7123…

AFTER ALMOST TWO years of waiting, action returned to Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough, in July, for the last remaining road race in England. The Barry Sheene Memorial Classic witnessed a historic moment as the famous track came alive to the sound of racing. A record crowd of 15,000 eager spectators flooded in, backing the new club and new organisation which has brought the historic racetrack back from the ashes. Legendary TT rider and joint president of the new club, Mick Grant, gave an emotional speech from the new podium: “We couldn’t let this track fall into the history books, it means so much to me, Eddie Roberts the joint president and the rest of the club. We can’t thank the fans enough for showing us their support. Behind the scenes our…

THOUSANDS OF BIKERS are expected to gather at Trinity Park, Ipswich on Sunday, October 6, for the 28th Copdock Motorcycle Show – the event now regarded by many as the largest one-day motorcycle show of its kind in the UK. Each year the organisers try to improve on the previous year’s show and with top class attractions including Allen Millyard as this year’s guest of honour, 2019’s could be the best yet. Copdock Classic Motorcycle Club chairman David Baldry said: “We feel really proud to be staging our 28th show. Last year, with the sun shining, we had over 150 show bikes, 500 bikes entered on club stands, over 50 individual bike club stands and 200 trade stands. This year, with just weeks to go, we are predicting we will…

IF YOU DON’T BELONG TO THE VINTAGE MOTOR CYCLE CLUB (VMCC), or are new to old bikes, then Founders’ Day may just have passed you by. But more than 4000 came to this year’s one-day event, in the gorgeous grounds of Stanford Hall in Leicestershire, this July. It is run by the Taverners, the Leicester section of the VMCC and has been going for around 50 years. The Taverners are a keen bunch, and also run road trials and off-road trials, specifically to encourage larger old bikes that may struggle against the purpose-built bikes often seen at ‘classic’ trials. In fact, girder forks and rigid rear ends are encouraged! Back to Founders’ Day, and for your £10 entry there was possibly the best bike autojumble around, where, whether looking for…

WHAT IS THE BEST TRIUMPH TWIN? WELL, it’s the 1968 unit-construction T120 Bonneville 650, isn’t it? Everybody knows that. That’s the Triumph that gets restored to within an inch of its life, wins all the prizes at shows and attracts the biggest crowds. The thing is, there could be a better Triumph. The unit construction 650cc TR6 Trophy, made from 1963-1968, looks almost identical to the Bonneville at casual glance, yet it’s easier and more flexible to ride and in the real world it’s just as fast. The Trophy name was originally used on 500cc sporty semi off-roaders following Triumph’s 1948 ISDT victory, then it was used on a 650 twin. Sometimes thought of as a ‘single-carb Bonneville’, there was much more to the Trophy than that. In the USA…

IF YOU DON’T LIKE PEOPLE, DON’T BUY AN OLD TRIUMPH. Park up, pull in for petrol; even stop at traffic lights and you’ll be recalled stories of how ‘they’ used to have one ‘just like that’. I’ve heard courting stories, been told horrendous detail about accidents and even one chap that told me, in great detail, how he outrun the husband of a lady he’d been caught with… But if you do like people, or stories from strangers, then great – buy one! I love my bikes, but they are fairly lowly in the old bike snobbery stakes. So when I was offered the chance to live with a Trophy I jumped at it. After hearing so much about Triumph twins, I couldn’t wait, despite caution about meeting your heroes.…

“The Honda CBX1000 and Kawasaki Z1300 are physically beyond his abilities when it comes to manoeuvring such behemoths around the garage. Graham has had to admit he’s not getting any younger.” SPEED OF TIME Steve talks of getting old and appreciating that much maligned of engine qualities – torque THERE’S A T-SHIRT SLOGAN THAT READS... “the older I am the faster I was”... and for a section of the classic community that’s not too far from the truth. Rose-tinted visors, misted up goggles, selective memory etc, can all contribute to ton-up tails, knee-down near misses or chaotic cornering capers. Most, if not all of these daring-do ditties are generally related to speed, or rather an excess of it, and somehow, even now, many are obsessed with the top end performance…

Make them so we can ride them! Having just come back from my wife trying a new Royal Enfield Himalayan for size, we couldn’t believe your editorial piece in the last issue. The seat height is 30 inches and it is just too high for her 5ft 3in. She recently sold her Moto Guzzi Nevada because despite lowering the suspension and seat, it was just too wide so she wasn’t confident, just as your piece said. She is an experienced rider who just got tired of being stuck with Cruisers and wanted a change. Now we’re on the journey of seeing what we can do to lower the Himalayan before she decides to buy. Sadly, the RE Classic was too wide to ride. A universal problem for shorter riders! Great…

DID I MENTION THAT AS WELL AS A LIFELONG – well, from age maybe 15 onwards – bike enthusiast, I am also a lifelong – ditto – guitar torturer? It’s true. I may have worked my way through rather more bikes than guitars, but have rarely been without at least several of both. The bike I’ve had the longest is a 1953 AJS 20, bought for £79 in 1979, which is easy to remember, and the equivalent guitar is a 1967 Fender Stratocaster, bought for around £2.50 in 1974 or so. I still possess both of them. And why am I sharing this stunningly uninteresting set of facts with you? Because I’ve been asked – it’s an increasingly frequent and increasingly mysterious query – about the investment potential of old…