Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2019 i Classic Bike Guide

‘I MUST TRY TO DO LESS BIKE-RELATED STUFF,’ I told myself this year. And, I’ve failed. There’s just so much on! Take this weekend; Saturday was the CRMC racing at Snetterton, my local circuit – some great racing, many fantastic bikes and, of course, meeting up with old friends made for an exciting day. Where else do you see Eighties Japanese bikes racing one minute and Thirties Rudges racing the next? And everyone is helping each other, no matter what the bike is. Then, on Sunday, it was time to dress up for the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, so another day, albeit slower, with yet more bikes and more fun and interesting riders. Old Nortons parked next to new, Hinkley Triumph owners chatting to Meriden owners – and all for a…

BIKE NIGHTS COME in all sizes, from gatherings in tiny pub car parks to big organised ride outs. But there aren’t many as big, impressive or in such dramatic surroundings as the regular Tuesday night at Poole Quay... and they don’t usually get organised by local authorities. The night takes place every Tuesday from April to the end of September and on some nights more than 3000 machines and riders turn up during the summer in the Dorset seaside town. The night is organised by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Tourism and has been supported by the local authority since 2002, but motorcyclists have been meeting on the Quayside for more than 30 years. On sunny summer evenings the event is so popular they have to open an overspill venue nearby.…

THE WINNER OF the first Triumph Bobber Build-Off Challenge harked back to the legendary Triumph X-75 Hurricane. Laguna Ashford Triumph’s entry, The Drag Racer, took the laurels for the winning build which was announced at the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride in London. Triumph launched its first ever Build-Off at The Bike Shed show earlier this year. The competition attracted entries from 13 dealerships around the UK, who used a combination of off-the-shelf parts and handcrafted engineering skills to design and personalise their Bonneville Bobbers. A public vote saw the three finalists Pure Triumph Wellingborough, Peterborough Triumph and Laguna Ashford, enter into a head-to-head showdown, judged by an experienced panel, comprising of football legend Ian Wright, The Bike Shed’s Dutch van Someren and Triumph’s own chief product officer Steve Sargent. “The whole…

I LOVE CHOPPERS; THEIR STRANGE LOOKS and daring to be different: but they are not my thing, I’ll admit. But what I do like is the work that goes into them, the different styles, the history and the fact that everyone in the Chopper scene is so damn friendly. Run by Andy and Anna from Pacoima motorcycles, The Trip Out is held at Debach Airfield in Suffolk. It’s a laid-back weekend where everyone is welcome. Set up your camp, then wander around the ‘appropriate’ bikes and cars gathered in the middle; and by appropriate I mean there’s no code, bikes are just chosen because they look good, give the right feel or the organisers just like them, so I was tickled my B31 ratter was allowed! People dressed how they…

Vintage Motor Brands 1:6th scale BSA DBD34 Gold Star Clubman and 1959 Triumph Bonneville THERE ARE MODELS and then there are models. These two examples of a couple of the most legendary British bikes are incredible – seeing them I’m lost for words. The attention to detail, the finish and the sheer size of them are beautiful and would look great in any display case or on any mantelpiece. The number of spokes, type of brakes and fittings are correct; even the number of fins. To get the BSA just right, VMB went to Phil Pearson, Gold Star expert, who looked at the first few prototypes and offered advice and observations on how to get them exactly correct for the period. With the Triumph, Kev and Cliff at Ace Classics…

ENGINE: 246cc air-cooled single-cylinder reed valve two-stroke COMPRESSION RATIO: 5.9:1 POWER: 23bhp @ 6,000rpm GEARBOX: 5-speed FINAL DRIVE: Chain FRAME: Steel-tubed double cradle SUSPENSION: 34mm telescopic forks, twin shock rear BRAKES: 150mm single leading shoe drum, 150mm single leading shoe drum TYRES: 3.00x21 4.60x18 SEAT HEIGHT: 32.5in/825mm WHEELBASE: 55ins/1401mm GROUND CLEARANCE: 10ins/254mm DRY WEIGHT: 267lb 121kg FUEL CAPACITY: 2.2gallons/10 litres TOP SPEED: 80mph…

“Repeated attempts the following day clearly demonstrated top was only viable with a serious run up in third and a following wind. Simply put, the bike was over geared” HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED AT THE FINAL DRIVE gearing of your motorcycle or stopped to consider if it is actually working for you and your bike? Yes, of course, obviously if it gets you around then it’s fulfilling its basic function but is it working efficiently for you, in your locale, with all of its attendant gradients and/or flat roads? Does your bike actually rev out in top gear or is that final ratio little more than an overdrive? If you own a large, powerful machine then best turn over. However, if you own a low(er) powered machine, then read on…

WHICH CAME FIRST, THE BIKE or the car? Neither. It was the cyclecar, or autocycle. The first powered road vehicle, Cugnot’s “Fardier à vapeur” steam-driven artillery carriage of 1789 was a three-wheeler. As was the first internal combustion engine powered vehicle, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, built in 1885. In the early 1900s there were several vehicles built following the pattern of the three-wheeled safety cycle – a relatively simple conversion of the basic pedal-powered design with an engine bolted above the rear axle, though it wasn’t something anyone but the brave would attempt to ride at any speed. It was only when the likes of H.F.S. Morgan got the idea of reversing things, so the two wheels were at the front with a single wheel behind, that the sporting powered tricycle…

Matt Henshaw owns a Nineties Bullet and he took the Trials out for a good ride. “I like the fifth gear – it feels the same, but I’m travelling 10mph faster than I would be on mine! Other than that, and the fact the gearchange is on the left, they both feel remarkably similar. I kept kickstarting it before I remembered the electric start… The brakes are better but still not too sharp, and I liked the saddle, which is comfier than I thought it would be.”…

The world never stops changing, but I instantly found myself smiling at this photograph. My first job was as a petrol pump attendant, though by the 1980s a shirt and tie was not necessary and to be honest, I spent more time watching the mechanics and helping the MoT tester than serving the public… But there is so much about this photo that tells us about change. We fill our own vehicles up, now. It’s easier, but it means less jobs. We don’t need to check our oil in between services because our vehicles are more reliable and use less, so oil pumps aren’t needed. But fewer people know about how their vehicle works, and little things, like tyre pressures, get unnoticed. Life changes. But what is the modern version…

SUFFOLK BASED CLASSIC motorcycle dealer Andy Tiernan Classics has launched its classic calendar for 2020. Automotive artist Mike Harbar has created six pieces of artwork for the calendar. It unfolds, so that the beautiful machines illustrated each fill an entire A4 sheet. The lower part has individual days outlined, providing enough room to note down award ceremonies, hospital appointments, court appearances and other important engagements! The six motorcycles in this year’s calendar – two BSAs, a Levis, Vincent, Ariel and Brough Superior – are all beautifully drawn in pencil and painted in water colour. Proceeds go to the East Anglian Air Ambulance and the last calendar raised £1601.59 for this good cause. In the UK the calendar costs £10, including postage and packing. Buyers in the EU will pay £15…

“Apologies in advance, but there’s only one way to sum up how an Atlas 750 rides; it’s a man’s bike.” LIVING UNDER THE SHADOW OF ITS SUCCESSOR, THE Commando, and born in the troubled times of Norton, the Atlas 750 had a hard life. It was born primarily to tempt the American market who were lusting after ever-larger engines, with Harley-Davidson now offering both 883cc and 1200cc variants. Bert Hopwood’s parallel twin had already risen in size from 500cc to 650 and now, with supervision from Doug Hele, yet more was asked – 745cc. But it proved to be a step too far, as vibrations were a key issue. Mick Duckworth interviewed Hele in 1995 who told of the test rider, Fred Swift, coming back from riding a prototype on…

“I had to have it, of course and spent the next year spending wayyy too much time and money on it, including having the psychedelic paintwork (well, it was the 1970s, man)” THERE ARE SOME AMONGST US WHO OWN very few motorcycles over the course of their riding careers, often keeping their beloved bikes for several decades. These ‘keepers’ survive several house moves and even relationships, only to be found advertised for sale when the long-term owner finally hangs up their leathers for that last time. I suspect most people though will have owned a good few bikes over the years, and of them a small minority suffering from that greatest affliction – the curse of owning too many bikes. This acquisitive nature means no deal can be ignored, even…

“It’s not a negative, but be aware you’re going to stand out like you’ve got your mother’s pants on your head” I WAS NERVOUS ABOUT PUTTING THIS feature into CBG, in case any readers thought it wasn’t relevant. But cyclecars were always part of the biking world, and experiencing three of the British-made examples available today, you can see why. Minimalist and in the elements, they also give the experience of riding a bike. They are lightweight, so they don’t need masses of power and they all handle in a way that makes every drive extremely satisfying. Pembleton, Triking and Morgan all said that it’s predominantly bikers that understand cyclecars, whereas car drivers are not in their comfort zone. Consequently, they always seem to be made to feel at home…

The Starfire has been waiting for a few finishing touches, chief among them being the arrival of the petrol tank with a nice new paint job. The old tank was found to be very rusty inside and sprang a couple of leaks that were stopped with epoxy chemical metal as a temporary measure. There seemed little point in sealing it, as it was so heavily pitted, a tank sealant might not have stuck and only cutting the bottom out and having it properly welded seemed practical. Fortunately, a replacement tank was found at Stafford last year and a long search ensued for a spray shop, all of which seemed to be either booked up for months, very expensive, or both. In the end the tank was handed over to the…

“In pieces. It’s blown up again. This is a delightful moment in any conversation, because a chap can ooze sympathy so insincere that it will grow mould and possibly glow in the dark. I listened, struggling to avoid bursting into tears … of laughter” A FREE LUNCH IS ALWAYS A GREAT EXCUSE FOR a hefty ride – even if I end up actually paying for that lunch, although I’m not entirely sure how it happens. Just got back. All aglow after a considerably bracing October Sunday rasping around the almost deserted and always entertaining roads of North Devon. Devon… a sort-of wild outpost between cultured Cornwall and sainted Somerset. Good spot up on the Atlantic coast for lunch, too. Stormy. I’d joined up with another old bike fruitcake, and we’d…

A BIKE SHOP once hailed by Triumph as the world’s number one spares dealer looks set to close down. Charlie’s Motorcycles in Eastville, Bristol, was established more than 60 years ago and is known by motorcyclists across the globe. Reg Hall set up Charlie’s Motorcycles in 1957 and ran it until 1996. He owned it until his death last year. Reg was presented with a plaque by Triumph in the 1980s proclaiming him “the world’s number 1 spares dealer” and was made a Freeman of the City of London in 2005. In its heyday, the shop was supplying spares for British motorbikes to enthusiasts all over the world. Reg also developed the now well-known replaceable oil filter modification for the oil in frame Triumph and BSA models, which has been…

THOUSANDS OF VISITORS from the UK and across Europe turned up at the recent Carole Nash Eurojumble in Hampshire. One of the UK’s biggest bike autojumbles, the EuroJumble is held at Netley Marsh near Southampton each September. The jumble was a treasure trove of parts both common and obscure, classic projects and complete runners, tools and all manner of automobilia. The proximity to the channel brought buyers and sellers across the briny, with at least one coach party making it from Sweden. Among items on offer was a basketcase Ducati 750ss, all manner of British singles and twins and some rare French and German scooters. The cross-channel link also made it an ideal place to pick up parts for more obscure European makes that never made it to the UK…

We asked Brian Pollitt of the BSA Owners’ Club the three most important questions you should ask about any old motorcycle. What’s good about them, what’s bad, and which one should we buy? The last answer may surprise you… What’s good about the A65, Brian? “The A65 is a good, fairly reliable bike with a sturdy frame. It comes in many guises, so there is a model for everyone, from the day to day commuter to the ‘tape up the glass’ clubman’s racer. It is easy to tune and uprate to whatever spec you desire. Despite what people say about the ‘egg’ engine it is a good-looking bike.” What’s bad about the A65? “The two main downsides are the vibration and the main bearing bush. The vibration can be dealt…

YAMAHA DT250 The DT250 had pretensions to being a proper off-roader and to this end it got a monoshock rear end in 1977. It was a lot less powerful than the TS, and despite only using one shock absorber, a huge unit that sits inside the top frame tube, the DT was marginally heavier. More of a trail bike than the TS, the DT250 had better gear ratios and was slightly better set up. It also had superior lights and a more powerful 6v generator. By the time the TS250ER came along it was getting a little long in the tooth, and Yamaha was diverting attention to its XT four-stroke singles. HONDA XL250S You might be surprised to learn that Honda’s XL250 is not only lighter than the TS but…

“There will always revolutions in technology that disrupt the creation and distribution of whatever we love, from telephones to motorcycles. Unpredictability makes most people uncomfortable” THERE ARE THREE PRINCIPAL GODS IN THE Hindu pantheon, representing three elemental forces of nature: Brahma, the creative force, all budding abundance and optimism; Vishnu, the preserver, who keeps a steadying hand on the wheel so Brahma’s creations can develop and flourish; and Shiva, who kicks it all sideways, destroying everything in its turn, so there’s room for new Brahma to make new stuff. The evolution of technology has elements of all these properties: sometimes, as in the ‘disruptor’ phase, combining Shiva’s destruction of old industries and inefficient technologies, with Brahma’s spearheading of the new and exciting replacement. Kodak and Polaroid fall, Apple and Google…

EVEN IF YOU ONLY JUST SERVICE AND fettle your classic motorcycle, you will, at some point, require a part number for something. Contemporary bike shops don’t stock what we want and those who specialise in our arcane hobby tend to be a lot more helpful if we can give them the magic codes. If you’ve taken on a project with parts missing then you’ll be potentially in need of a lot of components, and the way to properly nail this is to have a genuine factory parts lists. Before the planet went digital and prior to the advent of microfiche readers, the entire world’s wisdom of motorcycle components was stored on paper in books. These well-thumbed mini-bibles were stock in trade for bike shops and divvied up the relevant numbers.…