Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2021 i Classic Bike Guide

THE BRISTOL CLASSIC Show has fallen victim to Covid 19, though not for the usual reasons. Originally scheduled for February, the show was moved to the end of July so it could be held post-lockdown. Unfortunately, the venue, Bath and West Showground at Shepton Mallet, has been taken over by the NHS for use as a vaccination centre, and will still be being used for that purpose in late July. Stafford Show is still planned for July 3-4. Visit www.staffordclassicbikeshows. com for details.…

MOTORBIKE CLOTHING SHOPS come and go with sometimes staggering rapidity, but there are a few that have weathered economic storms and changing fashions by the simple method of selling people good kit that fits. Biker’s Paradise in Coventry has been in the leather business since 1971. They started out selling leather miniskirts at Midlands street markets before establishing their shop in 1982, partly so they could sell motorcycle gear as well as fashion items. Ever since they’ve been supplying their own clothing, much of it classically styled and thankfully free of garish graphics, while being very competitively priced for quality products. To mark their 50th birthday, Biker’s Paradise are creating a premium leather jacket for year-round use. The Rida-Tec 50 is being produced in a batch of 50, and each…

The Vincent Black Shadow could crack 125mph. In 1948. Vincent pointed out in their advertising: “This is a fact, not a slogan”, and it took until 1973 and the mighty Kawasaki Z1 to surpass the Black Shadow’s blistering performance. The Vincent dripped with technological innovations and it had that most important of things – presence. The legend that was Vincent had an inauspicious birth. Motorcycle company HRD was founded in 1924 by Howard R Davies, who won a Senior TT on a 350 – the only man to have won a TT on his own motorcycle. The company floundered after just a few years and was bought by Philip C Vincent in 1928. P C Vincent was aged 22, two years into a mechanical science degree at Kings College, Cambridge,…

SAMMY MILLER’S MOTORCYCLE Museum will be opening its doors to the public on the May 17. A new 10,000 sq ft extension was completed only two days before the first lockdown, just as staff were about to open the doors. Twelve months on, Sammy didn’t do ‘lockdown’ but kept himself busy in the workshop restoring many bikes, all of which are now on display. From the 450-plus the museum had before, it has added many more bikes, including a 1933 Cotton, 1938 OK Supreme, Sammy’s 1956 350 Royal Enfield Bullet from his first ISDT in Garmisch, southern Germany, Sammy’s 150cc New Imperial Competition bike, and a Royal Enfield Constellation. Jim Devereux has helped Sammy in the workshop, ensuring that each newly restored bike fires up, some on first kick. Events…

I met Hopwood The article re: Bert Hopwood’s book reminded me that I was privileged to be present at the Kickstart club when he gave a talk on his time in the M/C industry soon after he had his book published. Yes, he was a blunt, down-to-earth man, but with the self-confidence of knowing what he was talking about. He had brought along the drawings of his modular-designed engine and the complete motorcycle he had prepared for the board of directors, only to have them rejected as they said that they could not understand them! We have to remember that at that time they were selling all they could build (in 1960, I decided to swap my 1956 Norton 99 for a brand new one and had to wait three…

ENGINE: SOHC 743cc parallel twin BORE x STROKE: 80x74mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 8.4:1 CARBURETTORS: Twin Solex 38mm CV type IGNITION: Points and Coils GEARBOX: Five-speed CLUTCH: Wet Multiplate STARTER: Electric and kick start ELECTRICS: 12v Alternator FRAME: Double Steel Cradle SUSPENSION: Oil-damped telescopic forks, twin oil-damped shocks rear FRONT TYRE: 3.50x19 REAR TYRE: 4.00x18 WHEELBASE: 58inch/1473mmSEAT HEIGHT: 32inch/812mmDRY WEIGHT: 514lb/232kgFUEL TANK: 3.3gallon/15litre…

Complete gasket set £57.60 Hagon shocks £146.40 Seven-plate clutch kit £93.60 Amal Carburettor £138 Boyer Electronic ignition £138 Brake pads £13.20 (pattern) £25 (Ferodo) Complete wiring loom £126 Regulator/rectifier £38.40 External canister oil filter kit from £30 OWNERS’ CLUB Triumph Owners’ Motor Cycle Club www.tomcc.org SPECIALISTS Meriden Motorcycles www.meridenmotorcycles. co.uk Monty’s Classic Motorcycles montysclassicmotorcycles shop.co.uk L P Williams www.triumph-spares.co.uk Tricor Andy Tricor-andy.com…

1 962 and Ducati launched the original Ducati Scrambler, mainly for the American market. It was a cool-looking bike; it typified the 1960s in America with its wide bars, centrally mounted headlight and iconic fuel tank, which swept into the comfortable seat. Appreciated by relatively few as Ducati was still in its infancy, but the Scrambler was indeed, appreciated. Move forward to 2015 and Ducati introduced the world to their highly anticipated Ducati Scrambler Icon. I attended the launch in California and you have admit, Ducati had done a good job; it indeed mirrored the original. Ducati used the 60s Scrambler as inspiration, deliberately fitting a round headlight and round simple clocks that sat to the right, like the original. They even copied the wide bars and gave the 2015…

WE’VE TRIED TO COVER MOST things from 1945 to the mid-90s. You might wonder why we are missing Bowns, DMWs, Cottons and Excelsiors among others, but we’ve tried to concentrate on models that you’ve got a fighting chance of finding more than one or two to choose from. Scooters are out, not least because most of the British ones were terrible. It’s not a story of the British bike industry and it’s not a buying guide. Rather we’ve just tried to give a brief insight into the many, many bikes manufactured in the UK that may be of interest. Prices are always up for debate. The lowest price is what you might pay for a running, well-worn example, the upper end what you might find on a dealer’s list. Oh,…

DOUGLAS Bristol’s finest, Douglas existed on the fringes of UK manufacturing and built some fascinating motorcycles. Their pre-war flat twins were the bikes to beat in road racing, sprinting and speedway, as well as being respected roadsters. BMW reverse-engineered a Douglas engine to create their first motorcycle engine. Post-war, Douglas turned the engine through 90 degrees, so they looked like tiny BMW twins, but used chain drives rather than a shaft and experimented with off-the-wall suspension systems. The company eventually started importing and building Vespa scooters under licence. FRANCIS-BARNETT As well as beefy four-strokes, AMC owned two further brand names which they attached to a range of lightweight two-stroke singles and twins. Francis-Barnett models were fitted with Villiers engines originally. After a falling-out with Villiers, who AMC felt were abusing…

WATSONIAN HAVE DEVELOPED a fitting kit to attach their trials-inspired International sidecar to the Triumph Scrambler. Styled to capture the essence of Watsonian’s aluminium-bodied trials sidecar of the 1950s and designed for modern roads, the International has a glass fibre body with brushed aluminium wrap on the sides to recreate the metallic appearance of the original. The red gelcoat finish is designed to match the two-tone paint scheme of the Scrambler; other colours are available on request. The sidecar body is mounted on Watsonian’s platform chassis, which is made from tubular steel, with welded joints and powder-coated for durability. Hydraulic suspension is fitted to give a smooth and stable ride, and a 16-inch wheel with stainless steel spokes and chromed steel rim completes the period look. Made in the UK…

APPLICATIONS TO TAKE part in the Kop Hill Climb have now opened. After invitations to this year’s hill climb were sent out to those accepted in 2020, the cancelled Covid-19 year, the organisers have announced they are open for all new applications for pre-1981 cars and bikes wanting hill runs, and for pre-1996 vehicles for display. Set in the picturesque Chiltern Hills in Princes Risborough, Bucks, the noncompetitive hill climb ran from 1910 to 1925 before racing on roads in England Scotland and Wales were banned. Thanks to changes in the law, it has now firmly re-established itself as a major motoring festival since its resurrection 12 years ago. It has raised more than £640,000 for local charities. The event originally began when motorcyclists, looking for somewhere to stretch their…

THE WELLS CLASSIC Motorcycle Club’s annual Tortoise and Hare Run is to return on July 16-18. Usually a one-day affair, for 2021 the organisers have secured three days of camping at Wells City Football Club, where there is a licensed bar and facilities. This will need to be pre-booked. There is also a Travelodge nearby for those who don’t fancy a weekend under canvas. There will be a local escorted run on July 17, and the main Tortoise and Hare Run – with three routes, marshalled and signed, for motorcycles of different power outputs – on July 18. This event is open to all motorcycles and scooters, and raises much-needed funds for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. The club has donated more than £24,000 to the cause over the last…

Zovii Smart Lock  The basic principle of motorcycle security is to make your motorcycle too much trouble to steal. The latest device in the fight against the thieves adds an unseen level of security. The Zovii Smart Lock is, at first glance, a good quality chain and lock combination. It comes with a drawstring bag and it’s got a 10mm carbide-reinforced stainless steel chain with a nylon sheath and a shielded pin. The lock and key are, according to the manufacturer, “anti-pick and anti-saw”. So far, so conventional. But then there are extras. Built into the lock body is a surprise for anyone fiddling with your bike; a 120db alarm. This is set with the turn of a key. Once set, the first time someone moves the lock, there will…

Yamaha’s XS650 is the obvious alternative. Solid and reliable, the XS was made in big numbers and was in production for 13 years. Spares and expert support are good, and they can be found relatively cheaply – from around £3,000 for a good runner. Kawasaki’s Z750 twin is similar in concept to the TX without many of the technical issues. It is larger and has many more moving parts, though a lot of spares are interchangeable with other big Kawasaki models. Start at £3,500. Triumph’s T140 Bonneville is also a 750, also has five gears, and there are huge supplies of spare parts, upgrades, and experts ready to help you keep it on the road. It is more primitive and will vibrate, and is far less sophisticated in the equipment…

ENGINE: Four-stroke air-cooled parallel twin, OHV, two valves per cylinder LUBRICATION: Dry sump CAPACITY: 744 cc BORE X STROKE: 76 x 82 mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 8.5:1 CARB: 30 mm Amal Mk1 Concentric IGNITION: Points or Lucas Rita Electronic TRANSMISSION: Chain primary drive, wet multiplate clutch, five-speed gearbox FRONT WHEEL: 3.25 x 19 REAR WHEEL: 4.00 x 18 FORKS: Oil damped telescopic REAR SUSPENSION: Girling shocks, three-way spring preload FRONT BRAKES: Single 254mm disc, single piston caliper REAR BRAKES: Conical Hub Drum or 254mm disc from 1976 LENGTH: 2220mm (87.4in) SEAT HEIGHT: 790mm (31.1in) WHEELBASE: 1422mm (56in) DRY WEIGHT: 177kg (390.3lb) FUEL TANK: 18.2l (four gallons)…

Laverda SF750. Incredible as it may seem, you can pick up a tired-looking but serviceable Laverda 750 twin for about the same as an immaculate Tiger 750. Heavy, over-engineered and mechanically bulletproof, the SF750 has excellent handling and punchy performance. Just remember that parts cost a fortune and will be hard to find. £6500-£8,000 Benelli 650 Tornado. Rorty and sporty and all kinds of good things, well designed and with stunning ancillaries like a fabulous front brake, you can easily pick up a Benelli 650 Tornado for £5,000, the bottom price for a good Tiger these days. £5,000-£6500. Norton Commando 750. Okay, so we are stretching it a bit as the cheapest Commando will cost the same as the most expensive Tiger, but look at what you get. A fabulous…

“The original 1965 Amal was pouring more petrol onto the freshly revived and enthusiastically sparking magneto than it was into the engine. Clever design, putting the mag’s pickups directly below the fuel leak.” The words of the sage echoed around the big shed I like to call The Shed. “If it ain’t fixed, don’t break it.” At least, that’s what I think she said. It was hard to tell over the ferocious racket coming from the engine. During the dark and seemingly interminable days of the lock-up I did my utmostest bestest best to spend the bike time I would normally waste by riding around the place – not always entirely pointlessly, thank you – making my motorcycles better. Even better. As we were allowed – nay, encouraged – to…

AJS & MATCHLESS Post-war, the London-based AMC factory in Plumstead was turning out a range of solid and purposeful motorcycles with AJS and Matchless branding. Their singles and twins were mechanically identical, with differences limited to branding and trim. AMC were pioneers in the use of telescopic forks and swing arm rear suspension, and had a broad range of models – from 250cc singles to powerful 750 twins. While they eschewed major technological development on their road models, they did build a series of sophisticated racers, such as the DOHC AJS Porcupine, the 350 AJS 7R, and the 500 Matchless G50. AJS and Matchless models are less imbued with cult status than their rivals, and consequently the AJS and Matchless models can be considerably cheaper. A good single from the…

JAMES The pre-war James V-twins were very classy but by the mid-30s they were concentrating on lightweights. The company was taken over by AMC in 1951 and combined with Francis-Barnett in 1957. James was the budget brand, while FB had a better level of trim. Many of the later machines were badge engineered, though it was felt that the FB models were given a better level of finish than the James. The James were consequently cheaper by a considerable margin, not just than their stablemates but generally. In 1952 a 98cc James Cadet was two-thirds the price of a Royal Enfield 125. From the late 50s they suffered from the use of the AMC engine, though James did retain the 98cc Villiers engine for its Cadet. James contained little in…

VELOCETTE Post-war Velocette singles can be challenging to own and look after but are a delight on the move, especially the early rigid models. The other strings to their bow were the LE flat twin and its offshoots, the Valiant and the frankly bonkers Vogue. The LE was both ahead of its time and technologically dated, if that were possible. There are lots about as they were used by the police, and unlike other police machines have no way of being made stylish. Velocette tried a few variations on the single, and they are very pleasant motorcycles, but they do require a large dollop of skill. These are not motorcycles that you’ll keep running by watching YouTube videos. The singles have a passionate following and there are lots of upgrades.…