Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2024 i Classic Bike

June 2 The Marches Moto Italia Shropshire Kevin Baker Ducati Darmah SD Kevin Baker’s lovely Darmah SD stood out like a beacon at the show, it was clearly well-used but obviously cherished and immaculately presented. Purchased new, Kevin bought it after owning a Honda and had two clutch cable failures in the first few weeks of taking delivery of the Ducati, which almost resulted in buyer’s remorse. Despite getting ribbed by his mates about his new bike’s reliability, he stuck with it and has no regrets. Forty years on, he is membership secretary and a mainstay of the Ducati Owners Club. “For a while the Darmah was my only transport and it’s done over 80,000 miles. In 2022 I rode it to World Ducati Week in Misano and it never…

AS A SUBSCRIBER to Classic Bike since the early 1980s, I suppose it is not too surprising that my concept of a ‘classic bike’ has drifted less than what the magazine currently puts in that category. While younger readers may wax nostalgic about mopeds and ‘Fizzys’ of the 1980s, such things hold no interest for me. That said, one thing I would be interested to see is an article on what was my first motorcycle, a Bridgestone 175. In 1971, when I was a student in New York City, I bought a 1967 Bridgestone 175 Dual Twin from a shop on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Although I had little appreciation of such details at the time, it was a pretty sophisticated motorcycle – a two-stroke with oil injection…

It all started back in 2015, when I bought a Honda RD03 650 Africa Twin. Off-road bikes have been a life-long passion of mine, but more recently the yearning for a classic adventure bike had grown ever stronger – especially those with a Dakar heritage. I love the colours and the madness of a big-engined dirt bike designed to race across deserts, plus I liked the thought of riding them around the farm (if I was feeling brave enough). I really enjoyed living with the RD03. It reeked of Hondaness and was better off-road than I ever dared to hope it would be. But the more I learnt about these classic adventure bikes, the more I wanted a Cagiva Elefant 900 – especially one in Lucky Strike colours. I then…

Funny how minor styling details stick in your mind. If you’d asked me last week to name some mid-’80s Kawasakis, the 750 Turbo is the one I’d have forgotten. But I do remember liking the one with a funny row of studs, like bullet holes, along the side panel – and a guy who sauntered over for a look at this bike during my test said he’d recognised it by the alloy midriff to the fairing. Well, that’s the 750 Turbo. But beyond its visual appeal, as I stood alongside the ZX750E – Kawasaki never called it a GPz – on loan from Earl Classics, I didn’t have very high hopes. I mean, turbos… really? To me, putting a turbo on a road bike was just marketing patter – aimed…

I WAS CONTACTED this month by Robert Thomas, whose grandfather Samuel made a motorcycle in 1908. He sent this picture of Sam and the bike – but among his collection of paperwork, Robert found a log book for a 1920 V-twin which, like the ’08 bike, is rather curiously registered as ‘Own Make’. Robert also has engine drawings, casting patterns and, best of all, the V-twin engine and gearbox. His reason for contacting me was to ask who could build a frame to recreate the original bike. Wow – great project! Having made the rear frame for my early Blackburne racer, I should be able to offer some advice… but I had a very clear photo plus a related model to copy. In those early days, motorcycle design moved so…

SUZUKI TL1000R Calipers have gone to pot Q The Tokico six-piston front calipers on my Suzuki TL1000R project are, as expected, dragging/seized. I know these calipers get some flak but are they worth trying to fix? If not, what are the best direct replacements? Paul Blackburn A This is fast becoming one of modern-classic motorcycling’s perennial questions. The six-piston calipers suffer from the fact that the bores for the pistons were machined after the caliper halves were anodised, making these areas – the seal grooves in particular – prone to corrode, squeezing the seals tight to the pistons. They’re perfectly good calipers when they’re in fine fettle – and provided they’re kept clean and maintained – but the sheer number of seals and pistons can make overhaul expensive, particularly if…

Mark Holmes Moto Guzzi T3 California In nearly 10 years together, Mark and his ’75 T3 have done over 20,000 miles together. During that time it has been his only bike, and sometimes his only means of personal transport. With a new set of Bridgestone BT46s fitted (see right), my Guzzi was ready for the Highland Rally with a few days to spare. Then it was a case of nine hours of shared driving with my mate Alan, whose Morini 31/2 was keeping the Guzzi company in the back of the van, to get to Strathpeffer – with 600 miles of sublime Scottish byways over four days to look forward to. Day one was a 90-mile warm-up around Loch Ness – which proved a misnomer, with temperatures dipping below 10°C.…

TIMELINE 1997 TL1000S launched 1998 Steering damper fitted as standard. Revised fuel injection and ECU retards ignition timing in first three gears and knocks peak power down to a claimed 110bhp. Modified clutch cures slipping issues. 1999/2000 No significant changes. 2001 TL1000S discontinued. SUZUKI’S TL1000S is one of those bikes that seems destined for classic status. But, at the moment, it’s still an eminently affordable machine. So, get in now – at around £3500-£4000 – if you want to enjoy a really good, sorted example with relatively low mileage. First-year models suffered from oil venting into the air filter when ridden hard, a slipping clutch – and some serious handling problems. These well-documented handling issues – violent tank slappers and a super-light front end under hard acceleration – will probably have…

SOLD FOR £142,494 1916 Henderson Four Model F Mecum Indy Sale, May 10-18 Henderson fours are among the most sought-after American-built classics and it was therefore no surprise to see this immaculately restored example fetch strong money at Mecum’s May 10-18 Indy sale at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The restoration work was completed to an exceptional standard – including a complete engine rebuild – by Road Oiler Restorations, and the attention to detail extends to the use of correct, nickel-plated hardware – no stainless steel here. A number of rare period extras – including a gear-driven Stewart Warner speedometer, correct horn, acetylene lighting kit and tandem rear saddle – add to the allure. mecum.com SOLD FOR £8000 1928/29 Douglas 600cc Sprint special Richard Edmonds sale, May 11 There was never…

Mark Graham As a race reporter on MCN in the early 1990s, Mark was given free fags by the John Player Norton team. He revisits the era of tobacco sponsorship in this issue. Harry Metcalfe Supercar-owning farmer Harry Metcalfe (see YouTube: Harry’s Garage) has a thing for big trail bikes – and especially his Cagiva Elefant. He can ride them too. Dr Stephen Walsh This season will be Stephen’s second attempt to race at the Manx GP, and CB will follow his progress as he builds up to the main event. Get in touch at: letters@classicbike.co.uk…

July 6-7 Mallory Park Bike Bonanza Leicestershire THE MALLORY PARK BONANZA has been around for a long time in various guises, but it remains the number one track-based event for classic bike – and particularly classic race bike – fans in the UK. There’s the opportunity to take your road bike out on track on Saturday and/or give your classic race machine a good thrashing on Sunday – and loads more besides. Even if you’ve left it a bit late to book a track session (booking deadline is June 28), there are still plenty of reasons to head for the Leicestershire circuit. This year, there’s a full programme of club racing hosted by the East Midland Racing Association (EMRA) running across Saturday and Sunday, plus a round of the Dirt…

Triumph TR6SS ‘Before and after’ restoration stories can be both interesting and encouraging to people facing a similar project, so here’s mine. Back in the late ’60s, my office mate and fellow graduate student, Fred Allen, would often commute to school on his 1963 Triumph TR6SS. It was far from stock and so somewhat less than reliable. Upon graduating and starting a new job, he moved up to four-wheeled transportation with a new Triumph Spitfire (only slightly more reliable). The TR6 was relegated to his basement, where it sat derelict for some 50 years. The ‘before’ photo shows Fred with the TR6 after it was dragged out of the basement a couple of years ago, in poor condition from the years of inaction. I was given the bike, with the…

The Castiglioni family, owners of a metal pressing business, took over production of the two-stroke motorcycles previously made by Harley-Davidson in 1978. They rebranded them as Cagivas (standing for CAstiglioni GIovani Varese),using a logo featuring an elephant. By 1983 they were sufficiently established to want to extend their range by buying 350cc-650cc V-twin four-stroke engines from Ducati, which was still a state-owned business at the time. Cagiva went on to take full control of Ducati in 1985. In 1984 the new ‘Allazura’ road bikes, heavily based on the Ducati TL350-600 appeared. Next year came the first of the Elefant trail bikes in 350 and 650 capacities. At that time the trail bike market was big in Italy and France, and a 750 version was introduced in 1987. Unlike the Allazura,…

BSA A10 The short answer When I said a while ago that most ignition-related problems I hear relate to electronic rather than points systems, it struck a chord with Pete Whichello, who was having trouble with the electronic ignition on his recently rebuilt BSA A10. Electronic is a good upgrade, but seems more sensitive than points to other problems like dodgy voltages – but Pete’s troubles extended to just about every new electrical upgrade he’d fitted! It started when running-in speed allowed cruising over 60mph – the bike would cut dead, restarting easily but cutting again unless he kept below 65. After checking fuelling, Pete wondered about his new Pazon ignition; the supplier hadn’t heard of this problem, but suspected Pete’s choice of electronic regulator and supplied another type. That…

Alan Seeley This month, Alan explains how a change can be better than the rest, personally ensures that Chemico racks up at least one sale this year, and manages to get one over on Ducati dealers’ health and safety police Tip Oil changes Price: Free Where: Your garage, every 4000 miles or 12 months It’s an easy task, but the humble oil change will go off even better if you follow this simple tip. Leave the drain tray under the bike until the very end of the job. This serves a double purpose. Should you forget to replace the drain plug, the oil has somewhere to go other than all over the floor. It’s also a useful prompt to check you’ve put fresh oil in when you go to dispose…

Our Classic The bikes ridden and fettled by the Classic Bike team Dr Stephen Walsh Honda CB350K4 If there’s anyone more enthusiastic about racing classic bikes on closed-roads circuits than Stephen, it’s not someone we’re currently aware of. So, with the season now up and running, we find him in buoyant mood. It was a long eight months between the 2023 Manx GP and going racing again at Cookstown in April, and I couldn’t wait to get out and be racing again – I just love the roads. The Cookstown circuit is undulating, narrow and a blast to ride. The jump at Black’s Farm is really good fun; when you’re coming on to the jump, there’s a small manhole cover on the left side of the road, so the correct…

ESTIMATE £32,000-38,000 1950 Vincent Black Shadow H&H NMM sale, July 3 Vincents in this kind of condition are never going to come cheap but, if you want one of the revered Stevenage twins for regular riding, this beautiful example has got to be worth a look. Part of a private collection for the past 23 years and regularly ridden by the vendor both in the UK and across mainland Europe, it has been subtly – and sympathetically – modified to make it a more practical ride in modern road conditions. An electric start, 12-volt electrics, a BTH magneto, an Alton dynamo, unobtrusive indicators, an easier-to-use centre stand and Lightning-specification alloy front brake plates should help make it as easy to ride as it is to look at. Bound to be…

May 11-12 RACE THE WAVES East Yorkshire Sam Carlton 666 triple JAP-engined dragster “This is my second special using these JAP engines,” explains Sam, a telecoms project manager from Swindon. “I built a supercharged single that is running 733cc with bigger valves and re-ground cams that I made in the style of a 1920 board track racer. I ran that at Race the Waves last year, but I accumulated loads of engines while I was making it, so after the racing last year someone said: ‘What are you going to do with all the other engines?’ So I said I’d build a dragster with three engines. I started work as soon as I got home – I’d told too many people to back out. “I made the frame a year…

5-7 Dragstalgia, Santa Pod Raceway, Podington, Wellingborough, Northants Vintage drag bikes and cars strut their stuff on the legendary Santa Pod strip. santapod.co.uk or dragstalgia.co.uk 5-7 Laverda 75th Anniversay Rally, Breganze, Italy Take your Laverda back home - and enjoy this year’s biggest Laverda-themed party. iloc.co.uk 6-7 British Historic Racing, Darley Moor Circuit, Derbyshire Round four of the club championship. britishhistoricracing.co.uk 7 Newark Autojumble, Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire. newarkautojumble.co.uk 7 Classic Motorcycle Day, Crich Tramway Village, The National Tramway Museum, Matlock, Derbyshire. A great atmosphere as classic bikes mix it with vintage trams. tramway.co.uk 7 Motorcycle Day, Brooklands Museum, Surrey Motorcycle Day offers the chance to watch demo runs up the historic Brooklands Test Hill – and pit your own classic against the hill too (subject to booking on the day).…

During the 1980s, two of the world’s best GP riders just so happened to be best mates. Rob McElnea and Niall Mackenzie surfed the wave of cigarette cash, spending their Sundays thrashing Skoal Bandit, Lucky Strike, HB and Marlboro sponsored 500s, and the rest of the time touring Europe in motorhomes of dubious quality and laughing a lot. The latter still continues. “Marlboro gave him some money to paint his motorhome in their colours when he was riding for the factory team,” says Niall, deadpan. “But when they saw the state of it, they paid him to paint it beige again.” “Yeah, that is true,” admits Rob, 65, as we drink coffee at a tennis centre while his teenage daughter has a training session. “I didn’t invest in an expensive…

FREIGHT TRAIN, John Lloyd, Santa Pod 1980 Twin-engined bikes added a new dimension to drag racing, but caused proponents more than their fair share of problems – and those who added a third motor were really pushing their luck! Brothers John and Eddy Lloyd had previously enjoyed success on the strip using both Vincent and VW engines, but as Kawasaki’s 750 triple motor had proved to be successful in the USA, they decided to have a try with one – despite the fact they were not fans of two-strokes. Their single-engined bike was soon followed by a double-engined version, with the final throw of the dice being the 2244cc Freight Train seen here, which was only six inches longer than the previous double. This petrol-fuelled machine would soon become the…

Rick Parkington This month, Rick has been carrying out his annual T-bird mudguard crud clean-off, getting cranky in a good way with his Alpha Tru jig and visiting a very helpful young man on spec to get a Cotton Blackburne fork stem turned up Tip Mudguard brace maintenance Japanese classic owners know the trouble with spot-welded internal mudguard braces – dirt gathers under them, forming a road-salt poultice that rots the blade. My 1959 Thunderbird is a rare British bike with them, making original ’guards scarce and expensive, so I preserve mine with an annual spring clean. I remove them, give them a stiff brush then hit them with compressed air to blast out the corners. I usually paint them with Waxoyl car underseal but this year I’m trying roofers’…

PART THREE BSA THUNDERBOLT 650 This was meant to be a three part restoration story, but things never quite go according to plan… Rupert Paul: 1971 BSA Thunderbolt A life in bike journalism, with a career-change sideline in making wiring looms, has given Rupert Paul an over-sophisticated motorcycling palate. Which makes his choice of project all the stranger… HOW TO DESCRIBE the ecstasy of hearing a once-doomed motor sing out lustily for the first time in decades? For those long-cold aluminium castings to throb once more with the energy of ancient sunlight? It is beyond words. Suffice it to say – if you’ve been there, you know what I mean. Which probably leads you to think that the whole bike was already magically restored to as-new condition, and we all…

Hugo Wilson 1951 BSA Bantam D1 CB’s editor is a Morini (x2), Matchless, BSA Bantam and Mobylette owner who doesn’t have a garage and has just lost a chunk of bike storage space. Time to get rid of a bike or two? I’m clueless when it comes to electrics. I mean, what is a Watt? And isn’t an Ohm where you go when the pubs shut? Yet for some reason, rewiring my BSA Bantam seemed like a feasible project. With only the basic electrical components – lights and a horn – how hard could it be? I’ll let you know… The starting point was an Electrex World ignition/generator kit that included the coil and regulator/rectifier. Then I needed a 12-volt battery. And then a battery-powered loom that fed volts to…

The Supermono is the rarest customer model yet made by Ducati – as reflected in the high price they attract on the few occasions one comes up for sale. The innovative bike has a horizontal cylinder and vibration-taming articulated counterbalancer. In 1993, 41 bikes in 549cc form were produced, followed in 1995 by 26 more, overbored to 102mm to make 572cc. The spaceframe chassis was designed by the current Ducati CEO, Claudio Domenicali, and clothed in iconic individual style by Pierre Terblanche. CB contributor Alan Cathcart was the most successful Ducati Supermono rider, winning the Japanese and Dutch Open championships and the Australian TT at Bathurst on various bikes. He’s now selling the later of the two bikes he owned through Sheffield-based classic specialist, The Bike Specialists. It’s one of…

PRICES Mint £4500-£5000 Good £3500-£4000 Project £1500-£2000 EVER SINCE THE power output of Japanese bikes started to overwhelm frame, tyre and suspension technology at the tail end of the 1960s, some bikes have attracted a degree of notoriety for their handling. Think Kawasaki’s H1 and H2 triples and (to an extent) the same company’s Z1, for example. But, while things quietened down a bit as chassis development caught up with engine tech in the ’80s and ’90s, there was still time for a new pantomime villain to emerge in the late 1990s – Suzuki’s fast but flighty TL1000S. With tales of uncontrollable tank slappers and buttock-clenching wheelies dogging the TL’s launch in 1997, the bike looked set to enter motorcycling’s hall of shame. But, although flawed, the first generation of…