Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2024 i Classic Bike

Classic Bike magazine is made from home these days. Or homes, I should say – our core team live in five different counties and communicate via computer screens. Gathering together is a rarity, so our works outing to Kent, to ride old bikes and receive guidance and tuition from Uncle Rick, was as much about having a laugh and a chat as it was about experiencing the joy of vintage motorcycles. That’s how it worked out too. We had a fantastic day out. It was a riot of stalled engines, sprained ankles, overshot braking points and piss-taking. For all the challenging weirdness in riding old bikes – advance/retard levers, carburettors that need tickling, hand gearchanges, brakes that don’t work and bouncy saddles – they are still just motorcycles. CB’s designer…

GEOFF BOUCHARD, 1978 Gillette G3 This sweet little two-stroke special is a regular at Mallory for this event, and the previous Festival of 1000 Bikes, as Geoff lives nearby. The bike has also featured in Classic Bike before, though it’s evolved in the subsequent years and is now faster than ever, clocking 81.5mph on the startline straight. “I got some oversize barrels,” says Geoff. “So the capacity is up to 195cc. I’ve also made my own cylinder heads and fitted different carburettors.” Originally conceived and built in 1978, using three Mobylette moped cylinders and a Gilera sports moped chassis, the bike has now had 46 years of development. Geoff made the crankshaft and crankcases himself – “I’ve got a lathe and a mill at home” – and the gearbox is…

I am a very long-time enthusiast with a major interest and involvement in all forms and branches of our very competitive classic competition scene – both two and three-wheeled. I’m writing to express how impressed I was with John Westlake’s recent interview (in the June issue) with one of my long-time very much unsung hero – the one and only Arthur Browning. I have seen in print (on several occasions) that American superstar Kenny Roberts was the world’s greatest all-round motorcycle competitor. Certainly, he was fantastic on both dirt and tarmac – but can anybody on the planet truly come close to our Arthur’s fantastic list of very successful and outstanding top-line achievements in such a multitude of competitive disciplines? One area of Arthur’s career not covered was his ability…

Riding these bikes isn’t difficult, really; the difficulty is stepping out of the button start/left-foot change/one-finger braking habits imprinted by modern machines. I’d say the main issue we had was starting; there are several steps that soon roll into one for an owner, but it’s a lot to remember – and missing just one of them will mean failure for a novice. Kicking properly is essential – it’s not a ‘stamp’, you use your body weight to push right through the whole swing. And these bikes won’t sit there at 1000rpm until you’re ready to go. They get bored and stall if you don’t give them an occasional throttle blip; I noticed that if anyone’s attention was distracted by watching someone else struggling to start, they’d let their bike stall.…

Rick Parkington This month, Rick has had his T-bird’s front shoes relined, discovered that his trusty oil can isn’t broken after all, and bonded with self-amalgamating tape… Tip Oil can valve As you might suspect, I prefer old tools to new in my workshop. Recently, however, I nearly chucked this seasoned oil can out. Despite having filled it with oil, no matter how vigorously I pushed the plunger nothing came out. And being soldered together, I couldn’t look inside to see why. Luckily I didn’t throw it out, because when I tipped it up to empty the oil back out I realised that the button is a tap, not a pump. If you tilt the can, nothing will come out until you press the button, release it and the flow…

‘THESE MACHINES ARE SO PROFOUNDLY SIMPLE. HOW, YOU MIGHT ASK, CAN THEY CONFOUND A MAN?’ Rupert Paul 1971 BSA Thunderbolt A life in bike journalism, with a career change sideline in making wiring looms, has given Rupert Paul a sophisticated motorcycling palate. Which makes his choice of project all the stranger… I HAD PLANNED to sign off last month in the ecstasy of completion. To find myself basking in the smugness of a job well done. To be, in short, gurgling with delight. What actually happened had everything to do with the misery of defeat. Which is, if you take your 1970s British motorcycles in the correct spirit, hilarious. As well as idiotic. I mean, these machines are so profoundly simple. How, you might ask, can they confound a man…

Rick Parkington 1956 BSA DBD34 Goldstar Rick’s extensive array of sheds contain lots of ancient bikes, heaps of spares and some large machine tools. With a lifetime of old bike experience and expertise, if he hasn’t got we he needs, he’ll make it himself. My teen-dream bikes were Norvins and BSA Gold Stars. While a Norvin lay somewhere beyond Cloud Nine, at least Goldies felt nearer home – my uncle had owned one back in the ’60s and, better still, he gave me some leftover bits, which included an enormous GP carburettor. I was still at school, but my Goldie project had started. In 1990, I did a deal for a genuine 1956 frame plus bits and by 1995 my Goldie was on the road. Since then, I’ve had my…

Talk about GPz900Rs and it’s almost certain that someone will mention overheating. So what’s the story? We asked GPz900R specialist and long-time owner Sean Jones… “Hot running in traffic is one of the few niggles with the GPz900R, but it’s something that you can easily live with,“ he says. “Kawasaki did acknowledge the problem to an extent, supplying resistors under warranty to lower the reading on the temperature gauge. But, of course, that doesn’t address the real problem. The easiest way to sort it – as many owners have – is to fit a manual on/off switch for the fan. When the temperature gauge starts to rise, you flick the fan on, rather than wait for it to be triggered by the temperature sender unit. That will sort the problem…

I’VE BEEN INTO old bikes since I was a young girl, heading off to bike shows on the back of my dad’s Harley. And I’ve owned my 1955 BSA Bantam since I was 19. I love the classic scene, but I can honestly say that the Heritage Sprint at Betteshanger Park near Deal is the best event I’ve been to. And it just keeps on getting better. This year’s sprint will be the third to be held at Betteshanger – and the third I’ve attended. In past years, I’ve manned – or should that be womanned? – the BSA Owners’ Club stand and been pressed into flag girl duty. This year, I’ll be out on the -mile strip for the first time on my 2003 Royal Enfield Bullet bobber, as…

Yamaha SR500 This bike is based on a 1978 Yamaha SR500 with an XT500 tank fitted.I bought it as a taxed and tested runner with the idea of using it as the base to build something to run at Race the Waves. I like the look of the 1960s BSA/Triumph scramblers, but buying a useable example was out of my price range. I saw this on eBay at well inside my budget and saw the potential to build a BSA Scrambler tribute bike. It needed very little, really – a basic tidy-up, some paint, a speedo and an ignition switch to make it more practical. I did the paint job, tidied the electrics, mounted the number boards and made the mudguard mounts more solid (the rear still needs some attention…

The starter button produces a burst of muted staccato, like a muzzled Uzi machine gun – and with a clunk that recalls putting a C90 cassette into its player, we’re in first gear and away. This isn’t the first time I’ve ridden a GT750 Suzuki – but it’s the one that I ended up enjoying the most. On a nostalgic level, I was given a die-cast model of a GT750 (complete with spring forks and back end) on my tenth birthday, so you could easily imagine that by riding Lloyd Benton’s lustrous Candy Jackal Blue J model on a rare sunny day in early summer, I’m living a childhood dream. Just imagine my little rosy cheeks and shining eyes as I pictured myself, one day, riding a real one… Sorry,…

ALLAN MARKS SENT photos of the 1936 Velocette 250 based special (above) he picked up for an £800 bid at the auction of bikes from the collection of the late Henry Body. Allan asks if I can identify what’s what, adding: “The engine’s been moved sideways, so the exhaust has been crushed to clear the downtube! And I think it may be seized; what should I put in the cylinder to free it?” Diesel down the plug hole will usually free a stuck piston – it’s both searching and oily – but if it’s corroded rather than just gummed up, I’d lift the head in case the rings have rusted into the bore, leaving a step that could snag and break them later. So what have we got? The tank…

We’ll assume you’ve recovered emotionally and financially from the engine rebuild process. We’ll also assume you are going to run the thing in properly, varying the load and rpm as often as possible, and gradually extending the periods of high load until at 1000 miles you’re run in. 0 MILES Check oil return to the tank, check charging, set up carb, check for oil leaks. In fact, check for oil leaks for the foreseeable future. 10 MILES Get the engine really hot (perhaps from strobing the ignition timing). Let it go stone cold. Whip off the rocker cover, slightly loosen all the head nuts, then re-torque them. You’ll need a 15mm crow’s foot spanner. Reset the tappets and reassemble. 250 MILES Change engine oil and clean strainer mesh (a major ball ache),…

Hugo Wilson, 1965 Mobylette 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? Because we had entered the slowest bikes in the event, Rutland Rattle organiser Paul ‘Frosty the Slowman’ Frost flagged my friend Paul Lang and myself away first. Langy was riding his 1972 Carnielli Motograziella ‘Cheeky Boy’ folding moped, I was on my semi-derelict 1965 Mobylette. Even combined, the power output of these two machines amounts to less than a kitchen food blender. Getting round the Rattle’s 73-mile route would make this a long day, but we were optimistic that we’d be back before nightfall. Thank goodness for long summer evenings…

A GOOD EXAMPLE of any of the GPz900R variants can make a great bike. And, with production spanning 19 years, there are usually a few on the market at any one time. Just a few years ago, you could pick up an excellent example for £2000-3000, but now that will only get you a scruffy ‘rolling resto’ machine as nostalgia for what is a milestone model has been piqued for buyers of a certain age. As with most bikes, the first-year models are most in demand and command the highest prices. A mint A1 could cost you as much as £10,000, while one in good condition will probably be at least £5000. But the penultimate UK model – the A7 – is increasing in popularity too, with prices rising accordingly.…

£19,667-23,600 1973 Bultaco Astro 325cc Mecum Monterey sale, August 15-17 Bultaco Astros are cobby little out-and-out flat track racers with no front brake, aren’t they? Well, not necessarily – as this beautifully restored 1973 Model 106 demonstrates. For 1971 and 1972 (this seems to be a 1972 model that was probably first sold in 1973), Astros were based closely on Bultaco’s Pursang motocrosser, with components either added or subtracted in order to adapt them for dirt-oval racing. This immaculate example – restored by former world motocross champion Brad Lackey – sports a front brake and a rear brake pedal on the left side. Brad’s attention to detail on this ground-up rebuild even extends to using the correct Bultaco-embossed fasteners. mecum.com No estimate 1932 Harley-Davidson VL Mecum Monterey sale, August 15-17…

HOGSLAYER Owner: National Motorcycle Museum Engine: Twin-engined Norton 1656cc The highlight of this year’s annual nostalgia drag festival at Santa Pod was the appearance of the legendary Hogslayer twin-engined Norton – the most successful drag bike in the world during the 1970s. In a tribute to late rider/owner TC Christenson, and the bike’s designer and innovator John Gregory, the National Motorcycle Museum enthusiastically allowed Neil Baskerville and his father Ray, along with Chris Illman, to take on the resurrection of what had been a static exhibit for well over 20 years. It was a massive leap into the unknown, but with advice from John and others, the plan came to fruition. The bike delighted all those who came to Dragstalgia by making three passes at a track on which it…

3 Huggy’s Auto Shindig and Swapmeet, Huggy’s Speed Shop, Mallory Park Circuit, Leicestershire. huggysspeedshop.co.uk 3-4 Aberdare Park Road Races, Aberdare Park, Mid Glamorgan. Classics and modern bikes combine at the historic parkland circuit. aberdarepark.co.uk 3-4 Classic Bike Festival Ireland, Bishopscourt Racing Circuit, Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland. You’ve missed the boat for a riding entry, but this looks a great event to get to anyway. Star guest riders include Giacomo Agostini, James Whitham, Bruce Ansty and Jeremy McWilliams on track, plus over 280 classic bikes, club displays and live music. classicbikefestireland.com 4 Triumph Owners Meet, Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum, Bashley, New Milton, Hampshire. Triumphs old and new take centre stage at Sammy’s musuem for the day. sammymiller.co.uk 4 Laverda 75th Anniversary Celebrations, The New Inn, Willersey, Broadway, Worcestershire. A huge…

In the late ’70s and early ’80s, production racing was huge. For competitors it meant affordable racing – way cheaper than running in GP-based classes or TT-F1. For manufacturers it represented the very essence of ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ marketing. Bikes like Suzuki’s GSX1100, Kawasaki’s GPz1100, Honda’s CB900F and Laverda’s mighty Jota dominated proddie grids. Australia’s Castrol 6-Hour was production racing’s biggest prize – an epic endurance event for off-the-showroom-floor machines. Honda knew this so, spurred on by a failure to win the event since 1972, the marque used the rules to its advantage and built a bike specifically for that race – the CB1100R. Developed from the CB900F – but with a strengthened frame, adjustable suspension, a bored-out breathed-upon engine and a massive 26-litre aluminium fuel tank…

Alan Seeley This month, Alan has been showing his magnetic side, making his own gaskets, and keeping frames on the straight and narrow… Tip Stay organised with magnetic trays Price: Not much Where? Hardware stores, Lidl, online I like to keep a couple of magnetic trays on the workbench. Not just for small components, but also to hold tools. By getting into the habit of putting tools into a tray rather than just laying them down anywhere, they’re less likely to take on an instant cloak of invisibility. Exercise particular discipline when it comes to things like the 10mm socket and 6mm Allen key, the first of which is known for its self-camouflaging skills. I have at least half a dozen magnetic trays of various sizes and none cost more…

The Hurricane remains probably the best looking ‘custom’ bike from any factory. Craig Vetter’s stunning concept bike – branded as a BSA and using a Rocket 3 engine - appeared on the cover of American magazine Cycle World in September 1970 and the response was overwhelmingly positive. By the time the factory started building the bike in 1972, BSA production was about to end and the Rocket 3-based design seemed like a good way to use up existing stocks of Rocket 3 parts. Rebadged as a Triumph, the X75 nonetheless retained the inclined cylinders of the BSA triple. A limited run intended to be 1200 bikes was sold mainly on the US market before production ended in 1973, when the X75 proved unable to comply with new US noise regs.…

PRICES Mint £8000-10,000 Good £5000-6000 Project £1500-2500 SOME BIKES ARE more than just another new model – they represent a genuine shift in development. Like Kawasaki’s GPz900R. The first liquid-cooled 16-valve four to come out of Japan, it moved superbike development on to the next phase and became an instant classic, setting a template for the next generation of supersports bikes and sports tourers that has lasted to this day. And even today, 40 years after its launch, the GPz900R remains a genuine performance machine. A well kept example will most definitely have retained its licence to thrill. The first fully road-legal production machine to exceed 150mph (Vincent’s Black Lightning was marketed as a racing machine), it’s still impressively fast. And the combination of that sheer speed and the fine…

£5500 1981 Triumph Buccaneer Charterhouse sale, June 6 Former Triumph race shop foreman and race team manager Les Williams built just 21 of these twin-cylinder specials between 1987-92, after being badgered to build them by customer Trevor Gleadall. Trevor later bought Les’s business and continued to offer parts to convert standard Triumph twins to Buccaneer spec until 1997. Built around a donor bike, with a rebuilt engine and bespoke body kit, brakes and other parts, each one is unique. This one was commissioned by ex-racer and Laverda specialist Roger Winterburn and is based on a T140. Offered in good condition, it’s number 15 of the 21 built. charterhouse-bikes.com £12,000 1958 ex-Cyril Smith Norton Manx racing sidecar outfit Charterhouse sale, June 6 This unique outfit was built for 1952 world champion…