Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2018 i Real Classic

‘These days it’s considered magnificent,’ says owner Basil Keir, who might be a tiny little bit biased when it comes to the Aermacchi Chimera. He loves its ‘stunning looks and futuristic styling’ but freely admits that ‘it wasn’t accepted by the Italian public’ back in the 1950s. Machines like the Chimera still divide opinion today but there are enough enthusiasts around to ensure that any which come on the market are rapidly snapped up. Indeed, Basil paid… well, ‘too much’ for his 175. But most classic bike enthusiasts wouldn’t give you tuppence for such an unconventional contraption – which is a shame, because there’s some solid and innovative engineering lurking underneath that jet-inspired styling. The Chimera came in two capacities and was built in tiny numbers between 1956 and ’64.…

We’ll be having no devils here thank you very much, but we are getting into the details. With the main frame and the various rolling chassis accessories all sorted, it was time to sort out some of the bits and pieces. This can be the stage in any bike build when nothing much seems to be happening. After all the visible progress of sorting out frames, forks, wheels, etc, during which you work on the geometry and overall stance, followed by the even more aesthetic achievements of deciding on tank, seat, mudguards and so on, where the stance becomes a style, and the profile starts to reveal itself, it’s easy to think most of the work is done. Of course, there’s a whole lot more to get from a groovy…

After seeing the comments from readers regarding how the costs of old bikes have gone through the roof in the last few years, I thought it might be of interest to relate the situation I found myself in regarding a Brough I owned briefly. It may also be of interest to the present owner, assuming there is one. In 1962 I had just qualified as a welding engineer but found I couldn’t get a job. On top of that, according to the bank manager, I had no chance of borrowing enough money for a grotty little flat in Twickenham. Australia – here I come! Plenty of work, somewhere to live and sun shine. I was a ten pound Pom. Around this time, a fella who lived nearby announced that he…

Matchless introduced their telescopic forks quite early with the model G3L in 1941. This was considered the first front suspension innovation in 25 years and was much appreciated by dispatch riders at the time. The ‘Teledraulic’ fork was modified over the years with changes to external elements such as the brake anchor points and drain plugs. Triple rate main springs and buffer springs were added in 1947 and the stanchion diameter increased from 11/8” to 1¼” in 1955. Production continued with numerous detail changes until the introduction of Norton Roadholder forks for Matchless and AJS road bikes in 1964. Teledraulic forks were retained for the competition bikes, including forks from the trials model used on the G85CS to reduce weight. These and other changes over the years are described in…

I loosen the final tie-down strap and gingerly roll the BSA down the trailer’s ramp and onto the drive. I carefully flip down the sidestand, lean the bike onto it, and step back to take in its handsome Britishness. The way the exhaust pipe curves gracefully round the polished alloy timing chest, the way the sun glints enticingly off the brass rim of the Smiths speedometer, the way the whole motorcycle is slowly slipping further and further over as the sidestand loses its grip on the frame tube... Aaargh! With the bike on its centrestand (bit of a struggle, but there’ll be more on that later), I resume my reverie. I’ve been around British bikes all my motorcycling life or, to be more accurate, they’ve been around me. Friends and…

Preconceptions are wonderful things. Even after 1 million years of riding all manner of motorcycles I still get a little excited whenever the opportunity arises to ride a Norton Commando. Any Commando – apart from the JPS or Production Racer devices, which are simply too uncomfortable for my weary limbs. But the road bikes? The entire range, from Fastback to Hi-Rider? Thrills galore. But… there is always a But. Commandos are also very variable. In my experience they are rather less consistent in their quality than, say, a contemporary T140 Bonneville. I have ridden a few truly horrible Commandos, although to be fair they were mostly back in the days when old Brits – even Commandos – were decently cheap, so were run by riders like me who had almost…

For my sins I felt I had to get myself a ‘modern’, Indian-made Royal Enfield. Why on earth would I deliberately do that to myself, you might ask? Several reasons (excuses) really. Top of the list is anno domini senectus. I was born in 1936 so you can work out the sordid detail for yourself. With the exception of my lovely Norton Easy-Two, I am no longer capable of cocking my right leg over the back to get on/off any of the bikes in the shed. The Enfield ticks that box nicely. Second, I am curious to see whether all the bad press the Indian-made Enfields have received over here in the USA is valid. Thirdly, I wanted a real 1950s retro bike, not a make-believe so-called ‘retro’ crotch-rocket currently…

Sometimes I feel like one of those Daleks we used to see back when Dr Who was in healthy monochrome and was shown on Saturday evenings immediately after Dixon of Dock Green. Those Daleks which had suffered the indignity of having their eye stalk covered up by some unscrupulous human. In case your memory of monochrome Daleks is happily vague, allow me to remind you that they would sort-of roll around bumping into everything, then roll around some more and bump into something else. My how we laughed in 1963 or whenever it was. I’ve felt like that for a little while now. No no; my eye stalk’s not been obscured by some monochrome maniac’s allegedly glamorous assistant, more that my vision of the future has been … out of…