Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2021 i Real Classic

OK, so it wasn’t a barn. My old AJS has been buried in the darkest recesses of The Shed for almost two decades, ever since we moved down to ever-sunny Cornwall and forsook the wooded uplands of Shropshire’s border country. Those years have not been kind – not in a cosmetic sense, as the saline Cornish air destroyed much of the bike’s finish before I understood what was happening and protected what was left. What’s the bike, you ask? It’s an AJS, a Model 20 built by the Plumstead factory for the 1953 season. Model 20? A 500cc twin, using AMC’s slightly unusual parallel twin engine in almost – but not quite – its original form. From my own personal perspective, this was genuinely the first motorcycle I bought as…

I always thought that those quadrant-shaped steel Rodark panniers were superbly attractive but just a little too deep for motorbikes with a slim profile. Fitting could sometimes be affected by higher silencers, those originally mounted for more cornering clearance as well as upswept style like Velocette fishtails and Norton Commando pipes. Early sprung hub and pre-unit Triumphs suit Rodark pannier sets particularly well because the pannier opening lid is based on the centre-ribbed Triumph rear mudguard. This blends really well when all is mounted inline. Rodarks were originally manufactured in Cornwall and they’re a very desirable period accessory – although an original set is extremely expensive. Craven Equipment now offer brand-new items made to the original patterns, so you can buy a set off the shelf. But if you have…

Parts for the Bianchi were quite difficult to source as the machine seems to be fairly rare – even though quite a number were made and imported into the UK after 1960. It may have been a popular model in the day but there do not seem to be many around now… unless they are all squirreled away in Italian and UK sheds! As the Bernina was an official UK model, that meant I could find a BMS manual in the National Motorcycle Museum shop. So If I wanted to junk the rusty rims and spokes and get new 18” alloys with stainless spokes, the spoke lengths were conveniently listed. At least, they were for the rear; the front would be slightly different as the brake drum was a different…

Not another Velocette! you may be thinking. Sorry, it’s become a recurring theme lately; a precedent set by Editor Westworth with his seemingly never-ending supply of rattling Matchlii. I have a strange relationship with Velos, regarding them for years as being pointlessly over-complicated, difficult to start and just a tiny bit dull to ride. After all, had I not ridden a Clubmans Velocette for RealClassic a while back (see RC150) and dismissed it as over-complicated and under-practical? Slide rule calculations for the kickstart position in order to start and the need to fold both foot AND toe pegs out of the way, a terrible riding position and as for that dreadful clutch… All of that is still true, up to a point, but the balm of time soothes such painful…

As we are all well aware, the late 1960s and early 1970s saw the once-dominant British motorcycle industry succumb to the invasion of reliable and increasingly complex Japanese machines. Almost 50 years later, the majority of my bikes are 1960s British machines. I love ’em to bits because, despite derogatory rumours to the contrary, they don’t leak that much oil, are very enjoyable to ride and have proved to be reliable. In fairness, however, they most certainly are not exposed to rigours that they would have been back in the day when they were everyday transport. They’re also far better maintained now than they ever were back then. Still, back in the 70s, after ownership of mostly BSAs and Velocettes I did own a multi-cylinder Japanese bike which was fairly…

Some folk simply prefer four-strokes to their slightly smoky counterparts, and BSA considerately catered for all tastes. The pre-unit small-capacity singles were offered from 1938 for two decades, and these bikes are as basic as the Bantam but fitted with sidevalve and ohv engines. You’ll find three-speed C10 sidevalves going for as little as £900 if you trawl the auctions – do not be tempted by ‘rare and collectible’ plunger bikes being offered for £3500! A decent swinging arm C12 in roadworthy trim could be yours for £1800 or so.…

It’s well known in the classic bike community that most carburettor problems are caused by ignition faults. Perhaps what’s less well known is that the ignition faults can be the result of oil leaks. This may sound strange but it’s true, as I recently discovered. It’s also well known that Royal Enfield engines run very hot, particularly those which are semi-enclosed behind a fairing like my Airflow model. I was sure that erratic misfiring, poor slow running and cutting out when the engine was at operating temperature were due to heat transferring from the cylinder head to the carburettor, upsetting the vaporising action. Replacing various carb components and the insulation spacer between the head and carburettor initially improved things, before the same old breakdowns returned. In desperation I reasoned that…

Many years ago, having rebuilt a Puch Maxi moped, I realised I wanted to get back into motorcycling. I didn’t want a large financial commitment, so a new bike was out of the question. Something cheap and easy to work on: a two-stroke. One with two cylinders, less vibration and twice the chance of an easy start, and 250cc for reasonable power. My first choice was an Ariel Leader until I found that it had a higher seat than an Ariel Arrow, probably to give extra ground clearance to the legshields. I had ridden an Arrow belonging to a friend back in the day and found I could get both feet flat on the floor. Most unusual for my short legs. But even Arrows were not cheap. Back then a…

In mid-1962, Roger Boss of Royal Enfield put together a prototype 250 single and invited dealer Wilf Green to view the proposed new model. Roger was RE’s home market sales manager and had obtained management permission to put together the prototype and assess how British dealers and riders might respond. Wilf Green’s dealership in Sheffield was a big seller for Royal Enfield and his opinion was respected. Wilf indicated to Roger that the new bike would be successful with its sporty looks, ace bars and so on. This was the kind of bike the young rider of the time would want. Riders were fitting aftermarket clip-ons from suppliers like Deeprose to the more staid roadsters of the time. The suggestion of speed was fashionable and this was what the youngsters…

I have owned my 1979 Moto Guzzi V50 Mk2 for more than 20 years. It is a reliable small commuter for my six mile, fair weather journey to work along some minor roads and a three mile stretch of dual carriageway. The V50 is mothballed during sub-zero winter weather to avoid the worst corrosive conditions which result from road salt used in these temperatures. I use an Optimate maintenance charger when the bike is not in use for this off-road time. I get up to seven years from a battery by using the Optimate out of season, or any time when the bike is left for a week or more. Value for money in my book! But I’ve noticed since I first had the bike that after a few weeks…

If you prefer a ratty-looking but mechanically sound bike as a hack, look away now. If ‘heavily patinated’ ticks your personal boxes, fine. And I would never willingly paint over a genuine factory-original finish, however faded… but most rebuild candidates sport a tank which has ‘seen action’, not all of it good. This is what I do to drag ’em back from the brink. Metal tanks acquire dents almost magically, and it is beyond the scope of this article to explain how to hurl Isopon into depressions as a precursor to the repaint. Best to take it to a professional body person, who may need to cut the tank open to fix it properly. There’s more to it than just filling the dent; note that the morphology of a dent…

The Dragon’s Den-sponsored product known as WingLights are indicators made for bicycles, but they looked like they might be useful so I bought a pair to give them a go. The attraction was their inconspicuousness on a motorbike that was not originally fitted with and didn’t really suit conventional indicators. Handling them, they’re a nice object, good quality, made mostly from aluminium. They’re battery powered so no fiddly wiring, but eventually you’ll need to change the batteries, which are supposed to last six months. You could also fit rechargeable batteries to save on waste. Fitting is a 10-minute job using the expanding rubber sleeve. They suit a range of handlebars that encompass most motorcycles, and are described as waterproof. Once in place they feel solidly secured, but could be easily…