Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2023 i Real Classic

And how's the summer going for you so far? I'm occasionally criticised by those who should know better because i do indeed bang on a lot about the weather. There is of course a simple reason for this, and every rider of my acquaintance – which is rather a lot – is as obsessed as I. It's all to do with being prepared, as the late Lord Baden-Powell might have remarked. Being prepared for whatever the climate demons may throw at me is a feature of my own riding life which has become considerably easier as I've grown considerably older. When I started out down the slightly eccentric road towards a lamentable obsession with most things two-wheeled, riding gear was a very low priority. In fact, for the first few…

I've used Scooterbox Classic Plates for many years now and their service, quality and price are second to none. I recently got a personal registration transferred to my bike by the DVLA and needed a plate for it pronto. I phoned Scooterbox to discuss my requirements and the need for the plate post-haste. Just over 24 hours later the plate was on my bike… and the sun had just come out! Bruce Cox, member 13,898 Another great experience with AMC Classic Spares. I rang Steven yesterday, the bit arrived first thing, it's on bike already. 5 stars! David Bum, member…

After finding date-expired tyres, I have been looking at other bits and bobs including riding kit. I was horrified to see the date of manufacture in my crash helmet: it was made in 1994! New helmet bought. My partner's helmet was bought at the same time as my old one. When I took it out of the cupboard I noticed some grey powder underneath it. Looking at this closely I discovered that it was the foam padding! The helmet looks as-new from the outside and it was a decent quality product. It was stored in its bag, out of the sunlight and at a constant temperature. Once again, just because something looks OK, it doesn't mean it is! Phil Archer, member This opens a whole new can of worms. Is…

A couple of articles especially caught my eye in RC229. Although not a Tiger, I ran a 1941 3HW in the MCC trials in the late 1970s, even managing a third class in the Edinburgh. It's seen in this pic, somewhere in Derbyshire during the Edinburgh Trial. I concur with Tony Bishop about these MCC trials. When I was living on the ‘adjacent island’, as the Manx call it, the three events were highlights of my year. Later, we went back to Blue Hills on a holiday. Did I really climb that on my Velo, Morini et al? Bill Snelling, member…

In the May 2023 RC229 there's a letter entitled ‘Sure Starters’, illustrated by a bike parked by some derelict fuel pumps. I know exactly where that is, thinks I. On the B3134 heading over The Mendips from Burrington Coombe. I've taken a similar photo myself. The bike in the photo is a red BSA A65. Very similar to my own A65 parked in a similar spot in my similar photo. Hang on a minute! That is my bike and it is my photo! Who'd have thought it? (I was going to type ‘who'd've thought it’, but I think the grammar police might have been alerted. Better than ‘who'd of’, anyway!) Made me chuckle. Cheers! Ian Hingley, member Your letter made me chuckle, too, Ian. We have a mountain of photos…

Back in the early 1980s engineers at the MZ factory built a 500cc twostroke parallel twin by marrying two ETZ250 engines together. The resulting bike, the MZ ETZ 502 generated 44bhp and could just about crack 100mph. They built ten of them, but that was that. This bike is not a factory built ETZ502, but is the brainchild of Tom Scott of Macclesfield. Tom says: ‘The thing I love most about MZs is that its simple and rugged design can be used for just about anything. I got my faithful ETZ251 more than ten years ago now and it did me four years of London commuting before doing another four as a green-laner and even had a couple of MotoGP trips to Le Mans added into the mix. All of…

RealClasic NORTON MODEL 7 I like these machines. Really do. I also remember when it was almost impossible to sell them, resulting in lots ending their days in breakers’ yards, which was ever so sad. An example: back in 1973 or so my pal Geoffrey and I were turning parts of several BSA twins into an actual motorcycle and decided that although BSA A10 forks were fine, the yokes on the Ariel version were better (the top yoke holds the speedo, which we thought was a bit ace). So off we trekked to Bob Gotts’ place out near Mundesley, a haven for penniless motorcyclists in those days, and dug around until we found an Ariel, which we relieved of its forks. What to do about the brake? The Ariel fullwidth alloy…

Thought you'd like to see my FrancisBarnett Falcon trials fitted with a Greeves 8E engine. The frame is 1953 or 54 built for the road, as most were. It has MZ forks, alloy billet yokes, a three-speed gearbox with trials gearing on first and second with the drive through a nine-plate clutch in a 9E basket. It was bought so I can enter pre-57 trials… at which I am rubbish! The bike is a lot better than me but at least I wear my RC T-shirt when I ride it. Jacko Jackman, member That does look great, Jacko. There appear to be very few FBs left in use today, sadly. Frank W…

In RC229, Frank mentions that ‘Easy Out’ fitments are very hard to drill out when they snap. How true – your day has just become a lot worse if this happens. Having spent over four decades in aircraft maintenance the following tip might help reduce the number of such scenarios occurring. Let us assume, for example, that the largest hole size that can be safely drilled in a seized bolt without breaking through the side is 5/32”. The corresponding Easy Out would be a No3, the suggested drill size is stated on the tool. But instead of using the No3, take a smaller No2 and grind the business end down to something a little under 5/32” diameter. As per the photo, which shows both a standard and a suitably ground…

I came across your article by Roger Slater in RC167 about balance factors suggested by Fritz Egli for the Royal Enfield Classic UCE 500 engine, between 58% to 60%. I have a 2014 Royal Enfield Continental GT535 and have hand-fabricated and redesigned a lot of components for it, styled to look like its 1960s counterpart. It's had extensive head work with Hitchcocks’ cams, shortened barrel, forged piston and a redesigned airbox with tuned length internal velocity stack. It's capable of reaching 103mph. One thing I didn't touch was the balance factor of the crankshaft when I rebuilt the crank with a new conrod and big end. After reading the article I want to see if I can improve the vibrations it emits! Do you or Roger know what balance factor…

I just had to write to say how much I enjoyed the article about MZs by Tony Bishop in RC229. I had an MZ period in my motorcycling life back in the 1970s and 80s. This included a short tour of North Africa (4600 miles in three weeks) with an ES250/2 just like Tony's, but this pales into insignificance compared to what Tony has achieved with these fine machines. I found the whole article extremely interesting and really well written. What Tony hasn't done with an MZ is hardly worth doing! Well done Tony, and thank you for publishing the article in another fine edition of RC. Dick Hobart, member…

Reading the ‘for sale’ column recently tempted PUB mightily, because whoever it was that advertised a lovely little CottonPython (ie. Rudge engine) reminded her of a much missed 250, with its fully radial 4-valve engine. It was not in good condition (no money available in those days), but was nevertheless a bike she should never have let go (sigh). But space was ever a problem, as it remains – which is why PUB has not made on offer for this one. Sigh again. This time of year brings the Stafford show, and PUB had not been to a classic show for what seemed ages, and needed to look for a few things anyway. They are mostly unobtainium for which her hopes have waned, so the probability of straining that non-existent…

PO BOX 66 BUDE EX23 9ZX SAFE FROM SUMPING? I've just read the article about the GreevesTriumph in RC228. The builder Maurice did a reet good job with it, a very nice machine. However I can't understand why he's built in the ticking bomb, the oil tap. Unless it has an after-market rotary oil pump, there should be no problem. Plunger pumps on Triumphs didn't suffer with wet sumping John Harris, member THE PATRON SAINT OF HILL-CLIMBING I was out exploring when I stumbled upon the fabled site of the first two-wheeled hillclimb event. According to local legend, in the eighth century a millstone being taken up the hill opposite fell off the cart and rolled with increasing velocity across the valley. A young wheelbarrow operator had just prayed for…

In RC229 Frank said he had not seen or experienced an AMC twin crankshaft failure. I worked for Gus Kuhn Motors from 1969 to 1970 and one day a customer walked in with an AMC twin crankshaft. I asked him what was wrong with it. When he let go of the crankshaft, the both ends parted! The crankshaft had broken, between the centre bearing on the crankshaft. I can remember a discussion concerning the proliferation of twin cylinder head gaskets and their different types, which had caused concern to many owners. In our stores there were two, floor to ceiling racks of brand new G80CS and G85CS engine parts. The centre plug cylinder heads were a work of art. I remember one day I was in the workshop, and there…