Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2018 i The Classic MotorCycle

VMCC FESTIVAL OF 1000 BIKES The VMCC’s big bash is this year on July 7/8, at Mallory Park. Enquiries to 01283 540557 or www.vmcc.net DEE, ATKINSON & HARRISON DATE The next Classic Cars and Motorcycles sale at Sledmere House, in Yorkshire, is on July 7. Details via andrews@dahauctions.com  or 013777253151 ASI MOTOSHOW The fabulous ASI Motoshow, in Parma, Italy, is this year on May 11-13. Details at www.asifed.it CAMBRIDGE SHOW On Sunday, June 24, Cambridge Classic and Vintage Motorcycle Show takes place at Cambridge Sea Cadets HQ, 42 Cheddars Lane, Cambridge, CB5 8LD 11am-4pm. Tel. 01223 843802. DATE MIX-UP A production error meant the wrong date (1947 instead of 1948) appeared in the ‘strap line’ of last month’s Closer Look feature, with the mistake…

With some organisational changes, the Vintage MCC Grasstrack and Speedway Section is hoping to see more riders supporting its 2018 programme. Scheduled are: Chalfont, Bucks, May 27; Ugley, Essex, June 17 (to be confirmed); Festival of 1000 Bikes, Mallory Park, Leics, July 8; Southend, Essex, August 5 or 12; Oxford, August 26; Dauntsey, Wilts, Grass Sprint, October 7. The date for the Ivor Thomas speedway meeting is still to be finalised, but it will take place at Iwade, Kent and will include classes for grasstrack machines around the 250m speedway circuit. Newcomers are more than welcome, as well as those returning to the fold. The only major requirement is to have ACU-approved riding gear. Club and ACU Day Licences are available. Spectators are also welcome at events and with a…

The meteorological phenomenon known as ‘the beast from the east’ has resulted in some ‘memorable’ weather conditions this winter. A couple of days short of spring, the Sunbeam MCC’s 79th Pioneer Run suffered major disruption when the critical weekend saw a brief return of the mythical creature. Weather warnings that started at yellow then became amber meant the event had been in question for some days previously and by Saturday, with the start just hours away, it was looking far from good. A final decision was made early Sunday morning, when riders were required to register at the usual Tattenham Corner location, but avoid the snow and ice that covered the area, as well as much of the North Downs, by starting from Pease Pottage, where the large yard at…

1955 Nimbus Model C ENGINE 746cc, Air-cooled, 4 Cylinder In-line, Single Overhead Cam BORE AND STROKE 60x66mm COMPRESSION RATIO 5.4:1 MAXIMUM POWER 22bhp IGNITION Coil CARBURETTOR Single barrel LUBRICATION Gear-driven pump CLUTCH Dry, single plate GEARBOX Three-speed FINAL DRIVE Shaft FRAME Riveted steel cradle SUSPENSION Front Telescopic fork, rear Rigid TYRES Both 3.50x19 BRAKES Both SLS 7in / 180mm drum LENGTH 86.6in / 2200mm WIDTH 28.3in / 720mm HEIGHT 43.3in / 1100mm WHEELBASE 56.4in / 1435mm FUEL CAPACITY 12.5 litres DRY WEIGHT 408lbs /185kg TOP SPEED 75mph /120kmh…

ALMOST four years ago National Motorcycle Museum director James Hewing said: “We have tremendous plans over the next few years to make the National Motorcycle Museum a truly dynamic resource for everyone who loves old motorcycles.” And boy, has he stuck to his words – museums don’t get much more ‘dynamic’ than the NMM. This is, after all an institution which allows its members to ride its collection – both on the open road and in its own grounds. Indeed, you can’t get much closer to dynamism than blasting off on a 650cc Ariel Cyclone. But then, this is the NMM: unique, quirky, unusual and so profoundly loyal to its founder's passion for motorcycles that it even allows its members to test ride its collection. In a world of guarded,…

Born on April 13, 1911, Eric Staines Oliver grew up on Sunningdale Farm, Crowborough, Sussex, though the 1911 census lists a Benjamin Boaz Oliver (the only Oliver in Crowborough), his wife Ella Alice and six-year-old son Benjamin (it’s widely reported Eric had an older brother Ben) at a different address in Crowborough, so perhaps the family moved after Eric was born. Life on the farm meant Eric was expected to milk two cows and do a milk round every morning before school, then repeat the process in the evening, though there was plenty of opportunity for fun and games; Eric was an expert cyclist, could cycle backwards and was able to balance stationary for minutes on end, developing a party trick of taking off and replacing his jacket with the…

You were asking | Expert advice Hills Brothers I’ve just read with interest the Bristol Show report in April’s issue, Henry Body’s Hills Brothers motorcycle in particular. The one which took part in the VMCC Ltd Banbury Run was my ‘HB’ which I have owned for 35 years. I am no expert, just an enthusiast. My question is: Is a ‘HB’ and a ‘Hills Brothers’ the same company? Henry’s tank clearly says ‘Hills’ whereas my (original) tanks bears HB in black with red and gold artwork. I have photocopies of catalogues with various family photos of HBs. Perhaps Mortons’ Archive can confirm that Hills was revamped to HB as production was improved. Mine, like Henry’s, has a 350cc sidevalve Blackburne engine. Dave Cox, email. Research leads me to believe Hills…

It is generally accepted that February 19, 1928, is the date when the inaugural meeting of oval track racing in this country took place, behind the hotel at High Beech in Epping Forest. The big ‘sell’ was the new Australian import (‘Dirt Track Racing’) enabled spectators to see an entire event from one vantage point. Now, 90 years since that first meeting, speedway has a lot of history. For many years the anniversary was celebrated at High Beech, but the regular venue more recently has been the Museum of Speedway, within Paradise Wildlife Park, Broxbourne, a zoo run by Peter Sampson, a former West Ham speedway rider. The day is unashamed nostalgia. It brings together many former riders to meet old team-mates and rivals, enthusiasts get the opportunity to meet…

Whengparts offer a range of weather vanes, key racks, helmet holders and signs, laser cut from steel or aluminium. This BSA Bantam key rack (right) is particularly eye-catching. Custom parts can be cut too; any flat shape can be produced or replicated. Whengparts also produces a range of clothing under its Kustom Shack brand and can provide embroidered or printed apparel for clubs, teams and events. Lots of lines are available at whengparts.com; mostly custom-made so if you can’t see what you’re looking for, drop them a line.…

H&H Classics’ auction at the National Motorcycle Museum on March 4, 2018 saw the company set two new world record prices. Of 170 lots the two outstanding prices were the £57,000 paid for John Lennon’s 1969 Honda Z50A ‘Monkeybike’ and the £161,000 paid for a pre-production Honda CB750, one of four built of which only two survive. Mostly hand-made in Japan in 1968, it came to the UK in 1969, and was registered by Honda UK and was used by them in the UK launch of the new CB750 model. This bike’s every single part is different from a production model. H&H’s website is www.handh.co.uk…

Rider Achievement Awards for 50 Pioneer Rides. No: 88 Baz Staple, 1913 AJS. For 40 Pioneer Rides. No. 228 Colin Jenner, 1912 Arno No. 54 John Buckingham, 1909 FN No. 219 Ewart Baldwin, 1914 Douglas The Lt Col ‘Tiny’ Ayers Trophy. To the rider with the Greatest Combined Age of Rider & Machine. No: 88 Baz Staple, 1913 AJS, Total Years: 192 The Laurie Fenton Trophy To the Rider with the Greatest Age Difference between Rider & Machine No: 217 Morgan Thomas, 1912 Alldays & Onions, age difference 84 years The Ladies Award To the best lady rider No: 75 Christa G-Lehmann, 1910 Wynn-Minerva The Bob Currie Trophy To the Rider with the Most Meritorious Performance. No: 43 & 295 Joint Winners (with the same name!) Chris Cook and Chris…

1951 Sunbeam S7 Deluxe ENGINE TYPE Sunbeam OHC inline twin CAPACITY 487cc BORE X STROKE 70mm x 63.5mm OUTPUT 25bhp@5800rpm COMPRESSION RATIO 6:1, 6.5 : 1 or 7.2:1 CARBURETTOR Amal 276 (one) IGNITION Points, distributor and single coil GEARBOX Sunbeam four-speed FINAL DRIVE Shaft SUSPENSION Plunger rear, telescopic front TYRES 4.50x16 front and 4.75x16 rear BRAKES 8in sls drums front and rear TANK CAPACITY 2½ gallons SEAT HEIGHT 30½in WHEELBASE 57in DRY WEIGHT 430lb Club contact: Sunbeam Fellowship, www.onthebeam.co.uk Vintage Motor Cycle Club, 01283 540557, general@vmcc.net…

A‘sports Panther’ sounds slightly incongruous doesn’t it? A bit like one of those pairs of words such as ‘fun run’ or ‘military intelligence’ that don’t necessarily go together. And just as only a dedicated fitness fanatic would always regard running as fun, it would take a devoted Panther fan to claim the Model 45 was a genuine sportster. How could it be when it is propelled by a proprietary two-stroke engine? Villiers motors have many virtues, but they don’t include spectacular power and nobody – least of all Panther – seriously tried to tune them for greater performance in road bikes. But Panther was far from alone in making a few cosmetic changes to a commuter and calling it a sports bike, and at least they didn’t try to deceive…

“...but get enough of them in one place and they are so visible that motorists have no option but to grit their teeth and put up with them.” What do you consider is the main trouble with motorcyclists? Given some of my past comments you might expect me to cite things like antisocial behaviour, reckless filtering or raucous exhausts. But no, I reckon the main trouble with motorcyclists is that there aren’t enough of them actually motorcycling! I’m not saying that to criticise, it’s a free world, and obviously everyone is entitled to use their bikes as much or as little as they like, but more motorcycling means more motorcyclists on the roads, and there’s safety in numbers. If you’ve ever been to Cambridge or Amsterdam, you’ll know what I…

MAY 5-7 Llandudno Transport Festival. Bodafon Fields, Llandudno, Conwy County, North Wales, LL30 3BW. Tel 01492 517004. www.llantransfest.co.uk. MAY 6 Autojumble. Sammy Miller Museum. www.sammymiller.co.uk Hoghton Tower Sprint. Hoghton Tower, Hoghton, near Preston, Lancashire, PR5 0SH. www.marshalsnorthwest.co.uk Sunbeam MCC 8th Ixion Cavalcade. Bexhill-on- Sea, East Sussex. Contact Ian Cockshull ixion@sunbeam-mcc.co.uk. Yamaha Bike Day. DT & XS 650 50th. Ace Cafe, Ace Corner, N Circular Rd, Stonebridge, London, NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com Ride 4 Rescue, The Return. Start venue: Street Bike, Dudley Road, Halesowen, West Midlands, B63 3NS. www.happystaffierescue.org.uk.Email events@happystaffierescue.org.uk. Tel 01299 513006. Ancient to Modern Motorcycle Show. Withington, Hereford, Herts, HR1 3PP. www.lcmcc.uk MAY 6-7 Notts Classic Motorcycle & Car Show. Thoresby Park, Ollerton, Notts, NG22 9EP. Tel 01484 667776. www.classicshows.org MAY 7 Fleet Lions 35th Annual Classic Bike Rally. The…

The Association of Pioneer Motorcyclists (APMC) has lowered the joining age, meaning that anyone interested can apply to join as an associate member or, if they have held a licence to ride a motorcycle for at least 40 years, as a companion member. An upgrade to full member status can be made if they have held a motorcycle riding licence for at least 50 years. Membership application forms are available from the APMC Stand at most classic shows or by post from secretary Bob Badland, 124 Winsford Avenue, Allesley Park, Coventry. CV5 9JB.…

Playing with the Boys Olga Kevelos – Motorcycle Sportswoman – an extraordinary 20th century life in words and photographs Author: Colin Turbett Published by: Beinn Nuis Publishing, c/o Colin Turbett, Ranoch, Shishkine, Isle of Arran, North Ayrshire KA27 8EP Email: ctur282388@aol.com Softback, 295 x 210mm; 160pp with over 250 photographs. ISBN 978-1-5272-0795-0 £20 £4 UK p&p Olga Kevelos (1923-2009) was one of the most versatile and successful female motorcycle competitors of the Post Second World War period, riding successfully in centre and national one-day trials, competing many times in the Scottish Six Days Trial and winning gold, silver and bronze medals in the International Six Days Trial. She even did the occasional scramble and road race, was a member of the successful Honda Maudes Trophy team and raced a…

1918 During a lecture to the American Electro-Chemical Society, electrical engineer L B Cherry claimed it was possible to manufacture synthetic petrol from natural gases including hydrogen or methane and a hydrocarbon, 1943 It had been well publicised that following the Middle East and Tunisian campaigns, some officials and Allied forces ranks had openly commented that Axis motorcycles were better and more suited to purpose than British military models. And servicemen who had acquired German and Italian models extolled their virtues. Allied industry, forces and press responded, stating it was not simply a case of identifying who makes the best motorcycles, but rather; ‘Are those supplied to the Allies fit for purpose?’ Thus, were Axis machines better for convoy, dispatch and general duties than current Allied motorcycles, rather than is…

Guzzi Museum openings A comment made in your book review in the January edition regarding the Moto Guzzi Museum in Mandello del Lario, stating that it is rarely open to the public is incorrect. My wife and I had the pleasure of visiting this excellent museum while holidaying in Italy in April 2017. Entry is free and the collection is stunning. Be aware, however, that on the days it is open it is only for an hour or two, so get there early and join the small crowd gathered at the gate. Thanks for your magazine and keep up the great work. Hadrian Dawson, Melbourne, Australia. Gere’s other Bonnie I appreciated your supplement on the Triumph Bonneville (April 2018) especially the cover shots of celebrities. I attach a PR shot…

If ever a case needed to be made for ‘racing improving the breed’ then the AJS range for 1930 could be offered up as proof. The company had been seen to take almost 100 records in competitions at the tail end of the 1920s and the lessons learned from the stresses and strains on machines being put to hard use were to benefit the range, even if the intended market didn’t give a jot about racing or competition. Armed with information on wear and tear and its effects on components, the design team could make improvements to models, which AJS did. With eye-catching details such as inclined cylinders, twin port heads on ohv models and a subtle black with gold lining finish, the new motorcycles certainly stood out. But beauty…

I often laugh at what my colleagues on the modern motorcycle magazines refer to as a ‘workhorse.’ What they term simple, dated and utilitarian is still worlds apart from even the most advanced of postwar machines; a marvel of electronics, hydraulics, alloys and aerodynamics – I wonder what they’d make of Gordon Hallet’s 1955 Nimbus, with its exposed valve springs, pressed steel and rubber-bands. The Nimbus would have raised a few eyebrows with the motorcycling press in 1955, its design being so at odds with the vast majority of its contemporaries – no swinging arms, hot cams and race-bred performance here. That’s not to do it a disservice by any means though; the Nimbus was conceived in a different time to fulfil a very different brief, and although it looked…

1959 Panther Model 45 Sports ENGINE TYPE Villiers 3T parallel twin two-stroke CAPACITY 324cc BORE X STROKE 57mm x 63.5mm OUTPUT 18bhp@5000rpm COMPRESSION RATIO 8:1 LUBRICATION 20:1 petroil mix CARBURETTOR Villiers S25/3 IGNITION Villiers flywheel magneto with external HT coils GEARBOX Villiers four-speed TRANSMISSION all-chain FRAME full tubular cradle SUSPENSION Panther-Reynolds-Earles front forks, swinging arm rear with nonadjustable Girling units TYRES 325x18 front and rear BRAKES sls drums, 7in front 6in rear TANK CAPACITY 2½galls EQUIPMENT GRP flyscreen SEAT HEIGHT 28.5in WHEELBASE 52.5in WEIGHT 310lb TOP SPEED 75mph approx…

I’m a huge fan of lock wire, not only does it look suitably vintage, it’s ideal for areas where heat is an issue, as even the best locking compounds break down at around 280 ˚c. After having problems with a loose rear wheel on the trials Montesa Cota, the thought of keeping bolts and nuts tight has been nagging me. So, I finally got my act together and spent the last week in the garage changing Nylock-nuts and spring washers on the various bikes. It was a surprisingly inexpensive exercise. I acquired 50 zinc plated UNF locknuts in the common 5/16 or 3/8 sizes, which were only £3 to £4, and metric equivalents about the same. If you want to go upmarket and fit stainless steel, it’s not much more…

THE SPECIALIST Virtually synonymous with all things Royal Enfield, Hitchcocks Motorcycles Ltd has huge stocks of parts and a wealth of knowledge on most examples of the marque. However, when it came to the 1960s version of the New Bullet they were happy to refer me to John Dove. His encyclopaedic knowledge of the model can be accessed via a New Bullet forum. ■ Hitchcocks Motorcycles Ltd: 01564 783192 www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com ■ John Dove: jd.btsdf@gmail.com MODEL HISTORY Hopefully, this guide offers an appraisal of the New Bullet while also dispelling some of the more imaginative tales surrounding the model. Royal Enfield’s Crusader had been a 1950s sales success as motorcycle design entered a new era. The uncluttered lines of unit construction were being adopted by most manufacturers. Perhaps inevitably, Enfield decided…