Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2019 i The Classic MotorCycle

The many various facets of motorcycling fascinate me, and always have. It’s very easy to become absolutely dedicated to one marque, to one genre, to one branch of sport or even all of the above, and of course there’s nothing wrong with that at all. I’ve friends who won’t hear a word against Velocette, say, but their interest is in the marque in general, so everything from 1920s to 1960s. Then there are others who are just into flat-tankers – marque is less important, it’s that era; same with others and veterans. Some will restore Triumph unit twin after Triumph unit twin, or ride nothing but a Gold Star, while I’ve been talking recently to a chap who has four Featherbed cammy Nortons (two Manx, one Inter/Manx hybrid and an…

BORDERS CLASSIC The Borders Classic Bike Show is on Sunday, September 8, 2019 at Lacon Childe School in Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire DY14 8PE. This year the school PTA are running the show, as Jim Reynolds has retired after more than 30 years, although he will be there as guest of honour, presenting trophies. And he’ll still be at ‘Uncle Jim’s curry night’ on the Saturday evening. THE EUROJUMBLE This year’s Netley Marsh Eurojumble is on Friday, September 6 and Saturday, September 7. It will see more than 300 traders showcase their wares, with everything from spare tools to books, signs to magazines on offer. Details at www. netleymarsheurojumble.com or 01507 529529. VINTAGE MOTORBILIA Vintage Motorbilia offer a garage clearance service as well as help with collection dispersal and are particularly interested…

1962 Moto Guzzi Galletto ENGINE : 192cc, OHV, four-stroke, horizontal single BORE AND STROKE: 62 x 53mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 7:1 MAXIMUM POWER: 7.7bhp ELECTRICS: 12v CARBURETTOR : Dell’Orto MA 18 BS 1 LUBRICATION: Dry sump CLUTCH: Wet multiplate GEARBOX: Four-speed FINAL DRIVE: Chain FRAME: Tubular steel cradle SUSPENSION Front: Leading link Rear: Single-sided swinging arm with twin hydraulic shock absorbers TYRES Front: 2.75x17in Rear: 3.00x17in BRAKES Front: SLS 4in/101mm drum Rear: SLS 4in/101mm drum WHEELBASE: 51in/1310mm DRY WEIGHT: 295lb/134kg FUEL CAPACITY: 7 litres/1.5 gallons TOP SPEED: 53mph/85kmh…

There are people who’ve written a lot of books – and then there’s Mick Walker. The author of over 130 motorcycle-related tomes, his prodigious output was even more astounding when it’s taken into account he didn’t start writing until later in life. Born on November 30, 1942, in Wretton, Norfolk, Mick went to the local primary school, then on to Downham Market secondary modern. While at school, he was in the Air Training Corps, which fuelled a desire to join the Royal Air Force and he duly joined in 1958, signing on for 12 years, as was the then practice. He was to work as Senior Aircraftsman (SAC) with his first posting taking him back to Norfolk and RAF Marham, before embarking on a ‘tour’ of a varied range of…

Over the course of 30 years, I have had the privilege of owning around 40 machines. Each has been different and I have thoroughly enjoyed the alternative riding experiences offered by the near a century of development they have spanned. Part of me would have liked to have kept them all but, sadly, as I don’t have a big pot of cash for new purchases, in order to enjoy something else, I have had to sell something. Hence, I’m not really one to dwell on what I used to own – occasionally a conversation will rekindle a memory of a particular machine and fleetingly I might wonder what has happened to it, but it’s a rare thing. Why do I keep selling and then buying others? Simply because I feel,…

Peter Williams – Designed to Race Revised edition Author: Peter Williams Designed and published by: Redline Books Available only from Peter Williams, who will supply signed copies if requested. Email: designedtorace@gmail.com Hardback, 225 x 285mm, 286 pages, with over 250 photographs and illustrations ISBN: 978-0-9555278-8-3 £35 plus p&p Peter Williams was, in his day, one of the best road racers of the time and a TT rider par excellence – and is one of that small band of sportsmen who can be called ‘the best never to win a world championship.’ Peter’s unique career in the 1960s and 70s as racer, designer and development engineer, culminated in many great victories on bikes from 125cc to 750cc. For two months in 1967 he led the 500cc class of the world championship on…

Defending the Dandy Regarding Steve Wilson’s excellent ‘The unloved’ feature (August 2019)... poor Dandy! Will no one defend another of BSA’s heroic failures? Well, I’ll have a go. Firstly, the Dandy was a clever, economical-of-material design, conceived by Bert Hopwood and Doug Hele – hardly muppets in the design world. The pivoting U-shaped engine/clutch/gearbox unit wrapping round the rear wheel with the swing-arm/secondary chaincase bolted-on was an innovative solution. Secondly, you don’t take the gearbox off to get at the points; you leave the gearbox in place and start at the other side. Rear wheel spindle nut off, two bolts off to undo suspension unit, three screws to remove carb cover, pull carb off rubber mount complete with fuel pipe and throttle cable, disconnect flywheel mag connector, remove six bolts…

Club The Manx Motor Cycle Club, affiliated to the ACU. President Padre EH Stenning, King William’s College schoolmaster, intellectual and confident announcer during MGP fortnight. Chairman & Clerk of Course Robert Cowell, member of the Manx Bar, clerk to Douglas Magistrates and Deputy Coroner for IoM. Had been actively involved with the TT races since 1920, when he was injured by a rider. Deputy Clerk of Course CL Colegate, IoM businessman. Chief Marshall GD Hanson, lawyer, golfer, advised newcomers how to ride the Mountain Course, including publishing the letter ‘Dear Mr Newcomer’ in 1938. Deputy Chief Marshall Norman Brown, partner in local printing firm. Timekeepers RH Wright, Ulster civil servant, acted as timekeeper at the 1935-7 MGPs. WA Latham, Manx civil servant, timekeeper at MGP since it started and of…

When I visited Brooklands for its annual Motorcycle Day on June 30, 2019, I was privileged to be able to not only sketch the wonderful Freddy Clarke replica Triumph, but was afforded the opportunity to promote my ‘Banked Track Heroes’ project in the historic Press office, where, in the circuit’s heyday, all the times and results were recorded and sent out from. It was while sketching the Clarke replica and thinking about the other motorcycles campaigned by what is now known as the ‘Brooklands Motorcycle Team’ I started to realise how important the volunteers and machines are to the public’s perception of the museum. Since the 1980s, when the museum was opened, there has always been someone working on the motorcycles. Over time, the amount of machines and volunteers has…

SEPTEMBER 6 Bike Night–Jacks Hill Cafe. Jacks Hill Cafe, A5 Watling Street, Towcester, Northants, NN12 8ET. www.jackshill.co.uk. Tel 01327 351350. Email capellacaterers@btconnect.com. SEPTEMBER 6-7 The Carole Nash Eurojumble. Ringwood Road, Netley Marsh, between Cadnam and Totton, Hampshire, SO40 7GY. www.classicbikeshows.com.Tel 01507 529529. SEPTEMBER 6-8 Ace Cafe Reunion Weekend. Ace Cafe, Ace Corner, N Circular Rd, Stonebridge, London, NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com. Isabena Rallye. La Puebla de Roda, Ctra. Graus-Viella km 27, 22482 La Puebla De Roda, Huesca, Aragon, Spain. www.isabena.eu. Tel + 34 (0) 974 544 530. Email info@isabena.eu. The Soggy Moggy. The Woodgreen Animal Shelter, Kings Farm, Godmanchester, Huntingdon, Cambs. www.Tigermcc.co.uk. Tel 01354 680831.Email Time2party@tigermcc.co.uk. SEPTEMBER 7 Classic Motorcycle Show. Buntingford. Tel 07963 609143. SEPTEMBER 7-8 NSA (National Sprint Association). Lancaster Raceway, East Kirkby Airfield, Spilsby, Lincolnshire, PE23 4BP. www.nationalsprintassociation.org.…

1919 As during the recently-ended war, the combustion engine was proving its worth during the current railway strike. Owners/drivers of motor vehicles from motorcycles to five ton lorries had volunteered to help the Government maintain food supply chains, communication and other essentials. Before the war, such a railway strike would have paralysed the nation, but not now. The true worth of petrol driven vehicles had become apparent during the war and were now a feature of everyday life. Motorcyclists were redelivering food supplies to isolated country dwellings, medical supplies to hospitals and vital documents to businesses across the nation, while commuters were piling onto large motorcycle outfits for their trip to work. When the strike started, the newspaper world wasted no time in arranging additional ‘volunteer’ transport to service their…

The rejuvenated Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC) event, The Festival of 1000 Bikes, takes place annually at Mallory Park (this year over July 12-14) and is re-establishing itself as one of the most important classic events on the calendar. Past masters and star riders participate at this yearly spectacle, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to be invited to ride a Velocette KTT around the circuit in this company. The VMCC provides the unique opportunity for enthusiasts and amateurs to ride the track, in the company of like-minded souls. For spectators, there are motorcycles of all tastes and ages to admire, an autojumble for parts and manuals, club stands, as well as an entertainment marquee (aka beer tent!) in the centre of the track. While I have fairly…

WHEN the National Motorcycle Museum first acquired the Royal Ruby it was in far from good condition, as Colin Wall remembers: “The museum’s Royal Ruby was found on a farm at Bodmin Moor and it had been in a barn all these years. It was complete when we collected it, except for the carburettor, which had been taken off because it was brass and was probably sold or given to a scrap iron man. I went down to have a look at it and collect it. It seemed the engine was sound but the rest of it was in a very rough state.” Colin said the biggest challenge was its tyres. “Finding tyres for it was very difficult – I think Roy Richards had to get them from someone in…

It’s not surprising restoration is a recurring subject in the classic motorcycle world, bikes which have seen years of use and/or abuse – or even simple storage – inevitably need some sort of remedial work before being put back to work or on display. But there are as many reasons for carrying out a restoration as there are for owning a motorcycle. So, for some owners it might be an end in itself, resulting in a thing of beauty (possibly only in the eye of its creator), while others might be solely interested in their motorcycle as a means of transport, and don’t concern themselves with much beyond its mechanical condition. The extreme members of the former group are obviously just interested in visual appeal, either in private or at…

Vale-Onslow barrel conversions Before his prominence in the motorcycle industry, specifically with Norton Villiers Triumph (NVT), Mike Jackson successfully campaigned Greeves off road machines. He remembers the instant success of the Vale-Onslow (V-O) 250cc conversion kit, as featured in our August 2019 issue, page 88. “From memory, the V-O 250cc barrel conversion, priced at £25, hit the market in the middle of the 1958 UK scrambles season. It was instantly popular because it was a straight ‘bolt on’ job which didn’t involve splitting the crankcases. The kit comprised a barrel, head and piston – I can’t remember if fasteners and gaskets were included. And its great appeal was its easy bolt-on factor to the Villiers engine bottom half and the ease of fit of the carburettor to barrel. “I must…

From July 1948, actress, comedian, singer and radio star Lind Joyce explains the workings of her Brockhouse Corgi scooter to a youngster riding a tricycle. Joyce was a cast member of Liverpool comic Tommy Handley’s It’s That Man Again (ITMA), a wildly popular 1940s radio series that came to an abrupt end with Handley’s sudden death of a brain haemorrhage in 1949. Joyce had several film roles to her name, too, with her last (uncredited) appearance in 1969’s ‘Oh! What a Lovely War.’ Developed from the military Welbike, the Corgi scooter brought simple, basic transport to a Britain recovering from war. The ‘Wel’ in the Welbike came from Welwyn, home to the secret-service Special Operations Executive, Station IX, of which the commanding officer was Lt Col John Dolphin. Although military…