Classic Bike Guide May 2019

FREE 32-PAGE BUYING GUIDE SUPPLEMENT INSIDE ❯❯❯❯ WORKSHOP THE RED Norton cylinder cyli r HUNTER head strip & Ariel’s super stylish single

Triumph front fork rebuild

2019

Your guide to the most popular postw ar British bikes

BUY  SELL  RIDE  RESTORE

MAY 2019

Happy 50th, Honda CB750 YEARS OF

Honda CB750

No. 336 May 2019 £4.30 UK Off-sale date 29/05/2019 PRINTED IN THE UK

The original superbike special RUDGE ULSTER M hi th tt Machines thatt matter

JAWA 350 CLASSIC T t k temptation t t ti Two-stroke

TRIUMPH TR5 TROPHY A fine fi pre-unit it 500 twin t i

MOTO GUZZI V50 Buying B i the th everyday d classic l i

Welcome

Beauty is more than skin deep

‘H

ow much? It’s not worth that.’

A commonly heard phrase when looking at a bike for sale.

Especially a classic, or old, bike where there is no industry-wide guide book. It could be aimed at a rose-tinted owner, a simple chancer, or dealer. But it could be more meaningful than just someone wanting to extract as much money from the deal. It may be a true representation of the work, effort and trouble that has gone into that bike.

To be honest, it pees me off. You get know-it-alls in all forms of life, but how can you say a 1973 model is worth ‘X’; the same as an identical bike. They are, after all, 45 years old and have probably led totally different lives. So let’s look deeper.

One came from America and was then repatriated, has no service history, an age-related plate but has had a lovely, sumptuous paint job and some new silencers. The other, is not as chintzy. The seat looks saggy, there’s a little rust on the silencers and the tank is marked. But inside, the engine has been rebuilt by an ex-factory engineer, with top quality bearings, parts and has been set up correctly. Which would you go for?

I contemplated this after handing over several hundred pounds for some bottom end bearings and other unseen parts for my Norton single. Friends and I had agreed that it felt okay as was, but as the bike is apart and I’m going through it all, it seemed little sense to skip the

fundamentals. Call it insurance. But it means I can’t afford a shiny exhaust for now, yet I’ll be happy knowing the business end is in good order.

Will it make it worth more? That depends on if I: (A) ever sell it (I am a hoarder), or (B), if the potential buyer realises what a tricky and expensive job it is. ‘How much?’ I may well hear…

This is in no way an advert, but I popped in to see Les, Kate and the lovely people at Norvil recently. Yes, the amassed parts for all different models are staggering, but it’s what you can’t see that I found more interesting. Les’s knowledge, earned through being in this game a long time, is staggering, and frankly at some points I felt it would be impossible to retain, let alone learn all people like him know. But thanks to Les and Chris, I went away wiser, more confident with my tasks that await and safe in the knowledge that these old bikes we love have got some future, thanks to this small world of suppliers that continue to source and make parts for our classic bikes.

We pay homage this month to the grandad of all modern Superbikes, the Honda CB750, on its 50th anniversary. I was lucky enough to ride one a couple of years back (thanks, David Silver – never did tell you that I almost left it decorating the boot of a car thanks to the rest of the bike feeling so modern, apart from the front brake…) and as someone who has spent most of their life on the latest bikes, I was staggered by how it felt like a modern

machine. What on earth would it have felt like in 1969 after a life of British bikes?

If you did ride one early on, we’d love to hear what you thought then and how it was perceived. One thing I noted from an original test, that hasn’t changed, was how the front brake was never any good… Still, hope you enjoy!

Right, I’m off to the workshop. I’d love to tell you that I’m working on a bike; truth is I’ve got to weld up my daughter’s Morris Minor. More work you’ll never see or have appreciated – not even by an MoT tester nowadays…

Be good! g

Matt Hull editor@classicbikeguide.com CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || MAY 2019

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Contents

011

008 From the archive

We look at a couple of images from Rudge – the company that always trod their own path.

that matter: 011 Machines Rudge Ulster It was the racer for the masses from the company that always did things their own way.

018 Subscribe!

Let us come to you, every month – saving money as well. What’s not to like?

020

News

Bikes, shows racing and not a word about Brexit…

024 Letters

Tell us your stories, show us what we’ve got wrong and share a laugh!

028 Products

We find the latest products that may be of interest to you. It’s a tat-free zone!

Buying Guide – 032 Triumph TR5

Despite an engine that spent life as a generator in Lancaster bombers, the Trophy became a true classic.

040

4

Buying Guide – Moto Guzzi V50ii

It’s handsome, usable and sounds great. It’s also small, but packs punch.

What’s not to like about the V50?

MAY 2019 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

Guide – BSA 048 Buying Bantam Bushman

Loved across the world, but the Bantam Bushman was, and still is, a rarity in the UK.

machine – 056 Hailwood’s part nine It wasn’t all plain sailing for Mike the Bike. Rachel looks at when Honda paid Hailwood not to ride…

Then and now – 062 Ariel Red Hunter

We look at how Ariel’s super single was viewed when it came out and what it’s like now.

CB750 080 –Honda happy 50th birthday!

We are lucky enough to ride one of the earliest production CB750s in the UK.

089 Sealey Honda

Colin Sealey made some great frames, but the one for the CB750 engine was his favourite.

096 Bimota HB1

This is how the Italians saw fit to use Japan’s best engine

068 What’s on

102

070 Archive poster

107 How’s that work? – Tyres

Dust ’em down and head to a show, or feast on burgers and grab that part you need.

A look back at how they used to review new bikes, with the original Ariel Red Hunter.

NEW RETRO Jawa 350 We look at Jawa’s new 350 Classic.

What’s it like and who would it suit?

There's more to those black hoops than you think.

Opinion – Steve Cooper

your Triumph 109 Rebuild forks

074

Opinion – Paul Miles

114 Project Norton

076

Opinion – Paul D’Orleans

121 Reader ads

072

Steve looks back at when dealers would sell you all you needed to café racer your Japanese bike.

Paul faces an awkward decision – ride as is, or restore? Shiny or patina?

Our man in the USA takes a fascinating look at the history of speed limits, and speeding.

Oli strips and rebuilds his T140 forks, at a show!

This month the head comes apart. There’s some good, and some not so good news.

‘Ooh, I always fancied one of those’. Buy it. You deserve it.

138 Frank Westworth

BSA Beagle – ridden one? We haven’t, but Frank finds he’s a soft spot for the little Beeza.

032

040

048

056

062

080

089

096

114

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CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || MAY 2019

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CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || MAY 2019

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From our archive

A gentleman of the GPO, clearing a postbox near Corley, while his Rudge Multi waits to be loaded. Thanks to the multi gear system (a little like a variomatic that modern scooters have as I understand) pulling a load proved little issue. Meanwhile, the chicken looks down to see if the postie has dropped any food‌

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MAY 2019 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

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CLASSIC

#48

ISSUE

Forty-eight Autumn 2018

OCTOBER 2018

No. 330 October 2018 £4.30 UK Off-sale date 31/10/2018

MOTO MEMORIES // TECH TALK // MONTESA COTA 200 // BULTACO MATADOR

3.60

Running, Riding & Rebuilding Running, Rebuilding Real RealClassi RealC Classic C lassi Motorcycles

BOXER CKS TRIC

HOW THE LEGEEND BEGAN

SUPERMAC’S TRIUMPH DRAYTON

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PLUS MOTO MEMORIES TECH TALK MONTESA COTA 200 BULTACO MATADOR AN HOUR WITH: GERRIT WOLSINK

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HOME, JAMES!

UNIVERSITY GRADUATE

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WINNER

SUPER PROFILE: ARIEL’S HT3

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CLASSICS

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R 2018 ISSUE 174 OCTOBER

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