Classic Bike Guide - November 2015 - preview

TRIUMPH SQUIRREL DAYTONA STROKER

DIFFERENT STROKES...

...FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS

BLACK MAGIC TRITON ST AFFORD STAR!

GUZZI V7 NORTON DOMINATOR || BSA GOLD STAR || BMW CAFÉ R ACER

No.295 November 2015

||

£4.20 PRINTED IN THE UK

ITALIAN FLIER

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || CONTENTS

062

006 008 012 014 018

ARCHIVE RETRIEVAL Remember summer? Already it seems as though it was many years ago

EVENT REPORT Classic life in Saundersfoot. No, really

SUBSCRIBE! Save money, get the magazine early. Great

BLACK MAGIC TRITON It’s a Triton, Jim, but not (quite) as we know it

MOTOBI TORNADO When is a Benelli not a Benelli?

Answers on a postcard

022

BSA GOLD STAR

026 030

BMW R80

034

040 044

072

BARRY OWEN A man with a long history of involvement with old British bikes

were all unusual, as seen here

Some great stuff here. We

082

always need more letters

GEORGE COHEN

050

PAUL D’ORLÉANS

052

MARK WILLIAMS

Where have all the old bike

095

Is there art in a motorcycle?

Is there really?

Nope, that’s not a misprint. The

Norton also attempted to modernise their twins with tinware. Everyone threw it away of course

INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY All knowledge is here.

098

Okay, so when did you become interested in alleged classics?

MODEL STUDY Dream and Super Dream. Honda’s CB250 and CB400. Nothing could be more exciting

054

bike is a little unusual, however

NORTON DOMINATOR DE LUXE

motorcycle marketplace, complete

Or some of it. Possibly

106 124

is a remarkable relic of days gone by

YAMAHA VIRAGE

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE An unreliable glimpse into the British with a selection of recently sold BSAs

riders gone? Far, far away…

Loved by many, feared by more, this

It’s a boxer, Jim, but not…

Not many motorcycles were built in Yorkshire, and those fortunate enough

LETTERS

048

SCOTT FLYING SQUIRREL

TRIUMPH DAYTONA Developed to win races in the USA, the Daytona’s one Triumph

129

that (nearly) got away

062

MOTO GUZZI V7 Classic or retro? Retro style with

Lots. Lots. Lots

CLUBBING A long list of old bike clubs, mostly accurate. Mostly…

LOUISE LIMB A fine tribute to the late Cilla. Did she really ride an Enfield? We should be told

modern performance? New wine in an old bottle? Moto Guzzi offers a choice

READER ADS

130

FRANK WESTWORTH At the back of the pack, as usual

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || NOVEMBER 2015 3

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || EDITORIAL

||

WHO’S WHO ||

EDITOR || Frank Westworth editor@classicbikeguide.com PUBLISHER || Tim Hartley thartley@mortons.co.uk SENIOR DESIGNER || Kelvin Clements DESIGNER || Michael Baumber PICTURE DESK || Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield EDITORIAL ASSISTANT || Jayne Clements PRODUCTION EDITOR || Sarah Palmer DIVISIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER || David England 01507 529438 dengland@mortons.co.uk

FRANK WESTWORTH

ADVERTISING || Sue Needham, Leon Currie 01507 524004 sneedham@mortons.co.uk lcurrie@mortons.co.uk

JUST RIDING AROUND

ARCHIVE ENQUIRIES || Jane Skayman 01507 529423 jskayman@mortons.co.uk

LOTS OF RIDERS have favourite roads, roads along which they ride their favourite bikes as often as possible. I do, and I’m almost certain that you do too. And no, I’m not going to start raving away about my own favourite riding roads because they’re busy enough already, thank you. Not with cars, and certainly not with heavies, but with other bikes.

The chunks of road which I always find delightful are scattered around the country, too, rather than being concentrated in just the one area. I live in Cornwall, which has loads of great roads – of every kind – so it always amuses me that my own special routes are not in fact in Cornwall. There are a few in Devon, one or two in Somerset, but for reasons I can’t quite understand, I hardly know the roads between Bude and The Lizard at all. In any case, the traffic in the West Country is so seasonal that a road which is agony in August can be outstanding in October. Take the A39, the wonderfully mis-named Atlantic Highway, for example.

It’s popular in some quarters for magazine hacks to reveal their own top roads, and the inevitable and almost immediate effect is that those same roads become packed with weekend warriors hooning around doing their very best impersonations of Rem Fowler, or whoever’s the current hot-snot road racer. This is tiresome. It really is.

Maybe the most irritating example – seen from my own perspective – is the excellent series of insane swerves, both lateral and vertical, between Buxton and Macclesfield. A superb road, and although it carries a lot of heavy traffic during weekday working hours, it was at one time almost entirely empty of a weekend and an evening. And in any case, the heavies collect all the cars behind them, so although there were restrictions and mobile bottlenecks, at least it was usually easy enough to get past, and the road in front of a heavy is usually clear… until the next.

It all changed radically when a Top Magazine ran a feature on the road. I didn’t read it, so was unprepared for the sudden infestation of motorcycles. Getting past and being passed by a steady stream of bikes – some ridden very well, others the opposite – is simply tiresome, so I stopped using the road. The only reason for riding between Macclesfield and Buxton was to scrape, scratch and wobble over the Cat & Fiddle Pass, so I lost out on a regular monthly excuse to get out whatever the weather (riding between 6ft snow banks was amazing) to meet a very few like-minded mates for a hot toddy.

Several local riders have told me about several excellent local rides, and as the Cornish tourist season is now over, I’m going to check out as many as I have time for.

It will be fun. Probably. Let’s hope so. As the man said, ‘I’m just stepping outside.

I may be some time…’

Frank Westworth editor@classicbikeguide.com

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RIDINGLIFE || ARCHIVE

6 NOVEMBER 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

Summer?

THAT’S IT. SUMMER’S over for another year.

And we can all make the same jokes about the only difference between summer and the rest of he year is that the rain is warmer. Pah! That’s not even true. This summer has seen some spectacularly heavy downpours in the UK, and we’ve been wondering how many hot, dry rides we got… and then a moment of honest reflection set it, and the truth is that we had as many hot, dry days as we usually do. We just like to grumble a little. Maybe it’s a companionship thing.

So, we’ve seized the opportunity to drag a few photos from the archive, which have a vaguely summery theme to them – hope you like them.

The main image is a particular beauty. The bikes both appear to be Matchless singles – it’s too grainy to work out whether they’re G80s or G3Ls. What is particularly interesting is that they both appear to be civilian machines, which would have been truly rare in 1947, when all the British bike builders were selling as many of their bikes overseas to raise a little money to help the country to pay for the recent war. And just look at the rest of the traffic in the shot. Exactly … none at all.

Time marches on.

Main: It’s 1947, and these two tourers are enjoying the summer sun in Corsica. Remember that the Second World War was an uncomfortably close memory, and Europe was gripped by austerity so severe that modern folk probably can’t imagine it. The bike nearer the camera is a Matchless single, but although it looks as though its companion is the same, it’s not easy to be certain Top left: Summer of 1946. The bike’s a Norton, the venue a grasstrack meeting – check out he body belts the riders are wearing. The rider is Jack Surtees, father of world champion, John Surtees, the only man to have won world championships on both two and four wheels. That’s him, John, on the left of the pic, presumably considering his future…

Bottom left: Modern times, now. This great shot was taken in the summer of 1957. That year’s World Scout Jubilee Jamboree was held in Sutton Park, Warwickshire, and the Scout in our pic is enjoying life to the full aboard a BSA Dandy. The Scouting motto is ‘Be Prepared’, which is a fine sentiment for anyone riding a Dandy

These photos were sourced

action – we have it all.

from the Mortons Archive, a

The archive is often used

huge collection of different

by the national media

images which comprises

companies looking for a bike,

one of the greatest

rider, or event photograph.

collections of motorcycle

The archive offers literally

photos in the world.

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Whether it’s a rider

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model, or just a highly

be accessed online.

unusual shot of a rider in

See www.mortonsarchive.com

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || NOVEMBER 2015 7

RIDINGLIFE Welsh weekend NEWS || EVENTS || LETTERS || INTERVIEWS

To celebrate its 60th anniversary, this September’s Saundersfoot TT sprawled over an entire week, culminating in a concours d’elegance WORDS AND PHOTOS BY RICHARD JONES

THIS ANNUAL EVENT, organised by the West South Wales VMCC, is based in the lovely Pembrokeshire coastal town of Saundersfoot.

In 2015 a week of activity started with a ride from Gloucester to commemorate the first run in 1956 when Cotswold VMCC rode to Saundersfoot on a Saturday, returning the following day. Almost 60 years later, the Saturday saw the official timed trial, a run through the beautiful surrounding countryside, while on Sunday the club held a concours d’elegance at Saundersfoot harbour.

Once the prizes had been awarded by Tim Penn, president of the VMCC, the assembled throng took to the saddle once again for a well-organised run.

For the rest of the week a series of rides had been arranged under the banner of ‘Welsh Week’, which allowed an opportunity for those able to stay to see even more of this wonderful part of the world.

The West South Wales section of the VMCC caters for all motorcycles, combinations and three wheelers over 25 years old, and meets twice each month at Dryslwyn and Narberth.

See westsouthwalesvmcc.co.uk

8 NOVEMBER 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

EVENT CLUB REPORT

YAM VIRAGE

BOXER BLASTER

Fade to grey?

Street-cred airhead

TRUE BRIT Glorious Gold Star

P30

P26

P22

TRIUMPH TROPHY THE TROPHY HAD a long history as one of Triumph’s leading models, appearing first in the 1948 Earls Court Show as the TR5. It featured Turner’s iconic 498cc parallel twin engine, allied with the nimble steering and good ground clearance which made for a genuinely dual purpose motorcycle, equally at home on or off the road. The Trophy went on to win three ISDT gold medals as well as a manufacturer’s team trophy, given a few tweaks for competition form.

Fast forward to the early 1970s. After the 650cc oil-in-frame Trophy had been discontinued, Triumph continued with the T100 Trophy 500.

Whether it was still a genuine, off-the-road desert sled is questionable (it’s more of a street scrambler, really) but it certainly looked the part with those siamesed high pipes. This example is something of a hybrid – or a ‘bitsa’ as the owner described it. The frame and running gear are pure Trophy but the engine is from a twin-carb Daytona, now running with a Amal single carburettor. This change hasn’t dented the bike’s performance; the owner reports that ‘it goes like stink.’

MATCHLESS X THE BOAT-SHAPED SIDECAR attached to this 1937 Matchless X was very much in keeping with Saundersfoot Harbour, but there must be some question as to how watertight it would be if launched!

The Collier brothers – Harry and Charlie – had been involved with powered two-wheelers since the start of the 20th century, not only in the production of their Matchless marque in Plumstead but also in competition at the TT and Brooklands.

1905 saw their first V-twin using a JAP engine which, along with MAG engines, was their main power plant of choice until 1925 when they produced their own sidevalve

Matchless 982cc. The main purpose of that big V-twin was as a sidecar tug and in 1929, after various upgrades, it was designated the Model X. When Matchless bought AJS and production of the Wolverhampton bikes moved to Plumstead, an AJS version of the Model X arrived in 1933 in the shape of the Model 2. Strangely, many more Matchless Xs survive today than Ajay Model 2s.

The Matchless motor wasn’t just used to power other models for AMC. In fact it was so successful that it was sold to several other manufacturers including Morgan and Brough Superior, the latter using it in their SS80 model from 1935.

In 1937, the Model X was given an upgrade with the intention of producing a fast touring machine. The frame was shortened, the exhaust port design altered and the dynamo placed above the gearbox; hubs, forks and brakes were changed too.

Production continued until 1940 (and a very few, very rare wartime-built bikes are still in circulation) but the Model X’s day was done. It wasn’t reintroduced after the war when attention turned to revvy parallel twins of half the capacity. These days, an X is a charismatic reminder of the charms of a vintage V-twin – one which costs considerably less than a Brough SS80.

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || NOVEMBER 2015 9

RIDINGLIFE || WELSH WEEKEND MONDIAL SUPER SPORTS FB MONDIAL – FB standing for Fratelli (translation: brothers) Boselli – was founded in 1948 at Arcore in northern Italy by Count Giuseppe Boselli.

He brought in designers Alfonso Drusiani and Lino Tonti (later a key designer for Moto Guzzi, as you’ll read elsewhere in this issue) to produce the first machines which were lightweight models with both two-stroke and four-stroke ohc engines. Mondial went on to have significant road-racing success with their machines with four 125cc world championships, one 250cc world championship and three TT wins in the 1950s. At the Ulster Grand Prix in 1950, the dohc 125 reached 90mph on the straights, out-performing most rival 250s of the time…

The 1955 TV175 at Saundersfoot Harbour was a Mondial super sports model which undoubtedly benefited from the firm’s road-racing accomplishments. The 174cc four-stroke single cylinder engine has a single, chain-driven overhead cam, is fuelled by a Dell’Orto carb and drives through a four-speed gearbox to a chain final drive. At a time of austerity, when many British lightweights were inclined to be under-specified in the suspension dept, the Mondial 175s had full twin shock, swinging arm suspension and decently robust tele forks. The position of the kickstart lever was another unusual feature (no, it hasn’t fallen off!). The whole weighed in at 240lb which with 18bhp meant that the roadbike was also capable of 90mph – ample for an amble around the Pembrokeshire countryside.

BLACK ARIEL IN 1925 ARIEL had the great good fortune to recruit that brilliant designer – some would say the founding father of British motorcycle design in the 20th century – Val Page.

By the time of the Olympia show he had produced new 499cc ohv and 557cc sv engines using the same stroke and with many parts in common; both had Burman gearboxes although cycle parts were generally inherited from Ariel’s earlier range. Page’s ‘Black Ariels’ were a raging success and remain cult collectors’ items today. (It’s rumoured that F1 racer Sebastian Vettel is among their admirers.)

The marque won the prestigious Maudes Trophy in 1927 and 1928 so that by 1929, when this Model E 500 was manufactured, Ariel was producing some serious machines suitable for the next decade – saddle tanks, for example, were the norm while many manufacturers soldiered on with outdated flat tanks. The Ariel engines featured dry sump lubrication with a separate oil tank and a pressure feed to the big end, while the new rocker gear at the top end on the ohv engines was safely tucked away in its enclosure. Out of sight, quiet, and well oiled; considerable sophistication for the time.

At £47-10s the Model E was the standard version of the half-litre ohv machines, the Model F being the deluxe and sold for £2-10s more. Both shared the 81.8mm by 95mm single cylinder, twin port engine; Amal carb, three-speed Burman gearbox, girder forks with new-style springing,

10 NOVEMBER 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

Lucas magneto and two gallon saddle tank. In fact it’s difficult to see what the buyer was getting for his or her extra £2-10s with the Model F, other than slightly wider tyres and front mudguard, together with a sprung seat.

Anyone who’s seen these machines powering up Sunrising Hill on the Banbury Run will know just how fast they can be – they’re close to as good as you can get for a vintage British single.

INDIAN SCOUT ‘YOU CAN’T WEAR OUT an Indian Scout.’ At least, that’s what the adverts claimed! Charles B Franklin emigrated from Ireland to the USA after coming second in the 1911 Senior TT riding an Indian. He was convinced that there was a market for a nimble middleweight, and so developed the 37 cubic inch, sidevalve, 42-degree V-twin with its semi-unit construction (the gearbox was bolted to the engine). The Scout was launched in 1920 and was such a success that its name is still attached to an Indian motorcycle to this day.

Unlike other Indians of the time, the 596cc Scout eschewed the usual chain primary drive and employed helical gears instead, which contributed to the model’s mechanical durability. By 1925, when this bike was built, the Scout had sprouted detachable cylinder heads, it weighed around 340lb and was capable of a 60mph maximum. More importantly it could maintain 50mph in all conditions for extended periods and handled with far greater ease than its heavyweight stablemates. An icon had arrived.

BMW R65 THIS R65 REMINDED your correspondent of his own machine. My R65 was the only BMW I owned that failed to bring heartbreak and expense in its wake. I wish I had kept it.

The 650cc boxer twin with its horizontally opposed cylinders, each with its two valves operated by pushrods, went on without fuss and was quite happy at 70mph.

The five-speed gearbox was what you might describe as being positive – you certainly knew when the gears changed – but it worked perfectly, which is all one could ask from a motorcycle built in the early 1980s. The only part that leaked oil was the shaft drive when a seal failed, and that was a small price to pay to be able to avoid chain maintenance and replacement.

The front forks and twin rear shocks meant it went around corners without drama, and the front disc and rear drum

brakes ensured it stopped when required. If the machine on display at Saundersfoot had been the LS variant I would have sought out the owner and done my utmost to persuade him to sell it to me…

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || NOVEMBER 2015 11

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RIDINGLIFE || TRITON

Black k magic

What dark arts have brou ught this demon beast into beeing?

PHOTOS BY RICK SCHOFIELD

Right: Few machines look more radical from the rear than from head on. Not the case with the Black Magic Triton. Magic exhausts? Well…

Below: No lights? Nope, this machine will never be seen on the roads after dark. Never

SHOW

STAFFORD

IN THE ARCANE rituals of black magic, only the most skilled practitioners can bringg the dead back to life. When retired precision toolmaker Mick Hughes wanted to unleash his artistic impu ulses, he knew his creation would have a traditional British twin engine as its thumping great heart. The ‘m magic’ would come in seamlessly blending a Triu umph motor to modern components to create a h rmonious whole – and to manage that, Mick would need to be some sort of wizard…

“It all started way back in 1957 when I was 13 years old,” he explains. “I joined th he air cadets where Bob Kenworthy, an ex-Manx GP rideer, was in charge.

He also ran the motorcycle display team. If we showed willing by cleaning the bikes, painting or sweeping up, then he would let us have a half-hoour ride on one of the Bantams. After my first ride, I was scared witless but I was hooked. I’ve been hooked d ever since.”

14 NOVEMBER 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

Nearly 60 years later, Mick runs Royton Road And Race, fabricating innovative componen nts for the bikes he’s still addicted to. You want an n alloy box-seection swinging arm made to order? Mick’s your man. Or choose levers, air scoops, footrests, steeringg dampeer knobs and oil tanks from off the sh helf, in alloy or stainless. After providing plenty of parts for other people’s pet projects, Mick got a hankering to bring his own vision of a perfect bike into being. “As I manufacture components for featherbed specials, I thought about building a special of my own. I liked the idea of build ding with artistic licence.”

BU Y IT N O W

1

2

However, before the spell-casting could begin, Mick needed to solve some of the practical problems.

“Triumph engines are probably easier to get, so it had to be a Triton. However it also had to be different.

After much sketching and head scratching I came up with ‘Black Magic’ – good name, eh?

“I decided to go for upside-down forks and managed to get some from a 916 Ducati but they didn’t look right. I did like the 916 style of exhaust with the pipes that exit under seat. While I was patting myself on the back for being the first one to think of this, I bought CBG only to find that a mate of mine, Mick Lansdale, had beaten me to it by a couple of years. I went to see the man himself up in enemy territory (Yorkshire!) to pick his brains.

“Mick sourced a decent set of Aprilia 125 forks for the right money for me: problem solved. I made my own yokes with 7½ inch centres to accommodate the four leading shoe Grimeca front brake. Both the front hub Grimeca and rear Triumph conical hub are modified with gold mesh (which comes from B&Q), with scalloped edges, stainless spindles, levers, torque arms and mudguard brackets.

“I already had a Burgess wideline subframe, so I only had to make up the rear section. Thinking back, I used to ride a Ducati Super Sport and I liked the way you sat in the bike, rather than on it. Don’t know why but it does feel safer, so I wanted to incorporate this into the Black Magic build. I used my own alloy boxsection swinging arm with a triangulated seat unit and rear shocks, opened up the swinging arm spindle to 5/8 inch diameter and fitted Manx type bushes. This all helps to stiffen up the back end, and of course means I could fit the obligatory 130 rear tyre.

“The rear hugger is a standard alloy mudguard cut short, with sides welded on to fit to the swinging arm. The seat unit took a bit more work. It’s from a Yamaha R1 but I had to make three inches narrower.

It looked odd being so wide – these R1 riders must have big bums! I then added some alloy plates and got it ‘fibreglassed’ again. The seat pads were originally covered by one firm but they just weren’t up to scratch. So I took them to Tony Archer in Huddersfield and, as you can see, I got a first class job at a third of the original price.”

3

1: Metal magic. If a fork yoke can be handsome, then this is it 2: The devil’s in the detail, as you’d expect when black magic’s involved 3: If the upside-down forks look a little strange, they’re intended to, and the front stopper would stop a bike of twice the weight of the Triton Below: Polishing makes a chap happy. Official. Mick Hughes applies the shine

Another stunning, super-trick Triumphengined special, this time a 750cc Morgo motor in a BSA frame with Grimeca 4LS front brake, alloy tank, comp mag, belt primary and many other trick bits. £10,750 from ventureclassics.com / 01531 671134

So now Mick had his basic rolling chassis ready; Black Magic’s inanimate, lifeless body. Time to introduce that vital spark of life… in the shape of a T140V engine. “I had to pay £1000 for it, which is not too bad seeing as you get a five-speed gearbox in with the price.”

The motor needed an overhaul, so Mick modified one of his engine stands to suit. “It makes life a lot easier when everything is solid on the bench rather than rolling all over the show.” He stripped the engine completely and labelled and boxed up the bits.

However, that didn’t go entirely as planned. “I had every intention of using the original conrods as they were in good nick, and just needed polishing and shot peening. However, being an old git I managed to get the rods mixed up with a pair of 650cc rods and I sold the wrong ones at Garstang autojumble!

So along with new bearings, oil seals, pistons, valves, etc, it also sports a pair of new American billet rods.”

Otherwise, Mick has kept the 750 engine in standard spec to aid reliability.

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || NOVEMBER 2015 15

RIDINGLIFE || TRITON

He really wanted to coomplete Black Magic in time to display it at the Staffoord Show – you may have fallen under its spell – bu ut was running out of time so phoned a few friends. “I enlisted the help of a mate of mine, Steve Blackwell, who put the engine and box together. Saved me a lot of time, leaving me free to finish off the rest of the bike. All the welding, alloy or stainless, has been doone by another mate of mine.

He’s qualified to weld aero components and you have to see the quality of his welding to appreciate what an artist he is. The powder coating was done by Triple S in Huddersfield, another nice job. The exhaust system is by ASBO Exhaust, Preeston, then ceramic coated

by Camcoat in Wigan. I pinched the idea of the Union Jack flags from James Ellison’s MotoGP bike; I don’t think he’ll mind! The painting and airbrushing was by Brian Evans in Oldham, another artist.”

As you can see, bringing one man’ss vision to life is a team effort. If you’re considering starting a similar project, Mick says you sh hould take advantage of

16 NOVEMBER 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

Ab bove left: Never look a gift source in the mouth. The hand dsome gold mesh came from B&Q, rarely famed for their motorcycle spares Above right: Tubes, pipes and an appreciation of gas flowing…

Below: Shine on, then

expert advicce. “Nobody out there knows everyth hing. If you’re not sure about something then don’t be afraid to ask. We all need a helping hand from time to time.”

Similarly, doon’t rush things, and be prepared to adapt and modify as the project progresses.

“Building a special requires a lot of patience. You don’t build it just the once, you build it five or six times beforee you get it as you want it.”

Finally, the rites of revitalisation are completee and Mick’s Black Magic Triton has been brought to life.

He’s well aware that it’s a controversial special which isn’t to everyone’s tastes. And that’s fine. “I knoow some people will love Black Magic and some peeople will hate it, it doesn’t matter. It’s your money you’re spending, itt’s your idea of a dream bike, so build d whatever takes your fancy, be it retro, bobber, viintage or classic. We all love bikes, so in the end we’re all just as daft as each other about them.”

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || NOVEMBER 2015 17

RIDINGLIFE || MOTOBI TORNADO

A perfect storm Did Benelli successfully blend a trad Brit twin and Italian engineering excellence?

Above: There are several reasons why a 1960s manufacturer would use an ohv design rather than an ohc. In this case, the engine is already big and bulky, an ohc top end would simply add to that 1: Monster engineering alert! The engine’s oil lives beneath it, and from the size of the sump there should be quite a lot. The drive from the starter to the gubbins is not subtle … but it is effective 2: The footrest rubbers are a distinctive design, but are effective, matching the engine’s rubber mountings to preserve the rider from those big twin vibes Below: Also available as a Benelli, which makes sense to some

WORDS & PHOTOS BY RICHARD JONES

“GOOD HANDLING FROM a rigid frame and sporty performance from the five-speed engine make the Tornado a very desirable 650. Ceriani shock absorbers and Marzocchi front forks deliver a precise ride. There’s even an electric start.” In 1975, Cycle World was pretty impressed by this Italian parallel twin – a bike which had more in common with most British twins than the lightweights Benelli had been building for decades.

Back in 1911, Teresa Benelli invested her savings in the Benelli Garage to ensure her six sons could support themselves, and two of the boys were sent to Switzerland to study engineering. During the First World War the Benelli Garage repaired damaged Italian motorcycles, but they had ambitions. In 1920 they built a 75cc two-stroke engine which was fitted into a bicycle frame. The following year the engine had grown to 98cc and was installed into a fully-fledged motorcycle.

Racing success racing followed, with the youngest son winning four Italian titles between 1927 and 1930 on the family’s sohc machine, and again in 1931 on a double-knocker version. Benelli saw success on the Isle of Man too, winning the 1939 Lightweight TT with a dohc single. The Second World War put a stop to Benelli’s entry for the 1940 season, which would have been a supercharged four-cylinder 250.

18 NOVEMBER 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

Motorcycle production re-started in 1949, when eldest son Giuseppe left Benelli to set up his own company. Benelli carried on manufacturing lightweight two- and four-stroke singles. Similarly, Giuseppe started off building small two-stroke scooters and motorcycles under the Motobi banner.

In 1953 he launched the B200 Spring Lasting, which featured the egg-shaped engine that came to characterise Motobi machinery. By the early 1960s Benelli was still by far the larger company. Reacting to the growing opportunities in the USA, the family brands reunited in 1962 under the Gruppo BenelliMotobi banner, turning out some 300 machines a day. The Motobi name was retained for the company’s more prestigious machines.

In 1967 Benelli introduced the 650 Tornado – the pronunciation of the ‘a’ being long as in ‘bard’ – primarily for sale in the UK and USA; a big bike for big markets. The robustly-engineered 50bhp parallel twin could have been extremely successful but, as fate would have it, Honda soon after announced its four-cylinder CB750. Given that the 750-4 effectively broke the back of the mighty UK motorcycle industry, it is hardly surprising that the Tornado has become a footnote in history. However, 45 years later it is a machine that turns eyes and has a character that a