Classic Dirt Bike Issue 44 Autumn

THE BEST DIRT BIKE ACTION FROM UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY

Dirtb bike e CLASSIC

#44

PRE PRE-65 65 WINNER

We check out Gary Mac’s Bantam

ISSUE Forty-four

Autumn 2017

BUULTACO BULTACO ACO NOSTALGIA Factory t superstars t on ttrial i l

‘CARLA’ CARLA

MX legend Hakan Carlqvist

SUPERLIGHT SUZI WE WERE THERE! de Cost Coster’s ter s MX marvel

Scottish Grand National MX | Red Marley Kia Twinshock | Highland Classic

PLUS 1982 BRITISH MX GP // ROBERT’S CZ // TRIUMPH TROPHY TRAIL // TOP TECH

IN BALANCE

To maintain forward motion Is it time to divide trials riding into two distinct sports?

I

’ve pretty much kept out of this whole ‘stop’ ‘no-stop’ debate where trials riding has been concerned, but have been goaded into placing my opinion on record… it is my opinion rather than that of CDB. To recap, the whole trials thing didn’t start out as a sport, but as a method for manufacturers in the hot-bed of ingenuity, development and invention which was the late Victorian period, to demonstrate their machines worked. They did this by arranging their test riders – in those days probably the same lads who built the things as well – to go to some notorious hill on a normal road and ascend, cleanly, to the top without stopping, footing or using light pedal assistance.

It will be obvious to state in those days all that was required was for a motorcycle to carry its rider to and from work without any problems. The dates these ‘trials’ were conducted would be mentioned to the fledgling press by a manufacturer – you can just hear the tone of the letter can’t you...

No doubt the test riders would have been up and down the hill for a week beforehand, to ensure the primitive motor bicycles would actually go up it so no embarrassing failures would be seen.

These trials became a popular spectator attraction and soon owners wanted to try their skills too and a sport was born.

From this, we determine why our sport is called ‘trials’ and a trials section is referred to as a ‘hill’ and the successful attempt is a ‘clean.’ Things pretty much rolled along in the

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same way for a few years, okay there were tweaks as bikes developed and courses became much stiffer.

First, a mid-way penalty was introduced, then a ‘star’ penalty came along, then finally the scoring became the now familiar 5,3,2,1,0. Things began to change when the younger European riders joined the motorised sport from cycling. These newcomers were used to being able to balance their cycles and flick turn so achieving a higher climb up a hill before stopping and carried on in the same vein with a motorcycle. Suddenly stopping, balancing, rolling backwards, hopping, flicking and the like were part of the trials scene and sections became much more technical.

It is good to watch, great entertainment in an arena trial, but is it trials riding? No, it’s not, which is why there is a call for a split in the sport, and not just from me.

One of the major problems is the majority of riders can’t do this fancy stuff and a trial marked out with such sections is counter-productive to gaining entries or even retaining riders in the sport. In a chat with a former world trials champion from Yorkshire some years ago, he said quite forthrightly “what parent is going to allow their young ‘un to have a go at trials when they see a six grand bike being flung around and trashed and maybe the rider injured?”

There was some recognition of this a few years ago when the ‘no-stop’ rule was reintroduced and it was hoped a return to sanity would happen. In part it has and

there are some excellent trials which attract full entries with traditional, difficult but not impossible sections.

However, such trials have to be laid out with no-stop in mind or they won’t work as it is unrealistic to expect a rider, or bike for that matter, to cope non-stop with sections including such tight turns which can only be done by stopping and hopping. It may sound sour grapes is in action here and I’m calling for easier sections, I’m not.

I’m saying, along with many others, true non-stop sections were never easy, even when sticky tyres came in, but they were possible and that is the point. By watching the experts clean such a section, the novice could see how it was done and eventually do it themselves.

It is impossible to turn the clock back fully and pick a point where development should stop, but an event which encourages riders to improve, doesn’t smash a bike up if it all goes wrong, surely has to be good for the sport and the industry.

Before anyone jumps up and says ‘what about bringing riders into world trials?’ If there are no riders then they can’t advance from club to world status, but if there are lots of riders enjoying themselves on a weekend in club sport then the pool of those who want to go further can only be bigger and if lots of people want to ride trials then the manufacturers can sell bikes to support this too.

“

…I’m saying, along with many others, true non-stop sections were never easy, even when sticky tyres came in, but they were possible and that is the point…

Copyright Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

”

Tim Britton Member of the Periodical Publishers Association

Independent publishers since 1885

Contents 03 In Balance

The hoary subject of what constitutes proper trials riding forces the editor to nail his colours to the mast.

06 News, views and reviews

Our regular look at what’s happening in the off-road world, events to go to, series updates.

16 You need…

… a world championship-winning CZ. We look at a profile of the actual CeeZee Joel Robert won his world championship on in 1964.

22 Something special

A visit to our archive turned up this superb Velocette-based scrambler… okay, so it wasn’t what the editor went in for… but hey…

33 Subscribe! Subscribe! Subscribe!

52 Dicko’s view

More from the all encompassing eye of one of the off-road world’s most senior journalists, always thought provoking, always interesting… what say you?

61 ’cross words

Is it the fountain of youth at which Mr Berry has been sipping? No, just a view that youth isn’t a new thing.

72 Dirt Talk

What’re you talking about in the CDB world? All sorts of things as it happens, bring it on we say.

82 Moto memories

Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire is more known for road racing but it has occasionally hosted proper racing too as our image of an MX GP shows.

As CDB is subscription only you’ve either subscribed, nicked a mate’s copy or seen us at a show. If it’s one of the latter two… subscribe here.

On the cover O T There is no doubt of the impact Bultaco made on tthe sporting scene. Their riders dominated the ffeet-up world at one time and the motorcycles were, a and are, things of beauty. In order to celebrate the S Spanish factory’s achievements, Westmorland MCC in nvited the Bultaco team over for a trial near Kendal.

F Fiona Watson caught Jaime Puig feet-up on a tricky h hill climb during the trial.

On O the contents page Itt could be the Seventies again... look at all th hose Bultos. A Fiona Watson photo from the W Westmorland MCC’s Bultaco Nostalgia trial, fe eatured in our sporting section.

How to 44 A change of direction

With the IT465 project having a break, the editor has a chance to do a bit of work on his own bikes.

48 Dirt Products

Got something to help the off-road world go faster, keep their feet up longer or remain more on time in an enduro? Tell us, we’ll put it in this bit.

50 Tech Talk

Old bikes are nice, they’re fun, they’re ‘our’ thing or you’d not be reading this… they can be improved… we have a look at a Rotax clutch.

Events

Features

54 Sporting world

10 The winner…

66 Hakan Carlqvist

27 That was the year when…

75 Combine the best parts

We’ve been in the north for the Kia Twinshock series, West Midlands for a hill climb and Scotland for the Scottish Grand National. Where’ve you been?

62 Highland Classic

With Rob Shepherd being guest of honour at Inverness and DMCC’s Highland classic trial it would have been rude not to go… so we went.

64 Bultaco Nostalgia

Westmorland MCC invited Bultaco’s works riders along to a Bultaco Celebration in Cumbria. What a trial it turned out to be.

…BSA’s Bantam never quite managed a full SSDT win; close, very close but not quite. The Pre-65 Scottish however, has been won by a Bantam and we’re featuring it here.

…Brad Lackey was comeback king of Farleigh Castle. We look back to 1982 when, despite being written off by the MX world, Californian Lackey showed his mettle.

34 A little light work

How did Suzuki produce such a light motocrosser? By dedication, sound principles and creativity. We look at an RN370 from 1972.

The world of MX lost a legend recently, when Swede Hakan Carlqvist passed away suddenly.

Here’s our tribute to the legendary world champ.

Which is what the ailing BSA/ Triumph group did with the Triumph 500 engine and the B50 MX chassis to produce pure gold.

News 6

DirtNews

Got your tickets for the Dirt Bike Show?

As the countdown begins to the opening of the Dirt Bike Show on October 26, 2017, the latest news from organisers Mortons Media Group (publisher of CDB) heralds a few changes as they seek to continue growth of the show. The aim of providing the best in the off-road world remains and when the show closes on October 29, off-roaders’ senses will have been bombarded with the best in off-road exhibits and action.

Back again are lubricants giant Motul who have put their might behind the show, in action again will be the extreme trials display from the display team run by multi world champion Dougie Lampkin, back again will be the fast, furious action of the 150GP MXers on a specially constructed dirt track.

New for 2017 will be a Motoball match between France and Germany, with teams of four riders on each side trying their best to score goals. If you’ve not seen Motoball before, it was popular in the Thirties through to the Sixties but tailed off, however a new enthusiasm is running through the sport and interest is high. Get in there, visit the stand and form a team.

As well as the best of modern dirt bike machinery there will also be something of interest for us classic and twinshock people.

Obviously the Classic Dirt Bike stand will be there but also there will be Cumbria Twinshock Club – the driving force behind the Toughsheet Twinshock and Evo series, plus the Hawkstone Legends. There’s likely to be a classic bike or two scattered around the place as well.

It’s not just bikes on show as deals on the

best in kit and accessories will be on offer as hundreds of traders pack the retail hall too. Bridgestone will be joining the likes of Goodyear, Michelin and Dunlop this year and leading off-road products distributor Race FX will be attending for the first time.

To sum up, The Dirt Bike Show is held across four days – October 26-29, 2017 at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, for a second year in partnership with oil and lubricant giant MOTUL. Advance tickets are available now and can be purchased from the Dirt Bike Show website – dirtbikeshow.co.uk – or by calling 01507 529529. Prices start from £8. If you’re new to the event and would like to find out more about booking a stand, visit the website or call the organising team on 01507 529430.

Editor: Tim Britton cdbeditor@mortons.co.uk 01507 529404 07739615605

Circulation manager: Steve O’Hara

Columnists: Ian Berry, John Dickinson

Publishing director: Dan Savage

Marketing manager: Charlotte Park

Contributors: Nick Haskell

Commercial director: Nigel Hole

Production editor: Sarah Wilkinson

Archive enquiries: Jane Skayman jskayman@mortons.co.uk 01507 529423

Senior designer: Kelvin Clements Designer: Libby Fincham Publisher: Tim Hartley Photographers: Nick Haskell, Fiona Watson Picture desk: Jonathan Schofield, Paul Fincham Divisional Advertising Manager: Billy Manning Advertising representative: Helen Martin HRMartin@Mortons.co.uk 01507 529574 Subscription manager: Paul Deacon

Editorial address PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ. General queries and back issues 01507 529529 24hr answerphone help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk

Subscription Full subscription rates (but see page 33 for offer): (12 months four issues, inc post and packing) – UK £20. Export rates are also available – see page 33 for more details. UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. Website: www.classicdirtbike.co.uk Overseas distribution Marketforce UK Ltd. 0203 787 9001.

Printed William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton.

ISSUE 44, 2017

ISBN 978-1-909128-87-3

SUBSCRIBE TODAY P33

CLASSIC DIRT BIKE (ISBN:978-1-909128-87-3) is published quarterly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK . USA subscriptions are $50 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Wisconsin Rapids, WI. Postmaster: Send address changes to CLASSIC DIRT BIKE, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com

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Stafford Slight advantage Kiwi road racer Aaron Slight will be guest of honour at the 24th Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show over the weekend of October 14/15, at Staffordshire County Showground.

Just in case you didn’t realise, this show is the largest of its kind in the world, which majors on the later Japanese and European scene, and promises a stunning mix of almost 1000 trade and autojumble stalls, club stands and private entries, Bonhams’ auction, live entertainment in the Classic Dirt Bike area and Classic Racer Grand Prix Paddock, and the live Restoration Theatre.

Tickets are a bargain at £12 for adults, £11 for seniors or £3 for under-12s, if bought in advance. Parking is free.

To find out more, or to book advance tickets, go to www.staffordclassicbikeshows. com/october or call 01507 529529.

The show’s guest in 2016, David Aldana, was persuaded into Bert White’s sidecar and is relating his experience while Adrian Moss chuckles.

Opportunity to take on Miller products business In July 2007, Sammy Miller Products was taken over by Richard Jordan and Jackie Drake who used their vision to implement a 10-year plan to modernise the business and create a bespoke website for simple international transactions. In this they succeeded to the extent of 60% of sales being overseas.

However, due to family commitments and semi-retirement and with the support and backing of Sammy Miller himself, they have decided it is time to sell the business.

The classic brand comes with over 60 years’ knowledge and running experience and over 4000 special items including bespoke component jigs, with plenty

of scope to expand further.

Currently the business is run from Bashley in New Milton but is easily transferable to any location. The business has been completely modernised and now has a worldwide eCommerce bespoke website including stock control.

Sammy Miller Products requires passionate individuals ready to carry on flying the flag of products for the brand and develop and bring new products to the market.

Interested? Contact Richard Jordan on 01425 616446 or email richard@smproducts.co.uk

Swedish MX stars At one time, Sweden ruled the MX world with a seemingly unending stream of talented riders destined to reach the top. Motocross is still popular in the Scandinavian country and gatherings of former riders attract many people. Our Swedish correspondent Birger Tommos went along to the Surahammar event on June 17, 2017, took his camera along and caught this group of former riders. Back row, left to right: Staffan Eneqvist, Torsten Hallman, Lars Forsberg and Christer Hammargren. Front: Ake Tornblom, Olle Pettersson, Bengt Aberg and Rulle Andersson (team-coordinator).

Trail closures Land access is a big problem for off-road motorcyclists and it’s not a new thing. The press of the Sixties and even earlier were reporting access and rights of way issues as motorised vehicles were being restricted from various unmetalled roads. The latest area to close a road is the Peak District National Park where a traffic regulation order has been placed on the route known as Washgate. It came into force on July 21, 2017 and according to the letter we received there is no right of appeal to this order, though the letter also states an application may be made to the High Court if it is considered this order has not been validly made. There are a number of exceptions to the order, two being legitimate use of the route for the Bemrose and Reliance Trials. Interested parties can view the records of this decision at www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/tros

GUY FAWKES TRIAL

Due to a clash of dates with the Perce Simon Trial, the Guy Fawkes Trial is now on October 29, and will have two laps of a course on the Bathurst estate, Cirencester.

For entries contact Andrew Bush on 01453 882461 or a.bush1@homecall.co.uk There’s a multitude of classes from Pre-65 to Over 40s Mono and Trail bikes.

News 8

Classic trials experience If you’ve had enough of listening to us oldies who rode twinshocks and classics in the day, wittering on about ‘the old days’ and ‘how it was then’, why don’t you give it a go and try it out for yourself? Steve’s Classic and Twinshock Experience in North Wales is a good place to start.

Here you will find a well sorted selection of older trials bikes, someone to show you how they operate, a variety of terrain to ride on and at the end of it you’ll be riding in a proper trial.

The two-day experience begins with practice day on Saturday and a trial on Sunday.

It includes use of a trials bike, trial entry, licence fee, a back-up bike just in case, spares and fuel. You’ll be expected to provide your own boots and helmet though.

Fancy a go? Contact Steve on 07957 886225 or email afoncory@talktalk.net.

Travers reunion dinner During a conversation about ‘our’ national, the Newcastle Motor Club’s Travers Trophy Trial, (the ‘our’ being us trials riders in the North East Centre), a daft idea about holding a reunion dinner for riders who’d ridden the event arose. So, anyone up for it? If anyone is, and a few have expressed interest already, drop me a line here at CDB and maybe it will happen.

Hawkstone festival of legends

Hawkstone Park and MX go together like bread and butter – if you’ve not been to the Shropshire circuit then you’ve missed out. Luckily, the Hawkstone Legends MX gives you the best reason of all to go to the circuit – some fabulous MX racing. Last year’s inaugural event laid the foundations for bigger and better in 2017.

There was a slight hiccup when a date clash meant the event had to be pulled forward to August 27/28, but everything is on track for a great event.

With commentary and interviews by Jack Burnicle and Rob Kinsey and superstars of MX such as world champions Graham Noyce

and Neil Hudson, and top UK stars of their day such as Bryan Goss, Peter Mathia, Roger Harvey, Dave Watson and Alan Clough for them to interview, the breaks between races are sure to be entertaining.

As for the racing itself, how about two days of Toughsheet Evo Championship racing, West Midlands Evo racing, the Frank Mercer Memorial Trophy and lots of track time from all sorts of racers. August 28 will

Left: Dave Watson is asked by Tim Britton about his first time at Hawkstone Park.

Main: Plenty of action is promised on both days.

be the Legends day when past masters and legends take to the track. It’s £10 to get in, or £25 for a car, go along soak up the atmosphere, mingle, meet and have a great bank holiday.

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Drayton Bantam 10

r e n n i w The

Words Tim Britton Pics Tim

Britton

a nice ke has gone from being trials. ro st otw tle lit e bl m hu s e- 65 BSA’ to have for success in Pr starter bike to the bike

If only BSA had pursued the Bantam route maybe they would have come up with something along these lines, certainly they had the facilities to do it.

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The winner and his bike. Gary proudly stands with the Bantam he did so well on.

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he aim to produce the lightest possible competition bike has always been high in the priorities of any trials rider, balanced of course with the need to make the bike strong. Top line riders such as Sammy Miller, Gordon Jackson, Johnny Brittain and Don Smith, to name but four stars, recognised this and often were at odds with their team bosses over modifications to machines.

Miller for instance, is on record as saying he occasionally had to park his Ariel out of sight in case he was forced to undo his handiwork by the factory. Gordon Jackson too would occasionally have to hand back light bits in order to be seen to be competing on what was being sold. So too did Johnny Brittain, whose Royal Enfield at one time sported all sorts of magnesium bits and pieces, then reverted to standard-ish spec when the edict from above filtered down ‘we don’t sell anything like that.’

Arguably, for the big bike riders, once Ariel disbanded their works team and Sammy Miller could really go to town on the HT5 and his competition had to do the same, so the remaining factories reissued their riders with lighter bits, or in Jackson’s case built him what he both wanted and needed. The case was even clearer when Don Smith – with the advantage of already being on a light twostroke – produced a superbly worked over machine for the SSDT one year, with alloy replacing steel wherever possible, steel filled with holes if it had to stay, alloy too having its

Drayton Bantam 12 There is no denying the Drayton Bantam is a good looking motorcycle.

Unlike a four-stroke the two-stroke engine is already small and light and has an advantage from the start because of this.

Air filter hose is well gripped with Jubilee clips and these prevent air leaks which cause erratic running.

Just because your bike is pre-65 doesn’t mean all of the kit on it has to be old, any number of kickstarts can be fitted. This is a GasGas one.

mass carved away in an attempt to reduce the all up mass of the bike. Despite this, Greeves were not too keen on Smith’s attempts and he eventually left to go to Montesa who were more appreciative of his talents. Miller too had already realised a two-stroke was the way forward and had been contracted by Bultaco to herald a new era in trials riding. As for Gordon Jackson and Johnny Brittain, both lads had arrived at the end of their careers by this time and were soon both to retire from top line riding.

Certainly the two-stroke was the coming thing and the British manufacturing giant BSA ought to have been in a position to capitalise on this as they had the Bantam in their range.

A design originating in Germany and taken up

by BSA in the Forties – any number of young riders began their motorcycling on such a machine. BSA even produced a competition

version which differed slightly from the roadster in the most minor of details, in fact they had four versions of it available in their 1954 catalogue. Still it was seen as only something to encourage new riders to try the dirty side of life before moving up to a proper – read ‘four-stroke’ – machine.

It was a great shame they didn’t treat the concept with a little more seriousness as Francis-Barnett had almost managed a full SSDT win at that time on their Villiers-engined trials bike. Not that they didn’t keep producing trials Bantams, but more the ones they did were to win capacity classes and were generally works specials, hand-built to do a job. Sadly, for two-stroke enthusiasts and there were a growing number of trials riders at least who realised the benefits of an inherently light motorcycle, to make the project viable BSA would have to had manufactured many more

machines than there was demand for.

Even later on in the life of the Bantam, when Dave Rowlands, Mick Bowers and Alan Morewood rode a trio of superbly prepared 175 Bantams in the 1967 SSDT and Rowlands had come within a whisker of winning the trial, beaten only by Sammy Miller and his Bultaco, BSA were not prepared to sanction a production run of replicas.

Speaking to Don Morley for Don’s book Classic British Two-Stroke Trials Bikes, BSA’s comp boss Brian Martin told how hard he worked to persuade the company to be involved in the trials scene. Knowing his employers would look at costs first he tackled the problem using as many off-the-shelf parts as possible. Taking the Bantam Bushman as a starting point, he dumped the standard forks and put those from a C15T on, fitted wheels from the works C15Ts which were basically

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Dave Rowland Manchester 17 clubman Dave Rowland was drafted in to the BSA works team to ride a Bantam in the SSDT and as stated in the press for that week showed BSA’s faith in the Bantam as a bike for big riders, as both Dave and team-mate Dave Langston were not petite. In a ding-dong battle all week, Rowland kept with Miller and for all but one day it was a SH Miller/ Dave Rowland show at the top of the pile. The only hiccup being when Gordon Farley crept between them for one day but it was soon normal service and what a great endorsement for the Bantam.

Unfortunately it was not to be and for 1968 Dave was out on a Bultaco.

Dave Rowland all but won the SSDT on his works BSA Bantam in the Sixties and had Miller in his sights all week.

Bantam hubs already laced with trials size rims. On doing this he found the standard swinging arm just too narrow for the four inch rear tyre so grafted on the trials Tiger Cub version, he finished the job with a Victor petrol tank. The only bits needed to be made rather than taken from stores were a wide ratio gear cluster and a special kickstart. The semiofficial project, in Martin’s hands, won local Midlands trials and took class awards in a selection of national trials.

BSA sensed, at last, an opportunity but ultimately it was to no avail as they realised although it could have been the cheapest competitive bike on the trials market the costs balanced against a small production run would have been prohibitive. The thing is, people probably would have bought it even if it was high cost as they did with Honda’s HRC models – perhaps though BSA were just too far down the road to do anything like that. The project nearly survived though as Comerfords were given all the information to convert Bantams to works spec by Brian Martin and got as far as announcing a batch of 50 to be made. Then BSA, floundering towards their end, announced cut backs and cost savings and part of this was the end for the Bantam range, which meant the end for the Comerfords plan.

Fast forward to the new millennium.

Once foreign two-strokes had taken over the trials world, owners of older four-strokes wanted somewhere to ride their machines, so Pre-65 trials were invented. The idea being to haul out Ariels, Ajays, Goldies and the like to use on traditional sections, the lightweights such as Cubs, C15s and Bantams were thought not to be within the spirit of these trials and while not forbidden, were not

Popular in trials now are REH front forks, brand-new to classic dimensions but made with modern technology.

Rear suspension has come on leaps and bounds and if yours causes leaps and bounds something is wrong. These Gas units work brilliantly.

encouraged. The sort of bikes soon being used reflected more of the works machines than standard production bikes and were developed even further in the strive for lightness. With sections in Pre-65 trials becoming harder to test, the more developed bikes and riders getting older, as well as supplies of big bikes drying up, Triumph twin based machines and Cubs were being used, then even these Cubs were too heavy and people started looking

at the Bantam. After all, it’s a two-stroke and such engines have had 50 years of development since BSA played with them. It is now understood how to make a two-stroke work in any situation.

The Bantam has still got an edge over its competitors as not only is it lighter but it has a primary kick-start so can be kicked over in gear like a modern bike. It also benefits from a whole host of modern technology

Drayton Bantam 14

Gary Macdonald

Gary Macdonald, still looking surprised, on the podium. He knew he’d done well but was still amazed to be the winner. Previous winner James Noble took second spot and best newcomer Dan Thorpe was third.

Well, if I’ve got to stand here then Martin has to as well – after all he had the bike built. Tyler – who normally rides the bike – had vanished in case we got him up too.

Tank front fixing is simple and light… see the problem with polished alloy… all sorts of things are reflected in it.

such as electronic ignition, lightweight hubs, suspension and frame design ideas so even the standard bike could be made to work beyond BSA’s hopes.

Enter the likes of Jim Pickering, who under the Drayton Frames banner has been steadily developing what can be classed as the ultimate Bantam and his products are noted for their attention to detail and build quality.

Which is why when Martin Murphy, he’s the lad in the blue jacket in our pics, wanted a pre-65 Bantam building for son Tyler, he went along to see Jim at Drayton.

The result is this superb bit of kit which never missed a beat all through the Scottish and brought the first home win for north of the border and all Gary has to do is do it all again next year. 

Given the number of decent trials riders hailing from Scotland, it is perhaps surprising it’s taken so long for there to be a Scottish winner of the Scottish Pre-65 Two Day Trial. It almost happened last year when three riders finished the trial on the same number of marks, unfortunately for the Scottish lads ACU ruling on such ties went against them. However, there was no such decision to be made this year, as Gary Macdonald came out the clear winner – and he’s a local lad too, living in Kinlochleven.

As we took pics of his winning bike, in the cold wind of the Ice Factor car park in Kinlochleven, I quizzed Gary about his background in trials riding. The 33-year-old joiner was still in that euphoric state where he knew he’d won the trial but still couldn’t quite believe it, but was trying to focus on the forthcoming six day trial where he hoped to repeat the performance and carve his name on the Alexander Trophy.

Gary has been riding trials for 24 years, since his parents provided him, and his brother, with a Yamaha TY80 to share. The little Yam became solely Gary’s when his brother showed no real interest in riding it. Gary on the other hand thoroughly enjoyed the Yam and it spurred him on to bigger and better things. Influenced by his father and uncle who, he says ‘messed about in trials a bit and did the SSDT a few times’, Gary’s trials career soon improved and he can now claim to have ridden the SSDT himself since 2002 with the yellow leaderboard denoting ‘trial leader’ on his bike four times, including in 2017.

As for trials riders who have inspired him, Gary was a big fan of Japanese rider Takomi Narita: “when I was a young lad, Takomi was a bit of a hero of mine and it was great to ride with him in the SSDT once I started.”

On the Bantam, I asked if he’d ridden it a lot before the trial. “No, not really, probably about five hours’ worth of practice on it, made a few tweaks and just winged it really.”

Some ‘wing’ we say. He went on to say he must thank Martin and Tyler Murphy – the bike is actually Tyler’s and was on loan for the trial – for allowing him to ride it. I think by winning the trial on it Gary you’ve repaid their generosity.

Billet hubs, from Alan Whitton, are made to Triumph Cub design but much lighter thanks to them being aluminium.

Sidepull throttles are great for keeping the cable run closer to the bars, which is a good thing. Ask anyone who has ever caught a cable on a branch…

Left: Just when he thought it was safe to come back, we caught Tyler Murphy with his bike.

Not sure if Gary or Tyler will be riding this next year...

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You need...

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You need Joel Robert’s CZ

The machine used to win a world championship always excites interest… must be something special after all, mustn’t it?

Words: Tim Britton Pics: Mortons Archive, Nick Nicholls collection

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Robert in action on his way to world championship success at the 1964 British GP.

he Sixties hadn’t quite got to the Summer of Love or even started swinging when 20-year-old Belgian Joel Robert made his first of many indelible marks in the history of motocross. In August 1964 Motor Cycling got hold of a feature about his championshipwinning machine, determined to unearth a few secrets these factory teams keep to themselves.

The press were to be disappointed, as they found out the machine was expertly maintained and if not built regardless of cost – this was the Eastern bloc after all.

The team bikes were in tip-top condition and pretty standard fare as well as being basically what a racer could buy but with the aforementioned race-shop attention to detail, though that could also be achieved in a private environment.

It seems CZ had relied on simplicity rather than revolutionary concepts to produce their winning machines. The bike in this feature is Robert’s machine and shows the robustness of the engine which had been a CZ thing for some time and would aid restorers in the then future as these engines are virtually indestructible.

Relying on years of good engineering practice, coupled with the experiences gained in competition, CZ produced a motorcycle which was powerful, flexible and strong enough to outlast the rigours of a GP season.

Motor Cycling learned the engine was a simple two-stroke in unit construction with a four-speed gearbox and the resultant unit has a peak power output of 26bhp at 5900rpm.

Surely there must be some trickery inside the engine masquerading as standard? No, sorry, and I quote: “…the engine employs a classic loop-scavenge system…” which basically means the fresh combustion charge is drawn into the crankcase as the piston rises and is pushed through transfer ports opened and closed by the piston as it travels up and down the bore creating pressure

at either end of the scale. These transfer ports are formed in both the barrel and the crankcases.

In a move to provide engine rigidity and piston support, the barrel has an extended skirt or spigot extending deep into the crankcase mouth. Aha, the barrel and cases must be magnesium or other unobtainium mustn’t they? No, it is cast iron for the barrel and aluminium alloy for the cases and head, so hardly fancy. The head does have a twin plug arrangement and a squish band to promote a thorough mix of the combustion charge so the plugs can ignite it and produce the right amount of power from the mixture squeezed at 10.5:1 compression ratio.

The backbone of an engine is the crankshaft and CZ had made an extremely rigid unit with small diameter flywheels for snap acceleration as well as making the crankcase pumping much more efficient. To keep the crank turning easily, CZ used a double row bearing on the ignition side with two ball bearings on the drive side.

They also moved the clutch to the crankshaft which means it operates under much less torque than if it was on the gearbox mainshaft. A downside is this arrangement gives the gearbox itself a harder time because there’s less chance of the clutch slipping. CZ realised this, so did a lot of redesign work in the cluster.

Because there had been issues with earlier models this redesign of the cluster included such things as using needle roller bearings rather than bronze bushes. Why? Because needle rollers don’t need a lubrication hole in the shaft, so instantly a weak point is eliminated. This robust 250 unit didn’t have a chain as primary drive, using instead spur gears deemed too noisy for a road bike but acceptable on a race machine.

Something Motor Cycling found interesting was the gear selection method, or rather it and it’s access. Accepting in the heat of the moment a scrambler is more concerned

You need...

18

Don’t you just love exploded engine drawings?

These show the CZ as Joel raced it.

with finding the next gear than the niceties of a smooth change, what was wanted was a robust and foolproof changing system. Even better, as far as a mechanic was concerned, the system could be inspected and repaired without splitting the engine. What was used was a large cam-track plate with a small connecting rod which ensured the gear selection was positive and with no chance of going past the stop into a false neutral, no matter how big the boots of the rider were.

Inspection was through an access plate on the top of the engine.

This drive to simplicity wasn’t only restricted to the engine unit but the cycle parts too. A steel frame of tubular loop design with a strong but light swinging arm used a front fork constructed from light alloy sliders and steel stanchions with plenty of travel. At the rear were oil damped sealed units.

Helping the bike weigh in at a useful 218lb was the use of Elektron alloy for the wheel main photo had the cylinder laid out at the hubs – additionally lowering the unsprung weight too – and a fuel tank and seat pan laid front so as to show its relationship with the rest of the engine and begged the readers’ up from glass fibre. It seems the factory had forgiveness if it seemed misleading. experimented with alloy sheet for the seat pan but found it difficult to manufacture the correct shape easily so used the glass fibre But without the rider… and were surprised to see a weight saving too. …a bike goes nowhere and in Joel Robert was In order to stop muck and dirt playing someone who was taking the CZ to the top. havoc with the engine internals as their Not that it had been a foregone conclusion, riders blasted around the scrambles courses as in an interview with the young Belgian of the world, CZ fitted two air filters inside champion Motor Cycling learned prior to the induction chamber, thus ensuring gaining a works CZ after a cheeky request maximum protection. to the factory, Robert had been completely Along with the report, Motor Cycling had off-form and thanks to machine failures had been supplied with some line drawings, done more walking than riding. But, once clearly showing the championship engine and on the Czechoslovakian machine he was how it was laid out. The writer explained the on form again, and at 20 became the

Youngest ever world champion... at that time at least. Joel Robert and his CZ.

youngest ever world champion.

Roberts’ rise to superstardom was particularly rapid and from the 14-year-old who rode on private land before coming of age to compete, it only took six years to be world champion.

There were those who doubted the Belgian’s temperament and felt he was more likely to fall foul of the authorities looking after scrambling in Belgium. Indeed, his father had done just that and received a lifetime ban for an incident with officials. Luckily, young Joel was drafted into the Army for his national service and the enforced discipline of the military tempered his zest and allowed him to mature into a top racer.

Robert’s route to stardom involved a

19

series of small capacity field bikes, then at 16 a 250cc Zundapp which was replaced with a 250 Greeves for 1960. It was on this machine his talent began to show when he managed fourth in the Belgian lightweight championship. Great things were promised and Joel went to the 250cc British MX GP at Shrubland Park in 1961. It wasn’t a great debut as a flying stone left him concussed and he barely managed to get back to the paddock, detuned and out of the running.

The next year however, he did the full season of GPs and managed excellent placings when the Greeves could stand the pace.

When the Villiers Starmaker engine was introduced this seemed the answer to his

prayers, yet still wasn’t up to the job and the costs of keeping it going were unfeasible.

It was at this point Robert cheekily suggested to the CZ factory they loan him one of their works machines. The factory did, it arrived in August 1963; by August 1964 Joel was world champion and no one was more surprised than him. Receiving his draft papers just before Christmas in 1963, he wasn’t even sure he would get leave to attend GPs. He did, went to Spain, was mediocre, managed to make the Belgian home round and… well… dominated the event to get his first win. The next three rounds saw his name at the top and even better it was with vastly different circuits from mud to bone dry, a great boost for his confidence. He

lapsed a little after that but was back on form for three consecutive wins, including the British GP where our photos of him are from; the final saw the title go to Robert. He did a ‘just to be certain’ win in Russia but was unchallengeable at that point.

Of those wins in that season, it is possible the Czech GP showed his mettle, in the first leg he went from sixth to first; in the second leg he and Torsten Hallman shot away from the field and Robert was on the Swede’s rear wheel for 50 minutes until a balk by a backmarker made him stall his engine two laps from the end. Hallman vanished, Robert fired up and not only caught the Swede, but passed him to win the second leg.

Joel Robert was on his way... 

20

21

Super profile 22

SUPER

Clearly a lot of care was involved with this build and even the parts from several makers fit together nicely.

PROFILE

A Velo for the rough Not generally noted for off-road sport, Velocette nevertheless had their dalliances in the dirt.

Words Tim Britton Pics Mortons Archive

T

he way of the magazine world is fascinating in many respects, especially where an archive is involved. Here at Mortons the archive is probably the company’s most valuable resource and also its most enticing department. You see, going in to search for pictures involves looking through boxes of images and magazines too. That’s when things innocently change the course of a search. Take this Velocette-based scrambler for instance – there I was, looking through boxes for, of all things, a Panther sidecar outfit when the photo of the young lad checking his rear brake fell from the folder.

Clearly working on a scrambler and a pretty neat looking one too, interest was piqued.

The information on the rear of the image showed it entered the MotorCycle editorial offices in September 1964, and hauling out

the back issues revealed the picture was one of five used in a feature on the bike.

First of all, the young lad – Mike Winwood – was making a bit of a name for himself in the West Midlands, with several wins, seconds and thirds in the two months since the bike was ready to race. The pictures accompanying the article showed what a neat motorcycle this actually was and while labelled a ‘special’ there are different levels of special. This proved to be very special indeed.

The writer of the original feature interviewed Mike and his dad Ray, who did the bulk of the work on the machine, to find out more about the bike’s background. First question was ‘why a Velo?’ Ray admitted to having a soft spot for the marque but allowed the availability of spares and the reliability of the motor to be deciding factors. The 500cc

Venom engine was in standard road trim and produced the right sort of power from zero revs right the way up the range.

Most special builders for scrambling or MX at the time were using a BSA frame of some description, be it a Gold Star or an A7/10 version and the Winwoods said they had been influenced by BSA for their frame but had made it entirely themselves.

When initial plans to slot a 500cc motor into a C15 frame were scuppered because there wasn’t room for a separate engine/ gearbox set-up, the Winwoods simply used the dimensions such as head angles and tube bends to make their own frame from Reynolds 531 which would hold the engine and gearbox in a cradle made from 12 gauge one inch diameter tube. While they were at it they took influence from a certain Ariel trials bike and made the three-inch diameter seat

Mike Winwood, are you still out there?

Note the substantial engine plates, and the well formed alloy sheet making up the side panels.

tube hold the engine oil too and lighter 16 gauge but still one-inch diameter tube made the rear sub frame.

Unwilling to use a Velo clutch for scrambling, the pair settled on an AMC Burman type gearbox with its tough clutch.

The primary drive was housed in Royal Enfield chaincases and needed a little alternative thinking to line everything up.

Doing away with the standard engine shaft shock absorber, Winwood senior made a bearing carrier to house an extra bearing and spigotted it to the crankcase and then used a Villiers engine sprocket on the original shaft. The reasoning was the Burman clutch had shock absorbing rubbers inside it so should take the stresses out of the drive train. Mounting the engine and gearbox was done using 3â „8in alloy engine plates with the advantages of being stiff and light.

Carrying the wheels at either end is handled by a BSA swinging arm and modified BSA forks. The rear is reasonably conventional with the swinging arm mounted as normal and the popular Beezer qd type hub with a scrambles size rim laced on.

Super profile 24 However up front things get a little more interesting. On the face of it the forks are standard telescopics but on closer inspection there’s a gas-filled Girling damper fixed to the fork yokes and the damper rod is worked by a brace on the mudguard. Why the complication? Ray explained in the cut and thrust of a scramble the oil can overheat in standard forks and all damping is lost. So, the forks hold only enough oil to lube the bushes and the damping is by the Girling unit which originated from a car. The gas keeps its cool all through a scramble and works as well at the finish as it did at the start.

Another feature not often seen on a scrambler is a roadrace style steering damper tying the forks in to the frame. The reasoning here being fast downhill sections on uneven ground could cause the steering to twitch which slows a rider or worse degenerate into a massive tank-slapper and the rider could come off, the steering damper just prevents that and makes for a less tiring ride too as Mike said in the article.

Clearly a lot of thought had gone into this motorcycle with the fabricated parts looking very well done. The air filter is covered by a light alloy sheet, accessed from under the small scrambles seat which also covers the oil filler cap. A two gallon alloy petrol tank is both small, neat and big enough for racing while a 500T Norton front wheel is lightish and powerful enough to haul up the machine

......The factory way Despite being more a road race orientated company, Velocette dabbled in the dirt bike world thanks mainly to pressure from their American dealers. The Hall Greenbased manufacturer produced two distinct variants of scrambler – a 500 MSS in the mid-Fifties and for the Sixties one based on the Venom and Viper. Sadly for such a company as Velocette, the resources to develop any of the off-roadsters just weren’t there and as Rod Burris relates in his book, Velocette Motorcycles MSS to Thruxton, a lot of the development work was done by dedicated Cheltenham dealer Fred Cheshire.

which only tipped the scales at 285lb and had a reasonably short wheelbase of 54in.

So, the bike not only looked good but worked well too? Well, almost, Ray is quoted as saying the standard Burman/AMC clutch shock absorber isn’t quite man enough for the job and maybe an extra absorber in the rear hub might be needed to avoid gearbox problems.

The big question is: are the Winwoods still around – and does the bike still exist? We’d love to hear from anyone who knows. 

By necessity the scramblers were heavily based on their roadster stablemates though this similarity to the rest of the range was by no means restricted to Velocette. It was hoped to show the roadsters off in a ‘there but for the higher bars and smaller tank go I’ way and was a popular theme in the industry. It is probable less than 500 scramblers left the factory in a ten-year period and even that figure adds together the production runs of the three variants and the Endurance model too. A shame, as Velocettes were renowned for being a tough motor.

25 This was the factory official 500 from 1960.

At 54in it’s as short as they dared go, looks great though.

Hmmm another damper?

Yes a Girling gas-filled one from a car. Its damping doesn’t fade.

26

27

The gates are down, the clutch is dropped and already riders are pawing the air.

Comeback e’’ stl st Castl he g off tthe ing ‘Kin t e’ eC Written off in 1981, Californian Brad Lackey was dominating the 1982 Grand Prix Motocross world championship by the time of the British round at Farleigh Castle…

Words: Tim Britton Pics: Nick Nicholls Collection, Mortons Archive

A

s history will record, American Suzuki rider Brad Lackey would finish the season as world champion.

However, at this stage in our story that was still to come and the motorcycling press here in the UK was full of how well the British riders could do at their home GP. In a full page preview of the Farleigh Castle contest, MotorCycle Weekly reckoned things looked good for a home winner. With British stars such as former 500cc world champion Graham Noyce, reigning 250cc world champion Neil Hudson and rising star Dave Thorpe all consistently being in the top five at the previous nine GPs, you can see why the press felt this way.

In interviews with the three Brits, all of them felt that at this stage in the season maybe the championship for 1982 was out of reach for them – to be fair, neither Thorpe nor Hudson had expected to be winners in their first full season of 500 MX GPs and told MotorCycle Weekly so. Both felt this would be a learning year and in Thorpe’s case would lead to three future championships. Noyce, however, continued the run of bad luck which had plagued him since being crowned 1979 world champion. Never one to give in, Noyce pushed himself harder and harder despite injuries and paid the price in the American round when he crashed and damaged his left knee even more.

Despite the interest in the home-grown

talent, by this stage the title contest was seen as between Californian Lackey and Belgian Andre Malherbe as both had hit top form at the right time. Unfortunately for Malherbe he effectively put himself out of contention at the US round when disaster struck and left the Belgian with a broken leg.

Lackey would not have it all his own way though, as with Malherbe sidelined Andre Vromans had a better time of it – like the British riders the Belgian racer was consistently in the top three or four at each GP and had won the Canadian round.

But, back to Lackey... all but written off by everyone bar himself going into the season, Lackey is on record as stating his

Archive 28

Flying high at Farleigh, Californian Brad Lackey leads team mate Andre Vromans.

New for ’82 In order to ensure spectators would have the best possible spectacle to see at a GP the FIM – the sport’s international governing body – introduced a qualifying method for the GP entry.

A typical MX GP would have a grid of 40 riders, the first 10 places would be for the top 10 in the previous year’s championship leaving 30 places free – simple enough mathematics. Organisers had to accept all applications from riders on the 500cc Graded International list of whatever national federation submits them. If this meant there were more than 30 riders after the automatic entries had been filled then a ballot would take place.

This ballot would determine which riders went in to the two timed training sessions on the day before the GP. From these sessions the top 15 in each would make up the remaining 30 places in the GP. All 40 riders would be in a timed practice session on race day to determine which order they would be on the grid.

training schedule would not show benefits until mid-season. Early on he maintained consistency with steady seconds and thirds before picking up his first win at Austria and amassing enough points to put him ahead of the pack with 161, Vromans being closest with 151 as the riders made their way to Wiltshire. Yes it was still technically possible for Neil Hudson to win the title, but he would have to win every round – both heats – with Lackey and Vromans suffering disasters in order for it to happen.

On the day the action at Farleigh Castle was thrilling and close but disappointing for the UK squad in particular.

Tipped to take his first GP win, 19-yearold Thorpe set off in fine style to take the first heat win from Vromans, with Lackey third. Buoyed by this success Thorpe headed for the front in heat two and looked to be heading for another win before the Suzuki duo of Lackey and Vromans got into their groove on lap six. Still, his second place overall wasn’t bad and it put him top of the Brits – with Noyce and Hudson fourth and fifth – at the end of the day.

Noyce’s run of bad luck seemed to continue at Farleigh and he didn’t manage

to add to his win in Sweden’s round three. In part this was an indication of the high level of competition at that time in the GP scene and part to do with Noyce’s determination.

Suffering from injuries to his knee the Honda rider was pushing harder than he should and in heat one finished a brilliant fourth, but then got caught in a first bend pile-up in the second heat – doing further damage to his knee. Despite this he powered through the field to take fourth place but his knee let him down again and another fall dropped Noyce back to fifth place.

Noyce wasn’t the only one suffering from injuries as Neil Hudson had to contend with damaged ligaments at the base of his thumb.

It may not sound a bad injury to a social rider, but at this level, and with factory prepared bikes to hang onto, anything less than peak fitness puts a rider at a disadvantage.

Still, Hudson’s steady pace, uncomplicated style and determination put him in fourth and sixth respectively in heats one and two and this was enough to give him fifth overall.

Though the cheers were mainly for the top three Brits in the GP, especially Thorpe who displayed a maturity beyond his years by racing calmly and unflustered once he got

29

Always there or thereabouts –former world champ Graham Noyce.

A man to watch, future world 500cc MX champ Dave Thorpe set out his stall at Farleigh in 1982.

Home grown talent The three top British riders heading for Farleigh could be described as flamboyant, dedicated and quietly confident... and fans of MX from that era will not need us to say the riders in that order are Noyce, Thorpe and Hudson. In actual fact all three riders have all three traits in their nature but we’ve highlighted the one which comes to the fore. With a 500cc world crown already under his belt Noyce was a consistent placeman in the previous two seasons, but injuries and bad luck prevented a repeat. Known for his flamboyance and natural ability the Hampshire rider fitted in well with the international scene and enjoyed the benefits of his success. Dave Thorpe, on the other hand, was more studious in his approach and had excelled at football as well as motocross when younger.

Determined to learn from his association with the GP riders, Thorpe would prove he had learned by taking three 500cc crowns later in the Eighties. Neil Hudson was – and still is – the quiet man of MX who lets his riding do the talking. His showing in the 500cc class confounded the pundits who reckoned the local lad Hudson couldn’t hack the bigger bikes.

Reigning 250 world champion Neil Hudson proved critics wrong by showing he could handle the bigger bikes.

Archive 30

The series so far… …as the riders lined up for the British round – round 10 – the cruelty of misfortune was clear as Andre Malherbe was clearly dominating the series with wins in France, Italy and Germany until his broken leg ended his season early. Vromans was next with a win in Holland and Canada followed by a win each for Noyce who was first in Sweden, Jean-Jaques Bruno top man in Finland, top in Austria was Lackey, while the US round went to Danny Chandler. So in reality though Lackey would win round 10, any number of riders could have taken the top spot. The title chase headed to the spectacular Namur circuit in Belgium and finished off in Luxembourg.

the lead in race one, there were more British riders in the title fight, and while they may have been further down the race order the dicing and racing was no less frenetic.

Riders of the calibre of Geoff Mayes, Lawrence Spence and Rob Hooper were battling it out in the midfield and putting on a good show. Spence was sidelined with a front wheel puncture at around the halfway point in race one and Mayes’ chain slipped off the sprockets a mere two laps from the finish as he was in line for 12th spot. He wasn’t the only rider to suffer chain woes either as Ivan

31 Belgian Jaak van Velthoven had to settle for sixth in the British GP.

A matter of support The programme of events happening at Farleigh Castle circuit that far off weekend in July shows a packed weekend of entertainment for ridiculously low prices.

Take the Saturday for instance, with two practice sessions and two qualifying sessions starting at noon and going on until 5pm, admission for adults was 50p with kids free. The racing would be almost as good as the following day’s GP. On GP day there was a 9am start, with three practice sessions, then a break for lunch with drum majorettes leading out the parade of international riders.

To warm the crowds up – and there were crowds – a Maico Trophy race took place then the first leg of the GP. As riders and mechanics sorted their GP bikes the Kawasaki Invitation race kept the spectators at fever pitch, which only heightened the anticipation and had the crowd keen for the action of the second heat. Before that though the Royal Marines showed the world how a marine does a parachute drop. Then finally it was there, the second heat! An invitation race rounded off the action then there was the prize-giving as the day ended and the crowd went home entertained.

But what of the supporting races?

Was the action tame? No, far from it as another 19-year-old set to carve his name in the record books – Jeremy Whatley – dominated all three races. In the Maico race he pulled such a commanding lead that by half way he was eight seconds in the lead and had doubled that distance by the end. He didn’t quite have it all his own way in the Kawasaki race as Steve Beamish was so close they swapped the lead throughout the race and even, on the fifth lap, when the pair tangled and fell, remounted and carried on they were so far in front no one could catch them and again Whatley took the flag. The final invitation race looked to be a repeat but Beamish fell and lost 10 places as a result, places he couldn’t get back and Whatley emerged winner again.

van den Broeck had lost his drive on lap two.

The Gremlins were no less prevalent for race two with Spence’s recent shoulder injury causing him grief through the arduous race and Hooper managing to drop his Maico and bend his brake lever on lap three, then his chain adjuster snapped almost at the finish of race two which ended his day disappointingly out of the points.

When all was said and done the day belonged to three riders – Lackey, Thorpe and Vromans – who dominated the top end.

Interviewed after the race Vromans

admitted Thorpe had the same lines on the track as himself and in an attempt to pass the young British rider the Belgian made a bad choice and lost ground in race one. He added a better start was required for heat two and believed it was still possible for him to be world champion if he had some luck in the next two GPs... though he didn’t sound confident it would happen.

Thorpe two was philosophical about his chances and when Vromans and Lackey forced their way past him in heat two showed the maturity to stay in a safe third place,

confident he was learning for the future. In his post race interview he is quoted as saying he was on Noyce’s rear mudguard and realised his fellow countryman was not at his best thanks to his injury and Thorpe managed to reel him in.

Not that the 19-year-old was injury free either, as a rough landing damaged his back and he raced in quite a bit of pain. As the GP riders left Farleigh Castle it was deservedly Brad Lackey who was crowned ‘King of the Castle’ with Britain’s Dave Thorpe the crown prince.

Archive 32

Above: Lackey wasn't the only American racing at Farleigh, Honda’s Gary Semics was over too.

What happened next?

Neil Hudson didn’t quite get his 500cc crown to add to the 250 one but proved many critics wrong by being in the top three.

Dave Thorpe would prove predictions correct and go on to win three world 500cc titles in the Eighties. He remains in the industry and is involved in Honda’s off-road success these days.

Graham Noyce also remains a one-time champion but came oh-so-close several times and still races.

Brad Lackey, the 1982 500cc world MX champion for Suzuki, was critical of his factory mount and had fallen foul of Suzuki’s management, or so it was claimed in MotorCycle Weekly. There was much speculation over his future with most people reckoning Suzuki would not renew his contract despite him winning. The rest of the Japanese factories were pretty much happy with their squad and the Europeans wouldn’t have anything like the budget to retain Lackey.

Andre Malherbe had a resurgence and took a final 500cc title in 1984, nearly doing it again in 1985 and 1986, before retiring and trying touring car racing then rally raids...

However, a serious crash in the 1988 Paris to Dakar Rally left the Belgian with life changing injuries. 

Nationalities Though the title chase is deemed a ‘world’ championship, a run through the nationalities entered shows the 1982 contest was really a northern hemisphere series save for a lone Australian. Entered for Farleigh Castle were five riders from Great Britain, three Belgians, seven Swedes, two Americans, eight riders from the Netherlands, two from the principality of Luxembourg, one from the principality of San Marino, two Austrians, Norway and Denmark fielded one rider apiece, while Finland had two riders as did France and Ireland... whereas West Germany had six riders and Italy had three.

GREAT SUBSCRIPTION SAV OFFER R 1 E By subscribing to Classic Dirt Bike you’ll get a magazine jam packed full of the best in classic, twinshock and Evo in trials, MX and enduro.Tim Britton – editor

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Suzuki RN 370 34

WEIGHT Subtle changes mark out that this is the 1972 open class RN, as opposed to the 1970 version.

A MINUTE... …isn’t that a bit light? Which is what the FIM thought about Suzuki’s RN 370 in 1972.

Words and pics: Tim Britton

Suzuki RN 370 36

With magnesium hubs and non-valanced rims on either end, not just the rear, unsprung weight is as low as possible.

H

In the 1972 GP series, this is the view most other riders would have of de Coster and his factory Suzuki, though I doubt they’d be admiring the slim lines of the bike.

It is the task of feature writers to attempt an explanation of complex physics and automotive dynamics in as few words as possible. While weight reduction is a desirable aim for a competition bike designer there are different types of weight, these being ‘all-up’ ‘sprung’ and ‘unsprung.’ Attention to each area can alter the way a bike feels and it’s easy to get it wrong and alter the balance of a bike. Briefly – and this subject is an involved one – a lower overall weight is generally good but carving lbs or kgs off one end of the bike and not the other will lower the weight but alter the balance point… then there’s sprung weight which is the bulk of the bike above the suspension. Unsprung weight is that mass which moves when the bike is being ridden, effectively the wheels and half of the suspension units.

ow light is too light and what is needed to create such a light bike?

The first question is a difficult thing to quantify, as general thinking in the classic period had it that bikes were becoming too light, yet weighing in at nearly 300lb – 136kg give or take a gram. Once two-strokes hit the scene, weights dropped dramatically though. Most riders will realise that the key to success in off-road sport is a good rider on a light bike and us clubmen always knew the works bikes were going to be way lighter than ones we could buy.

Take Jeff Smith’s championship BSAs for instance, all made with varying degrees of titanium, magnesium and other such exotica unobtainable to mere mortals. Then, when the Japanese came on the scene and money was starting to be poured into off-road sport, or at least the MX side of it, goodness knows what sort of metals would be used when the factory mentality was ‘a bike had to last two 40-minute plus two lap motos’, so the factory could be seen to be winning.

For years it was assumed the only way to build such light machines was to employ exotica but, as in so many fields, the truth is a little different from the folklore. Yes it is possible to use space-age and aeronautical metals to make light machines, but it is also possible to use ordinary materials and good practice to do the job. This was the way Suzuki chose to go.

Yes, you could argue titanium fasteners and magnesium castings are exotic but they were available even in the Thirties and accepted by all. Seamless mild steel tubing certainly wasn’t exotic and this is the material Suzuki chose for the frame of their 1972 RN. Using thin gauge steel, the frame was lighter and lower than previous incarnations and it housed an engine both narrower and shorter with casings cast from magnesium helping to achieve an all up weight of 180lb.

This featherweight projectile could be the

Springs keep the rear of the pipe from flexing too much yet allow a degree of movement in the system to stop it fracturing.

A little bit of grooved plastic keeps the rider’s toe on the brake.

reason the FIM introduced a minimum weight for GP bikes. Hints that it may be too light for safety may well have masked the inability of other factories to meet the challenge and for 1973 Suzuki had to drastically add weight to bikes already built for that season.

Before that though, their star man Roger de Coster picked up another world championship win on their lightweight machine. Looking over the bike it is clear someone has really thought about how to carefully remove weight from almost every aspect of it and no part was deemed too unimportant to receive attention.

But that isn’t the only consideration for a GP machine, it has to be easy to work on too in case there’s a spill on the track and things need to be replaced quickly. It doesn’t require much effort to change things but it does mean the factory listened to those in the paddock.

Now then, this isn’t the first 370 RN we’ve featured as we had one of the three 1970 factory machines in issue 41 of CDB – what d’you mean you missed it… get on to our back issues department, it’s a great tale – and the similarity is obvious between the two bikes yet there are subtle differences which mark major changes.

Most obvious of these is the revised tank mount which did away with the aerolastic bungee cord to hold it in place. When the owner of this bike got it as a mostly complete machine there was evidence it had seen a hard life and even the engine had been run loose in the frame, which as well as elongating the mounting holes in the cases also wore the mating faces so there was no way the motor would sit properly in the frame. The frame itself had been altered with the shock mounting points moved as suspension ideas changed during this volatile racing period. As part of the rebuild, the owner Clive Bussey remade the mounting points and repaired the cases as per period images.

That said, the inside of the engine wasn’t in bad condition at all, but Clive did replace

37 7

If metal, even alloy, is deemed too heavy try plastic for the spacers.

Though the alloy tank resembles the earlier version, it has a better method of holding it in place than a bungee cord.

Some figures For 1972, de Coster won six of the 12 rounds, Heiki Mikkola won two as did Paul Friedrichs and Jaak van Velthoven took one win. Hold on, that’s only 11 rounds I hear you say, yes it is, the Italian round was cancelled. Seven wins went to Japanese factories, four to European makers. Belgium won seven GPs, East Germany two and Finland two. Contrast that with the 1973 series when de Coster won two of the 10 GPs, Willy Bauer won three, Ake Jonsson won two with Gerrit Wolsink, Jaak van Velthoven and Jiri Stodulka taking one each.

Front forks are slimmed down as far as they can be and still stand up to the job, though in GPs the team found some plastic tube helped protect them from damage.

Beautifully crafted rear brake pedal uses the clutch cover as a stop.

Developments include a lower frame to keep what engine weight there is as low as possible.

Suzuki RN 370 38

What’s in the letters?

For factory machines, Suzuki used a relatively simple lettering system to distinguish their various capacities. For 125s it was RA, whereas the 250s got RH, while the open class bikes like 370 featured here are designated RN. The production bikes such as the TM and RM series were only distinguished by the capacity… ergo there were RM125s, RM250s and so on.

Magnesium castings are used for all of the engine in 1972, earlier models had aluminium crankcases and magnesium side cases. Note titanium bolts and aluminium case screws.

Yellow has been a Suzuki colour for some time, tank looks good.

all the bearings and a couple of gears in the five-speed box. “The rest of it, as in the crank, the big end and the piston and bore, were in good condition,” he says. Less good was the fuel tank which had several splits in the paper thin alloy, luckily repairing such things isn’t a problem to a lad who made a similar tank from scratch for another bike.

Speaking of paper thin, as well as the frame tubing being thin gauge, the handle bars are also extremely thin too. Luckily they’re bent up from a length of chrome molybdenum tube, so resilient to the stresses and strains of a GP season otherwise they’d not have survived. It would be nice to think there’s a cupboard in the Suzuki race shop with a few spares tucked away just in case Also of extremely thing gauge is the exhaust system and it is a work of art looping down under the engine, slipping sensuously up behind the frame tubes and ending in a small diameter pipe about mid-shock level.

Fabricated in a corner of the race shop maybe?

No, like all Suzuki factory MX team exhausts of the period it was made by an elderly couple in their house. Luckily for Clive this pipe was salvageable and pretty much undamaged considering where it is in relation to stones and whatever being thrown up from the track.

With the two team bikes to compare, it was easy enough to spot some differences between the 1972 bike and its earlier relative.

The 1970 version had valanced rims on the wheels but by 1972 these were unvalanced which offers an immediate weight saving and the added bonus that it is much harder for mud to build up on the wheels which would alter the balance and add to tiring the rider out.

On the subject of the wheels, which have magnesium hubs and brake plates, and bearings only just big enough for the job, all the spacers are aluminium but the distance pieces are machined from engineering plastic.

Suzuki were actually one of the pioneers of plastic components on their team bikes and from components as basic as mudguards the Japanese factory added not only wheel spacers but fuel cap, numberplates and on this bike, a large volume air box.

The minimalistic theme continues throughout the RN as weight and mass was removed from as many components as possible, fork sliders thinned and waisted, spindles hollowed, aluminium case screws, titanium engine bolts and so it goes on.

Even the suspension bolts got attention and instead of a hexagon head as a normal bolt would have, there was simply a shoulder to stop the bolt pulling through the frame and a circlip on the other end to stop it going back the other way. Those bolts which had to have a hexagon head and a nut were hollowed out to ease fractions of a gram off them and not a thread longer than they needed to be. This is only what the scene expected of course

39

We always knew factory bikes were special but only close inspection shows how special.

as we all knew works bikes were hand-built beasts bristling with such refinements and likely to be snarling beasts when under power and only able to be ridden by super-heroes.

And the reality Clive? “It’s an easy to ride machine,” says Mr Bussey, “lots of power yes but it is manageable, when you think about it, a works bike has to be manageable as there’s little point in the rider having to fight the bike as well as the track, while trying to keep ahead of the opposition.” Yes we know the talent of a works team member is such that problems can be overcome but generally that’s because circumstance has dictated this – a spill perhaps – rather than a difficult to ride bike being designed at the outset. Just such a scenario would befall Suzuki at the start of the 1973 season when de Coster was setting out to defend his championship.

All the work done by Suzuki resulted in a bike weighing 180lb and thanks to an understanding of things such as air-box volume and its effect

on engine performance – the 1972 box was much less restrictive than previous ones – the factory had great hopes for success in the coming season. At least until the FIM placed a minimum weight limit on GP bikes. Suzuki had already built and despatched their team bikes to Europe for the season when news of the new rule broke.

With no time to redesign or build new bikes, somehow around 30lb – or just over 13kg – had to be added to the bikes. Titanium bolts were replaced with steel, alloy too became steel and even the frame tubes and engine cavities were filled with lead. The result met the requirements but according to an interview with de Coster “...the 1973 bike wasn’t as good and lead to Suzuki experimenting with longer suspension…” Legend has it the weight limit was introduced after pressure from European factories but Suzuki and de Coster shone in adversity and he took his third world championship. 

A rubber strap, clipped to the inside of the tank and looping round a bracket replaces the bungee cord of earlier models, much neater.

This four-page special feature is also in our new publication Broadslide.

ABOVE: A small test of observation here – spot the worn crank pin…

TOP LEFT: Magneto timing and operation is modified in a Godden ‘Gold TTop’’ engine. i TOP MIDDLE: Even valve guides can be usefully modified to increase reliability and power.

TOP RIGHT: Cam followers get the polishing and relieving treatment, too. It’s all about stress release.

F

or an engine designed in the 1930s to still be the choice of a racer determined to win in the then ‘modern’ era of 1968, the basic concept of that engine must have been pretty good. At that time, The Motor Cycle’s man Vic Willoughby visited multi-time British grass track champion and talented engineer Don Godden to find out what the lad did to make those engines work way beyond the maker’s wildest expectations.

Immediately he found there were remarkably few changes from its inception to the latest 1960s model. The crankcases were cast in the magnesium alloy known by its trade name of Elektron, the con rod was either in Duralumin – another trade name – or steel. Willoughby went as far as to say the drawing used in the feature was an updated one from the 1930s and all the artist had to do was to erase the track carburettor and replace it with a Concentric carburettor, shorten the cylinder and con rod a little and erase a pushrod return spring. The feature went on to say the speedway JAP had the right sort of power to propel a speedway bike and rider off the line in the best time possible. That this power was flagging at a little more than 5000rpm, and all but gone at 6000rpm, was of little matter to a race on a track of 440 yards. The JAP motor was, while not the only one in use, dominating the speedway scene.

When the race track was 1000 metres long, however, it was a different kettle of fish and with the standard JAP motor Godden barely had enough power to qualify when he made his early forays into the scene in Germany.

Do on Godden odden dd

To grass and long track racer Top Don D Godden was interviewed for The Motor Cycle in 1968 to see just Th how he managed to make a 35-yearold engine design work so well…

Clearly something had to be done and he set about it with a good measure of common sense, engineering talent and a deal of determination.

He did it to such good effect that three years later he was challenging for the top spot in the longer format. This, thought Willoughby, was a story worth hearing and detailing in the paper. With a grass track career going back as far as 1953 Godden had earned himself nine British championships using equipment he’d built himself, and latterly by co-operating with Alf Hagon to provide a commercial JAP tuning service. This was the basis of the motor Willoughby went along to hear about. In 1968 the basic JAP speedway motor was available for £140, however for another £30 Godden/Hagon

would provide a ‘Gold Top’ engine, likely a reference to the gold top milk which was extra creamy and had foil in gold rather than silver; the ‘Gold Top’ JAP was reckoned to be the cream of the crop. To distinguish their highperformance engine from the rest, Godden and Hagon had the rocker covers anodised yellow – it’s just a shame the effect can’t be seen in black and white photos.

Starting with the standard JAP motor, Godden first addressed the cam timing which went from the inlet opening at 45 degrees before TDC, and closing at 62 degrees after BDC – the exhaust opening at 65 degrees before BDC, and closing t

BELOW: When fettled to his exacting standards, Don’s JAPs were a match for the foreign competition on the long tracks of Europe.

BELOW: Meticulous preparation was the Godden trademark.

ABOVE: These poor things have a tough life in a race engine.

BELOW: Lining up the flywheels before tightening the crank pin nuts.

With spreader bolts opened out to create some tension, a sharp tap on the crank pin will split the flywheels.

at 35 degrees after TDC. Using his own cam grinding jig Godden altered these timings to 60, 85, 90 and 55, vastly increasing the overlap, but this on its own wasn’t enough and modifying one part of an engine has an effect on other areas. What was likely to happen with such modification to the cam timing would be the majority of the increased fresh charge coming into the cylinder would be pushed straight out the exhaust valve unless the port shape was changed. Willoughby reported that Godden’s handiwork in the inlet port prevented this from happening.

Other work, aimed at stopping valve float at high revs, included progressive rate valve springs and alloy pushrods rather than steel.

With a motor now safe to 7000rpm rather than 6000rpm it was a useful increase in performance for the expert rider who it was reckoned could quite easily cope with the slight loss of flexibility from the modified unit.

Even this performance-enhancing work wasn’t enough for Godden’s 1000-metre engines, and the work needed to make the venerable JAP cut it with the opposition in Europe amounted to major surgery. Gone was any semblance of power below 4000rpm, but in its place was reliable power way beyond the 7000rpm of the ‘Gold Top’ motor. To achieve this, Godden has a seriously wild cam profile that increased the valve lift by 50% and needed flat-grinding on the valves’ edges or they would tangle at high speed. Allied to this extra lift, the inlet port was opened out from 11⁄8 to 13⁄8 which needs an Amal GP carb with twin-float chambers to feed in the fuel. Naturally, Godden felt the standard Dural con rod was not quite right for this wild engine and used a steel one.

At this level of competition the search for exxtra performance is intense; any littlle increase in power is welcome and annything which prevents power loss is worth investigating. For instance, thhough important for providing sparks too the plug a magneto can absorb power.

Okay, only a little power, but far better O it be available for race winning than nott. Apparently running the magneto at LEFT: Thhere is often a limit on how much lift a big valve can have before something touches. The flat on the rim v means the valves miss.

ABOVE: In an ultra-high compression engine there is the danger of valves hitting the piston crown. This is bad, so thhose that know what they’re doing relieve the valve pockets so if it does tangle it’s square on and doesn’t bend the valve.

ABOVE: Godden made his own special cogs for various applications.

quarter engine speed rather than half engine speed releases that absorbed power.

JAP WRINKLES

When interviewing Godden for the earlier feature, Willoughby realised there was a vast amount of untapped information on making a JAP engine work to the best of its ability.

He also, in conversation with Don, realised that while not everyone wanted to super-tune an engine to howl it round the European long tracks there were an awful lot of enthusiasts who wanted to go grass tracking, second-half speedway riding, hill climbing and sprinting with the engine and they would benefit from knowing how to screw the unit together. So, the pair collaborated and produced a ‘how to’ feature for the 500cc JAP motor.

A lot of the work was under the heading ‘common sense’, but even so it doesn’t hurt to go back to basics with such things. For the basis of this, and indeed all such features, it has to be assumed the reader attempting to follow the advice has a work space, tools and some knowledge. Taking each part of the engine in turn, Godden related his experiences of the robust unit and how it holds up in service.

Taking the crankcases first the main bearings

ABOVE: Each cam is for a different purpose, with grass, sand and long tracks requiring slightly different power.

the valve pockets deepening so the valves didn’t clout the piston on full lift. Also a departure from JAP practice was the closing-up of the ring gaps. Most people will know the piston rings form part of the sealing of the combustion process, and the ring gap is an important part of that. Too big a gap and the engine burns oil, too small a gap and the ring ends will touch when the engine is hot and seize. Using alcohol as a fuel means the engine runs a lot cooler, and Don found a smaller gap worked perfectly.

Naturally with a man dedicated to performance, there were also a few tips of use to those working on a budget and if replacing standard cams with high performance ones isn’t viable then perhaps Godden’s ingenious method of grinding back the rocker pad on the arm may be of interest. Also, Godden’s method of timing the ignition is sure to create some discussion; he did it by ear!

All case faces are prepared so they mate fully and prevent leaks.

ABOVE: Clean and tidy, not overly glitzy, and blisteringly fast… a bit like the rider really.

BELOW: If you think logically about how many times the rockers open and close a valve and how heavy they are as standard, then lightening them makes sense as it gives all other components an easy time.

ABOVE: Don aimed to have the crank running as true as possible. If they’re not then the ride can be uncomfortable and it’s not good for race-winning power, plus the engine can shake itself to bits.

sit the crank nut in it and heave on the other but with a socket ground to remove the lead in radius. Then use three bolts to put pressure on the inside of the flywheels and then fix an old crank pin to the original annd give the end a sharp tap to release the taper. As time goes on the flywheel tapers can enlargee, so JAP provided oversize crank pins to cope witth this and allow the proper side float of thhe rod to be achieved. Assembling was regarded as a simple task merely requiring a new crank pin to be bolted in place,, the rod with new bearing rollers fittted then the other flywheel fitted annd the whole lot bolted up with neew nuts. Any misalignment found in the truing jig was cured by bumping the assembly on a stoout surface with a sheet of soft mettal in place. Willoughby suggestedd the balance factor should reallyy be checked, though only as a courrtesy as it was unlikely to be far out – but you can bet Godden alwayss checked his.

Godden stepped away from standard JAP practice and usedd a Mahle piston with a thicker croown which was useful for coping with high lift cams which would neeed

lide, To purchase your copy of Broads s zine visit www.classicmaga or call 01507 529529

run in steel rings, Elecktron not being an ideal material for the housing. These rings should be a good fit in the case, but if there’s any suggestion of main shaft misalignment on the crank then this can loosen the rings. Godden suggested Araldite adhesive to tighten them up again. On the main bearings Godden advised it was best to renew them each racing season or problems would occur. Also, the crank pin had a limited racing life and the advice here was to junk it after 25 meetings. The pin is where the big end runs and has a hardened surface for the rollers.

Under racing conditions this surface breaks up and all sorts of nasty things can happen. If the big end has failed then the cause must be investigated or it will happen again – it could be the oil feed, or a blockage somewhere.

To replace the crank pin – and this is an indication of how enthusiasts seemed to be much more practical 50 years ago because these days the crank would be shipped off to a specialist – the article advised to hold the flywheel by clamping a large spanner in a vice,

Rebuilt to ride 44

Holiday time Words and pics: Tim Britton

The two brass tubes are for the oil feed to the big end and the mixture.

With the IT465 on holiday, some attention is paid to the rest of the editor’s machines.

D

ue to one thing and another cropping up at various times, my own collection of dirt bikes has been neglected a little recently. Like most enthusiasts I’ve a few bikes in the shed and they’re there for reasons which will be familiar to a lot of readers. Longest standing member of what has been referred to as ‘my fleet’ is the 250 Bultaco Sherpa T I’ve had from new and it was the subject of a rebuild series itself 20 or more issues back. The newest machine – as in new to me not ‘new’ new – is a TY250 Mono Yamaha, similar to the one I had in the Eighties and in between there are a scattering of British and European machines with one thing in common… they all need a bit of spannering.

Problems I’m facing include grumbling

45

The story so far...

It would be really bad for the oil orifice to have grinding paste inside it, so a light smear of grease to block it off worked a treat.

The pump was refitted quickly enough and the oil pipes can only go back one way, I still used my pic for reference though.

… our project bike is progressing nicely, but as with all good rebuilds, occasionally you need a breather... and this is ours! For a number of very good reasons our project bike is on hold for a few weeks. As the whole point of the series was to show an ordinary enthusiast – the editor – doing the work rather than shipping it off to a specialist, we’ve had some of the delays everyone experiences, before returning to the IT project next time.

This little cog sits at the back of the oil pump and is prevented from spinning by a flat in the spindle hole….

While the clutch was being done we did a few other things too as for some reason the oil was determined to leak past the case.

main bearings, leaking fork seals, worn gearchange shaft splines and a clutch needing strong hands to operate the lever.

Actually this last one is also the tech feature here and involved the help of someone with more engineering ability than me to do the machining. Without spoiling the surprise of the tech feature too much, it involves a attention to stemming the flow of oil out Can-Am clutch modification aimed at giving of the case. Rotax’s disc valve two-stroke the editor’s clutch hand an easier time of it engine is a fairly well known unit and comes in enduros. in a number of specifications, depending on The thing is, while a bike is apart there the intended use, but it can be grouped into always seems to be other tasks to attend two main types, these being auto lube and to. For quite a while the primary case on the pre-mix. In the former, the primary case has Rotax engine fitted to my Can-Am enduro a separate compartment in it which houses bike has leaked oil at an alarming rate and an oil pump fed from an external oil reservoir this aspect has been ignored rather longer – in the case of my ex-military Can-Am this than it should have been; in my defence the reservoir forms the top tube of the frame – case has been on and off a lot, making sure while engines using pre-mix often have a the standard clutch actuator was lubricated different case with no oil pump and the two properly so it could perform at its best. stroke oil is mixed in with the fuel.

I was just about to give up hope when Now, I was advised by no less an authority several suggestions for mods were put my way, than Jeff Smith, who actually designed the one actually included the bits to do the job… bikes for Can-Am, to retain the auto lube With this task completed I turned my

…which corresponds to a flat on the pump spindle.

facility on an enduro bike, so I did.

The way most of us flatten the mating faces of a case is by rubbing the case on an old mirror which has had some grinding paste spread on it and lubed by a squirt of light oil. All you do then is lay the face to be flattened on the mirror, in the gloop and swirl the case round while applying light pressure.

It’s noisy, dirty and boring, but works. The problem with a Rotax case is the auto lube system pumps oil through passages drilled in the case and it is almost a dead cert grinding paste would find its way into the drillings and if not cleaned out would happily destroy the big end bearing when fitted to the bike.

So what, I hear you say, wash out the drillings... It isn’t quite that easy as the oil

Rebuilt to ride 46

Above: Locking the cog in place is by a Ny-Loc nut.

Right: Once the return spring was fitted, all the case needed was a light smear of instant gasket… a really light smear. Seriously, I once saw an engine where the owner had, in a misguided attempt to stem oil leaks, used almost a full tube of the stuff.

pump feeds, in the form of two brass tubes, are pressed into the holes too and have restrictor valves inside – a spring and a tiny ball bearing. Still, a method of cleaning the drillings was arrived at and involved squirting light oil down the feed tube so the gloop was pushed out. A further refinement was to put some grease over the end of the drilling to stop any grinding paste going in there in the first place.

I did try squirting contact cleaner down the tube but the restrictor valve was too much for the pressurised liquid and I managed to squirt it everywhere. In the end I used a pump action oil can. Just got to reassemble the oil pump into the casing then apply a

Assembly continues and this time I attached the clutch cable before fitting the case.

light smear of instant gasket, refit the case and then I can put the Can-Am to the bottom of the list…

Next on the work bench is likely to be my BSA B40, which managed to shed its gear lever during the Pre-65 Scottish Two Day Trial. The splines on the shaft are worn to the point of non-existence. Luckily, there is a replacement part available which means the gear selector can be saved as the shaft only can be replaced rather than the whole part. It does of course require a strip down of the timing side of the engine to access the internals, but at least with a B40 this can be done without taking the engine out of the frame. No doubt when the case is off there

will be other issues to sort too, such is life with a 50-year-old motorcycle.

The Beezer does need some work elsewhere too, on the cycle parts or brakes but they are sort of acceptable and work well enough to pass the MOT test, but first water splash and they’re history.

Probably the easiest job to do will be the fork seals on the TY and to be honest the new seals are in the spares box but finding five minutes to do the job has proved awkward lately.

The biggest job facing me is replacing the main bearings in my 250 Bultaco engine.

The bike was rebuilt in 1988 for the Scottish Six Days Trial and internally at least has

47

Just the oil feed and the pump cable to attach.

remained largely untouched since that day as the rebuild series focussed on the cycle parts. It’s been rumbling for a while and a recent outing at Inverness DMC’s Highland Classic at Alvie and the following weekend’s Bultaco Nostalgia trial in Cumbria are pretty much it until I change the bearings. Yes, it still starts and runs quite well too but there’s always the danger of doing other damage and in any case it’s not ‘right’ and that isn’t the way things should be done.

Thanks to the age and use the Bulto has been through there are other problems to contend with, gear changing has become difficult when the engine is warm. Changing the oil and cleaning the clutch plates didn’t solve the problem and a bit of research – or, more accurately phoning Dave Renham up and asking – gave me a few areas to check when stripping the engine. So hopefully all will be well with my Bulto soon.

There is a danger when several bikes need attention that several bikes are stripped down and I won’t be the only one who has ever been caught out with every bike they own in bits. Thankfully, I’ve managed to avoid that scenario lately but it has happened in the past and if your workshop is large and can have a dedicated work area for each bike then it’s not so bad but, if like me, you’ve to haul everything out in order to access a work area then it is best to keep things as rolling chassis at least. Such is the case with my Can-Am and with the case off at least I can still wheel the bike in and out of the workshop. Luckily, I do have some organic shelving which has been added to as time has progressed so I am able to dedicate an area for sub-assemblies at least.

Having too many bikes in bits at one time means more chance of things being lost, misplaced or just forgetting how they go back together. Naturally jobs such as the fork seals are probably an hour from opening the shed door to putting oil in the fork leg, but the clutch case has needed some machining and some fettling to get it right, plus the flattening so it’s been apart for a while. Now

Next task is the Beezer gear shaft… no wonder a gear lever won’t stay on.

it’s going back together I’ll have to refer to the pics I took of it being stripped apart so I can remember where everything goes.

Once the clutch is in place again it will be time to look at other bits of the bike, such as the lights. One of the regulations for an enduro requires a motorcycle to have lights fitted and in order to pass this requirement I jury-rigged some in place. These madeup lights were the broken front one from Project IT – the mounting ears had broken off – which, with some gentle scraping and sanding, slipped inside the Presto Petty front number board/lighting unit. The rear one was one of several original military Can-Am units I have and is a truly massive affair. It lasted one lap of the last enduro I did and its demise was written about in my column a couple of issues ago. However, something better is needed and while the front light fits and will work okay, a unit slightly more sleek than the original one, the size of a bungalow, will be sourced.

All the gizmos for sorting lights are in place and long-time readers will remember our prize bike was wired up by Ferret from Ferret’s Custom Electrickery who had the instruction to ‘…provide a white light at the

A fiddly job, but hey…

And the task after that is for the Yam’s fork seals.

front, a red light at the rear, the front one has to dip and rear one needs a brake light too, both have to work even if I drop the bike in a river…’ “anything else?” joked Ferret. ‘oh, yes, a horn would be useful too and I don’t want a battery on the bike.’

This instruction is pretty much what I want for my own bike too, but this time I shall attempt the dark and mysterious world of motorcycle electrics with wires and connectors and stuff. I know electricians will be shaking their heads and collectively sighing ‘but it’s easy’ which is what all tradesmen say about their skill – I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to woodworking things – but don’t forget not everyone will have had the benefit of working with others as they learn such skills.

All that’s needed now is to give the workshop a quick clean as it’s not good practice to have engines apart in dirty conditions and it is amazing how soon dirt can accumulate in an average workshop. A ‘clean room’ for engine assembly is an ideal few of us have space to dedicate to, so a sweep of the bench, make sure nothing can drop down from the ceiling and all should be well... 

Products 48

Dirtproducts ts ther Do you make, import or otherwise supply bits and pieces, clothing or oth things that the classic and vintage off-road riding community use? Iff so, then your prod duct coulld be on these pages. Contact Helen in adve ertising on 01507 529574 or editorr Tim Britton on 01507 529404.

A brighter spark Geared up It’s doubtful BSA ever expected cted thei their m motorcycles y es to still be in use 50 or more years after their manufacture, as they were in the market of selling new bikes each year, so hopefully the old ones would be traded in. However, the fact is, thanks to the classic scene in general and the Pre-65 comp scene in particular, bikes such as BSA’s B40 model have an extended life and things wear, especially if there’s a rider’s boot involved in their working life. So it is not an unreasonable thing to expect the splines on a gearchange shaft to be less than pristine after such a passage of time.

Burton Bike Bits have a handy repair shaft available to replace the splined part which does wear rather than the whole gearchange quadrant which doesn’t wear all that much.

The old shaft needs removing and the new one is welded in place, job done. The shaft is suitable for a number of BSA models and some smaller Triumphs too according to the list on their website.

WHAT IS IT? It is a replacement shaft for the gearchange quadrant on all manner of BSA unit singles and twins.

WHAT’S IT COST? It’ll set you back £13.16 including VAT but there will be post and packing to add.

WHERE DO YOU GET IT? Burton Bike Bits www.britishbikebits.com or www.burtonbikebits.net Tel: 01530 564362

Shh! Lett’s s have some silence s

It doesn’t matter what make your bike is, without spark it’s an ornament. One of the ha a Late model Bultaco Sherpas have problems facing owners of more modern complicated exhaust system whic ich ends twinshock and evo machinery now coming in in a massive club-like steel silencerr that’s to the classic scene is the ignitions contain probably an appreciable weight of the wh whole components which are not owner serviceable bike. When new, the system is nice and quiet in the way older ignitions were. Once you add – a factor which led to these models often in that often such ignition parts are probably obsolete now, then it starts to get interesting. being nicknamed ‘whispering wonders’ when they came on the scene – but nearly 40 Luckily for owners of ‘B’ and ‘C’ models of years on most silencers are just a steel box Yamaha’s DT360/400, Rex’s Speedshop can help solve your ignition woes with their Pulser- with little packing left inside. Yes, they can be repacked but that means cutting them open less CDi/pick-up repair kit. These models and welding them up again after all the crud have a black plastic pick-up that is no longer has been cleaned out, neither a pleasant nor obtainable additionally, neither the pick-up or the CDi were a good design to start with, both easy job.

Luckily, Dave Renham at Bultaco UK are known to cause problems and it’s difficult has been on the case with WES exhausts to tell what is causing the problem. and they’ve been developing a complete Rex’s pulser-less CDi unit does away with replacement silencer in lightweight this troublesome pick-up. No other changes aluminium with an easy repack facility built in. to the charging or electrical system are Most people will, or should, know a properly needed, even the HT coils stays the same! packed exhaust is critical for the best Downside? The back plate of the generator performance from a two-stroke so anything needs the adjustment slots elongating which which makes it easier has got to be good. means setting the timing with a strobe lamp, Bultaco UK tell us there are two versions – but otherwise this is an extremely neat the difference is in the inlet tube diameter so solution. make sure you order the right one.

WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS IT? It is a pulser-less CDi unit for DT360/400 It’s an aluminium alloy repackable silencer Yamaha two-strokes. for 1976 on Bultaco Sherpa models.

WHAT’S IT COST? WHAT’S IT COST? The export kit is £99.95 but if you want It costs £156 including VAT but plus post them to do the machining there’ll be a £40 and packing. plus VAT charge as well.

WHERE DO YOU GET IT? WHERE DO YOU GET IT? It’s available from In Motion Bultaco UK From Marcus Rex at Rex’s Speedshop www.inmotiontrials.com Tel: 01784 440033 rexs-speedshop.com Tel: 01580 880 768

49 Getting shirty Just in from In Motion are these two T-shirts – one proclaims In Motion the other their OZO suspension units. Both are Gildan heavy duty cotton T-shirts with the logo printed on. There’s a range of sizes from medium – haha, seriously? Medium… in our world – to XXL, which is more like it. Will they improve your riding?

Probably not, will they make you look stylish and desirable? Maybe. More likely after the racing’s over it’ll mean you’ve something clean to put on.

Anyway, we all need a T-shirt or two.

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WHAT ARE THEY? T-shirts obviously.

WHAT’S THE COST? Too new, so see Dave Renham’s website.

WHERE DO YOU GET THEM? Get them from In Motion Bultaco UK www. inmotiontrials.com Tel: 01784 440033

Teething troubles sorted There is no reason why any motorcycle has to put up with a worn sprocket and all the associated problems they come with, at least not when Talon Engineering’s range covers all sorts of dirt bikes. The one pictured here is for a Bultaco Sherpa T and is a 39 tooth one – though other sizes are available to allow you to fine tune your gearing to suit your local conditions.

It is a fascinating thing to watch sprockets being made, well fascinating for someone not in engineering, as blank discs are fitted to machines and teeth are formed in seconds. Some years ago, CDB visited Talon’s place in Somerset and watched the whole process happening from start to finish, very entertaining and when the Talon logo is lasered on the finished item in less time than it takes to say ‘lasered on’ well… wow.

What more can you say about a sprocket?

The bolt holes line up… it is a thing of beauty… fitting a new one proclaims you look after your bike…

WHAT IS IT? It is a replacement rear sprocket from Talon Engineering.

WHAT’S IT COST? Depends on the make of your bike.

WHERE DO YOU GET IT? Your local Talon stockist, visit www.taloneng.co.uk to find out where.

Sorry? What did you say?

So es provide Hearing loss is no joke even if it doe comedy shows with lots of material for laughs. While it is impossible to cut out all noise from your life it is possible to re educe the effects by sensible use of ear pluggs. For us in the dirt bike world that means du uring a scramble or enduro, when it is likely most hearing damage would occur. One of the e problems is hearing damage sort of cree eps up on you without you really being aware of it.

These days, hearing protection can be classed as ‘smart’ in as much as wearing ear plugs doesn’t cut out conversation or traffic around you so awareness of your surroundings isn’t reduced, but it cuts out the higher pitched and louder noises which do cause problems.

Alpine Hearing Protection have a unique construction which ensures a snug fit, come in two main types – Tour and Race, the Race ones are pictured here – and each kit has a handy insertion tube. There is also a cleaning fluid available too.

WHAT ARE THEY? They are ear plugs to reduce noise damage to hearing.

WHAT’S THE COST? £12.95 on their website WHERE DO YOU GET THEM? Go to Alpine Hearing Protection’s website www.alpinehearingprotection.co.uk

Seeing clearly In the cut and thrust of the scrambles or enduro world, mud flies, goggles get filthy and not every track allows the use of tear-offs. So, perhaps a bit of TLC to the vision department between heats could be a good thing. Think about it, being able to see the track clearly could prevent getting stuck in a rut or a hole or clipping the course posts. Or imagine the effect on your race if you missed the tell-tale ear lobe pull the starter always does just before dropping the gate… Cyko comes in a handy 65ml pump action dispenser and with an easily washable microfibre cloth.

WHAT IS IT? It is visor and goggle cleaner.

WHAT’S IT COST? £5.99 RRP WHERE DO YOU GET IT? www.cyko.co.uk eBay and Amazon or phone them direct on 0161 484 2002

Technical feature 50

Bigger balls Words and pics: Tim Britton

W

hen looking to make any improvements, you will need a few bits. As standard, the military Rotax engine Can-Am has a fairly simple method of actuating the clutch.

Inside the case there is a ramp cast and this has three piddling little ball bearings in it. A pressed steel fabrication rides up on the bearings as the lever is pulled. It works well enough on the road and even on a trail ride, but in the cut and thrust of an enduro, things get a little tougher.

Last year’s Hot Trod Vinduro was the final straw for my clutch hand, as I realised by the end of the Sunday all I was managing to do was take up the slack in the cable rather than lift the clutch. The Can-Am gearbox is a robust thing but even so it goes against the grain to abuse mechanical parts in such a way for too long. Something had to be done.

One of the advantages of the Rotax engine is the number of companies who have used a variation of it to build their own machines, rather like Villiers engines of years ago, so there is a wealth of information around, plus a few special parts here and there.

Asking around, general opinion was the

Aprilia version of the actuator was the way forward and once the bits were on the bench it was obvious this was a more meaty method of working the clutch.

The Aprilia kit requires the original ramp to be machined flat so the new base plate can sit squarely. Such work is beyond my workshop capabilities so a machine shop was sought and a large milling machine made short work of the ramp and soon everything fitted into place. A little light relieving on the central hole to make sure nothing was sticking and I looked forward to a simpler life for my clutch hand… until it dawned the Aprilia clutch cable enters the case at a different point to the Can-Am and the operating arm is slightly out of line with the hole in the case.

Actually the Aprilia uses a different case which would have been an option but this would have meant converting to pre-mix and I wanted to retain the auto-lube facility of the original. Also the Aprilia style clutch case is rather rarer than the Can-Am one.

Luckily, my machinist said it’s not a problem to alter the actuating arm and all would be well, but after that it was my job to sort out the face spring.

The clutch, as used on a Rotax engine in a military machine, is a bit basic in operation. It works... but can certainly be improved.

Above: Simply remove the kick-start, gear lever, all the case screws, footrest and brake cross-over shaft, then the case slips off easily… with a bit of wiggling.

Why do it?

The simple explanation is it makes the bike easier to ride and yes, I know that goes for any modification or improvement, or even just servicing. Often that’s all something needs, just to be lubricated properly, but not in this case, what was needed here was modification.

Difficulty Resources

A milling machine, some Aprilia clutch parts, an Allen key, clutch cable and oil.

Suppliers

Spares suppliers, lubricant suppliers, machine shop.

51

Drain the oil out – be careful not to undo the kick-start spring instead of the drain plug. If you do, the engine needs to be stripped to reassemble it.

There are precise lengths to Can-Am case screws, get them wrong and the screw will punch a hole in the inner casting, which is bad. This bit of cardboard with a basic case outline will ensure the screws are in the right order.

Behold, the clutch. It’s worth cleaning the plates too when you’re this far in to the primary side. They can get sticky so a few moments with some clutch cleaner is worth the effort.

The original clutch actuator can be seen here, it’s held in place by a spring and the arm return is helped by a coil spring. In the ordinary world it works, is a bit heavy but okay, in an enduro with constant usage it gets tiresome really quickly.

These piddling little bearings are not really up to the job, even with constant lubrication they can stick in their recesses and then all the face cam can do is slide rather than roll.

These 10mm diameter balls used on the Aprilia version are much better and will allow a lighter movement as the actuating arm is longer too. The end where the nipple sits will need a tweak to hold the cable the other way though.

1

4

This bad boy soon shifted the original ramp and allowed the case to accept the backing plate from the Aprilia kit. Once the machinist had finished it was a nice press-fit into the case.

7

And here it is, sitting in place. It was at this point the realisation dawned that the part of the arm which holds the cable nipple wouldn’t be in line, or at least not as nicely in line as it could be.

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2

5

8

Note the tapped boss still in place so the clutch adjuster has the standard amount of thread to screw into for maximum strength.

So, a little modification after a few seconds’ thought, by the talented machinist and welder who did the fancy stuff, while I stood and nodded sagely.

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3

6

9

This did mean the rear of the backing plate needed relieving a little so it could sit flat inside the new recess.

Here it is in place. Yes it works, only slight cloud is the face spring, if anyone knows of a spring stockist with a selection of small springs then please let me know.

12

JOHN DICKINSON

Giving it the works

Legendary works bikes are… well… legendary, but how do they stack up?

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espite being a bit of a Luddite I do occasionally take a break from etching type on wood blocks in order to check out two-wheel stuff on that there interweb. And amongst the reams of total tosh there is actually the occasional snippet that makes you think or puts a grin on your face.

All interweb forums start off promisingly but then rapidly degenerate into same old, same old. The pointless “What’s the best bike?” followed predictably by owners shouting, “Grindlay Peerless (insert your favourite make) is best!” giving no reason, apart from the fact that they own one. Pointless.

And in any case, it isn’t about the bike!

Much fun as it is and satisfying as it can be to fettle and tweak (and throw money at) your comp bike, at the end of the day it is really all down to the rider. As I’ve said before, it was the great sage Martin Lampkin who drily commented to serial compulsive fettler Nigel Birkett: “All this tweaking is all very well Birky, but eventually you just have to get on and ride it!”

And many years ago it was a chance ride on Martin’s bike that proved to me it was indeed ‘all about the rider’.

Back in 1977 and we had just finished the Westmorland club’s Milnthorpe Cup, a cracking single-lap, 40-section event that drew Yorkshire aces across the border – Martin and Sid Lampkin, Malcolm Rathmell, Blackie Holden, Ray Sayer and many more.

Younger readers may be surprised to learn that back then everyone rode the same sections, national winners and novices alike, which was how riders like Martin lost around six marks and riders like me around 10

Who is John Dickinson?

John Dickinson has been in, on and around the off-road scene for years. Trained as a mechanic, he spent some time in the motorcycle industry before finding his way into journalism. Thanks to his editorship of a certain weekly paper, he’s well known in the world of trials, enduro and scrambles. Oh, and he can ride a bit.

times that – if we were lucky!

To be honest, to me, that was the whole point of riding those events – you got to ride the very same trial as a world and British champion. What did it matter how many marks you lost? It certainly wasn’t about pot-hunting!

Anyway, after the trial Martin wanted a go on Birks’ factory 325 Suzuki and his Bultaco was leaning against a drystone wall. I hardly dare ask but managed to say: “Could I possibly have a go?”

“Help yourself!” said Martin.

This was it, clearly being held back by my bog standard 250 Beamish Suzuki, my talent deserved much better machinery and now, armed with a works Bultaco, I’d clean that tricky, slick, rocky climb through the trees.

Oh dear. The short version of the story is that I fared even worse on the Lampkin Bult than on the Beamish. I couldn't understand it. Sorry to say, but the truth is, there was no magic whatsoever in that bike – and my admiration for Martin soared.

It was a sobering lesson, rapidly learned.

Having said that, I’ll tell you another incident that was about the bike! I think.

Birkett was out one day practising on the factory Suzuki, attempting a slippery, nadgery, rocky little climb. Try as he might he couldn’t boss it. In frustration he got on his dad’s 175 Yamaha, which Bill occasionally used for marking out trials like The Lakes Two Day. It had probably stood for months, been dragged out, kicked a few times and off he went. It still had the original nylon Japanese tyres on, probably on road pressures. And guess what, Birks cleaned that section three times in a row!

Still on the bike theme, when the legend that is Mick Andrews was busy winning every Pre-65 event going on his James, there were all kinds of rumours flying round and more than one (clearly envious) rider told me: “Well of course Andrews won, that engine’s more TY Yamaha than Villiers!”

Well, one day not long after this, after Mick had won a round of the old SEBAC Twinshock Champs at Back Cowm, Rochdale, (which I rode on a 240 SWM owned by super photographer Eric Kitchen) I got chance of a ride on the James. Sorry chaps, but I found no magic, just a very well sorted bike that went, steered, handled, suspended and stopped exactly how it should. No better or worse than other well set-up bikes I’ve ridden. The motor was smooth and strong – and that was it.

The Magical bit was Mick!

Aware of all the rumours about the engine doing the never ending rounds, Mick invited me down to Holloway as he was stripping the motor to replace the main bearings. So off I went – and guess what, inside it was all pretty much standard Villiers, just as I suspected after having ridden it just after a winning ride. No Yam crank, no six-speed gearbox...sorry chaps.

The James was of course just a really well prepped bike, ridden by a master.

Having said all that, there have been plenty of clever, trick, bikes down the years but unless they happen to have a suitably talented rider behind the tiller it is all ultimately a waste. And I should know, having been the first person in the world – the whole world – not to win a trial when mounted on the ground-breaking TY250 Yam mono... but that’s another story....

“

…The James was of course just a really well prepped bike, ridden by a master. Having said all that, there have been plenty of clever, trick, bikes down the years…

”

John Dickinson

53

Sporting action 54

Local lad Ian Cheetham looks a bit determined.

Kia Twinshock Series Round 2

Castleside Trials Club Words and pics: Tim Britton and Fiona Watson

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here’s a bit of personal involvement in this event as the Castleside Trials Club is ‘my’ club... and if I’d not ridden this one there would have been raised eyebrows from the committee.

The Kia series is a popular one for people of my age group and tends to feature the bikes we rode in the Seventies in sections which reflect that time. I suppose it’s rather like the pre65 trials scene was for those who rode in the Fifties and Sixties.

So, traditional Seventies trials bikes on a course I for one have been riding on since those days. Unlike the smaller courses forced on organisers by the spread of the urban sprawl and the motorway infrastructure, this particular course at Lambshield near Edmundbyers has survived and is pretty much as it has been for long before I rode on it.

Out and about Much more classic, twinshock and Evo sport happens all over the world than we could possibly fit into CDB even if we were a weekly publication… so… our sporting section is pretty much a flavour of what’s out there rather than all that’s out there. We love to hear all about your events too, mainly because while we can’t get everywhere it doesn’t hurt to find out where we should be heading.

Approximately 11 miles round, it is typical North East Centre terrain of moorland and rocky streams, with the occasional hill climb thrown in for good measure.

One thing not quite traditional at this event was the weather… it was brilliant sunshine and almost warm for March… those of us familiar with the area were impressed with the way the Kia lads had fetched the fine

weather as normally it is ‘less fine’.

As well as traditional bikes and sections the traditional way of marking is in favour here – that of ‘maintain forward motion’.

This is a much more sensible method for trials than the super trick ‘X-treme’ arena influenced marking. Think we’re off the mark?

Have a look at the full entry lists of trials using such marking.

Trevor Willans lost 41 on his way to 10th in the twinshock expert class.

Gary Younghusband topped the Historic expert class on a superb 340 Bultaco.

Results (winners only) Class 1 Colin Ward – Yamaha 0 Class 2 Gary Younghusband – Bultaco 18 Class 3 Roman Kyrnyckyt – SWM 15 Class 4 Nigel Scott – Triumph 7 Class 5 Gary Bloodworth – Yamaha 13 Class 6 Gary Daykin – Ossa 8 Class 7 Stephen Robson – Fantic 1 Class 8 Darren Palmer – Trifield 9 Yamaha rider Gary Bloodworth lost 13 to head the clubman mono class.

Roman Kyrnyckyt headed the expert twinshock class on 15.

Colin Ward kept his feet up all day to go clean in the Mono Expert class.

Contacts for the Kia series There are a number of ways to check out the series, there’s the Facebook page of the Twinshock Trials Championship which will be the first port of call in these social media inclined days. After that there’s the series’ web page: www.twinshockchampionship.org.uk where there are links to various organisers and the overall organising team as well as Kia Motors UK which support the whole series – www.kia.co.uk Alan Wright, one of the instigators of the series – the others being Gerry Minshall and Peter Salt – keeps his feet up in section one.

Sporting action 56

Tom Crump flies high on his Jawa.

Red Marley Hill Climb Easter Monday

Great Whitley, Worcestershire Words and pics: Tim Britton and Fiona Watson

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ometimes an event is so simple it takes your breath away… take Red Marley Hill Climb for instance.

There’s a start line, then 400 yards or so away there’s a finish line. Four riders line up at a time, the gate drops and the first two over the finish line go through to the next round. As that cute – other points of view are available – furry creature on UK telly ads is fond of saying “simples!”

And it really is that simple to do. The bit which makes it difficult is it’s up a hill which gets progressively steeper nearer the end... and then gets really steep very quickly at the end... oh, and there are three other riders, none of whom will back off, aiming for the spot where you are. It is a very levelling

experience and just because you’re mounted on a hyper bike which sups methanol like it’s going out of fashion doesn’t mean you’re bound to get through each round.

Take this writer for instance… not noted as a speedster and mounted on a road bike with scrambles tyres on and the lights off – though for 2017 a smart small capacity alloy tank was fitted instead of the huge steel one standard on 650 Triumphs – I actually made the quarter finals one year thanks to a series of flukes and luck. The flukes were to be drawn in a class with only two riders in (yes, I was second but both of us went through), then was drawn against a really fast bloke who hit ‘The Pimple’ – as the top bit is called – at a zillion miles an hour, took off

like a moon probe and landed with his bike in one county and him in another, which let me through. Then next time one lad didn’t make the start and another broke on the line… all of a sudden I was among fast lads wondering how that happened... but that is the beauty of this event, things like that can happen.

Another year I drew really fast guys in each of my first runs and went out after one go.

Yes, there are a few riders who will be vying for the win, but there are many more, like me, who go along for the ride. We don’t tootle up and we’re keen to do our best but I know the only way I’ll win is if everyone else drops out, but it doesn’t stop me, or those like me from lining up… concentrating on that gate and grabbing a handful of throttle when it drops.

57

What do you need?

Well, the regs say a pre 1971 motorcycle... or of a type made before 1971. This odd cut-off date is to coincide with the last time the event was run as a modern event – these days it’s a classic one. The bike really should have some off-road equipment on, which has come to mean scrambles trim... though grass bikes are capable of winning. There’s even been a scooter taken up and he didn’t disgrace himself either. This year there were a bunch of Harley riders on Sixties desert racing models all having a go, and there’s more than the odd rider who does what I do and whips the road tyres off and puts scrambles tyres on a road bike to have a go. So there you are, fancy a go?

It’s always on Easter Monday.

Just how steep the hill is can be seen from this great shot.

Also pictured in the superclass and doing quite well as usual is Tim Dallaway. The Beezer rider is superbly fast.

Ooops, we’ve all been there and no, we’re not going to say it was Rob Silver from Tenbury Wells.

Regular fast lad at the event, Tim Manton – down as being on a Jawa Wasp but that looks like a Beezer primary case (just move your leg so we can see, Tim) in the Superclass.

At the end of the Superclass finals the riders turn round and ride down the hill, Tom Crump is in front, Tim Dallaway is behind while 329 is Jim Shand.

Sporting action 58

Edinburgh’s Gavin Robertson gets his weight well up front on his 490 Maico.

Scottish Classic

GRAND NATIONA AL Words: Tim Britton Pics: Fiona Watson

July 15/16, 2017 – Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries and Galloway

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ord going round the paddock at the Scottish Grand National MX was along the lines of “w what a fantastic setting…” and it certainly was a great place to hold a scramble. Laid out by the Scottish Classic Racing Motorcycle Club’s scrambles section, the track was not particularly technical but provided lots of close racing with few spills and a great weekend for competitors and spectators alike.

CDB only managed one day – Sunday – which was fine, warm and sunny, though apparently Saturday had some interesting weather. In any case, the track was in prime condition thanks to the rain, with more than one rider saying how dusty it would have been otherwise.

Riders from several European countries such as Belgium, France and Eire, plus a

few coming further afield from the USA and Australia, joined a full contingent of Scottish and English riders. On hand to mingle, mix and present an award or two at the end was former world MX champion Graham Noyce.

The racing was split up into popular classes of pre-68 unlimited, pre-75 unlimited, twinshock 60+ chancers, twinshock over 50s, twinshock under 50s and a couple of team races.

Once the last rider of a race crossed the line, the next race was on the grid waiting for starter Darren Hudson to drop the gates. What followed when he did was either 10 or 12 minutes plus one lap of racing and the difference being dependent on the particular class.

Though the faster riders in each race soon pulled away from the pack that didn’t mean the racing was any less competitive further down the field as there was as much action in 10th place as there was for first.

In the end, the last race And they’re off… the gate drops on the Pre-75 unlimited race.

59 Left: For some reason, Eoin Munro’s Beezer coughed on the apex of this tight turn…

Below: …and the lad had to do the ‘dismount dance’ pretty sharpish – luckily he was back up in a second or three.

Ian Robertson shouting: “Where’s your Can-Am?” Safely in the shed, these lads were too fast for me!

Above: A bit of bunching in an early corner.

Right: All the way up from Bolton, Michael Smith has the wire tight on his 490 Maico.

Drumlanrig Castle Being hosts to the Scottish Classic Racing Motorcycle Club’s Scottish Classic Grand National MX was an entirely new direction for Drumlanrig Castle and Country Estates, so to find their view on the event CDB caught up with Richard Clarke who is the Countryside Ranger for the estate.

We asked Richard, who is also a keen mountain biker, for the official view of how the event went: “I’d say it was a success, certainly from the point of view of the castle and estate,” he said. “From what I’ve seen, this scramble looked to be well organised and well run with the bonus of attracting a lot of not only motorsports fans but the general public too, it’s given those visiting the castle something else to see and we look forward to next year.”

Richard added the scramble was now part of the many events and attractions at Drumlanrig which also include the gardens, an adventure playground, the house itself, walking and mountain bike trails.

Well worth a visit, for more information see www.drumlanrigcastle.co.uk.

Sporting action 60

Team JAP: (left-right) Cecil Pearson, Harry Stitt, James Thompson, Adrian Lappin and John Griffiths, with Graham Noyce.

Peter Hollinshead was going really well on his 650 BSA until the ‘handlebar incident’ slowed him a bit…

was run, the last riders finished and cleaned up ready for the presentation of awards hosted and compered by Rob Kinsey. Rob had been on hand all weekend, keeping up a superb commentary for each race as he imparted snippets of information about each rider.

With the presentation over, riders left to make their way home, either by a long drive or a shortish drive to a ferry for Cecil Pearson’s JAP team, and all the talk was about next year at Drumlanrig, see you there.  …the throttle side snapped off and the clutch side fractured. Thankfully Peter wasn’t landing from a jump.

61

’CROSS WORDS

YOUNG GUNS Having some fun

PART ONE

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he schoolboy movement of the late Sixties revolutionised the sport of motocross and a few years down the line would produce world champions in Graham Noyce, Neil Hudson and Dave Thorpe. But long before these superstars materialised, tearaway teenagers had been making their mark in the sport, much to the annoyance of the established stars of the day.

One such youngster was future double world champion, Jeff Smith. Having made his mark as a trials rider and captured the first of two ACU Stars in 1953 at the age of 18, the precocious teen turned to scrambling, winning the Dutch GP in 1954 and taking both the supporting races at the British GP the same year; his father wouldn’t let him race in the GP as he thought it was too dangerous.

More surprises were in store the following season, as he won the prestigious Experts GN, beating his illustrious BSA team-mates Brian Stonebridge and John Avery and days after his 20th birthday, won the Lancashire Grand National, toughest scramble of them all, beating the likes of Geoff Ward, at the time a double ACU Scrambles’ Star winner, and BSA team-mates Terry Cheshire and David Tye. Jeff went on to reach the very pinnacle of the sport, but was only a few days short of his 30th birthday by the time he was crowned world champion. Like a good wine he matured with age.

Within a few years Jeff, in turn, would find himself challenged by younger riders such as Greeves’ star in the making, Dave Bickers, and Vic Eastwood, a deceptively strong rider who handled his 500 Matchless with great aplomb.

Who is Ian Berry?

Ian Berry is an East Anglian former trials rider who cites his best result as Best Novice in the Beggars Roost trial in 1976. He has a passion for scrambling and MX. A noted author on scrambling with a couple of books and loads of articles under his belt, Ian teaches English in Portugal.

Think youth is a new thing? Think again…

Bickers would achieve greatness at a tender age; just 22 years old when he won the first of his two 250cc European championships and Eastwood, who was dealt so much bad luck in a long career, emerged as the strongest challenger to Smith’s domination in the 500 class, winning ACU Star races on the heavy, outmoded Matchless, before joining BSA in 1965.

In 1967, Vic came very close to winning his first GP, an honour he experienced the following year when he famously won the British GP at Farleigh Castle, on a Husqvarna, in spite of a rear wheel puncture. Sadly, that winter an horrendous crash in a TV meeting at an icebound Hawkstone Park, effectively curtailed his career. He came back strong, but most who had seen him race in 1968 agree that he was never quite the same rider again.

Another rider who came good as a teen was Bryan Goss. Mentored by grasstrack ace Lew Coffin, ‘Badger’ was a prolific winner, especially on his home patch in the SouthWest, where on his lightweight two-strokes he took on the Sharp brothers, Triss and Bryan, and the Rickmans, Don and Derek, all on full-500s. Early successes attracted Cotton, who supplied his first factory machine, but he was then snapped up by Greeves, joining the likes of Bickers and Alan Clough. Though he challenged for 250 honours for several years, ironically his British championship success came in 1970 on a 400 Husqvarna, when he was crowned champion just a few days short of his 30th birthday.

In the mid-1960s a new crop of very talented riders emerged, led by the likes of

John Banks, Malcolm Davis and Bryan Wade, all multiple British champions. Banks won a factory ride with Dot as a teenager and enjoyed 250 GP experience travelling with Bickers and Dot team-mate John Griffiths. But he matured into a champion in his mid-20s and came within a point of being world champion on his BSA in 1968. Davis and Wade were great rivals for 250 titles in the late 1960s and their contrasting styles, Davis a silky-smooth rider and Wade ragged and frequently pushing beyond the limit (tagged ‘Wild’ by Murray Walker), entertained spectators with each rider having his band of loyal fans.

But as mentioned in my opening paragraph, a new training ground for future stars was taking shape as the Sixties drew to a close.

Schoolboy Scrambling Clubs were being established across the land and by the early Seventies a national championship had been established. Amongst the earliest success in this new venture was Geoff Mayes, brother of 1966 250cc British champion, Freddie, himself a very early starter. Senior Schoolboy champion in 1970, he may not have scaled the heady heights of Noyce, Hudson and Thorpe as an adult, but improved steadily enough to emulate his brother when he became British champion in 1980.

So, by the mid-1970s the British motocross scene appeared to be in a very healthy state and there was great hope that one of the graduates from the schoolboy ranks would fill the void left by Jeff Smith and Dave Bickers.

We all know how that panned out, but I’ll pick up on that again next time.

To be continued …

“

…taking both the supporting races at the British GP the same year; his father wouldn’t let him race in the GP as he thought it was too dangerous…

”

Ian Berry

Sporting action 62

Highland ClaEdsitisonic Two-day Honda

It’s okay just having a trial with a decent course and a great atmosphere, but the interest goes up if there’s a theme to it...

Words and Pics: Alan Telford Media Ltd

Yrjo Vesterinen is a regular at Alvie, the former world trials champ enjoys this trial.

Trial partners The Inverness & DMC Ltd would like to acknowledge and thank their partners in this event: Classic Trial magazine, Putoline Motorcycle Oils and Apico Factory Racing.

Fresh from his success in the Pre-65 Scottish, Gary Macdonald can now add the Highland Classic Two-Day to his ‘won’ list.

Riders gather for the off on day two.

Jock Stuart was riding well on his YamScot Yamaha.

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he idea of a themed event isn’t a new one, but it is a credit to the organisers and the Inverness and DMC Ltd that they pull out all the stops and have such notable guests at The Highland Classic Two-Day Trial.

This year’s Honda Edition boasted guest of honour Rob Shepherd (1977 British trials champion) as the latest in a line of guests who have made their mark in the feet-up world.

Rob wasn’t the only Honda star at the event in June either, as there were four other notables in the Honda trials world – okay three of them were mechanical and from the Honda collection of French super enthusiast Jean Caillou – the remaining Honda star was Nick Jefferies.

Both Nick and Rob were down to ride but a knee injury kept Rob off the 250 Honda built for him by Nigel Land at TLR Transformations.

Luckily, there were a number of Hondas in the event and proving his machines are built to go, not show, Jean Caillou was riding one of the works machines he’d brought along.

Hot on the wheels of the Honda Edition came news of the Montesa Edition for 2018, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first production Montesa Cota…

Meanwhile, enjoy our selection of photos from the 2017 trial. 

Javier Cruz is one of the overseas riders who enjoy the trip to the Highlands, this time he is Honda-mounted.

Leo Salvadori accepted his dad Paul’s offer to ride his Ariel.

If the event is Edition Honda, the guest of honour is a former Honda works rider, then a works Honda ought to be ridden...

Jean Caillou has a such a Honda... or three.

Nick Jefferies (left) and guest Rob Shepherd were both Honda team riders in the Seventies.

Prize time: Rob Shepherd congratulates Gary Macdonald on his win.

Sporting action 64

Alan Lampkin somehow managed to wrest the microphone away from Trials Guru John Moffat (centre), while Alan’s son James seems to be concentrating on the trial ahead.

Bultaco Revival Nostalgia Trial A Words: Tim Britton Pics: Fiona Watson

casual comment led to a large part of the 1970s and 1980s Bultaco works trials team assembling near Kendal for the Westmorland Club’s special trial, to celebrate not only the marque but to raise funds for Cancer Care. Trials fans from the Seventies won’t need to be reminded that Martin – youngest of the three Lampkin brothers – was the first official world trials champion in 1975, nor will they need reminding the legend was lost to the world when he succumbed to cancer last year.

Westmorland Motor Club assembled a number of notables from Bultaco – flying them in from Spain, France, Yorkshire and Lancashire to celebrate in the summer sunshine. Such stars included Oriol Bulto who had the task of marshalling his young charges on various works teams in the factory’s heyday and still seemed to be doing the same in 2017.

In a bid to raise funds for cancer research and care, James Lampkin rode his dad’s works Bultaco, a sister bike to his uncle Martin’s championship winner.

At the trial, the former factory team members got to grips with a selection of Bultacos supplied and prepped by Yrjo Vesterinen. So, enjoy our pictorial of the day and let us know if you were there. 

CDB went to Westmorland Motor Club’s Bultaco Nostalgia Trial on June 17, 2017… we weren’t the only ones there either.

Most original category winner was Chris Gascoigne’s radial head Sherpa. It works too, as Chris had to haul it out when beset by punctures on his other bike.

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Ignacio Bulto demonstrates some of the skills which took him to the top in the feet-up world… even if later on in the trial he did have a massive ‘off’ on the graded hill climb.

James Lampkin, riding his dad Alan’s bike – a sister model to his uncle Martin’s world championship-winning bike – was competing to raise money for Cancer Care.

Special guests With such a long history of successful competition and loads of national and international titles, is it any wonder Bultaco is remembered fondly around the world? Here, in Cumbria, near Sedbergh, some notable names from the factory came along and Yrjo Vesterinen provided Bultacos for them all to ride. So, from the left are: Jaime Puig, Javier Cucurella, Oriol Bulto, Yrjo Vesterinen, Charles Coutard, Manuel Soler, Alan Lampkin, Dave Thorpe and Ignacio Bulto.

Yrjo Vesterinen’s own development Bultaco – the subject of a feature in CDB some issues ago – is an on-going project.

Manuel Soler attacked the tricky bank section in the middle of the course with determination.

Once a champion, always a champion: Charles Coutard, multi French trials champ, demonstrates his way of cleaning a section.

Sponsors The club would like to thank a number of people for support on the day, in particular Ian Bradley at Coniston Brewery as main trial sponsor – and provider of a bottle of beer at the end of the trial; Eric Kitchen who raided his photography archive for images relating to Bultaco; and all the special guests. Roll on next year.

People 66 The champ in action defending his title.

The

Superswede Words and pics: Nick Haskell

Hakan Carlqvist

Fiery, impetuous, dedicated, determined, relaxed and fun are all words used to describe the late Hakan Carlqvist.

67 To prove a point, Carla bought a production Kawasaki and started winning again.

Hakan Carlqvist leads Andre Malherbe at Namur in 1983.

Indoor, outdoor, made little difference to Hakan, here he is at Amsterdam Stadium.

There are few things more satisfying for a super competitor like Carla than to take the chequered flag as he did here at Farleigh Castle in 1983.

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he world of motocross was saddened to learn of the sudden passing of former double world MX champion Hakan Carlqvist at the beginning of July. According to reports, ‘Carla’ suffered a stroke at his home in the South of France and died two days later.

The term legend really doesn’t go far enough to describe this giant of a man, a tenacious competitor who overcame such adversity, as injury after injury plagued him throughout his motocross career. Never one to allow such minor things to deter him from giving his utmost, he ignored the pain and went on to beat the world’s best to claim two world championship crowns.

Carla hailed from the Järfälla Municipality near Stockholm and was always a keen

sportsman who didn’t actually start racing motocross until he was 17. His first successes came in the world of football and ice hockey and these could easily have been his career rather than MX. Despite this comparatively late start compared to his contemporaries, Carlqvist’s steely determination saw him claim victory in his first race and qualify into the top ten in the Swedish national championships within three years. Such early successes caught the eye of the Husqvarna factory and in 1977 a works ride came his way. However, whilst competing at the Belgian GP in that same year he suffered a serious knee injury which threatened to end his relatively short career. This injury would plague him for the rest of his career and he was told by doctors

it would be best to stop racing completely or risk being in a wheelchair by the time he was 50.

That, however, was never an option for Hakan and he made plans for his comeback during his six months’ recovery period.

With such a lengthy lay off, Husqvarna withdrew their factory support, so once back racing Carla’s only option was to acquire production Husqvarnas and spares to make his comeback.

Those who knew him weren’t surprised that his comeback was successful and following an impressive 1978 season Carla was again recruited into the factory Husqvarna ranks for 1979. He repaid the renewed support in great style in the 250cc class where he dominated the field to clinch

People 68

On the learning curve in France during 1982.

69 The Hants Grand National was not a good race meet for the Swede.

Happy man, looks like a win then.

Grabbing the hole-shot at Luxembourg in 1981... a clear field in front.

the quarter-litre title very convincingly.

This victory caught the eye of the Japanese Yamaha factory, looking to replace their Finnish champion Heikki Mikkola who was intending to retire. Carlqvist was approached, a deal agreed, which enabled Carla to fulfil a long held ambition to switch to the more prestigious 500cc championship. With talent such as Englishman Graham Noyce and Belgian Andre Malherbe on factory Hondas, plus American Brad Lackey on works Kawasakis, Carlqvist would not have an easy time in the Blue Ribband class. But typically and despite having to acclimatise to his new mount, plus a couple of DNFs, Carla proved up to the task and finished the season in

third spot behind the epic and often bad tempered Malherbe/Lackey battle.

Carla repeated this feat the following season, claiming another third spot with four GP victories. But the 1982 season was marred by injury, although he bounced back with a double victory at the final round at Ettlebruck in Luxembourg. What would turn out to be his championship year didn’t exactly start well as in the opening race of the 1983 season at Payerne in Switzerland, Carlqvist managed a fourth and a DNF. The world took its eyes off the Swede and concentrated on others, however, he bounced back with victory on the steep hillside circuit at the following round at Sittendorf in Austria.

Against the might of a formidable Honda factory team and on vastly inferior machinery, Carla dug deep to claim further GP victories at his home round in Sweden as well as Italy, UK, Belgium and San Marino.

Going into the final round at St Anthonis in Holland, Carla held a healthy 17-point advantage over Malherbe. Watched by thousands of his home fans, Carla trailed home in sixth spot in the opening leg, two places behind his rival, as Britain’s Graham Noyce took the opening race win.

With a 14-point cushion going into the final race of the year, Carla only had to keep his head to take his first premiership crown.

Malherbe produced what was necessary by taking the win but King Carla nursed his ailing Yamaha home to fourth spot to secure the crown. Mobbed by thousands of Swedish fans as he crossed the finish line, the big Swede was hoisted aloft.

All looked well for the defence of his title in 1984, unfortunately a badly broken wrist incurred at the infamous Hants Grand International at Hamer Warren at the beginning of the season denied Carla the chance of defending his crown.

A run of injuries over the next couple of seasons meant works support was withdrawn

by Yamaha at the end of the 1986 season.

Carla felt he was not finished with racing yet and had much more to give, so, at the age of 32 he switched to a production Kawasaki, a machine he found much more forgiving than his Yamaha. If confirmation of this was needed it came in the form of two race wins in the 1987 season on a production machine.

However, most MX fans will agree it is his 1988 season exploits which confirm him as a legendary MXer. Picture the scene, Namur’s Citadel MX track – one of the great GP

People 70

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt... Sorry, couldn't resist!

circuits of the world – success here stamps a rider’s authority on the MX world… Hakan Carlqvist had already won the first of two motos and had a 50 second lead – to put that into perspective imagine how far you can go on foot in 50 seconds; in the second moto, the crowd were sensing something special, when the Swede pulled to the side of the track… right next to the Chalet du Monument café at the bottom of the circuit… a bottle of beer was acquired, Carla swigged it down, calmly kicked his bike into life and sped off to win the final moto! The crowd’s reaction – they went wild!

This stunning display of calm mastery has gone down in the annals of MX alongside the ‘Jobe Double’ when Georges Jobe cleared a double jump at Hawkstone Park in 1984.

Neither motorcycling nor injury was finished with Hakan Carlqvist after his race career ended, as another accident whilst testing a Husaberg for Swedish TV in 1997 sidelined him with a broken pelvis. Another accident whilst working on a roof saw him slip off and fall into an empty swimming pool. There is a limit to what a body can take though and this was all too much for even a giant of a man such as Carlqvist.

When added to the multiple injuries he suffered during his MX career he needed medication and strong painkillers to help.

In his latter years, Carla shunned the public eye and became a virtual recluse, opting to stay at his secluded home in the South of France.

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have met the man and covered the world motocross GPs during that period when he was at the top. There are some images of him which will remain with those that saw them forever, for instance seeing him hanging

At the Citadel, Namur... a sadly missed track.

1978 was a comeback year for Carla... injured in 1977, his performance in 1978 ensured a team place for 1979 and he was world 250 champ.

upside down by his ankles in his awning between races was eye-opening, as was his partying after a GP. The stories of him digging a hole to bury his new Yamaha at a test and stepping off his bike at speed and sending it crashing it into his awning were all indications of the man’s fiery temperament and his ultimate desire to be the best. Yet with his helmet off he was relaxed and fun to be around.

His work ethic was inspirational and second to none as Kenth Ohlin of Ohlins Racing is quoted as saying of Carlqvist:

The championship was to come... first meet at Sittendorf.

“without him possibly Ohlins would not be as well known today as they are”. He further added that in Hakan they had a top racer who was keen to help develop new technology and was dedicated to testing the results no matter what the conditions.

Carlqvist himself dismissed his injuries and always gave 100%. His attitude being: “If it’s not going well, try harder, never give up.”

Our sympathy goes out to long term partner Anneli. Goodnight and God bless champ and thanks for the memories. 

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Letters 72

The winner of Star Letter will receive a prize from the Bel Ray catalogue

DirtTalk

Write to us at: ClassicDIRTbike, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ. CDBeditor@mortons.co.uk

Professionals

I have contacted Classic Dirt Bike before, asking you to do a feature on the PE-175 T and X which since then you have.

This is another Suzuki question of sort: a couple of times I have seen the same rerun of The Professionals, in which Bodie (Lewis Collins) has a run-in with some bikers.

Cumulating in Doyle (Martin Shaw) racing some bloke called King Billy on a crosser track on a RM 125 or 250N, I think it’s an N model anyway. What I’m wondering is: do you reckon that RM still exists? It looks like it was a brand new bike in the episode. I think it would be great if it still exists, I wonder how you would go about finding out.

Paul Weddle Gateshead

Sandiford’s ISDT Cheney I enjoyed the piece on Jim Sandiford’s Cheney, but a couple of things stood out as odd.

The bike has been rebuilt as per 1971 – Isle of Man – spec, so why has it got the 1970 (when the ISDT was in Spain) – number on it?

There were a number of changes, the most visible being the change of the original red anodised tanks and the front forks. Neither of those parts were really up to the job.

I cannot be absolutely sure but I think the pre-event trip to the Welsh Two-Day was canned for some reason and the bikes were introduced to the assembled press outside the Atomic Weapons complex in Berkshire. (Bottom pic ) They then did an enduro with written route instructions organised by the Aldermaston Nomads Club.

The top photo was taken after the end of the speed test at the ISDT in Spain. I have more photos from both years to add if needed.

Brian Catt Email Thanks for this Brian, the bike was restored to the spec it came, maybe there were some slight differences but it is a stunning bike.

TB

Montesa Cota I read the last Classic Dirt Bike and liked the short story about the Montesa Cota 310, also as the bike had quite a unique colour scheme. Thank you very much for showing up with that interesting bike.

I would love to see more tests and articles about air-cooled monos as these are, in my opinion, now classic bikes in every aspect too.

I also like the bikes most if they still are used, in good serviced shape but still original as much as possible from the paint of the frame to the plastics and stickers. Of course time takes its toll to all materials and mechanical items, so with further usage parts like chains, pistons, tyres and so on have to be replaced, also repairs have to be done and adjustments to the individual rider's style are needed, but the rest should be as original as possible also to give future generations the same driving experience as when the bike was new.

Patrik Beckmann Email Patrik, we did do a series of features on air-cooled monos, starting in issue 21 with an overview of six bikes, then the following six issues took a detailed look at each bike. We had a Yamaha, a Beta TR34 similar to yours in your pic, an RTL Honda, a Fantic and two GasGas. Happy to do more of course… what do others think? TB

CDB letters pages, sponsored by Bel Ray

Sideways on

Just a quick email to congratulate you on the Broadslide publication, a very good volume of work. Covering personal and technical articles, Broadslide should become part of every Speedway fan’s magazine collection.

Thanks too for the article on our WSRA (World Speedway Riders’ Association) National Speedway Museum at Paradise Wildlife Park, very well done and let’s hope that it will encourage some more visitors to come along as it is the only pure speedway museum open to the public all year round.

There are many other museums and private collections which feature speedway but they usually feature other motorcycles too or they are not accessible to the general public.

Lots of interesting photographs in the four-page article on the museum, plus Eric Boocock’s two-valve Jawa, but you missed my last 4-valve Jawa, tartan TT Leathers and various tartan-painted Bell helmets but that’s okay, you did a good job of bringing the museum to life.

You may already be aware that next year, February 2018, will be the 90th anniversary of when speedway, (or dirt track racing as it was then called) began at High Beech in Epping Forest, not far from where our museum is situated.

Every February, we have the annual, “Celebration of Speedway” exhibition at Paradise Wildlife Park to mark the occasion and this year, we had over 1,500 people attending on the Sunday. We use the car park for booths with bikes, leathers, memorabilia and some speedway teams come along to promote their new season.

The museum is open (obviously!) and we also have the big events marquee where we have stalls selling old programmes, photos, books, DVDs, etc and we have a stage for rider interviews throughout the day.

There is also a pit area outside and on the hour, every hour, we start up some of the older unsilenced Douglas, Rudge and Jap machines and that wonderful smell of Castrol ‘R’ fills the air.

Next year, being the 90th anniversary, we are working on some ideas to try to make the event even more special, so if you put the date, Sunday, February 18, 2018 in your diary, you may want to come along and enjoy the day.

Bert Harkins WSRA Committee Member.

Former WSRA President Former International Rider and…….

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Former Sole UK Importer for Scott Goggles and Acerbis (Italy) Plastics!

(End of Personal Plugs!)

Email Praise indeed Bert, thank you for the compliments on Broadslide. I hope to get along to the 90th anniversary celebrations, though the speedway event often clashes with the Classic Dirt Bike Show at Telford.

TB

Lampkin Beezer I read with interest your article on yet another works BSA – Mart’s Beesa. It is very important (to me at least) that as many details as possible are gleaned at this time as the witnesses are fast disappearing.

A few observations if I may – the first is that both this and Sid’s bike are derived from the BSA Victor GP as opposed to the production C15T which used the heavier frame of the Victor Enduro amongst others.

To make it more suitable for trials, the wheelbase is shortened by fitting the swinging arm from the Enduro/C15T/Victor Special etc, which is an inch shorter than the GP and by putting an extra degree or two into the top yoke. You can see the rake on the very first big picture – daylight at top yoke greater than bottom. Also you will note the chainguard is fixed to the welded-on boss on the swinging arm.

The picture of the three brothers is very revealing as it shows the painted (yellow) GP tank complete with bung on Sid’s bike – I think Mart’s one was also yellow in this picture; it might have been painted white later, and it would have had the tank with the bung – they have done away with the airbox (too heavy) and use a bit of fabric to shield the air filter and electrics

from the mud. The works engines all had a distinctive points cover turned from a lump of alloy – this is a bit of a secret to distinguish works bits – both Sid’s and Martin’s bikes had them.

Works bikes tended to have nickel-plated frames – both do – the plating bath was right next to the comp shop.

The forks are interesting as they are bolt-up end caps and are chrome-plated – again a works thing – I don't know the origin of the forks but they are longer than production items.

You show a picture of the bulb horn situated adjacent to the seat loop of the GP frame – unused for the trials seat as they were attempting to keep the seat lower – this loop was cut off the works scrambles bikes in 1967.

Both hubs would be Bantam – being so much lighter than others.

I would say that Martin’s bike was as much a works bike as any other – it has bits only available from the comps department and it would have been difficult to get hold of a GP frame at that time. At around this time, perhaps a little later, Scott Ellis had a GP framed C15 – it would eventually transmogrify into the Otter.

Some bikes were fitted with a scrambles

cam, which made it a bit lively to ride – hence you usually saw the works BSAs take sections at speed!

The frame shows signs of someone adding brackets for bits and pieces and the ignition system would have been energy transfer – which the works mechanics took a lot of trouble to set up and which did work, so I am told.

Thank you for a very interesting article.

Mike Wadsworth Email Hi Mike, the problem all magazine editors have – and we’ve discussed this before – is space. For bikes such as the Lampkins’ BSAs I could easily have filled the magazine with information. Thanks for solving a few queries as well, perhaps we ought to do a definitive Victor piece too…

TB

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75 Pretty much a last gasp for Triumph, certainly for the 500s at least, but what a great looking bike.

On the

Trophy trail On the face of it, there are some bikes which shouldn’t work – wrong bits, too old fashioned – yet despite such odds they do work.

T

hose of us who were youngsters in the early Seventies and reading the motorcycle press of the day had absorbed everything about the ISDT, the long distance trials where Triumph had exceeded all expectations and produced winners. We had focussed on such motorcycles as the TR5, the Trophy 500, we knew all about the wartime legend of the square barrel over the later round barrel, how could we not, it was written down in front of us.

We knew the ISDT was the ultimate test of motorcycle and rider and that the competition departments of not only Meriden were focussed on success in this demanding theatre of skill and determination. We knew the motorcycles needed for this ultimate test would be superb in every respect… if only they would produce them in huge numbers then the industry would rise again.

Some of us aspired to the skills the ISDT riders demonstrated, from their calm riding styles keeping them on time, to tyre changes in less than four minutes – this, we thought, was the way forward. We ached to be there on Triumph twins, couldn’t wait to be involved; but perhaps we were naive as these team motorcycles were never production bikes in the true sense. Yes, they were bikes that had begun as production-based machines but after being hauled from the production line they were looked over very carefully. Then a few mods here and there to make them more suitable for purpose and so it went on. At least it went on until the industry all but died and cost cutting came in, gone were the base models these machines were culled from.

You see what we dirt mad youngsters didn’t appreciate was such off-road bikes were small potatoes compared to the road

Words and pics Tim Britton

market and what the factory hierarchy in place didn’t realise was motorcycles had become leisure. Gone was the need for daily transport as a necessity, those who rode a motorcycle to work did so because they chose to do so, not because they couldn’t afford a car. Perhaps that was the realisation which dawned on the factory hierarchy after ending production of the high piped T100; maybe, maybe not, but it is a plausible explanation.

Arguably, considering the dual purpose background both Triumph and their owners BSA had, it is inconceivable both ended up at a point in the Seventies with no machine in the range to service the growing trail bike need in the USA. However, I wasn’t there in those boardrooms where things were discussed and to me it seems the obvious thing is to spot a need and fulfil it but I

Trophy trail 76 As standard, the Trophy Trail would come with indicators but a lot of owners would remove them as they’re quite vulnerable.

suppose by then the industry was peopled with those who found concept meetings, focus groups and think-tanks to be important rather than just asking those who might know.

One person who might have known was Bill Baird the multi-enduro champion in the USA who favoured Triumphs to the end of his career. Bill’s fame as an enduro rider and the fact he was seen on remarkably standard looking Triumphs probably helped no end in the task of selling dirt bikes. In those days, Triumph’s 500cc range was based on the unit construction package and while there might have been a few detail differences, the frame, forks, yokes and engine were the same.

Inside the engine specification could and did vary depending on what use the model would be put to, but aside from that a roadgoing 500 and a competition 500 are not a mile apart. Then it all ended as the smaller range was discontinued or reduced and effectively became the Daytona road bike.

By the early Seventies, the British industry had to all intents and purposes gone, there were no vast works supported competition teams – even if there had been for the offroaders at least there was little for them to ride. But there was still interest in selling motorcycles and more importantly maybe the realisation the British bikes had had their high performance day, so maybe a gentle dual purpose machine would be of interest.

With Triumph’s flexible engine, BSA’s chassis design available, there didn’t seem any reason not to put the two together and see if a few couldn’t be shifted.

Though the new Trophy Trail and later Adventurer were unlikely to be huge sellers at that stage in the industry, any sales would be welcome. BSA’s remaining works riders were drafted in to test the prototype, even the Army in the guise of Sergeant George Webb, did their bit and the result was a decent machine. John Nutting got hold of one for a

With a multitude of cams, valves, pistons, gears and carburettors available to select from, Triumph’s unit 500 could be built in any spec from hot racer to flexible off-roader.

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Made in England… maybe… but proved in the USA ISDT 1973.

The effects of vibration were at least being admitted and some attempt to flexibly mount the headlight was appreciated...

This particular Trophy Trail Ordinarily, in such a test feature as this, we’d be describing how a conscientious owner painstakingly rebuilt the motorcycle in the feature with a mixture of dedication, hard work, a few talented service suppliers and is now enjoying the fruits of those labours. Except, Bryn Richards, the owner, bought the bike pretty much as is and has only had to tidy it up a little. “I got it because I like them, they’re a great looking bike I think,” says the MAN truck dealer and former enduro rider.

while and found it to be a pleasant machine, but not really one to ride at higher speeds on the road; but for green lanes, back roads and that sort of thing then this could well have been the bike to go for. With the frame bearing oil and based on BSA’s MX bikes, handling was classed as lively and its styling a curious mix of Sixties and the decade style forgot… sorry, the Seventies I mean. With an engine profile conceived in the Fifties and without the resources of the new factories

on the block to redesign the power base, anything heading out of Meriden in those days was always going to look dated in the Seventies. That said, as Eric Cheney proved, there was no reason why an updated chassis shouldn’t house an older motor and do well.

So the Trophy Trail, or TR5T or Adventurer, all largely the same motorcycle and with a lot of road equipment fitted, was hoped to do well in the USA where vast tracts of land were still open to ride on. The machine was expected

…as it was for the instruments too.

No mistaking the model is there?

Trophy trail 78 Exhaust system could perhaps be a bit vulnerable and original systems are rare these days.

Popular misconception “Pah, all they did was stick a Triumph motor in a Beezer frame then stuck a few leftover bits on it to get rid of them before the industry went toes up…” snorted the knowledgeable.

Hmmm yes, the frame on the Adventurer/Trophy Trail is similar to the BSA B50 OIF version, but it’s not exactly the same, as a Triumph motor won’t quite slip into the BSA frame without a little relieving of the front casting. Whatever the reason for marrying the Triumph engine to the BSA frame – and it had been tried in the Sixties – the package worked.

Girling oil damped rear units were soon to be outclassed in the Seventies, big alloy rear hub worked okay but for the ISDT Triumph used the BSA qd type.

to be a great one for fire trails rather than serious off-road work where it was felt to be in need of a firm and bold hand if anything like difficult terrain was to be encountered.

The MotorCycle’s tester in 1972 found the Adventurer would perform as well with a pillion as it did solo, nor did it matter all that much if the rider were stood or seated. Criticism was aimed at the brakes and electrics though as hitting the first water splash brought the comment “…after the ford, or indeed after heavy rain, the engine stopped but the brakes wouldn’t…” These points were addressed when a few of the machines were converted into a more serious competition spec for the 1973 ISDT. CDB covered just such a machine in issue 37, when we followed Chris Oliver’s interpretation of the 1973 ISDT team bikes.

What was special about Chris’s bike was he had been in the USA as part of the UK organising team and had first-hand knowledge of those superb machines built from standard

TR5Ts at Duarte in California.

However, that was still to come when The MotorCycle claimed the bike was, at 3cwt on the road, a relatively light machine. Three hundredweight equates to 336lb or 152.4kg and that was supposed to be light… it was still 40lb heavier than the square barrelled Trophy of 1949.

The press praised the more traditional feel of the power delivery while suggesting a theoretical top speed of perhaps 82mph, though hinted the rider’s teeth may have vibrated slack by then. The issue of weight came up again and it is one of those paradoxes where a heavy motorcycle can feel lighter than a light motorcycle depending on the weight distribution. The tester of the day felt the weight to be a minor issue as once on the go it was almost unnoticeable.

Typically of the time though, in an 800 mile test there was praise for minimal oil consumption and surprise at the level of

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Rear light unit is actually massive and also protected from the vibrations produced by the engine.

Topping off the frame was the smartest looking tank to be fitted to a Triumph ever… discuss and let me know your thoughts.

“

...the press praised the traditional power delivery, suggesting a teethslackening theoretical top speed of perhaps 82mph...

”

mechanical noise from the engine. This comment comes on the back of growing noise pollution complaints except ‘noise pollution’ hadn’t been invented. In order to operate with a modicum of consideration for the rest of the planet’s occupants a weird and wonderful pressed steel silencer had been devised. This proved so effective at dealing with exhaust noise that engine clatter could now be heard. Praise too came for the front forks which had benefited from being developed in the scrambles world and smoothed out all bumps with nary a flutter.

With around 2500 official examples of the TR5T in its two main model designations, this machine is fairly rare, even for Triumph and as such commands quite high prices.

However, if you’re prepared to compromise on some details it’s not that difficult to build a replica, or indeed a replica of most ISDTesque Triumphs of the Sixties as most used off-the-shelf components.

Even the bigger Triumphs, such as the 750 range, joined in the off-road fun with the TR7T in 1981. Rather like the TR5T, it was not meant to be a serious dirt bike but an early adventure bike which would cope with the dirt of basic highways and byways of the UK and USA. A shame that time caught up with it and really it ought to have been produced 10 years earlier… to finalise, the Adventurer, Trophy Trail and TR7T have all got their place in the offroad scene as machines becoming so much more than the sum of their parts. 

Pillion rests – or perhaps ‘buddy pegs’ would be a better term – though given the seat dimensions the buddy would have to be really close… and small.

No, it’s not standard but Bryn decided to leave it on anyway as it is useful and a fairly neat attachment.

Triumph had timed breathers worked off the exhaust cam, then someone thought “let’s do away with them, and put a big tube in the primary case…” it works too.

For the Trophy Trail, Triumph used the parent group’s Ceriani-style front fork which also fitted other models in the range, hence the extra bracketry.

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Moto memories 82

Cadwell cracker!

L

incolnshire’s Cadwell Park race circuit is no stranger to close racing, though generally it is on the tarmac circuit. However, there have been a number of top line motocross races held there too. Though our image is of Dot rider Pat Lamper and Greeves man Alan Clough, both of whom put up a decent performance on the 1.1 mile circuit marked out on the infield area, it was to be 20-year-old Belgian Joel Robert’s day as he made his impact on the motocross world.

In a meeting-long tussle with UK’s Dave Bickers, which saw Bickers win the first leg and Robert the second, it was the Belgian who would leave Cadwell on top of the world.

Words Tim Britton Pic Nick Nicholls Collection at Mortons Archive www.mortonsarchive.com jskayman@mortons.co.uk

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