Classic Dirt Bike - Autumn 2020 - Preview

OWN BEFORE AND AFTER – ACTION PRE AND POST-LOCKDOWN ISSUE Fifty six

DIRTbike e CLASSIC

Autumn 2020

#56

GET AHEAD On a super CeeZed

PLUS

KITTED OUT KTM WORKSHOP WISDOM SPORTING ACTION ARCHIVE GEMS

Challenge h ll accepted d

Greeves Challenger

Pure Gold G ld

Bultaco Enduro

Top Tips i

Winners all

N56 2020 US$15.99 Aus$14.99 NZ$18.99 UK£5.50

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IN BALANCE

A fluid situation The fast pace of life in the magazine world.

W

riting a column for your magazine is like any other task – sometimes it goes easily and sometimes not so. We all have those days when whatever we do goes so simply and so fast that it impresses even us, then there’s the flip side of that… Often there is little rhyme or reason as to why what you did easily yesterday and will likely do equally simply tomorrow, is, for today, akin to changing a tyre with teaspoons.

I had prepped a list of what I was considering writing about, then, in the space of 24 hours it all went out of the window… for the best of reasons actually.

The pre-planned list was thrown into the scrap bin as the easing of restrictions, imposed to deal with the pandemic, allowed the first trial for a long time up here in the north east – my own club’s Baa Classic at Edmundbyers – to take place.

It was great to get out on a bike again, especially as the lap was a decent 11-mile one. I’d also hoped to touch on the wearing of pandemic face masks and the notices in shops and petrol station requesting motorcyclists to remove full face crash helmets so their faces can be seen… so let’s see, helmet off outside, face mask on?

Hmmm. Nor am I keen on the wearing of face masks while in shops and I suspect anyone else who has been held up at shotgun point by mask-wearing scum will be equally uncomfortable with the idea too.

But no, this all went out of the window when I was invited along to see John Fleming’s 380 CZ which we’ve featured in

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❝Often there is little rhyme or reason as to why what you did easily yesterday and will likely do equally simply tomorrow, is, for today, akin to changing a tyre with teaspoons....❞ this issue… oh, you’ve seen it already…

Like most of us in this scene I do my own maintenance and have done so for years as it was deemed important by a parent who realised in a longer trial if things went wrong I may not be near him for ‘advice’ or probably more correctly, an acidly delivered comment “well, you should have prepped it better in the workshop.”

I do freely admit to being a‘follow the manual’kind of mechanic, as my formal training is in a different industry and unless someone who does know what they’re doing suggested a better way I always reckoned the manufacturer’s handbook would be best.

This is why I’m in awe when presented with superbly built machines obviously created by people who know what they’re doing. Equally when such engineers are describing their work they tend to feel everyone could do what they do, or perhaps more correctly can’t see why everyone can’t do what they do. Where they describe the fabrication of complex parts in steel tube, or the creation of castings in exotica as if it’s a simple job “oh, aye, you just…” I think of the small bracket I produced to hold the mudguard to the frame tube on the Triumph project in my workshop and how proud I was it lined up after an hour’s work.

Equally when hearing of the work completed inside the engine I marvelled at the thought process needed to come up with the ideas in the first place, never mind the engineering skills needed to carry them out.

In the same way, while I do have some machine tools in my workshop they are

not fancy as I know I’d not be able to use anything too complex to its best ability, anyway the idea is to ride bikes rather than teach myself engineering so my basic tools work well for me. Anything more complicated I pick the phone up and call those who can…Okay sometimes my call is directed to an answer message along the lines of “we’re out, we’ve moved and not left a forwarding address” but I’m sure they’re joking.

One thing which does transfer from my old trade to my amateur mechanics is tool care and buying the best tools you can for the job. Sometimes though there isn’t a tool to do what you need to do and one has to be created, or something modified.

There is a fine line though between tool abuse and tool altering and chucking spanners in a big box where they clatter around and ding into each other isn’t the best way to store them, especially when auto diy stores stock tool box organisers or walls of sheds can have boards fixed to them and tools laid out in place.

However that said, no matter how well organised my tools are or what board is used I’d still not be able to produce the quality of workmanship on this aweinspiring CZ but at least my tools would be nicely presented.

AUTUMN 2020 | 3

Editor: Tim Britton cdbeditor@mortons.co.uk 07739 615605 Columnist: John Dickinson Contributors: Alan Telford Media Photographers: Fiona Watson, Nick Nicholls Collection at Mortons Archive Production editor: Sarah Wilkinson Senior designer: Kelvin Clements Designers: Tim Pipes, Tracey Markham Publisher: Tim Hartley Divisional Advertising Manager: Tom Lee Advertising representative: Leon Currie 01507 529465 lcurrie@mortons.co.uk Sales and distribution manager: Carl Smith Circulation manager: Steve O’Hara Marketing manager: Charlotte Park Publishing director: Dan Savage Commercial director: Nigel Hole Archive enquiries: Jane Skayman jskayman@mortons.co.uk 01507 529423 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 40 for offer): (12 months four issues, inc post and packing) – UK £20. Export rates are also available – see page 40 for more details. UK subscriptions are zerorated 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.

20

Regulars

Events

03 In Balance

58 Just in time

Chopping and changing as things develop at a fast pace.

06 News and views

This is where we keep you appraised of what is going on in the world of older off-road motorcycles.

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4 | Contents

62 We should have been there

With sporting events hammered by the virus pandemic we have a look at past events.

Here's how to ensure your copy of CDB arrives through your letterbox.

82 Moto Memories

The day of the big bike was over, except no one mentioned this to Rolf Tibblin.

52 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

As threats of a lockdown were rising, The Jersey Two Day Trial just made it in time. We weren’t there but Bernie Schreiber was.

On the cover John Fleming’s stunning CZ 380 single port, photographed between showers.

30

Features 11

Winners all

20

Bikes remembered

24 68

24

30

So, the pandemic called a halt to sport, but with pages to fill we thought “let’s look back at past winners of the Pre-65 Scottish and see if there’s a theme…”

There are some bikes which disappear from the consciousness until someone turns up at a trial with one… Remember the RTX?

Your challenge is…

… to take on the might of the European and Japanese industry on the MX tracks of the world… enter the Greeves Challenger.

Czech pointers

Just how do you go about building a stunning CZ MXer? We get the scoop from John Fleming.

52

Super but not stock

68

Going for gold

75

A racer has needs, a good racer’s needs are often more than standard machines can deliver… Check out this KTM.

Once the shop window of the motorcycling world when this Matador was developed, the ISDT was still a major event.

Do you recall…

When it was that the G85CS was launched?

Technical 44 In the workshop

Well, a lot's been happening in the workshop these past few weeks. Some of it good, some of it frustrating and some of it actually producing progress.

50 Dirt products

This is where kind people send us pics of stuff they have which will make you faster, safer, more stylish, feel good and make you a superstar (actually we made that up but if it’s in you these products will bring it out.)

AUTUMN 2020 | 5

DIRTNEWS

All sorted for Stafford Well, at least we hope we’re sorted for Stafford! There’s no doubt this has been an exceptional year for all the wrong reasons, kicking off with the weather playing havoc with the Classic Dirt Bike Show at Telford – but at least the show went ahead.

At that time we didn’t realise a much worse situation was about to develop and a couple of weeks later the country was in lockdown, as not just the UK but governments worldwide battled a viral pandemic.

Events were postponed at first, then cancelled or rescheduled for later… the Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle Show at Stafford was an early casualty as Government edicts on gatherings meant it was no-go for the show.

Postponement to a few weeks later turned into a few months as the pandemic rocked the world, but at last there seems to be signs of an easement to the situation and as we go to press the Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle

Mechanics show is on for October 11/12, 2020.

There is little doubt it will be a different type of show, as there are still so many regulations and conditions for organisers to adhere to – but the show is on. There will be some difficult rules which have to be imposed, laid out by the Government which realises the country needs to get back to normal but also understands a resurgence of the virus is a real possibility.

So, please work with the regulations, enjoy the show and stay safe so you can continue to enjoy the shows for a long time to come…

Meanwhile, here’s a few images from past shows to whet your appetite… see you in October.

Tickets available at www. classicmagazines.co.uk

A Fantic 201 could be had in the hall.

Rigid Goldie anyone?

Triumph for the Adventurous.

6 | Dirt news

Right: Tasty bikes as always in the Bonhams auction.

Below: One of the best bits at the show is wandering through the halls to see what's on offer...

Classic sidecar MX is fun

Bultaco Frontera

This OSSA featured in the last issue

Sidecar trials is an interesting sport

Miller’s early endeavours When a young Belfast lad called Miller could not afford a new trials bike, he convinced his dad to buy him a Villiers 8E three-speed power unit from the factory, so he could make his own.

With the engine on the way the youngster headed off to Nicholson’s – the local motorcycle scrapyard in Belfast – and purchased a super lightweight vintage Matchless – without an engine or gearbox, for the sum of £12.

Cutting and shutting the frame, fitting the Villiers engine in kept the lad out of trouble for many a night, and eventually the ‘SHS –mk1’ was created. SHS for Samuel Hamilton Special, and not only did the bike prove competitive but probably convinced young S H Miller he could improve and create better machines than the factories could.

Soon Sammy realised the original girder forks were not ideal for competition so purchased a set of MP competition forks. He then fitted a 1938 James petrol tank rather than the terrible two-piece Matchless tank. His first victory on this bike was winning the 1952 McCrum Cup Trial at Wolf Hill, near Belfast.

The next main event was the Scottish Six Days Trial, which in those days meant catching the ferry from Belfast to Glasgow with all of your possessions and spares for the week on the petrol tank, riding from Glasgow to Edinburgh for the start, doing the 1200 mile six-day event, finishing at Edinburgh, riding back to Glasgow, and then catching the ferry back to Belfast, but with the satisfaction of winning the ‘Best Newcomer’ award, the Ben Nevis Trophy.

5

1

2 1: Miller on his SHS in 1954.

2: Early days in Northern Ireland.

3: Sammy built a replica...

4: The basis of the original was a Matchless.

5. We like what Sammy did.

6: This is an early incarnation.

3 4

See the SHS re-created in the Sammy Miller Museum at Bashley Manor, New Milton in Hampshire. Visit sammymiller. co.uk for further information.

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AUTUMN 2020 | 7

International Dirt Bike Show The difficult decision has been taken to cancel the International Dirt Bike Show at Stafford for 2020.

There just isn’t enough time for all of the attractions at the show to deal with the restrictions caused by the pandemic and nor is there time to sort the showground after the previous show. However, there are plans for bigger and better in 2021.

Rickman Ride-in Rickman enthusiasts celebrated the marque last year at the Sammy Miller Museum in Hampshire and a very ry y successful day it looked too, with all sorts of Rickman models being displayed and ridden.

Plans were being made for a bigger and better happening in 2020 until the pandemic called a halt. However, with restrictions easing the decision was made to run the event as a purely ride-in thing.

So if you’re a Rickman enthusiast or owner, then the day to be at Sammy’s museum is September 27, 2020.

Directions for the museum are on ww www ww.sammymiller.co.uk w

Harris’ H i ’H Husky k Fancy owning an icon of the dirt world?

Well you can… No, not Charlie Harris but his eight-speed Husqvarna.

From a fresh-faced youth with L-plates on his Greeves trials bike, Charlie Harris scaled the heights of the scrambling and trials world with works rides for the likes of Montesa.

A true enthusiast, Charlie would be at the forefront of any event and even as he approaches old age – “nearly 80 dear boy, how did that happen?” – he still rides, but the Husqvarna, noted as an arm-wrenching rocketship in its day, is perhaps a bit too quick for the lad these days, so has to go.

It has the slightly newer (one year in fact) back wheel, though the original is there, but because of the extra torque of this engine is not really up for the job, and this later wheel made all the difference. There are a few other bits and pieces with it too.

It was bought new by Sean Pattern, a New Zealander who worked for one of the

Formula 1 teams, exactly which one Charlie can’t remember, but he was the exhaust pipe design genius.

When not car racing Sean rode Baja and other desert long distance off-road races.

The eight-speed 'box, operated by another lever on the clutch side upped the gears giving it a 100mph plus top speed. The man who sold it to Sean was off-road legend Malcolm Smith who had become the Husqvarna importer and distributor for the USA and was probably the best sales agent they ever had.

Pics by Julian Sawyers.

2020 AMCA/Classic Dirt Bike British Classic Motocross Championship Sadly, the 2020 series has been cancelled because of the pandemic.

When lockdown started back in March I don’t think anybody expected the repercussions of Covid-19 to be so widespread and long lasting, writes Dave Gittins.

With memories of foot-and-mouth disease in 2001 still lingering (when we were able to resume a 'normal' programme in the July) I thought this outbreak might follow similar lines.

How wrong I was!

The first three rounds in the series – at Yatton Keynell (Bath); Newcastleunder-Lyme (Acorns) and Theale (Mortimer) were cancelled fairly early on, but I still had high hopes that the final three rounds (Kendal (Westmorland); Clun (Moseley) and

8 | Dirt news

Llanthony) would survive.

I was wrong. First, Moseley decided that they wouldn’t run, while Kendal (the first of the final three) remained very upbeat, and as I write this piece they are still very optimistic of success on August 9. Please support them if you can.

That leaves Llanthony, who have a fixture on September 27. The Llanthony Valley is a very close-knit community in the Brecon Beacons National Park; neither the locals, who have been very supportive in the past, nor the landowner, were very keen for the club to run even though the date was sometime ahead. So the Llanthony club and the Bath club (who had to cancel their only fixture in April) will combine forces and

run a meeting on September 27, at Yatton Keynell. But it will not be a championship meeting.

I have high hopes we can run a full programme in 2021 and as 2020 was the 25th anniversary of the championship that will now be celebrated in 2021. Those riders who contacted me before the pandemic, indicating their intention to ride in the 2020 series will have their details transferred over to 2021.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about the 2021 championship, please contact me at davidgittins650@gmail.com, or on 01432 273627. Similarly, initial enquiries about the joint Bath/ Llanthony meeting on September 27, can also be directed to me.

1

2

Baa Classic

3

Almost on our print deadline the editor’s own club were allowed to run the Baa Classic at Edmundbyers in County Durham.

With a half-day opener trial on Saturday, the 90-strong entry ry y were nicely warmed up for the 11-mile cour se on Sunday.

Taking in typical northern moorland terrain the sections were reminiscent of those we rode on in the Seventies and earlier. There were two routes through sections and few, if any, hold ups as riders travelled the course in small groups as per ACU instructions.

The trial, the first in the North East Centre, marked an easing of the lockdown and hopefully the beginning of a return to normality.

4

1: Greeves rider Ian Cheetham is a local lad. 2: Martin Murphy travelled a mile or two to get to the trial. 3: Mike Minns was an event sponsor.

4: The editor trying to look like a trials rider. 5: At the socially distant start.

5

AUTUMN 2020 | 9

10 | autumn 2020

PRE65 WINNERS

A look back... ...at past winners Words: Tim Britton

N

ormally in the issue of CDB immediately after the Pre-65 Scottish Two Day Trial, we’d feature the winning bike, detailing all the ins and outs of the machine plus a little about the winner’s ride too. In 2020 we’re unable to do this, as along with many other sporting events the trial fell victim to the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the world. So, instead of the 2020 winner here’s a look back at past winners we’ve featured and a reminder of what went into their build as we look forward to whatever kind of normality will be in 2021.

As the Pre-65 Scottish Trial was conceived as a way to celebrate the traditional trials motorcycles falling in the Pre-1965 era of the Scottish Six Days Trial, it could be expected the winners of the two-day would reflect the winners of the six-day trial.A machine being as light as possible, with as much ground clearance as practical and being easily steered, does reflect the bikes which were successful in both events. There it ends though, as the Pre-65 trial didn’t start until 1984, by which time the Pre-65 movement was well established and the one-day classic was far removed from the mammoth six day trial it celebrated.

With little need for high road speed or vast fuel tanks the Pre-65 motorcycle could be much more delicate than a machine which would be expected to cover hundreds more miles and may well have been ridden to the start too.

Technology too had changed, and thanks to the

Above: Paul Heys' Tiger Cub is a two-time winner.

work of Don Morley pinning down former factory riders and engineers, some of the secrets kept from the public were becoming known. With the factories no longer in existence in many cases there was no need for the comp shop men to hold their tongues for fear of vengeance from management. Don was a regular contributor to the classic press with features on trials bikes used by the factories, features which resulted in the book Classic British Trials Bikes.

If we take a look at the Scottish from just after the Second World War, which by and large is the period represented by the Pre-65 movement, it is clear the machines doing the winning of the six days are not fully represented in the list of machines winning the classic trial, be it the one or two day. By far the biggest winning make in the Pre-65 trial is Triumph, with 20 wins, yet in the six days there was only Roy Peplow’s solitary win in 1959, on a Cub. The biggest winning maker for the classic period six days is AMC – sorry for lumping AJS and Matchless together – with 10 wins, yet in the Pre-65 there’s only Stig Karlsson’s 2000 win on a 500 Matchless. While the bulk of the wins in the SSDT have been on big bikes – for the purposes of this feature regarded as pre unit construction four strokes – the ‘big bike’ versus ‘little bike’ thing in the Pre-65 is pretty much 50/50, though this lumps the unit Triumph twins and 340 BSA singles in the big bike category… it’s only complicated if you want it to be.

AUTUMN 2020 |

11

Paul Heys’ Cub

One of the first bikes featured belonged to Paul Heys who won in 2009, it set a precedent whereby we collared the winner after the presentation and asked to visit and have a ride on the bike. Generally buoyed up with euphoria from all the hoo-ha the winner agrees to be subjected to our scrutiny.

Every time we feature a winning Triumph Tiger Cub we refer to Roy Peplow’s 1959 winning ride and while a notable achievement it is unfair to compare the two machines, Peplow’s machine would be covering over 1000 miles in the week of the trial, whereas the Pre-65 is around 25 miles each day, so 50 years apart the requirements were much different.

So, Paul’s Cub, is it super trick or bog standard?

The answer is not as trick as might be thought but not standard either, while meeting the specific regulations the event organisers have. It is a mix of proprietary parts such as Renthal handlebars, Domino controls and electronic ignition – PVL – plus refining of parts to make them more suitable for the modern classic trials scene.

Starting with the engine, a Cub is 199cc in standard form but there are modern pistons which will reasonably easily take the capacity out a little more.

A Honda one is used here which gives 225cc, a useful increase. Though belt drives are available Paul uses a standard Cub set-up and it’s mated to a wide ratio gear cluster.

Below: A nicely built machine is the Heys' Cub

Moving on to the frame, modern thinking says the rear wheel spindle, swinging arm pivot and gearbox mainshaft should be in line when the rider climbs aboard. To do this means lowering the swinging arm pivot, not easy as it is a fixed casting but it’s been done.

Betor units take care of the suspension at the rear and the same make are up at the front too, though Suzuki sliders sit in the Triumph ones. Wheel hubs are to Triumph Cub pattern and rather than machined from billet alloy are cast from patterns produced by Paul’s dad Max – a pattern maker by trade.

“The local foundries grumble when I come along for small batches, but they do it,” he grins. They’re designed to take off-the-shelf alloy spindles from a modern Montesa laced into alloy rims, where the popular IRC rear/Michelin front tyre combination is used to provide the grip.

A little mod used by a lot of Cub builders is a central box in the exhaust system which smoothes out the power delivery, also aiding power delivery is a modern 22mm Amal Concentric carburettor. The oil tank is alloy, the seat came from Sammy Miller Equipment, the mudguards are plastic and the petrol tank is glass fibre. “What about the name?” I asked.

“Hah, the bike’s all black, like Jeff Smith’s factory Beezers sometimes were,” grin both Heys lads, “lad at our first trial quipped ‘what’s that? A Stealth bomber?’ which we thought was funny so Stealth it has been ever since.”

Pete Yeadon’s Ariel

There was a time in the Pre-65 Scottish when accepted wisdom went ‘the day of the big bike is over’.

However, it seems no one mentioned this to Davy Morewood when he won in 2012 aboard Pete Yeadon’s Ariel. Not only did he win and beat all the smaller bikes, he won by going clean all weekend. Now, it is fair to say most of the Ariels used in Pre-65 trials owe more to Sammy Miller’s vision of what the HT5 could/ should have been, than Ariel’s production model.

Yet within this brief there is quite a bit of difference between models used.

In his mission to lighten what was originally billed as the lightest production 500 trials bike, Miller jettisoned all sorts of things deemed unnecessary.

Things such as an oil tank… not needed when there’s all these frame tubes quite capable of holding a pint or three of oil. Because of this the majority of Ariels in use are oil-in-frame. Pete told us at the time his frame was made for him and mostly follows Ariel dimensions, but had the steering head tucked in a touch.

Above left: Pete Yeadon's Ariel followed accepted practice and Davy Morewood went clean on it.

Above: Miller pilots GOV132 up Devil's Staircase in the SSDT.

He picked up a set of OSSA Betor forks and slipped their sliders inside Norton Roadholder ones and admitted the Betors were old hat for the front, but Davy likes them. Holding them in the frame are yokes from Alan Whitton who also supplied the hubs.

Like most of the trials world, the bike wears alloy rims. Betor units were also on the rear and of higher spec than the front forks. Thanks to the passing of years there is quite a bit of information out there on building an Ariel engine up. Pete’s bike reflects this, as rather than start with a 500 and alter it his is an amalgamation of 350 and 500 Ariel bits. The basis is a 350 bottom end and a 500 top end with a 350 Yamaha piston in. A sticking point was the 500 has more barrel studs than the 350…” Yeah… it was a bit of work to mate them together…”

Less problematical was the Burman gearbox, Ariel used Burman too but Pete’s bike has a Mick Ash cluster inside. Thanks to the better spread of ratios it is possible to use second gear for some sections and still move at a decent rate on the roadwork bits and the moors. Inside the primary case is a belt drive and at the time of testing – 2012 – was a road racing one with a wide belt. There were plans to reduce the width a bit and allow the fabricated primary case to be pulled in.

Firing the plug is a PAL magneto, it sucks fuel through a modern Amal, has a side pull twistgrip and dog-leg levers from an autojumble stand and the whole bike worked, allowing Davy to show the day of the big bike was not over.

AUTUMN 2020 |

13

Rob Bowyer’s Triumph Twin

How many times have you heard the phrase ‘everyone knows…’ or ‘common knowledge…’ in reference to perceived wisdom? Quite a few times I guess, it’s the same in the Pre-65 trials world as everyone knows a winning bike must be very trick and some possibly are, though Rob Bowyer’s Triumph twin isn’t one of them.

It actually epitomises another phrase ‘standard but well put together’ and is not all that trick. As standard, the wheelbase of a Triumph unit twin is pretty close to modern dimensions so this is a good starting point.

Rob’s frame is an early to mid-Sixties 3TA brazed and lugged one, but with a Cub sub-frame fitted to slim down the rear end a little. Such a mod isn’t a bolt-on one as the Cub item attaches at the swinging arm pivot point while the 3TA one bolts on at the bottom of the frame, still, welding and tubes are available… Yokes too are Triumph and I made the assumption Team Bowyer would have fitted modern internals to the forks.

“So,” says I “what fancy stuff have you managed to squeeze into Triumph’s 1¼in forks then?” If you class chrome plating the sliders and hard chrome plating the stanchions as ‘trick’ then fine, otherwise it’s all well-fettled Triumph inside the forks. Okay, they’re matched to Rob’s build, as the rear Falcon shocks were too, but there’s little fancy stuff in them though maybe an Alan Whitton seal holder could be classed as trick.

In fact, the more I touched on aspects of the machine, the less trick stuff was found. The engine is a bearing bottom end rather than a plain bush. It has 5TA pistons, cams and valves, runs with a wide ratio gear cluster and uses modern oil bought from the local garage. In fact the only trick thing on the engine is alloy barrels. Triumph’s unit engine has cast iron barrels as standard, Triumph sanctioned the casting of some alloy barrels for their works riders’ bikes – trials, scrambles and ISDT versions – folklore says 12 sets were made yet genuine ones keep turning up…

14 | AUTUMN 2020

Above & below left: After winning the SSDT on a Cub, Roy Peplow reverted to a twin.

Below: Rob Bowyer's Triumph is remarkably standard.

There’s a fabricated oil tank holding the oil, a special air filter box too, the petrol tank is clearly a Bultaco one and the bike wears Renthal bars with modern controls on them. Things are a little more busy at the footrest area as Rob prefers his rear brake on the right… where it joins the kick-start and gear lever. As the bike works it is obvious attention to detail will help overcome the big disadvantage of using a Triumph twin… there’s two pistons, two conrods, two sets of valves and a wider crank which all adds up in the weight department.

PRE65 WINNERS

James Noble’s Ariel

It isn’t often a concours winner can also claim to be a trial winner, but such is the case with James Noble’s Ariel. After an incident in a section close to the end of the 2014 Pre-65 trial, which saw him carted off to hospital with a broken leg, James was back in 2015, determined to make up for the problems the previous year.

The Ariel he rode was originally built by Martyn Adams with a lot of input from Mick Grant and it was to those two we fired our questions on the technical bit, as James freely admits the pressures of running an electrical contracting business leave him little time for anything other than regular fettling of the bikes he rides.

Below: James Noble had a bad break in the Pre-65 one year... his leg! But he was back the following year to win.

The basis of the Ariel is one of a batch of frames Norman White built for Mick Grant, it’s oil-in-frame as pioneered by a certain famous Ariel and is of lightweight tube. Front suspension is by Marzocchi and the Roadholder Norton sliders have an extended seal holder to allow a bit more movement; at the rear are Rockshocks.

As the development of the bike was originally by Mick Grant there’s been some serious thought gone into all aspects of the build. A 500cc single cylinder four-stroke engine is a big lump by any standards and this aspect of the build often stalls people. Lifting the engine up to gain ground clearance would move the weight up too, lowering the engine loses ground clearance. Granty reasoned shortening the stroke would achieve both aims so used 350 Ariel bits and boring out the barrel to take an XT350 piston restores the capacity to 500. The extra zip of a short stroke engine is no issue today as tyre technology has moved on since the days when HTs were new.

Martyn Adams was producing different cogs for the Burman gearbox and assembled a cluster with a better spread of ratios for trials while a primary drive based on one for Norton Commandos by Norman White was adapted for the Ariel. Originally Ariel would have used a Lucas Wader magneto but for such machines PAL speedway magnetos were popular and that’s what this one has on for the sparks.

Carburation too is different, the late Peter Gaunt worked out the Villiers carburettor needed only slight modification to make it work better and used such an instrument on many of his bikes, realising a good thing when he saw it, Mick started using them too. So, higher, lower, lighter and well sorted sounds like a winner to us.

Above: A rebuild the night before a trial is never a great idea, but Graham Wilkinson had to do it.

though with an extra plate in the basket which gives grip but allows a lighter spring to be used.

The rules of the Pre-65, while tight in some areas are flexible enough to allow Renthal handlebars, Domino controls and modern tyres such as the Michelin front/IRC rear which Dan uses. Something which can’t actually be seen but does help with the twin’s power delivery is a special rate-reducer on the throttle cable. For the two works riders Triumph’s comp shop man Henry Vale used to deepen the groove in the twistgrip barrel which allowed a slower action at the bottom end yet when the throttle was whacked open, the urge was there.

Graham Wilkinson’s Triumph

Offering your bike to a lad to ride in a major trial, then discovering it has a cracked frame the night before you head a few hundred miles up to the start isn’t an ideal way to start a winning ride, but that’s what happened to Graham Wilkinson’s Triumph. “I’d offered it to Dan Clark to ride and he tried it out in a trial the week before – I washed it and did the basics then noticed the oil leak…” cue a full strip for welding.

Triumph twins have an enviable record in the Pre-65 despite never having done much in the six days even when ridden by Roy Peplow and John Giles. By and large the biggest disadvantage of a twin is negated by modern grippy tyres and the extra poke from the twin engine can actually be an advantage these days. Using one of Paul Jackson’s HT style frames – the legend which is Jackson is local to Graham – Mr Wilkinson built the bike up using a variety of parts such as Suzuki RM80 stanchions in Norton Roadholder sliders and these sit in alloy yokes from Max Heys.

Going against the grain, Graham uses original steel Cub hubs though has sintered linings on the shoes.

The lad reverts to more common practice by having alloy rims on the hubs though.

The unit engine is 500cc, has a cast iron barrel and was originally a distributor motor with a plain bush bottom end. This was converted to needle roller, the distributor hole blanked off and an Electrex World ignition system fitted. Inside the gearbox is a slightly modified cluster which has a different set of cogs to allow for a reasonable road speed and still have two gears for sections. Driving it all is a standard clutch

AUTUMN 2020 |

15

Tyler Murphy’s Bantam

Considering at one time BSA were the biggest motorcycle manufacturer in the world they didn’t have a lot of wins in the SSDT to their name in the classic period, and their tally of four wins matches four wins in the Pre-65 too. The SSDT wins were on Gold Stars when John Draper and Jeff Smith won in the Fifties and C15s when Arthur and Alan Lampkin won in the Sixties. The Pre-65 wins have been on 340 B40s and two Bantam wins, the first when Alan Wright won in 1995 and the second when Gary Macdonald borrowed Tyler Murphy’s Bantam and broke the domination of big bikes in 2017. BSA regularly fielded a Bantam in the SSDT but it was more for class representation than to win the event, at least until Dave Rowland was drafted into the team and almost gained a historic win in 1967. Lately in the Pre-65 scene BSA’s Bantam has enjoyed a lot of attention, it being light, easily modified and slipping nicely into a Drayton frame and when handled by a good rider the result is a win.

The late Jim Pickering started developing frames for Pre-65 bikes and has produced a bit of a phenomenon with the machines he created. A Drayton kit is available for almost any British engine and what is supplied is a complete rolling chassis all ready to take an engine. The bike built for Tyler and used by Gary was so supplied and the Bantam engine was sorted with all the latest ideas and nary missed a beat all weekend.

16 | AUTUMN 2020

Gary Macdonald won on a Bantam, then, the following year did the same on the Triumph twin opposite.

Below: John Draper tackles Loch Eild Path on his works Bantam.

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