Classic Dirtbike - Issue 37 - Preview

CLASSIC MOTOCROSS D’NATIONS Brits best in Berkshire

DIRTbike CLASSIC

AB FAB

FARLEIGH Full flight action from the Vets MXdN

UP THE REAR

Think monos are new? Think again.

BSA and Yamaha did.

1973 THAT WAS THE YEAR...

N37 2015 US$15.99 Aus$14.95 NZ$18.99 UK£5.50

BRINGING

PRINTED IN THE UK

... the ISDT nearly didn’t happen

ADVENTURE BIKING Triumph’s TR5T as it should be

PROJECT IT

Straightening things out PLUS BIG MATCHLESS // LITTLE ENFIELD // BRAKES TECH // CCM // CHOLMONDELEY

2

IN BALANCE

Rapid advances:

technology takes a hold So, technology, it’s here to stay, what’s your favourite improvement for old dirt bikes?

S

ometimes the absurdity of a situation comes along and slaps you metaphorically on the cheek…

For instance, while wondering just how to start off the regular trawl through the classic off-road scene, which forms this column, I was electronically sending a picture of a friend taken at an enduro recently.

Or, more accurately, I was loading the image to an email and it was taking forever, the change from girder forks and belt drive to water cooled monos happened faster than this single image loaded to the email.

Apparently under such circumstances I mutter under my breath, something the other occupant of this household has come to terms with and accepted as normal behaviour for an off-road motorcyclist.

Accepted, that is, along with other perfectly reasonable things such as finding bearings and bushes in the freezer or castings and flanges in the oven.

I think the rousing cheer as the image finally loaded, after a whole minute… yes I’d aged a whole minute, was maybe just too much though as I got that raised eyebrow look and it was pointed out how long it would have taken in the olden days to have a film developed, a print produced and then said print posted to said friend abroad.

It’s true, of course, the speed of communication has revolutionised not just our world in journalism but every other world too. How many of us have taken a photo with a phone or iPad and then sent it to a dealer when looking for the replacement thingummyjig fitted to the inside of the wottsit then had the reply in moments?

Such a situation happened when posting some information on a forum about IT

Subs only

There are a variety of ways you can continue to get your hands on Classic Dirt Bike in the UK… the easiest of which is to become part of our subscriber community.

See p18 for details.

Yamahas, no sooner had the image of our less-than-pristine crankcases gone live than a message came back, with an image on it, saying ‘got a pair of cases’ and the deal was done.

Such instant communication is almost a given these days, when my picture loading took as long as a minute I was almost at the stage of yelling at the machine in frustration.

Looked at logically though, even given where I live has a slowish internet service, it is still rapid communication as the difference between fast and slow is a few seconds. Imagine the advances in manufacturing when multi-spindle drilling machines could put all the spoke holes in a hub in one go for instance.

All of a sudden last week’s technological advance is this week’s dinosaur and so it goes on as each advancement improves on the last. Surface carburettors have been consigned to history books having been superseded by spray carbs and fuel injection while igniting the mixture is now handled by electronics. We in the classic world have benefited from such advances in manufacturing as thanks to improved machining processes; components can be made to tighter tolerances, higher finishes and of better materials than originals.

Such technology also allows a revisit to older ideas that were dismissed in the past, ideas such as side-valve technology, which GasGas put a whole new take on for a prototype trials bike two or three years ago. Even in the 30s when Allan Jefferies won the British Experts on a side-valve Triumph the valve arrangement was old hat but with the move towards four strokes for ecological reasons in motorcycle sport a

more compact engine than an overhead valve one was needed.

Side valves were tried, the result was an engine little different in height to a two stroke and suddenly side valves were modern again.

There are all sorts of similar situations in motorcycle history when an old idea is resurrected and becomes state of the art, take monoshock suspension, now considered the norm for the rear of a motorcycle. When was it introduced? The 80s? The 70s – when Yamaha developed a system for the YZ motocross bike and Mick Andrews tried it on his factory trials TY? Or earlier in the 60s when BSA experimented with a cantilever rear for Brian Martin’s C15? There is actually evidence of such systems as early as 1908 but it took technological advances a long time to catch up with ideas.

Here at Classic Dirt Bike we’re lucky to have an archive where we can view these technological advances and also how they were captured for posterity by whatever method was the latest advance at the time.

These days images are digitally captured, not so long ago it was slide film, before that glass plates were the way to store pictures.

The file box of such images is huge yet compared with electronically stored photos it has minimal capacity.

Technology has even had an impact here as our archivist Jane has a computer programme to deal with changing a slide from a negative to a positive and saving it to a digital archive. Once that’s done then… oh, that’s my images of our IT project loaded to send to the designers… so, technology, it’s here to stay, what’s your favourite improvement for old dirt bikes?

“

All of a sudden last week’s technological advancement is this week’s dinosaur and so it goes on as each advancement improves on the last...

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

On the cover and on the contents page We asked Nick Haskell to go along to the Vets MXdNation at Farleigh Castle in September and do what he does best‌ take awesome pics of an awesome event. On the cover he got John Dowd airborne, while for the contents page he got Neil Carroll getting the holeshot in the Evo 125 class.

Contents 03 In Balance

34 You need…

06 News, views and reviews

48 Dirt products

16 Subscribe! Subscribe! Subscribe!

52 Dicko’s view

The world of technology has encroached on the world of old motorcycles but what sort of impact has it had?

Our regular look at what’s happening in the off-road world, events to go to, series updates, perhaps a book or dvd or two.

Yes, subscribe to CDB as it is the simplest way to get hold of your copy.

Other ways include popping along to one of our shows, or seeing us at events.

18 Original and unrestored

CCM are noted for thundering great four-strokes but they also did the odd two-stroke here and there. This one has escaped unmolested for 30-odd years or so.

22 Something different

Royal Enfield weren’t noted for scrambling success but if your business relies on the Redditch marque then that’s what you use… it sure looks nice though.

… a Matchless G85CS. Yes, our regular section where we tell you what you ought to be riding or having in your shed.

Just a selection of what’s out there for making dirt bikes go better or their riders ride better.

Another look at the world of off-road from a man with opinions but do you agree or disagree with him? Write and tell us.

61 Smith Tales

In a career of successes our man points the finger fairly at the bike to blame for it all… a Victor? No. A Can-Am? No… read it and see…

72 A Twin

Miller’s other Ariel

82 Moto memories

This is where we delve into the archive at CDB and pull out a tasty image for your delight.

Events 54 Sporting world

From Evo to Classic there are excellent events all over… far more than we can possibly put in the magazine so we’ve come up with a plan…

62 Classic MXdNations

The premier team MX event in the classic world is in the UK for the first time in years. Dave Gittins and Eric Miles were there.

How to 44 King of the IT crowd

The next instalment of our latest project bike, and it’s time for the frame to be repaired. We took it to Rod Spry, he’s better at this stuff than we are.

50 Tech Talk

Brakes are quite handy in most motorcycle sports but how do you get the best out of them?

We offer a few tips.

Features 10 The future is now

The trials world was agog when Mick Andrews unveiled his cantilever Yamaha for the 1974 season.

26 That was the year…

…that the ISDT nearly didn’t happen if the UK press was to be believed. We ask someone who was there for his opinion.

37 Get with the team

There are many reasons for building a faithful replica of a particular motorcycle, a good one being ‘I was there when they won gold medals.’

66 Golden days… part 2

…in the Golden State. Was the west coast of the USA a dirt bike riders’ paradise?

Quite possibly. We hear from someone who was there and probably to blame.

76 Thought provoking

Ingenuity is a hallmark of British engineering even if it didn’t always happen in the factories… gaze at this forward thinking BSA Goldie.

DINNER TIME Saturday evening is a time for contemplative reflection on the show’s first day and if that can be done in a nice room with a few other enthusiasts while having a meal and listening to three vict… er ‘volunteers’ from the sporting world give their take on things then so much the better.

We’ve always had entertaining guests each year and we’re not going to buck the trend for 2016. To which end we’ve got top scrambler and Scott Leathers’ supremo Jim Aird to open the dinner, Channel Islander Wayne Le Marquand,who was Haynes Four Stroke series champ more years ago than he likes to think about and Nick Jefferies who covers all the bases being a top trials, scrambles, enduro and road racer in a career packed full of sport.

All three lads are known to have a colourful view on life and will have some interesting tales. Contact our customer services team – 01507 529529 for ticket information – and prepare to be entertained. The lads will join other stage guests throughout the weekend too.

There will be the best line-up of classic, twinshock and Evo comp bikes the world has

ever seen… probably, though our shows team reckons it can still squeeze a few more in and we’re looking for the stunning, the unusual, the memorable, the rare and the downright jaw-droppingly fabulous for the private-entry displays around the hall. What have you got in your shed to excite your fellow enthusiast?

What we have got lined up is Les Archer’s Manx Norton-based MXer from the National Motorcycle Museum which will kick off our 60, 50, 40, 30 display. The numbers refer to years and 2016 will mark 60 years since Les Archer became the last European MX champion with Bill Nilsson second, the following year, for the inaugural world championship the positions were reversed.

Add in the trade and autojumble stands both inside and out and you can see why this show is like Christmas for dirt bike enthusiasts.

There is still time to book a pitch for an autojumble plot or bring a bike along for the concours or even put on a club display.

If you want to do any of that contact our shows team on 01507 529430 Fax: 01507 371057 Email: rgraham@mortons.co.uk Web: www.classicbikeshows.com

Northern British Bike Series Well our sponsored series has been won for 2015, there’s a list of the results below, winners only, sorry lads. It’s been a genuinely enjoyable series as ever, and the editor’s own club promises less road work for next year in the Stanhope Classic. As detailed in our last issue the series is a traditional one with road work connecting various groups of sections, two routes are always available – clubman Ossy Byers, secretary of the most Northern Round of our series in action during the Stanhope Classic.

and expert and the sections tend to be tough but sensible. Fancy a ride in 2016? Contact Mike Gallagher through the website www. northernbritishbikechampionship.co.uk Also see the lad at Telford when the 2015 awards will be presented.

News in brief

7

TWINSHOCK TRAIL FINDER

Well, it’s that time of year again! The entry gates are open for Austin Vince’s epic Twinshock Trailfinder event out in the Pyrenees. It’s been a slow burn on this but now, in its sixth year, it’s become a destination event that’s here to stay.

Basically, it’s orienteering on dirt bikes using old school map and compass.

However, unlike those forest runs in the Scouts, Austin has you careering along more than 400 miles of spectacular mountain trails, and it’s legal.

The age of the bike is irrelevant, it simply has to have two shocks at the rear to be eligible. Last year’s winners were a trio of XT500s from the Isle of Wight. The riding is pretty straightforward farmers’ routes but with any ‘fruity’ sections pointed out in advance. Unlike an enduro there’s no circuit. The checkpoints are sprinkled over a colossal area and you and your team-mates (nobody rides solo – safety) have got two 12-hour days to find as many as you can.

There’s an early bird discount (making it £200 instead of £250) and we’re told that this year’s hotel has a Bultaco in the foyer! It’s July 21-22, 2016 based in Oliana, Catalunya – tons more info at www. austinvince.com/twinshock-trailfinder

Results for 2015 CLASS 1 RIGID 102 S.Rayner

CLASS 2 PRE UNIT CLUBMAN 108 S.Cordon

CLASS 3 VINTAGE TWO STROKE 97 S.Witting

CLASS 4 CLUBMAN 96 J.Palmer

CLASS 5 PRE UNIT EXPERT 94 B.Butterworth

CLASS 6 UNIT EXPERT

78 J.Butterworth

CLASS 7 TWO-STROKE EXPERT 110 J.Gornall

CLASS 8 SPECIALS 102 M.Dorricott

Bikes such as these will be welcome on the Twinshock Trailfinder.

JERSEY TWO DAY TRIAL

It hardly seems possible the Channel island of Jersey can be big enough to have a two-day trial on it but it is and it is an excellent event too. For 2016 the host club – Jersey Classic and Modern Trials Club – is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Not only that there’s a brand new website dedicated to the two-day trial and it is www.Ji2d.com where you’ll find everything you need to know about entering the trial, travelling to Jersey and finding accommodation.

The club would like to thank its sponsors for the event, they being Group 4, The Jersey Evening Post, Condor Ferries and Jersey Tourist Office. The trial is on the March 5-6, 2016.

2016 Dates 3RD APRIL Poachers’ Bag 17TH APRIL Derbyshire Trial 5TH JUNE Reliance Cup Trial 10TH JULY West Riding Trial 7TH AUGUST Croes’ir Ddyffryn Dyfrdwy Trial 11TH SEPTEMBER Stanhope Classic 9TH OCTOBER Red Rose Classic Trial

News 8

CLASSIC BRITISH MX SERIES

Round 7 (final); Llanthony Classic MCC @ Llanthony, nr Abergavenny, September 20.

The Pre-65 championship was looking good for the 2014 champion, Ricky Pedder. He led the class by 16 points, but second and third places were less certain. With 40 points still available and all championship races counting towards a rider’s final points total, John Cash could still catch Aaron Graves. Indeed, all three had to be on top form to continue, or better, the status quo.

The Pre-74 championship was much tighter.

Only 10 points separated the first three, and Wayne Partington’s lead over Tim Dallaway was a slender four points. Kristian Marshall was just six points behind Dallaway. What was that saying about a certain lady “it ain’t over“ Fifteen minutes plus one lap equals 11 laps on this circuit. At the end of the first Pre-65 championship race Ricky Pedder was more than five seconds up on second man Liston Bell and sure that the 2015 championship was his for another year. John Cash, who needed the points if he was to catch Aaron Graves, was Wayne Partington took it to the wire but is Pre- 74 champ.

PRE-65

1. Ricky Pedder 265 1. Wayne Partington 250 2. Aaron Graves 240 2. Tim Dallaway 246 3. John Cash 239 3. Kristian Marshall 231 4. Liston Bell 212 4. Keith Rice 215 5. Mitchell Harris 134 5. Gary Green 134 6. Luke Hickie 116 6. Nick Archer 123 7. Lewis Bell 110 7. Chris Chell 87 8. Steve Dent 88 8. Phil Roberts 50 9. Roger Dunford 87 10. Phil Nicholls 78 11. Jordan Pope 78 12. Joe Chell 71

Ricky Pedder, once again Pre-65 champ.

PRE-74

third and Graves fourth meaning his lead over Cash was reduced to six points.

The second Pre-65 race had Pedder clearly satisfied with second place and a massive 20 seconds behind winner, John Cash. Aaron Graves in third place was nearly 10 seconds adrift of Pedder. Top-rate tactics or what? It meant that Graves’ third place and Cash’s win reduced the gap between them to just one point. But it’s enough!

Both Pre-74 races fully justified the word “championship”. The level of competition was terrific. In the first race Tim Dallaway showed he was nothing if not determined to win the championship. Right from the off he was up at the front, despite the close attention of Wayne Partington and, initially, Kristian Marshall.

In race two Partington was in contention right from the start, whereas Dallaway had a relatively poor start. With the fastest lap of the day already under his belt Partington

Final KIA 2015 Surprise, surprise! Who should turn up on a Honda twinshock at the final round of the KIA series but James Hillier; the third-fastest man of all time round the TT course. Not only that but watching him perform were none other than Ducati’s World Superbike star, Chaz Davies, and his BSB BMWriding brother-in-law, Michael Laverty.

Both men are contemplating buying twinshocks to keep fit in the winter and joining Ringwood Dorset-based Hillier on the feet-up circuit.

James has only been used to pocket-handkerchief courses down south so the two three-mile laps around the Knighton hills were a revelation.

“I now understand what a decent trial is, “ said a tired TT racer at the finish.

Final Positions after 7 rounds

1. Wayne Partington 250 2. Tim Dallaway 246 3. Kristian Marshall 231 4. Keith Rice 215 5. Gary Green 134 6. Nick Archer 123 7. Chris Chell 87 8. Phil Roberts 50 9. Ady Cox 49

continued to lap consistently, but so did Dallaway after his poor start. Gradually he began to pass rider after rider until he had Partington in his sights. Could Dallaway catch and pass Partington?

The answers are “No” and “Yes”, in that order. Going into the last lap Dallaway made a superhuman effort to get on terms but he just failed to catch Partington. At the finish the margin separating the two was a mere 0.6 seconds. Wayne Partington was the new Pre-74 champion for 2015. Four points apart after 16 races. Great stuff on which to end the series.

Congratulations to Wayne Partington and Ricky Pedder and to all those riders who took part.

DENNIS EDWARD CARTER 1936-2015 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS Expert monoshock class Steve Bird (250 Mono Yam) Clubmen monoshock class Gerry Minshall (250 RTL Honda Expert twinshock class David Carter (240 Fantic) Clubman twinshock class David Braithwaite (325 Suzuki) Expert historic Spanish Steven Bisby (250 OSSA) Clubman historic Spanish Owen Hardisty (325 Bultaco) Expert brit twinshock Rob Faulkner (250 Dot) Clubman Brit twinshock Paul Stephen (250 Dot)

Next year’s KIA dates will be announced in the next issue.

VILLIERS SERVICES EXPAND In what is likely to be good news for Villiers enthusiasts,SteveGollingstellsushiscompany Villiers Services has reached an agreement with Simon Bateman and purchased all stock, tooling, programmes and intellectual rights for Nametab Engineering. Speaking to us at

The world of classic and vintage motorcycling lost one of its most enthusiastic members on October 4, 2015 when Dennis Carter succumbed to asbestos-related cancer. To say Dennis packed a lot into his life is a bit of an understatement as his interests reached beyond two wheels and into classic car restoration and racing, boating as well as jazz music. An intensely practical man who enjoyed making things in his workshop Dennis was never stumped for long when presented with something that needed solving.

St Peter’s Church in Wrecclesham, Surrey was packed with family, friends and colleagues, on October 20, who paid their respects to a popular man whose family was determined the occasion would be a celebration of Dennis’ life. He travelled the short distance to Green Lane Cemetery in a cortege led by his daughter Sara who rode the TriBSA scrambler Dennis prepared for her.

As well as Sara,Dennis is survived by his eldest daughter Tina and son Stephen.

Stafford show Steve said both his company’s and Nametab’s excellent range of products will carry on in the amalgamation.

Both Nametab and Villiers Services have been developing improvements for Villiers’ engines for long enough and most Villiers’

engine competition bikes in use have benefited from the parts made by them.

There’s a wealth of Villiers expertise available its customers so if it’s Villiers you’re after then visit www.villiersservices.co.uk or call on 01384 265 797.

Yamaha TY Mono 10

K C O H S S C I T C TA

Words: Tim Britton Pics: Joe Dick

It was the 1970s, the Japanese had noticed trials riding and wanted to be involved – Yamaha got hol Mick Andrews and fast forwarded development.

I

t has been said there’s nothing new under the engineering sun and while that may be true, some things invented before their time can lay dormant until the time’s right. Take rear suspension for instance, there was little or no real reason why even veteran bikes could not have had suspension from the very early days of motorcycles.

In fact some did, but it was much easier to build a frame with a fixed rear end, use a sprung saddle to protect the rider and trust good brazing and the resilience of steel to soak up the bumps. This gave the classic, traditional British look to an early motorcycle, a look which went on until the 1950s in some cases.

Why? Well, despite the desires of technical people, us motorcyclists can be a tad conservative in outlook. The feeling being “suspension’s not for the likes of us y’know! No sir, none of your fancy springing here if you don’t mind.” This attitude was

me t so common it’s a wonder any improvem panie were made at all and even those comp who embraced suspension often did so o ith a system which resembled a rigid fram m , its damping discretely hidden under the fuel tank.

Jump back to the 1970s, in those days ‘new’ was embraced though not every hi g should have been. The world had ‘gon ne colour’, the oriental industry hadn’t the same traditional constraints of ours and all things were tried.

In the search for better suspension, ore travel and an easier working time for the rear damper, Yamaha cottoned on to the idea of a large single unit under the se eat and tank, which for a given length of stroke allows the rear wheel more travel. At fifirst it was the MX models trying out the idea a th Mick Andrews appeared in the press with a smart chrome framed TY model with n r ar suspension visible. The shock! The h rror!

It would never work!

Exhausts are important to twostrokes. This is how to fit the required dimensions and pipe lengths in.

11

Top: The similarities can be seen if you examine the Vincent rear.

Above: The early version of Yamaha’s YZ mono was slightly different to Mick’s bike.

Yes, yes, the editor had to be prised off!

Yamaha TY Mono 12 Just beautiful

Mick told us some people pitied him, others laughed in probably the same way they laughed at Johnny Brittain when Royal Enfield insisted he used swinging arm suspension in the early 1950s. “When we were in the parc ferme at the SSDT people were pointing and sniggering,” Mick recalls. “They weren’t laughing a week later when I’d won my fourth Scottish on it.”

So, what happened? Why wasn’t the trials world flooded with monoshock suspension in 1975? Mick offers several theories, all with a distinct possibility of being true. “It was just an evaluation exercise and truth be told at that time we were trying all sorts of things, my cantilever bike had fuel injection too which

A gear change shaft had to be made specifically for this bike.

worked okay but needed sorting,” he says, adding the units did eventually prove to be better than a carburettor.

“The monoshock suspension worked brilliantly after we’d done some development work at my practise ground.

It worked too well really and Yamaha were geared up for selling twinshocks for a few years and didn’t want stocks of unsold bikes as the traditional suspension was superseded by a mono,” Mick said.

There is a precedent for this as the MX bikes of the same period were offered in two variations, a production one and an expert one. Yamaha had the quaint idea ‘Joe Public’ would go for the easier to ride, more forgiving, production bike and the expert model would go to the lads winning

More intricate machining work.

at centre and national level… Er no…

“That’s what Hakan’s riding, that’s what I want,” said Joe Public.

Whatever the reason, the order came from Japan to break the bikes up, not just take them apart but physically smash them.

Mick recalled: “They even sent one of the directors over to my place in Derbyshire to watch us put sledge hammers through engines and petrol tanks and gas cutting torches to frames.”

He remembers the director examining all of the bits to make sure nothing could be salvaged and once satisfied he issued Andrews with his next works bike, a twinshock version of the cantilever.

With oriental inscrutability the bike was forgotten about and questions about it

In order to make the silencer, a wooden buck had to be formed.

Assembly begins.

13

Who is Ferry Brouwer?

Not a simple question to answer in these few words but here goes: a man from working class background with the work ethic such beginnings produce. A man for whom family values are important, sometimes easy going, sometimes intense.

A talented engineer who rose to the ranks of GP mechanic to Jarno Saarinen and Phil Read for Yamaha and someone who Yamaha trusted to make replicas of their race bikes when they wanted to experience the burgeoning classic race scene. That’s part of who Ferry Brouwer is. If you want the rest get a copy of his book‘That Boy – what became of Ferry Brouwer.’

They weren’t laughing at the end of the week when ‘220’ won the ’74 SSDT.

remained unanswered.

It is possible to understand such an attitude if the factory mind-set can be explained as forward thinking. The past was yesterday, let’s move on, what’s next… and so on.

Move on a few years and Ferry Brouwer is involved in the recreation and racing of classic Yamaha race bikes and some of these machines had to be created from drawings. This turned out to be an enjoyable period for Ferry as he and the Classic Yamaha Race Team put on a spectacle at meetings all over the world.

However, this too paled after a while and he vowed to retire at 65, those that knew him best wondered what he would do after retiring. “To tell you the truth, I

It’s a tight fit in there.

wondered myself,” the Dutchman admitted at Stafford earlier in 2015.

Ferry had begun to think about what he wanted to do after he’d given up the race team: “I realised I’d always enjoyed the trials riding, though not a huge sport in Holland. A Kawasaki came along and it was rebuilt and I wondered if there were any drawings of works Yamahas left so we could create some replicas. My first call was to Mr Tipinawa at Yamaha, he put me on to Mr Matsui, the engineer for the project, and some drawings were sent to me.”

However, there were no complete drawings of the cantilever frame in the package which arrived at the Brouwer workshop. Luckily, there were partial drawings of the frame and enough drawings

Hubs are cast magnesium, fork sliders machined from solid billet.

of other components to make a decent guess at what the frame sizes should be. Actually, that should be ‘reasoned assessment based on technical ability’ not ‘guesswork.’

The project moved on further when a side-on photograph of the frame turned up and removed any dimensional doubt on sizes. With all this information on hand the idea of building the cantilever was now a certainty.

Having been involved in the re-creation of race bikes, Ferry had built up a network of contacts who knew he wasn’t just shooting the breeze, the lad had a track record of success – okay so maybe it wasn’t for trials bikes but the needs are the same. He contacted his frame builder, who also happened to be one of his mechanics at the race team. The drawings were supplied, Yamaha were happy for Svend Andersson to build the frames to the original dimensions and spec.

The shock dimensions were now determined and a contact at Ohlins, Zweitse Rooskes, worked out the internal valving. Ferry used a spring from the road race units which turned out to be the correct one. “We could not believe it, the same spring rate for OW10, OW23 and OW35 – with a frame made we could look at the engine and immediately found differences between the standard one and the works type. With the information we had it was a simple job to alter things to make them like the works engine.”

It’s a good bet most readers of CDB are practical people and know how to wield a spanner but how many of us would set to and move the clutch operation from the underside of the engine to the top side?

Once that was done though the case was now too wide and the main shaft too long. The shaft was easily shortened and a new case cast in magnesium. All well now… er… well, no, the gear change drum was now 4mm too long and had to be shortened. After all this work the cylinder head and barrel were reasonably easy to make – yes, make – as they’re non-standard too. It hardly seems worth mentioning the ignition cover required more magnesium casting.

Ferry did say one of the revelations he found when making this bike was the

A lot of work has gone into the pivot area.

What a gorgeous fuel tank… fit for a custom bike

Yamaha TY Mono 14

Altered clutch action can be seen here.

benefits of 3D CAD drawing systems.

“This magic drawing system proved things could work before cutting any metal.

If they didn’t work here, yet we knew they worked on Mick Andrews’ works bike, it meant we had something wrong somewhere.” He added he’s okay with 2D drawings but the 3D was beyond him and had to get a friend to help.

It was interesting to listen to Ferry detailing, matter of factly, all the tasks which to me at least seemed extremely complicated but were necessary for the completion of his project.

The number of special parts requiring magnesium casting facilities were staggering, as too the titanium machining for shafts and fasteners. “You know there’s not a steel bolt on the bike?” he asked.

This altered my tack for questioning him at this point when I found it easier to ask what, if any, standard parts he was able to use in this build. After a moment’s thought he said: “Yamaha used the works yokes and stanchions for the production forks and the original CDI unit was from a DT, oh and the wheel rims and handlebars were standard items.”

Everything else is peculiar to the works model. Wheel hubs and brake plates were all cast in magnesium, the fork sliders machined from billet alloy rather than cast, sprockets too are special. These were made

by Supersprox, a British company but with a factory in the Ukraine. Ferry added: “Oh, I forgot to say, the front brake and throttle cables are Yamaha but the clutch, as the operating method is altered, is a special.”

With the build well on the way to looking like a motorcycle, there was a need for mudguards which were sourced at Classic Trial France and the tyres to go under them. “We tried modern tyres first but they looked wrong as earlier ones had a different profile. For our race bikes we had a lot of dealings with Heideneau Tyres in Germany and they could provide what we wanted for the trials bikes,” Ferry explained.

One of the parts which make a works bike look something special is the fuel tank and this particular one is curvaceous to say the least. It is again particular to the bike and a patented part, Yamaha gave permission for this one to be made.

Once the tank was made, the final big part was the seat. A mould was made to pour the foam in and then a contact of Ferry’s covered it in the correct colour of leather.

“I have to say this project could not have been completed as easily without a network of friends and engineers built up over many years. Chrome platers take on tasks without raising an eyebrow, casting experts and engineers say ‘sure, we’ll do that’ and along comes another part.” This echoes what many restorers say about their contacts, it’s easy when you know who to call…

When Ferry was away from his stand Just beautiful

at Stafford I looked over the bikes he brought, not just the cantilever but all of them. The attention to detail was incredible, brackets from the thinnest of material but shaped so they’d have strength, bolts hollowed out, wire cable guides covered in plastic tube as per the factory ones and so on, just beautiful.

The best bit…

As many people at the Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle Show in April 2015 will have witnessed, these recreations are not static displays, as Ferry built them to run.

So, when Mick Andrews came along with his genuine Yamaha riding kit, out came the bikes and in went some petrol and they burst in to life to be used on our test track… ■

Without who...

Mr Brouwer is the first to say he doesn’t do these bikes on his own and the following people were of immense help to him during this and other builds: The two former mechanics of Yamaha Classic Racing Team, 79-year- old Chris Groeneweg – who turns up every Friday to work on the bikes.

Mario van Rooijen, 55, who arrives every Wednesday evening to work on the bikes. Ace frame maker Svend Andersson from Denmark, a former YCRT rider, built the frame.

Englishman Dave Johnson who lives in Austria, a former GP mechanic for, amongst others, Steve Parrish, handled titanium machining and other machining jobs.

Thijs Hessels did CNC work such as front fork sliders and a few other things.

Italian Luciano Ghelfi casting models, magnesium casting and machining of those parts.

Zweitse Rooskes from Öhlins, a suspension engineer, did shock internals.

claSSic dirt biKe

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