Old Bike Mart - September 2020 - Preview

September 2020 £2.20 ISSUE

423

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Many of you will have seen the image before, but it’s no less fascinating from repeated viewing. It depicts a chariot, pulled not by horses but horsepower, provided by a pair of Indian motorcycles, although the retouched images make it difficult to decipher exactly what models were used. And, more to the point, who is the suited gent with the briefcase, and why is he standing just there?

• To find this and thousands more images visit: Mortons Archive www.mortonsarchive.com

2 NEWS

September 2020

Editorial

www.oldbikemart.co.uk email: info@oldbikemart.co.uk Editor Dave Manning OBMEditor@mortons.co.uk Designer Tracey Markham Production editor Sarah Wilkinson Group advertising manager Sue Keily Divisional advertising manager Tom Lee Advertising team leader Leon Currie lcurrie@mortons.co.uk 01507 529465 Sales executive Kieron Deekins kdeekins@mortons.co.uk For Private Enquiries please visit

www.oldbikemart.co.uk

Marketing manager Charlotte Park Circulation manager Steve O’Hara Publisher Tim Hartley Publishing director Dan Savage Commercial director Nigel Hole General queries Customer Service number: 01507 529529 Telephone lines are open Monday-Friday (8.30am-5pm) and 24hr answerphone Archive enquiries Jane Skayman jskayman@mortons.co.uk 01507 529423 Founder Ken Hallworth OLD BIKE MART (ISSN:1756-9494) is published monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $48 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 City Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921.

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S

omewhat frustratingly, as we near the end of what so many people refer to as ‘the riding season’, and days become shorter and colder, the events that we’ve been waiting for since the coronavirus pandemic began wreaking havoc have actually started to happen.

While the ’Normous Newark autojumble was cancelled in early August, other jumbles have been going ahead with great success. The Newark event’s cancellation was, as you may be aware, brought about by the local council thanks to an increased number of Covid cases in the area, including almost 100 cases at a local food factory.

Consequently, as that move was made solely due to that spike of cases in early August, the ’Normous Newark jumble set to take place on September 20 (and also October 25 and December 6) will keep its place on the calendar and will hopefully go ahead as planned.

It certainly seems that, in the new normal, we have to have an awareness of local health and the potential of areas being locked-down at relatively short notice.

On a brighter note, motorsport is back, and in many forms, with road racing taking place at Scarborough, classic racing at Cadwell Park and a number of off-road events taking place countrywide, such as the Long Distance Trials in Co Durham organised by the Middle England Classic Vehicle Club, and sprint and drag racing has been taking part, including the National Sprint Association’s George Brown Sprint at East Kirkby in Lincolnshire.

Yet despite the wide variety of two-wheeled motorsport taking place, there are still limitations for events, such as spectator numbers (if any are allowed at all) and a necessity to record the identity of those attending in order to be able to operate a track and trace system that will hopefully have even the wildest chance of being more efficient than the one the Government has tried to implement…

So, while the nights are drawing in at a rate that defies belief, and the mornings are now cooler than the other side of the pillow, we can still look forward to the classic bike world becoming a little more like the classic bike world that we used to know.

I hear many people talking about ‘the new normal’, but I think it will be a fair while yet before we start to regard anything as being normal. Consequently, I tend to feel that I’m focusing a little more on those experiences that I feel really are normal – the time spent in the garage looking for that elusive 10mm socket; getting wet when out on a ride, regardless of what the forecast had said; lying awake at night working out bike problems; and the monthly rush of late evenings and early mornings during deadline week.

And I can consider those things normal as, not only were they a regular part of life before the world went a little wonky six months ago, but they are things that have virtually zero chance of ever changing. While I may not be in the situation where I’m struggling to hit a motorcycle magazine deadline for the rest of my days, I can certainly foresee that I’ll be hunting for 10mm sockets well into my dotage…

Even though events are now back up and running, there’s no real feeling that each and every event on the calendar will actually go ahead until you’re there on the day, and it is physically happening.

This does bring more than a little uncertainty and doubt into people’s minds, but it also seems to bring an increased level of enthusiasm and relief when an event actually takes place! It really does seem that people are starting to be grateful for the events that take place and, in turn, are truly thankful to the people who are brave enough to organise rallies, shows and autojumbles in these (still) uncertain times.

I believe I may have said previously how important it is to support those people who support us (yes, maybe once or twice…), and I am also very aware that many folk will have a level of uncertainty as to whether they should attend any kind of event, given the current importance of social distancing and the advice given about our own personal ‘bubble’, which is hardly surprising given that so many folk in the classic motorcycle world are old enough to be considered as being in the ‘at risk’ group.

Yet a delicate balance has to be made – of staying safe, yet still actually living your life.

Indeed, parallels can be drawn with the risks involved, and the pleasure gained, from riding a motorcycle…

In other news, and something else for us to look forward to, is the fact that the Triumph factory in Hinckley is shortly to be launching a new Trident – a midrange machine due to be in dealers in the spring of next year.

And while it isn’t a classic bike, it has classic styling cues and is from a brand that has a huge amount of British heritage.

The fact that manufacturers are relying more and more on their heritage suggests, to me anyway, that more folk are looking to the past for their motorcycling kicks and highlights, which can only be a positive thing for the classic bike industry, especially as it’ll be drawing younger riders’ attention to the machinery that has gone before.

Enjoy the issue, and stay safe.

September 2020

NEWS 3

Long distance covered, and more to come

T

hrough having a responsible outlook, sheer determination, a lot of hard work and talking to the right people, the MECVC got their LDT series moving again on July 18.

A new start venue in Tow Law, Co Durham, a good splattering of new sections and more of the route offroad, all combined with the ideal weather, provided a great day out for the entry of 40-odd riders. There was the usual variety of machinery and a large range in age of the bikes, and riders too.

The small team of organisers used a combination of common sense and hard work to cope and comply with the Covid-19 rules and regulations of the Government and ACU. This was rewarded by some very positive feedback from the riders.

This event meant that two of three championship rounds have so far been undertaken, with the third and final taking place on October 10. This will be covering a different route to the previous rounds, and will contain some old favourite sections and some new. The entry is now closed for the event, with all the places swiftly taken, all of which suggests that this is a type of event that is increasing in popularity, and with any luck OBM’s editor will be able to give some firsthand reportage of the experience.

More details can be found on the club’s website at www.mecvc.org.uk

Arbuthnot Trial not trialling While the Salisbury Motorcycle and Light Car Club were planning on running their Arbuthnot trial, on September 6, and had a strong entry of 90 riders, sadly it has had to be cancelled.

The trial was first run in 1926, and nowadays caters specifically for British motorcycles used in the 1930s and 40s, and more modern Pre-65 machines.

The club felt that, due to the Covid-19 virus, and the difficulty in meeting the 30-person gathering rule, that it would be very difficult to comply with the stringent safely measures required.

After a club meeting on July 31, it was decided to cancel the event. The club are gutted, but firmly believe it is the responsible action to take to safe guard the safety of riders, observers and to ensure the future support of landowners.

Moorland tracks and trail, ideal for classic and modern alike.

Motorcycle Modification – Keeping your project safe While the modification of classic motorcycles is something of a contentious issue, with some folk being acceptive of any kind of customisation and others thinking of it as a sin akin to putting milk in your mug before the tea, it is nonetheless part and parcel of the classic, vintage and veteran motorcycle movement.

How so, I hear you say. The first motorcycles were built as one-off, bespoke machines, and as bikes get older, so it becomes more and more difficult to find standard parts, and it becomes more and more necessary to repair those components no longer available.

Bottom frame rails rusted on your 1950s BSA twin? You’ll not be able to buy a new frame to replace it, so it has to be fixed, and cutting a frame to replace rails is, after all, easily accepted as being a modification… And besides, much of the content of this tome revolves around improving your bike with

regards to handling, braking and comfort, rather than any radical changes.

But anyway, this book is more about the mechanical principles involved in modifying (and fixing) your motorcycle, and the author has some experience in this matter.

Aside from having an impressive selection of letters after his name, John Hardaker (BSc C Eng MIMechE), has over 60 years of experience in

maintaining, modifying and riding a wide variety of two and three-wheelers, with much of the book’s content based upon the techniques and principles of failure analysis, with the initial chapter dedicated to explain what exactly that is.

And while there is engineering detail aplenty, it doesn’t get bogged down in equations and theory at any point.

Aside from the various spelling mistakes and grammatical innacuracies, it is still an interesting read, capable of opening one’s eyes to potential problems (repeatedly referred to as hazards, in bold) and solutions, that also goes some way to explaining how various historical motorcycle marques have developed bikes in the way they did.

Priced at £15.98, the book is published by i2i Publishing (www.i2ipublishing.co.uk), and can be ordered from a good bookshop with the ISBN number 978-1-9163097-4-6

4 NEWS

September 2020

Tribute Black Bullet T o celebrate over a decade since Royal Enfield rolled their first 500cc unit construction engine off the production line in Chennai, India, a limited-edition run of 1000 Classic ‘Tribute Black’ motorcycles are to be released into the European market.

The hallmark ‘UCE’ 500cc engine has been at the heart of the Royal Enfield product range since 2008, producing the iconic long-stroke thump and contributing to the timeless aesthetic with which the Royal Enfield Classic 500 and Bullet 500 have become synonymous – continuing a Bullet heritage that harks back over 75 years of production and back to the Enfield factory in Redditch, Worcestershire.

This very special, limitededition ‘Tribute Black’ motorcycle is equipped with a range of exclusively designed genuine RE accessories; including canvas pannier bags with mounting racks, touring mirror kits, pillion seat and a machined oil filler cap.

Priced at a very reasonable £5499 (on the road), each of the 210 machines that are to be sold in the UK will carry a serial numbered plaque, ensuring every Tribute Black remains unique to its owner.

The motorcycles will feature a unique dual-tone paint scheme, with fenders and fuel tanks carrying both glossy and matt black finishes (a first in Royal Enfield’s 119-year history) and will showcase Royal Enfield’s

distinguished hand-painted, pinstriped tank details.

While the Tribute Black is set to be the last of the 500cc Bullet models, the current range of existing Classic and Bullet 500 motorcycles will continue to be available for retail across European markets during 2020 while stocks last, with the new model expected to be arriving in dealers in September. Service and spares parts will also remain available for current owners throughout Royal Enfield’s dealerships network.

Details of dealers, and more, can be found at www.royalenfield. com, while those interested parties can reserve a Tribute Black at www.motogb.co.uk/ model/2020-royal-enfieldclassic-500-tribute-black-591

South Mids gets autojumbles again Having missed two events this year due to the Covid epidemic, South Midlands Autojumble is now back on track for the next scheduled event at Ross-on-Wye Livestock centre (located at HR9 7QQ) on Saturday, September 19.

The event will be operating under the applicable Covid precautions and the general public and stallholders are asked to abide by these regulations, a one-way entrance and exit system will be in operation, and any attendees are asked to have the correct monies for entrance to minimise cash handling.

Those stallholders who have already paid for earlier autojumbles which have been cancelled

will have their bookings rolled over for this event, or any future event. Interest is high and there is likely to be a lot of fresh stock on view as there have been no autojumbles in the close proximity for over four months.

It is always advisable to check the South Midlands Autojumble facebook site nearer the date for any announcements – www. facebook.com/South-MidlandsAutojumble-454079101421891 – and if customers have not attended before there is a short video on the site to show the sort of thing to expect.

The organisers can be contacted on 01989 750731/76919 if there are any questions.

6 NEWS

September 2020

2021 wall planner, be included!

As usual, here at OBM we’ll be producing a wall planner type calendar for next year, including lots of important dates and events. Naturally, if you’d like your event to be included, then this can easily be arranged.

Just go to www.oldbikemart.co.uk/wallplanner or post the basic details (typed copy only please) to Heidi Lamb, Mortons Media Group, Morton Way Horncastle, LN9 6JR. Please note that there is a hard deadline of Monday November 23.

Jumbling on the Marsh Thanks in part to the fact that the event is completely outdoors this time, Kent’s largest all-classic bike event, the Romney Marsh Classic Bikejumble – still remains as set to run on Sunday, September 13.

There’s no marquee on this occasion – and measures being taken to conform to Covid-19 requirements include changes to the site plans to deal with one-way traffic and social distancing, extra marshals, removing the show element (as, currently, this is not a prescribed activity), accepting cashless payments from visitors and stallholders, and providing hand sanitiser for all to use.

Entry fee remains at the 2019 rate of a fiver for adults, £4 for 65 years and over and free for under 16s; complete bikes can be shown for

sale at no extra cost (just the entry fee); entry opens at 10am until 1.30pm and parking is free.

There’ll be onsite catering and visitors and stallholders are asked to comply with social distancing rules, so the atmosphere may be a little different, but the chance to find the new and used spares, complete bikes, tools, clothing and accessories will remain.

The venue can be found on Marsh Road in Hamsteet, near Ashford, just six miles from junction 10 of the M20, and only 15 minutes walk from Ham Street railway station.

News and information from stallholders and organisers can be found on the Facebook group – just look for Ashford, Ardingly & Romney Marsh Virtual Classic Bike Events.

Gone missing There is a common misconception that if a thief wants to steal your bike, then they'll be able to take it no matter what.

Although many bikes are stolen to order – either as a complete machine or to be broken down for parts – there are still those spur of the moment thefts. These thefts are quite easy to guard against.

This is backed up by industry experts who claim that a thief is unlikely to want to spend more than just 30 seconds stealing a bike – about as long as it takes to load one into the back of a van – so if you can equip the bike so the theft takes

much longer, then the light-fingered pilferer may just look elsewhere.

And there are various ways in which we can extend the time that a thief would need, and draw attention to the fact that your bike is being targeted.

A decent lock and chain is a good start, as are disc locks (or similar, such as a decent ‘D’-lock, for drum-braked machines) front and rear. While locking one end is a start, locking up both wheels makes it a lot harder for the bike to be wheeled into a waiting van.

Drawing attention to the bike is a great deterrent and although fitting

an alarm to your garage or shed is advised, that’ll not work when you’re out and about.

There is an alternative to professionally-fitted bike alarms that may not be suitable for classic machinery. Regular OBM correspondent, Fred Austin, explains his option – as the photo shows it’s a fused and switched loud ‘sounder’ which works off a mercury switch which switches if the motorcycle is lifted from the sidestand.

The on/off switch can be hidden away out of sight and, while it might not really be a theft alarm, but more to flag up if anyone is messing with the motorcycle at a show/event etc, it only costs about £5 to make and can put off a potential theft. Fred has them fitted to all his bikes now.

It would also be easy enough to fit to gates, garage doors, bike ramps etc.

8 NEWS

September 2020

Intercepted by Meteors W ith motorcycle manufacturers beginning to take more and more influence from the past within their ranges, it seems only natural that the aftermarket supply industry follows suit.

Designed especially for the ‘new classics’ that are being produced right now, in particular the Royal Enfield Interceptor, the Meteor pannier that you see here is exclusive to Craven Equipment

and, in keeping with the rest of their range, the new panniers take their name from the aeronautical industry, with these glass fibre panniers being named after the first jet aircraft to be used by the RAF, the Gloster Meteor.

Aside from the name, the luggage also takes its style from the plane’s design, with the flowing curves of the body and the name badge that takes its inspiration from an intake vent.

Designed fully in-house at Craven, the panniers are designed to clear the upswept silencers gracing the rear of Enfield’s twins, yet are still deep enough to be able to carry a full face helmet without being overly wide – which is a clever trick.

There are also cutouts to clear the Interceptor’s indicators, while the top opening (bottom hinged) gives easy access with the heavy duty hinges being rated to be able to hold up to 6kg in the lid. Internal dimensions are 500mm long x

300mm deep x 350mm tall, and they come in black or white as standard, although custom colours are available, including those to match the standard Enfield livery.

Fitting kits for the Meteor panniers are available for the Enfield twins, as well as other models, with the Interceptor kit costing £90.40, each pannier being £164.95, and custom colours starting at £30 (all pus VAT).

More details can be found at ​www.craven-equipment.co.uk or from 01986 891096.

Exhibition: Forgotten antique motorcycles, Latvia As Ian Kerr points out, anybody familiar with old motorcycles will know the name Juris Ramba, a resident of Latvia, and the selfstyled ‘Baltic Pioneer’.

Over the years, in difficult political conditions, he has rescued many old, unique motorcycles and, thanks to his engineering skills, became the man to go to in Latvia when all else had failed on a restoration.

His mastery of the English language has also led to him writing many an article in English magazines about motorcycling behind the Iron Curtain. He has also organised the Kurland Rally every two years, giving visitors the chance to ride their machines in Latvia and see some of the local history, as well as becoming a regular entrant in the Pioneer Run on one of his immaculately restored machines.

Now he has been asked by the Ogre Town History and Art

Museum to organise an exhibition detailing his experiences and history with antique motorcycles.

It will run from August 15 until November 10, and Juris promises everyone a warm welcome if they manage to make the trip.

Ogre takes its name from the river it is situated on and is just 20 miles from Riga and the main airport.

The exhibition will tell the story of the challenges and some unbelievable sheer luck in finding antique motorcycles, in the most unusual places, over half a century.

In his own words, Juris has literally pulled machines from ditches, flooded basements and attics with leaking roofs. They have been found buried behind a church wall, dug up from the ground and lifted off a 7th floor balcony. They’ve been exchanged for a book, camera, a dog kennel, a small lathe and even swapped for a couple of bottles of vodka.

These forgotten “bourgeoisie” motorcycles were apparently regarded as worthless scrap in Soviet times.

It is not all good news though as Juris managed to trace several dozen Compressor DKW racers but found that were destroyed by “walking the plank” – being thrown onto a concrete floor from the 2nd floor and then buried in a ditch somewhere in Russia.

Over the years Juris has put back together several motorcycles from their original components that he found literally scattered in a 100km radius around his home. Some machines needed a worldwide search for parts in the 1990s, after Latvia gained independency, such has been his dedication.

Juris has also been responsible for helping to keep many unique machines in the country as opposed to allowing them to be sold and shipped abroad. One such gem is a fully restored

Old bikes needing young riders The country’s largest club for vintage and classic motorcycles, the VMCC, has recently revised its membership rates which have taken effect from last month. One of the changes to rates (which had remained unchanged for the last six years) is the introduction of a special young member category, designed to encourage potential members under the age of 30 to discover the joys (and possibly the frustrations) of owning, restoring and riding old motorcycles, for just £20 per year.

Classic motorcycling is generally the preserve of older riders – owning the machines of their youth which they either owned or aspired to – and it can be quite an expensive pastime, but there are still plenty of older machines that don’t command such high prices.

These may well be the humble commuter bike from the 1970s and 80s which now can

be picked up relatively cheaply with plenty of spares, and would make a great introduction to the classic world.

Getting hands-on with a classic machine can also be a barrier, particularly the older vintage and veteran bikes with strange things like advance and retard levers, air levers and foot clutches, so for 2021 the VMCC will host a number of rider experience days to give both younger and older riders the chance to gain experience in a controlled and safe environment.

Another advantage of the VMCC is the huge network of local sections where new members will get a warm welcome and plenty of advice and support to get into the world of classic motorcycling.

To find out more about the VMCC please go to www.vmcc.net/Join-Us

survivor of the 1917 Russian military, a Sunbeam/JAP 5hp model. It is from a batch of only 100 made exclusively for the Tsar’s army and is known to have been used by the Latvian army after 1919.

“The exhibition will reveal the antique motorcycle collector’s problems and responsibility to our ancestors’ historic vehicle heritage with vehicles from prewar free Latvia”, said Juris.

It will show the importance of craftsmanship in historic vehicle restoration as art, science and magic and feature some of the machines restored by Juris and ridden in many rallies in Western Europe over the years. These will be joined by rare motorcycling artefacts from the beginning of 19th century – engines, tools, and photographs and documents will also be on display.

From talking to Juris, it will be an interesting exhibition and

well worth a visit to get a different perspective on classic motorcycling and you will certainly get a warm welcome from the man himself

Museum’s big open day delayed for a year Sadly, even though much of the motorcycle industry is starting to get back to something that could be called ‘normal’, there are still issues emanating from the Covid pandemic that are resulting in cancellations and postponements.

The National Motorcycle Museum’s annual autumnal shindig, Museum Live, that was due to take part on Hallowe'en has been cancelled for 2020, and will return next year. The event, in which the museum throws open its doors to the public for free, has become very popular since its inception six years ago, with not only

the usual exhibits drawing in the crowds, but also additional traders, autojumble stands, guest speakers and a live ‘fire-up’ area all aiding in promoting the valuable work undertaken by the museum.

Sadly, the museum remains closed due to the social distancing measures required in these strange times, with a subsequent drastic reduction in the museum’s funding. Consequently, the Covid-19 Reopening Appeal is being run to bring in much-needed finds and interest. More can be found at www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum. co.uk/appeal-raffle/

10 

September 2020

September 2020

BIT ON THE SIDE 11

Sidecars I have known

Part Two

If you read last month’s ramblings about Mick Payne’s time spent as a sidecar scribe, then here’s a few more thoughts about when the UK had a thriving sidecar industry.

W

ell, relatively thriving, as there were really only three companies producing sidecars in any real numbers.

The days of the coach-built, wooden-framed sidecar were over and GRP was the way forward, although Jim D’Arcy would still build the big saloons to special order at Charnwood, these were formally 'The Gemini', as built by Fred Yates.

The only modern coachbuilt sidecar I recall testing was a lovely two-stroke Villiers-powered Panther

fitted with a lightweight Briggs chair. With its Earls forks and a fairly torquey 3T engine it was a pleasure to ride on the backroads of Hertfordshire. A completely different beast, however, was one of Jim D’Arcy’s Honda Blackbird and Charnwood Sports combinations.

I wrote at the time that the plot soon became manic; I’d ridden from Jim and Rose’s premises in Hugglescote out to Beacon Hill, a local beauty spot to take the photos. On a long, walled straight I gave the beast its head, it’s certainly

Classic sidevalve Beeza – another of Jim D’Arcy’s machines – provides ideal motive power for gentle touring.

The late Ray Doran’s BMW, one of Mick’s favourite outfits.

the fastest I’ve ridden an outfit and I don’t want to ride one any faster thank you.

On one trip to Charnwood, Jim showed me a genuine long range tank from a De Havilland Mosquito. This was wooden, like the ‘plane it came from, and was the ideal object to make a mould from. Now, the Mozzy is my

favourite Second World War aircraft, so it became a part of my wish list. To this end I bought a BSA A10 that had formerly been fitted with a chair and rode it from Luton to Leicestershire (on square section Avons) to get one fitted. My Meteor was a very early version and the glass fibre can best be described

The sinister Kremlin Beemer with its studded tyres – a nightmare on normal roads.

It’s a laugh a minute on a veteran outfit, as can be seen by the expression on Jim D’Arcy’s face.

as slightly imperfect. The chassis was at that time a Watsonian VG21.

Last month I hinted at a rather special outfit built by Watsonian-Squire for the Kremlin. Then, as now, the company were at the forefront of sidecar manufacture with a worldwide reputation, so it’s unsurprising that the Russian authorities turned to them for their fleet of special outfits. In Moscow the requirements for escort machines are greatly different to their counterparts in London. This resulted in, I think, eight BMW and Squire sidecar outfits tailored to their particular needs.

The slightly sinister result was a black BMW KRT fitted with a mildly modified Squire ST1 on the right-hand side.

This was fitted with rails in

front of the cockpit and rode on studded snow tyres, and because of this I was only allowed to ride it on the Blockley site’s perimeter road.

This was just as well as it felt very skittish on the tungsten studs and resulted in a very fast learning curve what with it being my first ride with a right-mounted chair. Although it begs the question why they didn’t use one of their homemanufactured outfits? Perhaps it was the need to keep up with a swiftly driven ZiL? It was another right-sided chair that gave me the scariest ride ever on an outfit.

More on that, Bart’s bike, next month, and some more I’ve known and even loved over the years plus, probably, the only one I actually disliked.

Well, really didn’t very much enjoy at least.