RealClassic - September 2018 - Preview

 DOMINATOR 99  TRIALS OUTFIT  MÜNCH MAMMOTH!

ISSUE 173  SEPTEMBER 2018

Running, Riding & Rebuilding RealClassic Motorcycles

WHAT LIES WITHIN

 DOMINATOR 99  TRIALS OUTFIT  MÜNCH MAMMOTH!

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REALCLASSIC 172; PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER 2018

RC REGULARS

NORTON DOMINATOR 99 .............................6

SOMETHING SPECIAL .................................54

THE CONTENTS PAGE ................................... 3

For many classic riders, Norton’s twin engine in the iconic featherbed frame is the ultimate British bike. Stuart Urquhart takes a spin on a Dommi that dazzles – in every respect…

Take a BSA A10 frame and a Harley Sportster engine. Add a custom-built sidecar chassis, a lot of engineering expertise and outright ingenuity and you have all the crucial components to build a bit of a beast. Odgie meets the (vintage) racers of the third wheel…

Hurrah! We’ve assembled a really varied selection for you this time!

MOTO GUZZI CONVERT ..............................62

Great summer! He writes, as the rain lashes the window…

SUNBEAM B24 ............................................26

When one modern bike rider decided to decelerate into a more laid-back lifestyle, a 1930s Sunbeam single provided the perfect vehicle for his transition. Henry Gregson reveals what turned out to be a challenging project…

MONSTER MÜNCH! .....................................32

The world’s first four-cylinder street machine was not a Honda. Alan Cathcart recounts the unusual tale of a Mammoth, a European monster of myth…

TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN ...............................44

It’s remarkable what a chap can stumble across while popping out for lunch. Frank Westworth fell over a handsome Triumph

WE’VE GOT MAIL! ........................................16

A page or two than usual, due to a space constraint, but we always want to hear from you!

EVENTS ........................................................78

A heavyweight Guzzi V-twin with automatic transmission wouldn’t be the conventional choice for a high-mileage ride on some of Canada’s roughest roads.

But then, Nick Adams is not exactly a conventional classic rider…

READERS’FREE ADS ....................................80

The customary eccentric collection. And TP got chocs!

PUB TALK ...................................................102

The Tramway Village at Crich have hosted their second classic bike day, and the VMCC Festival of 1000 Bikes has made a return to Mallory Park. PUB braved the sun and heat to bring RC reports

AJS K9 .........................................................70

After climbing an extremely steep learning curve last month, vintage virgin Paul Miles is ready for his day of reckoning. Bring on the Banbury Run…

TALES FROM THE SHED .............................108

ROYAL ENFIELD FURY!................................86

What is it that never runs smoothly? Was it a BSA? Frank Westworth has a new unfavourite motorcycle…

At the end of the 1950s, Royal Enfield created a competition-spec, big single, dirttrack desert scrambler. Very few Furies ever made it back to Blighty, but fortunately Paul Henshaw has plenty of experience with big-head Bullet racebikes..

MI-VAL PROJECT........................................ 96

Stu Thomson plainly enjoys a challenge.

Not content with restoring a Gilera Giubileo to the road, he’s now tackled something even less usual – at least in the UK. And here’s how…

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TODAY & SAVE

WHO’S DONE WHAT REALCLASSIC blasted off this month, propelled by rocket fuel and Rowena Hoseason and Frank Westworth of The Cosmic Bike Co Ltd. Page design and clever production stuff were handled by Libby Fincham, Kelvin Clements, Mike ‘happy holidays’ Baumber and the team at Horncastle. Top job, everyone!

COVER IMAGE by Rowena Hoseason (who is coincidentally celebrating the final stage of her BSc studies. It’s only taken a decade to complete. What next?)

You’ll find more classic bikes, book reviews and event info at www.Real-Classic.co.uk TRADE ADVERTISERS for the magazine or website should call Helen Martin on 01507 529574, email hrmartin@mortons.co.uk EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES should be sent to Frank@ RealClassic.net or to PO Box 66, Bude EX23 9ZX. Please include an SAE if you want something returned or a personal reply SUBSCRIPTION INFO is on pg114. Call 01507 529529 to subscribe or renew or buy back issues SUBS QUERIES, late deliveries, or changes of address should be directed to 01507 529529, or email subscriptions@realclassic.net ALL MATERIAL in RealClassic is copyright its authors, so please contact us before reproducing anything. RealClassic is printed by William Gibbons & Sons of Wolverhampton. Our ISSN is 1742-2345.

THIS MONTH we’ve been reading THE FEAR INDEX

by Robert Harris (mainstream techno thriller, competent but unsurprising); WHEN THE DARK MAN CALLS by Stuart M Kaminsky (clever psychthriller, written three decades ago but bang on the current zeitgeist); THE DARK FOREST by Cixin Liu (Chinese sci-fi, book two of three; veers between utterly prosaic and startlingly inventive), COLD KILL and NOTHING STAYS BURIED, by PJ Tracy (a pair of gentle trad detective tales), and TOKYO SODOM by Stephen Barber (desperately dull attempt at erotic fiction – entirely for research purposes!).

MEANWHILE AT THE MOVIES, seek out BATTLE FOR SEVASTAPOL, the stunning story of a female Soviet sniper; look out for TERMINAL, a stylish and strangely quirky thriller; make the most of the summer blockbusters because MI: FALLOUT and THE MEG were actually pretty good and… have you found GRIMM yet? It’s a TV series. Five seasons of yummy boxset badness, featuring werewolves and detectives. Think CSI meets X-Files. Sort of.

RealClassic is published monthly by MMG Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, LN9 6LZ, UK. USA SUBSCRIPTIONS are $58 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI. 54921. Postmaster: Send USA address changes to RealClassic, Motorsport Publications LLC, 715-572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com

FROM THE FRONT

W

e were taken to task by a fine fellow who objected to our suggestion that few riders use their elderly motorcycles for commuting. In fact … not a single one of my riding buddies who still commutes to work does so on a bike more than fifteen years old. Strange but possibly true. They’d deny it, obviously.

But I fell to thinking. Our correspondent, Phil B – whose letter should appear next month because we ran out of space at the last minute – still uses his own pair of old bikes for pretty much everything. Great bikes, too. And his mail reminded me that just because I personally don’t commute – RCHQ is in our home – and because almost all my riding pals down here appear to lead lives of retired luxury or commute on modern machines, it is silly to make a sweeping statement. So I apologise for that! I shall beat myself up with The Pitman Book of the Velocette LE. All of which flashed through my mind while I was sitting down to write up the rather fetching red Triumph you can find elsewhere in this issue. My first thought – and probably an unworthy thought – was that no one tours on old bikes any more. Which is not true, although it is a very long time since I’ve seen pre-2000 motorcycles laden with luggage cruising the Atlantic Highway. But just because I’ve not seen them doesn’t mean that they’re not out there. And only a couple of days ago, while Rowena and myself were enjoying a brisk stomp around part of the SW Coast Path, we were stopped in our tracks by a hail from a cheery couple who’d stopped off while touring and had wondered whether they’d spot us out and about in Bude. Which they did.

Remarkable! Great to meet them, and to swap tall stories. RC readers are always entertaining!

And their bike? A late 1990s GoldWing, just about the perfect classic touring machine in the views of many. Looked really well, too. Also comfortable. Seriously comfortable.

Riding the red Triumph, with its excellent and stylish Rodark panniers, was a fine

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experience, and of course I asked myself whether I’d go touring again on an old bike if I had one like this. Immediately after the ride, the answer was a determined Yes! By the time I sat down to write the story I’d modified that yes to substitute a Commando Interstate for the Triumph Speed Twin, and then I went completely revisionist and decided that in fact I completely enjoy the little touring I seem to have time for aboard the unmentionable American twin I mentioned (briefly) last month.

But if I had a Triumph like that tourist twin I’d certainly tour on it, wouldn’t I? In fact … I don’t think I would. I thought some more, mostly while wondering where to mount the ignition switch on the BSA project. Distractions are always welcome when fettling, don’t you find?

Then I sat down to read through Nick Adams’ latest account of Canadian highway adventures and decided that if I had a Guzzi like Nick’s I’d tour every day, every single day.

Nothing would keep me from the saddle.

Enthusiasm is always infectious. And that’s what counts. We change our bikes as and when the time seems right, and we change the kind of riding we do. But what is a constant is the enthusiasm for riding. And that’s what counts. Or… have I got that wrong, too?

Ride safely Frank Westworth Frank@realclassic.net

THE NEXT ISSUE

RC174 WILL BE PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 1st, AND SHOULD REACH UK SUBSCRIBERS BY OCTOBER 5th

6 I SEPTEMBER 2018

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NORTON 99

For many classic riders, Norton’s twin engine in the iconic featherbed frame is the ultimate British bike.

Stuart Urquhart takes a spin on a Dommi that dazzles – in every respect…

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Photos by Stuart Urquhart

sk any driver of an enthusiast’s sports car, be it a classic MG or a modern Ferrari, why red is the only suitable colour for their macho wheels. ‘Exciting, thrilling and stirs the blood’, might be the-off-cuff reply. Believe what you will, but the wisdom of expert psychologists informs us that the colour red is associated with energy, war, strength, power and determination as well as passion, desire, love and success. The colour red is also supposed to enhance human metabolism, increase respiration rate, and raise our blood pressure. Another understanding is that red attracts attention more than any other colour

and is therefore often used to signify danger.

Small wonder then, that the presence of a red motorcycle can cause an otherwise disinterested biker to come across all hot and bothered. Would it be far-fetched or fanciful to deduce that several popular Italian thoroughbreds such as MV Agusta, Ducati and Moto Guzzi exploited red as a cunning ploy to win sales? Small wonder, then, that we all get excited about Italian motorcycles.

The same could be said of the flamboyant red Norton Dominator 99 that poses seductively throughout these pages.

According to owner Sandy Bloy, red is the only colour for this popular 1950s twin – definitely not dull polychromatic grey or boring, bland and passé black! Sandy, as

we can see, is passionate about red Norton Dominators, and who can blame him?

Back in his teenage phase, Sandy’s first encounter with a red Dominator occurred when his friend Jim ordered a brand new, 1956 Model 99 from Pride & Clarke in London. The bike was delivered by British Rail, and Sandy vividly recalls the impression the Norton had on him when they went to collect Jim’s new bike at Perth station.

The Dominator was double-wrapped in corrugated cardboard held by string and sticky tape, but hints of glinting chrome and gloss red paintwork peeped through the wrapping – even the BR guardsman was babbling excitedly as he assisted the boys in unwrapping the motorcycle.

Norton’s Dominator twins were made for roads like this

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SEPTEMBER 2018 I 7

Then Sandy had to endure restless nights listening to Jim’s 99 twittering around the back streets of Perth in the company of some chuffing singles. In the wee sma’ hours Sandy made a promise to himself that one day he would have a red Dominator like Jim’s.

Just four years later Sandy’s dream of Dominator ownership became a reality – although it was more of ‘polychromatic grey’ wish come true. Sandy had a motorcycling cousin, Vinny, who had a poly-grey ’56 Dominator 88. Unfortunately Vinny dropped his 88 on black ice and the Norton came off far worse than its pilot. The double whammy for Vinny was that he needed a commuter motorcycle to get to and from his work. Fortunately, he remembered Sandy’s dream, and he offered his crash-damaged Dominator as a straight swap for a running Ariel Arrow that Sandy had recently restored to the road. Sandy was thrilled with the idea of owning his first Dominator and so they shook on the deal.

Without delay Sandy began to sort the damage, which mostly amounted to badlydented tinware on one side. He turned the Dominator into a café racer (the rage of the 1960s) and binned the damaged mudguards, toolboxes and headlight. Alloy guards replaced crumpled steel and road-scratched exhausts were ditched for swept-backs and reverse cone megaphones.

‘Following weeks of hard graft I soon had Vinny’s 88 back on the road,’ said Sandy. ‘The bike was very good to me, but I only ran it for a couple of months before a racing pal pestered me into selling it to him. A painter by trade, he was nicknamed “Rad” because he painted his racing bikes in bright colours – so it will come as no surprise when I tell

Above: There are relatively few motorcycles where the frame is as definitive as the engine.

Featherbed Nortons are one of them Right: It’s something of a cliché to complain about the leaky nature of the long, pressed steel primary chaincase. Careful assembly, modern rubber seals and ensuring that the joint faces are in good condition helps. As does using the correct spacers for the footrest hanger

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NORTON 99

Numerology If originality is important to you, it helps if you can decode the various numbers. In this case, ‘14’ confirms that the bike’s a 99, while the ‘N’ reveals that it was manufactured in 1958. The engine and frame numbers match, and the ‘C’ denoted coil ignition, which it still wears

you he cruised the streets in a dazzling vista orange Capri. But I was flabbergasted when he painted my ex-Dominator in vista orange too – not quite red, but nearly!

‘Rad ran the 88 for years before it suddenly produced a death rattle. Unfortunately Rad had forgotten to turn on an oil tap he’d fitted to prevent wet-sumping. So the bright orange Dominator came back to me in exchange for an AJS field bike I’d built. I was more than a little chuffed, as I loved my old Dominator 88. I have never forgotten its registration number either – JTS 345 – I wonder where she is now?’

Since then Sandy has garaged no less than seven Norton Dominators, including an Atlas, none of which was red. Readers will have noticed this is not the case with Sandy’s current and very red Dominator 99 pictured hereabouts – probably the cause of your rising respiration and blood pressure…

However, worry not, in the interests of restoring calm, here follows a brief history: Norton launched their 596cc Model 99 Dominator twin in 1956 by increasing the capacity of the 88 model’s engine from 497cc.

Bore and stroke went up to 68 by 82mm from the previous model’s 66 by 72.6mm. The new 99 model was of similar dimensions and weight to the 88, tipping the scales at 395lb.

It produced 31bhp (an extra 2bhp over the 88) and had a top speed of over 100mph.

The engine unfortunately would develop problems if tuned for racing, whereby the crankshaft was prone to breaking under the stresses of competition. This led to the emergence of the famous Triton, which married the fabled featherbed’s handling to Triumph’s highly-tuneable Bonneville motor.

Left in its standard spec however, the Norton 99 Dominator proved to be an excellent all-rounder and was well respected

by the motorcycle press of the day. By 1958 Norton had introduced twin carbs and alternator electrics. The wideline featherbed frame was replaced by the slimline in 1960, before this Dominator ceased production just two years later.

Red, the colour of Sandy’s model, was available on both the 88 and 99 Dominator models from 1958 to 60. Other options were metallic blue, and black and silver. The equally popular polychromatic grey was introduced by 1951 on the 500cc 88 model and continued throughout Dominator production. In the early 1960s optional colour combinations were introduced, along with chromed mudguards. These included: black and dove grey; blue and dove grey; cream and dove grey; red and dove grey; and green and dove grey. Polychromatic grey and dove grey became available on the later 88SS and De Luxe models.

All the Dominators make excellent riding machines.

Here’s owner Sandy Bloy setting out on his

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‘Being wedded to the motorcycle trade I had a well-known friend who’s the proprietor of Spinning Wheel classic cars in Chesterfield’, continued Sandy. ‘Adrian dabbles in classic cars and motorcycles and for several years he was aware that I had been on the lookout for an original red 99 Dommi. He’d also expressed a keen interest in a beautiful black and chrome Velocette Viper that I’d restored.

Then out of the blue Adrian emailed me some irresistible pictures of a nice red Dominator 99 he just happened to have in stock. 364 CJO looked very appealing on my PC screen, and looked in better than oily-rag condition.

However Adrian informed me that it would require some sorting.

‘Of course, I knew his game as soon as he

asked if I still had my lovely Viper. Following some lengthy negotiations we eventually agreed on a straight swap, subject to me viewing the Dominator. So I borrowed a pal’s horsebox and trotted down to Chesterfield with my Velo strapped inside the box.

Thankfully, the 99 looked even better than its digital effigy and I returned to Scotland with my prize, much relieved that my search for a red Dominator had come to an end.

‘Although I was informed that 364 CJO had been part of a private collection, it became apparent that the bike had not been used for a long time. It just would not start. Even an obligatory service of changing oils, fuel and plugs made no difference. I also cleaned and reset the distributor points and there

The single carb is the old reliable Amal Monobloc, easy to use and to service

The twin’s power is fed by a long single-row primary chain to this, the famous AMC / Norton gearbox, Famed for its clean shifting and reliability

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was a healthy spark. Compression also felt good, and yet I experienced great difficulty in starting the bike from cold. Playing with the choke settings made no difference, nor did flooding the carb or opening the throttle. I kicked it over ’til I was blue in the face!

‘I was truly stumped, because in my experience Norton Dominators are easy to start. Fuel, spark, bang – and off you go is the norm. I had fuel and sparks, but alas, no bang.

When she did eventually fire up, the engine started misfiring on one cylinder. I had just enough time to check that engine oil was returning to the tank before blue smoke began puffing from both exhausts. I knew then that I was looking at some serious fettling…’

Sandy suspected an ignition fault was the cause of poor starting. He had already decided to upgrade to a 12V system and fitted a new alternator, battery, rectifier and coil. The distributor and points were perfectly serviceable and only required the points to be dressed with a magneto file. While attempting to trace the erratic running fault, Sandy noticed that the Monobloc carb’s float bowl had a gasket section ominously protruding from its cover. When he investigated inside the carb, Sandy also discovered that some poorly-applied silicone was preventing the float from operating correctly, and could possibly be a cause of fuel starvation.

‘After stripping the carburettor and sorting the sticking float, I thought I had solved the poor starting problem. But then I noticed the throttle slide was stamped “three and a half”

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SEPTEMBER 2018 I 11

NORTON DOMINATOR TIMELINE 1949 to 1956: Model 7 (29bhp) built 1951 to 1966: Model 88 (29 to 36bhp) built 1951: short Roadholders fitted to all featherbeds 1954: eight-inch brake introduced, welded rear frame loop 1955: alloy cylinder head, Monobloc carb, full width hubs 1956 to 1958: Model 77 (31bhp) built 1956 to 1962: Model 99 (31 to 36bhp) built 1956: AMC gearbox introduced, new camshaft, new silencers 1958 to 1960: non-featherbed Nomad scrambler built for export only 1958: coil ignition and alternator introduced 1960: slimline frame introduced; compression ratio increased 1960 to 1961: 650 Manxman built for export only 1960 to 1968: Atlas (49 to 55bhp) built 1961: compression increased again on 88 and 99 1962 to 1968: 650 SS (49bhp) built 1963: production moves to Plumstead 1964: 12-Volt electrics introduced 1965: drive chain increased to 3/8th inch 1966: Amal concentric carbs introduced 1968 to 1970: Mercury built

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This is a wideline featherbed – so-called because the twin top frame rails are widely spaced, meaning that the tank is wide and the rider’s legs get spread wide too

and must have come from an 88 model. I replaced it with the correct number three slide that is normally fitted to a 99. I was relieved to find that the jets and needle were all correct and I remember feeling elated at the time in spotting both the jamming float and the throttle slide error – no doubt mistakes unwittingly introduced by a previous owner.’

Sandy has no qualms about engine mechanics and turned his attention to the smoking engine.

He removed the head and barrels to inspect the bores and rings. The bottom end was fine and well within tolerances. The bores were also in serviceable condition, but for peace of mind Sandy fitted new piston rings. The presence of tacky burnt oil residue around the valve ports convinced Sandy to replace all four valves and guides. The only other engine mods were to replace the primary chain, alternator and clutch plates. All parts were supplied by Norton specialists RGM. When the engine work was completed Sandy turned his attention to the cycle parts, and in particular to the paintwork. Outwardly, the 99 was hardly in the ‘cosmetically challenged’ category, and the petrol tank with its original paintwork and attractive chrome panels was in excellent condition. But when Sandy emptied the petrol tank of its contents, out spilled an alarming mixture of rank-smelling goo, blobs of resin and discoloured fuel. It was obvious that an old tank sealant liner was breaking down. Sandy treated the petrol tank with a solution of boiling water and soda-

crystals for three successive nights before the inside was back to a shiny, bare metal finish. Later, when the tank was pressure-tested for leaks, Sandy was chuffed that none were to be found.

‘I was pleased with the end result of cleaning out the 99’s petrol tank with soda, especially as it proved to be in perfect condition inside – nobody wants to incur the extra expense repainting a petrol tank. As the bike had been stored for well over ten years I can only suppose that sealing the tank was a belt-and-braces exercise by an earlier owner. Obviously the earlier sealant could not withstand the composition of modern fuels – especially the additional ethanol menace that we are expected to put up with.’

Sandy had the frame, mudguards and some of the cycle parts powder coated by IPS Coatings of Glenrothes. Although the 99 came with stainless wheel spindles and nuts, the rims were far from perfect, so Sandy sent them to local wheel builder George Spence to have new chrome rims and stainless spokes added.

All the stainless fasteners that were used throughout the build came from Sandy’s existing stock. The engine gaskets were renewed and a new RGM primary chaincase rubber seal was added to the traditionally incontinent cover. Sandy also replaced the control cables which came from Wassells (your local friendly bike shop may well stock them).

When the frame was returned with its thick powder coating Sandy noticed that the frame number was no longer visible. Ever the improviser, Sandy made

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NORTON 99 Neat, simple and familiar Lucas headlight, complete with the PRS8 combined lighting / ignition switch, an ammeter and a Smiths chronometric speedo

up a stainless plate and stamped it with the Norton’s frame number before riveting it to the frame for future reference. While we chatted about the location of the new plate, Sandy also pointed out the unique model ‘99’ identification stamp on the rear crankcase, immediately below the barrel. And now that my education was complete, I asked Sandy to sum up his impression of this 99 Dominator and why he was so devoted to the model in particular: ‘I have owned more Nortons down the years than I care to remember,’ laughed Sandy, ‘although, now that I think about it, I must have had as many AMC motorcycles as well. Both of Norton’s 500cc and 600cc twin engines give lively and smooth performance, and they are totally reliable in their standard state of tune. Tweak engine performance at your peril, for 99 crankshafts have been known to let go just by fitting high compression pistons – a favourite mod throughout the 1960s.

‘All Norton featherbed models are a joy to ride and their legendary handling should be experienced at least once by every motorcyclist – just to know what a mouldbreaker the frame really was. Dominators are great all-rounders, with good brakes, smooth engines and excellent handling. I count myself

lucky to have owned seven. They are truly brilliant everyday classics that look totally unique with their iconic 1950s styling. I just can’t seem to get them out of my life.

‘In my humble opinion a wideline Norton Dominator 99 is the one to have. You should take a ride and see what you’re missing!’

Sandy nodded in the direction of his very red Dominator and I didn’t need to be asked twice... We exchanged bikes at the historic Lindores Abbey Distillery in anticipation of a quiet bumble along my favourite scenic route, skirting the Tay. The absence of any traffic, save the occasional tractor, makes it an ideal route for testing any classic motorcycle in safety. Sharp bends, long, wide sections and superb visibility with an abundance of viewpoint parking along its 26 mile route, make it an ideal road for motorcycles.

As Sandy demonstrated, starting ‘the best featherbed’ is a piece of cake. Ignition on, then simply tickle the Amal – no choke required – and kick! No engine priming is necessary and no advance and retard is provided to flap over. I have never tested a more placid and predictable first-kick starter. All through the test Sandy’s 99 started before I had time to blink – it was really that quick on the draw.

Rumbling along, the next revelation was the smooth and light-action clutch. I was

As well as using possibly the most famous British frame of them all, Norton also equipped these machines with arguably the best front end of its generation. The brake is excellent, and the forks are well named

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of the opinion that my 850 Commando has the lightest clutch ever, but this Dommi’s is featherlight. So impressive in fact, that I later insisted that Sandy must have fitted a Commando clutch but forgotten to mention it – even its action mimicked my 850’s diaphragm device. Coupled with the smooth running engine and Norton’s unstressed gearbox, it all added up to perfect gear changes and a complete absence of false neutrals.

The engine on this later version of Norton’s Dominator is a peach. Smooth and silent, it happily rumbled away beneath my splayed wideline legs. You are reminded that a parallel twin lurks below by a delicious throbbing that rises through the pegs. Then your knees are gently massaged by the petrol tank, before all smooths out at around 40mph. Torque is moderate, and the Norton reminded me so much of my old R60/7 BMW – praise indeed.

This 99 does not feel rapid. It builds up momentum in a progressive and relaxed way.

Furthermore, its flexible nature means that it works as brilliantly on back roads as it does on bustling A-roads.

Although top speed is a claimed 100mphplus, the 26 horses available are more prone to canter than gallop furiously as in the engine’s later Commando form. I find it even harder to believe they share a commonality going back to the Norton Model 7 I tested in RC150.

That said, this 99 Dominator is fabulous fun at cruising speeds of 55 to 65mph. During one extended canter to 75mph the engine was still uncannily smooth; the thought ‘à la BMW’ gently fluttered once again inside my appreciative head.

As the Norton and I romped through a series of S-bends, the famous featherbed handling came into play. Like many RC readers, I have cherished the pleasure of riding featherbeds – wide or slim – down the

SEPTEMBER 2018 I 13

This is an oil tap. We are nervous of them, but lots of owners prefer to risk forgetting to turn them on to letting the engine sump

14 I SEPTEMBER 2018

years. Its handling has always been inspiring, assured and confident. Even a couple of Tritons and a Commando wideline café racer that I’d begged a ride on were hard to fault, apart from the latter suffering from severe vibes at top-end cruising speed. Not ideal, it suggested that a crank rebalance was perhaps the key to address the absence of Isolastics.

It is well worth repeating that this model holds no drama in the handling stakes.

Up front a set of the renowned Norton Roadholders tame the bounce, while the sls 8-inch front anchor provides what some might term ‘passive’ braking. Some excessive slack at the front brake lever didn’t help, but I bet some careful adjustment would improve stopping. Thankfully, the rear 7-inch stopper outshines the front and was responsible for the odd tyre squeal.

The ride is very comfy indeed and the Dommi straights suited me – although Sandy is not so complimentary about the ergonomics on longer rides. I would bow to his opinion, as we only covered approximately twenty miles during the test. I liked the slightly-forward

lean that the arrangement of footrests and handlebars force you to adopt, and the overthe-tank racy crouch is a boon for fast rides and sweeping bends. Not many other classics could keep up with the 99 in the hands of a competent rider. It’s such a fun bike to ride: smooth, relaxing and confidence inspiring.

Dare I suggest the BMW metaphor again?

The beautiful petrol tank doubles in providing excellent knee-grip for the more rapid rider and for those heart-in-mouth, deer-stopping moments – a much too common hazard around Fife’s back country roads. Thankfully, all we encountered were a few kamikaze pheasants. They’re devils that delight in ricocheting across the road while you’re leaning over, mid-bend, attempting to get your slippers down – an easy achievement on a featherbed! I swear I heard Sandy’s jaw thud my following Bonneville’s petrol tank during one such encounter.

Of course, as with any fabulous ride, we reached journey’s end all too quickly. Hand on my fast-beating heart: Sandy’s Dominator 99 was love at first ride.

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SEPTEMBER 2018 I 15

RC readers write, rant and rattle on...

Summat to say? Send your comments, hints, tips, tales of woe and derring-don’t to: RCHQ@RealClassic.net

TRIPLE INSPIRATION

I was inspired by the article in RC171 about Triumph Tridents and the longevity of the owners’ relationships with these bikes. I am the current owner of a very late model T150V which was made in October 1974, just a month before production switched to the T160V. Most of our bikes have names and for some reason my wife named this one ‘The Beast’.

Little did I know when, somewhat to my surprise, I won the eBay auction for a used T150V in August 2007 that I was basically taking on a legacy. What attracted me to the Trident was that it was obviously a bike for riding rather than polishing. It was affordable

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and only had two previous owners at that point. The then-current owner had owned the bike for approximately 10 years.

It didn’t occur to me to ask about the mileage of the bike. After all, a classic bike is only as good as its last rebuild. Right?

Only once I was handed the thick sheaf of documents that came with the bike did I find out that the original owner, one Martin Jones, had purchased the bike from Copes of Birmingham in February 1975. He then used the Trident for the next 20 years as his sole transport, eventually replacing it with one of the new Hinckley triples.

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Over such a long period of time, the T150 inevitably went through a number of iterations. An Avon fairing, Craven panniers and a big bore kit all came and went, while a Hyde seat, raygun silencers, RITA ignition and stainless mudguards arrived and stayed. I have an article from the Triumph Owners Club magazine of June 1983 when the bike was just eight years old, extolling the fact that it had just clocked 100,000 miles. Then an article from MCN when the bike hit 200,000 miles in 1994, just a few years before Martin swapped it out.

LETTERS The secret to its longevity? Obviously the Meriden triples must be a tough design and the previous owners all added Wynns oil treatment to the engine oil, which I have continued. On buying the bike it needed some recommissioning and fettling, but I tried to respect the bike’s history. It may not be totally factory standard, but many of the replacement parts themselves have been in place for well over 30 years. The raygun silencers are not factory original but have been in place for most of the bike’s life.

They now have very little of their original baffling, so sound superb. The gold paint may be faded, but it still has its original factory paint job on the tank after 43 years of use. The previous owner had fitted an additional front brake caliper in the fore and aft style of Slippery Sam, but these were the original, heavy Lockheed cast iron calipers which made the steering very strange at slow speeds. I have replaced these with alloy Grimeca items, so the excellent Trident handling is restored.

Compared with its early life the Beast is now in semi-retirement, but it still gets used.

I have done around 20,000 miles during my ownership. It’s used for long distance commuting and club runs, has been touring around the UK and Europe, and goes out when I feel the need for the occasional

blast. Sure, the clutch requires the hand of Hercules, neutral can be difficult to find (read ‘impossible’) while stationary, and both the pushrod tube seals and rocker spindle seals leak some oil, but it can still rattle along quite smartly enough while providing a great soundtrack. With new Avon Roadriders, the handling is excellent. So, it is now 242,000 miles up and still going strong. One day I will do some work on the engine, but nothing

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is pressing at present and other projects are ahead of it in the queue.

I wonder if Martin Jones, the original owner, is a RealClassic reader?

Paul Digweed, member 5970 Thanks for this, Paul. If any other readers have bikes with similar high mileages, we’d love to hear about them. Frank W

SEPTEMBER 2018 I 17

SUBSCRIBER

PRIZES This month’s winners in our subscriber prize draw are GRAHAM PARROTT (member 6562) and STEVE SHARE (member 12,944). Congrats, chaps. Your surprise RC prizes are on their way to you!

Our monthly winners are drawn randomly from all current subscribers: it’s our way of saying an additional ‘thanks’ for supporting the magazine.

So if you’re not already an RC subscriber – sign up online or turn to the back of the magazine.

It could be your turn next time!

This month, there’s an additional opportunity to win something interesting in the Members’ Enclosure subscriber newsletter. So if you dropped it in the recycling before settling down to read the magazine, go back and reclaim it, quick…

A CLOSE SHAVE! My neighbour Frank decided to take part in the village scarecrow display using his Triumph motorcycle, dressed up as a Wallace and Gromit sidecar outfit with matching rocket and slab of fake cheese. It went down well with the local children, and I remarked to him; ‘Cracking display, Gromit.’

Iain Houghton, member 2124 The fake cheese went down well with the children? I’m all confused… Frank W

18 I SEPTEMBER 2018

RC READING I enjoyed reading Frank’s thoughts on the AJS Model 8 in RC171. A bit different from the Ariel he intended to road test, but these little serendipities are what make life interesting.

It immediately brought to mind a book

by Roy K Battson, ‘The Land Beyond The Ridge’, a lovely, lyrical and elegiac memoir of Roy’s motorcycling life from 1920 on.

Its subtitle is ‘Reminiscences of sixty odd years of the finest hobby man can have; motorcycling’. Roy had quite a hard life but eventually an unexpected legacy meant he could buy one last bike. Not the 350 AJS featured, but the 250 model.

He says; ‘And so, once more, and still, even in my late fifties, almost sick with excitement, I took delivery of my new machine. It was a Model 14 250cc AJS and in my humble opinion one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever offered to the public.’ No doubt some rose-tinted specs there, but I guess he was still under the influence of the unexpected legacy!

Nevertheless it brought him happiness for about 12 years.

I bought his book when it was first published in 1974 for £2.50 and usually read it once a year at a sitting; it is only 78 pages long. I now see that it is offered on Amazon for £70! It would make a wonderful serialisation in a classic bike magazine and maybe that would be possible in RealClassic? A wonderful memoir of a golden age.

Mike Knowles, member 8882 Yes indeed, that’s an excellent book, isn’t it? We’ve a copy safely snuggled in the RC RChive. But we have doubts about dedicating that many pages in RC to historic adventures; the magazine is intended to reflect the reality of rebuilding, running and riding old bikes today. There are other magazines (so I’m told!) which major on yesteryear, after all. We may wander into nostalgia here and there, but I wonder how subscribers would feel if we left out an owner report or a roadtest or a rebuild feature, to run an historic book serialisation instead? Over to you, gentle readers; tell us what you think… Rowena

SUPER ROCKETS I read with great interest, as I always do, RC172 and in particular the article about the BSA Victor Special and the rebuilding of two Super Rockets, being a keen BSA fan. Regarding the Victor Special I quite agree with Frank Melling and Roger Taylor that the sensible cruising speed is an indicated 55mph – with a (very) quick sprint up to 60mph. I own a 1967 Shooting Star and this seems an ideal speed for a bike that is now over 50 years old. With electronic ignition and the use of the valve lifter, starting is good.

Regarding the Super Rockets I see from the photos that there’s a choke or advance / retard lever mounted on the frame of Mick’s Super Rocket, adjacent to the oil tank. Then a photo of Pete’s bike shows the choke on the left, and on Mick’s the choke is on the right. I always

thought these bikes had the choke mounted next to the oil tank, and the advance and retard on the handlebar. Am I wrong? Which is which?

An excellent read as always, keep it up.

Andy Bean, member 12,473

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Delighted you enjoyed the features, Andy. As to which lever goes where; diagrams from BSA handbooks of the 1950s typically show the A10’s ignition lever on the left and the air lever on the right of the handlebars. But these days, a machine fitted with modern electrics might not need an advance / retard lever, while an owner could choose to put the choke anywhere convenient. If you’re concerned about being marked down in a concours competition then it might be important, but otherwise… Rowena