Real Classic - January 2021 - Preview

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theaa.com/advert1 or call 0800 294 5661 Breakdown cover from £6: price is for monthly UK Roadside Vehicle Membership. Other levels of cover are also available. Offer is not available for existing Members or at renewal. Your membership will renew on a monthly basis. You can cancel your cover at any time giving 30 days’ notice. You’ll receive a renewal invitation beforehand so you’ll have plenty of time to change or cancel your cover. Unlimited call outs: repeat call outs for the same fault within 28 days will not be covered.

30 minutes attendance: based on an average of all AA attended breakdowns September 2019 – August 2020. Smart Breakdown and Tap and Track App: subject to network coverage. Member Benefits saving value calculated based on the top 10% of Members by Member benefit redemptions between 01/03/2019 and 29/02/2020. For further information visit: theaa.com/member-benefits. All information correct at time of print December 2020.

WHATL

SQUARE FOUR SPECIAL ............................ 6

own one, although perhaps he hadn't quite

For many Ariel enthusiasts, the company's four -cylinder tourer would be pretty much perfect if only it had improved rear suspension. Surely it can't be too tricky to combine a Huntmaster chassis with a Square drivetrain? Stuart Francis finds out

realised what he was letting himself in for ...

RACING ON THE CHEAP .......................... 56

KAWASAKI W650 ....................................

Kidd recalls his racing days ...

24

When Kawasaki decided to go retro, they produced a machine which aimed to please everyone but polarised opinion. Frank Westworth decided to try one for size

Back in the day, going fast on Britbikes could be achieved on a very tight budget. David

BRUSHING UP .... .....................................

64

Powder-coating has become the popular no-fuss paintwork solution, but it's far more

BSA BANTAM ..........................................

32

Have you ever been offered a pile of scrap metal, free, gratis and for nothing? That's exactly what happened to Len Page, who chose to turn a rusty wreck back into a roadgoing motorcycle ...

satisfying to apply good old-fashioned enamel paint- by brush. Oily Boot Bob explains how to achieve a finish fit for an Old Master ...

MAKING SPARKS FLY.............................. 68

MOTO GUZZI NUOVO FALCONE ............. 40

Buying someone else's part-completed project can be a perilous punt. Dave Simmons came up trumps with a Guzzi single ... until he came to ride it, that is

The development of the ignition system, how it works, and a few maintenance tips.

Jacqueline Bickerstaff (aka PUB)expla ins the fizzicks behind sparking performance. Part

HESKETH v,ooo ......................................

48

Four: Flywheel magnetos with external HT

Four decades ago, Merv Matthews first clapped eyes on the brand-new British V-twin and his fate was decided. He had to

coils (including Energy Transfer and CDI) and Lucas SRrotating magnet magnetos

TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE BUILD ............... 72

Last time , Simon Wall started the first rebuild ofTriumph Bonneville. This time, he finishes the first rebuild ... and starts the second!

classicbikeshows.com

WE’RE ON, IN 2021!

Whether it be classic bike or classic cars – we have the perfect event and day out for you... check out our diary dates below!

The International Classic MotorCycle Show

24-25 Apr

London Classic Bike Show & Autojumble - Kempton

8 May

Telford Classic Dirt Bke Show

15-16 May

The Classic Car Spectacular Show

5-6 Jun

Stars & Stripes Classic American Car Show

3-4 Jul

Bristol Classic Bike Show

24-25 Jul

The Passion for Power Classic Car Show

21-22 Aug

International Dirt Bike Show

18-19 Sep

The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show

9-10 Oct

London Classic Off Road & Racing Show - Kempton

4 Dec

Winter Classic

TBC for 2022

Stafford County Showground, ST18 0BD

Kempton Park Racecourse, Middlesex TW16 5AQ

Telford International Centre, Telford, Shropshire TF3 4JH

Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6QN

Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6QN

Bath & West Showground, Somerset BA4 6QN

Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6QN

Stafford County Showground, ST18 0BD

Stafford County Showground, ST18 0BD

Kempton Park Racecourse, Middlesex TW16 5AQ

Newark Showground, Notts NG24 2NY

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CLASSIC BIKE SHOWS

CLASSIC CAR SHOWS

FROM THEFRONT Everyyear at this time - the first issueof the new year- I generallywrite something about new resolutions,plansfor great ridesto seegreat things and to visit greatfriends.And indeed, my thoughts - asthe rainslashdown against the windows and my riding gear gets more and more and more latheredin mud - turn with inevitability to those farawaywarm days.Daysof sunshine,daysspent grumbling genially about how it's too hot to ride and other lies like that. It's nevertoo hot to ride - unlessyou'restuck aboard a three-wheelerin yet another MStraffic jam, unableto move and bakingonly a lot in the heat.

Which happeneda lot lastyear.A threewheeler?Yesindeed,we haveone such in TheShed.It's perfect for weathertoo foul to be enjoyableon two wheels,and for those trips where we need an improbable amount of baggage.And for fun, unsurprisingly. As generationsof sidecarristashavealwaysknown, three-wheelershavea charmall their own. So I'm told. I'venevergot along with motorcycleoutfits, but I totally enjoy riding our own tricycle - which is something entirely different.

What a third wheel hasdone for me is return riding pleasureto a ratherwider range of weather- and lighting - conditions.As I've aged, I'vepretty much stopped enjoying riding far in the dark,even along familiar roads,which is a shame,as backthen I alwaysenjoyed riding the night sectionof the annualACUNational Rally.

Evenon my ancient AJSwith its equally ancient Lucaslights.A fairly recentNorton ride on the main road to Hereford found me hitting what I thought wasjust a shadowor a patch of rough road surfacehard enoughto flatten the front tyre. I suspectit wasa plank of wood or similarwhateverit was, I simply didn't recogniseit asa threat.This is not entirelya good thing.

But I digress. I was intending to talk about plansfor next year - I'mdone with resolutions; plansare better and lessintimidating. How often havewe resolvedto eat less,drink less, exercise more... only to achievenone of those?I shallsay no more.

It'sdifficult in the presenttimes to plan anything involving an event,and I'm not a great fan of endlesslypostponingtrips - if it pours down, so what? If it's cold, so what? Modern gear

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is great, I tell myself,and I ride anyway,even if my intended evening meal pal criesoff - I'd not be a solo motorcyclistif I didn't enjoy my own company. But if an event is cancelled,that's a different matter,mostly becauseI usuallylook forward to the event itself,ratherthan the ride to it. When eventshavebeen cancelledthis lastyear - and they have,in droves,asyou know- I find myselfincreasinglydisinclinedto book the time and a lodge for any more in the nearfuture... but my not-resolutionis that I shall boost my new year optimism and book someeventsanyway!

The reasonfor this? It soundsbonkers,even to me, but it's all about not surrenderingto circumstancesbeyond my control.Ratherthan gloomily deciding that it's not worth bothering becauseit might be cancelledanyway, I shall assumethe opposite.Smilewidely and start planning the world's most eccentricroute from Cornwallto Stafford.

Here'shoping that you have a great new year,too!

Ride safely

Frank Westworth Frank@realclassic.net

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RealClassic

6 I JANUARY2021

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INIHE FormanyArielenthusiasts, the company'sfourcylindertourerwouldbe prettymuchperfectif only it had improvedrear suspension.

Surelyit can'tbe too trickyto combinea Huntmasterchassiswith a Squaredrivetrain?StuartFrancisfindsout

B

ack in the 1970s my old mate Tuck had an old grain barn in the village of Holt in Wiltshire that attracted motorcyclists from far and wide . Tuck's barn was a cornucopia of British motorcycles and parts, with a number of interesting machines and rolling chassis tucked away in the dark recessesunder the floor. As one ofTuck's minions, I spent some time under that floor moving machines around.

I was always intrigued by what looked like an Ariel Huntmaster but with a bent top tube, and parts of the front down tubes missing. It turned out to be a Huntmaster frame modified to take an Ariel Square Four motor and gearbox. I helped Tuck move his collection, six HGVs'worth, to Devon in the late 1980s and remember wheeling the Ariel rolling chassis under a bench in his new shed, where it remained for the next three decades.

Some 30 years later I'd moved to New Zealand and was pondering my next project. I was looking for a larger machine that was useable, not too demanding to ride, but sufficiently different to make it stand out. My thoughts turned to

Tuck's modified Huntmaster rolling chassis, concluding it shouldn't be that difficult to get a Square Four engine and gearbox.

How na'ive I was. Separating surplus Square Four engines and gearboxes from their owners is like trying to peel super-glued limpets off the bottom of a ship. I was looking for the late Mk2 engine with the better cylinder head and four pipes and later gearbox. After some very frustrating false starts I had to settle for a rather expensive, partly dismantled two-pipe Mk1 and an earlier gearbox.

Visiting the UK in 2016, I tried to buy the rolling chassis from Tuck. He refused to negotiate and just gave it to me, another act of kindness for which I will always be grateful! I attacked the rolling chassis with a high pressure steam cleaner to meet NZ's strict importation requirements.

Yearsof grease, gunk and debris melted away, revealing a fairly sound frame. The cleansed rolling chassis, plus a hoard of bits acquired on my travels, were boxed up by Oakwood Logistics, and shipped to NZ. My confidence in Oakwood Logistics soared when the packing agent turned up on a very tidy Panther Model 75... >-

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JANUARY2021 I 7

RealClassic THEHISTORYBIT

The original Square Four engine was designed by Edward Turner in 1928.

He was trying to get work as an engine designer with a number of motorcycle manufacturers, using his unique engine design as a calling card to demonstrate his skills. The engine was considered by BSA but rejected. Ariel, however, liked the idea and decided to make it.

The early engine with two transverse crankshafts was essentially a pair of across the frame ohc parallel twins joined by their geared central flywheels, with a square, four-cylinder block and a single head. With a chain driven overhead camshaft, the early Square Four 500 used a hand-change, four-speed Burman gearbox. The first Ariel Square Four 4F was shown at the Olympia Motorcycle Show in 1930.

In 1932, the cylinder bores were enlarged by 5mm to give a capacity of 601cc, specifically to accommodate owners who wanted to attach a sidecar. This model was used for the Maudes Trophy endurance attempt, covering 700 miles in 700 minutes, followed by a timed lap of 87.4mph.

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8 I JANUARY2021

The cammy engine gained a reputation for overheating the rear cylinder heads, so in 1936 the engine was completely redesigned, emerging as the 1937 ohv 995cc 4G. The crankshafts of the new engine were connected together by coupling gears on the drive side of the engine. In 1939 Ariel's patented Ansteylink plunger rear suspension was offered as an option. In 1946, the plunger rear suspension was available again, with oil damped telescopic front forks replacing the previous girder forks.

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In 1949, the Ariel Square Four Mkl saw the cast-iron cylinder head and barrel replaced by an alloy head and barrel. Even with this 301b weight reduction, the 1949 machine was still no lightweight at around 4351b dry. The rather constricted and tortuous inlet tract, small valves, conservative valve timing, low compression ratio and car-like combustion chambers all constrained power to 35bhp at 5500rpm. The Mkl, by contrast, was capable of 90mph-plus.

In 1953,the four-pipe 997cc Mk2 was released with a re-designed cylinder head to improve cooling and breathing, with four separate exhaust pipes from two cast-aluminium manifolds and a rockerbox combined with the inlet manifold. The frame was redesigned to accommodate the tall, car-type SUcarburettor

and the oiling system was updated with a gear pump which replaced the antiquated plunger pump. The Mk2's better breathing arrangements delivered 40bhp, and this Ariel was capable of 100mph (just). It weighed 4251band cost £336.16.6.

In 1954, Ariel built a Mk3 prototype with Earlesforks and swinging arm, but the model was never put into production.

Over the years, various other swinging arm Square specials have been made.

The Square Four found a new lease of life in the 1970s when the Healey brothers produced the Healey 1000/4. The brothers tuned and upgraded Ariel engines for racing throughout the 1960s, and when Ariel ended Square Four production they obtained a large assortment of spare parts. The Healeys updated the engine with a special camshaft, increased the compression ratio to 7.5:1 and improved the lubrication system. Power increased to 52bhp and the motor was installed in an Egli-style frame, incorporating the oil tank, with Metal Profile forks.

The Healey 1000/4 was well received when launched at the 1971 Earls Court Motorcycle Show.

It weighed less than the contemporary Honda 250, it handled well, and achieved a top speed of 126mph when tested. But it couldn't compete with the cheaper and faster Japanese superbikes of the 70s, like the Honda CB750.

Production ceased in 1977 after 12 bikes were built, which means that the few surviving Healeys are highly sought after.

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Two views of Stuart's modified frame, as it was when he collected it, prior to steam cleaning, and as it finally arrived in New Zealand

BUILDING IT Eightweeksafter my Ariel left the UK,it cleared customsand a biohazardinspection.Thestripped frame wassoonon my bench and I wastestfitting the engine bottom end and gearbox.It didn't look right.Theengine wascantedup by about 10degreesand,with the bend in the top tube kickingthe front forks out, it would have looked like it had saggedin the middle.Perhaps the original builderwasgoing to fit longerforks or turn it into a chopper?On a positivenote the engine and gearboxplateswere OK. After a lot of measuringand dithering, I finally got the anglegrinder out. Thefirstjob wasto cut the lower frametubesjust beforethey started curving up to get the engine and gearboxto sit level.The nextjob wascutting out the curved sectionof the top tube and installinga temporary sleeve.After a few tries I got the enginesitting level and the restlooking OK. I madesomelower frame tube extensionsthat lined up with the lower mounting points on the frame plates, and tack-weldedthem in place.

Clampingthe front down tubes on the front engine plates,I measuredthe length of the slug for the top tube.Theendsof the slugwere made

a tight fit in the frametube. Hourswere spent with a tape measure,a long steel rule and an inclinometergetting the top tube lined up before tack welding the slug in place.

With everything lined up, my attention turned to the engineand gearboxplates... knowing someof the frame holeswere now in the wrong place.Drilling new holeswaseasy,but moving holessidewaysinvolveda lot of filing and then filling the redundantpart of the holeswith weld.

After severaltrial fits and double checks,the framewasprofessionallywelded before blasting and powdercoating.

Next:the engine bottom end.

Takingit apart wasn'tthat difficult exceptthe two drive gearswere a reallytight fit, requiringa lot of heatand pulling beforethey cameoff.The only significantissuewasthe front timing side main bearingthat hadobviouslyspun.With new big end bearingsand bolts it all went together quite cleanly.The cylindersand pistonsweren't too bad and,after a light hone,somenew rings and improvisedring clamps,it all slipped into place.

Whileworking on the bottom end I could see glimpsesofTurner'sother famousdesign,the

Triumphtwin: the camfollowerslook identical.

The cylinderheadwasaltogetheranother matter.All the studs had been repaired,one of the sparkplugscameout with part of a Helicoil attached, and two of the valveswere stuckopen!

Someof the stud repairswere badlydone,with Helicoilinsertsstanding slightly proud and burrs around someother holes.The only sensible thing to do wasto removeall of the studs,fix the problemsand checkthe headwasn't warped (a common problem).One of the studscame out with all the headthread still attachedto it.

Hoursof work, dressingthe areasand Helicoils that were proud and makinga double diameter replacementstud,finally produceda flat cylinder headface.Thevalveguideswerecheckedwith a reamer(two weretight), all of the valveseats were recut and valvesground in.

Fitting the cylinder head correctlyis a long tediousjob, with 20 nuts to fit and tighten in a fixed order. The nuts hidden in the cylinderfins can be a bit fiddly, as is getting an eventorque setting on them all. Blowncylinder headgaskets havebeena problem with Square4s, but the modern OTIO supergaskets(availablefrom Draganfly)and following the tightening down >

Ariel built at least one swinging arm Square Four. comf'lete with a radical Leader-type front end, , but ~twas never developed further. Ex-factory engmeer Graham Horne built several of his own conv~rting Ariel's sturdy duplex frame to accep; the big 4-pot motor

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JANUARY2021 I 9

RealClassic instructionsreligiouslycan producea good seal.

The gasketscontinuedto settle sothey were retorqued after the initial ridesduring running in.

The next challengewasthe Burmangearbox.

Noneof the chain linesseemedto quite line up. Furthercheckingrevealedthat it wasthe wrong gearbox,from a twin, with the input shaft modified with a crude adapterto replicatethe longer mainshaftneededfor a Square4. I was not best pleased,with a mutilated mainshaft I am unlikelyto recoveranywherenearwhat I paid for it. Thecorrect Square4 GBBurman gearboxesarelike hen'steeth. After months of fruitlesssearching,the correct box popped up on Draganfly'secondhand list. I haveneverbeenon the phone so quickly.

The box slotted in perfectly and the chain lineswere much improved.A smallamount of shimming got them dead-on.I should have stripped the gearboxand perhapsquestioned why it wasa secondhand box, but enthusiasm got in the way and fitting the box alloweda whole host of other jobs to be completed.

The primarychaincaseis in three parts.The front half of the inner cover is part of the drive gear cover;the rearinner chaincasebolts onto the front inner coverand a full length outer cover completesthe chaincase.Theouter coversare

proneto damageand the only one I could get had a brokenengine shockabsorberdome.After cleaningup the damagedarea,a dome wasmade and wasglued in placewith epoxy metal.I did considerwelding the geriatricdie-castaluminium but it is extremelydifficult to achievea clean join. Thefinishedjob looksslightly different to standardbut does not look out of place.

Thecylinder headexhauststubswere badly worn.Weighing up different repairmethods, shrinkingon thin steelsleevesseemedthe bestapproachand seemsto haveworked.

Exhaustpipeswere stainlesssteelSquare4 pipesfrom Armours. Lining up the pipeswith the Huntmasterframeand silencerstook a few squiggly bendsand a sleeveat the silencerends due to different pipe diameters.The cut, shut and bent pipesare far from perfect and another set will probably be madewhen time permits.

Thecarburettorshould be a Solex,but it came with the SUfrom a Mk2,so a conversionplate was madeto accommodatethe different mounting bolt positionsand bore diameters.I have extensiveknowledgeof Amal carbsbut knew nothing about thesesmallSUs.A rebuild kit and a new damperspring from Draganflywere a good start and it seemedto go together fairly easily.

The clutch cover was a mess.It looked like

The initial fit of the engine and gearbox. They're tilted up at the front, which does not look good

The top frame tube has now been extended and the lower frame tubes modified . Here they're seen tacked together before professional welding

10 I JANUARY2021

somebody had played football with it. An hour's worth of panel beating got it back roughly in the right shapeso it would fit (more of this later). I hope to find a better one on my next trip to the UK. The lengthenedtop tube presenteda problem with the petrol tank; a standardtank was now too short. FortunatelyI had a rather battered BSAA10 plunger tank that seemed to fit after cutting off the front mounting ears (easilyreplaced).After blasting the tank to bare metal, substantialdents were pulled out and crackswelded up.The protracted processof priming, filling, rubbing down, priming, filling, rubbing down, etc, took a number of cycles before the tank was readyfor a top coat.

At this point I should have usedthe tank sealantbut applied it after the top coat, definitely a mistake!Despiteextensiveprecautionsthere was a smallspill on the paintwork.Worse,the cling film usedto protect the paint finish caused fine markson the new paintwork.After another rub down and repaint,a local carpainter applied a coat of two-packclearspray,the only finish that seemsto copewith modern petrol.

The changeto the tank alsomeantthat the seat had to be altered.Ratherthan modify an existingseat,I madea new seatbase

Sec?nd attempt, with the lower frame tubes straightened out

Modified frame after powder coating

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the primarytransmission.After a quick shutdown and a bit of headscratching,removingthe clutch coverrevealedwitnessmarks,confirming my suspicionthat the clutchwas hitting the cover.

Attackingthe clutch coveragainwith panel beatinghammersand somewashersunderthe mounting screwssolvedthe problem.

Thingswere going better,but a quick ride up the lane revealedthat it seemeda bit constipated.

Ariel's square top end, hopefully showing how it fits together

out of 20mmply.A relativelysimplebit of woodworking, with a fibreglasscoverover the rearmudguardcut out. A localvehicleupholsters madean excellentjob of coveringthe seat,but I specifieda steppedseatwhich wasa mistake. It wastoo crampedfor me. I subsequentlyhadthe seatrecoveredwith a thicker flat top.

The bulk of the cyclepartsare standardAriel items and didn't presentmuchof a challenge, particularlywith the excellentpartsavailability from Draganfly.I re-spokedand trued the wheels, fitting Hiedenautyres,with the semiribbed K44 - 3.25x 19 on the front and the blockpattern K34- 4.00x 19on the back.TheclassicHiedenau tyres,assuppliedby WheelhouseTyres,look the part and aremadeof modern rubbercompounds that grip well.

My first attemptsat starting the machinewere not promising.Theenginewasratherstiff to kick over,with intermittent backfiresin the exhaust and the SUcarburettoroccasionallyflooding.A quick checkwith the sparkplugsout revealed weakand intermittent sparks.Suspicionfell on the distributor cap: a good cleanhelpedbut it wasstill not right. Fortunatelya friend had a brand new Austin7 distributor cap,the sameitem asthe Ariel.Combinedwith a MagneticPowerNZ electronictrigger systemproducedexcellent sparksat all the plugs.

After resettingthe carburettorfloat level,the secondattemptsat starting the machinewere an improvement- but not by much!Assoonas it fired there wassoundlike a fire bell going off in

The cylinder head, before and after repairs

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JANUARY2021 I 11

RealClassic Carburettor

Repaired chaincase in place

Well on the way

It didn't sound right and neededquite a bit of throttle to tick over.I decidedto go backto basicsand check valve and ignition timing. Removingthe front crankshaftend coverto turn overthe crankshaft revealedwhy the engine had beenstiff to kick over.The crankend nut was rubbing on the end cover.Somedeft work on the lathe soon fixed that. Turningthe engine over revealedthe ignition timings were spot on, but the plug leads to #2 and #3 cylindershad somehowbecome crossedover.With the leadson the right spark plugs she purred into life first kick,idled nicely and shot up the lane like a scaldedcat.

To protect the freshly painted and vulnerable petrol tank, all the early tests were undertaken with a small test tank strapped to the top tube .

After sorting the problems of fitting the tank and plumbing it in, the rest should have been a doddle ...

With four litres of fuel, however,there was little or no fuel flow. Initial suspicionfell on the fuel taps. Had I bought reservetaps with extended fuel pick-ups?Thetaps checkedout as normal, so I poked a drill up into the tank... to find a blockage.I suddenlyrememberedthat these BSAtanks had separatefilters that screwedup

12 I JANUARY2021

into the tank - these must now be coveredin tank sealant- doh!

Initial test rideswere very promising.Loadsof smooth torque, comfortable sitting position and beautiful sound.Howeverthere were someteething problems.Oil leakedprofuselyfrom the gearbox.Renewing the outer casegasketsignificantlyreducedthe flow, but it looks like I should havereplacedthe inner covergasketat the sametime. The gearbox is notably noisier in third, not an uncommon problem.It will be addressedwhen the box is taken apart to fix the oil leak.The clutch was dragging a bit but improved with adjustment, although it's still not right. Anotherjob to address when the gearbox is taken apart.The cylinder headstill seemsto be settling down, requiring the head nuts to be regularlyretightened.

Twiceunder braking,while turning right, the steeringseemedto lock and the front wheel felt like it was about to slideaway. Releasingthe front brakefreed up the steering.I spotted a witness markon the mudguardand the penny dropped.

With the front forks compressedunder braking, the mudguard touched the left-hand exhaust pipe, but this didn't happenwhen turning left.

Another light bulb moment:the main part of the engine and cylinder block sits about two inches right of the frame centreline becauseof the crankshaftcoupling gears. Slightly shortening the left-hand pipe and bending it out to the left createdthe neededclearance.

The most painful part of getting the Ariel on the roadwasthe legal processof registeringit, involving governmentdepartmentsextracting large sumsof moneyfrom my wallet.Thefirst part of the processwas allocating a 17 digit VINand attachinga plate to the machine.

The secondpart wasa 'Low VolumeVehicle Certification' becauseof the frame modifications and enginechange. The nearestmotorcycle certifier is almost 150miles away!The absence of a registrationdocument meant applying for alternate document approval.Thefinal part was a compliancecheckfor an imported vehicle which duplicated most of the earliertests,then registrationand a number plate.

The final insult wasthat the registration authority insistedit be called an Ariel Huntmaster asthis is what it originally was!Thetotal bureaucraticcost was ÂŁ650,not including transportation and expenses...

TAKEN FOR A RIDE Sowhat's it like to ride?Turnon the petrol and pull up the enrichment lever on the SUcarb, then a coupleof healthy swingsnormally bring it rustling into life. It can be a bit cold-blooded, so the enrichmentlever is slowly loweredas it warms up. Oncefully warm after a short distance, the enginewill settle down to an even tickover.

Unlessthe clutch hasbeen freed off before starting, first goes in with a very definite clunk.

Pullingawayis extremelysmooth,thanksto a progressiveclutch and loadsof low speedtorque.

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