Real Classic June 2017

 NORTON MODEL 50  DUCATI PASO ISSUE 158  JUNE 2017  £3.60

Running, Riding & Rebuilding RealClassic Motorcycles

(TRIUMPH TRIDENT TOO!)

WHAT LIES WITHIN

24 HONDA CB1100R ..........................................6

MATCHLESS G80 .........................................48

Honda initially led the charge in building multi-cylinder sportbikes, but by the late 1970s they’d lost the top spot. They needed a front-running litre-class four, so they created the CB1100R proddie racer. Nolan Woodbury is familiar with the F models, and now he meets an R for the first time…

Last month, Derek Pickard introduced us to the delights of the 1980s British-built Eurobike. This time he considers the available upgrades and evaluates the modifications made to his own café racer

ROYAL ENFIELD 350 BULLET ..................... 24

Royal Enfield originally designed their 350 Bullet to excel off-road. Henry Gregson found a green-laner which has been fettled for the Fells…

ARIEL VH 500 ..............................................32

Somehow, Ariel suggested that their bikes were more ‘high class’ than others, but were they? Frank Westworth considers a Red Hunter…

FRANCIS-BARNETT TRIALS ....................... 40

After Odgie’s earlier and entirely unworthy misappropriation of a trials-trimmed BSA Bantam, he redeems himself by finding a delightful little Francis-Barnett green-laner.

And then he mends it. And then…

REALCLASSIC 158; PUBLISHED IN JUNE 2017

RC REGULARS THE CONTENTS PAGE .................................... 3

A fine array of eclectic motorcycles. Sure you’ll agree!

TRIUMPH TRIDENT .....................................56

Last month, Peter Hatfield located a fivespeed 750 triple in the United States and brought it back to Britain. Now it’s ready to take to the road which means he’ll really find out what’s wrong with it…

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

Lots of letters and a lot on a single subject, too

STEIB SIDECAR............................................62

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

For more than forty years, Stuart Francis’ Steib sidecar has been subjected to just about every indignity a mechanical conveyance can withstand. And still… it thrives!

Already the calendar is clogging. Got your umbrella yet? Sunblock? Snow shoes?

NORTON MODEL 50................................... 70

Interesting selection, as usual, including a Velocette Viceroy. How … remarkable

READERS’FREE ADS .................................... 82

Pierpaolo Cavallo has been bewitched

by British bikes. To return the favour, he introduces us to some of Italy’s finest riding country in the company of Norton’s 350 featherbed single…

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

Bugatti is not usually associated with motorcycles, but that does not mean he never addressed them – and even rode them…

DUCATI PASO ..............................................88

Big, loud and very red. How could Ducati’s Paso 750 fail? Steven Troupe tells a fine tale…

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

VELOCETTE VICEROY................................. 96

It’s a scary thing, but sometime RealLife gets in the way of RealClassic life in The Shed…

Customers were buying cheap’n’cheerful Lambrettas and Vespas like hot cakes. So Veloce developed a top quality, beautifully engineered British equivalent. Why wasn’t this snazzy scooter a runaway success? Roger Slater investigates…

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P114

TODAY & SAVE

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WHO’S DONE WHAT REALCLASSIC is composed by Rowena Hoseason and Frank Westworth of The Cosmic Bike Co Ltd, with accompaniment from Mike Baumber, Libby Fincham and the fine folks of Horncastle’s production and admin depts We’ve got way too much RC reading to fit in each issue, so more appears online at www.RealClassic.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 G-Man by Stephen Leather (the Swagger series swerves into Prohibition-era gangsterland); Game Of Ghosts by John Connolly (investigator Charlie Parker leans ever closer to the supernatural side); The Shadow District by Arnaldur Indriðason (a wartime mystery set in Reykjavik); and the latest Prey by John Sandford (murder in the American traveller community!); Luna Wolf Moon by Ian McDonald (excellent sequel in an excellent sci-fi series. Excellent!), Parker Bilal’s City Of Jackals (criminal investigations in Cairo; highly recommended), and Death Effect by John Burdett (short, sharp murder mystery) MEANWHILE AT THE MOVIES we adored a trio of weird world cinema with idiosyncratic female protagonists: Elle (French!), Kumiko The Treasure Hunter (Japanese!), and The Eye Of Silence (Chinese!). But even they could barely match the marvelousness that was Guardians of The Galaxy part-the-second, rapidly followed

by Alien: Covenant. The latter wasn’t a patch on Prometheus, mind…

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

F

irst things first. I’m really not keen on letting people down, and am sorry about being unable to make it to the Stafford Show back in April. The two big shows there are among the event highlights of my year (really!) and we’d planned to have the usual blizzard of conversations, trade tips, exchange insults and do a lot of coffee and laughter – as usual. However, instead of all that I can confirm that the NHS emergency services are excellent, that the staff at Barnstaple hospital are outstanding. All good stuff … if not exactly what I’d expected to be doing.

So … sorry to all those who turned up to find the RC stripy tablecloth missing.

The next piece of bad news follows on from that. I’m not sure whether I’ll be able to make it to the RC Ride-In and barbecue at F2 Motorcycles on June 6th. I will do my best, but can’t guarantee that I’ll get there – even if I manage to set out. I’ve been fitting in as many practice rides as work and weather permit, so am optimistic. David Angel – our host and head chef at F2 – is being as helpful as always and will get his Barbie sizzling – so ride over, meet RC folk (and David, hopefully), eat lots (remember to take your own food; David provides the cooking device) and I’ll do my best! That makes me sound like a Cub Scout, somehow…

This unwanted and unexpected interruption has reminded me of the need to do what we want to do now, rather than wait endlessly for a better day, for better weather, for a better bike. It’s maybe too easy to put things off, to save those great rides (and many other things!) for a later date, rather than grasping opportunities as they present themselves – but the reminder of how rapidly things can change has been timely. If not entirely welcome.

An especially irritating consequence of the medical nonsense has been that I’ve been unable to ride a bike which has lived in the house for over a decade and which was a non-runner when I acquired it – and stayed

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that way for far too many years because I kept putting off the rebuild, waiting for a better time, a time when I was less busy and could savour the pleasure of rebuilding an ancient Matchless. Not just any ancient Matchless either: this is a Model X, a 1000cc V-twin, something of a dream bike for me.

Earlier in the year I decided that I was never going to get around to taking it apart myself, so approached Richard Negus – noted rebuilder of lost causes – with a view to his undertaking the task. Which he did. And in his customarily improbably short time, the job was done, the bike was running beautifully and was back in The Shed. I started it – a tall tale in itself – and had a brief whizz, rattle and clatter around some local lanes, decided to treat myself to a haul down into the depths of Cornwall … and then came the medical conniption. A lesson learned.

Don’t delay – do it today!

Ride safely Frank Westworth Frank@realclassic.net

THE NEXT ISSUE

RC159WILL BE PUBLISHED ON JULY 3rd, AND SHOULD REACH UK SUBSCRIBERS BY JULY 7th

Honda initially led the charge in building multi-cylinder sportbikes, but by the late 1970s they’d lost the top spot. They needed a front-running litreclass four, so they created the CB1100R proddie racer. Nolan Woodbury is familiar with the F models, and now he meets an R for the first time…

Photos by Nolan Woodbury, Wout van Veldhuizen

T

he logic that says success is easier to gain than it is to maintain underscores the outrageous achievement of Honda’s twin-cam CB1100R four. It’s said that Soichiro Honda and co took the lead in two-wheel development sometime in the mid-1960s. The CB750 changed motorcycling forever, but even Japan’s driving wedge of innovation suffered through many a setback before and after its meteoric rise to the top. And if you claim to be the best then people will always take aim at you. ‘I’ve always been drawn to the brand,’ says Honda ace Steve McIntyre. ‘The biggest always wears the bullseye.’

Honda’s ascension began in 1959 with fast GP four-strokes equipped with various numbers of pistons, and the wins they earned stockpiled into prestigious world championships. This status was put to good use in Honda’s otherwise apple pie, homespun marketing scheme, but the company’s ability to meet demand proved to be key in leading the Hamamatsu firm to sales dominance. In 1967, after the CB450 was deemed not big enough, the works racing was halted so funds could be directed towards the sohc four. It didn’t take long for Honda’s competitors to react and the resulting stampede towards huge horsepower heralded perhaps the greatest decade of road bikes in history. Busy popping out camp generators, traillies and foldups, Honda didn’t seem interested in the litre-plus market until the CBX six entered the fight in 1978.

If you take things at face value then an initial estimate of the tall, clean-cut McIntyre perfectly matches the typical Honda ‘nicest people’rider profile. Closer acquaintance exposes a mad scientist in action behind the doors of his workshop. One such project escaped to land on the cover of RC way back when, a custom CB750F that Steve rode off the lot new in 1976. Stepping inside the mad scientist’s lab reveals an unused, as-new 500 Interceptor; custom 550 fours; a 250cc Honda / Yamaha hybrid, and a pair of CB1100Fs in off-set blue and white. There’s even a Honda V-Four bolted to the floor of his carpetcleaning rig, providing‘Steamin’Steve’with enough suction to not just lift stains, but clear the drains too.

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HONDA CB1100R

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JUNE 2017 I 7

Above: Initially Honda planned on building just 1100 CB1100Rs to homologate the production racer for competition. It was so sought-after that eventually more than 4000 were built and sold in a little over three years Left: Faired versions of the CB1100R often suffer from discolouration from the exhausts. After 35 years, the carbon fibre-reinforced fiberglass can start to crack, too

Under here lives an engine. It is a big engine, and produces plenty of power

‘I didn’t know what an 1100R was until 1995 or so, when I spotted a beautiful third-series CB1100RD while on holiday in Australia. Soon after, this surfaced locally when a friend placed an advert looking to buy 1100Fs. I was a bit disappointed seeing it for the first time… it wasn’t nearly as pretty as the bike I’d seen in Sydney. The CB1100Rs generally look the same in photographs, but Honda changed them every year.’

During the second half of the 1970s, change couldn’t come soon enough for Honda fans weary of the company’s conservative approach. One tantalising diversion was the double cam, 16-valve RCB works racer developed from the 750,

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but followers of The Four could only watch its Japanese rivals (and a number of open class Eurobikes) soar past the production CB and keep going. Honda’s return to GP in 1977 was news but, even if the oval piston NR500 had worked, it wouldn’t generate the press gained by Australia’s Castrol Six Hour endurance winner. Under watchful eyes and strict rules, only street legal motorcycles were allowed, divided by displacement but focused on the unlimited class. With massive crowds came television coverage and the star of the show was obvious; racing which followed European road practice with plenty of brand loyalty and popular riders. Prepped for 1978, the six-cylinder 1000cc CBX was

fast but a handful, and while the following RCB-inspired 900 Bol d’Or maintained its composure under power, it didn’t make enough bhp for it to win.

Running north along Arizona’s State Highway 77 from Winkelman to Globe, the tarmac’s roller-coaster of sweepers proved the ideal location for my introduction to Steve’s 1982 CB1100R. No stranger to the brand, I long ago fell under the Honda spell and have owned two bike of the marque; a twin-cam 750F in 1980 and the 1100cc version three years later. Had I paid attention at the time then I might have been frustrated that the 1100R wasn’t sold here in the USA, but the Super Sport’s sweeping scoops and

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HONDA CB1100R Left: Big Honda still cuts it in the Making A Statement Stakes Right: Fitted with an oil cooler as standard, the CB1100R engine output 120bhp at 9000rpm, good enough for a top speed which came close to 150mph p

protrusions demonstrates that I was drawn to Bol d’Or style before knowing what it was.

Interior details are often glossed over, yet I considered it time well spent studying the 1100R’s tidy yet well-appointed cockpit. The large black and orange dials are easy to read, and while you’re admiring the moulded-in oil temp gauge, function lights and tailored fuse cover it’s easy to miss the three-way adjustable bars. Bright red, the upper fairing brackets attach with plated hardware and quick release fasteners hold the lowers.

My familiarity with the Honda’s customary switches and controls ended after thumbing the 1062cc four to life and dropping the hammer. There’s much more to the 1100R,

It might’ve been ‘based around’ the twin-cam 900, but the 1100R’s engine and transmission were different in many essential aspects: five plain main bearings, beefy 17mm gudgeon pins, a chunky 1¼” camchain, high-flow fuel tap, modified gearbox and heavier clutch springs

compared to a 900 Bol d’Or, than a couple of hundred ccs. At speed the 1100 engine’s solid mounting is felt through the grips, but once the road begins to climb it is all

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forgotten in favour of the four’s unflappable poise and neutral steering. Despite our short acquaintance, pulling off for lunch was the only disappointment. I wasn’t ready to stop, yet.

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The first editions were equipped with 37mm airadjustable spring preload forks. Honda’s TRAC system arrived with 39mm tubes for the 1981/82 season

This improved roadholding can be credited to the extra attention which Honda’s technicians lavished on the 1100R’s chassis.

It’s nearly identical in layout to the 900F but beefed up for the bigger engine’s increased output. Compare the 1100R to a French market 900 and it’s soon obvious that the smaller machine has a swinging arm 6mm smaller in diameter than the burly unit on Steve’s 1100R, and that theme continues throughout. Inches were shaved relocating the steering head with shorter tubes, and the 900’s bolted lower frame rail was welded in. Control was enhanced with 39mm air forks and gas-charged FVQ shocks. Some ancillaries are similar to items used on the CX500 Turbo – so the Comstars, Honda’s

Ventilated discs were a rare sight on a motorcycle when this appeared

Monoshock rear suspension was all the rage at the cutting edge of the early 1980s but Honda felt a traditional twin-shock set-up would be more rigid and durable. The tubular swinging arm was replaced by a box-section item for the final year of production

patented TRAC mechanical anti-dive and other parts look like cross-over items, save for the 1100’s 18-inch wheels.

The brakes were uprated with twin-piston calipers, and then upscale vented rotors arrived for 1982 and the set measures equally at 295mm. Tapered roller bearings are fitted to the front end but the swinging arm rides on bushings. That’s surprising, given the good press earned by the 1980s all-bearing CBX. The rear-sets, clip-ons and largecapacity alloy petrol tank were exclusive to the homologated 1100R, but several components were offered in a kit sold by dealers to fit the other Super Sport models.

For those keeping track, the first version of the 1100R set the mechanical

specification for the subsequent B/C/D editions manufactured from 1981. The chassis and body were revised in 1982, and again in 1983. Keeping the 900’s 69mm throw, Honda’s plan to open the bores by 5.5mm required a new cylinder block with no cooling gaps. I’ve been told the RCB’s 28/24mm inlet and exhaust valves carried through to the 900/1100 cylinder heads, but it’s needle in a haystack stuff with Honda.

Know for certain that the chain-driven dual camshafts had more lift and duration, the search for power led to higher compression forged pistons and larger gudgeon pins hooked to stronger conrods. A larger oil cooler was added, and larger 34VB Keihin carbs in 1982.

Above: A CB900F on steroids, the CB1100R carried a price tag to match. While the standard streetbike 900 sold for £1999, the proddie racer 1100R went on sale for almost twice as much at £3700 in November 1980

Above: The CB1100R was always intended to be raced and it enjoyed signifi ficcant success, not least in the hands of Ron Haslam in the UK and Wayne Gardner in Australia Left: The 16-valve 1062cc streetbike CB1100F arrived in 1983, offering many of the features found on the final 1100R on a more affordable motorcycle

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