The Classic Motorcycle August 2016 preview

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BROUGH BACK ON REGULAR BEAUTY SERVICE DUTY MINT SS100

EX-AA M21 REVIVED

AUGUST 2016

Triumph with its

original owner

REMARKABLE ZENITH-GRADUA

PLUS:

Indian 101 Scout The amazing Phil Irving New Imperial rebuild continued ASI MotoShow

CONTENTS ISSUE | AUGUST 2016

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36 90

Archive photograph ..........................................6 News ...................................................................8 Diary ................................................................. 14 Subscribe and save ..........................................16 Letters ...............................................................18 ASI MotoShow .................................................. 21 Dover Classic Motorcycle show .....................26 Triumph Tiger 110 ...........................................28 Zenith Gradua .................................................36 BSA M21 ...........................................................44 Glass plates – Jones 250cc twin-cam twin ....53 Brough Superior SS100 (spotlight) .................58 Indian 101 Scout ..............................................62 Closer look – New Imps at the TT ..................68 Roy Poynting column .....................................73 Jerry Thurston column ....................................75 Men who mattered – Phil Irving ....................76 Social history of motorcycling .......................78 Martin Squires’ sketchbook ...........................82 You were asking ...............................................84 New Hudson Model 3 ...................................... 87 Rudge Owners’ Club 60th anniversary ........90 Restoration guide – Cotton-JAP .....................92 Technical feature – New Imp rebuild ............94 Classic components – Villiers 197cc engine ..100 Next month ....................................................112 Classic camera ............................................... 114

POST: The Classic MotorCycle, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ EMAIL: jrobinson@mortons.co.uk

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | AUGUST 2016

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The camera does lie The start of the 1967 Ulster Grand Prix. But all is not, perhaps, as it seems.

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very picture tells a story, right? So, here we have the start of a race and Giacomo Agostini, on the MV, right, is streaking away into an unassailable lead, probably on his way to a comfortable, record-breaking victory in another world championship year.

Well, it was a championship year for Agostini – but apart from that, in this case, the camera does lie. This is the start of the 39th Classic International Ulster Grand Prix, at the Dundrod circuit. What we can’t see is that already out of shot is Hondamounted Mike Hailwood, having fired up the number one sporting four-cylinder Japanese machine, and while Giacomo has got away

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THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | AUGUST 2016

on the MV, he didn’t get much further. For a few yards on from this picture, the 25-yearold Italian pulled over and stopped, his clutch burnt out. Ago pushed the MV back to the pits, where the mechanics set about stripping and rebuilding the clutch – not a speedy process, by anybody’s reckoning. In fact, it was to set him an unassailable four laps behind Hailwood.

So with Hailwood having gone by and Agostini’s seeming ‘lead’ an illusion, what else can we pick out? Well, luckily we have an original programme from the event in the Mortons archive, so it’s possible to positively identify everyone in the picture, while the programme is also a fascinating insight into the period, too. Surely it will be packed full of advertising for Triumphs,

BSAs, Nortons and such? No, actually there’s a single advert in there for a British motorcycle, Greeves. And that’s from the Northern Ireland distributor. The other motorcycles advertised? MZ and Suzuki.

Equally unexpected are the car-makers – a full page for the Renault 4 (“All for only £544 inc.PT”) and Toyota (“You’ve got no choice…

But to buy a Toyota”) and the £701 Brabham Viva (“Sporty good looks, extra-lively performance,” with a picture of the grinning F1 world champion Jack Brabham in the advert. Apparently the Brabham Viva was no Mini Cooper or Lotus Cortina, simply a Viva with twin carbs and some stickers…), while other adverts are for Park Drive cigarettes, Ulster Bank, milk and Pepsi.

But back to the riders in our picture.

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Neews Events

New ws&Events

NEWS IN BRIEF COVENTRY MEETING

Kempton comes on board

The Coventry section of the Vincent Owners Club meets every Friday at 8pm at the Berkswell Reading Rooms, Meriden Road, CV7 7BE and cordially invite anyone interested in classic motorcycle (not just Vincents) to come along.

CHEFFINS SALE COMING SOON

A nice-looking Vincent Black Shadow will be among the machines offered in the Cheffins sale on July 16, at the saleground, Sutton, near Ely. Details from 01223 213777 or vintage@cheffins. co.uk

TAKE TO THE GRASS

There are two VMCC grasstrack events in July – the Ivor Thomas memorial meeting is at Iwade on July 10 and then a week later its Swindon. If you’d like to get involved, there’s always a call for marshals too.

Details from Stu Towner 0208 3976599 or stuart. towner@blueyonder.co.uk

GEORGE BROWN RUN

The annual celebration that is the George Brown Run takes place this year on Sunday, July 10, starting from the Cromwell Hotel, Stevenage High Street at 11am.

SALON PRIVEE

This year’s Salon Privee concours takes place September 1-3. Visit www. salonpriveconcours.com for details.

SOUTHERN SHOW

The south of England summer classic show is on July 24 at Ardingly, West Sussex. Details from www.elk-promotions.co.uk or 01797 344277.

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Eric Patterson, left, who has sold the Kempton Park jumbles and shows, shakes the hand of Andy Kitchen from Mortons, the new owners.

Mortons Media Group has announced the acquisition of the Kempton Park jumbles and motorcycle shows.

The events company has added the seven one-day events to its already packed calendar, which includes the two Stafford classic shows, the Telford off-road show and the ’Normous Newark autojumbles.

The new organising team

will run the next event on Saturday, July 23, and although a period of transition will be taking place, traders, exhibitors and visitors can contact Andy Kitchen, who’ll be heading up the new team, should they have any enquiries.

Andy said: “It’s business as usual as far as we’re concerned and we’re confident that the handover will be a smooth one.

Anyone who has any questions can get in touch either by email or on the phone – akitchen@ mortons.co.uk or 01507 529435.”

The remaining Kempton Park dates for this year are: Saturdays July 23, September 17, October 22 and December 3. The December event also comprises the Southern Off Road & Racing Show. For more details, visit www.egp-enterprises.co.uk

Owners mark Hesketh motorcycle birthday The Hesketh motorcycle reaches the grand age of 35 years in 2017 and the Hesketh Owners Club is planning to celebrate with a number of activities.

Among its plans for 2017 are special displays of bikes at a number of key events.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | AUGUST 2016

These displays will include the full range of models: V1000, Vampire, the notorious V1000 Café Racer, Vortan, the models from the new Hesketh enterprise H24 and more.

And finally, an unusual event will be the ‘Hesketh Hunt’, a five-

day UK tour of club members to meet them on their home territory. Each visit will be made into an ‘occasion’ with the local press engaged. There may be a fundraising dimension too.

Contact david.w.sharp@ virgin.net for details.

ASI | Mo MotoShow

Bigger than ever!

The ASI MotoShow is a real celebration of motorcycling, with a hugely diverse amount of stunning machinery taking to the track.

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Words and photography: PHILLIP TOOTH

ork Ballington drifted his 1981 lime green Kawasaki KR500 around the outside of Danilo Gardella’s Ducati Mike Hailwood Rep, and accelerated out of the horse-shoe shaped Parabolica before disappearing through the double-right turns that lead to the start-finish straight. But Danilo didn’t mind – he was sharing the track with a four-time world champion!

The ASI MotoShow brings together men and motorcycles – this year the entry soared to a record 732 riders, with even more bikes on display in the paddock. And they weren’t all Italian – the ASI MotoShow encourages foreign entries with discounted registration fees, while anyone with at least one pre-1918 gets their three days of fun and four track sessions for a bargain €50. There were 50 French riders, 30 Swiss and 30 German, 16 Czechs and Slovaks, the usual Brits – and one Greek, who brought along four motorcycles. Spectators get in free too.

There’s always something interesting to see in the paddock. Check out the 1901 Holcroft, an English motorcycle with an American-made Mitchell engine

Top left: There’s room in the paddock for a few more...

Above left: Triumph ND 550cc 1932, with its rider Rosanna Cerutti.

Above right: Sunbeam Model 9, dating to 1927, being ridden stylishly by Luca Boccardo.

that some claim was the inspiration for the Stevens brothers of AJS fame to start making motorcycles.

And No1 Rudge enthusiast Dante Petrucci was there, firing up a re-creation of the experimental bronze aluminium four-valve radial Ulster head – four were produced in 1931, before the project was abandoned.

“Me and my friends started this project in 2009,” says Dante. “Today the Phoenix thunders again!”

Some people think that a sidecar rig is a motorcycle ruined, but they don’t know what they are missing.

Check out Wolfgang Aumueller’s beautifully prepared 1939 Triumph Tiger 100 outfit if you don’t believe us – he and his passenger know how to have fun. And it begins with the sound of tyres scrubbing asphalt.

In spite of the local competition, Norton was a big name in racing in 1920s Italy, and Enrico Preda was there to put his TT model through its paces. With pannier fuel tanks and a big oil tank this would have been ideal for the classic long distance races. Or to borrow for the ride home to England... France... or Germany!

Find out more about Automotoclub Storico Italiano events at www.asifed.it Autodrome Riccardo Paletti is at www.varano.it

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | AUGUST 2016

21

TheYellowMotorbike:

Revived R This was a restoration with a difference, featuring two (self-proclaimed) grumpy old men and .

Many years after parting with his last, lamented M21, Mr Wilson is once more a contented soul.

Jones | 250cc twin 2

The 250cc Jones twin-cam twin Built by a Rolls-Royce engineer with a passion for specials and remarkable aptitude, too.

Words: JAMES ROBINSON Photography: MORTONS ARCHIVE

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Below: "It is difficult to find superlatives adequate to describe..." started a description of the Jones special.

ong Eaton’s Dennis Jones had Manufacture of the engine was described in detail. already constructed several Alloy castings were worked by Jones, with each barrel specials when he built this one, machined from Al-Fin-linered cylinders, supplied and was to go on to build several

by Wellworthy. ‘Square’ dimension of 54mm bore x more. This particular machine was stroke gave a capacity of 245cc. deemed worthy of extended investigation by Motor Each half of the crankcases bolted together and Cycling (April 19, 1951). carried a three-bearing crankshaft machined from “An advanced design of a factory-produced, smalla nickel-chrome billet. The centre journal ran in capacity racing engine could be expected to be a white metal bearing to which the main oil feed greeted with enthusiasm and… a great deal was taken, via an internal drilling, Straight of interest. It is difficult, therefore, to find from a gear pump located in the from the superlatives adequate to describe a quarterbottom of the timing chest. Equal plate litre racing engine possessing two cylinders distribution to each big-end is thus and double overhead camshaft valve ensured. There were two ‘beautifully To view the rest of operation, particularly when every part of made’ light-alloy connecting rods, the pictures in this that engine has been produced by one man with split big-ends, again with white set and to order having only limited equipment,” the weekly metal bearing surfaces bolted to prints please visit magazine explained. the crankshaft. Both pistons were www.mortons The article went on to describe: “Except machined from blanks, ‘the origin hi for proprietary accessories, carburettor, of which was unknown’, but which chains, magneto and plugs… the complete were supplied by Wellworthy. The engine has been either machined from steel total of all this work was an engine and alloy billets or from castings poured to that revved to 9000rpm, but for which Mr Jones’s own patterns”. output was ‘unknown.’

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | AUGUST 2016

53

Despite a modest competition budget, Birmingham maker New Imperial won six IoM TT victories and many top 10 places. Recalling this record, one asks – how? It’s impossible to understand New Imp’s housekeeping but we can look at and read between the lines of the IoM record.

Words: RICHARD ROSENTHAL Photography: MORTONS ARCHIVE

The TT winners: Norman Downs stands centre, flanked by Ken Twemlow (left) and his brother Eddie. Boy scouts are entrusted with trophy-carrying duties.

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THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | AUGUST 2016

A Social History of Motorcycling | Mods vs. Rockers (1964)

ASocialHistoryofMotorcycling EIGHT EPISODE

Mods vs. rockers

(1964)

In this series of extracts from his forthcoming book, Mike Lewis looks at the growth and evolution of social motorcycling in Britain and the USA.

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Words: MIKE LEWIS Photography: MORTONS ARCHIVE

n December 19, 1963, a feature in Motor Cycle magazine invited readers aged under 25 to answer the question: ‘Are you a Mod or a Rocker?’

Starting with the assertion that “Sitting on the fence is out these days,” it went on to offer an everyman’s guide to both camps, but concluded with a caveat that stated, “The Editor does not hold himself responsible for the consequences of this article.” Yet while modernist music and fashions received popular assent from the weekly ITV television programme Ready Steady Go!, there was scant positive publicity for young leather-jacketed motorcyclists, whom the Mods nicknamed Rockers for their conservative musical tastes. So a degree of curiosity accompanied the release in January 1964 of The Leather Boys, a British film that portrayed the Rocker subculture in London, albeit as the backdrop to a ‘kitchen sink’ drama about confused relationships. Like The Wild One, it derived from a work of fiction, but director Sidney Furie added numerous touches of authenticity from the young motorcyclists that he used as extras, just as producer Stanley Kramer had done a decade earlier, with much of the action filmed at the Ace Cafe. Unlike its notorious predecessor, the film was passed by the British censors for public showing to audiences aged 18 or over, its ‘X’ certificate being for having a homosexual theme rather than for any portrayal of delinquency or violence Pirate radio ship MV Caroline, anchored off the Suffolk coast, began test transmissions over the Easter Bank Holiday at the end of March saw dozens of Rockers on motorcycles and Mods on scooters making their way to Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, although far greater numbers travelled there by coach and train, or simply hitch-hiked. There was negligible animosity between the different groups of riders, since most were simply following the traditional East London migratory path for a public holiday. What awaited them all at journey’s end was the disappointing sight of a rain-swept resort at the tail end of the coldest winter since 1883. Many cafes had not yet opened for the season, while others refused to serve customers whose appearance they did not care for.

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Right: Released in January 1964, The Leather Boys starred Rita Tushingham, Dudley Sutton and Colin Campbell.

Below: The Motor Cycle’s slightly tongue-in-cheek ‘Are you a mod - or a rocker?’