Z
Sin ngle with p purpose V VINCENT COMET
Terrrific T-birrd
G TWIN SPARKLING
JANUARY 2017
GO ORGEOUS BIM MOTA MV
PLUS:
Oddball OEC NMM open day Münch Mammut Little Levis two-stroke Fore-and-aft D Douglas twin Concentric carbs
SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR ONLY
£20 PAGE 24
CONTENTS ISSUE | JANUARY 2017 Archive photograph ......................................... 6 News .................................................................. 8 Letters ............................................................. 14 Bimota MV ..................................................... 18 Subscribe and save ........................................ 24 Triumph Thunderbird ................................... 26 Stafford show ................................................. 34 Levis two-stroke ............................................ 38 Vincent Comet ............................................... 44 NMM open day .............................................. 50 OEC Blackburne ............................................ 52 2016 index ....................................................... 58 Glass plates – Brooklands 1930 ..................... 61 Closer look – Munch Mammut ..................... 66 Rachael Clegg interview ............................... 72 Men who mattered – Bill Chesson ............... 74 Roy Poynting column ................................... 76
38
44 66
Jerry Thurston column .................................. 78 Social history of motorcycling ..................... 80 Martin Squires’ sketchbook ......................... 84 You were asking ............................................. 86 Restoration guide – Douglas 2¾hp ............. 90 Technical feature – Amal Concentrics ........ 92 Classic components ...................................... 98 Next month ..................................................112 Classic camera ............................................. 114 POST: The Classic MotorCycle, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR EMAIL: jrobinson@mortons.co.uk
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2017
5
&
Neews Events
New ws&Events
Series A just short of world record
At its November 15 sale at Donington, H&H sold a Series A HRD Rapide, recently discovered among a job-lot collection in Japan, to a British buyer bidding on the phone for £267,696, just short of the
£275,000 world record. The rare survivor had been carefully stored in recent years and not only do the frame and engine numbers match but even the gearbox, oil pump and magneto numbers still conform
Newark Winter Classic The 2017 Carole Nash Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic takes place on January 7/8 at Newark showground d. Guest of honour willl be racing sidecar stars ‘The Birchall boys,’ Tom and Ben. Details from www. classicbikeshows. com or 01507 5295299.
8
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2017
to those on the original works order sheet, as does the colour of the tank. It was sold by Verralls in 1993 to Japan, where it has remained in a private collection until discovered by the present owner
Change to museum catalogue number Subscribers to the last edition will have received a copy of the National Motorcycle Museum’s Legends mail order catalogue. Due to a technical issue with the museum phone lines, the order line telephone number that has been printed in the catalogue is incorrect. The number to dial is now 01675 444123.
and recently returned to the UK. Also in the sale, a freshlyrestored 1934 Brough Superior 680 Black Alpine with matching numbers, that has had the same owner for last 50 years, sold for £131, 560.
26
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2017
Triumph | Thunderbird
streak
This 1956 Thunderbird is a rolling demonstration of why these soft-tuned, iron-engined 650s were the ultimate Triumph twin for many experienced riders. Words: STEVE WILSON Photographs: GARY CHAPMAN
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2017
27
At the
Stafford ford sale Lots of machines were on offer at the well-packed auction.
T
he Bonhams Stafford Sale saw the 1924 Croft-Cameron 996cc Super Eight sold for £203,100 at the bi-annual Bonhams Stafford sale on Sunday, October 16. Among the super-sports big twins of the 1920s and 1930s, this striking and powerful machine was the product of the short-lived Coventry-based Croft-Cameron company. We featured it in detail in our November issue, where it was photographed, as well as period pictures reproduced. A stunning machine, it is powered by an eight-valve Anzani V-twin engine, running on beaded edge tyres and with minimal braking. Meanwhile, an extremely rare 1948 Vincent Series B Black Shadow smashed through its estimate of
36
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2017
1: Choices, choices… the auction selection was diverse in the extreme. 2: The Series B Black Shadow – with Brampton forks and HRD logos – doubled its estimate. 3: What more can we say? The stunning Croft-Cameron sold for over £200,000, apparently going to the far east.
£50,000-60,000 to reach £113,500. Among other Vincents on offer was the third oldest complete and original postwar Vincent – a 1946 Series B Rapide that sold for an impressive £68,700, proving that Vincent V-twins retain their endearing popularity – particularly if they are rare, unusual or indeed early examples. Other notable sales included a 1937 Brough Superior 1096cc 11-50hp motorcycle combination (first owned by the Sheffield Police) that went for £85,500 and an ex-works NCR Sports Motor Cycles Roger Nicholls Isle of Man TT Formula 1 1977 Ducati 905cc racer that made £59,740. The Nicholls Ducati, sister machine to the one ridden by Mike Hailwood, was presented in extremely original condition.
Vincent | Comet
MY COMETS AND ME… When I was a child my dad had a Series C Vincent Comet and I was always fascinated by it. As much as anything I remember the hinged rear mudguard – being able to undo it on its tommy bar and ‘swing’ it upwards fascinated me… Dad sold his Comet (LLE
422; I know it’s still about and I still have a picture of it, drawn by dad, on my wall) when I was 16, buying himself a Venom (always his first love) and me a B31 with the proceeds. But I always wanted my own Comet. I acquired mine in
2007, scraping together the required cash to buy a scruffy, non-matching numbers Series C in Cumbria. I set about tidying it up and improving it when time and money allowed, while the generosity of others helped too; Vincent restorer Bill Bewley, for example, kindly gave me a set of beautiful, built wheels, in exchange for my scabby ones, as Bill’s rims had a couple of scuffs in them and so Bill had deemed them not up to scratch for his concours winners. They became the best bit on my bike! I tried various worn out carburettors until finally buying a brand new 289 from Amal, while it also had numerous ignition systems, often
finance dependent… In the end, it was also fitted with a Honda clutch from the Vincent OC, which improved it no end. It was used plenty, too, doing lots of runs, rides, rallies, a bit of commuting and a couple of 1000 Bikes at Mallory. Eventually, I decided my interest lay in older machinery and so it had to go to fund another purchase. I wasn’t sure about selling it but a year earlier I’d sold a couple of vintage Ajays for my cousin and the guy who’d bought them had said, pointing at the Vin, “If you ever want to sell that…” Sat daydreaming one day, I decided to call him and ask if he was interested. He said yes, then how much. I quoted my figure. A
pause. Then; “I’ll be there in an hour.” He turned up with a carrier bag of cash (literally) and I waved my Comet (LNA 414) goodbye. I’d really only been half-considering selling it and I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. I still sort of wish I hadn’t sold it, knowing what I know now (i.e. that its various replacements haven’t really become ‘all time’ favourites). Still, I’ve been fortunate enough to on to ride lots of Vincents – some good, some bad, some indifferent. And the first one I ever rode? It was actually the one in this feature, in previous ownership, and many years ago. James Robinson
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2017
47
Glass pl plates | Brooklands 1930
Bad planning Running a road race meeting during the TT was never going to be a recipe for success.
I Aldershot’s Les Archer was becoming a Brooklands star. This is he with his 350cc JAP-powered New Imperial outfit.
Photography: MORTONS ARCHIVE
McCudden, both ‘fast men’ and winners each on the t wouldn’t strike most people as a good day, though McCudden (Rex-Acme-Blackburne) was idea to stage a motorcycle race during bested by Eric Fernihough (Excelsior-JAP) in the day’s TT week, but that’s exactly what BMCRC curtain raiser for 250cc machines. (British Motor Cycle Racing Club) did The second race was for up to 350cc machines, during the 1930 Isle of Man series. It was another handicap as races all were that day – Ben as might be expected – The Motor Cycle’s headline Bickell, on one of several ‘cammy’ Chater-Leas ran; “A quiet day at Brooklands,” while Motor Cycling taking part, took the win, and then in event three didn’t even bother to report the event taking place at it was McCudden (498cc Excelsiorall. The prominent Brooklands history books Straight Blackburne) who was the winner from make little mention of the meeting either – from the scratch, his three laps at impressive Brooklands: The Official Centenary History pace, enabling an average speed of makes no comment, while Charles Mortimer plate 101.64mph, with laps two and three at (In Brooklands: Behind the scenes) To view the rest of 106.42 and 106.65mph respectively. describes it as a ‘small meeting… produced the pictures in this Clive Lones won the three-lap nothing of excitement… though the Worters set and to order non-trade handicap in his smoky stable did well.’ prints please visit Chater-Lea engined 348cc Morgan, The Worters stable was that of JS ‘Woolly’ www.mortons with Duncan second on the 498cc Worters, who ran several machines (usually archive.com hi Grindlay-Peerless solo and Dussek’s Excelsior or Rex-Acme, with either JAP or 598cc Norton outfit third, in the day’s Blackburne engines, though he admitted biggest field of 14. Duncan (Grindlayoften all that changed was the name on the Peerless) then took the five-lap (all petrol tank!) and at this meeting had them races bar this and the last were three ridden by Chris Staniland and Maurice ‘Mac’
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2017
61
Interview | Rachael Clegg
Above: Rachael’s dad Noel Clegg during the 1970 Manx GP. He raced in the Isle of Man for 35 years. Left: Rachael poses with the National Motorcycle Museum’s Brough Superior SS100.
A brief chat with...
Rachael Clegg
B
This inventive and creative journalist and artist has cornered the market in memorable TT calendars.
orn in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, Rachael Clegg has lived in Sheffield for the last nine years – but it’s the Isle of Man that she regards as her ‘spiritual’ home. The daughter of racer (and motorcycle dealer) Noel Clegg, who enjoyed a 35-year Isle of Man competition career (from 1968) and whose best TT finish came in the 1994 Ultra-lightweight race when he recorded a fourth, Rachael spent many childhood holidays on Mona’s Isle, with the soundtrack provided by booming four-strokes and high revving two-strokes. Rachael studied a degree and MA in Art History while working part-time at the Tate Liverpool, locating weird and wonderful artefacts for exhibitions and leading workshops for young people. It was during this time – having no moneythat she blagged it into a gig, pretending to be a journalist. And, adhering to her ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’ ethic she actually went ahead with interviewing the band and had the piece published. It was that moment when she decided to train to become a journalist, abandoning her
72
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2017
dreams of becoming a curator for the grittier world of music journalism. Rachael went on to be a music and features writer at the Sheffield Star and Telegraph with occasional contributions to the Manchester Evening News and Yorkshire Post. Her list of interviewees includes the Arctic Monkeys, Guns and Roses’ Duff McKagan, Jarvis Cocker and Gene Simmons from Kiss. Aside from music, Rachael also wrote features on all manner of subjects from solar tsunamis to Auschwitz survivors, while writing about motorcycles on the side. But motorcycles and motorcycling were always ‘home’ for Rachael. And two years ago, after being knocked off her pushbike in a serious hit-and-run accident, she decided to go freelance and has since contributed features to countless motorcycle magazines and websites around the world. She’s also acted as narrator and compere for various National Motorcycle Museum videos and events. Her Milestones calendars are a fusion of these facets of Rachael’s life, bringing together TT racing, historical facts and art photography.
You’ve grown up with motorcycling. What’s your first two-wheeled memory? Mum and dad ran a bike shop in Rochdale so I was around bikes from birth but my first vivid memory was of my dad’s Kawasaki ZXR750, which I’d go on the back of and he’d blast over a stretch of road we call ‘Owd Betts’ in Rochdale. I had these tiny Yamaha overalls and I thought I was the bee’s knees! He rode the ZXR at the TT that year and I will always remember that TT because we had The Stranglers Greatest Hits on in the car on loop. What was it about motorcycling that made you want to be involved? Wherever there are two wheels, you will always find friends. I was on a tram in Alabama last year and a man sat next to me and said “bloody ‘ell Rachael,” (in a Bolton accent) “what are you doing here?” The two-wheeled world is ‘home’ to me. Even in Alabama! And it’s a wonderful thing to be part of that world. It was the same for dad – when he raced a G50 Matchless at Daytona in 1993 I remember thinking ‘dad knows everyone.’ It’s also a cliche to say this (though I
A social history of motorcycling | Classic Status (1987 to 2017)
ASocialHistoryofMotorcycling
Classic status
EPISODE
THIRTEEN
(1987 to 2017)
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.
N
Words: MIKE LEWIS Photographs: MORTONS ARCHIVE
ew motorcycle and moped registrations continued to fall in Britain during 1987, reaching their lowest level for almost 20 years. There was much discussion in government circles about safety issues, and a draft specification produced by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory for built-in leg protectors was put forward in 1988 as the basis for legislation. However, this was countered by independent research that criticised the research methods used while finding no overall benefits from the proposed solution. Alerted to the need for unity in a hostile political climate, classic enthusiasts established the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs in London on July 23, 1988. The Federation of European Motorcyclists (FEM) was founded at the same time, to combat restrictive legislation emanating from the EEC, with Briton Frank Pearson as its first general secretary. One of the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation’s (AMHF) main goals was to create a permanent repository for American motorcycling artefacts that would also serve as an educational facility, and in August 1990 it opened the Motorcycle Heritage Museum next to its headquarters in Westerville, Ohio. Independently of this, businessman George W Barber was planning the world’s largest motorcycle collection, and his Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum opened to the public in Birmingham, Alabama in March 1995. Barber loaned 21 machines to The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition at New York’s Guggenheim Museum, which ran from June to September 1997 with 114 exhibits, while the AMHF relocated its own facility adjacent to the AMA’s headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio, renaming it the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. George Barber’s collection would ultimately exceed 1400 machines, and he was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 2014. The centenary of social motorcycling in Britain was soured by a post-First World War nadir of just 46,724 new machines sold in 1993. But the following year saw an Ace Cafe Reunion to mark the 25th anniversary of the venue’s closure, and this became
80
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2017
2 1: The Barber Museum in Alabama. 2: Disney movie Wild Hogs brought motorcycling to the mainstream. 3: Intrepid motorcycle riding explorer Nick Sanders, here in Egypt in 1992. 4: The National Motorcycle Museum suffered a devastating fire in 2003, but came back stronger than ever.
1
Technical feature | Amal Concentric carburettors
Concentrating on Concentrics In publicity material, Amal encouraged owners to retro-fit the new Concentric carburettor to older motorcycles. “If your cycle doesn’t have the good fortune to be equipped with an Amal carb… refit with Amal – experience a new dimension in controlled power.” Words: RICHARD ROSENTHAL Photographs: GARY CHAPMAN
The R932/900 (right-hand, 32mm bore) Mark 1 to left and L2930/112 (left-hand, 30mm bore) to right.
1
92
THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JANUARY 2017