The Classic MotorCycle July 2014

STARS OF THE 2014 STAFFORD SHOW TRULY AMAZING MOTO MAJOR

JOHN SURTEES OBE; “IT’S LIKE A HOMECOMING.”

JULY 2014

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Editor’s welcome Coincidences involving motorcycling are funny things, which actually happen (to me, anyway) not that infrequently. The latest example of bumping into someone from the classic world in a strange place occurred a couple of weeks ago (and follows on from other bizarre ones, chiefly among them the departure lounge at Sydney airport and the fish market in Venice...) in Ireland.

We were right out on the west coast, in County Mayo, on the far coastal side of a town called Belmullet, where my mum was born. I was over with friends and my ‘magical mystery tour’ (we used to go over every year when I was a child) had taken us to a place called Blacksod Point, almost as isolated as they come, and home to a lighthouse which we used to always come and visit.

As we drove out we noticed a helicopter coming in to land, presumably visiting the lighthouse as there’s nothing else there. We parked up and watched the chopper come in and land; by now most of my party had tired of my ‘sightseeing’, borderline gale-force winds and rain, and opted to stay in the car, but I wanted to go and see the helicopter, so off I plodded. As I approached, I was greeted by; “James, what are you doing here?” by an incredulous voice emerging from the helicopter compound. It was my Dublin-based friend Morgan Nolan, who rides a prewar MAC Velo in the Irish rally every year, and works as a maintenance engineer on the lighthouses of Ireland. They’d flown out to this one, just as we’d driven out there. What are the chances of that?

We took a snap to celebrate, though Morgan seems to be inadvertently sticking his tongue out!

Otherwise, it’s been a busy few weeks, what with Stafford and what have you, while the show shouldn’t be allowed to pass without me mentioning Michael Barraclough, a youthful classic enthusiast and journalism student who, as well as coming on work experience with us during the week leading up to the show, joined us there. You’ll notice some of his contributions this issue; he was a great help at the show, so well done and ‘thank you’ to him.

Aside from that, I’ve been putting in a few miles on the KTS, only receiving a few seasonal soakings here and there, but enjoying riding in the company of likeminded souls, and even meeting up with Steve France (see last month’s Letters pages) at this year’s Lincs Aviation Run.

JAMES ROBINSON Editor

. 50 £18 page 34

26 36 Contributors

Michael Barraclough, Ian Kerr, Roy Poynting, Richard Rosenthal, Jerry Thurston, Phillip Tooth, Alan Turner, Steve Wilson.

THE CLASSIC MOTOR CYCLE (USPS:710-470) is published monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd., PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK . USA subscriptions are $63 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft, WI and additional entries. Postmaster: Send address changes to THE CLASSIC MOTOR CYCLE, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

CONTENTS ISSUE | JULY 2014 Archive photograph ..........................................6 News....................................................................8 Diary ................................................................12 Letters ..............................................................16 Stafford show...................................................20 Norton Jubilee super profile..........................26 Subscribe and save........................................34 Pioneer run .....................................................36

STORY Vincent Rapide COVER ...............................................

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Maltese motorcycling.....................................46 Straight from the Plate – Brooklands, 1927......53 Moto Major......................................................58 Ottone museum..............................................62 Ted Mellors reflections...................................68 Closer Look – magazines in 1944 ..................72 Alan Jones interview.......................................76 Classic components – Lucas regulators .......78 Men who mattered – ‘Cannon Ball’ Baker .........80 Roy Poynting column.....................................82 Jerry Thurston column...................................84 Marque of distinction – JAP engines.............86

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You were asking ..............................................88 Restoration Guide – BSA unit singles ...........92 Technical feature – New Imp rebuild, part 2 ..96 Next month...................................................112 Classic camera .............................................114

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

Staord | Show

John Surtees poses between two of his world championship winning machines.

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THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JULY 2014

Italian accent

at Stafford

With John Surtees (who found success on two and four wheels with Italian makers), his MV four, the F1 Ferrari and the Moto Major all around the main stand, there was a distinctly Italian influence at the show.

Words: MICHAEL BARRACLOUGH Additional words: JAMES ROBINSON Photography: JOE DICK/LEANNE MANDALL

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JULY 2014

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THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JULY 2014

records. Worters completed the 100 mile at 73.34mph and the two hour at 71.28 mph.

Le Vack and his 591.5cc New Hudson spent the majority of their 600cc race stuck in third place. Bert Denly (Norton) monopolised first place until his cam spindle broke, leaving Le Vack free to pass George Tucker and his 588cc Norton and claim victory – at a slower speed than the 350cc class!

Oliver Baldwin sat comfortably in second place for the duration of the 1000cc race, until a fractured rear exhaust valve rocker put leader Joe Wright’s Brough Superior out of action, and Baldwin took the lead, crossing the finish line to win at 73.97mph.

Though the long distances and large quantity of bikes may have made it difficult for the spectators to see the ‘ding-dong battles’, as The Motor Cycle describes them, there can be no doubt that this race carried a certain importance. Though similar to others at the start, British sidecar racing had reached new heights by the end.

Top: A Hamilton (McEvoy) pushes in.

Above: ‘Patchwork’ nature of the track well illustrated.

Left: Start of the 350cc race. Number 26 is eventual victor Wal Handley.

Straight from the plate To view the rest of the pictures in this set and to order prints please visit mortonsarchive.co.uk

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JULY 2014

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You were asking | Expert advice

You were asking Your queries resolved with Richard Rosenthal

CALTHORPE MYSTERY

I have details of an address for Calthorpe motorcycles, stating it traded from premises in London, yet you have written in the past it was a Birmingham concern.

Ian Francis, email, Spain.

Trumpet repair The solder has let go on the two part trumpet of one of my vintage bulb horns. I only had the trumpet nickel plated at some expense about a year ago and although I ought to have the horn properly repaired, I don’t want to spend a lot more money on it. I’ve thought about using a two-pack adhesive, but the repair will be obvious. Have you any ideas?

Gerald Henderson, email.

From our email conversations, I know you are competent with a soldering iron. I’ve carried out a similar repair to the horn of a machine restored about 40 years ago. Using two large electric soldering irons, the failed joint and immediate

Words: RICHARD ROSENTHAL

Kork Ballington

You don’t quote the precise London address for Calthorpe, but it’s almost certainly the London office or distributor’s address, used by the factory or an agent at a time when it was considered ‘vital’ by many cycle and motorcycle makers to have a presence in the capital.

The buyer’s guides of the period confirm the maker’s factory address during the vintage period and beyond as: The Calthorpe Motor Cycle Co, Lion Works, Barn Street, Birmingham.

Right: Kork Ballington didn’t just ride Kawasakis. Here, he’s on a Yamaha, at Silverstone, during the 1975 season.

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A few years ago I bought a Yamaha TZ350 racer, which the seller claimed Kork Ballington had raced. I didn’t believe this at the time and have since traced the machine’s history to confirm my doubts – however, the price was right.

I thought Kork raced only Kawasakis but have since found he did indeed race Yamahas in all classes from 125cc to 500cc. I’ve tried to firm this up with the ‘modern’ sources without much success but one journalist said I should contact you as ‘you do old’.

Kenny J Julian, email, USA. Not sure whether to be flattered or not by the claim ‘I do old,’ and my passions for old predate the Ballington era by some decades. But then one needs to remember Kork Ballington retired from international racing 32 years ago, so here’s rising to the challenge…

Born Hugh Neville Ballington in 1951 at Salisbury, then South Rhodesia, he was regarded by many as South African.

After a successful domestic career, ‘Kork’ competed in the UK before opening his international account with a sixth place in the Nations GP at Mugello on May 16, 1976 riding a 350cc ‘over the counter’ Yamaha TZ. Later in the season he was second in the 250cc class, again racing a Yamaha, and then won his first GP, the 350cc race at Montjuich Park, Barcelona, in the season closing meeting.

The following season he

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JULY 2014

surrounding metal was preheated. Then, having cleaned and fluxed the joint, it was re-soldered using the soft solder in situ supplemented with further ‘plumbers’ solder, almost as a filler rod. The iron was then employed to smooth the work and excess solder was wiped clean with a cloth. Once cold the solder repair was flatted back as required with strips of emery cloth (thin strips to avoided damaging surrounding nickel plate). Finally the repair site was polished with a proprietary mildly abrasive metal polish, which shines the solder to a near nickel type hue.

As with any such work involving the dangers of hot equipment, lead solder and cleaning materials, we advise all safety advice must be followed.

scored three more GP victories including a double in the international season closing round at Silverstone in the 250 and 350cc classes.

Signing for the Kawasaki works team, Kork entered his golden era, earning the 1978 and 1979 250 and 350cc World Riders Championships. In 1980 he raced in the 250 and 500cc GP classes with Kawasaki developing a new machine for the 500cc races. Although he won five 250cc races through the season, he finished second in the title chase to German Anton Mang (Kawasaki Krauser) who had won less GPs than Ballington, but had secured many more places.

Despite much development work by Kawasaki, the 500 never achieved the results of the smaller 250 and 350cc machines and after three seasons and some places but no wins Kork retired from the international racing scene. During his international GP carried he secured 31 wins from 85 starts. He didn’t race 125s internationally.

YOU WERE ASKING IS SPONSORED BY CASTROL CLASSIC OILS

EMC racer A friend is rebuilding an early 1950s EMC racer. Do you know bore and stroke dimensions? And was the machine actually built by EMC or the work of another factory, then sold under the EMC brand?

GH, email.

Dr Joe Ehrlich of the Ehrlich Motor Cycle Works Ltd, St Mary’s Works, Southall Lane, Southall, Middlesex supplied a prototype of this twin piston 124cc racer to the press for assessment in August 1951. Under test, John Thorpe of Motor Cycling hit 80mph and detected no vibration through the rev range up to 7000rpm, but he didn’t stretch the engine to its claimed 8000rpm and ended his feature on a positive note by hoping British enthusiasts may soon be able to compete on equal terms with their Continental rivals. Of course, the British EMC had been developed with help from Puch.

By summer 1951, sales of the EMC 350cc split single cylinder two-stroke EMC roadster had dwindled to almost nothing, but Ehrlich bounced back with the launch of the 125cc EMC racer. Again a split single with bore and stroke dimensions of 40 x 49.5mm it had a capacity of 124cc. Dr Joe, who’d earlier (1946) stated the DKW split single racers infringed his design patents, claimed to have designed this 124cc racer, but then admitted ‘a number of Puch’ engine components were employed…

The engine’s cast iron barrel incorporated cast in transfer ports while a single 14mm sparking plug mounted to the rear of the aluminium cylinder head flamed the combustion chamber. Early prototypes used a pair of 18.5mm Puch carburettors which were altered to 20mm Amals for most production models, while twin pipes with megaphones dealt with the exhaust gases.

Rolling chassis design was more conventional than the engine but there were lots of variations – for example, conventional oil damped telescopic front forks were used on some models, while others used an undamped telescopic fork to which some had external damper units fixed in parallel. Rear suspension was by swinging arm and twin shock absorbers and earlier models often had a single sided front brake, but some later examples used twin sided single leading shoe front brake.

Often, the renowned racing two-stroke tuner and writer Brian Woolley described this EMC 125cc racer as having ‘more noise than go!’ However, the Puch derived EMC racer did have its moments and for some was a breath of fresh air, as in the UK most riders were competing on race-developed Bantams and Villiers powered models in the days before the 125cc MV Agustas were available as over-the-counter racers.

In the 1952 Lightweight 125cc TT (run on the Mountain Course) of the 12 finishers four were EMC-Puch models; sixth Frank Burman, ninth Noel Mavrogordato, 11th LJBR French, with 12th and last finisher R J Penney, who was 40 minutes behind the winner Cecil Sandford’s MV Agusta. Arguably, EMCPuch’s finest hour came in the 125cc class of the 1952 Hutchinson 100 run on a rain lashed Silverstone circuit as Burman won beating the FB Mondial of Albert Fenn and Les Graham’s works MV Agusta.

During 1953 Ehrlich abandoned the EMC project to work for the Austin car factory in Birmingham. He continued to be involved with the entries of Frank Burman, including in the IoM TT until 1955, when Burman finished seventh.

GO-FLAT TUBES

Recently I had fitted new tyres to my 1954 Triumph Thunderbird.

The tyres look the part and are all right on the road but after about three weeks they’ve lost 10-15lb pressure. I’ve stripped the tubes and checked for leaks in a bowl of water. Nothing.

But just in case I fitted new tubes – again, the tyres lost pressure quite quickly. What am I doing wrong?

Adrian Loake, email.

Some brands of motorcycle inner tube available today lose pressure more rapidly than the older ranges we were once able to buy.

This ought to be directly related to the material used to make the tubes, but we’ve found some tubes from a particular brand lose pressure at a much faster rate than others.

All bizarre…

Left: Frank Burman pushes on, at Kate’s Cottage, during the 1952 Ultra Lightweight TT. He was top EMC-Puch finisher, in sixth.

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THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | JULY 2014

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thE clAssic MotorcyclE usPs:710470 is published monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $63 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft, WI and additional entries. Postmaster: Send address changes to THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com PrintEd by William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton. © Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

ISSN No 0263-0850