Issuu

Strange brew

LL ODDBAL O.I.F BON NNIE

SEPTEMBER 2016

atchles MMOTORING THE MARVELLOUS MODEL X V-TWIN

y b a b g i B sa Bee PLUS: Banbury Run Aintree racing in 1 Husqvarna Automatic 1929 Six Days Trial Coventry-Eagle single Lansdowne Cup actio

SMALL BUT TOUGH BSA C11

Editor’s welcome

E NOW SUBSCRIB Y FOR ONL

£20

Last month, in the You Were Asking pages, Richard Rosenthal dealt with the enquiry from a reader, Terence Worthington, selling two motorcycles, asking whether he could legally enforce a stipulation the motorcycles weren’t restored once they’d been sold. Richard advised that unfortunately such a situation couldn’t be guaranteed, and once something is sold, then the new owner can do with it as they please. This came to mind over the weekend just gone a few times. The first one was when my brother sent me a couple of pictures of an example of a particular marque I’m interested in, and it was only with a sense of impending horror did I suspect it was a bike I’d been familiar with a few years ago, which was probably the most beautifully patinated, unrestored example extant, now the subject of an amateur-looking half-baked restoration. A former owner confirmed, yes, it was that motorcycle. I though that sort of sacrilege wasn’t happening any more, but clearly it is. Saddest bit personally was a few years ago I was offered the chance to buy it, but couldn’t afford it, and now all that history has gone. What a shame; I think if a decent job had been done it would have been less sad. At Founders Day, my favourite machine was probably a wonderfully patinated Blackburne-engined job, while other things came to mind as well – for example, a Mk.I KTT I was involved in the restoration of. Basically, this bike would have been lovely if it had been left alone, but someone had started ‘restoration’ by (badly) painting the petrol tank and lining it with tape, doing similar to the oil tank, then chroming various bits, including the exhaust pipe. It all meant that the bike had be done all over, with even the bits that had been ‘done’ (like the tank) needing to be repainted so they were of a suitable standard. The bike turned out lovely, but in many ways, it could have been just as lovely if it had been left alone in the first place. I did carefully sell a machine a year or two back, having declined to sell it first to someone who was going to strip it, paint it and plate it; he found another, nicely patinated example and did that to it anyway, I believe. Of course, it’s up to everyone to make their own choices, though should it be? Preservation orders for motorcycles anyone? On a brighter note, have managed to get some good riding in this month, on various events, including a good outing (and soaking) on the oil-boiler Montgomery, and Morini OC trackday on the KTT. Totally contrasting days, but both brilliant, while also I was able to let a guy who is collecting the bits together to build his Mk.I cammy up, a ride on it. He came back grinning, renewing his d! entthusiiasm for the projjectt in hand

PAGE 30

Contributors

Richard Adams, Jonathan Hill, Mike Lewis, Roy Poynting, Richard Rosenthal, Gordon Russell, Martin Squires, Jerry Thurston, 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

CONTENTS ISSUE | SEPTEMBER 2016 Archive photograph........................................... 6 News ................................................................... 8 Letters.............................................................. 14 Matchless Model X ......................................... 16 Banbury Run................................................... 24 Subscribe and save......................................... 30 BSA C11 ........................................................... 32 Triumph Bonneville ....................................... 38 Coventry-Eagle JAP ........................................ 46 Glass plates – Aintree 1956 ............................ 53 Husqvarna Automatic (spotlight) ................. 58 Lansdowne round-up .................................... 62 Closer look – 1929 SSDT ................................ 66 Nick Smith interview...................................... 72 Men who mattered – Tom Phillis .................. 74 Roy Poynting column ..................................... 76 Jerry Thurston column ................................... 78 Social history of motorcycling....................... 80

Martin Squires’ sketchbook........................... 84 You were asking .............................................. 86 Restoration guide – Panther singles.............. 90 Technical feature – New Imp carb rebuild.... 92 Classic components – Armstrong shocks ..... 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 | SEPTEMBER 2016

& Nortons at Miller Museum

Neews Events

The 2016 Norton Festival in the New Forest on July 2, included a 30-mile ride around the local area before converging on the Sammy Miller Motorcycle

Museum where the event itself took place. There 120 Nortons by 11am and by midday, the museum had welcomed more than 200 bikes and their riders.

Draganfly turns 40 It’s the summer of 1976. A long-haired chap of 24 is fixing bikes from a rented shed, dreaming of working for himself. A chance offer from a London borough council and the hippy from Glasgow had his own shop (at the bargain price of just £5 a week). Forty years on and Roger’s little East End shop has grown to a three-floor warehouse with a fully equipped workshop in a quiet Suffolk town. Draganfly Motorcycles turns the big four-oh this summer and a lot has changed since he starting riding ‘Attila’ the Huntmaster and fell in love with Ariels. Back in the mid-1970s, BSA stock was still widely available, Ariel parts were decidedly lacking. People rode their British bikes for everyday transport rather than a weekend hobby, and Roger still wore flares and a denim cut-down (complete with patches). It was decided to manufacture Ariel spares almost immediately, and through a combination of Roger’s passion and spotting the gap in the market, Draganfly became

Brooklands Reunion 2016 Brooklands Museum has another historical event on August 14. The reunion is a meeting that will mark the 90th anniversary of the first British Grand Prix that took place at the Weybridge track on August 7, 1926. Although this celebrates a car event, the organisers would welcome anyone attending with a pre-1940 motorcycle to add to the day by generating some twowheeled interest. Period dress is optional – but appreciated if worn. Pre-booking offers the chance of free, or discounted, admission. The reunion promises displays, runs on Test Hill and demonstrations on the Mercedes Benz world test circuit near the museum. www.brooklandsmuseum.com

Fenman show The 28th Fenman Classic Bike Show is on August 29, Bank Holiday Monday, 2016, at Wimbotsham, Norfolk, one and a half miles outside of Downham Market. All trades to be pre-booked, with all proceeds to local charities. What started as a small village show now attracts more than 5000 visitors every year. To date more than £110,000 has been donated to local charities. www.fenmanclassic.co.uk

Dragstalgia 2016 known as the Ariel specialists. Over the years Draganfly branched out, dealing with pre and unit BSA parts, as well as more generic items and more recently vintage luggage. In a market that is shrinking year on year, Drags is expanding, taking more makes and models under its silver wing. Roger believes it is the inherent excitement that keeps attracting people to motorbikes, maintaining successful businesses such as Drags. “They’re making it

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | SEPTEMBER 2016

harder and harder to get into riding bikes, but it’s not putting anyone off. There’s still loads of bikers out there.” The East End of London is once again is a thriving place for independent bike shops, focusing on grass roots custom machines and the lifestyle as a whole. Good news for Draganfly MCs, and with Roger’s son Iain taking over, just in his 30s, the company looks forward to celebrating its 50th birthday in 10 years’ time. Lauren Gwynn.

Santa Pod welcomed an eclectic collection of vehicles to Dragstalgia over July 16/17, including this Triumph, with Dick Smith in the saddle, among them. Others in attendance included drag legend John Hobbs. Photo: Ben Klemenzson

Triumph | Bonneville

Mystery train This oil-in-frame 650cc T120 Bonneville emerged from the confusion of the Meriden blockade. Today it pulls like a train – but is a bit of a mystery…

Words and photographs: STEVE WILSON

hen I visited Moto Corsa, Italian bike specialists supreme, there was a cuckoo in the nest - an oil-in-frame Triumph T120 Bonneville, a 650 twin. Spiffed up for sale, it was sparkling and handsome in a classic Triumph colour combination, blue and silver, and topped with the shapely US export-style ‘teardrop’ petrol tank. But the more you looked at it, the more contradictions abounded. So to start with, there was only one thing to do: take it for a ride. Though it had been run the previous day, typical Triumph clutch plate stiction was very present, and needed several kicks with the clutch lever pulled in to clear. The ignition key was awkwardly placed, 1971/72-style, in one of the non-standard side panels, but the left one, not the right as on the original louvred panels. There was no choke, so some awkwardness starting from cold, but after the second Concentric had been lightly flooded, the engine burst into life, ticked over steadily after that, and started first kick every time. The clutch engaged abruptly but never slipped. Moto Corsa are hidden away on the edge of a village, in a network of lanes criss-crossing the spectacularly steep swelling hillsides and deep coombes of Cranbourne Chase. These wind-swept flanks needed a sure-footed cycle, with a powerful engine to romp up them, and this Triumph provided both in spades.

The oil-bearing chassis and slim forks, with their six inches of movement, threaded the lanes with precision, made linking up and hurling into the endless bends a pure pleasure, and from the bottom of one valley, proved to be willing and able to roar up long and considerable gradients in top gear, which, with a right foot gearshift, was fourth, despite a fifth gear having been phased in during the 1972 model year. More of that later, but meanwhile the ripping thunder from the pre-1971 silencers’ tail-pipes was a constant delight. Downsides were predictable. The eight-inch twin leading shoe conical hub front brake lacked bite, failing to bring the bike to a halt even with the lever pulled back to the bars. Used in conjunction with the seven-inch sls rear, braking was borderline acceptable. Though the bike’s tight turning circle on narrow roads was a joy, the ride was firm to the point of discomfort due to the plank-like, ultra-thin narrow-nosed pattern dualseat. As on interim versions of the original ‘tall trouble’ oil-bearing chassis, the thin seat had been used to help lower the unacceptable 34-inch seat height, as found with the early, comfier but broadnosed seat. This plot’s height was definitely acceptable, with both feet comfortably flat on the ground at rest. The suspension was firm, but you were never knocked off line by pot-holes etc, and the steering was spot-on. When the outstanding mid-range acceleration in third and fourth caused a quick glance at the speedo –

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | SEPTEMBER 2016

Aintree | 1956

Dark day at the races

With a tragic accident during Friday practice and then a hugely disappointing crowd, enthusiasm was dampened further by race day morning rain. But, gradually, the sun came out and the racing was actually rather good.

T Roy Mayhew leads a gaggle of machines round Anchor Crossing.

Photographs: MORTONS ARCHIVE

here was a dark shadow cast over the Shepherd was soon overhauled by the high-speed late July meeting at Aintree in 1956 trio of AJS-pair Peter Murphy and John Clark and as in Friday practice, New Zealander Bob McIntyre, Norton. McIntyre took the win, from Bob Cook crashed his AJS 7R at the Murphy and Clark. fast right-hand Waterway Corner, Next out were the sidecars, 16 of them, with Frank overshooting and colliding with a concrete wall. He Taylor clinching a hard-fought and close (they were sustained serious head and neck injuries to which he given identical race times) victory from fellow Norton succumbed at 7pm in the Walton Hospital, exponent Bill Boddice, with Jackie Straight Liverpool. Beeton in third place. Fancied runner from the After such a grim start to proceedings, Pip Harris didn’t last a lap, retiring there was more bad news for the organisers with engine trouble. plate come Saturday too – hardly anyone turned up Senior race victory (for 351-1000cc To view the rest of to spectate. Noted Motor Cycling: “One could machines) went to Bob McIntyre, the pictures in this have been excused for thinking that it was with Bob Anderson and Alastair King set and to order practice day and not race day.” A lunchtime making it an all Norton top three. prints please visit shower hadn’t helped things either. Fourth was the impressive Peter www.mortons And so it came to racing, which started Davey on a BSA Gold Star, mixing it archive com at 1.30pm with the 350cc category. There with the ‘pukka’ racing machinery on were 50 riders on the grid, with local lad his production motorcycle. Indeed, Terry Shepherd grabbing the lead from the Davey led at the end of the first lap but off. Confusion ensued behind as a midcouldn’t quite keep with the leading pack faller scattered the field, with riders trio – McIntyre beat Anderson by a slithering and taking to the grass. Up front, few feet at the line.

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | SEPTEMBER 2016

The Lansdowne Classic Series has enjoyed a typically competitive 2016 season to date, with close racing throughout the packed field. Words: GORDON RUSSELL/RICHARD ADAMS Photographs: RUSS LEE

PEMBREY March 26/27

Some say March is a bit early to start racing motorcycles and they were proved right as Pembrey (with the Classic Racing Motorcycle Club or CRMC) on Saturday was wet, cold and windy, while Sunday was just cold and windy. But this didn’t deter anyone and all four races were competitive, with a really good entry of 34 bikes and riders. Race one was very wet and Alex Sinclair won it riding last year’s championship winning Ripley Land G50 Matchless, with Glen English just 0.4sec behind him on a Works Racing Manx Norton. The water wasn’t quite so deep for race two. Mike Russell, on Richard Adams’ Manx, bagged the win here, but Sinclair was only 0.3sec behind with Chris Firmin third, riding a Manx this year for the newly formed Andy Clews Racing Team. The W Roy Richards (WRR) class, named after the founder of the National Motorcycle Museum, was just as exciting and close between Tony Perkin, riding a Manx Norton for the first time, and Seb Perez, Mike Farrall, Richard Hann and, new to the Lansdowne, Chris Bassett. Perkin took both the Saturday wins. Ian Lucas dominated the 350cc Avon class on Jack Gooch’s Manx, as did Sam Rhodes in the The Classic MotorCycle (TCM) class on Graham Austen’s Velocette MSS. Sunday dawned a lot brighter, but the

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | SEPTEMBER 2016

1: The class of the 350cc field was reigning champion Ian Lucas, here tackling the Welsh wet conditions aboard Jack Gooch’s Manx.

paddock mud was still deep! Race three was just as close at the front again with English taking the win by 0.10sec from Russell, with Firmin third. Race four saw the conditions improve and the lap times dropped accordingly. Russell took his second win, with English, Firmin and Steve Jordon close. In the WRR class it was the aforementioned riders all fighting for points again and the same winners in the Avon and TCM classes.

Interview | Nick Brown

A brief chat with...

NICK BROWN

The boss of AJS motorcycles in Andover has just presided over the launch of the AJS Cadwell, a 125cc four-stroke single that’s caused quite a stir.

he latest motorcycle to emerge from the AJS concern, based in Andover, is the AJS Cadwell, a café racer-styled 125 that has proved an immediate hit, with the initial batch of 80 having sold on. AJS was restarted in 1974 by the late Fluff Brown, previously the competition manager at AJS, when he purchased the rights for AJS from Norton Villiers. Fluff continued the parts supply for the AJS Stormer and also produced the affordable FB-AJS motocross and trail machines. Fluff’s eldest son Nick joined the company in 1989. A leading pre-65 motocrosser in his own right,

THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE | SEPTEMBER 2016

Above: Nick on his 16MC AJS. He’s hoping to ride in the Arbuthnot Trial this year.

Nick looked to the Chinese manufacturing sector as a way to be able to offer a range of affordable, AJS-badged motorcycles and expand the business. The first Chinese machine was offered in 1998, the Jianshe-Coyote 80. It proved to be a tough and reliable machine and so the seeds were sown of what AJS was to go on to become, with an AJS factory tie-up established in China in 2003. Not that the ‘old’ AJS has been neglected either, as there is a whole load of technical information available for the Starmaker powered machines, as well as lots of spare parts too. It’s just that now the Chinese-made AJS machines have taken off in a big way, too.