Welcome
Expectations areafunnything. As you’ll read in my write-up on the RoyalEnfeld Constellation, I’ll honestlyadmit it wasn’t topofmy‘one to ride’wish list, butturned outtobeareallynice motorcycle, which I’m glad to have nowexperienced.
My mind alwaysthen wanderstowhat it waslikeinyears gone by,asto what people reallyexpected–orthoughtthey’d experience.Nowadays, we have accessto so many forms of media, to inform of us of ‘what to expect’ (inevery walk of life, in fact), while we’ll all be familiar with fellow enthusiastsand their ‘they’rea greatbike’ or –moreusually–‘they’rerubbish’based on nothingmorethanwhat they’vegleaned and repeated.
As RoyPoyntingsuccinctly points outin his column (page94), the hopes and dreams of othersaren’t alwaysthe same as ourown, necessarily, while of course we change our opinions dependingonneedand situation. While now, we mightdismisssomething as notreallyworthyofconsideration,in yearsgone by,it’dbea true pleasureand privilege to own. Such as in theimmediate post-Second WorldWar era, whereany formofbrand-new motorised vehiclewas somethingtodesireand covert. Somebodywas tellingmerecentlyabout howhis grandad hadtowait twoyears fora brand-new vanhe’dordered in thelate1940s –then when he fnallyreceived his (paid for) prize, he promptlysold it on foraproft,and continuedusing the motorcyclefoathe’d previously employed. Just afew quidricher.
EDITOR
James Robinson jrobinson@mortons.co.uk
REGULARCONTRIBUTOR S TimBritton,AlanCathcart, JonathanHill, IanKerr, RoyPoynting, RichardRosenthal, Martin Squires, Jerr yTurston, Phil Turner
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Ten there’sthe generation –ormaybe a generation-and-a-half –beforethat, where the step froma bicycle to amotor bicycle was somethingtobeholdand cherish.Nowadays, we maybelookataveteran machine and think ‘howdid theydothat?’ buthavingany formof engine wouldhavebeenamarked improvementonrelyingonwhat poweryour ownthighs could generate. While LPA(Light PedalAssistance) perhapssounds arather gruesomethoughttomanyofus, anyformof assistance wouldhavebeenwelcomed.
It’s all aboutexpectations –wehave opinions formedbyothersoften infuencing them,while,actually, we should perhapslook at it through adiferentperspective. And when you think of it likethat, atwo-speed Round Tank BSA, say, wouldhavebeenarevelation in the early 1920s,while somethinglater,such as the RE Constellation, wouldhavealsobeen adecentstepupfromthe maker’sown 350cc Bullet,ora B31, for example.SoIshouldn’t have been surprised it proved thus.
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ISSN No 0263-0850
24 Superior days at Staford Te Brough SS100s dulysteal the show.
30 Constellation consternation Expectations well and trulyexceeded.
38 Scottish success Te Peebles showand all its winners. 40 Unknown Italian Qualitybut unheardofPirotta lightweight. 46 Te £100 veteran BSAsingle whichcame at abargain price
Morini’s half-litretwin Bigger brother to the famedand feted 3½.
Tunder Flash!
That’s what this 1096cc Norton-JAP special was called, it being abespoke machine featuring aManx Nortonchassis and big V-twin engine.
This photograph waspublished in the Februar y14, 1952, edition of Te MotorCycle,aValentine’s Daytreat for its owner,who hadbuilt themachine as he wanted it,tofulflhis motorcyclingdreams.
So what is it? Well, essentiallyit’sa1945 ‘ish’Manx Norton with abig, 1935 JAPV-twin engine installed, amotor whichhad started life asafour-camohv water-cooledjob,as used in Morgan three-wheelers,but to suit its creator’sideals –and to ftinthe frame–it hadbeenconverted to side-valveoperation, usingthe topendsofRoyal Enfelds.
Te creator, Mr HWhitworth, of Handsworth, Birmingham,was able to undertakethe work himself, beingashewas a‘die sinker and lightengineer’ who had hisown business, the TrentEngineering Company, whichisalwayshandy when buildingspecials, then as now.
Te MotorCycle featurerevealedthat Whitworthhad owned‘47 motorc yclesand 29 cars’and wasa‘ V-twin enthusiast’who ‘wantedhis engine to have side-by-side valves –italsowouldn’t go in the Norton frame,with the valves situated up top. As Te MotorCycle explained: “SoheobtainedRoyal Enfeld cylinder barrels and light-alloyheads –which were featured on the famous prewar‘big sump’engines –and fttedthese, using⅜inthickcompression plates to allowthe barrels to swallowthe JAPpistons.At the same time, the engine wascompletelyoverhauled, but kept standardexceptfor the distributorcam “Te magnetoplatformon the timing chestwas replacedbya beautifullyprofled and highlypolishedlight-alloybox ,which carries the distributor and housesthe twin, gear-typeoil pumps; these pumpsare driven from an extension on therearcamshaft which, of course,runs at half engine speed. Te distributor startedasone froma C10 BSA. In fact,ithad been decidedtohavetwo distributorsand coils,but this scheme was scrapped for reasons of expense. Te present distributorhas aRoyal Enfeld Twin-typecap with amodifedrotor to suit the fringangle of the 50-degree V-twin.”
Tere’s further explanation, as well as a declaration, that Whitworthhas ‘a penchant for high-speed machines.Side-valveorno, the valvetimingisdecidedly‘warm.’ Te inlet valveopens 22½ degreesbeforetdc and closes 75 degreesafter bdc. Te exhaustvalve opens 55 degreesbeforebdc and closes 35 degreesafter tdc.’
Tenitgoes on: “Detail work in ever y respectis faultless. Both wheels have been rebuilt by Mr Whitworth. Avalanced front
mudguardwas wanted,sovalances were weldedtothe standardManx Norton guard. Te weldingwas smoothedofand the joint lead-fled; the ‘fatting’ is so good that not a traceofa jointisvisible. AFeridax dualseat is ftted.
“Teoriginal Norton gearboxand clutch, footrests,handlebarand centrestand are retained. Finish is in twodistinct shades of polychromatic gold. Te ‘Tunder Flash’isa real credit to its constructor –and it attracts
widespreadattention wherever itappears.”
Butthe bigquestion was, howdid it go? George Wilson wasthe mancharged with fndingout and he explained: “Wewentto apet straight of minewhichisfreefrom side turnings,and marked outa quarterof-a-mile.” However, there were mitigating circumstances,for on theway to the test venuethe Tunder Flash ‘all butrun outof fuel. Tereafter we hadtospend moretime than we could reallyspare blowing tank scale
outofthe main jet… none of my full-bore runs waswithout some misfring… But, in spiteofthis,90mph dead wasachieved–and Ihad alot fun’
“But quotingthesefguresdoesnot give atrueimpression of the wayinwhichthe Tunder Flash performs…WhatIchiefy lovedabout the Tunder Flash wasthe wayit would cruiseat50mph with the throttle just afraction on –and theway it would rustle alongat70mph with just afraction more.
“Likeall machines,ofcourse, Mr Whitworth’sisnot perfect. It hasseveral faults –ashewell knows.But it is most certainlya machine with adistinct charm.”
What became of the Tunder Flash?Does anyone know? It’s distinctiveregistration number,LOP 2, whichisaBirmingham sequence,and is nowona1966 998cc ‘Austin,’ fnishedingreen. PerhapsMrWhitworth built himself afastMini laterand transferredthe registration over? End
&News Events
Bonhams’onlinesummer sale
Renowned former motorcycle dealer ChrisSkellern is widely respectedacrossthe industr yfor his impeccable standards and steadfastdedication to doing things the rightway
Troughout his distinguished career,therewerecertain motorcycles that left alasting impression –bikes that marked defningmoments in both his ridingand businesslife.Years later, driven by nostalgiaand passion, Chrissoughtout and acquired many of these machines –perhaps,asone mightsay,toreliveapiece of his youth.
Over the yearsChris andhis teamhavemeticulously restored thesemotorcycles,staying as true as possible to their original factor yspecifcations and preser vingtheir authenticity wherever possible.Chris now fnds he doesn’t have enough
time to fullyenjoy these exceptional motorcycles,so, as aresult,the time hascome for these11prizedmachines to fnd new homes.
Dave Hancock, of Bonhams Motorc ycles and formerly of Honda, hasproudlyconsigned this outstandingcollection to Bonhams’summersale, takingplace from June 6-16. A public viewingwill be held at Bonhams’MotorcycleFacilityin Milton KeynesonWednesday, June 11, viewing available by appointment.
Amongthe many other notable machines,inthe same sale and alsotobeviewed on June 11, thereisa VincentBlack Shadow, an A70 (the 750cc twin version of the 650cc A65) BSA, plus aJAP V-twin poweredAriel.
Bu to ne w hic hs ta nds ou t is arat her re ma rk ab le 1939 Ru dg eU ls te r. What ma ke si t
Brooklands Motorc ycle Day
To be held on Ju ly 6, Broo kl ands Mo to rc yc le Day is ap ro pe rt wo -whe el ed cele brat ion at the Su rrey sp ee db ow l, wi th pa rt icip at in g
ri der sa ble to have ar un up the ev oc at iv eTes tHil l, to o. Ta ke al oo katw ww. broo kl andsmus eu m. com to find ou tm ore.
su pe rs pe ci al (for an yU ls te ri s sp ec ia l) is that it ’s effe ctiv el y ha dt wo ow ner sf ro mn ew. It wa sf ro mt he la st batch ma de and not so ld be foret he Se co nd Wo rl dWar,w hereup on it wa s st ored by the de aler,w ho didn’t se ll it until 1955. It ss ec ond ow ner,Bunn yL ea f, bo ughti t in 1960 and tho ugh he die d
in 1982, his famil yhav ek ept it ev er si nce.T he sp eed os hows ju st under 29,000 miles while a1 972 tax dis ci sa ffix ed ,w hic h mayb et he la st time it wa so n the ro ad. It is to be so ld wi tho ut re se rv e, ca rr yin ga ne st imat eo f £5000-£8000.
Details from bonhams.com/ motorcycles
KopHill Climb
Onetomarkinyourdiaries,the KopHill Climbtakes place on September20/21. TisisT V antiques expertEricKnowles awarding Te ClassicMotorCycle best prewar machine prize. For moredetails visit kophillclimb. org.uk
ThreelovelyH on da s, fr om theChris Skellern collec tion
This fabulous 19 39 Ru dgeU lsterhas ef fectivelyonlyhad twoowner s fr om new, notb eing register ed until1 95 4.
&News Events
Sc ottish Classic Motorc ycleShow
Ay rC la ss ic Mo to rc yc le Cl ub ha sa nno unce di ts Sc ot tish Cl as si cMot orcy cl eS howw ill tak ep la ce on Sat urday, Ju ne 14, 2025. Th is wi ll be held at Ay rR ace co ur se
Guestofhonour will be exmotorc ycle racer and three-time TT winner Alex George Over 120 bikes areexpected to be on display,fromthe early
1900s through to the 2000s.Tere will be aparade of bikesand classic racers.Plus,a number of traders will alsobepresent. Entr y hasbeenmaintained at £10 per adult andunder 16’sare free
All exhibitors, clubs and traders who areinterestedinattending areasked to contact the show secretaryfor further details: showsec@ayrclassicmc.com
Bernardbagsa Yellow PerilCommando
Te National Motorc ycle Museum hasannouncedthe results of its 2024-25 Winter Rafe,whichgavesupporters the chance to winagleaming, 1972 Norton Commando Norvil 750cc production racer –alsoknown as the iconic ‘YellowPeril,’due to its distinctivefnish
Te lucky winningtickets were drawnonstage by TV personality Henr yCole on Sunday,April 27, at the International Classic Motorc ycle Show,Staford Winner of the frst prize, the Commando,was Bernard Rodemark, from EastSussex. Second prize, a£1500 Sealey Tools/NMM gift voucher,was wonbyPeter BrownofShropshire, while thirdprize,a SealeyTools Patriot Roll CabToolCabinet went to Alan WhitleyofOxfordshire.
Lookingp rett yp leased,a swell he might, Bernar dRod emark collec ts hisCom ma nd o.
Said the museum’s James Hewing:“A huge congratulations to all ourwinners –and aheartfelt thank you to ever yone who enteredand supportedthe museum.Your contributions help us to preser ve andcelebratethe UK’srich motorcyclingheritage.”
Details of the summer rafe nextmonth.
Beezumph31
Tis year ’s Beezumph, organised by the TR3O Cand acelebration of allthingsBSA andTriumph triple related, and whichisthe 31stinthe series,iscelebrating the production racers, most signifcantly, fvetime TT winner ‘Slipper ySam.’
Te eventisatthe picturesque Cadwell Park on July 24/25, with theFriday(the 25th) the track day. Details from www.tr3oc.com
Themostf amou stripleofthem all… Slip pery Sa m, Dave Cr oxford up,takes anotherT T win.
RMCCRally2025
Th eRud ge Mo to rc yc le Cl ub wi ll be holdin gi ts ann ual ra ll y, in conj unction wi th the Lo ndon Do ugl as Cl ub,o n
H&H in July
Te H&H sale at the National Motorc ycle Museum on July 9, is already gatheringentries apace, with one of thepair of 1928 AJS K10s that claimedjointbestin showatStafordin2017, among thoseexpected. Details handh. co.uk
Show revival
RoyalTunbridge Wells holds a remarkably signifcantplace in the history of British motoring. In 1895, the beautiful historical town in Kent,hostedthe frst ever motor showtotakeplace in GreatBritain. Tisextraordinar y milestone will be celebrated in 2025 with the launchofthe new RoyalTunbridge Wells Festival of Motoring
Taking place on theweekend of August 2/3, 2025, morethan 20 of the greatest cars and motorcycles of the past 130
Ju ne 21/22. It ’s at St ow -onthe-Wold ru gb yc lu b; details st ev e. bo lg er@liv e. co.uk or ca ll 07518662901.
Ther e’ll be cars an dmotorcycles in Roya lTunbrid ge Wellsover Augu st 2/3.
yearswill be displayed alongthe tree-linedGeorgianwalkways of Te Pantiles at the heartofthis picturesque town
VMCC BanburyRun
Te VMCC ’s Banbur yRun, the world’spremier eventfor pre1931 motorcycles,takes place at the Br itish MotorMus eum, Gaydon, on June 8, 2025.
Pa ir of 1928 AJ SK 10 swer ejoint be st in show winner sa tSta ff or d, 2017.O ne of theduo is to co me up forauc tion this summer
Alex Geor ge in ac tion at As senin1 977. Seea nd hear hima tthe Scot tish show on June 14.
Pre-unit twin magneto shimsnow available
Te K2F magnetoshims have been unavailable foryears.Draganfy triedtoacquirethe toolingbut it wasdifcult (read: impossible) to get hold of.Sotheyfound originals,drewthem up andhad themmade Su ita ble for Ar iel, BS Aa nd Tr ium ph Tw ins,s ta nd ar da nd com pe tition ma gn et os.Not su re whic hy ou ne ed ?Jus ta sk ! Call +44 (0)1986 894798 for moredetails
CampingwithSunb eams
SunbeamOwners’ Fellowship
Annual CampingRally, for all enthusiastsofS7/S8s,ison
July 10-14, at OsmastonCricket Ground, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Contact 01538 756927 for moredetails
Fowlers Bike Nights
Held at Fowlersonthe frst Friday of each month,fromMay through to September, BristolBikeNights
areback. Arrive at Fowlers Motorcycles,2-12 Bath Road, BristolBS4 3DR from5.30pm
’Normous Newark
Taking place on June 8, 2025, is the regularextravaganza at Newark showground, NG24 2NY. Details from newarkautojumble.co.uk
Belvoir Castle show
Te Steamand Countr yShowat Belvoir Castle,Grantham, NG32 1PA, takes place over August 2325. Te eventofersacornucopia of pleasures,includingof course classic motorcycles.Visit www.outdoorshows.co.uk for moredetails
Go ambling in August
Te August Amble 2025 is a new three-day social riding event, open to ridersofsmaller classic motorcycles up to 250cc and over 50 yearsold, ie 1975 or before. Terewill be a recommendedridingroute for each dayusing smaller rural roads that arewell suited to
Shelsle yWalsh Bike Bonanza
To be held on July 5, 2025, there’s ahostofattractions to make a visit to the famous old hill climb course amemorable dayout. Triumph collector Dick Shepherdistobring some of his famous machines outto play,while at least20ridersand machines from the Lansdowne ClassicSeries for pre-1962 race ware aredowntocompete SteveParrish will lead aride in, as well as demonstrateanRG500 Suzuki,and there’ll be trade stands and jumble,too.
Miller mus eumlatest
Tis 1914 Precision, whichwas made by Frank Edward Baker with the Precision Company, of KingsNorton, Birmingham in 1914, is the mostrecent acquisition by the Sammy Miller Museum
It is rare and literallyunknown as it is the onlyhorizontal valveengine the museum can locate,and whichinvolved a lot of research,and theyare delightedtopossiblyhavethe onlyhorizontal valvemotorcycle in the world.
Says Sammy: “It’stwo-speed buthas no clutch whichmakes ridingitver ydifcult,although it does ride well, and the engine
Roy Smith
HavingpassedawayinFebruar y 2025, aged 93, RoyEricSmith lovedmotorcycles,early-on maintaininghis owninthe stables of his mumand dad’spub, Te Victoria
runs smoothly. Te gear change leverworks on the frontofthe engine –the left leverisfor bottom gear,the rightlever,top.”
Te SammyMiller Museum is in NewMilton, Hampshire; details from sammymiller.co.uk
area of Southw estL ondon and Surrey.
Royraced in the TT,aswell competinginthe (ISDT) in Garmisch,Germany.
smaller capacitymachines Entr yincludes twonights’ half boardaccommodation at Te Greetham ValleyHotel (Rutland) whichwill be the base for the August 19-21 event. For full information and booking details contact Pete Murray guzzipetem@gmail.com
Soon his passion grew to the pointwhereitbecame his business, RoySmith Motors Some mayrememberhis shop basedinNew Malden, which wasw ell known around the
Spic
In retirement, Royspent many happyhours lookingafter his vintages, takingpartinmany London to Brighton runs and enjoyingapeaceful retirement by the coastwith his beloved wife Evelyn
ers’sale in Go ole
Spicers, in Goole, EastYorks,are acceptingentries fortheir July 26, 2025, sale,wherethere’s
a6%(plus VAT) vendor’s commission. Call 01405 203203 or spicersauctioneers.com for details
Here fettling hisB SA Ba ntam, seeSteve Parrishonadif ferent two- stroke at Shelsley Wa lsh.
JULY
1900
Twoyears ago, EdwinPerks, formerly of the Beeston MotorCompany,appeared in courtaccused of stealing engine partsand engineering stockfromhis late employer. In 1899, he securedpatents for his motor wheel, ideal for powering cycles and tricycles,then entereda partnership with Harold Birch to manufacturehis 198cc
1925
It hadbeenlongaccepted that goodpoppet valvedesign enhances engine performance, and nowthatmanyracing machines employedthe ohv concept,evenmoreattention wasbeingappliedtovalve design. Common practicewas to employtulip inlet valves with their heads hollowedto the upper face for lightness to reduce reciprocal mass, and, ideally, exhaust valves which were mushroomshaped,though acompromise fattop exhaust valvewas judged to servewell,evenfor racingapplications
As arule,valvestems were approximatelyone ffth of thediameter of the valve
1950
After convincinglysecuringthe frst FIM frst sidecarWorld Championship in 1949 when crewed by Denis Jenkinson, Eric Oliver (Norton) wasbecoming the scourgeofEuropeagain
device with four-strokeengine, lowtension magnetoand surface carburettor, at their Coventry works.
To date,Perks andBirch hadsold about200 units, mostly to the Singer Cycle Companyof Canterbury Street, Coventry,though information recentlyreleased implied Perksand Birchhad sold their manufacturingrightstoSinger.
head diameter, and, again for lightness, some racing engineersfavoureddrilling the valvestemaxially.Valve steels hadundergone much development,but many engineersstill thought the ideal steelalloywas yettobe found. Adecade before, nickel steels were favoured butas engine speedsincreased, subjectingthe exhaust valve to ever more heat,nickelsteel gave waytochromium and then vanadium steelalloys, andby1925 nickel-chrome and cobalt-chrome steel alloys were favoured.Itwas reckonedtungstensteel alloys mightbebest, butthe hard metal wasdifcult to machine.
after securing wins at record speeds at Spaand Geneva with passengerLorenzoDobelli, as well as winningatevery nonchampionship meetingentered to date.
Bo ok Review
“Spy Octane –the vehiclesofJames Bond (Volume1)”
Author : Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhur y
Publisher : Porter Press
International, Hilltop Farm, Knighton on Teme,Tenbur y Wells,WorcestershireWR15 8LY UK
Telephone: 01584 781588
Website: www.porterpress.co.uk
Jacketedhardback, 270 x370mm (portrait); 416 pageswith over 1,000 photographs and illustrations. ISBN 978-1- 913089 -85-6 £99 UK; $122 USD; $183 CAD; $204 AUD.
“Spy Octane”presentsthe defnitivestory of the James Bond vehicleslikenever before. It explores creatorIan Fleming’spassion for exotic travel and individualistic motor cars and discovers the spectacular arrayoftransport whichpropelledSeanConner y and George Lazenbyinseven action-packed movies,fromDr No to Diamonds AreForever.
Againstthe background of everincreasing sales and model development, work wasquickly progressingonHonda’snew
1975 2000
Tragically, the most successful real road racer ever,Joey Dunlop OBE, diedonJuly2,as the result of aracingaccidentin Estonia. Te winner of 26 IoM TTs, his frst in 1977, Joey ran the Railway Hotel, Ballymoney, with his wife Linda. He was
factoryatKumamoto. Te plant, an addition to Honda’sexisting factories,was scheduledtostart production earlythe nextyear.
awardedthe MBE for services to motorcycleracingand the OBEfor his many humanitarian aid runs acrossEurope, to the victimsofwar in Albania, Bosnia and Romania.
RichardRos enthal.
Initiallywereadofthe Bond creatorand author,Old Etonian and former NavalIntelligence ofcer IanFlemming’slovefor unusual and exotic cars.He is pictured beside his friend Donald Healey’s4½-litre Invicta,that he passengeredin the 1932 Alpine Trial. Forthe frst time ever,this bookdetails the complete storybehind007’sdebonair butdeadlyAston Martin DB5, whichlaunchedthe most successful product placement deal in movie history.Two cars were used on screen and two morewerecreated to assist in promotingthe Bond brand around the world. All four have fascinatingtales to tell that rival the very best espionagethriller
Trough incredible detectiveworkthe authors have unearthedundiscovered and ground-breaking secrets behind the vehicle, such as the autogyro “Little NeIlie,” the customised Toyota 2000GT Convertible from YouOnly Live Twice”the Moon Buggy and, of course,the iconic AstonMartin DB5. Included
alsoisamajor featureonthe stor y, shenanigans and drama surroundingthe rocket-fring BSALightningthat starred in Tunderball, ridden by Lucciano Paluzzi. Road racers ChrisVincentand Bill Ivywere alsoonset.PoorLucciano had neverridden amotorcycle beforeand promptlyfell of at her frst attempt! WrittenbyacclaimedBond historians Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhur y, this is the frst of three volumes that take an in-depth look at ever yone of the vehiclesinthe James Bond movies SpyOctane presents for the frst time, the defnitive in-depth stor yofeachofthese vehicles –and many more. It drawsuponhundredsof exclusiveinter views with the flm makers,actors, stuntdrivers, motor industr y executives,museumcurators and privatevehicle owners and countlessmotoringand entertainmentperiodicals, booksmagazines and unpublishedephemera. Over 1000 photographs takethe readerona journey through the golden ageof James Bond in the 1960s, detailingthe arrayofvehicles whichpropelled007 through the frst sevenBondflms on land, sea, and in the air Tis is asuperb, high-quality tome with twomorevolumes to look for ward to.
Book reviewed by Jonathan Hill.
Darting about
This handsome, modern motorcycle wasreally onlyenvisaged as atest bed and showcase foran engine which itsmakers intended to sell to others.
Fromthe April12, 1923 issueof Te MotorCycle,underthe heading (in capitals) of “17½ HP FROM NEW350cc ENGINE.” Underneath,the sub-heading(with capitals as reproduced) proclaimed: “Coventr y-built High Efciency Unit –the Dart –with SteelCylinder, AluminiumHeadand Overhead camshaft.”
Th ere’srec ko ne dt ob eo nl yo ne Da rt en gine st ill ab ou t, whic hi so ne of th e late rv er si ons wi th the ov er he a dc am shaft dr iv en by chain, the en gine be in gh ou se d in aC ot to nrollin gc ha ss is.It’sa pp ea re dat se ve ra lc la ss ic sh ow sove rt he ye ar s, and , inde ed ,w on pr iz es to o. Th erehas als o be en amac hine ca lle daD a rt,f it te dw ith a 1918 JA PV-t wi ne ng in e, at va ri ou se ve nt s and su ch ov er the la st few ye ar s, tho ugh that ma ch ine be ar sl it tle re se mb la nc e to the one in the imag ereprod uce dh ere, alb eit that do es n’t me an the re wa sn ’t ac onne ction
Refer ring to Te Br itish Motorc ycle Directory by KenHallworthand RoyBacon, gives us alittleinfor mation, statingthat Dart wasinbusinessbetween 1923and 1924, frstoperatingfromCoventr y, before seeminglymovingtoBristol in the latter part of 1923. It ’s from Hallw or th andBacon we canglean that aDar tengine did feature in aManchester-built NewS cale in 1924; this engine beingone of the laterdesignand explain thus :“Te new engine nowhad the camshaft dr iven by roller chain, concealed in an aluminium case on ther ight of the cylinder barrel, somewhat similartothe laterAJS pattern. NewS cale were soon to be gone from the tradeand evidentlyDar t found no other outlets for therewas no fur ther news of thecompany nor its engine.” It’s apitythat engine didn’t fnd amarket, either in itslater or this earlier incarnation, as it wasanadvanceddesign, whichlookedtohave all the attributes to succeed.Goingbacktothe featurefromApril 12, 1923; it began: “Tesearchfor efciency hasled to many unorthodox designs beingevolved,and
not infrequentlysuchdeparturesfrom convention have ledtofurther troubles which requireevenmorecomplicated solutions.As distinct from designs of this nature, an engine hasbeenproducedbyDartEngineeringCo., of 314a, Stoney Staunton Road, Coventry, under the supervision of Mr AASidney, late managerand designer at the Beardmore engine works, whichisastraightfor ward attempttoproduce high powerfroma small capacity.”
Housenumber314 was(and is) an end terrace, though it does look to have outbuildings behind, whichwas perhaps whereSidney(at 314a) wasbased,but it’s
fair to say, his wasn’t an over-large enterprise Te featuregoeson:
“Havingaboreand stroke of 74x81mm (349cc), it hasasteel cylinder and an aluminium head held down by four bolts.Both cylinder and the head areof considerable thickness, the head being½in and remarkably well ribbed.”
It goes on to describemanyotherfeatures of the engine; valves with aportdiameter of 1½in; an overhead camshaft contained in abronzehousing while the rockergear was“…somewhat similar to that employed on Mercedes aeroengines and is extremely substantial, well-lubricated and yet
reasonably oil proof.’Italsoexplained how the camshaft wasmounted on ball bearings, while what lookslikea beveldrive at aglance isn’t –itisinfactthree longcranksspaced at 120 degreesand driven by eccentrics on atimingpinioninmesh with the crankshaft pinion. Tere wasalight aluminium piston and internal fywheel, while fuellingwas taken care of ‘…the Dart carburettor, which is an extremelysimple device,allowing an absolutestraight-through air fow… the throttleconsists of afat slide operating immediatelyinfront of the equivalent of ajet “Tereisnojet proper,since the foat chamberfeeds directtoanannular space
immediatelybehindthe throttle.Tespace is closed by ataper plug,whichmay be screwed nearer or further away from its abutmentso that an extremelynarrowannular ring forms what is in efect ajet.Since the portion of the jetopenedupisdependentonthe shapeof the throttle it is not difcult to proportion the air andfuel fows.”
Te writeupconcludes:“Te manufacturers arechiefyconcernedwith the sale of the engine direct, buttheyare prepared also to market acompletemachine at £85.”It seems,alas, therewereno(or few) takersfor either engine or completemachine,the company’s life lastingonlyabout ayear.”
The‘engine’of TheClassic MotorC ycle magazine is jointlyfuelled by the passions of thosewho putittogetherand thosewho read it;one without theother simply won’twork. So we hope we can persuade youtobecomepar tofour communit ywith asubscriptiontoour magazine so we can, together, traver se thehighwaysofmotorcyclinghistory.
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gathering the Triumphant
Collectionofmotorcycles return to wheretheywere built,withsomehaving travelled quite adistance, including alarge group evidentlyfromAustria.
This tremendously evocativepicture, whichsowell encapsulates an era, wasapparently the occasion of avisit by the Triumph Owners’ Club to the company’s works, an eventwhich clearly attracted agooddeal of interest and machines –includingthosecoming from overseas.
Tis is one of thosepicturesinthe Mortons Archivethat doesn’t reallyhave anything attachedtoit, apartfromamessage on the back suggestingwhat and whereitwas Andthat’sabout it.However,it’spossible to deduce afew things hereandthere from careful study, not leastthe year ;the side numberplates of severalofthe machines sportthe year ‘1961’ centrallyontheir plates, while alsobearing the legend‘ TRIUMPHRALLYWIEN-COVENTRY.’
Now, Wien is the localised spelling of what we in the UK call Vienna,sothe capital of Austria–that further confrmed by the fact that the motorcyclewith the registration number ‘W 10 162’ also hasan‘A; attached under its numberplate–A for Austria, of course.Indeed,the nextone alonghas anA around its rear suspension unit,too.
Toseplatesare attachedtowell-laden Triumph Bonnevilles,while nearestthe cameraonthe left is another identical machine; identical in model and identical in howwell-laden it is,too.Note that they’ve–all three–got thesame ‘tankbag ’attached to the grill on their Triumph petrol tanks, while they alsoall look to have the same blackpudding crash helmetsperched on topoftheir luggage Tereare rider numberstoo (from left, 52, 55 and56perhaps?) suggesting that maybe there wasabig congregation over from Austria.
Whoeverelsewas in the partywould have struggledtobeonany more modern machines than ourtrioofBonnevilles, which all look to be 1961 model year,the ones with skyblue tank uppersand silverlowers. All threealsohaverev counters ftted, while
the silver toolboxes were onlyonthe duplex frame (introduced1960) models in 1960 and 1961; for 1962,theywereblack,meaningthat this trio aren’t 1962 models boughtin1961, butearlier incarnations
Behind that trio is another twin with a revcounter ftted, butithas twin clocks and ablack toolbox .Behindthatisa 1961 Trophy, sportingthe registration number 895 BUE; that’s aMidlands number that looksfamiliar,while that Triumph also doesn’t have anythinglikethe luggageofthe
Austrian ones around it,asnextalong area few more‘Austrians,’ theselooking morelike TR6 Trophies.One wondersif895 BUEwas a Triumph ‘works’machine, either sent outto meet the partyorevenloanedtoa member who’d suferedmachinemisfortune.It’sstill on the DVLA websitetoo,albeit untaxed since 1998, butitgives up the detail it was registeredinJanuar y1961 with adeclared manufactureof1960, butit’dbea 1961 model. Te TR6 of course wasefectivelya‘single carb’Bonneville,with the same qd headlight