Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2023 i The Classic MotorCycle

Having a day out at the ‘modern’ NEC motorcycle show is always a pleasure. This event just passed – which I’ve written about on page 28 – was no different, and, as usual, I came away from it with various thoughts going round my head. Chief among them how much motorcycling has changed in the 20-odd years I’ve been involved in a work manner, and how, for the most part, motorcycles have reverted back, in many ways, to the silhouette that was most familiar say pre-1980. By that, I mean insomuch as there’s an obvious shift away from the ‘plastic fantastic’ trend which started in the late 1980s and ran, powerfully, until at least the early-to-mid-2000s, perhaps beyond. Now, though, the plastic seems to be conspicuous by its absence, while…

Royal Enfield – A complete history Author: Greg Pullen Publisher: The Crowood Press Ltd, Ramsbury Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 2HR Email: enquiries@crowood.com www.crowood.com Hardback, 260 x 215mm (portrait): 176 pages with more than 185 photographs and illustrations. ISBN 978-1-78500-852-8 £25 UK; $29 USD; $39 CAD; $45 AUD Royal Enfield’s famous motto – ‘made like a gun’ – hints at the factory’s military origins, but few appreciate that it is the (allegedly) oldest motorcycle manufacturer in existence and can boast of continuous production since 1909. From its origins in mid-Victorian times, manufacturing needles in Redditch, Royal Enfield expanded into bicycle manufacture around the turn of the century under the guise of the Enfield Cycle Company and soon after developed its first powered vehicle. By 1904 the firm was concentrating on motorcars,…

BSA Beagle THE SPECIALIST We had input from two considerable banks of BSA knowledge for this restoration guide. The BSA Owners’ Club is the ultimate resource for owners of any of the numerous models produced by the Small Heath factory. Among them were enthusiasts who were also Beagle restorers. To this insight, Stan Knight, of Kidderminster Motorcycles, a company with more than four decades experience in post-Second World War BSA models, added his views. Many thanks to all. ■ BSA Owners’ Club: www.bsaownersclub.co.uk ■ Kidderminster Motorcycles; 01562 66679; www.kidderminstermotorcycles.com MODEL HISTORY As managing director of Triumph in the BSA-Triumph group, Edward Turner was one of the few industry figures who saw the potential problems for the home motorcycle industry with the expanding 1950s Japanese economy and its two-wheeled interests. When…

Expert advice YOU WERE ASKING IS SPONSORED BY CASTROL CLASSIC OILS RAC connection Here are the photographs of my grandad, Robert William Hustler, and great uncle Norman George Powling. Grandad was an RAC patrolman while great uncle was from the Powling family of Ipswich, who were builders in and around the Suffolk town, and have a road, Powling Road, named after them. Mat Swallow, email, East Anglia. Thanks, Mat, for sight of your family photos. RAC patrol motorcycles are rarer than AA examples, and it is believed the Royal Automobile Club used fewer motorcycles than the Automobile Association. The RAC was founded in 1897 by Frederick Simms to provide roadside assistance and is now owned by CVC Capital Partners and GIC Private Ltd. The AA was formed eight years later,…

NEW OILS FROM THE VMCC The VMCC, working with a partner, has launched its own branded oils. The range includes monograde/multigrade engine oils as well as chain oils, gear oils, grease and two-stroke oils. Details from the VMCC; have a look at www.vmccshop.net for some special offers. NEXT SPICER AUCTION The first of the 2023 sales takes place on March 25. Details from spicersauctioneers.com CHARTERHOUSE SALE Have a look at the website www.charterhouse-auction.com for details of the March 30 sale. Already consigned are an Matchless-engined SS100 Brough and a Series C Vincent Rapide.…

Triumph | Unit twin rebuildClassic life It is perfectly acceptable to enjoy classic motorcycles without getting oily dirt under your finger-nails and, if, as an owner, you’re not practically minded, there is nothing wrong with finding someone who can do the servicing thing. Equally, it is acceptable to enjoy classic motorcycles by embracing the whole dirt-under-the-fingernails thing and spending hours rescuing or salvaging bits and pieces long past their initial pristine state. Between these two extremes there are a large body of classic enthusiasts who are capable of handling lots of tasks on their machines, but know when to hand the job over to someone else with more skills or more equipment. Then there are those unfortunate individuals stricken with a condition known as ‘I-have-to-understand-why-ness.’ You’ll not find this term…

The Classic Bike Guide winter classic had established itself as something of a mainstay, the ‘season opener’ for many, taking place at the start of each January. However, after Covid did its worst, it’s been missing for a while – but this weekend it bounces back, still at the handily-placed (for many) Newark showground, just off the A1. This weekend’s edition (Jan 7/8) will see James Whitham and Carl Fogarty top the bill as star guests, so expect plenty of laughs and funny stories, as the ex-world superbike and GP duo regale with their paddock stories. For information on the event visit www.classicbikeshows.co.uk…

DAVE MINTON Well known motorcycling journalist Dave Minton died on Sunday, November 27. He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for a number of years. A regular contributor to all manner of titles over the years, as well as author of several books, our condolences are expressed to his wife, family and many friends. AN AWARD FOR SAMMY Sammy Miller was crowned winner of the Collections category at the Royal Automobile Club’s Historic Awards at a grand ceremony in London’s Pall Mall, on the evening of November 24. TORRENS BOOK AVAILABLE Troubador (www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop) has put Arthur Bourne’s memoir, Behind the Scenes in the Vintage Years, back on print-on-demand at £24.99, plus post.…

1923 A J Stevens & Co Ltd, whose AJS motorcycles won the 1914, 1920, 1921 and 1922 Junior TTs and 1921 Senior, was in the process of establishing a new venture: AJS Wireless and Scientific Instruments. After the British Broadcasting Company was formed late in 1922, Harry Stevens, an amateur wireless enthusiast, noticed an opening in the market for the AJS wireless receivers and he had been involved with their development. 1948 Associated Motor Cycles (AMC), as AJS, announced it was to make a new 350cc racer for the private owner. Known as the AJS 7R, it had little relationship in style and design to its pre Second World War forebear, other than the same 7R designation. The machine comprises a 348cc (74 x 81mm bore and stroke) ohc single…

You meet the nicest people on a motorcycle Although the Honda advertising campaign ‘You meet the nicest people on a Honda’ was a huge marketing success for them – the philosophy really applies to all makes of motorcycle. I got my first two-wheeler when I was 17, in 1965. It was a 1960 Ariel Arrow – and I still ride it today. It was in poor condition then, and without the benefit of a workshop manual, I struggled to strip the engine. With parts spread over the garden path, our next-door neighbour took pity on me and said: “My brother-in-law Bert knows a bit about bikes, perhaps he can help.” With the engine under my arm, we went to H L ‘Bert’ Fruin’s motorcycle shop in Greenford. It had a…

It’s hugely ironic, but nevertheless true, that motorcycles benefit from adversity. Or rather, the motorcycle industry which produces them, which several times since the motorcycle was first invented around 125 years ago, has seen its circumstances soar in times of misfortune, only frequently – though not always – to diminish when things are good. Powered two-wheelers provide basic personal transportation when other modes of doing so cannot – either post-conflict, when roads and railways have been destroyed, and/or during times of penury, when a barebones means of getting from A to B while consuming the least fuel possible, can literally be a lifesaver, or at least a life-changer. A fine example of that was post-Second World War Italy. The bombed-out infrastructure which the conflict left in its wake meant that,…

My trip to the October 2022 show at Stafford was fruitful – so fruitful, in fact, I'm going to split my findings across two articles. This month’s offering concentrates on two motorcycles which are built for nigh performance – one is a two-stroke legend and the other is a fantastic tribute to the gods of speed. Next time’s entry will dive into two early Japanese motorcycles, a more recent fascination of mine, and a real history lesson. Hogan twin Bantam racer I've been wanting to see this special racing Bantam for some time, so having heard abou it and seen the odd photograph, it was great to finally study this incredible, experimental Bantam, which was built by John Hogan. John Hogan narrowly avoided life as a banker, when the outbreak…

YOUR EVENT SHOULD BE HERE The Classic MotorCycle is anxious to learn all about your motorcycle-related events. Contact us at The Classic MotorCycle, Mortons Media Ltd, Diary Listings, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ or email obmwallplanner@mortons.co.uk JANUARY 2023 1 Sammy Miller, New Year’s Day Ride In. Tel: 01425 620777. sammymiller.co.uk 2 JANUARY ISSUE OF REAL CLASSIC 6 FEBRUARY ISSUE OF THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE 7 YOUR OLD BIKE MART WITH YOU TODAY 7-8 Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic, Newark Showground, Lincoln Road, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire NG242NY www.newarkclassicbikeshow.com 15 Maldon British Motorcycle Owners’ Club Bike Jumble, Memorial Hall, Newland Street, Witham CM8 2AZ Tel. Paul 01245 321573. 18 FEBRUARY ISSUE OF CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS 21 Scorton Auto & Bike Jumble, Scorton, North Yorkshire Events Centre DL10 6EJ. Tel: Bert 07909 904705.…

I gained my motorcycle licence a long time ago, which makes me one of a diminishing band who enjoyed a restriction-free probation period. As it happens, I passed the test on a James Captain, but if I’d been rich enough, I could have been riding a Squariel or a Black Shadow. Incredible as it now seems, there were no limits on the capacity or power of your machine, no need for a crash helmet, and no check of your ability or knowledge before you took to the road. From memory, the only restriction on learners was that any pillion passenger had to already hold a full licence. That didn’t stop me considering the test was a bit of an imposition, because I was 16 and thought I knew it all.…

A true barn find. Oh, the joy of discovering something that’s been put away and has, somehow, survived untouched for decades. The Classic MotorCycle has always been ahead of the curve, so far as these machines are concerned – I cite the Authentic and Unrestored series the magazine started some 30 years ago; not true finds, granted, but machines that had managed to keep their original finish into the preservation era. Today, the ‘barn find’ machine seems to be prized almost above and beyond its restored counterpart. This enthusiasm for as-found patina means vendors are using the term ‘barn find’ to cover everything from hidden gems, to stuff that is only good as a boat anchor. The one thing that they all seem to have in common, is that if…

For reasons best known to makers, wiring diagrams are often printed in tiny boxes within owners’ and workshop manuals, defeating my aging eyesight, so I enlarge them; or they are printed on thin, poor quality paper, in which case we struggle. Early motorcycle makers used single colour (often black) rubber-sheathed automotive electrical cable and, therefore, with the aid of the wiring diagram, one had to follow cables from point-to-point, e.g. lighting switch to headlamp bulb. As an aside here, the rubber sheath perishes and cracks, whereas plastic (non-PC today) sheaths are a real improvement, as it doesn’t perish and lasts longer. The automotive world, for the most part, uses copper multi-thin strand core, rather than a single thicker strand, as it is much more pliable. With the addition of charging…