Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2023 i The Classic MotorCycle

The motorcycle and sidecar probably enjoyed its halcyon period from, say, 1946 to around 10 years later. In that decade, combinations like that in our picture were commonplace, providing weekend and holiday transport for families all over the country – and enabling them to travel all over the country. The Motor Cycle magazine recognised this and had a regular feature – ‘Passenger Machine Topics’ – penned by Gerard Periam, who is in our picture, with his son Robert on the right, daughter Susan on the Flash and Mrs Periam (Mary) behind the handlebars of the BSA A10 Golden Flash. Periam was born circa 1913 in Boston, Lincolnshire, and schooled at the town’s Grammar School (from whose website, The Old Bostonian Association, the following is gleaned), with Boston being about 18…

The remarkable Giacomo Agostini still dazzles the adoring Stafford crowds, while scores of desirable classics have wide ranging appeal. Where else are a Velocette Thruxton, a supercharged V-twin Rudge and a Garelli Cross sports moped all prize winners at the same show, their respective owners handed their trophies by an Italian motorcycling legend, flown in especially for the event? Stafford of course! As well as the glittering machines on show – and none glittered more spectacularly than Martyn Carter’s 1966 Velocette Thruxton, though, actually, the same man’s Wideline International Norton, stood alongside, was pretty much of the same standard of shininess – there was all the usual show highlights too, with the aforementioned Giacomo Agostini, fire-up areas, off-road hall, trails demonstration, stunt shows, private entries, sprawling autojumble and trade, plus…

Vince Povey’s Triumph Tiger 100, first registered in 1955, is far from standard. The frame is 1955, but the engine is now a 1953 T100C-based one. Over the years, the original front brake, Shell Blue colour scheme, petrol tank, seat, headlamp nacelle etc have all been replaced. Factoring in a recent full engine rebuild to a different spec, and electrics converted from six to 12 volts, could this Triumph be classified as – a special? Perhaps not in the customising sense – it’s still very clearly a pre-unit Meriden twin. Let’s start at the beginning... Tales of acquisition Vince describes himself as “a hairy biker”. He’s certainly got some hairy bikes, including V-twins, in the shed, from both Japan and the USA. However, readers who took in the article on…

Who were the makers of the finest 350cc motorcycles? Two names spring immediately to (my) mind as being synonymous with that capacity – Velocette and AJS, with an honourable mention to Douglas, with efforts ranging from the First World War fore-and-aft dispatch riders’ twins to the post Second World War 90 Plus, Dragonfly, Mark series and others. Velocette, meanwhile, made the 350cc class its business, from the mid-to-late 1920s onwards, really, with the era extending right through the 1930s and encompassing the immediate post Second World War years as well, the pinnacle being Freddie Frith becoming the 1949 inaugural world champion for that capacity, the Lincolnshire stonemason and later motorcycle shop proprietor’s efforts equalled in 1950 by Bob Foster. Through the 1920s and during the first half of the 1930s,…

THE SPECIALIST With an impressive number of members, the Norton Owners’ Club is a very active organisation in providing benefits for all who hold the faith for the products of Bracebridge Street or later locations. From that number, Paul Gibbons and Pete Ashley have experience of Model 7s, so grateful thanks to both for their willingness to share it for this guide. ■ Norton Owners’ Club: www.nortonownersclub.org MODEL HISTORY With a reputation built on years of dependable singles, as a parallel twin Norton’s Model 7 Dominator represented a minor revolution for the manufacturer. Post Second World War customers were in the mood for change. Bert Hopwood, the company’s new man at the drawing board, was charged with delivering Norton’s response. He was well-placed as working at both Ariel and Triumph…

The start of the 10-lap 350cc solo race sees the man referred to above, Ron Parkinson, lined up with five other riders, the starter’s flag aloft, ready for the fun to begin. As was often the case at the time – the event report was published on May 1, 1930, and refers to the event ‘last Saturday’ – Parkinson eventually showed them a clean pair of wheels, his old, flat-tank Bigport AJS recovering from a poor start. Noted The Motor Cycle’s report: “The principle feature of the 350cc 10-mile race was the brilliant cornering of R F Parkinson, (348cc AJS) who started at the rear of the procession and picked up places by means of some really good riding, In spite of his hot cornering, however, it took him a…

News & Events This glorious BSA Model D, offered in the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham, H&H sale on July 12, is reputed to have been one of the works racers entered in the 1913 Senior TT, ridden by Kenneth Holden. Originally scheduled to ride a two-speed model, problems in practice meant Holden had to revert to his single-speed practice bike for the race, but unfortunately, a crash at Kirk Bradden caused his early retirement. There is no definitive proof of this story, but the BSA is accompanied by numerous copies of contemporary magazine race reports. The BSA seems to have reappeared in the 1970s being used in various VMCC and Pioneer runs around the UK and Europe, picking up over 250 awards and taking part in Anglo-Dutch events on eight…

News & Events Team Obsolete has announced its sponsorship of Dale Quarterly, the only multi-time AMA Superbike Champion, on an original 1959 Matchless G50 for the 2023 season. Between his full-time schedule contesting the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series, Dale will race the G50 #1708 at special events across the US. This G50 is the sibling to #1709 (which carried Dave Roper to win the 1984 Historic TT at the Isle of Man) and has been raced by Team Obsolete since 1989, winning races in the UK, Europe and the US, most notably the first Brands Hatch Super Prix. Originally built by Team Obsolete as the ultimate incarnation of the standard G50, the machine has received a complete overhaul in preparation for this season.…

The Featherbed Manx Norton, Geoff Duke, Mike Hailwood… Those names are probably the top three when it comes to British motorcycle racing in the 1950s and 60s, which is arguably the halcyon days of the sport and the industry, particularly as far as Great Britain was, and is, concerned. Geoff Duke was born in 1923, Mike Hailwood in 1940. They were of different generations and although their careers just about overlapped, at the time that occurred Duke was not far off being finished, while Hailwood was still to achieve the heights which he’d reach. Interestingly, the third member of the trio of riders who could perhaps lay claim to ‘Britain’s best ever’ (with respectful apologies to John Surtees) was Barry Sheene, who is also represented in the picture – which…

The Model 18 was a significant step for Norton – and one which came at a challenging time. The vintage era years had seen them forge a formidable reputation for sporting performance with their side-valve singles – thanks in no small part to rider/tuner Dan ‘Wizard’ O’Donovan, who himself would notch up 112 records on the Brooklands concrete on a record-breaking motorcycle that would come to be known as ‘Old Miracle’. Doubtless it was a reputation the factory wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardise in a hurry and so it was, I’d imagine, with some trepidation when they decided it was time to keep step with rival manufacturers and switch to the newfangled overhead valve (OHV) figuration. So important was the engine in fact, that its design and development…

It’s one of the great conundrums of post-Second World War British motorcycling, as well as a missed opportunity, that no major manufacturer ever produced a 250cc customer road racer. Riders were spoilt for choice in the 350cc and 500cc classes, from the likes of Norton, AJS/Matchless and even BSA, with the OHV Gold Star the king of Clubmans competition. But while Continental companies like Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta, NSU, Adler and Mondial all produced well-engineered, competitive quarter-litre customer racers, British riders were restricted to running cut-down 350s, or they could create their own specials from the ground up, like Bob Geeson’s magnificent REG twin, on which John Surtees won the 1954 British 250cc title, winning 15 races out of 17 starts. But there was a third alternative, though, which was…

Initially, it was difficult to keep Derek Foreman in sight as we headed out in search of a decent photographic location, due to the smoke being emitted from the silencer on the TWN Cornet. But once the 197cc split-single two-stroke warmed up, the smokescreen completely disappeared, and I was afforded a good view of how well the little German machine appeared to give its rider confidence to keep up a brisk pace through the suburbs and maintain his line through corners. By the time we came to halt, I was quite impressed how well the TWN went and handled, considering it was originally regarded, and sold, as a basic, ride-to-work mount. Mind you, its owner fitted the motorcycle well, whereas I, when I took my turn later, somewhat dwarfed the…

It’s a famous name with true racing pedigree… but we’re not talking the early days of motorcycle competition. Kempton racecourse is the venue for one of Britain’s fastest-growing one-stop-shops for all your biking bargains. The Kempton Autojumble, which next month will be a special The Classic MotorCycle day, is a haven for motorcyclists, whether they are looking for a bargain, or just to chat to like-minded enthusiasts. Held at one of the most famous venues in UK horse racing, the autojumble gives you the perfect chance to explore an eclectic array of stalls and stands which are overflowing with rare spare parts, period accessories and original memorabilia. Or you can clear out your own shed and take a stall to make a bit of brass from those who may find…

The well established formula for Elk Promotions events continues for another year, as March 26 saw the first of the shows at the spacious South of England Showground. For many visitors, the occasion offers an excuse for a pleasant ride through the countryside to the venue in the heart of Sussex. On the morning of this occasion, copious quantities of rain and standing water on the road kept attendance by motorcycle down, but this was offset by car and van arrivals. Like a rite of spring for the riding season, better days cannot be far. The show theme this time around was ‘The Roaring Twenties and Thirties’. Defining decades indeed. Those 20 years saw advances in technology representing probably the greatest changes in motorcycle design. Unfortunately, for every manufacturer that…

The Great Northern Classic is an exciting new initiative which aims to become an industry powerhouse. A recent media day saw members of the classic press welcomed on site in Derby, to view the progress so far and hear about the aims of the project. Those behind the venue, in an official communication, describe it thus: “An all encompassing, one-stop destination centre for heritage vehicles is to open in the middle of Derby later this year. Known as Great Northern Classics (GNC), the centre will house specialist workshops, secure car storage, a range of year-round event spaces, a cafe and a training school. “After years of planning, the GNC is now on track to open in autumn this year as the major construction and redesign work is on-time and going…

Deflector piston two-strokes In principle, the two-stroke engine has been with us since circa 1880 as a practical proposition, and in the minds of a few engineers, for longer. Karl Benz patented a two-stroke design fuelled by town gas in 1880. A year later, Scottish engineer Dugald Clerk (some sources state ‘Clark’) unveiled a two-stroke design which used cylinder compression, and c1890/1 Englishman Joseph Day developed the crankcase scavenging system. Although a few pioneer makers developed two-stroke type engines for motorcycle applications, none were that practical or efficient, until Alfred Angas Scott (1875-1923) went into production with his twin cylinder two-stroke design from 1908. Bradford-born Scott had helped his brother Arthur Forbes Scott build a two-stroke town gas engine for driving workshop machinery. This work, along with his interest in…

Rebuild | Triumph unit twinClassic life Assembling the pile of unit or ‘C’ range Triumph bits I’ve accumulated since 1981 into a working motorcycle has, and always was something which happened when there was time spare. This isn’t an ideal way to do a build and I freely admit this, but it is real life and lots of people work under similar constraints. For the past few months, there’s been more focus on the 350cc Velocette I’ve been loaned to do the pre-65 Scottish Two-Day Trial. It isn’t a great idea to go into such an event with an unknown bike, or more correctly an unfamiliar one. While Pre-65 trials these days don’t have the vast mileage events in the actual Pre-1965 era covered, it is still a long push…