Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2024 i The Classic MotorCycle

It was a few years ago when New Zealand reader Derek Upton sent in a modest, A5-sized, light beige coloured book, entitled ‘Motor-cycling world record breaking on a shoestring’, with the only other cover decoration the words ‘by Bob Burns (autobiography.)’ It was read then and again relatively recently, telling the remarkable story of how Burns and his fellow New Zealand domiciled enthusiast Russell Wright, attacked and then conquered world records, with some remarkable anecdotes and photographs. The accompanying photograph has recently come to light, which was part of a feature on Burns and Wright, included in The Motor Cycle of July 28, 1955. The picture was captioned: ‘Burns with the Rapide with which he gained the British Empire Record.’ The feature going into some detail, explaining about Burns and…

Edinburgh and District Motor Club celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Pre-65 Scottish Two-Day Trial with a cracking event in bright sunshine, held over May 3/4. Two hundred riders tackled the two-day event of 30 sections, on each day centred around the Scottish Highland town of Kinlochleven. Witnessing 200 unique (nothing is standard) classic trials machines ride historic sections like ‘Pipeline’ and ‘Upper Mamore’ is a treat for any classic motorcycle enthusiast. History The first Pre-65 Scottish trial was held in 1984, as a one-day event preceding the Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT), and it was extended to a two-day trial in 1997, adding road work in 1999. It has become for many the ‘must do’ Pre-65 trial and is considered as the best in the world, attracting entries from…

“You need some variety in your life,” I said to my friend as I looked at the five Velocettes lined up inside his garage. “There’s plenty of variety here,” he protested. “There’s a two-stroke GTP, an overhead camshaft KSS, and a MOV, a MAC and an MSS,” he said as he pointed out the 250, 350 and 500cc pushrod singles. “But they are all black and gold,” I replied. “You really do need some variety in your life.” So he went and bought a Sunbeam Model 9. And, like all real Sunbeams, it was finished in lustrous black enamel with gold lining and transfers on the tank. In spite of the colour – or lack of it – the flat-tank, 1926 Model 9 was a good choice. Made in Wolverhampton…

At the risk of the editor striking out these first few paragraphs to prevent the letters pages being full of communications from ‘I N Dignant, Wapping,’ I would respectfully suggest that if you asked the majority of the readership to name the British police motorcycle of their youth, the ‘Noddy bike,’ aka the LE Velocette, would comprise the mainstay of the answers, over Triumph, Norton, or any other. Older readers whose childhood days were based in London may well remember (or, more likely, remember being told about) Douglas and Chater-Lea machines in use by the Metropolitan Police (Met) in the early 1920s, and even a Brough Superior was in the Met’s fleet in the 1930s, among a number of BSA combinations. In fact, looking at the Met motorcycle inventory prior…

When this picture first came to light, it simply looked to be the most wonderful depiction of late 1950s Britain, with motorcycles the overwhelming choice of vehicle for a trip to the seaside, just before the ‘family car’ became a real thing, and the days of motorcycle as pure transport for the mases ended. However, it’s not quite that… In fact, the picture was used as the header for a Motor Cycle feature entitled ‘What’s Gone Wrong?’ and published in the July 30, 1964, issue. The caption describes the ‘what’ and ‘where’ regarding the photograph – it’s the seafront at Rhyl, Wales, in 1962 – while the article itself is about the ACU’s National Rally. And the author? Bob Currie, founder of The Classic MotorCycle and, in 1964, Midlands editor…

I’m a bit of a fan of a Royal Enfield rigid. Regular readers may remember that I owned a 1953 Model G for a while – it was featured in the July 2021 issue – and those with a really good memory might even recall that selling it was one of my biggest regrets. So, it’s fair to say I was rather excited when Andy Tiernan rolled a sparkling, 1951 J2 out of his workshop for me to take a spin on – perhaps a bit more so than anyone should be about a post-Second World War pushrod single – in the identical black-with-gold-pinstripe livery to my old Model G. If truth be told, and here’s me about to justify that excitement, the J2 is the bike I’d actually wanted,…

On May 11, 2024, a new Rahmi M. Koç Museum opened its doors in Ayvalik, an ancient industrial centre of olive oil and soap production located along the Aegean coast, just over 150kms north of Izmir and opposite the Greek island of Lesbos. The new Rahmi M. Koç Museum, which like its namesakes of Istanbul, Ankara and Cunda Island (near Ayvalik) is dedicated to the history of industry, transport and navigation. It houses a collection of over 700 exhibits, in a former olive oil factory dating back to the second half of the 19th century, admirably restored respecting the original appearance and materials. The tall brick chimney, wooden roof beams, furnace and original machinery can still be seen near their original location. The sea, protected thanks to the shape of…

Event report | The Moidart Run The Moidart Run marks the start of a feast of classic motorcycling in early May centred around the town of Kinlochleven in the Scottish Highlands, preceding both the two-day Pre-65 Scottish Trial and the modern Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT). The ‘Moidart’ is a road run of about 80 miles for any machine manufactured before 1979, and it takes in some of the best motorcycling roads and most stunning scenery in the UK. This year’s event was an absolute treat for the 100 riders and several pillions who enjoyed the sunshine and 20 degree heat. The age profile of the riders is mainly on the classic side, partly due to the reason for holding the run. Prior to the SSDT being moved to its…

Fahron Engineering was formed by father and son team Harry and Ron Phillips, who started out creating a range of quality racing hubs and brakes under the Fahron name in Ormskirk, Lancashire. Between 1967 and 1968, Fahron were actively developing and racing the Mk.I version of their 125cc racer. The racer served as a test bed for not just the Fahron brakes, but also a fully sand-cast and machined engine. The frame was also a Fahron design, fabricated by Rob North, and the bespoke barrel incorporated angled fins to ensure airflow round the cylinder, while the engine was angled forwards. It wasn’t long before the Mk.II was built using a spare MkI frame, modified by Ralph Grew. The Mk.II was campaigned by Liverpool rider Ian Richards with great results –…

HRDs at 100 The recent Banbury Run, on which there’ll be more next month, saw a trio of Wolverhampton-made overhead valve HRDs take part, in a move to mark the 100th anniversary of the company, founded in Wolverhampton in 1924. Above from left, Ian Alexander with his 90, then Chris Chant and Vincent OC chairman Stuart Wood with Chris’s 90, ridden by Stuart, then Bill Morris, with the 350cc 80. Gerry Allen Former editor of Cotton Pickins (sic), the Cotton Owners Club journal, Gerry Allen, died on June 11. Our condolences are expressed to his family and many friends. Fowlers Motorcycles MND charity bike nights June’s Bristol Bike Night at Fowlers Motorcycles attracted hundreds of riders and raised £3950 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. The charity was chosen by…

Published in the June 9, 1921, issue of The Motor Cycle, this picture carried the caption: ‘Lady motor cyclists in all night trial. In spite of the strenuous nature of the Newcastle and District MC trial, these two ladies, both astride 3½hp NUT machines, put up an excellent performance and finished on schedule.’ There is no other mention of who the two ladies are, but a trawl through finds an event report in the June 2, 1921, issue of the same publication, which provides some answers, in a report headlined: ‘Record public interest in a trial’. It states: ‘Several thousand spectators assembled at the start of the Newcastle and District MC’s all night run to Edinburgh and back on May 21/22. There were 72 starters, including two ladies – Miss…

Unlike its much bigger 1970s rivals Ducati or Moto Guzzi, Laverda was never a major standalone motorcycle manufacturer, with the Italian firm’s motorcycle division always just a spin-off from its agri-machinery core business. But thanks mainly to the passion of Massimo Laverda, who took over responsibility for Moto Laverda in 1964 at the tender age of 25, the family-owned firm produced a stream of high-performance models, of which its iconic 750SFC parallel-twin tangerine dream was both the most prestigious to own, and the most successful on the racetrack. Just 549 examples were built during 1971-76, out of the 19,000 parallel-twin 650/750cc Laverdas manufactured before their mid-1970s replacement by the one litre triples and 500cc twins. Laverda began life in 1873 manufacturing farming implements, wine-making machinery and the clocks surmounting the…

Anybody who remembers the 1960 Flanders and Swan ‘Hippopotamus’ song will no doubt have been singing the chorus at the Easter Monday Red Marley Hill Climb. ‘Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud’ was certainly appropriate, but it was definitely not cooling the blood of riders but adding to the weight of the machines taking part, and was, no doubt, making riders work a lot harder than normal and actually increasing blood temperature. As you will see from the images of the event, it did not matter how shiny (or not!) a bike started the day, or what its original colour scheme was – ‘brown and dirty’ was the consistent theme after leaving the paddock for the first time. However, the organisers need to be congratulated on going ahead when numerous other events…

Event report | Snow-Mann Trial There’s an extra buzz about riding in the wheel tracks of the great and good. It’s one of the reasons track days are so popular. However, for those who consider high-speed lappery is inappropriate for their machine/for them/perhaps both, the Vintage MCC’s East Sussex Section offers a solution. You can choose your own speed for a solo run over the former Firle Hill Climb course. This is the final stretch of Bopeep Lane, a tarmac strip that leaves the A27 trunk road, meanders a while then climbs for some 600 yards, to end near the summit of Bostal Hill, one of the South Downs’ many peaks. Used for car hill climbs from 1950 until 1967, events attracted a number of motorsports luminaries, including Patsy Burt,…

Rebuild | Triumph unit twin Classic life Same with the ignition – by the time I totted up the cost of making the distributor ignition work, it was actually cheaper to buy the electronic kit eventually used. So, this stage… With the bike making a very loud noise from the silencer-less two-in-to-one exhaust system, there was a need to make it quieter. There were plenty of options and the tuning notes supplied by the factory suggest a straight-through pipe for scrambles use, and, being little more than a length of steel tube, this looked to be the option I would go for. There has been a couple of reverse-cone megas kicking about for a while but they didn’t fit in with the look being sought. Also in the spares cupboard…