Innehållsförteckning för August 2017 från Classic Bike Guide

THE PRE-UNIT TRIUMPH Bonneville is a design classic. It’s the bike even non-bikers recognise. On September 6, 1956, at Bonneville Salt Flats, American racer Johnny Allen secured the motorcycle land-speed record on a heavily modified Triumph Thunderbird T110 with a top speed of 214.17mph. Having cracked the world record Triumph turned its technological innovation into a marketing opportunity and launched the Triumph Bonneville. Triumph began selling the Bonneville in 1959, fitting it with twin carbs and hot camshafts and designating the bike as the T120 – 120 being the claimed top speed, which was a little ambitious but even at 112mph, a more accurate estimate, the Bonneville was impressive. At £280 a new ‘Bonnie’ would swallow up half the average working chap’s wage packet for the year, but an explosion…

BEGINNING WITH THEIR 75cc four-stroke Turismo in 1950, Moto Laverda quickly gained a strong hold on the market. By 1954 they were producing 9000 machines per year and a 100cc machine was added to the range. Participation in races, particularly endurance and long distance where reliability, strength, performance and handling rather than speed alone, provided Laverda with a long string of wins which raised their profile. Placing Laverda firmly in the eye of the buying public, this made their machines a popular choice among road and race riders alike. In the mid-1960s, due in part to the advent of small affordable cars, Laverda, like many other manufacturers suffered a severe slump in sales and found themselves urgently looking for an answer. Massimo Laverda, son of Moto Laverda’s founder, Francesco, headed…

RIDERS HAVE BEEN altering and modifying their bikes pretty much from day one. While some just want to go that bit faster, others have sought a more individual style to satisfy their creative urges. Thus the 20th century spawned a range of what I would loosely call ‘bike fashions’ to include bobbers, choppers, brats, cruisers, street scramblers, café racers and more. Customising was well on its way long before the film Easy Rider came out in 1969, and many – even me – were influenced by the two stars of that movie: the bikes. Some have even committed the dastardly deed – according to some – of customising classic bikes! I can almost feel the shaking of heads from here. The purist may balk at even the idea of converting…

In this day and age the chances of stumbling across a forgotten gem of a motorcycle are few and far between. Almost all machines ‘of a certain age’ have a guardian or two keeping a watchful eye on their whereabouts, even if that isn’t the eye of the current owner. I guess that says more about the attitude of the times we live in rather than a genuine concern for the well-being of a piece of old but interesting and, dare I say it, valuable hardware. But that’s life. Barn finds, even if they truly are unearthed unexpectedly in some remote rural backwater, seem to automatically command a monetary cachet unrelated to any realistic valuation of their worth. However, the thought for today is be patient, hold on to your…

REVIVING LEGENDARY OLD names to gain new fame is hardly a new idea, but the path taken to reclaim old glory is scattered with the bones of those who’ve died twice. On the surface, mining the public adoration for a hallowed old marque seems an ideal business risk considering that market-inwaiting, but a forgery, no matter how well executed, can never match the original. Given that certainty, many questions arise on the subject of Mark Upham’s new Brough Superior. Obviously having the funds for the daunting task of a scratch-built superbike, there seems more at play with Upham than simple marketing. Prior to the start-up, original ohv racers were prepped by Upham for land speed attempts, followed by the crafting of painstaking replicas in the classic JAP/SS100 pattern. In 2013,…

IF THERE WAS ever a club whose name both echoes its origins and could be confusing for new members it’s the South Wales Sunbeam Motorcycle Club. The club was founded in 1978 by a group of friends in the Cardiff and Pontypridd area who all rode and enjoyed their Sunbeam S7s and S8s. Membership grew steadily, welcoming motorcyclists with all makes of machine. As the years have passed the club now includes members with all kinds of marques and machines, from custom Yamaha SR500s to a rare 1952 Bown 98cc two-stroke single – one of the few Welsh-built motorcycles. The club started to host a two-day motorcycle show in 1988 at Llanishen High School in Cardiff, where the school welcomed the club with open arms, and it still does today.…

KIWI RACER AARON SLIGHT – undoubtedly the best rider never to win the World Superbike title – will be guest of honour at the 24th Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show over the weekend of October 14-15 at Staffordshire County Showground. As fast and smooth on the track as he was flamboyant and controversial off it, and often sporting a multi-coloured Mohican haircut, Slight will have some entertaining tales to share with the Stafford audience. And with more than a decade racing in WSB, when the series was arguably at its peak for both factory Kawasaki and Castrol Honda teams, the friendly New Zealander will have plenty of great races to draw from. The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show, the largest show of its kind in the world which majors on…

MOTO GUZZI CREATED its first four-stroke horizontal single in 1920, launching the production Normale the next year. Guzzi developed its singles in a variety of road, race and military incarnations until the first Falcone 500 arrived in 1950. Sportier and lighter than its Astore 500 stablemate, the Falcone benefited from Guzzi’s racing heritage and was equipped with components previously found on Guzzi’s race machines. Significantly cheaper than the Dondolino racer, the 23bhp Falcone had the potential, with modification, to achieve similar performance. From 1953, the Falcone became available as the 18.9bhp Turismo, which replaced the Astore, and the 23bhp Sport. Around 7500 Falcones were produced from 1950 through to 1963, many for police use. When Moto Guzzi went into receivership the Italian government stepped in and eventually, with state backing,…

HUNTING FOR A CLASSIC? You can trawl the classifieds for hours, or hunt through the dealers who advertise in magazines and have websites to trawl through. Some of the dealers will have bikes which will be immaculate, but rather more rare are those sellers that have a collection of restorable relics. Finding somewhere with a good mix of all kinds of classics at reasonable prices is no easy task. Most of the time they will be miles away, with several visits needed before the money changes hands and you wheel or ride away your purchase. But if you are the kind of buyer prepared to take a chance, to find a potential bargain and pick it up in an instant, then an auction is the place to be. Richard Edmonds’…

Five of the low-slung Pannier-tank John Player Nortons which made their debut in the 1972 Daytona 200 were constructed that year, all of which appear to have survived, including the one whose competition career continued longer than any other in the hands of Norton’s Spanish importer, Juan Antonio Rodes. This machine now belongs to Barcelonabased Norton aficionado Joaquín Folch, one of no less than three John Player Nortons which made their way to Spain after their racing days with the factory team were over. Since 1976 and the closure of the Norton factory, all three bikes have been owned by Folch, who for many years used to commute to work in Barcelona traffic on a succession of Commando twins supplied by Rodes’ company, Challenge Motors. The trio of racebikes now…

ACTOR, COMEDIAN AND talk show host extraordinaire Jay Leno’s current television series Jay Leno’s Garage allows more people to witness what the riding celebrity has always been; a certified gearhead. Something his friends and colleagues have known for years. My first meeting with the late-night icon was more of a spotting as Leno entered a So Cal vintage bike show on a jet-powered rocketbike, followed by his workshop foreman on a Black Shadow. Visits to his hangar-turned-workshop/ museum followed, hospitably arranged by good friend and right-hand man John Pera. Always happy to talk Brough Superior, Leno’s knowledge of the brand is impressive indeed. He displays hands-on experience, gained through years in the garage. CBG: Brough Superior is clearly a favourite of yours. What’s the attraction? JL: I’m an avid fan…

NORTH CORNWALL MOTORCYCLES has just relocated to swish new premises, situated slap-bang in surfer heaven on the Atlantic coast. It’s the perfect place to stop by for a brew – especially as the all-new Kick Start café alongside the showroom also serves a brilliant all-day breakfast. NCM has been trading for the last quarter century, and if you ever visited the old premises then you’ll know that things got somewhat cramped as the business grew in recent years. The new showroom fills four units on the outskirts of Bude, and the bikes on display now have room to be viewed over spacious two floors, alongside clothing and accessories. Unlike some big bike shops which only accommodate modern motorcycles, NCM encompasses just about everything. You’ll find around 100 classic and second-hand…

IF YOU’RE LOOKING for a late summer ride or preparing for that winter rebuild it’s time to plan a trip to Eurojumble. The ideal destination for traders and visitors alike, the annual jumble is being held on Friday and Saturday, September 1 and 2. From tyres to tinware and engines to oil, there will be thousands of bargains to be had. Along with dedicated autojumble and club displays showcasing a range of stunning motorcycles, Dorset-based auctioneer Charterhouse will be hosting a sale of always varied motorcycles. Also set to return is the popular garage clear-out sale on Saturday, allowing one-day traders to come and sell their goods. Tickets for Friday cost £9 in advance or £10 on the day. For the Saturday it’s £8 in advance or £9 on the…

THE 1939 INSTRUCTION manual reassures ES2 owners that ‘the reliability of Norton products is such that trouble of a serious nature on the road is practically unheard of’. This very much depends on your definition of ‘trouble’. My own father owned ES2s, decades ago. One day he rounded a bend to find a flock of sheep filling the road. With collision inevitable, he hit a sheep, spun 360 degrees and stopped; still astride his bike. A policeman was suitably impressed by this obvious endorsement of Norton’s claim as the ‘world’s best road holder’. The rider was happier when his Norton was ‘unapproachable’. In fact he was so shaken that he sold his ES2 for a mere £2, forever after regretting his decision. You’ll need to pay a lot more nowadays,…

THE CAFÉ RACER has never really gone out of style, and the factories have recently cottoned on to the idea that riders are happy to buy them new rather than building them themselves. Yamaha and Triumph are turning them out in some numbers. Ducati, which has been making them for longer than anyone, has turned its Scrambler into one. Lower the capacity and the cost a bit, and Enfield is producing its period-feel Continental GT and Mash, their spindly Italianate pastiche, the Trackstar TT40. Italian firm SWM has brought an Italian-Chinese dish to the party with their Gran Milano 440, but their package, which comes in at the same price as the Mash and a few hundred pounds less than the Enfield, is a far more modern offering than either…

WRITE NOW! We always want to hear your views about the bikes you ride and the bike tales you read. Mail us at: editor@classicbikeguide.com THREE CYLINDERS GOOD FRANK MELLING’S VIEWS were definitely a different slant on the 750 BSA-Triumph triple and, while thought provoking and informative, the article was also bizarrely negative. The collapse of the British bike industry is tragic and well documented. To suggest that the Rocket 3 / Trident should shoulder some of the blame is certainly controversial. I don’t agree, but anyway it’s pointless. The triple was the best that could be developed at that time due to the lack of investment in R&D and modern tooling combined with factory politics and myopic management only concerned with shortterm profits, as personified by Edward Turner. The triple…

T here’s a certain risk for those who reside at the top, for fame is often fleeting. Yet the ‘Rolls-Royce of motorcycles’ remains high on many motorcyclists’ wishlist, almost a hundred years after the first Brough Superior took flight. Write a roster of supersportsters, racers and other exotica to attract the upscale client, and you’ll find that on value alone the Brough Superior is included in this hierarchy… even if opinion is divided as to why. Was it some speed advantage from the Brough’s tuned engine, or the unmatched lustre of its cycle parts? Genuinely hand-built with old-world craftsmanship, the Brough was sold on the notion that it would deliver much more than a standard production machine in return for the extra time and trouble given to each component. This tended…

AS I STOOD outside Chris Davies’ garage, I could hear and feel the sound of soft thunder coming from inside; a sound that gently vibrated the side wall. And I knew straight away that the throaty roar came from no ordinary Tiger Cub. As I entered the workshop, Chris and Mark were running the punchy little engine up for the very first time. The confident sound of this not-so-little engine with its shiny reverse cone mega was now deafening, and exhaust fumes slid quietly out through the vent system. “I’m just warming it up!” shouted Chris above the raucous revving, and I nodded in acknowledgment. So I propped myself up against the wall, admiring the simply beautiful lines and finish on this – what is essentially to be a racing…