Innehållsförteckning för November 2017 från Classic Bike Guide

THE CLASSIC MOTORBIKE SHOW comes to the NEC Birmingham from November 10-12. The event welcomes classic bike enthusiasts from all over the UK and will showcase over 2500 classic cars and motorbikes. A diverse mix of marques will be showcased by 240 classic car and bike clubs, displaying rare and loved classics that span more than 100 years. As well as a huge number of vehicles, visitors can also take in the UK’s biggest indoor autojumble, a haven of parts and spares for anyone working on their bike, as well as 650 specialist exhibitors and traders, offering a mix of products and services. Day tickets cost between £23.50 and £30. Visit classicmotorbikeshow.com for details.…

MOTORCYCLING JOURNALIST Frank Melling has a new book, Ride of my life. Covering a wide range of bike tests from BSA Bantams to Manx Nortons, scramblers and speedway bikes to the bizarre Honda DN-01 super scooter, Melling adds his own amusing yet informed perspective and should keep you entertained throughout. The historical account of the last days of the BSA factory are particularly fascinating. Ride of my life costs £7.99 and is available now from www.classicmagazines.co.uk or from WH Smiths.…

Visit us today thenmm.co.uk 1962 Triumph Bonneville T120 HISTORY LESSON After the Second World War the American market began opening up to British manufacturers – pushed by the government to export. Building on the popularity of Triumph’s 499cc Speed Twin, an increase in size created the 649cc Thunderbird 6T. Debuting at the Montlhéry speed bowl near Paris in 1949, the Thunderbird went on sale the following year. The single carburettor Tiger 110 followed in 1954. A light alloy cylinder head was introduced in 1956 with twin carbs offered as an optional extra. In the quest for speed Triumphs were a popular choice for both road racers and world record attempts. On September 6, 1956, American racer Johnny Allen used a Thunderbird engine to power the methanol fuelled Texas Ceegar streamliner,…

Visit us today thenmm.co.uk 1974 John Player Norton THE JOHN PLAYER Norton was, in Norton’s own words: “A street-legal production replica of the road-racing machine Norton ace Peter Williams rode to victory in the 1973 Isle of Man TT, the Commando 850 Café Racer is indeed the ultimate ride. Designed without compromise for maximum aerodynamic stability, its features include twin headlights, full fairing, clip-on handlebars, quick-release gas cap, rearset footpegs and a high-backed racing seat. The Norton Commando 850 Café Racer is unquestionably an optimum machine for high speed motorcycling.” Capitalising on race success, the John Player Norton was designed to be bought and enjoyed by the public. Designer Mike Oldfield worked on improving the styling and appeal of the machine which was originally conceived as a café racer. The…

THEY’RE ALL OVER my neighbourhood – selfdriving cars. Their awkward rooftop apparatus gives them away, the spinning hats and blocky geegaws – they’re the dorks of the road. The big sell on autonomous cars is safety, but our self-driven future begs several questions: will there be self-riding motorcycles, and will motorcycles as ‘free radicals’ continue to be allowed on the road in a non-driving future? A generation has now grown up with hand-held computers and social media, and I wonder at their total dependence on apps for social interaction. How autonomous will they be? Motorcyclists treasure their ability to go where they please – part of that feeling of ‘freedom’ – but motorcycle sales are down in developed countries, and more importantly, the age of riders has risen dramatically. In…

When I worked with modern bikes I always giggled at riders that felt they needed the largest possible engine. Adventure bikes were the most fun – buying a bike that is able to tackle duties off road as well as on is a great idea – double the fun. But instead of a lightweight, nimble, non-threatening machine, the most popular seller was a 260kg leviathan that only a riding god could tame. This brought embarrassing low speed drops, inadequacy off-road and possibly the end of riding enjoyment – all for the sake of having the biggest engine. Smaller bikes are no second-rate choice. Track riders often get more satisfaction on a Ducati 748 over a 916 and, given a nice B-road, a Velocette 350 Viper could be more engaging than…

OIL – WHO DO YOU BELIEVE? You have several choices – and the more people you ask, the more it will become confusing, as everyone has an opinion. Originally, most British bikes would have used either straight oil, which is just oil, or monograde oil, which is a straight oil but with some additives. You had to change the oil to suit the temperature as a heavy 50W oil would be no good in winter and a thinner 30W would not do its job in summer. Modern multigrade oil changes its properties to suit, giving a better range of operating temperatures, but a lot also have detergents in which hold carbon and deposits until the oil flows through the filter. Older bikes don’t have good filters and so an older…

ROYAL ENFIELD’S NEW high capacity parallel-twin is expected to be launched at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy on November 7. Enfield president Rudratej Singh posted a picture on Twitter of himself and CEO of Eicher Motors and Royal Enfield Siddhartha Lal testing bikes at Bruntingthorpe in the UK where the twin has been under development. Spy photos captured in India have revealed two distinct bikes, a café racer along similar lines to the Continental GT and what appears to be a roadster motorcycle with classic lines built around the same chassis and with the same air and oil cooled parallel-twin engine. This new model could be named the Interceptor after the 750cc parallel-twin motorcycle made by Royal Enfield from 1960 to 1970. An Indian market launch is slated…

THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM summer 2017 raffle to win a 1960 BSA DBD34 Gold Star 500cc worth over £20,000 will be drawn during the afternoon of the Museum LIVE event on Saturday, November 4. As well as the Gold Star, there’s a second prize of a 1955 250cc BSA C11G and a third prize of a luxury weekend hotel break for two at the nearby Windmill Village Hotel. There is still time to buy tickets which cost just £2 each and can be obtained via the museum on (01675) 444123 or purchased online at thenmm.co.uk. The fourth annual Museum LIVE open day offers a chance to visit the museum collection free of charge. The day includes free museum entry, an indoor autojumble and trade area, meet the experts sessions, celebrity…

Visit us todaythenmm.co.uk 1973 Kawasaki Z1 IN 1968 KAWASAKI was on track with its own 750 when Honda beat it in the race to launch the first true superbike, the CB750. So Kawasaki took some time to beef up the engine, developing and thoroughly road testing its now iconic 903cc Z1, ironing out any issues, before its US launch in 1972. The sleek styling didn’t disappoint, hinting at a machine with smooth acceleration and good handling. The only negative feedback at the time concerned the short lifespan of tyres and chain, perhaps not surprising in a machine with a claimed 81bhp, 125mph potential. As a reliable, usable classic the Z1 is an attractive proposition. Spares availability is good with an engine generally regarded as pretty much bulletproof and easy to…

GOOD NEWS – KTM has released a new twostroke engine. Good, because we all thought that the noisy, smoky, smelly and environmentally horrid two-stroke engine was dead – which I’ve long regarded as a shame. From a technical perspective two-strokes are a no-brainer. They fire each time the crankshaft rotates, rather than on every other occasion like a four-stroke, so they can make 50% more power on a like-for-like basis. And they have far fewer parts so are lighter, easier and cheaper to manufacture. But to achieve a smooth delivery of that extra power, they need all sorts of extra valving and porting, and even with oil injected into their moving parts rather than mixed in with their fuel, they smoke. Which environmentally sensitive legislatures have steadily moved to outlaw.…

Tony Clements bought his 750 Commando from an elderly local chap – local to Wolverhampton that is. Sadly the bike hadn’t in truth been looked after, and in many ways it was remarkable that the bike was even usable. Had Tony been told a few teeny porkies about how wonderful this bike was? I’m sure many of us have been told many fine stories about how marvellous a bike is, only to find out the real truth once we have parted with the money and got it home. Never mind – a Commando is what Tony wanted, and it was a Commando that Tony got. Fortunately he was fully prepared for a total restoration, and for that he wasn’t disappointed. CBG: Tony, looking at the pictures, the bike doesn’t look…

PLANS PROPOSED BY VW to sell Ducati have been shelved. German Labour Union, IG Metall, which was representing the employees from Ducati, has said the Italian motorcycle brand will not be sold and will continue to be a part of the Volkswagen Group. Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali told workers that VW had halted the company’s sale, according to union leader Bruno Papignani. Speaking to business website Bloomberg, Papignani said FIOM CIGL, the Italian metallurgical workers’ union that represents Ducati employees, was in opposition to the company’s sale. The FIOM CIGL worked with its powerful German counterpart, IG Metall, to oppose Ducati’s sale. Both Royal Enfield and Harley Davidson were reported to be interested in buying Ducati.…

THIS WAS THE sixth year running of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride. Started in Australia in 2012 by Mark Hawwa, this unique, worldwide event aims to raise funds for men’s health in general, with prostate cancer a priority and this year, due to one of the founding members’ fight with depression, mental health. The idea is simple – dress up in your finest gear and ride your classic, retro or custom bike at one of the 600 rides organised in over 95 countries to raise awareness of the issues affecting men, as well as fighting the often harmful stereotypes bikers suffer from. To date, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride has raised nearly £6 million for research and treatment for men’s health. Classic Bike Guide went along to the inaugural Bury St Edmunds,…

SW-Motech Legend saddle bags £130.68 each bag £53.99 universal strap motohaus.com THESE SADDLE BAGS are superbly made of hardy materials so they should last for years, they look great on a modern retro or classic bike, come with waterproof inner liners and, thanks to clever adjustment, they seem to fit every bike I’ve ever thrown them over. But, at over £314 for the set, they should be. They are quoted as 9.8l bags, which means nothing to me, but together I can take a few days clothes, tools, waterproofs and still have room for sandwiches. For another £38 you can opt for the larger ones, which increase capacity by a third. Once fitted they are very secure, easy to remove and are really good looking. The Legend range includes matching…

MY DEAR OLD dad used to impart words of wisdom that were often a variation on the ‘right tool for the job’ theme; As a boy I remember he patiently watched me trying to use a coping saw to cut some metal for my Raleigh Chopper, spraying myself with tiny shards of blade yet failing to do precious little damage to Nottinghamshire’s finest work. So it is for me with motorcycles, it seems. At sixteen, I was a ‘kid with a Fizzie’ and would use said moped to travel the length and breadth of the country with a small cohort of like-minded souls. The unsuitability of a sports moped with a top speed of 45mph for a 600 mile round trip to Cornwall and back never entered our heads, these…

“I HAD ONE exactly like that.” A stout fellow was staring in a critical manner at a Norton parked on a stand. A show stand, that is, not a centrestand, in case that’s important. Accuracy in all things is my motto. “Yeah, me too.” It is always pleasant to reinforce camaraderie, even where none exists. Peace in our time and so forth. “Mine was black.” I nodded appreciatively. The bike on the stand was a delightful – if slightly improbable – shade of red. Just like mine… but not like my companionable observer’s, plainly. He had more revelations in store. “Mine was a Bonneville.” There is no answer to that. No polite answer. I feigned a profound interest in the red Norton, the one just like a Triumph, somehow, and…