Innehållsförteckning för November - December 2019 från Classic Racer

If you want to get in touch… Then please do. We read every letter, email and comment sent to us and we enjoy hearing from you. If you’ve an event coming up, a motorcycle you own or just want to let us know about something you find interesting in Classic Racer’s world, get in touch. FROM THE OTHER SIDE Dear CR Writing from the antipodes I congratulate you on the quality of your excellent publication Classic Racer. I regard myself as a true enthusiast, having learned to ride on a 1938 Royal Enfield 500cc, interspersed with a Honda CB175. I did a recent appraisal and established that I have either owned or ridden 47 motorcycles: Bridgestones, Ducatis, Gileras, Suzukis, Yamahas and Jawas to name but a few. These days I…

Pierfrancesco ‘Frankie’ Chilli, is to star as guest of honour at the Carole Nash Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic at Newark showground over the weekend of January 11-12, 2020. Bologna-born Frankie, as he is known to his fans, had a long and successful career in most classes of races, winning the 125cc European Championship in 1985, before moving to Grand Prix level in 250 and 500cc World Championships, and ultimately World Superbike. When he retired from racing in 2006 he held the record for the most starts in World Superbike and along the way he claimed 10 pole positions and 17 wins during what were arguably the hardest fought years in WSB. The charismatic Italian will be on stage with Steve Plater during both days of the show and he…

The loss of Chris Swallow in the Classic TT Senior Race hit so many people so hard. The Wheeler family and the Swallow family have been great friends for 50 years, and Bill and I were deadly rivals on the track when we raced in the same class, but great friends off it. We stayed in each other’s homes and celebrated each other’s successes at trophy presentations. I chatted to Chris in the paddock the morning of that terrible day and Bill just before the start of the race. To be brutally honest I didn’t know how I was going to be able to write a worthy tribute to the lad, but as I mention in my column, Bill rang me and, in an emotional conversation, we both know the…

So just what ultimately made Kevin Schwantz hang his Arai helmet up and walk off into the sunset of racing retirement? “I ended up sixth at Suzuka in 1995,” said Schwantz. “That was my worst result ever at the Japanese Grand Prix. On the way home I happened to be on the same flight with Wayne Rainey and Kenny Roberts and Kenny came walking back and said, ‘Hey, Wayne wants to talk to you.’ So I went up and sat in first class and talked to Wayne for probably an hour. “He said to me, ‘What are you doing out there?’ I replied, ‘What do you mean what am I doing out there?’ I was still taking the defensive! So Wayne said to me, ‘Dude, you’re not having fun out…

Engine type Water-cooled reed-valve single-crankshaft 90º V3 two-stroke Dimensions: 62.6 x 54mm Capacity: 499cc Output: 125bhp at 11,500rpm Carburation: 3 x 34mm Keihin Ignition: Kokusan-Denko CDI Gearbox: six-speed extractable cassette-type Clutch: Multiplate dry (7 friction/7 steel) Chassis: Cold-drawn chrome-moly tubular steel twin-loop frame Suspension: Front: Fully adjustable 40mm Chevallier inverted telescopic fork Rear: Fabricated chrome-moly tubular steel swingarm with fully adjustable White Power monoshock and variable-rate link Head angle: 23 degrees Wheelbase: 1420mm Weight: 118kg dry (as tested – 111kg with single carbon front brake disc) Brakes: Front: 2 x 310mm steel discs with four-piston AP-Lockheed calipers Rear: 1 x 220mm steel disc with two-piston Brembo caliper Wheels/tyres: Front: 120/70-17 Pirelli Diablo on 3.50 in. Marvic cast magnesium wheel Rear: 180/55-17 Pirelli Diablo Superbike on 5.00 in. Marvic cast magnesium…

Putting together this issue of CR has been the usual rollercoaster and, thankfully, these issues are rare, but it’s been coloured with immense sadness. As a racing community our collective heads fell as we learned of the loss of Chris Swallow. On these pages there are the comments about Chris by his father Bill, our Malc and John Watterson, who once again covered the ClassicTT event for us. It would be pointless to try to add anything other than my utmost sympathies to Chris’s family and friends at what is an unimaginable time for most people. In the same month we also learned that CR contributor Chris Pereira had also passed away after a lengthy battle. Our thoughts are also with the Pereira family and Chris’s friends. With this sentiment,…

Two of the leading supporters of classic racing and manufacturers of racing parts and complete classic racing motorcycles, Molnar Precision Limited and Two Wheel Classics, have merged. In an exclusive statement to Classic Racer, Two Wheel Classics owner and founder Jim Blomley said: “TWC will get a lot bigger and be able to introduce new things thanks to Andy’s (Molnar) expertise and I see a very bright future.This deal really suits me and I will be able to spend more time around racing without the day-to-day work involved in running TWC. “I will be staying involved as a consultant and you will see a very special Molnar Ducati, which is still under wraps, at classic meetings next year.” All at Classic Racer wish Jim Blomley a happy semi-retirement and Andy…

Honda’s RC142 This is (arguably) the motorcycle that delivered Honda to the world stage as a factory to pay attention to – not least of all because of the way it went about its racing business. It was for the 1959 Isle of ManTT that the RC142, an 87kg, 124.6cc, 14,000rpm revving racer turned up to the annual race event, with five riders tasked to take it around the road circuit. To ensure that, whatever happened, the campaign for a small slice of roads glory that year was given as honest a run as possible, Honda brought over not only the five race bikes but four more and enough spares and tools to be able to rebuild each motorcycle individually. Clearly, this new set-up from the land of the rising…

“I remember we were at a big meeting, an international at Brands, and we were in my caravan having a drink and talking after practice. Practice was on the Saturday, racing on the Sunday. “Ted Broad was there with his runner Dave Potter, Dave was a real good mate of mine. There were about six of us in all, including Barry and Mick Grant, and we were just sitting there drinking and discussing where the differences were between us. I said – and we were talking about 350 TZ at the time: ‘I reckon the differences between you three and me comes down to less than a foot a corner, when you’re braking, and a milli-second quicker when you open the throttle, and that’s where you get your point two,…

Experienced classic road racer Chris Swallow suffered fatal injuries after crashing at Ballaugh Bridge on the first lap of the Senior Classic TT. The 37-year-old, originally from Holmfirth, WestYorkshire, had been domiciled in Wellington, New Zealand for the past decade. It is understood that he died instantly after losing control of the Linsdell Royal Enfield he was riding and collided with the low garden wall of a house close to the Karl Gall memorial on the left-hand side, 70 yards after the bridge. An eye witness said the rider appeared to have difficulty slowing the bike down on the approach to the bridge and took off at almost twice the normal speed. On impact with the wall, the bike exploded into flames. His father, Bill, started the race 40 seconds…

Welcome to this, the CR #200 Crossword. To mark the landmark issue we’ve made the puzzle a bit bigger, with even more clues to test your racing knowledge. And to make this Classic Racer Crossword that bit more special, we’ve landed a unique prize to give away to race fans like you – an actual piston and rod from Alex Marquez’s Moto2 racebike. Yes, we can’t believe it either, but it’s true.This is a piston from with proof that it was at the heart of the bike that contested Moto2 races this year at Argentina,Texas and Jerez. Incredible, eh? We’re very jealous of you (we’re not allowed to enter) so all that we can now do is to wish you luck and ogle the piston for the remaining time it’s…

As its official media partner, Classic Racer has a unique relationship with the Classic TT, and the man in overall charge of the event, Paul Phillips. In an exclusive interview Paul shares his thoughts on the Classic TT and its future with Malc Wheeler. CR: With another Classic TT successfully completed, are you happy with how the event is continuing to develop? PP: Very much so. Without doubt it was the most successful one we have delivered to date, tainted of course, by the sad loss of the brilliant Chris Swallow. This year was a big step forward in terms of the activity off-track and we have bigger plans for that side of the event moving forward. The way the schedule worked between on and off-track was much more cohesive…

The coordinator of Nicotte’s small three-man Chevallier Honda GP team (mechanic Fabrice Petit was the third musketeer) had been his neighbour in Plaisir, the town he lived in 30km to the west of Paris – ‘Gull’ Rietsch. Gull owns the ex-de Radiguès, ex-Espié, ex-Nicotte bike today, still painted in the Ville de Plaisir colours in which Nicotte ran it in 1989/90, sponsored by his home town, whose mayor must have been a bike fan! “I gave up my job as a maintenance supervisor to go racing with Rachel (Nicotte) in 1988,” recalls Gull, today living in French Guyana with occasional returns to France to drink rum with his racing friends! “I did everything that didn’t involve working on the bike or riding it – so that included driving the truck,…

“I blew up the initial R H Smith bike, it dropped a valve at Brands and I couldn’t afford a cylinder head, pistons, cranks and things. So, Dick said to take the engine out, take it apart, go up to BSA in the van and ask for the race department – I walked out of there with virtually a new engine! “I was on nodding terms with works riderTony Smith by then, but the guy running it was Brian Martin and when I went in, he was sitting there, reading. I thought: ‘Wow, he must be important – reading a newspaper at work!’ I always remember that. He was such a nice bloke, he really was and I got quite friendly with him subsequently. “He said: ‘If you ever want…

CR: Dani, did you enjoy your Goodwood Revival debut? DP: Honestly, it’s way better than I ever thought it would be! I think it’s a great experience that anyone who loves motorcycles has to come and be part of, even as a spectator. I must say I’m totally surprised about how the event is actually organised. Every single tiny detail has been thought of, and it’s all so nicely presented – it’s very English! I don’t know how they manage to make everything look like back then, but it’s an unbelievable experience, I really like it. I also like wearing my 1960s outfit!When you talk to people, you realise everyone is enjoying themselves, everyone is relaxed, people are super happy, and the place is beautiful, especially with perfect weather. It’s…

During the 1970s it was simple – if you wanted to be competitive you realistically only had one option and that was a Japanese two-stroke. Quite simply, Yamaha had it sewn up with their TR3 giving way to the infamous TZs. All of them were most definitely proper race bikes, which were made available to the public in large numbers. They even dominated production racing, initially with the RD and later with the liquid-cooled versions – the veritable ‘Elsie’. Of course, riders of larger capacity bikes like the BSA/Triumph triples and twins still could be competitive, but they were starting to be overshadowed by the high performance four-cylinder engines that Japan was now producing in considerable numbers. But of course, in their wake they had literally left behind a huge…

Nova Racing first opened its doors back in 1989, with the intention of providing gears to the motorcycle racing world. And it’s been doing exactly that ever since, specialising in the design and manufacture of motorcycle transmissions and gearbox components for race bikes, prototypes, and road bikes too. As well as supplying complete motorbike gearboxes and gearsets for bikes spanning from the 1960s through to the most modern of machines, Nova can also provide alternate ratios for standard gearboxes. And it also carries a wide range of individual gears for spares.…