Innehållsförteckning för #367 19-13 från Just Bikes

After a series of successful collector auctions for automobiles, motorcycles and related memorabilia in recent years, Scammells next collector’s auction has been announced. Scheduled for 31 August and to be held at Scammells’ main auction rooms in Norwood, South Australia, the ‘August Collector’s Auction’ will feature a selection of classic bikes and cars, supplemented with an array of vintage automobilia, petroliana and other auto-related collectable items. As this issue of JUST BIKES went to press, the motorcycles consigned for the auction were still being identified and catalogued, but some of the early lots include a 1950s-era Ariel VH 500 in what appears to be complete and restorable condition. Also consigned is a BMW R51 from the same era. Fitted with a pillion seat and pegs, the BMW looks in better…

When Kawasaki’s Ninja 400 hit the market last year, it was an all-new design with a new engine mounted in a new chassis. It was such a successful formula that the LAMS-compliant model quickly took the mantle of the best-selling midsize roadbike in Australia. Given that success, it’s little wonder that Kawasaki has been quick to introduce the ‘Z400’ naked version of this great little green machine. FRATERNAL TWINS Essentially, the Z400 is a Ninja 400 with the fairing removed. The two share the same steel tube trellis frame and the same 399cc parallel-twin engine. Brakes and suspension are the same, too, as are the wheels, tyres and even the seat height. In the case of the Z400, all this commonality is a good thing, because it results in a…

After years of being the bridesmaid behind Toby Price, David Walsh has broken a personal drought to win his first King of the Desert title at the 2019 Tatts Finke Desert Race. In his eleven previous starts at Finke, Walsh has finished on the podium on four occasions, but never the top step. Second overall behind Price in 2012, the Territorian from Alice Springs repeated that result in 2014 and last year, with a third-place finish in 2016. However, with Price only racing in the car category this year, Walsh had his best chance of winning the King of the Desert crown and didn’t let it pass him by, with a dominant display that started with victory in the Prologue on 8 June. PROLOGUE In a field that included fast…

This oh-so-cool custom creation caught our eye at the Maldon street display and JUST BIKES spent some time talking to Dave, its owner and builder. It’s based on a ’67 BSA Thunderbolt and rigid frame conversion, but before you dump on the guy for “wrecking” a classic Beezer, know that it was converted to a chopper by a previous owner back in the ’70s, with a spindly girder fork front end, custom tank, king and queen seat and lurid pink paint job. When Dave got it, it was sitting in a farmer’s scrapheap with no motor and no prospects, but Dave rescued and reinvigorated it, sourcing a new 650 engine in Canada and a bunch of parts from the USA. Look out for a full feature on this chopper/bobber, called…

In JUST BIKES #363, we featured the story of Stevan Payne and his cross-continental trek on a ’51 Triumph Tiger 100 to attend the 2018 ABR. After last year’s failure, Stevan was more determined than ever to make this year’s ABR and duly arrived, not only with his trusty Triumph, but with its refurbished Canterbury Double Adult sidecar fitted, as promised at the end of the story in #363. Not even an incident with a ‘roo - that put a dent in the sidecar – was going to stop him this time around! The combination may look mismatched, but Stevan says the Tiger’s 500cc twin pulls the sidecar along easily. Stevan also said he had a ball at this year’s ABR, but a trip across Australia is not enough, with plans…

When it comes to significant machinery from the history of Australian motorcycling, few come close to Jack Ehret’s 1951 Vincent Black Lightning. Yes, Vincent is British, but the Ehret bike has a long local history. As such, Aussie classic bike fans rightly feel some attachment to it. LIGHTNING STRIKE Built purely for racing and only available from the Vincent factory by special order, the Black Lightning was a stripped-down and spiced-up version of the better-known Black Shadow. To the Black Shadow’s 998cc v-twin, the Black Lightning kicked power up by 15hp to almost 70hp and was also 30kg lighter. First offered in 1949, only around 33 Black Lightnings left Vincent’s Stevenage factory before production ended in 1952. Compare that to around 1,700 Black Shadows and it puts the rarity of…

As electrification becomes the norm in the automotive world, it’s also reaching into motorcycling. In June, BMW Motorrad unveiled what an electrified version of their signature boxer twin engine might look like, presenting the ‘Vision DC Roadster’. “The Vision Bike shows how we’re able to retain the identity and iconic appearance of BMW Motorrad in distinctive form while at the same time presenting an exciting new type of riding pleasure,” explains Edgar Heinrich, Head of Design BMW Motorrad. BATTERY BOXER An electric powerplant has different packaging requirements to a conventional internal combustion engine, with the engine itself being relatively small and the battery taking up the bulk of the space. Understanding this, BMW Motorrad designers fitted the Vision DC Roadster with a longitudinally oriented battery. To aid cooling, two protruding…

It’s hard to know where to start when trying to describe this bike, but suffice to say, there was NOTHING like it at this year’s rally! More knowledgeable readers will be able to identify its marque-specific bits and pieces, but the engine and frame appear to be early 1950s-era BSA C10. All sorts of kit was wired, screwed, welded and cable-tied on to this creation, but a favourite feature amongst the JUST BIKES crew was the big bike tyre that had been repurposed as a rear mudguard. The owner/builder didn’t limit themselves to cycle parts, with a few automotive bits and pieces and some outright ‘mystery’ componentry, too. Sure, it may not have been to everyone’s tastes, but there’s no denying this bike stood out! What parts can you spot?…

Never heard of a Gruppo Velox BSA? Well, you’re not the only one, as this Italianate creation didn’t exist – at least not officially. Presented at the ABR by Les Banbury, this machine was based around an overhead valve conversion of a BSA M20 single. These were originally made by Luigi Parena in Turin, to extend the life and improve the performance of British Army BSA M20s that were left in Italy after WWII. Parena, a machinist and engineer, designed and cast these OHV alloy heads himself. Later, he would do developmental cylinder head work for the likes of Moto Guzzi, Benelli and other Italian makes, as well as racing a 175cc twin cam bike of his own design. How many of these OHV M20 engines were built is unknown, but…

DesmoSport Ducati will host a special Ducati corporate suite at this year’s Pramac Generac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island. The Australian Superbike Championship team, jointly owned by Ben Henry and Troy Bayliss, are hosting their first VIP corporate experience this year, which Henry said was driven by a desire to share the great times they’ve had at the Aussie MotoGP round with a select group of special guests. “Troy and I discussed our plans for MotoGP and decided that hosting a small hospitality suite would be a great way for us to enjoy the racing while we also got to spend some time with a great bunch of people,” Henry explained. Limited to just 40 places, the corporate suite will be located at Turn 4 (infield) of the…

The opening round of this year’s Australian Supercross Championship (ASX) will see Queensland kick off the five-round series with a return to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. The undercover, 9,500-seat venue has been a staple of the ASX series since the late 1980s, but last hosted a supercross round in 2014. Recent Queensland ASX rounds have been held at outdoor venues, including the Jimboomba X Stadium south of Brisbane, Coolum Stadium on the Sunshine Coast and the Toowoomba Showgrounds. As well as the return to a favourite venue, the Queensland round will also see a new promoter take the reins, with Troy Bayliss Events (TBE) replacing Scott Bannon Promotions. Organisers of the annual Australian Motorcycle Expos in Sydney and Melbourne, TBE also ran the Victorian and South Australian rounds of last…

Fitting an aftermarket slip-on muffler is one of the first modifications many riders make to their bikes, and for good reason. Firstly, fitting a slip-on is not overly expensive, secondly it’s generally pretty easy to fit and, thirdly, there are several benefits to be had by making this relatively straightforward modification. The standard exhaust system fitted to many new bikes is not exactly attractive, especially if its finished off with an oversized alloy silencer that spokes out the side of the bike, ruining the lines of what you might think is an otherwise exquisitely designed masterpiece. Sure, many modern bikes have much prettier OE mufflers than those seemingly bolt-on afterthoughts of years gone by, but motorcycle manufacturers are still hamstrung by various rules and regulations that require them to limit…

This year’s 43rd edition of the All British Rally (ABR) was widely agreed to be one of the best ever. With 908 entries, that’s hardly surprising. That ongoing success is largely due to the efforts of the host club, the BSA Motorcycle Owners Association (BSAMOA), who created the rally more than four decades ago. Beyond the sheer numbers of British bikes, bike owners and enthusiasts that turn up each year, what makes the ABR special is the variety of bikes you encounter. Some may think a British-only bike rally would lack diversity, but they couldn’t be more wrong. BSA is well represented, as you’d expect, but Britain’s long history in motorcycle manufacturing is reflected in brands like Norton, Triumph, Vincent, Ariel, Matchless, Velocette, Royal Enfield, AJS and Sunbeam being spotted…

This gem of a machine was entered by Jon Munn of long-term JUST BIKES advertiser Classic Style Australia. It’s one of a handful of ‘Steve McQueen Metisse Desert Racer’ machines built by Metisse in 2008, designed to replicate the Metisse Mk3 machines used in off-road competition by McQueen in 1966 and ’67. Each unit was based around a reconditioned Meriden-era Triumph 650cc twin and 4-speed gearbox, with McQueen-authentic features, like the Ceriani forks and BSA yokes, Girling rear shocks and – of course – a chrome plated Rickman frame. The fibreglass body panels and fuel tank continued the McQueen homage, as did the Battleship Grey paint. Metisse presented the first new Desert Racer to Steve McQueen’s son, Chad, then committed to produce around 300 more, with each unit built to…

1 PIRELLI ANGEL GT II Pirelli/Link International linkint.com.au Pirelli’s successor to their Angel GT Sport Touring tyre, the Angel GT II features a new tread pattern design - derived from WSBK intermediate tyres - to enhance wet weather performance, tyre life and road-adherence in all conditions. With a carcass that features innovative variable cord end-count over tyre section and high-silica compounds, the Angel GT II has also been designed to harmonise with the latest electronic rider-assistance aids. A range of 17- and 19-inch fronts and 17-inch rears are available to suit a variety of Sport Touring motorcycles. Available from Pirelli stockists, priced from $219.00 RRP for fronts and $279.00 RRP for rears. 2 ALTON ELECTRIC STARTER CONVERSION KIT Alton/Ace Classics aceclassics.com.au Perfect for classic British bike owners with dodgy knees, Alton electric…