Innehållsförteckning för October 2019 från Real Classic

Famously, variety is the spice of life. I’d not argue with that, and one of the many merry features we enjoy about this often odd magazine is the variety of machinery on view. This issue is no exception, which is also slightly wonderful, and it keeps our lives here in the office in a constant state of entertainment – also amusement, as you might imagine. I opened a file sent to me by Rowena headed ‘Norton Commando’. I like Commandos, always have, always will, but sometimes I think that I’ve read enough stories about them. That’s not any form of poke at Nortons, either; I’ve read literally hundreds of stories about all the most popular machines from the more popular marques. Before reading into the story, I looked at the…

What’s it like to sit astride a 1920s cammy Velo? In the late 1970s, VMCC founder Titch Allen shared his experiences with the breed… ‘Blindfold and with ear plugs, anyone with a mechanical feel can pick out an ohc engine from a pushrod one. The engine can be revved and revved without blowing up. It was a new dimension in motorcycling. I had ridden machines as fast with steering as good, engines as quiet, but never before had I come across all these qualities in one mount. Plus it was the indefinable cammy feel. ‘The clutch action at the handlebar is finger light because you are only lifting half of it. Until it has done one complete revolution, turned either by the engine or the motion of the machine, it…

I’d been teasing Paul Miles about borrowing one of his old bikes … and here I was on the VMCC Dorset Giants Run. Paul briefly went over stuff, double de-clutch to change down with the hand change, etc, etc. ‘You’ve done all that before: right?’ ‘Yes,’ I said, but digging about in the dark recesses to remember when. Oh yes, about ten years ago. Time flies. Then we were off. I set about following two Triumphs. I was soon hopelessly lost and wham, something large and insect-based went in my eye. Oh good, now I’m lost, partly sighted and riding something where I need to double de-clutch. Then a couple rode past me on something and I followed them. And then my eye cleared. So what is it like riding…

OCTOBER 5 TH ➤ There’s a Charterhouse AUCTION of classic and vintage motorcycles at the Haynes Motor Museum, Sparkford, Yeovil, BA22 7LH. charterhouse-auction.com OCTOBER 6 TH ➤ The COPDOCK MOTORCYCLE SHOW opens 9am at Trinity Park, Ipswich IP3 8UH. Dougie Lampkin and Allen Millyard, classic Hondas, pre-65 MX, motoball, wall of death, trials arena, customs and classics. Admission £10. copdockmotorcycleshow.co.uk >>The CRAVEN COLLECTION opens 10am to 4pm at Brockfield Villa, Stockton on Forest, York YO32 9EU. Admission £5. 01904 400493 / cravencollection.co.uk OCTOBER 13 TH ➤ There’s a MOTORCYCLE JUMBLE and bikes for sale at Mochdre village hall, Colwyn Bay, LL28 5HU. Opens 9am, admission £3. bmpsnwales.org.uk OCTOBER 16 TH ➤ The South Lincs and Peterborough section of the VMCC host a BRING & BUY sale…

Tribulation is a mongrel based on a mid-1950s Royal Enfield pre-unit 250 Clipper in trials trim, which needed more than a little bit of spit ’n’ polish when it arrived. My first jobs were to strip and rebuild the engine, and source and refinish a different petrol tank. While the paint was drying (literally) on the tank, my thoughts turned to the gearbox and the rear end. I’ve been fooled by RE gearboxes in the past – they’re devious devices and not to be trusted. When I rebuilt Connie, my ’59 Constellation, I didn’t touch the gearbox other than lubricating it, as it all seemed to be OK, selecting gears, etc. And all was well – Connie’s gearbox is the best RE 4-speed box I’ve used. Easy, slick gear selection,…

This month’s headline comes courtesy of Ian Hingley on the RC Facebook page, responding to sometime contributor Stuart Francis querying why the column is written in the third person. Ian, not a fan of the style, postulated the ridiculous sentence, which is just too good to pass up. In answer to the query, no real reason except it has become a habit, although in days of engineer training it was the accepted style for writing reports to put the emphasis on the subject matter and not the writer. It is also a common way to write fiction – make of that what you will. C.W.G. ‘Bill’ Lacey was one of the Brooklands greats, especially known for his high standard of machine presentation in addition to his tuning and riding skills.…

I must mention the good people at Rickman motorcycles. I have recently bought a Honda CD 250U with a Rickman fairing from the 1980s. Unfortunately the screen was homemade and too short to be much use. Despite it no longer being listed, Rickman still have the moulds and were able to supply a perfect new screen at a very fair price. Lovely people! Keith Rimmer, member RUDGE RACER Could I shed a little light on the Horne Rudge admired by PUB in RC184? This could be a restored version of the bike raced in the 1956 Junior TT by Jackie Horne, whose father had a motorcycle business in Scotland. I served my National Service in REME attached to the Royal Signals Driver Training Regiment where Jackie was a motorcycle instructor.…

…all the suppliers, specialists and people who helped with my quest, and especially: THE JAWA CZ OWNERS CLUB who helped with parts, advice and all-round camaraderie. jawaczownersclub.co.uk CLASSIC CAR LEDs: very helpful people who will make sure you get the best LEDs available. classiccarleds.co.uk ESSEX WHEELS who gave first-class service on alloy wheels, vapour cleaned, hubs skimmed and rebuilt with stainless steel spokes. essexwheels.com CLASSICBIKESHOP who supplied levers, switches, handlebar, grips and many more bits for all British bikes.classicbikeshop.co.uk THE JAWA SHOP for Jawa-CZ spares.jawashop.com JAWA MARKT for other parts that aren’t easily available in the UK. jawamarkt.cz/en/new-parts Q TRIM ESSEX: specialist upholstery and trim for all classic vehicles and more Very good, very professional, competent and friendly service. qtrimessex.uk DAVID ANGEL AT F2 MOTORCYCLES for expert help and advice,…

I soldered virtually every joint I made until 1978 when I found a Ministry of Defence report that challenged this approach. I was working on new warships that had hundreds of miles of cables and tens of thousands of joints and connections. As the ships went to sea for the first time wiring defects would emerge, most of which were down to poor workmanship or poorly routed cables. However there were persistent failures that could not be explained and continued to emerge in service. A study revealed that a group of failures were that the copper core had separated from the soldered connector, usually with what looked like a miniature floret of copper strands. At the time, all cable ends were tinned with solder before being crimped or soldered to…

If you live a life that involves coaxing recalcitrant bits of ancient machinery back into life, and the chances are that if you are a RealClassic reader then you are indeed doing just that, then you probably also know a bit about steampunk or at least can recognise it when you see it, even if you think it’s nonsense. But just in case, here’s a brief explanation. Steampunk is fantasy fiction that imagines an alternative reality in which the steam power of the 19th century dominates technology thereafter. Some devotees take their alternative ideas into the real world, with conventions and gatherings awash with Victorian-inspired pith helmets and corsets, top hats, gold braid and ray-guns. And lots and lots of brass. Inevitably, this style has slipped into the world of…

Be gentle. Everyone needs a break from the relentless grind of life in The Shed … or indeed anywhere else, pretty much. And I needed a break. You might have observed elsewhere in this glittering pre-Christmas edition of the world’s most eccentric old bike magazine that the BSA which has infested my life, has made me consider whether it would be better suited as a rolling farm gate or even an addition to the Bude canal’s underwater reef structure – reefs are very helpful for fish, apparently – has actually and almost miraculously been transformed into a kind of motorcycle. A custom job, rather than as an actual restored stock motorcycle. Natural heroism and modesty prevailed, rather than my consigning it to the watery deeps, and the Beezer’s now back…

I had not ridden off-road since my early teens. Public roads were not an option then; even a provisional license was well over a year away. I had no bike and not much idea how to ride one. What I did have, though, was a couple of like-minded friends and access to an old orchard. This contained a dilapidated shed housing several equally dilapidated old bikes. I recall one being an Ariel, another possibly a Matchless. Both were in a sorry state, the Ariel had but one exhaust pipe for its twin ports but, like the possible Matchless, it was a mostly working motorcycle and we learned much from getting them running. As you might imagine, what we really enjoyed was careering around our tree-lined circuit with what we liked…

BIKES JAMES SPORTS CAPTAIN, 200cc, 1965. Restored for riding. £850 spent on engine rebuild. Receipts. Rare example of this bike, great fun to ride. Dodgy knees and old age forces reluctant sale. £ 2500. 07734 796308. Wirral MOTO GUZZI NUOVO FALCONE, Blue, 1970. Rebuilt engine 15,000 ago (bills). New chain, battery, NJB shocks and NOS seat springs this year. Burns no oil, very reliable, regularly returns low 80s mpg. Maintained by Motori di Marino in West Sussex. Message me for video of engine running. £4095ono. Bisley, Surrey 07909 620799 BSA 350 GOLD STAR, 1958. Lovely bike. Ring for full spec. £10,950. 07971 252270, Leics NORTON COMMANDO INTERSTATE Mk.2A 920cc. VGC. Alton starter, belt primary, RGM front brake, new fork seals, Road Riders, Mk.III Isolastics, Dave Taylor headsteady, Tri Spark, recent…