Innehållsförteckning för July 2023 från Real Classic

Really enjoyed the latest issue, and the mention of the Black Prince suit sparked a memory. When I joined the Police T-Division in 1974 I was issued with various items of riding kit, including the de rigueur Belstaff jacket and trousers in shower-resistant nylon (!), plus a Black Prince. As it resembled an outfit more suited to a bondage club, I looked askance at it. The storesman reassured me 'You're not meant to I wear it. Nobody does. It's for me to issue and, eventually, you to hand back'. Which of course is what happened, in January 2013, when I handed back a whole trunkful of old, often unworn uniform which used to repose in the furthest recesses of my attic. I only saw one worn once, when a colleague…

After reading PUB's column on the Flying Flea I thought you might be interested in this. 'My Royal Baby is the story of the conception of the RB with much discussion of its development and also its role in Dutch social history. It was written by James Boaden, an enthusiast for Royal Enfield 2-strokes who founded the Facebook group Royal Enfield Small Two-Stroke Motorcycles. This successfully brought together previously disparate fans and the group has been a big success. James' research led him to a WD Flea advertised on a Dutch website which, on further inspection, proved to be a Royal Baby. Taking a chance, he bought it and brought it to the UK. Further research generated enough material to write this book about the bike and its background. The…

Don't you think motorcycling journalists of the 1970s and 80s pedalled some absolute garbage? We took it as gospel truth at the time, maybe to be cool and one of the gang. I refer to the recent 'fade very quick' correspondence on the Honda CX500 rear suspension units. I've been riding my now 60k mile CX500 over the last 31 years. Would you believe… it's still on its original 'FVQ' shocks which, if I'm not mistaken, still work very well. The original design aim was to create a comfortable, allday bike, and that's still the case on my 43 year-old example. When I test ride modern bikes from dealerships (a bit of a retirement hobby) I'm always shocked by the lack of ride comfort on modern machines which make my…

The Sammy Miller Museumin New Milton, Hampshire, UK is crammed full of interestingmachines – including one of the biggest collections of exotic racing bikes in the world, and all are runners! These include the V8 Moto Guzzi, AJS Porcupine, Mondial 250 with dustbin fairing, Nortons, Ducatis, Suzukis, Hondas, Velocettes and manymore! The Road Bike Hall includes a huge collection of factory prototypes and exotic designs fromall over the world, and of course there are plenty of dirtbikes and trial icons, too – over 400 bikes in total. The Museumis open to visitors daily from10amevery day at New Milton, Hampshire B25 5SZ. 01425 620777 / www.sammymiller.co.uk…

A new motorcycle-themed cafe has recently opened in Lancashire, but I am not sure that 'cafe' is an adequate description. The Brew & Sprocket's mission statement says that it is 'By Bikers for Bikers', and anyone seeing the facility and listening to the plans for the future cannot fail to be excited - it is so much more than just a cafe. The idea is to provide a venue where every motorcyclist can feel comfortable and welcome. Great emphasis is placed on supporting motorcycle charities such as Mental Health Motorbike, Bike Safe, Rider Down and Blood Bikes. Profits from any events will be donated to these charities. The menu is extensive and all food is chefcooked, and the staff are cheerful and friendly. The café interior is tastefully decorated with…

Just read Frank's frontispiece about the Black Prince riding suit. I too had one as my first motorcycling outfit. I can endorse all his comments. I can add that when riding through snow, the snow would build up into a frozen breastplate and encase the buttons on the front. On arriving home from school I was required to stand on newspaper while my mother broke the ice using the handle ends of her best scissors. Frank failed to mention that the front closure was buttons, not a zip. These were very difficult to both fasten and unfasten, especially when the plastic material had aged to armour-like stiffness… The suit was bought for me by my great aunt, who worked for Halfords. One of her duties was to open all the…

I check the brake fluid on my Moto Guzzi every year with my new-fangled moisture tester. This cost £3 (but if you don't use it for a couple of years the battery can leak which destroys the tool). It said my car's brake fluid was 'two yellows' which means 'change it in a year.' The Guzzi got a red LED illuminated which means it's 'wet' and needs changing. 'Wet' relates to a boiling point of maybe 200°C to 230°C, instead of the 330°C to 350°C of new fluid. This happens when moisture from the atmosphere dissolves into the brake fluid over time - and we have a lot of moisture in the British atmosphere! This reading doesn't mean 'you will die. However, it's possible that I could be riding at…

RealClassic BSA 650 SINGLE * because he's nobody's fool, obviously! Isat on a new BSA Gold Star at the launch at the National Motorcycle Museum back in 2021. Since then I have waited patiently for Mumbai to send me a nice, long-term test bike, but sadly something appears to have got jammed in the works and it has unaccountably failed to appear. Our esteemed Editor FW therefore suggested that I asked a dealer for a go. So I did. Here are first impressions of yer-actual roadgoing Gold Star 650, then. I must admit I have no idea which of the range it was but, as the actual differences are limited to trim, that's largely academic. The paint is very nice indeed on the production bike and vastly better than that on…

‘Among a select group of septuagenarian, one-time captains of the British motorcycle industry, meeting for a thrash through country lanes on borrowed bikes, none is more dashing – some say terrifying – than the silver-haired Bert Greeves.' So said Cyril Ayton of Motorcycle Sport, writing in the early 1980s about this unorthodox innovator. Bert Greeves stands out as one of those unconventional pioneers who successfully converted his radical concepts into award-winning competition machines and – with the help of Brian Stonebridge – a range of roadworthy production motorcycles. Initially the company benefitted from the secure financial foundation provided by the Invacar business, which meant that a range of customer motorcycles could be displayed at Earl's Court in 1953. There were two road and two competition singles, and a 250 twin…

SAT & SUN ½ JULY ➢ The CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE & TRANSPORT SHOW offers steam trains and more in association with the Llangollen railway at Glyndyfrdwy Station near Corwen, LL21 9HF. bmpsnwales.org.uk / 07592 370572 SUNDAY 2 JULY ➢ The CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE DAY returns to Crich Tramway Village at Matlock, DE4 5DP. Attracts around 300 vintage and classic bikes, plus access to all the tramway exhibits. Live music, many trophies. tramway.co.uk ➢ It's the AIRHEAD ASSN annual meet at the Sammy Miller Museum, New Milton, BH25 5SZ. sammymiller.co.uk / 01425 620777 SATURDAY 8 JULY ➢ MOTORCYCLES AT THE MANOR is at West Ashby Manor, just off the A153 near Horncastle. All two- or three-wheelers welcome. Features local biking celebrities and well-known racers; displays from a collection of exotic racing machines; classic,…

Great mag as always. Nice to see some Nortons featured again; these are my preferred marque as it was my late dad's. The photo is my 1968 Atlas, and this image has been chosen for the new Norton OC membership card next year! Rob Smith's letter about frame numbers certainly rang a bell and was a reminder that I need to fix an issue I have with the Atlas. I've had it four years and before then it sat unused in a garage for five years. Recently I discovered that when the registration number was transferred from the original paper logbook to DVLA's new computer system, many years ago, there must have been an error. The frame number increased by 10 so ended 37 instead of 27. I have an…

Congratulations to Rowena on Members' Enclosure about accident statistics. Most riders in my category (70-plus) know that we ride safely and carefully. Hey, having got this far we don't want to spoil the fun with a slide into a ditch. But insurance companies seem to regard us as an easy target for a premium loading. The statistics you have produced show this is simply not justified. Martin Quinlan, member Yet again you have chosen a subject that is relevant to us all. Everyone is steadily getting older (if they are not unlucky) and I have had recent experience of just this. Last year I needed to hire a van for a day. I contacted a nearby major hire company and filled in their booking form. This included my driving licence…

Yet another fascinating issue. So the Mk3 Commando is behaving. A hundred years ago I fitted a great big battery to my Mk3 (hybrid) Fastback, removed the kickstart axle and blanked it off, just had to p**ss off the naysayers. Now I secure batteries with a square of industrial Velcro, works a charm. On bikes destined for magazine tests I would remove an inch from each end of the US handlebars, less like a motocrosser and might help a fraction in a quarter mile time. Another smart thing is to drill a small hole in the LH side cover under the seat and secure it with a tie wrap around the frame rail, or it will sail away and get flattened by a truck one day. Regarding auctions, the hot…

This petrol stain was so old that it was a rock-hard varnish. I wanted to get it off without damaging the original paint. WD40 didn't work, but this approach did the trick: 1. Cotton patch (old T-shirt) soaked in Koby left on the tank, which softened the hard crust. It wasn't quick, but overnight got it soft enough to remove the thicker layers with a plastic scraper. 2. Carb cleaner, applied to tissue and then used to remove the remaining sticky layer. Extreme care is needed as this will dull and possibly even remove paint. Never spray on the paint, only on the tissue. 3. Good polish up with Meguiar's compound, which is similar to T-cut but without the harsh abrasives. 4. Final wax and protection with my favourite finishing wax from Bikeology.…

It's all verywell when learned scribes like Ollie borrow a brand-new bike and subsequently promulgate their professional assessment–but the title of this magazine suggests a considerably more significant commitment. Hence we pestered a few people to get the low-down from folk who've both spent their own cash and ridden some distance on a new-generation BSA 650 single. We found lots of owners quite easily, but not so many riders who'd clocked up more than a few miles. There may be more on this subject in future editions then… In the meanwhile, who better to start with than Chris Golby, the Editor of the BSAOC's magazine? He's clocked up almost 2000 miles since he took delivery of his Gold Star in March. There's no real mystery why Chris chose a Goldie…

BIKES COLLECTION FOR SALE. Ariel Square Four, BSA Blue Star, BSA 1953 A10 /Watsonian sidecar outfit, Matchless G9 1956, RE 1960 700 VAX Interceptor, Kawasaki W1 1966, Kawasaki A7SS Avenger 1967. Ring for details. 07594 506435, N Kent WANTS CLASSIC MOTORCYCLEWANTED in any condition. British or Japanese. Genuine enthusiast. Can collect. 0151 447 0147, Lancashire…

JACQUELINE BICKERSTAFF RealClassic Instead of a meeting or show report, something a bit more technical is featured this month, something that Honda called a ‘chimney engine'. After Soichiro had sold all of his ex-WD‘spirit motors'powering motor-assisted bicycles just after WW2 (running not on hard to obtain petrol, but on other volatile fluids), he had to make his own engines to continue in business. As is well known, he soon turned almost exclusively to four-strokes, until much later when racing and off-road sports demanded the high power and low weight available from more developed two-strokes. However, he had considered the twostroke much earlier, including patenting his own‘chimney engine' as it is known in Honda history books. It would appear that a prototype may have been built, but not sufficiently developed to be…