OVER-ENFIELD WILLIAMS NORTON

BIGGER BANGS THAN MOST PETER’S MONOCOQUE RACE BIKE

THE MIGHTY VINCATI

MR VINCENT’S
ENGINE IN
MR DUCATI’S
BICYCLE

£4.20

A TRIUMPH ON THE DIRT

No.290June 2015

MATCHLESS G12CSR || SUZUKI RE5 || MOTO GUZZI CX100 || BONNIE GUIDE

 CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || CONTENTS
074

006 STAFFORD SHOW

An impossibly large event with an
impossibly large number of bikes
036 MOTO GUZZI CX100
A what? Find out here 084 CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
At last, a guide to buying Japanese

(and people)
042 MATCHLESS G12CSR
A truly red rocket 094 MODEL STUDY
Triumph T140 Bonneville

012 SOME NEWS

Road, race and restoration
046 LETTERS
(and others)

014 PETER WILLIAMS NORTON

Every one a winner! More please
102 MODEL STUDY
Suzuki RE5 (like no other)
Would you like a monocoque
Norton racer? 050 GEORGE COHEN
Authentic and original. Ish…
110 READER ADS
Lots. Lots. Lots

016 GEOFF DUKE

A tribute, by Alan Cathcart 052 PAUL D’ORLÉANS
Writers teach us how to speak
128 CLUB SPOT
Trident & Rocket 3 OC

020 SUBS PAGE

Take time to subscribe. Everyone’s
a winner
054 MARK WILLIAMS
Tales of turkeys, wild and otherwise
130 FRANK WESTWORTH
At the rear as usual

022 BSA ROCKET 3

Unspeakable excellence. Maybe
056 VINCATI
Italian soul beats with an
English heart

028 VELOCETTE SCRAMBLER

One seriously modified single 066 TRIUMPH TIGER SPECIAL
A serious prowl cat

032 NORTON MODEL 18

Remarkably practical, not over-priced 074 OVER ENFIELD
How to race your Bullet. No, really
#
290
JUNE 2015

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 3

 CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || EDITORIAL || whO’s whO ||

eDITOR || Frank Westworth

editor@classicbikeguide.com

pUblIsHeR || Tim Hartley

thartley@mortons.co.uk

DesIGneR || James Duke

RepROGRapHICs || Simon Duncan

eDITORIal assIsTanT || Jayne Clements

pRODUCTIOn eDITOR || Dan Sharp

DIvIsIOnal aDveRTIsInG ManaGeR || David England

01507 529438 dengland@mortons.co.uk

aDveRTIsInG || Jane Farquharson, Leon Currie

01507 524004 jfarquharson@mortons.co.uk
lcurrie@mortons.co.uk

aRCHIve enQUIRIes || Jane Skayman

01507 529423 jskayman@mortons.co.uk

FRANK WESTWORTH sUbsCRIpTIOn ManaGeR || Paul Deacon

CIRCUlaTIOn ManaGeR || Steven O’Hara

MaRKeTInG ManaGeR || Charlotte Park

Special pleading pUblIsHInG DIReCTOR || Dan Savage

COMMeRCIal DIReCTOR || Nigel Hole

I’ve always been entirely fascinated by specials and by the guys who
build them. It’s a tiny weirdness, but although I’ve built several specials, assOCIaTe DIReCTOR || Malc Wheeler
mostly in a state of combined disaster with friends, none of them has been
any use. They all sounded great on paper (or in the bar, which is where
they all actually started), but when the great moment arrived, and gears
were engaged ready to roll the bike on to that great highway … things COnTRIbUTORs In THIs IssUe
always fell apart. Alan Cathcart, Bob Clarke, George Cohen, Steve Cooper,
It has been exactly the same with every special I’ve bought, and over Rowena Hoseason, Phil Mather, Paul d’Orléans, Jim Reynolds,
the years I’ve bought a few. And sold them, usually promptly. I am entirely Mark Williams, Nolan Woodbury
hopeless with specials. My own interminable rebuilds usually revolve
around returning a bike to as close to stock as I can get it, which is a eDITORIal aDDRess
Mortons Media Group, Media Centre, Morton Way,
challenge, in a defeatist kind of way, as I reverse the years of improvement
Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR
inflicted upon some sad sack of a motorcycle in my endless and pointless
quest to make it into something that’s actually good to ride. So then, websITe
specials are rubbish. Is that what I’m saying? www.classicbikeguide.com
Not at all. One of the joys of a bike hack’s life is that I get to ride a lot of GeneRal QUeRIes anD baCK IssUes
bikes without the tedious nonsense of having to buy them first. Never 01507 529529 24hr answerphone
forget this. This is why I am such a smug guy and worthy of derision. I’ve Email: help@classicmagazines.co.uk
Web: www.classicmagazines.co.uk
ridden several truly outstanding specials. I attempted to build my own for
two reasons, the second of which was that I’ve ridden several excellent
specials. The first reason for building them was also the reason for my own sUbsCRIpTIOn
Full subscription rates (but see page 24 for offer): (12 months
bikes’ failures. That reason being I was skint and needed to bodge 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £50.40. Export rates are
everything. Those guys who are afflicted with genuine talent, skill, ability also available – see page 24 for more details. UK subscriptions
and knowledge do things differently. It has taken many years and much are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax.
sorrow for me to understand this. I will build no more specials of my own. DIsTRIbUTIOn
This slightly navel-gazing moment was produced by reading through the COMAG, Tavistock Road,
stories of the bikes in this issue. Amazing. Lots of specials. Almost all West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE. Telephone 01895 433600.
bikes are specials, even if all that’s been changed have been stainless Usa sUbsCRIpTIOns
fasteners, maybe better controls and a new seat, but some specials are CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE (USPS:002-674) is published monthly by
rather more special than that. All credit to their builders; the better the Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire
LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $54 per year from Motorsport
builder, the better the bike. It’s obvious, really… Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921.
That’s it. See you out there. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft, WI and additional entries.
Postmaster: Send address changes to CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE, c/o
Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI
Frank
54921. 715-572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com
editor@classicbikeguide.com
pRInTeD by || William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton.
ISSN No 0959-7123

More froM CBG... aDveRT DeaDlIne || Friday, June 5

nexT IssUe || Wednesday June 27

© Mortons Motorcycle Media, a division of Mortons Media Group Ltd.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
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including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval
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4 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKe GUIDe

RIDInGLIFE News || eveNts || letters || iNterviews

Stafford show
The April Carole Nash International Classic MotorCycle
Show featured showbiz celebs and racing superstars and TV
personalities… and some old motorcycles, too

PHOTOS BY Joe Dick, Rowena Hoseason

IT’S ALMOST AMAZING there was any room for
normal human beings at Stafford’s county
showground in April, what with all the posh people
involved in the jam-packed schedule over the
EvEnT
weekend. James May and Richard Hammond were
among the crowd in the auction hall, watching
SHOW
their personal motorcycle collections go under the
hammer at a record-breaking Bonhams sale. All of
REPORT
the 12 machines owned by the duo were snapped
up by enthusiastic bidders, and the two shared
laughs with onlookers as James even jokingly bid
on his first lot, a Yamaha Fizzy.
Meanwhile, in a darkened room just off the main
hall, TV personality Pete Thorne hosted the new
Restoration Theatre to a standing-room-only crowd.
Half a dozen lectures each day offered expert
advice on several key areas of restoration and
maintenance by the Motorbike Show presenter.
Saturday’s first session focused on do/don’t topics,
with Pete sharing his experience of many years’
work as well as answering questions from the
audience. Later presentations covered
twin-cylinder engines, dry gear assembly and
disassembly and electrical fault finding.
Race fans were treated to an opportunity to get
up close and personal with brothers Tony and Nick
Jefferies, who were the event’s joint guests of
honour. The pair were busy greeting fans and
signing autographs before and after their Q&A
sessions on the main stage, and appeared in the

6 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

 WILLIAMS NORTON GEOFF DUKE VELO SCRAMBLER
Hello to a new Au revoir to a New-old: the best of
John Player Norton racing superstar both worlds
P14 P16 P28

1957 CZ RACER
THE JAWA-CZ Owners’ Club hosted picture rider Jiri Kostir tucked in
this genuine works racer, a dohc 250 behind the screen…
Type 853, which was introduced in Kostir scored his first points with
1955 alongside its 125 Type 852 the double-knocker in 1956 at the
counterpart. Dutch TT, finishing sixth. Then in
The bevel-drive, four-stroke singles 1957, CZ’s four riders claimed the
featured a cleanly compact, unit team prize at the IoM TT, and Sammy
construction, wet sump engine, Miller went on to race the next
248cc in this case. It’s housed in a incarnation of the 853 in 1958.
full cradle duplex frame with – on the This particular machine, ridden by
250 – leading link forks and 19 inch Kostir, is in full working order and
wheels with full-width alloy brake has a complete and documented
Classic Dirt Bike Experience and the Classic Racer hubs. Depending on the state of history from its days on the works
GP Paddock outdoors. Showgoers were treated to engine tune, cams and carbs, the team through to its current owner,
all manner of rare and exotic racebikes being fired 250 output between 28 and 32bhp, Roger Henderson.
up in the paddock, and arrived early to grab a good and the cassette-type gearbox could The CZ attracted a crowd at the
spot to spectate at the trials demonstrations. Then be swapped to suit the circuit with show as well as the judges’ attention
there was just time to stroll past a small sample of five, six or even seven ratios. The – they gave it the ‘Technical Interest’
the sprawling outdoor trade and autojumble stalls hand-beaten alloy petrol tank is award. If you’d like to see more about
to the show ring, where proud owners paraded their tucked behind an alloy fairing – use it, go look at the Renaissance Motor
P&Js for all to admire. some imagination and you can Works page on Facebook.
When the rain clouds threatened, the action
adjourned indoors, where club stands and concours
displays hosted the real stars of the show – the
hundreds of classic motorcycles, prepped and
presented by their proud owners for the audience’s
entertainment. Only a few went home with a prize,
but they were all appreciated, whether in original
condition or fully restored, in standard
specification or much modified.
We’ve chosen just a few to share with you here,
but every owner who contributed to the displays
deserves congratulations. As does that smashing
chap Alan Cathcart, who received the Frank
Farrington award for outstanding service to the
classic motorcycle movement. Well deserved, Sir Al.

THE CAROLE NASH Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

Show takes place on October 17-18, 2015.
See classicbikeshows.com

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 7

 riDiNGLIFe || STAFFORD SHOW

1971 TRIUMPH TRAILBLAZER

The final incarnaTion of BSA-
Triumph’s unit construction 250
single is the oil-in-frame Gold Star,
Victor Trail or Trailblazer, as seen
here. Same bike, different labels!
Weighing in at 290lb, the 1970
T25 was around 25lb lighter than the
TR25W which came before it,
although it was also slightly less
powerful with 22.5bhp available at
8250rpm. Once infamous for their
fragility when ridden with vigour,
these 250s make for handsome and
practical classic mounts these days
(providing you don’t intend to carry a
pillion at 80mph), and offer super
steering combined with decent
brakes and an easy-to-start engine.
Des Price bought his T25 at the
Netley Marsh Eurojumble a few years
ago. “It was tatty but running – when
it felt like it!” he says.
Obviously, the T25 just wanted
some attention, which is what it got
last year in the form of a full
restoration. Very few components
were replaced, according to Des:
“Every bit – nuts, bolts, etc – was
polished, painted or plated.”
The result is a machine which
looks as good as new but which is
almost entirely original. No wonder
the judges gave it the Best Classic
Post-65 award.
1973 MV AGUSTA SPORT
The sTuff of legend, MV’s four-cylinder
four-pipe 750 Sport was announced in 1969 and,
fittingly, pumped out 69bhp at 8500rpm.
The shaft-drive production models which came
onto the market from 1972 were no lightweights,
but road testers of the time reckoned they could
hold their own on the street. ‘It has great reserves
of torque and pulls happily from four thousand. It’s
probably the most powerful 750cc motor made; in
a straight drag with a Z1 it lost only a few yards up
to 100mph’. These days it’s advisable to check
that the road ahead is clear before ramming open
the four Dell’Orto carbs on full throttle: the 4ls

Diary Dates
May 30-31 JUNE 7 Ace Cafe, London ayrclassicmc.com Lancs Classic Car and
Welsh classic newark autojumble, NW10 7UD. Motorcycle show,
Motorcycle festival Newark and Notts ace-café-london.com Daventry Motorcycle Hoghton Tower, Preston
including the Showground, NG24 festival, town centre, PR5 0SH.
Thunderfest, Anglesey 2NY. 01507 529470 JUNE 11 NN11 4HT. classicshows.org
Circuit. newarkautojumble.co.uk classic racing, Aintree daventrybikefest.co.uk
thundersprint.com Circuit, Liverpool. JUNE 20-21
lincoln Bike fest, 01294 823582 JUNE 14 race & rally festival,
Bournemouth Wheels waterfront, town centre, Bamburgh run for Oliver’s Mount,
festival, Bournemouth LN1 1XW. JUNE 12-14 girder-fork or flat-tank Scarborough.
seafront. 07889 994341 cholmondeley Pageant motorcycles. 01723 37300.
bournemouthwheels.co.uk of Power, Malpas, Northumberland.
Medway ToMcc show, SY14 8ET. cpop.co.uk 07919 666818 / JUNE 20
JUNE 6 Higham Memorial Hall, vmccreivers.co.uk ace to squires ride,
classic motorcycle near Rochester, JUNE 13 London to Leeds for
auction, Brooklands ME3 7JL. tomcc.org/md scottish classic Triumph Day at the charity. ride2cure.org.uk
Museum, Surrey. Motorcycle show, Ayr Ace Cafe, London
historics.co.uk JUNE 10 Racecourse, KA8 0JE. NW10 7UD. Bonhams auction of
Brit Bike night at the 01292 289518 / ace-café-london.com pioneer, veteran and

8 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE


Grimeca front brake is awesome, but it can’t quite
match modern ABS…
David Frier rescued his machine a quarter
century ago when it was in a very sorry state.
A year-long restoration followed, with MV guru
Dave Kay returning the powertrain to top-notch
condition. Then in 1995 the MV took top honours
at Stafford, and it collected a highly commended
rosette this time out, too.
As owner David explains: “It may have more
miles on it now but it has been lovingly
maintained, serviced and proudly cleaned to an
even higher standard than back then!”
1962 AMBASSADOR ELECTRA
The firsT producTion British
bike to be fitted with an electric start
as standard was not a Norton (which
is what most folk tend to guess) but
instead was a Villiers two-stroke in an
Ambassador chassis.
Ambassador-built luxury
lightweights which they called ‘the
machines for the connoisseur’. The
firm experimented with a not entirely
successful ‘self-starter’ on their
smaller single-cylinder model as early
as 1952, but a much improved
12-Volt system arrived with the
Electra 75, a 249cc twin powered by
the Villiers 2T motor, in 1961. With
proper swinging arm suspension,
seven-inch brakes and a ‘full size’
riding position, the Electra offered
superior handling and rider
convenience… although it came at a
price. Most two-strokes were sold to
the utility market, and in 1963
Ambassador went out of business.
At the show, Dorothy and Philip
Tracy collected the Best Villiers
Engined Machine award for their
Electra, one of just 39 built between
1961 and 1963. They say it’s
“entirely original apart from the
wheel rims and a few nuts and bolts
which were beyond re-use”.
The Electra was initially used as a
demonstrator by Speedway Cars of
Acton, then sold to a chap who rode
around 18,000 miles on it before it
was tucked away in a shed, waiting
for its moment of glory. In that livery,
it looked just fine under the
spotlights…

vintage motorcycles, the JUNE 24 somerset Bike café racer day at the JULY 5
Saleroom, Shipton on shiny Bike night at The Weekend, Haynes Ace Cafe, London newark Autojumble,
Cherwell, Kidlington. Plough, Cadsden, International Motor NW10 7UD. Newark and Notts
0208 963 2817 / Princes Risborough, Museum, Sparkford, ace-café-london.com Showground, NG24
bonhams.com HP27 0NB. BA22 7LH. 2NY. 01507 529470
07940 492348 Meriden Motorcycle newarkautojumble.co.uk
scorton Autojumble, bbcmcc.freeuk.com JUNE 28 Megaride finishes at
North Yorkshire Events swaton Vintage day, Queens Head pub, Old JULY 19
Centre DL10 6EH. JUNE 25-28 Thorpe Latimer Park, Road, Meriden CV7 7JP. VMcc founders’ day at
07909 904705 Goodwood festival of Helpringham. megaride.co.uk Stanford Hall, LE17
speed, Chichester 01529 421478 6DH. 0116 277 1245
JUNE 21 PO18 0PX. swatonvintageday.com thetaverners.co.uk
VMCC Banbury run goodwood.com
including autojumble, romney Marsh classic
Motor Heritage Centre, JUNE 27-28 show and bikejumble,
Gaydon, Warwickshire. British Bike Bonanza, Hamstreet, TN26 2JD. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the
information in diary, Classic Bike Guide recommends checking
01283 540557 Ponderosa, Horsley, 01797 344277
with the event organiser before making the journey.
banbury-run.co.uk Stroud. 07961 012161 elk-promotions.co.uk for more details of what’s on go to www.classicbikersclub.com

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 9

 PLACES TO BE

10 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

 RIDINGLIFE || NEWS

You. Your classic. On track

IF YOU’VE EVER WONDERED what it might be like
to let your old bike off the leash and push it to its
full potential then… stop wondering.
The National Motorcycle Museum is offering a
series of classic track days this summer as part of
its ‘Friends’ programme. This gives NMM Friends
access to special track sessions at some of the
UK’s most iconic circuits.
In July, over the weekend of 11/12, you could
take to the track at Cadwell Park. Or in October,
the NMM Friends will be at Snetterton for an extra-
special event on the 16th, 17th and 18th. This
will incorporate the chance to try a vintage bike
and enjoy the Endurance Legends festival, with the
museum running two ex-works Norton rotary racers
with star riders in the saddle.
You can book for one day or the full weekend at
Above: Alan Cathcart
demonstrates the art of the
classic track day
either circuit, with a minimum of five riding
sessions each day, and take advantage of free
advice from an ACU track instructor.
Sessions are split into 20 minutes by riding
experience or by type of bike (two-stroke, British,
European or superbike) to ensure that groups ride
at roughly the same speeds and everyone can relax
and enjoy their time on track. There’s a 105dB
noise limit and you’ll need proper riding gear.
There’s a mechanic at each circuit, and camping is
included in the cost, which starts at £109.
You need to be an NMM Friend to take
advantage of these arrangements, and the places
on these exclusive days are strictly limited, so
don’t delay in joining and booking. NMM Friends
membership costs £29.95 from 01675 443311 /
email friends@thenmm.co.uk

Manx winner at Borders Show

THIS YEAR’S GUEST of which illustrates his 50 bike displays, showcasing catering, a range of Event organiser Jim
honour at the Borders years of racing. Says the best in vintage and awards and trophies for Reynolds is one half of
Classic Bike Show is event organiser Jim classic motorcycles from the concours the original almost-
racer Les Trotter, whose Reynolds: “Les is a real the south Shropshire competitors and a dynamic duo who started
moment of glory came in raconteur and will be region over the weekend chance for visitors to this very magazine,
1976 when he won the interviewed on both days, of 12/13 September. The vote for their favourite Classic Bike Guide.
Senior Manx Grand Prix with some great tales to show opens 10am to bike. Machines will be Jim and Frank
aboard a Crooks Suzuki. tell. He’s promised not to 5pm on both days. revved up on the Sunday Westworth – the other
Trotter will bring two show off his scars…” There’s a special bikes- at 2pm to compete for a half and current editor –
racing Suzukis to the The racing Suzukis will only parking area, a special prize for the best- will be available over the
show along with a display join two indoors halls of bikejumble, excellent sounding bike. entire weekend for

12 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

Polished classic and custom
MOST MOTORCYCLE DEALERS buy
and sell bikes. Well, duh. Of course
they do. But some specialists have a
different angle on the whole
business; people like those at
2WheelsMiklos who are based just off
the A3 near Guildford.
These guys still buy bikes and then
sell them on again. In between the
buying and the selling, however,
these motorcycles are given more
than a spot of spit and polish.
“Our objective,” say the Miklos
team, “is to produce machines
which are beautiful, interesting and
turn heads.”
This started in 2012 as a personal
project by Miklos (Mike) Salamon but
soon bloomed into a full-time
business restoring classics and
creating superb specials.
Typically, the 2WheelsMiklos team
of Miklos, Alan and Dave source
bikes in good mechanical condition,
strip them and then restore and / or
customise them. They’re also open to
turning customers’ dreams into metal
reality, so long as the project is
technically feasible and economically
viable. The workshop has capacity to
handle half a dozen projects at any
time, with almost all of the work
completed in-house apart from
painting and chroming.
The showroom and workshops are
always packed with recently-finished
projects and the current works-in-
consolation, and CBG
will provide a few classic
prizes. We have no idea
what they’ll be…
All proceeds from the
event go to the PTA at
Lacon Childe School
which hosts the show at
Cleobury Mortimer,
DY14 8PE. Further info
from 01299 270642.
progress. The guys have not long
finished the tip-to-tailpiece
restoration of a T160 Trident,
Kwacker Z1B, Yam RD350 and a
CX500 to original specification and
better-than-new condition. Alongside
those gleaming machines you’ll find
some truly funky one-off creations
such as their Dakar Street Scrambler,
based around an airhead R80; a
steampunk BMW K100, and the
urban-camo ‘war machine’ K75
triple. Coming soon; a Harley big twin
and a ‘Chrome Café Racer’ which
started life as a standard CB900F.
Miklos is also the Métisse agent for
the south of England, with a handsome
Desert Racer on display in the
showroom. If you fall in lust with it,
2WheelsMiklos can arrange delivery
from the Métisse factory in around
eight weeks from order. So if you’re in
the area, drop in to browse – call ahead
and they’ll have a brew waiting for you.
The shop is normally open six days
a week but if you want to bring your
pals or club along they’ll even open
up on Sunday. Call 01483 546157
or log on to 2wheelsmiklos.com
Bonnie saddles
WHEN SADDLECRAFT FIRST started making
motorcycle seats back in 1982, traditional Triumph
twins were still being built at Meriden.
Three decades later, an entirely different type of
twin now rolls out of the Triumph factory at
Hinckley – but Saddlecraft staff still use their
skill and expertise to offer a range of well-proven
products.
The South Shields firm has always provided a
rescue and renovation service. “We can rebuild
almost any seat as long as we have something to work
from – so give us a ring before you throw it away!”
Saddlecraft also manufactures a range of classic
and custom seats with options, including genuine
leather hide in various colours and grades, vinyl
covers with varied textures including basketweaves,
carbon fibre, ribbed, metal flakes, leather grains
and suedes.
The latest addition to the Saddlecraft range is a
new selection of seats, designed specifically to
enhance Triumph’s current twin-cylinder Bonneville
range. The first of these is in the classic ‘Café’
style, harking back to the single-seater, humped-
back Swingin’ Sixties look. The second ‘Retro’
saddle is based on the stitched-top, dual-seat
design seen on Meriden Triumph in the late 1960s
and early 70s.
Both styles are built on a composite base which
is slightly shorter and narrower that the standard
seat pan. This gives a cleaner look and exposes the
seat rails of the frame. The Retro saddle also
comes in a narrower and lower format, helping
shorter people to get their feet on the ground. The
saddles are filled with injection-moulded
polyurethane and covered with quality automotive
grade vinyl. For long-distance riders looking for
extra comfort, a gel pad option is available for £50
on top of the usual cost of £275.
More new designs will be added to the
Saddlecraft range this year. Call 0191 455 6262
or see saddlecraft.com
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 13
 RIDINGLIFE || WILLIAMS NORTON
The first of a few Words and photos by Jim Reynolds
Peter Williams, one time Norton works racer,
Formula 750 TT winner on a Commando-based
bike, and general motorcycle hero, is building a
batch of 25 replicas of the 1973 John Player
Norton that is part of the great name’s legend. And
on April 7 PW Replica Number One was handed
over to Belgian architect and racer Raf Blanckaert
at Turweston Aerodrome, just down the road from
Silverstone.
It’s a very relaxed and friendly place, where
amateur flyers drop in for a break and time on the
14 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
runway is allocated to other users when there are
no planes wanting use of the tarmac. Like the
Aston Martin Racing team, who had first call
before the Norton was fired up, and drowned
everything else out with its open megaphone
exhaust.
Handing the bike over was Gavin Tappenden,
who built the bike in the nearby MGEI motorcycle
engineering consultancy, where Greg Taylor is a
partner in the Williams venture. Gavin was making
a living as a technician in a Suzuki franchise and
decided to up his qualifications by taking a degree
course in Motorcycle Engineering at Swansea
University. Time well spent? “Great. Can’t believe
I’m building bikes like this that were a dream for
me and being paid for it.”
Williams himself is full of praise for the skills
Gavin showed in putting the 1mm gauge stainless
steel monocoque-framed bike together: “When the
holes for the supportive spot welding were drilled
in the sheet, they were accurate to within one-fifth
of a millimetre, but when Gavin folded them to the
final shape they were 100% accurate. He’s good,
very good; I call him an over-qualified mechanic.”
Peter Williams described the machines as
“replicas, they are not John Player Nortons.
They’re built to the original drawings, but
incorporate some changes.
“The pannier fuel tanks are not part of the
fairing and do not need an insulating layer to keep
them cool; the original John Player bikes were built
with cavity wall insulation at that point”, he
smiles, “and the alloy oil tank is a separate unit,
not part of the monocoque, so there’s less
likelihood of expensive damage if the bike’s
dropped. That’s a lesson learned from racing”.
The next bike to be built was due to be shown at
Stafford before being shipped off to its owner in
Hong Kong, who has asked Peter Williams if he
can also build a replica of the famous ‘Wagon
Wheels’ Arter Matchless G50 (which used
Above clockwise from top
left: The monocoque chassis is
precision built by Gavin
Tappenden in one millimetre
gauge stainless steel
The guilty parties. From left:
Williams’ partner Greg Taylor,
Peter Williams, owner Raf
Blanckaert, builder technician
Gavin Tappenden and Raf’s
mechanic, Rob
This is Mr Blanckaert’s
occasional office, offering
rather less elbow room than his
full time architectural base
From every angle, this is one
slim and beautiful machine
The owner appeared
completely at home on the
bike, revelling in the noise of
open meggas echoing across
the Northamptonshire
countryside
Williams’ own design of cast alloy wheels) that he
rode to finish second behind Giacomo Agostini’s
factory MV Agusta in the 1970 Senior TT. No
answer on that one yet.
The 750cc power unit and five-speed gearbox
are supplied by Mick Hemmings; the cast
magnesium wheels come from the original tooling
that Williams designed, and the whole is enclosed
in the slim fairing with John Player racing colours
from the 1973 season.
Each carries its batch number and Peter
Williams’ signature on a chassis plate. It is, by any
measure, a beautiful motorcycle whose detail work
reflects the quality of the job. After Raf had taken
up quite a lot of runway time, the bike was packed
away in his VW Transporter to head back to
Belgium and a place next to the 1970 750
Production Racer that his father bought new.
Part of the protective packaging reflected the
racer habits of old, with a double mattress against
the van wall. Would the works demonstrator come
with a Hypnos mattress to better suit its status, we
asked? “Certainly not,” Greg Taylor responded. “It’ll
have a Featherbed!” They clearly know their
Nortons.
The bike is priced at £65,000 all in. You can
find more on www.peterwilliamsmotorcycles.com
and hear it in action in the Classic Parade that will
support the British Moto GP at Silverstone on
August 28-30. CBG
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 15
 RIDINGLIFE || GEOFF DUKE
FIRST GENTLEMAN
OF RACING
A genuine superstar of motorcycle sport has left us.
We recall the highlights of his career
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY AlAn CAthCArt
SIX-TIME WORLD CHAMPION and six-time TT
winner Geoff Duke OBE passed away peacefully on
Friday, May 1 at his home in the Isle of Man, at
the age of 92.
Duke was the first global superstar of Grand Prix
racing. He was the first rider to win three
successive world championships – the 1953-55
titles on four-cylinder Gileras – and also the first to
win two in the same year, when he won both the
350cc and 500cc world crowns in 1951 on Norton
Manx singles.
In the 1950s Geoff Duke became a household
name all over Europe and the British
Commonwealth thanks to his good looks, stylish
riding, polite manner... and especially his
underdog success. He defeated the four-cylinder
Italian multis from Gilera and MV Agusta to win
the first three of his six world titles aboard the
much less powerful but better-handling Norton
singles.
Norton’s directors were far from happy that Duke
would earn more than they did if they paid him
what he was worth, so he transferred to the Gilera
team for twice the salary he was earning at Norton.
At Gilera he swiftly transformed their fast but
unruly fours into unbeatable machinery which took
him to three more 500cc world crowns. It might
have been more, but for a combination of injury
and the six-month ban imposed on him by the FIM
for daring to support the hard-pressed privateers’
strike for more start money at the 1955 Dutch TT
at Assen.
Geoff Duke was also the first rider to wear
one-piece racing leathers. He enlisted his local
tailor to make the first of the now commonplace
lighter and more aerodynamically efficient integral
designs to replace the heavy, baggy two-piece race
suits. He won the 1950 Senior TT wearing these
leathers on his first ride for the Norton factory
team, and by the end of that season many other
riders had followed suit.
Geoff’s hopes of winning the 500cc world title
next time around were dashed when his Dunlop
tyres threw a tread at Assen and Spa. But victories
16 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
in the Ulster GP and – amazingly – the Italian GP
at Monza, where on his much slower single he
defeated the four-cylinder Italian bikes on Gilera’s
high-speed home track, meant that Duke lost the
title by just a single point to Gilera’s lead rider
Umberto Masetti. But the following year the tables
were turned, and Geoff Duke became world
champion in both the 350cc and 500cc classes for
Norton, winning both Senior and Junior TT races
into the bargain. He repeated the 350cc world title
victory in 1952 with a clean sweep of all four GP
races – including the Junior TT – but the 500cc
Norton single was now seriously outgunned by the
Gilera fours.
However, this world championship success
earned him acclaim outside the motorcycle
community, and Geoff was elected Sportsman of
the Year by BBC radio listeners, and was later
made an OBE from The Queen in 1953.
A brief but unsuccessful flirtation with car racing
followed as a member of the Aston Martin factory
team in 1952/53, which he combined with racing
motorcycles. Then Duke made a shock switch to
his Italian rivals, which was in every way as
significant as Giacomo Agostini later swapping
from MV Agusta to Yamaha in 1974, and indeed
Valentino Rossi from Honda to Yamaha in 2004.
Duke went on to win a hat-trick of 500cc world
championships with Gilera, thanks to his work in
improving the behaviour of the fast but wayward
Italian fours by using what he’d learned riding the
slower but better-handling Norton singles.
Geoff’s Gilera career was also punctuated by a
six-month ban imposed on him by the FIM at the
start of 1956. He and Gilera teammate Reg
Armstrong supported the threat of a riders’ strike
at the 1955 Dutch TT at Assen, where in spite of
the huge crowds in excess of 100,000 fans, the
organisers paid the hard-pressed privateers forming
the Continental Circus a pittance. Although a new
regulation came into effect at the end of the
season, compelling organisers to pay all riders
starting a GP race a much higher cash sum than
before, Duke’s reward for helping bring this about
♠
 Above left: Geoff Duke with Above right: Geoff Duke on
Derek Minter (seated) and John the Gilera four leads Bill Lomas
Hartle at Monza test, March on a Guzzi V8 in the 1956
1963 German GP at Solitude

Winning the 1953 GP des

Nations in Italy

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 17

 RIDINGLIFE || GEOFF DUKE
was to be suspended from racing for the first half
of the following season. That left him unable to
defend his 500cc world title. Imagine the FIM
suspending Marc Marquez or Valentino Rossi for
such a period – and for such a reason – today.
After this Geoff Duke’s racing career took a
downturn, partly because of the ban, partly through
unreliability of the Gilera engines, and partly
because of an injury sustained in an accident at
Imola early in the 1957 season. This allowed Italian
teammate Libero Liberati to regain the 500cc world
title for Gilera – after which the Italian firm shocked
the world by withdrawing from racing, in company
with Moto Guzzi and Mondial, between them
winners of all four 1957 world championship titles.
This left Geoff without machinery, and although
he did race a BMW Rennsport for the German
factory in four 1958 GP races, he could not adapt
to the unusual handling characteristics of the
shaft-drive Boxer twin. Reverting to privateer
Nortons, he won the last two of the 33 Grand Prix
victories he achieved in his 10-year road racing
career at Hedemora in Sweden in 1958, winning
both the 350ccc and 500cc Swedish GP races. He
continued for one more season in 1959 with
privateer Nortons and a 250 Benelli single, retiring
from GP racing after the Italian GP that year where
he earned a podium finish in third place on his
500cc Manx Norton. After winning three races in
one day at the non-championship meeting in
Locarno in Switzerland the following week, Duke
called it a day and retired from motorcycle racing.
A brief but unsuccessful attempt to resurrect his
car racing career ended with a serious crash in
Sweden, after which Duke became an hotelier in
18 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
Above: Geoff Duke on the
grid for the 1959 Ulster GP. He
rode a 500 Manx Norton
Below: World Champion
Geoff Duke (right)
congratulates 21-year-old John
Surtees after he was beaten by
the youngster at Brands Hatch
in October 1955
the Isle of Man, where he lived.
In 1963 he was lured back to GP paddocks,
after persuading Mr Gilera to resurrect the
four-cylinder 500cc racers which last competed in
1957, in order to provide MV Agusta’s sole rider
Mike Hailwood with some competition. With Derek
Minter and John Hartle riding, victory came early
with a one-two success ahead of Hailwood’s MV at
the prestigious Imola Gold Cup non-championship
race. But then Minter crashed his Norton racing at
Brands Hatch and was seriously injured, leading
Phil Read to be signed to replace him. A one-two
Gilera victory in the Dutch TT was the only time
the team’s elderly bikes got the better of the MV
Agusta and its star rider, and at the end of the
season Scuderia Duke was wound up.
Geoff later became involved in various
companies based in the Isle of Man, such as a
scooter rental business, a car dealership and a
boat company, and was instrumental in setting up
the Manxline company that introduced the first
roll-on, roll-off ferry service to the island. Later, his
son Peter founded Duke Video, at one time the
world’s largest publisher of motorsport videos.
Geoff Duke was the supreme racer of his
generation, an impeccably behaved, always polite
and invariably well-presented patriot who, to foreign
enthusiasts, was the quintessential Englishman.
His love of Italy and its people was reciprocated in
full, and his contribution to the sport as it struggled
to gain acceptance in the post-war era cannot be
overestimated. He, more than anyone else, was
responsible for putting two-wheeled road racing on
the global map. To his widow Daisy and sons Peter
and Michael, we extend our sympathies. CBG
claSSic biKe Guide

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 RIDINGLIFE || BSA Rocket 3
Above: The end of an
illustrious line. BSA’s last
triples were export Rockets
such as this one. A grand note
to take that final bow
Opposite L-R: High, not very
wide at all, and handsome. A
brilliant BSA
The carburation station. Three
Amal Concentrics mounted on
a gantry, with their throttles
operated by a single cable.
Three ticklers, though, and the
middle one can be hard to
reach. Some owners carried a
small stick for this
The last of the triples gained
the front end fitted to almost
all of the BSA/Triumph group’s
motorcycle range. The forks
work well, and the conical hub
front brake can be made to
work well. A pair of discs would
be an improvement…
22 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
Last of the line
One of BSA’s final bikes was also one of the best the
company ever built. Go figure
PHOTOS BY Rowena Hoseason
AFTER 63 yEARs, production of BSA motorcycles
ended in April 1973, when seven B50 singles and
11 Rocket 3 triples were the last new bikes
wheeled away from the Small Heath factory.
If ever a model represented the end of an era, it
is the final edition of the three-cylinder Rocket 3.
All the optimism, ingenuity, engineering
excellence, commercial compromise, corner-
cutting, determination in the face of adversity and
muddled management thinking that typifies the
demise of the old British bike industry is
represented here by a pair of wheels, an engine
and a frame.
BSA’s bright boys first had the notion of building
a 250 triple, and then bumped that idea up to
350cc to score points in that popular class in the
American market. The prototype 250 was
undoubtedly a right little snapper; 40bhp, six-
speed gearbox (with provision for eight ratios for
racing), four valves per cylinder, dohc and some
‘unusual characteristics’, which industry stalwart
Bert Hopwood reckoned would produce
‘exceptional cooling’. It’s fair to say that a bike of
this type was a pretty big deal in the mid-1960s…
But just as the project was about to get the nod,
with the prospect of GP racing hovering in the
background (much to Hopwood’s horror because he
hated the way racing devoured development
budgets), one of the BSA-Triumph group’s sale
managers dropped a bombshell. “By the way,” he
said, with a carefully cultivated casual air. “I
learned today that Honda will shortly be marketing
a 750cc machine.”
As soon as everyone in the room had received
the necessary medical attention, work on the tiny
triple stopped on the spot. Hopwood pulled his
long-standing plan for a three-cylinder 750 out of
his hat, where it had been hiding since 1961 or
so. The P1 prototype was ready by 1965 – and yes,
the world might be a different place today if it had
gone straight into production. Or not: the first
Tridents and Rocket 3s weren’t exactly flawless,
and an even more rushed development cycle
wouldn’t have created a more reliable pair of
motorcycles.
However, the first version of the 750 triples
certainly showed plenty of potential. The standing
joke at the factory was that test rider, Percy Tait,
burned the rubber off the rear tyre on the prototype
on the short ride from the experimental shop to the
factory gate. Indeed, it wasn’t easy getting a
suitable tyre to cope with the triple’s weight and
torque in 1965, so that particular tall story has
some basis in reality.
It is easy nowadays, in a world dominated by
four-cylinder motorcycles, to underestimate just
how impressive the early multis were to British
riders. Those motorcyclists were more used to
thumping big singles and parallel twins pushed
past the point of optimal development. Tait himself
– a man who is estimated to have ridden more than
a million miles – turned in extremely positive
reports on the triple, despite some typically dismal
‘wet mudlands’ weather.
“My test riding was done on a perfectly
miserable day, with plenty of cold gusty wind and
intermittent rain, and I had a ball. Rain or not, I
really liked whizzing around on the BSA’s new
Rocket 3. It is a dandy. It moves away slowly at
first and then begins to gather speed more and
more rapidly until suddenly it’s going like a streak.
It takes 14 seconds to make a standing quarter
mile and it feels like four of those seconds are
used in reaching 40mph.
“From 40mph and up is where the bike really
comes alive. The engine is so smooth, and the
forward surge is so steady, that at first it doesn’t
feel as though much is happening. But then you
will notice that the wind is about to snatch you off
the saddle and the speedo is well past the three-
figure mark. And the whole process has only taken
mere seconds. The Rocket 3 is a magnificent
instrument for getting from here to there without
BU
Price guide
Y
£8000 to £15,000
IT
NO
FAuLTS & FOiBLeS
W
There is no real reason why a
triple – based on a two-cylinder
Triumph engine – should be less
reliable or more difficult to set up
decently than the original twin.
However, many owners find
difficulty in setting the ignition
(originally three sets of points,
easily replaced by more modern
arrangements), the carbs (there
are three), and sometimes in
maintaining oil pressure. The This actual bike, a 1971 (72 spec) matching
engine is also something of a numbers Rocket 3, is up for grabs at £11,000 at
brute to kick over, especially from Venture Classics. It’s an older restoration
cold. All that said, when a BSA “showing some signs of age and use; starts easily
triple is running well – and they
usually do – there are very few
and rides extremely well”. See
more exhilarating rides around. ventureclassics.com
ALSO cOnSider
Honda CB750 (more
any fuss or fatigue. The bike handles with amazing
sophistication and fewer
gremlins); Triumph T160 lightness and agility at all speeds; the ride is
(electric start but less smoother than smooth, and you would be surprised
astonishing styling); Benelli Sei how much difference it makes not to have all that
(double the trouble with six vibro-massage action as you ride.”
cylinders. Well. Why stop at
three or four?)
The first export Rocket 3s were built in 1968
and differed from the Triumph Trident in many
SPeciALiST inFO ways, not least the angle of the slightly sloping
triplesonline.com cylinder block. We will draw a discreet veil over the
LP Williams:
dealer and customer reaction to the initial Ogle
triumph-spares.co.uk
Design styling, because we’re looking at the more
OwnerS’ cLuB conventionally handsome export model seen here,
Trident and Rocket 3 OC: a 1972 example which has spent its whole life in
tr3oc.com the UK. After four years of product evaluation by
♠
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 23
 RIDINGLIFE || BSA Rocket 3
Above: Although it looks the customers and hurried product development at
lithe, in fact the BSA is a beefy the factory, the A75 was finally able to live up to
rocket. The clutch is a little most expectations.
unusual, using a pullrod to lift
a diaphragm spring
The early brakes weren’t entirely up to the
performance of such a fast, heavy machine, hence
the introduction of the 2ls conical hub brake.
These can be frustrating to set up effectively but
can be as good as many early disc brakes once
correctly fettled. The new hubs, along with lighter
forks (‘light alloy racing forks that damp both ways
for precision control’) contributed to an overall
13lb weight saving. An improved oil cooler
promised better engine efficiency and reliability,
MANUFACTURED: 1969 to 1972 ENGINE: Air-cooled three-cylinder ohv BORE/STROKE: 67 x
70mm CAPACITY: 741cc COMPRESSION: 8.5 : 1 CARBURETION: 3x 26mm Amal Concentrics
POWER: 58bhp at 7250rpm PRIMARY DRIVE: Duplex chain FINAL DRIVE: Simplex chain
GEARBOX: Four-speed (or five – ‘V’ in the engine number) FRONT SUSPENSION: 35mm tele forks
REAR SUSPENSION: Swinging arm, twin Girling shocks, preload adjustable FRONT BRAKES: 8in
ls conical hub drum REAR BRAKE: 7in sls drum FRONT TYRE: Dunlop TT100, 4.10 x 19 REAR
TYRE: Dunlop TT100, 4.10 x 19 GROUND CLEARANCE: 7 inches SEAT HEIGHT: 31in
WHEELBASE: 58 inches WEIGHT: 455lb dry ACCELERATION: 0 to 100mph in 13.75 seconds
TOP SPEED: 130mph
24 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
and BSA’s brochure offered ‘luxury touches’ in the
shape of the megaphone exhausts and direction
signals. The Rocket 3’s gearing was changed for
1972, and it gained the group’s five-speed gearbox
to become the A75V.
At last, the Rocket 3 blasted off. The AMA
certified its top speed at 131.79mph in ‘showroom
stock condition’; a CB750 tested by Cycle World
topped out at 123.24mph. The BSA produced
45lb-ft of torque at 6900rpm; the Honda was
rated at 44lb-ft at 7000rpm. Fuelled, these two
competitors weighed much the same at a sniff
under 500lb. They both travelled from a standstill
to 60mph in 5.2 seconds. The BSA could stop
from 30mph in 31ft while the Honda needed
nearly 33ft. And, unsportingly, the Rocket 3
possessed the kind of cornering poise which
eluded Japanese manufacturers for a long while.
BSA even made an asset out of what might’ve been
considered a flaw in the era of mass production,
trumpeting that “true BSA balance comes from
hand-welding our frames”.
Nor was it over-stating the Rocket 3’s potential.
Bert Hopwood reckoned that “a rash handful of
throttle can lift the front wheel off the ground at
60mph”. The Rocket 3 secured nine AMA speed/
endurance records. Dick Mann took first place on a
BSA triple at Daytona, setting a new record average
speed at 104.7mph. And then John Cooper rode a
Rocket 3 when he beat Agostini in the 1971 race
of the year.
So, although the end of BSA was nothing but
sad, at least the company went out on a high note.
Who can blame BSA for celebrating a success,
even if it was short-lived? “As rugged as it is fast.
And smooth: you’ve got to ride it to believe it. The
ultimate high performance touring machine.” CBG
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 25
26 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
 RIDINGLIFE || VELOCETTE SPECIAL
BRISTOL
Above: Velocette
manufactured fewer than a
thousand MAC and MSS
Scramblers between 1954 and
1969. When Ken couldn’t find
one, he built a modern-day
interpretation of his own
Opposite, clockwise: An
entertaining mixture of ancient
and modern, with the venerable
Velocette single engine
surrounded by a rather re-
worked Velo frame, seriously tall
suspension, BSA oil and fuel
tanks, and even Cagiva forks.
Special it most certainly is
28 June 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
Sweet scrambler
If Velocette still built bikes, this one would sell by the boatload
Photos by Joe Dick
VELOCETTE’S SPORTS SINGLES have always
attracted owners who like to extract every last
ounce of urge from their old bikes. Few pushrod
singles cram so much ‘go’ into such an
accomplished package as the Venom, Clubmans
and Thruxton models, so it’s far from unusual to
find top-class examples roaring at full bore around
the UK’s race tracks, competing in classic road
races. However, Velo singles can also be found in
the muddy stuff, wearing wide bars, high pipes and
knobbly tyres.
Despite the firm’s impressive TT-winning
heritage, Veloce opted out of road racing in the
early 1950s to concentrate on its new range of
small-capacity commuter twins. Over in America,
the Californian importer had different ideas and
was tinkering with MAC 350 and MSS 500 singles,
prepping them for scrambles and desert racing.
This offered an opportunity to secure some
much-needed export sales, and to give the marque
some publicity at home in endurance and one-day
off-road events… without paying the horrendous
development costs for a new racing model and a
full works road-racing team.
So the MSS Scrambler arrived for 1955,
bringing with it many of the performance
enhancements which would appear on later road
bikes. The all-alloy MSS engine with hairpin valve
springs was much more revvy than the earlier, long-
stroke 1945-48 incarnation, with ‘square’ bore and
stroke of 86mm apiece giving 499cc. In standard
spec it produced 23bhp, but special cams and
bumping the compression up to 8.75:1 combined
with an Amal TT carb and an open exhaust to boost
its power to an impressive 40bhp.
The Scrambler also came equipped with a
manual BT-H TT magneto, special sprockets to
lower the gearing, two-way damped front forks, a
slim 2.5-gallon fuel tank, which made space for
extra steering lock, an engine bashplate, and
initially a low-level straight-through exhaust pipe,
unencumbered by the firm’s trademark fishtail
silencer.
Later Scramblers adopted a high-level pipe as
part of an ongoing quest to improve the off-roader’s
available ground clearance. However, the tall
engine and road-going chassis weren’t easily
adapted to suit the demands of the scrambles
circuit – and were even harder to use on
demanding trials over rocky terrain. Riders of the
time reported that the machine felt somewhat
lopsided, but there simply wasn’t any budget to
develop a proper competition frame.
So, the riders and the Comp Shop did what they
could with what they had. The fork sliders were
fitted with gaiters to protect them from mud, and
the light alloy mudguards were positioned to give
wide tyre clearances and to prevent the wheels
clogging. The rear wheel’s hub was secured with
six mounting studs instead of the usual three.
The footrests were given non-slip pads, and the
oil tank was relocated to the left side, making
space for Veloce’s patented double-capacity air
cleaner – vital for desert racers in the States. Many
of these mods eventually made their way on to the
roadsters, like using thicker studs to secure the
engine’s cylinder barrel.
So the 1957 advert wasn’t entirely fibbing when it
boasted that the Scrambler was ‘tomorrow’s
competition motorcycle today’. Getting the best
from the MSS on mud and dirt circuits certainly
highlighted areas for development, not least the rear
suspension. Initially, Veloce argued that the firm’s
unconventional form of adjustable rear suspension
was a benefit off-road, but eventually a special ISDT
bike was built for 1958 with a revised rear end.
The Comp Shop had struggled to prevent the
swinging arms twisting out of alignment (and had
pinned them in place), and the impact of hard
landings played havoc with the upper shock
absorber mounting. So this lighter frame had its
specially designed suspension units fully secured
at the top, and the production Scramblers soon
followed suit, with fixed shocks and a fully
triangulated rear frame section from 1959. Even
so, the Scrambler frame still kept its sidecar lugs.
Alongside the Scrambler, Veloce also built an
Endurance model specifically for the USA, with a
Price guide
£7000 low to £9500 high
FAuLTS & FOiBLeS
Genuine off-roaders very likely
to have been damaged in use,
especially rear ends of pre-59
bikes. Very few real Scramblers
now available. American
Endurance model not as high-
spec as the Scrambler but
often listed with an ‘enduro’
label
ALSO cOnSider
BSA Gold Star in trials/
scrambles trim (more expensive
but many more almost
affordable replicas around);
Matchless G80CS (cheaper,
less upmarket but better off-
road credentials); Triumph
Trophy (twin cylinder, often
easier to live with)
SPeciALiST inFO
Grove Classics
OwnerS’ cLuB
Velocette OC:
velocetteowners.com
BU
Y
IT
NO
W
Classic Motorcycles in Cheshire has a stack of
Velo singles in stock at the moment, including half
a dozen Venoms in varying states of tune. Prices
range from £7k through to £15,000. This 1961
example has 50k miles on its clock and is priced
at £7500; ring 01928 788500
specification and a price part-way between the
outright off-roader and the MSS roadbike. The
Endurance was fitted with a 21in front wheel and
an 18in rear, a Monobloc carb with a slightly
smaller bore than the TT, a full lighting kit, fishtail
silencer and cow-horn handlebars. It used the
roadster’s 18-tooth engine sprocket and 46-tooth
rear wheel sprocket (instead of the Scrambler’s
16/60 arrangement), and weighed at least 40lb
more than the 335lb off-roader.
Production of the Scrambler continued into the
1960s, but its record in trials and point-to-point
competitions was uninspiring. By contrast, the
Venom secured several prestigious speed records
and the Thruxton won the production TT. So,
although the Scrambler was listed until 1969,
♠
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || June 2015 29
 RIDINGLIFE || VELOCETTE SPECIAL
Above: The Cagiva front end sales gradually faded away. However, the dream of
certainly makes the Velo stand a high-performance scrambles-style Velo lived on…
out (and indeed stand up) when
…and was made metal around 15 years ago by
in the company of its fellows.
The suspension mods included Ken, who created this one-of-a-kind street
the use of a chain tensioner, scrambler. “I wanted a 1958 Velocette Scrambler
unusual on a Velo, and the with a triangulated subframe,” says Ken, “but I
machine weighs some 25% couldn’t find one. I was also inspired by the Italian
less than a standard machine
Borile B500CR, and wanted to improve the Velo’s
performance without compromising the engine.
This meant reducing the weight of the bike as
much as possible, while keeping an eye on the
build quality, braking, handling and torque.”
Over the course of the two-year build, Ken had a
very clear idea of where he was heading. “I wanted
my completed bike to give the overall impression
of a unified design rather than an assemblage of
disparate parts.”
So he started out with that vision and a standard
1959 Venom engine and frame. The rear end was
re-worked, based on that 1958 ISDT bike, with a
subframe fabricated from high-tensile steel tubing
with brazed joints. Then came an extensive search
for new and used components, some from
BUILT: 1954-69 ENGINE: Air-cooled ohv single BORE / STROKE: 86 x 86mm CAPACITY: 499cc
COMPRESSION: 8.75:1 POWER: 40bhp at 6200rpm CARBURETTOR: Amal TT9 IGNITION:
BT-H TT magneto GEARBOX: 4-speed foot change FRONT SUSPENSION: Tele forks, two-way
damping REAR SUSPENSION: Swinging arm, twin shocks FRONT TYRE: 3.00 x 21 REAR TYRE:
4.00 x 19 BRAKES: 7in drums WHEELBASE: 54in GROUND CLEARANCE: 6.5in SEAT
HEIGHT: 33in WEIGHT: 335lb
30 June 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
autojumbles and some from the Velocette Owners’
Club spares scheme.
The petrol tank and oil tank came from a BSA;
the forks are Cagiva, and the magnesium hubs
were sourced from Sachs and KTM machines. Ken
built the wheels with alloy rims; 21in at the front
and 18in at the rear – an arrangement that the
Hall Green Comp Shop experimented with back in
the late 50s.
Unlike the original Scrambler, however, Ken’s
bike is obviously built for the road. A straight-
through pipe wouldn’t be acceptable these days,
and his bike even has provision for a pillion
passenger. In fact, the pillion footrest mounting
brackets are one of Ken’s favourite details on the
whole bike.
The dualseat is also a thing of wonder. It’s a
home-made aluminium seat-base which was
“covered in leather and shaped by my friend, David.
He’s one of the foremost coachbuilders in the
country, more used to reupholstering Rolls Royces!”
The bespoke exhaust system was another
component where Ken’s design was brought into
being by a friend, Andy. “It was designed to be as
tight fitting as possible and to follow the lines of
the bike.”
If this all sounds suspiciously easy, then you
won’t be surprised to learn that some areas were
much more problematic. “The biggest challenge
was using the standard Velo swinging arm,”
explains Ken. “I needed 10 inches ground
clearance. The answer was to use a chain tensioner,
which took a lot of trial and error. If I built a similar
bike again, I would use different swinging arms;
longer and of a different design.”
In the end, all the effort was surely worth it.
“The finished bike weighs 25% less than the
standard Venom,” says Ken, “and the performance
is as good as I had hoped for.” And in keeping with
Ken’s original aim, his Venom Street-Scrambler is
beautifully proportioned and finished to an
extremely high standard. If you saw it in the street,
you could be forgiven for thinking that Veloce had
started building motorcycles again. CBG
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 31
 RIDINGLIFE || NORTON 18
opposite, clockwise: Classic
Norton simplicity and ease of
access to all service points.
The gear change will terrify
anyone unfamiliar with it…
Girder forks can appear
complicated, but they’re not,
with a pair of pivoting links on
each side connecting the girder
legs to the yokes, with one
main and two secondary
springs providing the
suspension
32 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
Vintage virtues
The price of pre-war British bikes puts them beyond most budgets. The first bikes
built after the Second World War offer an affordable alternative
Photos by Brian H
“It just oozes character,” grins owner Brian.
“I’ve owned other girder-fork machines over the
years but never a Norton of any kind in 50 years of
motorcycling. Although it looks like a pre-war bike,
this was actually an interim model produced
mainly in 1946 using parts from the 1939 Model
18, just to get production going after the war.
From 1947 onwards this model had telescopic
forks, a different gearbox and many minor different
parts, including the handlebar controls. I like the
classic, pre-war style of the Model 18 and the
silver and black finish – so I just took a fancy to it
and bought it a couple of years ago in pretty much
the same condition it’s in now.”
Norton’s big singles can be traced all the way
back to the 1920s, when the firm’s first ohv 490cc
model was designed under the watchful eye of
James Lansdowne Norton himself. The new motor
used the 79mm by 100mm layout of the Norton
sidevalve engine to create a world-beating
Brooklands record breaker, which also took to the
TT track and scooped the honours in the very first
Maudes Trophy of 1923.
That ohv single spawned a series of sporting
successors during the 1920s and 30s. Then, when
the ohc Manx racers and their International
roadbike counterparts arrived, the Model 18
became a practical touring machine which shared
the upmarket livery as competition machines.
The 18 was joined by the higher-spec ES2 in
1928, and throughout the 1930s the 18 inherited
engine and frame developments a year after its
upmarket counterpart. The big news for 1937, for
example, was ‘a new system of valve enclosure’…
Plans to overhaul the singles in 1940 were
postponed when war broke out. The Model 18 was
one of the firm’s first bikes to surface on the
post-war scene. In 1946 it was reintroduced with a
full cradle but still rigid frame, as seen here,
keeping its girder forks and with the motor much
as it had been at the end of the 1930s.
The ES2 returned in 1947 with ‘modern’ plunger
suspension, and both 500 singles were given long
Roadholder telescopic forks that year. The change
to tele forks wasn’t universally appreciated at the

BU
time; compared to girders they were felt to limit

Y
the amount of steering lock and restrict Price guide

IT
manoeuvrability, with snubbers needed to stop the £3750 low to £8000 high

NO
fork shrouds clipping the petrol tank on tight turns.

Although most of his motorcycles are later bikes
with more advanced suspension, owner Brian
hasn’t found it especially hard to adjust to the
girder forks up front. “Rigid/girder bikes are good
fun,” he says. “As long as you let them move about
a bit on corners and watch out for deep potholes
they will get you home safely. However, the girders
can be expensive to put right if worn, and worn
forks really affect the handling.”
Brian deliberately opted to buy an incarnation of
the Model 18, which harks back to the vintage era
– if that’s a bit extreme for your tastes then the
later versions may prove easier to live with.
Bert Hopwood modernised the Norton
single-cylinder engines for 1948, paying particular
attention to the top end, and introducing numerous
detail changes to give the 18 and ES2 more torque
and less chatter.
The valvegear, piston skirt, flywheels, pushrods,
magneto sprocket and top-end lubrication were
revised, and a new one-piece rockerbox fitted. This
gave around 21bhp at 5000rpm which equated to
a top road speed of just under 80mph but –
probably more important to the man in the street –
the engine noise, particularly from the top end,
was minimised.
Nortons also understood that their pre-war
gearbox, an evolution of an earlier three-speed,
hand-change device, wasn’t suitable for the
FAuLTS & FOiBLeS
Standard/unrestored examples
extremely rare. Common mods
include electronic voltage
regulator, Concentric carb.
Careful assembly and modern
sealants can produce a
leak-free primary chaincase.
Worn fork links can produce
evil steering
ALSO cOnSider
Velocette MSS (similar style
and prices); AJS 18 or
Matchless G80 (less cachet for
30% less cash); Ariel Red
Hunter (less well-known, just as
handsome); Norton Model 19
(even longer stroke, mostly
used for sidecars, available in
Sprung or Rigid spec)
SPeciALiST inFO
Pushrod Performance:
pushrod-performance.co.uk
George Cohen: norton.uk.com
OwnerS’ cLuB
nortonownersclub.org
W
A 1946 edition, with a difference. This one-off
Model 18 not only has the tele fork front end, but
it’s also been modified at the back with a
McCandless-style swinging arm conversion. An
interesting alternative to girder forks and a rigid
rear end. Yours for £6750 from
PembrokeshireClassics.com
sophisticated 1950s, and eventually replaced it
with their new laid-down gearbox after making-do
with various short-term solutions.
Brian reckons this is something to check if
you’re looking at a 1946 example like his.
“The gearbox mountings top and bottom can
fracture if they have been allowed to run loose.
1947-onwards bikes have a different box.”
Other areas worth investigating include the
frame. “If there are any signs that a sidecar has
ever been fitted, check the frame very carefully for
alignment. Then things like handlebar controls are
pre-war and very hard to source.
“The best advice is to buy the best example you
can and make sure you know the correct
♠

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 33

 ridinGLIFE || NORTON 18

Above, clockwise:
Outstanding in its field, as
Norton singles often are. Owner
Brian looked suitably happy,
too
Proper nuts’n’bolts motorcycle,
light and decently quick. It
even has a tyre pump fitted
Not a sight familiar to riders of
more modern machinery, but
it’s all simple enough.
Interesting to see the spare
throttle cable taped next to the
one in use; a classic precaution
EnGinE: Air-cooled ohv single BorE / strokE: 79mm x 100mm CapaCity: 490cc
ComprEssion: 6.45:1 output: 21bhp at 5000rpm iGnition: Lucas magneto
ElECtriCs: 6v dynamo ClutCh: Dry multi-plate tyrEs: 3.25 x 19 BrakEs: 7in sls drums
suspEnsion: Rigid rear, girder forks WhEElBasE: 54.5in Ground ClEaranCE: 5.5in
specification of the bike. If you pay reasonable
money for one of these and later parts have been
fitted you will struggle to find the correct parts
because so few were manufactured.
“Basketcases are not for the faint hearted – it’s
always better to have let someone else spend the
money before you buy the end result. My ideal is
an original machine (not a bike rebuilt to standard,
which is quite different), but these are few and far
between now.
“I never restore genuinely original bikes like
sEat hEiGht: 29in dry WEiGht: 375lb
that, but just sort them out mechanically for safety
reasons. It’s also well worth joining the Norton
Owners Club. Lots of advice on their website and
they run a spares scheme.”
So did Brian need to do much work to the Model
18? “Just servicing, so far. I bought it from Chris
Spaett at Venture Classics who I have always found
a pleasure to deal with, and it was a well-sorted
bike. Not concours but tidy and useable, and
there’s been no mechanical mishaps to date.”
During the decades when British bike riders
became obsessed with high-performance
sportsbikes, the Model 18 and other old-fashioned
long-stroke singles fell out of favour. They were
relatively heavy and definitely leisurely, “not really
about flashing acceleration and high speed,” as
historian Roy Bacon explained. “The heavy
flywheels, relatively small carburettor and mild cam
timings worked together to produce low down
torque and pulling power. The machines were able
to carry riders in a relaxed manner at a respectable
average speed, they were little troubled by hills and
ran around the bends with no need to slow down.
On the roads of the time they covered the ground at
a faster gait than was apparent and without the
rider having to work hard to achieve this.”
Those virtues are now back in fashion, it seems.
Brian is happy to ride his Model 18 for miles. “It’s
surprisingly comfortable as the forks are in good
condition. Bouncing along on the sprung saddle
and with an unstressed engine at a steady pace,
it’s good for decent distances. By this point in its
life, the 18 was a well-developed bike.
“It doesn’t need any modern modifications or
technical upgrades if you use it as it was originally
intended. It’s a classic British big single: handles
well, with decent brakes for its time. Just accept it
for what it is and don’t try to ride it like a sports
bike!” CBG

34 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 35
 RIDINGLIFE || MOTO GUZZI LE MANS
Above: ‘Just another Le
Mans’ you might say. You might
also be less than accurate…
opposite: All the familiar
Moto Guzzi features are present
and correct, from the beefy
engine poking its pots out
through the fairing, to the
shaft-drive round back, angular
glassware and bewildering
switchgear
36 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
Guzzi’s CX twin
Five years before the 1000cc Le Mans was introduced worldwide, America’s
craving for cubes created a pioneering cross-breed
Words and photos by NolaN Woodbury
Commissioned by the Berliner Group, the USA-
only Moto Guzzi CX100 was built to satisfy
demand for a litre-size Le Mans in place of the
850cc sold elsewhere. This was accomplished by
substituting the larger engine from the Convert
1000 into the restyled Le Mans Mk.2 and giving it
a new name.
The engine needed to meet new emission limits
for 1978, so its mild tune, airbox with crankcase
breather and restricted exhaust ensured
certification for all 50 America states.
Released in 1979, the CX100 arrived as De
Tomaso reacted to poor sales of the Benelli inline
fours and sixes. With solid sales behind them,
Berliner’s import empire had the clout to request
special models, but it was De Tomaso who dictated
the form.
Now considered a period style applied by most
manufacturers of the era, the CX100’s angular
lines moved Guzzi’s concept away from the V7
Sport’s curve and closer to the Modena wedge
depicted on De Tomaso’s Ford Pantera. The purist
uproar was still a few years in the future; De
Tomaso’s influence would continue, chiselling
angles and squaring corners as production moved
through a series that lasted until 1993.
The 850 Mk.2 and CX100 share an identical
chassis specification, and use a mass-produced
version of the first CroMo V7S frame. Mild steel
tubes form a cradle that supports the engine front
and rear via full-width mounting bolts, one at the
leading front edge of the engine, another running
through a boss cast on the bottom of the
transmission.
An additional cross-brace connects at the top of
the transmission and serves as the battery mount.
To facilitate major servicing, the detachable lower
rails allow the forks, front wheel and upper frame
to be rolled away, wheelbarrow style, leaving the
engine and transmission resting on the main stand.
Wrapped tightly to reduce size and offer a
stronger, more sporting platform than the touring
V7 frame, two horizontal tubes cut between the
engine splay, shadowed by a large, single tube
joining the steering stem to a cross-brace under
the fuel tank.
A distinctive identifier, those side-facing V
sections point to the swinging arm pivot, the right-
side tube holding driveshaft components. Like all
Tonti heavyweights of the time, the rakish Moto
Guzzi-made fork is fixed at a 28º angle.
Carried over from the original Le Mans 850, two-
piston Brembo calipers attach to each slider, now
located in a trailing axle position. Twin, two-piece
300mm drilled cast-iron discs fit to the front
wheel, with a matching caliper acting on a single
242mm rear. Making its first appearance on the
1000cc Convert automatic, all triple-disc Lino
Tonti designed twins used the firm’s patented
linked braking system.
Awarded and acclaimed for more effective panic
stops, the foot pedal activates the rear and left
front via a diverting manifold, the hand lever
squeezes the right front independently. Controls
and placement are identical to the first series 850,
as are the Guzzi-made 18in alloy wheels. Both the
CX100 and Le Mans Mk.2 weighed 520lb wet; up
some 17lb from the original Le Mans.
Only 300 CX100s were delivered in 1979,
sharing engine, transmissions and final drive
specification with both the SP1000 and the five-
speed G5 tourer. As part of the 949cc ‘family’ the
CX100 received the same mechanical updates
determined by date and serial number. What then,
to make of the CX100 designation? “I don’t know,”
answered Berliner’s former PR agent Seth Dorfler.
“Availability in California was critical for sales
Price guide
£3500 low to £7500 high
(for UK equivalent models)
FAuLTS & FOiBLeS
Nasty switchgear and fragile
electrical systems; linked
brakes don’t suit all riding
styles (and need to be in good
mechanical condition for best
effect); variable finish on cycle
parts gets tatty with age
ALSO cOnSider
Genuine Coburn and Hughes Le
Mans Mk.2, stunning in black
and gold, fetch top dollar.
Automatic Converts are more
affordable, as are slightly later
SP1000s (plenty of recent
imports from Italy)
SPeciALiST inFO
Stein-Dinse
(www.stein-dinse.biz)
gutsibits.co.uk, Motori Di
Marino
OwnerS’ cLuB
Moto Guzzi Club GB:
motoguzziclub.co.uk
success, but emission laws there were even
tougher.”
A common symbol for pre-production prototypes,
it’s plausible the ‘X’ identifies the CX100 as a
made-for-California special. Perhaps it was a stab
at Honda’s Guzzi-shaped CX500, released a year
earlier? Moto Guzzi chief tuner, Bruno Scola,
revealed that the big valve, high-output 949cc twin
was completed by 1980, but that engine wasn’t
seen until the world market Le Mans 1000 arrived
in 1985.
For 1979, the CX100’s 88mm bores used a
pressed-in steel liner wrapped around 9.2:1
pistons, 30mm Dell’Orto VHB carburetors, the SP’s
distributor/ignition curve and its two-into-two
exhaust, now in flat black. Another 70-odd
machines were assembled for 1981 and were
uprated with Guzzi’s patented Nigusil bores, round-
slide PHF30s and circuit boards instead of
point-to-point wiring behind the four-pot dash.
Fitted with clip-ons offering only modest
adjustment, the dash conveniently hides a set of
‘universal’ trees cast with unused handlebar
bosses. Fork spacing increased from 180 to
195mm, the distance made up by deeper disc
carriers. Price in 1979 was $5000.
The CX100 cockpit is a cosy place from which to
conduct business. Leaning forward to reach the
grips tucks the body out of the blast, placing it
behind a system of wind tunnel tested aerofoils
that attach at the fork and front downtubes.
Stability and road holding at speed earned high
marks, and despite its modest output the CX100
♠
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 37
 RIDINGLIFE || MOTO GUZZI LE MANS
Above: ‘Never an everyday encouraged high-speed manoeuvres not
motorcycle nor one for the comfortably attempted on other motorcycles. This
masses, the CX100 caters to
at-speed composure and the CX100’s rugged
the individualist looking for
flash and performance in a simplicity was noted by editors at Cycle in 1980,
fuss-free package. It’s one of a but their comments regarding its appearance
special few…’ Indeed it is contrast with popular criticism: “We stood in awe,
entranced by the Italian V-twin’s incredibly deft
and well-integrated styling. What the Le Mans does
to most other European marques in terms of looks
is embarrassing, and what it does to bikes from the
Orient is positively humiliating.”
Its touring tune meant that the CX100 was a
half-second slower in the quarter mile against an
earlier sporting 850. Some benefits in terms of low
rpm torque are offered by the displacement
increase, but riders accustomed to the 850’s
spooled-up punch might find the CX’s lazy
attitude, especially at high altitudes, a
disappointment.
Both engines use the same camshaft,
demonstrating the power gains offered by the
850’s larger valves (44/37mm intake and exhaust
BUILT: 1979 ENGINE: Air-cooled, four-valve per cylinder, ohv, transverse V-twin
CAPACITY: 949cc BORE / STROKE: 88 by 78mm COMPRESSION: 9.2:1 CARBS: 2 x 30mm
Dell’Orto PHF TRANSMISSION: five-speed FINAL DRIVE: Shaft FRONT SUSPENSION: Tele forks
REAR SUSPENSION: Swinging arm, twin shocks FRONT BRAKE: 2 x 300mm discs
REAR BRAKE: Single 242mm disc FRONT TYRE: 110/90-H18 REAR TYRE: 110/90-H18
WHEELBASE: 1486mm SEAT HEIGHT: 30.3in DRY WEIGHT: 220kg
ACCELERATION: 13.5s standing quarter mile TOP SPEED: 135mph
38 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
compared with the 949’s 41/36mm) increased
compression (10.2:1) and heartier PHF36
carburettors. Most CX100 owners didn’t wait long
to even things out, boosting performance with
straight intake manifolds, properly sized Dell’Orto
pumpers and open aftermarket exhausts.
Replacing the timing cogs with heat-treated alloy
gears eliminates the last link of chain from the
entire machine, just as God and Lino Tonti
intended. So equipped, the small-valve 949cc
gained a considerable advantage over its smaller,
edgier 850cc brother. So popular and effective
were these modifications, that a ‘standard’ CX100
isn’t only rare, it’s devalued.
Many Mk.2s and CX100s have been modified
into Series One clones, made into café specials, or
stripped down for racing. Dealers sold out of stock,
despite reports to the contrary. Most were finished
in traditional red with flat black accents, but a few
may have been delivered in white with black trim.
Our feature bike’s non-standard finish hides a
little-used example which retains the majority of
its factory specification.
The Guzzi’s electrics and cheaply painted flat-
black parts win no favours in damp climates, and
signal the importance of owner involvement and
care. When properly sorted on the mechanical end,
the CX100 is more than capable of the extended
vintage tour or one taken at a thoroughly modern
pace.
With more than a decade of experience in the
saddle of a high mileage example from 1981, this
writer can attest to the CX100’s toughness, durability
and enduring charm when the path turns twisty.
Original examples are hard to find – almost
invisible in the UK – but still reasonably priced in
the USA. Moto Guzzi’s decision to work from a
standard platform means the spare-parts overlap
spreads over a range not measured in years, but
decades.
Never an everyday motorcycle or one for the
masses, the CX100 caters to the individualist
looking for flash and performance in a fuss-free
package. It’s one of a special few. CBG
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 41
 RIDINGLIFE || MATCHLESS G12CSR
STAFFORD
Above: Despite their slightly
uninspiring reputation, sporting
Matchless twins are decently
rapid. And red, which makes
them faster
opposite, clockwise from
left: Siamesed exhaust makes
access to everything easy, not
that you’d need it.
Matchless twin engine is beefy
and surprisingly vigorous.
The brakes do not match the
engine’s enthusiasm, sadly,
and the vibes can make
speedo-gazing a humorous
pastime
42 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
Rip-roaring roadster
Some Matchless motorcycles are placid plodders and worthy workhorses.
This ain’t one of them
Photos by Joe Dick
IT’S wITh obvIouS enthusiasm that Ian explains:
“It’s as exciting as my ZZR1100 in its own way!”
He’s talking about this Matchless 650 and the
“visceral, raw edge to its performance” and its
“rapid throttle response”.
You might think that’s a typical owner’s
impression – after all, if someone who bought and
fettled a bike doesn’t like it, then who will? But
Ian’s not alone in his admiration for the G12CSR.
One journo who tested the 650 twin when it was
new in 1960 reported that “just when many
mounts are beginning to tail off in top gear, the
power of the CSR continues progressively. At
75mph things are quiet: 5mph later the Matchless
is scorching off to the horizon”.
Known in the USA as the Apache, the CSR was
pushed as a “high-performance, high-speed twin
that is truly a short-fuse bomb: ready to explode
into breathtaking performance at the twist of the
throttle”.
The brochure boasted of special cams, new
competition heads, high-compression pistons and
big valves which “give this machine the best
get-up-and-go of any motorcycle on the market!”
Back home, the sales speak made similar
observations but in an entirely English, understated
way. The G12 was “a model that has established an
unassailable reputation among enthusiasts capable
of using its unsurpassed performance”. Quite right.
None of that excitement here, please. However, the
CSR was genuinely quick. In 1961 it was “still the
only fully equipped motorcycle to have covered over
100 miles in one hour”. That remarkable record was
achieved at MIRA, when a Motor Cycling journalist
was timed at 108mph.
Shortly afterwards he ran into a 10in high
runway light (left behind by Bomber Command),
while riding one-handed and looking back over his
shoulder. The journo acknowledged that it was only
thanks to the ‘steering qualities of this Matchless’
that he remained upright, on the bike and vaguely
heading in the right direction…
The CSR was built as both an AJS (in blue, the
Model 31), and a Matchless in red as seen here.
The 650 was a development of AMC’s 600 twins
which arrived in 1955.
 They were boosted to 650 in 1958 by increasing
the stroke to 79mm, giving 646cc, and then
prepped for serious sports and competition with
the firm’s scrambles frame, 8.5:1 compression
pistons, snazzy Siamese exhaust system, and items
like the steering damper as standard. This made
the CSRs ‘among the finest machines in their
class’ according to historian Roy Bacon who owned
one for a while.
The first CSR 650s became known for bottom-
end fragility, blown cylinder gaskets and vibration,
but only when pushed to the machines’ absolute
limit. Otherwise the CSR was no worse than most
of its contemporaries, as Roy Bacon recalled:
“I rode an early CSR for many thousands of miles
and found it a delightful high-performance road
bike with excellent acceleration, adequate braking
and good reliability. The vibration was harsh, but
no more so than with other high-performance twins
of the period.”
In any case, AMC addressed these issues with
their new nodular iron crankshaft in 1960, which
arrived alongside the full cradle frame with duplex
downtubes, as seen here. The result was a rapid
bike which could certainly hustle. “It really
excelled when being thrown from side to side
through fast bends,” said the man from Motor
Cycling, praising its “superb handling on the rough
stuff or motorway”. (He probably should’ve
mentioned runways, too). The CSR was noted for
its good ground clearance, thanks to a centrestand
which tucks neatly away: “Nobody would ever
ground a CSR stand”.
The alloy mudguards and shiny tank were
Price guide
£3500 to £5000
FAuLTS & FOiBLeS
Beware bad oil leaks around
the dynamo, and if the bike is
fitted (as here) with an
anti-sumping valve listen hard
to the engine before buying.
Head gaskets can blow easily if
fitted by fools, and no one ever
remembers to oil (not grease)
the swinging arm pivot
ALSO cOnSider
BSA A10 (more common,
similar cash); Royal Enfield
Super Meteor (unusual, and
less fragile than the Connie);
Norton 650 SS (fast and harsh
and 20% more expensive)
SPeciALiST inFO
AMC Classic Spares
Andrew Engineering
Russell Motors
OwnerS’ cLuB
AJS & Matchless:
jampot.com
BU
Y
IT
NO
W
While you’re looking for an AMC 650, don’t forget to
check out the blue bikes filed under ‘A’ as well as the
red bikes in the ‘M’ section. Here’s one now, a 1960
AJS Model 31 in street-scrambler trim with high
level exhaust, alloy wheel rims and competition fuel
tank. £4250 at Chris Hall Motorcycles
admired, along with the ‘one-plus’ saddle which
would just about accommodate a pillion but was
essentially intended for a single person. That seat
was too high for the test rider, however.
Braking was acceptable, although the front brake
was considered to be getting fairly close to the limit
of its performance… and it was “not entirely proof
against water”. Too much oil in the chaincase
resulted in a slipping clutch, but “the gear change
action was beyond criticism. This box – Matchless’
own – is undoubtedly one of the best on the road”.
The CSR also pushed the boundaries of civilised
society in 1960, with its exhaust note which was…
“noisy. To the enthusiast it had a distinctly thrilling
quality – use of the throttle in a built-up area had
♠
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 43
 RIDINGLIFE || MATCHLESS G12CSR
Above: Handsome red rocket; to be adjusted accordingly”. The bike’s suspension
an excellent alternative to a was on the firm side: “the ride remained
Bonnie or a Road Rocket
completely steady and there was absolute freedom
from prancing”. Little surprise that the G12 CSR
was chosen by the TT marshals on the IoM.
Around three decades ago, maybe 25 years after it
was manufactured, the CSR seen here was
refurbished by a previous owner using the
components and spares which were available back
then – probably far less choice than you’ll find today.
It was ridden to a couple of shows over the
following 18 months, and then left in a shed until
2012. That’s when Ian brought the 650 back to
life. “After almost 30 years in storage, it just took
new oil, fresh petrol and clean to points to fire up.
It was usable immediately, but went through a few
teething troubles.”
MANUFACTURED: 1958 to 1966 ENGINE: Air-cooled ohv parallel twin BORE / STROKE: 72 x
79mm CAPACITY: 646cc COMPRESSION: 8.5:1 CARBURETTION: Amal Monobloc IGNITION:
Lucas K2F magneto CLUTCH: Wet, multi-plate FRAME: Duplex, brazed lugs FRONT
SUSPENSION: Teledraulic forks REAR SUSPENSION: Swinging arm, twin three-position Girling
shocks BRAKES: 7 inch drum, full-width hubs FRONT TYRE: 3.25 x 19 REAR TYRE: 3.50 x 19
WHEELBASE: 55in WEIGHT: 430lb fuelled FUEL CONSUMPTION: 50mpg BRAKING: 30ft
from 30mph TOP SPEED: 108mph PRICE NEW: £280 in 1961
44 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
Ian swapped to a Concentric carb from the
original Monobloc, which improved the running,
but the CSR still suffered an intermittent misfire,
which could leave it stalled by the roadside and
took ages to identify.
“You expect something over 50 years old to be a
bit temperamental,” says Ian, “and it was. At that
point every trip was something of an adventure.
You never knew quite what would happen.”
The problem turned out to be the slip ring on the
magneto, which let the mag go onto full retard; easily
fixed but hard to find. Apart from that glitch, the CSR
has been superb. “650s have a reputation for weak
cranks, but this one hasn’t given us any problems.”
Once the G12 was fully functional, admiring
eyes turned in its direction and it soon found a
new home with Ian’s son Darren. “He used to be a
Triumph man, but now won’t part with the
Matchless,” grins Ian. Together, Darren and the
Matchless have covered more than 500 miles.
As you can probably tell from the photos, this is a
proper roadgoing motorcycle, complete with the
rough edges (and gaffer tape!) you’d expect to find
on an old British bike in regular use. But it’s a little
bit different to the usual Triumph or Norton twin.
“I do like my AMC bikes,” confirms Ian.
“Teledraulics are much more distinctive than
Roadholders and I prefer the ride. It’s worth
getting a bike with the later Girling shocks than
the previous jampot type – even though that’s the
name of the club’s magazine! Big Matchless twins
are not too common, so it gets quite a bit of
attention. It’s something more special than the
average BSA or Triumph.”
Indeed, that road-tester back in 1960 would
agree. He reckoned the CSR was ‘a connoisseur’s
mount which will appeal most strongly to the
enthusiast seeking a motorcycle of decidedly
individual personality.’ CBG
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 45
LETTERS
WRITE NOW!
We always want to hear your views about the
bikes you ride and the bike tales you read.
Mail us at: editor@classicbikeguide.com

RIDINGLIFE

Tech terms & triples

I CERTAINLY DON’T wish for valuable
magazine space to be wasted on lists of
technical expressions such as ‘dohc’.
Discretion stops me from expanding
further on readers who request such trivia.
Over the last few years I’ve made the
transition from modern bikes to classics.
Firstly by reading magazines and then by
acquiring machines. My weapons of choice
have been Hinckley triples, of which I’ve
had eight and ridden well over 200,000
miles on them, so a satisfied customer.
The latest models are sanitised and almost
Japanese-like in feel; this is neither a
criticism or a compliment, and is likely
thanks to EU bureaucrats’ compliance.
I hankered after a classic for a long time,
but as I have very limited mechanical skills
I dithered. Having attended many
Beezumphs, including five track days on a
Speed Triple, I took the plunge in 2010
and bought a T150V Trident. I’ve enjoyed
my ownership, which apart from carburettor
issues has been reasonably good. In fact so
good that I’ve also acquired another T150,
a heavily modified example. I’ve ridden
more than 3000 miles on this great
machine, including lots of 300-mile trips,
and the bike has been faultless.
I own a modern machine, a Tiger 800
mainly used for European trips, but now I
enjoy clunkering more than the modern
stuff. It’s just more involving both from an
ownership and riding perspective. The
Trident is shockingly heavy with feeble
brakes compared with modern bikes, and I
think the effort in riding it is what makes
it so rewarding. Along with the smells,
noise and vibration. So I’m a convert. Plus
using a kick-start proves your manhood
every ride, especially when the bike fires
up first kick. Maybe not so much after 20
kicks, but again learning the skill is part
of this magical ownership experience.
Having looked at the prices at the
Stafford Show, including at the Bonhams
auction, the T150 must be the most
undervalued classic bike out there. Maybe
it has a reputation for complexity, but my
experience is that a sorted T150 is a
reliable hoot of a bike with excellent
backup from the TR3OC and specialist
suppliers such as LP Williams.
I have now completely lost the plot and
just bought a 1974 Suzuki GT550 two-
stroke triple. This is partly for nostalgia as
I rode a GT380 when I was 21, but also
because this is another underrated and
under-valued bike, compared with, say,
Kawasaki triples of the same era. I’m
looking forward to my inaugural ride with a
giant silly grin.
My spannering skills are also improving
as a by-product of clunker ownership.
Simple servicing such as valve clearances
is easy enough and believe me that’s
quite an improvement for me!
And Frank’s return to the helm at CBG
is very welcome.
John Rimmer

Apposite advice
THANK YOU, FRANK
W, for the advice in
Famous Last Words on
decision-making. I find it
very helpful, indeed, as I
ponder the excellent
content of the latest
issue of CBG and try to
decide which feature was
the best.
I had a similar
problem with the
decision several issues
TT memories
back and the attached
image shows how I
worked out the answer.
It works every time,
More triples
THE SECOND ISSUE of CBG after my return to the
I ENJOYED READING the article about the Velo
Thruxton production racer last month. Here is a
bad picture of it in the 1976 Production TT. It
retired on about the third lap but was going well.
which is fortunate, since fold is another cracker, the Triumph Cardinal Look at all that air!
CBG delivers so much special being one particularly enjoyable article. The riders were Fred Walton and Danny Shimmin,
excellent classic content Back in the 1970s when I was a teenage schoolboy, both Manxmen, not sure who started. It was a 10-lap
in each issue. a motorcycle shop opened in my village of Binfield. race. Helmut Dahne and ? won the unlimited class
Thanks for a terrific The Eurobike Centre sold Triumph, Norton, Benelli on a BMW. I can’t remember who won the 500 class
magazine and classic and Moto Morini. I got a job there just shy of my 13th in the end.
bike resource! birthday, initially cleaning bikes and also learning the Eric Sullivan
Gary Ilminen, USA spares trade. My dad and older brother rode
motorcycles, and working at the shop really cemented Records show that Bill Simpson and Chas Mortimer
my lifelong love of motorcycles/motorcycling. were first on a 250 Yam. Frank Rutter and Mick
We had a few Cardinals in the shop. A couple we Poxon were the first finishers on a 500 Honda.
sold as they were, but a couple we had painted in Helmut Dahne’s partner was Hans-Otto Butenuth.
the popular cherokee red and changed the Jeff Jones and Peter Lovell made it to the end of the
collector box and pistons to get back their oomph. race on their Triumph, but the few other Britbike
Halcyon days! entries (one BSA and a couple of other Triumphs)
Tim Claridge retired along with the Velo.

E D I T O R @ C L A S S I C B I K E G U I D E . C O M || C O M M E N T AT FA C E B O O K . C O M / C L A S S I C B I K E G U I D E
46 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
 EDITOR@CLASSICBIKEGUIDE.COM
FA C E B O O K . C O M / C L A S S I C B I K E G U I D E

READERS’ RIDES
FIND US ON
FACEBOOK and you’ll
see plenty of Classic of
the Day photos –
including snaps of readers’
bikes which we’re
delighted to share for all
to admire. This month,
thanks to James Adams
for sharing the pic of his
airhead boxer. It was
seat, and an Odyssey
battery which James says
“helps with starting. It’s a
nice bike with plenty of
low-down grunt”.
It’s obviously been a
great month for boxers.
Here’s Gianfranco
Zambelli’s R80 Street
Scrambler looking brutal
in black. Nice touches

TSX appeal many bikes survive, and where in the

ARGUABLY MERIDEN’S PRETTIEST
cruiser, the TSX was made in very small
numbers (371 worldwide) just before the
factory’s demise.
As a TSX owner, I’d like to hear from
you if you also own one. The idea is to
have a register of owners, to see how
world they are. That’s about it – no
club, no subs, but a listing of the
originally an R80ST but
he’s given it a boost with a
1000cc kit. The Beemer is
with the understated
white-pinstripes, subtle
weight-saving, and a
bikes, photos, their modifications, and also fitted with a long- stylish bag to suit the
any stories about them. All this on a range police fuel tank, GS luggage rack…
webpage for would-be owners and
such, to consult.
Interested? Send an email to
TSXTriumph@gmail.com
Morgan Rue

Touchy terminology classic magazine. The word ‘swingarm’

LAST MONTH, Frank W touched on
terminology. The worst thing I see in
any classic magazine is the use of
the word ‘swingarm’.
Back in the day our bikes were
described by manufacturers and
journalists alike as having ‘swinging
arm’ suspension and this in my view, is
the word that should be used in a
is an ugly bastardisation that belongs in
the likes of Motor Cycle News or other
such comics, not in a quality magazine.
Adrian Scrivens
We are as one… although I have seen Post pics of your classic
far worse than ‘swingarm’. And I worked at www.facebook.com/
for years with an author who refused to ClassicBikeGuide and
use ‘swinging arm’, because it is usually we’ll share the best online
and in fact a ‘swinging fork’. Frank W and in these pages.

That man Mark (again)

JUST WHEN I nothing is going to wrong... but I defend his with. Instead I went for a have believed I would end
THOUGHT it was safe to change any time soon. I right to be so. bike I had always wanted, up with three Italian V-
subscribe to this couldn’t be happier! Far I have tried having the a Morini 3½ Sport. My twins, or indeed welcome
thoroughly brilliant rather some challenging Japanese bikes of my 1978 model feels light the arrival of Mr Williams.
magazine, up pops the views than we all sit youth. RDs, S3s, etc, years ahead of similarly- It’s a funny old world.
awkward squad in the round in our sheds and and… oh dear. They’re aged Japanese fare, and is Excellent magazine.
guise of Mr Mark kitchens, reading the crap (discuss). It’s like prettier too (discuss)! I Oh – Mark: The Vapors
Williams. I have been latest copy and all meeting your first love, 35 also have an Aprilia had a hit with News At
quietly disagreeing with nodding our heads in years later when she’s Tuono and a Guzzi V7 Ten, not Turning
him (in print) for nearly agreement. Mark is, of showing the mileage and special I have café Japanese.
40 years, and it appears course, completely is twice as hard to live racered. I would never Pat Brynaman

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 47

 OW N ER S
CLUB 01949 838752

IF YOU LIKE BSA BANTAMS

then you’re going to love us...
Events Quarterly Magazine
Flying the Flag for
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Technical Info Machine Dating
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Contact: Bryan Price

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Join the flock 01529 497304 membership@bsabantamclub.org.uk

48 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 49
 || opinion ||
illustration by martin squires

A chAp turned up at our local motorcycle The dictionary defines original as ‘present
meet the other month on a circa 1923 or existing from the beginning; first or
Norton sidevalve 16H that looked so shiny I earliest’. Authentic is defined as: ‘Not false or
had to put on my welding goggles to avoid copied; genuine or real and having the origin
retinal burn. Every nut, bolt and bracket was supported by unquestionable evidence’. I,
in highly polished stainless steel, the exhaust
pipe and handlebars were equally shiny
GeorGe cohen then suggest that this chap’s machine was
both original and authentic before he messed
chrome plate. The black paint made the it up.
finish on a similarly aged Rolls Royce look
tatty. With my interest in early Nortons to the Original, This particular debate is far from new and
was a topic of discussion at the recent
fore, I decided to have a chat with him. He
told me that he had recently acquired the authentic Or nOt? Stafford Show between myself and friends,
and foes. Prizes are given for Best Bike,
motorcycle from a very old man who had Best Race Bike, Best Club Stand, etc, and
bought the bike in about 1930 off the first A couple of years ago I built a circa invariably the winners are the shiniest.
owner, and it had been in poor condition. 1936 Norton International from Fortunately the judges will acknowledge an
“It’s totally original,” he said, and then authentic machine by presenting a prize to
went on to tell me about the ‘restoration’. “I
parts that I had collected over the the ‘most original’ motorcycle, and it is
made all the stainless parts myself,” he said previous 30 years… prerequisite that it is in first paint and is
with a proud look to his face. “I got the local held together by fasteners that left the
garage to bend up the exhaust pipe and then I had it chrome plated, looks factory many years ago.
beautiful doesn’t it?” On one stand was a circa 1936 Norton CS1, and it was superbly restored;
He was most obviously very pleased with his machine; I was not. It looked the paint and chrome were first class, but Norton never finished its machines
terrible, but I did not tell him that because I knew it would lead to an to such a high standard. The blurb next to this bike explained how all the
argument. To make matters worse (from my point of view) he took from his nuts, bolt and washers were made from stainless, but cleverly ‘satinised’ to
pocket a photograph of the motorcycle before he had messed it up; totally make them look like the original finish of ‘dull’ or ‘satin’ chrome. Undoubtedly
original finish, first paint, nicely dulled nickel; just a very original and a beautiful motorcycle, but it was neither original nor authentic. My friends
authentic machine. and I shared different views, and I guess the reader will also have their
I then asked what he had done with all the original nuts and bolts, opinion on this debate.
fasteners, brackets, exhaust pipe, etc, etc. “Oh I’ve still got ’em, but they’re A couple of years ago I built a circa 1936 Norton International from parts
no good; all rusty and tatty...” I enquired whether he would like to sell them, that I had collected over the previous 30 years. There was a NOS (new old
and we struck up a deal of £40 for the lot. I was thrilled. A couple of weeks stock) frame that I found in Birmingham a long time ago, a NOS petrol tank
later I collected the parts and what an absolute treasure I had found. I have that I found in Florida along with a large box of NOS nuts, bolts, oil pipes and
since used these components on a rebuild of a circa 1916 Norton Big Four, fittings. As a complete machine it is obviously not original, as it was never
and in keeping with my philosophy of preservation vis-a-vis restoration when made in 1936 and of course the all-important frame and engine numbers do
rebuilding an old bike; I am a happy chap. Chrome plate and stainless steel not match, but its external appearance is far more authentic when compared
did not arrive until about 1929. with the shiny motorcycle at the Stafford show.
So we both share an interest in old motorcycles, but from a very different I think it would be interesting to survey the views of CBG readers to
aspect; he likes shiny and new and I like dull and ‘original’. But what is establish where they sit on the original and authentic debate. Perhaps it is
‘original’? just in the eye of the judge? cBG

‘The dictionary defines original as ‘present or existing from the beginning; first or
earliest’. Authentic is defined as: ‘Not false or copied; genuine or real and having the
origin supported by unquestionable evidence’. I, then suggest that this chap’s
machine was both original and authentic before he messed it up’

WHO IS GEORGE COHEN?

Dr George Cohen, MBBS MSc MRCPsych BA Eng, holds surgery in The Somerset Shed, and specializes in Norton singles. He’s also a VMCC
Norton Specialist, Bonhams Motoring Consultant, ‘Doctor of Reason’ and ‘Soldier of Fortune’

50 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

 || opinion ||
illustration by martin squires

WHY DO YOU like motorcycles? I mean, online, so it’s painless to own one or all of
given the obvious danger, why ride / obsess Irving’s titles; you’ll never regret it.
over / spend all your money and time on The second book to enter my library
them? Everyone who rides is peppered with established an opposite pole of motorcycling,
such questions, most of which are plain being all about style (and lifestyle), with
ignorant, but the ‘why’ gets my respect, engineering the least of its concerns. My pal
because it means the querent is curious Marilyn found a copy of Danny Lyon’s The
about an experience. Bikeriders for .99¢ at a Goodwill, and
Answering that very good question without unwittingly put another set of wheels in
resorting to cliché proves to be very difficult.
Code words like ‘freedom’ reel between
paul d’orleans motion. Lyon is the genius photographer
who’d documented the American Civil Rights
patriotic and sexual connotations, and struggle in the early 1960s, following the
ultimately send no message at all, failing to SNCC to the South for sit-ins and lunch
sing the nuanced, ecstatic, poetical song that
‘why motorcycles?’ deserves. HIT THE BOOKS counter occupations. One of his famous
1963 photos caught Cliff Vaughs – designer
How do we dig under the surface of the rich of the choppers for Easy Rider – airborne
two-wheels experience, and discuss what we between six gas-masked National
find? Unless we’re poets or gifted Writers teach us how to speak Guardsmen, his lone free leg anchored by
conversationalists (and I’m neither), our Stokely Carmichael. Crazy stuff.
advice column on ‘how to share what we feel Lyon next trained a lens on his Midwestern
about bikes’ is currently sitting on the library riding pals, becoming a member of the ‘1%er’
shelves. Stacked between the marque histories and hagiographic bios of Chicago Outlaws MC, and documenting their rides and lives in photos and
famous racers, few titles grapple directly with the subject, while plenty direct interviews. The Bikeriders is mostly a photo book, but the stories are incredibly
glancing blows. I’m an old-fashioned paper book hoarder, and think you should candid, confirming the 1%ers’ dead-ender status with far more compassion
be too (except for a few ultra-rare titles for which I’d happily de-finger you). than Hunter S Thompson managed with Hells Angels. More, Lyon elevated
My first two motorcycle books were gifts from thoughtful friends, and images of his struggling blue-collar comrades to the realm of fine art. Most of
succinctly encompass the full spectrum of subject matter, and though wildly the photos (especially Crossing the Ohio) are breathtaking icons of motorcycle
different, both are absolute classics. Alan, a mentor / mechanic, was first in photography, and Americana. One only need to look at other ‘chopper books’
the fray, and can lay claim to planting the seed of a future career when he from the period to see how far above the nasty Mr Lyon soared.
palmed off a well-worn paperback of Phil Irving’s Motorcycle Engineering As a joke, when Marilyn gifted me that .99¢ treasure back in 85, she
back in 1984. Irving was a rare beast; a gifted engineer with an impressive dedicated it “To Paul from Crazy-Tits”, in purple crayon. I laugh every time I
moto-industry legacy (Vincent twins, anyone?), who was equally capable of crack it open… who knew scarce copies would fetch near $1000 in the early
penning readable English about highly technical subjects. days of eBay? It’s since been reprinted, and new copies cost about 35 times
Motorcycle Engineering is crammed with the jovial anarchy that is what Marilyn paid. That gift sowed the seeds of my first three books, all
motorcycle history. There are plenty of illustrations of engine types, frame dealing with the Custom thing; The Ride, Café Racers, and The Chopper: the
shapes, fork variations, etc, and Irving parses what was already 70 years of Real Story. Not what I thought I’d be writing about, but given that strong early
motorcycling-as-we-know-it, tackling the subject piecemeal. The long history influence, no surprise.
of powered wheelage has seen as many interesting dead ends as the dinosaurs, To tackle the ‘why motorcycle?’ thing directly, pick up Melissa Pearson’s
and the book demonstrates how anything ‘new’ in motorcycle technology The Perfect Vehicle: What Is It About Motorcycling? Besides that perfect title,
(barring computer chips) has been done before, probably over 100 years ago. Pearson is the first author to devote a book wholly to the experience of riding.
Multiple valves, multiple cylinders, cast beam frames, monocoques, She asks the question in various ways, interviewing experienced riders,
supercharging, multiple camshafts, two-stroke, four-strokes, diesels, radials, famous and obscure, and gets some fantastic answers, which you’re free to
rotaries… it’s all there in a book written half a century ago. Used copies abound poach for your own conversational kit. CBG

‘The long history of powered wheelage has seen as many interesting dead ends as
the dinosaurs. Anything ‘new’ in motorcycle technology (barring computer chips)
has been done before, probably over 100 years ago.’

WHO IS PAUL D’ORLEANS?

Paul d’Orleans is a writer, artist, sartorialist and photographer. He’s best known as ‘The Vintagent’ for his long-running blog and judges
concours such as the Quail and Villa d’Este, consults for Bonhams auctions, shoots digital and ‘Tintype’ photographs, and is curating an
exhibit on cafe racers at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.

52 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 53
 || opinion ||
illustration by LOUISE LIMB

Last month’s paean to Brit-inspired else in its class: £1813 at a time when
Japanese twins came off as a bit lightweight Yamaha’s own XJ550 cost £1663 and the
compared with Steve Cooper’s chapter and much faster GPz550 retailed at just £1649.
verse on Yamaha’s XS1/2/650 a few pages They sold like the lemons they were and if
later referencing the machines which formed you’re an even bigger pervert than me and
the limp backbone of my scrawl. However, I can find one for sale now, it’ll almost certainly
was moderately buoyed up that a couple of have a knackered engine and almost
the snaps used to illustrate his wise words certainly go for peanuts.
were of yrs. trly. aboard an XS650 Custom My suspicion is that Yamaha had got wind
filched from WhichBike? of Honda’s rumoured and compact 45°
This time I’m fairly sure there’s little V-twin VT500 in the late 1970s, and then just
chance of pale repetition on my part as my to be different, hastily conceived and then
focus is on the great unloved, although once
again it starts with a Yamaha.
MARK WILLIAMS too hastily developed an overly convoluted,
deeply ugly 70° dohc engine.
In fact it began with the recent disposal of In the fierce heat of commercial
some 70 bikes from the Stondon Motor competition, the Japs have often been prone
Museum by Brightwells auction house in ROSE–TINTED DEBACLES to such logic-defying design engineering, or
nearby Leominster, with Lot 63 being an turkey breeding as I prefer to call it, and here
XS500. Launched a couple of years after its The XS500 twin was originally are a few more examples.
bigger brother in 1971, this high-revving dohc Honda wasn’t innocent of XZ-style
twin was originally aimed at an American
aimed at an American market corporate malfeasance, as evidenced by its
market then still fixated, or at least making do that was still fixated, or at least VT250, another liquid-cooled, dohc engine,
with British pushrod 500s, compared to which still making do, with British though this time with chain final drive.
it lacked mid-range torque and was unduly pushrod 500s… Unconcealed complexity was again the issue
heavy and unduly complex; e.g. eight valves, here, and tall manufacturing costs meant a
lengthy camchain, short service intervals, etc. price tag of £1396 in 1983 was undercut by
However by 1978 when we tested it in WhichBike?, it had become lighter and faster, lighter sports bikes like Suzuki’s RG250, Yamaha’s RD250LC and even
quite refined, although for a few quid more than its £1050 asking price, you Kawasaki’s air-cooled, belt-drive four-stroke, the GPz305.
could get a significantly faster Suzuki GS550, Kawasaki Z650 or even a Honda screwed up again with the VF400F – in some ways the best realised
Triumph Bonneville – which of course is what sensible people did. example of an early 1980s preoccupation with the vee format, but one that
Still, seeing the XS500 is its nice blue livery on Brightwells’ website I began was slower and more expensive than conventional UJMs like the GPz550 and
entertaining the notion of bidding for it, yet another consequence of my even their own CBX550F!
irrational passion for daft and/or unusual bikes, but I was put off the idea – Again, few examples of these Honda vees still exist, and VFR750/800
fortunately I’m sure – when I saw it in the metal. notwithstanding, the company had more or less abandoned the engine format
Like many of the Stondon machines, its brightwork and rubberwear by the decade’s end. The same can be said for the widespread obsession with
betrayed sorry signs of lengthy neglect, and its rear brake calliper had been turbocharging that Honda kicked off with their forced induction of the already
removed, presumably due to being welded shut. In the event it went for complicated CX500 engine in 1982, which even at a whopping £3350 – more
£1400, which is rather more than I felt it was worth, although a good one – expensive than the faster, six-cylinder CBX – cost more to build than it sold for.
if you can find it – might be fetch half as much again. With the arguable exception of Suzuki’s (much cheaper) XN85 Turbo, these
Not so the XZ550, Yamaha’s weird attempt to… do what exactly? The liquid puffer bikes were beset by horrid handling and hideously high prices and
cooled, shaftdrive inline V-twin launched in 1982 – a couple of years before thankfully by 1984 the so-called trend had, ahem, blown itself out.
Honda’s eminently superior VT500 – was far more complex than its so-so I could continue my turkey tales with mentions of, say, Suzuki’s mad RE-5
performance justified. rotary, Kawasaki’s lumpen ZX1300 six-potter or Yamaha’s wildly over-priced
Each pot featured dohcs, activation of which was by the longest camchain forkless tourer, the GTS1000, however, space and possibly your patience are
known to man and which proved unsurprisingly stretchy, and early running out. But in riposte to the mutterings of a certain contributor to last
downdraught carburation and starter clutch problems blighted a reputation month’s Letters page, I am merely and happily acknowledging that not
which wasn’t much ameliorated by a price tag significantly higher than anything everything in the Japanese garden turns out rosy. CBG

‘Seeing the XS500 is its nice blue livery I began entertaining the
notion of bidding for it, yet another consequence of my irrational
passion for daft and/or unusual bikes…’

WHO IS MARK WILLIAMS?

Williams is a serial motorbicycle magazine junkie, having published, launched and edited Bike, Which Bike? and MotorCycle International
amongst others. Which means he’s tested, ridden and even owned more bikes than is probably good for him

54 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

BIG SID’S VINCATI
A N A N G L O I TA L I A N M A S T E R C L A S S
‘A fool couldn’t ride a Vincent Black Shadow more than
once, but a fool can ride a Ducati superbike many times...
the Vincent just killed you a lot faster than a Ducati will.’
– Hunter S Thompson.

Words and photos by BoB Clarke

VINceNt–ducatI specIal

T
OPPOSITE he Vincent and Ducati V-twin (although cantilever frame and a proprietary JAP 500cc
Clockwise from top: The Ducati insist on calling theirs an L- single-cylinder engine under the Vincent HRD
Vincent engine hangs well in its
new Italian home
twin), have much in common. Both name. Both Ducati and Vincent later made their
engines were the result of redesigning own distinctive single cylinder engines, Vincent’s
The heavy duty of the stopping an existing single-cylinder engine into 499cc Meteor/Comet being doubled-up to produce
arrangement is this single disc a twin, both companies began their motorcycle the 998cc Series A Rapide V-twin in 1936, a well
calliper by Brembo, all
production using someone else’s engines, both documented serendipitous act that, according to
mounted in forks of Ducati’s
own specification companies enjoyed success on the racetrack and Vincent folklore, was achieved by Australian
both Vincent and Ducati produced motorcycles that engineer, Phil Irving, when he accidently placed
The Vincent engine, unlike the are viewed by their fanatical owners as so much one reversed blueprint of the 500cc Comet engine
original Ducati twin, exhausts more than just mere machinery. over the top of another drawing of the same engine
through a single silencer; a
silencer exactly like this. Music
The founding of the two companies are, however, and noticed that the resultant faux pas looked like
to the ears… perhaps some 22 years apart. The first motorcycle to bear a ready-to-rock V-twin.
the Ducati name was produced in 1950, the The 998cc Vincent is without a doubt the best
Few Vincent pilots enjoy a view Cucciolo (Little Cub) had a 60cc four-stroke engine (and the best known) British made V-twin, and is
like this one. Ducati speedo
made by SIATA in Turin, and after buying the the stuff that legends are made of. Although
shares space with a more
modern tacho, while the Miller bankrupt HRD company in 1928, Philip Vincent Vincent Engineers Ltd of Stevenage built many
ammeter is a neat historic touch began making motorcycles using his patented different single cylinder and V-twin motorcycles,
it’s the dark and dangerous Black Shadow that’s
seen as the archetypical Vincent to those not
fortunate enough to own one. Production may have
ceased in 1955 (although the company survived
‘Although Vincent Engineers Ltd for few more years selling NSU mopeds), but right
up until the might of the Japanese four-cylinder
of Stevenage built many different superbike swept all before it in the late 1960s and
early 1970s a Vincent Black Shadow was still a
single-cylinder and V-twin force to reckoned with. Although superbly
engineered (if a trifle over complicated), its high
motorcycles, it’s the dark and price and quirky esoteric appearance led to the sad
situation that by 1955 Vincent Engineers Ltd had
dangerous Black Shadow that’s more motorcycles than customers.
Although less mythical, Ducati’s V-twin was also
seen as the archetypical Vincent.’ born out of ‘cobbling together’ top-ends from two
existing engines onto a common crankcase. The
♠

58 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

On Vincent
Expensive to produce folklore there were contained the answers to to be argued about by to produce the first
and weird-looking even something like 379 more engineering the sort of Vincent 1000cc Series A Rapide
in their heyday, the different permutations of solutions than had ever fans who wear gold in 1936 to the marque’s
original Vincent frame footrest, gearshift and been asked. Complicated pin-striped black ignominious end in
had an integral oil tank, handlebar positions, as a schizophrenic axe Barbour Y-fronts) was a 1955 when, of all
used the big V-twin both front and rear murderer’s alibi, you true attempt to create a things, it was the late
engine as a stressed wheels were fully needed a degree in feat of uncompromising delivery of new-fangled
member and featured a interchangeable and you unnecessary engineering British engineering at its fibreglass panels for the
cantilever rear could strip the entire just to look at the best – its only real flaw fully-enclosed Series D
suspension system not bike down with the clutch… never mind being the lack of the sort Black Knight, and the
unlike that of the 250 tommy-bar from the trying to adjust it. of materials and bearing ill-fated Amanda water
LC Yamaha introduced back wheel spindle, Seriously though, the technology that wasn’t scooter, that finally
in1980 and generally a NAAFI teaspoon and sometimes troublesome around at the time. burst the bubble and
cribbed by everybody the silver paper from a brainchild of Philip All through its life – bankrupted the
else afterwards, who all Woodbine packet. Conrad Vincent and Phil from the point when company – the Vincent
clamed to have invented It was the engine, Irving (the question of Irving doubled-up the was always an expensive
something new. however, that was a real which bits were designed original 500cc single- and somewhat eccentric
According to Vincent box of tricks which by which Phil is best left cylinder Meteor engine motorcycle.

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 59

On the Ducati GT750
Designed by Fabio 750GT, although not by gearbox. The 748cc welcomed into the 750SS were completed
Taglioni, who was also Ducati) was engine used conventional Ducati camp with the by the Ducati race
responsible for the manufactured by Ducati coil springs to close the 750 Sport, featuring department in 1974.
company’s Grand Prix Meccanica SpA from intake and exhaust valves rear-set footrests, Production of the now
racing success in the 1971 to 1974. Total instead of the clip-on handlebars and a very sought-after
1950s, with a 125cc production of the desmodromic layout top half fairing and the ‘round-case’ Ducati
single featuring GT750, including 40 (where rocker arms open ultimate ‘round-case’ GT750 ceased in late
desmodromic valve examples made in and close the valves) that 750, the exotic Imola 1974, when it was
operation, and the 1978, was only 4133 Taglioni had already Replica Super Sport. replaced by the
stillborn 1260cc, units. introduced on his racing Hand-built to ‘square-case’ 860GT
100bhp, V-4 Apollo, In common with the singles, and produced a commemorate the with its matching
designed to take on the factory’s legendary claimed 60hp at one-two victory by Paul angular (although many
indigenous Harley- singles, the V-twin 8000rpm. Smart and Bruno would say ‘ugly’)-styled
Davidson in the featured bevel drive to a While the GT750 was Spaggiari in the 1972 bodywork designed by
heavyweight US market single overhead camshaft, the Grand Tourisimo Imola 200, only 401 the man responsible for
in the Sixties, the wet sump lubrication and version of the model, examples of the 70bhp the boxy bodywork of
GT750 (also called the an integral five-speed speed fiends were 140mph desmodromic the Mk1 VW Golf.

60 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

Italian motorcycle market had traditionally favoured
small capacity sporting roadsters that handled,
braked and performed like race bikes.
Unfortunately machines of this genre had only a
very limited appeal in other European countries,
and virtually none at all in the biggest export
market, the USA, where small cee-cee bikes,
however potent their sporting prowess, were not
perceived as real motorcycles. So in order to get a
share of export dollars Ducati needed a man-sized
motorcycle that the Americans would take seriously.
Taking two good small motorcycle engines and
making one good big one is a concept that’s often
been tried, but rarely works. But work it did in
1971 when legendary Ducati designer Fabio
Taglioni put two SOHC single cylinder top-ends on
a common crankcase to produce a 90-degree V-
twin. The result stunned the multi-cylinder
Japanese motorcycle manufacturers in 1972 by
winning its debut race at Imola when Paul Smart
and Bruno Spaggiari took their factory prepared
Triumph, BSA and Norton, Ducati weathered the
Japanese invasion of the 1960s – with help from
the Italian Government which put a large import tax
on foreign machines – to become one of the most
successful and prestigious motorcycle
manufacturers in the world today. So in many ways
(albeit in a fantasy world), this could have been the
bike that Vincent might have produced if that solid
example of British engineering had survived long
enough to be graced by the superb Latin lightweight
functional chassis created for the Ducati GT750.
‘Big Sid’ Biberman began a lifelong love affair
with Vincent motorcycles in 1950 after borrowing a
friend’s Black Shadow, and despite a dalliance in
the 1970s with Ducati’s new V-twin, he remained
faithful to the Stevenage marque, becoming one of
the finest tuners and restorers of Vincent
motorcycles in the world. After a lifetime working
on motorcycles, Sid had amassed an abundance of
knowledge, particularly on Vincents, but as is often
the way with mechanical gurus, enjoyed little
♠
ABOVE
If no one told you, it could be
tricky to work out what this
machine actually is
OPPOSITE
Clockwise from top: The alloy
cover at the front of the engine
covers the ignition system, a
magneto on the original Brit.
On the originals, the dynamo
charging system lives in the
superheated air behind the rear
cylinder
As it is written, so it is…
Behind the super-heated
charging system lives … an
ignition switch!

GT750 Ducatis to a memorable one-two victory

ahead of no-less a hero than multiple world
champion Giacomo Agostini on a works MV Agusta.
In both desmodromic and conventional spring-
operated valve format, the new bevel drive Ducati ‘Ducati weathered the Japanese invasion of
V-twin had many more racing successes throughout the 1960s – with help from the Italian
the 1970s, most notably in the hands of the great
Mike Hailwood, who returned to the Isle Of Man in Government, which put a large import tax
1978 to win the Formula One TT after an 11 year
retirement from motorcycle racing.
on foreign machines – to become one of the
But while Vincent went to the wall in 1955, the most successful and prestigious motorcycle
expensive and superbly engineered singles and V-
twins unable to compete with the much cheaper manufacturers in the world today.’
and more desirably fashionable parallel twins from

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 61

VINCeNt–duCatI speCIal
wealth to show for it.
In 2000, he was in hospital recovering from a
heart attack and the resultant bypass operation,
and by his own admission, had lost the will to live.
Sid’s son, Mathew, was at his bedside and in an
effort to give his father some inspiration suggested
that they build a motorcycle together when Sid was
well enough to return home. Considering that
Mathew has a successful teaching career as an
English professor and has had little enthusiasm for
motorcycles since he was a teenager, his offer to
build a bike with his father shocked them both.
The impetus for the proposed father and son
Big Sid project, besides Mathew’s desire to give his father
More info on Big Sid and the will to see life beyond his hospital bed, was a
the books Big Sid’s photograph of a bike Sid had recently been sent by
Vincati and Vincents a friend, a Ducati with a Vincent engine.
With Big Sid are Some five years later, Big Sid’s Vincati was
available on complete, Mathew’s mechanical ignorance at the
www.bigsid.com along start of the project and Sid’s slow recuperation
with video clips, meaning that the resultant beautifully engineered
including Sid on the Jay motorcycle was a triumph of wills for both men. It
Leno Show, and a photo is the only example of a Vincati in the US,
gallery of Sid’s bikes. although there are known to be at least a half-
dozen more in Australia, the birthplace of Vincent
engine designer, Phil Irving, and where there is
something of a Vincent renaissance with the Irving
Vincent, a modern motorcycle with an engine
based on the B-Series Rapide.
Sid and Mathew’s Vincati uses the chassis from
a 1973 Ducati GT750, with the frame modified to
replicate the Vincent cylinder head brackets and
fabricated engine plates to mount the rear of the
massive Rapide engine in the Ducati frame as a
stressed member, just as it was the Vincent frame.
Being a Vincent tuner, Sid naturally uprated the
Rapide engine to Black Lightning spec, along with
many of his own speed modifications such as
ported cylinder heads, lightened and balanced
flywheels, and he fitted a modern clutch set-up
made by Australian Vincent tuner, Neil Videan. A
great of work has gone into making the Vincati
appear to be a factory produced motorcycle by
using a lot of original and subtly modified Ducati
components, with non Ducati parts like the Norton
Commando oil tank secreted behind the left
GT750 side panel. Not so much a mongrel
motorcycle as the marriage of two perfect partners,
the legendary loping grunt of the 1000cc Vincent
V-twin and the surefooted handling of Ducati’s
race-proven chassis.
The full story behind the creation of Big Sid’s
Vincati is told in Mathew Biberman’s book of the
same name, an extremely readable digest that isn’t
merely the tale of the construction of a hybrid
motorcycle, but also the story of the reconstruction
of a lost relationship between father and son. CBG
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 63
64 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
 •Luca s •Am a l•Hep olit e•Renold
5 00/65 0/75 0 Unit Twins /T rip les
OPEN :2 p m -6.30p m Da ily-Ca llers bya p p oint m ent only
FOR M AILORDERS & EN Q UIRIES.N O VAT
T EL/FAX Felixs t owe 0139 4 2 79 9 2 9
E-m a il:s a les @ t 8 t s .co.uk W ebs it e:www.t 8 t s .co.uk

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 65


Triumph Trophy Trail One man in search of his ultimate Triumph off-roader
“M
y dad had motorcycles, so I
had a head start over a lot of
lads. When I was 11 or 12
years old I used to `hang
around with some older boys
who rode a couple of cyclemotors on the heath. It was great
fun and I asked my dad if he could get me a bike of my own.
On the
Words and photos: Phil Mather
He came home with a 350cc single cylinder Tiger 80 which
he’d bought from a bloke who’d had a spill and lost interest.
“It was dead original and had been serviced by Huxhams,
a motorcycle dealer in Ashley Road, Poole in Dorset. I’m
ashamed to admit now that I stripped off all the road gear
and rode it on the heath – it was a fantastic bike, came with
its own toolkit, and it got me started.”
Since those days back in the 1960s John Anstey has
become a very successful trials rider, as witnessed by the
shelves of trophies in his outside loo. But standing in
his workshop you begin to wonder that he ever has
time to do any riding. There are project bikes
everywhere – a bobber, a chopper, a flat track bike –
anything, it seems, as long as it’s not standard.
♠
TRIUMPH T100 TRIALS SPECIAL
“I like to change things around,” he explains, sensing my
bewilderment. “I like to try out new ideas, study other
machines to see what’s been done and whether that will
work for me. The bobber that I’m currently riding on the
road is a bit of fun, but I wouldn’t want to go too far on the
bare steel, cantilever sprung seat, and keeping the open
primary chain lubricated is a problem. In any case, it’s
‘work in progress’. On the other hand my trials bikes are
serious machines, built do the job. I learned early on that
you had to work on a bike to get the best out of it, even
on the heath.”
John progressed from the Tiger 80 to a Zundapp, which
had the advantages of being lighter and having more
ground clearance. He modified the bike within the limits of
what could be done to tidy things up and tuck things away
so they didn’t snag on the undergrowth and didn’t get bent
in the inevitable tumble, but he remembers being seriously
hampered when it came to making a high level exhaust
system. “I cut and shut the pipe to the shape I wanted but
couldn’t find anybody to weld it all together for me. I ended
up having to make do with a low level pipe with a turned-up
silencer, but I’d realised that here was a skill I’d need to
master if I was to get my bike properly sorted.”
Up to this point John’s knowledge of the greater world of
motorcycling was extremely limited, until a photo in a
friend’s motorcycle paper caught his eye.
“There was this guy, I think it was Martin Lampkin,
riding a bike through a river and I thought – hey, what kind
of motorcycling is this? I’d seen scrambling, but never
trials riding, and somehow it just clicked. And that was
how I got into it, that style of off-road motorcycling that
meant you had to keep your balance over mud and rocks,
around trees and through streams – and never, ever put
your foot down!”
John entered his first event at Bovington on the Zundapp
68 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
ABOVE:
It looks like it was built by
a factory. But it wasn’t…
BELOW:
The back hub is a Wassell
item, and there’s nothing to
worry about rear suspension-
wise
and did well enough to warrant trading up to a Greeves – a
twin cylinder Sports model which he stripped down and
kitted out with lightweight parts from Sammy Miller’s shop
in New Milton. Not long afterwards he rode in a trial which
Sammy Miller had entered.
“Sam won, of course, and at the end of the day we all
packed up and went home. It was only later that following
week that my mum read a report in the newspaper saying
I’d come second! If that was a surprise, at the next meeting
Sammy Miller came up to me and said ‘So you’re John
Anstey – the man to watch out for.’ That boosted my ego no
end, I can tell you.”
Leaving school, John started work as a panel beater in a
local garage where he mastered the art of welding and
brazing. He also bought himself a secondhand 250cc
Bultaco, his first proper trials bike, and spent a lot of time
at Miller’s shop studying the latest competition models and
the trick parts that were incorporated into them.
“Nothing seemed to be quite as it left the factory, I
realised, so I was constantly modifying my own bike in an
attempt to make it better. At
the same time I got to wondering about the old bikes from
the early postwar days, maybe because that’s where I had
started with the Tiger 80. Don’t forget that Sammy Miller
originally rose to fame riding a four-stroke Ariel, and single
cylinder Ajays were popular for a long time, but I took a
fancy to the Triumph Trophy because it was a bit different,
I suppose.”
John’s first Trophy was bought as a collection of bits,
which he carefully pieced together to gain an
understanding of what the factory were doing back in the
early Fifties – not a great deal as it turned out! Quite simply,
Triumph had fitted a 500cc Speed Twin engine into the
earlier 3T rigid frame and relied on the skills of their riders,
Jim Alves, Alan Jefferies and Bert Gaymer, to do the rest.
 1 2 3

4 5 6

“Those guys really had their work cut out for them I combination of cycleparts he might choose, it has remained ABOVE:
realised. A soft motor, mild cams, low compression pistons the one constant for all his Trophy specials. 1. The engine, the close-fin all
alloy pre-unit item from
and a small carb don’t compensate for a frame with the “Basically, everything gets modified around the motor rig,
Triumph, is a thing of beauty,
rake, wheelbase and ground clearance of a road bike and which remains straight and level at all times in the jig. To as well as wonder
front forks that wouldn’t keep a bicycle on track across pull back the front fork angle I shorten the lower tank rail.
rough going.” This puts the front downtube out of alignment, so that has 2. Mounting exhaust pipes into
If the Trophy was going to be any good as a competition to be shortened below the mounting points for the front the head can be a challenge;
this uses screw-in rings to grip
bike it would need some serious reworking. “I fully engine plates in order to clear the crankcases.
the pipes. Check out the
intended to use it, not just restore it for the mantlepiece, so The frame’s lower chainstays get a nip and tuck behind the speedo, too
using the geometry of my Bultaco I built a frame jig and put gearbox to further shorten the wheel base. This lowers the
the Trophy frame in that. That’s when I discovered how bad position of the rear wheel spindle lugs which in turn raises 3. Sparks are provided by a BT-
H magneto. ‘Aircraft quality…’
it was. I don’t see the point in leaving something alone if it the ground clearance. Overall the wheelbase ends up
isn’t right. Competition bikes have always evolved, being around one and three quarters of an inch shorter, and with 4. Fuel mixture is fed to the
modified to suit a certain rider or a particular course. For the right front forks I gain as much as three inches in engine by Mr Amal’s handy
starters, it didn’t seem unreasonable to have a bike that ground clearance.” Concentric
was fit for purpose.” Some time later, John was asked to complete the
5. A Tiger Cub donated the oil
John bolted the crankcases, barrel and head of restoration of a Trophy that had been left unfinished when
tank, which has been neatly
a pre-unit 500 motor together, then added a gearbox shell the owner died. The bike had last been ridden in trials by reworked to permit the fitting
and the short inner and outer primary chaincases that were one of the mechanics at Jim Alves’ shop in Glastonbury, of an air filter
used on the rigid framed 350 and 500cc bikes. Although Somerset, and from the registration number, JAC 565, John
6. Function and form
he wasn’t to know it at the time, this motor rig was to stand was able to identify it as one of the 1948 ISDT British team
him in good stead for several future builds. No matter what bikes. That was the year Triumph experimented by putting
♠

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 69


‘What John had in mind when the
project was taking shape was a bike
for long distance trails…’
70 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
a 500cc Speed Twin motor into the rolling chassis of their
350 3T trials bike because they weren’t certain the smaller
engine would stick the pace of the gruelling event.
Held in San Remo, Italy, the 1948 ISDT was
subsequently recognised as the toughest yet,
but the three British team riders mounted on Triumphs
came home with gold medals and a Manufacturer’s Trophy.
In recognition of the achievement the Meriden factory
added an appropriately named new model, the 500cc TR5
Trophy, to their 1949 line-up.
Despite the popularity of the existing Speed Twins and
sporting Tiger 100s, not to mention the arrival of the 650
Thunderbird, the TR5 Trophy carved a sizeable niche in
motorcycle history, establishing a benchmark for off-road
motorcycles with a performance capability. “Having
something like that in my workshop, even for only a short
while, was an incredible buzz,” recalls John. “Of course, I
couldn’t resist putting a tape measure over it, and would
you believe the dimensions were the same as my own
modified bike? It’s well known that the factory cut corners
on the production models, but whether the frame had been
modified by Triumph’s own competition department prior to
the ISDT or at some time later, it would be impossible to
say. As far as I was concerned, it was good to know I was
on the right track.”
John would be the first to admit that the bike featured
here is a far cry from most of his machines and what he
describes as his preferred ‘rustic’ look. What he had in
mind when the project was taking shape was a bike for
long distance trails, so the chance opportunity to pick up
a race-tuned Tiger 100 engine with TR5 crankcases
seemed too good to miss. With a big valve head, 7.5:1
pistons, high lift cams and a one-piece crank it certainly
had potential, but it has turned out to be massively over-
powered and makes for what is best described as a
challenging ride. Nevertheless the construction process
was an interesting experience.
“The fine-finned alloy motor set the standard, so I
mounted it in thick alloy engine plates which I then drilled
to while away an evening when there was nothing much on
the telly. You could say it all adds to the lightness, which it
does, fractionally, but the rigid frame weighs so much less
than the standard swinging arm version that the odd ounce
here and there become less critical. On the other hand, I
like to consider every aspect of a bike I’m building, and if I
think something can be done to improve the function of a
part, or simply just to make it look better, then I’ll do it.”
The same thinking applies to the primary chaincase,
where John welded up the large diameter inspection hole
and fitted a small plug for adding oil for chain lubrication.
He also blanked off the mounting point for the left-hand
footrest for an overall cleaner look to the outer cover.
The exhaust pipes are retained in the head by the same
type of screw-in rings found on the Grand Prix generator
motor, but because the ports are splayed the siamesed
exhaust system is made in two sections to facilitate fitting
and removal. Harking back to the experience with his
Zundapp, John still takes immense care planning and
sketching the run of the exhaust pipes and then has J & T
Tubes in Poole, Dorset, transform his ideas into raw metal.
These pipes are then offered up and fettled by cutting and
welding to get exactly the fit required.
“Pipes have to be functional and practical, but that
doesn’t mean they can’t look good.” Hours of work with a
welding torch, file and polishing mop ensure a perfectly
seamless result, to the naked eye, which is then
encapsulated in chrome by Alderney Plating in Poole.
The silencer also came in for some serious attention,
starting life as a standard Triumph ‘cigar’ that had a section
cut out of the middle and the tailpipe angled downwards to
ABOVE: follow the line of the frame. The system is supported by a
Front end bouncing and discreet lug welded to the frame below the saddle.
stopping duties are handled
“A high level pipe down the left-hand side is standard
by Bultaco parts
Triumph practice, but they made no effort to tuck it away
Much deliciousness and the silencer was very vulnerable if the bike went over.
hereabouts, including the The pipe also restricts access to the contact breakers on
front engine plates, drilled the end of the magneto, which could be a pain if you
‘when there was nothing
much on the telly…’
needed to make any adjustments or if the mag got
swamped during an event. There’s an interesting photo of
Jim Alves in Harry Woolridge’s book ‘The Triumph Trophy
Bible’. It’s an advert for the 1951 Trophy, although the bike
depicted is apparently an earlier model. I must have seen it
a dozen times, then one day I noticed it had a ‘moody’
exhaust system – y’know, one that wasn’t right. The
exhaust is on the right-hand side. That makes a lot of sense
and I’ve made a right-hand system for my latest project.”
When talking to John it’s too easy to get distracted, and
project bikes merge into each other with disquieting ease. If
they all start from the same point, a 3T frame, a Trophy
engine and gearbox, where do the other bits come from?
“I’m always on the lookout for things, new ideas, parts that
I can adapt and parts that are just right. Like the BTH
magneto – aircraft quality, far better than a Lucas. The
Tiger Cub oil tank is a favourite of mine because it is the
right shape but slimmer than the stock big Triumph tank. I
cut and reprofiled the back of this one to clear an air filter,
but in the end that didn’t get fitted. The folding kickstart
assembly I made using a lever from a modern GasGas trials
bike, the rear brake pedal is a modified Sammy Miller item.
“The old stock Trophy had the footrests in totally the
wrong position – between the engine and gearbox. For trials
the rider’s weight needs to be further back, so I added
mountings to the frame rearwards of the gearbox and then
made mounting brackets for a pair of Sammy Miller folding
footpegs. The only thing I was never happy with was the
♠
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 71
TRIUMPH T100 TRIALS SPECIAL
run of the rear brake cable which should actually pass
through the frame, but that’s something for another day.”
Having completed several Trophy specials, you might
think John would now work to a standard formula, but his
other projects stimulate a flexible approach. He had
acquired a Bultaco rolling chassis minus its radially finned
engine unit with a view to perhaps one day finding another
motor, but then decided that the front forks and wheel were
perfect for this bike. Likewise the Rickman rear hub, the
Wassell ‘banana’ petrol tank and the D-shaped Bantam
speedometer. They could compliment any number of
machines, but they certainly don’t look out of place here.
John reckons it took him around two years to complete
the project. Considering the care and craftsmanship he put
into it, perhaps the most surprising thing is that they have
now parted company without him ever riding it in anger.
“Just after it was finished I took it to a classic vehicle rally.
‘I’m always on the
lookout for things, new
ideas, parts that I can
adapt and parts that are
just right’
My brother and I spent two evenings polishing it, then on
the day of the show it rained and the bike needed cleaning
again. I don’t like to see a bike go downhill but this was
obviously going to be too high maintenance for me.
Besides, I had new ideas buzzing around my head and
needed some money to finance them.”
The new project with the right-hand exhaust system I
could understand. The 3T frame in the jig already housed
crankcases with a Grand Prix generator motor top end and
Norton Roadholder forks hung from the steering head. But
how could he explain the battered chopper coffin tank
balanced on the frame top tube?
“I picked it up at an autojumble – great, isn’t it! Those
holes are bullet holes. I thought that if I cut out the bottom I
could seal the holes on the inside, leaving the outside
looking the way it is. Real bullet holes – not stickers!”
But wouldn’t that look just a little out of
place on a Trophy trail bike?
“Oh I don’t suppose I’d use it on the
Trophy, but I will build something else
to put it on. I guess you could file that
safely under work in progress…” CBG
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 73
Over, Onwards
Faster than a speeding Bullet. Quite a lot faster, in fact. The Over Enfield reveals
how much performance can be extracted from a decently ancient engine design
Words by AlAn CAthCArt. Photos by KoiChi ohtAni
C
lassic, Vintage, Old-timer, call it
what you will – ‘Historic’ racing is
an ever-more globally popular
branch of two-wheeled sport, one
which frequently attracts improbable
participants mounted on unlikely bikes. Yet few
come more unlikely than Japanese Yamaha tuning
guru and Over Racing boss, Kensei Sato, and the
Royal Enfield 500 Bullet single which he and his
son Takeshi race in the country’s LOC Classic
racing series.
Sato is the Japanese artisan of aluminium,
creator of a host of deliciously innovative special-
framed bikes which have taken shape down the
years in the workshop of his Over Racing team
headquarters near the Suzuka race circuit.
Each comes equipped with Over’s distinctive
oval-section aluminium-tube chassis, and most
carry Yamaha engines, like the bikes powered by
an Over-tuned XTZ660 five-valve enduro motor
which twice won the European Supermono
Championship run as a mid-90s World Superbike
support class, or the TDM850-based OV-15
Eurotwin, which came within a wheel of beating
Andrew Stroud’s infinitely more exotic Britten
V-1000 at Assen in 1992.
Sato has always had an eye for the improbable,
and the engineering skills to turn the unlikeliest
bike into a competitive package. I of all people can
confirm his ability to do this, after the success I
was fortunate to enjoy 20 years ago with my gal
TRiXie, the Over Yamaha TRX racer which Yamaha
Europe commissioned from Kensei-san for me to
race in SuperTwins events around the world. TRiXie
and I spent three happy years together, beating the
Italian Mob of theoretically much faster Ducati
916 Superbikes to win the Formula 1 ProTwins
race at Daytona, as well as clinching the 1997
‘Sato has always had an eye for the improbable,
and the engineering skills to turn the unlikeliest
bike into a competitive package.’
Sound of Thunder World Series title. Not bad for
a bike with an engine concocted from a Paris-
Dakar dirt sled.
Though he’s also created bikes powered by non-
Japanese motors, such as the fabulous
Over-framed Sundance Harley, or the series of Over
Ducatis and the Aussie-built Over-framed Vee Two
Squalo desmo V-twin, Sato’s close personal
connections with Yamaha have often meant he’s
effectively acted as a satellite of the Japanese
giant’s factory race shop, working out of its back
door to take prototype Yamaha models to the
racetrack. Company engineers would like to see
them lining up on the starting grid without being a
full-on factory race project, often on a ‘what-if’ basis
before they did something with said bike officially.
The TRX850 was indeed one such project, and
while it may seem unlikely now after Noriyuki Haga
turned the R1 into a serial World Superbike race-
winner, it was actually Over Racing which first
raced the R1 in Japan back in 1998 at the
factory’s behest and with their back-door support,
as a wild card X-Formula entry in a Superbike class
which back then had a 750cc top limit for fours.
And just to square the circle, Nitro Nori actually
rode for Over Racing in the 1995 Japanese
Superbike Championship – but on a Ducati 916!
Alongside the Over Racing Project, Sato’s
significant Suzuka specialist shop also
includes an Italian two- and four-wheeled
dealership that always has an array of
desmo V-twins lined up on the showroom
floor. It’s also Japan’s top port of call
for Honda Monkey bikes of all shapes
and sizes, and the Moto Joy classic
bike store catering for 1970s and 80s
Japanese classics and 60s-style
British café racers, including the
♠
Over-enfiled
ABOVE
Stripped of its plastics, the RE
is more recognisable than you
might expect
BELOW
The Hitchcocks big bore kit laid
out for us all to wonder at. Its
effect on the engine is shown
in the graph. The blue line is a
stock 500 Bullet; green the
Over 612cc street kit, and red
is Hitchcocks 612cc racer
76 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
30-plus Over Tritons he’s had built so far in Europe
for shipment to Japan. Indeed, for some years Over
was the Japanese importer for Royal Enfield, and
has continued to sell the Indian-built bikes in large
numbers even after another firm took over bringing
them in. Kensei Sato is a man who likes
unconventional engineering, and caters for
customers who feel the same.
Which explains how Kensei-san’s passion for
Classic racing has been his main escape valve for
the past 25 years from the
rigours of running this mini-
conglomerate, or working
with Yamaha factory
engineers to refine the
handling of a future new
model, or seeking to extract better performance
from the latest R1 sportbike. He does so by taking
it in turn to race his F750 Rob North Triumph
triple, his 500 Manx Norton, or his ring-ding
Kawasaki H2 two-stroke in the series of events
organised in Japan by promotors MR/Moto
Renaissance. He’s often successful, too – though
right now he’s nursing the after-effects of
dislocating his shoulder when he crashed his
Kawasaki in a recent race at Tsukuba!
Almost inevitably, as his eldest son Takeshi
grew up he acquired the same passion,
and wanted to start
Classic racing himself,
rather than just help dad
unload the bikes and give
pit signals at races. So,
given Over’s history with
Royal Enfield, what could
be more suitable for him to
start with than a tuned 500
Bullet, which under MR rules
could be bored out as big as
the motor would go. To avoid
the organisers having to strip motors, so long as
the original engine was under 500cc you can
make it as big as you like, and the next class up
is simply ‘Over 500cc’, which takes care of
everything else!
Taking a stock pre-EFI pre-electric start circa-
2004 500cc Bullet, which already came with a
left-foot gearchange and five-speed transmission
for Japanese customers, Kensei stripped off the
street equipment and extracted the engine and
separate gearbox. Resisting the temptation to
modify the stock Indian-built tubular steel frame
in any way, even by adding metal for any
strengthening, he instead altered the steering
geometry by fitting 35mm Soqi forks, uprated
internally with Over’s own springs, housed in
special Over yokes with a 36mm offset. At the
rear, the stock Enfield swinging arm carries twin
fully-adjustable Öhlins shocks, 20mm longer than
standard partly to give more wheel travel, but
especially to throw more weight onto the front
wheel. They’re aided in doing so by retention
of the stock rear 19-inch wheel size, but
replacement of its front counterpart by an
18-incher, via DID alloy rims laced up to a front
240mm Yamaha 2ls drum brake sourced from an
SR500, and the stock 7in/178mm Royal Enfield
sls rear.
This has the effect of further sharpening the
steering geometry and loading up the front wheel
weightwise, delivering an effective 25º head angle,
102mm of trail and a 1350mm wheelbase with a
52/48% forward weight bias – all pretty nifty
numbers much sharper than the original Enfield’s.
A 90/90-18 Dunlop TT900 front tyre is matched to
a 100/90-19 TT100 Roadmaster rear, with the
bike completed by Over’s own aluminium 18 litre
fuel tank and Seeley-type seat, plus a full fairing.
In this guise the Over Enfield scales in at 150kg
dry, fitted with the tuned engine and five-speed
gearbox, with the left side cover cut and welded to
pull it in tighter for a better run for the shift
linkage, and still retaining a chain primary drive,
not belt. “I don’t like the look of a belt primary,”
says Sato, “and anyway, we have DID chain as
a sponsor!”
After his success at extracting unlikely ABOVE
horsepower from his title-winning Supermono Clockwise from left: The
standard swinging arm contains
singles – how does 86bhp from 762cc sound, in a
the standard rear drum brake,
bike weighing just 127kg? – it was somewhat although they’re all suspended
surprising to discover that Sato didn’t tune the by a rather more exotic pair of
Over Enfield’s air-cooled ohv pushrod motor Öhlins shocks
himself.
The engine and gearbox form
“At Over, we are indeed able to produce good part of the frame, which is so
performance from single-cylinder engines – but we minimal that it looks like it
concentrate on the Yamaha SoS motor, in which we should never handle well.
try to be world’s No.1 experts,” says Kensei-san. However, the results on the
track speak for themselves
“So when we want to get maximum performance
from a Royal Enfield, we must consult the Enfield When only the best will do…
equivalent of Over, not try ourselves to do better!” fit Lucas
That company is the world’s leading Royal Enfield
aftermarket spares specialist, Hitchcock’s No reason to get excited…
it is an Amal, a Concentric.
Motorcycles located south of Birmingham not far Nothing too exotic
from RE’s original Redditch factory in the
Midlands, and what Allan Hitchcock and his team
don’t stock for Royal Enfields of whatever age,
vintage or modern, doesn’t exist – and maybe never
did. On one of his many trips to Britain, Sato
acquired a stock of Hitchcock’s’ 612cc engine
performance kits, and has since fitted them
successfully to many customer bikes, making it a
no-brainer to do the same thing when creating the
Over Enfield racer.
This transforms the standard Indian-made 499cc
Bullet engine measuring 84 x 90 mm and
producing 22bhp on the Over dyno into an
infinitely more muscular 612cc package. This is
done by both boring and stroking the engine to 87
x 103 mm, via a longstroke Alpha Bearings crank
weighing 12kg, one kilo more than stock, and
running uprated UK-sourced main bearings.
♠
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 77
 ABOVE
Clockwise from top left:
The main frame is stock,
although the suspension is not.
The primary chaincase has
been slimmed a little, mainly to
allow a better route for the rear-
set gear linkage. The primary
drive is chain, not belt
High-revving race tech
indicator…
A silencer. It’s an Over silencer
The 18 litre fuel tank is one of
Over’s own
The front brake (clamped
between a set of Soqi fork legs)
is a Yamaha, from their own
SR500. Not terribly effective,
says AC
78 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
There’s a single roller bearing on the timing side,
and a much larger one on the drive side,
augmented by a substantial ball race. It’s fitted
with a longer higher-grade steel conrod carrying a
forged piston delivering 10.5:1 compression,
running in a new Hitchcock cylinder with an
original cast iron sleeve shrunk into it, mounted via
a thick compression plate on the machined-out
stock crankcases. The cylinder head has been re-
ported and gas-flowed, and fitted with reprofiled
larger diameter valves (a 17⁄8in/47.625mm inlet
and 15⁄8in/41.275mm exhaust), each plasma
nitride coated and now carrying dual springs and
alloy collars, operated via longer yet lighter alloy
pushrods by a new camshaft with extra dwell and
lift. The stock 0.312in/7.92mm height on both
inlet and exhaust has now been increased to
0.420in/10.66mm on the inlet and
0.395in/10.00mm exhaust.
Uprated dual oil pumps are fitted (although it’s a
dry sump motor, the oil tank is contained within
the crankcases), plus heavy duty clutch springs,
and while retaining the stock Bullet’s coil ignition,
the kit includes the 32mm Amal Mk.2 Concentric
carb presently fitted to the Over Enfield. This
seems a bit on the small side for a racing single
this large in capacity, so for sure there’s more top
end power to be found there.
But meanwhile, carrying an Over-developed
exhaust – what else? – the Japanese-tuned Anglo-
Indian single already produces 39bhp at the rear
wheel at 5500 rpm, according to Sato, with peak
torque of 41lb-ft (Nm55) on tap at 4500 rpm –
almost double the stock 22bhp Enfield’s slightly
anaemic 23lb-ft (Nm31) numbers.
After building this first Over Enfield as a means
for son Takeshi to enjoy going road racing, his
results were so immediately promising that Kensei
Sato has ended up building five more for various
customers – including one other rival Enfield
dealer – to race themselves. But it was his ‘works’
bike that Takeshi-chan and his dad (who admits to
pinching it off Junior to race himself a couple of
times!) brought for me to ride at what turned out to
be Japan’s hidden Tarmac jewel, the scenic,
switchback Okayama race track located due west
of Japan’s second city, Osaka. Formerly known as
the TI Circuit before it changed hands in 2003,
this hosted a pair of Japanese F1 GPs in the mid-
1990s – both won by a certain Michael Schumacher,
but in his Benetton days before he saw red. Since
then it’s suffered from not being owned by a major
car or bike manufacturer, unlike all the other
serious tracks in Japan, which consequently ride
on the back of their owners’ lobbying power when
it comes to sharing out the big races.
Takeshi Sato is a fair bit taller than me, so it was
quite a surprise to find the riding position on his
Over Enfield so close-coupled, with the screen
running back so far that I had difficulty in tucking
away behind it down Okayama’s main straight,
until the bolts holding it vibrated loose, and it
slipped forward. First rule of racing a British
single, Takeshi – always make a lap of the bike and
tighten everything up before your next outing!
But the high-set Over rearset footrests and high-
rise exhaust gave lots of ground clearance, though my
legs being in the wrong place meant my boots got a
good roasting from the Nomex- and tinfoil-wrapped
pipe. Having said that, the street-pattern gearchange
was smooth and precise, the gearbox having been
‘massaged’ a little by Over engineers to deliver a
better shift action than the stock Bullet came with.
Still, it was hard to get a clean upward change in the
lower gears without using the clutch, although from
third on upwards it snicked into the next higher ratio
very sweetly, and downshifts under braking were very
clean thanks to the good shift action and light clutch,
even with heavy duty springs fitted.
With peak power of 39bhp delivered to the back
wheel at 5500rpm on the Over dyno, it was a little
disconcerting that the Enfield motor stopped
pulling at 5300rpm as shown on the Scitsu
revcounter that was another one of Kensei-san’s
discoveries from his time in the UK. In theory the
redline comes at 6000 revs, but on a hot 33ºC
Japanese summer day with 90% humidity I think
the Amal carb was simply jetted too rich to run
that high. Yet there was no sign of the vibration
that normally accompanies that, and indeed the
Over bike was the smoothest running Royal Enfield
single at higher revs I’ve ever ridden, comparing
favourably for minimal vibration with my own
Matchless G50. But it did feel rather ponderous
and slow-revving, as if there was a lot of inertia
inside the engine that took time to get rolling –
though once having done so, there was a good
sense of momentum, and it felt pretty long-legged.
The Over Enfield pulled cleanly away from a tight
hairpin turn in bottom gear without using the
clutch from as low down as 2000 revs, so it’s ultra-
tractable even if it wasn’t until 4300rpm that the
motor really came on strong. Until then, it built
power rather lethargically by Classic racing
standards, before perking up big time over four
grand. That gave just 1100 revs to play with before
it ran out of breath, which meant that I’d
sometimes hit a higher gear when the bike stopped
pulling, only for it to fall out of the power band and
struggle to get back on the pipe again in the next
highest ratio. Only thing to do then was to fan the
clutch lever to achieve the desired effect of
coaxing the motor back into the proper powerband.
This worked okay, but even better would have been
a close-ratio gearbox for the bored and stroked
motor to keep it pulling, rather than the widely
spaced road gearbox still in the bike.
This rather lazy-feeling engine meant that
equalling Kensei-san’s own lap times on the bike –
as I eventually did – came down mainly to
exploiting the handling potential of the Over-
modified stock Enfield frame, and especially
keeping up turn speed, which it did just fine. The
steering and handling felt very poised, with turn-in
to a bend very composed, and the Dunlop tyres
gave great confidence on Okayama’s grippy and
relatively smooth surface – the track had been
resurfaced just 18 months earlier.
As you might expect from such a serious and
experienced race team, the Öhlins rear shocks and
Soqi fork were ideally set up, with the relatively
light bike for a pushrod single completely
unaffected by the couple of car-derived ripples in
♠
‘The Over bike was the smoothest
running Royal Enfield single at higher
revs I’ve ever ridden, comparing
favourably for minimal vibration with
my own Matchless G50’
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 79
Over-enfiled
ABOVE the track surface – the Enfield’s rear end especially
Look closely. Observe the rode really well over them. This gave the
falling bubble. The story’s in
the story…
confidence to keep up turn speed, and after a few
laps I started to get the hang of how to ride this
bike to best advantage. Basically, you must use
one gear higher for a given turn than you might
otherwise do, focusing on maintaining momentum
and thus engine speed, if necessary fingering the
clutch lever to keep it singing above 4000rpm to
take full advantage of that narrow powerband. Just
like riding a two-stroke, really!
However, I was inadvertently helped in doing that
by the fact that the Over Enfield’s brakes weren’t
very good. There wasn’t much bite in the first
place from the Yamaha 2LS front drum, and even
less from the stock Enfield SLS rear after I’d
cooked the linings from standing on the brake
pedal so hard to stop for the sharp left-hander
infield hairpin, where you must aim for the outside
of the track, then pull it in sharply at the last
moment just before you run out of road. Which I –
ahem – did indeed do on my first flying lap, after
‘With a little more development
and some uprated componentry the
Over Enfield could take quite a step
upwards in performance.’
80 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
discovering that even once warmed up well, the
Yamaha front drum had very little bite in slowing
for a turn, and it was all too easy to get smoke
pouring out of the rear brake without actually
locking the back wheel.
Fortunately, I kept it upright and resumed
normal service, but if ever a bike cried out for a
four leading-shoe front drum brake, it’s the Over
Enfield. With a top speed of 180kph it’s plenty
fast enough to need this, and its 150kg dry weight
is on a par with my Matchless G50, whose original
AMC 2LS front brake also didn’t stop it very well
when I first owned it – not until I fitted the period
Oldani 4LS brake it’s had for the past 30 years.
Over needs to do the same with its Enfield racer –
it’ll make a huge difference in lap times. Instead,
you must now leave a wide margin of error and
brake unduly early from any sort of speed.
So with a little more development and some
uprated componentry the Over Enfield could take
quite a step upwards in performance. But at the
end of the day what matters most is whether it’s fit
for purpose and gives enjoyment to its owner – and
its regular rider Takeshi Sato is smitten with it.
“I like racing Over Enfield very much, because I
feel in control with engine performance,” he says.
“I know brakes are not so good, but this helps me
to learn how to judge speed and braking distance.
It’s a good bike for learning to race, I think!” And
that the Over Enfield indeed is – except in this
guise it should come with L-plates attached. Then
when they fit the close-ratio gearbox, 4LS front
brake, a larger carb and jet it properly, they can
throw them away! CBG
82 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
TRADINGPOST BUY || SELL || SPANNER || SOLVE

Above: Back in the day, Deeprose of Catford crammed a complete range of clothing, spare parts for
all popular British marques, a mail-order business and even a coffee bar ‘for your added comfort’ into
their premises on the South Circular (which may explain why all the bikes are parked outside). Times
have changed and Deeprose is long gone. But there’s still a motorcycle dealer on the same corner of
Brownhill Road, which is vaguely reassuring…

CONTENTS This photo was found in the

Mortons Archive, a huge
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forever – you’ll find it in our

084 CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

Japanese bikes, the nitty gritty
112 READER ADS
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Whether it’s a rider from the
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094 MODEL STUDY I

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126 RESTORATION
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102 MODEL STUDY II

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CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 83
 TRADINGPOST || BUYING GUIDE

Japanese Classic Bike Guide

W
hile British bikes dominated their
home market and dictated motorcycle
development for the first two-thirds of
the 20th century, so the Japanese industry led
the way from the late 1960s to the current day.
That’s why you’ll find this guide is stuffed full of
terms such as ‘ground-breaking’ and ‘innovative’
(although if the phrase ‘jewel-like’ sneaks in
please take us out and shoot us).
However, the revolution in two-wheeled
technology which ripped up the old rule book
didn’t happen overnight, and there are many –
slightly dodgy, truth be told – transitional models
along the way. Inevitably there are some
humdrum, workaday ‘so what?’ motorcycles
lurking among the genuinely astonishing
trendsetters. The trick is to be able to tell them
apart, and not pay Zed One money for a
Z400J…
The transition to Japanese classic isn’t always
straightforward, not for long-term British and
European bike enthusiasts or even aficionados of
modern motorcycles. It’s not just a matter of the
controls being in different places; engine and
handling characteristics can be radically
different. after decades of wear and tear and bodgery… motorcycles were designed at a time when most
Similarly, swapping to a 40-year-old machine Keep in mind that the Japanese classic maintenance was performed at home, by chaps
that has led a hard life can cause considerable support industry is not as mature as the network in flat caps with minimal toolkits.
culture shock; riding a nearly new VFR800 today of trade specialists that provide spares and If you intend to revitalise an old but technically
may not be adequate preparation for life with a services for old Britbikes. There are fewer sophisticated Japanese motorcycle, crafted in
CJ250T. Old bikes – no matter which country marque and model specialists out there to assist line with an entirely different ethos, then it would
they come from – are snapshots from the past, you. Also, many Japanese models appear to pay to make sure that your local bike shop can
encapsulating an instant in motorcycle have extremely long production lives – like some help out with the odd stripped thread, snapped
development. For many years, Japanese Brits – but in fact there can be very little overlap stud and emergency helicoil.
powerplants out-performed their bikes’ between different incarnations of a superficially This guide will definitely develop over the
suspension and chassis. They were a bit lively similar model. Put simply: secondhand parts coming months: if your favourite model isn’t
when they were brand new and correctly from a similar bike won’t necessarily work. And mentioned then do send us the details for future
maintained, so imagine what they might be like remember that old British, Italian and German inclusion.

How to use the guide
This guide provides an overview of
Japanese classics. We focus on the
marques and models that are the
most popular, familiar and/or easily
available in the UK. We’ll enlarge
and update it as time goes by and
we trawl the marketplace, and this
guide will alternate with similar
info covering British and European
classics.
We offer you just two prices; the
CBG High Price is for a top-notch,
top-spec model in excellent
condition. You might not win
concours awards with the bike, but
you’d expect to be a contender. At
that price, your target machine
should have a new MoT, its tyres
should sparkle, its chrome and alloy
should be excellent. Its paint should
not be dull, and it should run like
the dream machine you’re after. Oil
should not dribble from its casings,
it should start easily and readily. If
it has more than one carb, then they
should be balanced and the bike
should tick over reliably. There
should be no smoke, and although a
stack of receipts is not essential,
you should find evidence that
whoever did the restoration work
knew what they were doing.
Cables should be entirely un-
frayed, the controls should fall
readily to hand and foot, and the
lighting system should both lighten
the darkness and charge its own
battery. Accept nothing less.
Also accept that if you make the
increasingly astute decision to buy
from a trader then you are quite
likely to pay more than our High
Price. Traders make a living
supplying folk like us with the
bikes we want, tolerate endless
tyre-kicking, usually accept trade-
ins, and they should provide decent
after-sales service. All this costs
them, and they need to make a
profit.
The CBG Low Price is for a
complete motorcycle. The bike may
have the dregs of an MoT. It will
certainly run and ride, although it
may not be entirely sorted. Most of
all, it may not be standard, the
engine and frame may not have
been paired in the factory, it may
be cosmetically challenged, with
rusty exhausts, a split seat and
drooping unlubricated cables, and
sundry systems may not work. It
may be a less popular version of a
popular model (did someone say
FT500?). It may easily be what we
used to refer to as a ‘working’ bike.
Classic workers are less common
now than they once were, but
they’re plentiful among older
Japanese machines.
There are two other categories
which it is entirely impossible to
quote prices for. The first is the
entirely original and unrestored
motorcycle. These machines are –
obviously – increasingly hard to
find, and some folk will pay a high
premium for them. Indeed, ‘barn
find’ machines often fetch
astonishingly high prices because
they’re unrestored … although you
can rarely know that for a fact.
The second category is the
concours winner; the completely
elegant machine which is better by
far than it was when it first invaded
a showroom. When these bikes
change hand in the public
marketplace (and many of them
change hands inside clubs,
advertised only by word of mouth)
their prices can be very high
indeed. We cannot offer guidance
here; what you pay is up to you.
Happy hunting…

84 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

BRIDGESTONE
B
EST KNOWN FOR its
tyres, Bridgestone also
built some nifty disc-
valve two-strokes in the early
era of Japanese motorcycle
production. Like its British
counterparts a half-century
before, they began by
building bicycles after WW2
and added engines from
1958. Few were sold in Japan
or Europe, but they gained
quite a following in the USA
thanks to their innovative
engineering which broke
ground ahead of the Big Four.
98cc and 175cc tiddlers are
scarce and not especially
rewarding to ride, but 350
twins are worth considering.
GTR/GTO
345cc rotary valve two-stroke
twin || 160kg || 40bhp || 100mph
|| 1964-70
TECHNICALLY SOPHISTICATED,
rEfINED and civilised, the
roadbike GTR was joined by the
wheelie-happy GTO, with high pipes
and bars, in 1967. Both employ
rotary disc-valve induction to be
both rapid and tractable, with
smooth performance similar to most
500 strokers of the time. ‘Upside-
down’ six-speed gearbox can be
entertaining (or embarrassing).
Rarely seen so correspondingly
expensive to buy, maintain and
restore. Sparse spares.
Prices
low £1800 || high £4000
HONDA
T
he greatest motorcycle
maker the world has
ever known, Honda
have always led the field.
There is almost no variety of
bike which they’ve not built at
some time. They’re often
innovative (think of the oval
piston racers) and often
conservative (think of the
CD175), but their machines
are always well engineered,
spares are usually available
for an age after the bikes went
out of production, and a look
back down their long history
reveals exactly why they have
been so successful. They
brought multi-speed
gearboxes, overhead cams
and disc brakes to the mass
market, and they went liquid-
cooled very early on.
That said, several Honda
models suffered from ideas
which worked well in the Big
Book of Bike Engineering but
rather less well on the road.
The early disc brakes could
be dreadful, with their single
piston and pivoting callipers.
Everyone knows of CX and
VF camchain issues, while
several ohc models suffered
from premature top end wear,
usually the result of neglected
maintenance rather than bad
design.
The support structure for
Honda owners is excellent,
with the VJMC leading the
field as usual, and several
expert traders around to
supply the parts and the
advice about fitting them. And
there are so very many models
which could easily quality for
‘classic’ status, then we have
only chosen a few…
C90/92/CB92
124cc ohc twin || 160kg || 68mph
|| 12bhp || 90mpg || 1958-64
NOT TO BE confused with the later
Benly models, these early 125 twins
are an ungainly mix of technical
sophistication and angular styling.
The pioneering twin-cylinder ohc
machine came with all mod cons
(electric starter and indicators
among them) but was compromised
by the its excessive mass, poor
brakes, strange steering, under-
damped suspension and lack of
low-down torque. The C90/92
Benlys represent a pivotal moment
in motorcycling, but are probably
best left to collectors / restorers.
The snappy, supersports CB92 is
much more sought after, especially
on the classic racing circuit, for its
twin carbs, 10k rev ceiling, and
monster 2ls drum brakes: high-
spec examples fetch five figures.
Prices
low £500 || high £3500
CG125
124cc ohv single || 95kg ||
120mpg || 65mph || 11bhp ||
1976-on
SHArED MUCH Of the CB motor
but replaced ohc arrangement with
old-fashioned pushrods, making a
nigh-on indestructible learner hack.
Gradual development over time:
12v electrics in 1985 when
production moved to Brazil,
electronic ignition in 1995, electric
start from 2001. Cheap, slow,
robust. Centrestands bend / break,
and drive chain enclosure hides
duff sprockets.
Prices
low £250 || high £1500
XL125-350
249cc ohc single || 120kg ||
75mpg || 80mph || 20bhp ||
1972-85
USEfUL rANGE Of tough, four-
stroke trail bikes with decent
low-rev torque. Long production life
in a range of capacities including
175 and 185; learner 125s
regularly converted to 150 so scope
for ample confusion with engine
internals. Innovative four-valve ohc
cylinder head prone to rapid wear if
under-oiled. Proper dual-purpose
machines, so great for green-laning:
for more extreme off-road riding
look for Paris-Dakar and XR
models. Resurrected as the
‘Degree’ in the early 1990s.
Prices
low £750 || high £2000
C70/C71/C72/C75
247cc ohc twin || 170kg || 70mph
|| 18bhp || 1958-67
GrOUND-BrEAKING
OvErHEAD cam twins, the original
Dream, with pressed-steel frames
and a remarkably revvy engine for
1957. For serious restorers /
collectors only; a lot less fun to ride
than their descendants and
sourcing spares can be a struggle.
Varied capacities (125, 154, 247,
305cc), wet sump from 1960, and
different styles spawned the CB
roadsters, CL trail bikes, CD
commuters and CC street
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 85
scrambler. Prices show wide
variation between scrapheap
survivors and concours queens; a
fully rebuilt 1967 C72 250 costs
c£3500.
Prices
low £500 || high £7000
CB72/CB77
305cc ohc twin || 160kg ||
105mph || 28bhp || 1960-68
THE CB TWINS marked Honda’s
first ‘modern’ sporting motorcycle
with a tubular spine frame, 180-
degree firing arrangement on the
inclined wet-sump engine, twin
carbs, electric start, 2ls front brake
and tele forks. A genuinely tasty
prospect, revving to 9000rpm and
not overwhelmed by cumbersome
weight.
Even the oddball kickstart
arrangement doesn’t spoil the fun
as the electric start is (usually)
reliable. Many adapted to go classic
racing; original and standard spec
machines are generally worth more.
The 250 CB72 is genuinely capable
of reaching 90mph; costs as much
to restore as the CB77 but 15%
less for initial purchase.
Prices
low £1250 || high £5000
CB250RS
248cc ohc single || 130kg ||
90mph || 65mpg || 26bhp ||
1980-84
NIMBLE, SPOrTY LIGHTWEIGHT
offering oodles more fun than the
Superdream twin. Tends to be
thrashed senseless so top end,
chains, sprockets and brakes
usually well worn. RS-D from ’83
has O-ring chain and electric start
but the kickstart models fire up
easily anyway, so pay no extra for
the D. Later dohc six-speed CBX
version is less invigorating and
popular.
Prices
low £500 || high £1500
CJ250/360T
357cc ohc twin || 185kg || 90mph
|| 55mpg || 34bhp || 1976-77
♠
 TRADINGPOST || BUYING GUIDE
THE AUSTIN ALLEGRO of old
bikes. Cheap when new and far
from cheerful, the final incarnation
of an utterly out-moded design.
Weirdly fashionable now with
examples being restored to OMG
condition (presumably by people
who never had to ride one back
then). If you absolutely must, then
get a 360. Or counselling.
Prices
low £500 || high £3000
CB250/400T
395cc ohc twin || 180kg ||
100mph || 50mpg || 43bhp ||
1977-79
TECHNICALLY ADVANCED wITH
five-speed gearbox, helical gear
primary drive, three valves per
cylinder, electronic ignition,
Comstar wheels and disc front
brakes. Far better than the outgoing
CJ, but stodgy looking and not
exactly lively. Can be considered
‘charming’ from some angles these
days. Lived on as the Hawk in the
USA. Oddly interesting 400A (for
automatic) used a two-speed torque
converter to save on gear shifts.
Ignored then but gaining a following
now. Auto worth no more than the
standard 400; 250 worth about
30% less than that.
Prices
low £500 || high £2500
CB350/400F
408cc ohc four || 185kg || 98mph
|| 50mpg || 37bhp || 1972-77
EN
SE
AS
LD
SO
HONDA VF750FE
Hasn’t been on the road or used since an extensive ‘full
nut and bolt’ restoration in 2014, with ‘no part left
untouched.’ Went under the hammer at the Bonhams
auction last month
SOLD FOR £26
86 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
NEVER AN OFFICIAL UK import,
early 1970s CB350 fours are now
regularly offered as resto projects
after being shipped from the USA
(check it comes with correct NOVA
paperwork and import duties paid).
Less handsome and rewarding to
ride than the more familiar 400/4,
so budget for a 350’s final value to
be 20% less than the bigger bike.
The 408 is similarly revvy and not
as quick as it looks, but is pretty
nimble and easy to manage, hence
popular among smaller riders.
Snazzy exhaust system costs a
fortune; look out for sheared
camchain adjusters and seized
brake calipers.
Prices
low £3000 || high £5000
CB250/400N
396cc ohc twin || 175kg ||
100mph || 45mpg / 43bhp ||
1979-83
BETTER ALL ROUND than the
Dreams with Euro ‘big bike’ styling
but hard to love as a classic,
especially the overweight, sluggish
250. Decent torque makes the twin-
disc 400 nicer to ride. In fact, it’s
probably a better bike than the
400/4, but lacks the CB400F’s
panache and value. Hard to recoup
the cash spent in a full restoration:
only the most shiny bikes in original
spec fetch top dollar. Many old
hacks enjoy new lives as cafe-
custom specials; worth half as
much.
Prices
low £750 || high £2750
CB450/500T
445cc dohc twin || 188kg ||
110mph || 65mpg || 45bhp ||
1965-78
EXOTIC wHEN LAUNCHED, if
any one model sounded the death
knell for the old British industry then
it was the Black Bomber, which very
nearly squeezed the performance of
a big bike into a lightweight
package. Double overhead cams
and funky valve springs were the
least of it; older riders may not have
been convinced but fast lads
grabbed the opportunity.
Revamped model from 1967 is
the better bike, with five-speed
gearbox, new carbs, more power.
Unloved examples typically suffer
top end failure. Many now being
given a second life as smart
specials. Evolved into the longer-
stroke 500T in 1975 which
although bigger was less powerful,
slower, ugly and blighted with one
of ‘those’ Honda camchains. Not to
be confused with the much nicer
500/4, and worth significantly less
than the 450 twin.
Prices
low £1500 || high £5500
VF400/500F
498cc dohc V4 || 185kg ||
125mph || 45mpg || 70bhp ||
1983-85
NImBLE, FREE-REVVING sports
V4s which suffered by association
with their bigger sibs but shared
few of the top-end gremlins.
Enclosed discs on the 400 are a
pain, but otherwise the smaller bike
out-performs the 500. Little overlap
in components between the pair.
More 500s on the market, prices
roughly the same for either size.
Not to be confused with more
aggressive / extreme VFR/RFV
models which followed.
Prices
low £950 || high £2200
CB500F/550/650
498cc ohc four || 190kg ||
110mph || 45mpg || 50bhp ||
1971-85
LIGHTER, SmOOTHER,
SmALLER, more revvy and only
slightly slower than the first CB750,
the short-stroke 500 Supersport
was actually a spiffy middleweight
which gets ignored in favour of the
(now) more expensive 400/4. Go
figure. Clutch and transmission
were improved for the 544cc
CB550 from 1974, then the CB650
arrived in 1979 with a new frame
and significantly different engine
internals and four carbs. Plenty of
affordable, scruffy 650s around,
especially custom variants; budget
to clean and balance the carbs.
Original and unrestored 500 and
550 values are similar, and rising.
Prices
low £900 || high £6000
CX500/650
497cc ohv V-twin || 205kg ||
110mph || 43mpg || 50bhp ||
1978-85
PERHAPS THE mOST practical
motorcycle of its time and curiously
charming, in an ugly-duck way.
Unlikely to be many left with top end
troubles or big end knocks, but
worth listening carefully to the
engine in any case. High rev misfires
indicate alternator failure. Dodgy
aftermarket pipes can strangle mid-
range. Placcy mudguards don’t add
to front end stability. Better
Eurosport styling arrived in 1982,
but the 650 with 64 horses and Pro-
Link suspension is The One To
Have. SilverWing is a rather splendid
small tourer. Turbo version requires
dedication and application of ££ to
keep in fine fettle but is better than
the Suzuki or Yamaha alternatives.
Not the most natural machine to
turn into a cafe racer, but that
doesn’t discourage the brave…
Prices
low £750 high £4500
XL500/600/FT500
497cc ohc single || 140kg ||
90mph || 65mpg || 32bhp ||
1979-88
XLS ARE SOLID dual-purpose big
singles; less competent off-road
than Yam’s XT if somewhat more
civilised and a sniff easier to kick-
start. But even later Pro-Link
versions with radial valve head,
posh carbs and decompressor can
still be a pig to fire up once warm.
The underpowered, road-only FT
flat-tracker got an electric starter
(which often failed); developed an
un-Honda-like reputation for
unreliability and was shunned for
several decades. Now flavour of the
month, although it’s still slower than
an SR500. Which is saying
something. Twin shock XL500s thin
on the ground these days so prices
refer to the pre-Ténéré XL600.

Prices
low £500 || high £2000
XBR/GB500
498cc ohc single || 160kg ||
110mph || 44bhp || 1985-89
MARKETING MADNESS
bLIGhTED a good roadbike when
trad Britbike riders were told they’d
like the XBR. Neither its styling nor
free-revving engine characteristics
appealed back then, but it’s been
welcomed with open arms by the
classic crowd. Easier to live with
than Yam’s SRX600, although the
Honda’s starter sprag has been
known to self-destruct. Heavy on
chains, sprockets and brake pads
which indicates the kind of use it
gets. Reinvented as the GB
‘Clubman’ with retro styling and
fussy wire wheels. Some 250 and
400 imports around; the 500 is the
nicer bike and (we think) the XBR
more honest than the tribute GB.
Prices
low £1500 || high £4000
CBX550/750
747cc dohc four || 220kg ||
130mph || 35mpg || 95bhp ||
1981-1988
550 OuT-cLASSED by Kawasaki’s
GPz, not helped by yet more top
end trouble and the enclosed front
disc brake which tended to
overheat. 750 a better package all
round; smooth and tractable if a bit
flabby in the midrange (and be
wary of engines which tick and tap).
A safer bet than a VF750; always
overshadowed by the VFR. Fully-
faired Bol d’Or worth no more than
standard half-faired 750s.
Prices
low £750 || high £2500
CB750
736cc sohc four || 225kg ||
120mph || 40mpg || 67bhp ||
1969-1979
ThE FIRST 750 superbike.
Discuss. Honda startled the
worldwide motorcycle
establishment when they moved
seemingly seamlessly from their
familiar ohc twins to the first sohc
four-pot monster. Effortlessly fast for
its day, with dreamlike smoothness
and a clever combination of trad
and space-age styling to match its
extraordinary technology. Despite
the doomsayers, the four carbs
stayed in tune, and the twinned
primary chains ran fine, provided
owners followed the maintenance
schedules. They feel ponderous
and heavy compared with the
Norton Commando (but not the
Triumph Trident), and as the
suspension wears they wallow. No
one cared much about that back
then, and there’s no need to worry
now. Charming machines of
immense stamina. Honda took too
long to replace it (with the
CB750F/900F in 1979), but
developed their machine steadily as
the years and sales mounted up.
There was also an automatic
version. Golly.
Prices
low £500 || high £10,000
CB750/900/1100
748cc dohc four || 236kg ||
125mph || 45mpg || 77bhp ||
1978-2003
FAR MORE AFFORDAbLE than
the single-cam 750s, the 16-valve
twin-cam fours are more popular
now than when they were new. The
long-stroke 902cc version benefits
from an extra 18 horsepower
available lower down the rev range,
more torque and almost no weight
penalty, making it pleasantly lazy. By
contrast the 750 Bol d’Or gained
8bhp but feels more stressed.
1100F version with 108bhp arrived
in 1983 with TRAC anti-dive, box-
section swinging arm and genuine
140mph performance. 900 worth
10% more than the 750; 1100 worth
10% on top of that. Listen carefully
for camchain chatter; check that
900s especially cleanly engage all
gears. Limited edition CB1100R of
1980/81 was a homologation special
based around the 900: one for
serious collectors only.
Prices
low £500 high £4500
VF750S/F
748cc dohc V4 || 240kg ||
125mph || 40mpg || 80bhp ||
1982-85
cuRSED WITh cAMShAFT and
camchain failures, the VFs still get
sneered at, which means that tasty
examples (with the top ends already
sorted) can still be found for
sensible prices. The super-smooth
short-stroke V-twin steers a little
strangely in its original S flat-tracker-
1980 HONDA CB250N
This Superdream was expected to fetch between £1000
and £1200 at auction. It had been stored for some time
and was in ‘clean and tidy’ condition. Came with V5C and
needed recommissioning.
SOLD FOR £680
ish format, but the revised F benefits
from an additional 10 horsepower, a
fairing, a much-improved chassis
and suspension, if you can live with
its 16-inch front wheel.
Prices
low £500 || high £3000
VFR750
748cc dohc V4 || 198kg || 48mpg
|| 145mph || 105bhp || 1985-97
ThE V4 WhIch finally resolved
Honda’s camchain crisis by
combining the VF1000R’s gear-
driven cams with the VF750’s
engine layout in an all-new
aluminium twin-spar wraparound
chassis. A classic straight from the
crate: fast, smooth, reliable and
only improved by the 17-inch front
wheel which arrived in 1988. Well-
kept, low mileage examples are
affordable and practical.
Redesigned VFR for 1990 with
single-sided swinging arm isn’t
necessarily a better bike. Genuine
RC30 racers fetch monster money:
for collectors only.
Prices
low £500 || high £2800
GL1000/1100/1200
999cc ohc four || 260kg || 40mpg
|| 110mph || 80bhp || 1974-87
ThE GOLD WING was the most
sophisticated motorcycle of its time
and the first Honda with liquid
cooling and shaft drive. Physically
substantial with commendably few
flaws save a weak clutch on early
examples. Initial models came
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 87
SO
LD
AS
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EN
naked; the 1100s from 1980 were
the first with factory fairings and
luggage. Values shown here for
1000s are highest for low mileage
machines in standard trim, sans
accessories; these bikes being
bought by collectors. Long distance
riders should go for fully-loaded
94bhp 1200 instead and save more
than 50%. Budget to overhaul
brake calipers and carbs.
Prices
low £3000 || high £6000
CBX1000
1047cc ohc six || 275kg || 40mpg
|| 130mph || 105bhp || 1978-82
bRuTAL bIG SIx demands
dedication from its owner and
benefits from modern suspension if
you intend to unleash the engine’s
potential. Later faired B and C
models came with upgraded
brakes, forks and Pro-Link
monoshock but lost several million
marks for lack of ‘wow’ factor,
hence worth around 15% less than
standard-spec Z models. Check
starter motor performance carefully:
don’t believe the ‘it just needs a
new battery’ blarney.
Prices
low £3000 || high £8000
KAWASAKI
K
awasaki Motorcycles
(originally Kawasaki
Aircraft) hit the rider
radar when they acquired the
makers of the Meguro, a 4-
♠
 TRADINGPOST || BUYING GUIDE
EN
SE
AS
LD
SO
1968 KAWASAKI MAch III
This early 500 triple two-stroke was offered fresh from
restoration at auction last month. It’s done only 15km
after the rebuild was completed in March 2014. No UK
paperwork, just Italian club documents.
Sold for £9200
stroke twin with more than a
passing resemblance to the
BSA A7. Still oddly popular
in some quarters today, and
pleasant to ride. The early
machines badged as
Kawasakis were two-strokes,
and indeed they swiftly gained
a reputation for fearsomely
quick machines with their
500 and 750 stroker triples,
with journalists falling over
themselves with superlative
overload. And indeed they
were very rapid for their day.
Reading the writing on the
wall, Big K dived straight into
the rapidly emerging
superbike market, trumping
Honda’s CB750 with their
own Z1 / Z900, which was
bigger and boasted an extra
overhead cam. The flagship
did what flagships do, and
dragged sales of the marque’s
smaller machines along as it
progressed through the
markets of the world. Big,
brash and heavy, the Big Zed
is a major player today, too.
As well as the famous
heavyweights, Big K also
supplied loads of reasonably
conventional singles, twins
and fours, and indeed they
still do, although their
sporting rep was further
boosted by the GPz and GPZ
machinery, all of which have
their followers in the classic
world.
Z250 / GPz305
306cc ohc twin || 164kg || 65mpg
|| 100mph || 36bhp || 1979-97
Neat aNd Nimble, the
expensive Scorpion never troubled
88 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
Honda’s domination of the small
four-stroke market although it’s a
nicer bike. Cut-price plain-Jane
Z250B nowhere near as nifty. Final
GPz incarnation offers most torque
and snazzy styling, and was
successful enough to stick around
for the long haul. Belt drive rarely a
problem; top end highlights neglect
and abuse.
Prices
low £300 || high £950
A1/A7
338cc two-stroke twin || 160kg ||
30mpg || 110mph || 42bhp ||
1966-71
Samurai 250 verSioN arrived
slightly ahead of its 350 Avenger
sibling, both well finished and
smoothly swift thanks to twin carbs,
disc valve induction and Injectolube
oiling. Decent front brake matches
their laudable performance. Less
savage than the snappy triples
which followed, but far fewer twins
were sold new or are available now.
Lively, light and easy to live with.
Little difference between 250s and
350s in price: condition more
important, and high-pipe examples
tend to attract more attention.
Prices
low £5000 || high £8000
S1/S2/S3
400cc two-stroke triple || 160kg ||
30mpg || 110mph || 38bhp ||
1973-79
if you waNt outright performance
then buy an early S-model, because
the small-capacity triple strokers lost
horsepower and gained mass over
time. The 32bhp S1 250 was good
for almost 100mph and certainly
sounded as if it was about to go into
orbit. S2 was a 350 version, but the
choice for classic riders has to be
the torquier (everything is relative)
S3 with its bigger carbs.
Better handling than the heavier
four-strokes of the period, but
utterly desperately atrocious fuel
economy. Ignition famously hard to
keep timed right; spark plugs
equally famous for fouling.
Renamed KH from 1976; the final
models are undoubtedly slower but
surprisingly charming if you’re
looking for an affordable, compact
classic two-stroke. Prices are for
the final, electronic ignition KH400.
Prices
low £950 || high £5000
Z400/440
443cc ohc twin || 180kg || 45mpg
|| 115mph || 41bhp || 1974-84
aN amaziNgly average
motorcycle, the twin-cylinder Zeds
looked vaguely British to begin with,
‘modernised’ with cast wheels and
square styling, then switched to
factory custom guise with belt drive.
Six-speed gearbox and 440 engine
from 1978. Can be attractive to
Britbike riders looking to replace
heavyweight twins with something
lighter and easy to start. Values
rarely support the full cost of a
restoration, however.
Prices
low £250 || high £1200
Z500/550/GPz/GT550
553cc dohc four || 120mph ||
200kg || 58bhp || 1978-00
almoSt iNdeStructible
raNge of middleweights. Early
Zeds were solid stalwarts, first GPz
was a stunner. H1 version got Uni-
Trak rear end, then more power with
26mm CV carbs. Many since
modified, chopped and bobbed;
Z500/550s make a solid basis for a
custom project. Find an unmolested
GPz550 for a genuine pocket
superbike at affordable prices.
Shaft-drive twin-shock GT proved
massively practical and long-lived;
still viable as a classic tourer.
Prices
low £400 || high £2200
W1/W2/W3
624cc ohv twin || 180kg ||
110mph || 50bhp || 1965-74
a developmeNt of the Meguro
500 twin, easily mistaken for a BSA
A7. Mainly sold in the USA, with a
range of specifications including
twin carbs, high pipes, and twin
discs. Challenging to restore
correctly; barn-find imports won’t
be straightforward to complete.
Prices
low £4000 || high £8000
Z650
652cc dohc four || 210kg ||
120mph || 65bhp || 1976-83
HaNdSome aNd Solidly built,
the Z650 is the obviously alternative
for anyone who can’t afford a Z900 or
prefers a better balanced package.
Initially came close to squeezing 750
performance into a 500-size chassis;
then overshadowed by the Z750 from
1980. Early 650s look more classic;
post-80 models come with better
brakes, electronic ignition, CV carbs
etc. SR and Custom versions
significantly cheaper than pretty wire-
wheel roadsters. Z400J with 43bhp
from 1980 was effectively a
miniaturised 650 with very little to
recommend it.
Prices
low £750 || high £4750
W650
676cc ohc twin || 195kg || 50bhp
|| 1999-2010
tidy moderN retro with
convincing styling, decent
performance and a considerable
cult following. Most owners will tell
you it’s better than a Hinckley
Bonnie; certainly more popular than
the lacklustre Zephyr fours. Scruffy
ones not too tricky to transform into
cute cafe racers.
Prices
low £2500 || high £4500
h1/h2
748cc two-stroke triple || 190kg ||
30mpg || 120mph || 74bhp ||
1969-75
tHe Stuff of legends: monster
performance from both 500 and 750
strokers. The original screaming
meanies which go like stink in a
straight line and give riders heart
failure when they wheelie in corners.
Modern suspension upgrades
temper the excitement somewhat,
but standard / original bikes go for
more money. 750 has longer
wheelbase and better steering
geometry so less likely to spit you off
than a grumpy 500. Both deliriously
exciting. Oh, and bits fall off, pistons
melt, eyeballs bleed and they cost as
much in petrol as they do in spark
plugs. Stainless brake lines give a bit
more bite to the overworked single
disc. Later models mildly more
subdued but with nicer styling.
KH500 almost civilised. If you find a
‘for resto’ example, budget for a
rebore, new pistons and all seals…
Prices
low £5000 || high £12,000
Z750
745cc dohc twin || 230kg ||
55mpg || 120mph || 55bhp ||
1974-78
What could’ve been a ‘modern
Commando’ was always overshadowed
by its super-successful four-cylinder
siblings. The overweight twin is
significantly slower, and the bonus of
decent low-rev torque is offset by
horrible high-rev vibes and lumpy
delivery from CV Mikunis. Still cheap
and, like Honda’s VF750s, can be
rewarding if you’re prepared to tinker.
Prices
low £500 || high £2000
Z750/GPz/GT/Turbo
738cc dohc four || 217kg ||
36mpg || 135mph || 86bhp ||
1981-86
unlike the 500/550 fours of
this period (where the GPz was
massively faster than its Zed
counterparts), the 750 ranges are
much more evenly matched in
terms of performance. Some
bargains to be had in the shape of
early slab-sided Zeds, then. Rattling
camchains seldom cause Honda-
style catastrophe. Best all-round
package is the A1 Uni-Trak GPz
(prices shown). ZX750 Turbo is
easily the best supercharged
machine of its time with uprated
chassis to match the 150mph
motor; needs expert mechanical
attention and costs a minimum of
£6000 in decent condition.
Prices
low £1500 || high £3000
Z1/Z900/Z1000
998cc dohc four || 222kg ||
37mpg || 135mph || 102bhp ||
1972-83
before spending the thick
end of £20k, be certain that you
definitely want a Z1A or B, and
that’s what you’re actually looking
at. Z900 from 1976 (smaller carbs,
more mass, better roadholding)
costs between £8000 and £12k,
and prices overlap with the Z1000
(£6000 to £10k). Ltd custom
versions all worth 30% less. Our
fave is the Z1000R Eddie Lawson
rep; a brutal muscle bike providing
massive performance for your
money. Again, check its
provenance before paying full ticket
(prices below) for what may only be
a smart paintjob.
Prices
low £3750 || high £6000
GPZ900R
908cc dohc four || 228kg ||
40mpg || 110bhp || 150mph ||
1984-99
if the 750 Turbo and GPz1100
were the last hurrah of the old UJM,
then the Ninja was the shape of
everything to come. A truly ground-
breaking bike and a realistic
all-rounder, although the 900R
possesses rather less character than
its air-cooled compatriots. Dropped
the 16-inch front wheel in 1989.
An infinitely better bike than the
1000RX which succeeded it. A
couple of zero-miles, unregistered
examples changed hands at
auction for c£10k, but the long
model life and vast numbers sold
keep mainstream values entirely
affordable. Similar style water-
cooled 750R wasn’t a hit when new
and is hard to recommend now.
Prices
low £950 || high £4000
Z1300
1286cc dohc six || 300kg ||
40mpg || 120bhp || 140mph ||
1979-89
huge and heavy but blessed
with better road manners than
you’d initially imagine. Engine
utterly effortless when running
smoothly (three carbs not always
co-operative). Fuel injected version
from 1984 got 10bhp boost.
Complex hy-vo cam drive makes
engine work a challenge.
Prices
low £4500 || high £7500
LILAC / MARUSHO
L
ILAC BIKES WERE
BUILT by the Marusho
business from 1949 and
featured the firm’s trademark
shaft drive. Starting with a
simple 150cc single, they
progressed to small transverse
V-twins similar to those built
by Victoria Bergmeister, and
Zundapp-inspired 350 flat
twins. Economic glitches
stopped Lilac production in
1961 although Marusho
continued supplying
components to Honda, and
returned in 1964 with a 500
horizontally opposed twin.
Plagued by teething troubles,
the 500 is of technical interest
as it uses Marusho’s own
clutch and transmission
design, and novel ignition and
electrical systems.
Marusho was also ahead of
the game by introducing an
electric-start ‘Magnum Electra’
in 1967 but production ceased
permanently soon after. Bikes
were badged as Lilac or
Marusho depending on
markets. Few imported to the
UK; V-twins are especially
sought-after by collectors.
Prices typically in the £5000
region for most 1960s twins;
dedication required to source
components.
MEGURO
B
EST KNOWN FOR its
copies of BSA parallel
twins, Meguro began as
an automotive parts
manufacturer in 1924 and
developed their first models
from 1937. Started post-war
production with a range of
small ohv singles, then went
racing in the 1950s, produced
a 500cc ohc racer, and
developed a series of British-
inspired parallel twin
roadbikes.
The first pre-unit style 650s
of the late 50s were followed
by the K-series ‘Stamina’ 500
models (based around the
BSA A7) in the early 60s. By
then, Kawasaki had absorbed
most of the Meguro concern,
so that the K2 was as much a
Kwak as it was a Meguro, and
lived on as the W-series
Kawasaki twins. Restoring
and running a Meguro would
be something of a challenge
today, but some K projects do
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 89
come onto the market and
fetch anything from £1000
upwards depending on how
much of them is missing.
RIKUO
P
ARENT COMPANY
SANKYO imported
Harley-Davidsons to
Japan through the 1920s, then
bought the rights to
manufacture Harley V-twins in
the 1930s and established one
of the first purpose-built
motorcycles factories in Japan.
Models included the 1200cc
VL sidevalve solo and Type 97
for military sidecar duties.
Pre-1942 production totalled
around 18,000 machines.
Post-war, Rikuo continued
making 750 and 1200s, as well
as commuter mopeds and
BMW-inspired shaft drive
single-cylinder 250/350 ohv
models. Production ceased in
the early 1960s after the
company had been sold to
Showa. A 1939 1200 V-twin
will set you back the better
part of £20k if you ever see
one for sale. Some grotty ‘for
restoration’ examples pop up
on eBay and are likely to get
rebuilt with Harley parts.
SUZUKI
S
uzuki have been around
for a lot longer than you
might think. Their
motorcycles were originally
imported into the UK as a
joint venture with AMC,
British owners of Norton,
AJS, Matchless, Francis
Barnett and James, and as
was the way, most of their
early machines were solidly
based on the lucrative
commuter market, and were
2-strokes. Inevitably, they
went racing, presumably to
improve the breed, and
became entirely proficient at
building high-performance
strokers.
Their range of sporting
triples was a little
overshadowed by Kawasaki’s,
but the GT twins were
successful enough. They clung
to the idea of stroker
superiority in a commendable
way, eventually seeking to
avoid the legislative appeal of
the four-stroke with the only
Wankel-engined machine put
into production by a Japanese
major; the RE5, which was
♠
 TRADINGPOST || BUYING GUIDE
built in parallel with their
excellent GT750 water-cooled
stroker triple. The RE5 failed,
and Suzuki followed the four-
stroke path, producing
several excellent if
unremarkable machines.
The phenomenon which was
B. Sheene MBE racked up the
image of Suzuki as a builder of
excellent racing two-strokes, as
their production shifted to
four-strokes. The GS and GSX
ranges proved to be popular,
and they shifted seamlessly
enough into the liquid-cooled
generation with the GSX-R
machines.
T20/T250
247cc parallel twin two-stroke ||
135kg || 40mpg || 29bhp ||
95mph || 1965-68
AKA the SupeR Six (or the
Hustler in the USA), a technically
advanced six-speed ‘square’ stroker
with early Posi-Force injection.
Developed from the T10 but almost
entirely different. One of MCN’s
Bikes of the Year; a genuine ton-up
250 with decent brakes. Many
converted to racing spec.
Successor T250 / Hustler and T350
Rebel typically more affordable.
Prices
low £750 || high £4000
GT250/X7
247cc twin two-stroke || 145kg ||
40mpg || 30bhp || 100mph ||
1973-83
InItIALLy unDeRwheLmIng
EN
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SUZUKI GSX1100 KATANA
A 1982 edition, sporting the inevitable aftermarket
exhaust and 42k miles on its clock. An import (with
duties still to be paid). Offered for sale at Bonhams
auction last month.
SOLD FOR £1500
90 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
cOmpAReD to the Super Six, the
Ram Air models evolved into the
GT250A for 1976 with bigger carbs,
beefed up bottom end and perkier
performance. Best of the bunch is
the 1978-on X7 with lightweight
frame and reed-valve induction.
Compact and characterful with an
extremely respectable turn of speed.
Prices
low £500 || high £5000
SP370/400
367cc ohc single || 120kg ||
60mpg || 25bhp || 80mph ||
1978-80
tIDy DuAL-puRpOSe trail / road
tool. 400 introduced in 1980 with
decompressor (so easier to start) but
less power and lower top speed.
Replaced by the DR400 which was
better at everything and tended to
get thrown at the countryside in
pukka trials, so SPs frequently less
beaten up and still affordable. Values
much the same for 370 and 400.
Prices
low £1200 || high £3000
GS400/425
423cc ohc twin || 175kg || 45mpg
|| 38bhp || 96mph || 1976-80
unRemARKAbLe twIn-
cyLInDeR roadbikes which handled
well but were hard to start and thirsty
with flabby performance. Tweaks for
the 425 version in 1979 barely
improved things. GS450 which
followed was better but shares few
engine components with 425. Four-
valve GSX models with TSCC were
more complex but provide better
performance. Even so, none of them
are sought-after and certainly not
worth the cost of a pukka restoration.
Cheap basis for a flat-track or bobber
project, but still bland and basic.
Prices
low £250 || high £950
T/GT500
492cc twin two-stroke || 176kg ||
42mpg || 47bhp || 100mph ||
1967-77
mILD-mAnneReD ALL-
ROunDeRS, nothing like the
screaming strokers which would
follow in subsequent generations. The
first Titan / Cobra tended to vibrate,
used Suzuki’s weird kickstart set-up
and shared its weedy front brake with
the much lighter 250. Big revamp for
GT in 1976 with new suspension,
electronic ignition and disc brake, if
less power, lower top end, dodgy
stopping in the wet and the same old
vibes. Foot controls can be arranged
to suit Britbike riders. A few genuine
Crooks racers fetch double the value
of the best roadbikes.
Prices
low £1200 || high £4000
RE-5
497cc rotary || 230kg || 35mpg ||
62bhp || 110mph || 1973-77
ODDbALL ROtARy engIneD
tourer, suitable for serious enthusiasts
only. Smooth motor but strange
sounds; uses as much oil as a two-
stroke. Lots of torque and decent
handling, odd engine harmonics
around 4k are normal. Engine spares
hard to source. Best used on regular
long runs rather than occasional local
jaunts. Requires informed mechanical
attention. Unless you’re a rotary fan,
the Kettle is a better bet.
Prices
low £2500 || high £6000
GS550/650/750
748cc ohc inline four || 220kg ||
45mpg || 72bhp || 115mph ||
1976-84
SOLID mIDDLeweIght FOuRS,
the typical UJM if ever it existed. Well
engineered with stable handling
matched to respectable performance;
pleasant to ride if a bit bulky for
smaller owners. Originally weak
electrics massively improved by
modern kit. 550 has chain drive and
six speeds; five-speed 650 and 750
more relaxing. Took longer to be
considered ‘classic’ than CBs or Zeds,
hence values still lower. Best of the
bunch is the shaft-drive 650. Katana
versions typically fetch 15% more
than roadsters. Lots of brats and cafe
customs (of varying quality, so worth
checking in person) on the market.
Prices
low £500 || high £4000
GT380/550/750
738cc triple two-stroke || 230kg ||
55mpg || 67bhp || 110mph ||
1971-78
the bIggeSt tRIpLe arrived
first to create the cult of the Kettle.
All are relatively smooth, reliable
and rewarding to own and ride.
Bigger models came with electric
start; 380 has an extra gear; only
the 750 is water-cooled (smaller
pair get Ram Air instead). Braking
options vary from fade-fast drums
to scary stainless steel discs.
Components differ across the range
and through model years so check
compatibility carefully. Kettle is
justifiably sought-after and prices
are double those of the 550 (shown
below). Dunstall racers worth the
same as standard-spec 750s. 380
values are around 15% lower than
the 550. If restoring, be aware that
only the 750 is likely to repay the
full cost of a concours resto.
Prices
low £1500 || high £5000
XN85
673cc turbo four || 250kg ||
35mpg || 85bhp || 130mph ||
1983-84
SuzuKI’S DISmAL StAb at a
turbo, based around the GS650
engine which ended up in a GSX
frame with 16-inch front wheel,
monoshock rear end, anti-dive forks
and nastily diluted KatLite styling.
Horrible to maintain: performance on
a par with any normal 750. Possibly
better than the Yam XJ turbo but
more troublesome than Honda’s CX
Turbo and with none of the wow
factor of the Kwak. Strangely, some
people pay lots of money for them.
Prices
low £2000 || high £7000
GS850/1000/1100
1049cc ohc inline four || 230kg ||
45mpg || 95bhp || 130mph ||

1979-88
SenSibLe SupeRbikeS which
are nearly as quick in the real world
as their brasher competitors, and
often easier to maintain at home.
Physically big, but easy to handle
once on the move. Superb for
touring and travel, less great for
posing and quick sprints. Excellent
value; highly durable. A real working
classic. ‘Wes Cooley replica’ 1000S
normally priced higher than
standard machines but dinky fairing
doesn’t help the handling.
Prices
low £950 || high £4000
750/1000/1100 KATANA
The mOST SOughT-aFTeR
iterations of the GS line. All the core
attributes of Suzi’s best UJM
combined with admirable function
and eye-catching styling. The very
definition of a Japanese classic. True
aficionados disparage the 750 so
these are the most affordable (and
easiest to ride, as they’re a generation
younger with swifter steering).
Homologation special 1000s are
extremely scarce. 1100s more
common (prices below) but look out
for lower-horsepower Jap market
imports. Original exhausts extremely
hard to come by. Sidepanels and
indicators frequently come a cropper.
Pop-up headlight on 750 often doesn’t
(pop, that is; up or down). Later
GSX400S Katana brilliantly mimics the
original styling in a more modern,
compact package if you want to pay a
third the price of a ‘proper’ Kat.
Prices
low £3000 || high £9000
YAMAHA
Y
amaha’s corporate logo
involves three piano
tuning forks. Back then
it was a common device to
suggest that this was the top
company for tuning, mostly
two-strokes, where serious
power depends largely on
tuning the exhaust system to
act as an extractor. As with
Suzuki, Yamaha made their
inroads into the world’s
motorcycle markets with a
wide range of simple two-
stroke machines, but moved
decisively into the four-stroke
world with their XS twins, the
650 aimed directly at the trad
Brit market.
It produced a couple of
excellent dohc triples, while
clinging to the two-stroke
racing heritage for longer
than most with the excellently
exciting RD series,
culminating in the RD500LC,
one of the definitive race-
developed motorcycles. As
the 1970s expired and hauled
into the 80s, they showed
some serious flair with their
bigger models, an all-time
CBG fave being 1985’s V-Max.
The world has never been
quite the same since…
DT125/175/250/400
171cc two-stroke single || 100kg
|| 16bhp || 1974-86
iniTiaL DT1, cT2 and DT twin-
shock models look handsome but
have very limited off-road capability;
can be useful lightweight classics
for rural road riders. For off-road
riding, the best of the bunch is the
second-generation 175 from 1977
(prices shown), which became the
MX in 79 with proper trials
mudguarding and monoshock rear
end. 250s and especially 400s can
be tricky to start warm.
Prices
low £750 || high £2750
RD125/200
195cc two-stroke twin || 140kg ||
22bhp || 85mph || 1973-80
DeveLOpmenTS OF The YAS/CS
range with ‘torque induction’ reed
valves and (unusually for such
small capacity machines) electric
start. Kept drum brakes initially,
unlike the disc-braked RD250. Also
benefitted from more torque, less
mass and a shorter wheelbase than
the bigger RDs, hence remarkably
peppy performance. 125s rarely
seen (mostly blown to bits by later
learners) but 200s developing a
dedicated following.
Prices
low £750 || high £2500
RD250/350/400
398cc two-stroke twin || 160kg ||
40mpg || 40bhp || 105mph ||
1973-81
The icOnic aiR-cOOLeD ‘Race
Developed’ series started with the
reed-valve 100mph 250. 350 was
not much faster but benefited from
tweaks including a genuinely
effective twin-piston front brake.
SUZUKI GT750 KETTLE
This 1975 bike sold at auction last month, three years after
an extensive restoration (engine rebuild, new wheels and
paint, some new chrome), Has been dry-stored since then
and not used so would need re-commissioning before use
SOLD FOR £4700
Beware bodged conversions from
early five-speed gearboxes: UK bikes
were six-speeders from ’75.
Wheelie-beast 400C with signature
squared-off styling, rubber-mounted
engine and masses of torque arrived
in 1976 (prices shown). E models
come with electronic ignition and
nasty sliding caliper disc brakes.
Heaps of 250s around: £3k secures
a well-restored example on eBay.
350s and 400s more commonly
found at dealers these days.
Prices
low £1500 || high £5000
XS250/400
399cc ohc twin || 170kg || 50mpg
|| 45bhp || 95mph || 1976-84
FiRST incaRnaTiOn waS not
entirely unlike Honda’s Dream twins,
but possessed zero charisma and
was notably sluggish even with a six-
speed gearbox. Early 360 version
converted to a 400 in 1977, then
replaced by a new version from
1982 with scarce parts compatibility
between them. Cheap. Not cheerful.
Prices
low £500 || high £1500
RD250/350LC
347cc two-stroke twin || 140kg ||
40mpg || 60bhp || 115mph ||
1979-96
an uTTeR STunneR from its
inception; slim and nimble with
potent power and superb steering.
YPVS arrived in 1983, pushing the
rev ceiling towards 10k, matched
by a highly revised chassis, rear
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 91
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disc brake and finally a full fairing.
Brazilian-built RD350R almost
made it to the 21st century.
Bodywork likely to be battered and
now quite fragile, brakes and
suspension benefit from modern
upgrades. Best bought in person
from an enthusiast owner who’s
kept on top of maintenance
(especially decokes, piston rings,
etc). Test ride extremely useful to
check correct Powervalve
operation. Watery brown fluid in
engine oil suggests coolant seep
from blown seals. Unless you
absolutely *must* have the neck-
snapping experience of a YPVS
(prices shown), then a standard LC
comes with half the technical
hassle for two-thirds of the price.
Prices
low £3000 || high £6000
XT/SR500
499cc ohc single || 158kg ||
50mpg || 33bhp || 90mph ||
1976-99
FamOuS FOR iTS obstinate refusal
to fire up from warm, the early XTs
were handsome twin-shockers more
suited to byways than actual green
lanes. Joined by the roadbike SR in
1978 with more power and better
electrics, but still requiring ‘the
knack’ to kickstart successfully. SR
resurrected in varying capacities
since then, including dubious ‘Gold
SR’ Brit-single pastiche with BSA
badges. Honda’s GB is more
accomplished while SRX retros are
infinitely more stylish, but some folk
will pay chunky money for the SR
(prices shown).
♠
 TRADINGPOST || BUYING GUIDE
EN
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1975 YAMAHA RD350
According to the auctioneer, this matching-numbers air-
cooled RD has some compression and its engine turns
over. It was kept in a barn in Ohio for many years, and
was sold strictly ‘as viewed and for restoration.’ Came
with US title, customs document and NOVA declaration.
Sold for £3220
Prices
low £1500 || high £3000
XS500
498cc ohc twin || 205kg || 45mpg
|| 48bhp || 100mph || 1971-78
InItIally appeared aS the TX
with a round tank, became the XS
and was killed off by Yamaha’s
coffin tank styling. Steering was
adequate; stopping was actually
good, but short-stroke engine
needed to be revved and
transmission was far from smooth.
Never generated the same
enthusiasm as Honda’s 400/4,
hence prices much lower today.
Check that import duties are all paid
if buying an American barn-find.
Prices
low £750 || high £2500
RD500LC
499cc two-stroke V4 || 205kg ||
90bhp || 130mph || 1984-86
MaSSIVely hyped racer for the
roads became a collector’s item quite
quickly, but the 350LC was always
easier to ride fast away from a race
track. Technically extremely tricksy
so demands attention if you intend to
use it. Japanese market RZV has
lighter alloy frame and better chassis
components but detuned engine.
Prices
low £6000 || high £10,000
SRX600
608cc ohc single || 150kg ||
45bhp || 1985-97
92 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
technIcally trIckSy
deVelopMent of the SR/XT range
with four-valve head, balance shaft,
posh carb, disc brakes all round. No
electric start so many people opted
for the XBR instead, but the Yam has
the edge on weight, steering and
styling. Later home-market versions
used more civilised XT600E engine,
swapped twin shocks for
monoshocks and even added an
electric start. Much more popular
now than when new. 250s and 400s
also in demand (check for
transplanted engines from old XTs).
Prices
low £950 || high £4000
XS1/2/650
654cc ohc twin || 200kg || 50mpg
|| 115mph || 50bhp || 1968-85
a parallel twIn for Britbike
enthusiasts who couldn’t cope with
oil leaks any longer, the early
kickstart-only, drum-brake models
were blessed with robust motors and
blighted by suspect handling (easily
fixed now with modern rubber and
suspension tweaks). Electric start
from 1972; steering sorted on the
XS650, which arrived in 1975 and
was heavier and slower but steered
OK. Electronic ignition from 1980.
Heaps of Special (custom) variants.
Weird misfires usually traced to
charging circuit / battery. Early XS1
bikes are extremely pretty and fetch
a pretty price, hence beware later
650s wearing ‘tribute’ paintwork.
Prices
low £1800 || high £6000
XJ650 TURBO
653cc turbo four || 235kg ||
45mpg || 125mph || 90bhp ||
1982-83
an offShoot of the 1980s XJ
fours, which were worthy enough but
far from exciting (even with some
interesting styling, LCD display and
the first anti-dive forks on the Seca
750). Yam’s turbo bike uses carbs
(unlike the other three which
switched to fuel injection). Clutch
couldn’t quite cope with the modest
power hike; performance overall was
underwhelming. For reliability,
choose the Honda turbo. For fun, go
grab a Kawasaki. Which leaves the
XJ parked up alongside Suzi’s XN…
Prices
low £1000 || high £3500
XS750/850
826cc ohc triple || 238kg ||
40mpg || 120mph || 80bhp ||
1976-81
SIMply Superb Shaft-drIVe
tourers once the early glitches were
fixed: E-onwards 750s much
improved over initial edition. Oil-
cooled 850 from 1980 is one of our
secret star bikes: laid-back, torquey,
smooth and mostly reliable. More
character than a CB or a GS; less
cash than any Zed. Midnight Special
in black and gold has same value as
standard 850 (prices shown). 750s
worth around 15% less.
Prices
low £750 || high £2000
TR1
981cc ohc V-twin || 220kg ||
45mpg || 115mph || 70bhp ||
1981-83
not to be confused with the 750
Virago-type cruiser, the TR1 was a
Eurostyle streetbike which used its
75-degree V-twin lump as a stressed
member of the chassis, vaguely like
a Vincent. Comfortable and practical
with tons of torque and a low c-of-g;
even a fully-enclosed drive chain.
One of life’s unsung all-rounders.
E&OE
There will be errors and there
are certainly omissions.
Correcting them is likely to be
too big a task for the CBG
simpletons, so your assistance
will always be appreciated. If you
want us to add/remove/improve
an entry, drop a note to
Known faults include the starter
clutch and head gaskets on early
editions. Rare, but worth pursuing.
Prices
low £950 || high £3500
XS1100
1102cc ohc four || 250kg ||
40mpg || 130mph || 95bhp ||
1978-82
Grunty bIG Shaft-drIVe tourer
with monster roll-on midrange
(foreshadowing the V-Max delights to
come, and can be similarly wayward
if too much throttle is applied in the
twisties). Usefully manoeuvrable
thanks to the low height of its
sculpted saddle. Second gear can be
weak so test ride advised. Holds its
own against the CBX Thou and
Z1300 at half the price.
Factory custom Midnight Special
in black and gold is worth no more
than a standard machine. Odd-
looking full-faired Martini special
edition is more practical on the long
haul but less attractive from any
angle, and enthusiasts pay big bucks
for them (double prices shown).
Prices
low £750 || high £3000
V-MAX
1198cc ohc V4 || 260kg || 40mpg
|| 150mph || 140bhp || 1985-
the kInG of straightline insanity
and the kind of bike you really
should ride at least once before
hanging up your boots. Avoid the
emasculated restricted versions: this
is one bike where unofficial imports
are often more valuable than UK-
spec machines. Massive fun and an
impossibly impressive street
presence. Test ride advised: V-Boost
should snap your shoulders at
6000rpm; check shaft drive for
clean power delivery as odd clonks
indicate future expense. Starter
motor has heavy life so must be
checked with a fully-charged battery.
Prices
low £2500 || high £6000
editor@classicbikeguide.com and
we’ll credit you for any changes
which result. Similarly, if you’ve
recently sold or bought a bike,
drop us a pic of it with the price,
and we’ll use it when there’s
space … with anonymity if you
prefer! CBG
 TRADINGPOST || Model History

94 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

Triumph T140 twins
Back then we had the Bonneville. The ‘BB’ (Before Bloor)
Bonnie. This is a story about the T140, its ways and several of
its attempts to continue, with a nod to the T120 and TR7 too…
A topic too commonly aired when riders get together to
talk Triumph turkey is the ‘What If…’ chestnut. What if
Triumph had built its three-pot glory in 1965 instead of
several years later? What if Triumph had boosted the
Bonneville to 750cc before 1973? What if it had fitted the
750 Bonnie with an electric start from the start? Twin discs?
A decent riding position? A fuel tank which didn’t look so
much like a bread bin mated with a jerrycan? And so on.
The short answer of course is that Triumph did none of
these things in 1973, so it’s all irrelevant. The longer
answer – and by far the more enjoyable way to while away
an hour or two – is that all of the ‘What If’ topics miss the
point. Those of us who were alive and into bikes in the early
1970s knew full well what would happen unless Triumph
produced something truly remarkable – presumably from a
hat, as there was nowhere more likely as a source – then it
was all going down, like the famous Titanic. If there ever
was a better example of the deckchair rearrangement
exercise as the ship sank beneath the company, it is not
immediately obvious. In a worldwide world (i.e. not just in
the old imperial markets which were once the happy
customer hunting ground of all the Brit bike builders) the
Photos from several archives
Left: By 1979, Triumph had
got its bike working pretty well.
Although the slogan on the
advert is surely ironic
Below Right: One of the
earliest of the last Triumph
twins, a ‘tall’ T120 Bonneville.
It was not quite as quick as the
aeroplane. No, really…
Below Left: Very sorted, and
a fine choice. That Bonneville
Special, complete with Mk.2
Amals and a superbly stark
exhaust
Bottom Left: Machine of the
Year. As chosen by MCN
readers, no less. You could be
forgiven for wondering why they
voted while at the same time
not actually buying Bonnies…
Japanese majors were packing the showrooms with rapid,
reliable technology. And no amount of jingoistic tub
thumping about the excellence of Triumph handling or the
depth of Triumph heritage was going to compete with
technology. Seems unfair of course, but it isn’t. The Brits –
especially Triumph – did the same thing to Harley-Davidson
and their American sidevalve brethren in the post-war
years; in the post-Vietnam years the Japanese did it to
Triumph. What goes around is not always just a wheel.
Norton, by the way, had gone the electric start route in
1963, wooed by a perceived need (mainly in America) for
such a device. That bike was a pleasant but unexciting
flop. Stand up, the ES400 Electra. Norton also offered their
(mainly American) buyers a 750 twin, back in 1962. The
early Sixties were plainly a time of coruscating technical
excitement at the house of Norton. The Atlas sold well
enough, if not brilliantly, but they got it right with the
Commando in 1967. Hurrah for us, so forth. The
Commando looked great and went well, but it was even less
modern than the Bonneville. Looking good is a good idea.
So how come it took Triumph – a vastly bigger and more
successful company than Norton – so long to hike its twin
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 TRADINGPOST || Model History

Above: That Special out to a notional 750cc? It took until 1973. That’s a fat
feeling… decade after the Atlas shook, rattled and rolled off the
Norton production lines. Why so long? Easy. Triumph didn’t
want its twin to compete with its triple. That would be the
triple which was basically a twin and a half engine,
mounted in a modded-to-fit twin frame and styled like an
angular spaceship. Until the (mainly American) customers
screamed very loudly and declined to buy such a beast,
which meant that Triumph restyled their space-age triple to
look like their old hat twin. Got that? Good.
Finally, at last, it was 1973. Triumph, by now positively
sprinting down the long and winding road to perdition,
announced that they had achieved a technological – and
logical from a sales perspective – leap forward. They had
taken the 650 engine, with its 71 x 82mm dimensions and
transformed it to a fire-breathing 75 x 82mm, boosting the
capacity to 724cc. This is serious stuff indeed. It would be
impolite to mention that big-bore kits for Bonnies had been
available for some time; the Morgo version from 1969.
Their kit took the bore out to 76mm and a capacity of an
earth-rattling 744cc.
Someone at Triumph may have noticed this.
The first of the 750s, the 724cc version, arrived at
engine number JH15345, and at engine number XH22019
Triumph sneaked that crucial extra millimetre into the bore.
And oddly … it made very little difference to the on-road
performance. Not that it was easy to actually buy a
Bonneville, because what remained of the Brit bike

Faults & Foibles

Foibles rather than changed a lot of the receipts. All common and is a good idea tubes, some of them
actual faults include the threadforms used on the parts are available, and anyway. Do not expect a successful, and Morgo
strange UK riding bikes … gradually, so that worthwhile mods include T140 to be fast… offered a gear oil
position, a tendency for you can have CEI and a second front disc, gel The TSS 8-valver pump to replace the
amateur-adjusted carbs UNF on the same engine. battery, decent ethanol- suffered at first from double-plunger original.
to make low-speed Loud pipes disguise many resistant fuel systems, failures of the All Triumph twins are
running erratic; faults. Check the source and an additional oil head/barrel joint, which remarkably tolerant
unadjusted primary of oil leaks; they filter. It is impossible to is sealed by a pair of animals, and will run well
chains sound like the shouldn’t leak at all. filter oil too much, and Cooper rings and not a on most fuels and most
very hammers of hell; The thorny subject of the original arrangement conventional gasket. oils. They are very
early chromed brake replacement parts is is very basic. An external They should all have unfussy. Many riders will
rotors can peel, and be worthy of recognition. filter will also increase been fixed by now. There tell you that the single-
careful when ordering Very largely you get what the volume of oil in have been many and carb version – the TR7R
parts for a pre-75 you pay for – and so have circulation, which helps various cures for oil Tiger – is the better bike.
machine. Triumph previous owners. Check cool the engine in traffic leaks from the pushrod And they may be correct.

96 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

industry was weeping through the long, complex and still
emotive birth pangs of the Meriden Co-operative. It may
have effectively destroyed what little remained of the Brit
industry, but hey … it made for a steadily depressing read
in the pages of the weekly comics.
Maintaining their reputation for an impressively glacial
approach to development and radical engineering, the 750
twin shared just about every component which mattered
with the 650. The performance and even the appearance
were much the same, so while two Bonnevilles – the T120
and T140 – were listed together, it made a lot of sense to
cough up £434.53 for the smaller twin, rather than
£625.34 for the larger 750. That was an ironic statement,
in case you were wondering. In moments of weakness, the
thought has occasionally occurred that it might have made
some sense for Triumph to offer the ‘old’ T120 as a 650
and in its excellent and well-developed 1970 form,
alongside the ‘new’ T140 in the new-for-71 oil-bearing
bicycle. Would this have made a difference? We will never
know.
So, although at the heart of all the subsequent decade of
Meriden Bonnies and the revivalist LF Harris Bonnies lived
an engine which, although changed and altered, remained
mainly the same; the rest of the machine was at least a tiny
bit technically interesting in 1971. By 1973, when the T140
appeared, it was familiar to all. The original allegedly tall
frame had been shortened and the T140 brought with it
Triumph’s first road-going disc front brake. It may not have
been an improvement over the excellent 2ls device fitted to
that 1970 T120, but it was more consistent than the
conical hub 2ls fitted to the earlier oily frames. Those
frames handled well then, and they handle well today. The
originals might have felt tall in 1971, but try one today and
… it’s not tall at all. Above: This was The Look.
The first significant change to the T140 was the 1975 Export fuel tank, high bars,
pointy boots and strides. Or
shifting of the foot shift from right to left, this at the behest
‘jeans’ as we call them today
of the American legislators who must have had a reason for
insisting on this, although it’s not immediately obvious. At
the same time, and in an impressively connected way, the
rear brake pedal – now on the right of the bike – operated a
disc instead of a drum. Two versions of the T140 were
available: a big ugly fuel tank bike (the UK home market
model), and a small handsome fuel tank bike (the export
model). The two tanks also dictated the handlebar style;
small tanks got high bars and the big tanks got lower bars.
Sadly, the footrests remained the same. The riding position
for bikes with the smaller export tank was very comfortable
up to around 65-70mph, after which it became a little
buffety and a strain on the arms. Not a problem at all if you
ride short suburban miles or long, slow miles out on those
famous dark desert highways, but less great if you’re a
wannabe cafe racer. The UK, low bar riding position was
slightly odd. Very ‘sack’o’spuds’ indeed. The footrests
♠
‘Maintaining their reputation for an
impressively glacial approach to
development and radical
engineering, the 750 twin shared just
about every component which
mattered with the 650.’
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 97
 TRADINGPOST || Model History

Above: Into the 1980s with
an electric start T140ES.
Restrained, civilised, quiet and
oiltight
needed to be a couple of inches further back, as Norman
Hyde and several others understood, and sold a lot of
conversion kits as a result.
And from 1976 onwards, the history of Triumph’s 750
twin in all its many forms was a history of decline – in sales
terms, that is. In more useful terms, the machines
improved steadily, if not radically, and all of them are still
great bikes to own and ride, which may be why they are still
so popular, despite – or possibly because of – their antique
engineering and design.
As there was almost no cash available to invest in major
engineering, the Meriden co-op intelligently focused on the
cosmetic options available to them, the first serious
example being 1977’s T140J Silver Jubilee Bonneville. This
had a patriotic paint scheme and chromed engine covers,
all intended as a celebration of the Queen’s 25th
anniversary. The original intention had been to build 1000,
but demand was high, so 1000 more were built for the
USA, followed by another 400 for general export. There was
some debate about which were the genuine collectors’
items, but it seems very academic now.
1979 brought two models: the T140E and the T140D.
The ‘E’ stood either for ‘emissions’ or for ‘electronic’,
depending on who you speak to. They both received
electronic ignition, and the T140D Bonneville Special also
found itself with a 2-into-1 exhaust and a neat new paint
job. Nice looking bike, that one.
1980 saw a great invention! Triumph finally fitted an
electric starter to their twin. Very neat job, and usually
effective; certainly more so than that fitted to Norton’s Mk3
Commando five years before; about as useful as that fitted
to the T160 Trident. So was born – eventually – the T140ES

Peer Group
Norton’s Commando
was and remains the
obvious rival, although
there will always be a
price differential
between them. The
Triumph feels more
conventional Brit in the
way it does what it
does. Notable Italian
competitors included
twins from Moto Guzzi,
Ducati, Motobi/Benelli
and Laverda. You’ll pay
more for any of those,
and the jury’s still out
over the relative merits
or otherwise of all of
them. It will always be
out on this subject.
BMW’s R80 twins are
sometimes compared to
the T140, mainly
because of the police
overlap, but they are
too different for
accurate comment here.
And, of course, Yamaha
gave a delighted world
the XS650. Honda
stopped building big
twins after the unloved
CB500T, wisely, and
Kawasaki produced
their Z750 as a twin …
as well as a four. The
twin is actually far more
pleasant than its
reputation suggests,
although despite its
dohc top end it has no
more performance than
a Bonnie 750 and will
be no quicker over a
demanding road.
Electro. You can work out what the ‘ES’ stood for. Triumph
its range by offering their bike with luggage equipment and
a fairing, all the glassware finished in a smoked red/black
finish which was both extremely handsome and startlingly
similar to the finish offered on some BMWs. And that is not
a criticism.
The Executive – which is how they monickered their
tourist – was a reflection of the fact that Triumph were after
a slice of the UK Police motorcycle market, which had been
dominated by Triumph through the 1960s, shared with
Norton in the early-1970s, then lost, mainly to BMW, whose
R80RT air-cooled flat twin was well suited to the peculiar
demands of the service life and became a familiar sight on
the roads of the UK, every example acting as a rolling BMW
advert. The Executive used a fairing and fittings which
would have been well suited to police duty, although fleet
models were usually equipped with a solo saddle and

98 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

rather more utilitarian plastics and finishes than civilian parallel twins is that they vibrate the very fillings from the Above left: Moody machine
machines. Still, it shows that the spirit was willing, even if teeth of their riders. This is not in fact the case. They need in a moody setting. Perfect
Bonneville country... and
production figures had fallen to around 50 machines per to be badly set up to do that. However, those bad vibes
weather
week. Bikes built around this time and afterwards are certainly did not help the reliability of the radio tackle
probably some of the best of the 750 twins. With their softly favoured by the force. Norton famously fixed it with their Top right: At one point,
tuned engines, electronic ignition and electric starters they patent – and very effective ‘Isolastic’ rubber-mounting Triumph wondered whether the
make extremely pleasant riding machines for anyone system, and in the early 1980s – 15 years later, again – future lay in a radically revised
interested in the British twin. They look great, go well, steer Triumph tried a similar approach. Once again, they were approach to styling their twin.
Happily for us all…
better, and with twin discs fitted they stop well, too. hoping for a police order or several, which might explain
The next great leap forward came in 1982, when the rather quaint ‘Enforcer’ designation of their Above right: Right at the end
Triumph finally launched the long-rumoured eight-valve interpretation of the rubberised bicycle. For 1984 they came the eight-valve head, the
version of their elderly engine, the TSS; more properly the intended to fit the eight-valve engine to it, which would TSS
T140W TSS. The ‘W’ in the model designation may have have been a handy tool indeed.
stood for Weslake, as the new Triumph engine was As well as the models mentioned above, Triumph Below: The market for police
machines can be a life-saver for
essentially the eight-valve conversion, which Weslake had produced two other versions of their 750 which are
a factory. Triumph were once
developed from an older Rickman design. It was a rather deserving of consideration should you be seeking the UK’s largest supplier of
larger engineering job than you might think, because as something special: The TSX and the TR7T Tiger Trail. fleet machines, and they
well as the extra valves and their associated rockery, the The latter isn’t strictly a Bonnie derivative, as it’s based wanted it to continue. BMW
♠

barrels were also new – not least to match the closer thought otherwise. This
pitching of the cooling fins on the new cylinder head – as machine is a very late offering,
with the electric police boot,
was the crankshaft. A decent job, too, and with its claimed
cast wheels, a single seat and
60bhp it was a rapid, light machine, and fast over the kind quite possibly an anti-vibration
of roads favoured by Triumph twin riders, then and now. frame
The end was near, however. In some strange way, some
of the most interesting variations of that original fairly
uninspired T140 theme appeared as the company itself
foundered beyond the point of rescue. There’s more;
Triumph envisaged a range for 1984 which was imaginative
in the extreme, especially given their tiny resources. The
real ‘What If’ question which rarely gets asked is ‘What If
Triumph had offered the 1984 range in 1976, when they
still had a market ready and waiting for Triumph twins’?
We’ll never know.
One of the various complaints about traditional British

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 99

 TRADINGPOST || Model History
Above clockwise from top
left: Maybe the most amazing
of them all was the TSX,
a really soft chopper from
Triumph. An utter hoot to ride.
Photo by Morgan Rue
Les ‘LF’ Harris with one of the
Triumph twins he built in
Devon. Once his licence to
manufacture expired, he
replaced the Bonnie with a
Rotax-powered Matchless; one
of those is stood behind them
‘Export or die!’ was an often-
used suggestion. It has an
obvious relevance here…
You will have read endless
references to ‘oil-in-frame’
Triumphs. In case you
wondered, this is where the oil
goes; into the frame. It would
have made more sense to put
the filler immediately behind
the steering head, thus adding
a lot more capacity to the
system. But they didn’t
Right: There’s a long
tradition which suggests that
draping a pretty lady over a
bike sells it. Maybe this is a
theory encouraged by
photographers. The bike is
another Bonneville Royal; one
of the very best variants on the
old theme…
100 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
on the Tiger 750, which was a Bonnie with a single carb.
Nit-picking? Go pick your own.
The TSX was an extremely short-lived but entirely
entertaining soft chopper – a factory custom bike. Spindly
front wheel, big fat back wheel, high bars, wonderfully
grumbly exhausts and a paint scheme to sear the eyeball.
Rare now (well; they were always rare because they built
hardly any) and expensive, too. Grab one if you see one.
For 1984’s range which never was, Triumph intended to
offer the bonkers TSX fitted with the high-output TSS
eight-valve engine. That would have been really something.
The Tiger Trail was equally unlikely; a giant yellow trail
bike finished in vivid yellow, and with an exhaust which is a
serious contender for the most hideous monstrosity award.
This model is another rarely seen gem; insanely fun to ride,
but expensive and difficult to find.
And then – quite suddenly it seemed at the time – it was
all over. Triumph went into voluntary liquidation in August
1983. Just like that. Even critics of the marque went quiet.
Something a little special had passed.
Nearly. There was of course a resurrection, as in all the
best stories. On June 25, 1985, the new Bonneville was
announced. Nearly new, perhaps. Certainly a Bonneville.
Just like the other Bonnevilles … until you looked closely –
at the Paioli front fork, the Brembo brakes and the
Lafranconi silencers. There was no electric hoof, and even
the carbs looked seriously retro … but weren’t. In fact they
were simple old-fashioned Amal Mk.1 Concentrics fitted
with the cold start device from the Mk.2 Concentric. Of
course they were immediately christened the Mk.1½, and
they worked very well.
If you can live without the luxury and laziness of the
electric start, these last of the line – built in Newton Abbott,
Devon, by LF Harris (Rushden) Ltd – are possibly among
the very best.
The Paioli fork rides better than the Meriden Triumph
original, which dated from 1971, and the Brembo stoppers
are very good at what they do. The engines suffered from
criticism when they were new, but we’ve ridden several with
considerable delight.
Of course … it’s not a proper Bonnie, because they only
built proper Bonnies in Meriden. Try telling that to the many
thousands of delighted owners of the current Bonnevilles
hailing from Hinckley.
The Devonian Triumphs were built until the company’s
manufacturing licence expired in March 1988. In three
years, the tiny factory had built some 1255 machines, and
the end of the line passed by quietly. The end of a long and
pleasantly winding road… CBG
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 101
 TRADINGPOST || MODEL STUDY
Suzuki RE5
Suzuki’s RE5: failure, flawed or fated? Steve Cooper digs into the round files to
uncover the secrets of the strangest Suzuki of them all…
IllustratIons courtesy of Lee Doxey, Suzuki, Steve Cooper, ArChive
above: A 1976 RE5 in a The lure and attraction of the Wankel engine
sylvan setting were far-reaching and seemed to promise great
things. We now tend to think that the concept is a
combination of smoke and mirrors mixed with a
dash of The Emperor’s New Clothes. Of course, you
could argue that the gift or curse that is hindsight
never seems to accurately highlight the true salient
points within the context of their discovery or the
mindset of the day.
From a variety of angles, including simple
physics, mathematics and flow dynamics, the
Wankel makes a lot of sense. There’s an element of
the something for nothing about it, where a small
number of components appear to perform a variety
of functions. The optimist would argue that the use
of the engine’s components is optimised, whereas
the cynic would reply that each item becomes a
jack of all trades and a master of none.
Viewpoints aside, the single biggest advantage of
the Wankel engine, and something that even senior
automotive executives with no mechanical
knowledge could grasp, was that the unit worked
102 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
around the concept of purely rotary motion.
Simple physics dictates that a reciprocating
piston engine has to accelerate and decelerate one
or more pistons countless times in its running life.
Each and every stroke effectively squanders energy
by stopping and then re-energising what amounts
to a moving metal bung. The reciprocating piston
engine was known to be inefficient when the
Victorians evaluated steam engines, and from that
point on engineers had been looking at finding
ways of making any form or combustion engine
more efficient.
Suzuki was among some pretty hallowed
company when it took out a licence from the joint
enterprise partnership of Dr Felix Wankel and the
NSU automotive business in 1970. The basis of
Dr Wankel’s engine had been in the public domain
a decade before, with car giant Mazda signing up
as early as 1961. American, German (East &
West), British and Japanese car and motorcycle
companies all bought into what was considered to
be both the future and (sic) a revolutionary
concept. Quite what persuaded Suzuki to adopt the
rotary engine has never been fully established, but
it is generally acknowledged that its competitors
also dabbled.
Only Yamaha went public with its creation, but
just like its GL750 two-stroke four its twin-rotored
RZ201 never got beyond the prototype stage.
Within the incestuous Japanese automotive
industry there were precious few secrets, and quite
possibly Suzuki got a sneaky heads-up on the early
RZ210 developments and decided to beat Yamaha
to the post.
With the adoption of the new engine design
came a desire to actually portray the bike as being
something different as well as having a very
different engine. Within the constraints of a
conventional motorcycle chassis, Suzuki looked to
pick out key styling cues that either overtly or
covertly flagged up anything round, circular or
spheroidal.
Perhaps most obviously and controversial were
the round ‘tin can’ instrument binnacle and rear
light assemblies, which have been attributed to car Above clockwise from
stylist Giorgetto Giugiaro. A round parallel or top left: The earlier version, the
tubular pressing was initially used for the M model, is the most striking
headlight, and the launch model also featured The early M model has
unique spherical indicators. several unique styling features,
Many other aspects of the bike’s design were not least the excellent
effectively cost-cutting ideas. It’s unarguable that spheroidal indicators
Suzuki knew that the bike would carry substantial
development and build costs. Therefore, quite That show-winning RE5
again, with a rotor and its
early on in the bike’s design brief, a decision was housing to demonstrate how
made to utilise a fair number of parts also found they work
on the company’s flagship GT750 stroker triple.
Numerous parts of the cooling system, running And if you need How It
gear, front suspension, fuel taps, kickstart and Works in writing, there was of
sundry electrical components were all utilised. course a manual
Certain other components were designed and
developed to address the engine’s foibles. Perhaps
most notably, the RE5’s exhaust system required
substantial changes from anything seen up to that
point. The rotary engine was notorious for the
amount of heat it dumped out of its exhaust ports.
In recognition and acceptance of this, Suzuki had
♠
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 103
 TRADINGPOST || MODEL STUDY

Which Bike? Magazine featured this M model RE5,

which appears to have lived inside its owner’s house…

to fit cooling passageways to the front downpipes

Faults & Foibles of the exhaust, allowing air to flow between the
inner and outer skins of the pipework.
For a machine that examples will suffer from thumb, if you can turn Sadly, this alone was not sufficient; Suzuki
was so radical and out of corrosion under the the engine over using the found a genuine need to fit external satin black
kilter with almost acres of lacquered alloy; kickstart lever there’s a heat guards or shields to the silencers, from the
everything else of the brakes can seize on and serious issue with engine rider’s footrests almost to the ends of the tail pipe.
period, it might be fork seals can leak with compression and you Doubtless product liability issues were looming in
reasonable to assume age... all standard fare. should walk away from the minds of the company’s lawyers.
that it would be plagued RE5-specific issues are such examples. Once the decision had been made to go with a
with issues now. In likely to be the Rotaries have their Wankel engine and to begin the development of
reality, nothing could be synchronisation of the own special oil the RE5, one man, Shigeyusa Kamiya, was
further from the truth. five throttle cables (you requirements, and it elevated to the role of ‘Head of Suzuki Rotary
Almost all of the RE5’s really do need the would be a brave owner Division’. Given the complexity of the task ahead,
potential issues could manual on this one) and who deviated from it’s not too surprising that Kamiya opted to use as
also be firmly pinned cracks to the air duct on 70s-type oil without very many standard components as possible. Even if the
onto conventional bikes the exhaust system’s specific proof that a Wankel NSU licences came with a basic blueprint
of the period, and just inlet grille area missing modern alternative they didn’t come with a foolproof set of
like any bike poor components. On an A works better. The oil of instructions, materials specification list or step by
maintenance will have model, a lot more is choice back in the day step build guide.
an impact. GT750 related, but the was good old Castrol From day one NSU themselves had suffered from
Fuel tap diaphragms M model runs unique GTX 20/50, and most of rotor tip sealing issues; the equivalent of piston
can fail, leading to fuel indicators, instrument the cognoscenti still ring blow-by on a conventional engine. Bearing in
running into the carb binnacle and rear light; stick with it in both the mind that material science was a lot less robust
when the machine is not finding replacements can rotor feed tank and the than it is today, Kamiya’s team was at the forefront
in use. Unloved be difficult. As a rule of main sump. of metal/ceramic hybrid technology. With few if any

104 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

off the shelf options to hand, the development
team eventually came up with an electro-chemical
plating process, utilising nickel-silicon carbide to
give a corrosion resistant and diamond-hard
coating to the combustion chamber.
This high-tech surface was maintained to within
1/1000th mm or one single micron. So precise was
the condition of the trochoid’s surface that each
and every one was physically inspected under X-ray
micro-analysis to ensure the plating’s metallurgical
structure was uniform and consistently orientated
in the correct direction.
The mechanical sealing tip of the actual rotor
was another in-house solution using a material
Suzuki called Ferro-Tic. This ferrous/titanium
carbide alloy delivered a material that was
12 times more resilient than cast iron, the primary
alloy of normal piston rings.
With the chemical solutions to hand, the team
then had to devise an ingenious three-part seal
that would maintain correct and constant pressure
against the rotor housing’s internal walls. And this
was just the obvious challenges, the more the R&D
basic and inescapable fact means that at low Above left: Suzuki’s team of
engine revs induction air speed is substantially engineers, marvelling at the
lower than would be experienced with a piston wonder of it all
engine. This in turn leads to especially poor Above right:The engine
atomisation of the fuel, leading to profoundly bad
low speed running.
Suzuki’s solution to this perplexing issue was as
clinically scientific as it was mechanically
complicated. By utilising two small passageways to
feed an 18mm port, gas velocity was increased
using the venturi effect; this then took care of low
engine speed fuelling. However, the main fuel feed
required a second, larger bore inlet (32mm) which
in turn demanded its own butterfly valve.
The resultant Mikuni carburettor owed more than
a little to the likes of Solex, and with its attendant
linkages, cables and vacuum switch substantially
upped the already large development budget. In
total the RE5’s carb ran four butterfly valves, and
the unit’s service documents ran to 15 pages.
Perhaps ironically, the whole thing was desperately
over-engineered; RE5 devotees have subsequently
fitted humble SU carburettors from the Morris
♠

guys dug the messier it all became!

If there’d been any justice, Shigeyusa Kamiya
and his team would have had an easy ride from
here on in, but the Wankel engine would demand
input into areas that might otherwise be taken for
granted in any other engine development
programme.
Slow speed running wasn’t the engine’s most
outstanding virtue and the CDI ignition system
required two separate triggers via two individual
cams in order to prevent jerking and snatching at
low speeds. This also required interconnection
between a speed-sensing relay in the tacho and
input from a vacuum-operated switch on the
carburettor.
The indisputable and inarguable logic regarding
the benefits of the rotary engine were beginning to
carry unexpected penalties … and it wasn’t going
to get any easier.
The maths and geometries of the Wankel’s rotor
and output shaft mean the former only turns once
in relation to three revolutions of the latter. This

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 105

 TRADINGPOST || MODEL STUDY
Above: Seen through the
mists of time, some people
consider the RE5 to be an
unrecognised classic
Opposite top: The later
models were (slightly) less
radical to look at
Opposite bottom: The RE5
A model. Less futuristic, but
basically the same as the
original
106 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
Marina and achieved amazing results.
With the ignition and carburetion sorted, it was
the lubrication system that now needed the team’s
attention, and as might be expected there were yet
more problems to solve. The areas of highest
potential wear would always be the contact points
between the trochoidal rotor housing and the
triangular rotor tip’s seals. For once Suzuki was on
home territory and utilised their vast arsenal of
two-stroke expertise.
Using a Mikuni oil pump and a plastic header
tank so similar to the GT750’s, oil was injected
into the carburettor and thereby delivered directly
to one pair of the three sets of rotor tip seals each
time the combustion cycle was completed.
Although not of immediate concern to Suzuki, the
combustion of the injected oil would ultimately
contribute to the Wankel engine being effectively
legislated against on the grounds of hydrocarbon
emissions.
Amazingly, Mazda didn’t throw in the towel until
2012 with its commercially produced rotary
engines.
With the rotor taken care of, the rest of the
engine required similar attention to detail, and for
this a semi-conventional four stroke-like system
was adopted. The perennial bogey of excessive
heat generation within the core of the Wankel
engine required the RE5 to use its main oil supply
as a heat dispersing medium as well as a lubricant.
A high-pressure pump running at 100psi had to
lubricate the main bearings while also lifting heat
out of the rotor and at the same time lubricating a
gearbox fortuitously borrowed from the GT750.
Curiously, and possibly against logic, the RE5’s oil
cooler is something of a minimalistic affair with
only four rows of fins.
Using this and a finned external alloy sump on
the left of the engine, the bike was expected to
shed excess combustion heat, yet perversely the
designers were fully aware of the issues. Utilising a
radiator lifted from the ubiquitous GT750, Suzuki
had to reintroduce the cooling fan to keep the
motor cooled sufficiently; that fan had been
dropped from the big triple after its second year of
production.
It is said that Suzuki ultimately got very few
positives from the RE5 project, but you can’t help
but wonder if the adoption of oil cooling on the
GSX-R 750 a few years on was a legacy from the
RE5.
With everything sorted – as well as a fledgling
concept could be – company president Jitsujiro
Suzuki went public at the 1974 Tokyo Motor show,
pledging the company to the cause; “We see the
rotary as the beginning of a new age in the history
of two-wheeled touring... it sets new performance
standards in touring and smoothness.”
With the gift of hindsight, those were brave
words indeed, but at the time Mr Suzuki was not
the only one to believe that the internal
combustion chamber had turned a corner. The
bike-buying public’s interest had been piqued, and
following on from the 1960s white heat of
technology the 1970s were already delivering
previously inconceivable advances into peoples’
everyday lives.
Eschewing preconceptions, the press of the day
gave the bike a fair crack of the whip and were,
initially at least, prepared to overlook some of the
RE5’s differences or shortcomings.
Both then and now the RE5 was and remains
like nothing else. The all-up weight of around a
quarter of a tonne made getting the bike on and off
its centrestand a challenge, and the mass of the
engine made garage/workshop manoeuvring more
 than a little fraught.
Firing the bike up via the electric starter was no
issue, and would have the engine running almost
instantly with its unique and characteristic, odd
and off-beat exhaust note. Initial pick-up from a
standing start was nothing marvellous, but period
road tests immediately picked up on the
vibrationless and almost serene power unit.
With an almost flat torque curve delivering its
maximum of 55lb-ft at just 3500rpm, one
American magazine suggested that “this makes
down-shifting a thing of the past and the throttle
response from anywhere in the torque band is
excellent”.
One issue many had with RE5 was the amount of
wrist rotation needed to open or close the throttle;
it being of the more-than-a-handful variety. Despite
Suzuki’s in-depth work with both the ignition and
carburetion, the bike’s low speed running was
almost universally criticised for being jerky on the
over-run below 2000rpm. The bike was happy to
cruise at around 90mph without issue, and
courtesy of that rotary power unit maintained this
sort of speed with an unfussy, almost eerie, ease.
Bends seemed to flummox the bike’s serenity
somewhat, and it would be easy to blame the
engine or possibly its influence on the chassis. The
reality was a little different. The bike was little
more than a new form of power unit fitted into a
much-modified GT750 chassis; the big triple of the
period wasn’t noted for its poise, so it would have
been naïve to expect much more from the RE5.
Outside of the bike’s smoothness, technology
and look, the less than earth-shattering
performance, allied to a dipsomaniacal thirst for
fuel, did little to win many seriously ardent
admirers. With the 1973 oil crisis a recent
memory, the bike’s ability to quaff petrol at an
average of 33mpg did it no favours. At best it
would just make 36mpg, but used hard the fuel
was running through the multi-barrel carburettor at
25mpg – and this was Kawasaki triple territory.
The press soon lost faith with the bike and began
to trot out negative data that effectively put the
boot in, to use the parlance of the day. 25% more
expensive than the flagship GT750, as heavy as a

♠
The Peer Group & Background Projects
Trying to find serious in theory, firmly going to be really valid. always going to be a rich was viable and not the
commercial rivals for focussed at the market In reality, the kid’s toy and in reality flawed design many
Suzuki’s ill-fated foray segment that would DKW/Hercules W-2000 is never made it to true claimed it to be.
into rotary motion consider anything from a probably the closest to industrial production. Amazingly for an
engines leaves little GT750 through to a the ideals that initially Undeniably the most industry in decline,
choice; there’s either the Norton 850 twin or inspired Dr Felix Wankel, successful motorcycle to cursed with managerial
DKW/Hercules W-2000 or possibly even a smaller and within the use the Wankel engine negativity and unionised
the Van Veen OCR1000. Beemer. The RE5 was constraints of small scale, has to be the various entrenched stupidity, the
To further muddy the intended to be a series production the incarnations of the original bike had been
waters, the former was long-legged, go potential virtues of the twin-rotor Norton as part of a promising BSA
aimed more at the anywhere, any distance Wankel engine were championed by our own development programme
light/middleweight machine, not a cobby almost realised. However, illustrious editor. since 1969. The British
division circa mid-70s, little sports commuter or so-so press reviews, poor Unusual and quirky (the rotary story began with a
while the latter was firmly an overt status symbol. market image, variable bike, obviously), Fitchel & Sachs air-
targeted at the nouveau With so few quality control and Norton’s research, cooled single rotor unit
riche of the late 70s. commercialised rotaries customer resistance development and grafted into a BSA single
Neither was truly a produced, a direct doomed the model to refinement proved chassis and arguably
direct competitor to comparison and viable commercial failure. The beyond all reasonable culminated in Steve
Suzuki’s RE5 which was, comparison is never Van Veen was probably doubt that the concept Hislop’s TT success.

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 107

 TRADINGPOST || MODEL STUDY
Above: The B and final
model. Very difficult to tell it
apart from the A model. Very
pleasant machines, in fact, if
not easy to work on, tune and
repair
Below: A man of vision and
courage; Jitsujiro Suzuki and a
rotor from ‘the beginning of a
new age in the history of
two-wheeled touring…’
108 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
Zed Thou, no more performance than a good 500
and beyond the perceived ability of the home
mechanic to service it, the bike was doomed.
Suzuki, desperate to retrieve something from all
their investments, revised the bike’s styling. The
tin can speedo and rear light were dropped, and
the bike received a more conservative look in an
attempt to increase its appeal. The striking looks
of the original M model became strangely muted
for the 1976 A model, doing little to help sales.
Production ended the same year, with the
remaining stock punted out as the B model in
1977, although there were no differences between
the two models.
Of course there are other reasons why the RE5 was
doomed to failure and ignominy. Honda’s 1975
GL1000 aced the bike in almost every area while
still carrying huge kudos, technical sophistication
and bragging rights. Although heavier, it ran
technologies that the motorcyclist of the day could
grasp. Better on fuel, with more power; if you wanted
something on two wheels that was different from the
run of the mill this was arguably the future.
Suzuki’s RE5 was perhaps one of the best
attempts of the period to commercialise automotive
use of Felix Wankel’s brainchild. The fact that it
wasn’t a sales success remains as much due to the
climate of the time as anything else. It would be
more than a decade before British engineering
expertise would address the bulk of the concept’s
issues with the amazing twin-rotor Nortons.
Dr Wankel’s arch supporters and confidants NSU
threw the towel in the same year as Suzuki, but not
for the same reasons. NSU had struggled to
address the reliability issues that had initially
dogged the power unit, and when the company was
acquired by Volkswagen the huge German
automotive company swiftly decided the future lay
with reciprocating pistons and not rotary motion.
Four decades on, the RE5 is possibly a
technological cul-de-sac in the annals of
motorcycling, yet roll up on one and it’ll stop the
show. Despite breaking pretty much every rule of
motorcycle engine design, Suzuki RE5s are still
running happily and healthily. They were designed
and built by a dedicated team to standards even
higher than most Japanese machinery of the
period. The very fact that such a revolutionary
machine is still running is true testament to the
brilliant minds at Hamamatsu. CBG
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 109
 TRADING POST

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 TRADING POST
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K
IC
sP
G’
CB

AJS 16MS 350cc, 1959, all matching
numbers, paintwork, chrome,
exhaust, Dunlop rims, seat, petrol
tank, all in superb condition, as
original throughout, looks so nice,
£3500 Tel. 01775 714300 Lincs
AJS MODEL 14S black/chrome,
1960, very good original condition,
good investment, real head turner,
£2650 Tel. 07904 515502 Berks

BSA BANTAM D7 1966

Repainted, good back tyre, new front tyre,
fork seals and bushes. All electrics work. New AJS MODEL 8 350cc, 1961, new BENELLI TORNADO 650S 1972,
battery. Engine starts and runs OK, but there anal curb, top end rebuilt, new rims good condition, MoT July 2015,
and spokes, £2995 Tel. 07538 £5295 ovno Tel. Steven 01535
is a problem with the gearbox. V5. £875. 285207 Worcs 676334; 07745 483876 West Yorks
07542 169686

BMW R100R “Boxer Edition”,
panniers screen, h/grips, clock, volt
meters, all handbooks, tool kit, two
previous owners, 51k miles, excellent
condition, £3500 Tel. 0151 260 8612
Merseyside
BMW R100R Mystic, 1995, 11,671
miles, ex/con all s/s nut & bolts,
BMW panniers, engine bars &
screen, £4600 Tel. 01162 531481
Leics
BMW R100RS 1979, one owner
from new, 33,279 miles, MoT but on
Sorn, many extras & stainless steel
parts, lead free conversion, £2850
Tel. 01213 532667 West Midlands
BMW R100S early, 1978, spoked
wheel, rear drum, same as R90S,
59,000 miles, all MoTs, lovely original
bike, £3995 Tel. Phil 07762 026656
East Sussex

BMW R26 1958 250cc good original
unrestored, low mileage, new single
seats, dual seat available, £4500
ono Tel. 01946 821768 Cumbria
BMW R65 1980, good condition,
51,000 miles new clutch/time chain
good tyres/battery, MoT Sept, £675
ono Tel. 01614 391266 evening, mob
07467 180195 Cheshire
BMW R75/5 Lwb, 1973, recent top
end refurb’, stainless steel front
pipes, tyres, lots spent, historic tax,
MoT Sept, nice unrestored bike,
£3950 ono Tel. 07792 451163; 01204
704681 Lancs
BMW R80ST 1984, red, vgc with
stainless exhaust, Hagon rear shock,
heated grips and BMW panniers,
£4295 Tel. 07798 866071 Middx

BSA 500 twin Royal Star, 1967, 1300
miles, lots of s/h, vgc, dry bike, full
MoT, £5000 ono Tel. 07986 032686
Staffordshire
BSA A10 1957 RR, complete
restored, new parts from front to rear,
s/r engine, new piston, valve, SRM oil
pump, Dyna renewed, cable, grips,
SS spoke, US import. Tel. 00456
1685594; 00458 6855594 Denmark
BSA A65 STAR 1964, everything
stainless, ie rims, spokes, fittings,
Boyer electronic ignition, MoT, £3500
Tel. 0113 2632888 work; 01977
663768 home North Yorkshire
BSA B25 WDB40 350cc engine,
1970 Boyer, easy starter, no MoT,
Sorn, new clutch, runs well A65 forks,
older restoration, chrome rims
f/guard spotting s/s cocktail silencer,
£2250 Tel. 07770 115727 Surrey

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 TRADING POST
BOOK YOUR AD ONLINE NOW
BSA B31 1957, gorgeous in black,
new rims, tyres & exhaust system,
original reg no, £3500 ono Tel. 01789
266671 West Midlands
BSA BANTAM D14/4 Dry stored
many years, decommissioned, new
tyres and battery, new engine seals
and fork seals, new MoT, ready to
ride, £1350 ono Tel. 01670 717401
Northumberland
BSA S29 500SV 1929, nice usable
condition, restored some years back,
a pleasure to ride, recent new tyres,
seat cover and tank, knee rubbers,
£4300 Tel. 07702 136856 M Glam
BULTACO SHERPA 250 trials bike,
just had rebore, new piston and
mains, good condition £950 can
ship, approx €300 Tel. 07943 396069
Spain
FRANCIS-BARNETT Falcon 81,
1958, 197cc Villiers engine, recent
restoration, ready to ride or show,
original buff log book, non
transferable reg, £1750 ono Tel.
01209 314141 Cornwall
114 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
|| online www.classicbikeguide.com
BSA B31-55 rebuilt 420cc
conversion, green lane trim, lights,
12v, not yet run in, Goldie fittings,
recon mag, dyne clutch, gearbox,
reliable, £3500 Tel. 07766 328594;
01215 883026 West Mids
BSA GOLDENFLASH 1959, 650cc,
smart & tidy, new silencers, new four
spring clutch, rewired, Mikuni carb,
good starter, non matching numbers,
reconditioned magneto, £4800 ono
Tel. 07770 842347 Cumbria
BSA SUPER ROCKET 1960, totally
restored, 2,020 miles, matching
numbers, original registration and log
book, owned for last 9 years,
immaculate condition, £8500 ovno
Tel. 01636 822302 Notts
DUCATI Cafe Racer, 350cc, 1975,
£5000 Tel. 01440 783704 Suffolk
HARLEY DAVIDSON 1996, 10k
miles, lovely condition, running
beautifully, MoT Jan 2016, £3500
ono Tel. 01209 314141 Cornwall
|| post/fax Fill in the coupon on page 110
BSA BANTAM D7 1966, been
repainted, all electrics work new
battery, engine starts & runs ok with
good compression but there is a
problem with the gear box, £875
Tel. 07542 169686 Devon
BSA GOLDSTAR Rocket, 1963,
RRT2 gearbox, mint example, full
history, bills, original log book,
£19,500 Tel. 01932 231615; 07789
230684 Surrey
BSA VICTOR Special matching
numbers, great little bike, no MoT,
but everything works as it should,
£3000 ono Tel. 07902 027474
Southampton
DUCATI 200 Elite, 1960, new
exhaust, Concave Cibie, Electrex
12V kit, much stainless & pristine
chrome jellymould tank, £7000 Tel.
07788 442155
HARLEY DAVIDSON Softail Night
Train, 2006, new rear tyre, battery,
Vance and Hines exhaust, 8600
miles, £8500 ono Tel. 07833 383914
Kent
BSA BANTAM D14/4, 1968, 173cc,
restored, many new parts fitted, MoT
May 2016, £1700 Tel. 01616 120808
Cheshire
BSA ROCKET GOLD STAR 1962,
Clubmans trim, genuine RGS, very
nice older restoration, only 760 miles
since MoT to July 2015, currently
Sorned, £17,500 Tel. 07770 378846
Berks
BULTACO 350 SHERPA 199 model,
1978, with V5, freshly refurb’d with
powdercoated cycle parts, ally bash
plate, new guards, shocks, chain &
sprockets, £2150 may p/x Tel.
01328 700711 Norfolk
DUCATI 350 Desmo race ready or
parade, green & white race cams,
forged piston, twin spark head volley
classic racer, bike in Spain price inc
transport to UK, £4500 Tel. 07943
396069 South Glamorgan
HARLEY DAVIDSON Electra Glide,
1967, all original untouched, £7895
Email. ctait@hencetrade.co.za South
Africa
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 TRADING POST
BOOK YOUR AD ONLINE NOW
K
IC
sP
G’
CB
MOTO GUZZI V50 Mk2, 1981
In good order, reliable, MoT. Stainless steel
exhaust, Krauser panniers plus top box.
Ideal for touring or club runs, some history.
£1800. 01792 203057, Swansea.
HONDA CB900-XL600 motor old
school style Cafe Racer, Konis, V5,
MoT 06/15, needs little work, tidying,
recommissioning, £799 ono Tel. Ian
07557 913989 West Yorks
HONDA DEAUVILLE NT700V, 2008,
11,650 miles, one owner, heated
grips, top box, vgc, £3995 Tel. 01874
623839 Essex
HONDA XBR500 reg 1986, MoT
August 2015, Motad 2 into 1
exhaust, all original paint work, tyres
are good but a little old, two previous
owners, £900 ovno Tel. 01462
452234 Herts
116 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
|| online www.classicbikeguide.com
HONDA CD175 1978, same owner
first 36 years, mileage 22,300, MoT,
mechanically perfect, good clean
original condition, handbook, toolkit,
new tyres, battery, service, £1650
ono Tel. Steve 07814 355571 Lancs
HONDA GB400TT 1980, registered
in UK 2013, in very good cond, MoT
Oct 2015, 9000 miles rare bike, ready
to ride, £3750 ono Tel. 01379 870632
Suffolk
HONDA Z50J genuine 1979,
Monkeybike vgc, MoT March 2016,
new carburettor fitted Nov 2013; new
Honda speedo assembly fitted June
2013, £1850 ono Tel. 07951 273711
Derbyshire
|| post/fax Fill in the coupon on page 110
HONDA CB 500 1972, tax exempt,
good condition, not concours but a
good start, MoT, CX 500 front end,
new paint, £3100 ono Tel. 07928
549866 Derbys
HONDA CB450 Black Bomber,
1966, beautiful example, wheels
rebuilt, stainless spokes,new pipes &
silencer, lots of nuts & bolts replaced,
saddle recovered. Tel. 01142 315000
South Yorkshire
HONDA CD200 1983, two owners,
good runner, MoT, two keys with two
unopened new Honda exhausts,
Haynes manual, standard unrestored
condition. Tel. 07927 885127
Cumbria
HONDA GL1200 50k miles, discs all
round, MoT, serviced, good runner,
£3000 ono Tel. 0161 6204382 Gtr
Man
KAWASAKI W650 2001, lovely
condition, 10,600 miles, £3000 Tel.
01475 635288 Strathclyde
HONDA CB400/F fantastic
condition, full MoT, low mileage,
£2395 or will swap for classic Brit
cash either way everything
considered even project Tel. 07931
557018; 01613 350497 eve Lancs
HONDA CB72 1966, good
condition, runs & rides well, many
nos parts, new battery, MoT March
2016, £3000 Tel. 01522 683894
Lincs
HONDA CM250T 1982, 12,700
miles, V5, no MoT, some history,
needs little work, tidying,
recommissioning, clutch cable, as
stored was running 2014, £599 ono
Tel. Ian 07557 913989 West York
HONDA MONKEY ST70 1975,
12,424 miles, C70 engine, MoT to
July, good condition, £1450 ono Tel.
01929 423632 Dorset
KAWASAKI W650 2003, 6900
genuine miles, rear rack & front crash
bars, service book, hand book &
original tools together with both
keys, £3100 Tel. 01789 763638
Warwickshire
 DEALER DIRECTORY

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 117

 TRADING POST
BOOK YOUR AD ONLINE NOW
KAWASAKI W800 2012, owner from
new, low mileage, MoT Dec 15,
Rentec engine bars and rack,
smooth runner, excellent condition,
£4800 Tel. 07840 709999 Tyneside
MORINI STRADA new tyres,
exhaust, fork springs, chain, on Sorn,
£2700 ono Tel. 07798 913561 Kent
MOTO GUZZI Le Mans V, 1991, fair
condition, years MoT, 58,000 miles,
runs well I have owned it for 20 years
have history, £3250 ono Tel. 01227
362071 Kent
MOTO GUZZI ZIGOLO two off, with
V5C reg documents, there is a
complete 110cc and the remains of
a 98cc, the 110cc was reg 1957 and
the 98cc was reg 1960. Tel. 07840
251105 Lancs
NORTON COMMANDO Fastback,
in blue owned from new currently in
Norvil guise, original parts included,
new MoT, useful upgrades, manuals
& history, £6995 Tel. 01832 731844;
07580 249601 Northants
118 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
|| online www.classicbikeguide.com
LAVERDA JOTA 1977, genuine
iconic Slater Jota with total
documented ownership & service
history from new, £12,500 Tel. 01432
371775 Hereford
MOTO GUZZI Le Mans 2, this is
original with only 22,000 miles and all
T/Certs, probably one of the last
Mk2s being reg 1982, nothing wrong
just too heavy, £8000 Tel. 07870
812805 South Yorkshire
MOTO GUZZI 1000SP 1975, heated
grips, stainless exhaust, braided
hoses, serviced carbs rebuilt, new
battery, tyre damper, Krauser luggage,
tax free next year, £2600 Tel. 07925
368788; 01726 816969 Cornwall
MZ ETZ 125 1988, MoT 2016, 3800
miles and classic ins, lovely bike,
£650 Tel. Rob 01743 873072 West
Midlands
NORTON COMMANDO 750cc
Interstate, 1972, black, excellent
condition, £6450 ono Tel. 01737
642075 Surrey
|| post/fax Fill in the coupon on page 110
MATCHLESS G3L 1960, 350cc,
vgc, matching numbers, some
known history, converted to magneto
ignition, £2950 Tel. Colin 01772
635161 Lancs
MOTO GUZZI S3, 1976, £5000 Tel.
07940 372368 Kent
MOTO GUZZI 850 1981/2, Le Mans
Mk III, stunning, reliable, recently
serviced, new cables, new tyres,
original tool kit, 7201 miles. Tel.
07921 556369 Greater Manchester
NORTON ATLAS 750cc, 1965, nut &
bolt rebuild, matching nos, complete
balanced engine rebuild, crank, new
pistons, seals, bearings, wheels,
tyres, ride or investment, £6950 Tel.
01706 852775 Grt Manchester
NORTON COMMANDO 850 Mk3
Hi-Rider, vgc, good runner & good
starter, full history of the bike, one of
the best Commando’s to be seen,
£8650 Tel. 07713 636352 Worcs
MORINI 350 SPORT 1976, UK
Borrani, rims, wire-wheel Sport, 22k
miles, UK bike not a ropy import,
years MoT, Marzocchi Stradas,
concave Cibie, Avon tyres, £3400
Tel. 07788 442155 Bath
MOTO GUZZI CO-UNO 125, 1978,
T reg, original condition, garage
stored, low mileage approx 3500
miles, looking for £1500 but open to
offers. Tel. 07788 245413 Essex
MOTO GUZZI NORGE 1200 GTL,
2007, 24k miles, full luggage & useful
extras, vgc, well maintained, ready to
tour, one owner from new, 12 months
MoT, £4995 Tel. 07866 055768
Shropshire
NORTON ATLAS 1966, good all
round condition, mileage 2258, MoT
May, £7000 Tel. 01603 477150
Norfolk
NORTON DOMMIE 99 Grimeca
front brake, alloy yokes, alloy s/arm,
new carb, 12v electrics, MoT, rebuilt
eng/gear or original Norton wheels,
£5600 Tel. 07505 602257 North East
Lincs
 DEALER DIRECTORY

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 119

 TRADING POST
BOOK YOUR AD ONLINE NOW
K
IC
sP
G’
CB
NORTON COMMANDO FASTBACK, 1971
Owned from new. Norvil guise, original parts
included. Belt drive, electronic ignition,
vernier front isolastics, spin on oil filter,
Konis, Norvil disc. New MoT, manuals and
history. £6995. 01832 731844 or 07580
249601 Northants.
ROYAL ENFIELD Clipper 250cc,
1965 but first reg 1967, lightly rebuilt
three years ago, MoT till March 2016,
£1150 ono Tel. Richard 07856
059610 Leics
SUZUKI GS1000 1979, vgc,
unrestored original, been warm dry
stored for 25 years, new tank & RH
exhaust, battery, plugs, air filter,
21,000 miles, new MoT, £3500 ono
Tel. 07876 081000 Norfolk
TRIUMPH 6T in Bonneville colours,
duplex frame, rebuilt engine, 4500
miles, twin carb 9 stud splayed head
Bonnie cams, twin leading front
brake, £5950 ono Tel. 07817 888836
Derbyshire
120 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
|| online www.classicbikeguide.com
ROYAL ENFIELD vgc, it runs well,
Boyer ignition, no MoT, looking to p/x
+ cash for Triumph T140 or 650
Triumph, runner or non-runner
considered, no basket case. Tel.
01686 420467 Powys
SUZUKI GT750A 1976, genuine UK
bike not an import, complete, fully
working and running very well,
sounds amazing, vgc, £6595 ovno
cash on collection Tel. 07985
206007; 07826 516016 Oxfordshire
TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T120R,
1967, matching numbers, 750 Morgo
conversion, complete nut & bolt
rebuild, SRM head & crank assembly,
very nice condition, runs beautifully,
£8750 Tel. 07887 532507 Sussex
|| post/fax Fill in the coupon on page 110
NORTON DOMINATOR 99 1960,
matching engine and frame
numbers, not concours but good
sound running order, ride or restore,
£5000 Tel. 01225 763919; 07906
444461 Wilts
PANTHER M100 1953, not run for
five years, no logbook, needs
primary chain housing gasket, £3900
ono Tel. 01162 595046; mobile
07927 406668 Leics
SUNBEAM S8 1951, vgc, extensive
documented history and less than
2000 miles run since £3000 rebuild,
any trial, £4750 ono Tel. 01616
533233 Lancs
SUZUKI GW250L3 as new
condition, very low mileage 1500,
bike no longer used, £2200 Tel.
01162 354013 Leics
TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE 1961, pre
unit, mint condition, matching nos,
new carbs, mag rebuilt, refurbed
clocks, engine full rebuild, stainless
spokes on full wheel rebuild, MoT,
£10,750 Tel. 07768 934604 Essex
NORTON DOMMIE 99, Norton,
wideline Dommie 99, 600cc,
complete rebuild, new everything,
many thousands spent, twin clocks,
tls brake, £6250 Tel. 01763 272339
Herts
RELIANT ROBIN handles brilliantly,
little used, MoT November, recent
brake, alternator, battery, pull lines
etc, tow bar fitted, needs a little tlc,
£2950 Tel. 01691 828744 Shrops
SUZUKI DR350 extremely clean and
low mileage bike, 6400 miles with
original tool kit etc, £1800 Tel. 07599
655887 South Yorkshire
TRIBSA 500 SCRAMBLER Duplex
frame, Goldie wheels, gearbox, chain
cases, T100, close finned all alloy
engine, £4250 Tel. 01763 272339;
07905 184644 Royston, Herts
TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE 1962, US
spec, flamboyant flame and silver,
matching numbers, only twenty
miles since pristine restoration,
£12,500 Tel. 01932 231615 Surrey
 SERVICES GUIDE
ACCESSORIES ELECTRICAL

BIKE COVERS

BRAKES

MAGNETOS ENGINEERING

M A G N E TO S
D ynam os,Regulators rebuilt-
Don’t Slip it - Grip it
guaranteed three years. Brake Shoes & Clutch Plates
O ne-offcom ponents.
Exhaustpipes m anufactured to pattern. professionally re-lined with top quality
Please quote C BG materials for veteran, road and
D.H .Day,A ldrans,C hurch H ill, competition use.
W roughton,Sw indon,W iltshire SN4 9JR Oversize linings available.
Tel.Sw indon (01793)812323 Alloy brake shoe casting.
Fax:(01793)845323
All makes and models catered for
at competitive prices.
POWDER COATING UK collection and delivery.

1 Rawfolds Ind Est, Bradford Road,

Cleckheaton, West Yorks BD19 5LT
Unlike our competition You can be sure we will 01274 862666
Website: www.saftek.co.uk
CARBURETTORS not just rush your valuable parts through with
some industrial job lot.
UK collection & delivery service. Email: sales@saftek.co.uk
QUALITY IS NOT EXPENSIVE IT IS PRICELESS
Unit 3, Bradware Industrial Park, Harris Street,
Bingley, BD16 1AE Tel: 01274 562474
www.Triple-S.co.uk.
5% Discount With This Ad

NUMBER PLATES

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 121

 TRADING POST
BOOK YOUR AD ONLINE NOW
TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T120,
1964, matching numbers, just
finished complete restoration lots of
stainless, new MoT, £6750 Tel. 01132
812369; 07963 555381 West
Yorkshire
TRIUMPH METISSE 750cc, five
speed gear box, right gear change,
1977, Meridian engine, custom
manufactured electric starter fitted,
runs superb, £13,800 Tel. 07968
549360 Somerset
TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD 650
bathtub, 1962, built to fantastic
condition, matching numbers s/s
rims/spokes, first to see will buy,
£7500 ono Tel. 01872 273979
Cornwall
TRIUMPH TR6 SS 1964, mint
condition, large history file, p/x taken,
thousands spent, also Atlas spares.
£6950 ono Tel. 07443 642408; 01133
910028 West Yorks
URAL DALESMAN 2007, one
owner from new, 745cc, 25,164
mileage, MoT May 2015, £5550 Tel.
01745 344432 Clwyd
122 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
|| online www.classicbikeguide.com
TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T120
1970, matching numbers, original
spec, recent rebuild, MoT, really nice
condition, £8000 ono Tel. 07754
867979 East Sussex
TRIUMPH T140 1977, Silver Jubilee,
750cc Bonneville, 6000 miles only,
brakes rebuilt, gel battery, £5650
ono can deliver within 100 miles Tel.
07768 934604 Essex
TRIUMPH TIGER 800 ABS, 2011,
1847 miles, Triumph top box, R&G
Hugger heated grips hand guards,
beak spot lights engine bars (not
shown on picture) fsh, MoT Sept, vgc,
£5500 ono Tel. Dave 01902 609122
TRIUMPH TROPHY 1200 Azure
blue, one owner, full history, h/grips,
coded top box, other extras fitted,
2001, with 13,500 miles, mint
condition, any inspection, no offers.
£3000 Tel. 01502 539825 Suffolk
VELOCOTTE VIPER 350 year 1958,
Clubman tank r/sets and lots more
vgc, £5850 Tel. 01923 519314;
07477 985072 Hertfordshire
|| post/fax Fill in the coupon on page 110
TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T140
1977, 750cc, genuine 5000 miles on
the clock, vgc, was on display in
Suzuki car showroom, runs lovely,
UK model, £5500 Tel. Dave 07769
221376 Hampshire
TRIUMPH T160 Hyde 1000, 1977,
concours restoration, one previous
owner, matching numbers, Hyde
seat, 12in disc, £9500 Tel. 01357
522530 Lanarks
TRIUMPH TIGER CUB not quite
original, unregistered, but up &
running, nice easy project to finish,
possible p/x, early A7 rigid project
/parts or vapour blaster, £1500 Tel.
07931 975223; 01384 358996
TRIUMPH TROPHY TR6 1970,
1000 miles since 16 month
professional restoration costing over
£18,000, inc £4K+ on parts,
matching numbers, Bowyer ignition,
£9500 firm Tel. 01206 843368 Essex
YAMAHA 750 1978, US custom,
vgc, with current MoT, genuine
18,000 runs lovely, US import from
US military has UK reg, £1750 ono
Tel. Dave 07769 221376 Hampshire
TRIUMPH CUB 1960, eight months
MoT, just fully serviced, new back
tyre, £2000 Tel. 07545 227140
London
TRIUMPH T3 Sprint 900, 30,000
miles, first reg Aug 07, comes with
new airbox, ready to fit + 3 new
plugs, £1800 ovno Tel. 01764
663480, mob 07887 564753
Perthshire
TRIUMPH TIGER T110 1955,
matching numbers, original reg
book, full restoration, all receipts, 100
miles since completion, £7950 Tel.
01777 228944 Notts
TRIUMPH TROPHY TR6 Sorned for
last 10 years, good condition, 1968,
£4750 Tel. 01384 624439 West
Midlands
YAMAHA DT 400MX Aug, 1976,
MoT, lovely bike to ride, great
condition, £3500 ono Tel. 07751
072925 Cornwall
 SERVICES GUIDE
POWDER COATING SPARES TRIUMPH

TRIUMPH
THRUXTON
High performance T120 and
T100 Spitfire Cams, Tappets,
Exhausts, Thruxton Silencers,
Gas Flowed Heads, Dynamic
Balancing, Alloy Tanks, Racing Seats,
Fairings, Close Gears, Rearset
Footrests and all parts to improve the
T120 and T100
FULL RESTORATION SERVICE.
SEND SAE FOR LISTS
GEORGE HOPWOOD
020 8300 9573
RESTORATION SHOCK ABSORBERS Racing Preparation since 1960
112 Wren Road, Sidcup, Kent DA14 4NF
www.hoppybikes.co.uk

STAINLESS STEEL

SALES/WANTED

TRANSFERS QUALITY CHROMING

SPARES

VINTAGE TYRES

SPARES & SALES

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 123

 TRADING POST
BOOK YOUR AD ONLINE NOW
FOR SALE
BMW 1200 C Classic, original
with accessories, lamps, engine
guards, panniers, King & Queen
seats, ok tyres, low miles, no
damage, Sorned, ideal cruiser,
good condition, easy rider,
£3750 Tel. 02380 261852.
Hants.
BMW K1 original blue/yellow,
lowered foot rests, OEM pannier
seat kit, driving lights, no
damage, OK tyres, good
condition, very fast, £3750 Tel.
02382 16852. Hants.
BSA C12 1957, excellent
condition, good running order,
also dual purpose trailer, £150.
£1700 Tel. Jim 01484 428137.
West Yorks.
BSA C12 1957, new everything,
better than new, £2500; Triumph
Tiger Cub, 1958, ride or restore,
runs well, £1650; sidecar
wanted. Tel. 01535 611181.
West Yorks.
DUCATI 900SFF 2002, 6400
miles, new belts, colour is matt
black, Ducati call it dark. Tel.
01516 410664; 07710 949799.
GREEVES 25DD Villiers 2T twin,
1965, original registration
number, a good restoration
project, goes, with some new
parts, Viz dual seat, GRP
guards, £2250 Tel. 01522
523566. Lincs.
HARLEY DAVIDSON 1985,
1340cc, MoT, fantastic
condition, rides superb, trailer if
required, £5500 Tel. 01423
509201. North Yorks.
HONDA CB 200 needs tlc, been
garaged, not used, has MoT till
May 2015, complete bike, fair
condition all round, only £550
Tel. 02392 328081. Hants.
HONDA CB360 G5 1975,
green, very clean bike in original
unmolested condition, new rear
tyre, new battery & spark plugs,
starts & runs well, 19,000 miles
only, no MoT but should sail
through it, £1950 ono Tel. Mike
01204 597772. Lancs.
HONDA CX500 1982, good
runner, £500, CG125 rolling
chassis, £80, Villiers, 150cc,
engine incomplete, £80, New
Hudson crankcases, crank,
offers. Tel. 07934 114301.
Gwent.
HONDA NS400R 1986, 27,000
miles, fully rebuilt 1000 miles
ago, no expense spared
comes with seat cowel and
some spares. Tel. 07915
600957. Perthshire.
KAWASAKI KLR250 1995, N
reg, black/blue, mint condition,
only 14,650 miles, road use
only, MoT, £1150 ono Tel.
01305 250260. Dorset.
MOTO GUZZI V1000 Convert,
1978, 23k miles, rebuilt last
year, lots of stainless, good
tyres, new seat, on Sorn, good
touring machine, £2500 Tel.
01323 843456. East Sussex.
MOTORCYCLE RACK two
spectacles Dave Cooper, takes
large and small, one part bolts
permitly to towbar store spects
in boot you can still tow trailer
when bike on, no speed limit if
not towing trailer, £80 collection
only Tel. 07770 115727. Surrey.
RALEIGH 1950, superb with
Trojan mini motor attached, age
related good condition with lots
of engine spares, for sale due
to downsizing, £495 ono Tel.
01977 707565. West Yorkshire.
124 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE
|| online www.classicbikeguide.com
REFURBISHED TREE BIKE HONDA ENGINES CB200
TRAILER refabricated back engine in 78 rolling frame still
end repainted, rewired, some turning spares 11,000 miles
new lights fitted, built for £220, V5 lost one seized with
motorcross bikes, new wheel standing £130, one short
bearings fitted. Tel. 01933 engine conrods no
624565; 07714 586288. pistons/cam £100 collection
Northamptonshire. only CB175/200 frame racing
SUZUKI GS500E dry stored, etc, no V5, £100 Tel. 07770
good condition, need fuel 115727. Surrey.
pipes, 9656 miles, £400 Tel. HONDA ENGINES CB200 one
01920 466931. Herts. complete engine, 78 rolling
TRIUMPH 21 350cc, Jan frame, turning stored for spares
1960, show condition, 36,000 11,000 miles £220 V5 lost one
miles from new much loved, seized with standing £130, one
good reason for sale, on Sorn, short engine conrods no
£2750 ovno Tel. 07759 435492. pistons £100, 175/200 frame
North Yorkshire. racing no V5, £100, coffin tank
TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE SE spotless inside s/panels other
2013, blue/cream, fsh, 1470 parts. Tel. 07770 115727.
miles, A1 condition, c/stand, Surrey.
last one from production run, KAWASAKI KLR 250cc,
reason for sale, new project no engine, running order + spare
room, £5750 Tel. 01383 bits, seat & wheel, £350. Pea
825245. Fife. shooter silencers pair, pre
TRIUMPH PRE UNIT gearbox 1995, good order, nice chrome,
outer cover, £25. Pr exhaust £150. Tel. 07901 783386. Lincs.
pipes for 1966, TT £35. Fork MAGNETO part complete
ancor plate H1797, £3. Engine came off T120 Armature inside
sprocket 29T E5446, £10 for mag bargain £35 p&p at cost,
unit 500 Ancor plate H111A, also Ace fairing, £25. Tel. 01133
£3. Bracket for rear mudguard 910028 or 07443 642408.
F5962, £5 plus post. Tel. 01933 NORTON ATLAS f/wheel,
355969. Northants. complete, £85; matched pair
TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD 1952 Dommie 88 crankcases,
last of pre-units, twin down £120; Mitsubishi racing
tube frame, beautiful machine, magneto for short-stroke
last ridden to IoM, faultless Manx, £350; Dommie oil tank,
performance, age forces sale, £55; pair alternator Dommie 99
£6500 Tel. 01984 623962. crankcases, £150; post '64
Somerset. 650SS fork t/yoke, £30; all plus
TRIUMPH TIGER 100A £4250 postage. Tel. 01373 451130.
Tel. 01526 353453 or 07922 Somerset.
544786. Lincs. MOTORCYCLE RACK two
VELOCETTE VENOM 1960, spectacles, takes large and
good condition, large tank small one, part bolts
swept back exhaust rear sets permanently to towbar, store in
Thruxton type oil tank, TLS boot you can still tow trailer,
front brake on Sorn at present, £80, Givi quick release topbox
£6995 ovno Tel. 07789 base etc, £45 collection only.
417549. Tel. 07770 115727. Surrey.
YAMAHA FJ1200 1990, PANTHER MODEL 100 289
26,700 miles, two previous pre mono bloc carb fully
owners full Givi luggage reconditioned by leading
engine, crash bars, full service specialist £195. BSA Gold
12 months MoT, £1850 ono stainless rear wheel spindle
Tel. 07931 175508. East complete, £50. Tel. 01926
Yorkshire. 770123.
YAMAHA XJR1300 2000, PANTHER MODEL 100 289
green original, excellent Amal carb fully restored by
condition, 28k, £3500 ovno or leading specialist as new, £200
may swap for camper van Tel. Tel. 01926 770123. West
Richie 07950 914959. Midlands.
Merseyside. ROYAL ENFIELD Series II,
Interceptor engine, gearbox,
PARTS FOR SALE primary cases, no heads or
BREAKING FOR SPARES clutch, aluminium barrel,
Honda Forsight scooter, all £2400. Enfield rear wheel 7"
parts available. Tel. 01299 cush drive, s/s spokes
266742. Worcs. aluminium rim, £300. Tel.
DUCATI 750SS 1994 engine 02077 021318. London.
with carbs resent belt change I lister_jacob@yahoo.com
am putting a 1000cc engine in TRIUMPH ENGINE for rebuild
this cafe race bike, I am Ref No 5T40524, 1953, speed
building so this one for sale, twin, complete except for
£500 a very good engine. Tel. pistons, damage to fins on
07943 396069. South barrel, carb included, bargain,
Glamorgan. £500 ono Tel. Graham 07538
HONDA C110/C114 SPARES 311856. West Midlands.
good selection of engine TRIUMPH HINCKLEY
spares, barrels, heads, cases BONNEVILLE quality alloy clip
plus forks, frame speedo, seat, ons, Hyde rearsets kit, Hyde full
stand, loom, side panels, give cafe racer fairing with smoked
me a call to see what I have. screen fittings, cafe racer seat
Tel. 07765 571820. South new Tel. 01932 786030
Gloucestershire. evenings. Middlesex.
HONDA CB250 Nighthawk TRIUMPH HINCKLEY
wanted, late model, low Bonneville genuine flyscreen as
mileage. Tel. Mike 01507 fitted to Daytona etc, silver and
622351. Lincs. immaculate hardly used, rrp is
JAP V-TWIN ver early, believed over £100, my price £60 inc
1918 for Morgan or bike. £2700 free postage. Tel. 01803
Tel. 01404 46570. East Devon. 853445. Devon.
|| post/fax Fill in the coupon on page 110
TRIUMPH SPRINT 900 1995,
alternator £30. Starter motor
£25. Clip ons £35. Fuel level
sender £20. Switch gear L/H
£20, postage extra. Tel. 07789
801540. Wiltshire.
VELOCETTE silencer, chrome
in vgc, baffles a bit suspect, not
required as bike long since
sold, £50 Tel. 01252 674507.
Hampshire
. MECHANICS 100+ various
WANTED
ANY MAKE OR SIZE classic
motorcycle wanted from a
basket case to one in nice or
restored condition, cash waiting
Tel. 07811 189755. Staffs.
BMW R65 in good condition.
Tel. 01225 755571. Wiltshire.
DOUGLAS WANTED 1920s-
30s OHV model, horrible
basket case or goer, to restore
and ride. Tel. 01978 842668.
Clwyd.
HONDA 500T OR 360CT
condition not a problem, must
run as it will be a project bike.
Tel. 01626 437226. Devon.
KAWASAKI W650 front foot
rests required. Tel. 01273
842290 . East Sussex.
KAWASAKI Z400 B2 1980,
rear chromed mudguard and
engine mounting bolts,
Kawasaki W650, 2000,
complete carburettors. Tel.
01903 230819. West Sussex.
LOOKING FOR a project bike
from Devon to Cornwall no bike
to bad or rusty, I'm interested in
anything. Tel. 07855 475670.
Cornwall.
LOOKING FOR MY my old
Harley FXR 1340, reg G104
PYD last seen near Swindon
Tel. 07923 998067. Wiltshire.
MV AGUSTA 125 Sport from
1975-1980. Tel. 01926 770123.
West Midlands.
NORTON 650SS late model
'66 or later preferred in
reasonably original condition,
can collect. Tel. Peter 01795
475792. Kent.
PANTHER MODEL 65 250cc,
rigid framed prefer for
restoration project must be
reasonably complete. Tel.
01284 753974. Suffolk.
SUZUKI TS400 parts wanted,
complete bike considered. Tel.
01305 826670. Dorset.
TRIUMPH OR BSA TWIN
restoration project wanted, any
model unit or preunit, will travel,
your price paid, ideal bike is 6T,
TRW, A10, A65 etc Tel. 07932
948153. Notts.
TRIUMPH TR6 any condition
considered long time storage
etc would consider all Triumphs
offered, no box of bits, no
dealers. Tel. 01512 591596.
Lancs.
VELOCETTE VALIANT must
be rough basket case hence
reasonable price, need lighter
bike. Tel. 01978 842668. Clwyd.
VINTAGE BRITISH CARS and
motorcycles wanted for cash in
any condition. Also any parts,
old garage equipment,
advertising signs or any
motoring related memorabilia
wanted, will travel and collect
promptly. Tel. 07788 961514;
01954 212181. Cambridge.
WANTED BIKE BOOKS
magazines, badges etc, swap
for wildlife/photography/USA
trucks/cars/firearms, literature,
etc. Tel. 01277 200530. Essex.
WANTED REAR HUB and
backplate for Panther M60, 65,
70 or 75, must have speedo
drive facility. Tel. 01544 230088.
YAMAHA SR500 wanted by
enthusiast, any condition any
distance. Tel. 01229 716814.
Cumbria.
MISCELLANEOUS
BOOKS: CLASSIC
years CBG 100+ offers
Commando MKIII, E/S
workshop manual plus parts
book, Haynes Kawasaki Vulcan,
BSA m/cycles (R Bacon) Suzuki
Bandit handbook. Tel. 01772
783774. Lancs.
CLASSIC VIDEOS ten including
Hailwood, 1951, GP's D, Duke,
etc, £17, 1950s movie camera
8mm + projector, £37 offers. Unit
350/500 Triumph handbook, £5.
BMW 1986, K80 handbook, £5.
Luggage rack suitable 125/400
£10, ridged Duplex frame, £37.
Tel. 01525 378332. Beds.
HONDA NSR250 English
workshop manuals, new,
untouched, one for MC16/18/21
(500 pages) and one for MC28
(350 pages), £65 each, these are
quality OEM type manuals, £5
UK post, happy to send
overseas. Tel. Daz 01983
299277. Hampshire.
MAGAZINES 150 plus issues of
Streetfighters magazines for
sale, early 90s to last year. Tel.
Rob 01245 259245. Essex.
MOTORCYCLE HYDRAULIC
LIFT full size, good clean
condition, buyer collects, £200
ono Tel. Alan 01268 775184.
Essex.
NEW WORKSHOP MANUALS
for sale: Suzuki RGV250 (all
models), NSR250 (English
language, two different
workshop manuals), Aprilia
RS250 (workshop manual, parts
book, challenge cup manual,
etc), KR1 and KR1S (workshop
manuals), RG500 (workshop
manual), TZR 3MA (workshop
manual) all are £5 post UK,
happy to send overseas. Tel.
Daz 01983 299277.
PITMANS MANUALS Rudge,
Triumph Twins, Triumph, BSA,
Bantam, Sunbeam S7 & S8,
AJS, BSA, 1948 Edition Norton,
Norton by Pearsons, Triumph all,
£10 + post. Tel. 01612 875845.
Lancs.
PREXPORT LEATHER
MOTORBIKE boots, size 10,
vgc hardly worn, £30. Levi 501
jeans, 36 waist, 34 leg worn
twice, to long, £20. Tel. Ric
07747 675016. Cleveland.
RIDING IN THE TT RACES
George Formby, 1930s, 78rpm
record, £20, Sound Stories
1957/1961 TT record and
33rpm, 12th 1959, T, £20. Also
John Hartle Autograph, Yamaha
900cc Diversion, 1995, excellent
but 2nd gear whine, £550. Tel.
01525 378332. Beds.
ST AIR TOOLS IN CARRY
CASE comprising reversible
wrench, hammer, drill, sander,
dremell, plus two further
wrenches, right angled wrench,
tyre inflator, gauge, shot blaster,
two unused sprayers, small
pistol blower, £50 the lot Tel.
01619 697706. Cheshire.
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CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 125

 SUMMER RESTORATION

126 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 127
 TRADINGPOST || CLASSIC CLUBS

Trident & Rocket 3

which was restored to its 1965 specification and is on
permanent display in the London Motorcycle Museum;
you’ll also see it on the triple club stand at many events.
Members benefit from discounts on classic bike

Owners’ Club
The triple club offers invaluable expertise to owners of the
original BSA-Triumph three-cylinder machines. It also
hosts Beezumph, the tripletastic (sorry) classic track day
Photos: TR3OC / aRChive
insurance, holidays, oils, spares at Reg Allen motorcycles –
and get first dibs on the much sought after Beezumph
track day tickets. Speaking of Beezumph; this track day,
riding rally and open weekend is the highlight of the club
calendar. It regularly features famous names from the
bikes’ production and competition history, including factory
technicians, development engineers, racers, test riders and
designers. The event has been run for nearly a quarter
century thanks to the dedication of the volunteer organisers
who have created many memorable moments, including
re-staging the 1971 Trans-Atlantic Match Race, and

I
IF YOU OWN AN ORIGINAL Triumph or
BSA triple then you need the expertise of
the TR3OC to keep it in fine fettle. If you’re
thinking of buying a triple, then their advice
is priceless.
The club was established in 1979, and caters for all BSA
and Triumph three-cylinder-engined road and race machines
manufactured between 1968 and 1976, plus specials and
race bikes that are clearly related to the original machines.
So, although this excludes modern Hinckley-built triples,
it does cover the original T150 and Rocket 3 models, T160
and Hurricanes, plus offshoots and specials.
The club is open to anyone with an interest in these
charismatic motorcycles, enthusiasts as well as owners,
anywhere in the world. The excellent Triple Echo magazine
is published bi-monthly, and contains technical tips,
events, archive material, queries, new products, members’
ads and more. The TR3OC owns the P1 Trident prototype,
Opposite: Birds of a feather,
doing what they do. The
TR3OC has a cunningly
ambitious plan to collect
together 160 T160 Tridents.
A great idea. Take a wide-angle
lens … a very wide angle!
gathering together a simply staggering assortment of
awesome orange X-75 Hurricanes when Craig Vetter,
‘inventor’ of the model, was guest of honour.
This year’s Beezumph at Cadwell Park centres around
the 40th anniversary of the Trident T160. The club aims to
gather together 160 examples of this model, so if you own a
T160, in standard spec or a modified special, they’d
welcome you with open arms. As well as track sessions –
split between levels of performance, and with an entry-level
category – the weekend also features a ride-out on Friday,
entertainment and food in the evenings, special guests
giving talks, live music, prizes and more. You don’t need to
be a club member to attend the event or take part in the
track sessions, and day tickets are available as well as full
rally passes.
Beezumph takes place at Cadwell circuit on August 14-
15, 2015. See beezumph.com
The TR3OC has an active Facebook group, and you can
join the club at tr3oc.com CBG

Club guide
AmC – AJs & matchless
owners’ Club:
Admin Officer, Unit 3, Robinson
Way, Telford Industrial Estate,
Kettering, Northants NN16 8PT.
www.jampot.com
Ariel owners’ Club:
www.arielownersmcc.co.uk
Association of pioneer
motorcyclists:
John Webber, 11 Bootham Close,
Billericay, Essex CM12 9NQ.
Bath Classic mCC: bcmcc.org
Benelli motobi Club GB:
www.benelliclubgb.net
BmF: www.bmf.co.uk
BmW Club:
www.thebmwclub.org.uk
British motorcycle
preservation society
(North Wales):
www.bmpsnwales.org.uk
Bridgnorth vintage
machinery Club:
www.bvmc.org.uk or
www.motorbikemover.co.uk
British motorcycle Riders’
Club (oxford):
http://bmrco.wordpress.com
British Two-stroke Club:
www.britishtwostrokeclub.org.uk
Brough superior Club:
www.broughsuperiorclub.com
BsA Bantam Club:
www.bsabantamclub.com
BsA owners’ Club:
www.bsaownersclub.co.uk
Bucks British & Classic mCC:
Meets at The Plough at Cadsden,
Princes Risborough, Bucks every
Wednesday evening.
www.bbcmcc.freeuk.com
CBX Riders’ Club (uk):
www.ukcbxclub.com
Christian motorcyclists’
Assoc: www.cmauk.net
Classic Racing
motorcycle Club:
www.crmc.co.uk
Cossack owners’ Club:
www.cossackownersclub.co.uk
Cotton owners and
enthusiasts’ Club:
www.cottonownersclub.com
DoT motorcycle Club:
www.dot-motorcycle-club.co.uk
Douglas owners’ Club:
www.douglasmcc.co.uk
Ducati owners’ Club (GB):
www.docgb.org
Dunstall owners’ Club:
www.dunstall.wordpress.com
excelsior Talisman
enthusiasts:
Colin Powell, Ginger Hall,
Village Way, Little Chalfont,
Bucks HP7 9PU.
Tel/fax 01494 762166.
exeter British mCC:
www.exeterbritishmotorcycleclub.
co.uk
Federation of sidecar Clubs:
www.sidecars.org.uk
Fellowship of Christian
motorcyclists:
www.fcm-bikers.co.uk
Francis-Barnett owners’ Club:
www.francis-barnett.co.uk
Gold star owners’ Club:
www.bsagoldstarownersclub.com
Greeves Riders’ Association:
www.greeves-riders.org.uk
Gwent Classic Trials and
scrambles Club:
Mark Giles, 42 Picton Street,
Griffithstown, Pontypool, Torfaen
NP4 5HB. 01495 757930.
harley-Davidson Riders’ Club
of Great Britain:
www.hdrcgb.org.uk
hesketh owners’ Club:
www.heskethownersclub.org.uk
highland Classic mCC:
www.highlandclassicmotorcycleclub.
org.uk/index.htm
www.facebook.com/highlandclassic
motorcycleclub?ref=hl
honda owners’ Club:
www.hoc.org.uk
honda Classic mCC:
Chairman: Kevin Richards,
40 Penton House, Hartslock Drive,
Thamesmead, London SE2 9UZ.
0798 4099 473.
hyCAm:
Paul Morin, 5 Frederick Close,
Cheam, Surrey SMI 2HY.
Indian motocycle Club of GB:
www.indianmotocycle.co.uk
Indian Riders’ motocycle Club:
www.indianriders.co.uk
Italian ImoC/GB:
Stuart Boulton, 31 Gladstone Street,
Anstey, Leicester LE7 7BT.
01162 126189 (answerphone).
Email: Stuart@copper-cable.co.uk
Japanese Classic mCC:
NET Willoughby, Hazeldene House,
240 Gloucester Rd, Cheltenham
GL51 8NR.
Jawa/CZ omC of
GB & Ireland:
www.jawaczownersclub.co.uk

FoR youR CluB To AppeAR oN ThIs pAGe pleAse emAIl All RelevANT CoNTACT DeTAIls To ThARTley@moRToNs.Co.uk

128 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE


kawasaki triples club:
www.kawasakitriplesclub.co.uk
laverda owners’ club:
www.iloc.co.uk
le velocette owners’ club:
www.leveloclub.org.uk
london sidecar club:
www.londonsidecarclub.co.uk
mag:
www.mag-uk.org
maico owners’ club:
www.maico.org.uk
military vehicle trust:
www.mvt.org.uk
morgan 3-Wheeler club:
www.mtwc.co.uk
morini riders’ club:
www.morini-riders-club.com
moto guzzi club gb:
www.motoguzziclub.co.uk
moto rumi club:
www.motorumiclub.co.uk
motor cycling club (mcc):
www.themotorcyclingclub.org.uk
mv agusta owners’ club:
www.mvownersclub.co.uk
national autocycle and
cyclemotor club:
www.thebuzzingclub.co.uk
national sprint association:
www.nationalsprintassociationltd.com
new imperial owners’
association:
www.newimperial.co.uk
norman cycles club:
www.normanmotorcycles.org.uk
norton owners’ club:
www.nortonownersclub.org
nsu owners’ club:
www.nsuoc.co.uk
oregon vintage motorcyclists:
www.oregonvintage.org
panther owners’ club:
www.pantherownersclub.com
pre-65 motocross club:
www.pre65.co.uk
professional & executive mcc:
www.pemc.co.uk
register of unusual
microcars: www.rumcars.org
rotary owners’ club:
David Cameron, Dunbar,
Ingatestone Road, Highwood,
Chelmsford, Essex CM1 3QU.
www.nortonrotary.org.uk
royal enfield & enfield india:
www.royalenfield.org.uk
rudge enthusiasts:
www.rudge.co.uk
scottish classic mcc:
www.scottishclassicmotorcycleclub.
moonfruit.com
sponsored by
scott owners’ club:
www.scottownersclub.org
sohc/4 owners’ club:
www.sohc4.net
south Wales sunbeam mcc:
Dave Harrison, 8 Wern St, Clydach
Vale, Rhondda CF40 2BQ
01443 435125.
dave.harrison47@yahoo.com
sunbeam mcc:
www.sunbeam-mcc.co.uk
sunbeam owners’
Fellowship (s7 & s8):
www.onthebeam.co.uk
sussex british mcc:
www.sbmoc.vpweb.co.uk
suzuki kettle club:
www.thekettleclub.com
suzuki owners’ club:
www.suzukiownersclub.co.uk
teesside yesteryear
motor club: www.tymc.org.uk
the 59 club:
The Swift Centre, 387A Barking
Road, Plaistow, London E13 8AL.
www.the59club.org.uk
the classic bikers’ club:
www.classicbikersclub.com
the invalid carriage register:
http://invalidcarriageregister.
wordpress.com
CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE || JUNE 2015 129
thumper club:
www.thumperclub.com
tr3oc (triples,
bsa & triumph):
http://tr3oc.co.uk
triton owners’ club:
www.triton-owners-club.co.uk
triumph dayt-owners:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/
group/TriumphDayt-owners
triumph owners’ mcc:
www.tomcc.org
tt supporters’ club:
www.ttsupportersclub.com
velocette owners’ club:
www.velocetteowners.com
vincent/hrd owners’ club:
www.voc.uk.com
vJmc (vintage Japanese
motorcycle club):
www.vjmc.com
vmcc: www.vmcc.net
vintage motor scooter club:
www.vmsc.co.uk
Wessex vehicle preservation
club (classic motorcycle
section): www.wvpc.org.uk
Wima gb (Women’s
international motorcycle
club): www.wimagb.co.uk
 || opinion ||
illustration by martin squires

Do you rebuilD biKeS? I ask because a impressive hypocrisy I tell my pals how much
decreasing number of my own pals actually I… ah… envy / admire them. It always works.
do it any more. It appears to be a dying thing, They always think I’m telling the truth. This
flapping about in the gutter of history like an is why I suffer such penances. The truth will
unhappy cod. out.
I can’t remember a time when I’ve not had
a bike on the bench. It’s therapy. It’s an
frank westworth And then, in the twinkling of an unseen
eye, they post pics on Facebook showing
escape from the keyboard. It’s a refuge from their glittering rare monstrosity winning
the winter weather – which is when my own
riding is at its lowest ebb. The bones ache Famous Last awards at shows, being patted on the head
by Prince Charles, and similarly surreal
too much now for me to revel in the soaking
wildness… or, more prosaically, the endless
damp of a winter’s road trip when every
Words things. Everyone applauds, including me.
There is a worldwide haze of disbelief. How
did he do this? Where did the bits come
morning finds me dressing in damp, damp Are all rebuilds never-ever- from? Why did he bother? The bike then
clothes, and heading out again into the damp. ending? Are they ever, appears at auction and fetches a staggering
But the endless rebuilds allow an almost amount of money. Proud rebuilder buys
pointless pursuit. Where other rebuilders
actually, finished? another Aston-Martin while the rest of us
pride themselves in their remarkable ability contemplate suicide or homicide, undecided
to convert a pile of rusty scrap into an object about which is the more appropriate.
of wonder and strange desires within a matter of milliseconds, my rebuilds My rebuilds are not like that. My rebuilds never end. I pretend that they
take years. Lots of years. Lots of very long years. At times it feels as though end, and declare them finished, but they never actually are. However, there
they’re infinite rebuilds, and were they ever actually finished the whole world is always a wave of communal euphoria accompanying any declaration of
would somehow stop, coughing in surprise and wondering where it was. completion. Everyone is publicly happy for me (I know that the truth is
And at which point, exactly, does a rebuild cease to be a work in progress different; in their dark and skulky moments they’re all thinking ‘How did he
and become an accomplished thing? An achievement, even. When the bike do this?’ and ‘Why did he bother?’). Good pals roll up and remark that they’ve
fires up for the first time (if it ever does)? When it moves under its own gasps never ridden a bike exactly like that, and could they take it out for a spin? I
for the first time (if it ever does)? When it passes its first new MoT test since always agree, even if I can in fact remember that they did in fact have a bike
1973 (if it ever does)? When? exactly like this one, and sold it cheap because it was horrid.
As penance for many bad acts as a boy, I know several accomplished bike They always return bearing armfuls of compliments, though their
rebuilders. They are men of magic, people of passion, and quite often quite expressions of strangled horror often give away the true game. We collectively
remarkably tedious company. I would never tell them this. I doubt they’d care, ignore the weeping oil, the flat front tyre, the sudden absence of compression
as their internal processing may be endlessly preoccupied with mechanical and clutch slip so bad that the dismal brakes are never going to be a concern.
solutions to arcane problems unknown to humans, but I try never to cause Instead we repair to a bar and tell lies. The lies are gentle lies, harm no one
offence. Much. and allow us to feel as though our pathetic attempts at reviving some noble
Typically, they take a machine I’ve never heard of, from a land so very far warrior have all been worthwhile, somehow.
away that Venus seems nearer, and for which there were last spares available And then they leave. I wheel the dreary machine back onto the bench. I
in 1974, but only on a Tuesday and in Hull. Maybe Grimsby. They send me sit on my stool and stare at it. Yesterday it had been a triumph, a great
pictures of the hideous thing. I scratch my head, wondering why anyone achievement; today it’s revealed as a mountain of bodges. But tomorrow it
would ever have wanted one when they were new and hideously shiny, much will be a rebuild project, and I always enjoy rebuilds. Can’t wait. Let’s get
less when old, broken, immobile and simply hideous, and in a burst of truly started… CBG

‘We collectively ignore the weeping oil, the flat front tyre, the sudden absence of
compression and clutch slip so bad that the dismal brakes are never going to be a
concern. Instead we repair to a bar and tell lies’

WHO IS FRANK WESTWORTH?

Frank Westworth is the editor of RealClassic magazine, the latest in a long series of publications which began in 1982 when he was bullied
into producing the Jampot, the previously excellent magazine of the AJS & Matchless OC. He has a mysterious obsession with old
motorcycles, not all of them rotary Nortons, and with riding them, which he does very slowly…

130 JUNE 2015 || CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE