June - VMCC - Isle of Man

IS
OF
M AN S E
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VINTAGEMANN
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The Official Journal of the Isle of Man Section V.M.C.C.
Issue 26
Jun ‘11
£3.00
Paradise & Gell Limited 24-30 Michael Street Peel Isle of Man IM5 1HD
Telephone 01624 842818 Fax 01624 844043 www.paradiseandgell.com
Paradise & Gell has been located on Michael Street in Peel since 1974.
Here you will find a wide range of furnishings to enhance any living
space. Whether you are looking for something contemporary or a more
traditional piece, then look no further than Paradise & Gell.
"Thinking about furniture, think about Paradise & Gell."
Chairman’s chat
Writing this piece on the eve of the TT I know that Job and his team are
well prepared for the annual TT rally with new and interesting ideas,
come along and support them.
So far this year all our rides have been very well attended with many
additional machines added to the ranks, and all held in good weather, long
may it continue.
Our next major event will be the TT mountain Challenge in early July,
please can I appeal to all members who are not entered for this to get in
touch with me if you are able to help in any way, particularly on Sunday
3rd, Marshals, programme sellers, pushers(motorcycle!), cake makers,
information and general hands, all are welcome for this historic event.
Tel 431320 or 816901 or any committee member. Thank you.
The highways authority has come in for some criticism in recent months
with regard to the condition of our roads, looking back over the past 104
years of TT racing I am sure the pioneers who experienced unmade roads,
mud, flood, dust and horse nails would be more than happy with our lot,
their courage and stamina cannot be overstated.
Enjoy your seasons riding and keep between the hedges.
Richard
Cover Pic..
Two stalwards of the VMCC Isle of Man Section, Joan and Ken Blackburn,
at Niarbyl on the 1993 VMCC TT Rally. The bike is a Venom Clubman KSS
Special A 1959 Venom fitted with a 1938 KSS high camshaft engine sporting
a BTH mag. and twin leading shoe front brake.
Page 1
Secretary’s Notes
Hi Everyone,
When you read these mutterings the T.T. will be on. This is a busy time for the
Club; with the T.T. Rally, T.T. Mountain Challenge in July, the VMCC MGP Rally
with the Closed Roads Parade and the Festival of Jurby. Regrettably entries have
been slow coming in for the MGP Rally despite terrific value. Without doubt the
UK economy is having an effect on household budgets, which in turn is having an
effect here. However we have almost at 100 machines entered to date [228 in
2010]. Still some time to go, so fingers crossed.
Last month I attended the VMCC AGM and collected the John Griffiths Salver
award [BAFTA] on behalf of the Section. It was awarded in recognition of our
organisation of that serious crowd puller, the Festival of Jurby which this year is
bigger and better. The Italian Marquee, organised by John South and his team, is
full. Celebrities include Sammy Miller with his V8 Guzzi and Low Boy Norton.
Dave Molyneaux with his George Odell outfit and other sidecars. The Morgan Car
Company, tempted over to show off their magnificent three wheeler trike - with the
Rally at all locations. The new Nortons are over and hopefully the new Brough
Superior. Around 36 Indians are parading at Jurby, to celebrate the 100 years of the
Mountain Circuit. On display will be the alleged 1911 TT winning Indian, paraded
this year by Dave Roper and in my Museum now until MGP. Three of our members
have Indians that hopefully will be on display at Jurby.
The road runs are still popular, thanks to everyone for supporting them. A big
thanks to those members who host the tea and buns, which now are a “much looked
forward to” part of each event.
Next year, we have successfully persuaded the Government to include in their
budget some funding for the Wall of Death at Manx Grand Prix, probably located
on Douglas Prom. for a few days. Hopefully, visitors and locals will support it.
Resurrection of the autojumble that was a feature of the VMCC MGP Rally has
come closer. The Steam Packet have agreed not to charge commercial rates for
autojumblers vans and licences will not be needed for “amateur” traders.
What about a classic sidecar 2 lap race at a future MGP Festival? It is your Club, so
let me know what you think. Any ideas or suggestions can be emailed to me
tonyeast@manx.net. Till the next time, happy riding.
Page 2
Yellow Belly Notes
The Carole Nash Classic Motor Cycle Show held at the Staffordshire showground on 23/24 April was bathed in sunshine and, being held over the
Easter week-end there was a possibility that many would –be visitors would
have long standing, prior commitments. As it turned out, the crowds were
there as usual and seemed to enjoy a good show.
Pic. 1
Like most motor cyclists of a certain age, I admire vintage bikes that have a
patina and provide a direct link to the past. I came across this one in the
grounds outside and was immediately struck by how good it looked. (Pic 1).
Functional and sturdy but handsome.
TD785 is a ‘Matador’ made in Preston in 1925 with a 350c.c. OHV Bradshaw engine. It was for sale and it wasn’t cheap, but then again, it was
quality. I took a few pictures for ‘Vintage Mann’, made some enquiries and
Page 3
Pic. 2
was told an odd tale concerning another make called…..‘Toreador’ motorcycles. Yes that’s right, two makes of bike both with bullfighting names.
Surely the same firm. Some simple research came up with Preston as the
town of origin. Pic.2 shows an example of a ‘Toreador’ machine.
Badge engineering is quite common amongst motor cycle manufacturers and
goes on today. The history reference books show that Matador produced
bikes from 1923 to 1927, whilst Toreadors were made from 1925 to 1928.
Why the overlap I wondered? This led me to the excellent Preston digital
archive and perhaps and explanation.
In 1907 Bert Houlding & Sons Ltd occupied premises in Cold barn Street,
Preston, later moving to Ribble Bank Mills. They became carburettor specialistists and it is the ‘& Sons ‘which is the clue to the difference between
the two makes. Mr Houlding had two sons, Alec and Bert Jnr.. The brothers
had separate businesses, both specialising in the manufacture of handlebars.
They were both enthusiastic racers and competed in the Isle of Man. Bert Jnr.
wrote articles for ‘Autocar’ and the Manchester Guardian under the name of
Page 4
‘Timesmith’. So is it possible that these were
two separate makers of motorcycles, both
using the bull-ring to name their products?
Pics 3 & 4
Bibliography: The Illustrated Encyclopaedia
of Motorcycles- Tragatsch : Preston Digital
Archive
Pat Sproston: Louth, Lincolnshire
Contents
Page 1
Chairman's Chat
Page 2
Secretary's Notes
Page 3
Page 6
Yellow Belly Notes - 'Costa del Ribble'
Book Review - 'Bologna motorcycles of the years 1930-45'
Page 8
Workshop Wisdom by Spannermann
Page 10 The Story of lot 197 - Part 2
Page 15 Team MANTTX Racing - The Electric Bike
Page 19 TS//2C Here we go again - One More Time
Page 23 Rider Profile No 14 - H.G. Tyrell Smith
Page 25 Never count your Chickens....
Page 29 Fixture List
Page 30 Part one of MOTORCYCLES by Bob Thomas
Page 36 The Wolseley Gyrocar
Page 39 Thrills and Spills at the Manx Two Day Trial 1972
Page 43 Famous Mystery Man revealed
Page 5
BOOK REVIEW
“Bologna motorcycles of the years 1930-‘45”
Authors: Antonio Campigotto, Maura Grandi, Enrico Ruffini
Published by Giorgio Nada Editore Sri
Soft back, 245 x 270mm (landscape); 191 pages with over 400 black & white and
colour photographs and illustrations. ISBN 88-7911-395-X Price: £31.00
The Museum of Industrial Heritage of Bologna
studies, documents and
displays the production
history of the city and its
territory, once known as
the workshop of Italy.
The exhibition, on
which this book is
based: “Bologna motorcycles of the years 1930’45 - the motorcycle
production between evolution and autarchia,” is
the second stage of a
multi-year
research
project in collaboration
with Giorgio Nada Editore. This high quality
book describes, literally from A to Z, 16 machines rarely seen or heard of
outside Italy. The Bologna motorcycle industry was a fairly close-knit
community incorporating many complimentary businesses such as foundries, sheet metal works and hub and wheel manufacturers. For example, the
Drusiani machine workshop with its modern machine tools and skilled
workforce enabled some of the smaller makers to produce some superb
machines. Due to many restrictions imposed by the fascist government, the
175cc capacity was very popular for both road and racing. Small they may
Page 6
have been, but their specification was advanced, with large brakes and o.h.v.
engines – the 175 Augusta (correct spelling) of 1930 even had a unitconstruction o.h.c. engine. The Bologna manufacturers soon realised the
benefits of competition success and entered teams in the many long-distance
trials and road races popular in Italy. Dorino Serafini (later to ride the blown
Gilera four) is pictured racing a 175cc M.M. All the machines pictured are
beautifully styled with perhaps the C.M. and M.M. being the most productive; the C.M. with its A.J.S.-style chain-driven o.h.c. engines and the
lesser-known 250cc d.o.h.c. Bondi racer and the Zappoli, with its flat-four
side-valve engine. To satisfy the government’s demands three-wheeled
trucks were produced with motorcycle controls. The DEMM truck was
shaft-driven using a 600cc s.v. Morini engine, running on methane gas.
Alfonso Morini having left M.M. to start his successful Moto Morini
concern. With mounting inflation and bomb damage, very few makers
survived post war, F.B. becoming F.B. Mondial. This is an excellent
bi-lingual book with superb photographs and full details of the museum’s
collection of beautifully restored machines - a must-have book for the Italian
machine collector.
Book reviewed by Jonathan Hill
Page 7
Workshop Wisdom
By Spannermann
Given a continuous supply of
cool, clean, oil, shell bearings
will last a long, long time. The
most important factor in ensuring long bearing life is lubrication. An oil film between the
bearing and crank journal, fed
and maintained by a pump,
provides a cushion that separates the bearing and crank
journal in such a way that the
two never actually come into
contact.
Don’t forget to clean out the sludge trap
This type of lubrication, demanded by a shell bearing, is called hydrodynamic. Movement between the
shaft and bearing forms a wedge of oil that separates the two components,
rather like a tyre aquaplaning on a wet road. In theory this means that no wear
can take place. Yet contamination of the oil with the products of combustion,
and particles carried in the oil from other parts of the engine, gradually erode
the surface of the bearing. Adequate filtration, and regular replacement of the
lubricant, is clearly vital. Deterioration of the oil through oxidisation and fuel
dilution is another factor bearing designers have to consider. Most modern
engine oils boast good antioxidation properties.
If the oil and bearing surfaces get too hot, either through overload or a poorly
maintained oiling system, the bearing material will soften and rapidly degenerate under load. The damaged bearing starts to break up, causing further
overheating. This creates a vicious circle that leads to final calamity. The
forces acting between the shaft and bearing vary greatly between the point
when the shaft is under acceleration, or turning at a constant speed. To replace
any oil squeezed out by these forces, the flow of lubricant has to be pressure
fed into the bearing.
Page 8
The oil flow is carefully
determined at the design stage, when the
specification of the
bearings and the lubrication system is treated
as a single task. So fitting a larger displacement
pump
won't
necessarily improve lubrication. A pump does
not create pressure; it
Force oil through crankcase feed holes to check flow
creates flow. Pressure is
built up by whatever restricts the flow of oil in, or at the end of, the supply line.
Too high a pressure can lead to rapid erosion of working surfaces, especially
if the oil is badly contaminated. The effectiveness of the whole lubrication
system directly affects bearing life. Regular oil changes and efficient filtration
make all the difference. During an oil change it's a good idea to flush out the
oil tank and the feed pipes.
Page 9
The Story of lot 197
Part 2
‘do you know who rode a Hughes Triumph at the TT?’ Nope says I – why
would I? Ray Knight says he!! Well blow me down (insert words to your
own desired effect at this point) .
Before we knew it we have phoned Ray, who later phoned me back and
after a quick description confirmed that this sounded like his bike.
So – we had gone from ‘the bike with no history’ to establishing it to be a
HUGHES Trident raced by the incomparable Ray Knight in a matter of
minutes. Just by a quick Google search and a phone call! How cool was that
and boy was I excited! At this point Jane had had enough, as I was so away
with the Tridents fairies and thoughts of Slippery Sam , she just went to bed
and left me to it.
Lot 197 is indeed the HUGHES Trident and is very special indeed. A small
number of Tridents were released to dealers in January 1969 ahead of the
formal launch in April. These were to be used by dealers for testing and
‘trialing’ the up and coming model ahead of launch. HUGHES took theirs
racing and so this bike
became the first Trident
ever to be raced!
Another dealer – Boyer
of Bromley, followed
suit in early 1970. But
for now – HUGHES
lead the way and Ray
notched up the very
first win on a Trident.
Amulree
Ray coming 17th in the 1973 F750 TT
Page 10
Martin
Carney
competed in the TT
races in June coming a
A beaming John South with his new toy!
credible 7th (at this stage it was pretty standard!) It was back at the TT in
1970 battling it out with Malcolm Uphill and the works Trident in the
Production Race, sadly a DNF.
By 1971 it had been re-framed with a factory ‘short frame’ - is that special?
You bet it is!!! The Triumph Factory records show that Slippery Sam had a
special race shop ‘short frame’ fitted in late 1970 in a bid to improve
handling and ground clearance. Now, Ray had already scored the first win
on a Trident for HUGHES on the bike, so it seemed reasonable for him to
have the same kit as Percy Tait et al – ie a factory race short frame. Stan
Brand of Hughes was well connected at the factory and secured a factory
race chassis, forks, Fontana 4LS magnesium hub and whole host of other
special racing parts including lightened crankshaft, Quaife 5 speed box,
pistons etc etc to build Ray the ultimate production based race Trident. (Les
Williams still has all the details confirming factory parts dispatched to
HUGHES). The factory released a total of four of these frames in August
1970 of which this is one and indeed only a further seven were released by
the race shop to 1974 so pretty rare then!
Page 11
Ray raced it here in the TT of 1971 coming 11th. The bike went on to become
a F750 machine racing at Daytona, here in 73 and 74 and across at various
events before slipping into obscurity in the mid seventies. By this time Hugh
Evans and others including Mick Hemmings had raced it. Today it still wears
a pair of Pirelli Phantom tyres from the late 70s’or maybe 1980 that have
seen race action and you can make out a No 3 on the fairing- so who last
raced it and where? We don’t know – do you?
You can even still Rays’ name on the fairing – albeit covered up a bit. It is
exactly ‘as was’ in about 1974 in its last F750 trim.
I am now performing a light restoration on the bike helped by Hugh Evans
– a good friend of Rays (there are stories to be had here!!!) and hope to have
it ready for the centenary parades in 2011.
So next time you see something that maybe too good to be true – trust your
instincts and go with it.
Latest Trident Pic. See centre pages.
John South
The Hughes Trident – Key Features
Histology:·
·
·
·
·
Standard T150 delivered to Hughes January 1969 ahead of
the formal model launch in April / May 1969.
Raced straight out of the box in 1969 with little work save
for turning handle bars upside down and fitting rear-sets.
By 1970 – a Meriden race shop supplied Fontana 4LS front
brake was added along with a alloy large tank
For 1971 – Now a Meriden race shop supplied ‘short frame’
– one of the first and only four released in August 1970 to
dealers. Also materially updated with Meriden race shop
items including Quaife Mk1 5 Speed box, racing crankshaft,
forks, fairing etc.
For 1973 – Updated to full F750 spec to take on Daytona
200 – Boyer ignition added, oil tank enlarged, 3 into 1
straight through exhaust and all guards etc removed.
Page 12
·
1990/91 – Purchased part dismantled as a ‘basket case’ by
previous owner for restoration – engine stored in the house
and various parts in wooden boxes.
·
19th June 2010 – purchased at the Bonhams ‘Banbury Run’
auction for £1900 plus premium – description stating ‘no
known history of who built / raced it’. Bike still in a ‘basket
case’ condition and in 1973 trim complete with all factory
listed components and other period items perfectly pre
served in a time capsule.
2011 – Bike being rebuilt and not restored so as to maintain
all original features, scratches and all. Builders John South
(owner) and Hugh Evans (retired engineer / tuner and last
known rider of the machine in the 1974 F750 TT)
·
Race History:·
1st Trident to be raced in the UK
·
1st Trident to win a race – Thruxton – June 1969 - Ray
Knight
·
1st Trident to race in IoM – 1969 Production TT – Martin
Carney (ex British Champion) – 7th av speed 93 mph fastest
lap 97mph
·
Thruxton 500 mile race – 7th - Rex Avery and Colin Dixon in
May 1969.
1970 – IoM Production TT – Martin Carney – DNF – fell
off at Bungalow Bridge
·
·
1971 – IoM Production TT – Ray Knight – 11th. Ray rode
the bike to the IoM
·
·
1972 – Thruxton 500 – lying 4th until DNF – Mick Hem
mings / Ray Knight
1973 – Daytona 200 – DNF Ray Knight – ignition failure
·
·
1973 – IoM F750 TT – 17th Ray Knight – fastest lap 97mph
1974 – IoM F750 TT – DNF – Hugh Evans
Page 13
Additionally – many local / club events including Brands etc where often
Ray or Hugh would race. One race at Silverstone Hugh came a close 2nd
to Ray on a Norton Commando. It was used by Graham Brand (Stan
Brand’s son) in club meetings etc.
Last raced - ?? late seventies / early eighties with Pirelli Phantoms and
wearing a Number 3 on the fairing – rider / events etc unknown.
Headline Specification:·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
Factory ‘short’ race frame, swinging arm - *
Factory short fork stanchions and springs to suit - *
250mm Fontana magnesium 4LS front brake - *
QD rear wheel – 54 tooth sprocket
Don Woodward large capacity twin filler baffled alloy tank
Enlarged oil tank – central filler with access cutaway in seat
TT fairing with dummy headlight - *
Ported and gas flowed head
W&S valve springs - *
Quaife MK1 5 speed box – 20 tooth sprocket - *
Lightened and polished crankshaft - *
TH6 cams – factory quill drive ignition
Boyer MK1 ignition system – battery less
Lightened all alloy clutch basket and pressure plate
Carbs suitably jetted and fitted with special linkage to suit
short frame - *
Items marked ‘*’ supplied by the Meriden race shop to Hughes / Stan
Brand as per Les Williams’ race shop notes.
Overall:This is probably the only remaining un-restored example of
what is substantially a works supported production racing
Triumph Trident in F750 trim and still in the same condition as
last raced in 1974.
Page 14
ManTTx Racing is a team of Manx racing enthusiasts who came together in
February 2009 with the sole intent of building a race winning electric bike.
The team is based in Ramsey on the Isle of Man, the home of real road
racing, and is unique in that they are totally focused on building and racing
and have no commercial interests. The team set out to contest the 2009
TTxGP TT race with the first Manx-built electric bike. This was no mean
challenge as the technology was untested and no zero-emissions bike had
ever been built to compete in such a demanding race. To undertake this
challenge without major corporate sponsorship and no previous experience
merely added to the already difficult task. Despite these difficulties, and
Page 15
within a totally inadequate timescale the team and their many local
supporters set to, designed, built
and tested a race bike which not
only met the design criteria but
was the second-quickest machine
in the entire field, against teams
from major manufacturers and
several universities. But for the
failure of a small motor component, the team were looking certain for a strong second place finish in this revolutionary zero emissions TT.
The 2010 race bike was a development of the prototype 2009 TTxGP bike,
designed and built on the Isle of Man, and uses a pair of Agni DC motors
with LMC brushes and has a power output of around 60hp with a unique
aerodynamic fairing. The latest development of the race bike proved to be
significantly faster and to have achieved the level of durability required. On
its first competitive outing in 2010 the bike achieved third place in the TT
Zero race gaining rider James McBride his first TT podium.
After such a highly rewarding 2010 TT, the team entered the TTxGP UK
race series and modified the TT package for short circuit racing. After some
successful development work during the first two races the bike was the star
of the show at the TTxGP race at Pembrey. The ManTTx machine gained
pole position in qualifying and led the race for 14 laps, until a lack of charge
slowed the machine in the final lap. Despite this, a fourth place was achieved
and things looked well for the final race at Brands Hatch in October.
The ManTTx race bike completed the 15 lap race and set the fastest qualifying, practice and race times with a fastest lap time of 1:08 which would have
put the electric bike in the top 3 of the following petrol bike race.
A promising 4th place in qualifying at the final UK race at Brands Hatch
against a large field containing the best electric racebikes in Europe was
marred by a first corner crash in damp conditions which ended the teams
aspirations in the event.
Page 16
The ManTTx team were also invited to make a special guest appearance at
the 2010 Jurby Festival where the bike was ridden for several parade
sessions by motorcycling legend Nick Jefferies. Nick was very impressed
with his first zero-emissions race bike experience and enjoyed the ride and
was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about this new technological
solution. Fellow motorcycling GP and TT heroes Sammy Miller and Phil
Read took a keen interest in the machine.
Page 17
ManTTx have also featured on several national television shows including
Granada News and ITV News as well as numerous local news reports. The
teams journey also features strongly in the soon to be released film documentary “Charged”.
ManTTx aren’t standing still and are continuing with their ground-breaking
development work on the race package for the 2011 season. Plans and
development work underway include:•
Larger battery capacity for more power
•
Improved and radical aerodynamics to take full advantage of regulations
•
New motors for greater reliability
•
Prestigious first zero-emission 100mph TT lap...?
•
Compete in the 2011 TTxGP Series
Page 18
TS//2C Here We Go Again
One More Time
Well as usual John and Neil are ready to tackle the season head on, well
almost, and like all things in life, we will be ready on the day! We are due
out next Saturday at Jurby followed by the weekend after at Pembrey (South
Wales) and the weekend after that - its Pre TT Classic.
As you can tell by the photos - we are having fun and the bike you see on the
road is our test hack known as The Mule - this is used for testing and
currently we are testing the upgraded brakes which have seen a complete
rebuild and a rather tatty Micron exhaust system from the late 70's. The front
brake has been completely stripped by a chap in the UK, drilled, wheel
rebuilt etc. Etc. and Brian test rode her today and seems very happy with the
result. He then set about more fettling - just a case of at least he has had the
last 'fettle'!
Eee… Muther! - No Limit to John’s talents
Page 19
Work in progress - note the essential equipment - A cuppa!
The race bike has more 'wing' this year thanks to a fancy new ignition system
and she really does go 'WING' unlike last year where she was more 'wang' see if that allows us to pull 10,000 revs.... She is also to receive a set of
straight cut gears and new clutch basket / shock absorber which will be worth
another 2BHP (we think).
Anyway - thought you would like the photos and yes that is me head down
up our hill pulling all of about 40mph!
We would not be able to race without our sponsors and of course we are
fortunate enough to again be sponsored by our good friend Robert White and
the Benelli Club GB - thanks to both. To be fair - Robert is our main sponsor
and we thank him for his support which has allowed us so much
development this year - podium, here we come!
John and your fellow TS//2C racing team
Page 20
Steve Woodward With Sue Allen as passenger
1993 Classic parade lap.
Page 21
Amulree
THEN - 1973 - Ray Knight on the Hughes Triumph Triple
at Whitegates in the Formula 750 TT
Pics Amulree
NOW - 38 years on Ray rides the same bike at Jurby now owned by John South
Page 22
Although he raced several
makes of machine in the Isle of
Man between 1927 and 1939,
TYRELL SMITH'S name will
always be associated with
Rudge and the sweeping successes enjoyed by that factory
when he was teamed with Graham Walker and Ernie Nott; and
with Excelsior. Winner of the
1930 " Junior," placed second
and third on a number of other
occasions, this very popular
Irishman was later on the technical staff of Girlings, a position
which kept him in close touch
with the racing game he loved.
Page 23
Page 24
Never count your Chickens .....
Nothing could go, wrong, we'd covered all eventualities. So we reckoned.
But on Bank Holiday Monday under clear skies we'd relaxed before Rocky
III in the video lounge of Sealink's ferry from Heysham to Douglas and
looked forward to a relaxing week in the Isle of Road racing. There really
wasn't anything that could go wrong, you see. We'd covered all the angles.
Some people just never learn!
The reasons for our complacency on this occasion
did seem to be soundly
based. When you take a
bike to the Isle of Man,
there really is only one way
to do it. Take a well-proven
machine, otherwise you are
asking for trouble. The plan
was immaculate in its conception. After scoring as
fourth-placed 500 in the,
Historic TT race on Ron
May's trusty Triumph Daytona, we'd got a tried and
trusted mount. With just a
top-end overhaul we could
obviously contest the Manx
Classic with confidence. So
it had been tested, and
clearly we were ready,
proven and justifiably confident - a likely story. There
was the bike standing in the
Ray rounds Quarter Bridge in the 1976 Prod. TT.
garage
at the Femleigh Hotel
with John Hartle and Paul Butler in hot pursuit
next to Steve Linsdell’s incredible Royal Enfield and ready to go on Tuesday Then came the rain.
Amulree
Page 25
MGP regulations required competitors to commence practice no later than
Tuesday evening but the puddles got deeper and the clouds lower. Eventually I sought clerk of the course Jackie Woods for a dispensation to postpone
my Manx re-debut until the following day, as this year's TT competitors
were being allowed to do on request. There really didn't seem to be much
point in splashing about.
However, standing on the startline I watched Nick Payton thudding his
Velocette off into the gloom and felt "split". The sensible part said that's just
what I ought to be doing, I'd little to learn about the circuit; the other kept
twitching the throttle hand and pictures of the rush down Bray Hill kept
appearing before my eyes. Watching other people do their thing was never
quite my scene. Nick actually made fourth-fastest time in the 500 Classic
class with an average of 71 mph, just to show you how bad it was.
Wednesday dawned bright and sunny and with nothing to do until evening
practice, Stan Brand (spanner twirler of the original Daytona back in '68) and
I assumed the role of tourist. One tends to forget in the hurly burly of racing
that the Isle of Man really is a very pleasant place for a holiday. During the
scenic run on the coast road from Peel to Kirkmichael, unlike the TT, there
were few bikes to be seen, but those that there were tended to he subtly
different from those in June. Maybe the riders were older, the machines less
cosmetic - more travel-stained, higher-mileage types..
There were several hundred machines attempting to get on to the hallowed
piece of road for evening practice. In good weather; traffic was very heavy,
every other rider seemed to be wearing the red jacket of a newcomer, trying
to programme near to 40 miles of twists and turns into his grey matter. There
were no ‘shes’. The MGP rules just didn’t allow ladies in those far off
bigoted days.
For the first lap and it seemed that every other bike was a single-cylinder
machine, and the Triumph was up to passing many of those. The other sort
were the guys on RG5OO Suzukis who would zap the Daytona down the
straights going 200 mph faster and then really test the brakes at each corner.
Learning the TT course on something as fast as the over-the-counter Suzuki
Grand Prix racer must be a bit of a problem. There's something to be said for
starting out on a bike that's a little more sedate, My first real racer that I'd
Page 26
built myself just did 90 mph, which, apart from showing what an ace I was
at machine preparation, did give time to absorb the topography.
Amulree
Ray with Stan Brand and Ron May on the Triumph Daytona 500cc outside the
Fernleigh Hotel during the 1984 Manx Grand Prix.
First time up the Mountain and it became clear when the traffic had thinned
that the expectation of engine revolutions hadn't lived up to promise. Ron
had expected to get around 8,000, but seven was about all it wanted to do.
However, I went for the second lap, just to get my eye in again. It was good
up to seven and fun to ride always. At 12th place on the leaderboard at just
short of 88 mph average, I'd hardly have guessed that that lap was to be the
fastest of the week's practice.
Back in the garage I said to Ron that it would miss over seven, and it seemed
that maybe jetting was the problem. For Thursday afternoon's session we
went for some smaller jets and set out for a lap, but if anything things were
a little worse. I'd even thought that there was a suspicion of pinking when the
motor was on full throttle, so I toured around for further consultation in the
pits. Jetting was easy. If it was worse with smaller jets, then we'd try a size
up the other way. Ron was puzzled by the pinking, however. In fact, he
pulled back the timing a few degrees.
Page 27
The motor actually felt sharper this time. Though the revs hadn't come back,
the misfiring had lessened. A full-bore run down Bray and through the
crossroads at the top of Barregarrow and down through the shattering
suspension-crushing swoop at the bottom felt good and I was getting into the
mood. The plan was deflated a little when arriving at Churchtown Bend.
Marshals were practically stopping us at an incident scene which took the
fun out of it, with the thought that this wasn't playing racers, it was deadly
serious.
As sharp as the motor had felt, and in spite of the incident and a starting and
stopping lap, the elapsed time was an 86 mph circuit which wasn't too
discouraging. This clearly called for a high-level conference, as the plans
seemed to be crumbling. Our ultimately reliable Triumph was falling from
grace. Several jars later in the bar that night, Ron had diagnosed that
vibration as causing the fuel to boil in the float chambers. After several more
jars I was foolish enough to volunteer to take the bike out for early practice
on Friday morning to prove the point. We were now conscious of time
running out as race day approached and performance was still not up to par.
Somehow, being ostensibly on holiday, albeit a racing holiday, and getting
up at the crack of dawn to go testing, didn't seem to equate. This was further
confirmed when it turned out wet and foggy with lap times around 80 mph.
However, the effect of providing the carburettors with some extra insulation
against the vibration did seem to have possibilities. Fourth on the leaderboard this time.
To be Continued
Ray Knight
Page 28
June
12th
Harold Rowell Memorial Road Run. TT Grandstand
1.45 for 2.00pm start. Finish at the Villa Marina for
tea & buns. Organiser Ken Blackburn
June
23rd
Evening Road Run, in memory of our old friends
Harry & Pete. Start from Glen Helen Inn. 7.15 for 7.30pm.
Suitable for older machines and side cars, but all welcome.
Organiser Rupert Murden, finish at Creg ny Baa.
July
24th
The Charles Craine Memorial Run from Sea Terminal
1.45 for 2.00pm start.
Organiser Job Grimshaw. Refreshments T.B.A.
August 7th
Road Run and Field Trial. Start Waterfall pub,
Glen Maye 1.45 for 2.00pm start.
Organiser Dudley Robinson. Family BBQ after.
September 8th Club Night. Knock Froy, Santon 8.00pm.
Noggin and Natter - Surprise Speaker.
Page 29
Part one of
Motorcycles
by Bob Thomas
(the story begins in 1919)
Amulree
Bob rounds the Devil’s Elbow on the Vauxhall in the TT Rally
My first memories of a motorcycle was being sandwiched between father
and his friend on an ex WD 2 3/4 Douglas Though father had an early single gear Fafinir with wicker sidecar, being a
toddler I had to remain in the chair while my sister helped push up hills. It
Page 30
was from this I saw my first accident, even at my age I saw the funny side,
no one was hurt - only pride. A chap on a sidecar shot out of a side turning,
straight across the road, a lamp post became wedged between bike and
sidecar bending the connections so that the sidecar and front forks met, and
he couldn't get it away from the post.
Actually mother didn't approve of motor bikes, and the bar was in force for
her precious son, until one day Dad paid 7/6 for an old BSA and pushed it 4
miles home -"so that you can see what is inside, but you're not to ride
it!!!!!!". Two weeks later we were both out on it. It was a 1914 model
identical with Bill Christian's, to which we had attached a heavy two seater
chair from a Raleigh - so it was a bit sluggish, but it served for my "initiation" for some three or four weeks until the crank pin broke. Pity Dad did not
buy it some six months earlier, then I could have got my licence without a
test. Dad had been saying "you don't want to drive - there's no pleasure in it
these days, the roads are too busy" this in 1933, so I missed the opportunity.
As I have said, I had to take a driving test, and it so happened it was the
inaugural year of such things. We (the riders) had to wear "L plates" which
had a red "L" on a six inch square with a white background, none were on
sale, so we (I) had to make our own! The day came for me to be tested, my
instructions were to go to the examiner's office, which was near the Town
Hall in Ealing. I had been riding my AJS with a sidecar, and had a sudden
thought - if the examiner so decided, then he might choose to ride in the
sidecar - so I took it off and went solo! On arrival I was instructed to ride
round a triangle of roads three times, the examiner said "on one of these
circuits when I drop my book, do an "emergency stop". I went round three
times, but never saw the examiner, so I did a fourth trip and finished at his
office where he was writing a certificate - "OK you've passed!" Of course
there had been a series of questions on the then new Highway Code, but that
was it. I was now licensed to drive "Any Motor Vehicle" I still am! The
whole course was about two miles.
At this point a word or two about my Dad might be of interest. Born in 1882,
he was apprenticed to a plumber, but always had a mechanical bent and
serviced and drove the first car ever to live in Bournemouth - a "James and
Brown" if my memory is correct. He then went to the experimental department of Commercial Cars at Luton, a firm making lorries with a primitive
self change gearbox, this is known as the "Thomas gearbox" but I have no
Page 31
proof it was named after my father; there is a letter referring to it in the
family file. He made a number of inventions, from an infinitely variable self
change gearbox (the demonstration model is still at the Science Museum), a
pre-Wankel rotor type petrol engine, and amongst other things a breakfast
cereal, which I think would sell today. He was involved in a special carburettor for converting to paraffin when petrol was scarce in 1914-18. Bus
engines would start from cold on straight paraffin second or third pull,
restrictions on this kind of fuel killed the idea.
He then produced a folding push-chair for children or invalids, it contracted
to about 14ins square by 6ins thick, I still have an example. When I was a
child he preferred me to have tools to make my own toys, rather than be
given the finished article, that does not mean I didn't have ready made toys.
I had some very good ones, especially whilst he had shops in Fulham, I
collected some nice "Travellers Samples". He made my first scooter, which
had a box sidecar to help with the shopping. At one shop in Fulham Market
I used to use a posh pedal car, it had electric lights and a "dicky seat". A
nearby sweet shop had a pet monkey which used to sit on the counter and
open the sweet bags by blowing into them! As I went by it used to jump into
the dicky seat for a circuit of the market. This went on until on one occasion
it bit my ear, after that it was banned.
Another red face memory of this period was an event which resulted in me
being rather red behind as well - in those days eggs used to be delivered in
large wooden crates, they contained 1000 or 2000 eggs at a time, with only
straw packing. These were opened after closing time and transferred to the
shelves. A 2000 one, which could be some eight foot long by four foot wide
and eight inches deep, had just been opened when little Bob came along.
Looking the wrong way, he stumbled right through the crate from end to end.
Decidedly unpopular.
As I mentioned earlier my first ride on a motorcycle was as a small boy by
pillion on a 2 3/4 Douglas. My next ride on a Douglas was during my first
year of riding, it was on an E.W. which I had bought, and as far as I knew
how "done up" for a cousin. I rode it quite a bit before handing it over to him,
it was during the thirty mile delivery trip I made my first acquaintance with
the magneto malady "shellactitis" I had to strip and rebuild the mag at the
roadside on three occasions. (I now have all my mags rewound as a matter
of course before attempting to use one seriously - though I was caught out
Page 32
Amulree
Happy Days at Milntown - The IOM Section 25th Anniversary
fairly recently with the Endeavour!) But that is all by the way, the thing is I
got to like the E.W.
Though 1 had no further dealings with one for many years, until after the
Vintage Club was formed. I had heard dreadful stories of the worst machine
ever made - the E.W. Douglas! I had heard similar reports of other machines
too, which I had good service from, so when the opportunity came of getting
one -I took it! I tried to bust it, but it would not go wrong, I lent it out, still it
didn't bust. Everyone who tried it wanted to buy it. Eventually, and to my
lasting regret, I sold it, still not having touched it mechanically. The buyer
was a youngster and it was his first bike. In spite of his always "flat out"
techniques (and it would clock a genuine 65 mph) in two years of flogging
he had no bother. I gather it is still going well for yet another owner.
A few more years passed and the old stories came round again "so and so
E.W's" this prompted me to buy another, this time as a relief to my ABC for
Vintage mud plugging. I got hold of a rough one, of very early 1926, January
to be exact, and being sure it would never stand it, did a rough rebuild of the
engine. I titivated the appearance using all the "junk" so as not to spoil good
Page 33
spares. Two rusty wheels (wired edge type) from a junk yard were fitted with
3.25x19 trials tyres. In the interest of protecting the flywheel and crank, the
engine was raised one inch (spaces under the two mounting bolts). The
gearbox was raised by half an inch to clear the larger sprocket, this had been
made by welding a ring of cycle chain wheel teeth around a worn out
sprocket. A 5/8 final drive set replaced the 1/2 x 3/16. A rusted exhaust
system had a bend welded on the end to raise the silencer out of harm's way.
The genuine E.W. handlebars were replaced by a set from the junk box, the
originals were safely preserved. Footrests were substituted for the footboards, and the heel brake converted to toe operation.
This done, it was was entered for its first "do" where it won the 350cc class,
though lacking in power its handling made up for this. In its next event, in
spite of the owner being a clot and mixing air and mag controls, to the further
detriment of power, it was runner up to the outright winner! Then some of
you saw and heard the clatter of it at the Gymkhana!
Now with a little more attention to valves and cam gear it is getting nearer
to its proper power output, it is beginning to be really interesting. Two more
trials, both with two people riding it have, on provisional results anyway,
produced two 350cc class awards. Not a bad average - with a decent rider it
should do something! The point is, that (though this is probably sticking my
neck out) so far, nothing has gone wrong or broken. On its 18-1 bottom it
seems quite good at climbing, and screams its head off - given the chance!
Once again I've caught the "E.W. bug". What started as a jest, looks like
becoming serious! I am thinking of having the compression......................
Notes added in March 2001.
This piece about the E.W. was written in 1964 (for the May Issue of "New
Conrod". the magazine of the London Douglas Club). To bring it up to date,
after more than ten years trouble free misuse I finally took pity on it and gave
it to Pete Mitchell of Castletown. He has restored it and uses it regularly.
How's that for “The worst bike ever made!”
To be continued…
Page 34
The start of a sprint meeting from Hillberry corner in 1948. No Health and Safety
then! The rider is Doug Corkish on his Ariel Red Hunter 500cc. Doug who is
now aged 85 is the father of a famous son - Geoff Corkish MBE MHK.
Coming down to the Creg in the 1932 Manx Grand Prix is Bertie Rowell (56), on
his first Junior ride, being led by F B Coombs (54) - both on Velo' KTTs. The Velo'
Bertie is riding was sold by him to Bertie Goodman in the 50's and is now owned
by Dennis Frost (Note the price of the seats in the stand 1/- one shilling ie 5p!)
Picture courtesy of Mortons Media Archives
Page 35
THE WOLSELEY GYROCAR
In 1912 one of the most extraordinary motor vehicles ever designed in this
country took concrete form in the Adderley Park Works. The second
European war demanded many strange types of self-propelled vehicles, but
for revolutionary ideas this production remains to this day in a class by itself.
During the year in question, the Company was approached by a Russian
Lawyer, His Excellency Count Peter Schilowsky, to build a machine of his
own design. The idea was that highway conditions in way time would render
transport for the usual type of vehicle with four wheels and two tracks
difficult, and in many circumstances impossible.
So, impressed by the smallness of space of single-track machine occupied,
Count Schilowsky designed a two-wheeled car on the gyroscope principle in
order to ensure equilibrium.
Gyrocar built in 1912 by the Wolseley Company
for His Excellency Count Peter Schilowsky
The illustration will largely explain the general layout of the machine. The
two wheels were placed in line as in an ordinary bicycle, and the machine
was kept upright by means of a gyroscope device controlled by two
pendulums which, when the vehicle leaned to one side or the other from the
perpendicular brought the gyroscope into action to oppose the tendency to
Page 36
overturn. The weight of the gyroscope was from one-tenth to one twentyfifth of the total weight of the machine when fully loaded, and it was
designed to rotate at some 1,500 rpm, the maximum energy absorbed being
in the neighbourhood of 1.25 hp.
The Inventor claimed that such a mono-track vehicle, running under
gyroscope control, could attain a given speed with a less powerful engine,
and with a lighter frame and body than would be needed for a four-wheeler
of the same rating.Very small sprag wheels were fitted on either side which
only came into operation when the engine was stopped, and they were
lowered automatically as the car and engine came to rest.
Such were the conclusions came to by the optimistic Inventor; in view of the
wholly unorthodox nature of the machine, it is of interest to quote the test
report of the Wolseley Experimental Department which give an indication of
the difficulties of the problems they had to surmount:“ On November 27th 1913, “ reported the Test Engineer, “I made an effort to
move the car, which was successful, no derangement of the governing gear
taking place. We drove the car backwards and forwards for a distance of
about 6 feet many times. During these tests, it was noticeable that one could
stand on the side of the car and step into the body without any disturbance
of balance. We then moved the car partially round a radius to the left,
backwards and forwards. Eventually we drove the car the whole length of the
Arden Works, backwards and forwards, with four passengers. Then His
Excellency decided to take the machine over on to the track, impressing on
me that we must go very gently. We drove iinto the Arden Road making two
stops on the curve, and we had to reverse so that we should not use the full
lock. I then drove the car steadily up the Arden Road, going as slowly as
possible and slipping the clutch on first gear all the time. We took a wide
sweep into Bordesley Green Road, and suddenly, when opposite the
Directors' Mess Room, the vehicle heeled to the near side and dropped on
its sprag. It was lifted by eight men, the engine was re-started, and the car
driven back to the Experimental Department, but it was supported by outside
assistance as His Excellency did no attempt to balance the car in the street“
In April 1914, this remarkable machine was brought to London, and on the
28th of that month, the long- awaited public rial was carried out in Regent's
Park. It would be idle to speculate on the number of times camera shutters
Page 37
opened and closed, and the amount of cinema film that was expended during
this short trip. The vehicle was stopped and restarted many times, and finally
it was taken for a slightly longer trial in the Park. The runs were made at slow
speed to demonstrate that the gyroscope kept it in complete control as far as
equilibrium was concerned.
Whether or not the vehicle would ever have emerged from the early
experimental stage into actual production will never be know, for the 191418 was was its quietus; the Inventor disappeared suddenly.
The “Gyrocar” stood in a corner of the Wolseley Works for a long time
untouched, and as it was too big for the scrap heap and not worth dismantling
for scrap metal, and was occupying valuable space it was decided to dig a
hole and bury it, sans all preliminary obsequies. This was done, and in its
grave it remained for some five years until it was rediscovered. Since then,
it has occupied a place in the private Museum of the Wolseley Company. It
is a striking example of misapplied talent on the part of the Inventor, and
ingenuity on the part of the Wolseley Company, in turning out something,
the like of which the world had not seen previously, and as far as can be
foreseen, never will again.
Anon
Page 38
THRILLS AND SPILLS
at the MANX TWO DAY TRIAL 1972
Conditions for the Manx Two Day Trial in September 1972 were challenging
– as usual. Local crew competing in the sidecar even Ffinlo Crellin and Dave
Kerruuish were very unlucky. Before they had reached the first section, the
twin cylinder engine of the Triumph outfit seized and they were out of the
trial. Another incident was that of Peter Busby in the sidecar class. He turned
over in the last section of the day on Saturday at Billown. He was rushed to
hospital by ambulance and it was later discovered that he had a compound
fracture to the right ankle.
At the end of the first day, the sidecar trial was led by J. Matthews and R.
Armstrong on a 600cc BSA and holding on to fifth place, local crew Henry
Sloane and Billy Clelland on a 499cc Ariel. Both teams held their positions
throughout the second day and finished the Manx Two Day Trial in first and
fifth place.
Concentration shows on the faces of Henry Sloane and Billy Clelland
at Bachelors Cottages, Sulby
Page 39
Results were:
1.
J. Matthews/R. Armstrong - 600cc BSA - 71 marks lost
2.
S. Kenworthy/F. Griffiths - 499cc Triumph - (marks unknown)
3.
P. Pesterfield/L/ Upton BSA 90
4.
G. Holmes/M. Greenhalgh - BSA - 97
5.
H.Sloane/B. Clelland 499 Ariel - 112
6.
B. Coleman/W.Pidock Ariel – 126
7.
D. Kissack/P/ Tasker HD Special - 121
The above seven received first class awards.
The following local crews received second class awards.
9
R. Quayle/G. Kewley - Ariel - 123
10
W.R. Moore/D.R. Wade - M.W.A.J.A. - 129
14
O.K. Gelling/P Clague - Ariel - 147
17
D Baxter/E Hargreaves - BSA - 166
18
C H Moore/ JM Pallister - Ariel - 170
Team award in the Sidecar Class went to the Manchester 17 Club
comprising J. Matthews / R. Armstrong, S. Kenworthy / F. Griffiths and
G. Holmes / M. Greenhalgh.
Best local entry was that of Henry Sloane and Billy Clelland (499 Ariel)
riding for the Peveril Club finishing in a very creditable fifth place with
112 marks lost.
Manx Two Day Trial Solo Results:
9
Sammy Miller - Bultaco - 9 marks lost
10
Dace Carr - Bultaco - 11
11
Steve Wilson - Ossa - 13
Best Manxman was W.S. Clague (Stuart) of Dalby on a 244cc Bultaco –
he was 8th and a member of the Peveril A Team who won the team award.
The team was - S. Clague, Ian Callow 21st and Phil Readshaw 28th.
Page 40
Sir Patterson Fraser presenting the awards to Billy and Henry
The Sloane/Clelland duo first competed during the 1968/69 season. Prior to
their sidecar venture, Henry had trials experience as a solo-rider with the
Peveril Club, whilst Billy had been rallying with fellow members of the Saab
Club. Both were experienced riders and had various bikes from an early age.
The Ariel outfit was used for some time but it proved unsatisfactory and
needed a few adjustments. It eventually ended with an Ariel engine, BSA
gearbox and Norton forks. This was much better and they were then more
competitive. After a while, Billy decided the Ariel needed further modifying,
so he designed an “Adjustable Wheel” in his extensive workshop at
Lanjaghan. The wheel allowed for the raising and lowering of the sidecar for
different cambers. With this fitted to the outfit there was a great
improvement and there was no holding them back! One or two competitors
grumbled a bit, but there was nothing to stop them copying and nothing in
the rules to prevent it.
Derry Kissack mentions in his book about having the “Clelland Adjustable
Wheel” fitted with which Derry came 3rd in the National Two Day Trial in
1973. The modified Ariel brought the Sloane/Clelland crew an amount of
Page 41
success and they enjoyed
the camaraderie with the
other competitors. Of
course there were thrills
and spills at the time.
Practising at Lanjaghan
could become a bit
“hairy”. On one occasion
Billy twisted his ankle
whilst jumping out of the
sidecar. Next morning it
was so swelled and
painful he couldn't use
his foot. A visit to Nobles
Hospital and an X-Ray
showed that it was broken
and he spent several
weeks with his ankle
encased in plaster. Henry
too wasn't without his
moments, after a spill in
one of their last Southern
Club trials, Geoff Cannell
alleged that he had broken
Bouncing over the rocks at Ballachrink
two toes, but I think it was
an exaggeration. Despite this they finished in 2nd place in the Southern 1975
One Day Trial. As things turned out it was to be their last one.
Over the years the Sloane/Clelland crew on the 499cc Ariel had won many
events and had been both Southern and Northern Club Champions. They
won various well earned cups, tanks, plaques and medals to show for their
efforts. Unfortunately Billy's father became ill and sadly died a few months
later. Billy then became the owner and farmer of Lanjaghan. The farm at
Abbeylands was at that time one of the largest, most modern and well run
farms in the Parish of Onchan. He was left with many responsibilities and
less time for leisurely pursuits.
Page 42
Meanwhile Henry and his partner Teddy Quayle had their joinery business
in Laxey, situated at the top of Captains Hill. This kept him busy, but
motorcycling wasn't his only interest. He had a boat too and that occupied a
lot of his time. Henry and Billy are both now past the age of retirement –
though not yet retired! Billy sold Lanjaghan Farm in April 1998, but
retained his agency for Fullwood (milking machines). Henry does occasional
driving for ProTours.
The Ariel – well Billy still has it in his shed (well greased I hope) alongside
a vintage International 275 tractor, with which he won numerous Isle of Man
ploughing match competitions. When he really retires he intends restoring
them both! Billy and Henry are still very interested in all aspects of
motorcycle sport and they regularly attend Peveril Club Christmas “get
togethers” at Knock Froy Club House and enjoy sharing reminiscences with
old friends. If you perhaps wonder how I know so much about Billy and
Henry – they are my two brothers-in-law.
Dorothy Greenwood
Famous Mystery Man
For those who did not recognise the
'Famous Mystery Man' in the March
Mag... Surprise! Surprise! it was
none other than George Brough,
manufacturer of the famous Brough
Superior who was considering selling the CZ in his shop in Bulwell.
The Cezeta scooter was a top seller at
the time (in the 50's). Most of the
production line operatives were female. Unfortunately production was stopped suddenly throwing hundreds
out of work when a Communist party official issued an edict that 'Scooters
are bourgeois and production of them by a Communist state incorrect'.
Next Issue - The beginning of a new series ‘Sons of Thunder’ by Allan
Jermieson - about Lawrence of Arabia
Page 43
Page 44
Page 45
300+ VEHICLES ALWAYS ON
SHOW AT BETTRIDGE’S
Mines Road, Higher Foxdale
opposite Foxdale School
SALES: 800014
SERVICE: 851409
Page 46