December - VMCC

VINTAGEMANN
The Official Journal of the Isle of Man Section V.M.C.C.
Issue 16
Dec '08
£3.00
Spares • Accessories • Workbenches
from
Tony East
New boxed 6v and 12v coils
40 and 50 grade oils
Rubber plug caps new
Amal monoblock main jets various
Comma 2 stroke oil 1 litre bottle
Emigo horns 12v boxed new
Crossland Norton Commando air filters
Vincent twin/single felt oil filters
Banner Accugard car/bike charger new
Banner 12v/24v Acu Pro charger new
LED mini twisting torch new (must for bikers) Spray cans of Gunk
Brush on Gunk 500ml cans
Blackspur 18v cordless, 2 gear hammer drill
and driver. Still in sealed box
6 volt batteries 12 amps Sealed for life
6 volt " 4.5 amps
- do from
12 volt Batteries (sealed for life)
12 volt voltage tester
6v/12v chargers (AccuMate)
New and unused Foxley rae starter
1 litre bottles battery acid
New hydraulic motor cycle work bench
N32 scissor stands for motor cycles
-
£15.00 each
£20.00 per 5 litre
£2.50 each
£3.50 each
£4.00 each
£7.50 each
£8.00 each
£8.00 each
£28.00 each
£40.00 each
£5.00 each
£3.50 each
£3.50 each
£30.00
£15.50
£6.50
£12.50
£10.00
£35.00
£900.00
£5.00
£350.00 each
£60.00 each
Hydraulic benches for motorcycles, quad bikes and garden tractors.
Competitively priced and delivered to your door within 7 - 10 days.
Telephone Tony East on 878242 or mobile 474074
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Dear Member,
Well, the chair is hardly cold and I`m in at the deep end! As the new boy in this
position I think that it is appropriate to thank Job for his outstanding
contribution as Chairman and the club activities in general, not to mention the
ongoing role of editor in chief for this magazine, for which we are all grateful.
Another riding season is drawing to a close for most of us softies, although we
have a few hardy annuals who continue on all year round.
Looking back over the year we have had a number of memorable events and
runs both on and off the island which, in the case of the home events have been
held in relatively dry conditions although the away venues made up for it!
Looking forward to the winter we have a number of club nights which, if all
comes off, will be interesting with guest speakers in addition to our usual
activities. Harry`s trials fixtures are in full swing and always provide
entertainment, go along and offer your services or just enjoy the events.
As you are all aware by now, your section has elected to run the Manx rally in
2009, I won`t keep banging the drum (yet) but we will need your help and
support for this major event, details will be released as soon as we have
finalised things. The TT rally will also need organising , why not give it a go.
Another major change for 2009 will be the Terrot Club event Held in Sept. if
you have been considering this, please contact Job if you haven`t already so
that he can finalise things. I know they ride on the other side of the road over
there, but lets face it, its not uncommon here!
The magazine continues to flourish, but if you would like to add your
contribution I`m sure it will be gratefully received, please do not worry if you
cannot spell or punctuate that can be overcome , if you need proof your ready
this!!
All that remains for me to say for this offering is wish you all a very happy
Christmas and healthy and enjoyable 2009.
See you all at the annual dinner and prize giving.
Richard Birch
Front Cover: Phil Newman's 1949 B31 B.S.A. stands proudly at the Arctic Circle
Stone. (see "The Blood Road beyond Hell!" later in the mag.)
Secretary's Notes
Support for our Social Road Runs has once again increased with 375 members taking part in
2008, an increase of 70 over the previous year. Membership has also increased this year and
is now up to a healthy 206.
More good news is that the Section has accepted the challenge to run the 37th International
VMCC Manx G.P. Rally. Previously run as a VMCC Ltd event by H/Q, it will now be totally
in the hands of the Isle of Man Section. The Rally Committee felt that the chance to run the
prestigious MGP Rally was an opportunity not to be turned down. Building on the good
works of the previous team, led by Terry Cooper, your Committee intends to offer a Rally
Experience second to none. The most popular aspects of the Rally such as the Closed Roads
Runs will be kept, but we intend to bring in new events as well. New timed events for
individuals and teams are to be introduced, not using the Mountain Circuit but an entirely
new route that will be both enjoyable and testing, with check points on route. If plans go
ahead, the BIG event will be the “Festival of Jurby Race Circuit” Entrants will no longer
have to use just one machine for the entire Rally. It would be great to get enough entries for a
Parade of Veteran/Pioneer machines to do a few laps of Jurby. Decisions still have to be made
about the Gala Dinner and Prize Presentation, depending on the funding made available to us,
and the entry fee is expected to be similar to that of 2008. There will be more information on
this as we get nearer to the Event. We will be asking for help from members with specific
tasks to achieve this goal, and we do ask that you support us in this ambitious undertaking.
With a lot of effort being put into the Manx Grand Prix Rally, the Committee felt it had no
choice but to offer a scaled down T.T. Rally for 2009. It will be held over three days and once
again will include the Harold Rowall Run on Sunday June 14th. There will be no Gala
Dinner, but in its place will be a BBQ and Prize Presentation at the Old Vicarage with a jazz
band and entertainment. Secretary of the Rally is to be Rupert Murden and the entry fee of
£20 per person will still represent excellent value.
PLEASE SUPPORT BOTH THESE RALLIES IF YOU CAN, WE NEED BOTH TO
BE SUCCESSFUL NEXT YEAR AND THAT RELIES ON YOU!
Entry forms will be available early in the New Year.
A lot of work and effort has gone into organising all the various events that the Section has
put on in 2008, and I must also give thanks to the ladies of the Section who have worked hard
in offering refreshments at many of our Social Runs. Some things that we wanted to achieve
in 2008 have not come to fruition, such as the spares scheme and a discounted purchasing
scheme, both discussed at the AGM held in 2007. Be assured that these items have not been
forgotten, merely put on the “back burner” for another time.
Recently a delegation from the Isle of Man Section was received by the Rt. Hon. Martyn
Quayle M.H.K. Minister of Tourism. A discussion took place on how the Section can help
tourism, and how the Dept. of Tourism can help the Section. The outcome was a better
understanding, by the Minister, of the history and future aims of the V.M.C.C. movement,
both here on the Island and across. We also now have a point of contact to assist us with our
planning and funding for future Rallies. The delegates, Richard Birch, Rupert Murden, Alex
Downie M.L.C. and Tony East, made history as it was the first time in the Club's many years
of activity in the Isle of Man that such a meeting has taken place.
Have a Happy Christmas and hopefully a prosperous New Year.
Tony
Yellowbelly Notes
from our Lincolnshire correspondent
Since becoming Lincolnshire correspondent for Vintage Mann I look forward
to receiving my copy and reading the interesting articles with photographs
presented in a professional format. I suspect that, as is often the case, this is
down to the enthusiasm of a small dedicated team. I particularly enjoyed
reading the Aermacchi story by Dudley Robinson as I own a couple of that
marque's race machines.
Firstly, a 1975 350c.c. two stroke , pic 1.
In 2003 I ran this bike in this country and on the continent in a series of races
with Mike Schofield as rider. We tried to keep it as standard as possible and it
proved to be a most rewarding machine to run. Every paddock we went to
always produced “ I remember those from the 70s comments” and a few
“That's not a Harley “ remarks. Well it might not be , but the only world
championships won in the name of Harley Davidson, were won by these bikes.
I was invited to run the bike in the “Classic Paddock” at Stafford recently and it
was daunting, not only to have to speak into the microphone in front of the
large crowd but to expect a fussy old two-stroke racer to fire up first time.
Maybe it was the fresh avgas in the tank or that it was re-united with itsPic
pilot,1
Mike Schofield, but it burst into life straight away and the pipes crackled and
the blue smoke brought smiles from the most appreciative audience. Well done
old girl!
Secondly, a 1967 Rickman 250c.c. four-stroke racer, pic 2.
I write about this bike after the 1975 bike, because it is in fact, a replica. I hope
to write a piece in the future on the subject of replicas. For the moment, this
bike has a six speed short stroke motor and was made in Holland. It has a
modern carburettor with a home made float bowl, electronic ignition and a
carbon fibre exhaust. The rest is 1967 spec..
Sponsored by:
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The frame is a copy of one produced in
1966 by the Rickman brothers in
conjunction with Swiss racer, Othmar
Drixl, who went on to make his own
frames( Drixton). It was built to run on
the big Belgian road circuits such as
Mettet , Chimay and Gedinne, but I am
sure it would be equally at home on the
Isle of Man.
One thing that the two bikes have in
common is the same dry clutch which
when lifted by the lever when the bikes
are running, produce s the fabulous noise
of jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle and on that
note, Happy Christmas.
Pat Sproston.
CLUB TROPHIES
PROFILE No.4
OVERALL TRIALS CUP
This cup was bought by the section
in 1972 and is awarded each year
to the trials rider with the best
results in the club championship.
The first winner in 1973
was P. C. Murray
The current holder is Michael Owen
PROFILE No.5
ROGER QUAYLE SHIELD
This shield is awarded for the best
performance on a Four stroke
machine overall in the Club Trials
Championship. The first winner
Was Geoff Cannell in 1985. The
Current holder is Raymond Jones.
The show must go on...
Part 2
During the summer of 1930 Earle Ketering had set up shop at the Kursaal,
Southend, a favourite summer holiday resort for Londoners. Ketering¹s act was
a two fold earner, cash from his troupe's acts and he promoted his Wall kits.
Trade papers including The World's Fair and local weeklies hailed his
performances as revolutionary. Earle's noisy brash act captivated one creative
young man, George William Smith who happened to be in Southend to drop off
a taxi fare.
Richard Rosenthal continues...
Tornado Smith
Born on 19 June 1908 at Newton Green, George was oldest of a string of four
sons born to Liz and George Smith. WW1 over Liz and George, already in the
licensed trade, took over the White Hart at Boxford, Suffolk in 1921 where
Bert Dearman at Wembley Stadium 1960. Real Bricks!
they famously were hosts for over 30 years.
George was a nervous child who feared school but he was also brave and loved
speed. Although even this got him to trouble at school, once he was even caned
for going to fast on a wheeled soap box after lessons had ended. Little wonder
mum sought medical help to cure his dread of teachers.
At 14 he was apprenticed to local carpenter and wheelwright Frank Self,
however although learning the trade quickly and becoming highly skilled it
wasn't the life for George. Creative, gifted and daring Smith wanted more from
life than a steady safe job. At 17 he joined a local coal firm just to drive their
new coal lorry, earning well he saved the cash to buy his first motorcycle, a
Triumph belt driver. Then he became an AA motorcycle patrolman, then a
cabbie ......... and of course like many young men girls featured in his life.
Following his Kursaal experience Smith applied for a succession of Wall of
Death jobs without success. All a bit surprising considering George's
mechanical skills and the proliferation of Walls including home grown ones run
in competition to those imported from the USA. Finally Smith secured
employment as mechanic and starter with the new Wall which opened at the
Spanish City amusement park, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. The determined lad
had ridden his 350cc AJS from Boxford to Newcastle and back in the day for
his interview.
Soon due to rider injury and his own guile George persuaded his bosses he
should try the Wall, in fact he'd already had a go after hours when the guv'nor
had counted the day's takings and gone home. Despite crashes including one at
a claimed 50mph Smith mastered the act and gained a job with Silidromes Ltd,
a touring company. On 11th September 1930 he made his first public top
billing at Malmo, Sweden alongside Bud Leggatt and for the first time in print
George Smith had become Tornado Smith. Bespectacled and wearing his
trademark beret he was to earn his corn on the Wall for almost four decades.
Returning to the UK Tornado did an early season turn at Brighton in 1931 and
later established himself at the Kursaal, Southend for a continuous run which
lasted until 1966. How the Wall at Southend was initially financed is lost in the
mists of time but what is known is that Smith along with his Wall was offered a
six week contract by the Bertram Mills Circus for the 1931 winter season at
TIMBER
MANN
Michael Whitaker
Carpenter & Joiner
Mobile: 07624 464099
Tel / Fax: 01624 618681
• Timber Buildings
• Garage / Workshop
• Summer House
• Stables
• Decking
• Fencing
• Tree Felling
Olympia, London.
The all timber structures were designed to be taken down and erected endlessly
when part of a touring show and often over the coming years Tornado would
run his act at other venues after his Southend summer season was over.
Occasionally he even set-up shop in the yard at his parent's pub. From the
outset Wall of Death riders altered and enhanced their acts in an effort to
continually attract fresh audiences and Tornado became the master of exciting
his public.
Tornado's first season with the Bertram Mills Circus proved a double bonus.
Extra income and during his six week stint his eyes alighted on a 19 year old
Fun Fair cosmetics salesgirl, Doris Craven. Smith in his own words "literally
swept her off her feet" taking her for a 50mph ride on his Indian Scout high up
on the Wall. "I took her up on the handlebars" Tornado claimed "and though
she passed out with giddiness, and collapsed into my arms ......... on coming
round she asked for more, so Wall of Death rider she had to be and later my
wife." Hmmmmm, well .......... its at least a different slant on a traditional tale.
Doris, who later adopted the show name Marjorie Dare later told the story
rather differently but who cares the end result was identical and of course a
lady should always be a little coy. After some intensive winter training Doris
debuted at the Barry Island, Glamorgan amusement park for a pre summer
season warm-up as Dynamite Doris adding to the excitement of Tornado's act.
A summer season at the Kursaal was followed by a return to Olympia, her
cosmetic's counter forsaken for the Wall. The change from Dynamite Doris to
Marjorie Dare came a few months after she joined Smith on the Wall.
Keeping ahead of the game the act was honed and developed. When not riding
Marjorie would sit at the bottom nonchalantly knitting or even reading the
paper while Tornado¹s Scout circulated above her head, open exhaust crackling
and spitting - all part of the act. Doris was for a short time joined on the wall
by her sister Daredevil Kitty, they performed as the Craven sisters. Mum
........... was less than pleased!
During the winter of 1933 Tornado bought a lion cub with a view to training it
for his act. The female cub was pretty aggressive, possibly not helped by the
fact that Tornado gave it the masculine name Briton. The lioness was a
gimmick which endured for five years and made Smith one of the UK's truly
famous showmen. The lioness became a regular on the Wall, either in a sidecar
or on the Indian's handlebars and for added publicity Tornado exercised her
daily along Southend's sea front on a lead often with the attractive Marjorie
Dare who became his wife on Christmas day 1934 alongside.
For five years Briton and Tornado courted publicity turning up a butchers
shops, asking local small holders if they had any spare goat kids and of course
Tornado Smith (Indian Scout) & 'Briton', Southern Wall of Death 1930's
worrying the police and local populous always with the press tipped off and
just a pace or two behind. The 1930s were Smith's hay days, fun included a
film made by Pathe entitled 'Tornado Smith and his lion' and when Briton was
safely in her pen Tornado could be spotted cycling on Southend sea front or
around Boxford on a penny farthing or capitalising on his speeding
convictions. During his time with Briton its believed Smith always carried a
loaded revolver in case the unthinkable should happen. How she died is
uncertain but in the late 1930s Briton was buried at his parent's pub in Boxford.
Despite their brilliant publicity gimmick the Smiths had continued to develop
their act including incorporating a small car into the performance, probably the
most dangerous vehicle to go onto a wall. And one which claimed the lives of a
number of rivals. However ever the thinking man Smith built a narrow track
open car which was easier to drive onto the Wall than a duff Austin Seven
which at least improved the odds. More modern acts used go-karts. Throughout
his career Tornado and his assistants suffered mishaps, sometimes they were
lucky including when the sidecar wheel came off, he managed to land that one
safely. On other occasions hospital visits, plaster casts and bandages were
involved. In common with all Wall exponents Smith's only insurance was the
extra cash thrown in by the thrilled spectators at the act's end. A practice which
continues to this day.
Without doubt amongst the most famous of showmen as WW11 began Tornado
volunteered as a fighter pilot, was rejected due to poor eyesight and instead
usefully and willingly served in the Merchant Navy and later as a DR for the
Fire Service. His marriage to Doris ended during the war but after the conflict
the ever enterprising Tornado soon had his Wall up and running with new tricks
and new riders. Negotiating a deal will BSA he had new bikes too, rigid 500cc
A7 parallel twins. However many were still thrilled by the aging Scouts.
As George Smith he remarried, to Eveline, and the couple had a daughter. But
if domestic life was again settled his day job was becoming harder. Many
professional stunt teams who worked the bigger country shows and arenas
including the Wembley Stadium were thrilling often huge crowds through the
1950s and 1960s. Cyclotrix, Cyclo Maniacs and other plied their trade jumping
through fire and walls, over lines of team members and balancing on tightropes
while the precision of the military teams including the White Helmets was
breath taking. From having it all pretty much their own way before WWII the
Wall exponents were suddenly struggling for bit parts in the second act.
Despite this Tornado made a comfortable living, financially if not always health
wise, through the 1950s with a team of skilled riders including Cindy Grant. In
1963 Eveline and Tornado divorced and two years later Tornado suddenly
retired from his wall. The final straw a fallout over site fees with the Kursaal's
owners. His wall taken over by Yvonne Stagg and finally closed in 1973 when
the Kursaal put the shutters up for the last time. A victim of changing times and
tastes.
Rumour and myth surround Smith's last years. Some claim he built a boat at
Southend, planning to sail round the world - but it burnt out before completion,
others claimed he committed suicide and yet others that he moved to France.
Many thought they spotted him at major motorcycle events including the early
BMF rallies at Peterborough and a lot claim he was on the run just one step
ahead of the taxman.
Other than the suicide tale all may hold a little water as the facts tells us he
moved to Spain in 1966 'chasing the sun' and then to what is now known as The
Republic of South Africa where he spent his last years living in a caravan.
However this is little change from his earlier life with the Wall when he spent
much time living in the caravan 'Gypsy Moth' he'd built himself and which was
always sited as near his Wall as possible. Cremated in his new country Tornado
Smith died a wealthy man, not the penniless hombre some skeptics claim,
leaving an estate valued at more than £200,000, a sizable sum in 1971. Whether
the taxman had a claim on any of this is open to speculation and on this note his
story should perhaps finish.
Author's note:
From a small boy I've always been fascinated by the Wall of Death. The sounds
and sights of Scouts and A7s on open exhausts thundering round and round as
the Wall heaves and moves under their weight, needing a pull of three and half
times that of gravity to keep on the 30 - 34ft diameter Wall is magic. As a
youngster I was given my spending money for one memorable fair on
Midsummer Common, Cambridge in the early 1960s. Schoolboy maths told me
I'd enough cash for five junior tickets for the Wall and 3d left over. Mesmerised
by my five turns in the spectator's gallery and all but spent out I lobbed my last
3d into the rider's insurance fund. Then I was greeted by an angry mother,
apparently I'd wasted all my money on 'that ridiculous display by riders who
were only after an easy living.' Even today nearly 50 years later I know I'd
invested wisely. And just a few years ago I was tempted to invest far more for
what was claimed Tornado's old Wall.
Offered at a Cheffins, Cambridgeshire specialist auctions was the wooden wall
sections, pay booth and much more of the Kursaal wall, refinished in grey
primer it almost filled two huge lorry trailers. And with it came three Indian
Scouts. The Scouts range from the mildly incomplete to the just about running.
They were splendid and I could almost hear them crackling and spitting as I
stood in the auction. At the £15,000 mark the bidding faltered and I was so
tempted but the problem of where to store all that woodwork suddenly
overcame me and before I could recover the hammer was down. He who
hesitates is lost! but then I'd never make a showman.
Richard Rosenthal
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Jack Brett - Rider Profile No. 4
Jack Brett was born near Leeds on the 17th June 1917. From an early age he
had an interest in bikes. 1946 saw the start of his racing career when he entered
all three races in the first postwar M.G.P. In the Lightweight he finished sixth
on an Excelsior, the race being won by L.W. Parsons. Rudge, second Ben
Drinkwater and third R.S. Simpson. The Junior was won by Ken Bills, second
Peter Aitcheson and third Denis Parkinson – Jack Brett again finishing in sixth
position. The six lap Senior, held in atrocious conditions, was won by Ernie
Lyons – Triumph, second Ken Bills and third Harold Rowell – Nortons. Jack
Brett – Velocette, finished in seventh place.
His T.T. challenge commenced the following year 1947. From then on he raced
until 1960, mostly riding Nortons – apart from one year with A.J.S. In 1952.
Though he retired in both Junior and Senior T.T.'s of that year, he won the
Swiss G.P. In Berne on a 500cc A.J.S. Porcupine.
His best year on the Island was 1953 when he was second in the Senior behind
Ray Amm, both on works Nortons followed by Red Armstrong – Gilera. He
was fourth in the Junior. Jack Brett was third on three occasions in the Isle of
Man T.T. 1951 Junior behind Duke and Lockett., 1954 he followed Amm and
Brett (Norton) dives down Bray Hill
Jack Brett (3rd from left) poses with Ken Kavanagh, Ray Amm and John Surtees
Duke in the Senior and his final step up to the rostrum the 1956 Senior
following home the two Johns – Surtees, M.V. and Hartle, Norton.
He continued racing until 1960, he was then 42 years old, and decided
somewhat reluctantly to hang up his leathers.
When he eventually retired from his work commitments he led a
comparatively quiet life, enjoying golf in particular. Sadly whilst playing golf
he had a fatal heart attack on the 29th December 1982, he was 66 years old. Jack
was a typical Yorkshire-man, forthright, great company and always cheerful.
Dorothy Greenwood
Tittle Tattle
VELOCETTE THRUXTONS I NEVER OWNED
PT 2 – IOM TT 1970
In 1970 I was invited to join a group of friends
from Salford who were to come across to the TT
– count me in!
Our digs were Ardlui, Woodville Terrace, which
promised spectacular sea views, but not from
our room unfortunately for all we got was a peep
of Padgett's back yard and a whiff of the Chinese
on Broadway! At least we had a nice handy ratrun down to the Central Hotel rock 'n roll back
bar!
My Viper (with shiny red go-faster fibre glass
side panels) stood outside in the rain, and boy
did it rain! But all week I had noticed a sleek
black Thruxton a few doors away, and that had
not moved much either. On the first non-race afternoon when it did not rain I
plucked up the courage to sidle along as a fellow Velo chap, to see how my
new found Velo cousin was doing.
What a mess he was in! His fabulous GP carb was in bits on the kerb, his
points from the quirky Lucas trigger unit were likewise in the dirt, but what
about the plug? Plug? (Ahah, can we come back to that later please?)
He was from West Yorkshire and we discussed where he had bought the bike
from, for how much, he had really wanted a Triumph but the local dealer could
not promise delivery and he needed a reliable bike quickly for work. The Velo
was an as new bike returned to the dealer who had supplied it with low miles
on the clock, our man had bought it 'on the rebound' the previous year and still
owed a whopping £172-0-0d on HP, his dad had guaranteed the deal and was
pestering him to get rid – what could he do, would I take over the payments at
£16-10-0d per month?
Anyway, back to that plug! – what type was it? - super-cool for production
racing? - titanium tipped perhaps? I looked on with baited breath while he
….… looked for his plug spanner! No, not got one, so I cheerily brought mine
over and an 'ordinary' cooking job (Champion N5). Suffice to say that we
cobbled together the GP and points without any great problems or meaningful
tweaks.
'Would I like to try to start it?' – Wow, my moment had come!
Tickle, dribble, swing, swing, brumm brumm.
Never was any good at business……………………
Look forward to my 3rd great-Velo-Thruxton-I-never-owned in the next VM.
SIDE PANELS
You will note I referred to my humble Viper having the much maligned side
panels (mine were red), unlike the Thruxton which always showed off its shiny
polished timing cover.
Veloce had 'a thing' about making their range look more modern and the glass
fibre enclosures were the way they chose to go, at least they caught a lot of the
oil drips! But they were heavy and we boy-racers invariably removed them,
hence mine are still at the back of the shed 40 years on (I bet Jim, Ken and
Brian have a set too, yes?). Once removed what you saw was a huge
disappointment - the crank cases and timing cover were a dull unpolished grey,
there was no cover for the v-belt driving the dynamo, and no cover at all for the
rear drive sprocket. Thus those fastidious enough to grease and oil the rear
chain were rewarded by a build up of greasy crud within the rear portion of the
drive side cover.
And while I am on my soap-box, these panels were fitted to the MSS and
Venom & Viper Sports from 1959 onwards and the later last ditch 'Special'
models. These are not to be confused with the 'Vee-line' variant, so named
because of its stylish (though again very heavy) full sports fairing.
Admiring the Velo "Special"
Unscrupulous e-bay sellers invariably try to talk up a Venom or Viper for sale
as a Vee-line if the side panels are fitted, which they are not.
Incidentally those who remember Barrie Tullett, VOC IOM secretary in the
early '90s had the finest original example of a swinging arm MSS I ever saw,
and that had the side panels, in gleaming black, and it did look a real picture,
one of the nicest Velos I have known.
(See pictures from period catalogues - a Special whose colour was probably
pale blue enamel, and a dismal looking MSS. (above)
Steve, the Velo Fello
A hearty welcome to these three new members :Stephen Edward Moore - 33 Castle Mona Avenue, Douglas. IM2 4EA
Peter David Blackburn - 57 Port-e-Chee Avenue, Douglas. IM2 5EH
Peter Allen - 38 Millenium Court, Queens Promenade, Douglas. IM2 4NN
Floggers Corner
For Sale:- Pre-Unit 1953 Tiger 100 Engine almost complete £225
Telephone 878284
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ARCTIC RUN
The Blood Road beyond Hell !
A plan was hatched in Sulby – my neighbour Orry would ride his Triumph and
me my B31 up to the Arctic Circle and if the bikes seemed fine, to continue
through Lapland to Norway's North Cape. It's really easy over a cup of tea ! So I
popped in to see Bill Snelling, Bill being very good with “them computer things”
enabled me to leave with ferry tickets (thanks Bill).
Back home Orry quietly accepted his fate and and pulled a dusty Triumph from
the back shed, seriously upsetting a family of spiders and breaking the bindweed!
th
Neither of us was particularly ready but we took the ferry to Heysham on 6
July. Our crossing of the adjacent island was damp to say the least, so the fact that
our cabin on the Newcastle-Bergen sailing was far too hot has some advantages.
We left Bergen in glorious sunshine and immediately we left the city Norway's
amazing beauty struck home, it's impossibly photogenic. Travelling north we
initially took the almost empty minor roads, the huge temperature differences
wreaking havoc with the tarmac and there are some sneaky spine jarring potholes
often discovered a wee bit late "Oh my B.S.A". Camping in the wilderness for
free is a basic legal right that the locals use and with beer at £6 a pint, something
“free” is as wonderful as our photographic subjects.( I wouldn't want to break
down there! ).
Bumping along, the road started to climb, slowly and steadily at first through
aromatic pine forests and then far more steeply through grassland with pockets of
nd
snow. My bike was stuck in 2 gear for miles and miles, climbing the stunningly
scenic “Snovegan” (snow road) reaching a height of 5,000 feet. This takes in the
highest road in the country with frozen lakes and ice caps replacing waterfalls and
fjiords. On the descent there are miles of footrest scraping hairpin bends, creating
a mixture of fear and euphoria. So exciting I could have turned around for another
go.Beneath us the longest road tunnel in Norway misses all the fun and the
sapphire blue sky.
We continued though lush green valleys and meadows of wild flowers via a short
ferry crossing to the start of the mighty “Troll” road, a further series of incredible
hairpin bends clinging impossibly to the sheer mountain side. Motorcycling really
doesn't come any better than that, and the camp sites are excellent. Steadily
heading north and keeping to the modest speed limit of 50mph we rode into
“Hell”, a rather quiet little town near Trondheim with a quaint wooden railway
station. Interesting possibility a train to “Hell”!.
The weather was really excellent and we crossed the Arctic Circle on July 11th still
in glorious sunshine. From now on it didn't get dark at all and for a brief few
weeks the Arctic had its summer. Believe me the searing heat of the Arctic, like
the deafening silence of the jungle is a reality. The poor reindeer wilt and look for
shade or sit in any remaining snow. The wild flowers performed amazingly and
the bumble bees worked 24-7, but what do the bees do the other nine months of
the year ?
The Norwegians are very keen on motorcycles, and almost every time we stopped
we got “the” questions “How old are those ?” “You're going where ?”Above the
Arctic Circle the climate is unpredictable, and can change dramatically and
violently. So after answering the questions, a very nice Norwegian chap (with an
Ariel Red Hunter) told us it would stay fine for a few more days. That did it !
Now we were on the Arctic Highway proper and crossing Lapland, Orry
suggested “cracking on” a bit. We did and over the next three days covered 926
miles (rather a lot on a rigid 350). This section of the highway is well known as
the blood road. Built across Lapland by the Nazi Germans with slave labour, the
consequences were awful.
What amazed me up there are the vast areas of forest, mostly pine with silver
birch mixed in, and all along the sides of these roads are a profusion of sweet
smelling wild flowers and warning signs for elk and reindeer, neither of which
has any road sense at all ! The elk method of road crossing it to wait nervously,
concealed behind a tree until enough courage is plucked up – then all of a sudden
run for it.
On July 14th we camped out at the world's most northerly camp side, the
midnight sun still shone and our mileage reading was 1,805 miles from Sulby. We
had reached the Arctic North Cape. Ahead of us was only the sea, Spitsbergen and
the North Pole. At this point the bikes were performing well. Orry's Triumph
developed an unusual rust proof coating and my BSA suffered a broken speedo
cable at the cape. So from now the road speed and mileage had to be considered
(Orry doesn't have a speedo)
The plan for our return was to ride towards the coast, leaving the Arctic Highway
and following the much slower coast road, with its bridges and ferries across the
fijords, then to explore the remote Lofoten archipeligo which according to my
guide book had the most spectacular scenery.
Riding south we realised that Joseph Lucas is the Prince of Darkness and
unfortunately Orry's alternator was starting to give free service. So, as riding with
dipped headlights is mandatory in Norway, we took to the minor roads where
Orry could use his lights on the most economical setting ! There was also a bit
more or a rattle than usual, so we took the chain case off, to reveal - not a lot only a slack primary chain. The alternator looked fine? Reassembled we rode on
and camped by the coast at the beautiful Gryble fijord. The pristine turquoise
water is flanked by towering granite sentinals, easily reached by ship or less so by
road via yet another unbelievable series of switchbacks. All is not well however
with the Triumph, there was barely enough charge to run the engine and Sulby is
a long way off.
The following morning July 17th, we took the ferry to Andoya Island, a 2 1/2
hour crossing and spent the whole voyage whale watching from the deck. We had
several good sightings and there were so many sea birds, including puffins.
During this crossing the bikes had to be roped down, and I think Orry's ignition
switch may have been accidentally switched on.The Triumph did start but it died
altogether on Andoya Island with a very flat battery. I rode off and found a very
attractive young lady. "Oh" AND she had a battery charger, so three hours later
there were some amps and a running Triumph but a total loss ignition. It's really
the end of Orry's touring trip - so an escape plan was made - "The Mail Boat".
It's was leaving at 11am the next day and took three days to reach Bergen,
stopping at all the main ports.
Orry bought a small car battery as back up and booked his passage south to
Trondheim, far enough for the remaining journey on battery alone. Actually Orry
had planned a shorter trip than me due to the pressures of work and having
achieved our goal the Triumph returned him to Sulby with no further trouble.I
stayed on, although something was definitely missing !
Travelling cautiously on the narrow and pot holed Island roads, I followed the
beautiful and sparsely populated Lofoten Islands, linked by ferries and bridges to
Crosby Injury Rehabilitation Clinic
ARE YOU FEELING A BIT VINTAGE TODAY?
FANCY A QUICK RUB DOWN WITH AN OILY RAG?
Do you have any of the following troubles?
• Back / Neck problems • Acute or chronic pain
• Lack of exercise • Stiff joints
• Joint and muscle problems
If so book in for a service with John Barton
at the Crosby Injury Rehabilitation Clinic!
For experienced and expert treatment at very favourable
rates give John a call and book your appointment today.
Telephone: 01624 851122
Mobile: 07624 497889
Cladryn
Kermode Close
Crosby, Isle of Man
their western extremity. Saw another whale from the cliffs and incredibly a pair
of white tailed sea eagles flew over my tent. I'm sure it went dark for a second,
these birds are huge !
Pure white sandy beaches and gin clear water is typical of the Bahamas and it
was exactly what you find in these islands. So it was sunny and warm and I
was going in for a swim only to be instantly reminded of my latitude ! The
locals, who were admiring my Manx flag were also swimming, so not wanting
to let the side down I ploughed across the bay - what is the best treatment for
Hyperthermia ?
Cruising smoothly, the ultra modern ferry was now taking me to Bodo back on
the mainland and cost just £25 for the 5 1/2 hour voyage (IOMSPC note the
price).Back on the thickly forested coast road, I started to meet other
motorcyclists again, usually travelling Charlie and Evan style, from all over
Europe. They always waved and sometimes stopped for a chat, but the British
are an endangered species and vintage motorcycles extinct (well almost).
Going steadily south I crossed Saltstavmen Fijord allegedly the site of the
world's strongest maelstrom. From a vantage point on the road bridge I
watched the 20 knot watery chaos that shifts 520 million cubic yards of water
one way and then the other every 6 hours. Should you fall in, there's a pathetic
looking life belt on the shore and a little piece of rope !
Rattling south and now east enabled me to visit Saltzjellet National Park and
after a fairly strenuous trek, arrived at the foot of the creaking and groaning
Ostisen glacier which is a southern finger of the massive Svartisen Ice Cap
covering 13- sq.miles and in places 1,900 feet thick. A left over from the Ice
Age, parts of it are a strange and eerie pale blue colour.
I'm now getting a little short of time and increase my speed south, covering
418 miles in one long day. Do you remember how John Wayne use to walk ?
Well he had a B31 as well ! Stopping to see the 4,000 year old rock carvings of
reindeer at Bolaren I then rode on to Stavanger and the boat home, it's 31st
July.
On the ferry amid a sea of gleaming motorcycles I spotted a grotty Honda C90,
tatty luggage tied with string. The travel stained grey haired owner was busy
securing his steed. My eye focused on the number plate (Spain) and his
homemade sign CADIZ-NORTH CAPE.
Notes:
What's North ? Iceland is south of the Arctic Circle and 99 per cent of Alaska
is South of the North Cape .
Total Miles 4,130 Fuel mpg
85
Philip Newman
Bernie (sorry, Harry!) the Bolt
Azzy Paints Ltd are dedicated motorcycle
repair specialists focused on providing a
second to none service to bikers. They were
established in 2004 when Azzy, who has 30
years experience in the industry, decided that
as most car body shops were expensive and
uninterested in bike repairs there was a niche
in the market for quality work at reasonable
prices.
Azzy Paints comprehensive service includes:
• Grit Blasting using the correct grade and finally aluminium oxide to give a
fine finish for painting
• Mig Welding, to give a clean weld with minimal distortion
• Panel Beating,to reshape and smooth your dinges and dents
• Plastic Welding, using a special Leister plastic welder. Rods are available for
most plastics. Even large cracks can be successfully repaired
• Refinishing, using the correct undercoat in either two pack or cellulose
Original colours are perfectly matched on a PPG Access refinishing
programme using the latest on screen colour matching techniques, water
based base coats and PPG Envirobase HP paint which accurately reproduces
the original paint finish and colour.
Frames, tool boxes, hubs, fuel tanks, headlamps,mudguards, anything from a
few brackets to a complete machine can be restored So your rusty dented and
split original parts can be returned to as new condition by people who really
care about getting it right.
You can contact Azzy on (01624) 619019 or
(07624) 420896 when he will be happy to
discuss your requirements or call in at
Victoria Place, Douglas. It's up the hill past
the Villa Marina, right at the lights and left
into Victoria Place just before Eurocycles.
Azzy is on the left halfway up. If you are in
the car it's best to park and walk up the alley.
Azzy Paints
Victoria Place
Douglas
IM2 4ET
Phone/Fax: 01624 619019
Mobile: 07624 420896
www.azzypaints.com
Classic and Vintage Motorcycles repaired and painted.
Plastic welding to fairings and panels, any size from a
small scratch to full accident repairs.
We have access to original colours and paints, all types
of paints available also van & car body painting.
We can provide a very competitive quote
and a quality job that you can afford.
Azzy rides the rocks at Dhoon Glen
Oh Deer - which way will they go?
Orry and Phil - in Heaven in Hell
The only campsite - luckily 1st Class
Elks Ahead!
MANX RALLY 2008
ISLE OF MAN SECTION WINNERS ONLY
MANX BELT DRIVE TROPHY
EDDIE CORKILL TRIUMPH JUNIOR BABY 1921 16.4SECS
-----------------------------------------------------------------THE TOTAL SHIELD
Awarded to the Manx resident with the best
time in any class not winning a major award
KEN BLACKBURN VELOCETTE MSS 1954 2.4 SECS
-----------------------------------------------------------------RAMSEY TIMED ROAD RUN
SECOND CLIVE KNEALE
HONDA SUPERDREAM 1980
-----------------------------------------------------------------TUESDAY – MAIN EVENT
CLASS 1 FIRST RICHARD BIRCH SUNBEAM 1913
CLASS 6 FIRST ALAN PAYNE BMW R69S 1964
CLASS 6 SECOND PETER ADDISON BSA RGS 1962
------------------------------------------------------------------RAMSEY CONCOURS
CLASS 1 SECOND RICHARD BIRCH SUNBEAM 1913
CLASS 2 FIRST EDDIE CORKILL TRIUMPH JUNIOR BABY 1921
CLASS 3 SECOND CHRIS MELVIN AJS K12 1927
CLASS 4 THIRD JUAN CLAGUE ARIEL SQUARE FOUR 1931
CLASS 6 FIRST ALAN PAYNE BMW R69S 1964
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------VINTAGE TRIAL KINGS FOREST GREEBA 29TH OCT
10TH AND LAST ROUND OF CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
1ST JIM DAVIDSON
BSA
14
2ND SHAUN HUXLEY JAMES 28
3RD ANDY SYKES
BSA
45
B ROUTE
BARRY STEVENSON
FANTIC
25
A Wifes Saga
A HELPING HAND? - by Vintage Woman
‘Will you marry me?’ said Great Master one Saturday afternoon as we stood
cleaning the bike in the garage. ‘Yes’ was my speedy reply but privately I
thought there was possibly a more romantic setting for a proposal, but Great
Master was a motorcyclist and this was his trusty steed.
So we got married and started life together. The bike was kept safely in the
garage while the house was used for living in – or so I thought.
The first few weeks went well, bike still securely locked in the garage, house
still used for living in, that was what I thought anyway. One day in early spring
I was off work so decided it was time for a full spring clean – what a revelation
THAT turned out to be. In the small back bedroom secreted in an unused
wardrobe (yes unused lads. Not all women spend on clothes) was a bike engine
and under the bed a box of carb bits. So, wondered I, what is in the other spare
bedroom? Sure enough there were bits and pieces secreted around the room
that could only be found when doors and drawers were opened, there were
even silencers and pipes under the bed. I decided to tactfully ask Great Master
to ensure all motorbike parts were returned to the garage. Great Master duly
agreed bearing in mind we had only been married for a few months (keep the
wife sweet I believe these men call it!)
So house for living in, garage for bikes – back to normal.
I went out shopping a few weeks later leaving Great Master happily fiddling
with bike bits in the garage – or so I thought. Unbeknown to me Great Master
had a cunning plan he was willing me to go out to give him some time ‘to
himself’. On my departure Great Master decided to take over the kitchen to
secretly boil up some bike parts in caustic soda using a large Swarfega drum
perched on my new cooker. All went well with his plan until the container
Great Master was using got hot and split down the side seams and boiling
caustic soda poured out all over the cooker and onto my highly polished red
ceramic tiled floor. When I returned from shopping I was greeted at the front
door by Great Master who helped me carry the bags into the house, ‘I’ll put
this shopping away for you’ said he ‘just go and put your feet up and relax in
the lounge and I will make a cup of tea for you’. I thought this is nice, it’s nice
to be missed even if it was only a few hours – ah well newly married this
treatment was bliss. It never dawned on me to ask what Great Master had done
wrong!
An hour or so later I took my mug back in to the kitchen and there it was a
large pink stain in the middle of the kitchen floor – my highly polished red tiles
had a large puddle shaped pink stain plonk in the middle of the floor. Joy of
joys, that floor was never the same again but the cooker I had was the cleanest
cooker in town!
I eventually forgave him but did suggest it would be a good idea not to try the
same trick again. So a couple of years passed, we had moved a couple of times
and started a family. One day, again it was Spring, I decided the house we were
in at that time needed the mandatory Spring clean. Nothing was found in the
house at this time but Great Master had got wise and would dial in to me saying
the Spring clean would start and would ensure his goodies were safely tucked
up in the garage out of harms way. So the house got cleaned and to my surprise
no bike bits were found. It was at this point I opened the garage door and
discovered to my dismay the whole place in total disarray, frankly a cat could
not have found its kittens in this mess. Being house proud at that time, this did
not sit well with me so I got a couple of enormous cardboard boxes from the
local shop and gently put everything laying around into them in order to clean
the garage, the big parts went in separately and all the nuts, bolts and washers
were sorted into 3 jars before putting them in the boxes. To stop any oil and
grease being walked into the house. I spent hours tidying up the work benches
and scrubbing the garage floor – once I had finished I stood back and patted
myself on the back, it really did look smart and clean – a job well done. So off
in doors to make a cup of coffee and reflect on how grateful Great Master
would be at the order I had brought to the garage. It was much easier for him to
work on the bikes now with no bits and pieces lying around all over the floor
and benches. As I relaxed with my coffee I wondered what size bunch of
flowers will he buy me for helping him get some order into his garage or would
it be a large box of chocolates?
When Great Master returned from work I excitedly told him how I had helped
him in the garage expecting to be thanked profusely, but he just went quiet with
his face turning a rather disturbing shade of purple. It was at this point I thought
he’s not as happy as I expected him to be, how ungrateful Great Master is
being. Alas Great Master had completely stripped 2 bikes down and had
carefully laid out the parts in order of their return to the bikes when the rebuilds
were to be done - how was I supposed to know that? Suffice to say I was not
the most popular wife on the planet and the rebuilds took Great Master many
months longer than anticipated.
There were further problems with bike bits and my cleaning habits such as the
time Great Master was at work and I went into the garage to clean the bike as a
pleasant surprise for him. I spent all afternoon polishing this and that with wax
polish and Solvol Autosol. I had done a wonderful job of cleaning the bike and
even the brake discs were gleaming as new, all the rust was gone and they
shone beautifully, Solvol had done a good job. Again I gathered from the colour
of his face and the tone of his voice I had done wrong by polishing the brake
discs – but they did look good all shiny and glinting as the sun caught them,
how was I supposed to know they would not work properly? ‘Mistakes happen’
I proffered before making a hasty retreat. I just thought I was helping I
muttered as I skulked off.
Unfortunately it did not stop there, I still had not yet learnt my lesson. I always
enjoyed cleaning the bikes and one sunny afternoon a nice high powered
Japanese bike was wheeled out of the garage and Great Master said ‘we will go
out for a run this afternoon weather is gorgeous and we can get a fast run over
the mountain’. Great thought I and popped upstairs to get properly togged up.
In the mean time a sea gull had flown over the bike leaving its calling card on
the seat. No problem to me, the offending deposit was wiped off and out came
the bees wax polish and I polished the dual seat till you could see your face in
it. So off we went on the bike, Great Master on the front and me perched on the
back. All went well till we had to brake quite severely at the bottom of Bray
Hill, it was just at this point the highly polished seat came into play, Great
Master shot up on to the tank like a bullet from a gun and I found myself sitting
on the front section of the dual seat. Once Great Master had overcome the pain
and collected himself together he turned round to me and said in a severe tone,
‘NEVER, EVER clean the bikes or the garage again’
Now you see ladies the moral of this story is, if you don’t enjoy cleaning the
bikes and would rather sit down and read a good book make sure you get the
cleaning wrong. I have now spent many a happy summers afternoon lazing in
the garden with a glass of wine while Great Master huffs and puffs cleaning the
bikes and I don’t feel guilty. I used to work so hard cleaning the bikes and
garage and I am convinced Great Master never appreciated all the hard work I
did for him.
And yes folks all the above it true – really happened and we are still married
but I never dared venture in to the garage again!
Vintage Woman
Phinik I.O.M.(Ltd)
ENGINEERING SERVICES
Servicing The Islands Utilities
Coded Welders to ASME IX / EN &-1-92
Steel Fabrication
Specialised Stainless Steel &
Aluminium Welding
Structural Steel Work
Bead Blasting engine cases and frames
Stainless Steel & Aluminium Fabrications
Fax: 01624 672030
Douglas 625205
Established since 1960
www.phinik.com
UNIT 5 - SPRINGHAM PARK
SPRING VALLEY IND EST.
BRADDAN IM2 2QU.
e-mail: phinik3@aol.com
THE Vincent Firefly
Petrol rationing imposed on Britain’s motorcyclists in 1939 ended in May
1950; almost a full five years after the cessation of World War II hostilities. But
this did little to alleviate the lack of personal transport. Cars were priced
beyond the reach of most and new motorcycles were reserved mainly for
export, with long waiting lists for the handful allowed to reach the home
market. Such was the demand for two- wheeled personal transport that prices
asked for second hand machines frequently exceeded that of the new
unobtainable similar models. Enter the cyclemotor.
The idea of attaching a small engine to drive a pedal bicycle that practically
almost everybody owned was a sound one and was enthusiastically taken up. In
1954 twelve manufacturers were listed with Government figures for that year
showing over 270,000 such machines registered for the road.
Engines were attached in every position imaginable: over the front wheel,
under the pedals, in front of, above and inside the rear wheel. An equally wide
diversity of driving the bicycle’s wheel was employed from chain, belt and
roller friction drive. The smallest capacity unit was the Lohmann, a diminutive
18cc two stroke with compression ignition, i.e. no spark plug. But most were
Bill Snelling
the ES2note
engined
Norton primary drive
View of the Miller
9W ACrides
alternator.
the geared
The Firefly - originally designed by a Polish engineer
between 25cc to 50cc with the bicycle’s rear wheel being driven by a friction
roller. It is into this category that what was to become the Firefly falls
A Polish engineer, designed a 47.6cc single cylinder two stroke roller-drive
unit and sold the drawings and all rights to the Birmingham electrical firm of H
Miller sometime in early 1951. H. Miller lost no time in development for at the
Belgian Motorcycle Show held in Brussels in January 1952 they exhibited their
own bicycle mounted cyclemotor complete with the Miller diamond shaped
emblem on the chaincase.
As far as is known, this machine was a prototype only, with no sales to the
public. However in June 1953 it reappeared when Vincent Engineers
(Stevenage) Limited announced the launch of their cyclemotor attachment: the
Vincent Firefly.
The new owners had tidied up the original design. The coil was now hidden
inside a recess in the bottom of the fuel tank (no health and safety concerns
then). The control of the sliding engine unit was now effected by a handlebar
lever with a locking trigger to keep the roller/tyre engagement. But it was still
basically the Miller design with its 9 watt AC alternator and every nut and bolt
in the electrical BA size, including steel studs into the alloy crankcase.
Vincents had also done some tuning with the quoted Miller figures of 0.9 hp at
3,800rpm. improved to 1 hp at 4,200rpm.
Sold as a boxed kit at £25 it was competitively priced alongside other
cyclemotors such as the popular BSA Winged Wheel at £25, Power Pak at £20
and Cyclemaster at £27. With a total weight of 23.5lbs – engine unit 18lbs – it
was capable of over 25mph with up to 160mpg from its 5 pint fuel tank
containing a 20 to 1 or 16 to 1 petroil mixture: both were acceptable. Sales
were good but problems arose very early on with the alternator secured with
only 4 miniscule 4BA bolts continually coming adrift but far more seriously
with the friction drive roller. The cast iron 3.25 inch diameter roller was
bonded by rubber to its shaft which was prone to splitting, often within a very
short time. Much was made of this flexible mounting at the unveiling of the
Firefly, claiming a smoother take up from starts and the easing of tyre wear.
Although special heavy treaded tyres were used, unless the correct depth of
roller engagement was observed, rear tyre wear could be spectacularly rapid.
This was especially so when, in an effort to avoid roller slip in wet weather,
owners adjusted the engagement to increase the amount by which the roller bit
into the tyre carcass.
These problems were resolved and in 1955 the Firefly was revamped as the
‘Power Cycle’. This took the form of the unit being fitted to a complete bicycle
from the Sun company, with sprung front forks of the Webb pattern. Priced at
£38 19s 3d it was good value but the design could not really complete with the
early mopeds beginning to emerge from France and the Netherlands and it
reverted to being sold as a boxed kit, within a short time.
One of the main problems with the Firefly was the chosen position of
mounting the unit. By fixing it beneath the pedals, only a four inch ground
Minimal ground clearance is evident in this close-up
clearance existed and although one road tester claimed ‘such a position imparts
good handling’(!) it was very vulnerable. With most kerbs being higher than
four inches unless the rider remembered to lift the machine over them terminal
damage could result. Rider comfort also was a problem with the recommended
60psi rear tyre pressure and no rear suspension and a heavy-action roller
engagement lever. The routing of the very long control cable was critical for
easy operation and detached nipples were not uncommon. On the Miller
prototype, roller engagement was accomplished by a hand operated 14 inch
long lever attached to the sliding engine mounts. It operated within a gate
mechanism, rather like a hand change bike, with the three slots being OFF,
DRIVE and WET. Ungainly perhaps, but one would have thought easier to use.
In 1958 production ceased, brought about in the main by the now very
sophisticated mopeds available. Not the least of which being the NSU Quickly
offering ultra reliability and superb comfort. Ironically, initially the Vincent
company was the importer of the Quickly until NSU realised what a winner
they had and set up their own distribution network.
Over the period 1953 to 1958 some 3,000 Fireflys were produced but very few
working examples survive today. The reason being, expired Fireflys could
easily be disposed of in dustbins, whilst the engine made a good doorstop for
the allotment shed!
‘Clubmann’
CBG CGeneral
ONTRACTORS LTD
Groundworks
Underground Electricity & Water Ducting - Sewage Pipeworks
Tel: 842479 • 493605 Fax: 844808
A Triumphant Adventure
Riding in the Banbury Run this year,together with a few Manx VMCC
members and my nephew Philip, I once again finished too early to win an
award. Philip, who rode my Ner-a-Car, failed to finish due to running out fuel
on the ascent of Sunrising Hill. Afterwards I drove back to Worksop and left
my motorhome, bike and trailer at Philip's home and flew back to the Isle of
Man.
Once home I set about completing the rebuild of a 1981 Triumph T140
Bonneville Electric Start Executive which I had purchased some time earlier. It
was discovered standing in a shed, unused for over 15 years and red rusty from
the tank downwards. The owner's father, in an attempt to be helpful, decided to
remove the sparking plugs to put oil down the bores, but he broke off a plug
flush with the head face. I had started the “bodywork” restoration first, thinking
that the mechanics were a bit of a breeze. I encountered a problem finding
someone with the ability to paint the mudguards to the correct spec. I removed
the head after failing to get the plug out in situ, even with the application of
some heat. It had to be spark eroded out and then helicoiled.
An electronic charging system, purchased at the earlier Stafford Classic Bike
Show, to replace the broken rectifier and diode system, was installed, but no
Brian on his BSA at the Festival of 1000 Bikes
Aboard his 1981 Triumph T140 Bonneville electric start
charge was evident. Lots of head scratching and phone calls later it was
discovered a single phase unit had been supplied, but a three phase one was
needed.
By this time I was getting pretty desperate as it was Tuesday 1st August and I
had arranged to go with the Isle of Man contingent to the Lakeland Rally on
the 8.45 am sailing on Friday 4th August. The bike had still to be tested and
Manx registered, so I put a spare fully charged battery into the top box and
rode it to the test station on spec. I spoke to Barry who arranged to be it tested
that day and collected at 4.45pm. Riding back to Kirk Michael in an absolute
downpour was not a pleasant experience on a bike fitted with brand new tyres,
discs and pads. The following day the correct charging control arrived and was
fitted. Thankfully all was OK electrically. The original hard luggage had been
obtained with the bike and this was fitted, the bike registered, taxed and
prepared for the Lakeland.
Having ridden some nearly 450 miles in mainly horribly wet conditions during
the rally, I bade goodbye to the rest of the Isle of Man party who heading
home. I then set of to ride the 150 miles to Worksop in the rain where I spent a
few days visiting my ailing siblings.
On the following Friday I set of for Mallory Park and the VMCC Festival of
1000 Bikes. The BSA and Triumph were cantered round the race circuit (See
pics.) during the Saturday road bike sessions, Philip again riding my Ner-a-Car
and having a first ride on the Panther Model 50 Grand Sport he had just
completed rebuilding.Sunday's session was spent on marshalling duties at the
Esses. We enjoyed watching the many historic racing bikes being paraded by
the likes of Agostini, Miller, Grant, Cooper et al.
I returned to the Isle of Man having thoroughly enjoyed my adventure
especially the fact that the Bonneville covered some 650 miles without a
problem.It started after the rebuild on the electric starter after the button was
inadvertently touched, despite warnings of dire consequences if it was used. It
ran extremely well apart from adjusting the chain ( newly fitted together with
front and rear sprockets) and a drop of engine oil to top up the level. Not bad
for a bike which had not been ridden for such a long time nor for a rider who
hadn't ridden that amount of mileage in such a short period for some 45 years.
Brian Ward
TANK LINING A SPECIALITY
Lavacious Lunches
Despatch riding for a living is a stressful
way to earn a crust, but it has perks.
One our clients was a 'gentleman's club',
you know the sort of place, a bit rundown
'cos the waitresses could not afford to buy
too many clothes and were reduced to
nearly wearing their school uniforms, that
sort of thing. It was my onerous duty to call
and collect the days takings, depositing it
in their bank on Regent Street. The job was due every day at 2 pm. By rushing
around the capital at breakneck speed, one could arrive early, which meant
hanging around in the office/dressing room! It didn't cost me much to bribe the
rest of the lads to 'leave this job to me'. A Met Police colleague had passed me an
Everoak helmet, standard issue in those days. Not wishing to look like the fuzz, I
had decorated it with red tape in an 'undesign' pattern - see picture.
This particular day, some of the clientele had over imbibed and had forgotten the
golden rule of such establishments: "Look but don't touch". I appeared, early as
usual and made my way to the observation center - sorry office/dressing room. I
had to pass the door to the restaurant and tarried for a few seconds as I heard the
commotion, still wearing my helmet. Under red lights the stripes vanished and to
the boozy party inside, it looked like a police raid! Things went a bit quieter, and
Gladys, the boss, sizing up the situation, asked me to dwell just outside the door
for a while until they had emptied the rowdy's out. By this time most of the girls
'working clothes' such as they were, had all but disappeared. I think I must have
tarried for quite a while as I just made the bank before it closed that day! And I
got a healthy tip on top of an eyeful!
One particular client in the PR field was always late in getting adverts, designs
etc. ready to take to the publishing houses. They were one of our major clients so
it was down to us to take the blame! You had to stand there like a crash-testdummy whilst the receptionist ranted about 'poor service, couldn't they get a
more reliable courier, etc.' You had to be thick-skinned in that job.
My longest days work was: Pick up from Western Super Mare at 9 am, get the
goods back to South London asap, then collect another packet from North
London to deliver to Manchester Airport - 750 miles in a day. And I was back in
the office for 9 am the next day. I enjoyed it, but it's a young man's game.
Bill Snelling
The History of Motor Cycle Racing
Chapter Two: The Antwerp Devil & The Great War
Jan Olieslagers
Another of the great riders from the first decade of the twentieth century was
Jan Olieslagers, dubbed "the Antwerp Devil". Born on 14 May 1883, he began
working in a bicycle repair workshop and then found his way to the newly
established Minerva bicycle company, whose products he raced under the
pseudonym "John Max."
In 1901, Minerva acquired a Swiss Zurcher & Luthi engine which Olieslagers
installed in a bicycle frame and started to race. At the age of 18, he won the
first ever race at Antwerp's Zurenborg velodrome.
On 24 February 1904, he was granted the first racing licence to be issued by
the Belgian federation and he moved to Paris for Minerva. In April, he won the
eight stage Paris-Bordeaux-Paris race on a single cylinder 325 cc Minerva. In
July, he took part in the Ostend race week, with his 7 bhp vee-twin, aiming to
win the standing start mile. His preparation was meticulous; the front wheel
was changed for a lighter version, a special compound tyres were fitted. As the
tyres lasted for only three few miles, his bike was carried to the start line by a
Oliver Godfrey at Ramsey Hairpin in 1911 - Indian
Captain Robert Arbuthnot, 1908 TT - Triumph
horse and cart. He duly recorded the fastest time, covering the mile at a speed
of 97.51 km/h, with a speed of 109 km/h over the flying kilometre.
After taking sixth place in the Circuit des Ardennes, he ventured to Spa, which
even then was a centre of racing, to participate in, and win, the prestigious
Malchamps hill-climb. Then he met a challenge from the Frenchman
Lamberjack, who alleged that no Belgian rider could reach 100 km/h unless the
timekeeper was also a Belgian. So on 2 October Olieslagers ventured to the
Dourdan 1,000 metre championship. His bike was fitted with wooden wheels
and Dunlop tyres were glued to them. He covered the course in 62.2 seconds
for a speed of 109 km/h.
He was Belgian champion in 1904 and 1905 although the latter year was
marred by the puncture which caused him to fall and lose the world title
decider to Anzani. A return match was planned with Anzani for 6 May 1906
and Olieslagers managed to obtain an ex-Giuppone machine from Peugeot,
then the fastest race bikes available. But two days before the race, he was shot
in the neck during a shooting party; he convinced the doctor to delay the
necessary operation until he had met Anzani. In great pain, he had to give best
to the Franco-Italian by half a wheel.
Having retired from racing in 1908, Olieslagers turned to flying, buying a
Bleriot in 1909 and starting a career as a stunt pilot. He was rumoured to have
met Manfred von Richthofen and Goring before the Great War. On the
outbreak of the conflict he and his two bothers signed up for the Belgian Air
Force and donated their three Bleriot planes to the cause. As a fighter pilot,
Olieslagers initially took to the air armed with nothing more than a pistol but as
the War progressed he became a recognised ace, although he rarely bothered to
record the "kills" achieved in 97 combats in 518 patrols. As well as Belgian
honours, he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre and honours bestowed by
the governments of Russia and Serbia.
In peace time, he opened a garage in 1919 and was the driving force behind the
opening of Antwerp airport in 1923. When he died in 1942, his coffin was
draped with a Belgian flag, in open defiance of the ban imposed by the
occupying German forces.
One of his bikes survives. Minerva reputedly built two special vee-twins for
1904 and presented him with the second bike one as a reward for victory in the
Paris-Bordeaux-Paris endurance race of that year. The bike was modified with
twin rear wheels and handlebars for pace riding, and somehow eventually the
bike somehow found its way to the UK, where it was bought by Charlie
Murray. It was then placed on display in the famous Murray's Museum on the
slopes of Snaefell until the closure of the museum and the sale of its contents at
the end of 2005, when Peter Murray cried "enough".
Casualties of the Great War
Mention of the exploits of Olieslagers brings to the fore the sacrifice made by
many of the ace riders during the Great War. One of the most well-known
casualties was Sir Robert Arbuthnot. Born on 23 March 1864, Arbuthnot had
been a keen boxer in his youth and was an enthusiastic member of the Motor
Cycling Club. His claim to fame as a racer was his third place, on a Triumph,
in the single cylinder class of the 1908 TT, on leave while, as Captain
Arbuthnot, he was waiting for his ship, the "Lord Nelson", to be
commissioned. As Rear Admiral Arbuthnot, he was in command of "HMS
Defence" and he went down with his ship at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May
1916. He often took his bikes on board with him and a rumour had it that a
Triumph went to the floor of the North Sea.
Another keen Triumph exponent was Ivan Hart-Davies. The son of the Rector
of Southam, born in 1884, Hart-Davies had been a teacher but founded an
insurance brokerage; he was a man of many parts - a cricketer, rugby player, a
cycle racer, a bobsleigh racer and a scout master.
Ivan Hart-Davies, Ramsey, 1912 Senior TT - Triumph
But his first love was his Triumph motorcycle on which he accomplished his
major ambition in 1909 by breaking the End to End record covering the 880
miles from Lands End to John - o'- Groats in 33 hours 22 minutes. In June
1911 he cut the time to 29 hours 12 minutes and that proved to be the final
record as such attempts were subsequently banned in the interests of safety.
A teddy bear, given to him by Miss Jennie Ward, was always strapped to his
motorcycle when competing. Their relationship was unacceptable in the eyes
of Ivan's father, the Rector. Miss Ward's father was an undertaker and therefore
in a lower social bracket than the elevated Hart-Davies family. Hart-Davies
finished in 19th position in the 1912 Senior TT, no doubt encourage to compete
by his close friend Jack Haswell (who finished as runner-up in the race on his
Triumph).
Hart-Davies had gained his pilot's licence before the War but, as his business
had expanded dramatically, he did not sign up. In 1915, however, he received a
white feather and an anonymous letter telling him to "Be a man; play the
game". He published a public response via the "Rugby Advertiser". He
subsequently signed up to be a RFC flying instructor and was awarded his
"wings" at the age of 38.
In July 1916, on the eve of his departure to join his Royal Flying Corps
squadron in France, he took a training flight. About 200 feet from the ground,
his plane went into a sudden dive from which it did not recover; it was thought
that he had fainted as he had manoeuvred the plane. His body was found
completely unmarked but he had been killed instantly. His observer Lieutenant
Miller was seriously injured but survived. Hart-Davies was buried in Southam
churchyard and, in 2005, a new memorial stone was placed on his grave.
Another star to lose his life in the service of the RFC was Oliver Godfrey. On
13 December 1916, Second-Lieutenant Godfrey was reported by the War
Office as killed, probably shot down flying over enemy lines in Flanders.
Godfrey started hitting the news in 1906 aboard a bright yellow Werner,
winning hill climbs. He then established a 500 cc hour record at Brooklands on
a Rex and founded the famous Godfreys Ltd acting as London agents for
Indian. His TT exploits aboard the Indian twins included victory in the Senior
TT in 1911 and joint second place in the 1914 race, tied with Howard Davies
(Sunbeam).
Raymond Ainscoe
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Disc 1 - The Saturday run from Port Erin to Tony East's museum, the Castletown gathering on
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Friday's social run to Peel. Price £7.50 inc. P&P. Orders with Cheques and PO's made
out to J. Martin Warr. Address:- J. Martin Warr, The Park, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1DF.
by Email warrim@hotmail.co.uk
Paypal - ensure names can be tied up with orders and cash.
Sweet Dreams
A 3 Stroke tale for Xmas
IT all started the day that I had both motors in bits together on the bench. I had
to get one running in a hurry and there were 'all those bits so I suppose it was
inevitable that some of them should get mixed up. They were both the same
bore and stroke so perhaps the mistake was not quite as stupid as it sounds.
And there were the same number of holes up the barrel as well - three. As I
coaxed the Triumph's pistons up the Suzuki's bore my mistake only registered
when I spotted the transfer ports.
Then it hit me. Why not combine the principles of four stroke and two stroke?
Maybe crankcase compression could be used to inject an extra charge of gas
into the four stroke's cylinderhead under pressure just before the normal
induction cycle has been completed - after the inlet valve had closed but
before the mixture had been fired. It seemed (on paper at least) that a more
than useful power bonus should result. OK in theory but how to achieve this
in practice? Well an external transfer port grafted onto the Suzuki's crankcase
would have to carry the charge up to the Triumph cylinderhead which would
need an extra inlet valve, since it would have. to gulp petrol through
carburetors as well as swallowing the draught forced in from below.
Now the situation is not so difficult to cope with, as four valve heads and
double overhead camshafts have been around for years. However, it so
happened that the last thing on the drawing board in what was the old
Triumph racing department, had been a four valve double overhead camshaft
cylinder head for the racing Trident. A hammer was supposed to have been put
through the racing engines that were left, but knowing one of the former race
mechanics and enlisting him into my scheme produced just
that cylinder head and the idea began to take shape in reality. I must say it
looked a bit of a lashup with three pipes coming out of the Suzy case and
diving into the head next to the carbs.
However, we now had a motor to run and it dropped nicely into the Suzuki's
engine plates and with the fairing fitted you'd hardly guess that it wasn't the
docile water cooled roadster that it once had been. Out on the road on its first
try, standard gearing turned out to be a bit on the low side and the. rev counter
was showing some 12.000, but the needle was wavering about and I though it
faulty.
Elated, I went back to the garage full of ideas for improving the performance.
Firstly, I was doubtful whether the timing of the extra inlet charge was at
optimum. The solution to this one was in fact to make the cam timing variable
via a twistgrip on the left handlebar. Next thing was to raise crankcase
compression as per good two-stroke tuning techniques and this would naturally
boost the inlet charge.
But then there was the need to improve the normally-aspirated charge through
the carb, and so the size of instrument was increased, larger valves fitted and
the timing on inlet and exhaust valves altered to give more overlap. Trident
racing 11:1 pistons completed the tuning treatment and we were ready for
another try.
Ray's recently restored Royal Enfield Meteor 700. It came in a pile of three supermarket crates
via Hitchcocks. He still needs the right hand toolbox and an air cleaner if anyone can help.
This time I'd also fitted a set of racing ratios in the gearbox and with the left
hand grip rolled back, (thus retarding the. inlet boost charge) the motor coped
easily with the high first gear, pulling like a steam engine. Up the box and this
time out on the road the thing took off like a rocketship but the phenomenal
speeds it achieved soon uncovered handling deficiencies and although it was on
a dead straight and flat road the bike gradually started to weave from side to
side.
Now the 150mph speedo was going off the clock and then I remembered that
the way to get out a speed wobble was to accelerate. The valves started to
bounce and I did likewise -down the road - as the roadster frame tied itself in a
knot and the granddaddy of all tank-slappers pitched me off.
After coming out of hospital (in Which I'd had time to develop further ideas)
the first job was to find a frame that would cope with speeds of which I thought
the motor was really capable. Also it had been apparent that the power had still
been coming in fast when valve float had been reached. The solution of the
first problem was easy. One of the Rob North ex-works Triumph racing frames
was obtained and modified to take the Suzuki bottom end but the valve bounce
problem was a little more difficult.
This was solved by adopting the Ducati desmodromic system so the springs
were dispensed with altogether. Once more back on the road it soon became
obvious that the roadholding problems were solved and I could concentrate on
extracting the best from the motor. The advantages of the variable inlet valve
timing soon became obvious but the powerband flattened right out at 18000.
The solution to this I had reasoned from my hospital bed was, anticipating the
problem, in the timing not of the admittance of the inlet charge -controlled by
the inlet valve but of the charge itself from the crankcase. This was now to be
controlled by fitting a disc inlet to the crankcase and a further disc controlling
its exit up the induction tract to the cylinder head. These would be so timed
that the pressure in the crankcase would be confined until pressure really built
up and released at the optimum moment when the inlet valve would be open to
receive it. The extra pressure gained would greatly boost the inlet charge and
so the power.
The further increase in power made ii obvious that more development could
only be carried out on the racetrack. So for the first time I faced the starter
from the back of the grid and as the flag dropped I watched the field disappear
into the distance and made a mental note to polish up my bumpstarting
technique. However, once on the move the special really came into its own.
Down the long straight it proved to be grossly overgeared but at 21000 in third
it passed some of the back markers on the first lap. . Braking for the corners
left much to be desired and it was not only that I was braking at the million
yard marker board but that even the twin discs on the front were not coping too
well anyway. That meant the cornering ability left rather a lot of room for
improvement. The remedy in the retardition department was to fit another set
of calipers to the discs. These were fitted behind the fork legs (the others were
in front) and racing pads fitted all round. Racing tyres were fitted as the
standard tread had started to lift at the speeds attained.
After another club race and with a first easy win it was obvious that stiffer
competition was required to really test its capabilities. With the speeds possible
a high speed track would suit it best so I got accepted for the supporting
1,000cc event at Silverstone and, on the first lap soon got stuck in behind the
leading bunch at Copse, lost a few yards in the elbowing that was going on,
caught up a little in the rush round to Maggots Curve, down to Becketts and
then lost about 50 yards through the Chapel Bends. But you should have seen
the Special down Hangar Straight. It ate the entire field comprising all the
aspiring works riders of the day.
I got a bit carried away here trying to stay with the hard scratchers round the
corners and nearly drifted onto the grass losing yards and yards. After
scrabbling back on line I found that I'd forgotten to change down and lost out
on initial acceleration. However, with a quick twiddle on the left twistgrip to
bring the inlet charge timing to optimum and a shade more overlap on the valve
timing left the rest of the pack in the dust
and closed back up on the leading
two
Last lap and once more passing the field down Hanger Straight, there was only
the run round Woodcote Corner now to the start/finish and I'd got to get far
enough in front of before the finish line. So I just let the revs go and hoped it
would not blow itself apart and although the rev counter was calibrated up to
25000 it went off the clock as I went by.
Then it blew. It could have been a rod that let go. Maybe the valves finally
tangled. The parts travelled so far that they were picking them out of the stands.
Nevertheless the impetus of the colossal speed attained was sufficient to get a
second place. It was of course the usual race distance - one lap. Silverstone was
a long circuit and the fuel restrictions only allowed one gallon per race which
gave Grand Prix machines something like five
There turned out to be little point in trying to develop the principle further as
while collecting the necessary bits to rebuild it I learned that all the major
factories had similar models on the stocks. But one evening in my local,
someone made a crack about a three-stroke motor. Now that could be
something. By harnessing both induction and exhaust motions into the one
stroke. Hmmm! Must talk to Father Christmas. When I wake up that is!
Ray Knight
Floggers Corner
For Sale:-ATCO COMMODORE B20 PETROL LAWNMOWER. 20” Cut,
self start and self propelled. Little used -- £90 for quick sale 897164
FoTTo finder Bikesport Photo Archives
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Ulster Grand Prix - 1949 - 1959
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British UK short circuit - 1949 - 1959
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