The Automotive World: November 2011

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Gnome et Rhône

Gnome et Rhône is a familiar name in vintage aviation circles. But few people know that the French company also built motorcycles, from 1920 until the early 1950s. This lovely machine is one of around 3,000 manufactured under license from the British firm ABC Motorcycles—a company closely aligned with Sopwith, another aircraft manufacturer. In those days, aviation and motorcycling were commonly linked, and this particular connection was brokered by a pilot: André Barthélémy, the official Parisian distributor of ABC. Barthélémy was a talented engineer, and fixed numerous mechanical problems with the powerful yet fragile

Ace Cafe heads to the USA

EXCLUSIVE Some great news for café racer fans Stateside: the legendary British Ace Cafe is setting up shop next year in the USA. Ten new outlets are planned, and arrangements for the first one are close to being finalized. If you can’t wait for that, then you can get a taste of the Ace Cafe vibe by heading to the Dime City Cycles grand opening event in Tampa, Florida on Saturday 14 May: a temporary Ace Cafe will be erected for the duration of the celebration, stocked with classic motorcycling memorabilia. Ace Cafe boss Mark Wilsmore (above) will be flying in to join Dime City’s Jason Michaels and Herm Narciso on the day, and helping to judge the vintage ride-in bike show. (We’ll be there too—in spirit—because Bike EXIF is sponsoring the Best In Class award.)

Ducati 750SS

If you had to make a list of the most desirable sporting motorcycles of the 1970s, the Ducati 750SS would be near the top. It was built by Ducati’s racing department to mark its victory in the 1972 Imola 200, and the accepted knowledge is that only 401 were manufactured. This is one of the surviving machines. Even better, it was restored a few years ago by Steve Wynne, well known amongst Ducatisti for his role in Mike Hailwood’s 1978 Isle of Man TT comeback

MV Agusta 750S

There are maybe ten bikes in my dream garage, and the MV Agusta 750S is one of them. Like the Ducati 750SS we featured two weeks ago, this one is owned by English motorcycle enthusiast Peter Bullard. It’s one of the very early models, built at the Varese factory in January 1972—there’s no ‘lip’ on the crankcases, and apparently only the first ten or so bikes were built like this. It was also one of the first two bikes shipped to Australia

MV Agusta 600: the ‘Black Pig’

Throughout the MV Agusta community, the 600 is affectionately known as ‘The Black Pig’. It’s one of the ugliest bikes ever made, but perhaps so ugly that it transcends style and fashion. Only 127 were built, between 1967 and the early 1970s, and this one is #11. It was the second 600 to go to the USA, and was the bike photographed by the factory for the owner’s manual—its frame number appears clearly in the images. All of the 600s were black, hence the ‘Black Pig’ title, with the exception of one blue bike and one yellow bike. (There’s also rumor that the factory built a red machine, but the works records don’t mention it—not unusual with Italian manufacturers.

Laverda Jota

One of the great tragedies of modern motorcycling is the death of the Laverda name. The brand was bought by Aprilia at the turn of the century—along with Moto Guzzi—but the familiar ‘SFC Orange’ has yet to reappear in showrooms. To my eyes, that lovely color has always looked best on a Jota, and this is one of the most immaculate Jotas I’ve ever seen. It’s another bike from the remarkable garage of English enthusiast Peter Bullard, a Laverda fan for over thirty years

Yamaha RD400

If the Yamaha SR400 is the easy-going, easily swayed favorite of café racer builders, the two-stroke RD400 is its delinquent half-brother. It was launched in 1976 as a slightly more refined version of the RD350 firecracker, but was still a quick, nervous bike to ride. (As the Used Motorcycle Guide said, “If it doesn’t wheelie in second then the engine is worn out!”) The RD400 was sold largely on price, being cheaper than contemporaries from Honda and Kawasaki, but this newly restored model looks like a million dollars. And it hasn’t just been lifted out of a crate, or rolled out of the workshop of a high-end Japanese resto-mod specialist. It was built by a member of the 2StrokeWorld forum called Dennis, and it’s just won the forum Bike of The Month award

Norton International

In the pantheon of Norton history, the International tends to be overshadowed by the Manx. Which is a shame, because this classic British motorcycle has a strong and enduring charm of its own. At the time of its launch, in the early 30s, the International was a race-bred machine; it was powered by an overhead cam single originally designed for Norton’s famous works racers. But by the time volume production finished in 1955, the International was thoroughly outclassed. It was a good, honest bike that Norton should have killed off at least five years earlier. But even after the production line shut down, Norton carried on building the

Untitled BMW R80 G/S

If I had to pick an older bike to take me on a tour of Europe, I’d choose a BMW R80 G/S. It’s a bona fide classic, but unlike most of that ilk, it’s also reliable, relatively simple on the mechanical front, and still has good parts availability. This particular machine would be the perfect candidate, and it comes from the London workshop of Untitled Motorcycles—the guys who caused a stir four months ago when we featured their R80-based Scrambler UM-2 custom. Untitled had this 1981 G/S in their garage for a long time, but knew nothing about its history or previous owners. “It provided an exciting ride—the shock had blown and gave no

Honda CB450 Police Special

To me, this bike is pure eye candy. There’s something about the police motorcycles of the 1960s that’s strangely compelling. This one is a 1965 Honda 450 Police Special, and it’s as rare as hen’s teeth. Just 25 were shipped from Japan to the US, probably because most Police Departments were used to ordering bikes of more than a liter in engine capacity. The 43 hp CB450P was able to run rings around its larger brethren—it was the only DOHC engine in production at the time—but unfortunately it never caught on. According to Honda’s contemporary PR push, it was a well-equipped machine: ‘Special police equipment such as an

Honda CB550 and sidecar

What’s the appeal of a motorcycle sidecar combination? Is it the added practicality of luggage carrying? The promise of companionship on a journey? Or the go-anywhere capability offered by 2WD outfits like the Ural? I’m not sure what the answer is, but I find sidecars irresistible. And this classy combination is one of the best I’ve seen for a while. It belongs to Tony Prust of Illinois-based Analog Motorcycles, and the powered half is a 1978 CB550 K. Tony bought the combination a couple of years ago, and used it as the family daily driver before deciding to restore it.

Thierry’s Tribsa

Put a Triumph engine in a Norton frame and you’ve got a Triton. Put a Triumph engine in a BSA frame and you’ve got a ‘Tribsa’. It doesn’t seem to roll off the tongue as well, but it’s a good-looking bike. This one belongs to Thierry, a member of the Southsiders MC collective in France; it’s got a pre-unit T110 motor in a BSA A10 Golden Flash frame, which in stock form also uses a Triumph front end. The motor has been fitted with a T140 cylinder head, and it’s also been upgraded to 750 cc with a Morgo Big Bore kit—a kit that incredibly, has been in production for three decades.

Today’s bike comes from Buzz Kanter, the Editor-in-Chief of American Iron Magazine. Over to you, Buzz. I bought this bike in full street trim a few months before the Motorcycle Cannonball, but left it parked in secure storage. (I had to focus all my spare time on prepping my 1915 Harley for the cross country ride.) I purchased it from a bar owner who’d shut down his bar and was selling the classic motorcycles he had on display. He’d bought this Harley model J racer a decade or so earlier, and was told it was correct and complete. It wasn’t.

This 1926 Harley-Davidson features a front brake (Harley did not offer front brakes until 1928), home made exhaust headers and a British muffler, an export-only front stand, an accessory to hold a British tax disc on the stock tool box, and 1930s Harley VL gas tank decals. The ignition was a home made deal, with two coils hidden inside the battery box and a pair of externally mounted condensors. Harley would have used a single coil and condensor for this motorcycle. Close, but not correct all around.

I brought it down to Wheels Through Time to work on it with my friends Dale and Matt Walksler. After not running for more than a decade, Dale got it running in less than a half hour. We charged up a small 6-volt battery and took it for a short and smokey ride around the museum grounds.

Back in the workshop we pulled the old stock Schebler carb, cleaned it out and installed a newer 1930s Linkert bowl and new Rubber Ducky float to the 1920s Schebler carburetor. We changed out sparkplugs and took it out for a ride on the street. It ran OK but handled poorly, and was very twitchy on the road. I suspected the frame might have been bent.

Back to the workshop, where we discovered the steering head bearings were loose and dry. We jacked up the old Harley and removed the front end. Cleaned out what little grease was there—it might have been the original 1926 factory grease—and cleaned and inspected the races. They were OK, so we added fresh grease and reinstalled the loose balls and the front end. After that it handled great on the roads. We got it up to about 50 mph.

The next thing we did was pull the front wheel (it turned out to be a one-year-only 1929 Harley wheel and brake) and rebuilt the hub with new races, bearings and grease. The rear wheel was OK. We then greased all fittings everywhere on the bike; some were Alemite fittings, others were zerk.

Once we had it running as dependable and strong as possible, we stripped it down as a priveteer racer. Off came the front fender, headlight, tool box, luggage rack, rear section of the rear fender, taillight, and more. If it wasn’t needed it came off. We took it out for a test ride and ran it hard for several miles. It handled great and looked right. Once back at the Wheels Through Time museum I carved out a set of race plates and hand fabricated mounting plates.

All this, from start to finish, took less than three days. It sure is nice to be able to work with guys like Dale and Matt Walksler, who know these bikes inside out AND have the spare parts on hand when needed.

American Iron Magazine will be running a full feature on this build (with more photos) in the Spring of 2012.

Kawasaki Z1 900

If I had to lay a bet on the next big trend in custom motorcycles, I’d say we’re returning to the glory days of 1970s and 1980s superbikes. Interest in these iconic machines seems to be rising, and upgrade parts are readily available—albeit mostly in Japan. The days of the traditional British café racer must be numbered by now, and we’re seeing fewer machines adorned with checkered stripes and fork gaiters. The ‘brat style’ is taking a lower profile too, with builders dropping the glitter paint and hunting down Dunlop K180s for an authentic tracker look. There’s a renewed emphasis on performance—but not the clinical, metered-by-electronics performance of contemporary sportsbikes. It’s the raw, loud horsepower offered by machines such as the Kawasaki Z1, like this recent resto-mod from the Tokyo West outlet of Sanctuary in Japan.
Kawasaki Z1 900

Most of the critical components that affect dynamics have been upgraded. The frame has been reinforced and the engine has been blueprinted and balanced, and fitted with Keihin FCR 37mm flat-slide carbs. (Power output will be a fair bit higher than the 80-or-so hp of the original.) The suspension is all-new, courtesy of Öhlins, and the braking system is packed with state-of-the-art Nissin and Brembo components. Gale wheels carry modern rubber, with a custom swingarm fitted to cater for the increased width at the back. And there’s a smattering of top-shelf Nitro Racing parts throughout, including the exhaust system and controls. It’s as much about the ‘go’ as the ‘show’, and this Z1 gets 10 out of 10 in both departments from me. To own a bike in this spec would probably cost around $30,000, though—which means that a mint, restored Z1 in the US starts to look like a bargain at around $7,000. (If you’d prefer a more modern superbike but with a retro look, just check what Whitehouse did with the CB750.)
PS: The 2012 Bike EXIF Motorcycle Calendar is now on sale. Reserve your copy here.
Kawasaki Z1 900

Moto Morini 3½

I get a lot of requests to feature certain classic motorcycles, and the same bikes tend to pop up. Top of the list, believe it or not, is the Moto Morini 3½. So it looks like the Bologna-built machines have a very solid fan base these days (which includes Hugo Wilson, the editor of the wonderful UK magazine Classic Bike). In the 1970s, the 344 cc Moto Morini was priced at the same level as the Honda CB750—making it something of a luxury purchase. The justification was peerless handling and a high specification, which included a cam driven by a toothed belt, a Ducati Electronnica ignition system, and a six-speed ‘box with overdrive. The machine we have here is a 1976 model, which means it has a Grimeca disc up front, rather than the occasionally

Ducati Muletto

Ducati is not renowned for making practical vehicles, with the possible exception of the Multistrada. But in the 1950s, the Bologna company aped its rival Piaggio by making three-wheeled utility vehicles. There was a tiny 48cc 2-stroke called the Fattorino, and then the bigger Muletto. The engines were based on Ducati’s OHC singles, and you could choose from a 175 or a 200 (as shown here). You got a 350 kg carrying capacity and a top speed of around 60 kph, and different coachwork was available with open and enclosed cabs. The red stripe, by the way, was a legal requirement in Italy. It meant that the vehicle was trasporto conto terzi—registered to transport goods belonging to third parties. Over half a century later, the Muletto stills looks stylish and practical—and if this one was mine, I’d be tempted to drop in a 696 Desmo motor. That might cut down delivery times a little.

Union Motorcycle Aermacchi

Harley-Davidson has a strange affectation for Italian motorcycle companies. It bought MV Agusta in 2008, and offloaded it just over a year later to the late Claudio Castiglioni. But way before that, in 1960, Harley bought a half share in Aermacchi, and started selling a rebadged version of the Italian company’s 250 cc single. It was called the Harley-Davidson Sprint, and that’s what we’re looking at here. Except this one has been customized and returned to its original Aermacchi branding by Idaho-based Union Motorcycle Classics.

1971 BSA Lightning

There’s nothing radical or flashy about this early 70s BSA, but it has a low-key charm that I find very compelling. The beautiful photography helps, of course. It’s by the owner of the bike, Adam Green, taken in his hometown of Margate City, New Jersey using a Leica M8 camera. Adam found this BSA at an auction in Texas. “I’d been looking for a bike for about a year,” he says. “I bought it without hesitation two minutes after I saw it for the first time. It just had an aesthetic that spoke to me.”

1967 Ducati SCD 350

The launch of the new Ducati Streetfighter 848 reminded me of the extraordinary longevity of the L-twin motor layout. It’s been an intrinisc part of the Bologna mystique for over forty years now. The vintage Ducati here sits at the start of that lineage: it’s a factory Sport Corsa Desmo 350, and one of just six works machines in existence. It’s the machine that introduced the ‘wide case’ single, a new crankcase design that later found its way into the road bikes—and the design that made Taglioni realize that Ducati could develop the single no further. So he effectively stitched two engines together, and created the L-twin layout we know today. On a dyno, a well-tuned SCD 350 will reportedly deliver over 40 horses at the back wheel, a bhp/liter ratio that still passes muster today. The bike we’re looking at here, with engine #SCD21, only saw brief action on the track: it was used in practice for the 1968 Italian Grand Prix by Bruno Spaggiari, and was shipped to

Benelli Sei

Of all the recent motorcycling anniversaries, one seems to have passed unnoticed. This year marks the centenary of the illustrious Italian marque Benelli—and according to my calculations, that makes it the oldest European motorcycle manufacturer in (more or less) continuous operation. Today the Chinese motor group Qianjiang owns Benelli, but the Pesaro factory still produces a handful of bikes each year—the Century, Café, Tornado and Tre models.
Benelli’s finest moment, however, came with the launch of the Sei in 1972. Sold first as a 750 and later as a 900, it was a worthy competitor to the Japanese superbikes of the day and a flagship of the Italian industry.

BMW R75/5 custom

During the austere and oppressive reign of General Franco—a remarkable 36 years from 1939 to 1975—foreign motorcycles were a rarity in Spain. So this BMW R75/5 must be a novelty on Iberian roads. It’s owned by Juan Ramón Ortega, a Madrileño with a longstanding passion for BMWs. He bought this 1972 model six years ago: “It’s one of three R75/5s that I found in Belgium and brought back in a small truck with some friends. Then we left the bikes gathering dust … the crisis came.” Two years ago, Ortega wheeled out his bike and started work. He cut down the rear subframe, fitted a Harley-Davidson rear fender and a Ford stoplight, and got out the paint gun. He also fitted a new hand made seat, Renthal bars and Firestone vintage-style tires. Racing-style number plates from England provided the finishing touch. But this custom is no bar-hopper: Ortega has just finished a huge motorcycle tour of Spain and Portugal, and it’s his daily driver too. For such a practical bike, it’s remarkably beautiful. [Thanks, once again, to Vincent Prat of Southsiders MC for the images.]

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