Classic-Bike-Article.png

Treat yourself to a Classic Bike Subscription

CLB-Nov24-BWS.jpg

November 2024

Batteries-BWS.jpg

Batteries: What you need to know

Egli-Vincent-BWS.jpg

Egli-Vincent

snake-pass-BWS.jpg

Snake Pass threat

CLB-OCT24-BWS.jpg

October 2024

Tonkin-TT.jpg

Tonkin’s TT tales

Subs-page.jpg

Become a Classic Bike subscriber

a-match-for-a-manx.jpg

A match for a Manx

brian-crichton.jpg

At lunch with… Brian Crichton

gilera.jpg

Gilera Nuovo Saturno

fair-and-square.jpg

Fair and square

CLB-article-Sept24.jpg

September 2024

radical-rocket.jpg

Radical rocket

suzuki.jpg

Suzuki GT750

Steve-webster-2.jpg

At lunch with… Steve Webster

stately-pile-on.jpg

Stately pile-on

get-up-for-the-kop.jpg

Get up for the Kop

Time-for-a-140.jpg

Time for a T140?

Rocker-box-rebuild.jpg

Rick’s Fixes: cold comfort in the shed

Step 1 - CB.jpg

hole sideways

1 (1).jpeg

SKY HIGH HILLCLIMBING

Did this Curtiss really do over 136.36mph at Ormond Beach, Florida in 1907? Nicksy thinks not...

3.jpeg

A RECORD OF EXAGGERATION

Step+1.jpg

HOW TO: MAKE A JET BLOCK EXTRACTOR

2.jpg

BARON’S STROKE OF BAD LUCK

Step+1 (1).jpg

How To: Make vintage bike grips

HOW TO: RECYCLE OLD CAR PARTS

THE ISLAND’S BIGGEST DRAW

cc.jpg

KEEPING THE FAITH

OOOO copy.jpg

HOW TO: FIT AN AMAL CARB TICKLER EXTENSION

HOW TO: REPLACE BSA BEARINGS

Offers and Competitions

Latest Competitions

Latest Offers

Features

Rick's Fixes

Mike Nicks

Magazine

Magazine Issues

The festive season is quickly approaching, and what better way to celebrate than with a special treat just for you—or for someone you love? Enjoy :a[**6 issues of Classic Bike for just £19.99**]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=christmas_all&amp;utm_content=CLBxmasarticle' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} — including **FREE UK delivery!**

• **Your perfect guide** for fixing and enhancing the bikes resting in your garage.

• **Practical workshop tips** to help keep your bike running sweetly.

• **Insightful buying advice** every month to help you make great buys

• **Great tales** from motorcycling's heroic past.

• **Be inspired** by our reader restorations and rebuilds.

Enjoy your favourite magazine for less this festive season

## :a[SUBSCRIBE TODAY]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=christmas_all&amp;utm_content=CLBxmasarticle' }

Get ahead of your Christmas shopping this year and get a magazine subscription for the whole family. Why not treat them to something they’ll love, from entertainment to gardening, beauty to puzzles, we have a whole range of magazines for you to choose from.

What are you waiting for? It’s the perfect **gift for under £20!**

## :a[Find a gift they'll love]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=CLBxmasarticle' }

Classic Bike’s revamped November issue features a new workshop section in response to reader feedback – so you get even more of what you want. A new feature puts you slap bang in the middle of a renowned mechanic’s workshop, starting with CB’s Rick Parkington’s palace of fettling. Along with that, there are 21st century updates on biking staples – from batteries to British bike basics – and regular updates on project bikes. There’s also the usual treasure trove of stories – why a superb Yamaha RD350LC restoration took seven years, an interview with legendary GP racer Freddie Spencer, a road test of an Egli Vincent and a scrapbook of scrambling photographs from TV’s Jack Burnicle. All this, along with readers’ rides and reminiscences, makes November’s Classsic Bike the ideal antidote for the longer nights.

#### The November issue of Classic Bike is out now at all good newsagents, or why not :a[subscribe today and get 6 issues for just £19.99!]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=newissue_clb' }

#### Buying batteries used to be simple, even if maintenance wasn’t. But now, with multiple options available, things have got complicated. This is what you need to know

‘I’ve used lithium batteries in race bikes, but to be honest I wouldn't bother for the road. Although I do much prefer AGM to old-style high-maintenance lead acid.’

Also known as a flooded or wet cell battery. This is the conventional old-style battery in which lead plates (positive and negative) are built into a case, each separated by a rubber barrier and the plates submerged in electrolyte. The sale of the acid packs which used to be supplied with these types of batteries is now banned. If you want a lead/acid battery, you should be collecting it filled and charged, from the shop.

**Pros** Cheap. Wide operating temperature range from below freezing to 100°F-plus. Relatively low self discharge rate.

**Cons** Needs regular topping up, risk of spills means they must be mounted vertically. Discharging by over 50% can damage the battery.

Sometimes referred to as VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid). Similar construction to old-style LA battery, but electrolyte is sealed into the battery and the gases created during the charging process are controlled by the valve system. Increasingly superseded by AGM batteries.

**Pros** Same as for the LA above, plus maintenance-free. Can be mounted in any orientation (except upside-down).

**Cons** Discharging by over 50% can damage the battery.

A lead-based battery with acid in gel form instead of a liquid. Specified as OE on some bikes, but have now been more or less superseded by the AGM type.

**Pros** More tolerant to deeper discharge rates than a standard LA or SLA.

**Cons** Sensitive to excessive charging voltages (over 14.4v). Size for size, will store less power than an AGM and cold weather performance not as effective.

**ABSORBENT GLASS MAT (AGM)** AGM batteries are constructed with a layer of glass mat sandwiched between the cells. This layer holds the electrolyte in place so the plates are permanently immersed, making the battery more efficient. Now effectively the standard replacement battery for motorcycle use.

**Pros** All the advantages of SLA, plus they are less prone to sulfation (see right) and can be stored for longer periods without needing to be charged. Vibration resistance makes them ideal for motorcycle use.AGMs also accept a faster charge rate than a than a conventional SLA battery and are more tolerant to deep discharge.

**Cons** Higher cost than basic LA types.

Lithium battery cells have a nominal voltage of 3.2v and four are arranged in series to create a 12.8v battery.

**Pros** High energy to weight ratio (up to four times greater than an LA) which means lithium batteries are much lighter than equivalent lead acid batteries. More starting power than a lead acid. No leakage. Fast charging capability.

**Cons** High cost. Lithium batteries are intolerant of over and undercharging, either of which causes damage. Also less tolerant of cold than a conventional LA. They absorb heat faster than other types, which can lead to premature failure if sited in a hot environment. Lithium batteries need an inbuilt battery management system (BMS) to protect each cell from excessive voltage during charging, overheating and over current during discharging. In worst case scenarios, lithium batteries can explode or catch fire if the charger isn’t properly regulated. Confirm any lithium battery has aBMS and only buy from reputable suppliers.

Absorbent Glass Mat battery features electrolyteimpregnated mat beween the lead plates, and a safety valve to release any excess pressure. There’s no need for a translucent case, because there is no need to check the level of acid in the battery.

There are two commonly used methods of rating a battery’s output; the amp-hour (Ah) rating quantifies the amount of power a battery can be expected to deliver over a specified time, operating in a temperature of 25°C. Abattery rated at 10Ah should deliver one amp for 10 hours (or two amps for five hours) without recharging.

The other method of rating output is to quote the cold cranking amps (CCA). This tells you how much current a fully charged 12v battery will deliver for 30 seconds at -18°C, while maintaining voltage above a specified threshold. A high quality 10Ah battery might have a CCA rating of 180amps. CCA ratings are particularly relevant for electric start bikes with high compression/large capacity.

Battery code numbers such as YTX12BS or YB7-A mainly relate to the battery’s dimensions. Ideally, use the battery code specified by the bike’s manufacturer unless your battery supplier will guarantee that an alternative code will fit.

Battery life is dictated by sulfation and ‘shedding’. Shedding is the unavoidable result of the plates expanding and contracting during the charging and discharging process, shedding small particles off the plates. A decent quality battery will have a life expectancy of approximately 500 charge/discharge cycles, ie typically 500 days of use.

Sulfation is the process in which small crystals of sulfate in electrolyte attach themselves to the plates. In normal cycles of use, the crystals detach themselves (smart chargers recreate these conditions to prolong battery life). But if the battery is left discharged, the crystals can permanently attach to the plates, acting as a barrier, preventing electrolyte from saturating the plates and thereby making the battery less efficient.

A completely discharged battery is unlikely to recover, so disconnect the battery if the bike is parked for over two weeks. Ideally, a battery should have 12.7-12.8v when stored and, to prevent condensation leading to internal corrosion, shouldn’t be stored in the cold, and especially not on a concrete floor. If you don’t want to leave the battery in situ on the bike, store it somehwere dry, well ventilated and away from draughts.

If, after a couple of months, the voltage drops to 12.5v or less, recharge it; 12.4v is approximately 60% charged, normal on a vehicle too low for long-term storage.

#### :a[Head into stores to grab your latest issue, or why not subscribe to Classic Bike and never miss an issue! Right now you can enjoy 6 issues for just £19.99 with our festive offer - what are you waiting for?]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=article_batteries' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'}

#### Norvins reignited interest in Vincent in the ’50s, before Egli did the same in the ’60s. As the owner of one of the former, Rick’s well placed to judge the latter...

Words **RICK PARKINGTON** Photography **GARY MARGERUM**

I should declare a ‘conflict of interest’ here. This Egli Vincent is a beautiful bike, hand built by an engineer to an exacting standard. It runs beautifully, sounds crisp, stops on a sixpence and the handling is absolutely superb. Widely considered the ultimate Vincent special, when done properly the Egli is one of those überclassics that some would describe as ‘incomparable’.

And that’s the problem. I can’t help doing just that – comparing the Egli to the Vincent special that I rode here today, my unassumingly shabby (if well-loved) Norvin. I deliberately chose it this time, because I’m genuinely curious to learn just how different the two bikes will be. My bike is not a café racer – it’s in standard Norton Dominator trim, but while the Egli has clip-ons and rearsets, the bars are positioned high, like straights. So it’s comfortable – less café racer, more ‘sports tourer’, which is essentially what Vincents were in the first place.

Like a Rickman, the Egli was really just a racebred replacement chassis, designed to offer upgraded roadholding characteristics – if owners wanted it to look like a racer, that was up to them; it doesn’t have to.

> ‘The Egli was just a race-bred replacement chassis which offered upgraded roadholding’

Unfortunately, the day started badly. Kicking the Egli over, the non-standard kickstarter snapped, the attached end springing back to deliver an accurate karate chop to my ‘old war wound’. The pedal looks like a modified Honda CB750 item, as skinny as Bambi’s foreleg, but it’s the only option; this is one of those ‘Vincent things’. ‘Unconventional’ describes most aspects of Vincent design, and their upended gearbox layout, with its kickstarter shaft at the front and gear pedal behind, means the Vincent kickstart can’t work with alternative footrests – the long Honda pedal swings out far enough to clear. Bump-starting big tall-geared Vtwins is hard work – but fortunately the Egli was an excellent starter, so the day wasn’t spoiled.

The first thing I noticed was the clutch – it’s feather light. Although Anthony Godin (who was selling the bike at the time of our test, although it’s now been sold) thought it was a Norton item, I’d guess it’s more likely the original Vincent. Vincents have a servo clutch that takes the power, the hand lever operating just a lightweight plate-type for pulling away. My Norvin came fitted with a Commando clutch and it was diabolical. There wasn’t enough lift in the Vincent mechanism and it dragged horribly in traffic. I’ve fitted a Suzuki GS1000 clutch using an adapter – it’s also light and works OK, but _just_ OK because the Vincent’s higher primary-drive ratio loads it more heavily than the Suzuki. The Egli’s gearing is also better; the mismatch between Vincent and Norton sprockets means my Norvin seldom reaches top on pootling roads; the Egli’s Triumph conical hub has a bolt-on sprocket offering more choice.

But the most obvious difference between the two bikes is handling. Both handle well, but the Norvin feels much more committed to a line; that is, having chosen your path it prefers not to deviate. The Egli feels more modern – not just because of the contemporary suspension, it’s just more flickable than the Norvin and happier to accept adjustments mid-corner, which has to be an improvement over the Featherbed. It was always said of Manx Nortons that they’d hold a line perfectly – but once they let-go, you were off. The Egli feels more forgiving. The suspension complemented the rest perfectly; the forks are from a modern Triumph and their twin discs with four-pot calipers were also appreciated, because the Norvin’s single-leading-shoe Norton drum struggles with the weight a bit.

Of course the Egli frame is an improvement; Norton’s McCandless-designed Featherbed frame took chassis design out of the 1930s; it deserves its legendary status and its echoes can still be seen on modern sports bikes – but Vincent engines were never intended to fit in a cradle frame, making the Norvin a compromise.

Egli’s frame was not a compromise; it was designed around a Vincent engine, following similar principles.

Philip Vincent didn’t approve of people fitting his engines into (as he saw it) inferior frames. Having designed his own unconventional design with monoshock-style rear suspension way back in the late ’20s, it puzzled and exasperated him that, despite proving the worth of his concept, the industry settled for the bendy and unsupported swingarm over his triangulated suspension system. Worse still, people were fitting his engine into such frames – and the Norvin was probably the primary offender.

> ‘Fritz Egli’s racing success attracted orders for frames from other riders’

By the mid-1950s, while the clean lines of the big alloy motor still attracted admirers, the Vincent chassis looked dated; no wonder people sought to fit these engines into a famously successful racing frame. Probably the first recorded sighting of a Norvin was a 1955 photo taken by Geoff Duke in Australia of the ‘McCrae Special’ – sidecar racer Sandy McRae’s Black Lightning-engined Manx – and Vincent-power was cool again.

Fritz Egli did it differently. The Swiss racer had competed on his tuned Rapide for a couple of years before reflecting that the advantage Norton had gained from updated chassis design could be applied to his Vincent. Rather than build a Norvin, Egli created his own frame. Like a Vincent, the oil was stored in a large frame member under the tank that was strong enough to support the weight of the engine. By 1968 his racing success was attracting orders for frames from other riders and the Egli Vincent was born.

With Vincent engines in finite supply, gradually Egli evolved his design to cater for high-performance Japanese engines – the CB750, Z1... even the Honda CBX – but despite Eglis later efforts, the name is still inextricably connected with Vincent, and the Egli Vincent remained in production until the end. But how on Earth can an engine designed in the 1940s be considered worth not one but two regenerations to meet the challenges of a new era?

I think there are two answers. The first can be found by riding this glorious Egli – or even my own shabby Norvin. Vincent engines are special. They manage to combine the character and ‘olde worlde charm’ of a 1930s single with enough roadgoing capability to exist in the 21st century. You don’t need one of the Godet 1300 engines with their mighty dollops of extra horsepower to discover this; a standard Rapide will do. The Vincent has stamina; it has just the right balance of capacity, power and heavy metal innards to pull a high gear and can sit happily at 80-plus on a motorway, with the addition of a passenger or luggage not affecting it. It’s the most relaxed old British bike I’ve found for motorway riding. In short, Vincents are pretty impressive for a 78-year-old design.

The other answer is the Vincent legend. Legend is an over-used word nowadays, applied to anything that’s just a bit better than the rest. True legend has to have a spark of magic about it – like that iconic image of Rollie Free, flat out at Bonneville in his Speedos, or Phil Vincent’s almost OCD insistence on making his personal idea of a perfect motorcycle, irrespective of how much it cost, his blind faith in other motorcyclists knowing a good thing when they see it as his guide and to hell with the accountants. I’d want it to be like that if I made a bike – you’d probably be the same. But the real magic here is that this ‘nutty professor’ character with his absurdly complicated solutions to technical problems nobody else had ever noticed – solutions that created problems of their own – somehow actually got it right in creating something that, while it never sold enough to sustain his company, was a born classic that’s still great to ride all these decades later. I’d say that deserves a better – sorry Phil, let’s say ‘more modern’ – chassis and brakes, so it can still hold its own on today’s roads.

What about me – would I part-ex my Norvin for the Egli? No, I’m afraid not. The Egli is the better bike, but I live in the past and I find mixing modern and old too jarring. I dreamed of owning a Norvin at the age of 16, and having brought my dream alive I’m not after an upgrade. But admittedly, riding the Egli has reminded me I must look out for a twin-leading-shoe front brake for it...

The passing of passionate Vincent specialist Patrick Godet in November 2018 created a hiatus in new Egli production. In 1970s England, Slater Brothers had frames made by Cheney under licence from Egli and in more recent years John Mossey Restorations bult replicas – but it was Patrick Godet in France who received Fritz Egli’s blessing to take over manufacture of the ‘Egli Vincent’ he created. Godet further developed the concept with new 1330cc engines of improved build quality and performance. Godet’s company survives him, but in the years since his loss, the classic world has gone through big changes.

“I don’t think anyone is making new frames at present,” says Steve at Vincent specialists Conway Motors. “But there are still plenty around. We can build Eglis for customers, but I think the last Godet Eglis were something like £46,000 with a two-year waiting list – and, now that Vincent prices have stopped spiralling, few customers want to wait two years when they can pick one up secondhand with virtually no miles on it for a lot less.

“If someone supplies the chassis, we can build a completely new engine from parts for around £26,000, depending on specification. Obviously, if you supply some of the parts yourself it will be less – but again, be careful. There’s ‘basket case’ engines and bits around that are basically just rejects from a rebuild –and you won’t save anything by supplying us with scrap crankcases, heads or cranks!

“The really crazy thing about it is that the obsession with ‘original’ bikes means that you could probably pick up a non-matching Rapide for about the same price as a new engine and just take the motor out of that, selling the chassis on as parts! I understand ‘matching numbers’ on bikes where specifications varied, but Vincent parts hardly changed at all. Numbering both halves of the frame was probably the worst thing Vincent ever did – without that, nobody would know or care!”

#### **  
SPECIFICATION - 1950 EGLI-TYPE VINCENT RAPIDE** {#block-7bf5171e-971c-4188-8838-b37aade8422f}

**ENGINE/TRANSMISSION** {#block-61b14922-ced8-4b5d-9d89-33fc44e2dab3}

**CHASSIS** {#block-4790962f-936e-4f72-bd26-cdce3c3e3f1f}

**DIMENSIONS** {#block-6b2cfacb-95de-4017-af40-bb59a6886790}

**PERFORMANCE** {#block-dc0a9230-bbe8-477e-ac06-5455ec2fe354}

#### :a[Head into stores to grab your latest issue, or why not subscribe to Classic Bike and never miss an issue! Right now you can enjoy 6 issues for just £19.99 with our festive offer - what are you waiting for?]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=article_egli-vincent' }

One of Britain’s most celebrated and historic motorcycling roads is threatened with closure due to a dispute over who should pay for repairs.

The Snake Pass, which weaves across the Derbyshire Peak District between Glossop and the Ladybower Reservoir, needs significant construction work due to landslides caused by recent heavy rain. Derbyshire County Council says using its road budget to fix the Pass would divert too much cash from other routes. It wants a £4m “landslip fund” from the Government to cover the reconstruction costs. The council highways director says a full closure is possible if the road cannot be made safe, and: “If there was a major landslip it would be beyond what we can do”. It will be temporarily closed from October 14-25 for further assessment.

#### :a[Head into stores to grab your latest issue, or why not subscribe to Classic Bike and never miss an issue! Right now you can enjoy 6 issues for just £19.99 with our festive offer - what are you waiting for?]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=article_snake_pass_threat' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'}

The October issue of Classic Bike looks at how Honda became the world’s biggest bike manufacturer, and it was a real privilege to talk with someone who actually knew company founder Soichiro Honda – and was closely involved in the amazing, ill-fated NR500 project.   
There is lots of other great stuff in this issue too, like the story of John Docherty restoring a 1939 Triumph Speed Twin that he’s had in bits for 40 years, and Bruce Dunn’s extraordinary obsession with the Yamaha TZ250 that means he’s amassed a vast collection of worn pistons. Alan Seeley’s Harris Suzuki project has made a big leap forward this month, with the frame and chassis finally being reunited. Plus, Rick Parkington has ridden a Kawasaki Z1.   
We’ve been speaking with Classic Bike readers a lot recently, and as a result of those conversations we’re making changes to the magazine from the next issue, with more workshop content. So enjoy this issue – but don’t miss next month’s either.

#### The October issue of Classic Bike is out now at all good newsagents, or why not :a[subscribe today and never miss an issue!]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=newissue_clb' }

## **:a[Browse our subscriptions]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=newissue_clb' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'}**

#### **Steve Tonkin won the Junior TT in 1981, but this year he’s back on the Isle of Man with a freshly built Metisse-framed Gold Star**

Words: MARK GRAHAM Photography: DAVE COLLISTER & BAUER AUTOMOTIVE

Of all the tracks in all the places in all the world, the Isle Of Man Mountain Course is the one worth knowing best. Steve Tonkin (74) still has intimate recall. “I could lay in bed and go round the whole course in my head after I’d ridden there afew times,” he says. “After three years I knew where I was and what came next.”

British 250 Champion for three years running between 1981 and 1983, Junior TT winner in 1981 on an Armstrong 250, and regular TT podium-finisher and serial top-six man between 1977 and 1983, Tonks has returned to The Island for a holiday. On a TZ350 at “It’s been 10 years since I was last here,” he says. “I had a house to build that took four years, and I prefer doing things to watching other people do stuff.” Despite living temptingly close to Mona’s Isle (near Morecambe) he’s so far been too busy building and restoring bikes to make the crossing.

This year is different. “Gerry Rowley, who works with Tri-Spark in Adelaide \[Australia\] is coming over – he’s riding a T140 Métisse I built and I’m on my Gold Star Métisse,” says Tonkin of his long-awaited and now fully-fledged IoM holiday plan.

Much has changed since Tonkin’s heyday, but the fundamentals of a 37.73-mile lap remain the same. Like most top riders, he enjoys some sections more than others, but treats every inch of tarmac with the utmost respect. “On the whole, I preferred riding from the start to Ramsey. It was more involving, busier than The Mountain,” he says. “Don’t get me wrong, The Mountain section took some doing too, but it was less frantic. Having said that, never try and remove a visor tear-off up there. I did it once and nearly put the bike in the fence. You’re travelling that fast, but it may not seem like it.

“I used to get cracking right away. Not quite flat out, because the tyres weren’t up to temperature until Union Mills. Governor’s Bridge and Braddan you’d be steady through. But Braddan had me twice. I was leading the Senior one year on an RG500 Suzuki and the first lap was dry, but there was a ‘mist on The Mountain’ warning. I came into Braddan on lap two and it was wet – you couldn’t tell, there really should have been boards out – and the front went. There’s a big tree on the right and the bike hit it, so that was that. Then I had a gearbox seize on an F2 600 Honda. I was OK both times.

#### To read more, head into stores and grab the latest issue of Classic Bike, or why not :a[subscribe today and never miss an issue]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=article_tonkin’s_TT_tales' }

## **Choose from one of three options and read Classic Bike in a way that suits you** {#h-choose-from-one-of-three-options-and-read-classic-bike-in-a-way-that-suits-you}

Classic Bike Magazine is your perfect guide for fixing and enhancing the bikes resting in your garage with our practical workshop tips to help keep your bike running sweetly. We’ll also bring you insightful buying advice every month to help you make great buys and you can read great tales from motorcycling’s heroic past as well as reader restorations and rebuilds. Enjoy all this and more every month with Classic Bike.

Make sure you never miss an issue by taking out a subscription. Choose the best plan below to suit you:

## :a[Digital subscription]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=promo_subsarticle_digital' }

## :a[Print + subscription]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=promo_subsarticle_print+' }

A Print + subscription combines the best of both - you'll get:

## **:a[Choose between a range of subscription plans here]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=promo_subsarticle' }** {#h-choose-between-a-range-of-subscription-plans-here}

#### **Norton’s overhead cam singles are legendary TT racers, but Peter Lodge chose to develop the company’s plodding ES2 ohv roadster – and he’ll be shipping it from New Zealand again to compete in this year’s Manx GP**

Words: Mark Graham Photography: Dave Kneen & Stephen Davison/Pacemaker Press, Lloyd Capon & Peter Lodge

Underdog status is not something Peter Lodge celebrates, not something that he revels in. “I’m just an engineer, more of a fitter really,” he says. “But we’ve got this ES2 to a stage where I wouldn’t want to swap it for aManx – I just wouldn’t.”

Of all the unlikely start points for a serial winning classic single-cylinder race machine, Norton’s pushrod ES2 might seem as left-field as they come. How could a massively undersquare (79 x 100mm bore and stroke) 490cc plodder producing a stock absolute best of 30bhp at 5500rpm become the scourge of pure-bred overhead cam racing singles?

The answers lie in an appreciation, and great affection, for the original product, a long and inventive development path – and the understanding that if a machine is inviting to push hard in a race, it will attract good riders and achieve results with those riders aboard.

Lodge is a 76-year-old Kiwi from Auckland’s North Harbour who began his riding on an 350 Ariel Red Hunter well before buying a Norton ES2 basket case. “I built it up as café racer for getting to work when I was an apprentice fitter,” he says. “It was a bloody good bike to ride. I had a Bonnie and all the usual stuff later, but early on all we could afford were the older machines.”

Soon enough, Peter began racing. “My first race was at Gisborne \[in the east of the North Island\], he says. “I took all the lights off, the bike went well, got placed in a couple of races, and then I turned it into a fully-fledged race bike. It was still on the standard cylinder dimensions, but I welded a new inlet tract onto the head for a big carb... and then all the other mods began in earnest.”

The New Zealand Clubman’s Class does not allow wholesale transformations of machinery. “You have to run most of the stuff the bike came from the factory with,” says Peter. “No big brakes or anything like that, but I fitted some cams, a high-comp piston – and with the long stroke it was still a very user-friendly motorcycle for someone who can’t really race a motorbike.” The Clubman’s ES2’s dominated the class for years.

In much the same way as top Grand Prix crew chief Jerry Burgess, who realised he was far better at building fast and reliable Suzuki RG500s than he was at riding them, Peter soon concentrated on further developing the ES2. “I put together a methanol bike for the Modified Class which was too fast for me, so I recruited younger riders and we won some Aussie Historic titles prior to the 2000s on the longstroke version” he says.

#### To read more, head into stores and grab the latest issue of Classic Bike, or why not :a[subscribe today and never miss an issue]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=article_a_match_for_a_manx' }

#### **One of Britain’s most jovial and prolific motorcycle journalists explains how always saying yes took him from being _MCN’s_ amateur stuntman to owning 30 bikes**

Interview: JOHN WESTLAKE Photography: BRIAN CRICHTON ARCHIVE, JOHN WESTLAKE

Few motorcycle careers contain as many scrapes as Brian Crichton’s. The former editor of _Classic Bike_ has fallen off the top of a White Helmets display team pyramid, suffered a 130mph tank slapper on the M1, been stopped by police while lapping Snetterton, had his leg broken during an endurance race before he even got on his bike and once inadvertently bought three MZs.

Wiping away tears of laughter after yet another anecdote, I put it to Brian that most of his adventures stem from an inability to say no. “I think you’re right,” he says, grinning. “A lot of my career has been based around saying yes. Especially in my early days working for _Motorcycle News_ – I said yes to everything. For example, the first competition bike I rode was when Mike Nicks \[former _MCN_ editor and _CB_ editor\] asked if I wanted to report on a sprint. I said yes – then asked what a sprint was. I went to the event and one of the riders was Denis Jenkinson \[famously Stirling Moss’s navigator when he won the Mille Miglia\], who offered me a go on his Triumph twin special, which was really fast. I said yes, obviously, despite not having a clue what I was doing. I could see this airfield going into the distance, so that’s where I rode. I didn’t know you were meant to stop after a quarter of a mile. I got to the end of the runway and thought I’d better turn back. Denis must have thought I’d stolen it.”

It was a similar story of hope over experience with the Royal Signals White Helmets display team, again during his days on _MCN_ (where one suspects the management rather took advantage of Brian’s enthusiasm for, well, everything). “I agreed to ride in their pyramid, so I clambered up the backs of the riders and got to the top. Thankfully I was a lot lighter back then, so it wasn’t too arduous for the boys underneath. It wasn’t the full pyramid you see in public displays, but it was still quite high.

“The lead rider had told me that he’d say: ‘Steady, steady, stop’ and on the first ‘steady’, I had to jump back to land behind the bikes. On the second ‘steady’, the next rank would jump back, and on ‘stop’ the bikes would come to a halt and the final layer would jump off. I thought: ‘Well, within a few minutes I shall be on my way to hospital’.

“The problem was that I thought he’d say: ‘Steady... steady... stop’ slowly, but he rushed so I wasn’t ready. The whole pyramid collapsed underneath me before I jumped, and I tumbled down on everyone else. The lads broke my fall, so I got away with that one. I had a fantastic time on _MCN._ It was like a chimpanzees’ tea party.” Brian was also saying yes to testing road bikes, though here he was on safer ground because he’d been riding ever since he’d had a go on a mate’s BSA Bantam, aged 16. “From that moment it’s been bikes ever since,” he says between mouthfuls of burger at his local. As soon as he saved up, he bought a 75cc Bianchi Gardena two-stroke, then a 250 BSA C11G, then an ES2 Norton with double adult sidecar for £15. By the time he joined _MCN_ in 1971, aged 22, he had a BSA A7 Shooting Star chopper which he’d ridden to the south of France. “Because I was young and keen, they’d say:

‘Will you report on this motocross race in the west country, and while you’re at it, ride this Benelli Six down and do a test report?’ So off I went. The Benelli was very smooth, but it was heavy and if you went flat out – which I always tried to – the handling wasn’t up to much. You had to be careful with it.

#### To read more, head into stores and grab the latest issue of Classic Bike, or why not :a[subscribe today and never miss an issue]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=article_Brian_Crichton' }

#### Retro models that revive old names are often more refined, but lack the charm and energy of the original model. Is it a trap Gilera’s late ’80s namesake of its ’50s single falls into?

Words: RICK PARKINGTON Photography: GARY MARGERUM

Mention Gilera to me and my first thought is of Norton’s desperate efforts to spur their ancient cammy singles ahead of the smooth Italian fours. After that? There’s the Saturno, their purposeful-looking 1940s/50s 500 single hailed in its day as ‘the Italian BSA Gold Star’... but Isomehow missed Gilera’s Nuovo Saturno when it came out in 1988.

Seeing it for the first time today, it’s hard to believe this is a 34-year-old bike. The Gilera’s timelessly classic-influenced styling, enhanced by a striking black and gold limited edition ‘anniversary’ paint job makes it difficult to age – the stylish Marvic wheels, the white clocks, the neat frame and rear suspension, and even the upswept exhaust haven’t dated like others from that era of colourful full-cover bodywork and in-yer-face graphics.

The most amazing thing is how small it is for a 500. I’m more carthorse than Italian stallion, but even without me in the picture you could easily mistake it for a 125. It could almost pass for modern (to my eyes at least) and if the spindly forks give it away they still suit the Gilera’s lightweight looks. That’s the other thing – it’s like a short-circuit racer, pared down to basics – even down to the exposed battery – yet it has mirrors, indicators and an electric start.

It’s best described as a ‘supermono’ – a name made famous by Ducati, but essentially a revival of the lightweight sports single, partly inspired by the Sound of the Singles race series. On the road, it’s pure café racer – and there’s no need to live near a ‘best biking road’ to start enjoying it. Café racing evolved to make the most of whatever ‘track’ was available, scratching round local lanes or even a city in carefree defiance of responsible riding, and the Gilera’s perky motor and low weight make it ideal for that kind of spontaneous fun.

Leaving town, I filtered to the front at a red traffic light. Having jumped the queue, I like to make a smart getaway – but laughed aloud when the Saturno popped its front wheel in the air! This ‘chase me, chase me!’ attitude is what makes the Gilera so endearing. There’s not much room between tank and seat hump, the clip-on bars are a stretch and the pegs are high, so once aboard you get that same feeling of commitment and expectation that comes from being strapped into a rollercoaster seat – but in no way is this an intimidating bike to ride. There’s no drama getting moving; while first gear engagement is a bit noisy the Gilera pulls smoothly away. The low weight prevents the fairly extreme riding positon from feeling ungainly and once you get going it enhances the experience.

#### To read more, head into stores and grab the latest issue of Classic Bike, or why not :a[subscribe today and get 3 issues for just £5]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=article_radical_rocket' } in our summer sale, but hurry offer ends 31st August!

#### Celebrating its 50th birthday this year, Suzuki’s RG500 is the greatest GP bike ever (probably). The squarefour stroker’s domination of the sport led to 11 world titles and world fame for a certain Mr Sheene

Words: MAT OXLEY Photography: BAUER AUTOMOTIVE

Barry Sheene and Suzuki’s RG500 Grand Prix bike go together like fish and chips. Man and machine were mutually beneficial – Sheene probably wouldn’t have won his two 500cc world championships without the RG500, but would the square-four two-stroke have been as good as it was without Sheene’s input?

When Sheene won his second 500cc title in 1977, all but three of the top 29 points scorers rode RGs – and when ‘King’ Kenny Roberts took the crown in 1978, the American was one of only five riders in the top 29 who didn’t ride an RG. In other words, Suzuki’s creation democratised the premier class like no other motorcycle before or since. The RG also won the fastest GP in history – a race average of 217.370kmh (135.067mph) average at Spa-Francorchamps, with Sheene in 1977 – and achieved the final truly privateer victory with Dutchman Jack Middleburg’s defeat of Roberts at Silverstone in 1981.

Suzuki two-strokes had already won the 50cc, 125cc and Formula 750 championship when factory bosses decided to fight for the prize that would really put the Hamamatsu brand in the headlines and hopefully sell more of their two-stroke road bikes. The company already had a 500 Grand Prix bike, but the XR11 was powered by a tuned GT500 street engine, so it was never going to challenge for global glory. Instead, Suzuki entered the XR11 in the 1973 500cc world championship as a rolling surveillance operation, gathering information on the dominant MV Agusta fourstroke and Yamaha’s first 500cc GP machine, the fourcylinder 0W20 two-stroke, which had arrived in Europe at the start of that season.

Back in Japan, chief engineer Makoto Hase went to work on the company’s second square-four GP bike, making sure not to repeat the mistakes made with the RZ63 square-four 250, which raced in the 1960s and never came close to winning a GP. Whereas the RZ63 was basically two 125cc parallel twins geared together, the RG was four 125 singles geared together. This had various advantages. For example, 1970s two-strokes were fickle things, liable to detonate or seize at any time, so keeping each cylinder separate prevented damage to one cylinder from infecting the others.

Sheene was involved in the RG – the first iterations were designated XR14 – from the start. Just weeks after the very first RG was bumped into life at Suzuki’s Ryuyo test track in the autumn of 1973, Sheene was on a plane to Japan to test the bike. First time out he broke the Ryuyo lap record by 1.5 seconds. Despite his speed, Sheene wasn’t that impressed by the protype: “The first RG I rode at the end of ’73 started at nine grand. Below that, there was nothing – and when I say nothing, I mean nothing,” Sheene told me many years ago. “To get it out of the paddock you had to scream it at 10,000rpm or it wouldn’t even clear – and it stopped at ten-five, so once you’d got it clear at nine-five, you had 1000rpm to play with. I told them it was a waste of time unless they spread the powerband.”

Suzuki shipped its first RGs to Europe in time for the 1974 season-opening French GP, where the bike encountered its rivals for the first time: the MV, ridden by Phil Read, and the 0W20, ridden by Giacomo Agostini, who had recently defected from MV. Both machines made around one hundred horsepower, so this was GP racing’s crossover point between four-stroke and two-stroke. Ultimately there would only be one winner, but the French GP flattered to deceive. Sheene finished second, between winner Read and his MV team-mate Gianfranco Bonera.

A few weeks later, at Austria’s daunting Salzburgring, he was lapped by both Agostini and Bonera. The RG certainly wasn’t ready to rock straight out of the box. “Foolishly Barry, looking very young, with the original G-54 version of the bike, looking very spindly. The open cradle chassis had no lower chassis rails in a bid to reduce weight, but it was soon replaced by a conventional double-cradle design enough I told Suzuki I’d go to Japan at the end of ’74 and stay there until the engine was right,” Sheene added. “I was there for five weeks, the biggest jail sentence I’ve ever served in my life; a nightmare, but the bike came good.”

> ‘The first RG I rode at the end of ’73 started at nine grand. Below that there was nothing – and when I say nothing, I mean nothing’

Of course, the RG wasn’t entirely a Japanese creation, because Suzuki’s two-stroke knowhow was the product of skullduggery. In the early 1960s the only company making fast two-strokes was East German brand MZ. Suzuki decided to accelerate its learning curve via industrial espionage.

It paid MZ’s number-one rider Ernst Degner to defect from East to West and bring MZ’s secrets with him.

The RG was basically four MZ 125 rotary-valve singles in a square format. The only real difference was its bore and stroke: 56 x 50.5mm, instead of 54 x 54. And that only lasted until 1976 when Hase switched to 54 x 54, the longer stroke allowing bigger ports. Using rotary-valve induction gave the RG a significant advantage. Yamaha’s 0W20 used basic piston-porting, which handicaps performance by restricting the engine to symmetrical valve timing. Rotary valves allow inlet tracts to open and close at the ideal time, for a better blend of peak power and midrange.

#### To read more, head into stores and grab the latest issue of Classic Bike, or why not :a[subscribe today and get 3 issues for just £5!]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=article_fair_and_square' } But hurry, offer ends 31st August!

The cover of Classic Bike’s September issue shows an in-your-face image of Barry Sheene on the bike that took him to two top-flight world championships in the 1970s – the Suzuki RG500. Inside, there’s an analysis of this glamorous double act by top GP writer Mat Oxley, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the bike’s earth-shattering arrival.

You’ll also find a 500cc Norton single that’s been causing a stir on the Isle of Man – but it’s not a Manx. Plus there’s the tale of how Laverda’s 75th birthday party took over a whole Italian town, as well as the return of the project Harris Magnum with a complete rebuild of its Suzuki GSX1100 engine. So no shortage of stories to keep you entertained as you enjoy the summer sun.

The September issue of Classic Bike is out now at all good newsagents, or why not :a[subscribe today and make the most of our summer offer with 3 issues for just £5!]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/classic-bike-magazine?utm_source=classicbike.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_classicbike&amp;utm_content=newissue_clb' } But hurry, offer ends 31st August!

Latest on Classic Bike

Latest Magazine

Latest Features