I have a few more pictures from Popham, there are always some nice bikes both in the show area, and in the carpark…
I quite fancied this 1969 T120 project, but is it right?
Triumph T120?
Nice old Guzzi in the car park.
Moto Guzzi V7 750 Special
Trident Cafe Racer.
Tripple Power
Cafe Triton
Wonderful Norton.
Nearly perfect Norton
Nice Yamaha in the car park.
Yamaha XS
BSA? SR400 special.
BSA Special
I saw this cool Tribsa on Instagram, I don’t know who’s bike or any other details, but what a cool bike…
TriBsa
If it is your bike, or you know who owns it please let me know…
Velocette Day…
My local branch of the Velo club always put on a good open day, and this year was no exception. It was a perfect English summer day, following on from what was the fiercest thunder storm I can remember overnight. It was like a war zone here in Berkshire, I have truely never heard thunder so loud and for so long, and that was followed by monsoon style rain, amazing stuff.
But today was fine, the air was clear, the humidity had gone, and England was the green and pleasant land we all know and love. So I called up a couple of friends from the Triumph club, and we hit the lanes, crossed the Thames, hit some more lanes, and headed for the Cherry Tree, a lovely little country pub, and today it was playing host to the Thames Valley Velocette Owners club…
I like the Velocette owners club, they are happy to see you turn up, no matter what you ride, they just appreciate the fact that you bother to come and support them. Other clubs could learn from this openess,and hospitality, in these days of diminishing membership numbers.
A great day out. well done all concerned.
Now don’t forget when looking at the pictures that every bike you see, was ridden to the pub, to trailer queens here, no way, no sir. Ride the things, that is what they were built for.
Norton with Brooklands Can
Velocette
Classic Class
Velocette’s in the Garden
If you would like to see some more from the day out, then follow this link to a slideshow of the rest of the pictures I took…
I just had this in from Eric…
Press Release
Ace Cafe London’s special guest on Sunday 20th July (70’s Bike Day!) is Eric Patterson, showcasing and firing up his unique and very special, modified 1000cc V-twin, Vincent powered motorcycle, prior to departing for the USA and the 2014 Bonneville Speed Trials!
Eric, organiser of the popular and ever so useful bike jumbles held regularly throughout the year at Kempton Park, is the holder of a number of Bonneville Speed Trial records, with machines to include his own JAP V-twin powered Norton “featherbed” framed special and Brough Superior’s, this year Eric is going for the following four 1000cc classes with his Viscount.
Modified Pushrod “Fuel” – record at 140.76mph
Modified Vintage – Partial Streamlined, gasoline – record at 123.25mph
Modified Pre 1979 “Fuel” Class
Modified Pre 1979 Partial Streamlined Class
The “Salt” going “Viscount” motorcycle, originally built by Peter Darvill, is number one of only ten ever made, and consists of a 1951 V-twin Vincent engine in a Norton “Manx” rolling chassis, with magnesium “Manx” wheels – its provenance includes racing at the Isle of Man TT in 1956!
Special modifications and preparations to the bike, for racing at Bonneville, range from work on the engine, with pistons going up from 9.1 to 12.1 compression, camshafts and a BTH four plug system to fire it up. Special exhausts, clutch, belt drive and re-worked manifolds to take a pair of “Gardiner” carburettors, with Hagon supplying the suspension and the specially built alloy rims, all topped off with fuel and oil tanks in aluminium and clip-on bars!
See it, hear it and taste the salt!
Viscount Norvin
So yesterday (Saturday) was a Kempton Jumble, held at Kempton park racecourse at the top end of the M3. but unlike most Kempton jumbles it rained, boy did it rain, but not all day, and although we were all a little damp, our spirits were high as we mooched about the place…
If you fancy going to one of these events, maybe to buy something or you have stuff to sell, then here is a link to the calendar of events…
http://www.egp-enterprises.co.uk/calendar.html
See, I told you it was wet..
Wet Saturday
Norton Parts
If you have some old Norton parts like these lying around in your shed at home, I would love to hear from you, as I am still trying to find parts for my Norton project…
Three in a Bed
The art of the Cafe Racer
Well after a day spent rebuilding my Guzzi Ambassador chasing the oil leak that has plagued me from day one, and finding more than I bargained for when I opened it all up as you can see below…
cause of oil leak on left hand cylinder…
Blown head gasket
And signs of problems on right hand cylinder…
Damaged bore
So I pulled it all apart and fitted new Gilardoni kits, and had it all buttoned up and running yesterday, so today I thought I would give it a ride out to my local MAG ( motorcycle action group) show, on a bitterly freezing cold Easter Sunday… BRrrrrrrr!
Honda CB250 Cafe
Harley Panhead Bobber
After a fun but cold day it was soon time to head for home, the Guzzi ran pretty good, just a little popping from the exhaust to sort out, but overall I am happy
with how it ran, and to top off a fun weekend, my bike won “Best European” in the show too.
More pictures here…. http://kevindean.zenfolio.com/p384160536/slideshow
Best European Winner.
I love to see what friends have been up to over the winter months, fettling away in the garage, sweating, cursing, spilling blood, just so they can ride something new or old for the coming summer. Well today was one of those days, I took some pictures a while back of this Manx/Inter engine on the bench..
Norton Cafe Racer
There it was all in bits, being worked on, and now here it is all complete, and on the road, and it sounds awesome. Sure it has a few small leaks, the odd screw loose or missing, but these shake down runs will sort all those little niggles out. And who wouldn’t like this in the garage.
Cafe Racer
Norton Inter/Manx
Just a cool bike, well built.
Back in the 60’s, someone had the idea of wedging a Vincent Shadow engine into a modified Norton wideline frame, and calling it a Viscount, here is a picture from the time…
Viscount Cafe Racer
Today, I was fortunate enough to see the very same bike out on the road, and managed to get some pictures of the beast. Truely a facinating, and historic motorcycle.
Cafe Racers
Viscount Norvin
As you can see it still carries the same registration number, as it had back in the 60’s.
Spirit of the 60’s
So there it was ringing in my head, the Monday morning alarm, telling me it was time to get up for work, but oh no!, this time it was wrong, you see it is a bank holiday over here. One of those odd bank holidays they throw in every now and then, normally on an overcast, dank and miserable day, and this one was no different. Well when I say no different, I mean weather wise of course, but the day itself was special, for it was the Fleet Lions Charity ride day, held, would you believe in well, Fleet.
So up and cleaned, the coffee was calling, but then so was my bike, not one of those old leaky, rusty, brit bikes, but a good solid leak free Japanese bike, my 1974 Kawasaki Z1b to be exact. So off to my lock up, open the door, keys in, fuel on, choke, and we are away for a coffee at the Gorge Cafe, one of Reading’s oldest cafe’s, and where I had arranged to meet a few friends for the ride over to fleet, but only after we had demolished a full english first.
Monday Morning Z1b
The ride over to Fleet was in itself an uneventful ride, but the weather was doing its best to annoy everybody, rain blowing in the wind, and a heavy grey sky, but hell we were having fun, and the bikes were all running great, and what an odd assortment we were, Two Harley’s, a Pan and a Shovel, an Ariel rigid twinport, a Thunderbolt, an AJS 500 single, and my Z1b.
Boston Police Panhead
And so we come to the end of another Lions club Rally, a great day spent with like-minded people, and always good to catch up with a few old friends. And so I leave you with my bestest bike of the day, what a great looking little bike, I would have loved to take it home..
Honda
I have decided to have a little clear out of parts from my garage, I am drowning under obscure bits and pieces of various motorcycles. Two of the parts I am putting up on eBay, are some rear sets, that I have collected over time, one set, a rare Menani racing set for the Kawasaki Z1-r, the other is an old cafe race set by Eddie Dow, the custom cafe racer parts maker from back in the day.
Kawasaki Menani Rear sets
I must look through my pictures, as I am sure I have some other Eddie Dow stuff recorded there somewhere.
Eddie Dow, Norton Rear Sets.
Backstreet Thunder 