LES HARRIS

Les Harris, the 'bridge' between the old Meriden Triumph factory and the new John Bloor models, died last week. From the South Devon Herald Express:

A MOTORCYCLE display team will sound a throttle roar in memory of a Torquay businessman who resurrected the Triumph Bonneville motorbike and met Margaret Thatcher.
Les Harris, 69 and from Torquay, died at Torbay Hospital on February 17 from a progressive lung condition, which he suffered from for more than 10 years.
Mr Harris leaves behind his wife Shirley, his children Carole, Debbie, Angela and Chris, and 10 grandchildren.
Mrs Harris said: "Les was a decent, very hardworking man, with an all-encompassing passion for work, life and his family. He had a mischievous sense of humour and an irreverent intolerance for snobbishness. He also had a dress sense all of his own. Les has left behind a great legacy in our children and grandchildren and our lives have been immensely enriched by his larger than life character and absolute unconditional love for us all."

A motorcycle enthusiast, Mr Harris set up his own business in 1974 manufacturing and selling spare parts for classic motorcycles. As British motorcycle firms Norton Motors, BSA Small Heath and later Triumph collapsed, Mr Harris would pay for and store parts to be delivered straight to customers. As the parts stocked up, L F Harris International Ltd started trading out of a warehouse in Newton Abbot before acquiring an engineering company in Leighton Buzzard and opening a retail shop in Paignton.

Mrs Harris said: "With the demise of the Triumph motorcycle factory in Meriden, Les and I made a bid for the rights to the Triumph name in 1983. Unfortunately we were unsuccessful in this; however, we were offered the opportunity to licence the name for five years [by John Bloor, current owner of the Triumph name] and so an incredible journey began with the move to a bigger factory and warehouse."
Press coverage of their venture was global and resulted in an invitation to Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. In 1987 the Harris' were visited by the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
"Les was so proud of these visits. For years he has been hailed as the saviour of the traditional classic Triumph motorcycle all over the world. He loved this time, making many new friends as he dealt with customers around the globe," Mrs Harris said.
In 1988 the couple decided not to re-licence and Les began to design his own motorcycle, producing The Matchless G80. The production of the motorcycle ceased after 1990 in the midst of the recession and the business returned solely to the production of spare parts for classic motorcycles. The family-run company now trades from Pavor Road in Torquay.
At his funeral this Saturday, six soldiers from the Royal Corps of Signals White Helmets Motorcycle Display Team will carry the coffin and provide a 'throttle roar' as Mr Harris enters and leaves the church.
Mrs Harris explained: "Les was not in the White Helmets, but our company built their bikes and donates motorcycle spare parts to them."

CHARLES SGONINA, PART 2: RACING RICARDOS

Readers of George Cohen's 'Flat Tank Norton' have already heard the story of the 'Sgonina Special', but Charles Sgonina had more than one ace up his sleeve, and was a talented rider as well as a development engineer. By the age of 22 he had accumulated over 50 race wins, and was third in the French Grand Prix .

In 1921, Charlie snagged a Works ride for Triumph at the Isle of Man TT, on their new 4-Valve 'Ricardo'-engined machines. Sir Harry Ricardo was a pioneer in scientific engine development, and created the four-valve layout to reduce thermal stress on the inadequate valve materials available, while improving airflow through increased valve area (see pic above, at the TT).

During practice Charlie learned that Scientific Development didn't necessarily equal the fastest bike; the new Triumph was too slow for a decent placing. Another lesson learned before the race was to keep his eyes on the road; waving friends distracted him momentarily at one point, and he found himself riding on the sidewalk! He gained the nickname of 'Pavement Artist' in the bike rags, also being described as "a Welshman with an Italian name, a sunny smile, and a mop of fair hair."
Sgonina was the third rider flagged away at the Senior TT, a minute behind Howard R. Davies, riding his A.J.S. 'Big Port', which shortly achieved immortality as the only 350cc machine to win that 500cc event. Charlie reckoned on keeping H.R.D. in sight to keep up his placing; at the end of the first lap he was in 7th place, but halfway through lap 2 the 'Riccy' (see an example bovve) dropped a valve.

Next race was the French G.P., where he placed 3rd, at an average of 56.96mph. Bill Phelps, in the VMCC Newsletter, relates; "unlike the TT, in France you could practice any old time and they had great fun going flat out through a bunch of chickens - but French chickens know how to look after themselves. One incident Charlie recalls is going around with Freddie Edmunds who was one of the Triumph team. They were riding abreast at about 70mph when they saw a cloud of dust ahead; about halfway through it Charlie noticed a steam roller, and wondering what happened to Freddie, pulled up. Freddie also pulled up and said 'that was a close one; I heard my clutch lever go click against the back wheel of the roller!' (pic below; Sgonina is far left, with the '21 Triumph TT team).
During the race, Charlie was bothered by salt on the road, used to keep dust down, which gave him a sore throat. As he finished on the winner's rostrum, he was able to gargle with a bit of champagne. His mechanic stripped the engine for post-race measurement, but as much more champagne was available, he was unable to reassemble it!

In the Belgian Grand Prix (at Spa-Francorchamps) 'that valve' reasserted itself, and tire trouble too. So it was back to England and Brooklands, where he had never raced previously. During his first event, he was following Freddie Dixon, who burst a tire at 80mph and rolled endlessly, shedding clothing. Charlie thought it would be a long time before Dixon raced again, but Freddie was tough, and jumped back in the race.
At Brooklands, Sgonina hung around a few days to test fettle his Triumph in peace, but found more trouble, and left the bike with Frank Halford to sort out before the Catsash Hill Climb. Halford worked closely with Harry Ricardo and helped develop a bronze 4-valve cylinder head for his Triumph. Charlie was confident he might gain best solo and sidecar times, given such expert tuning, at Catsash. Race day dawned wet though, and the road turned muddy, so Sgonina used sidecar gearing for his first solo run. George Dance (above) on his Sunbeam went first, then Charlie gave the Triumph some welly and went very quickly, spinning his back wheel on the slick surface. At the finish line, the Triumph's brakes were useless on the muddy road, and he approached a T junction at 60mph; he tried to break right but laid the bike down on its footrest, slid into the hedge, and landed in a heap on top of the machine. George Dance was the first to render aid, commenting that HE had turned left and found a softer landing!

Although injured, Sgonina (above, again at the TT) attached a sidecar to his Triumph and made the Fastest Time of the Day on 3 wheels. George Dance stuck to his solo machine, went straight through the hedge, and ended up in the hospital.

When Sgonina returned the Triumph to Brooklands, Frank Halford again sorted the bike out, and promptly used it to break the One-Hour Record on the track, at 76.74mph!

Dance and Sgonina again squared off at Pendine Beach in Wales, a favorite spot for racing and speed work, being long and broad with a slow taper to the sea; a perfect racetrack, refreshed daily by the tides. Plus, Britain's ban on motor competition on public roads didn't apply to public beaches. In a One Mile sprint race, Dance made his customary 'hole shot' (being a past master of Sprint takeoffs) and leapt two feet, nine inches into the lead, which Charlie just managed to close within that mile. When they stopped, Dance congratulated Sgonina on a win, but he demurred, claiming Dance was yet 3 inches ahead... This was the fastest Charles Sgonina traveled in his bike racing career; Dance confirmed that his own Sprint Special would do 95mph 'any day of the week' (see Dance 'down to it' below).

As mentioned, Charlie gave up motorcycle racing shortly afterwards, but owned quite a few interesting cars, including a 1959 Aston Martin, a veteran of the LeMans 24 hours race, with which he would terrorize Welsh roads and tracks into his 60's...

Many thanks again to Bill Phelps for his images of Charles Sgonina, and for the use of his article which I've adapted here. The images of George Dance are from Robert Gordon Champ's definitive 'The Sunbeam Motorcycle' (Haynes, 1980).

THE LINE UP AT THE DOGFIGHT SALOON

Charlie Taylor forwarded this photo recently - I had seen it months ago and wondered how such an amazing lineup of machines came about. Here is his explanation:

"The 1947 B Rapide on the far left was my Vincent. Coburn Benson, New England Vincent guru, had advised me that I needed a "B".He was right. Mickey Mouse Antiques of Amherst MA sold it to me - cardboard boxes packed with rust and mouse nests. It became my daily rider for several years, and is the Vincent I wish I'd held onto.

The Norton '66 Atlas was Howie's, and he bought it in Panama after a stint in the Peace Corps in Nicaragua, and drove it all the way to Connecticut, developing what he called 'Norton arm' in the process. 'Norton arm' was akin to 'Vincent knee', which I sometimes had. The former was permanent, and the latter temporary. One night, when Howie was returning from doing the Eleven Step at the Nick, the quick detach wiring harness quickly detached when he hit a pot-hole, and he was plunged into total darkness. It was a dark and stormy night, but fortunately the ignition died too, and he didn't crash. There's a moral in this, but I don't know what it is. Howie sold it to Jocko, and he rode it for several years. Jocko actually paid me to work on this bike, and I did quite a lot to it. After Jocko's untimely demise (he is still greatly missed, as is Howie), I was involved in selling it to Peter Shallenberger (sp?), and I also sold Jocko's magnificently ratty Vincent to a lawyer in upstate New York. I rebuilt the Vincent, and it's in a museum somewhere. Peter didn't ride the Atlas much, making excuses like 'my lizard is inactive'. I lost track of it after that. Where are the Rats of Yesterday?

David the photographer [who took the photograph with a mahogany and brass glass plate camera] bought the '49 Norton International in '66 from Harold Perrault in Shelburne Falls Mass. He used it to commute to work at Mystic Seaport, and eventually Kenny Bean blew it up racing rednecks during a summer party at Dogfight. Rednecks didn't catch him, though. I traded David a Velocette scrambler for the Intersaur, rebuilt it, and rode it for many years, until I restored it and sold it to a collector in Maine. The yuppies were a'comin' in.

I worked on most of these bikes, except for the '60 BSA Goldstar, which was owned by Gold Star Kenny, who packed all his worldly goods on the back, and drove it from Georgia to take a job at the Guild Guitar factory in Westerly R.I. He kept it in razor tune, and it always (almost) started on the first kick which was a good thing, because he weighed about 120 lbs.

Ello's Triumph 3T was the hardest working bike of the lot. It was purchased either at Comerfords or Pride and Clarke in south London. Ello used it to commute to her town-planning job in R.I., and if remember correctly, it morphed into the 'bobber' 650 Thunderbird, which I brought back from London in '75, when we did a trade. The 350 then became Marian's bike when we lived in Tomales CA. She put a lot of miles on it, commuting to Dominican College in San Raphael, a 150-mile round trip. She also used it while working as a reporter for the Point Reyes Light, interviewing geezers about clever ways of doing in gophers etc. When we moved back to Stonington, it sat festering in the barn for several years. After charging the battery and draining the carb, it started right up. I remember the burning carcass of a mouse blowing out the left muffler, followed by its nest. Harsh. Marian rode it down the vineyard road and back, and said, no, I don't want to do this anymore, so we sold it to a lady dentist in Mystic.

The '66 Velocette Thruxton mostly lived in the Quonset hut over the bullshit pit, but was hauled out now and then and started for ceremonial occasions, like this one. I sold it to a couple of guys from up north. It started on the first kick and the sale was sealed.. God loves me.

In the background is the Mosquito Breeding Experiment, Old Blue the Dodge Dart station wagon, whose oil never needed to be changed because David kept ripping the pan out on the dirt road to Dogfight, and the Yellow Truck, a 24-volt Korean War military Dodge which was used for Dogfight dump runs.
But where are the Dogs? Maybe moving invisibly like Civil War soldiers in a Brady photograph.---"

CHARLES SGONINA, PART 1: THE 'SGONINA SPECIAL'

The name of Charles Sgonina languished in obscurity until fairly recently, when George Cohen included the amazing 'Sgonina Special' in his 'Flat Tank Norton' book. Created originally as a speed upgrade for his Norton 'Brooklands Road Special', Sgonina (born in 1901) eventually built a Double-Overhead-Camshaft conversion for the former sidevalve machine, and honed the motorcycle into a spindly and extremely purposeful tool, on par aesthetically with George Dance's sprinting Sunbeams, but with far more technical interest.

I recently asked Bill Phelps to fill me in on his old friend Charlie's story, and the following is edited from an article Bill wrote in a 1966 V.M.C.C. newsletter:

"Charlie is in the engineering trade in Cardiff; my first encounter with him was several years ago, when I required some work on my motor-cycle. He does not talk much about the Twenties, when he rode in many International events, and it was a few years after my first encounter with him that he did chat some on the Vintage era.

He bought his first motor-cycle in 1918; a belt-driven 4hp Triumph. His next machine was an Enfield, which gave him his first taste of chain drive. Next, at age 18, he purchased a secondhand 'B.R.S.' Norton (example above), belt-drive with a certificate that it had lapped Brooklands at 70mph. With this machine, Charlie entered the world of motorcycle competitions, and in 1919 he converted it to O.H.V., using a steel cylinder with detachable inlet and exhaust ports - this was three years before Norton introduced their own OHV machine. He raced the bike at Weston Speed Trials and won a few events, then at Pendine [beach], then at Style Kop, Birmingham - he raced Graham Walker in a Novice event, and managed to beat him; they formed a lasting friendship.

Even in the late Forties Charlie wrote articles for Graham, who was editor of Motorcycling.
However the engine of his Norton had a short life; the piston cracked around the gudgeon pin, then Bang! Only the camwheels were salvageable... But by now the Speed Bug had bitten, and Charlie managed in 1920 to persuade Norton to part with an actual T.T. frame and gearbox. His new engine wasn't as good as the first OHV, but with alterations it eventually get a move on, performing in quite a number of events with moderate success. (above, Sgonina on his OHV machine, with Dr. Lindsay and Jack Thomas on their sidevalve racers, 1920).

Charlie said, "About this time I started to alter valve timings and cam design and found out what a lot of study must be put in on this subject, as to make a cam that looks good is just silly. Anyone thinking of making new cams must first of all consider valve gear reciprocating weight, strength of valve springs permissible, and from this work out what kind of constant acceleration cam would be suitable. I always tried to fill the cylinder as full as possible at fairly high engine revs, and run on a compression ratio to suit the hottest plugs available which meant that I was running on a lower compression ratio than many and yet getting more power."

In 1922, after building his own frame, he added a chain-driven Overhead-Camshaft cylinder head, which caused a considerable stir (above); a number of drives were tried, as the chain thrash at certain revs was disconcerting. The best solution [remember, this is pre-Weller tensioner for chains] was to drive the magneto and camshaft on the same chain, but soon Sgonina switched to a vertical bevel gear drive, which cleaned up the appearance, solved the chain thrash, but did not increase speed.

There were plenty of troubles with pistons and and head joints, and a con-rod broke just below the gudgeon pin. There was little trouble with the valves though, using heat-treated Tungsten steel. He used a Petrol-Benzole fuel mix, and always rode his machines to events, but was not always lucky enough to ride them home!

He tried supercharging this engine but was disappointed, and after having a few fires the project was dropped. You can be assured that the flame coming from a blower will beat any brazing lamp!

In 1923, Charlie's last modification to this engine was a 90-degree inclined-valve Double Overhead Camshaft cylinder head - this was fully 14 years before Norton introduced their own DOHC motor. The Sgonina Special used bevel drive, a steel cylinder and silicone alloy die-cast piston. This was his first attempt at die-casting, and made at least six before making a really good one. The pattern for the cylinder head was quite a difficult piece of work and some beautiful castings were turned out. He was surprised at the strength of the valve springs required to prevent valve float, as only light thimbles were used between valves and cams to keep down reciprocating weight. This new engine was installed in a modified Sunbeam Sprint chassis.

This engine was never fully developed, but seemed to have great possibilities and even in this state was better than any of Charlie's previous efforts, being reliable and speedy and with slight alterations would have been ideal to run on alcohol fuel. It was road tested early one morning down Allensbank road in Cardiff and clocked 86mph.

Unfortunately he broke his arm practising on a grass track - with this, and the ban on motor racing on public roads, and the trade depression, Charlie had no encouragement to continue, but once the speed bug bites, you never seem to give it up, and he began to race on four wheels.."

Many thanks to Bill Phelps for the article, and George Cohen for the use of the images from his excellent 'Flat Tank Norton', which you can order here.

THE RACE IN SPAIN IS MAINLY ON THE PLAIN

Dave sent this photo today, and it deserves a click to see the details. Great atmosphere; the old buildings in the town center with a narrow and unlined main street, the expectant crowds wearing suits and fedoras, the Spanish flag bunting (convenient to use a tricolor as the flag - it can stretch endlessly), the marginal start line, all speak to a 'local' race in a small town, where a bunch of motorcycles blasting through the streets is the most exciting thing to happen since the Civil War ended about 10 years ago...
What we see is three professional racers in this 350cc event; two on Velocette MkVIII KTTs (#s 3 & 31), an early AJS 7R (#8), plus the 'local talent' who likes to ride his motorcycle quickly between farm and town, riding a wholly inappropriate Sarolea (?) with hand-shift, heavy valanced mudguards, wide handlebars with up-turned levers, and most dangerously, studded trials tires. He is wearing leathers, but his jacket has epaulets (never seen on racing kit), his pants are bulky, and he appears to be wearing his shiny street shoes rather than the purposeful boots of the other racers.
Worst of all is the utter disdain being shown by #3, literally looking down his nose at #1.
But, he is NUMERO UNO for the moment! Tally ho!

ANKE-EVE GOLDMANN

It seems we have found our Madame X, and her name is Anke-Eve. Six feet tall, slim, and striking, she felt comfortable with cameras and eyes focussed on her, as she proved her abilities on two wheels.


Our first image of her is astride BMW R67/3 in 1954. This model can be distinguished by the plunger rear suspension, tiny taillamp, and fishtail exhaust pipes. The 'Schorsch Meier' dualseat is an unusual item for a plunger-frame BMW - original equipment was a rubber Denfield saddle. It appears she competed in Endurance and Speed competition, but was barred, as a woman, from competing at a higher level of Club or GP racing.
This did not dissuade her from seeking fast motorcycles and race tracks; in many photographs she is hurtling down the tarmac, and mixing with other motorcyclists at Hockenheim and Nurburgring - such as here examining a Norton Manx at Nurburgring.

Her 'pass' at the tracks, beyond her riding ability, was a facility with writing a good story for the press, and she regularly sent racing and riding reports to Moto Revue in France, as well as publications in Spain, Sweden, Germany, the US, and Japan. Here at Hockenheim, she waits for track time with a pair of Jawa two-strokes and a Zundapp outfit - her suitcase strapped to the parcel rack of her R69.

She worked at a U.S. Air Force base, teaching German to the children of soldiers stationed there. She also spoke other languages, and her command of English was good enough to write two articles for Cycle World magazine in 1962. 'An Invitation to a Lap Around the Nurburgring' was published in the June issue of 1962, and a report on women racers in the Soviet Union (!) was printed in October of that year [and yes, I will definitely post it]. In this photo, noted motorcycle author Erwin Tragatsch, author of the definitive 'Illustrated History of Motorcycles', stands with a group visiting Anke-Eve with her late-model R69S, now with a British 'Peel' fairing (distinguishable by the clear panel in the nose - the headlamp is not mounted to the actual fairing, but is retained in the standard position. The clear section is elongated for a full sweep of light).


And don't you wish your Elementary School teacher rode a motorcycle like Anke-Eve! She cut quite a figure in those drab days of the late 1950s, and had a bit of an exhibitionist streak.


By 1956, she had a new BMW R69, which was the fastest Bavarian flat-twin roadster, topping 100mph with aplomb. And she repaid the bike's excellent qualities with loyalty and by becoming an extremely visible spokesperson for the marque, always wearing her pudding basin helmet with a large 'BMW' sticker at the front. These photos show Anka-Eve at the Nurburgring race track, usually alone! Perhaps the male riders were afraid to ride with her...

In 1958, in concert with 9 other women riders, including Ellen Pfeiffer, she helped found W.I.M.A. (Women's International Motorcycling Association) in Europe. W.I.M.A. U.S.A. was founded in 1950 by Louise Scherbyn, and the idea spread quickly to Britain and Europe. Ellen Pfeiffer is now considered the 'Urmütter' of the organization in Europe.

I don't think Ms. Goldmann was ever sponsored or employed by the BMW factory, but she was clearly given priority when purchasing one of the first half-dozen BMW R69S models in 1960; her new machine has the ultra-rare rearview mirror mounted above the cylinder head. The R69S had 42hp, was capable of 110mph, and made a superb and reliable sports-touring machine.

And tour she did; attending the Elephant Rally mid-winter for many years on her BMW, and riding throughout the year, regardless of the season or road conditions. These photos of Anke-Eve riding in ice and snow give an idea of her determination, and the care with which she designed her own riding gear.

It seems she worked with German leather riding gear manufacturer 'Harro' in creating her own personalized attire. In winter months, she can be seen wearing a large buckled body belt, too large to be merely a 'kidney belt', which must have been an aid to keeping warm in very cold weather.

Her riding suit for winter is significantly bulkier and larger than the svelte summer catsuit, and can clearly accomodate woolens underneath - leggings, sweaters, the lot - the suit approaches Bibendum proportions on her coldest rides.

Her summer one-piece riding suit had the distinctive feature of a diagonal zipper from the neck, crossing over to the side of the body, which may have aided the 'fit' of the leathers, especially on a woman's torso. Her leathers certainly fit well...


Harro went on to manufacture 'her' design for public consumption.





And then, she gave up her beloved BMWs. Perhaps she was bored by the R75/5 model which supplanted the R69S in 1969, or felt that it's performance lagged behind what 'the competition' was offering, especially as Japanese and Italian machines had much faster and better-handling machines at the time. Whatever the reason, Ms. Goldmann moved right on up to M.V. Agusta's 750cc DOHC 4-cylinder hotrods, perhaps the first and only woman to do so - she was a sensation.

While M.V. had been producing 4-cylinder racers since the 1950s, the 750S, introduced in 1969, was their first sporting 4, and what the public had been clamoring for. But, the public couldn't afford the M.V.! It was always an expensive and exclusive motorcycle, revered by collectors today, and out of reach for all but the lucky few in 1969.

Anke-Eve seems totally at home with her Italian rocket, and she kept this bike for several years, upgrading over time with items such as cast magnesium Campagnolo wheels, triple disc Brembo brakes, and a set of aftermarket 'Arturo Magni' 4-in-1 exhaust pipes - all items which were added to the newest M.V. models.

This machine was the total antithesis of her old BMWs! Loud, fast, and a bit fragile, it certainly wasn't the best Touring machine, especially with the clip-on handlebars and rearsets she favored. Her riding position really tells the tale; Anke-Eve had evolved into a full-blown Cafe Racer, and given the noise (however glorious) emanating from those Magni pipes, a bit of a hooligan!

After the death of her closest friend in a riding accident, Anke-Eve Goldmann seems to have given up motorcycles altogether, and began to travel with a backpack to remote Asian locations. Traveling alone, she trekked through Burma, the Sunda Islands, Vietnam, and Cambodia, not many years after the conflicts there had ended.

If you have further information about this remarkable woman, please contact me!

D.G. MANKTELOW; ROCKER, PHOTOGRAPHER

D.G. Manktelow needed a few college credits, and had an interest in photography, so for his photo class he documented the world of his friends, who were Rockers in East Sussex, England, from 1960-65. Be careful what you study as an afterthought in college, as it's likely to become your career after graduation, as happened with D.G. His son Adrian has kindly consented to show some of these photos on The Vintagent, as a tribute to his father's skill, and the unique period he documented. Many of the riders are still friends of the family, although a few didn't pass the trial by fire of the Rocker years...(top; a pair of Norton Atlas 750s, with 'ace' bars and a dustbin fairing, in front of a 'typical Rocker car covered in Bondo - an Austin Atlantic)'

And all the classic Rocker gear is represented; the Goldies, Bonnies, Dommis, dustbin fairings, even a Norvin, and at the end, a couple of Japanese lightweights.... (Above - Bonnie, Goldie, Bonnie)

There was always a bit of real racing to inspire the 'go faster' look of the Rocker boys; these shots (above and below) of a racing Dominator 88 were taken at Mallory Park. A very tasty machine indeed, and worthy of imitation.

Nothing will make your Norton Dominator 99 go faster than a leopard seat cover and Goldie muffler! The two-in-one exhaust was an optional extra from Norton, and the flat 'bars are standard. It was sporty to begin with... you can tell it's an early '60/'61 model by the two-tone paint job (standard) and the Norton 'button' on the timing cover - of course it's a Slimline Featherbed frame as well.

Another Norton, which is being used to its limits, complete with a Peel fairing, which could use a little tucking in, as the fiberglass will shortly be ground away on the tarmac, or, if you're really unlucky...

...it will find a bump in the road and lift the rear wheel off the deck, pitching itself and the rider off the road completely. This machine is an early Wideline Norton, can't tell if it's a single or twin-cylinder, but it has the '58/'59 type chrome panel on the petrol tank; the 'ace' bars have Doherty alloy levers, very racy, and the rear valanced mudguard has had the removeable rear section... removed! Much of it would have needed repair after this getoff, but it seems the rider never had to bother, as the notation says "he survived this spill but wasnt' so luckly later when he died on his way back from London on this bike...".

Not all Nortons were Dominators, Atlases, or Internationals; this is the only photo I've ever seen of a Café Norton Navigator! The 350cc little twin (below) was never a great performer, and certainly didn't live up to the hotrod reputation of it's bigger brothers. I've owned four of them (don't ask), and the timing chest sounded like a cast iron stove being run over cobblestones... not Norton's best effort. But, they are compact and tidy looking, and share forks and wheels with the big twins...

Not all Rocker-worthy machines were British, either; this NSU Supermax 250cc single is a rare before-and-after study -


of an attempt to lighten and sportify what was already a very good machine. The inspiration must have be the pukka racing NSU Sportmax, one of most beautiful motorcycles of all, but the impecunious young owner could only manage to lose the front mudguard and add 'ace' handlebars... improvement or desecration?




Regarding clip-ons; for the seriously racy crouch, the rule was, 'the lower the better' - just above the lower fork clamp seems to have been the goal. Inspired by racing practice, it became Fashion, and the utility distorted out of the equation... no racer had 'bars that low! The fellow on the second machine has inverted some fairly high handlebars to really get down to it.



This Triumph Tiger 90 with 'bikini' rear enclosure, ca.'62-'64, has met its cornering limit fairly quickly - the centerstand and footrests are being shaved away by tarmac. This bike is very standard though - rearsets would be useful for such scratching! Undoubtedly, the rider needed the bike to take him to work or school the next day, so practicality ruled the hour...



Here's another rarity; a Royal Enfield Super 5, their sportiest 250 in 1962/3, with short leading-link forks, 5 speeds, and a 20hp engine, giving about 84mph top whack. This is a '62 model with deeply valanced front mudguard - amazingly the bike is completely standard, with 'ace' bars as per catalogue spec. R.E. had a clue; in 1964 they introduced one of only three genuine Factory Café Racers; the Continental GT. The other two? You tell me - prizes for correct answers.

Another fantastic period machine, and an early example at that; a Norvin, the immortal combination of a Vincent 1000cc v-twin in a Norton Featherbed chassis, which according to the notes 'had only three speeds', but still went like stink! This machine falls into the Barely Legal category, with no head or taillamp in the first photo.


But later on, it was completed, and our lad can be seen 'hanging off' at the notorious bend which ate the Norton above. Note the number of spectators lurking on the outside of the bend - the Rockers must have been the best thing going on a sunny weekend day, and clearly this was a corner worth watching.



Another corner worth watching; here a Goldie tears around the bend, while the fellow in the plaid jacket records the proceedings on his portable tape player! I can hear it now - the classic Gold Star muffler has been replaced with a short megaphone (actually a factory racing item), and it was LOUD. The rider is very well tucked away and leaning a lá Phil Read into the bend. Nice technique.

Another shot of our B.S.A. Gold Star hotrod, with clip-ons a bit lower than the Factory set them...the tank is patterned on the 'Lyta' large-capacity racing item, although his might be a fiberglass copy - much cheaper, and money was certainly tight in the 60's. Phis Read had only recently introduced the 'knee hang' on GP circuits; it would be a few years yet before racers would hang completely off the seat. The lad had good style, this is one of the best 'action' shots of the group.

"Into every ride a little Trouble must fall"... and if you've ditched your center stand for more ground clearance, a kerb is a handy thing.
Even a Learner could ride a hot Royal Enfield Clipper 250cc, as this fellow has, while waiting for his pal on the Norton with Peel fairing to sort out his issue. Note the four-wheeled competition driving away; truly, motorcycles ruled the road in the 1960s in England. That little Hillman (?) saloon would be hard pressed to make 70mph, and certainly wouldn't get there quickly.


And if you've got a bike, and your mate's is down, give the lad a ride...no holding onto the rider though! A very nice Norton Domi 88 or 99, with optional tachometer, but driven from where? Perhaps it's just for show - I only see one cable - or maybe it's an 8-day clock!




And now, the Trojan horses appear... so unassuming in these early days, and so small. And while the 125cc SOHC Honda CB92 Benly had tremendous performance for it's capacity, it was still only a 125... and if the rider was a big bloke, it would take a while to achieve the 70mph max - no passing Hillmans then. Note the fellow's '59' Club patch; Father 'Bill' Shergold's club for motorcyclists, and you had to visit his church in Hackney Wick, London, to get a patch. It was the largest motorcycle club in the world during the 1960s.

By the time this Yamaha YDS1 250cc two-stroke twin appeared, all bets were off, and Honda had already won a string of TT victories. Yamaha and Suzuki were pressing hard on the Island as well as on the GP circuits, scoring victories over their exotic DOHC counterparts from Italy and Germany... Britain had long ago given up a credible threat in this class, although 'special' builders continued to shrink Velocette KTTs and BSA Gold Stars for something competitive.

Cue 'The End' by the Doors please, as this was the smoky perspective soon to be seen by all the leaky, unreliable, cobbled-up, badge-engineered, head-in-the-sand British Café Racers in the very near future. More's the pity, and they are missed.





All photos courtesy Adrian Manktelow, and copyright D.G.Manktelow. Images used by permission.