Saturday, February 27, 2010

LEO KUSMICKI AND THE NORTON SQUISH

Research into the history of VMT816RC inevitably brought up the question - where did Norton get the idea for a 'Squish' combustion chamber, from which Veloce gained their own Production TT victory in 1967?

The answer, in Norton's case, was a Polish engineer by the name of Leo Kusmicki (1911-82), who, the story goes, began to make suggestions to Joe Craig, legendary race boss at Norton, about how he might improve the performance of the aging 'Manx' OHC engine. In the 1940s Kusmicki was employed by the Norton factory as a 'sanitary' engineer, i.e., a janitor! Who was this broom-pusher to tell the indomitable Mr. Craig how to make his engines faster?

The story of Leo Kusmicki, like so many invisible heroes, has never been fully told; a web search reveals no photographs, only a few parroted mentions of the high points of his life. Undoubtedly his lack of renown suited his character, for he made no pains to publicize the contributions he made to the English motorcycle and Automotive industry from the 1940s through the 70s. From what little is published, we know that Kusmicki was a lecturer at Warsaw University in the late 1930s, specializing in internal combustion theory. He must have also been a pilot, if not yet in the Polish Air Force, then as a private citizen, for he managed to escape the two-sided attack on Poland in September 1939 from Germany and the Soviet Union, and make his way to England.


A sidebar here on some WW2 history; it's often repeated that Poland fell 'in a day' to the oncoming German Blitzkreig, with images of Polish horse-mounted cavalry facing Panzer tanks to their doom. The truth is more fierce - the Poles fought like demons against an invader with vastly superior forces and armaments, and managed to wipe out fully 30% of German heavy artillery, 285 of their planes, and 16,000 troops. About 66,000 Poles were killed, with almost 700,000 captured; lopsided yes, but Hitler was shocked at his losses. Josef Goebbels, Nazi Minister of Propaganda, spun stories about a 'walk through' victory in the East which resonate to this day, as do many other of his highly effective fabrications - the man was good at his job. Other forgotten tidbits; three Polish mathematicians, just weeks before the invasion, cracked the German 'Enigma' encryption code, and managed to smuggle the information to England via France which greatly eased intelligence during the War.


The Polish Air Force, in common with much of its military, managed to escape through Hungary to France, just in time for Germany's invasion of that country. Kusmicki would have had been a hardened veteran pilot by the time the Polish military-in-exile escaped to Britain after the fall of France, officially establishing themselves in June 1940 on English soil. The Polish Air Force became legendary during the Battle of Britain for their effectiveness (using English planes - Spitfires and Hurricanes), and Squadron 303, named after Polish-American hero Gen. Tadeusz Kosciuszko, had twice the 'kill' rate of the R.A.F., as they had already been fighting the Luftwaffe for a year and were successful tacticians.


By the time the War was over in 1945, Kusmicki had been fighting for 6 years on foreign soil, in the branch of the military with the highest casualty rate, with his homeland occupied first by Germany, then post-War by the Soviet Union; there was no going home. After such an experience, is it any wonder he took refuge sweeping floors at Norton Motors?


Which is where Joe Craig discovered a secret asset already within his building, who extended the useful racing life of the beloved Manx for another ten years. The revelation of Kusmicki's deep proficiency in combustion chamber theory came inauspiciously, with an upbraiding! Charlie Edwards, a Norton race shop employee, remembers (vide Mick Woolett's 'Norton' - sadly out of print):

"When I came in one morning he [Kusmicki] was sweeping the experimental department and we got talking. It was soon obvious this man was no ordinary sweeper-up and we were chatting away when Joe Craig came in. He was like a bear with a sore head most mornings and he gave Leo a right dressing-down for standing talking and not getting on with it - and then I got one! But I told Joe that this guy might be able to help, and that he should have a talk with him. Well, it wasn't long before Leo was in the drawing office and in my opinion it was he who vastly improved first the 500 then the 350, He was brilliant on cam profiles, combustion chamber shapes, valve timing, porting - the lot."

The 'Model 30' racing engine had changed little from its Arthur Carroll revamp in 1929; Joe Craig (above), while a very determined and canny race team manager for Norton, was certainly no engineer, and developed his engines on a 'suck it and see' basis, rather than from first principles or theoretical research. Thus, to have an expert in engine theory land literally inside his office was something of a miracle... one for which he showed no gratitude publicly, but such was his manner. He was a hard man, had been a successful motorcycle racer in the 1920s, and followed this with nearly 25 years at the helm of the Norton race team, which had possibly the greatest run of success in International level racing, with the least financial support! Under his helm Norton won 9 World Championships, 27 TTs, and countless GPs.


The principal change Kusmicki made to the Manx engine for 1950 was to create a 'Squish' combustion chamber, although a host of modifications were made to the engine and chassis that year, including the introduction of the Featherbed frame. His efforts on the engine raised power by 20%, from 30hp to 36hp on the 350cc engine. The totally redesigned Manx made its début in the hands of young star Geoff Duke that April, where he smashed race and lap records, a situation repeated at the Senior TT that year, where Duke's race average bettered the previous lap record at over 92mph. Much praise was given to the McCandless brothers' new frame design, and Joe Craig was publicly praised as 'the Maestro of Poke'... although of course, no mention was made of the quiet Pole who had completely revised the Norton racer. But, Geoff Duke (above) certainly knew the score, saying in the 1980s, "After the way he [Kusmicki] transformed the singles, particularly the 350cc, I had great respect for him." (vide Woollett).


Kusmicki continued to develop the Manx for a few years, and was heavily involved in the design of a four-cyliner DOHC Norton racer, but funds for racing grew short worldwide by the mid-1950s, and the Norton race shop was shut down Such talent, even if unsung, does not go unnoticed, and Tony Vandervell, a major stockholder in Norton Motors Ltd, had a passion for Formula 1 car racing. His father, Cornelius Vandervell had purchased a large quantity of Norton stock back in the 1920s (the C.E.V. magnetos which graced Norton motorcycles in the mid-20s were C.E.Vandervell's product, and while technically inferior to an M.L. or Lucas magneto of the day, it took a few years before C.E.V.s disappeared from Norton 'original equipment'). The Vandervell family made a fortune with 'Thinwall' bearings (ie, bearing shells with special soft metal linings for high-pressure oiling systems), and around 1950, coincident with Kusmicki's contribution to Norton, the 'Vanwall' (VANdervell thinWALL) Formula 1 team was created, using modified Ferrari engines in Cooper chassis.

A new all-British F1 car was required, and Kusmicki laid out a 2.3liter engine in 1954 which was effectively four Manx engines on a common crankcase; similar to the extent of using four Amal GP motorcycle carburetors! The engine produced 235hp, which was certainly good enough to win races in 1955 when the car débuted, but the chassis was simply not up to snuff. In a move reminiscent of the McCandless brothers' new Featherbed chassis being mated to Kusmicki's revamped Norton engine in 1950, the services of a rising star in racing chassis design was hired to start from scratch on the Vanwall racer. Colin Chapman, later to gain fame for his Lotus cars, created a typically unorthodox and very rigid tube frame chassis, which allowed for much softer suspension and exceptional handling, the hallmark of Lotus racers to come. The Kusmicki/Chapman Vanwall became the first British car to win a GP series since the 1920s.


The Vanwall team began to wind down in the late 1950s due to Vandervell's health issues, and Kusmicki found work with the Rootes group, designing the OHC engine for the Hillman 'Imp', a late competitor to the Austin Mini. Of course, the Imp engine became a favorite with quite a few sidecar racers, and the wheel turned full circle again. In his later years, Kusmicki worked for Chrysler, and his star faded into obscurity. By the time of his death in 1982, few people realized the contribution he had made to Grand Prix World Championships on both two and four wheels - an engineer's version of John Surtees!

Next up: who invented the Squish?







THE RAREST OF SPARES

While the Replica Factories pop Indian 8-Valve Board Track racers into our world with stunning regularity, the 'real deal' becomes that much harder to find, and document. On ebay at the moment is what appears to be an actual spare 'small-base' ca.1911 Indian 8-Valve racing engine. The story sounds genuine, but if you're considering a bid, I'd get a money-back guarantee in writing with a notary and a lawyer, as this engine could easily top the $100k mark [I've heard a rumor the seller has had a firm $100k offer, but wants $125k...].

Indian was at the cutting edge of engine technology with their 8-valve racers, a position which they were never to occupy again. The 4 valve per cylinder head technology not only improved the flow of gases into and out of the combustion chamber, but made for lighter valves and an easier time for the whole valve train, as the valve springs didn't need Herculean strength to keep the valves following the cam contours. With the lousy lubrication of the day, less pressure on the cams meant longer life to the components, and greater reliability. Lighter valves meant less likelihood of them breaking and dropping into the cylinder - a real consideration with steels technology of the day, as engineers hadn't perfected which alloys could withstand the nasty combination of combustion heat and quickly reversed inertia, not to mention any lateral forces from imperfect rocker alignment or wear from their exposure to track grit (especially on dirt tracks!).
The seller's description:

HISTORY:
I bought this engine approximately 20 years ago along with other engines and parts. At that time, I was told by the seller these engines and parts were purchased decades earlier from the mother of a early motorcycle racer who lived somewhere in the "desert" and was killed. The racer's mother claimed one of the engines in the group had been raced at the Isle of Man TT. I contacted The Isle of Man TT association and was advised that no 8-Valves were raced there between 1907 and 1930. However, another engine in the group (which I also have) is a 1909 Indian. I believe the 1909 engine is the one the racer's mother was referring to. It appears the 1909 Indian engine was in a bike ridden by G. Lee Evans and finished in Second Place at The Isle of Man TT in 1909. I "speculate" that the 8-Valve engine offered here and the 1909 Indian engine may have been among parts sold at an Indian factory "back room sale" sometime in the late 1940's.
8-VALVE SPECIFICATIONS: The 8-Valve engine offered here is a small base, 1000cc, twin cylinder. It is complete with the exception of the carburetor and one push rod. The engine is in very good condition and still has traces of apparent Indian red paint. The engine was carefully disassembled so as not to disturb this paint and NO CLEANING has been done on any parts. There is no evidence of markings or serial numbers on the outside of the cases and no evidence that any markings were removed. All markings and numbers appear on the inside of the cases. On the inside of the cases are timing marks which look like those used by Indian. See photos. Each cylinder has twelve (12) "ports" at their base for case pressure release. Each cylinder has two (2) threaded sparkplugs holes. The exhaust port spickets are "straight", unlike early big-base and later (1914) small-base 8-Valves which, were "curved" downward.
And if you happen to buy it, let me know!

Friday, February 26, 2010

THE 'SQUISH' THRUXTONS

What is the starting point when telling the tale of a very special motorcycle; is it the delivery date from the factory? Or does one dig that little bit deeper to give the 'back story', the reason Why a particular machine was made?

In the case of a small batch of factory-modified 1967 Velocette Thruxtons, pulling all the threads of the story left me with a pile of yarn on the floor, no scarf, and no knitting pattern! But it is the job of the writer to assemble a chaotic jumble of facts into a coherent narrative, and thus begins the tale of the 1967 Isle of Man 'Production' TT, a dozen very special Velocettes, and 50 years of engine development.

For the 60th anniversary ('Diamond Jubilee') of the Isle of Man TT, it was decided that something of the original intent of the Tourist Trophy races should be resurrected: showroom-floor motorcycles being put through a harsh full-throttle test over hundreds of racing miles on the world's most notoriously difficult race track. Thus for 1967 were introduced three capacity classes (250/500/750cc), with the stipulation that machines had to be standard production motorcycles with no Factory Special tuning parts.

British manufacturers likely gave a nudge to the TT organizers for this new class, as Japanese manufacturers had bitten hard at the TT and Grand Prix races, winning championships in every class. They had not yet conquered the large bike sales market (ie, over 500cc), but Honda introduced their DOHC CB450 twin in 1965, which was far more technically advanced than any British racing motorcycle currently on offer! Thus, a guaranteed British win in the 500cc and 750cc Production races would generate much-needed good press.

June 10, 1967: all three race classes were flagged off on the same day, albeit with five minutes interval between classes (250s went last), using a mass 'Le Mans'-style start. There was suddenly a lot of machinery on the Manx roads! In the 500cc class, as the smoke from blast-off cleared, two riders could be seen kicking at their mounts - both on Velocettes! Neil Kelly (top pic) and Keith Heckles (above, #31) were having trouble starting their Thruxtons, which due to their high state of tune are notoriously finicky and tend to sulk at the very worst moments. Neither Kelly nor Heckles had experience kick-starting a Velo: There is a Knack, and they didn't have it! Arthur Lavington, riding a third Thruxton, had no such trouble, having raced Velos since the 1949 Clubman's TT.

Neil Kelly's path to the saddle of a special racing Velocette was quirky indeed. Reg Orpin, the sponsor of Kelly's racing Thruxton, had contracted Dennis Craine (winner of the '65 Manx GP) to race the machine, but two weeks prior to the race, at a local Scrambles race, Craine had crashed, been hit by another rider, and broken his arm.... it was Kelly who ran him over! Orpin, suddenly without a rider, offered Kelly the ride for the TT.

In truth, Kelly should not have been allowed to participate in the Production race, for while the '67 was his third TT, he had not completed a single practice lap for this event! The 'Production' Thruxton prepared by Veloce Ltd for his sponsor, Velo dealer Reg Orpin, was late to arrive. Thus Kelley practiced on a borrowed MSS model, which had every sort of mechanical problem, including a badly slipping clutch, which generated a fabulous story told by every Velocette enthusiast; Kelley's clutch was slipping so badly near Quarry Bends he pulled up and considered his practice chances nil. An ancient local farmer, by legend, pulled a nail from an adjacent fence, and adjusted Kelley's clutch! But while kick-starting the MSS, the 'roads open' car, signaling the end of practice, drove by, and his hopes for a complete practice lap were dashed. Kelley in fact went to work the following Saturday, thinking himself disqualified, only to receive a frantic phone call from his pits at lunch - if he could make it to the starting line in time, he could race! His leathers were ready, the bike had passed scrutineering and was ready to go. Kelly's friends had successfully swayed Mary Driver, the Secretary of the TT, on the importance of having a local hero in the race; he DID have 6 Manx races under his belt after all, so was unlikely to be an embarrassment or safety hazard. Still, a few rules were bent.

Rules had been more dramatically bent by Veloce Ltd in providing several 'Production' machines to dealers Reg Orpin (Kelly's sponsor), Geoff Dodkin (Heckles), and Arthur Lavington, for these machines used engines which had been specially developed by Veloce in a bid to win the TT that year - hoping to come home with an Overall win in the process. All three used 'Squish' combustion chambers with specially-shaped forged pistons, and the Orpin/Dodkin machines had a host of internal improvements including needle roller bearings on the cam followers - all of which served to produce and extra 4.5hp over the standard Thruxton, according to Bertie Goodman, Managing Director of Veloce.

In the event, even with his dismal start, Kelly won the 500cc race easily at an 89.89 mph average, passing through the speed trap at Ballacraine at 116.9mph. Keith Heckles on the Dodkin machine was 2nd, with a fourth Thruxton (probably a Squish machine as well), ridden by Bob Biscardine, flew through the radar at 121.6mph, the fastest 500cc machine in the race.

What had inspired Veloce to build a batch of 'Squish Head' racers in 1967? Credit is due to Dennis Quinlan of Australia for communications with the Factory regarding Down Under Velocettes. While the rest of the world had moved away from Velos in serious racing competition, it seems the candle still burned bright for the marque on the other side of the world, and a host of very clever engineers were madly tinkering, modifying, and successfully racing their Velocettes well into the 1960s and 70s. Their ingenuity extended as far as special DOHC cylinder heads for 'pushrod' engines, lightweight frames, bronze cylinder heads for older racers, and experiments to improve combustion and generate more power from the standard article.

Three teams independently produced 'Squish Head' Velocettes in 1964, using post-1951 Norton Manx cylinder heads and pistons as their model. The Aussie tuners found through trial and error that their engines produced significantly more horsepower, with a marked reduction in 'pinking' under load, cooler running, less spark advance, and clearly a far more efficient combustion process. Quinlan wrote to Veloce that his Squish Velo, when road-tested by his co-builder Keith Smith, got 75 miles per gallon!

Bertie Goodman was a racing enthusiast to the core, and the beating heart of all competition success at Veloce Ltd post-war. Had he but a majority stake on the Board, racing Velocettes would have graced the race tracks of the world for many years after 1953, when the factory dropped all race support, to concentrate on their humble 'LE' model. It was Bertie who supported the amazing 24-Hours at 100mph World Record with a 500cc Venom at Montlhery in 1961 (which still stands for a 500cc single, by the way), as well as the attempt with a 350cc Viper model at the same record. Bertie also ushered in the Thruxton model, having taken a good look at some American-brewed special cylinder heads and realizing the potential for an excellent Clubman's racer, or Café Racer!

Thus, it was Dennis Quinlan's (above, left, with Keith Smith in '64) loyal correspondence with the factory about his tuning efforts which set Bertie's ambition on a Production TT win. The Thruxton was already fast, producing 8hp more than the Venom Clubman model; an extra 4.5hp would give that much more of an edge at the Island. Velocettes had already proven their reliability with their 100mph/24hr success, as well as wins in 12- and 24-hour Endurance racing at Barcelona, and of course at the eponymous Thruxton airfield race circuit. While the Australian Squish cylinder heads were far away, Norton Manx cylinder heads were certainly available for inspection, and Goodman had special pistons forged to the Norton pattern, which mated to modified Thruxton cylinder heads.
It seems clear that two engines were heavily developed with many internal modifications as noted above; these went to Reg Orpin and Geoff Dodkin. Between 5 and 10 more Thruxton engines were modified with the 'Squish', albeit less heavily modified. These were sold to selected friends of the factory; long-time racers or dealers who sponsored Velo racers.

One of these engines was sold to Arthur Lavington, legendarily stalwart Velocette racer, the last man to race a MkVIII KTT in a Grand Prix, who in fact died in practice for the 1969 Production TT, when he was struck by another rider and his Thruxton struck a stone wall. He almost certainly used a Squish engine in his '67 race machine - the engine of which was VMT 816RC. A photograph of this engine is shown below.

The development of the 'Squish' engine itself deserves a telling, and will be the subject of my next post.



Saturday, February 20, 2010

'INSPIRATION L.A.' AND THE FUTURE OF THE VINTAGENT


Complicated tales take time to recount properly, and this one is no exception, with plenty of 'unfortunately/fortunately' personal tidbits thrown into the mix. I'll dwell on the fortunate, barring a note that my 6-year-old Mac PowerBook finally bit the dust... but Fortunately I had just purchased a fully supercharged MacBook Pro to replace my ageing but trusty silver Mac. Thanks are due to Mimi at Apple for the killer deal, and to a generous sponsor of The Vintagent for making it all possible. Now there's four on the floor, a blown hemi, and we're leaving long black streaks on the internet.






As scrutineers of my sidebar have noted, the massive pile of parts which supplemented my income for the past 25 years (used to refurbish hundreds of motorcycles) is rapidly shrinking, for I've steered my ship into the parlous waters of Motorcycle Writing. To answer a very common question about this website, I have always had a 'day job', and the answer to The Question is, 'no TV'. Yes, greatly ironic given my involvement with Classic Motorcycle Roadshow, but life would be dull without such paradoxes. I rely on friends to Tivo my appearances on the tube, however brief.

Last Friday witnessed the VintaSprinter fully loaded with 2400lbs of spares, bounding southwards for a powerhouse weekend of horsetrading, gladhanding, dealmaking, and visionary hard work.


First on the agenda was the 'Inspiration' event at Santa Monica airport, hosted by Rin Tanaka. I've long been a fan of fabulously obsessive books on motorcycle jackets, helmets, riding apparel, and obscure subjects like SoCal surf T-shirts from the late 1960s. His 'My FreeDamn' series has become the de facto handbook of the vintage collectible clothing movement, and a constellation of Japanese and American clothing makers hover around his star, making faithful reproductions or re-introductions of iconic shoe, motorcycle, or clothing designs. More on all this later, suffice to say there was plenty to marvel over at the event.
















My local representative of this Movement is Kiya Babzani (above), proprietor of Self Edge here in S.F., a shop stocked with limited-edition Japanese denim and other übercool stuff... including my '28 Sunbeam TT90, currently on display in the shop window!










Justin from Glory Sales & Service had a booth as well, with his Norton Atlas café racer standing guard over the period and modern gear on offer.




















My business wasn't with clothing per se, but with Ian and Amaryllis of Falcon Motorcycles.















Falcon and The Vintagent have teamed up to create new business, CafeRacers.com, which is already 'live', but will be filled with content in the next few weeks - again, stay tuned! We're very excited to offer a wholly new perspective on our favorite subject, combined with products we personally endorse as the very best available anywhere. We're roping the pinnacle of talent for the website, including Nick Clements (below), who among his other projects is a major contributor to Men's File magazine (they're doing it Right. Full review coming shortly). Nick's 'period' photographic setups are so good they boggle the mind. It's going to be very exciting to see what he comes up with for CaféRacers!












Thursday, February 18, 2010

PAMPLONA COLLECTION: 100 AT AUCTION

Bonhams has scored another coup in selling a large private motorcycle collection, a feat they've repeated 3 times in the past 12 months - someone is on the ball! The 'Pamplona' Collection comes up under the hammer on Feb. 27, 2010, and is a Spanish assemblage of over 100 machines, carefully selected by someone with good taste, although the collection contains enough idiosyncracies to pique the interest of even the jaded auction-hound.
My favorite machine on offer is this 1937 Böhmerland 'Langtouren' (top pic), a marque very rarely available, as only 30 are thought to exist. Designer Albin Liebisch built what he felt was the ideal touring machine, capable of carrying three passengers, the legally sanctioned limit in far-seeing Czechoslovakia. The ohv engine has has a 603cc capacity from 80x120mm bore/stroke. And what quirky machine would be complete without a 'World's First' in the description - in this case, it's the cast aluminum wheels, used nearly four decades before Campagnolo began building their own magnesium (and crack-prone) mags for Italian race hardware. The great weight of the Böhmerland's wheels may have discouraged experimentation! Nonetheless, it would take a mighty blow to deflect his innovation, whereas broken spokes were fairly commonplace on the crappy country roads of rural Europe. Liebisch also designed two-person machines with a shorter wheelbase, and even a Sports model for competitions, although I've never seen one of these in the metal, or even a photo - do any exist?
And, I promise to publish a Road Test here in The Vintagent - stay tuned.


Fabulous machine #2 is this 1933 Soyer SA5C racer, in 'as last raced' condition, with a fantastic homemade exhaust system worthy of a cameo in 'No Limit'. Soyer was founded in 1919 in Colombes, France, and used various proprietary engines, although they contracted with Swiss engineer Walter Freudenfelder to build a 'face-cam' ohc in 1929, which did well in competitions. Perhaps to avoid development costs needed to modernize their cammy racer, in 1932 Soyer used Sturmey-Archer (read: Raleigh) engines of a robust but conventional ohv construction. The marketing division as S-A must have worked overtime, for quite a few companies used this engine in their competition machinery, at the TT and on the Continent, which found but modest success. The great era of the bought-in racing engine seeing success on the racetrack were at an end: the purpose-built ohc single-cylinder racer was on the ascendant, soon to be supplanted itself by the multi-cylinder Works racer, with supercharger. This Soyer is certainly an incredibly rare opportunity to own an untouched, time-warp racer.

From the Bohhams press release:
"The Pamplona Collection represents an important group of motorcycles assembled by a prominent Spanish private collector. Over 100 in number, this extraordinarily diverse collection includes a brace of De Dion Bouton-engined machines dating from the closing years of the 19th Century, as well as nine 4-cylinder models from the likes of FN, Ace, Cleveland, Excelsior, Henderson, Indian, Nimbus and Zündapp. V-twin engined motorcycles are another predominant theme, with no fewer than 18 in the collection including examples from Harley-Davidson, Sunbeam, Vincent, Motosacoche, Peugeot, Matchless, BSA and, of course, Brough Superior in the form of a 1931 SS100. Rare marques represented include Vindec, Wanderer, Acme, Rikuo, Böhmerland, PMZ, Griffon, Standard, Diamant, Laurin & Klement, Phebus and Mabeco.The collection was assembled over the past few years for the enjoyment of the owner’s friends and family, and was housed at various locations before coming to its purpose-built museum home 12 months ago. Almost all of the machines were in running condition at time of purchase, since when they have been carefully stored."

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

LADS AT DRAGONS

by Bill Snelling:
In late 1961, the English motorcycle press debated whether an 'Elephant Rally' could be held in the UK. The Conwy Motorcycle Club of Wales picked up the gauntlet, and the Dragon Rally was born. As a boy, I thought this would be a very good idea and badgered Dad about it, just like I had done in 1960 to get him to come to the TT. Mum didn't fancy the idea of camping in mid-winter, so told us to crack on alone.

That first Dragon Rally was held in February 1962, at Bryn Bras Castle near Llanberis. The MotorCycle's Road Editor, John Ebbrell, promoted the idea. Our family transport at the time was a '55 Series 'D' Vincent, hitched to a Watsonian Avon chair. The Vin was not regarded as anything special, just a suitable vehicle to transport the family on holidays. We also had a trailer and this was packed with tent, primus stove, etc. and off we tootled to Wales. Even though the first stretch of the M1 had been opened in 1959, we chose smaller roads. The Birmingham MCC had offered coffee and soup for those making their way to the rally, setting up just off a big roundabout; a very welcome stop on a cold February morning! Dad suffered with 'white finger' syndrome on his right hand; his solution was to put the hand inside his jacket like Napoleon and ride left-handed on the throttle - try it some time, it's harder than you think!

The further west we went, the more bikes we saw on the roads. It was our first venture into Wales, I can always remember the sheer scale of the rocks going through the Llanberis Pass. As we got nearer to the rally site we stopped at a small country shop to stock up on eggs, bacon, milk. The owner was bemused but mightily pleased by the amount of trade he got that morning - no one had told him of the rally.


Arriving at Bryn Bras the field was already heaving with people. We found a suitable pitch and we (meaning Dad) had the tent up in no time, the family having taken camping holidays for many years. Our tent neighbors were a family who had arrived on a big old Brough outfit which disgorged a skutch of youngsters... only later did we realise it was V.M.C.C. founder 'Titch' Allen and family. For warmth, Dad had found me an old flying coat, the type that buttoned up to make quasi-trousers; quite warm, but comical to walk in. We found the organiser's tent, signed in and got our badge, then went bike spotting as the site rapidly filled. Some of the attendees were obviously camping newbies; Dad was soon assisting to get tents fixed up, but a few oddballs had brought the tent, but no poles! I did not realise until reading later news reports that accommodation was available inside the castle itself; I thought we all just roughed it. At 7 pm a call rang out to assemble for the Headlight Parade. What a tremendous sight to see so many bikes riding through the countryside, the headlamps like a necklace of pearls winding through the hills. I am sure this was where my enthusiasm for our favourite hobby was kick-started. We returned to find camp fires had been lit round the site, where tea was drunk and tales were told and retold. I remember it was a cold night, but we had been taught to strip off before plunging into the sleeping bag, piling the clothes on top. In those days camping was a fairly sedate affair, no beer tents or Miss wet-T-shirt contests! There were some very grey specimens of humanity the next day who had not slept a wink, but Dad and I were alright! With a suitably hearty breakfast inside us, we broke camp and retraced our steps back home to Mitcham in Surrey. I found this article written by 'Founder Allen' on a Dragon Rally website - I know how he felt

"You went to the Dragon Rally? And now you feel a strange restlessness. So do I, and I know the symptoms. What you have is a dose of wanderlust; you have been bitten by the tingle of adventure, by the yearning to get away and explore the land you live in. The Dragon trek was something unique in motor cycling history. The bonfire which blazed in the foothills of Snowdon that wintry night kindled in thousands of minds new enthusiasm for the open air. Can the Dragon spirit spread throughout the land? Can it be used to bring adventure to a generation threatened by the sleeping sickness of spectating - of watching instead of doing? What we want is more Dragon Rallies in more places . . and with a heavy accent on self reliance. Bryn Bras proved that to try to feed and house several hundred motor cyclists is a major undertaking. Even granted the necessary facilities and organization, the product is something between an Army depot and a holiday camp. To demand a roof and fodder for a couple thousand souls restricts the choice of sites, puts a heavy burden on organization. But are these necessary? Dragons ought to be tough. Tent, sleeping bag and cooking stove must be their battle order."

We attended the second Dragon Rally which was held in Grwych Castle. A small group of fellow Isle of Man residents were keen to repeat the winter ride to the 50th anniversary Dragon. The location is kept secret, you arrive at a holding control and are then told of the location of the campsite. Bryn Bras Castle has changed somewhat in the past 48 years, it now offers stately accommodation with suites ranging from £450 to £850 per week! A bit different from a muddy field full of unwashed motorcyclists.

Monday, February 8, 2010

SUPER-SPORTS MOTORCYCLES IN FAR-OFF LANDS

Vintage motorcycles might seem fragile to our modern eyes, and most owners would be horrified to ride them off-road or on a poorly-paved surface, so it's good to be reminded just how rough was the young life of our beloved mount. Macadam paved roads were a rare exception in the 1920s; cobblestones (which help horses find purchase while hauling loads) were common in town centers, but the rest of the world was paved with what the world had to offer - dirt.


Even if you were a rich young man in 1930, the scion of a good family of merchants or cattle ranchers, and had the wherewithal to buy the most exotic and up-to-date machine (plus some natty kit to peacock for the ladies), you were still limited to riding on the infrastructure available, and your 100mph hotrod had to avoid children, cows, horses, chickens, automobiles, and unexpected hazards.

This pair of fine young gentlemen hailed from Brazil, and chose as their mounts two superb machines, a pair of 'four-valves' in fact; a 500cc Rudge Ulster and a Moto Guzzi 500S - that's a Corsa Quattro Valvole, a four-valve overhead camshaft racing machine, extremely rare then as now, and just about the most technically interesting motorcycle available in the late 1920s. Hand-built in Mandello del Lario, in far-away Italy, the Guzzi a remarkable choice of motorcycle for the dirt roads of Brazil. There are few people on the planet who would ride a C4V down rutted dirt roads today, yet this was the home of one such remarkable beast.


The Story; (Top photo) We've stopped for gas with our heroes before a ride to the countryside, in a clean and new town center, as a well-dressed population kibbitzes - what a variety of hats on display! Also note the rider's kit - leather coat with 'pop' collar, flying cap, aviator's goggles. Tres chic. (Second photo) Charming barefoot children at an impromptu cantina stop. All children love motorcycles - they simply Understand. (Third photo) A trap for the unwary! The Mighty Rut! (Last photo) Banging the plot back into shape after a nasty landing, post-flight; the local Brazilian army regiment watches. In a world without television, or even radio out in the countryside, a pair of super-sports motorcycles racketing noisily through the village were THE entertainment for the day.
And would still be, in truth, even here in cosmopolitan San Francisco. The question is, of course, where is that C4V today?

All photos copyright 2010 The Vintagent.

Friday, February 5, 2010

DETROIT CYCLE CLUB, JULY 4TH 1942







While the rest of the world was at war, in 1940 the US began period of economic recovery from the Depression, as war production began to ramp up. All kinds of sporting events which had disappeared across the seas were yet in full bloom Stateside, even deep into 1942, as these photos attest.

The Detroit Cycle Club, like so many such clubs across the country, had a cadre of dedicated racers who traveled fairly long distances to the best tracks. In the case of the D.C.C., that meant long drives with the old racer hitched to the back of the '39 Chevrolet on a home-made 3-rail trailer, to venues like Cedar Rapids Iowa (shown in these photos), Rochester City Michigan, Cedarburg Wisconsin, or Devonshire, Canada. The machines they raced were generally older models which had been purchased used, then tuned and continuously developed for years, as money was always an issue for the majority of amateur racers.

The D.C.C. mostly raced Harley WR 750cc sidevalve machines (above, brand new!), although one member, Jack Kulan, raced a Rudge Ulster 500cc four-valver (third photo, below). The rules of the A.M.A. by the late 1920s outlawed exotic factory racers which had generated so much exciting technology in the 'Teens and 'Twenties. Gone were the '8-Valves', the 'Overhead Cams', and even the 'Overhead Valve Twins'...the dominant factories (Harley-Davidson, Indian, Excelsior) twisted the arm of sanctioning bodies of US racing, as development costs for technologically advanced racing machinery was simply too high for them, so Production machines had to be raced. The capacity limit was 750cc for Sidevalves and 500cc for Overhead Valves; thus the Harley WR and Indian Scout (below - looking very lithe) raced against Rudge Ulsters, Triumph Tiger 100s, Norton Internationals, BMW R5s, etc.


The benefits of Racing Department research and development into new technologies was focused on the dead end of extracting horsepower from sidevalve combustion chambers...and over the next 40 years H-D and Indian, and eventually only Harley, created the most remarkable Flathead racing machines ever created, ultimately capable of over 150mph from a 750cc engine with valves stuck on the side of the cylinder.

And with the reprinting of the A.M.A. rule book, the American motorcycle industry gave up its position as a world leader in motorcycle technology - a remarkable capitulation. As no other nation by the late 1920s developed sidevalve machines for racing, OHV and OHC English and European motorcycles -at a 50% capacity disadvantage - shared the dirt tracks with their big, tough Yankee cousins. The mix made for amazing races, as the better horsepower and lighter weight of the Foreign machines were well balanced against the 'home team' durability and speed on the rough dirt tracks.

These photographs were taken at a race meeting near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on July 4th 1942. It was likely a hot and dry day, as the spectators are massed under a central awning - few venture into the sunny benches nearer the pits. Mostly Harleys, a few Indians, and a smattering of Inters, Ulsters, and Tigers dot the landscape, and the track. The primitive conditions for maintaining a racer certainly gave an advantage to a simple engine which could handle a little grit in the works!

Photographs copyright 2010 The Vintagent.



Wednesday, February 3, 2010

THE LADY AND THE VELOCETTE

It's quite rare to find a photograph of a woman rider from the 1920s, let alone one of such clarity and charm as this one. Our heroine kneels in supplication to her sulking mount, with tool roll out, and a look of sheer misery which every motorcyclist understands! Oh, the joys and pains of life on two wheels.

The bike looks to be a ca.1923 Velocette 'GS3', in sparkling new condition, with an optional Cowie speedometer driven by the front wheel. The GS3 was a 249cc two-stroke of impeccable quality, typical of Veloce Ltd, a luxury lightweight with a dash of TT thrown in the mix, for the engine was upgraded to the spec of the factory's 1922 Isle of Man entry, with a new duplex tube frame and longer-stroke engine with twin exhaust ports. With a 3-speed close-ratio gearbox, adjustable footpegs, semi-TT handlebars, and 'performance efficient silencer' (vide Dave Masters), it was a sporting mount, capable of 55mph. The Brampton 'Biflex' forks may not have helped handling with their three-dimensional range of movement, but they certainly provided more comfort than the hard racing Druid forks used on the TT bikes (below, Rex Judd on the 1921 TT Velo).

Titch Allen in his book 'The Velocette Saga' (Amulree,1994) has this to say about the Model G:
"The production Model Gs...were pretty accurate replicas of the TT mounts, apart from the detachable head, and soon established an enviable reputation. It would be no exaggeration to say that they were the 'Rolls Royce' of small two-strokes, and their excellence and discreet black and gold finish gained them a following of connoisseurs. An exclusive kind of customer unimpressed by glitter and flamboyance who was to remain loyal to the marque for 60 years."

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

PEUGEOT RACERS: THE BOL D'OR

By Bernard Salvat (avec Paul d'Orléans):

Post-WW2, the Peugeot factory focused, like so many other war-ravaged manufacturers, on motorcycles for the masses in a world hungry for basic transport - the days of extravagant engineering and stylish Art Deco Grand Tourisme were over. There was simply no market for luxury machines and exotic racers in France at the time, yet the old fire still burned in the hearts of many factory men for competition and racing success. The factory was primarily concerned with rebuilding its automotive capacity, while maintaining a range of lightweight motorcycles to fill the immediate needs of the population, which were, as always, well-designed, reliable, and chic. Of course, with such a grand history of brilliant motorcycle engineering, competition success, and drop-dead-gorgeous styling, Peugeot retained a legion of fans who Remembered.

One such was a stalwart private entrant in 'production' racing, Georges Lacour (below), who had finished 5th in the 1950 Bol d'Or on his mildly tuned Model 176 T4, 175cc roadster (see catalog photo, above). Three important men at the Peugeot factory took note of his success, shared his passion, and dreamed of seeing Peugeot wear, once again, the victory laurels: Antoine Peugeot, always passionate about speed, Mr. Rheinhardt, the business director, who knew that racing success would boost sales, and Louis Mialon, a factory engineer who had designed a special 4-speed engine for a Peugeot 175cc, and wanted to test his creation against its natural rivals.

The three agreed to go racing, with Mialon building a motor based on their Model 176 TC4. This engine was to have no serial numbers, for the Peugeot factory could not be suspected of being behind this special racer... it was against the rules of the Bol d'Or, and the individuals involved stood a good chance of an upbraiding, or sudden loss of job, should their project become known.
The engine was unique, with a cylinder created from a mass of copper, a downdraught inlet manifold, and specially cast crankcases with cooling fins on the front of the engine. It was placed in a TC4 chassis, also without a serial number.

Mr. Rheinhardt then placed an order for a new 'TC4' for himself through the Swiss Peugeot importer, Mr. Périat, and of course it was this Racer which was packed up and trucked to Switzerland. Périat was unknown in the world of the lightweight motorcycle racing in France, and thus a good 'cover' for this Works machine; he sponsored the racing team for the 1951 Bol d'Or. History books record that a '175cc Peugeot' was ridden by George Lacour to seventh place in his class... even though this machine was not officially created at the Peugeot factory, and did not exist in the factory records! The origins of this mystery machine did not become known until decades later, when George Lacour himself told the tale to Bernard Salvat, in 1998.

Journalists present in 1951 at Saint-Germain en Laye (site of the Bol d'Or that year) noted that Georges Lacour's Peugeot showed various modifications (see drawings above) from the catalog: engine side covers with an air scoop to cool the clutch, cylinder fins with 'soldered' (sic) copper fins, and that inclined intake tract. During the race, the bike was very fast, 130 kph, which allowed him to remain at the front, covering up to 88 km in an hour. At the 18th hour, Lacour was headed only by a DS-Malterre [Dibladis-Sigrand-Malterre; there is a connection here with my old supercharged Zenith!].

Alas, Périat, the Swiss importer/race boss, who knew nothing of the harsh realities of an endurance race, had prepared a healthy and nourishing dinner to sustain Lacour during his grueling 24 hours or racing - solo! Georges Monneret, ever the professional racer, had warned Périat that a strong coffee followed by a glass of champagne (!), without getting off the motorcycle, would be much better than a meal. But it was too late; at the 21st hour Lacour pulled in with nausea, and never left the pits. And yet, Lacour finished seventh in the 175cc Class, without having ridden for the last three hours! This performance did not go unnoticed, and reports by the press about Lacour were glowing, which ultimately paved the way for Peugeot's victory in the Bol d'Or the following year.

Inspired by the success of Lacour in the 1951, and by the excellent results obtained early in the '52 season by rider André Bouin (on Lacour's machine), the executives at Cycles Peugeot gave the green light to formal participation of five motorcycles at the 1952 Bol d'Or. All were to receive specially tuned Peugeot 175 engines, prepared by André Mialon. This time with some financial means, the head of the Research Department cast special cylinders whose bore was hard chromed (above, compared to the standard cylinder) machined new 'full disc' crankshafts to better fill the volume inside the crankcases (which increases the precompression on a two-stroke engine), and lightened the gearbox cogs. However Mialon regretted not being able to cast new crankcases for larger bearings on the new, stronger crank mainshafts. As these new engines delivered power at 7,000 rpm, he was concerned that the crankcases and gearbox weren't strengthened further. Originally designed for the 7.5 hp '175' series, the engine suddenly needed to cope with more than double the power; plus, they would be running their newfound 16 horsepower for 24 hours!

On June 14, 1952, at the Circuit de Linas-Montlhéry, five Peugeots were on the starting line (see pic above), with Antoine Peugeot in the director's chair. The #43 (orange) falls to Clermont Valeyre Jean, 18; the #44, (painted dark blue), Georges Lacour, 27 years; the #45, (yellow) is assigned to Michael Goll, 19 years and #46, (white and blue) is that of André Bouin 30 years and finally #47 (red) will be conducted by Andre Verchere (see photo below, and the header ), 21 years. It is interesting to note that the bikes aren't in 'team' colors, but reflect the color options available on the Road models - truly, a mobile showroom on the track!

While fast at 130 kph, the Peugeots were far from winning the race: they faced three Puch Works dual-ignition engines, a CMA prepared by the factory for DS-Malterre, Automoto Guiller, and the Ydral Semi-Works models; all formidable opponents. Indeed, in mid-race, the Kellenberger Puch was in the lead, with a lap ahead of the DS-Malterre (Camus), and two laps ahead of the Bouin's Peugeot. But the head gasket of the Puch gave trouble, the bike lost power, and Bouin headed Camus with a commanding lead for the final 6 hours. At the end of the race, Bouin led with a race average of 89.559km/h; Camus on the DS-Malterre was second. The Peugeot team finished with Kellenberger 4th, Goll 8th, Lacour 12th (he had trouble with his points), and Verchere finished 15th, after his tire burst. He fell so hard he had to replace the forks, which cost around two hours. Valeyre Jean dropped out of the race after his crankshaft gave problems. Three hours later he left the pits again, but before long his magneto failed, "machined" by a loose crankshaft nut.

Peugeot was back in the limelight after a long absence, and capitalized on their victory by producing a true 'Cafe Racer' in 1953. The 'GS 176', a detuned replica of the endurance racer, retained the special cylinder barrel created by André Mialon. For road use, the carburetor size was reduced to 22 mm (the racer had used 27mm), the wheels were of conventional dimensions (2.75 and 3.00 x 19, instead of the narrow 2.00 and 2.50 x 21 on the racers). The horsepower was boosted from the 'standard' model by 50%, giving 10 hp @ 6000rpm and a genuine 110 km/h, which was very fast for a 175cc roadster in 1953. Also sporting was the overall presentation; red enamel and abundant chrome with a megaphone exhaust, elegant dropped handlebars, chromed petrol tank sides, black two-seater saddle with red piping, alloy wheel rims, and full-width 170 mm brakes. All arguments in its favor!

The GS 176 was priced at a very realistic FF190,000: 16% more than 176 TC4, but also 12% less than the rival DS-175 Malterre AMC Motor Sport, a little slower perhaps but more comfortable. At this price, the sale of the 176 GS rose sharply to sell 3500 units, but dropped just as quickly, for Peugeot did not participate in the 1953 Bol d'Or.

Many thanks to:
Bernard Salvat (above, in the middle!) for his words which I have translated/adapted, and photos from his amazing book 'Motos Peugeot, 1898-1998'.
Yves J Hayat for being my eyes&ears&camera in Paris (and providing the pix of Salvat, Lacour and Verchére).
George Lacour (right) for the photo of the 1952 Peugeot Team, and for the great story!