HELLO OLD FRIENDS
‘I USED THE TRW TO COMMUTE TO COLLEGE AND TO THE PUB’
April’s edition was rather poignant for me – it featured two bikes I owned and loved in the late 1970s: a BSA B50 and a Triumph TRW. The article on B50s brought back many joyful nostalgic memories, not least of sore ankles from kickstarting it! Luckily I was working for the redoubtable Ted Bloomfield at MCS in Leytonstone High Road at the time, so replacement parts (for burnt pistons and stripped kickstart quadrants) were easily obtainable. These also included a big-valve head and MX cams. Tony, the B50 owner in your article, also has the same surname as me and my brother Brian (who spent more time racing around on the B50 than I ever did). As you can see from the photo, we were running a slightly illegal Victor competition exhaust, which was quite a sight at night, emitting a long blue flame when my brother invariably passed us all, crouching over the tank at full throttle. That was 1977. Today it would probably be called a brat bike. I used the TRW as a daily commuter to college and to the pub and, like Chris in your article, kept it running with little more than an oily rag and a pair of pliers. I always carried a spare cylinder head gasket, as it often blew – the head nuts had to be tightened in a strict W-pattern. The forks drip-fed their oil to the front brake shoes, so stopping was more by means of a combination of gears, the rear brake – where most of the chaincase oil ended up! – and my steel-soled Dunlop ‘pit boots’. Standard cold and wet weather kit for me was an army surplus tank suit – an all-inone zip-up canvas coverall obtained from Laurence Corner.
Not only that, the May issue featured my all-time favourite bike, the Ducati 750 GT – I owned one joyfully but all too briefly around that time. Keep up the good work. KEITH HOWARD, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
HITTING THE NAIL...
I raised an eyebrow reading Ian Smith’s letter in the April issue, bemoaning too many features on expensively restored bikes that do little miles. Ian seems to prefer articles on scruffy old nails. As a Beezumph enthusiast, I took the plunge in 2010 and bought a 13-owner money-pit T150V, adding a 1969 T150 in 2012. Both bikes have been rebuilt and modernised and are reliable and-oil tight, which has been achieved at considerable cost. My initial enthusiasm had me regularly riding up to 300 miles on a Sunday, which I absolutely loved. It was also absolutely knackering. I’m now happy riding them on 100-200 mile trips. Or less.
I generally average about 8000 miles a year, equally split between my 2016 Explorer (predominantly touring), and my clunkers (grininducing fun). Sometimes there is less than 1000 miles between Mots. Biking rightly attracts different types. I really enjoy riding my T150s while appreciating they are heavy, under-braked and have planks for seats. I’m immersed in the experience of riding them.
Some enthusiasts clearly enjoy restoring more than riding, some enjoy basic biking. There’s room for all of us and I don’t think it’s macho running an old nail and camping in a muddy field. I do understand the camaraderie and that’s fine for those who enjoy it.
I’m happy to read an occasional article about an old nail. I’m more interested in reading about well restored machines and their history. As an aside, it is owners splashing cash on their classics which supports the myriad suppliers, specialists and shows in our classic world, allowing us all to keep our old clunkers on the road – in whatever condition we choose or can afford. JOHN RIMMER
AUCTION ACTION
I would like to lend my support to your correspondent Ian Smith’s views (Letters page, April issue) about wanting more features on bikes that are used and abused. Tell us what they’re really like to live with – the bad as well as the good.
While I’m on the subject, when did the performance of a motorcycle start being measured in what it will fetch in the auction room instead of what it’ll do on the road? Page 12 of the April issue cites: ‘Modern classics perform well, but Brough stays on top of the heap’. I note with dismay that this was one of six pages of editorial (6,7, 8, 10, 11 & 12) given over to reporting on auction results – and that’s not including the full-page ads from auction houses themselves. What has this got to do with motorcycling? Or is Classic Bike turning itself into a magazine for investors? Folks who will hoover up more and more of our stock of old motorcycles and lock them away unused, speculating on their everincreasing value. Such aberrant behaviour should not be encouraged. It is worth reminding ourselves that every bike that was ever built was meant to be ridden – and we do a disservice to their creators by not doing so. PHIL HOLLOWAY In terms of terminology, you have a point, Phil. Strictly speaking, ‘performance’ should relate only to how a bike shifts along the road – something we should address. As regards the auction coverage in the April issue, pages 6 and 7 were a report on the MCN London Show (with a few paragraphs about the associated Coys auction at that event). And the harsh reality is that without advertising, Classic
Bike could not continue as a viable entity. My personal view concurs with yours – bikes are made for riding, although I’m broad-minded enough to realise that other opinions are available. Mark Holmes
THE GREAT DIVIDE
It seems our classic community is firmly split between collectors and riders. Over the years I have come to savour any articles/letters that tell a story of classic bikers using their bikes, post-restoration – real stories of bikes being used. It seems ironic that since the bikes were made at much expense to be used, we hear so little of owners’ post-restoration adventures, how the bike has performed, making it home after a long journey, or what it really means to ride a tough old hack through the winter. The articles focus more on the restoration and show, and much less on the go. This ‘user-story’ type journalism seemed to die in the ’60s, when I guess readers demanded more glamour. But things are changing again, and current trends reflect people searching for more authentic riders’ stories and the real experience of ownership. I’m sure there must be thousands of fantastic riders out there with amazing stories to share. STEWART BARSTOW, SOUTH AFRICA We actively try to encourage readers to write in with their stories for the Your Classics section of the mag, Stewart – and there have been instances where stories submitted in this way have enjoyed more extensive coverage in CB. So don’t be shy – send us a few words and some pics and your story could easily end up in your favourite classic bike mag. Mark Holmes
WOW FACTOR
Regarding David Hemsley’s letter about my numberplate WOW 67 in the April issue. One of the allocated registration numbers in my home town of Southampton was OW. By 1958 the local licensing authority’s OW alphabet (AOW, BOW, etc) was approaching WOW, so I visited the council office and enquired if I might acquire WOW 67 (67 being my regular scrambling number). To my surprise, a helpful chap agreed to my request, and I have kept the number to this day. Over the years it has adorned an Austin A50 pick-up, a Ford Zephyr, five Greeves trials bikes and a dozen Peugeot cars.
The main lesson I’ve learned is that one must never park near or outside a shady night club. But a retained number comes in useful when stopped for speeding and the officer says: “Now then, chummy, what’s your registration number?” MIKE JACKSON