Perfectly boring
Bruce Cox is restoring a 1937 Rudge Ulster and asked if I know why, instead of using conventional bolts or studs to fit the engine to the frame, Rudge employed large-diameter threaded tubes with sleeve nuts at either end. Well, I don’t, but Rudge relied on a light chassis to stay competitive in racing. As power increased, handling problems arose and these large, hollow fixings offer extra rigidity for no extra weight. But it struck me that this is one reason why I love older bikes – they were evolving; manufacturers all had their own ideas (good and bad) and wandering through that history is fascinating.
Here in the 21st century, arguably motorcycle design has reached perfection – the only problem is how to choose when little separates new bikes beyond the name on the tank. I’m glad I don’t have to write the road tests! One modern bike tester told me that the only thing he could criticise on one bike was a slightly fiddly dipswitch – and that provoked angry letters from owners denying it was a problem! A bit different to the 250cc Indian Brave, which allegedly broke not one but two crankshafts on road test.
Perfection is great for household appliances, but I think it makes motorbikes a bit boring, so maybe that’s why classic bikes – and their modern retro counterparts – are growing in popularity. There’s a famous quote: ‘Motorcyclists like nothing more than tinkering with their bikes at the weekend’, used to illustrate the blinkered attitude of ’50s manufacturers – but maybe there was some truth in it...