500-Miler as Shop Window, from Motorcycle Sport, June 1967, Editorial Comments

If we were shopping for a new sports motorcycle (which we are not, as it happens) we should be closely studying the results of the 500-Mile Grand Prix d’Endurance at Brands Hatch. For this race … is both a shop window and a buyers’ guide. A much better buyers’ guide than the dreary lists of models, specifications and prices the weeklies used to drag out every springtime; and still do, now we think of it.

This year, and we hope in future years, it (Note: the race) also acted as a rehearsal for the Isle of Man Production TT. It was no great surprise that a Triumph won. Somehow the ageless Triumph motor seems to come up trumps when it comes to speed with reliability and now that the handling has been really sorted out the Bonneville must rate as Britain’s best buy in roadburners.

By rights, a Norton Atlas should have been second in this buyers’ guide race… only to be eliminated by trifling troubles…

But after the battle of the giants came a quite sensational display of Oriental impudence.

That a 250cc two-stroke could finish third overall in such a gruelling race must be rather a bitter pill for the big bike enthusiasts and our manufacturers. The Suzuki Super Six has already demonstrated its high-speed stamina in the Isle of Man and topped a public opinion poll, but the performance of Chris Vincent and Kevin Cox leaves no doubt about its ability to outrun machines of twice its size.

If this was not enough to confound the big-British-bike fan the emergence in fourth place at the finish of a bored-out 305 Honda – the 340cc Read Honda-Titan – was the last straw. We have often had doubts about the advisability of stretching and souping up production machines beyond the manufacturer’s expectations, but this performance by Reads and