Late News From England
LATE NEWS FROM ENGLAND
B. R. NICHOLLS
1961 proved to be a poor year for the British motor cycle industry, so much so that one member of Parliament raised a question in the House querying what the Government intended doing to assist the manufacturers. The answer was the equivalent of a cold shower as the industry was told, although not directly, that it must pull its socks up and clear up its own troubles. So the cold draft of Japanese competition has sent a shiver through the ranks of th& industry with both home and export sales on the decline. The home decline is partly blamed onto the government policy in respect to hire purchase, the conditions of which change with each economic measure concerning our balance of payments. But the man in the street either wants to buy a machine or not and if he does, then little will stop him. However, the man buying the bike is a different fellow now to what he was ten years ago and wants something easy to handle. The days of the big vertical twin are numbered; they may be the thing for the coffee bar cowboys but they will die within five years as surely as the Vincent did.
In fact, the biggest problem of the British range of products is that there are too many machines to choose from. To survive it must re-design models that will appeal to the general public in neatness, efficiency and above all quietness, for without doubt one of the motorcycle’s biggest failings at the moment is noise. B.M.W. and N.S.U. produce quiet machinery because the law demands it in Germany and other continental countries. At last silencing is being given a little more thought in this country.
One place we do not want silencing is on the race track, for the noise of exhausts is all part of the game. We all have our favourite note, for some the M.V., for others the M.Z. For a sheer symphony of sound the 1961 250cc Ulster Grand Prix will take some beating. The “instruments” comprised four Honda fours and two M.Z. twin two-strokes in a tight bunch charging down through the gears into Wheeler’s corner and then up as they left and accelerated down the long straight to Tournagrough. Sheer music, some of which can be enjoyed on the T.T. records marketed by Stanley Schofield Ltd. of New Bond Street, London to whom the enthusiasts say thank you for the Sound Stories of the T.T. races.
Whether we hear the M.Z. again this coming season remains to be seen as their star rider (and almost a national hero) Ernst Degner fled from East Germany at the end of the racing season and will probably assist in the development of Suzuki racing machines next year.
Greeves, whose fabulous 250cc twostroke machine has captured the 250 Moto Cross title for the past two seasons, have announced that they will not be competing for the title next year because of the cost involved and poor starting money paid to riders. B.S.A. through their competition chief Brian Martin has publicly stated its sympathy towards Greeves’ attitude, at the same time pointing out that although competing they will not attend a(J rounds of the Championship. B.S.A. stands a good change of upholding British prestige in this field with Jeff Smith and Arthur Lampkin, two men dedicated to the sport who make a very strong two-pronged attack for world honours now that the 250 class has been accorded that standing.
“They look good and knowing B.S.A. they are good”; so said an enthusiast gazing at pictures of the new unit construction big twins produced by the Birmingham concern. Coming onto the market at a time when new ideas are essential, the two new models of 499cc -and 654cc capacities have instant eye appeal and what is more important weigh abdut forty pounds less than the models they replace.
Weight reduction and good looks will do much to prolong the life of these big machines which are a traditionally Brit-
ish product. How will the public react? It’s my guess they will like them. For the bigger twin a 100 mph maximum is claimed against 90 for its little brother. Both have twin exhaust systems and single Amal Monobloc carburetors, bore 1 " for the 500 and Ws" for the 654, mounted on a separate die-cast inlet manifold. Already I can see eyes gleaming with the thoughts of increased power using siamesed pipes and twin carbs . . . steady, boys.
At the bottom end a Lucas 60 watt alternator type RM 19 is mounted on the drive end of the crankshaft and between this AC generator (rectified of course for battery charging) and the crankcase is a Vs" triple primary chain. To us in England this last is a bit strange, especially in a unit construction design which disposes of primary chain adjustment troubles, but you Americans showed a visiting executive from B.S.A. that you can break a duplex primary chain so now there are three. But, please, how do you manage to break a duplex chain? •
