Earls Court Show
Earls Court Show
B. R. NICHOLLS
THE LEGENDARY "FEATHERBED" FRAME is out of date. That, in effect is what Norton Villiers has said with introduction of a new 750-cc Norton Commando, the star attraction of the Earls Court Show, the last to be held in London. Next year, it will start on a series of different venues around the country. Attendance figures were down by some 10 percent from last year's, reaching a little over 100,000 — a figure that was bolstered somewhat by the Skol six-day motorcycle race held on a wooden track erected in the building specially for the occasion. More information on this event in "Continental Report."
Back to that new Norton. The frame is designed to eliminate vibration, and is based on a 2.25-in. diameter top tube which forms the backbone that supports the steering head. It is a cradle type frame, but the great difference is that the rear swinging arm pivot point is on the rear engine mounting plates. Norton Villiers claims this and the rubber mountings for the engine isolate engine vibrations from the frame. The weight of the new frame is a mere 24 lb., twelve less than the Featherbed Roadster frame.
The 74-cc Norton Atlas engine has been inclined in the frame to improve cooling and weight distribution. In addition, it gives the motorcycle a much more attractive appearance. The well - proven "Roadholder" forks are used, and the front end has an 8-in. twin leading shoe brake, while the rear is a 7-in. single leading type shoe. What caught the eye at F.arls Court was the all-silver finish with orange seat and large green spot on the fuel tank — the sort of gimmicks that set people talking and that the manufacturer may find he must put into production. In standard form, this will be a 100-mph-plus machine, but it does not stop at that; three conversion kits that claim, progressively, 10, 16, and 20 percent greater power for the machine are to be marketed. These have been produced in collaboration with "goodies king" Paul Deinstall, who needs no introduction to CW readers.
So, after only one year, Norton Villiers has gone for the big bike market so vital in the USA. The Commando, with its "Glideride," appears a winner. Production will start earlv in 1968, and the Berliner Motor Corp. has promised the first delivered in the States to CW for a road test.
Also going into production in the new year will be the AJS production racer with a lightweight Commando frame of only 15.5 lb. It will be powered bv the 247-cc Starmaker engine, for which 32 bhp at 8400 rpm are claimed at the six-speed gearbox. Total weight is a mere 198 lb. Seven lb. heavier is the AJS scrambler, also Starmaker powered, with an output of 25 bhp at 6400 rpm, with a better spread of power than previous models.
Many had hoped the long awaited Triumph three-cylinder machine would be at the show, but it seems that only the public knows of its existence, not the factory! Consequently, it was very much the same as before with the BSA and Triumph range, though the export-only BSA Bushman, made primarily for Australia.
Talking of trials machines, Rickman had on display the new Bultaco Sherpa that now has a five-speed gearbox — a refinement that also has been added to the Pursang motocross model. Metisse translates as "mongrel," and Pursang comes across as "thoroughbred!"
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Greeves brought out a bie brother to the 250 Silverstone road racer for the 350 class, and calls it the Oulton — both names are well-known circuits in England. Outwardly, the engine appears similar to the 360-cc motocross model, but it has a shorter stroke, 68.5 mm with an 80-mm bore to bring it within the 350 limit. This has been achieved by altering the flywheel assembly. Porting has been altered, and twin exhausts have separate expansion chambers tapering into long stingers. Forks and frame are traditional Greeves, the carburetor is a 1.5-in. Amal GP. A fivespeed Albion gearbox is fitted. The 250 Challenger has also received a new engine with bore and stroke of 70 x 64 mm and a single exhaust port.
But before getting too immersed in the competition machinery, mention must be made of the complete lack of British 50-cc machines. At first these may seem of little consequence, but when measured in the light of an impending law which would ban 16-year-olds from all except mopeds and 50-cc motorcycles, it is quite obvious that a sizable market is being overlooked. This made the appearance of a Finnish machine all the more significant. It was the Solifer Super Sport, styled to please the youngsters, looking like a motorcycle with Farles type front forks, a racy upswept exhaust system, and a claimed top speed of 60 mph.
The Solifer is powered by a Dutch-made Anker M37 49-cc single-cylinder two-stroke made in Rotterdam. It is a proven industrial engine, and features the Thermomat cooling system for which the cylinder is enclosed. When starting from cold, a lever on the side of the cylinder is depressed to cut off all air. Working temperature is therefore quickly attained. A thermostat then opens vanes, and the engine is cooled bv a fan driven off the crankshaft. Gasoline/oil ratio is 20:1, and with intelligent riding, 100 mpg should be easily achieved. Another great advantage is that it is a relatively simple job to remove the pedals and fit proper footrests, so that the machine, purchased as a moped, can be transformed into a proper bike. Price in the UK will approximate $300. so it looks as if it will have a great future.
Another newcomer to the 50-cc market was the British Heldun, not to be confused with the Swedish Hedlund, from another concern altogether. Heldun offers a range of 50s. all powered by German engines. The pride of the range, however, is a 75-cc model obviously aimed at the U .S .market. It's called the Harlequin Trail and is finished in Atlantic green and silver.
It is a sign of the times, that with the British industry concentrated into two large groups, and about a dozen smaller concerns on the scene, there is little that is new from the manufacturers at show time.
Interest this year was focused on the Japanese manufacturers, who were represented on a larger scale than ever before with Bridgestone, Honda. Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha all in attendance.
But the trend is toward competition machinery. This, together with customizing equipment, formed the basis of the area known as the Market Place, started by Motor Cycle News at last year's show. In it, dealers took stands, some as small as 10 ft. by 10 ft., to meet their customers and show specialized goods. Colin Seeley had one of the larger stands in which he exhibited his 1968 raceware which promptly inspired publisher Parkhurst to order a 500-cc model for road test early next year. "Immaculate" is the only way to describe the beautiful preparation of these bikes.
Names such as Schofield records, Alf Hagon, Protar Models, Paul Dunstall, Bill Chuck, and Comerfords (well-known to CW readers) were all in the Market Place, while D. Lewis. Craven, and the Rickmans had stands in the show itself.
Perhaps the best looking trials bikes on display were the Cheetahs, which are sold in kit form. The pride of the display was a 250-cc model with disc front brake. The Avon tire people always had a good crowd around their stand, for they had Hagon's dragster on display, and also ran a tire changing competition with a Norton Navigator as first prize. The plot was to fit a 3.50-18 tire and tube, foot-pump it up to 27 pounds pressure, and then remove them again. An under 3-minute performance was essential to stand any hope of winning, and eventually Australian Stan Haoust won with a time of 2:43.
Other stands also had similar attractions. Motor Cycle Mechanics showed Lance Weil's battle scarred Harley: Dunstall displayed the machine that won the hour record for Rex Butcher; and Motor Cycle News, beside doing a brisk trade selling copies of CYCLE; WORLD, also attracted crowds with the dragster to end all dragsters — a supercharged twin Triumph-engined monster called Cyclotron, built by Fred Cooper with world records in mind. Full details of thi s masterpiece are promised for next month's issue.
Finally, it is impossible to know what the public will want, for the Reliant threewheeler people loaded up one of their models with all the extras they could think of (spotlight, fog lamps, and badge bar) and got so many inquiries that it will be sold as a deluxe model. Similarly, Suzuki had a fiberglass enclosure on one model,
