The Scene

THE SCENE

IVAN J. WAGAR

WESLAKE, Reads, Rickman and Hartle are names very dear to British hearts —just as dear as Italian and Japanese domination of 500-cc world championship motorcycle racing is sour among staunch Britons. Irritation may change to satisfaction next year, however, if plans come to fruition.

Harry Weslake is the engine designer, famed for free-breathing, high-revving automobile racing engines, most recently used in Dan Gurney's Formula I Eagles. Reads is an extremely large English motorcycle dealership. The Rickman brothers are builders of Metisse racing motorcycles. John Hartle is the GP rider of note. This aggregation intends to launch a world championship contender in the spring of 1968.

At present, in the Weslake shops at Rye, a prototype 500-cc twin develops nearly 80 bhp. This obviously has potential for competition. With Reads backing, the Weslake people will develop the test-bencher into a light-alloy powerplant expressly for road racing. A proposed power curve shows development of approximately 75 bph at 10,000 rpm, with peak torque of 38.5 lb.-ft. on a rather flat portion of the curve at between 9000 and 10,000 rpm.

A specifications proposal calls for specially hardened camshaft, roller bearings at points of greatest stress, pressure lubrication to tappets, magnesium split crankcase, titanium connecting rods, sleeved aluminum alloy cylinder barrels, and fuel injection. The racing engine will weigh between 75 and 90 lb. Rickman Bros, will create a frame for the Weslake engine. It is anticipated the total will weigh no more than 250 lbs.

At present, it appears Hartle will test the Weslake-Reads-Rickman machine, and will ride it in competition.

The group hopes to have the British challenger race ready by March.

LINO TONTI'S extremely promising new 500-cc/61 bhp twin appeared in practice at Monza, but ignition cam difficulties prevented the machine from entering competition. Heads and barrels of the Tonti are standard 250-cc Aermacchi units. Everything else, however, is by Tonti. With bore and stroke at 73 x 59.3 mm, and 9:9:1 compression, the engine develops its peak power at 9800 rpm. However, the Tonti's rather broad power curve starts at 6500 rpm. The machine seen at Monza has standard Aermacchi pushrod layout — but rods, cams and rockers are Tonti products. The machine is fitted with a six-speed gearbox, and a horizontally split crankcase, which permits removal of gears without disassembly of the remainder of the engine.

Tonti is preparing chain-driven ohc heads for the engine. These provide for 600-cc piston displacement, which puts the engine in the sidecar racing class. The ohc heads will be ready for market early in 1968 — and will be priced between $2500 and $3000.

Tonti's engine, as it appeared at Monza, was carried in a semi-space frame, very low, and very light at under 300 lb. Italy's foremost design engineer, Tonti is responsible for Gilera Fours, Bianchi twins, and, more recently, the Paton twins. He now is with Moto Guzzi.

A front-wheel-drive motorcycle? A threewheeled car with motorcycle engine? Good questions, but CW will settle for simply "The Wildest Sidecar Outfit Yet Seen!"

A partial parts list includes Mini front wheel, Zundapp Bella scooter rear, and 654-cc BSA Lightning engine.

The Wildest's drivetrain is chain from engine to mid-mounted transmission, chain' from primary sprocket to secondary sprocket, and Mini half-shaft drive to Mini constant velocity drive joint. A Mini brake disc and caliper are mounted outboard of the final drive sprocket.

Hub-center steering is accomplished with use of massive support arms, pivoted in front of the engine, and damped by a pair of telescopic shock absorbers. Hydraulically damped steering is through a track rod from a member brazed to the bottom of the steering crown.

The Wildest, built and owned by Graham Edwards, Birmingham, England, hasn't yet been raced, but observers report it does go, and that it appears steady in practice. How will it handle in races when pushed to the limit? Haven't The Wildest!

TARQUINIO PROVINI, Italian master of motorcycle modeling, has done it again. His newest Protar kit is an injection molded plastic replica of the world championship 500-cc MV. Improvement of detail in Provini/Protar kits is something akin to construction of a working quarterscale model of a Swiss wrist chronometer. Nevertheless, the new MV seems a lilliputian motorbike, rather than a model of the real thing. Available for the MV kit, and other Provini models, is a plush-flocked plastic display base on which to stand the completed model. It is with pride that CYCLE WORLD adds the Provini/Protar 500-cc MV to its offering for model makers. Pictured admiring the new MV model is none other than the MV rider himself, Giacomo Agostini, 1966 and 1967 world champion in the 500-cc competition. ■