Earls Court Show
EARLS COURT SHOW
THE YEAR 1966 will probably prove to be a notable one in the history of British motorcycles, and this was reflected in the Cycle and Motorcycle Show held at Earls Court. There was much to be seen and there was much missing. There were some very new machines, there were some very old ones. There were some most unusual bikes, there were some very ordinary ones. There were famous names missing, but there was the hint of excitement in the future.
What was the outstanding feature? Well, it could have been either the new road Victor or Barracuda, if BSA had not announced them a couple of weeks before the show. It might have been one of the Laverda range, if they had not all looked like something we have seen before. So, the honor must go to Lito, the Swedish concern owned by arch enthusiast Kaj Bournebusch, who turned up with the revolutionary 496cc motocross model, details of which appeared in CW last month.
Hard on the Lito heels for surprise element came a Velocette production racer, a joint effort of the factory and L. Stevens, Ltd., who are specialist dealers in the marque. Man behind the idea is Reg Orpin, well-known for his water-cooled conversion of Greeves road racers. This new venture has been the best kept secret of the last 12 months and means a production road racer of some 47 bhp attained at 6,800 rpm. The increase is largely due to enormous weight reduction and a new factory-developed squish head, forged piston, larger valves and stronger con rod. A barrel is planned on which the fins will envelop the push rod tube. Gone is the traditional Velo frame and in its place comes a light duplex design of 16-gauge 1-1/8-inch-diameter tube with an unusual one-piece cast LM6 alloy rear fork. Tank and seat are aluminum, so no doubt the fiberglass boys will soon offer an alternative and some will fit discs in place of the Veloce brakes. Much-modified Velo front forks are used and it is already intended to have a high level exhaust system and an optional racing fairing. Weight, at the moment, is some 270 pounds and it is this factor that Orpin hopes will make it a good proposition against G50 and Manx Nortons that weigh around 310 pounds. Price of the complete machine in the UK will be about $1200.
Another interesting racer on display but not yet available to the public was the DMW 500cc two-stroke twin, virtually two Hornet engines side by side. Early problems have been solved and it is hoped to market the air-cooled device in the not too distant future.
Yet another “not for sale” item was the four-cylinder 125cc Ducati, though every effort is being made to retain it in England for a couple of meetings next season. However, if you have a large share in Fort Knox, you may be able to swap it for a 250cc single-cylinder desmodromic Ducati that the Bologna concern are planning for 1967. Another Italian firm, Garelli, had two prototype models on display that could become very popular. The first, a six-speed 50cc two-stroke model, and the second — a departure from their usual two-stroke products — a 142cc ohv four-stroke with a claimed top speed of 70 mph.
B. R. NICHOLLS
Lambretta kept the flag flying with a brand new moped called the Lambrettino. Looking a trifle Japanese in style, with its angular frame, it is powered by a 39cc, single cylinder, two-stroke Innocenti engine with centrifugal automatic clutch and top speed of 25 mph. With leading link helical spring front suspension and a wellsprung saddle, it is a solo machine, ideal for run around purposes and for those making their first move into powered twowheel transport. Pedals are used to start it and over 200 miles per gallon is claimed by the makers.
Even more of a runabout was the Villiers lawn mower engine powered Radcommuter automatic, which can be put in the trunk of a car. Both handlebar levers are for the brakes. Pull the cord to start the engine, open the throttle and away you drive. Shut the throttle and the engine runs with the machine stationary. Some 225 miles per gallon is claimed for this little ’un.
Honda, too, are in the moped market and used TV personality Kathie McGowan to model the smallest of their range. It looked a little underpowered, compared with the fabulous six-cylinder, 250cc racer, which had pride of place on the stand. Nevertheless, the P50 little Honda with fixed gear, automatic clutch and controlled 25 mph, 49cc four-stroke engine will appeal to many.
Saphire is a new name to most readers and is another manufacturer of kit-form sporting machines. This means an appreciable cut in the cost of a new bike for the UK buyer, and Kyffin Saphires are offered in both trials and scrambles form with Villiers 37A and 36A engines. Also available is a frame to take a Triumph engine. Better known in this field are the Sprites offered by Frank Hipkin. Dennis Jones has done much to popularize the 246cc, 37A engined trials model. Telescopic forks are an alternative to the leading link variety usually supplied as standard.
Greeves is the only British concern to market a large capacity two-stroke scrambler and the 360 Challenger was the most popular model on their stand. The twoport model was shown, which has top end performance, while a single port is believed to give better power low down. There has even been talk of experiments with three ports and a Yankee barrel. Greeves certainly don’t stand still, except for that down-beam frame.
BSA surprised everyone with the 441cc Road Victor and the trend seems to be toward square barrels, because the Barracuda has the same. But as the latter name is already in use on another make in the states, it will have to be changed for the American market.
The 173cc two-stroke Bushman, which has previously been an “Export-only” model becomes available in the UK and a new interest has been created in the competition department to find out its suitability as a trials mount. Over ten years ago, factory ace John Draper rode a 150cc Bantam to good effect in trials, and now competition manager Brian Martin is trying a Bushman for just that purpose. Factory interest in racing was highlighted by the Spitfire on which John Cooper won at the Hutchinson 100 meeting.
AJS, Matchless and Norton stands bore witness to the recent management announcement with the 745cc Atlas engine being the dominant feature of all three. Matchless, however, were giving pride of place to a G85CS scrambler model, while Peter Inchley’s 250cc road racer was there for all to see as the forerunner of next year’s 250cc AJS two-stroke, six-speed production road racer, which will doubtless have a different frame than the Bultaco used in 1966.
Royal Enfield had the 246cc production racer on view, as well as sports and scrambles versions of the powerful 736cc Interceptor twins aimed at the American market. Most popular, though, was the 248cc fourstroke, five-speed Continental.
One stand that always seemed to be crowded was the Metisse, where the Rickman brothers had gathered an impressive array of competition ware. Brand new was a frame for the Victor engine and also a road Metisse, built to be the prize in a competition.
Sign of the times was the lone sidecar exhibitor, Watsonian, and all the emphasis was toward the sporting side. Minis have put paid to the monumental double adult devices of yesteryear, for they were utility models. Nowadays, only the enthusiast drives a chair outfit, an experience that, if mastered, is one of most exhilarating of the road. It’s catching on in parts of the States, too.
Triumph exhibited the Buddy Elmore Daytona winner, but the biggest attraction was Gyronaut XI, together with Jim Bruflodt, Bob and June Leppan — three envoys whom I had the privilege of meeting and talking to on several occasions, and who impressed everyone with their knowledge and ability regarding motorcycles. That includes June, because her knowledge of Triumph spares seems limitless. The inherent patience of a record breaker was obvious on Press Day when Bob, complete with fire-proof suit, was in and out of the Gyronaut like a yo-yo to satisfy film and TV cameramen. Questions all the time, autographs, more questions and at the end of it all, the same easy-going attitude that endeared him to all who met him.
Innovation at the show — indeed, it would have meant a disastrous empty space without it — was a market place promoted by Motor Cycle News, for dealers to show and sell products. With a turnover of something like $300,000 it was an obvious success. Most unusual exhibitor was the Charles Mortimer Racing School, an enterprise started July 1, 1963, after a chance remark to sponsor Mortimer at a Brands Hatch mid-week training session.
Coming in after several laps, Griff Jenkins, a trifle pale, said, “Half of them out there don’t know where they are going.” That virtually started the school. Mortimer is just the man to run it, being a 500cc and l,000cc Gold Star holder from Brooklands and one-time holder of over a dozen world records. Membership is $8.40 per year and a 20-lap session at any one of five circuits costs $21. All equipment, like leathers and goggles can be hired, and training is done on Greeves Silverstone racers. Charles reckons that watching a rev counter is a bit dodgy for new boys; hence, two-stroke engines — rings are cheaper than valves. Such names as Joe Dunphy, Rex Butcher, Griff Jenkins and Bill Ivy have all given tuition, and so far, 650 would-be racers have had a go. A rider showing exceptional talent will find the school’s machinery available to him to race. But perhaps the greatest advantage of all is that it enables a chap to find out his potential without going to the expense of buying a machine and equipment of his own.
Not far from the racing school stand, Motomodelli soon sold the few available Guzzi models, the latest in the series, while Schofield records provided realistic noises.
But most of the stands boasted dealers offering goodies. Dunstall with the potential record breaker in the form of his Atlas machine. Hagon with superchargers available for road machines. Bruflodt and Leppan with an outlet for their Detroit dragsters. Brealey Smith with beautiful fiberglass tank and seat units for Yamaha and Suzuki roadsters, similarly from Read Bros. Comerford with all the bits and pieces for a trials Tiger Cub. Eddie Dow, whose display of spares was a Beesa owner’s delight. Padgets showed fully customed Suzuki and Yamaha, one of which finished seventh in the TT. Westburys, a large sporting dealer, had a Leask-built Husqvarna road racer. Barry Briggs showed a disc brake for grass track use and announced that he had signed Malcolm Simmonds to ride Eso machines in British grass track events next season, while Geoff Monty, who was also there, showed interest in the Eso as power unit for a short circuit racer. Cee-R speed shop, of Ilford, offered customed BSA C15s and Tiger Cubs, as well as selling CW on their stand. The army and police both used the show to further publicity.
Then there were the inevitable presentations. The first was an Anglo-American affair, with gold torque wrenches awarded by the P. A. Sturtevant Co., of Illinois, to the best unsponsored efforts in the Manx Grand Prix. Lucky recipients were Brian Davis, Peter Humber and Joe Thornton. The Pinhard prize for the most meritorius motorcyclist under 21 went to Triumph works rider and ISDT gold medal winner Gordon Farley. Charlie Sanby, who gave Lance Weil some good scraps during 1966, collected the main Grovewood award of $700 for the most improved, unsponsored road racer of the season. Beautiful 18-year-old Joan Thorn won the Queen of the Road title and $700 that goes with the crown, while world 500cc road racing champion Giacomo Agostini won the coveted Man of the Year award in a poll run by Motor Cycle News. He is the first overseas rider to win the title and doubtless gained votes for his superb displays on the English short circuits at the end of the season.
Finally, mention must be made of the Filtrate miniature trials course ridden with electrically powered bikes, and, an even greater attraction, the sidecar racing simulator jointly featured by BP and the Daily Express, the latter having also sponsored the show. Chris Vincent’s racing BSA outfit was used and the set-up provided the crew with a lap of Silverstone. No plaything, this, for it was built by General Precision Systems Ltd., a company that builds flight simulators. On the bike the tach responded to throttle opening. Gear changes and braking affected speed, and handling was affected if the passenger moved wrongly. It was without doubt a star attraction.
But it was not a show for the children, for who would want a child to come home with “bleeding instructions for Lockheed disc brakes,” or, even worse, the wonderful clanger in a Puch handout stating “Finally, war has been declared on all incidental and secondary noise sources, with rubber buggers, silent blocks . . . ”
