CHAIN CHATTER, December 1951
CHAIN CHATTER
by “CARROZZINO”
THE Motor Cycle Show has come and gone and it does not seem like two years since the previous one. Wandering around the exhibits it seemed even less so, for there was surprisingly little that had not appeared in 1949. Pride of place undoubtedly went to the new Norton Dominator de Luxe, fitted with its new frame and forks which are identical to the famous racing Nortons. One thing about the British motor-cycle industry is that it offers a wide variety of good products, in fact a bieyek to suit every requirement from shopping to road-racing. No matter what your feelings were regarding engine capacity there were machines to satisfy, from 98 c.c. to 1,000 c.c.
In the sheer eminently-class, of very light-weight, simplicity and push-bike handling, there were examples by B.A.C., with the diminutive LiMita model, and .1AMES, and SIN with more normal sinall motor-cycles ; also, NORMAN and BOWN market similar machines, but were not exhibiting. For the slightly more intrepid rider, requiring something a little more powerful, there are ten makes to choose from in the 123-c.c. class, of which eight were on show. The B.S.A.BANTAM is one of the most popular coal is a very smart model in its green cellulose. JAMBS, FRANCIS-BARNEW, ROYAL ENFIELD, and EXCELSIOR: are all ‘vell-known, established bui:ders or these light-weights, while 0.E.(., SUN, NORMAN, TANDON and D.MAY, arc all keen rivals for this small motorcycle market. Asa” go-between ‘• dividing the 125s, all of which are twostrokes, and the 250-c.c. machines, which are usually considered to be the smallest type of machine that is grouped under the heading of motor-cycles as distinct from ” light-weights,” there is the 197-e.e. category. Some eleven manufacturers market machines in this class, of which ten use two-stroke engines and the remaining one, Velocette, water-cooled s.v. unit. JAMES, AMBASSADOR. DOT, EXCELSIOR. FRANCIS-BARNEW. SUN and 0.14:.C. were, all on view and TAXDON, NORMAN and 1.).MAY were not, though all are in produetion. All the three classes of machines mentioned constitute the utility group of withall ‘0iPhasis on mammy and ease of handling, to appeal to the nonnot or-cyclist or beginner. The 250-e.e. class does Ind. receive a great deal of support front the public, even though live manufacturers in Buis einintry market this type of ntimitine. In many ways the 250-ex. machine loses a lot by being a bit too big to be classed with the pure utility bikes and not big enough to compare or be classed with the 350-c.c. alai larger maeltines, which are eSSCII
Gaily musotor-c-yeles I lowever, 0.E.C., EXCELSIOR, PANTHER, B.S.A. and DOT were all to be Seen, of which probably the EXCELSIOR Talisman twin-cylinder two-stroke model was th.? most attractive.
Turning to the 359-c.e. class of machine! there were nine different makes to choose from, of which only DOUGLAS used a twin-cylinder engine, all the others being single cylinders. MATCHLESS, jus;„A., ARm, and Roym, ENFIELD all exhibited popular favourites among the regular motor-cyclists, while PANTIIER offered a tidy little machine with oh.v. engine and NORTON and VEL(1CE’llsE offered this size of machine in old-established models, that appeal to the connoisseur rather than the masses. Nine English manufacturers also market 500-e,c-. machines of a widely differing variety to suit all tastes. Of those making 350-e.e. motor-eyeles, only PANTIrmt and vELocETTF, do not make the larger models, and their places are tilled by SI.N11E.All, with their in line twin with shaft drive, and TRIUMPH., probably the most flitruitts of the popular machines, together with the single-cylinder VINCENT. To cater for those people who feel that a 500-e.e. motor-cycle is not really ideal for pulling a sidecar, TRIITMPII and II.S.A. offer enktrged versions of their twiet-cylinder engines, thf,se new models being 650 c.c. Also, of course, PANTIIER make their ever-green ” Bat ” model, 000-e.e. Imshrod, renowned for its ability to pull a heavily laden sidecar. ARM. and
NO both make excellent 000-c.c.
s.v. machines essentially for pulling the extra load of a third wheel. There will always be enthusiasts for the really laror machines and both Alt! EL and VINCENT offer 1,00ft-c.c. solo motor-cycles guaranteed to satisfy anymk with a leaning towards big-engineel maeltines that cover all normal motor-cycling with no fuss or bother. Both lirtrIS have their own ideas on the type of motor-cycle required, ARIELS making the renowned ” Square Four ” model with its Ana 230-c.c. cylinders arranged. as the name suggests, in the shape of a square, while Vincent make Hair large machine a Vee-twin in the classic tradition, which rightly has the title of the NVorkrs Fastest Standard Motor-cycle. Among that very fine eotteetton of English maimfacturers there is sonathing available for everyone in the way of 7i normal road-going motorayele, but if the rider has interest in any particular specialised form of inotoraycling. then the industry can again Present a N’ef)’ line list of ma-hint’s ii ,.,Ver itli branehes. Pure road-racing machines were ills 1,1<
99s-e.c. model and Dm. at the other end of the scale, a racing version Of their sports 125-c.c. model. NORTON also tater a machine similar :150 ex. watt Ito world4ainons 495-c.c. engitie. A..I.S., NORTON and IRYY all displayed actual T.T. machiw.^,t_ as raced by the faelories themselves, scrambles or croas.coutitry racing are catered for I y B.S.A., DOT and MATCBLESS, all offering inachineS iii scramble trim, ready to race. In this c7onntry trials riding is /He iii the nmst popular forrits of sport, among the OM, motorcyclists and this enthusiasm is shared by the matutfaeturers, for fourteen of them make a special model for use in trials work, of which all but Om were on show. B.S..A. JAMES, 9.1 Flt A N IS BA RS ETT, 901 and D.M.W. all make light weight trials nuslels, A R E, L. MAT( ‘ ‘,Est.:, A.J.S., ROYAL ENFIELD :oat PANTHER make
aiin-e.e. models and 500-c.e. models, the last-named also making it 250-c.c, model, while TRIUMPH and NORTON make 500-c.c. trials machines. All these manufacturers oiler for sale motoraycles ready to be ridden in eompetition events and it is Os a direct nault of the trials and racing aotivities of our manufacturers nett British maettines are the Ilneat in the world. Anotlar branch of motorcycling that has an immetute following is speedway and both 0.E,C. and EXCELSIOR productspukka speedway models. With this very great interest, by manufacturers in various branches of the motoroyeling sport it is it eertainty that British machines will always la able to vie with all-COmers itt Biu. claim for world supremaey of design, construction and production. Since the war there has been :t grtat following for the vertical twit-cylinder engine as pioneered in a big way by Trinniph before the war. ‘rbere are now seven makes which include a vertical-twin engine in the range, all being fundamentally the sante in layout, having the .crankshaft rtinning across the (tame, flitadly speak i kg. /1 sd.. M ATCH F.’S’S, NORTON, leti.A., any Al, ENF1 EL IL ARIEL and TRIUMPH Lii make twin engineS that are outwardly the but the great, wealth of detail difference and the number of ideas of dealing with the same problem show a remarkable diversity of opinion and also show that the design side of the induStry is far from inaetive. Other twins are produced by 1)0 l’ef LAS, with a liorigmtally-opposed layout. and SI’S BEAM with their indine engine. AII these are fillo-e.e_ machines. but, of course, VP:LOCI:17E and EXCELSIOR also make twin-cylittder engines, the latter being an intereSting 250-e.e. two-stroke. Of particular interest to the twin enthusiasts were the machines ridden in the 1.S.i u.T. by the winning British leant. It WaS pOssitile to see how sueh events benefit the standard motor-014e, for TRIUNI P11. A RIEI„
C is MATC111,1,;SS, ROYAL I Still anti B.S.A• have all developed their touring mavhines through such competitions and a lastly, wIdle not strictly motor-eyeles, latt two-wheeled transport nevertheless. the STO0t1.1″ groin) had much to offer. .As ” tender ” vehicles to larger maehines or ears, the Italian LAMBRETTA and its Anglicised cousin the DoEGLAS-VESPA gave all that could be desired from a ” scooter,” B.A.C. offered a prototype for view, similar in layout to the Italian machines, hot mu-1, simpler, while the CORGI. by Brockhouse, that really started aIi this small-whecled motor-cycle business, was much in evidoue. Only two tbas,..vbeelec paKsenger vehicles were on slew, the BON D and Ow RELIANT, the former using a Villiers two-stroke engine and the latter USing A 1051-built pre-war Austin Seven unglue. Both are strictly utility vehicles for the tourist and prompted the thought that really rOrty, hotstuff three-wheelers are, it thing of the past. Morgans were roacdubiy absent • • • If you are seeking a present for the you.ny , ” Thrills and Spills,” by Erie Leyland (1(10 pages, Sc, mi., Ward Lock kl Co, U. Chancery Lane; W.C.:?.), is a pad tip ; it will thrill while ma leading ,astray those keen to learn about speed On wheels .A mailer excellent gift book is The Boy B ‘s ook:of Motor Sport” by Oregor Orant (160 pages, Vonlis, 21s.), which treats the subjeet more scrioitSly and is very nicely ‘Bo’s’n:mai with phOtographs, drawiliga and a frontispiece in Colour. • • • PARCELLED AN It :-3ENT We are glad to report that Lt.-Col. Peter Vaughan made fastest car time (S1.03 sec.) at the recent Singapore Nf.C. I…lap Speed Iiill-Climb ill his ex-Fane single-seater Frazer-Nash recently shipped out Ii, Ionic