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A monthly publication of The Vintage Motorcycle Club Johannesburg, South Africa.

Volume 31. No 6. June 2016 CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE:

It is amazing how time flies, we are fast approaching August and time to elect a new committee for the Club, if you are willing and able to serve on the committee, please let me know. By the time that you read this the Natal Classic would be done and dusted, good luck to all the guys going down to Natal. The Classic has attracted a good entry of over 50 participants and we wish the organisers a successful event. The CMC arranged the Century run this year and it was well attended by VMC members, next year it will be the turn of VMC to arrange the event. The DJ Memorial ride will happen on 12 June this year and as usual we will start from the James Hall Museum. Please support this event and thanks to Neville and Roly for organising. On 20th August we will be having a boot sale and get together at the club house from one in the afternoon. Bring that ‘thing’ that has been laying around in your workshop, somebody might need it. Safe Riding Pierre

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Past events:

The Classic Motorcycle Club’s Century Run 2016 By Greg Baxter Recently, The Classic Motorcycle Club in conjunction with the Vintage Motorcycle Club held it’s annual Century Run. To qualify for a certificate as a finisher, the age of the rider and motorcycle combined, must total at least 100 years. 100 to 124 years earns a Bronze certificate, 125 to 149 years a Silver certificate, and 150 years and over, a Gold certificate. As my only qualifying motorcycle, a 1968 BSA Bantam is in a thousand pieces, I asked fellow club member Pierre Cronje if I could ride one of his bikes. He was gracious enough to let me ride his 1951 Triumph 500 Speed Twin. I was keen to do the run as my friend and fellow club member, Jeff Slark had recently completed a complete rebuild on his 1974 Norton 850 Commando, and thought it would be a great idea to ride with. Or so I thought! It would be the first time I would ride an old British motorcycle with the gearshift on the right and the rear brake on the left; Opposite to more modern machinery. So, one needs to concentrate and remember what gear one is in. It wouldn’t do to hit the rear brake by mistake when one is downshifting! I suppose one could use a 5 second self-imposed rule: Count to 5, THINK, then brake or shift gear. The Triumph has about 2 or 3 inches of fork travel, while the rear suspension consists of a sprung hub with maybe half an inch of travel. The padding in the seat compliments this rudimentary comfort. Starting out, I was riding mid pack, at 45 miles per hour (72 Kph), the speed that the lead car was travelling at. The Triumph had started first time and idled contentedly. I found out soon enough that the motor wanted to die at anything more than 1/3 throttle. Not a problem on flats and downhills, though uphill’s took some downshifting. On the outward loop my uphill speed was 30Mph (48 Kph), and on the return loop with more gradient, this dropped to 20 Mph (32 Kph). Owner Pierre tells me the bike needs a service, e.g.: new plugs and a carburettor clean and having the point’s gap and valves adjusted. A reader might wonder why anyone would want to ride at 30 odd Kph on a freeway; kindly remember that this bike is 65 years old. Relatively young compared to the oldest bike on the ride, a 1920 Sunbeam, older than your grandparents (perhaps). Also, the thrill of riding a bike older than myself, with the unmistakable scent of hot motor oil on my shoe, was a special pleasure. Besides we had a backup vehicle with a trailer if need be. As a member of the CMC, it is a pleasure to be in the company of folk who have a passion for classic motorcycles; sourcing, fabricating, restoring parts that are to the most part unavailable anymore. On our run, there were Triumphs, AJSs, a Sunbeam, BSAs, BMWs, Moto Guzzis, and a Panther to name a few. As mentioned previously, the oldest bike was Dennis Pullon’s 1920 Sunbeam, and the oldest rider was John Thornton, 79. There were an estimated 40 odd bikes on the run. I received a Silver certificate, as my total came to 126. (Bike 65 and myself 61) Next time, if Pierre will let me, I will do the service before the ride :)

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Greg Baxter on Pierre Cronje’s 1951 Triumph 500 Speed Twin

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Upcoming Events

Please send any event info or comments to the Chairman, the Editor or any committee member. Contact details are available on the last page of Kickstart.

Calendar for 2016

June 2016 July 2016 4 June Mampoer Rally POMC 3 July CMC Club Meeting CMC Germiston

5 June CMC Club Meeting CMC Germiston 2-3 July CMC 1000 Bike Show CMC Germiston

12-June DJ Memorial Ride James Hall Museum 25 July VMC Club Meeting VVC Club

27 June VMC Club Meeting VVC Club 31 July Cars in the Park POMC

August 2016 7 August CMC Club Meeting CMC Germiston

11-13 August Magnum Rally POMC

20 August Car boot sale & get together VVC Club

22 August VMC AGM VVC Club

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The Knysna Motor Show 2016 Hi to All, Please click on the link below to see a video which has been developed of the 2016 Knysna motor show. The purpose of the video will be to attract potential sponsors promote the Knysna motor show as a premier event , as well as direct it to participants that we would like to invite to the motor show. We have also placed the link and still photos on “Knysna motor Show” Facebook https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUfAeG206X4 Enjoy, Peter

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Library Corner Unfortunately this month’s Library Corner will be a bit shorter than usual as due to my enforced hospital stay, little has been done in the way of reading since January. As mentioned last month I hoped to have the library open for the March club Sunday which I actually managed. This in turn led to a pleasant surprise when I arrived at the club on the Saturday when a pile of workshop manuals awaited me (thanks for the donation). Although a number of them covered, what I would call moderns (manufactured after 2000), the others were on older models such as Kawasaki, Suzuki and Harley Davidson. Another pleasant surprise was on Sunday when Patrick Moore donated two books to the library; one was “British Motorcycles since 1950 #6” by Steve Wilson which covers the second instalment of Triumph plus covers the Velocette and Vincent-HRD marques. The other one is a book that I have been threatening to purchase for some time (before the exchange rate went stupid). The title is “BSA Competition History” by Norman Vanhouse and as the title suggests, covers BSA’ s competition involvement from 1910 to the company’s demise in the 1970’s. I was unaware that the major thrust of BSA’s competition efforts during this period were directed towards the off road side (Scrambles, Trials and ISTD type events) with little being done with the road racing side since the TT debacle in 1921. The book details the various personalities who rode as privateers or full factory riders for BSA or were part of the BSA competition team from pre-war up to the demise of the company and this reads like a who’s who of the off road greats. The book also gives some insight into the development of the various off road models such as the B32, B34, C15T & S as well as the Bantam in it various capacity sizes. One of the major chapters is the development, from the Triumph Tiger Cub, of the Unit singles through the various capacity changes 250cc (C15T & S), 350cc (B40), 441cc (B44) and the full 500cc model the B50. There are other chapters that cover the odd usage of BSA models that were used for road racing and sprinting/drag racing but these were, on the whole, mainly by private companies or individuals without too much direct involvement of the BSA factory. Overall an interesting book well written and researched. Bob Harpin CMC librarian

Technical Tip – Tappet Clearance When checking tappet clearance on your BMW always check for up and down play of the rocker on the shaft. If excess play is found, I recommend using a G clamp with two bushes to clamp the rocker together and then torque the cylinder head. Once that is done, adjust the pushrod adjuster all the way out and shock treat the rocker with a copper hammer to free the rocker on the shaft, now you can set the clearance on the inlet and exhaust valves. Best regards, Donovan Muller

Cycle Technology t/a Cytech & Tours For Africa

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1929 500cc Chater Lea Brooklands Special, nick name:- Copperknob This famous machine was built by Ben and Joe Bickell in their garage in Highgate, London for the 1929 racing season. It was nicknamed “Copperknob” on its first appearance at Brooklands. The frame was genuine Chater-Lea, salvaged from a wrecked A.A. outfit, and was equipped with a variety of engines, ranging from a Chater-Lea 350cc overhead camshaft single to a big V-twin JAP. Engine manufacturer JAP introduced a new 500cc ohv power unit in 1931, and sponsored the April meeting at Brooklands to launch and promote it. In a race run between motorcycles all exclusively powered by the new engine, Copperknob won an emphatic victory recording an average speed of 93.97mph. More success followed in 1932, as Copperknob recorded the fastest lap in a Senior Handicap at 112.17mph. The season was rounded off by winning the Hutchinson Hundred – despite almost continuous rain – at an average 99.61mph. After Ben Bickell’s tragic death whilst riding an Ariel in the 1936 Ulster Grand Prix, Copperknob passed through various hands until a complete restoration in the early 1960s. For all its undoubted performance, Copperknob must have been a most uncomfortable ride on the notorious Brooklands concrete; suspension technology was still in its infancy. Like the majority of other track racers, Copperknob utilised a rigid frame and girder fork at the front end, and an adjustable Ferodo ring damper on the central spring.

Picture & story from the National Motorcycle Museum

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Surgery A mechanic was removing a cylinder-head from the motor of a Harley motorcycle when he spotted a well-known cardiologist in his shop. The cardiologist was there waiting for the service manager to come take a look at his bike when the mechanic shouted across the garage "Hey Doc, want to take a look at this?" The cardiologist, a bit surprised, walked over to where the mechanic was working on the motorcycle. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and said, "So Doc, look at this engine. I open its heart, take the valves out, repair any damage, and then put them back in, and when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I make $39,675 a year, a pretty small salary and you get the really big bucks ($1,695,759) when you and I are doing basically the same work?" The cardiologist paused, smiled and leaned over, then whispered to the mechanic... "Try doing it with the engine running."

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SAVVA Technical Tip 105 – Cleaning Chrome This tip comes from Roberts cycle in Chicago and seems to have merit. Feedback on its success would be appreciated. A simple solution A simple and inexpensive way to remove rust from and polish chrome surfaces by hand is to rub it with aluminium foil dipped in water. This process yields two advantages. First, since the aluminium foil is softer than steel, it will not scratch the surface. And second, a by-product of the process produces a fine metal polishing compound that smooths the chrome surface to a bright shine. Geek Stuff- Oxides are the key Cleaning Rust is basically oxidized metal or in other words metal that has taken on extra oxygen atoms. As heat is generated by the friction of rubbing the aluminium foil on the chrome, a portion of the aluminium will oxidize to produce aluminium oxide. Aluminium has a higher reduction potential (i.e. a tendency take on electrons and in the process reduce or break itself down) than the chrome, and will therefore leech oxygen atoms away from any rust on the chrome surface, which changes the chemical properties of the rust and breaks it down. Polishing Aluminium oxide is harder than steel, and the microscopic grains of aluminium oxide produced during the cleaning process creates a fine metal polishing compound which, mixed with the water you added, creates a paste that smooths and polishes the chrome surface. In English - How it works A common way to clean a rusted chrome surface such as a fender is to use a fine steel wool. However, when you use this method you have to use a lot of elbow grease and you still end up with a slightly dull surface with some amount of scratching not to mention the messy ‘dust’ left over from the steel wool. That’s because you are physically scraping off the rust. When you use the aluminium foil method you are dissolving the rust chemically so you don’t need to rub nearly as hard and since the aluminium foil is softer than the chrome, you are left with few if any scratches. This method also allows you to get the rust out of some minor pitting without having to dig into the surface. The aluminium oxide that is created by friction when you rub the surface of the chrome leeches the rust away and when combined with the water you added creates its own polishing compound so you end up with a clean, smooth, shiny surface. Step by step - By the numbers people Step 1 Cut the aluminium foil into small squares. 3” by 3” should do. Step 2 Wipe down or wash the surface to remove any surface dirt. Step 3 Dip a square into some water or sprinkle some water on it and spread it around on the surface of the foil. Step 4 Cup the wet square over the surface you want to clean so you get a nice even coverage. Step 5 Start rubbing a 6 or 8 inch area and remember you don’t have to rub very hard. As you rub, you’ll feel the surface get smoother and smoother until the foil just glides over it. You will also notice a light brown paste building up. This is the polish that results from the chemical reaction.

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Step 6 When the surface is nice and smooth and you have polished it, take a clean cloth and wipe the polish off. Step 7 Once you finish cleaning and polishing the item you need to cover the surface to protect it from the elements. At a minimum you can wipe it down thoroughly with a clean cloth. Since cloth inherently contains some amount of oil, this will give you at least some protection. The best method would be to use a small amount of chrome polish or maybe something like turtle wax or an equivalent kind of wax or polish. Make sure you wipe the surface down with a paper towel first instead of a cloth because paper doesn’t contain any oil so you will have a clean and dry surface for the wax or polish to adhere to. Limitations - There’s always a catch If the surface is severely pitted or some of the chrome plating has peeled off, there is a limit to how much you can do. Since this method removes the rust chemically, you should still be able to get rid of most if not all of the rust. And since it creates its own polishing compound, you should be able to feather (taper) the peeled off edges to help prevent more peeling in the future. Again, once you have the surface as rust free and smoothed down as much as possible, don’t forget to apply some form of wax or polish. Things we noticed along the way Use a little extra water if you want a super fine finish. Wad up a larger piece of foil when you work on pitted areas. The edges created will help smooth down the pits. Don’t rub too long with the first ‘paste’ created. Once the surface feels nice and smooth and you’ve wiped the gunk off, you can use a new piece of foil with some more water to get as much shine as you like. Don’t waste your time with a severely pitted surface since the rust has probably eaten down through the chrome to the bare metal. Smooth it down as much as you can with steel wool then use the aluminium foil method to remove as much rust as possible. The aluminium foil method also works pretty well on steel. It removes the rust well, but don’t expect that super shiny finish like you get with the chrome because it never had that to begin with. To get the best results, remove that fender or other part so you can work on it easily without having nooks and crannies to dig into. If you’re working on severely rusted rims, you might want to use a steel brush to remove the worst rust spots first. This will also remove any caked on road gunk so you have a better surface to work with. A final Note – Parting is such sweet sorrow... We hope you will be as amazed with this method as we are. It has saved us a lot of time and effort and has yielded much better results than we’ve gotten in the past.

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Classifieds NB! only remain in for 3 months then must be renewed

FOR SALE: 1981 BMW R100RT in good running order with (tatty) panniers. Elderly owner no longer rides it. R15000-00 ONO. Tel Ivan 0825060155 or 0117638879 1980 MZ 250cc motorcycle. Roadworthied, registered and data dotted. Includes workshop manual (in English). SAVVA dated. Motor has just been resleeved back to standard size. R10 000 Phone Stan at 021 7123232

WANTED: Alternator type primary chaincase for pre-unit swinging arm Triumph. I need two inners and one outer. Will buy or have parts to swap. Tony Dodsworth. 082 742 1742 or 011 453 2688 To fit BMW R50: 2 x Bing 1/24 Carbs complete pair or 2 x 1/24 Bing Housings (blocks) OR 2x AMAL Carbs (pair), same size as above Contact Trevor Jones – (082) 416-4650

British Bike Spares, Specialising in classic British bike spares supplying parts from Wassell, the biggest new classic bike part wholesalers in the UK, has been purchased by Gavin Walton from Mike Lang. All the stock has been moved from Benoni to Springs on the East Rand. Gavin’s intentions include enhancing and growing the business, web basing it to provide on-line browsing and ordering and shortening the time between import orders and delivery at a competitive rate. Gavin’s details are: 74 Phoenix road Selcourt Springs 1559 Home 011 818 4055 Mobile 083 408 4296 Email gavin.walton@e6.com (this will change in the near future to britishbikespares@gmail.com) Please call to enquire or make an appointment to see him.

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PARASKY

“The Skylight Professionals” Established 1981

TEL: 011-626-2970 FAX: 011-626-1420 parasky@absamail.co.za www.parasky.co.za

SKYLIGHTS: COMMERCIAL & DOMESTIC

+ Staircases + Patio & Balcony Enclosures

+ Balustrades + Walk-ons

+ Gazebos & Architectural Features For us – the sky is the limit!

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RESTORATION and other SERVICES Full restorations. Pierre Cronje does these as well as wheel lacing and building. Call him on 072 513 9432. Ultrasonic cleaning call Henry Watermeyer on 084 800 8862. Raw honey for sale. Remember Caroline is the honey queen – you can buy her various types of honey at the club meeting for the bargain price of R50 per jar or carolinesrawhoney@gmail.com Petrol taps Enots flat-slide type, made in brass to your order. In sizes 1/8”, 1/4” and 3/8” BSP as well as Rally boxes made to your order with handlebar mounting brackets plus mountings for the rally plate and three watches. Trevor Fraser on 013 656 3063 or 076 591 5560. BMW Speedometers Ben Vandenberg has a large stock of old and parts. He is willing to pass them on to anyone running a speedo repair service or is planning to start one. His contact number is 021 712 2661. Restoration and other services. Gravel Man Services offers full service of all BMW boxer twins (old and new). Accident damage repairs and restorations. Please contact Markus Watson on 083 602 3503.

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THE VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE CLUB P O Box 782835 SANDTON 2146 South Africa www.vintagemotorcycleclub.co.za COMMITTEE MEMBERS Pierre Cronje Chairman pierrecronje@mweb.co.za 0118493008 0725139432

Ken Wiggins Vice Chairman ken.wiggins@za.ey.com 0117937138 0832561949

Pieter Vlietstra Treasurer pvlietstra@gmail.com 0117934841 0826509880

Ian Storer Secretary hilian@isat.co.za 0727277382

Ian Holmes Committee Member ianhol@iafrica.com 0117937304 0836463089

Kevin Walton Club Dating Officer kevin.walton@norcossa.com 0828918399

Rob Pattison-Emms

Committee Member avonrod@mweb.co.za 0118495180 0828912869

Roly Tilman Committee Member tilman@lasergroup.co.za 0118031462 0823774303

Chantal Madgwick

Committee Member / Editor editor@vintagemotorcycleclub.co.za 0837083522

Brandon Jarvis Committee Member / Assistant Editor

brandon@ascotmews.co.za 0119079432 0824108828

FEES PAYABLE Entry Fee R50.00 Annual Subscription R260.00 (Due on 31st July or R130.00 if joining after 1st of January) Country Member R190.00 (R95.00 if joining after 1st of January) Family Member R10.00 (i.e. spouse and minor children) CLUB ACCOUNT DETAILS Account Number 1970259841 Nedbank Sandton Branch 197-005 Please use your name and surname as your reference when making a payment CLUB MEETINGS Meetings are held every 4th Monday of the month (except December) at The Vintage and Veteran Club (VVC), 3 Athol Oaklands Road, Oaklands Johannesburg, at 20:00. The opinions expressed in KICKSTART are not necessarily those of the Committee or the Editor. We appeal for members to submit stories, articles, and photos – in fact anything you think would be of interest to our readers. No matter how insignificant you may feel your story may be, to others it may well be of great interest. A rebuild, an encounter with an old bike or racing personality. An unusual part seen, just send it all in and let’s see what we can make of it. Address is editor@vintagemotorcycleclub.co.za