Real Classic April 2020

This is probably the strangest and most difficult editorial I've had to write. Rea/Classic is a magazine all - and I do mean 'all' - about bikes, mostly ancient and sometimes a little bit modern, and the lifetimes of entertainment and delight they can supply. Observe how, even now, I am studiously ignoring the spanner-flinging frustration of working on a BSA A65. Positivity in all things. Wherever possible . Which is the key to this hopefully unique editorial. As I write this, it's the evening of Mothering Sunday, as we classic types should call it. The sun is shining, the skies are marvellously blue, my Triumph has just got a pair of new tyres, as well as a new chain and sprockets. It's even booked in for a big service,…

As we may recall from RC167, Triumph fan Chris has owned manyTRWs. But Chris served his spannering apprenticeship rebuilding a 1960s Norton Dominator, which left a lasting impression. When the opportunity arose to purchase a local Norton 650 twin, Chris didn't need much arm-twisting to decide that the bike was for him. The vendor was an engineer by profession, and had partially and sympathetically restored the Norton. It had matching frame and engine numbers and was still running on its original bore and pistons - exactly the sort of motorcycle Chris likes to add to his modest collection of roadgoing classics. Nor was this an average Norton Dom mi. Chris had got his hands on a rare and delightful Mercury 650 model. According to your humble scribe's research, only 160 Mercury…

As we may recall from RC167, Triumph fan Chris has owned manyTRWs. But Chris served his spannering apprenticeship rebuilding a 1960s Norton Dominator, which left a lasting impression. When the opportunity arose to purchase a local Norton 650 twin, Chris didn't need much arm-twisting to decide that the bike was for him. The vendor was an engineer by profession, and had partially and sympathetically restored the Norton. It had matching frame and engine numbers and was still running on its original bore and pistons - exactly the sort of motorcycle Chris likes to add to his modest collection of roadgoing classics. Nor was this an average Norton Dom mi. Chris had got his hands on a rare and delightful Mercury 650 model. According to your humble scribe's research, only 160…

A legend that has endured for 70 years, the Norton featherbed frame was in a class of one when rider Geoff Duke rode his works Norton to its celebrated victory at Blandford, Dorset in April 1950. Norton's legendary frame was engineered by racers and business partners Artie Bell and Rex Mccandless. Following experiments with Citroen rear suspension units on his racing Triumph, Mccandless then manufactured a bolt-on rear subframe and suspension kit for rigid racers. Competition success presented Bell and Mccandless with an enterprising business and soon the two partners became closely linked with Norton's racing department. Racer Bell became a works rider and Mccandless negotiated an exclusive deal to develop a new frame for Norton's racers. Mccandless presented his new swinging arm racing frame to Norton in 1950, and following factory…

A legend that has endured for 70 years, the Norton featherbed frame was in a class of one when rider Geoff Duke rode his works Norton to its celebrated victory at Blandford, Dorset in April 1950. Norton's legendary frame was engineered by racers and business partners Artie Bell and Rex Mccandless. Following experiments with Citroen rear suspension units on his racing Triumph, Mccandless then manufactured a bolt-on rear subframe and suspension kit for rigid racers. Competition success presented Bell and Mccandless with an enterprising business and soon the two partners became closely linked with Norton's racing department. Racer Bell became a works rider and Mccandless negotiated an exclusive deal to develop a new frame for Norton's racers. Mccandless presented his new swinging arm racing frame to Norton in 1950, and…

COUNTING CARBS I was very interested in Rowena's comments in the January subscriber newsletter regarding the performance differential between single and twin carburettor units. I agree. Although perhaps the twin carb unit may have a slight advantage on acceleration initially, the performance difference when underway is so insignificant it would be hard to tell them apart. The TR7RV certainly has a faster top speed. My friend David has a Triumph T140E and I have a repatriated TR7RV which I obtained from Nigeria in several tea chests. This TR7RV was formally purchased as an order direct from Triumph in 1979 to supplyT140s and TR7s to the army. They were in army colours and fitted with a single seat. I won my bike in an auction; it was then returned to the UK as…