Classic Bike November 2021

Welcome SPECIAL DELIVERY THIS MONTH’S ISSUE has a bit of a ‘specials’ feel to it. At first take, this month’s cover bike could be mistaken for a BSA-powered ‘Norbsa’ but builder Garry Laurence was looking for something very different and opted for a W-Series motor which was produced by Kawasaki from 1965 to create a stunning café race which could be termed a ‘Norasaki’... The Japanese engine architecture came from Meguro, who Kawasaki commissioned originally to create a BSA A7 replica twin, then developed their own W-Series, through the W1, W2 and W3 models, until 1974. Garry’s latest superb build compliments his earlier ‘Spirit of the Sixties’ specials which we’ve featured before in CB – but this one is definitely a very unusual and unique hybrid, the like of which…

THIS MONTH’S ISSUE has a bit of a ‘specials’ feel to it. At first take, this month’s cover bike could be mistaken for a BSA-powered ‘Norbsa’ but builder Garry Laurence was looking for something very different and opted for a W-Series motor which was produced by Kawasaki from 1965 to create a stunning café race which could be termed a ‘Norasaki’... The Japanese engine architecture came from Meguro, who Kawasaki commissioned originally to create a BSA A7 replica twin, then developed their own W-Series, through the W1, W2 and W3 models, until 1974. Garry’s latest superb build compliments his earlier ‘Spirit of the Sixties’ specials which we’ve featured before in CB – but this one is definitely a very unusual and unique hybrid, the like of which we’ve certainly not seen before. On…

E10 PETROL WAY WE WERE EVENTS YOUR CLASSICS LETTERS High-flying sidecar gets a facelift Seventy five year-old design, based on a Mosquito drop tank, gets a new lease of life PHOTOGRAPHY: WATSONIAN First seen in 1946, Watsonian’s lightweight Prescott sidecar has been given a new body shell for its 75th birthday. Initially made using a batch of surplus RAF Mosquito reserve fuel tanks, and then known as the Meteor, subsequent versions were produced in glassfibre, using a mould taken from one of the original spun plywood body shells Watsonian was launched in 1912, when founder TF Watson patented a design for a folding sidecar that could be wheeled along the alleyways between terraced houses. When war broke out in 1914, his company was kept busy making sidecar outfits that were…

First seen in 1946, Watsonian’s lightweight Prescott sidecar has been given a new body shell for its 75th birthday. Initially made using a batch of surplus RAF Mosquito reserve fuel tanks, and then known as the Meteor, subsequent versions were produced in glassfibre, using a mould taken from one of the original spun plywood body shells Watsonian was launched in 1912, when founder TF Watson patented a design for a folding sidecar that could be wheeled along the alleyways between terraced houses. When war broke out in 1914, his company was kept busy making sidecar outfits that were used as ambulances. Then, once peace resumed, the company went back to making sidecars for leisure, sport and tradesmen. During the World War II, sidecar production ceased, partly due to lack of materials and…

E10 PETROL THE TRUTH BEHIND THE MYTHS It’ll rot your tank and carbs... it makes your classic run rough... the ethanol erodes your fuel lines... there are a lot of scare stories around Bioethanol E10 petrol. We cut through the bull PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAN WRIGHT & BAUER ARCHIVE Ethanol: C2H5OH When the standard pump fuel in the UK became E10 (ie, 10% ethanol) at the beginning of September, there was much depressing talk about the fuel’s destructive effects on old motorcycles. Carbs would rot, fuel lines would perish, and engines would run roughly, the doom-mongers said. But, although there is truth in all those fears, there are straightforward ways around the problems according to several trade experts we spoke to, and Dr Paul Ireland, who has conducted extensive research on E10’s…

Ethanol: C2H5OH When the standard pump fuel in the UK became E10 (ie, 10% ethanol) at the beginning of September, there was much depressing talk about the fuel’s destructive effects on old motorcycles. Carbs would rot, fuel lines would perish, and engines would run roughly, the doom-mongers said. But, although there is truth in all those fears, there are straightforward ways around the problems according to several trade experts we spoke to, and Dr Paul Ireland, who has conducted extensive research on E10’s effects on old engines at Manchester University. What is the biggest issue caused by E10? “If you get water in E10 fuel, the ethanol can be a disaster,” says Dr Ireland. “The water-ethanol mix becomes exceedingly corrosive, and will dissolve steel, brass and aluminium. The problem is that on a…