Classic Bike October 2021

TALES OF THE ALTERNATIVE TT WE’RE ALL WELL aware of TT history. I followed it as a kid (as I’m sure many of you did), learned about the early races and went there as a punter. In the 1980s I was lucky enough to cover it at a journalist for about three decades until I left MCN in 2012 to take up a role in classic motorcycling. I was there at the height of the Joey Dunlop era, saw David Jefferies’ all-too-short reign and delighted in being around for John McGuinness’ success after success. Racing on the roads has always fascinated me, and it’s a real joy, delving back to learn more about its history – but it was only recently, thanks to Amy Herl and Ivar de Gier, that…

WE’RE ALL WELL aware of TT history. I followed it as a kid (as I’m sure many of you did), learned about the early races and went there as a punter. In the 1980s I was lucky enough to cover it at a journalist for about three decades until I left MCN in 2012 to take up a role in classic motorcycling. I was there at the height of the Joey Dunlop era, saw David Jefferies’ all-too-short reign and delighted in being around for John McGuinness’ success after success. Racing on the roads has always fascinated me, and it’s a real joy, delving back to learn more about its history – but it was only recently, thanks to Amy Herl and Ivar de Gier, that I became fully aware of the…

SPECIAL WAY WE WERE EVENTS YOUR CLASSICS LETTERS Ray Coleman is an experienced mechanic who is no stranger to Norton twins and making specials out of them. Back in the mid-’80s, he created a ‘Norumph’ – slotting a 1971 750cc Norton Commando engine into a modified 1971 Triumph frame for riding on country roads and occasional off-road use around his home town of Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand. The first thing you’ll notice about the Commando you see here, though, is the supercharger sitting just below the back of the fuel tank were a pair of Amal Concentrics would usually live. Ray sourced an Aisin AMR300 compressor, normally found in the 660cc four-cylinder Subaru Vivio sold on the Japanese domestic market. This compact unit – it measures just 18.5 x…

Commando on charge Forced induction, Fastback style and binned Isolastics are just some of the modifications lavished on this Norton by its antipodean owner WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: ULI CLOESEN SPECIAL WAY WE WERE EVENTS YOUR CLASSICS LETTERS Ray Coleman is an experienced mechanic who is no stranger to Norton twins and making specials out of them. Back in the mid-’80s, he created a ‘Norumph’ – slotting a 1971 750cc Norton Commando engine into a modified 1971 Triumph frame for riding on country roads and occasional off-road use around his home town of Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand. The first thing you’ll notice about the Commando you see here, though, is the supercharger sitting just below the back of the fuel tank were a pair of Amal Concentrics…

1971 When BSA closes its competition shop, Alan Clews, a successful trials and scrambles rider, shells out the princely sum of £750 to buy up all the factory parts for the B50 500cc machines and spares to launch Clews Competition Machines (CCM). He builds bikes in his own garage before establishing a factory on Shiffnall Street in Bolton the following year. He creates lighter, faster and more nimble four-stroke motocrossers and markets his bikes under the ‘Clews Stroka’ banner in 500cc and 608cc versions 1973 CCM establishes its works motocross team. Major changes to the original BSA works bikes include revised BSA forks and Girling shocks that give 7.5in and 7in of travel respectively, plus electronic ignition systems designed by Fred Stoneham. Allaction racer Bob Wright gives CCM its first national motocross victory,…

CCM HISTORY 50 YEARS Rolling Thunder It’s 50 years since Alan Clews launched CCM. The company, famous in the 1970s for its thunderous motocross bikes, still offers a range of thoroughly modern four-stroke single-cylinder motorcycles. We trace the timeline of the company’s history that has as many ups and downs as the motocross tracks its bikes have enjoyed success on PHOTOGRAPHY BY BAUER MEDIA AND COURTESY CCM 1971 When BSA closes its competition shop, Alan Clews, a successful trials and scrambles rider, shells out the princely sum of £750 to buy up all the factory parts for the B50 500cc machines and spares to launch Clews Competition Machines (CCM). He builds bikes in his own garage before establishing a factory on Shiffnall Street in Bolton the following year. He creates…