The Velobanjogent

A stop gap blog of some of DQ's archival photos.......

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:03:00 +0000

Its time for another blog, I've been otherwise occupied in preparing for printing the latest Aust. Velo OC magazine and, well admit it DQ you're just too lazy to complete the research of some items in the pipeline......
So bear with me, with this offering of photos of no particular theme from my collection and apologies if the odd one has been featured before.... acknowledgements to S.R. Keig Ltd, Fox Photos and Morton's Motorcycle Media who own the copyright on several photographs....
Left click on images to enlarge...
This Mk.7 KTT, photographed 23.01.1947, owned by Bill O'Rourke, features a Rex McCandless conversion to a swing arm rear suspension....

Taken in 1954 following their victory in both the 250cc, 350cc and unlimited class with a 250cc BMW and a 600cc BMW in the first 24hour race held at the Mt.Druitt circuit on the western outskirts of Sydney. L-R...Wal Hawtry, Jack Humphries, Don Bain, Don Flynn, Jack Forest, Len Roberts.The 250 won its class by 54 laps and the 350cc class by 19 laps....Don Bain was involved with the machine's preparation as well as riding it, and I rescall he told me scrutineering was not of the standard for originality of later years........

Brookland banking under repair during the winter layoff, 22.11.1935.

A pic scanned from a book on the R75 BMW...shows an outfit bogged to the axles in mud on the Eastern Front in 1941.......

H. Tyrell Smith aboard the Excelsior Mechanical Marvel, IOM TT 1936....

Ulster GP, probably 1959...MZ.

Smiths IOM raceshop, or rather tent...likely 1947 or 1948 .

Bathurst, NSW 1978, Tony Hatton aboard my ( then) Carey engined MAC in a Smiths frame ( copy of an English Beasley frame).....

The 2009 National Australian Velocette Rally....a brief wander through some of my rally photos....

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:02:00 +0000

As I mentioned in the previous blog, I would be absent for some 10 days....
I'm back in Sydney, currently finishing the editing for the lastest Australian Velocette OC magazine, FishTailDownUnder, which I want to get to the printers in a day or so, such that with a little luck, the 710 members of the Club will get their copy for a Christmas read.....
Organising the many photographs I took, seemed a good time to briefly take you, via some pics, through the rally, superbly organised by the Club's Western Australian centre, based as mentioned in an old , now disused, timber town, Donnelly River, some 4 hours south of Perth.
We checked in Sunday afternoon 15th Nov. meeting up with fellow club-members not usually seen for a year, due to the vast distances the Club encompasses...Sydney is some 4500 Km away...
Incidently one rider, Stuart Hooper - a name perhaps familiar to some as the man who is currently setting records on the salt lake, Lake Gairdner, South Australia on a Velo...131mph earlier this year- rode his Venom from Brisbane in Queensland the over 5000km in 5 days to the rally and of course proudly accepted the long distance award...
Stuart is featured below with myself on the left, Stuart in the middle with the award and Jim Day on the right. Stuart insisted we be photographed together...all cross Australia Velo riders ( mine and Jim's were done in Dec/Jan. 1969 on a Velo Thruxton and MSS).
Left click on the images to enlarge....

While we are on awards, and the Club really isn't made up of "pot-hunters", but we do have some special awards...featured is the Keith Hamilton award for the youngest rider at the rally...for the second year awarded to Annette Albrecht from South Australia. The late Keith Hamilton had many friends worldwide and was a frequent contributor to the several Velocette internet sites.
Rally organiser, Paul Barfoot presents the award.

The ride was a "hub rally", with us going for daily rides over 6 days.
Below is a stop at Walpole, on the southern coast followed by an aerial tree walk though a Tingle Tree forest. These trees grow only in this area.

The rally as mentioned was based in an old timber camp and illustrated is the Rally HQ, aptly named "Hall Green Works" for the rally duration.

There is always a funny side to everything and on day 2 we called in a "Gnomesville"...well it was an area near a round-a-bout on a road, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, except there were gnomes or rather gnome statues everywhere!
I wont go into why...but we created a new gnome hamlet amongst then, named "Ven-gnome-ville"....

There was native fauna everywhere to the delight of the international visitors, all loaned motorcycles, mostly Velocettes, by West Australian Centre members. Four from The Netherlands, two from New Zealand, one from the UK, five from the USA.
We organised as best we could a final photoshoot...seems the Western Grey kangaroos, lorrikeets and emus also participated....

Regretably all good things come to an end and this occured with a farewell dinner on the final Saturday evening.....
A nice touch was the special Velocette oriented place-mats and the special menus, Velocette red wine, black, gold and silver balloons......

The next day, Sunday 22nd, was the closing of the two shipping containers, re-loaded with Velocettes for the trip back to the Eastern States via train...they are in transit as I write this....
Next year the 2010 National Australian Velocette Rally is in Northern NSW at Lennox Head on the East Coast...we look forward to it and thank each and every member of the Western Australian Centre of The Velocette Owners Club of Australia for their generosity, hospitality and companionship.
A great rally in what has become a tradition for the Australian Velocette Owners Club....

DQ's off the the 2009 National Australian Velocette Rally in Western Australia...the TT Rally...this blog an introduction.....

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:44:00 +0000

This will be my last blog until around 25th November....
The 2009 Annual Australian Velocette Owners Club rally is about to start....called the TT Rally it is to be run for a week based from Donnelly River, some 4 hours south of Perth, Western Australia.
I live in Sydney on the East Coast of Australia as do a large percentage of the 700 or so club membership.....but the WA crowd are a resorceful lot and took up the challenge again to run a large national Velocette rally, again with an international flavour...they last did it in 2003 when they ran the Cape to Cape Velocette Rally, at nearby Margaret River.
A great success.....
They had a large international attendence then as now and John Jennings, JJ to his friends, has co-ordinated it again and tells me over 10% of the entrants are Internationals, all loaned Velos by WA locals.... on ya John and the lads....
In 2003 I drove over, trailering two Velos with three in the car, a 10,600km round trip....Jim Day and I rode 500cc Velos over and back in 1969...for a while I had a rush of blood to the head and the thought of redoing the ride, some 40 years later entered my mind...but only for a little while, then, for me anyhow, reason prevailed and 10 hours in a plane plus 8 hours in a rental car seemed a lot easier than 12 days in my car or on my Velocette's seat....
Yes I know...a whimp!
There is to be one Velocette ridden across this year, Stuart Hooper from Brisbane has set off to ride the 5000km there...but he will ship it back.
A real rider.....
So how to get a Velocette, rather a quantity of Velocettes over to the rally?
Clubmember Lee Hewitt in Melbourne works in the shipping game and came up with a proposal to fill 20 foot shipping containers with Velos from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, all to be on the same ship to Freemantle, a port near Perth, WA, then road freight to the rally and the return trip to be via rail across Australia...this being the most economical way to do the exercise.
Almost immediately it started to unravel...the Melbourne container cancelled out, then the Sydney container was unhappy with the shipping idea and opted for rail over, then the Brisbane container, a week or so before loading was due faced a cancellation of the shipping date and were forced to also rail across...
We used a Perth based transport company, Sadleirs Transport, the Sydney container loaded with 9 Velos plus at the last minute a Velo replacement, a BMW....caused a little hiccup in the loading due to it's size, 10 bikes in all.
The Brisbane container loaded with 8 Velos.
The trains re-assemble in Parkes, some 300km west of Sydney into a 2.5km long train with 4 huge diesels locomotives for the 4000km run across Australia.
In Perth JJ, who had bought two Velos in Brisbane and used the Brisbane container to transport them across, opened the Brisbane container in Sadleirs Perth yard and recovered them. Then Cutts transport of Manjimup, some 20km from Donnelly River transported both containers to their yard. Tomorrow, Friday, both containers are delivered via a side lift truck to the rally site and we will unload them Sunday at the start of the rally.....
Following are a series of photos of the container loading in Sydney and JJ collecting his bikes in Perth.
Likely my next blog will feature some of the rally with a followup in future blogs....
Left click on the images to enlarge.....
Think of me, Velocetting over the next week.....
Sadleirs Sydney yard...load starts

As well as two tie-downs front and rear, wooded slatts aside the wheels, screwed to the next bikes slatts, old sleeping mattresses, recovered from the roadside cleanup campaing, were slid down between each bike so it one came free it would likely not damage the next bike.

Sadleirs yard in Perth, the Brisbane container awaits JJ

John's "new" Velocettes, both 1948...a 350cc MAC and a 500cc MSS.

Another look at some pics from the Late Allen Burt's archive.....

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:57:00 +0000

It's time I re-visited some more of the late Allen Burt's photos....I've his motorcycling archive,and you may recall his sudden death on 25th January this year and my featuring a selection of items from his life......
If you've not, I urge you to click on "the death of a motorcycling friend" on the right column of this blog. I still find it very moving....
Left click on the images to enlarge.....
Likely one of Allen's last rides at Bathurst, Easter 1992, 1961 G50 Matchless.

P & R Williams salesman ( unknown) astride an ex works KTT sent out by Veloce..likely either KTT1030 or KTT1031.

Outside "Rose Villa" on the promenade at Douglas, IOM June 1955...a favourite accomodation spot for the Commonwealth riders...L to R..John Hempleman (NZ), G.Roberts ( Canada) and Maurie Quincey (Australia).

Allen's racing MAC, outside Bain and Kessing's shop, Liverpool Road, Enfield,NSW, 1948.

Probably on the start line at Bathurst,NSW for the 1957 Easter races,the Bathurst Junior TT, #10 Allen Burt, #5 John Shanks, #51 L.Deaton, #69 Keo Madden.

Allen with his MAC Velocette racer, likely in late 1940s.

August 1973, Veterans race at Oran Park, south of Sydney, this is the old ex Tommy Jemison 250cc MOV racer, restored by Allen after he found it in poor condition in the back yard of the Jemison's house. The bike held the Australian 250cc land speed record at 101.5mph, set prewar. Not broken until 1974 by Bryan Hindle on a Yamaha.

Cartoons from "MotorCycle" and "MotorCycling".......

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:11:00 +0000

I'm always partial to the cartoons that featured in the weekly UK motorcycle papers, "MotorCycle" and "MotorCycling"....these are from 1966 and 1967 and I'll feature more in future blogs....
The copyright of these is held by the family of the cartoonists and Mortons Motorcycle Media to whom I acknowledge their use....
Left click on the images to enlarge..

It's the 1957 racing season for Aussie Keith Bryen......

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:50:00 +0000

This is the fifth blog if done featuring the racing photos of Keith Bryen, who lead the life of a privateer on the Continental Circus during the early to mid 1950's, I guess ever hopeful of a factory sponsored ride, although Keith is too modest to acknowledge it.
During the TT of 1957 he rode a factory 350cc AJS and as with all the privateers, they started the season in Europe riding in minor race meetings before travelling to the IOM for the TT races.
Those following Keith's exploits will know he kindly sent me a CD-R with many of his photos on and I've featured them...
This is some of the early season shots......
Thanks Keith and Gwen....
Left click on the images to enlarge.....
At the Bourg-en-Bresse, France with his two bikes and Allen Trow, another privateer.

Lunchtime in the Bryen's van, at Bourg-en-Bresse, May 1957.

On his 350 Norton, finished 3rd, Bourg-en-Bresse.

Awaiting the start of the 500cc event, Bourg-en-Bresse.

Gwen and Keith at the Grande Prix of the Sarre,Keith finished 4th. 12.05.1957.

Over to the Isle of Man for the TT races....
Keith leads Walter Zeller, BMW during practice......
Keith is now on AMC machines, he notes he rode a factory 350 7R AJS, and is featured on a G45 Matchless, which I assume is also a factory entry.
A check of that years TT program reveals he was entered by Arter Bros. for the 350AJS and Bob Foster for the Matchless.....
He was 13th in the Junior TT and also 13th in the Senior TT.

Keith on the G45

On the G45 over Ballaugh Bridge.

Pen and ink drawing from "MotorCycling"..... yes I really like them....

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:49:00 +0000

Earlier blogs on pen and ink drawing can be found from the RHS index, but this little lot come from the Nov.2nd 1938 edition of "MotorCycling" and I wish to make acknowledgement to the copyright holders, Morton's Motorcycle Media, UK for their use.....
Great skill by the artist, with accuracy...usually any gear shown have the correct number of teeth etc....
A cartoon to finish..... another interest of mine and to be featured later......
Left click on the images to enlarge.....

Some items from the late Phil Irving's literature collection and some more from others ............

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:53:00 +0000

Phil Irving is well known to those of us interested in British Motorcycles and to digress, his autobiography really is a "must read".......
Following his death, eventually his literature collection was sold and occasionally the purchaser drops by with little "gems" that I make a copy of....better still, if it is Velocette he has of late been giving them to me......
Hope springs eternal.....
From one of Phil's four small black notebooks is a page on a supercharged Velocette that was in development while he was there....as it was early on, it is "Wiffling Clara", which Ivan Rhodes is currently restoring, and the Foxwell supercharger was proving ellusive to source, so he is having one made....PEI has helped with some notes...
Left click on images to enlarge.....

Phil at Veloce a little later, during WW2, was involved with the development of the MAF, a military variant of the MAC.

PEI was offered a job back at the Vincent-HRD company during 1943....

During 1934, Vincent collaborated with R.C.Cross for the development of a rotary valve cylinder head...pictured is the rider, Millard, with R.C.Cross. Note the cable operated rear brakes.

At Bathurst, NSW, Australia during the Easter races, Harold Braund is featured on his Vincent "Black Lightning" outfit with passenger Noel Bailey.

A photo of Kel Carruthers' highly successful 1961 250/4 Honda, restored and just prior to shipment from Australia to his home in the USA.( Years back, I can't recall the date...)
The bike now is in the Barber Motorcycle Museum in Alabama.

OEC record breaker, with Leo Tobin aboard...details of where and when are sketchy, so I'll follow this up in a later blog.

The Dowty Oleomatic Strut…more simply the Mk.8 KTT rear suspension unit…..

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:38:00 +0000

The Mk.8 KTT was the first production motorcycle to be fitted with a rear swinging arm and as we call it now the “twin shock” rear suspension setup.

The model was introduced around May 1939, although the Velocette factory racers had them from early 1936.

But let me look at these rear units first…..

Made by Dowty, a UK company in the Gloucester area….

George Dowty was an aircraft engineer, starting his engineering career at Heenan and Froude, well known for their engine test equipment, but during WW1 built aero engines under War Dept. contracts. His apprenticeship with them lasted from 1915-1918. He moved through various companies before joining the design staff at A.V.Roe in 1921 and published scientific papers in aviation journals and in the Institute of Aeronautical Engineers, several were of arresting mechanisms for aircraft for there were early attempts at what we now know as the aircraft carrier to launch and retrieve aircraft from ships.

During the latter half of 1920’s he published more papers on possible designs for aircraft undercarriages and a form of shock absorber strut.

He moved onto to the Gloster Aircraft Company in the design department shortly after and it was from here he made the decision to go out on his own.

He had formed his own company “The Aircraft Components Company” in 1930 while still at Glosters to sub contract out production of some of his designs but due to a misunderstanding in a quotation he made for the supply of six internally sprung wheels for the Kawasaki Company of Japan he was forced to make them himself and so with a small staff the future giant Dowty organisation was born.

It wasn’t until around 1932 that he offered the Dowty Oleo Pneumatic Strut for sale and readers so far are perhaps wondering as to this preamble….

It was early in 1936, barely 4 years after Dowty had started making these struts that Harold Willis and Percy Goodman of Veloce Ltd. made the trip to Cheltenham to speak to George Dowty about the supply of a special oleo leg to be used on the rear suspension of the factory Velocette racers.

Now who actually thought up the idea of this is shrouded in the mists of time, for all participants are dead and I’ve discussed this on numerous occasions with Ivan Rhodes.

The consensus between us seems to be that either Harold Willis, Charles Udall, possibly Phil Irving and others or all in discussion came up the idea of removing the rear fork section of their current rigid frame, welding a form of steering head casting across the rear down tube and fabricating some arms that initially were internally spined and slid onto a splined trunnion shaft ( some accuracy needed here to ensure the axle slots at the end of the forks were dead in line…). The “bearings” were the actual cup and cone steering head races.

Ivan has the one of the first frames made, designated SF2 and the picture below, clearly shows all the above.

Some form of springing and damping mechanism was needed.

As Harold Willis flew his own aircraft a DH60 Moth known by him as “Clattering Kate”, he obviously read the flight magazines, “Flight” and “The Aeroplane” of the day, as well as technical society papers and according to Charles Udall in an interview with Ivan late in Udall’s life , Willis was the one who came up with an idea and visits to the Dowty company in Glostershire, presumably with Percy Goodman, followed.

These units were fitted to the Veloce race team from 1936 and as mentioned offered on the production racer, the mk.8 KTT made by them for sale to the racing public from 1939 to its cessation in 1951.

I corresponded with the Dowty Organisation in the late 1970’s in an effort to unravel the puzzle but regrettably George Dowty, now Sir George after being knighted for his contributions to aviation, had died some 9 months earlier.

His replacement was unsure of this aspect of their early work and offered no help, so the matter rests as it is.

What are these units?

They have no internal spring and rely solely on air as the suspension medium, with oil as the damping medium, which can be adjusted. The units are pumped to 40 psi of air, which isn’t much and I’ve raced with them on my mk.8 KTTs and provided the internal seals are under oil ( which has a tendency to leak out), the units stay up and do work.

But what they would be like after over 200 miles of racing during an IOM TT race I cannot hazard a guess.

These first units illustrated below on the 1936 works bikes were machined from solid material and the external dust covers were leather sleeves.

Those fitted to the 1939 Mk.8 were a production version, but also had leather gaiters for dust protection and the damping adjustment was via a needle valve similar to an Amal carb. pilot jet. With the reintroduction of the mk.8 in 1947, the units were basically identical and Drew Duncan has kindly photographed one dismantled and laid out for inspection. The external dust cover was an aluminium sleeve with fibre blocks top and bottom, but the damping was done with a hollow bolt with two milled grooves of different widths to regulate the oil and effect damping. The bolt had an arrow stamped on the head of the bolt and this allowed the bolt to be rotated through up to just short of 90 degrees to mask off these grooves.

Below are a variety of photos to illustrate, from my archive and whose use is acknowledged to Morton’s Motorcycle Media, S.R. Keig Ltd and others.

Left click on images to enlarge….

Stanley Woods on his 1936 350 DOHC Velocette with rear oleo legs. IOM TT.

Prewar views of the rear Dowty Oleo legs....

David Whitworth, June 1939, IOM TT

Australian Frank Mussett, left and NZer Len Perry on their newly collected Mk.8 KTT racers in May 1939

A brace of Mk.8 KTT's in the Veloce race shop awaiting despatch to new owners, May 1939.

Post-war mk.8 KTT and factory rear oleos...

The post-war rear units dismantled.

A small device made to the factory instruction for inflating both units to the identical pressure. Difficult as using a normal tyre pressure guage with such a small amount of air in each leg meant that on removing the guage, the invariable loss of air differed in each leg.

Initially excess air is pumped into the unit and this device attached.

Careful study of the device show how the knurled screw rotates in and lifts the kilner valve seal open.

Using the carb. type pilot screw, air is slowly released to say 35 to 40 psi, depending on what you were using.

Then the knurled screw is rotated out allowing the kilner valve to seat and the inside of the oleo is at this pressure and when the device is unscrewed off the kilner valve, there is no internal air loss. Cunning.

Time for some more pen and ink drawings and cartoons from the Motorcycle media of the past.....

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:02:00 +0000

I've done several blogs on this subject and I admit again to being enthralled with the use if skilfully wielded pen and ink to illustrate a subject and to detail a cartoon that makes fun of aspects of the motorcycle scene we enjoy.....
Acknowledgements to Morton's Motorcycle Media, the families of the various artists for displaying their handiwork.....
Left click on images to enlarge.....

Racing in Australia, with the emphasis on Velocette…more photos from bygone times...

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:10:00 +0000

About a year back I did the blog with some Australian racing Velocette photos...time for some more.
I try to keep records of the pics I've used during this blog, but occasionally I duplicate one...sorry for that, but then they are generally worth a second look....
Acknowledgment to a variety of sources for these photographs...Graham Roberts, Keith Militch, unknown folk, Morton Motorcycle Media Group.
Left click on images to enlarge...
Stanley Woods during his Australian tour late 1936 to early 1937, with two works Dog Kennel SOHC Velos...a 350 and a 500. The 350 is still in OZ, the 500 ended up back in the UK.

Stanley with wife Mildred and the "loaner" car coutesy of Lord Nuffield, likely in South Australia 1936.

Diminutive Sid Willis, Aussie 250 ace in the late 1940s,early 1950s, always had the use of ex factory racing engines, which he used to good effect. Pictured on the start line at the Little River circuit in Victoria.

Sid Willis's 250 DOHC racer, pictured outside his house in 1952, likely before he left for Europe where he finished 5th in IOM 25o TT , after getting a swinging arm from from Doug Beasley to replace the rigid frame as pictured which caused Sid some problems on the cobblestone circuits of Europe.

Bathurst early 1937, Stanley Woods is pictured with some Australian racers and members of the Bathurst Council, surveying where the soon to be built Mt.Panorama road race circuit would be.

Bathurst Easter 1940, the finish of the Junior Australian TT....after 100 miles of close racing, Dave Jenkins, Mk.7 KTT Velo, just defeats Jimmy Madsen 350cc Excelsior Manxman.

Tasmania in the 1980s, the late David Ride finds the ex Sid Willis post war 250cc DOHC Velo engine. Sid had this finally as a 74mm bore and 58mm stroke. In poor condition... it was restored and fitted into a metisse frame.

Don Bain, 350 KTT Velo, after winning the 1932 Australian Junior GP on the Old Vale Circuit ( pre Mt.Panorama) at Bathurst.

Eastern Creek circuit, Sydney, October 2005, Malcolm Sullivan speaks with the late Allen Burt, wheelchair, with Malcolm's nice 250 MOV racer in front.

December 1936, outside Lou Borgelt's Velo shop in Adelaide...the two Stanley Woods factory Velocette racers.

1954, Mt.Druitt circuit, west of Sydney, during the first 24 hour production race held. Ron Kessing, overalls with his MSS Velo, L to R...Don Wilson, Allen Burt, Bobby Brown.

Les Diener with his 250 MOV racer, likely in the late 1940s.

SMITHS tachometer drive gearboxes....................

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:37:00 +0000

To those who have followed my blog, you will know that I ran a motorcycle instrumentation business for over 25 years with a retail and wholesale bent.
These days I supply, worldwide, the trade and some selected people with special racing tachometers and associated parts.
I'm going to cover the aspect of drive gearboxes over several blogs, starting in this one with drive gearboxes to suit tachometers, with a heavy emphasis on motorcycles, but the reality is they equally apply to racing cars and racing boats.
Smiths, the UK company, now no longer involved in motorcycle and automotive instrumentation, is the basis of this blog and to them I acknowledge use of items from the many catalogues of theirs I have accumulated over the years and from which I want to share information with you.
Basically there are three major drive types, with a fourth, used in an application for one motorcycle and model.

1. Bronze drive type 70549 and 70549/-.
The bronze bodied drive, which I cannot be sure exactly when they were introduced, likely 1938, and were in the 1939 Smiths catalogue, used the bronze material as the bearing material for the driver and driven shafts which had the helical pattern gears on them. This gear drive uses the same centre to centre distance for the gears meshing as does the later BG1507 type, but NOT the same as the BG1508 type. They appear to have been in production until around 1958 and were used as standard equipment on KTT Mk.7 and Mk.8 KTT Velocette racers, Norton Manx racers until 1954, AJS 7R racers until 1954, and BSA in their Gold Star range until 1958. Near the end of production the code numbering was changed to BG1506/--.
There were several variations on the plugs used to keep the gears in the drive. Sometimes a friction push fit, prone to pop out in use, letting the gear fall out on the road and get covered in sand and be lost from sight forever!
Another used wire circlips in grooves to keep the plugs in place, a better solution. There was a small grease nipple on the plug on the driver gear sometimes....
The 1-1 ratio used 11T on both driver and driven gears.
The 2-1 ratio used 8T driver and 16T driven gears.

2. The diecast bodied BG1508 series drive, which had phosphor bronze bushes for both driver and driven gearshafts to drive on.The plugs to secure these gears were just a tight push fit and again these frequently popped out in use, propelling the gear out, lost forever....
The code for this drive is stamped on the flange in the lower position in very small, around 1/16" high numerals.... inititially there was one code for the 1-1 and 2-1 versions, but then an oil retaining scroll was introduced onto the shaft and these ran in two opposite spirals, depending on the direction the driver gear went in an often not successful attempt to keep oil from exuding from out of the gearbox in service and so a new additional pair of codes were introduced.
The drive was introduced from around 1958 and continued until Smiths ceased production of motorcycle instruments around 1980.
They were standard equipment for Norton Commando etc....
A version of this drive, identical, but with the code BG1301/-- was used on certain car applications, for example the 1958 Jaguar series 1 ( Inspector Morse of TV fame used this body shaped car....)
The gear combinations for this drive are...
1-1 ratio , two 10 teeth helical gears.
2-1 ratio, an 8T driver and a 16T driven gear.
3. The cast aluminium bodied BG1507/-- drive with two ball race bearings on the input/driver shaft, with the output gear/driven shaft running in a phosphor bronze bush. NOTE...this bush is cast into the drive when it is made and it has a locking collar somewhere along its length, so you can't drift out/press out the bush to replace it.... be warned.
The driven gear is secured with a cap, held in by a split pin. On this cap is stamped the code number...BG1507/--
This gearbox was originally called a type 70521 series drive, then changed around 1956 to BG1507 series numbering.
A special version, not usually shown on Smiths catalogues of this drive, is the BG1507/01 with a longer input shaft and used for 1956 onwards Manx Nortons.
These drives were painted externally black for the reversing types and a light brown for the non reversing type.
The use of ball races on the input shaft means this drive can be used with high rpm on the input gear...so often these drives are driven directly from an engine crankshaft...
Cotton Telstar, Greeves Silverstone, Aermacchi and Bultaco TSS racers to name a few.
A bronze bush is not happy using higher than around 3500rpm rotating in it, so the bronze 70549/BG1506 and BG1508 type gearboxes should NOT be used on these racers....
There was never a 1-1 ratio drive in this series ( I ,however make 1-1 reversing and non reversing versions of this drive).
The 2-1 ratio drive used 8T driver and 16T driven,
The 4-1 ratio drive used 4T driver and 16T driven.
The 8-1 ratio drive used 2T driver and 16T driven.

One of the most important items to ascertain when you require a drive, is to know the ratio of the tachometer you are using and the reduction, if any at the POINT OF DRIVE of the tacho drive gearbox.
If you drive from a magneto, then there will be a 2-1 reduction already, so a 2-1 tacho set-up needs no further reduction and a 1-1 tacho drive needed.
Conversly a 4-1 tacho in this situation needs a 2-1 drive gearbox.
2-1 times 2-1 = 4-1....
If the tacho requires the spinning cable end that goes into the tacho to be clockwise and this would be the case on a magnetic tacho that has a dial scale that advances in a clockwise direction...care here, as chrono tachos ALL have a clockwise advancing dial scale, but could have a small internal ( not visible) idler gear to reverse the cable direction... the tacho is called a clockwise tacho and an anticlockwise spinning cable needs normally an anticlockwise tacho.
You need to look at the point of drive.......
Does it go clockwise or anticlockwise......
Magnetos on British bikes almost always rotate anticlockwise at this point of drive.....
an exception is the Vincent motorcycle, whose point of drive is clockwise.

So if your tacho is what we call a clockwise tacho and say 4-1 ratio, and your point of drive is a magneto and anticlockwise rotation, then you need to reverse the direction of the cable and give it another 2-1 reduction.
You need a 2-1 reversing tachometer drive gearbox.
From the charts on the following posted items, this would be a bronze 70549 2-1, a BG1508/01 or BG1508/06 or a BG1507/02.......
Left click on all the images to enlarge.......

I said there was another special use Smiths drive...it was used on pre unit construction Triumph 500cc twin road motorcycles and supplied with the special race kit for them and of course for the limited production Triumph GP racers,
It replaced the Lucas generator and being supplied with a 25T gear, engaged in mesh with the timing chest gear train.
As this point of drive was at crankshaft speed, the special tacho drive was 2-1 non reversing and required a 2-1 clockwise chronometric tachometer.
I still manufacture these drives.
All of the drives use a 1/2" x 26TPI whitworth form thread for the cable to attach to.
All of the drives use a slotted end on the driven cable for a special drive spade, supplied on the tachometer drive cable to engage with.
The BG1301/-- series sometimes used an internal square drive, as per the motorcycle speedometer cable type, on the driver/output shaft.

Type 70549 series that I continue to manufacture....

Type BG1507 series that I manufacture...

I do not make the diecast BG1508 series, but I do supply replacement gears for these and can supply the type 70549 series, normally bronze, but in cast aluminium as a good "look a like " replacement for the BG1508 series.
A page from the 1939 Smiths catalogue....

The Smiths 5" Vincent Black Shadow speedo.....an interesting photographic description......

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:52:00 +0000

According to Phil Irving, the Australian engineer who worked at Vincents on several occasions during their heyday and was involved in the design and building of the pre-war series "A" twin and then post-war with the Black Shadow twin, Smiths Industries were approached to build a speedometer comensurate with the expected performance of the new to be introduced Black Shadow model at the 1948 November Earles Court motorcycle show in London.
A hastily cobbled up 5" instrument based on a car model served the purpose for the show and then Smiths came up with a cast aluminium bodied, lustriously black enamelled 5" speedometer with a chronometric movement ( the same as the current 3"/80mm versions) and a scale of 150mph or 250kph for European and metric markets.
I'm not a Vincent man, so can't tell you how many Black Shadows they built, which would give you an idea of how many 5" speedometers Smiths supplied, but the demand continues, and in the years I was in the instrument business I must have build over 120, and continue to build the occasional one.
Vincents never supplied the 5" tachometer and I believe these came due to a demand after the Vincent factory closed its doors. They were likely made up by the London firm, run by Joe Shaw...Auto Tempo Instruments...but that's just my guess....
I don't intend to intimately describe how to build such a 5" speedometer or tachometer, but I will, following, set out in photographs the items you would need.
One sheet of text gives a description of the chronometric instrument and this coupled with some drawings will lead those with a technical bent on a voyage of discovery as to how these facinating instruments work....
My acknowledgments to Smiths Industries and or its decendants for some of the drawings and descriptions and to others I may have inadvertently overlooked
...the photos are my own.
Read on....
Left click on images to enlarge.....

As I did the original blog late on a Sunday night, I added some more items this Monday morning.... these are comment by Phil Irving from his Autobiography, page 365 and three pages from the Smiths Equipment Schedules for Vincent Motorcycles......

The publication "Motor Cycling in Australia" did an impression of one of the first Black Shadow Vincents sent to the Queensland Distributors and published it in their Dec.1948 edition. Below is a photo from the article which shows the prototype speedo. Obviously the first few made had these before Smiths Motor Accessories got into production.

A selection of dials that I made available...shown in reversed image for clarity....

"Classic Motorbikes", a now difficult book to source.......

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:32:00 +0000

I know Alan Puckett, now in his eighties, I occasionally see him when I play banjo in a local shopping centre where he lives in Sydney.
Alan is a gifted artist and is known for his use of this talent in painting lifelike photos of motorcycles that interest him.
He's owned some interesting ones, a 7R AJS comes to mind that Alan was convinced was owned by Mike Hailwood, but I'm not so sure....
He and a photographer, Warren Penny, collaborated in 1977 and produced this nice "coffee table" book that featured Alan's paintings and photographs by Warren. I note Jim Scaysbrook and the late Michael Robinson were also involved. Both people are associates of mine and Michael's death recently came as a shock to many.
It must be over 20 years since I've opened this book and the scanning of some of the contents was an interesting exercise.
For you people out there building a library, this is another unusual, interesting book on our interest...
I wouldn't hazard a guess where you would get one...it was published in Australia and likely only sold there, perhaps also in NZ.
Publication details so you can start the hunt are...
Summit Books, Published by Paul Hamlyn,Pty.,Ltd, first published 1977.
ISBN 0 7271 02079, Nat. Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data.
Left click on images to enlarge.....

Keith Bryen continues in Europe in 1956....more snaps from Keith and Gwen Bryen's album.....

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:23:00 +0000

We're back with Keith and Gwen again in Europe during 1956. It will be obvious Keith's placings in the events he contested were often podium finishes...any wonder he caught the ey of the Moto Guzzi factory race team.....
Left click on images to enlarge..................
In the Sachsenring paddock, 1956...

The Sachsenring at Hohensyein-Ernsthal, during 350cc practice.

Another practice shot at Sachsenring.

The starting area grandstand on practice day, 18.08.1956.

Just prior to the start of the 500cc race, 19.08.1956, Gwen with Keith on the grid.

Waiting on the grid for the start of the 500cc race, Walter Zeller, BMW chats with Keith.

The 500 race is underway...

During the 500cc race, Keith in second place...

Having just finished second, Keith is directed to the parc ferme.

On the winners podium following the finish of the 500 race.

A proud Gwen supports a wistful Keith on the podium.

Earlier at the German GP at Solitude where he finished 6th in the 500cc race,
27.07.1956.

It's not all "wine and roses".... disaster does strike....the risks of GP racing in the
1950's...
As Keith put it...."my 500 Norton after being brought down at Tampere"...

Some technical items from the 1950's "MotorCycling" on Velocette.....

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:46:00 +0000

Perusing early 1950's copies of "MotorCycling" I keep with Velocette literature, I felt these could be useful to those without a collection of these magazines.....
Acknowledgement to Morton's Motorcycle Media, copyright holders of "MotorCycling"...
Left click on images to enlarge.....

Well I can't help myself....
I've been mulling over doing an item on Bertie Goodman ( it won't be far off....), last managing director of Veloce Ltd, he a Goodman of course of the family that made Velocette and with the NSW section of the Australian Velocette Owners's Club Show day last Saturday at Fagan Park on the northern outskirts of Sydney and the Club's patron, Anne Frampton in attendence, I've weakened and published below a photo I will use of Bertie that seems to me the epitomy of a motorcycling enthusiast who was also a director of his motorcycle company and loved to test his product.....
Anne Frampton is Bertie's daughter, lives in Sydney and is also pictured below being interviewed by Jim Scaysbrook, editor and publisher of Old Bike Australasia for an item on the display in a future edition.....

More on....Ernst Henne… record breaking with BMW supercharged motorcycles….

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:49:00 +0000

In an earlier post about a year ago ( July 24th 2008 to be exact) I published a letter and photos from the German record breaker, Ernst Henne that Alan Schafer had written to.
Alan had an extensive series of scrap-book of cuttings from motorcycle magazines of the mid 1930's which he also gave to me years back.
I have good scanning equipment now, with an A3 sized scanner and so these newspaper cuttings can be scanned and prepared in Adobe Photoshop programs to give acceptable results for publishing.
These are some of the cuttings covering Henne's attack on the world motocycle record on 28th November 1937.
They likely came from the UK magazine "Motorcycling", ownership which now rests with Mortons Motorcycle Media to whom I make full acknowledgement.
Read on.....
Left click on images to enlarge.....

The 276 Amal Carburettor, from the early 1930's into the early 1950's......

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:46:00 +0000

Amal Ltd., until recently at Holford Works, Perry Bar, Birmingham, UK. was a conglomeration of several carburettor manufacturers from the 1920's , such as B & B, AMAC, Binks and I don't intend to get into the reasons, date etc for this amalgamation, rather to discuss the model AMAL used on most British Motorcycles from 1933 into about 1955.
Why you may ask....?
Well I had purchased all the literature of a Sydney Motorcycle accessory house when they closed in the 1990's after trading from onwards from the 1920's.
W.F.Omodei Pty.,Ltd, more easily known as Omodeis.....
There was a lot of Amal stuff and when I got it, a cursory glance through it revealed catalogues for the many Amal Carburettor types and I intend to feature these types...Amal TT, Amal GP, Amal GP2 and the earlier Amal type 27 track carburettors in later blogs.
Recently I noted some correspondence that had been overlooked until then...I've included the seven pages below which is a letter from Amal to W.F. Omodei dated 30th December 1946, together with Carburettor Service bulletin no.1 and no.2.
These are a sort of "Rosetta stone", in that they reveal why Amal changed the design of what we will call the 276 carburettor, although pre-war they were know as "76" type, then the "276" type.
More importantly there was a change of where air was drawn into the pilot system of these carburettor types and as such they are not fully interchangeable with the body or the internal jet block.
Many of these carb.types are found in autojumbles in pieces ...I had a heap of dismantled bodies, jet blocks etc, of both types and was unaware of the difference, although I noted holes around the body below the induction area on some.
Mismatch and you have the problem of getting the carburettor to run properly.
It seems various motorcycle manufacturer's war departments, who had started into war work early had requested special carburettor bodies without holes so that air would only be drawn through the main venturi into the pilot air holes and with their special air filter for the expected desert use of the bikes, would ensure clean air into the carburettor and thus the engine.
Omodies noticed this on their first shipment of spare parts from the UK in 1946.
Interestingly, the other Sydney firm, Allparts had started making Amal copies with spare parts in brass during the WW2.
Below are Amal sectioned drawings of the two types....
Left click on images to enlarge.
Letter to W.F.Omodei...

Service Bulletin No.1....

Service Bulletin No.2, 26.03.1947....

July 1936 parts drawing and caburettors,showing holes in the body.

Illustrations from a Velocette war edition instruction manual for the MAC 350cc.

Illustration from a 1954 Amal catalogue.

Keith Bryen continues racing in some smaller meetings in Italy and France during 1956......

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:53:00 +0000

As well as the major GPs, Keith Bryen, Australian privateer continued on his continental racing odyssey with wife Gwen in their converted van, taking in some smaller meetings in France and Italy.....
Left click on images to enlarge....
In the north of Italy.....

Left to right...Bob Mitchell, Eric Bliss, Mick Woollett and Keith...

Overnight stop....

Senigallia, Italy, 29.07.1956, finished 8th in the 350cc race.

Both following photos are the 500cc race at Villerfranche-de-Rouer, France on 5.08.1956 in which Keith finished 3rd.

More racing photographs from Keith Bryen's album...1956.

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:05:00 +0000

The Australian privateer, Keith Bryen continues in 1956...he did a few of the European GP's and so for the next few blogs we'll feature this....
As mentioned, Keith kindly provided me copies of photographs from his private collection.
There is much interest in these posts from emails and comments....the concensus is the insight into the life of a privateer via the photos is great.
Keith, again, our thanks....
Left click on images to enlarge them...
We move to the Belgium GP at Spa-Francorchamps......
Keith sits on the grid for the 350cc GP in which he finished 13th.

Start of the 350cc Belgium GP.

On the grid for the 500cc Belgium GP.

At Solitude, for the German GP.

On the grid for the 350cc German GP, 22.07.1956, finished 8th.

On the grid for the 350cc German GP. with Keith Kavanagh on the works Moto
Guzzi.

Start of the 350cc German GP.

Mathews, Bryen and Storr during the 350cc race, German GP at Solitude.

Bob Mathews, Keith Bryen, John Storr, 350cc German GP.

Just after the start of the 500cc 1956 German GP.

Keith during the 500cc German GP, he finished 6th.

Keith again during the 500cc German GP.

Continuing with racing photos from Keith Bryen's photo album....1956

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:29:00 +0000

Another in this series of blogs featuring the Australian privateer, Keith Bryen ( finally rewarded with a factory Moto Guzzi ride in late 1956) from photographs he kindly provided me from his private collection.
There is much interest in these posts from emails and comments....the concensus is the insight into the life of a privateer via the photos is great.
Keith, our thanks....
Left click on images to enlarge them...
I mentioned this comment before from Keith, but it warrants being included here....
"...1956 was a good year for me as I gradually improved and gained a lot of confidence.
Never at any stage did I harbour any thoughts of becoming a factory rider, I was just enjoying the racing and being able to see other parts of the world and having Gwen with me made it all so much more enjoyable....."

We are in the IOM for the 1956 TT races....
Awaiting the start of Senior practice.....

Waiting to start in the 350 Junior TT, finished 11th...

Ready to start in the Senior TT...retired probably due to mechanical failure.

At Cronk-ne-Mona during the Junior TT...

Glencrutchery Road....finishing 11th in the Junior TT.....

Approaching Kate's Cottage during the Senior TT....

Back on the mainland, Keith teamed up with Percy Tait and together they won the 650cc class of the 9 hour race at Thruxton....

Back on the Continent for the Dutch TT at Assen...
On the grid for the 350cc race in which he finished 14th..

Also on the grid for the 350cc race, ready to go...Hobl,Kavanagh and Lomas....

More selections from DQs "unknown owner" photo collection......

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:17:00 +0000

As I mentioned in the previous blog, I've these interesting selection of small photographic prints taken, likely during a day visit or perhaps a holiday visit to the Isle of Man during TT time...
I've had interest in Keith Bryen's racing photographs in the previous blogs I've posted; these chronicle his racing career and there are more to come... the next blog we'll continue....
Just to whet your appetite, a pic taken in 1957 in the Moto Guzzi team tent.....
Left click on images to enlarge them....

Off to the TT prewar and my little photos....
1928 IOM Junior TT....#33, Stanley Woods, 348 Norton and #31 F.Major, Sunbeam, both retired.

W.H.Hobbs, Triumph, 1928 IOM Senior TT.

1926 IOM Junior TT, Jimmy Simpson, AJS.

R.Runtsch, Austrai, 1391 IOM Senior TT, 498 NSU, retired on 3rd lap.

1939 IOM Junior TT, J.H.White, 346 NSU and W.Herz, 346 NSU.

Finally another two photos from Barry Sewell's collection ( I inadvertently listed them initially as from Alan Schafer...).....both at Scarborough.
July 1951 meeting...A.Dudley Ward on his Triumph based Dudley-Ward Special.

And Dutchman L.Van Ryswyk, 348 KTT Mk.8, Sept.1951 meeting.

A selection from DQs "unknown owner" photo collection.....

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:24:00 +0000

When I lived in the UK in 1974-15 I chased around after photographs...in fact I continue this from then to now.
Somewhere I ended up with Kodak photo envelopes...no negatives, but small sepia toned images 3" x 2" as was the norm with the box Brownie cameras etc of the pre-war up to the 1950's period.
I certainly had a box Brownie in the 1950's.
The edges trimmed in a fancy pattern, all evocative.....
Lets look at some now and through continuing blogs.
Some are well identified on the rear in pencil, some even with the autograph of the rider, and other with nothing...So sadly I can't acknowledge ownership of the images....for this I apologise.
Help....
Perhaps the sleuths out there may help....
Contact me if you've any clues....
Left click on the images to enlarge.
The information on the back says, Karl Bodmer, Germany, 346 NSU, retired in both Senior and Junior TTs, 1939.

F.Brand, Czechoslovakia, rode Jawas between 1932-35.

J.A. Weddell, retired on lap one, 1939 Senior TT.

This is an even smaller pic...2.25" x 1.5", J.G.Burney, 346 Royal Enfield finished 20th in 1928 Junior TT. He appears stopped for repairs near Brandish Corner.

In the paddock area, 1937 IOM TT, J.H. "crasher" White with factory 490 Norton, third place in both Senior and Junior TTs.

Again in the paddock area, 1937 IOM TT,Jimmy Guthrie, works 490 Norton, won the Junior TT and completed 4 laps of the Senior TT.

The following three photos appear to be in the IOM at TT time...question...what corner, what year and who are the riders?
The numbers #1 and #12 appear visible...

"Classic Allparts"....Classic Motorcycle Parts available in Sydney......

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:03:00 +0000

Every large city at some time in the past had a shop that specialised in motorcycle spare parts...
We had several in Sydney, but time has taken its toll and Jack Graham Motorcycles closed a year or so back after trading from prewar, Ryans Motorcycles 10 years or so ago closed, Allparts over 10 years ago, W.F.Omodei, the list goes on......
This left Jim Eade Motorcycles as the last survivor still trading.
Trading from before WW2.....
A year or so back Max Eade, son of the original propritor, Jim Eade, decided it was time to "hang up his apron" and as luck had it Bob Milner who had purchased a lot of the old Allparts parts cache intending to trade at swap meetings etc was able to arrange a deal with Max and so intitially Eade-Classic Allparts, but now Classic Allparts took over.
Same address.... 536-540 Parramatta Road, Ashfield, NSW 2131, Australia.
Same telephone numbers...02.9798.7822 ( international +61.2.9798.7822) and fax 02.9799.9798 (+61.2.9799.9798)
Postal Address; P.O. Box 8, Riverwood, NSW 2210, Australia.
But now with a website.... www.classicallparts.com
And email....classicallparts@bigpond.com

So in this era of shrinking parts we source them from where we can.....
Lets take a stroll through Classic Allparts.....
Left click on images to enlarge....

Bob Milner now tends to customers needs. Bob has been involved with motorcycles all his life and had a career in aviation engineering, as well he's a member of the Australian Velocette Owners Club.
I mentioned Bob bought a large part of the old Allparts cache...he has much of this stored elsewhere and so spends Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and occasional Saturdays at this new venue and the rest of the time sorting and searching for parts from this cache to fill orders received.

I mentioned Max Eade...after a lifetime in the trade he finds it hard to resist a day a week assisting ..."I'm scared if I don't keep exercising the brain I might end up with dementia!..."

Racks and racks of organised new parts , basically now 1950's onwards but still some prewar stuff around...it often pays to enquire.

Racks of second hand parts...

The Motor Cycle Book for Boys 1928........

noreply@blogger.com (The Velobanjogent) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:04:00 +0000

For 1928, "The MotorCycle" produced what they intended to be an annual for boys , introducing them to motorcycling.
Regretably it only appeared in 1928 and there were no more editions, for what reason I have never ascertained.
As you will see from the following, it has really neat and interesting information, cartoons, pen and ink drawings and a double page spread of petrol tank colour schemes...really handy for a restoration.
195 pages, 11" x 8.5" and 3/4" thick......
I rarely see any for sale, but there was one in the UK auction mid 2008... see the extract from the sale prices below...
Gasp....
Left click on images to enlarge....