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

Volume 29. No 8. August 2015.

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE: Again we seem to bring sad news. On Friday, 10th August Peter de Klerk passed away after his prolonged illness and fight against cancer. To all of his friends, motoring colleagues and family, we want to acknowledge that the VMC has lost another motorsport stalwart and that he will be sorely missed for his knowledge, willingness to help and true dedication to motoring in general. To an issue that is a threat to the existence of our movement and to the pastime of each member. We had to cancel the running of the VMC Winter run because of a total lack of entries. The Magnum Rally is under threat of the same fate because of a lack of entries. People, we need to encourage participation in as many events as we can. If this doesn’t happen our club will not continue. We all need to encourage existing members to participate in activities, especially organised or proposed rally events – which are one of the main avenues for exposure of our club and the other like-minded clubs. Please do your utmost to attract friends, colleagues or even acquaintances so that our numbers can grow. A very important event happens at the club meeting at the end of July each year. Please make every effort to attend the VMC AGM. After all it is your club and you are responsible for the committee chosen to lead us into the coming year. Remember to keep warm, ride safely and encourage as many people you know to become new members. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) Notice is hereby given that the 2015 Annual General Meeting of the Vintage Motorcycle Club will be held at the Vintage and Veteran Club at 3 Athol Oaklands Road, Oaklands, Johannesburg on Monday, 24 August 2015, commencing at 20:00. AGM Agenda

To receive and consider the Annual Financial Statements and the Chairman’s Report for the year ending 30 June 2015.

To elect office bearers and committee members for the new financial year. Nominations for the post of Chairman, Vice-chairman, Secretary and Treasurer must be made in writing and must be signed by the persons so nominated. Such nomination papers shall be furnished to the Secretary, prior to the commencement of the meeting mentioned above. It is requested that nominations for the election of committee members be similarly made in writing.

To discuss any other business, deemed by the Chairman, to be relevant. Pierre Cronje Chairman (Notice dated 18 May 2015)

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Obituary for Lloyd du Bois (1924 – 2015) Lloyd passed away on the 3rd of June 2015. (Last month). Not long after the loss of his beloved wife Jane. He was a long-time member of the VMC and a stalwart rider of the early DJ’s and supporter right till the end. Lloyd was a competitive motorcycle racer in the years after the Second World War. Competing with the likes of Borro (Beppe) Castellani and other famous riders of the time on circuits like Alexandra Park, Snell Parade and the Bluff 100.

Lloyd in action on his 1937 AJS R7 ohc.

His DJ mounts were a Norton CSI and latterly his Levis. (The Levis was last seen on the 2013 DJ ridden by a new owner.) His other interests were vintage cars, he played rugby and was a very useful polo player for the Stony Hills Club. With skilled hands he was able to turn and fabricate an assortment of parts and gadgets in his home workshop. In the last few years he was ever present at the start of the DJ Commemorative Runs helping competitors with last minute adjustments and vending his valuable store of parts and handmade accessories. On the first day he would meet us at the Pietermaritzburg petrol stop to render assistance or offer sound advice to all. He will be missed by all in the Vintage Motorcycle movement. A great loss of another colourful character and true vintage motorcycle enthusiast. He is survived by his son Mark, daughter Gail, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren. CLUB NIGHT 23th June 2015 compiled by Ken Wiggins There were 30 members in attendance at the event during the middle of winter; motorcyclists are indeed a hardy bunch. The evening started with apologies from 11 members unable to be at the meeting. Pierre and Roly then gave us an update on Member’s health. Although we were very pleased to see Kevin Robertson at the club, the list of members with health issues grows longer. We got into the crux of the evening, Kevin Walton asked again for volunteers to assists at the VMC stand at the CMC 1000 Bike Show. A number of people had offered to help and Kevin also asked that people make every effort to attend.

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The VMC Winter Rally has, unfortunately, been cancelled; this is a very worrying situation not only for the organisers. They had put in a lot of time to plan a route and arrange facilities. By the “close of entries” date only four entries had been received. This makes rallying impossible because organiser’s motivation goes out the window and we are the ones who will suffer in the long run. Please put your thinking caps on to get ideas on how to keep our movement alive! Pierre mentioned that a club run was organised for Saturday, 11 July to the Deneysville Motorcycle Museum. See details of the run in Past Events. A motorcycle was to be shown but as the saying goes “No names, no pack drill” so at least Martin Kaiser is safe on that score. Fortunately, Janusz Gruszka was on hand and he presented a very interesting talk on his speciality of Vapour Blasting which is the latest in metal cleaning trends. The process cleans by flow, not impact, producing a 'soft' finish which doesn’t damage or scour the material. This is particularly beneficial to non-ferrous metal components on veteran, vintage and classic restorations where valuable surfaces are left unscathed. The equipment operates at a pressure of 2 bars that helps to gently “peen” surfaces and reduce porosity in castings. For anyone needing pieces cleaned to a high professional standard, don’t put crank cases in the dishwasher like Pierre did in Gwyneth’s kitchen, get in touch with Janusz. His details are in the Restoration and other Services section towards the end of this publication. After Janusz finished showing the meeting some fine examples of Vapour Blasted motorcycle pieces, results for the Natal classic were discussed. They are now final and are we surprised – this winner is Gavin Walton. The delay in publishing results has added momentum to the need for adding technology to our rallying. According to Peirre, investigations are progressing well incorporating GPS technology into scoring and rally results management. Feasibility of the idea should be tested as a as a pilot project using a few guinea pig riders on the Magnum next month. The raffle draw was met with the usual frivolous banter from the non-winners and with no more formal business to be done general conversation, drinks and tall tales filled the time until the meeting closed. CHANGING SCENE AT 1000 BIKE SHOW submitted by Roger Houghton This year’s 1000 Bike Show organised by the Classic Motorcycle Club (CMC), was held again at the Germiston High School on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July. The show was once again a big success in terms of exhibits and visitor attendance, but it also showed some interesting trends. One of these trends, which is now a growth area worldwide in the world of classic motorcycles, is the growing number of Japanese machines from the 1970’s and ‘90’s that are being exhibited in an environment that was generally dominated by British, American and European brands for many years.

Henry Watermeyer’s 1914 Humber Best Stand: Velocette

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For instance this year the Best Bike on Show in Germiston was an immaculate Yamaha RD350 sports bike with the patented YPVS Power Valve system. The machine was entered by Paul Danvers and had been carefully restored by an enthusiastic team from Bike Craft. The Japanese machines were almost totally dominant the Concours d’Elegance for Street and Custom Bikes, taking 11 of the 14 available awards. The only British motorcycle to win an award in this category was a "Bonneville Spitfire" which took the laurels in the Best Bobber category. Another trend at this year’s 1000 Bike Show was the continued growth in Cafe Racer conversions, with many of the modified machines being new models, not reborn old classics. The 1000 Bike Show has grown from humble beginnings as a small display at the Carlton Centre Centre Court in 1985 to what is now arguably the largest dedicated classic and custom motorcycle show in Africa. The show has moved venue over the years to accommodate more exhibitors and visitors and has for the past 14 years been held at the school.

Best on VNC DJ stand: Janusz Gruzela

(Excelsior Super X) Best Velocette – Kevin Robertson

(Velocette Thruxton) Once again there were more than 400 motorcycles on display in the huge marquee and a host of other machines on show outside, not to mention the hordes of modern motorcycles and trikes that were ridden to the show by visitors and took up all the available parking on the sports fields. The excellent weather certainly played an important role in ensuring a huge crowd, which once again exceeded 10 000 people over the two days. The multitudes of stalls were well supported, offering a wide range of merchandise as well as a variety of refreshments.

Ladies Choice VMC’s

1912 Precision Triumph – Peter Aneck-Hahn

(1966 Triumph Tiger 100) The big winners were again the charities and service organisations supported by the CMC with part of the proceeds of this popular annual event.

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The winners of the various awards were: CONCOURS d’ELEGANCE: CLASSICS Best on DJ stand: Janus Gruzela (Excelsior Super X); Best on stands: Kawasaki – Sean (Kawasaki Z1 900); Yamaha – Willy McGibon (Yamaha 50 Super); Suzuki – Dean Morris (Suzuki GT750); Harley-Davidson – Eugene (1943 Harley-Davidson); Ariel - Anthony Page (Ariel Huntmaster); 2-Stroke Racing – Mike Cooper (Yamaha 350 Street Fighter); Velocette – Kevin Robertson (Velocette Thruxton); Speedway – Lionel Page (1935 JAP); 50cc Club – E. Barendse (1976 Yamaha); Norton – Harry Bingham (Norton 500 Featherbed); Triumph – Peter Aneck-Hahn (1966 Triumph Tiger 100); BMW – Keith Kendall (BMW R50); Honda – Tony Woods (Honda CB72 Super Hawk); Royal Enfield – Rusty thorns (Royal Enfield HA30 500); Scooter – Bradley Edwards (Lambretta LD150); Historic Motorcycle Racing Group (HMG) – Deon du Toit (Suzuki GSX1100); Italian – Umbertto de Stefanis (Motor Guzzi Falcone 500); BSA – Keith Kendall (BSA A65L); AMC – Robert Curry (AJS 31CSR); Off-Road – Michael Payne (1982 Husqvarna CR430); Off-Road Racing – Gareth Ireland (Maico 490); Team Incomplete (Motorcycle Racing) – Ian Groat (Norton Manx); New Era – Paul Danvers (Yamaha RD350); Classic – Harry Bingham (1955 Norton /Dominator); Post Classic – Trevor (1965 Honda Dream); Vintage and Veteran - Shane Tullett (1924 Triumph); Racing – Piet Meyer (Suzuki); Sidecar Combination – Anthony Page (Ariel Huntmaster); Ladies Choice – Vintage Motorcycle Club (1912 Precision); Best Stand – Velocette; Best Motorcycle on Show – Paul Danvers (Yamaha RD350).

Best on Show: Paul Danvers (Yamaha RD350) Vintage and Veteran - Shane Tullett

(1924 Triumph) CONCOURS d’ELEGANCE: BEST STREET AND CUSTOM Best Standard: Sean McGlead (Kawasaki Z1300); Best Street Modified: Boer Prinsloo (Suzuki Katana); Best Street Fighter: JHJ Customs (Suzuki Rizzla); Best Cruiser: Chris Maree (Boulevard); Best Classic: Dyno by Quint – Paul Kotze (Kawasaki Z900); Best Imported Chopper: Dyno by Quint (Iron Horse); Best Harley-Davidson: Joint Effort (Harley Cross Bones); Best Bobber: Don & Mark (Bonneville Spitfire); Best Trike: Elizabeth de Bruyn (Trike); Best Café Racer: Peter Pelser (Suzuki GT750); Special Mention - Best Junior): Sarel O’Neill (Kawasaki); Best Paintwork: Dyno by Quint (Hyabusa); Best Engineering: Peter Pelser (Honda 929); Best on Show: Peter Pelser (Honda 929).

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Best Custom on Show: Peter Pelser (Honda 929) Best Harley-Davidson: Joint Effort (Harley Cross Bones)

Technical Talk by By Keith Fellenstein Synchronizing Carburettors; sourced from http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/tech-corner/ Question: I have a question regarding “syncing” carburettors. Some gurus can synchronize them by ear, and I’ve met mechanics who are just incredible and use all their senses to accomplish the extraordinary. How does syncing contribute to performance? Usually, I measure the slides with the carbs on the bench with drill bits, selecting a size that just fits between the horn and the slide, and average the two (or three or four). Are there unique factors with individual cylinders that require a “power on” vacuum test, or am I good to go? I suggest to your readers to start a scrapbook, as I have with your articles. I look through the table of contents when I’m stumped and lo and behold, you’ve already done the work for me. — Mike Peterson, Wisconsin Answer: In a multi-carburettor setup, synchronizing ensures that each carburettor is providing the same amount of fuel and volume of air at the same rpm. That in turn keeps the cylinders working in unison, with no cylinder working harder than the other. This, along with engine timing, contributes to an engine that runs smoothly and accelerates at its best. What you’re describing is generally referred to as “bench syncing” and it is a necessary first step whenever you have disassembled a multi-carb setup. Depending on whether you’re dealing with Constant Velocity (CV) carbs or direct slide carbs, the technique is a little different. On direct slide carbs such as the Amals on British Triumphs and Nortons, you can use the wire-gauge method you outline, using the idle stop screw to get the initial opening the same. Assuming you have the carbs off the bike, you can try this. For CV carbs, I keep a few 1/4-inch ball bearings on hand. I place them in the throat of the carburettor and open the butterflies. If the balls drop simultaneously, the butterfly valves are synced. Once that’s done, you need to make sure the cables are pulling identically for all the carbs. You can check at wide open throttle to see if the slides are all the way up to the same degree, but you can’t really tell if the intermediate range is matched. This is the range where you’ll spend most of your riding time. The easiest way to do that is with vacuum gauges. MCC

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Deneysville Motorcycle Museum Run by Ken Wiggins On Saturday, 11th August, around 20 motorcycles arrived at the CMC Club House to take their riders for breakfast at the Vaal Dam. A few individuals arrived in 4-wheeled vehicles, thinking they could travel in luxury - only one of them had a valid reason for doing so. Rob Pattirson-Ems had a bakkie load of old engine and a pile of riding gear he was taking to the museum to put into its inventory of biking memorabilia. It was a rotary valve motor that was built by Hugh Ferguson and used in his bike after the war. The donation of the engine to the museum was a condition stipulated by Hugh’s family when they had sold his bike to Rob.

A briefing for the route to the Vaal Arrival at the museum

At 9:30AM the bikes and cars left Germiston for a pleasant, yet not too fast run down to Deneysville, arriving there about an hour and a half later. The weather was kind on the day and hungers had duly been primed for the breakfast that awaited. A tour of the museum was in the offing while your order was fulfilled and Rob took the opportunity to present the Hugh Ferguson engine to John Boswell.

The Museum at Deneysville The 2 oldest machines. Triumphs of course Breakfast, drinks for the thirsty and a good dose of Rock music from the live band made an enjoyable day. Slowly but surely the group headed back home in their own time. Thanks to Pierre, Rusty and Rob for an enjoyable outing; we need to do more of these trips and build up a sense of oneness within the club.

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Rob and John with Hugh Furguson’s exhibit One of many exhibits, this for Jim Redman

The Story of Two Special Motorcycles by Eddie Germiquet In the next issues of Kickstart, a story about two motorcycles, a 1948 Triumph Speed Twin and a 1976 BMW R90S will unfold. The inclusion of this saga is the result of an encounter betour chairman had with Eddie Germiquet, when he stopped to chat about Pierre’s Speed Twin which was on the VMC Stand at the 1000 Bike Show. Each motorcycle is special to Eddie, not only with respect to its technical advancement in the world of motorcycles or that each is now regarded as a classic and a desirable collector’s item. The most important aspect is, they both have a special place in his life. First of all, let him introduce how it all started (Editor). I cannot remember a defining moment or incident that gave rise to my love and respect for motorcycles. Perhaps it is their portrayal of a fiercely independent yet powerful force that resonates within me. I do however carry a vivid image captured in my 17 year old mind. Sometime in 1968 I was standing at the traffic lights where Third Ave in Parktown North changes to Cardigan Rd in Parkwood. I was silently gazing at a motorcyclist astride a metallic green Triumph Bonneville waiting for the traffic light to change. I stood in awe as it pulled purposefully away and my eyes followed it as it grew smaller down Cardigan Rd. I can still hear the echo of the distinctive crisp Triumph beat emanating from its twin exhausts. I felt within me the surge of wonder for the owner who had the privilege of owning such a robust machine. I dreamed of myself astride a similar motorcycle and even tried to capture those fantasies in a sketch drawn at the time. Triumph Speed Twin Some years later, in early 1971, my friend Peter Driver called me over to his house in 12th St Parkhurst and introduced me to his latest acquisition. There before my eyes was a massive 500cc Triumph motorcycle. Its sound was deep, throaty and purposeful, so unlike the high pitched squealing of the 50cc mopeds with which he and our peers messed about. Incredibly it had been “given” to him by a fellow actor in the amateur dramatic society who was preparing to emigrate to Australia. Apparently he had found this motorcycle in the veld years before and had the idea of restoring it. He had worked on the engine but had got no further. Now that he was emigrating this unlicensed motorcycle, in all its bits and pieces, was increasingly viewed as excess baggage. At that time Peter’s parents were on an extended overseas holiday and had no idea what their 19 year old son was getting up to while alone at home. Peter made some enquiries with the police

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and was informed that this particular motorcycle had been reported stolen many years previously. He was given the name of Mr Geoff Ortlepp at 3 Bompas Road, Dunkeld, as being the rightful owner. On the 8th March 1971 Peter went to see Geoff Ortlepp who said that the bike had been gone for so many years that he no longer had any use for it and that Peter could keep it. Peter asked him to put it in writing. The resulting document reads as follows:

8/3/71 This is to certify that I, Geoffrey Julius Ortlepp, the owner of motorcycle TJ 286 have sold the motorcycle to Mr Peter Driver. Signed: G J Ortlepp

On handing the brief document back to Peter, Geoff Ortlepp suddenly exclaimed: “I’ve written that I sold it to you, so now I can’t just give it to you! You will have to pay me something so that the document is a true reflection of what has transpired.” So Peter scratched in his pockets and luckily found a 50c coin. He bought the Triumph for 50 cents. Peter then took the document to the Parkview Police Station so that the “stolen” status of the Triumph could be lifted. The following letter was written in Afrikaans by the then Parkview Station Commander:

Lisensie Afd. (Afdeling) JHB Genoemde M/Fiets Triumph TJ 286, Model 1948. Eng No. 48-5T97502 Chas. No. TF 21026 Wat as gesteel aangemeld was is gekanseleer, draer van die brief het die Motorfiets by die regmatige einaar gekoop, Mr P. Driver. Voorige eienaar Mr Ortlepp. Signed: J De Bruyn SAP Parkview 16 – 3 – 1971 (Section Head C.I.D, Parkview, SAP)

When Peter’s parents returned from their extended absence, Mr Driver (snr) was not at all impressed at the sight of this monster in his garage. Furthermore, where would he park the car? As Peter had been called up to do his year of National Service in the South African Navy at Simonstown and would be leaving home in May/June 1971, his father made it clear that he would not have this bike hanging around his house. The instruction to Peter was that before his departure for the Navy the bike had to go. When I learned about Mr Driver’s instruction to Peter, I enquired from Peter what he may want for the bike. Peter’s answer was that as he had got it for nothing he would only charge me for the new magneto that he had bought and installed. It would be R70 all included. As I received no pocket money and had nothing to my name, I deliberated long and hard if I could possibly ask my father for the R70. I formulated a plan and rehearsed my speech carefully before knocking on his office

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door. The crux of my argument was that although 500cc sounded like a rather big motorcycle for a young chap, however in reality it was such an old bike that its performance would not be any different from a modern (1971) bike of only 300cc! To my delight and slight amazement the outcome of the negotiations and the arguments I put forward proved convincing. Possibly as part of the process of making the bike “disappear” in order to comply with his Father’s instruction, Peter had largely dismantled the bike and put it into boxes. In order to bring the bike over to our home in Parkview (96 Kerry Rd) my father towed the bike that consisted only of a frame and two wheels and a working rear brake, with me astride to steer and work the brake pedal. The remainder of the bike was in cardboard boxes lined up on the back seat of the towing VW Beetle. Every spare moment of the next 2 months was spent reassembly the bike. I scratched and scratched through my father’s boxes and tins of spare screws and bolts of various shapes and sizes so as to find suitable fasteners to hold the bike together. I also fashioned number plates out of galvanized metal sheets. In similar fashion, I redid the electric wiring with all manner of electric wires I could lay my hands on. The only items I bought were an oil pressure gauge and ammeter to fit into the tank recess and new handlebars. These handlebars were so wide that I cut off a considerable amount from each end. When the day finally dawned when I had to start it, no matter how much kicking on the kick start lever I did I could not get any response from the engine. Noticing the predicament I was in, my father offered to tow me in an attempt to “pull start” the engine. We went around the block a number of times with the engine in gear but to no avail. Then the idea dawned on me to swap the two spark plug leads. With the leads now going to the correct spark plugs the engine sprang into life. A lesson I have never forgotten! With such incidents repeated many times my intimate knowledge and love for the bike deepened. In order to give the bike a sportier look, I trimmed off about 15cm from the end of the rear mudguard and some 10 cm from the front of the front mudguard. The silencers which had come with the bike had already been modified and shortened in such a way that their appearance did not appeal to me. I found a pair of old Honda silencers and cut off their tapered rear ends. These new “silencers” were little more than hollow megaphones but remained part of the bike for many years. In addition, the original Amal carburettor with its separate float chamber gave me a lot of trouble. The jets were probably worn and I could never get the right mixture out of them. I finally bought a new and more modern Amal carb with an incorporated float chamber from Rubes Motorcycles situated at 205 Main St, JHB. It worked like a charm. Next month, the saga of Eddie’s Speed Twin will continue, by which time I hope he will have decided to join VMC. Eddie, please don’t disappoint me – I can’t wait to include your R90S in subsequent issues. (Editor). Library Corner August 2015 by Bob Harpin It is quite amazing that books, which have been around for many years and remain unread on the shelf for just as long, are a hive of information when one eventually gets round to reading them. Just such a situation occurred last month when I brought some of the library’s books home to be covered. Over the past few weeks I managed to read “A History of the Worlds Motorcycles” by Richard Hough and L J K Setright. It is doubly strange that I have missed reading this book in the past as I am a great fan of the writings of LJK; his knowledge of motoring history is probably second to none and together with his engineering background has managed, in his writings, to simplify many of the complex aspects of automotive engineering. This book is no exception and gives a clear and erudite account of the development history of the motorcycle from the early steam driven attempts of the 1820’s up to the superbikes of the 1970’s (this book was published in 1973). He goes into great depths on the geographical motorcycle design differences between Britain, USA and Europe during the early part of the 20th century. He provides reasons behind many of the early advances in frame, braking, tyre and engine technologies; pointing out the manufacturers who instigated the various advances. Many of his comments are still relevant 40 years after the first edition was printed. All in all a book well worth the read. Another, by LJK, is

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“Some Unusual Engines”. This book details the automotive industry’s attempt to think out-of-the-box and produce something different to the all-pervading internal combustion engine as has been used for over a hundred years makes for good reading also. I frequently trawl the internet looking for interesting workshop manuals, parts lists and general motorcycle related books that we do not already have a copy and recently came across a book “Moto Rumi : The Complete Story by Riccardo Crippa” which apparently relates the history of Moto Rumi. For those who do not recognise the name, Moto Rumi manufactured small capacity scooters & motorcycles during the 1950’s and 60’s and strange looking beasts they were. But, to give them credit they went like stink! It comprised a 125cc twin cylinder two stroke engine that seemed to rev to unbelievable levels but with a nice exhaust note. All the models had the engine horizontally both for the scooters and motorcycles and were the quickest scooters around. In fact they won the 24hr Bol d'Or race in Monthlery for 3 consecutive years during 1956/57/58. Their life came to an end in the early 1960’s when the sales were totally eclipsed by Lambretta and Vespa scooters but anyone who has heard one of these engine at full tilt will remember their sound for years to come. If anybody has a copy of the book I would like to borrow it for scanning for library purposes. Personally I think that the both the scooters and the motorcycles had a distinctive style all of its own and it seems a pity that the manufacture had to cease. The Club did, at one time, have a couple of Moto Rumi engines that were acquired, with a lot of other spares about 5 years ago, from a chap in Randburg, what happened to them I do not know. During June and July the library managed to get quite a number of workshop manuals and parts lists (mainly in soft copy), so out of over a hundred titles obtained, 70% have been this type of book. Some of them are quite exotic where few, if any, of the makes/models exist in RSA but many of the others are relevant. So if you have a bike that you require a parts list or workshop manual and they are not available in the library, let me know and I will do my utmost to secure a copy for the library. For those whose interest is in pre-war Norton’s, the library has acquired quite a number of maintenance manuals, Parts lists and restoration articles for the models manufactured between 1927 and 1939. Other interesting acquisitions have been catalogues, articles and parts lists for “Enots”, “Druid” forks, “Best and Lloyd” pumps, and various models of Burman and Sturmey Archer gearboxes. Having a lot of marque specific technical books donated to the club recently, I had to catalogue them all and one thing stood out while I was doing this was the amount of technical books penned by a “W C Haycraft FRSA”. With this in mind, I tried to find out more regarding this person such as a biography or at least something detailing his passage through this world. But to no avail ! All Google could do was give a prodigious list of all the books attributed to W C Haycraft (some of these were on activities totally removed from motorcycling/automotive engineering) and asking around on various forums came up with the possibility that the name “W C Haycraft” was a nom de plume and a physical person, of that name, did not exist. I thought that this nom de plume story was a bit farfetched and so decided to look into it a bit further. All the titles by W C Haycraft which were published post 1946 have his name as “W C Haycraft FRSA” indicating that he was a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. Fortunately I was able to get on to The Society’s web site and there was a list of all Fellows from the inception of the Society in the 1660’s up to the latest appointees. There was no mention of any W C Haycraft being a Fellow. Again most of the Pitman’s / Pearson’s manuals gave the bone fides of the author on the title page – no such comment for W C Haycraft. So who was W C Haycraft? Answers please, on the back of R200 note, addressed to the CMC Librarian. Bob Harpin

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Guess the curiosity Another brain teaser from Craig Patterson, who submitted the first “Guess the curiosity” last month. Can anyone identify the vehicle in these pictures? Again, anyone able to supply answers; don’t keep it to yourself as we need to know the most knowledgeable member of VMC. Send your answer to the Editor.

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Odds and Sods: Do you think stuffing a three litre Ferrari V8 into a custom motorcycle is a bit looney? That’s exactly what motorcycle racer, Andreas Georgeades, has done. Would you believe this wasn’t the first ridiculously fantastic creation he’s made? When he realized he was pretty good at motorcycle racing, he spent the later part of the 1960s in the pursuit of creating the ultimate racer. In his quest, he became the first to successfully build and win first place with his Honda 600 four cylinder car engined racer.

He has subsequently built in excess of 20 two wheeled machines, always searching for the ultimate in power and outright irrational proof of his own capability.

Andreas’ achievement will have to be a complete article in a future is of Kickstart, although I have my doubt anyone is able to kickstart his creations.

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Classifieds Note: Adds only remain in for 3 months then must be renewed, if necessary. Please inform the editor if adds are no longer needed, within the 3 month period. DJ MACHINES DJ Bike for a young enthusiast who doesn’t have a large bank balance to buy it! Any condition but hopefully fairly complete. I rode a borrowed bike this year but must get my own! Martin Kaiser 071 865-4220 Gary Barnes is looking for any DJ Bike. Please contact him on 083 329 3558 DJ Eligible 125cc – 200cc machine Grant Wiggins is looking for a small capacity DJ bike so he can enter the DJ as soon as he gets a valid Motorcycle licence (2016). Please contact him on (078) 366-2742 or grant.wig@gmail.com WANTED: Paul Whitehead is looking for the following: 1. Sidecar to stabilize his DJ Bike 2. Quad Bike to get him mobile again

Contact: Paul 083 450 2078 Caroline 083 653 6290 or email: sdfcxz@gmail.com

FOR SALE: 1977 HONDA 750/four supersport – Winner of Rat Class in Concourse at Strawdogs Rally, Graaf Reinet, May 2015. Engine rebuilt, Wiseco big bore kit (836cc), Timing chain kit, Gasket set kit. Side covers and tail light not original. All original parts and new back tyre included. R22 000. Contact Bennie Buys. (048) 881-1279, (081) 362-4714 or BuysBF@telkom.co.za. Triumph Trident T150 petrol tank, no rust or dents. R750. Cowley 6 into 1 exhaust for CBX. R500. Clymer workshop manual for Honda V Fours 1982 - 1988. R350. Del Orto carburettors - 2 x New short polished Bellmouths for 40 mm. R400. ea. Factory workshop manual - Honda XL500S. R450. Haynes workshop manual - BSA Unit Singles - R200 and Triumph T150 Trident 1969 onward - R300. Contact Jan. (011) 394-0716; all hrs. Spare Girder Fork to sell or swop. Originally from a pre-war girder, possibly off a BSA Empire Star. Contact: Brandon Stovold - Phone: +27 (0) 11 262 5152 / +27 (0) 11 262 5148

Cell: +27 (0) 82 223 7104 Fax to Email: +27 (0) 86 605 5348 Triumph Tiger Cub – Running, restored – R18,000.00 ONCO BSA C11 Project – R3, 000.00 Pierre 072 513 9432 Matchless G12 1960/63 650cc twin been in continuous use since engine rebuild in 1982 R25,000. Licensed

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Paul Whitehead has the following for sale: 1. 2010 Yamaha T Max 2. 1936 Velocette KSS & spares Contact: Paul 083 450 2078 Caroline 083 653 6290 or email: sdfcxz@gmail.com Triumph Daytona 500cc twin restored 4 years ago but never ridden, matching frame & engine numbers R25,000 scrapping papers available. Wanted Barrels – for Douglas Dragonfly. Contact Pierre Cronje (072) 513-9432 Crankshaft – for BMW R60. Contact Pierre Cronje (072) 513-9432 BMW R50/2 - Bing carburettor for left hand side cylinder. Contact Robert Rosset (081) 018-2495 or robert@rame.co.za Screw on Fuel cap – for 1928 OK Supreme. Please contact James “Hamish” Morrison (083) 456-2768 or hamishm@mweb.co.za Ariel Sq 4 Carburettor – needed to complete project. Roly (082) 377-4303. Moto Guzzi V7 Petrol Tank Motoguzzi SP1000. Seat or seat base and Switches Contact John Hassall 082 886 7133 or JH29@pixie.co.za Triumph Tiger TR110 1954 model. I'm looking for the above bike as a restoration project. Please contact me on 0832355519 if you know of one for sale. Graham Watters graham.watters@actom.co.za JAP 4B (Speedway) top end bits e.g. pushrods, pushrod tubes, rocker box & cover wanted Triumph 3T (’46-51) primary chain covers, oil tank wanted Triumph Model P (’26) exhaust pipe/silencer, carrier, rear stand, petrol tank, chain guard wanted BSA M20 (’37-54) rear stand, front & rear rims & brake assembly, girder wanted BSA Sloper Any condition. Phone Peter Vlietstra 082-650-9880 BSA Bantam 175cc Points & Condenser Contact Gerald Hollis

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VMC Quick Calendar and Upcoming events The VMC Committee wants to make the newsletter an essential part of your motorcycling life. The newest idea is the VMC Quick Calendar, to provide information on events, primarily relate to our interest in older bikes, throughout the year. Please send or event info comments to the Chairman, the Editor or any committee member. Contact details are available on the last page of Kickstart.

Calendar for 2015

August 2015 September 2015 02-Aug CMC Club Meeting CMC Germiston 06-Sept CMC Club Meeting CMC Germiston 02-Aug Cars in the Park POMC 19-Sept SAVVA AGM Johannesburg

06 - 09 Aug Magnum Rally POMC/VMC 20-Sept Piston Ring Swap Meet Modderfontein 24-Aug VMC AGM VVC Club 28-Sept VMC Club Meeting VVC Club

October 2015 November 2015 04-Oct CMC Club Meeting CMC Germiston 01-Nov CMC Club Meeting CMC Germiston 26-Oct VMC Club Meeting VVC Club 08-11 Nov 30th Fairest Cape Tour Cape VMC

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 23-Nov VMC Club Meeting VVC Club December 2015

05-Dec CMC Club Meeting CMC Germiston 13-Dec VMC Club Meeting VVC Club

2015 Magnum Rally for Motorcycles & Motorcars

This year the Magnum is being held from 13 to 15 August. It is a Reliability and Regularity Trial over a distance of approximately 800 km of which approximately 700 km will be regularity, comprising of four separate Score Groups, being: Score Group A: For motorcycles manufactured on or

before 31st December 1960. Score Group B: For motorcycles manufactured

between 1st January 1961 and 31st December 1989. Score Group C: For motorcars manufactured before

31st December 1989. Score Group D: For motorcars and motorcycles

manufactured before 31st December 1994. (Touring Class, non-competitive - in this group the requirement for sealing instruments will not apply.

Downloaded relevant documentation from the VMC Events web page at http://www.vintagemotorcycleclub.co.za.

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HUGE ACCESS ROAD UPGRADE FOR CARS in the PARK 2015

Please note: Road works are still underway on the R55/M26/Main road around Zwartkops. This necessitated two detours, one of 2.5 km and one of 3 km. Both detours are in good condition and not dusty. The back entrance to Zwartkops race track will be open. The Pretoria Old Motor Club has successfully negotiated an extra access road which will be in operation for the 2015 edition of South Africa’s biggest car show, the Cars in the Park, scheduled for August 2, 2015.

“Creating the new access road involved negotiations with a land-owner neighbouring the Zwartkops Raceway, and now that we have been given the go-ahead, we can expect traffic flow to improve by a significant margin, “ said show organiser, Frik Kraamwinkel. In addition, the usual entry and exit points on the R55 which runs from Kyalami to Laudium have been up-graded, as has the road itself over the past two years. The new exit will see proper exit roads being established on the north-western corner of the Zwartkops venue, giving improved access to the M26, which runs through the suburb of Erasmia, and then ultimately to William Nichol Drive, which traverses Randburg and Sandton, before joining up with Jan Smuts Avenue in Hyde Park Johannesburg. This route has also been massively up-graded over the past two years, and all work should be complete by August 2. The Cars in the Park 2015 will see the 36th running of the event which was started by the Pretoria Old Motor Club in the early 1980s, and held initially at the old Pioneer Museum in Silverton, east of Pretoria. Since those early times, where the event was strictly a classic car show, the event has evolved to the point where it attracts some 3 000 special-interest motor cars, over 100 car clubs, associated motoring and apparel store holders and over 15 000 spectators. It is by far the biggest car show on the South African calendar, and in fact it is the biggest event on the Zwartkops Raceway calendar, being likened to South Africa’s version of the famous British Goodwood festivals. Cars that show up every year range from vintage machines dating back as early as 1904 to classics from the 1950s and 1960s, hot rods, muscle cars, dragsters, customised motorcycles and hot turbocharged street machines. It is this varied mix of motorised adoration that makes the event so special. For more information on Cars in the Park 2015, contact Frik Kraamwinkel via e-mail on frikkr@gmail.com or by telephone on 082 444 2954. For exhibition space, contact Hanlie Delport on info@siyakula-events.co.za or on 082 908 2295.

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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 Restoring your bike? Is there a better cleaning method for your aluminium parts than Vapour Blasting? It’s a gentle, water based, non-destructive process for aluminium cylinder heads, engine blocks, gearbox casings, wheels, carburettor bodies, etc. There is no excessive metal removing, no blasting material embedded on metal surface. Just a smooth satin finish. Call Janusz from Classic Restorer for details: 081 065 8275 (Benoni) or email classic.restorer1@gmail.com Full restorations. Pierre Cronje does these as well as wheel lacing and building. Call him on 072 513 9432. Ornate period brass spark plug nuts and connectors. Lloyd Du Bois makes these for HT leads. He also hand makes stainless steel/aluminium license disc holders and corks for the “Enots” push-pull type fuel taps, and light alloy tyre valve caps. Call Lloyd on 033 396 6471. 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

Website: www.vintagemotorcycleclub.co.za COMMITTEE AND OFFICE BEARERS

Incumbent Portfolio e-mail Home Work Cell Pierre Cronje Chairman pierrecronje@mweb.co.za 011 849 3008 072 513 9432 Treasurer Ian Storer Secretary/Magazine distribution hilian@isat.co.za 072 727 7382 Rob Pattison-Emms Committee Member/Century Run avonrod@mweb/co.za 011 460 1901 011 460 1901 082 891 8399 Les Sim Committee Member/Calendar les@turnkeyhydraulics.co.za 011 673 1865 011 827 8954 082 552 4072 Roly Tilman Committee Member/Librarian tilman@lasergroup.co.za 011 803 1462 082 377 4303 Steve Trehair Committee Member/Register stevet@matrixmarketing.co.za 011 469 5900 011 886 0494 083 461 2751 Ian Holmes Committee Member/DJ CoC ianhol@iafrica.com 011 793 7304 011 791 6424 083 646 3089

Kevin Walton Club Dating Officer kevin.walton@norcossa.com 082 891 2869

Ken Wiggins Magazine editor editor@vintagemotorcycleclub.co.za 011 793 7138 083 256 1949

Fees payable Entry Fee: R50.00 Annual Subscriptions: R260.00 (R130.00 if joining after 1st Jan) Country member: R190.00 (+80km from club HQ) (R95.00 if joining after 1st Jan) Family members: R10.00 (i.e. Spouse & minor children) Club Bank Acc No. 1970259841 at Nedbank. Sandton Branch 197-005.

Please forward DEPOSIT SLIP to the Secretary - hilian@isat.co.za.

Club Meetings are held every fourth Monday of the month (except December) at The Vintage and Veteran Club (VVC), 3 Athol Oaklands Road, Oaklands Johannesburg, at 20h00. The opinions expressed in KICKSTART are not necessarily those of the Committee or the Editor.