Publications Of History

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phil yates

phil yates

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This was the intrepid road tester Chris Wright. Inherently terrified of motorcycles, he did his best but struggled. Note in the photo his left foot is cleverly hidden behind front wheel. Our Christopher isn't even moving.
And very nicely dressed for a road test. I like the guy. More unusual than Hobot!!
Note cost of magazine.
 

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Chris got chucked out of Two Wheels, it seems. Just as determined as our Hobot, he started up a new magazine of which he was editor. He thought Police motorcycles might be safer to ride than civilian ones, so road tested the Interpol. He found the clutch hurt his tender wrist and he had numerous other concerns, including oil stains on his white socks and "the thing went too fast". He did however like the gear lever. It had a big fat rubber "thingy" he could get his white shoe under. He also liked playing with the police horn (and his own, I expect)
 

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The Hobot Norton.
Steve said it scared the crap out of him!
 

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The road test of the Interpol by Chris was not well received, neither by Norton lovers nor the Police. To let things cool down he headed off on a long "tour" using his favourite machine, the Lambretta 75cc. Unlike the big bad scary Norton, it did not hurt his wrist or stain his socks (nor his underpants)!
 

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If you come across the APRIL 72 Two Wheels , its got a B50 BSA in it , AND the F-750 NORTON effort for Daytona , as in a ' wots the J P S Norton ' up to feture . If you would . Please . :mrgreen:
 
I still have a few Motorcycle and Motorcycling magazines from the early 60s. Looking at them now, they are very tired. It is no wonder we were so ignorant back then.
 
Matt Spencer said:
If you come across the APRIL 72 Two Wheels , its got a B50 BSA in it , AND the F-750 NORTON effort for Daytona , as in a ' wots the J P S Norton ' up to feture . If you would . Please . :mrgreen:
Click to expand...

I will check for that Matt.
It might be in the box yet. I'm only half way through it. Talk about going back in time reading and seeing the articles. They say old people do this. But I am only 18. Jenny only 16.
No idea what I want to be when I grow up!

I'll have a hunt for it later today.

Phil
 
acotrel said:
I still have a few Motorcycle and Motorcycling magazines from the early 60s. Looking at them now, they are very tired. It is no wonder we were so ignorant back then.
Click to expand...

Ignorance is bliss I guess. It was a good time. But I am glad to be here now, not there. I moved on, but brought my Norton with me.

It still makes a mockery of modern machinery, not in speed but in concept. And pure motorcycling enjoyment.
 
phil yates said:
Matt Spencer said:
If you come across the APRIL 72 Two Wheels , its got a B50 BSA in it , AND the F-750 NORTON effort for Daytona , as in a ' wots the J P S Norton ' up to feture . If you would . Please . :mrgreen:
Click to expand...

I will check for that Matt.
It might be in the box yet. I'm only half way through it. Talk about going back in time reading and seeing the articles. They say old people do this. But I am only 18. Jenny only 16.
No idea what I want to be when I grow up!

I'll have a hunt for it later today.

Phil
Click to expand...

Matt
Bummer, I have, believe it or not, March 72 and May 72.
I don't know where April has gone, or if I had it.
Sorry about that buddy. Can I offer you a Lambretta 75cc
thorough road test by Chris Wright?
 
I've got some specs on this machine, similar to Combat. I'll post them later.
 

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The Commando (1969 I think) was kitted with a Dunstall Mk III "Street Race" camshaft.
10.5 to 1 pistons (no mention of head mod) and
two massive (their word) 32 mm carbies.

The year was 1970 and this was a hot hot machine!!
It was drag raced (with 21T front sprocket). 13.6 Standing quarter.
Also road raced.
Owner was Philip Gillis.
 
These might be easier on the neck.
The hot goodies BTW cost a whopping $85
 

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phil yates said:
acotrel said:
I still have a few Motorcycle and Motorcycling magazines from the early 60s. Looking at them now, they are very tired. It is no wonder we were so ignorant back then.
Click to expand...

Ignorance is bliss I guess. It was a good time. But I am glad to be here now, not there. I moved on, but brought my Norton with me.

It still makes a mockery of modern machinery, not in speed but in concept. And pure motorcycling enjoyment.
Click to expand...

Back in those days we probably would not have even considered racing an Aermacchi 350, most of us did not know what they were. In my own case, I built the Seeley Commando 850 in about 1978 and did not race it until 20 years later. Most of the stuff we read in magazines was garbage and gave no idea of the truth about various bikes. It wasn't until I was old and jaded that I even attempted to race the Seeley, mainly because I simply did not believe in it. After I started using the bike, I spoke to a friend of mine who used to do pre-delivery on Commandos as well as Kawasaki two stroke triples in the 70s. They used to take the new bikes down to the local twisty boulevard alongside the Yarra River, and give them heaps. He said the Commandos were right up there, which actually surprises me.
 
phil yates said:
The Commando (1969 I think) was kitted with a Dunstall Mk III "Street Race" camshaft.
10.5 to 1 pistons (no mention of head mod) and
two massive (their word) 32 mm carbies.

The year was 1970 and this was a hot hot machine!!
It was drag raced (with 21T front sprocket). 13.6 Standing quarter.
Also road raced.
Owner was Philip Gillis.
Click to expand...

When I was a kid (probably 1963) our club ran a sprint at Pakenham near Melbourne. There were a lot of race bikes competing. The fastest bike on the day was a Super Rocket BSA 650 which returned just under 13 seconds for the quarter mile. It was owned by the leader of a local bikie gang. Sometimes bikes you would never consider might be good are much better than expected.
 
phil yates said:
He found the clutch hurt his tender wrist and he had numerous other concerns, including oil stains on his white socks and "the thing went too fast".
Click to expand...

I think the clutch hurt his tender wrist because his pinky was in the air :D
 
acotrel said:
phil yates said:
acotrel said:
I still have a few Motorcycle and Motorcycling magazines from the early 60s. Looking at them now, they are very tired. It is no wonder we were so ignorant back then.
Click to expand...

Ignorance is bliss I guess. It was a good time. But I am glad to be here now, not there. I moved on, but brought my Norton with me.

It still makes a mockery of modern machinery, not in speed but in concept. And pure motorcycling enjoyment.
Click to expand...

Back in those days we probably would not have even considered racing an Aermacchi 350, most of us did not know what they were. In my own case, I built the Seeley Commando 850 in about 1978 and did not race it until 20 years later. Most of the stuff we read in magazines was garbage and gave no idea of the truth about various bikes. It wasn't until I was old and jaded that I even attempted to race the Seeley, mainly because I simply did not believe in it. After I started using the bike, I spoke to a friend of mine who used to do pre-delivery on Commandos as well as Kawasaki two stroke triples in the 70s. They used to take the new bikes down to the local twisty boulevard alongside the Yarra River, and give them heaps. He said the Commandos were right up there, which actually surprises me.
Click to expand...

Road tests of the day put the Kawasaki Mach III maybe a second or so ahead of the Commando on the standing quarter. I think that was pre combat. I think the Kawasaki 750 Mach IV was actually slower than the Mach III, but I can't really remember. I know when it was time to go around a corner, the Kawasaki was downright dangerous. But I never ever did ride one, nor want to.

Measuring standing quarter times was a joke. They had very little relevance to everyday riding and were purely academic. But in the early 70's, the market was thirsting for speed and acceleration. So enter the disastrous Combat. So exit the disastrous Combat, a year later.

Norton realised they had reached the power output limit of the old girl, without a completely new engine. There was no where for them to go with the engine we love.
 
acotrel said:
phil yates said:
The Commando (1969 I think) was kitted with a Dunstall Mk III "Street Race" camshaft.
10.5 to 1 pistons (no mention of head mod) and
two massive (their word) 32 mm carbies.

The year was 1970 and this was a hot hot machine!!
It was drag raced (with 21T front sprocket). 13.6 Standing quarter.
Also road raced.
Owner was Philip Gillis.
Click to expand...

When I was a kid (probably 1963) our club ran a sprint at Pakenham near Melbourne. There were a lot of race bikes competing. The fastest bike on the day was a Super Rocket BSA 650 which returned just under 13 seconds for the quarter mile. It was owned by the leader of a local bikie gang. Sometimes bikes you would never consider might be good are much better than expected.
Click to expand...

That is extremely quick for 1963.
Fastest time I saw (not that I went looking) for a standard Combat was 12.7.
I think the Kwaka Mach III just pipped it. But not by much.
It was a seven bike comparison test in Cycle (I think) magazine of 1972, early 73.
 
dennisgb said:
phil yates said:
He found the clutch hurt his tender wrist and he had numerous other concerns, including oil stains on his white socks and "the thing went too fast".
Click to expand...

I think the clutch hurt his tender wrist because his pinky was in the air :D
Click to expand...

Chris simply was not cut out for riding fast motorcycles. Doing or trying to do the Kwaka Mach III road test, I have a picture of him looking terrified at 5mph. They gave the bike to another tester. But Chris' comments about the bike were valid. He said it was a "nervous" machine. Speed was not his cup of tea.
 
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