It's a long way to 920 type(rary)

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Jagbruno said:
Hello all, despite typical Belgian weather (!), Yves and I went to a weekly gathering of vintage vehicles this morning, I guess we couldn't resist the appeal of rolling thunder (in more ways than one!). I must add that we were the only two motorcycles present, 100% Norton population amongst vintage Jags, Porsches and other beauties...

I can now reveal that Yves' incredible machine sounds like a Mosquito bomber on a low altitude straffing raid against Feldmarshall Rommel's finest panzer unit. Loud, deep, and seriously terrifying, in one word: gorgeous.

It's a long way to 920 type(rary)

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I have to say that we meet us at the place, but we don't ride togheter. I prupose to Bruno to test ride the Seeley and he say no!
I can not say how a Mosquito sounds, I was never member of Rommels Panzer division, the only thing I know about the Mosquito is that it was made in wood and not very fast...
I agree that the sound is loud and deep at low RPM but once you go over 3.500 the sound change, it's like a Tom Cat hunting Mig 23
The engine go better and better with more miles.
Later to day I will send you a copy from a Service Note from the Belgiam Police Dept.
Yves
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True.
I declined Yves' generous offer FOR TODAY. :cool:
The roads were greasy and treacherous. I also didn't want to try it before it is properly ran in by its legitimate owner. But I will as soon as the conditions are right, trust me. :p

Actually, even though (and actually partly because) Mosquito bombers were largely made of wood, they were extremely tough and reliable. They were also very fast and maneuverable, to the extend that they could engage ennemy fighter planes with a good chance to defeat them.

Yves' Seeley certainly matches those qualities.
 
Yves... you are a slanderous heathen Sir....

The Mosquito was incredibly light and had TWO Rolls Royce Merlin engines (as in the Spitfire) it was INCREDIBLY FAST and agile.

And it sounded awesome!

Anyway, back to Norton’s, that’s a fine looking pair you have there boys!
 
Canada produced 1134 Mosquito Bombers. Those and the British built ones used mainly Sitka Spruce spars from the coast of BC, my home province.
The design of the plane was pure British genius though.( Geoffrey De havilland)
Hitler's main man Goring hated but feared the Mosquito-

"In 1940 I could at least fly as far as Glasgow in most of my aircraft,
but not now! It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I turn green
and yellow with envy. The British, who can afford aluminium better than
we can, knock together a beautiful wooden aircraft that every piano
factory over there is building, and they give it a speed which they have
now increased yet again. What do you make of that? There is nothing
the British do not have. They have the geniuses and we have the
nincompoops. After the war is over I'm going to buy a British radio set -
then at least I'll own something that has always worked."
- Hermann Göring, 1943.[91][92]
 
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My engineering ‘shop’ man has a unit on Range Road in Witney, England.

It’s called Range Road cos it used to be a firing range and it is where the Browning machine guns and cannons were tested prior to fitment in Spitfires and Hurricanes et al in WW11.

Pointless trivia, but I liked it !
 
Mosquito Bombers only risked 2 man crew, carried same load as 4 engine B17, flew 10,000 ft higher at twice the speed. Made of wood that rotted away only maybe 30 still exist. About Goring's quote, a big advantage little recognized was that Britain and American boys were more familiar with tractors and cars/trucks so more handy with that stuff quirks, maintenance and make do field repairs than Germans mostly still using farm animals. 2:1 exhausts tend to give softer lower freq. sound than separate headers. Its not un-common for an essentially, all Norton Commando, to fully extend fork on throttle or float front topping out, so in Ozark Mt.s steep twisties nailing throttle peeling over into down hill sharpie - often felt like a fighter/bomber tipping sideways to begin its strafing run G's with the close road edge stuff flashing by adding sense of deadly tracers barely missing.

In Mz Peel's case, twin paintball blunderbusses (2" dia barrels) to clear path of confused deer clusters 40 yds out and Navy flare pistol with rock salt and pepper to stop dogs charges from the flanks will help complete the WWII combat air craft sense. Hitting bottom of steeps with sharp fast turn rising back up sort of felt like pulling out of a dive in nick of time too.

We have all Brit car shows here but usually only a few Triumph or BSAs from trailers seen, with Wes me only ones riding to notice compared to the flashy Brit sports cars. taxis, Mini's to Rolls or double deck buses, even likes of Yves special hardly get a second look but as mere side line has beens with lingering sense motorcycles were for the poor working class.
 
I only recently learned that the British invented damn near everything we use for modern life. The Scots have been even more inventive than the English. Between them they covered it all.
Quirky and imperfect but wonderfully inventive people.
Oil leaks and all.

Glen
 
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Maybe one positive stat came from the early decimation of the Luftwaffe- very few aircraft left to lose.
The Russian stat is interesting 60,000 are non combat losses.
Too much Vodka?:)

I like the Mosquito/ Commando reference but to my ears the Vincent with its galloping idle sounds most like an old Warplane.
Then again, I haven't heard Yves 920 yet!


Glen
 
Brave and forced men/women for the pleasures of hidden world movers/shakers. Theres a book then a movie that covers all this called Catch 22.
 
ludwig said:
German aircraft production increased considerably during the war :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_aircraft_production_during_World_War_II

And who shot down those 30 000 British fighter planes ..?



Yves : I'll get in touch when it is a little warmer .
Wij zijn praktisch buren ..
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Maybe Hermann Goering didn't understand just how well things were going?

Whether Yves bike sounds like a Mosquito or a Messerschmitt, I'm sure it is impressive.
I know you put on a lot of miles Yves, so it will be really interesting to see how the 920 setup holds up.

Glen
 
Aircraft losses (Europe , north Africa ) :

Germany : 76 000
allied :
Brittain : 42 000
USA : 38 000
USSR : 106 000

Well despite Ludwigs title including ( Europe, North Africa ) that is not on the wiki page and only applies to Germany/Russia as they only fought in Europe except for Russia against Japan in the last few days, for USA and Great Britain/Commonwealth these are worldwide which changes the outlook.
 
Where does this argument go guys? We know how the war ended after all.

Please let’s not de-rail Yves’ great thread.
 
Agreed.

It was just a comparison, not a political statement. I could have mentionned the P38 Lightning as well, but I kept it British, by Jove.
 
The comparison about the lovely exhaust note was a good one.

The debate about WW11 equipment casualties was also interesting, but surely shouldn’t continue further.
 
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