Archive stuff

[Andy J]

Zane's finest achievement?

 

[rocketonarail]

I like the pic of the RGS on the test bed in #237....they all look very pleased with themselves...!.....

 

[MarnixSFC]

Zandvoort 6 hour Race...unfortunate news regarding Ron Wittich...( 1972 )

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The winner of the 6 hours of Zandvoort, Dutchman Herbert Spahn, only raced at Zandvoort and usually won..

Marnix

 

[rocketonarail]

Oss 1973.....Honda did the winning this year...

Was 1973 the year Laverda produced three ( I think ) alternator equipped SFC `s along with modified valve gear or heads.... dunno if this might be one of them pictured , ( although looking at this one it appears to have the dynamo fitted , maybe it`s a Dutch importer bike ).....I believe having the extra rotor weight on the end of the crank led to reliability problems with the alternator SFC`s ...

I think a couple of these alternator works bikes went to Oss this year , but problems with alternator output ( not) powering the lights put them out of contention.. ( I`m betting Marnix will say here if I`m wrong...!...).....

 

[rocketonarail]

Okay , so you can wheelie a Mach 4....buy a Commando and you`ll have both wheels off the ground...Steve Strickland versus John Nutting...

 

[rocketonarail]

Looks like 25 of those early 500`s with the funny rear guard and blister on the chaincase were produced.....( Milan 1975 )....

 

[rocketonarail]

Think your 3C(E) is fast...?....What you want is a 3CF mate....John Nutting ( again ) on the road test 3C(E)...E guys , E....c`mon get it right...

 

[The Sock]

Okay , so you can wheelie a Mach 4....buy a Commando and you`ll have both wheels off the ground...Steve Strickland versus John Nutting...

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One, at least.

 

[CLEMTOG]

unexpected rock/ramp in the long grass Hamish, you look disturbed and surprised, but nice to see you keeping up your tradition and wearing your normal full PPE
CLEM

 

[The Sock]

unexpected rock/ramp in the long grass Hamish, you look disturbed and surprised, but nice to see you keeping up your tradition and wearing your normal full PPE
CLEM

Lower technology days, Clem, in '73.
Self-taken with an Instamatic on a delay timer.
It was my handout shot, for girlfriends, Until I chopped in the Commando for the Laverda,...

 

[Andy J]

If only......

 

[Andy J]

In my opinion yes - I have 3.

 

[Andy J]

More of the if only....
However, Benelli saw it through to production for their version.

 

[MarnixSFC]

Oss 1973.....Honda did the winning this year...

Was 1973 the year Laverda produced three ( I think ) alternator equipped SFC `s along with modified valve gear or heads.... dunno if this might be one of them pictured , ( although looking at this one it appears to have the dynamo fitted , maybe it`s a Dutch importer bike ).....I believe having the extra rotor weight on the end of the crank led to reliability problems with the alternator SFC`s ...

I think a couple of these alternator works bikes went to Oss this year , but problems with alternator output ( not) powering the lights put them out of contention.. ( I`m betting Marnix will say here if I`m wrong...!...).....

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Indeed two works SFCs were sent to Oss with the alternator equipped engines. One of the bikes, with riders Daneu and Loigo, crashed and retired early, after attempts to repair the bike. The other one, with riders Hutten and Brit Tony Melody, were having issues after midnight while running in second place. They retired around 4 o’clock, the official reading was ‘ignition problems, but it may well have been the alternator being the real problem. Although almost impossible to see from the outside, these machines had a light crank and a completely redesigned head with a radically reduced valve angle and combustion chamber that had almost the same shape as that of the new triple that had just entered production. This made these SFCs a whole lot faster than their predecessors of 1972, but they proved fragile.
I’m so fortunate to have such a running engine, very likely the only one left in the world at this moment.

The number 8 bike was a Swiss entry at Oss and was in fact the second SFC that left the factory in 1971. They had some issues to solve too at Oss.. That SFC is also in my collection and was om display in front of the stage during at the museum opening.

Marnix

 

[rocketonarail]

Fancy a Monty ?....be prepared to wait...there`s overwhelming demand .....

KTM were experimenting with water cooling as far back as the 1950`s....

And finally Barry Sheene says goodbye to physiotherapist Betsy Newton before flying back by helicopter to his Surrey home after 3 weeks of treatment in Northamptonshire.....Sheene suffered two broken legs and a broken wrist in a practice crash at Silverstone for the British GP in 1982 , colliding with the obscured fallen Yamaha of Patrick Igoa whilst exiting Abbey Curve . .

 

[rocketonarail]

Ulster GP 1982...Joey Dunlop fast becoming a dot on the horizon leaving Norman Brown , Ron Haslam and Roger Marshall in pursuit...

And in 1976 you can buy an endurance race spec triple from guess who for £810.....all you need now is a decent chassis to put it in...( only joking...)...

 

[rocketonarail]

 

[rocketonarail]

1972 and Phil Read ( JPN Norton ) , John Cooper ( BSA Rocket 3 ) , and Percy Tait ( Triumph Trident )...

 

[rocketonarail]

1982 and Long Marston....( Andy ? ) Bufton....the name seemed to ring a bell and then I remembered Mary Bufton , who ran Slater Laverda along with Richard....no relation I suppose , or would anyone know any different ?.....

 

[rocketonarail]

1976 and Rules and Regs for the forthcoming Avon Production Series which Slater entered Jotas dominated in `76 , `78 and `79...

Mentions the cash bonus if you competed on Avon tyres....
also mentions "high performance tyres must be fitted " but no particular reference that they must be road tyres only...this was a bone of contention for Slater who said racing on road tyres was dangerous and an accident involving Pete Davies due apparently to this caused Slater to withdrawal in `77 ( and Sports Motorcycles Guzzi Le Mans taking the title...)...

Cylinder bore may be increased as long as it doesn`t exceed 1000 cc threshold , so Guzzis went to 950 I believe...

And finally...it says "not less than 1000 examples of a certain model must have been sold to the public through normal trade channels "......

......Now I`m just wondering if a Jota would count as a certain model ( as opposed to the 3CL ) , and if 1000 plus Jotas would have been sold by the time the series started...I know it was popular but.....
You could say in `76 it would be the 3C (E) rather than the Jota but that would make it even worse......

However...if you read clause #12....."Maker`s modifications " , then that is the magic paragraph that must have persuaded Slater to enter the Series ....