A Triumph for the season.......

I found this stove at a flea marked.......Probably rarer than an `59 Bonneville. A Triumph made in Oslo, Norway.

Power tool.

This is my JAP/Ben air compressor. Used by Shell to pressure test petrol tanks in the `50`s and `60`s. I use the compressor on race meetings and rallies.
It`s important to have period air in your vintage bike….



Mud and ice - Novemberløpet 2010

 Bikes are rolled of the trailers at first daylight. A cold but sunny day, perfect for off road riding. The frost had made the sections slipery so we where going to have an challenging ride....

It turned out to be to challenging for my ride, I had to give up halfway. I lost power and could not get the engine to rev.....I suspect the mag timing have sliped on the taper.

Machine check.

Bikes lined up in  "park fermè", not allowed to be touched until ten minutes before starting time.

 A Jawa rider splashes thru a small stream.

Lucky I had to give up halfway.......not so much washing....
I went home early so I don`t know the results.

Bambi on ice....

Today 22.10 its -6 C .....Snow, ice....Tomorrow I am doing a Vintage enduro. Have to change to winter tires on the car....going to be fun!

Ariel snowmobile.

This Ariel WD 350 powered snowmobile are for sale…..This must be the ultimate bike for Norway. I know I won’t one….According to the advert it was built in 1967. The bike is undamaged, only existing holes are used.

Mystery Engine

When we started with old bikes for more than 30 years ago, we often stumbled across parts for bikes we had never heard about.

There were still some farmers, blacksmiths and repair shops with old timers who had a different attitude to stuff than we have now. Nothing was wasted, this was before wealth and oil money had changed the view of things.

We went around asking for old motorcycles and bits; often we pulled a lot of “scrap metal” home. The bikes and engines where skillfully identified with the help of a copy of “Illustrated Encyclopedia of Motorcycles” by Erwin Tragatsch. But some bits remain a mystery to this day…..

Some of the parts we found puzzled us, they were not supposed to be here…..bits for bikes never sold in Norway. We had heard of sailors bringing bikes home, but why make a Rudge multi gear compressor with a FN four cylinder petrol tank….

After a while the mystery was solved….Just after the WW1 a local shop owner had bought two or three train wagons filled up with mechanical stuff. The story I’ve been told are that there was auctions held by the English army. They sold of big lots of damaged vehicles and parts collected from the front and nearby villages.

A big auction was held at the train station at arrival, and a lot of homemade farm devices were created.

Most of the parts we dragged home have found good homes all over Europe, but I still have some of these parts in my workshop. I like to have pieces of history to look at.

Can anybody identify this engine? WFW it says in the casting. I have been thinking of Wanderer but I have not found any proof…..Would be great if anybody knows…..Please send me a mail if you do.

Moto Guzzi in Marseille

We have already got  frost in the mornings.....Motorcycles in Norway seems like a stupid idea now.

This is the time to relive some holiday memories, so here are some photos from Musèe de la Moto in Marseille, France.

I am in the mood for some Chianti and pizza....That's why I  only look at Guzzis today......and I have this thing for drum brakes, scissor dampers and racing bikes.....

Ariel HS Engine build up #1.

I have been working on a Ariel HS engine this weekend. Been meaning to do it for a long time........and now I have some plans for it.........

Ariel HS, made from 1954 to 1958. HS stand for Hunter Scramble, Ariels moto cross model. It`s a 500 cc push rod single with aluminum head and cylinder.

This is howe a HS engine look like.......

Now I need a fast engine.........Well, they where fast fifty years ago....

Some of the work was done years ago.....

 

The crank needed a good wash and polish....The big end bearing and small end bush had to be replaced.

This engine had only ball main bearings (3). I use two rollers and one ball bearing. Takes some time to shim up the crankshaft.

I have got an new liner in the cylinder so it`s back to standard (81,8 mm).

The pistons from left to right: HT (trail), VH standard, HS high comp.

I used the high comp one.....

                               NOS Hepolite piston rings, comes with warranty slip.

                               Filed the gaps to racing spec......

The important cam shaft. Ariel singles use only one single lobe (from 1951) for both valves.

The left one are HS MK1 the right are VH standard.

The difference:

Apart from the grinding the HS cam have a hole down the centre of the shaft and a smaller hole through the base of the cam.

You can use the HS cam with standard cam followers, but I will use the HS type for more performance.

A good start..........Have to order some bits from Dragonfly motorcycles.

Ice speedway time?

 

My always enthusiastic "build for speed" friend Gunnar are at it again ......Speedway! And Jawa won`t do, only JAP are good enough for connoisseurs....

The lucky lad have got himself a late `60`s short stroke 500...

So when he was supposed to help me at Kala raceway....Of he was with money burning in his pocket ...... He found exactly what the needed......

"An offer You can`t refuse".....Looks like Gunnar are offering a to low bid. The seller and buyer are both embarrassed.......

The future`s so bright, I gotta wear shades........

Keep it like this..........safest!

Alladins cave.

The best thing you can do on an Saturday afternoon is to visit a friend for some coffee, cake and motorcycle talk. A look in the workshop to see the work progress is a must. Especially in this work shop......Just some random pics to give you an idea:

Manx Norton, NSU, Wandrer, JAP........I think I had kept them in the living room....

An AJS 7R engine installed in a road frame. Will make a hell of an desert racer. Norton Dominator engine behind the bike.

 A collection of JAP side valvers.

 The JAP dohc department.......

V twin JAP engines waiting for some TLC.........

The correct tool for the job.....

A Ducati 125 suported by a Manx Norton barrel and two books.....If Knut had used a Manx long stroke cylinder barrel he had only needed one book...

Film star ?

 Spitting image?

Well Clark Gable is known for the film "Gone with the wind" and Gunnar are known for breaking wind......

End of summer race 2010.

Back at Kala for the last dirt track race this year. We where only four bikes this time, but we had a lot of fun!

 Early morning.

 Ronald thundering past my Tribsa.......I don`t like the taste of gravel.....Next time i will have revenge.

Smile!!!You won,,,,,

Olav have put his race face on......Is it badger fur on that jacket?

Blue comb and rolling tobacco......Only found on experienced racers!

This is very serious. Olav and Gumball managed to get an extra race to settle  the " mine is faster than yours" dispute.....Smoking in the pit lane, just like Barry Sheen did.

I think Olav have to visit the Harley dealer on Monday......"high lift cams and a pair of WR cylinders, please...."