1

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

Volume 31. No 5. May 2016 CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE: We apologize for the lack of Kick Start recently, we are working on this problem and delivery should be back to monthly. We have appointed new editors for Kick Start. Chantal Madgwick and Brandon Jarvis are now in charge of Kick Start, we wish them every well. The editor is only responsible to put the magazine together and is dependent on contributions, so please provide articles directly to Chantal and Brandon. Thanks to Ken Wiggins who has produced the Magazine for the last year and a bit. The Pre DJ Rally was held at the CMC on the 12

th of February, this was a first for Rusty Thorns, chairman at CMC.

The event was well supported and well run, congratulations to Rusty and his team. First home was Gavin Walton followed by Ralph Pitchford and Kevin Walton, well done guys! The data Loggers were used on this event and was very successful. Download time to individual results was less than 2 and a half minutes. The next big event was the DJ, won by Ralph Pitchford followed by Gavin Walton and Tony Lyons-Lewis. Well Done Guys! You will find an article on the DJ somewhere in Kick Start. Once again loggers were used, this was largely successful with the biggest problem being power issues. Some loggers where not recharged overnight and some accidently switched off when competitors put cell phones and wallets into the same pocket. It is very important that logger batteries be charged overnight and that the on-off switch be secured with a piece of tape. Also, you need to read the specification and instruction sheet supplied with the logger and familiarise yourself with the operation of the logger. We had a joint ride with the CMC on Sunday 10 April, with the guys from the North departing from the VVC Clubhouse and the guys from the East and South departing from CMC Clubhouse We spent a very pleasant and informative Sunday morning on the 10

th as guests of Wayne and Renney Plit at

Wayne’s ‘garage’. What a ‘garage’, very impressive, the tour by Stuart Grant ending with the South African homologation specials was really appreciated and a bit nostalgic. The only negative was that as the Plit brothers catered for us and we asked that members respond to the SMS that was sent, I only received 5 responses and we had about 40 guys attending. This could have been embarrassing to our hosts as they provided us with boere wors rolls and drinks. The next event on the calendar is the Century Run on 8 May, this will be organized by the CMC. The plan is to alternate on a yearly basis and we will host the Century Run in 2017 We are would like to have a club ride every month and if you know off any interesting places to visit then please let me know. Safe Riding Pierre

2

Past events: The 2016 DJ Rally by Roger Houghton POPULAR WIN FOR RALPH PITCHFORD IN DJ RALLY FOR CLASSIC MOTORCYCLES Ralph Pitchford, a veteran of the Dakar Rally both as a motorcycle mechanic and a co-driver in a number of cars, as well as a former champion SA off-road racing co-driver, was a popular winner of the 2016 DJ Rally for post 1936 motorcycles at the weekend. This was the first outright DJ Rally win for Pitchford, riding a 1926 500cc Triumph P-type. His error at the various timing check points on the 600km route totalled 230 seconds - 89 seconds on the first day and 141 seconds on the second day. Pitchford has competed in eight DJ Rallies and had finished second, third and fourth previously, with only one non-finish due to a mechanical problem. A good omen was his second place finish in this year’s Pre-DJ Rally which was held a few weeks before the DJ Rally as a warm-up for the big event. Previously Ralph has had his brothers, Harold and David, competing in the event with him, but this year he was on his own as Harold is working in the Middle East and David had to withdraw from the event after having had an operation. This year Ralph’s immaculate, self-prepared flat-tanker Triumph ran perfectly on the two-day event which took competitors from Durban to Johannesburg with an overnight stop in Newcastle. This was the oldest motorcycle to win this annual event in the past 33 years. The 2016 event was the 45th of these regularity rallies staged to commemorate the annual motorcycle road races held most years between Durban and Johannesburg from 1913 to 1936 when racing on public roads was banned on safety ground. For this reason only motorcycles manufactured before 1937 are eligible to compete in the commemorative regularity rally, with most of them being British makes. Second place this year was taken by Gavin Walton on a 1936 500cc AJS with a total error of 255 seconds, including the lowest score on the first day at 56 seconds. He is a regular top performer in regularity rallies for classic motorcycles with his successes including winning the 2009 DJ Rally. Over the past few years Gavin has had to overcome serious injuries to his leg when he was hit by a car when stationary while going home after the 2013 Pre-DJ Rally. Gavin Walton’s commitment to the classic motorcycle fraternity is such that he has recently taken over the British motorcycle spare parts supply operation which was run by Mike Lang for many years. Third place in the 2016 DJ Rally was filled by Tony Lyons-Lewis, riding a 1928 500cc overhead camshaft Norton, with an error of 270 seconds. He also won a special award for completing his 34th DJ Rally. This year’s event attracted an entry of 90 riders with 82 starting from Hillcrest and only 62 finishing, which was a higher rate of non-finishers than usual. Among the riders to retire was Samantha Anderson, who was riding the oldest motorcycle in this year’s event, a 1909 500cc Humber pedal cycle. Soon after leaving Newcastle on the second leg of the rally the fuel tank tap came adrift, drenching the hot engine in fuel, which ignited immediately. Samantha suffered burns to her leg but the motorcycle will require a lot of work to get it back to its previous state as a regular finisher on the DJ Rally. The oldest motorcycle to compete this year’s event was a 1913 1 039cc Matchless ridden by Hans Coertse and finished 61st. The year-long restoration of this classic machine, which dates back to the first Durban-Johannesburg race, was completed shortly before the start. The 2016 DJ Rally, which was organised by a committee from several clubs under the leadership of Clerk of the Course Ian Holmes, once again followed a route as close as possible to that of the original road races, being basically the old road between Durban and Johannesburg.

3

There is still a lot of road construction on this route, which meant a number of stop-go sections. In addition, the road was very rough in patches, but the competitors are hoping the resurfacing of most of the route will be completed for the 2017 event. Organising the DJ Rally is a big task and already Claude Stander, who was Chief Marshal this year, has been announced as Clerk of the Course for the 2017 DJ Rally. The Stander family has had long-running links to the classic car and motorcycle scene and Claude’s brother, Leon has been scoring events for more than 30 years, having started when still at high school. He was Chief Scorer this year. A big change for 2016 was the use of electronic data loggers carried by each competitor instead of having people man the timing check points as in the past. Generally the logger system worked very well, although there were a few glitches such as loggers switching themselves off and batteries running flat. Unfortunately most of the competitors whose loggers malfunctioned were excluded from the results although they qualified for finishers’ medals. Seven-time DJ Rally winner Kevin Robertson (1936 500cc Velocette MSS) was one of those affected by a flat battery on his logger. His usually reliable Velocette also played up with a carburettor problem and he finished in the unusual position of 48th. Kevin’s recalcitrant motorcycle was also responsible for Clerk of the Course Ian Holmes sustaining a cut on his face which required three stitches and a black eye after pushing the Velocette to start the engine and then falling in the road when it fired up and pulled away from him. OVERALL RESULTS: 1, Ralph Pitchford (1926 500cc Triumph P), 230 seconds 2, Gavin Walton (1936 500cc AJS), 255 sec. 3, Tony Lyons-Lewis (1928 500cc Norton OHC), 270 sec. 4, Martin Davis (1930 500cc Sunbeam), 302 sec. 5, Andrew Mather (1932 350cc OK Supreme Sport), 423 sec. 6, Neville Smith (1936 350cc Ariel Red Hunter), 447 sec. 7, Graham Kendall (1936 500cc Velocette MAC), 452 sec. 8, Marius Malherbe (1934 500cc Sunbeam Lion), 454 sec. 9, Richard Hulsbos (1936 500cc BMW R5), 464 sec. 10, Richard Sawkins (1936 500cc Norton Model 18), 493 sec.

Ralph Pitchford had a troublefree ride from Durban to Johannesburg on his 1926 Triumph as he won the DJ Rally for the first time. (Photo: gideonphotography)

4

DJ Trophy Allocation

Trophy Name Award Winner

Schlesinger Vase First Overall in General Ralph Pitchford

Dick Osborne Memorial Trophy Classification Ralph Pitchford

AMU Trophy First Overall in General Ralph Pitchford

VVC Chairman's Award Second in general classification Gavin Walton

VMC Chairman's Award Third in general classification Tony Lyons-Lewis

Class Awards Best performance up to and including 31st December 1925

Baby Scott Trophy Class A up to 250 cc Not Awarded

TTC Trophy Class B 251cc - 350cc Not Awarded

Dick Osborne Trophy Class C 351cc - 500c Not Awarded

Forte Velvet Trophy Class D over 500cc Jayson Anderson

Harley Davidson Trophy Class E Side car combination Not Awarded

Best performance by a motorcycle manufactured 1 January 1926 up to

and including 31 December 1930

Brokers Trophy Class A up to 250 cc Not Awarded

Manners Trophy Class B 251cc - 350cc Stephen Knight

Cyril Richmond Trophy Class C 351cc - 500c Martin Davis

Peter Aneck-Hahn Trophy Class D Over 501cc Brian Wallace

Harry Shutler Trophy Class E Side car combination Brian & Desmond Lange

Best performance by a motorcycle manufactured on or after 1 January 1931 and

up to and including 31 December 1936

Lawson Trophy Class A up to 250 cc Beverley Jacobs

Valvoline Trophy Class B 251cc - 350cc Andrew Mather

Ralph Lange Memorial Trophy Class C 351cc - 500c Graham Kendall

Percy Flook Trophy Class D over 501cc Gawie Nienaber

Ferodo Trophy Class E Side car combination Gavin & Gerald Hollis

Special Trophies Charles Preddy Award Best Performance by a Lady rider Beverley Jacobs

Castrol Rose Bowl Best Performance by a Lady rider Beverley Jacobs

Francis Blake Trophy Best Performance by a First Time Rider Stephan Knight

Scott Trophy Best Performance Scott Motorcycle Not Awarded

Tony Torr Trophy Best Performance Ariel Neville Smith

Barry Stead Trophy Best performance Norton Tony Lyons-Lewis

Velocette Owners Trophy Best performance Velocette Graham Kendall

Tony Woodley Best Performance Triumph Ralph Pitchford

BMW Trophy Best Performance BMW Richard Hulsbos

Sunbeam Trophy Best Performance Sunbeam Martin Davis

Cliff McArthur Memorial Trophy Best Performance by an Tony Lyons-Lewis

overhead cam shaft

Prices Trophy Best Performance by a Belt driven machine Les Sim

Ric Lewis Trophy Lowest Score on Day 1 Gavin Walton

Tulio Bernardi Trophy Lowest Score on Day 2 Marius Malherbe

Duckhams Trophy The oldest motorcycle to compete the course Hans Coertse

Angelo Bernardi Trophy Oldest rider to complete the course Neville Smith

Ian Brodie Trophy Youngest rider to complete the course Donavan Wressel

Neil Smith Trophy Furtherest distance ridden to the start Gary Edwards

Clerk of the course Trophy Nominated team Not Awarded

Star Trophy Club Team VMC: Ralph Pitchford, Martin Davis, Neville Smith

Stuart Cunninghame Trophy Most DJ' s completed Tony Lyons-Lewis

Barret Hard Luck Trophy At the discretion of the Organisers Samantha Anderson

The Most Sporting Rider At the discretion of the Organisers Gary Edwards

True Grit At the discretion of the Organisers Graham Bowles

Gary Browne Trophy Ride for the pure joy of riding Hilton Allison

Clerk of the Course Shield Presented to the Clerk of the Course Ian Holmes

5

There are more photographs of the DJ on the website: www.djrun.co.za

6

Upcoming Events Please send any event info or comments to the Chairman, the Editor or any committee member. Contact details are available on the last page of Kickstart.

Calendar for 2016

May 2016 June 2016

1 May CMC Club Meeting CMC Germiston 4 June Mampoer Rally POMC

8 May Century Run CMC Germiston 5 June CMC Club Meeting CMC Germiston

20-21 May Natal Classic CMCN 12-June DJ Memorial Ride James Hall Museum

23 May VMC Club Meeting VVC Club 27 June VMC Club Meeting VVC Club

27-29 May South Africa Bike Festival Kyalami

July 2016 August 2016

3 July CMC Club Meeting CMC Germiston 7 August CMC Club Meeting CMC Germiston

2-3 July CMC 1000 Bike Show CMC Germiston 11-13 August Magnum Rally POMC

25 July VMC Club Meeting VVC Club 22 August VMC AGM VVC Club

31 July Cars in the Park POMC

Century Run 2016 Open to cars, motorcycles, motorcycle and side-car combinations and three-wheelers. This year the event will be a non-competitive function, an event where the drivers’ / riders’ age and the age of the bike must total one hundred years to participate. Participants and spectators are encouraged to don period costume relating to the age of the bike or vehicle. The run will take place on the 8th May 2016. (Sunday) We will be starting from CMC (Classic Motorcycle Club) and ride in convoy to the venue, Hippo’s in Brakpan, about a 55Km round trip. We will have a car in front of the convoy travelling at a set speed and a backup trailer covering the rear. Time: - arrive ± 09:00 am. (Or earlier) Start of ride ± 09:30 to arrive at the venue at about 10:15 am to have breakfast and a social time before departing back to CMC in convoy again. There is no entry fee but participants are asked to patronize the restaurant for breakfast as they have made their facilities available to us Queries and entry forms to be sent to Rusty Thorns Cell No. 082 411 1687 E-mail; - rusty.thorns@ram.co.za

7

Magnum - The 2016 SAVVA National Motorcycle Rally and SAVVA Motor Car Rally Notice 3 The planning of the rally is progressing well and the route is currently been documented. The event takes place in the Mpumalanga Escarpment area. The planned dates are 11th August to 13th August 2016 with competitors arriving at the rally venue (Hotel Numbi and Garden Suites) on Wednesday 10th and leaving to travel back home on Sunday 14th August 2016. The date from the local municipality elections is confirmed for the 3rd of August. The organisers have decided to stay with the original dates 11th August till 13th August for the rally. Info will be available on: POMC web site www.pomc.co.za Or Vintage Motorcycle Club web site www.vintagemotorcycleclub.co.za Facebook www.facebook.com/POMCclub Contact Details: Leo Middelberg 083 677 2334 Tom Linley 083 391 6226 Frik Kraamwinkel 082 444 2954 Natal Classic Just a reminder that if you are entering our 31st rally again at Drakensville on the 20/21 May, to get your entries in ASAP. I ask this because the accommodation manager at Drakensville is on my case to return surplus units that she is holding for us, to book out to other visitors! Drakensville is a very popular place these days, so please act quickly to secure your place. Many thanks. Regards, Dave Stone. CMCN

8

We were very excited about the awesome classics, racing and other motorcycles that were on display at last year’s motor show. We believe that in 2016 we can again grow this very important part of the motor show. We thus appreciate your support and if you have any contacts, with the type of motorcycles that we would like to display, please let us have the details. Please see below your invitation to participate. The preparation of the annual Knysna motor show is now in full swing. The event will take place on Sunday May 1, 2016 in Knysna, at the Knysna High School sports grounds, located on Waterfront drive. It is a long weekend, hence the move to Sunday to make it easier for our out of town participants. The Knysna motor show is organised by the Garden Route Motor Club (GRMC) based in Knysna and is now recognised as one of the premier motor shows in South Africa, covering cars & motorcycles. Over the past four years the motor show has grown exponentially in attracting the best 300 to 400 classic cars from across South Africa. The 2015 Motor show was regarded by participants and the press as the best and well organised that they have attended in SA.

9

Accolades were received from all quarters. The objective for 2016 is to again lift the standard and make it a motor show with a difference. The motor show over the past two years has also included Veteran, vintage and classic road and racing motorcycles, which has added a further successful dimension to the motor show. To ensure the quality of the vehicles / motorcycles on display, invitations are targeted and all vehicles / motorcycles are personally selected. With the popularity of the motor show growing we estimate that the show will draw in excess of 5000 visitors (Mainly from the Garden Route area, but a fair percentage also from across SA). For full information about the GRMC and the Knysna motor show it will greatly be appreciated if you can please visit the website www.grmc.co.za as well as the Facebook page. Besides providing the fellowship enjoyed by likeminded people, exhibitors and the public, the show has been the source of much needed funds for local charities. Over the past four years close to R200,000 has been distributed to Hospice, Animal welfare , E-PAP (Children feeding scheme), Knysna High School bursary fund for under privileged learners and FAMSA. This is the GRMC’S major drive, once a year, to raise money for these charities within the Garden Route area. Recognising the quality and passion that you have for your motorcycle(s), the organising committee herewith extends an invitation to you to be part of this awesome motor show. Registration is on-line and will be processed electronically. Select the website www.grmc.co.za and click on 2016 Motor Show registration. Complete the personal and motorcycle detail and click submit. The necessary confirmation and approval communication will follow. NB – PLEASE REGISTER EARLY AS REGISTRATIONS WILL CLOSE ON APRIL 14, 2016, TO ENABLE US TO DO THE FINAL PREPARATIONS -- GREATLY APPRECIATED Your participation in the 2016 motor show will go a long way towards us achieving our vision, to significantly differentiating the Knysna motor show from others and making it a motor show, which includes the best of cars and motorcycles, not to be missed on the SA motor show calendar. This is a prestigious opportunity to showcase the best on an unforgettable day for owners and the public, while improving the livelihood of the underprivileged in our area. I feel confident that you will not be disappointed and that with your participation we can again make this event a sure-fire success! So please join us at this mega event. Please feel free to contact me or Cedric Parker (aparker@iafrica.com or 082 907 2799) should you require further clarification. Kind regards, Peter Pretorius Chairman – Garden Route Motor Club Cell no - 082 321 4724 E-mail – peterp@afrihost.co.za www.grmc.co.za - please visit the website

10

11

A fast ride with a naked lady by Stuart Hooper

The Big Velo has come through another speed week with flying colours. After an initial sighting run of 177 mph which appeared ok until we discovered a nearly empty fuel tank........ Almost 10 litres of fuel used is a bit much even for its insatiable thirst. On the next run this fuel consumption became problematical with fluctuating cylinder head temps and eventually drowning the engine which at least allowed us to identify a very unusual fuel flow problem related to our specific installation. For the third run we upped the supercharger drive ratio and the engine ran like a clock resulting in a 188 mph average, however the Velo was not happy with major stability issues requiring me to roll of the throttle three times through the timed miles to keep her on the track. This run however put the Velo firmly in the record books as the World’s Fastest Single Cylinder Motorcycle. A bit of head scratching over the errant handling led to a few minor suspension changes and we were off again, this was a dream run using only half throttle and 5000rpm she passed 150 mph in a mile and then it was tuckin and twist the throttle to the stop, this time she ran straight as an arrow and the revs just kept building to 6800 at the end of the measured miles, in fact I kept the throttle wide for another untimed mile just for the hell of it and saw another 100 rpm or about 2 to 3 mph on the old Chronometric tachometer. Five miles absolutely flat out .193.061 mph. The next day looked like we might crack the magic 200 mark and the officials kindly offered us an extra timed mile, but alas it was not to be. Upon close inspection the oil was discoloured and coming from the breather and the crank and cush drive was suffering badly so the nitro was left unopened, a Nitro engine failure at 200mph is not high on my bucket list! Truly there is nothing quite like ........... A fast ride with a naked lady!!

In the United States, a guy named Sylvester Roper was working on a steam velocipede. By 1868, he had a working model of the Roper ‘Velocipede’ ready… It was built on a purpose built frame, and had both a throttle and brake built into the one piece handlebar assembly. Again, comfort wasn’t exactly job one. But you can definitely say that Roper was committed to his creation. He died in the saddle of his 1896 model.

12

A Jaw Dropping Experience By Ian Storer. Renney Plit deserves Motorcyclist of the month this month for his organising of a visit to his Brother Wayne’s private (investment) collection of Motorcycles & Cars. An unassuming drive way in to his property gives no clue as to what is on show. It dawns on you as you get off your bike and look behind to see a garage with probably 50 bikes neatly parked in rows. A quick look to the left and you see the entrance to a garage. And see that there are a couple of interesting cars. Bikes first though, and jaw drop 1; Ariels, Aprillia special, a New Indian, BMW, s HRD, A Harley chopper, Vincents, a Harley chopper, more and more, all pristine and ready to go! On to the cars, jaw drop 2, in the entrance is a Mercedes Pagoda, all apparently with brand new kit, engine, power steering, air con & even blue tooth radio under the period skin, and also upgraded suspension. A newly acquired Renault Alpine rally car, to the left a Cobra, a TVR, a brace of Lotus Espirits, a brace of Ferraris, to the right A GTO, Lamborghini’s; further in a BMW Z1 another Ferrari, Morgans, Jaguars, 10 Ducati’s, Triumph TR2, Austin Healy. Jaw drop 3, it goes on to the downstairs garage. From the staircase, one can see two levels of cars, the top level achieved by them being stacked on individual lifts. There are 12 Porsche’s, 3 E Types, Alfa’s Cortina & Capri Perana’s, Two Denis Fire engines, the original John Cooper Mini with Paisley silk head lining, Special Fiat Abarth, Triumph Spitfire, MGA, Lotus Cortina. All of the cars are maintained and are ready to move, albeit a lot of shuffling is required to get to the one you would want to use that day but it would be worth it! Hospitality was great with the added bonus of a bar (Craft beer & Guinness on tap & even a Boerewors roll. Too much to take in on one visit and perhaps I did not get to see all or did not absorb all of the information given out by Grant on his mini tour he gave us, but what an experience & a privilege to be given access to such a collection. Certainly worth another visit, please.

13

Living with old British bikes by Kyle Harvey (The Workshop Customs and Classics)

I am a very lucky guy. Well at least I think I am, some people think I'm nuts! I have a sickness you see… I absolutely love old British bikes! I love everything about them… the way I am always asked “What bike is that?" or "Is it supposed to leak so much oil?". The way they sound and the way they make your heart rate go up whenever you want to leave. I have always been told that the number of kicks is equivalent to the number of people watching, the bigger the audience the longer it's going to take to start! I love the quirkiness these things have, the fact that it's always an adventure when you wheel them out the garage. In the last ten or so years that I have had this ‘sickness’ I have discovered that there are certain tools you don't leave the house without. Here is a short list:

1. Leather man (they say sliced bread is man’s greatest invention?) 2. Spark plug spanner and spare plugs 3. Spare fuses 4. Clutch cable repair kit ( these can be bought at Startline)

In all the time I have had this ‘sickness’ the times I have broken down are many but the times I have had to call for a trailer are few. The majority of the time it's a small problem that halts progress i.e. a breakdown. If you find yourself in this situation don't stress it's probably something small. Unless there is a piston sticking out where it is not supposed to be! As my father – who passed this ‘sickness’ onto me – always says: "There are three main things that make an engine run; spark, fuel and compression”. So start by going through the motions. Check the tank to see if you have run out of fuel? Ok not that? It does happen to the best of us… If that's not the problem then take the spark plug out and check for spark. Most times it's a faulty spark plug. Someone please make a decent plug!!! To test for spark insert the plug into the suppression cap and hold the plug against the barrel or cylinder head. Make sure that you hold the cap and not the plug! Then kick it over and see if there is any spark. If not then there is the problem. Next take your new plug and test with that, if you do have spark then problem solved. If not and the bike is fitted with a magneto then you will probably find the mag is on its way out or the points gap has closed. If it's a bike with an electronic ignition check the fuse or put the light on to see that the battery is ok. Hopefully this will help get you back on the road again! Cheers Kyle

14

Library corner In the course of sourcing books for the library I come across a number of web sites that could prove interesting for the CMC members. I recently came across a new site (only finished in late March 2016) for followers of the AJS & Matchless brands which deals with the Plumbstead AMC factory. The site gives a very good insight into the different manufacturing processes as well as the personnel employed in each of the sections. Put together by ex-AMC workers and AJS/Matchless Owners club members, the information contained should be accurate and many of the photos not previously seen in any publication. This site is well worth a look! http://www.workingatamc.london/ I recently re-read a pleasant little book by Leonard J Moseley called “My Velocette Days” and chronicles his employment at the first Velocette factory (The Six Ways Works) in 1923 to his early retirement due to ill health in the early 1970’s when motorcycle production ceased. The book takes you through his and Velo’s early days and the problems that were encountered in keeping up production figures for the (difficult to assemble) OHC models to the not dissimilar production problems in the 1960’s with the mix of 250, 350 & 500 bikes with the various LE derived models. An interesting read by one of the shop floor workers detailing many of the joys and problems of the motorcycle industry during its heyday and subsequent fall from grace. Another in this vein of books is “Memories of Plumstead” by John and Rose Rourke which again details working at Matchless/AMC in Plumstead from 1928 until they walked out of the factory in disgust in 1962. Having a bit of time to sit and think (usually I just sits!) I was wondering, with the resurgence of interest in DJ eligible bikes and pre-war bikes in general, if the library had enough of the maintenance & repair manuals (and parts lists) to cover many of these pre-war bikes. This led me to scrutinise the library catalogue for these books. To my horror there were many gaps in the knowledge base and so I am appealing for certain books that the library could borrow for copying or have as a donation. Below is the preliminary but not exhaustive list: Pitman’s “Book of the ….”:

1. Rudge Pre-war editions 1-3

2. Douglas any editions

3. Ariel Pre-war editions 1-7

4. BSA Pre-war editions 1-6

5. JAP Editions 1 & 2

6. Norton Any editions

7. New Imperial Editions 1-5

8. Panther Lightweight Editions 1-3

9. Panther Heavyweight Edition 1st

10. Sunbeam Any edition

11. Triumph Editions 2 and onward

“A Practical Guide” Published by Pearson’s for the following 1. BSA Any editions

2. Norton 1st and 2nd editions

3. Francis Barnett Any editions

4. Norton Any editions

5. Ariel Any editions

6. Velocette Any editions

15

These books were, at the time, the only source of technical repair and maintenance information apart from the “Owner’s manuals” that came with the bike and these were mainly centred on routine maintenance and not repair and overhaul. Obviously it would also be very useful if we could get illustrated parts lists for as many of the pre-war bikes as we can. Many of you may know that the library will be moving from the container to the old Bowls pavilion and the planning of the internal layout of the new abode has been done and submitted to the committee. This layout has now been accepted by the committee and things should be starting to happen in the next few weeks. A lot of work needs to be done to the building (Painting, plastering, etc.) plus the purchase and erection of racking to accommodate the vast selection of archived magazines, prior to moving in. This is all now on the go so hopefully before mid-year the move will be completed. On the April Club Sunday, Peter Nichol donated a number of books, magazines and result sheets. Amongst the magazines are a box full of “The Motor Cycle” from the late 1940’s and 50’s so these will be catalogued and archived when the Library moves to its new location. When reading these older magazines it amazes me that as these came out every week, and that the journalists could get enough new information together to make a very readable magazine. These days they seem to struggle to get enough information to fill a monthly publication. The Result sheets are from Foot-up trials held during the 1980’s and 90’s so if anybody has any interest in the club’s trials activities and would be willing to sort, handle and prepare for archiving of this material please give me a call. We also have a large quantity of DJ literature and photos that would also benefit from a volunteer to sort and make presentable for the archives. Bob Harpin Librarian SAVVA Technical Tip 104 – WD40 A bit of humour. This was taken from a US publication. Here’s an interesting illustration of when and when not to use WD40 and Duct tape.

16

SETUP Notes for HOLUX RCV-3000 Data Logger It is not necessary for you as a competitor in a rally to do anything to your logger except keep it charged and switch it on at the start of a rally. However you may wish to use the logger to record your trips and view these on Google Maps. These setup notes are with this in mind. In setting up my data logger for use with my computer, I did quite a bit of fiddling to get it working. These notes reflect what I had to do for my setup. This may not be the same for everyone else. If you find you had to do something different or have something to add, please let me know, so that these notes can be updated. First step is to download the necessary files from the HOLUX website as follows: Go to www.holux.com. Select English, Select Product, Select Other products, Select GPS Receiver/Data Logger, Select RCV-3000 Once on the RCV-3000 web page, find the download tab and download the following: USB data cable driver for Windows (8248877.zip) [previously 7522417.zip] Driver setup procedure (9304693.pdf) User’s Manual – EN (8825198.pdf) So far, so good. The driver setup procedure says that I must place the driver files where I can find them, my computer will recognize the logger and I would then have to select the drivers. Except my computer did not recognize the logger! So I had to start fiddling. I went to the download page for the model M-1000C as follows: Go to www.holux.com. Select English, Select Product, Select Other products, Select GPS Receiver/Data Logger, Select M-1000C Downloaded the following: Firmware v104 update package (9178803.zip) Unzip and run Firmware Update Tool.exe Connect to the internet. Connect the Logger to a USB port. Switch the logger ON. Set COM PORT to 4, Press the UPDATE FIRMWARE FILE (select the top BIN file), press DOWNLOAD and UPDATE. If this does not work, try a different COM PORT. Finally download the EZTOUR for logger V2.6 Go to www.holux.com. Select English, Select Product, Select Download EZTour Load EZTour and start the application. If you are connected to the internet, a map of the world will appear. With the logger connected and switched on, open File/Read Device Log Select a file to download. (If you have nothing to download, put the logger in your pocket and walk around the block, collecting about 5 minutes of information.) The track of the downloaded file will appear on the map. For rally purposes, we then run File/Export Track(s) and save as a CSV file You may note the menu option File/Config GPS. The Rally program is designed to accept a log with reading every 5 seconds. This should be the default configuration. If you set it more frequently, e.g. to read every 1 second, you will not improve the accuracy and your battery will run down quicker. Peter Vlietstra 30/10/2015

17

Classifieds NB! only remain in for 3 months then must be renewed FOR SALE: 1981 BMW R100RT in good running order with (tatty) panniers. Elderly owner no longer rides it. R15000-00 ONO. Tel Ivan 0825060155 or 0117638879 1980 MZ 250cc motorcycle. Roadworthied, registered and data dotted. Includes workshop manual (in English). SAVVA dated. Motor has just been resleeved back to standard size. R10 000 Phone Stan at 021 7123232 WANTED: Alternator type primary chaincase for pre-unit swinging arm Triumph. I need two inners and one outer. Will buy or have parts to swap. Tony Dodsworth. 082 742 1742 or 011 453 2688 To fit BMW R50: 2 x Bing 1/24 Carbs complete pair or 2 x 1/24 Bing Housings (blocks) OR 2x AMAL Carbs (pair), same size as above Contact Trevor Jones – (082) 416-4650

British Bike Spares, Specialising in classic British bike spares supplying parts from Wassell, the biggest new classic bike part wholesalers in the UK, has been purchased by Gavin Walton from Mike Lang. All the stock has been moved from Benoni to Springs on the East Rand. Gavin’s intentions include enhancing and growing the business, web basing it to provide on-line browsing and ordering and shortening the time between import orders and delivery at a competitive rate. Gavin’s details are: 74 Phoenix road Selcourt Springs 1559 Home 011 818 4055 Mobile 083 408 4296 Email gavin.walton@e6.com (this will change in the near future to britishbikespares@gmail.com) Please call to enquire or make an appointment to see him.

18

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!

19

RESTORATION and other SERVICES 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.

20

THE VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE CLUB P O Box 782835 SANDTON 2146 South Africa www.vintagemotorcycleclub.co.za COMMITTEE MEMBERS Pierre Cronje Chairman pierrecronje@mweb.co.za 0118493008 0725139432

Ken Wiggins Vice Chairman ken.wiggins@za.ey.com 0117937138 0832561949

Pieter Vlietstra Treasurer pvlietstra@gmail.com 0117934841 0826509880

Ian Storer Secretary hilian@isat.co.za 0727277382

Ian Holmes Committee Member ianhol@iafrica.com 0117937304 0836463089

Kevin Walton Club Dating Officer kevin.walton@norcossa.com 0828918399

Rob Pattison-Emms Committee Member avonrod@mweb.co.za 0118495180 0828912869

Roly Tilman Committee Member tilman@lasergroup.co.za 0118031462 0823774303

Chantal Madgwick Committee Member/Editor editor@vintagemotorcycleclub.co.za 0837083522

Brandon Jarvis Committee Member/Assistant Editor

brandon@ascotmews.co.za 0119079432 0824108828

FEES PAYABLE Entry Fee R50.00 Annual Subscription R260.00 (R130.00 if joining after 1st of January) Country Member R190.00 (R90.00 if joining after 1st of January) Family Member R10.00 (i.e. spouse and minor children) CLUB ACCOUNT DETAILS Account Number 1970259841 Nedbank Sandton Branch 197-005 Please use your name and surname as your reference when making a payment CLUB MEETINGS Meetings are held every 4th Monday of the month (except December) at The Vintage and Veteran Club (VVC), 3 Athol Oaklands Road, Oaklands Johannesburg, at 20:00. The opinions expressed in KICKSTART are not necessarily those of the Committee or the Editor. We appeal for members to submit stories, articles, and photos – in fact anything you think would be of interest to our readers. No matter how insignificant you may feel your story may be, to others it may well be of great interest. A rebuild, an encounter with an old bike or racing personality. An unusual part seen, just send it all in and let’s see what we can make of it. Address is editor@vintagemotorcycleclub.co.za