One more for the collection

I always love seeing brown mail envelopes in the mailbox. It's a sign that my collection of motobilia is going to expand a bit.This time it was the arrival of a Norton sprocket puller stamped with the marque's name across the front. I'll give it a gentle cleaning and into the tool box. My vintage tools are for using and there are two bottom ends needing some attention. Nice little surprise for the weekend.

The joy of being a beginner

Well, I got a precious day in the garage with many more to come since I will be on vacation for the next 2 weeks. Good feeling. I have been fettling the carburettor for a while and have gotten it pretty well tuned but decided to buy new jets after reading an article on how cleaning unscrupulously with wire may change the orifice size. I was milling around the intake when I noticed something I hadn't seen before. I had always known that the rocker oil feed line was partially shrouded in plastic tubing.

But I didn't realize that one of the previous owners had incorporated a sight  window of sorts which is just perceptible in the center of the picture. What really concerned me however was the kink at the base of the feed line. I started the bike and flow was visible but my concern is that swarf may eventually clog it . Relieved that I had not been riding around while the top end was dry, I ordered a new feed line from Norvil. The question is whether or not to include the sight window as the previous had. If there are any opinions out there please let me know.

After dealing with the rocker oil feed line, I turned to the subject of a previous post---my front fender project. Clearly the fender had been the victim of some accident and some basic repairs were done. These repairs were mainly brazings of some cracks done prior to dealing with some dents and wrinkles. A few strikes of the hammer and dolly shattered those repairs and now it looks like I am going to learn how to weld.

So with a plaintive cry, I am asking for advice as to how to proceed. My inclination is to continue grinding down the previous welds, reshape the fender, then reweld with a MIG rather than braze. Let me know what you all think. Thanks.

How much would you pay?

1925 Bugatti Brescia Roadster

A close cousin of above

I was researching a post on an Ettore Bugatti subject related to motorcycling when I came across this story. On the 25th of January, Bonhams auctioned the severely corroded 1925 Bugatti Type 22 at the 2010 Retromobile Show in Paris. The vehicle was estimated to sell for 70,000 to 90,000 pounds and ended being the subject of a bidding war topping off at 260,500 pounds. Experts agree that it is impossible to restore the vehicle since only about 10% of the parts are usable. The new owner will most likely leave it in state as an exhibit for a new automotive museum in California.

The real value of this wonderful piece of  early automotive engineering rests in the story of this particular example. This 1925 Bugatti Type 22 "Brescia" was pulled from Lake Maggiore after 70 years of resting in over 50 meters of water. The rumor of a submerged Bugatti had been passed around until the August 18, 1967 when Ugo Pillon discovered the car laying on its side. For the next 70 years, the Bugatti was a popular dive location of the Centro Sport Subacquei Salvataggio Ascona.

Why the car ended up in Lake Maggiore is more a story of practicality than intrigue. The car was initially purchased by a gentleman in Nancy, France then sold to an architect in Paris by the name of Georges Nielly. In some manner or other it may have come into the hands of Marco Schmuklerski, a polish architect, around 1936. The legend is that the import duties were never paid  and the local taxman knew it. As was the custom, the vehicle had to be destroyed  and that is perhaps how it ended up at the bottom Lake Maggiore.

The story of its return to the surface however is decidedly more tragic. The Bugatti was raised from the depths by the local dive club to raise funds for the Damiano Tamagni Foundation. Damiano Tamagni, a dive club member, was brutally beaten to death by three youths in Ascona. The exhibition of this Bugatti is a fitting tribute to Damiano Tamagni and the proceeds from the auction will definitely help his foundation do its work.

For a more in depth version of this story go here.

Playful Derision

Courtesy of Jeff Decker

Those involved in motorsports are definitely cut from a different cloth especially those that speed around on two wheels. Motorcyclists have attitude. An attitude that ranges from gentlemanly competition to what many would consider antisocial. The spectrum of these attitudes manifests itself in a multitude of symbols. Many of us are familiar with some of these symbols of contemporary biker culture including co-opted Nazi runes and the flaming skull of the Hell's Angels; however, we may be less familiar with symbols associated with the more genteel beginnings of our sport.

I was reading the wonderful blog Vintage Norton Motorcycles by John De Kruif. He posted an entry about Conrad Leach's most recent paintings including the one pictured below entitled "Brooklands George". The painting depicts the venerable Dr. George Cohen riding his Norton M18 at speed.

"Brooklands George" by Conrad Leach

One detail that could easily be missed and highlighted by John De Kruif is the "tweenie devil" on the rear fender thumbing his nose at those trailing behind.

A "cock-a-snook"

The "tweenie devil" is one of several forms of cock-a-snook or minor diabolical being frequently represented as a mascot for automobiles and motorcycles in the early days of motorsports when owners wanted to make statement while showing pride in their vehicle. Turns out  that the term "cock-a -snook" refers to the hand gesture performed by the imp and is a vague idiomatic expression first documented in 1791. Some believe that the phrase may originally have been "to cock a snoot" in describing thumbing one's nose at someone.

                             The Dunhill Mascot "Tweenie Devil"

With this historical backdrop, I wondered why the famous tobaconnist Dunhill utilized the cock-a-snook and more specifically the "tweenie devil" as their mascot. Dunhill originally started off as a saddlery that with the advent of the automobile was transformed into "Dunhill Motorities" by an astute Alfred Dunhill to supply motoring accessories including sidecars for a new class of sporting gentleman. The boot of Alfred Dunhill's own car was adorned with the "tweenie devil" no doubt to challenge others to catch him if they could. Ever the innovator, Alfred Dunhill had many motorsport related patents to include a dashboard clock and a windproof pipe that marked the company's entry into the tobacco business in 1905.

                                    The "Flying Dunhill Devil"

Reconnecting with their past, Dunhill in 2008 commisioned a motorcycle for the opening of their Tokyo store from George Cohen. The "Flying Dunhill Devil" made its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and took a year to build. It is one of seven limited edition replicas built. The chassis is a modified mid-30's Norton 16H fitted with a 1,000cc J.A.P. engine from 1920. All I can say is it definitely captures the "attitude".

Thanks go to Dr. George Cohen for providng backround information and photos of the Flying Dunhill Devil.

Ever since there have been bikes, there have been customs!

Impressive little single cylinder with some serious rake courtesy of Working Class Customs.

The Alpha and Omega

I won't hide it I am a fanatic of Norton Motorcycles. I love classic bikes but I really enjoy Norton bikes. The Norton story is embedded in the history of motorcycling and the cast of characters is absolutely fabulous. There are many books about the mark but in a remarkable bit of internet cross-pollination I came across a very concise history of Norton from the start to the present. I will admit that I don't know anything about the author except that he is a great writer. Click here if you want a quick primer on Norton Motorcycles.

J. L. Norton

via

Rompedas and

The Vintagent

Captured in Bronze

I love art and I have always had a passion for bronzes. So, it is always a pleasure to meld my enjoyment of sculpture with my passion for motorsports particularly motorcycling. I was cruising the web when I came across this fine artist from France. Elvio Patuano of Zanzaracers creates beautiful bronzes capturing the speed and action of motorcycling. His works are for sale and I have started to save up! Take a look.

"Gambalunga"

"Gambalunga"

Wax maquette of "Gambalunga"

Agostini and Tait

Sidecar

Sidecar

I should add that Elvio is an equally talented builder of vintage speedboat models. These are absolutely exquisite in artistry and detail.

Check out Elvio's work at Zanzaracers.

Very Nice

I love all sorts of vintage vehicles but the best ones are those that are used. This lovely Porsche was just around the corner from my hotel during my trip to Paris this past October. You have to admire an owner who enjoys driving his baby so much without concern. Un vrai automobiliste!

My Holy Grail Part 1

As a newbie to classic motorcycling, I didn't really know what I was getting into when I purchased my Norton Model 7. Quite frankly I still don't but I am steadily learning. It's not the most common bike and living in southern Texas only exacerbates an inaccessability to expertise that for me is pretty much limited to the internet. Credit for much of what I have learned is thanks to the Norton Model 7 Yahoo group. I read a great deal about the interchangeability of Norton parts but it appears that the plunger framed Model 7 has quite a few specific parts as well. This is particularly true for the peaked front mudguard and the elbowed stays.

Interestingly enough, the current front fender on my bike is peaked just like the original but is a poorly painted chrome version that does not require stays. It doesn't look bad but it also doesn't look right either. I do prefer the lines of the front end with the original fender setup.

My Bike

Close-up from the side

Close-up from the front showing the peak

The Standard

One of the most enjoyable aspects of classic motorcycling is searching for those parts and the relationships formed with comrades in the process. My search for a fender started pretty much the day I received the bike and lasted almost three years. I found one on Ebay UK while I was stationed in Iraq. How absurd when I think about it. Imagine being in a war zone bidding for a vintage mudguard in the UK via Ebay USA. I was very fortunate to correspond with a member of the Model 7 Yahoo group regarding the restoration of the fender. My colleague is extremely talented and provided excellent drawings as well as advice to fabricate the stays that can be declared as unobtainium maximum.

The outstanding drawings

The fender itself is in very good condition with some surface rust. It has a few problems like anything 60 years old. The scarcity of fenders is attributable to the fact that it is the most fragile part of the bike and mine certainly shows evidence of having hit something in its lifetime. Some of the metal work has been done and bronze brazing completed on a couple of small cracks.

 I will freely admit that I never have done any metal work and so this will be a new experience. My main concern will be to re-establish and maintain the peak as well as repair the edge bead at the front. All in all it's a job I think I can handle. Keep posted for the progress.

A Little Publicity

Despite it's historical significance, the Norton Model 7 doesn't get a great deal of press relative to other models or marques. So it's always nice to see an article. This one showed up in Classic Bike Guide for January 2010. Get yourself a copy and check it out