What gives??

[Jamie]

I, for one, don't miss any of the bikes I have owned since 1967. With one recent exception, perhaps: My valiant Triumph Daytona 955i which I foolishly traded-in for an Aprilia RSV Mille, as if I were to become a Superbike competitor.

The bikes I do miss, though, happen to be some of the the ones I had a chance to ride but never possessed. Primarily:

Honda's CB 450: When I belatedly and reluctantly decided to betray Britain (you've seen my posts on the protracted agony of the British motorcycle industry) , I went for a Suzuki 500cc Titan, as opposed to Honda's first "big" motorcycle. Only to realize that I could not stand 2-stroke engines.

Honda's CB 750 ("K0" or "K1" for model devotees): I sold the Suz' and bought a Yamaha 650. Back to 4-strokes and vertical twins. And arguably "good" vibrations. Call it premature nostagia on my part. Upon road-testing the CB 750, I intuitively sensed it was a milestone of a bike. But I could not afford one.

Honda's VFR 750 (years later): Remember that V4, pearlescent white finish and black mufflers? I was riding Kawasaki 750, 900 and 1000cc's back then. I discovered that the VFR 750 borrowed from a friend of mine who lamented its "subdued" (vs Kawasaki's "sporty 'n flashy") style was just as fast, if not way faster on hilly roads, but in a... more efficient, almost effortless sort of way.

Yeah: Three Honda's. I have OWNED two or three Honda's since then, including a Valky', but that fleeeting sense of riding a bike that was rewriting motorcycle history was gone.

The Rocket brought it back

 

[Sidecar Flip]

Jamie:

I had a 650 Yamaha, XS1. It was green (I think metallic) with a white pinstripe if I remember correctly. It had a single disc in front (like my Bonnie) and a drum out back. I remember it had aluminum rims patterned after the early Akront design (shouldered). Nice bike, but not inspiring like you say, the R3. All the bikes I listed would probably sit in the garage, seals drying out and pistons sticking with the notable exception of the Velocette side valve. That bike was inspiring. Big displacement singles of British lineage always intrigue me. Something about dripping oil from the vertically split cases and a kick starter just long enough to start the engine observing the proper drill, but just short enough to launch you over the handlebars or bruise your shin if you weren't careful.

My T100 is inspiring too. All the modern pinnings albeit a kick starter and very reliable which is why I added a sidecar to it, all in keeping with the nostalgia look. After the sidecar, I knew I needed another Triumph, an inspiring one again, so there was just one choice, the R3. I'd love to have a Daytona 955I, but this old fart can't lay on the tank and go to work the next day let alone get up off the tank. No, I won't put a chair on the R3 despite prodding by members of the USCA.

 

[Jamie]

I had a 650 Yamaha, XS1. It was green (I think metallic) with a white pinstripe if I remember correctly. It had a single disc in front (like my Bonnie) and a drum out back. I remember it had aluminum rims patterned after the early Akront design (shouldered).

You are right about the model nomenclature (which I had forgotten) , the color and the white stripes, etc. Sidecar Flip.

But I seem to remember that the green color in question only lasted the first year of production and that during that year, all XS1's had a front DRUM brake, twin leading shoes-type with the operating arms and cams on the left (looking like a Tickle aftermarket upgrade for Norton's) and with venting holes on the right, covered with removable black rubber plugs (looking like the BSA Gold Star full width unit).

Don't lose any sleep on this Best. Jamie

 

[Sidecar Flip]

Jamie:

I found an old faded picture in the scrapbook with me on the XS1. Looks like a Polariod (remember those, shoot, wait 60 seconds and peel). I did have a single disc and nice long tapered mufflers. Gawd, I looked a lot younger then......and I was.

The '68 Bonnie as well as the Velo had a twin leading shoe stopper. The Triumph had vent's cast into the backing plate but not machined out. Some of those old brakes were at least as good as a run of the mill disc but cost way more to manufacture. Disc's are cheap manufacturing wise.

 

[Toystoretom]

I once rode an Enfield Bullit (one of the real ones from the 60's) that had a 4 leading shoe racing brake on the front of it. It was so large it took up almost all of the space inside the front wheel and the spokes were very short... maybe only a couple of inches long. If I remember it had at least one air scoop and possibly two. It was very impressive looking and it worked better than it looked. The hand lever took some effort to pull in and had some travel but once you got used to it, it was awesome. I understand those brakes are worth a fortune today...

 

[Jamie]

I once rode an Enfield Bullit (one of the real ones from the 60's) that had a 4 leading shoe racing brake on the front of it. It was so large it took up almost all of the space inside the front wheel and the spokes were very short... maybe only a couple of inches long. If I remember it had at least one air scoop and possibly two. It was very impressive looking and it worked better than it looked. The hand lever took some effort to pull in and had some travel but once you got used to it, it was awesome. I understand those brakes are worth a fortune today...

From you descrip. it probably was an Italian-made Fontana unit. Triumph/ BSA used them on all the racing versions of the Trident/Rocket, at least until the 1971 season. (Remember who rode them? Ray Pickrell, John Cooper, *****Mann, Dave Aldana, Gary Nixon, Jim Rice, Don Emde... and "Mike the Bike" Hailwood himself).

When Triumph/BSA and other factory teams switched to discs, many of these magnificent drum brakes were scrapped. A few were sold to smaller teams or to owners of road bikes who loved that massive unit and/or its incredible stopping power. Hence, I suppose, the oddity of a Fontana unit on a Royal Enfield in the US of A

Jamie

 

[Sidecar Flip]

Tom & Jamie:

Here is some drool factor. Ocassionally I ride with a fellow that has a RE 750 Interceptor, you know the one, the one with the Smiths Chronometric gages and the chromed tank, but for the life of me, I can't recollect what brakes are on it. I believe it does have Cerrani forks. I've offered my Bonnie and sidecar with some cash for a trade but he just smiles and says "someday, maybe". The levering factor is his teenage daughter. She adores the sidecar and wants her dad to trade so she can ride the chair. I'll keep working on it and I may be down a Triumph and up an Enfiled.

By today's standards, the 750 Interceptor is slow and antiquated but the Interceptor has, should I say, chrisma.

The India Enfields are "real". Real slow to a sixty per top speed.............

Jamie:
A thousand apology's. A closer exam of the Polaroid does indeed reveal a TLS front brake. The picture is in bad shape.

I'm really enjoying this thread. Brings back memories and reminds me that I'm an old fart. Good memories and good friends too.

 

[Toystoretom]

I had a 1970 RE Interceptor, it was basically stock after I restored it. That particular year used a Norton front end along with the last version of the Norton TLS front brake. That one had three holes in it blocked by screens and it was a very good brake. I traded that bike into Baxter's when I bought my Speed Triple. Those are nice bikes, they run strong and really can do 110 - 120 mph or so.

I know where one is that is 100% original and every so often I hook up with the guy that owns it and try to buy it. Maybe someday . In fact... about 6 or 7 years ago I went through that bike and got it back into running order... its a sweetheart...

You were talking about Polaroids... I have pics of a lot of my past bikes on Polariods and would have to scan then just to get some smallish crappy pics... I should do that this winter when the snow is flying and its zero out

 

[Jamie]

Tom & Jamie:

Jamie:
A thousand apology's. A closer exam of the Polaroid does indeed reveal a TLS front brake. The picture is in bad shape.

Further to your last post, I had done some further research !!! (*) , thinking that MY recollection of those early green Yammies was flawed . It confirmed that the first year model had indeed been released only in green with white stripes on the tank and only with a front drum brake.

But then, YOU had the pic .

(*) A very good french book: L'Histoire des Motos Japonaises , by D. Ganneau and F-M Dumas, with various Japanese contributors. 192 pages that cover 100 years of history, from the 1909 N.S. to the late 1990 Valky'. And, lo and behold, a color pic of YOUR green Yammie shows on page 102:bch:
Jamie

 

[Jamie]

Tom & Jamie:

Here is some drool factor. Ocassionally I ride with a fellow that has a RE 750 Interceptor, you know the one, the one with the Smiths Chronometric gages and the chromed tank, but for the life of me, I can't recollect what brakes are on it. I believe it does have Cerrani forks.

If it actually has Ceriani forks, it MAY have a Ceriani front brake as well. Front-end kits comprising both the forks and the brake (maybe the alloy Borrani wheel as well ) were briefly imported in America by a Ceriani distributor (who, from my blurred memory, sold Dell'Orto carbs as well). Although smaller than the above-mentioned Fontana brake, the "Ceriani 230 mm four-cams" unit was very popular. Harley Davidson/HD Aermacchi itself used it on its racebikes... including the gloriously obsolete "side valve" KR 750 TT after 1965. "Gloriously", because the great Calvin Rayborn won the Daytona 200 Miles with it in both 1968 and 1969.

Sidecar Flip: YOUR turn to investigate the matter further

Best. Jamie.