Roadholder 364 - April 2018

22 centre of balance and fell over. During a major overhaul, I decided to bite the bullet and ordered a centre stand and bolts from Norvil The new stand wasn't noticeably different, just the old one was worn out on the feet and the pivot holes. The pins were very worn too. What a difference! I can now just press down with my foot and the bike pops onto the stand as easy as anything. Getting it off the stand is also just as easy. This has transformed my feelings about the bike as it was becoming a real pain to put it on and off the stand. Kevin Bell New Camshaft Check Anyone going to fit a new camshaft will do well to check out the ignition bolt threaded end! I fitted mine first and found the Allen screw would go in only part way. Not only was it full of swarf but also it was only part-tapped! I had my heart in my mouth, hoping that whilst re-tapping the cam, the tap wouldn’t break! Best check the Allen screw/bolt goes all the way home first and wash out before fitting. Rocket Two Mysteries - Some Thoughts Reference Nigel Humon's letter in Rh363, March 2018. The Norton side valve Twin in Sammy Miller's was the only one made. I was the experimental tester in the factory in the 1950s and never saw Bert Hopwood in the place, so I don't think he was directly involved with it. This was built in 1952 and never road tested. In October, I was given the job of delivering it to the army down at Bordon in Hampshire by taking it down there on the 16H sidecar hack used by me and others to cart bikes and bits around. I said that since it had never been road tested, perhaps I should ride it down and come back by train. This was agreed, reluctantly by some, with the comment "there's nothing not already tested". Off I went on a cold wet morning down the A34 from Bracebridge Street. About 60 miles en route, full throttle up a hill, the motor failed with lots of banging, having lost all compression on both cylinders. On inspection, the head bolts had pulled out of the barrels. The cure was a stone from a Cotswold stone wall close by. I jammed it between head and frame, and rode gently back to the factory, to be greeted by accusations of stupid race-type riding. My reply: "If a soldier riding the thing was being chased and shot at by an enemy, he'd ride a hell of a lot harder than I did". End of story. Except when I rode the thing it was painted in khaki, and now it is at Sammy's it's in beautiful old Norton colours. Ref. 'The Mystery Domiracer' (Donald Sprouls/Domiracer) in the same edition of Roadholder. The original one. I built and raced the first one when working in the Bracebridge Street factory in 1952. It was the Model 88 prototype I'd tested on the roads and at MIRA over more than 40,000 miles. Joe Craig instructed me to turn it into a racer. I was riding works Manx models in national events. I said it was nowhere near fast enough for a 500cc race. "Go up to the (Birmingham) Triumph dealer, Frank Cope, get a set of Triumph GP cams and get Harry Salter, the experimental shop machinist, to copy the cam profiles onto Norton cams. That should make it fast enough." The engine was re-built in the factory, and I did the rest: alloy wheels and other Manx race parts. It was entered in the October Blandford meeting and ridden by me, race number 44, finishing 12th in the 500cc final. It wasn't quick enough to be a winner but went reasonably well. I can't remember its speed but I revved it at 7,000rpm max. I don't know what happened to it, but I think it was used by a marshall in the 1953 Isle of Man TT. I was racing full-time in 1953 with Eric Oliver on the works sidecar, so don't know anything about others produced. Challenging days. Stan Dibben