Week Four: What does Success look like?

Thought for the Week 6-12 April 2020

Keeping up to date with the family via video conferences I notice that the kids are keeping up to date with school work via video at home so I thought I should update my life-long learning. I have done a couple of free modules on the Open University Website which are really quite good for getting immersed in something completely different. I also spent a bit of time getting to grips with tyre codes. The Avon website has a good explanation of the symbols found on the side of your Roadrunners.

Your online learning for this week is: What’s the difference between Success and Failure?

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On Sunday we learned of the death of motor racing legend Sir Stirling Moss. A hero and true survivor having endured three accidents that might have finished off a lesser mortal. The first was Spar 1960, The second the horrific crash in 1962 at Goodwood that put an end to his racing career and the third, and less well known was a fall more recently, down the lift shaft of his London flat.

My two most prominent memories of Sir Stirling were firstly many years ago, receiving a Christmas present of a “Marx toys” Stirling Moss Crash helmet which was my pride and joy. (I still have it somewhere!) And second is being privileged to witness one of his last races at a Goodwood Revival. He still insisted on wearing one of his original pattern crash helmets.

Sir Stirling was the founding President of the BTM (Brooklands Members). He never really recovered from a chest infection picked up in 2016 and he subsequently retired from public life and as President of the Brooklands Members in January 2018.

I was glad to see that even in these difficult times Brooklands Museum and Members were still able to properly mark his passing with the Clubhouse flag flown at half mast.

Brooklands Clubhouse 12 April 2020 with flag at half mast

Back in the Workshop

Meanwhile in the workshop I have now found a wiring diagram for the AJS and spent a few hours getting the electrics working. I have now got the horn working which is good enough for a daylight MOT, but have put the lights on hold as I just can’t get my head around it. I consulted my Ladybird book “Magnets, Bulbs and Batteries” but no luck.  I have now put the job on hold and after a quick chat with Tony I think I have made the mistake of assuming it was correct when I dismantled it. So working on my reference pics is no good!

P.S. Yes, I have to get an MOT for this 1930’s bike  as it is currently unregistered.

The material has arrived for the spindle spacer so I will also get on and make that, but no pillar drill or lathe plumbed in so that too will wait for now. In the meantime I have made a temporary rubber spacer.

Next the wheels were fitted. The rear tyre was still a bit uneven on the rim so that was adjusted. I have also realised that the front brake shoes should have gone off to Villiers Services before the lockdown. They are ok, but the rivets used to fix last replacement shoes were too big and almost binding. This to has been noted in my work log and will be done after May.

The other reason that the lights are not important is because the front light has been replaced it with a WW2 blackout mask which I coincidentally picked up in an auction lot.

I have researched blackout masks and there is a pattern for motorcycles which appears to be different from mine. However, they did change the regulations during the course of the war and I have seen my pattern fitted to a motorcycle in a period image so that’s good enough for me. I then spent a bit of time trimming the mask with the faithful Dremel before fitting it in a knackered light surround. My 1938 AJS is almost ready to live it’s imagined wartime role as an ARP warden’s bike run on a bit of fuel picked up from Brookland’s very own Spiv, Bob Webb.

Next there was first the delicate matter of getting it off the workshop stand. The stand wheels became an issue as the bike was still well off the ground at its lowest setting. Luckily the AJ is fairly light so I was able to tip it off onto the front wheel whilst lifting the back and kicking away the stand.

The last jobs involved fitting the tin work and front brake, other cables, rear brake linkage and tidying up the loose wires before fitting the seat and tank. The picture shows the blackout mask on its first fitting.

The 1938 AJS begins to take shape.

Hampshire Ride-out

I Just can’t wait to get it out on the road. In the meantime here is a film of the other AJS out on the Hampshire lanes in 2019. For those of a delicate disposition the sequence does include an open pub. I would normally regard this as a boring subject, however in the present circumstances I suggest you take the laptop out to the garage, rest it on the handlebars of your bike, climb aboard and enjoy!

Brooklands Relived 2009

Its hard to top last weeks film of the 2008 Centenary, in my view one of the all-time classic Brooklands events. Here is my film of the 2009 Brooklands Relived & Beyond Event. This was my first outing on a Vintage bike with my 1935 Sunbeam having been acquired just three weeks before. The quality is not that good as shot on our first little digital camera in video mode. How technology has moved on in 10 years.

Surrey Norton Owners Club Event 2009

The next film is the 2009 Surrey Norton Owners Club event on 16 May 2009. It is worth noting that whilst filming was taking place the UK had reported 78 cases of H1N1 Swine Flu which had spread to 36 countries. The following day we hit 100 cases. By 23 July when the National Pandemic Flu service was launched 29 people had died in the UK and we had an estimated 55,000 new cases in the week ending 16 July. By August the cases had fallen off a cliff so there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

Check out the Play-Pen (Car park) used for the event. Dick Standing is there with his Son. Ted, Michael and Roger are riding. Bob Webb is in attendance with the mini Sidecar and there is a quick shot of Don Green starting his bike. Also Gordon, Duncan, Chris and Fred? No doubt Michael will know the other Surrey Norton guys.

Stay Safe and catch up next week.