Table of contents for Issue 34 in Retrobike

YOU don’t see a lot of Crocker V-twin motorcycles anywhere in the world. Just over 100 were hand-built in Los Angeles between 1936 and 1941, and maybe 65 survive. The last Crocker to sell at auction, in Las Vegas in January, went for $US704,000, or just under a million Aussie pesos. So regular Retrobike contributor Russ Murray was pretty excited to spy this immaculate Crocker in the pits, complete with racing number, at the Mount Tarrengower hill climb at Maldon, Victoria, late last year. Talk about ridden, not hidden! For those who came in late, Crocker is to the history of American motorcycling what Brough Superior is to the British. Elegant, stylish and guaranteed by the factory to be the fastest bike on the block, Crocker V-twins were built with…

ENGINE Liquid-cooled four-stroke inline four cylinder; DOHC, four valves per cylinder, with VTEC; 55 x 42mm for 399cc; 11.3:1 comp; Honda PGM-FI fuel injection with pods; wet sump; stock headers with Competition Werkes muffl er; wet clutch to six-speed gearbox and chain final drive; 53hp @11,000rpm CHASSIS Tubular steel double-cradle frame with custom seat loop; Honda CBR600RR forks and dual four-piston front brakes; Venhill brake lines; stock CB400 swingarm, shocks and 240mm rear brake; custom RAD Manufacturing (US) laced wheels with 17in Excel rims; Pirelli MT60 tyres (120/70 front, 160/60 rear) BODYWORK Stock fuel tank with keyless cap; owner-designed seat unit and taillight assembly; Bates-style headlight; Kellerman BL2000 indicators; no-name clip-ons, Motogadget speedo, ISR switchgear/master cylinders; Babyface (Japan) foot pegs; paint by KDS Designs; seat by Bitchin Stitch SPECIAL THANKS…

ENGINE Liquid-cooled, inline, three-cylinder four-stroke; chain-driven DOHC, four valves per cylinder; 79 x 54.3mm for 798cc; 13.3:1 comp; Eldor electronic engine management system with three 50mm Mikuni throttle bodies; wet multi-plate clutch to cassette-style six-speed gearbox; chain final drive; 125hp @ 11,600rpm (crank) CHASSIS TIG-welded duplex open-cradle chrome-moly tubular steel frame; 43mm ORAM telescopic fork adjustable for spring preload, compression and rebound damping, 2 x 320mm steel rotors with Brembo four-piston callipers on laced 2.5 x 18in JoNich aluminium rim; twin-shock chrome-moly swingarm with ORAM shocks adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping, 230mm steel rotor with twin-piston Brembo calliper on laced 4.5 x 18in JoNich aluminium rim; Metzeler Racetec RR K1 tyres BODYWORK Styled closely after 1972 MV Agusta 750 Sport MORE INFO www.magni.it BEST Goes as good as…

WALT Siegl isn’t the only enthusiast smitten by the charms of Ducati’s trusty air-cooled belt-drive engines, but describes them better than most. “It’s that 90-degree, two-valve, Desmo engine that won so many hearts, including mine,” says Walt. “There is no engine out there with the same characteristics. It’s a brilliant performer that can be hammered on the racetrack or ridden to the cafe. No, it won’t have 200 horsepower, but that was never really what owning a Ducati was all about. People bought Ducatis because they evoked a certain feeling that other manufacturers were never able to capture. “They made you fall in love. No matter what engine size, you have plenty of grunt out of corners: You dip the bike in, and as soon as you clip the apex…

THE New Enfield Cycle Company was incorporated in 1897 in Redditch, Worcestershire, as a bicycle manufacturer. It built its first motorcycle in 1901 and first car in 1902. The cars were a flop and soon hived off, but the Royal Enfield motorbikes caught on and have been in continuous production ever since. Enfield built some exotic V-twins in the early days but launched its first 350 four-stroke single, albeit JAP-powered, in 1924, which became its volume seller and eventually known as the Bullet. After WWII, the factory got into vertical twins — alongside Norton, Triumph, BSA and everyone else — initially with the 500 Meteor in 1949 and later 692cc Super Meteors and Constellations. In the wake of the export success of the Triumph Bonneville, in 1960 Enfield developed a…

JOHN Alfred Prestwich was an English pioneer cinematographer in the late-19th century before switching his engineering talents to the production of motorcycle engines under the J.A.P. brand. His first engine in 1903 was a 300cc single made for Triumph, but he’s probably best known for the iconic OHV V-twins fitted to the Brough Superior SS100 in the 1930s. He also supplied single-cylinder engines to Philip Vincent’s new HRD factory from 1928 until Phil Irving designed Vincent’s own 500cc single in 1934. JAP engines were also popular in racing, particularly speedway. The engine in the Hazan bike is a JAP 4B, which was designed in 1930 in collaboration with speedway champion Bill Bragg, who suggested shoehorning a 500cc cylinder barrel (with filed-down fins) between a 350cc crankcase and head. The new…

HUSQVARNA was a Swedish armaments manufacturer founded near the town of Huskvarna in 1869. It started building bicycles in the late 19th century and motorcycles in 1903. It added its own engine factory in 1920 and enjoyed some racing success in the early 1930s, including four consecutive Swedish GPs. The factory had a second run on the world stage 30 years later with lightweight two-stroke off-road bikes that made a mockery of the stodgy British four-stroke fare of the time, winning 14 motocross world championships and 24 enduro world championships. Husqvarna’s motorcycle division was sold to Cagiva in 1987, and production transferred to Varese in Italy. (Staff unwilling to move from Sweden started Husaberg in its wake.) BMW Motorrad acquired Husqvarna in 2007, with the intention of operating Husqvarna as…

ENGINE Air-cooled four-stroke 90-degree V-twin; SOHC, two valves per cylinder; 94 x 71.5 for 992cc; 10:1 comp; wet sump; Motogadget M-unit ignition; Marelli fuel injection with 45mm throttle bodies; gear primary to dry clutch and six-speed gearbox; chain final drive; 86hp @ 7750rpm CHASSIS Walt Siegl trellis frame in chromemoly steel; Ducati 748 forks in custom triple trees, 17in cast three-spoke wheel (900SS) with Brembo Goldline calipers on wave rotors; 1000SS swingarm and monoshock, 17in three-spoke wheel (900SS) BODYWORK Tank, fairing and seat unit by Walt Siegl in carbon-kevlar composite; Ducati 749 front guard, 1000SS rear hugger; paint by Jimmy Lowe (Shed X); seat by Shed X BEST Light weight, sharp handling, timeless style NOT SO GREAT Nothing, we’d own it in a heartbeat…

ENGINE Air and oil-cooled four-stroke parallel twin, with 90/270-degree offset crank; SOHC, four valves per cylinder; 78 x 67.8mm for 648cc; 9.5:1 comp; wet sump; fuel injected; digital spark ignition; wet clutch to six-speed gearbox; chain final drive; 47hp @ 7100rpm CHASSIS Tubular-steel double-cradle frame, with modified seat sub-frame; non-adjustable 41mm conventional forks, shortened and lowered, with single 320 rotor and twin-piston caliper on laced 18in rim; modified fork yokes; twin-shock swingarm, adjustable for preload, with 240mm disc and single-piston caliper; custom handlebars and controls BODYWORK Custom seat pan and seat; custom aluminium front cowling; custom ruby/black candy paint; vinyl-covered side-panels BEST Who wants one? The queue starts here. Love the ‘hidden’ clutch! NOT SO GREAT Put the lights back on and not much…

ENGINE Air/oil-cooled vertical twin with 360-degree crankshaft; chain-driven DOHC, four valves per cylinder; 92 x 74.3 for 988cc; 11.5:1 comp; 2 x 41mm Keihin FCR flat-slide carburettors; Triumph Performance CDI; gear primary drive to Barnett clutch and five-speed gearbox; chain final drive; 106rwhp @ 7500rpm CHASSIS Chrome-moly tubular steel open-cradle frame; 41mm Kayaba conventional forks adjustable for rebound and compression damping, six-piston Beringer Aerotec caliper on single 310mm Galfer rotor, 3 x 18in Carrozzeria forged aluminium wheel; chrome-moly swingarm with twin Öhlins shocks adjustable for preload, single 254mm EBC rotor with twin-piston Brembo caliper, 5.5 x 17in Carrozzeria wheel; Avon Storm tyres DIMENSIONS Wheelbase 1460mm; kerb weight (no fuel) 159kg; fuel capacity 10.2 litres BEST Serious power, light weight, classic style NOT TO GREAT We wouldn’t change a thing…

ENGINE Air-cooled four-stroke single; OHV, two per cylinder; 80 x 99mm for 497cc; 15:1 comp (stock); 32mm Amal carburettor; magneto ignition; dry sump, total loss lubrication; single-row primary drive to dry clutch and four-speed gearbox; chain final drive CHASSIS Single-tube cradle-type chassis in chrome-moly steel; custom front forks with straps for springs; rigid rear; laced wheels with clincher rims and vintage tyres; single brake rotor with Willwood caliper between gearbox and clutch (which slows the rear wheel), operated by right-foot lever; left-side foot clutch, hand-operated gearshift BODYWORK Four-litre fabricated aluminium gas tank, painted black; aluminium oil tank with hand-operated pump; aluminium rear mudguard, also painted black BEST Motorcycle as art; quality of finish; more ridable than you think NOT SO GREAT Our Aussie coppers would have a field day!…

ENGINE Liquid-cooled four-stroke parallel twin; DOHC, four valves per cylinder; 84 x 81mm for 898cc; 13:1 comp; fuel injected; wet sump; Arrow exhausts; wet multi-plate clutch to six-speed gearbox and chain final drive; 105hp @ 8500rpm CHASSIS Tubular steel trellis frame, unmodified; fully adjustable 48mm Sachs USD forks, modified and lowered by Race Center, Brembo four-piston monoblock calipers with 320mm rotors on 3.5 x 17in cast alloy wheel; Ohlins monoshock with Race Center FD-02 pack, single pot Brembo with 240mm rotor on 5.5 x 17in cast alloy wheel; Bridgestone BT10 tyres BODYWORK LSL tank cover, front guard and headlight; stock rear hugger; Gilles Tooling clip-ons; Rizoma mirrors and indicators; seat and paint by Bikecraft, assembly too BEST Literally one of a kind; didn’t break the bank; awesome engine NOT SO…

ENGINE Liquid-cooled four-stroke single (Husqvarna); 100 x 76.5 for 601cc; 12:1 comp; Mikuni D45 fuel injection; wet clutch, six-speed gearbox, chain final drive CHASSIS Hanger-style chassis in tubular carbon steel, TIG-welded by hand and lacquered; adjustable USD forks, billet-machined hub laced to 19in rim, single 320mm rotor; cantilever-style mono-shock swingarm, billet hub laced to 17in rim DIMENSIONS Dry weight 142kg; wheelbase 1455mm; seat height 86cm; fuel capacity 14 litres BEST Looks and goes a million bucks NOT SO GREAT Costs a million bucks (just kidding, but not cheap)…

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THE original CB400 was a cool cafe-styled Honda powered by a sweet air-cooled SOHC inline four and manufactured from 1975 to 1977. It was replaced by the stodgy CB400 Hawk parallel twin, but the spirit of the original returned with the CB-1 in 1989 and the CB400 Super Four in 1992. Initially built for the Japanese market, the CB400SF was a huge hit in Asia and eventually made its way to Australia in 2008, apart from a steady trickle of earlier grey imports. By this time, Honda had added VTEC technology to the liquid-cooled DOHC 16-valve four, by which one inlet and one exhaust valve in each cylinder were closed to 6750rpm to boost low and mid-range torque, then resumed normal operation to maximise top-end power through to 11,000rpm. The…

MV AGUSTA made just 402 750 Sports between 1972 and 1975. They were fast for their day and always ultra-desirable, one recently selling in England for $172,000. That said, I have ridden a couple of original early-’70s 750S MVs in the past, but always found them distinctly disappointing, with a mechanically noisy engine and heavy steering, and the handling compromised thanks to the shaft final drive that Count Agusta, for some reason, stipulated should be fitted (leaving Arturo Magni to make a chain-drive conversion kit which sold very well!). The first time I rode one I was hugely disappointed that the performance failed so dismally to live up to the MV’s fabulous looks, and when I rode the second of the two bikes which were built up for Ago and…