The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

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steve s
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#1186 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by steve s »

I've talked to a few guys this year who have the newish Royal Enfield 650 twin, all have been very pleased with them.
I like the idea of a new goldstar, but the goldstar was, in its day, a high performance machine.. this isn't among today's machines
Ktm / husqvarna have 75 hp out of a 690 single ? But the bsa will be a more flexible in its power and probably better in town.

As long as it is reliable I think it will sell well, there's plenty of plodding RE's on the road, and this will be quick in comparison .. but still realitively plodding, and I'd guess most who look at owning these bikes will be happy with that.
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#1187 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by pre65 »

steve s wrote: Tue Dec 07, 2021 7:51 pm
I like the idea of a new goldstar, but the goldstar was, in its day, a high performance machine.. this isn't among today's machines

As long as it is reliable I think it will sell well, there's plenty of plodding RE's on the road, and this will be quick in comparison .. but still relatively plodding, and I'd guess most who look at owning these bikes will be happy with that.
In scrambling, the 500 Gold Star and the Matchless G80cs / G85cs ruled the roost for many years, but then came the lighter, and as powerful 4 strokes like the BSA B50 and Rickman Metisse and of course the 2 strokes (like Greeves) that kicked them into the dust.

So, in a way, they became dinosaurs. But the Goldie legend is still strong. :)
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Nick
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#1188 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Nick »

So, in a way, they became dinosaurs. But the Goldie legend is still strong.
Yep, but I guess its like the 30 year car video, who now who wanted a dbd34 in their youth but couldn't have one will now decide they want the almost but not exactly copy? I wish them well, but cant help wondering if part of the plan was a way of getting a grant to set up production. Also is it me, or is 650cc the wrong size?

If I was involved, I would like to show some evidence that it could lap anywhere at 100MPH.
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#1189 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by pre65 »

Well ,it was not uncommon for scrambles Gold Stars to be 600cc in order to try and compete with the 650cc twin cylinder Triumph engined Tri-BSA's and Rickman Metisse. The G85cs Matchless was 600cc from the factory.

The new Gold Star has twin overhead cams and fuel injection, so no doubt there will be more power available from the factory at a later date.

Also, lets not forget the original Gold Star with the factory fitted Amal GP carb was a real bugger to start, and with the optional rrt2 close ratio gearbox not exactly a friendly thing to ride except on the open road.

The old Gold Star was basically a racing bike with mudguards and lights, the new one is not so, and therefore will probably be a nicer ride for a lot of people.
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#1190 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by pre65 »

Nick wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 10:32 am
If I was involved, I would like to show some evidence that it could lap anywhere at 100MPH.
The fastest lap of a Gold Star on the Isle of man when they were still current was this.

1956 Clubmans Senior TT Bernard Codd 3 1:18:40.6 86.33mph

No doubt a pukka factory racer, and in more modern times replicas with special engine parts and modern tyres could probably do a 100mph lap.

EDIT.

Phil Gurner did a lap with a speed of 95.66 mph in the proddie race on a BSA Goldstar in '75, although it wasn't a DBD34 but the 'new' version..

Not sure what they mean about the new version, but it was 1975.

EDIT 2

Gold Star 500 does 1st 100mph lap in 2018

https://www.philmcgurk.com/500-gold-star.html

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#1191 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by pre65 »

When I was a teenager a friend of mine had a 350 Gold Star, and also a Greeves Essex twin.

One day he needed to go to the Greeves factory at Thundersley, and he took me with him on the Goldie.

My one and only actual experience on a Gold Star.
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#1192 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Dave the bass »

pre65 wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 11:57 am
My one and only actual experience on a Gold Star.
Oh that's sad to hear. Didn't you do very well at school?!
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#1193 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by pre65 »

Dave the bass wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 8:01 pm
pre65 wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 11:57 am
My one and only actual experience on a Gold Star.
Oh that's sad to hear. Didn't you do very well at school?!
No, not really. :(

I fared better at the University of life, particularly in popular music. :lol: :lol: :lol:
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#1194 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Dave the bass »

pre65 wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 8:12 pm I fared better at the University of life, particularly in popular music. :lol: :lol: :lol:
:shock: :lol:
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#1195 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Nick »

pre65 wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 10:55 am
Nick wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 10:32 am
If I was involved, I would like to show some evidence that it could lap anywhere at 100MPH.
The fastest lap of a Gold Star on the Isle of man when they were still current was this.

1956 Clubmans Senior TT Bernard Codd 3 1:18:40.6 86.33mph
I was just referencing the origin of the name.
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#1196 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by pre65 »

No worry, I learned something looking it up. :)
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#1197 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by pre65 »

pre65 wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 10:29 pm No worry, I learned something looking it up. :)
Seemingly it was a highly tuned Empire Star at Brooklands in 1937 that got the Gold Star.

" Four times TT winner Wal Handley, out of retirement thanks to the entreaties of BSA’s Bert Perrigo, was entered on what looked like a pretty standard Empire Star model. In fact, it was a highly tuned factory special, running on alcohol and with 13:1 compression and a racing magneto. In his first race out of retirement, Handley blasted his machine round the banking to collect the race win (despite a hefty handicap of nine seconds), at an average speed of 102.27mph and a fastest lap of 107.57mph. At the same time he claimed a Brooklands Gold Star (a badge awarded to anyone who completed a lap of Brooklands at over 100mph during the course of a race) and generated a huge amount of publicity for BSA."

The last production Gold Star 500cc was

Claimed power – 42bhp @ 7000rpm
Torque – 31ftlb @ 4700rpm


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#1198 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Mike H »

Sidecar passenger view of the Guzzi 850 outfit, if you're interested - Sunday ride out to Rachel's Cafe via Old Bolingbroke ... with commentary!


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#1199 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Baggy Trousers »

pre65 wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 11:09 pm
pre65 wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 10:29 pm No worry, I learned something looking it up. :)
Seemingly it was a highly tuned Empire Star at Brooklands in 1937 that got the Gold Star.

" Four times TT winner Wal Handley, out of retirement thanks to the entreaties of BSA’s Bert Perrigo, was entered on what looked like a pretty standard Empire Star model. In fact, it was a highly tuned factory special, running on alcohol and with 13:1 compression and a racing magneto. In his first race out of retirement, Handley blasted his machine round the banking to collect the race win (despite a hefty handicap of nine seconds), at an average speed of 102.27mph and a fastest lap of 107.57mph. At the same time he claimed a Brooklands Gold Star (a badge awarded to anyone who completed a lap of Brooklands at over 100mph during the course of a race) and generated a huge amount of publicity for BSA."

The last production Gold Star 500cc was

Claimed power – 42bhp @ 7000rpm
Torque – 31ftlb @ 4700rpm
Been away so missed this.

In my view, the Gold Star has acquired a reputation somewhat embellished with time. Years ago I owned a reputedly ex-Ray Hallett DBD34 for a while, so have some first-hand experience of the model. As Phil has said, basically it was a racer with roadgoing stuff bolted on and after Val Page had breathed on it, it went rather well. But it was pig of a thing in most roadgoing situations, particularly with the RRT box fitted; it was difficult to start, wouldn't idle with the GP carburettor, was as noisy as hell and generally pretty unrefined - in fact, it was a beast. But the Goldie was never intended to do refined. I imagine the new iteration will be a very different animal, for things have moved on in the intervening years.

As a demonstration of this movement, my little XBR produces more power and torque for the same displacement, but is a docile, tractable and truly delightful machine without any obvious pretensions to performance, although having the peak of the torque curve only 1k rpm below max power can make life a little busy. But then an old Rocker like me thrives on busy . . . .
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#1200 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Mike H »

Last couple of days I have been tinkering with Bantam bits - I have made a dynamic executive decision and opted for the so-called '12V conversion' - which mostly conists of merely changing to 12V bulbs and a 12V battery. The generator coils are perfectly able to produce 12V and more, indeed this is a well known (in Bantam circles) big problem if you have a 6V Bantam and no regulator, because it is frequently blowing bulbs. Especially if no battery (AC lighting only) as a battery will at least attempt to hold the Voltage down.

I am opting for a bridge rectifier and a 13V Zener diode. All lamps are now LED so total power is only around 12W. This should not load the charging winding too much so I anticipate that will be all that is needed, there are two other windings (the so-called lighting coils) available if not.

All buibs are now 12V equivalents of the LED's I got from Classic Car LEDs - I also now have a LED headlight 'bulb', designed to replace the original P36D BPF bulb, and which is actually a complete self contained headlamp, it does not use or need the original headlamp reflector at all. The cut off at dip is quite respectable, and it has good reviews. Looks slightly odd tho as it makes the headlamp appear to have a bright spot in the middle of the glass.

I have also decided to use new thin-wall wiring, and not the left-over stuff from the last rewiring job I did a few years ago, it looks much neater and more appropriate to a small bike, so I have been replacing wires and connectors. Currently (because anything is subject to change) I am using mini-connectors.
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Battery is a 2.9 A/h Yuasa 12V AGM, just fits in toolbox. As bike was AC lighting only there is no battery holder.
Battery is a 2.9 A/h Yuasa 12V AGM, just fits in toolbox. As bike was AC lighting only there is no battery holder.
IMG_4166.jpg (126.41 KiB) Viewed 2579 times
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Rear lamp has been taken off worked on and replaced and rewired for what is maybe the 4th or 5th time.
Rear lamp has been taken off worked on and replaced and rewired for what is maybe the 4th or 5th time.
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Rear light cabling hidden under the rear mudguard.
Rear light cabling hidden under the rear mudguard.
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