June 2009 Newsletter

Editorial

Flaming June, or the flaming weather! This year the weather is on track to be ‘normal’, isn’t that wonderful? (Ducks quickly to avoid thrown objects!). We’re nearly ready for a week on the I.O.W. so we’re crossing fingers for a hot spell, the Bike is ready, parts of it are even shiny, and we have to maintain a good image for the club while abroad, right? ‘Red Funnel’ seems to have the best deal going for bikes just lately, it’s the longest crossing, but more knots to the £1, if your sea legs are up to it. As an incentive for articles, mineral; semi synth, or fully synthetic in the Ural sump? Your views please.

 Martin

Just in case there are any gripes about the rain!!!!!!!

Chang Jiangs have really arrived on the market place, when, for the first time one has been posted in this newsletters’ ‘For sale and Wanted’ column. Owners of these Chinese manufactured versions of the Russian M72 motorcycles have only in recent times been welcomed into the membership of the C.O.C. Although not really an East European motorcycle, the Chang Jiang does share a common genesis to today's Urals, some parts are even interchangeable and those that aren’t bear a very close resemblance. At home, like the

Ural and Dnepr the Chang Jiang was a basis for a wide variety of different transportation applications, from Police Patrol to Fire Brigade pump engine.

Illustrated is a side valve Chang Jiang, with plunger rear suspension. Cutting edge technology in the late nineteen thirties. Twenty two horsepower was serious then, similar in power to a fifties Triumph ’Speed twin’, but slowed more than a little by its heavy build, a quality shared with its Russian cousin. Best sampled solo, to avoid the issues associated with right hand side cars.

Martin
Three Days, Three Rides, One Reunion!

This year Ace Cafe London's 16th annual Reunion weekend, Friday 11th to Sunday 13th September, celebrates some very special land marks, notably to include the 50th anniversary of the legendary and world famous 59 Club. Starting on Friday 11th, with the cafe's regular 'Bike Night' and, from 6pm, the arrival of The Continental Run, there will be DJ Tracy Dick spinning the wax until late, with hard, fast rockers, The Twang Bangers, from Germany playing live.

On Saturday 12th, join us for "Breakfast At The Ace" from 7am and, leaving at 10.30am, for our second annual Cafe Racer & Rockers Ride Out, to attend the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, Central London for a very special celebration, service of thanksgiving and blessing of the bikes, on occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding, by the late Father Bill Shergold, of the now iconic church charity the 59 Club. Organised and arranged by the club's Chairman,

Father Scott Anderson, together with the club's leaders and volunteer helpers, the service will commence at Noon.

The ride will return to the Ace for 2.30pm for the 2nd annual Café Racer Review, with awards and prizes for 'Best Bike' and runners-up, to be presented by special guests to include Mike Cook, Dave Degens, Norman White, Oliver Tobias, Derek Harris, Colin Campbell and members of the 59 Club management team. Also being celebrated is the 50th anniversary of both the Triumph Bonneville and Metisse, with prizes for the best examples of the respective marques, courtesy Gerry Lisi of Metisse, Triumph and Dave Lilley of the West London Triumph dealership Jack Lilley Ltd, who are also celebrating their 50 years in the business. Participating with prizes and items, from their respective and varied product ranges, are Alpha Industries who were founded 50 years ago in Tennessee, USA, Aero Leathers, Lewis Leathers, SchottNYC, Ronson and Prison Blues. With music from Noon on the outside stage, there will be three live rock n' roll bands and two rockin' DJs to entertain, moving to the inside stage from 9pm 'til late where the live music and a burlesque show will continue into the night.

On Sunday 13th, the cafe opens at 7am for the start of the Ride With The Rockers & Brighton Burn Up, which departs at 10.30am. Brighton's seafront road, Madeira Drive, will be open to the public from 9.30am, with exhibitors, club and trade stands, and our annual Stunt Show and Street-fighter Fest featuring the ever popular 'Sparky' at the eastern end of Madeira Drive at Black Rock, with bands and DJ from Noon on the Ace stage. The London Rockin' Rollers will be joining us once again, collecting and raising funds for the 59 Club, a registered church charity, at the café on Saturday 12th, and on Brighton's seafront on Sunday 13th where they will be collecting for the RAFA "Wings Appeal" as part of "Battle of

Britain" week. For the first time at Brighton as part of the Reunion, the Scooter and rider who best represents 1964 will receive an award courtesy of Dr Marten's (to include a rare opportunity to visit the original factory in Wollaston, Northamptonshire to assemble their very own pair of Dr Marten's) and Alpha Industries manufacturers of the iconic MA-1 and CWU-15 jackets.

Kind Regards

LINDA WILSMORE, Ace Cafe London

Mad Hatter’s Rally @ ‘F2 Motorcycles’

At the end of May, David Angel hosted the ever successful Mad Hatters’ Rally behind his motorcycle emporium near Banbury, he even got the sun to shine on us! A good mix of Ural, Dnepr, Jawa, MZ, BMW, Harley Davidson and oriental rocket ships. Never one to over-prepare for a trip, I started the clutch rebuild (failed on way to 2008 East European Rally) on ‘Charlie’ (1971 M63) on the weekend before this rally, only to find that it had a modified flywheel and a single plate clutch! The clutch centre of the single clutch plate was longer than the std clutch centre (Bedford CA or Hillman Imp it is thought), the centre steel disc was omitted, the six pillars had been reduced by 5 mm and 5 mm spacers added under the springs to compensate for the loss of 10 mm in the clutch assembly thickness. The flange on the flywheel had also been reduced by 50%.
 All this resulted in a lot less flywheel mass making the engine very responsive, and frantic de and re– riveting clutch plates late one evening! Well it all came together well, and ‘Charlie’ was really flying again!

Peter J. Ballard
Two happy chappies with a rather well turned out 750cc Ural outfit! Dave Cox’s lovely 1970’s Mt9, “washer needed here we think!”


  Keep the red flag flying Alistair. He wishes to remind Ural and Dnepr owners that the engine spacers fit on the left hand side! This stops the tyre rubbing on the prop shaft and enables the main stand spring to wrap around the spacer rather than being stretched over the crankcase boss!
   

   
Left - 1990s Ural solo in very original condition. Right - 1970s Ural M66 in very original condition, 1990s Ural solo in very original condition. Keep it that way!  

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