The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
#1216 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
Maybe (just a guess) also international competition was a part as well. If you had race classes for (say) 500CC it would then spread from there.
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#1217 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
Tyre sizes. Just sayin'
235/65R16 = 235mm wide, 153mm/6" tall and a 16" diameter rim (actually the 16" is to the tyre bead seat, so the rim is slightly bigger).
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#1218 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
[quote="Mike H" post_id=195071 time=1649253992 user_id=192
I remember while I was still a kid my dad telling me car engines were specified in horsepower, e.g. for a while he had a second-hand (pre-war, most likely) "Standard Eight" (8 hp), altho I was very young at the time and hardly remember it. The authorities based the road tax on the bore diameter, because they had this formula for using that to work out the horsepower. This gave rise to numerous (as in, the most used) long-stroke designs, where you could up the capacity and thus the power but keeping the bore diameter at the cheaper end of the tax scale. Presumably the aurhorities got wise to this and so changed the rules. It then became based on cubic capacity, as a guide to power output, regardless of other dimensions, and maybe because of our proximity to the European mainland, metric was adopted. [/quote]
Metrication in this regard was adopted for the reasons I gave yesterday.
However, you are correct concerning taxation. Tax was levied almost from the beginning of the motorcar and originally was based on bore diameter with the RAC being the arbiter of all things motoring - at least in the UK - hence this being known as "RAC horsepower" and whilst bore/stroke ratios remained conventional, this did, sort of, reflect the engine's power although of course, it had no direct relevance to flywheel output. By today's standards, engines characteristically were of "long" stroke since in those days, torque was very much more useable than power developed at rotational speeds bordering on the technical limits of the day. Inevitably, it lead to many "under-square" designs seeking to mitigate the affects of the rules, notably in competition. Perhaps an extreme example might be the Peugeot-Lion single-cylinder racing engine of 1908 which had bore/stroke of 100 X 250! This might have got the car passed the scrutineer but piston speeds must have been approaching the 3000ft/min which was thought to be the maximum for many years.
Age has few compensations, but being able to remember such things as the "Standard Eight" being a post-War model (from 1945, I think) as the pre-War equivalent was the "Flying Eight". I remember the Standard Eight making a curious bell-like noise when the starter was engaged. It also had an alloy cylinder head - side valve of course - which used to seize in place and the only way of removing it was to jack the car, drop the sump and pull out the rods and pistons, jam a length of 4 X 2 up a couple of bores, soak everything in PlusGas and leave overnight. With a bit of luck, the weight of the car had released things in the morning. Failing that, it was chisels and a new head.
I remember while I was still a kid my dad telling me car engines were specified in horsepower, e.g. for a while he had a second-hand (pre-war, most likely) "Standard Eight" (8 hp), altho I was very young at the time and hardly remember it. The authorities based the road tax on the bore diameter, because they had this formula for using that to work out the horsepower. This gave rise to numerous (as in, the most used) long-stroke designs, where you could up the capacity and thus the power but keeping the bore diameter at the cheaper end of the tax scale. Presumably the aurhorities got wise to this and so changed the rules. It then became based on cubic capacity, as a guide to power output, regardless of other dimensions, and maybe because of our proximity to the European mainland, metric was adopted. [/quote]
Metrication in this regard was adopted for the reasons I gave yesterday.
However, you are correct concerning taxation. Tax was levied almost from the beginning of the motorcar and originally was based on bore diameter with the RAC being the arbiter of all things motoring - at least in the UK - hence this being known as "RAC horsepower" and whilst bore/stroke ratios remained conventional, this did, sort of, reflect the engine's power although of course, it had no direct relevance to flywheel output. By today's standards, engines characteristically were of "long" stroke since in those days, torque was very much more useable than power developed at rotational speeds bordering on the technical limits of the day. Inevitably, it lead to many "under-square" designs seeking to mitigate the affects of the rules, notably in competition. Perhaps an extreme example might be the Peugeot-Lion single-cylinder racing engine of 1908 which had bore/stroke of 100 X 250! This might have got the car passed the scrutineer but piston speeds must have been approaching the 3000ft/min which was thought to be the maximum for many years.
Age has few compensations, but being able to remember such things as the "Standard Eight" being a post-War model (from 1945, I think) as the pre-War equivalent was the "Flying Eight". I remember the Standard Eight making a curious bell-like noise when the starter was engaged. It also had an alloy cylinder head - side valve of course - which used to seize in place and the only way of removing it was to jack the car, drop the sump and pull out the rods and pistons, jam a length of 4 X 2 up a couple of bores, soak everything in PlusGas and leave overnight. With a bit of luck, the weight of the car had released things in the morning. Failing that, it was chisels and a new head.
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#1219 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
1945 is about right then, as would have been 10 years old when my dad had it.
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#1220 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
Progress update -
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#1221 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
Good update Mike, ta.
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#1222 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
Last week – champing at Aldwincle – 2 parts ...
Part 1, the trip down; part 2, about the church, and a lunch trip to nearby Wadenhoe. Part 1 28 minutes part 2 32 minutes.
Part 1, the trip down; part 2, about the church, and a lunch trip to nearby Wadenhoe. Part 1 28 minutes part 2 32 minutes.
"No matter how fast light travels it finds that the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it."
#1223 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
Visited Fareham to see my mum last week and we walked into the town to get her out of the house - I was really surprised to see this in the window of a pine furniture store;
Cosmetically it looked prostine but I know nothing about it other than it has a Moto Guzzi badge, however, a quick look on Google suggest it is one of these;
https://www.handh.co.uk/auction/lot/31- ... 15523&sd=1
Cosmetically it looked prostine but I know nothing about it other than it has a Moto Guzzi badge, however, a quick look on Google suggest it is one of these;
https://www.handh.co.uk/auction/lot/31- ... 15523&sd=1
Sorry, I couldn't resist!
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#1224 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
Fabulous!
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#1225 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
Drew Pritchard strikes !
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#1226 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
It's a Guzzi Falcone but with clothes on. I have tried to post a photo but too many thingies for the system to digest. A very popular 500 horizontal single made from 1950 to 1967. An almost identical Nuovo Falcone followed it until quite recently. Long stroke, external flywheel and lots of character. However, very similar models were made in the 'thirties, so it could be earlier; difficult to tell without looking up its skirt. A friend has one which ride often.
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#1227 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
It's an impressive piece, visually , I can see the attraction.
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#1228 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
I'm no motorbike afficianado but I don't think it is - I see very little resemblance to a Falcone. As I posted with the picture, it looks like a Moto Guzzi Galletto 192 to me, here's a link to one without the caddy in front of the seat.
http://www.italianvintagemotors.com/195 ... i-scooter/
Sorry, I couldn't resist!
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#1229 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
Ah, Fotheringhay.
Rung there a couple of times - there's a bell from 1595 - and sunk a few pints in The Falcon. Lovely part of the country with the churches having much in common with those of Devonshire (apart from the latter's barrel roofs), both stemming from medieval wool money. Very much enjoy these travelogues. Thanks Mike.
Rung there a couple of times - there's a bell from 1595 - and sunk a few pints in The Falcon. Lovely part of the country with the churches having much in common with those of Devonshire (apart from the latter's barrel roofs), both stemming from medieval wool money. Very much enjoy these travelogues. Thanks Mike.
Last edited by Baggy Trousers on Tue Apr 26, 2022 10:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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#1230 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.
Well, unless it's made in Hall Green, Bracebridge Street, King's Norton, Plumstead or Selly Oak, I don't know much about these things either! The Falcone obviously is terribly wide of the mark and, in fact, not a bit like the Galletto. Silly me. But thanks for the correction, Ray.Ray P wrote: ↑Tue Apr 26, 2022 10:03 pmI'm no motorbike afficianado but I don't think it is - I see very little resemblance to a Falcone. As I posted with the picture, it looks like a Moto Guzzi Galletto 192 to me, here's a link to one without the caddy in front of the seat.
http://www.italianvintagemotors.com/195 ... i-scooter/
Cue for a song - "Just one Galletto . . . . . ."
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