ÜberDoober
04-13-2008, 10:37 PM
From the wayback machine...
The first "real" motorcycle I owned was purchased somewhere around 1968/69 and was in a basket. Can't recall where I got it from but do remember no one had any information or parts for it.
Somehow or another, I managed to get it put together and running with a rattlecan paint job and homemade seat. This may be the only surviving photo I have and it's none too good.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/James.jpg
I was never sure if it was a trials bike or a scrambler and recent research doesn't help totally clear it up. I did find a similar year scrambler that does resemble what I had more closely than the trials model but I do know it had the biggest rear sprocket in the world.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/James2.jpg
I do know she had the famous Villiers Starmaker engine. Something that taught me a lot about wrenching and how things worked. Here are a few details about the Starmaker:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/Starmaker2.jpg
It was designed by Bernard Hooper and was originally intended to be for use in scrambles but was soon being used as a road racing engine. Various firms and individuals were adding their own tuning and Villiers, as always, took note of this and soon there were three variations available, a road racer and a trials unit in addition to the scrambles engine.
The cylinder is fitted with a cast-in austentite iron liner which has equal expansion rates to the aluminium cylinder, the trials and scrambles engines have wide pitched finning to prevent mud clogging them up whilst the racing cylinder has close pitched finning with angled fins on the head to direct air to the sparking plug A full circle crank was used on racing and scrambles engines to help preserve the high compression and on all engines the forged steel connecting rod fitted on a caged needle roller big end, roller bearings supporting it. The magneto was an energy transfer unit. Trials engines could be had with 6 or 12 volt systems. The racing engine in supplied form gave over 31bhp at 7,400rpm, the scrambler 22bhp at 5,500rpm and the trials engine 14bhp at 5,500rpm. Tuners increased these figures.
Bill Ivy on a Cotton Starmaker rode at many events in all parts of Great Britain and often showed all other machines the way home. And similar success was gained by other riders in all manner of events but the occasion when many motorcyclists were encouraged to believe that the time would not be too far distant when once again British machines and riders would be at the top of the world road racing tree once again was when in 1966 Villiers entered a machine which had a Starmaker engine in a Bultaco frame and was ridden by Peter Inchley in the 250cc Lightweight Class in the IOM TT. It came in third, the best British result in this class for many years. Source: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pattle/nacc/arc0596.htm
I do recall that the clutch had a diaphram spring that a school friend's dad helped me make a tool that I could take it apart with, but not by choice. This same friend somehow convinced me to sign up to ride an observed trials with him and I pitched the bike into a rocky ravine in the very first section. I was about 14 at the time and convinced my mom trials was safe. After 10 guys hauled it back to to the trail, I decided that I wasn't a trials rider and headed back to the truck to park the bike and watch my friend. Unfortunately, I pitched a chain on the way and it broke the inside of the primary case cover. The clutch had to come off to get to the cover, hence the need for a homemade tool.
I really thought this bike was pretty cool when the AJS 250 Stormer's came out in about 1970. Almost the exact Villiers Starmaker engine and the new dealer in town was actually able to get me a few parts (and a real clutch tool!)
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/AJS_Stormer_1970c_1.jpg
I went on to ride my very first motocross race on this bike but again, crashed out horribly. Deciding that this 300 pound piece of equipment wasn't the best tool, went on from there to purchase my first new motorcycle, a Husqvarna.
I lugged this old bike around with me for many many years when finally in about 1986 or so, being an idiot in a hurry and not realizing I'd never own anything like this again, my poor James and her Starmaker engine made it to the great motorcycle junkyard in the sky.
The first "real" motorcycle I owned was purchased somewhere around 1968/69 and was in a basket. Can't recall where I got it from but do remember no one had any information or parts for it.
Somehow or another, I managed to get it put together and running with a rattlecan paint job and homemade seat. This may be the only surviving photo I have and it's none too good.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/James.jpg
I was never sure if it was a trials bike or a scrambler and recent research doesn't help totally clear it up. I did find a similar year scrambler that does resemble what I had more closely than the trials model but I do know it had the biggest rear sprocket in the world.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/James2.jpg
I do know she had the famous Villiers Starmaker engine. Something that taught me a lot about wrenching and how things worked. Here are a few details about the Starmaker:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/Starmaker2.jpg
It was designed by Bernard Hooper and was originally intended to be for use in scrambles but was soon being used as a road racing engine. Various firms and individuals were adding their own tuning and Villiers, as always, took note of this and soon there were three variations available, a road racer and a trials unit in addition to the scrambles engine.
The cylinder is fitted with a cast-in austentite iron liner which has equal expansion rates to the aluminium cylinder, the trials and scrambles engines have wide pitched finning to prevent mud clogging them up whilst the racing cylinder has close pitched finning with angled fins on the head to direct air to the sparking plug A full circle crank was used on racing and scrambles engines to help preserve the high compression and on all engines the forged steel connecting rod fitted on a caged needle roller big end, roller bearings supporting it. The magneto was an energy transfer unit. Trials engines could be had with 6 or 12 volt systems. The racing engine in supplied form gave over 31bhp at 7,400rpm, the scrambler 22bhp at 5,500rpm and the trials engine 14bhp at 5,500rpm. Tuners increased these figures.
Bill Ivy on a Cotton Starmaker rode at many events in all parts of Great Britain and often showed all other machines the way home. And similar success was gained by other riders in all manner of events but the occasion when many motorcyclists were encouraged to believe that the time would not be too far distant when once again British machines and riders would be at the top of the world road racing tree once again was when in 1966 Villiers entered a machine which had a Starmaker engine in a Bultaco frame and was ridden by Peter Inchley in the 250cc Lightweight Class in the IOM TT. It came in third, the best British result in this class for many years. Source: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pattle/nacc/arc0596.htm
I do recall that the clutch had a diaphram spring that a school friend's dad helped me make a tool that I could take it apart with, but not by choice. This same friend somehow convinced me to sign up to ride an observed trials with him and I pitched the bike into a rocky ravine in the very first section. I was about 14 at the time and convinced my mom trials was safe. After 10 guys hauled it back to to the trail, I decided that I wasn't a trials rider and headed back to the truck to park the bike and watch my friend. Unfortunately, I pitched a chain on the way and it broke the inside of the primary case cover. The clutch had to come off to get to the cover, hence the need for a homemade tool.
I really thought this bike was pretty cool when the AJS 250 Stormer's came out in about 1970. Almost the exact Villiers Starmaker engine and the new dealer in town was actually able to get me a few parts (and a real clutch tool!)
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/AJS_Stormer_1970c_1.jpg
I went on to ride my very first motocross race on this bike but again, crashed out horribly. Deciding that this 300 pound piece of equipment wasn't the best tool, went on from there to purchase my first new motorcycle, a Husqvarna.
I lugged this old bike around with me for many many years when finally in about 1986 or so, being an idiot in a hurry and not realizing I'd never own anything like this again, my poor James and her Starmaker engine made it to the great motorcycle junkyard in the sky.