The Monthly News Rag - April 1964
Time to look through the old magazines. Images from Jeep' collection.
APRIL 1964 Editorial -- JIM WILD.
With the season now under Way a couple of facts have come to my notice concerning the fifties. Firstly, that 50 and 125 cc champion Dave Simmonds has no intention of relinquishing his hold at the top of the field, despite continued attacks by Honda-mounted Charlie Mates and Ian Plumridge. I forecast a sporting but hard-fought struggle for top honours between the Tohatsu and a few of the Hondas. The second point I noticed was the seemingly vast difference in speed between these Hondas. Obviously, much money and tuning know-how has gone into a few of these bikes.
Dave Simmonds on the 50cc Tohatsu early 60s (John Darlington)
Ian Plumridge Honda CR110 1964
Charlie Mates CR 110 Honda 1964
Now a note to all Itom owners who may be despairing against the onslaught of production racers, (Castle Combe 10 Honda CR110 v 12 Itom Machines), of even reaching the first ten places. The committee has had this subject very much in mind whilst planning this season’s club races and believe me every effort is being made to give everyone a fair chance of an award. In Church Lawford we have an ideal circuit for Itoms and the like. Those of you who attended our last meeting there will remember what happened to two Tohatsus and a production Honda. when they paid a visit all the 50 races were won by Itoms except one which went to a certain Kreidler. Nuff said? Incidentally, at the faster Snetterton circuit there will be a race for non- production racers, a special trophy to the winner.
Sorry to bring up the next subject but as you have obviously noticed the mag is a couple of a weeks late, due, I am afraid, to lack of material to fill the pages. After a promising response to earlier requests the flow has gradually ceased. I appeal to you from bended knee, to put pen paper and start scratching. Subject? +- What a difference so and so’s frame made to my Cyclemaster … How I fitted pedals and broke the lap record. How the meeting at Combe Combe fared for me and why I always wear A.C.U. approved frogman’s suit there. You would be surprised how much fellow members are interested in you.
SECRETARY’S REPORT - BRIAN BRADER. Sec.
At last the racing season is under way, and what season it promises to be with 21 Honda's, up to date, 2 works Tohatsu, the production Tohatsu and the new production Itom, there should be some very close racing; Brands Hatch are again including the 50's at all their meetings and would-be competitors are advised to write for Regs. at least 10 weeks prior to the meeting, enclosing a stamped addressed envelope and stating the class they intend to enter.
The Hatch included us for the first time, so I'm glad to say someone has seen the light. At our June meeting at Snetterton we are including an event for Non-Production machines. This will be a 6-lap event, so all you die-hards with Itoms, Demons, Mass. etc., are invited to enter, and of course this will count towards the Club Championship.
At a committee meeting held on March 8th, the committee were at deadlock over the suggestions that the Club should invest in our own duplicator, two hours of for and against resulted in it being left till the next meeting. But as I see it, you've got to speculate to accumulate.
Regs are now available for the first meeting at Church Lawford and any member who has not received them yet should contact Mr. B. Woolley. I shall be there, so if anyone has anything he would like to know, please come along and have a chat with me.
Well, that's it, but for the Golden Rule's Get those Entries Back quickly, and make the money payable to you know who.
CORRESPONDENCE CORNER
Your Random Ramblings bod Jim Parker gives us the title of "Barmy” which is a new one. I can assure him that we view the 50cc riders with some awe when we see a 6 foot rider uncoil himself from these mighty midgets. Do you have to be a contortionist to get on one.
Can anything be done to get a meeting at Mallory again next year? Church Lawford is all right providing you don’t mind being in the air 75% of the time but Mallory provides a nice change, we can get going. Snetterton would be all right if somebody could knock a hairpin or some Esses somewhere along the back straight. Best of luck for the 64 from all the Vintage lads. MICK BROOM.
Dear Editor,
Can I congratulate you on an excellent issue for March? Your few heartfelt words have certainly brought some interesting articles! Sorry that I wasn’t one who wrote-in, but I recon I but I wrote myself “out” years ago!
Commenting on some of the issues raised -- I think Paul Marlow’s calculations must be about right, 7 BHP will fact with, (say Charlie Mates aboard) propel a 50 round Brands at exactly 67.5 mph! But I still feel that it is worth "scratching" - and let's face it - 2 mph for 4.5 hours (as at the Enduro) is three laps!
Glad to see the Scarborough affair get some publicity, for we MUST give this event our support. The Scarboro' meetings are quite a little “T.T" on their own, with an atmosphere quite unlike other English events.
To turn to Mr. Dearden' s interesting letter on page 8. Whilst I can't see his first suggestion being a success, I would say that a separate class for SPORIS MACHINES is a distinctly promising idea. But I'd say make it up to 65 cc (to include the Itom Tabor) and-up to 80 cc as another class We might then expect to see quite a decent turnout of production machinery at some future meeting, such as the June Snetterton meeting, perhaps.
As to Mr. Dearden's final paragraph, I couldn’t agree more that NEW IDEAS are needed and this is precisely why I feel that my day was over as Secretary!
I Will not ”interfere in "Homiger’s" tuning tips except to say that under the circumstances he describes the TOTAL length of inlet tract should be 5.5".
Final comment ~ I am so glad that the anonymous (? Ed.) writer enjoyed the Enduro, and he noticed that both this and Mallory were run in GOOD WEATHER, Didn't he know that I am a weather-controller? Now I am no longer Secretary I shall want some sort of reward for making good weather for the Club's meetings! Yes, you can laugh!
Best regards, BRIAN W OOLLEY
GETTING TO KNOW THE COMMITTEE
No. 3. GEORGE ASHTON Jnr. . . . Committee Member
Although I am known as 'junior' I am now the ripe old age of 19 years. My racing career started when I was 17 years old on an Itom which I purchased the previous year and then knocked the insides out of it on the road. The first season was uneventful except for £1.00 prize money from Welling Garden City.
At the beginning of last season I bought the Water-cooled barrel and what a deference that made, with wins at Church Lawford and Cadwell Park. But then came the Hondas and after some good scraps on it with Jim Pink on his Honda at Brand, I realized I was flogging a dead horse in National events. So during last winter Mum, Dad and myself lived like hermits to save enough cash to buy a Honda for me which has now arrived. In addition to the Honda I also have a good 125cc Bultaco.
Racing in our house is a family concern with every-thing geared round racing for 7 months in the year. I am only the rider, but Mum and Dad are the inspiration to go out and win; from a riders point of view I don't think one could wish for any better arrangement;
No. 4 PAUL MARLOW .... Public Relations
I am l9 years old and at the moment am a mechanical engineering student at Loughborough College. This year I hope to start racing my Itom, which I bought at the end of last season and have been modifying during the winter. I'm very interested in the theoretical side of two-strokes and only wish that I had time to investigate this as thoroughly as possible, using the College I.B.M computer.
Being based jointly in Loughborough and Nottingham, Brands is unfortunately a bit far for me to travel as I am usually broke. This matter of expense will determine, as with most people, how many meetings it will be possible to get to this year.
Before becoming involved with 50’s I rode Greeves and Dot in trials in the East Midland centre for a couple of years. My likes: Bikes, cars, and Science Fiction, pop music, blonds, brunettes, redheads and combinations thereof. My dislikes: getting up in the morning, going to bed at night. The weather. My ambition’s: not to fall off, to win an award (any sort will do), to have an occasional ride on a 125 or 250 .
My other big ambition is to have enough workshop facilities to be able build an engine, which I have planned out, which includes among other things rotary valve, two horizontal cylinders and three transfer ports per cylinder.
TRADE TALK………………TOOLEYS
1964 at Tooleys could be a really swinging year trade-wise. Already we are under extreme pressure and are busier than ever before. Over 300 Dolphin Fairings have been sold by us for the Honda and Suzuki 50’s and the orders are still rolling in. Coupled with this is our Velocette drive which is also going great guns. We are offering more special parts and equipment for the Velo's than any other agent.
Itoms, and in particular the Competition models, are now completely sold out until the next shipment r arrives which will not be until about end of April. These will be new versions fitted with four speed boxes and the usual Clip-ons, Racing Seats etc. etc. In getting these direct from the makers with the four gears fitted the price should be much reduced from the previous £l38.0.0, odd that we had to charge before for the conversion of the three speed versions. We will be handling the importation of these new Itoms ourselves and once things are really under way you can expect an even better service on these machines.
If you compare actual road test reports on standard Sports 50's, Which cover the Honda Sport and Sprint, the Suzuki 50, Ducati 50, you will see that the Itom .Competition model was the fastest of them all, as road tested by Motor Cycle Mechanics - last year, The Garelli 50 and the Tohatsu 50 have not yet been road tested in this country but we have a road test report on the Tohatsu on the way to us from U.S.A. where it was tested last year.
Our own Itom Racing machine, which is still being prepared at the moment, will be ridden by Mike Sampson all this season. It is being prepared slightly differently from the previous model which we did two years ago and which proved to be the fastest of all Itoms. The information on tuning this machine was passed on to Chas. Mates who rode the first Itom to finish in the first T.T. and was also, subsequently passed on to Geoff Votier.
The things that we did prove are, that the standard Itom Big End assembly is far more reliable than the Alpha caged roller conversion. We proved this beyond any dispute. You will get a very fast Itom if you work on it in the following Way. Make sure all bearings etc. are l00%, also the main shaft gas seals, which we have found last a very long time once fitted.
For Mark 5 engines use a Thin Ring Racing piston with rings gapped at .006" (two rings, in top grooves). It is not necessary to modify transfer passages or exhaust port, although experiments with exhaust port height can be carried out once the engine is really singing. We did raise ours approx. l/16th but do know of others which worked quite well with 5/52 removed from the top edge of a standard competition barrel. We would not however recommend this at all.
Induction port opened out to18mm and UAl8.S carburettor fitted which took a main jet of 84. It is vital that the cylinder bore is absolutely true. If not, then a re-bore must be carried out. When final honing is being carried out request that the bore is honed .001 or .002" slack. Standard Itom Megaphone fitted.
After bedding down which should not take more than V2 hours running time, you should find that the motor will rev to over 12,900 rpm and possibly over 13,000. Our own previous machine rewed in excess of 14,000 with 15 X 29 gearing before the Alpha big end assembly, which was then fitted, gave up and shattered.
We would now recommend higher gearing, such as 16 X 29 or 28 to keep the revs down to a maximum of 12,500. If you have Tooley four speed box fitted. then gear third as the top gear, and keep the fourth gear for long straights or downhill stretches. We would mention here that the four speed gear sets which we have been selling for the past two years are positively not the ones that have been giving trouble. These trouble-some gears were not made by Itom, and ours are.
Garelli is co-operating with us by supplying a small number of racing 50 cc models Which we will be able to sell at £129.00. These machines are being fitted with close ratio gears, four speed foot change, and engines are being prepared in the Italian factory. We are hoping that they will be capable of a maximum speed of about 78 to 80 with 8st rider aboard, and further details of specification will be announced when received.
Delivery should be at end of April or thereabouts and most of them have already been booked but we are trying to increase the allocation.
Things being tried on our 1964 Racing Itom are different induction, different port different Con Rod etc. So on to swinging '64. .See you there.
DICK CHALAY, TOOLEYS.
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