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Bikes, Pictures, Stories & more => Service Literature, Scans, Links, Documents => Topic started by: Rocket Racer on 12.01. 2017 02:59

Title: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
Post by: Rocket Racer on 12.01. 2017 02:59
Had some technical details scanning this and resizing (an unfamiliar mac) but appear to have sorted.
The road rocket road tests are only commonly referred to from '56 as the bikes all went to export markets so the british press and writers didnt get to play with them.
I splashed out and got this mag off flea bay
The example is a west coast one, with the small tank and no rocket emblem, but does have the 54 only underslung pilot light.
Good to see appropriate respect for machine shown: aka dirt track and scrambling  *whistle* 
Title: Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
Post by: Greybeard on 12.01. 2017 09:03
Great reading. Thanks.
Title: Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
Post by: muskrat on 12.01. 2017 19:11
G'day RR, thanks for posting that, very interesting.
"separate oil tank 7 pints" Costly oil changes!
Cheers
Title: Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
Post by: Rocket Racer on 12.01. 2017 20:49
I noted the mufflers are swept up compared to the drawing where they are level
Title: Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
Post by: trevinoz on 12.01. 2017 20:57
Upswept pipes are correct, same as the Flash.
I doubt that the oil tank was any different to the Flash, 7 pints?
Thanks, RR.
Title: Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
Post by: Rocket Racer on 12.01. 2017 23:11
I take no responsibility for any inaccuracies, not everything written down is a fact, although it sometimes seems like it.  ;)

Title: Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
Post by: edboy on 12.01. 2017 23:39
funny you should mention upswept exhausts. i have been looking at any period photo available, such as this excellent article, and confirms that all the new pattern downpipes i have are made too short. shame the photos dont show the chaincase side as i bet , unlike mine, you could take the chaincase outer cover off with the lhs downpipe in situ. worth a new ranting thread?
Title: Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
Post by: Rocket Racer on 12.01. 2017 23:46
Perhaps on the unshown chaincase side, there's an auxiliary oil tank  *whistle*

Yes these old articles are gold, the actual bikes rather than the factories sales materials intended bikes.
Title: Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
Post by: peter small on 13.01. 2017 12:43
Thanks very much for posting the article very interesting

Pete
Title: Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
Post by: RichardL on 13.01. 2017 13:38
Great articla. I wish it had mentioned compression ratio (unless I missed it). I am pretty sure "separate oil tank" refers to the standard tank, as opposd to some bikes which had gas and oil in the same tank (with separate chambers, of course).

Richard L.
Title: Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
Post by: Rocket Racer on 15.01. 2017 03:37
perhaps the 7 pints is the 5 1/2 in the oil tank + the pint in the gearbox  + the 1/2 pint in the primary  *dunno*
Title: Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
Post by: worntorn on 18.01. 2017 03:38
It's a US article so they are likely referring to the smaller US pints (473 MLS) rather than Imperial pints (568 MLS)

Glen
Title: Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
Post by: Rocket Racer on 22.11. 2017 03:10
funny you should mention upswept exhausts. i have been looking at any period photo available, such as this excellent article, and confirms that all the new pattern downpipes i have are made too short. shame the photos dont show the chaincase side as i bet , unlike mine, you could take the chaincase outer cover off with the lhs downpipe in situ. worth a new ranting thread?

picture of my original lh pipe from my '54 (the 128th built of around 500 made and exported in the 1st year). Yes room to remove the case without taking off