Out of your current bikes, which is your favourite?
Apologies if this topic has been debated before (which surely it has?) but a quick search of the site didn’t turn up what I had in mind. So here goes …
I’m only addressing current bikes, as otherwise this could take a while ….
My DOT is no longer on the road. I restored it, and then my son rode it. Now it looks like an old field bike. Anyway, it’s top speed is only around 45mph and it vibrates sufficiently to be annoying. When I rebuilt the engine I converted the crank to full circle but, not knowing the factory balance figure, didn’t compensate for that. As it's no longer on the road I can’t be bothered now to strip it again and start adding lead plugs.
My B31 was bought around 1965 for hill-climbing. Stripped down, with suitable mods and a well tuned engine it won me several trophies. Later, when riding in historic class I was up against 500’s and so built an M33 engine for it. As it’s road registered I tested it on the road before stripping it back again. My son now races it.
The Weslake is a sprint bike. Vibration is the key word here. Will have to start another topic on that problem.
Which leaves me with my three road-going bikes. First, the Honda Firestorm. Engine is fantastic – over 100bhp of sheer grunt without so much as a tingle of vibration anywhere. Frame handles fairly well, though it wants to run wide when powering out of a corner. Brakes are good – will lift the rear wheel. Riding not so good. Bike is over 400lbs and top heavy. Wants to fall down in slow corners, and the position is uncomfortable – after half an hour on it I can’t walk.
Which leaves me with my ’58 Flash and ’49 M21 with the vee twin engine. Difficult to decide between them. Comfort goes to the Flash – the M21 rigid rear is not great on today’s rubbish roads. Brakes – the 8” tls on the M21 will bottom the forks, whereas the only way you could do an emergency stop on the Flash is by crashing it. Power – the M21 has the edge, and it is smoother. Slight vibration starts around 5,000 but not so bad you couldn’t stay there for a while. And who wants to ride at 100 for an hour? The Flash is smooth until around 3,000, when vibration starts - unpleasant enough that you wouldn’t want to stay there long and, revving it as high as I dare (alloy conrods are a liability) I couldn’t ride through it. I’d guess 7,000 at least before it would go away. The Flash starts first kick, whereas the M21 usually needs three – and anyone under sixteen stone need not try. So which do I prefer? Probably the Flash for a pootle around, the M21 for a bit more speed and the Firestorm if I’m in a hurry or need to cover some distance.
