I haven't owned a Vincent or a Brough though I have ridden both a Rapide and an SS80, so my comments aren't based entirely on here say or something 'I don't have a clue about'...Fortunately I have some friends who have allowed me to try their expensive motorcycles...
I would actually like to own a Rapide because of it's engine which has the characteristics I like...I'd put up with the other features I've expressed a view on, or seek to alter them....Many years back I had the chance to buy a Rapide but even then I could have had five or six A10s for the same money and didn't think the Rapide was worth it....I realise now that was probably the wrong decision...
One of my favourite bikes is the MK2 Ariel Square Four (which I have owned) and that bike illustrates the actual point that is being made here very well...The 'legendary' bikes, along with all other bikes, all have their faults and are far from perfect...
'Legendary' status seems to be accrued from a bizarre set of criteria and is usually applied by the press and various individuals who have chosen to ignore a particular machines faults entirely and generally exaggerate their advantages....
I've owned and/or ridden a number of the legends over the last 50 years and it only serves to illustrate that at least from my standpoint, the perfect bike has yet to be created.(and I suspect never will be)..
As a BSA enthusiast I can easily understand Riks initial comments about the DBD Gold Star....The focus is entirely on this late version of a model that had a 24 year development period and included other interesting machines which all contributed to the Gold Stars success but which are virtually ignored...From a riders point of view on everyday roads I'd say the DBD is probably the most hyped and least suitable of the lot and the endless road tests that exaggerate its virtues do indeed become 'tiresome'...Focusing on one or two features of a bike doesn't really provide a balanced overview at the end of the day.....As they say...'A legend in its own lunchbreak'....:laughing: ...Ian
OHV 16H, that'll be an ES2 then, OHV M20, an M33! These scammers need to do their homework before trying to con anyone on here, but the danger is that those with less experience may be taken in. I've never heard anyone claiming 90 in first on a Goldie or Vin. A friend with a Shadow used to boast of 90 in second, and when I rode it I attempted this and did get there, but it was not an enjoyable experience. I certainly would not have done this on a regular basis if it was my bike. My Goldie was a 70 in first one, and I used to enjoy the drama of slipping the clutch and building the revs to do this. It had a Norton clutch, not a BSA tin thing, and was in the 70s when this was expected! Last night I was at the local bike caff and a long term BSA enthusiast who has several of their singles and twins rolled up on his Clubman Goldie with its RRT2, GP carb etc and he reckons it is easy to start and ride, "will just plod along at 30 if you want it to" he says. His only mod was to ditch the clipons in favour of higher bars. We all like what we like and I've always been attracted to the unusual and quirky, even if it's not practical or reliable. My wife says I'm like a Magpie, going for the shiny flashy noisy and fast things, but I still love unrestored and oily rag machinery, and WD bikes of course!
At the outbreak of war, Norton assembled a quantity of Model 18 engines into WD16H rolling chassis bearing numbers that had been allocated to WD16H contracts...they referred to them as 'WD18' and Dave Horror has built a replica. I still reckon there is a case for saying it's an OHV 16H though :stuck_out_tongue: ...Norton were not consequent in their nomenclature...the WD16H is a high-ground clearance version of the civlian model...so really it ought to be a 16C (Colonial) according to Norton's earlier classification.
Ian, Just read your post after I'd finished mine, and must agree that a lot of bikes have achieved reputations that they don't deserve as a result of over hyped press reviews. I'd always lusted after a Jota, and a few years ago the chance to buy one for very little money came along. It needed some attention after a spell outside, ie. a battery, petrol, and the tyres blowing up. I took it up the road expecting it to be a mind blowing beast that wouldn't go round corners, but that was not the case at all. The suspension was hard and it had a power band that didn't start till over 3k, but it was nothing like as brutal as the road tests had made out. I used it for quite a while and loved it. Never got to 140 MPH though. I have never owned or ridden a Square Four, and to be honest have never really fancied one, they seem over weight and over complicated for the available performance, and have the dreaded Ainsty link suspension. If I was after a softly tuned tourer I'd prefer a Model X or SS 80. A friend has just done a fantastic rebuild on a two pipe SQ4 though so if I can blag a ride I may have a change of mind!
The Anstey link isn't a great design really...It wobbles about on fast bumpy bends much the same as a plunger A10 does....When rebushed etc. things are a little better but the assembly wears again quite quickly...I've done lots of miles on plunger model BSAs and had the Square Four for a few years as well during which I used it for the daily commute to work....The engine was docile but very smooth, topping out at just over the 'ton'..The only mod. I did was to fit an oil cooler...
Ariels claim of '10 to 100mph in top' was certainly true of the Mk2 and I liked that broad spread of the available power...It was the best bike I ever rode in snow due to its soft power delivery...
You soon get used to the rear end wobble of both makes, it's quite predictable and the limits are soon picked up...What I would like is the Ariel engine in another frame but unfortunately they aren't seen for sale these days...Ian