Captain America & Billy Bike

I’d arranged to meet Craig at Petrie Village, north of Brisbane, to put together a report on his latest creation, a Billy Bike Replica. 

At the last moment, I added a pair of Speedlights (Flash units) to my photo kit before heading off to meet him. 

After taking the usual photos, we headed down towards the blacksmith’s shop at the bottom of the village. I thought we'd stage some shots in the doorway. 

 Unfortunately, the business has closed and the shop is now vacant, but the door had been left ajar. We (Craig) wheeled the beautiful Billy and Captain America replicas inside and set up a photo shoot using the Speedlights I’d packed at the last minute, just in case. 

The photo pays homage to the tyre-changing scene in *Easy Rider*. It was as black as a ... blacksmith's shop inside, so it has been retouched and brightened a bit in post. 

We’ll have the full story on this awesome build in Issue #209 of Heavy Duty Magazine.

Motorcyles Music Videos

Extended Playlist with music videos featuring motorcycle.

Dave's Classics: Norton Commando

Introduced at the 1967 Earls Court Show, the Norton Commando became one of Britain’s defining superbikes. Its innovative Isolastic system mounted the engine, gearbox and swinging arm on rubber bushes, greatly reducing the vibration reaching the rider.

The 850 Mk II arrived for 1974, powered by an air-cooled 828cc overhead-valve parallel twin with a 77mm X 89mm bore and stroke and 9:1 compression ratio. Fed by twin 32mm Amal carburettors, Norton claimed 60bhp @ 6,200rpm and 49lb-ft of torque. It had a diaphragm clutch, four-speed right-foot-gear change and chain final drive.

Weighing 188kg dry, the Mk II had a 57-inch wheelbase, Roadholder telescopic forks, twin rear dampers, 19-inch wheels, a 10-inch hydraulic front disc and seven-inch rear drum. Depending upon gearing and specification, it was capable of around 115–120mph.

The final Mk III arrived in 1975 with electric starting, rear disc brake and left-foot gear change. Commando production continued until 1977, with a small number of machines assembled in 1978.

Dave's Classics: McIntosh Manx

Norton’s Manx Grand Prix racer was released in 1939, with post-war production running from 1947 until 1962.

 Available in 499cc and 348cc models, it became a definitive over-the-counter racing motorcycle.
Both versions used air-cooled, double-overhead-camshaft single-cylinder engines and close-ratio four-speed gearboxes. Later 500cc machines produced approximately 50–54bhp, weighed around 140kg and, depending on gearing, could approach 140mph. 

The 350 developed about 35bhp. 

A compact 56-inch wheelbase, Roadholder telescopic forks, large drum brakes, alloy rims and the celebrated Featherbed frame gave the Manx exceptional stability and precise steering.

Its competition record included Geoff Duke’s Senior TT victories in 1950 and 1951, Phil Read’s 1961 Junior TT win and Mike Hailwood’s 1961 Senior TT triumph. Private entrants continued winning major races long after factory production ended.

That legacy survives through specialists including New Zealand racer, engineer and builder Ken McIntosh. In 2014, Bruce Anstey rode a McIntosh-built Manx to the Classic TT’s Hailwood Trophy, recording a 108.110mph lap—the fastest ever achieved by a Manx Norton around the Mountain Course. 

High Tech Compared

What else would a motorcycle geek do but drill deep into every facet of the systems—then build a web page about it?

I’ve been fortunate enough to test some of the most luxurious touring baggers on the road, from Harley-Davidson and Indian’s latest flagships to BMW’s formidable six-cylinder K 1600 B.

Each manufacturer takes a different approach to displaying information, controlling the motorcycle and connecting the rider’s phone.

The comparison covers five motorcycles I’ve ridden first-hand:

• Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide
• Harley-Davidson Street Glide
• Indian Pursuit
• Indian Chieftain
• BMW K 1600 B

Harley-Davidson’s beautiful 12.3-inch Skyline OS display represents an enormous leap from the ornate analogue dashboards, radio/cassette units and CD players of its earlier baggers.

Indian combines traditional analogue gauges with its highly customisable RIDE COMMAND touchscreen. Its cascading screens and drag-and-drop widgets provide an extraordinary amount of information and control.

BMW takes another path. Its wide TFT display isn’t touch-operated, relying instead on the familiar Multi-Controller and handlebar switches. It requires some familiarisation but soon becomes intuitive—especially while wearing gloves.

The full feature includes specifications, system functions, phone connectivity, expanded image galleries, star ratings and my pluses and minuses for each system.

Which one works best from the rider’s seat?

Read HIGH TECH COMPARED at Dave’s Place:

https://davidcohen.co/dashs/