Boanerges Roars

[amateur]

I finally finished rebuilding the bike this afternoon, and, as promised here are a few details and photos.

 

I bought it new in 1972, when it started life as a Rickman Enfield – one of the 136 bikes built when the Rickman brothers obtained a few hundred Royal Enfield 750cc series II Interceptor engines. The first photo is from when Classic Bike featured it in 1982. Dave Richmond’s standard bike is at the back with the high-rise bars and forward footrests fitted to pander to the American market. I had already modified mine to a more comfortable seating position for better handling and long-distance cruising.

The major criticism that Classic Bike had was that the Albion gearbox, fitted to all Royal Enfields was dire – well it had been originally designed to change gears on lathes! 

 

 

 

After about another 10 years use, the Enfield engine was in dire need of a comprehensive rebuild. However, spares were scarce and the gearbox would still have been awful, so I bought a second-hand ex-grasstrack 920cc Weslake-Puma 360-degree crankshaft, 8-valve head engine and Norton Commando four-speed gearbox and primary chain case and fitted them instead, along with a belt primary drive – this took several years.

The end result was very quick and very, very loud, but the gearbox was a delight.

The downside was that the Puma barrels were a mismatch to the Weslake crank-case and cylinder head, so it leaked like a sieve, and, due to the 360-degree crankshaft it vibrated terribly. The final nail in that configuration coffin was when the belt drive snapped due to my slightly misaligning it.

 

The next picture is that version of the bike, when it was running. 

 

 

The good news was, however, that Dave Nourish, who had taken over the manufacture of the Weslake twin cylinder engines, could supply a new 850cc engine with a 90-degree crank (which significantly reduces vibration) and with the correct fitting for the belt drive. A small legacy meant that I could still keep an arm and a leg.

I was planning to take no more than six months to fit this engine as it should have fitted straight in.

Dave had, however, modified and improved several bits over the years, so it took me quite a bit longer. To be fair, most of the extra time was spent in fitting a new Quaife 5-speed cluster to the gear box and an Alton electric start (originally designed for the Norton Commando so it should fit).

It didn’t, but with a lot of machining and fettling, I managed to get it right.

I also made the stainless rack for the top-box and the spanner-less front and rear stainless wheel-spindle nuts.

I was given the design for the “silencer” about 30 years ago, when I worked for an engineering company that rented out space to an engineer who made special exhaust systems for the SBS quiet boats. It is rather loud, so I am fitting a mute to reduce the volume a little.

I named the bike “Boanerges” long ago, after the twin disciples James and John, who were nicknamed Boanerges, or “Sons of Thunder” due to their loud voices. I don’t think that it is too much of a stretch for a “Thundering Twin”.

 

These are today’s photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My plan is now, once I have run it in, to visit my brother in Norfolk this month – we originally bought it together when we were impoverished articled clerks, but after three years we were both married, so the bike was converted into a tumble-dryer and washing machine. A couple of years later, I saw it at the side of the A20 and spoke to the then owner, tracking him down when, after getting my first company car, I had some spare cash from the sale of the family car. I’ve owned it ever since.

Other planned trips are to see the “Midnight Sun”, north of the Arctic Circle and to ride the length of Spain from Santander to Marbella, where an American friend, who also had a Rickman Interceptor, has a holiday villa.

Having done Regensburg to London in a day (admittedly when I was 23), it will be interesting to see if both I and the bike are still up to it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2018 by amateur
pics

[la bala]

Some serious work gone into your project amateur and a very professional finish. I had an Enfield Bullet in the 60s and had never heard the story about the gearboxes. Thanks for sharing your pics with a very interesting write up.

[Walker570]

A very good read. I remember Rickmans being the Holy Grail, frightening to think that was in the early 70s. Some great fettling there . Compliments to you.  Enjoy your travels and stay safe.  I was never a died in the wool motor cyclist but rode Triumphs for about six years in the Warwickshire Police and consequently got talking with some interesting bike fans and my shooting pal is an ex Triumph Factory engineer.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Walker570

[Jaymo]

I hope it makes a better / louder noise than it did the other day ;-)

Still, at least you have RAC cover...........

[Pushandpull]

"Boanerges" was the name given by T.E.Lawrence to the mighty Brough Superior which eventually killed him. Some of what he wrote about motorcycling is extraordinarily evocative and worth a look - google boanerges motorcycle and it will come up.

[amateur]

Cheeky sod.

It makes a little less noise today than yesterday since I fitted the mute, and yes, it now starts with a turn of the key

[amateur]

1 minute ago, Pushandpull said:

"Boanerges" was the name given by T.E.Lawrence to the mighty Brough Superior which eventually killed him. Some of what he wrote about motorcycling is extraordinarily evocative and worth a look - google boanerges motorcycle and it will come up.

Yes, I was aware of the TE Lawrence connection, which did somewhat influence me in the name choice.

I believe that he named all his successive SS100's "Boanerges"

[Velocette]

For a spell I had a 750 Rickman Trident which I used for classic racing. It went well but vibrated like a sh***ing dog at speed. Does yours have the eccentric cams on the swinging arm pivot for rear chain adjustment,,,a bit like the one Ducati had. ? Is that a Lockheed front brake I see there too? We used to leave a little air in the hydraulics to soften the very "wooden" feel it had. A final point is that rearset gear change linkage can get quite sloppy and either a reversed camplate in gearbox or even a simple reversed gear lever gave a more accurate feel . A lovely bike though with that typical "leaning back" Rickman look.

[amateur]

11 hours ago, Velocette said:

For a spell I had a 750 Rickman Trident which I used for classic racing. It went well but vibrated like a sh***ing dog at speed. Does yours have the eccentric cams on the swinging arm pivot for rear chain adjustment,,,a bit like the one Ducati had. ? Is that a Lockheed front brake I see there too? We used to leave a little air in the hydraulics to soften the very "wooden" feel it had. A final to be point is that rearset gear change linkage can get quite sloppy and either a reversed camplate in gearbox or even a simple reversed gear lever gave a more accurate feel . A lovely bike though with that typical "leaning back" Rickman look.

Yes, it does use the set of offset holed discs to adjust the chain and Lockheed disc brakes are fitted front and rear.

I believe that the rear discs were the first fitted to a production bike, and certainly Honda bought or borrowed a disc-braked Rickman at one time and strangely, after that, Honda started using disc brakes.

The gear change works fine for me - anything is an improvement over the Royal Enfield's Albion gearbox.

I don't know about the vibration yet - I'm waiting for 20th May before I give it a good run out when the bike becomes exempt from MOT under the Historic Vehicles exemption. It really makes you feel old when a bike that you bought new is "Historic" 

[Velocette]

I too was tempted when they were new but got distracted by a Silk Scott which Brook Listers in Bradford had. It was the early version with the Spondon frame and slightly dodgy electronic ignition system. It pulled like a train and the gearbox was Velocette so was ultra smooth but was all still in development so not too reliable. With the wisdom of youth I decided that a 750SS Ducati would be a far better bet,,,,as I did with the subsequent 900SS . A bit like having a very exotic girlfriend,,,,,great when they going at it full chat but very expensive otherwise !

[amateur]

I always fancied a Silk too, but they were always out of my price range.

The great thing with the Rickman Interceptor was that the price started high ( over £1000) and kept dropping almost every month - £750, £675, and I think that we paid £550. Whatever, we hit the lowest price.

Although the frame, brakes and fibreglass were top notch, over the years I have upgraded pretty well everything else.

Now all I have to do is enjoy it.

 

 

[Konnie]

A good read and a good heritage story, all the best on your travels.

[pigeon controller]

A very enjoyable read and pictures. I had bikes as my main transport from 16 to 21having three Venoms, Daytona Triumph, cub trials and a BSA C15 clubman Road Racer on which I did a season of Clubman races. Thanks for posting, I'm tempted to buy a project Cafe Racer!!!

Edited May 20, 2018 by pigeon controller

[amateur]

15 hours ago, pigeon controller said:

..........I'm tempted to buy a project Cafe Racer!!!

Don't put it off!

The great thing about "specials" is that you have an unfettered hand in their design and components, so you can build exactly what suits you - and better still are not answerable to the "rivet-counters" who delight in telling you that that better component was never fitted to your otherwise standard bike.

This is my next project, a Tigcraft ex-racer, built by Dave Pearce in the 1990's, to which I will be fitting a Suzuki XF650 single cylinder engine. It is all in pieces in my loft at the moment.

Dave did build one road bike, but I can pretty well guarantee that no one else will have one like mine.

Edited May 21, 2018 by amateur

[pigeon controller]

My cub trials had a cracked frame and I made a new frame with oil in the top tube and a sump guard oil tank. Getting the headstock at the right angle was interesting. I never took any pictures and sold it to a local lad who was mad on trials to get my deposit for the Mini 1275 GT, wish I'd kept it. Happy days.

Enjoy your project.

Edited May 21, 2018 by pigeon controller