38 |AUTUMN 2019
and also offeraslightlyaltered riding position thanks
to barrisers. The modernRenthal bars also offer some
slight improvement in rider comforttoo. Keeping the
plot up is handledbyaset of wheels madefroma
pair of newold stockhubsandbrake platesthatwere
availableand camethewayof the project. NeilJones
built theminto Excel rims and usedstainless steel
spokes to ensurethe wheelswould always lookgood.
Once backwithChrisLewis,apair of Michelin tyres
werefitted and theproject wasarollingchassis.For
now,attention has beenfocusedontheengine and
it wascompletelystripped for inspection. Once the
inspectionwascomplete all thatwasreusedwere the
crankcases... “SeriouslyChris?Nothingelse?”Witha
shakeifhis headChris said:“No,everythingelse
insidethe engine and the head and barrel is newand
original Honda stuff.”That isalot of bits,even in a
two-stroke and it is nice to knowthereare stillbits
out therefor anyonewhoneeds to do the same,but as
weatCDBlike tochampionracersandusersof older
motorcycles, it is equallygoodtoknowthat thereare
some improvements outtheretoo.
Once the motorwas built and offered to the frame
Chris mounted itusing hisownfront plates and
stainlesssteel fastenersthroughthe build. One part on
the engine thatis asgoodasunobtainable–certainly
Chris hasn’t comeacross oneforalong time–isthe
original carb manifold. Flexible manifolds tend to
perish andanewaluminium one isavailablefrom
Elsinore’74, whichinadeparturefromtheKeihin
standardcarb,actuallycarriesaMikuni bearing the
legend ‘not foraircraftuse’, whichpresumablymeans
thecarburettordoesn’t work upside down,as can
happenin aircraft wherebeing upside down isn’tquite
the problem itwouldbeonanMXer.
Once the issue ofgetting thegasintheengine is
sorted and it’sdonethebang bit it needshas to be
pulledawayfrom thecylinder.Exhausttuningis a
criticalpart of two-stroke performance and the shop
windowbikewearsaPFR system, thesame as the
otherbikeswephotographedthatday.“It does the
jobwell,”saidChris. Looking at the whole breathing
thing, in the good old daysasimplegauzewasenough
to stop bits ofrockand the like from entering the
engine,but some manufacturers didn’tlikethe ideaof
afilter at all and claimedfitting onewoulddestroyfine
carburetion, whichignores theeffectmuckand dust
has onfine carburetion. Inreality,filter materialwasn’t
as advancedin those days asitis nowandElsinore’74
haveaspecial airboxwithaproperfilter in it so the
carbreceivescleanair to mix with thefuel. Running
gear suchasthe side panels, tank,mudguardsandEverseen‘OnAnySunday’?YeahTHEfilm...wellone
oftheeventsfeaturedisamotorcycleracebasedina
towncalledLakeElsinore...yes,that’scorrect‘in’not
‘at’or‘near’,butactuallyinthetownitself.Thestartwas
onMainStreetandthetrackwentthrougheachlap.In
thefilmtherewasallsortsofmayhemasridersbacked
intocorners,gotcaughtintapesortackledbendswith
moreenthusiasmthanMXtyreshavegrip.Theevent
wentintodeclineandthe‘biker’elementofourscene
startedtakingover,sotheElsinoreGPwashalted
intheSeventies.Agroupofdirtbikeriderslobbied
successfullytohaveare-runoftheeventandithas
enjoyedaresurgence.ELSINOREGP
Above:Manandrace
machine.1:Engineis welltuned,
aserviceChrisoffers.2:Noguardonhere
tostopmudbuilding
up–wedon’t think
Californianshadtodeal
with mudveryoften.3:Rearbrakepedalis
special.4:Ah,sothat’show you
get morelock.5:InternalsbyMaxton,
externalsbyHonda...
patinabyracing.