1938 Rudge Race Bike

Nulli Secundus

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Yes Adam was indeed riding a VMCC owned Rudge at other BHR meetings this year, but the results sheet for Cadwell indicated that he was riding a Vincent, which I would of noticed on the grid with me had one been there. The Lee Hollick photos show him riding a Velocette, which perhaps is also VMCC owned?
 

vibrac

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Yes Adam was indeed riding a VMCC owned Rudge at other BHR meetings this year, but the results sheet for Cadwell indicated that he was riding a Vincent, which I would of noticed on the grid with me had one been there. The Lee Hollick photos show him riding a Velocette, which perhaps is also VMCC owned?
I believe its Tich Allens old Vello so you are correct it was opposite our caravan in the paddock
 

Nulli Secundus

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Just a quick summary of my racing, or lack of, this year.

Mallory Park went well, but I still had handling issues, especially around Gerrards. However, I now had my 10 signatures for my novice rider's record card and could apply for my Clubman's licence.

The next meeting I entered was Lydden and practice was going well until the bike stopped. The magneto timing had slipped and all attempts to reset it failed. I gave up and left for home Sunday morning to give my son a chance to watch England in the World Cup.

I removed the magneto that morning and discovered a burr on a redundant woodruff key slot. This caused the timing problems and once removed it was timed OK.

Anglesey was next and practice went OK. In my first race I was immediately behind Mervyn Stratford on his Rudge and Aaron Rogers on the Stu Rogers methanol burning International Norton. I was fractionally slower to them reacting to the lights, but was making so much ground on them that I thought I could squeeze between them and be in front through the first corner.

My Rudge had other ideas and went bang, clatter and then obviously stopped.

A pushrod had broken and I had no spares.

On repairing the bike I discovered the cylinder head was scrap due to excessively pocketed exhaust valves that no longer sealed.

A few avenues have been explored and will cost me too much money. I hope I will have a solution for next year though.
 

Nulli Secundus

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Fitting seat rings was considered Bruce, but when people saw the head in the flesh they shied away from it.

I will post a picture, or two, later on which might help explain their reluctance to take the job on.

I learnt that the head was not repairable whilst on holiday on Islay (the whisky island) and put a wanted head advert on the Rudge Club Forum. I was offered a choice of two from a guy on Shetland and bought one for a very reasonable price. The head is in perfect condition, but will need a lot of modifications to convert it to a central spark plug and a bolted down rocker cover, as opposed to the clamped down standard one. Then there will be the porting and most likely seat work. The seats look good as they are.

This work will cost me quite a lot of money.

I have a plan B though. With new cam followers (which I have just bought new) and a small bolt on conversion piece for the crankcase, which I will have to get made, plus 5 modified head bolts, I can then fit one of my brand new 1931 open valve Ulster heads. I plan to route the then redundant oil feed to the head down into the timing chest via the conversion piece to keep the cams and followers happy. Should save me a few bob and I want to test my new heads anyway.
 

vibrac

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Were there more on the grids in the so called "ACU girder fork class" Championship this year? than in the old '48' Championship now that Triumph tele forks, Vincent Girdralics, Douglas and others are excluded? (By the ACU sponsors not BHR).
Did a lot show up on the grid who did fit the date requirement but came under the ACU exclusion rules? ie did not care about the ACU championship?
Do they still mix classes on the grid with widely different performances and ages and do the commentators still only talk about the ones in front of the race and not those at the front of their class?
I only ask because for the first time in 30 odd years I did not go to a single race.
 
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Nulli Secundus

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Here are some pictures of the head.

Number 1 and 2 exhaust valve seats (both breaking through into their exhaust ports)
2018-08-22 18.00.22.jpg


Close up of number 1 exhaust valve seat
2018-08-22 17.59.47.jpg


Note: Mervyn Stratford originally prepared this head for racing and he said it was now scrap and reckoned a lot has gone on with it since he did it. He was not impressed with the blended valve guides as they are now too short.

In my own view of it the valve stem length on the exhausts would now be too long with pocketed valves and therefore the rocker geometry is all wrong. This would increase side thrust on the valve stems and the now too short valve guides.


Modified head
1544269399088.png


As can be see from the above picture Rudge must of considered having a bolt on rocker box, but in the end chose to use a bolted down spider clamp using a single bolt threaded into the timing hole.

When Mervyn did this head only 5 of the available 7 areas were drilled and tapped. The alloy rocker box had to be welded internally to accommodate drilling the bolt holes.

Also, from the above picture one can see a broken valve spring and the other pair had collapsed in height, so perhaps that was the cause of the broken pushrod, well that and too many revs...…..
 

Nulli Secundus

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Were there more on the grids in the so called "ACU girder fork class" Championship this year? than in the old '48' Championship now that Triumph tele forks, Vincent Girdraulics, Douglas and others are excluded? (By the ACU sponsors not BHR).
Did a lot show up on the grid who did fit the date requirement but came under the ACU exclusion rules? ie did not care about the ACU championship?
Do they still mix classes on the grid with widely different performances and ages and do the commentators still only talk about the ones in front of the race and not those at the front of their class?
I only ask because for the first time in 30 odd years I did not go to a single race.

Tim,

The grid was quite healthy this year in the Girder Fork class. Rudges were me and Merv and occasionally Mike Farrell and Tony Perkin, then there were Nortons, Velocettes, Triumphs, a Scott and a Cotton.

Yes the classes are still mixed, but more sensibly now, namely two other classes from these: Bantams, MZ Supa 5s, 250 Specials and 350 Ducatis. Nonetheless the commentary will not reflect the actual action in each class, only the action at the front.
 

vibrac

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AH Ha!
I see the ACU are not sponsoring this year so the Vincent is again eligible for the championship and rigid girder forked bikes rightly have a points advantage
here is the latest spec
NB for Barack room layers we can thank the efforts of Phil and the crew for getting both Girdralic forks and a Comet into the Earls court show in the autumn of 1948 to make the Comet eligible in this class the next period break is up in the 60's

MAGNETO - Any magneto except rotating magnet type.
1PRE 1949 CLASS (UP TO 31.12.48)
HANDLEBARS, CONTROLS, WHEELS, GEARBOXES, FRAMES, FORKS AND TANKS - should be of original type.
Gearboxes restricted to a maximum of 4 gears.
ENGINE - Must be of a make and type originally fitted by the manufacturer, all major components must be of the year in question.
WHEEL RIMS - All machines produced before 1.1.37 must have steel rims. Alloy rims may be fitted to racing machines produced
after 1.1.37. Rims must be at least 19" diameter on machines produced before 1.1.37. 18" rims may be used on later machines.
MUDGUARDS - Must be metal and if alloy must be painted to match machine in general. If alloy rear guard, it is advisable to fit strengthening strips on the underside.
SEATS - Duel seats may only be fitted to machines produced after 1.1.45.
CARBURETTOR - Only early 2-piece Amal, TT Amal and track Amal may be fitted. Remote needle (RN) type TT Amal may be fitted from 1.1.37.
IGNITION - Rotating magnet magnetos may not be used unless fitted as original equipment.
REV COUNTERS - Contemporary and Small Electronic Round Analogue types may be used. Digital types may not be used.
HUBS - Must be of a type fitted by the manufacturer with the machine. No dual brakes permitted on solos unless original specification.
Note of special interest. Vincent Girder Forks (Girdraulics) are accepted within the girder fork class. (AGM 11/17)
 

Nulli Secundus

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That is great news Tim and hope to see you and Ben next year.

Also, going by the above it looks like hydraulic suspension damping will be allowed. I did not want to say this earlier because I did not want to upset you, but at least three girder fork bikes were running hydraulic suspension damping last year (all front runners) and because of that I decided to join them, but never got to race test the mod to see if it improved the handling, due to the issues I suffered with the bike.
 
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