Going back in time with Motor Cycling

Motor Cycling was a classic British motor magazine.

 I took a walk back in time, recently, determining to read from cover to cover the Sept. 3, 1953 edition of Motor Cycling magazine. 

It was a different time. 

Motor Cycling was the first British motorcycle magazine, launching in 1902, but it tripped and had to be relaunched in 1909. 

By that time its longtime rival, The Motor Cycle magazine, had been in business for six years. 

Motor Cycling was more stable by 1953, with Graham Walker having been editor since 1938. A dispatch rider in World War I, he had an accomplished racing career. He had won the Ulster Grand Prix in 1928. 

Graham would leave the magazine in 1954, but by then Motor Cycling's green cover was well recognized as being "Read Wherever Motorcycles Are Ridden."

His "Editorial" in the issue that fell into my hands assured readers that quality, not the (falling) number of entrants, would assure the survival of the Manx Grand Prix.

As a weekly publication, Motor Cycling's inexpensive paper and lack of color photos are to be expected.

But the depth of technical writing and technical illustrations is remarkable. (No doubt much of this material was provided by motorcycle manufacturers, but it remains valuable, if presumably biased.)

My issue includes an extremely detailed and painstakingly drawn explanation of how to maintain a Model M23 BSA Empire Star.

(Hint: it's nearly identical to the wartime BSA M20 issued to the troops, so your military training during the war remains valid and spare parts abound.)

In general, Motor Cycling tended to feature racing reports, while The Motor Cycle offered more technical articles. Still, my edition of Motor Cycling analyzed the coming 1954 line of Watsonian sidecars, and spent a whole page examining "Lucas Plans for Next Year."

"Sports Gossip" was a column by Cyril Quantrill, who would go on to found Motorcycle News magazine two years later, and edit it during its formative years.

For the Motor Cycling edition I read, assistant editor R.R. Holliday went to the Isle of Man to report on practice preliminaries for the Manx Grand Prix, hanging Motor Cycling's headquarters banner on the Castle Mona hotel.

This was an important sporting event, and Motor Cycling not only provided a map of the grand prix route on the island, it offered advice on the best places from which to watch the action.

Imagine riding the race course on a 98cc moped!

It wasn't all serious, though. There's a page-long humor item by G.K.B., a woman who alleged to have ridden her 98cc Autocycle "Fanny" around the Manx circuit.

"There were no records broken and we were five laps short, but we did it," she wrote.

The true strength of Motor Cycling, in 1953, was its many and varied advertisements. Handsome ads touted brands like Ariel and major purchases like Firestone tires. 

Renold Mark 10 Chains advertised their competition victories.

Vincent invented a clip-on motor with a low center of gravity.

And the Vincent Firefly Cycle Motor showed off its remarkably low center of gravity, with the motor being attached actually below the bicycle's pedal crank. With 45cc of power, this clip-on motor for a bicycle was an odd creation for the same company that made the Vincent Black Shadow.

Royal Enfield was there, with E.S. Motors of Chiswick calling itself the 100% Royal Enfield Specialists:

"We are the largest ROYAL ENFIELD dealers and Spares Stockists in London," E.S. Motors claims, in an ad illustrated with a drawing of a 700c Royal Enfield twin.

Royal Enfield was featured in ads in 1953 magazine.

But the real meat of the magazine was advertisements for used motorcycles and for motorcycling accessories.

Not just parts, but apparel, including RAF goggles, U.S. pattern bomber jackets, and "Genuine D.R. Boots, not new, but in perfect condition." And all available by mail order.

It's in one of these ads that I learn that there is such a thing as a "Jeep Coat," fleece lined and in "Canadian officers' style." Dashing, and likely warm, too.

Perfect for riding your civilian BSA Empire Star.

Danger: AI writes some eBay listings

Artificial Intelligence thinks it knows what you want. 

 It will come as no surprise to you that Artificial Intelligence is being used to write some eBay listings. 

You probably even chuckle when you detect some of the laughable mistakes made by a non-human authors with no real familiarity with the items. 

A recent eBay ad offered an ancient Lucas regulator stripped off a junkyard motorcycle (maybe even a Royal Enfield). 

The ad copy almost glowed with pre-programmed confidence regarding this weathered part: 

"This Lucas Voltage Regulator RB108 6V is a reliable and high-quality part for your Royal Enfield Horex. It is designed to ensure your motorcycle's electrical system is running smoothly and efficiently. The silver color and vintage part aspect make it a great addition to your collection. The brand of this part is Lucas, a trusted name in the motorcycle industry. It is compatible with a variety of motorcycle and scooter parts and accessories, making it a versatile item for any rider. Buy with confidence knowing this voltage regulator will keep your bike running smoothly."

Imagine: Lucas, "a trusted name in the motorcycle industry." Would you buy this "with confidence"? 

You might buy it, but only on the chance it could work.

This highly rated eBay seller apparently uses AI to get his large collection of vintage parts posted. Of a 1956 Indian Tomahawk horn button, his ad says this:

"Elevate your motorcycle experience with this classic 1956 Indian Tomahawk Royal Enfield Horn Button. Crafted from a combination of durable steel and long-lasting plastic, this horn button is a perfect fit for your vintage motorcycle. The silver color adds a touch of elegance to your bike, while its placement on the front, left, and right side of your vehicle makes it easily accessible. This vintage part is a must-have for Royal Enfield enthusiasts who appreciate the historical significance of their motorcycles. With its unique design and reliable functionality, this horn button is an excellent addition to your collection. Don't miss out on the opportunity to own a piece of motorcycle history."

Long lasting plastic? A touch of elegance? Don't be silly.

AI thinks this worn part can add elegance to your Royal Enfield.

Another, obviously AI eBay ad, offers a vintage Royal Enfield metal toolbox. The robot alleges that the tool box can be fit on either side of the motorcycle (impossible: they are side specific), or -- even -- on the front!

Sure, it's funny. There's no reason not to buy, if you know what you're going to get, like the price, and like what you see in the photos (presuming they are real).

It reminds me of the badly translated instruction sheets, once very common, that came with items ordered from overseas. These were inscrutable and somewhat concerning if they, say, involved wiring electrical parts.

We can probably thank Google Translate for mostly doing away with goofy translations. It probably does at least as well as a human translator.

AI is different, because it is going to take the human entirely out of the equation.

AI has no hesitancy to inform you that Lucas made trusted electronics. It easily claims that your pride-and-joy motorcycle will be enhanced by the magnificent addition of junk-yard part.

In other words, it's unscrupulous. Soon it will be both unscrupulous and undetectable.

Probably many of the eBay ads I take for granted as the work of humans are in fact already the product of better scripted AI.

I have no way of knowing.

Is it such a bad thing? Humans make plenty of idiotic mistakes, too, and some of these can be seriously misleading, and even dangerous.

Well, consider this: In December, writer James Somers visited a Google lab where he played a game of ping-pong against a robot informed by AI. As he played, he could feel the robot adapting, to exploit his weaknesses.

It was spooky. But he found flaws in the robot's play, too. It didn't like topspin on the ball.

Later, Somers noted another ping-pong table in the lab -- except with a robot on each side, gradually erasing their flaws.

"I could see where this was going," he wrote.

The lab's goal, he learned, was to give the robots "superhuman performance."

We have been warned.

V-twin, hand gearchange, foot clutch? Yes

Can you see the little black pedal behind the kick-start lever? It operates the clutch. (Mecum Auctions Photo) 

 I had to puzzle over a feature I noticed in a photo of a 1930 Royal Enfield Model KL sold at the January, 2025 Mecum auction in Las Vegas. 

The 976cc side-valve V-twin sold for $27,500 at auction. Its description said that it had been used by a dealer in Oldham, UK, to collect motorcycles, using a sidecar. 

The big side-valve V-twin was "Royal Enfield's ideal sidecar puller," the auction noted. 

This machine was restored in the 1990s and was part of the David Silver collection. 

Its gearbox is a Sturmey-Archer three-speed. What caught my eye was a small pedal on the gearbox, obviously meant to be operated by the heel. 

It's not the brake pedal, or the kick starter, both of which are visible nearby. 

I wondered: could it be a neutral finder? Royal Enfields did come with gearbox neutral finder levers after World War II, but not in 1930.

After examination I concluded that the pedal on this Model KL (the "L" means it came with lights) operates the clutch. It serves as an auxiliary to the normal handlebar clutch lever, which is present on this machine.

I think I can see the little pedal connected to the same cable that appears to come from the handlebar clutch lever. I sure hope that is one strong cable!

My first thought was that such a feature would be rarely used. I supposed a rider would benefit from having both hands free, should he wish to wait momentarily at a crossing with the motorcycle in gear.

The Model K V-twin was often linked to a sidecar, and so it would have been easy to sit at a standstill with a heel on the lever and, say, refill the bowl of your pipe.

But that's wrong.

Clutches were meant to be used momentarily, while shifting gears, and no responsible motorcyclist would have sat with his foot on the clutch pedal, adding unnecessary wear.

Besides, imagine finessing the clutch engagement with your heel when moving off. Yes, you can do it nicely in a car with a manual gearbox, using the ball of your foot on the pedal. My heel is not nearly so exacting! I'd stall it for sure.

I don't think the this foot clutch was used to move off, but I think it nevertheless was a valuable feature, and probably led to a whole different style of riding. I imagine it went something like this:

No need to finesse the disengagement of the clutch -- just drop your whole leg on that pedal when you want to stop.

Remember, it's 1930: your gear shifting is done by your right hand, using the lever attached to the gas tank. Once your heel is on the clutch pedal, put the gearshift into neutral. You can now lift your right foot off the clutch pedal and push on the rear brake pedal, to bring the motorcycle to a halt.

(The little pedal had to be short, so as not to interfere with that rear brake pedal, which is also on the right side on this motorcycle.)

When it's time to move off, you again drop your leg onto the clutch pedal to disengage, move the gearshift into first, and firmly grab the (now slack) left-hand clutch lever; then lift your heel off the clutch pedal. Gently release your grip on the clutch lever, and off you go.

Thus the heel does the hard work and the left hand does the delicate job of letting in the clutch. I'm sure a skilled rider would eventually always use his heel this way, a real savings in effort.

Graham Scarth of the Royal Enfield Owners Club (UK) studies the factory records the club owns. He agreed that the pedal I saw is, indeed, a foot clutch, and added that a foot clutch is "listed against a few of the later 1,140cc KX machines."

Wait! This made me wonder if the little heel clutch pedal was a Royal Enfield factory item.

Let's cut directly to the answer: No.

I sent the photo of the auctioned motorcycle to Axel Winklebauer, of Germany, who is familiar with Royal Enfield V-twins, and other period motorcycles. He replied:

"I have seen such a short pedal on other vintage bikes of the '20s, but it is not original on an Enfield Model K."

Licensed GO7815, this is the only 1930 Model K I've seen with the short clutch pedal. (Mecum Auctions Photo)

I've looked at photos and illustrations of 1930 Model Ks, and can see no other examples fitted with the short clutch pedal. Perhaps this was an accessory or an early owner's clever creation.

But Graham was correct: later Royal Enfield V-twins would get clutch foot pedals. These would be much more substantial, full-length pedals, operated by the toes.

And, sure enough, in the press clippings in the Royal Enfield Owners Club (UK) archives is a January, 1933 article from The Motor Cycle magazine, introducing the new 1,140cc big twin for 1933.

"Since strong clutch springs are required with this type of clutch when running in oil, a large leverage has been arranged and the clutch may be operated by either hand or by foot," the article says.

January, 1933 article in The Motor Cycle. Note that the hand gearchange lever is missing, moved to the left side. Clutch pedal is on the left, as well. Not clear how it connects to gearbox. (REOC Archives Clipping)

But wait a minute. Confusingly, the clutch pedal has shown up on a model not available in England, and on the "wrong side" of the motorcycle!

The same month, the other great British magazine, Motor Cycling, described the new 1,140 as "Especially for Overseas Riders and Police."

"It will definitely not be available in this country," the magazine advised UK readers. Instead, it was adapted to countries with "right hand rule of the road."

The hand gearshift lever had moved to the left-hand side of the tank on this "overseas" machine, and so had the foot clutch pedal.

Foot clutch pedal of the "overseas" 1,140cc V-twin, illustrated in January, 1933 Motor Cycling. (REOC Archive Clipping)

An illustration showed the foot clutch pedal on the left. It is clearly so long that it would have interfered with the rear brake pedal if it had been installed on the right.

The caption of the illustration specifies that an "auxiliary" hand lever was fitted as well.

Britain would have to get by without the 1,140cc version of the Royal Enfield V-twin. But not for long. 

And now the hand gearshift lever on the tank and the long clutch pedal would move to the right, as they should be, for Britain. The clutch pedal would displace the rear brake lever, which would move back to the left side of the motorcycle.

The clutch pedal is back on the right, and you can see how it worked. (KX Owner's Archive Photo)

Jan-Peter Mueller-Kose of the KX Owner's Archive sent me a photo of a later KX foot clutch pedal. If you study it you can see exactly how depressing the lever with the foot would operate linkage, alongside the handlebar clutch cable, to disengage the clutch.

Another look at the foot clutch lever, from a March, 1938 publication. (REOC Archive Clipping)

More details came from Allan Hitchcock, of Hitchcocks Motorcycles, who provided the November, 1935 Royal Enfield engineering drawing for the foot clutch lever of the 1936 1,140cc Model KX. (Hitchcocks has a collection of the original UK factory's technical drawings.)

This drawing shows an overall length of 11 1/2 inches, or 14 inches if the lever was to be used with floorboards. Substantial, indeed!

Engineering drawing for 1936 Model KX clutch pedal. (Hitchcocks Motorcycles)

Motor Cycling's introduction of the new Royal Enfield models for 1938 gave this description:

"A foot clutch and hand change is fitted to the K and KX (deluxe) as standard equipment, but a hand clutch and foot change can be fitted for solo work only for one pound extra."

Note the reference to "solo work." The foot clutch really made sense only if you were hauling a sidecar. Riding solo, you'd prefer to have that foot available to put on the ground when you came to a stop.

Incredible how the motorcycle adapted over the years to the human body. We have only so many hands and feet; hands are flexible but weak, feet are powerful, but the heel will not dance like the ball of the foot.

Hitchcocks Motorcycles lists Part No. 23326 "Clutch Foot Pedal," but states it is "currently unavailable." As the engineering drawing shows, No. 23326 would be the long, 11 1/2-inch clutch pedal, not the mysterious little shorty that caught my eye in the Mecums auction.

Line up of solo machines from a January, 1938 publication. (REOC Archives Clipping)

The big side-valve Royal Enfield V-twins were popular with tradesmen for pulling sidecars. Police liked them for their relatively high speed. (A solo 976cc model was advertised as capable of 70-75 mph on level ground.)

They would finish up in 1942, and not return after the war. With so many surplus military 350cc motorcycles on the market, most with overhead valves for power and fuel economy, the day of the Model K was over.

They must have been awesome to see, even more impressive to ride, and they still have their admirers.