A Velocette MAC rides to Santa Paula with new friends

[Thruxton71]

Last week we tried to ride to Wolf's grill, near the top of 33 between Ojai and Cuyama Valley. I had been working on my T100R, trying to banish clutch slip with adjustments and voodoo, and was anxious to test it on a longish ride. What does this have to do with today's ride, you ask? Well, while I was buttoning up the Triumph I brushed against the license plate of the 1952 MAC, and it rattled. What? License plates are supposed to be solid, not loose.

So, after hours of keeping my hands in gloves and pretty damn clean, I dismantled the license plate and it's mount to discover that the two through bolts from the tail light boss to the inside of the fender were loose, one completely missing a nut. To say that the underside of a Velocette fender is dirty would be the understatement of the year. But, it was a job demanding good feel, and gloves were not useful. It took days to get the final grease from under my nails.

At the Gas station that Sunday (last) the two new riders showed up.. the BMW R1150 RT, and.. the 1963 Duo Glide (with white walls, in very original shape). There was also a t100R, and mine, plus two Miatas. Off we went, and it was soon apparent that the clutch on my t100 was not doing it's job, especially in third when I started to get into the narrow power band. The Harley disappeared, as he was having some tuning problems, and caught up with us at a stop on his Norton SS650 (very nice, with a later Commando front brake.. picture attached). We soldiered on to Wolf's where the two Miata's were parked, hoods up to cool their might engines. The ride back was uneventful, and when we reached breakfast, the Norton had a loose retaining nut for the exhaust pipe to the head, a common problem. This new rider, fits right in!

This morning I rolled the MAC out with the new tight license plate, and headed to the meeting spot after the traditional push up the hill and bump start. SS650 brought his 1976 T140 (5 speed with dual disk brakes), an old friend brought his 1968 TR6, and a regular brought his 1970 S Norton Commando. One of the Miatas swapped cage for at 1987 GB500 TT, and then there was the sole Miata. What? Five bikes, and four proper British ones!! What is the world coming to.

The ride was to the airport for First Sunday in Santa Paula (https://www.aviationmuseumofsantapaula. ... 1st-sunday) where you can poke your nose into hangers full of antique and classic airplanes, and much much more (Reg Pridgmore used to have a hanger full of motor bikes there, as did some notable Hollywood types). I declined breakfast at the airport, turning around once we were into Santa Paula proper. The T140 had stopped to free up a sticking rear disk brake, so I encountered him on the way back. The MAC was running well, and he followed me back into Ojai and to Don Lalos, where we dined on breakfast burritos and contemplated the foolish habit of owning and riding old British Motorcycles, or Old Motorcycles in general, as he is having to get into his Duo Glide for some work.

So, it is heating up, and I will not be riding next weekend.. time to put the Barnett clutch I bought into the T100R and be done with it.

I hope.

Ojai.

P.S. Also attached is a flyer about an event you may be interested in, or not...