Bike Forums - View Single Post - Let's see your 1960's era bikes!

12-13-13 | 08:51 AM

#94

moultonguy

Senior Member

Joined: Nov 2007

Posts: 132

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From: Lancaster...UK

Quote:

Originally Posted by moultonguy

will post some words on the test ride...k

No moreexcuses, the 1967 S speed was tuned and ready for riding, and a nearby cyclerace track was deemed most appropriate. Before the testing I wanted toinvestigate the extra hard front suspension. Steve told me that Monty Young hadsaid that most if not all the riders preferred the suspension almost solid, butI felt that things had deteriorated in the long storage and removed the springand rubber to check, sure enough the rubber had swollen, effectively lockingthe forks. Brian Perkins kindly supplied a new one from his mini parts stockand to my relief the suspension was back in smooth action after decades. Theride was hard enough with 120psi tubs fitted anyway!
Before thephoto session with Pat Douglass, I had a trial run, just to try the ridingposition and gear selection, I soon found that I would not need the 72T ring,and that the saddle needed some rake and a couple of inches more post, a fewmore tweaks and all was fine for me.
My firstride on an S speed was initially a rather nervous affair, apart from the moneyinvested, there was the fact that the bike was irreplaceable and the track wascovered in leaves!
However allthis was soon forgotten, because the bike demanded concentration like a truerace bike. It accelerated quickly and I loved the short wheelbase, and did notfind it twitchy, but inch perfect when changing direction.
The brakeswere very powerful for vintage GB coureur plus sidepulls.
The bikesoon became pleasurable and I did not want to get off after a few laps. I feelthat in the hands of a young rider this would be very quick. The newly fettledfront suspension gave no trouble, but when photos of the ride were studied, thebellows seemed compressed, indicating there was scope for increasing thespring/rubber length, although no problems were apparent when “honking”.
I had heardconflicting reports about the handling of these bikes, but our test on thetrack revealed that these rare machines are fast and taut, with nimble steeringand a really formidable range of 12 gears, easily selected from the drops.
Above allthe Moulton S speed was fun to ride fast, and if not for the Raleigh takeoverwould have been a winner.

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