Engine Punk

The TreeVee hails from Sweden and is inspired by the Morgan Aero and Ariel Atom. Photo Per-Gunnar Björck I 've described a few contemporary Vintage Things before now, like the Toniq R (VT No. 21) , and here's another. Following my earlier post about the RIP Special (VT No. 112) , Per-Gunnar Bj ö rck e-mailed me about his Morgan inspired three-wheeler that exemplifies what I like to call "rolling sculpture". Per-Gunnar worked for Saab with powertrain and vehicle concept development for over 30 years and his ambition was to make and design something to professional automotive engineering standards despite working in a humble home garage. It goes as well as it looks, too. Photo Per-Gunnar Björck O bviously, it helps if you know what you are doing and have a clear focus of what you want as a final product.   "The actual starting point was when I fell of my Ducati Monster and felt that I needed more than two wheels to keep upright. I also...

As part of this Le Mans event, Morgan were the featured marque at the British Sports Car Welcome at St Saturnin. Among the British Mogs was this French one.( Photo by Alan Mansell) I love the little aerofoil below the sump! It looks like it's highly polished aluminium. According to the accompanying blurb, it had a 1233cc Harley Davidson fitted and "carosserie unique". Some people would decry the use of a modern powerplant but I really like what's been achieved here. And H-D's are not that modern. I'm no expert on Harley valve cover design but this one doesn't look like a Knucklehead, Panhead or Shovelhead to me. Maybe those are aftermarket items that make this engine more special. I've always had a weakness for polished aluminium. Unpainted panels like these leave bodges nowhere to hide. This Darmot must be a devil to keep clean but the effect under artifical lighting is fantastic. The best contract for such shiny panels is a dark colour and t...

This ex-Army Armstrong MT500 belongs to my mate Pete Low and is an excellent example of a “back to basics” motorcycle. These bikes have established something of a cult following. They were never available in the shops but were the British Army's despatch bike of choice for many years. As they've been sold off as military surplus, a number of people have realised what great bikes they are. “I bought mine in late '05,” says Pete, “partly with the idea of doing MCC trials on it. I liked the ruggedness, no chrome or shiny paint etc. but discovered the less desirable points that most MT500 owners will not admit to. “It was difficult to start from cold, and had a tendency to cut out at low revs, especially, it seems, at traffic lights. Both these problems are increased by the awkwardly placed left hand kickstart, but can be improved upon by junking the standard Mk2 Amal concentric carb and fitting either a 32mm Mikuni or 34 mm Dellorto. This also helps a bit, but not muc...