NEW IMPERIAL In the editorial in 100% Biker #186, I mention a motorcycle with which I felt in love at the Brackley Festival of Motorcycling. This is that motorcycle. It used to be said that a motorcycle should be designed to look as it was doing 100mph when it was standing still. Arguably this V-twin racing New Imperial is the most handsome machine of the 1930s and was capable of at least 120mph (a version took the Brooklands Track lap record at 115.82mph in 1935). An earlier version ridden by ‘Ginger’ Wood was the first 500cc multi-cylinder machine to cover over 100 miles at Brooklands in an hour). The concept was impeccable. New Imperial, a Birmingham firm with a long racing record, had developed its 250cc push rod engine to the point where it was one of the fastest in its class worldwide. Why not build a V-twin out of two of these engines? Each cylinder would have its own carburettor, exhaust and cam gear. The twin should produce double the power of the single. It did, and it was probably faster than the all-conquering Norton singles. There was one problem. It didn’t steer or handle like a Norton. Above 100mph it bucked and wobbled and the power couldn’t be used. Only Ginger Wood was prepared to risk his life in trying to tame it; in practice for the 100 miles in an hour record it went into a tank slapper and he was thrown off, escaping with minor injuries. Every effort was make to overcome the steering problem and the machine was rebuilt with a lighter engine and shorter frame and then rebuilt again in 1936 in the form seen here.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 18:00:00 +0000
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