I could listen to Sammy all day long. How great would it be to have him give you a tour of those engines, where you could ask questions.Oh yeah. that centre stand. Why don't we have that on modern bikes. Instead of loads of how to videos on how to not break your back on modern centre stands.
500cc racing really meant something then.With only 54BHP a Manx Norton was clocked at 160 MPH at the Ulster GP! Bob McIntyre achieved the first 100 MPH TT lap with bouncy roads,raised manhole covers and steep adverse cambers that could pitch you off!
Visited the Motorcycle Museum in September. Rode down from Kent on my Royal Enfield Classic 500 with my mate riding his Yamaha MT07. Trust me, if you like your motorcycles, then THIS place is heaven on earth!
I've been two times at the Museum, and i enjoyed a lot both times. These videos represents perfectly the spirit of the place. Fantastic! Thanks for share.
Thanks, Sammy. I notice that the opposing pistons of the Wooler don't counter each other balance wise like those of a BMW twin. Good thing those reciprocating masses are light weight. Btw, took part in one of your trials riding schools in north New Jersey, likely in the late '60s.
Sammy, I remember my old friend, David Whitehouse, who I met when we both worked at the Velo in 64, telling me one day that he used to work in the paint shop at the Ariel.. You would bring him bits for his trials bike always telling him, "Not too much paint Dave.."
Not sure what to celebrate most, Sammy Miller referring to himself by his surname in the third person, or the sound of that awesome Moto Guzzi V8. Thank you for sharing
Cool bikes. The windshield on the Guzzi scares me. Assuming it's plexiglass, but it looks like it could lop of my head if I got into a crash and was propelled forward into it.
14:09 that big prop would certainly keep the mosquitos away. A friend of mine had a guzzi with the flat 4. He said that the bike was so finely balanced that you didn't have to put your feet down when you stopped.
I'd never heard of Wooler before this. The 1955 flat-four is a marvel. It must have been very expensive, judging by the high standard of fit and finish. And it looks as if the drive-shaft forms the RH part of the rear swinging-arm (an inspiration for the Jaguar E-type's rear-end arrangement, perhaps?).
3:23 Guzzi used a Dolphin fairing in 1956 and 1957 (Kavanagh - Dutch TT V8, Lomas - Dutch TT, V8 1957, Dale - V8 IomTT 1957) . Gilera used a Dolphin fairing in 1954, the design of which is basically what they use today.
Is this one a flat plane crank like Sebastiano Marcellino made or a cross plane crank Todero made in his hirth crank shafts? Last version they used I think was the cross plane crank. Have the drawing of the Tordero engine. What a great bike this is!
I recall examining exploded view drawings of the engine some years ago. Seems to me they didn't have set-in valve seats either, just used the head material, going by what I saw. Anyhow, sat on one of the v-8s at a dealer meeting in New Jersey in '67. I was amazed at how small the machine is and how narrow the engine.
@whalesong999 yes no set-in valve seats same thing at Lino Tontis Bianchi parallel twin. Don't know if Sammy's bike has hard valve seats. falcone-club.de/moto-guzzi-v8/
Commer knocker trucks had that kooky beam engine. Talk about taking a simple design and making it complex. In 1955 VW already had their head around a pretty nifty flat four. The 4 stroke principle is basically unchanged since Otto got it going and he was studying gas flow and sound waves in exhausts from the word go. Nothing new in engines that hadnt already been done in the early years.The Poms tried to get into supercharging just before WW2 as the Germans were winning. (In the races) and after the war they banned superchargers. Say no more.
Came here looking for the Woolers, could have done with out the umpteenth showing of that Guzzi monstrosity... YT fanboi catering ... As always a four cylinder sounds like a four cylinder, but I've never heard a V8 that sounds as F1 ragged as this Guzzi, Somewhere on YT, some Italian? held version sounded REALLY unhappy with the guys pecker heading around trying to get it going... Nice editing and better upkeep here I'm sure...
This is a world heritage. All this including the staff should be preserved for mankind.
I could listen to Sammy all day long. How great would it be to have him give you a tour of those engines, where you could ask questions.Oh yeah. that centre stand. Why don't we have that on modern bikes. Instead of loads of how to videos on how to not break your back on modern centre stands.
Glorious bikes spoken about by the great Sammy Miller.
500cc racing really meant something then.With only 54BHP a Manx Norton was clocked at 160 MPH at the Ulster GP! Bob McIntyre achieved the first 100 MPH TT lap with bouncy roads,raised manhole covers and steep adverse cambers that could pitch you off!
Great to hear that V8 go, that's a proper racing 1st gear!
"Another day in paradise", excellent 👍
Visited the Motorcycle Museum in September. Rode down from Kent on my Royal Enfield Classic 500 with my mate riding his Yamaha MT07. Trust me, if you like your motorcycles, then THIS place is heaven on earth!
Sammy is such a legend of information and always with clarity.
The Wooler sounds amazing.
An amazing guy. Lovely to see the V8 Moto Guzzi and the very innovative early Wooler.
As a boy I used to dream of getting one of your hi boy frames for my Sherpa t
You sir are a living legend, thanks for making this , fantastic viewing.
No wards to comments on legend .. long live sir . i love the spirit of Sir Sammy Miller
Well said Sammy another day in paradise ha ha what a brilliantly gifted chap you are thanks for such an informative and entertaining video.
Outstanding! Looks like one of those 60 mph first gears.
I've been two times at the Museum, and i enjoyed a lot both times. These videos represents perfectly the spirit of the place. Fantastic! Thanks for share.
Wonderful information Sammy,love it!
Now I gotta go reassure my Sportster.
Fantastic video Sammy, I can’t get enough of these and your amazing memory and knowledge.
What a beautiful day.V8 Moto Uzi,pubcarpark king
Great films! I plan a visit.
Just amazing to have a concise and interesting description of amazing older motorcycle technologies,,by an accomplished racer. Thank you for this .
Thanks, Sammy. I notice that the opposing pistons of the Wooler don't counter each other balance wise like those of a BMW twin. Good thing those reciprocating masses are light weight. Btw, took part in one of your trials riding schools in north New Jersey, likely in the late '60s.
That Wooler sounds so sweet!
Sammy, I remember my old friend, David Whitehouse, who I met when we both worked at the Velo in 64, telling me one day that he used to work in the paint shop at the Ariel.. You would bring him bits for his trials bike always telling him, "Not too much paint Dave.."
Ya the ban on dustbins was a wise move for the time.
Like "banana bob" the barefoot skier, this man's a treasure!👍👍👍
Unique self deprecation via third person reference! Everything happened before 1955!
The sound of the grey wooler was nice as hell!
Throughly enjoyed that thank you for the video.
Not sure what to celebrate most, Sammy Miller referring to himself by his surname in the third person, or the sound of that awesome Moto Guzzi V8. Thank you for sharing
I see gentleman..good work sir
Guzzi ought do a V8 again.... Imagine that!
You hear the poor guzzi struggling with the slow speed but damn what a sound.
Thank you for this 🙏
Ammirazione e rispetto!
✌
Cool bikes. The windshield on the Guzzi scares me. Assuming it's plexiglass, but it looks like it could lop of my head if I got into a crash and was propelled forward into it.
Yeah, all for the refinement of purpose back in the day. Creature considerations were way back in the mind mostly.
14:09 that big prop would certainly keep the mosquitos away.
A friend of mine had a guzzi with the flat 4. He said that the bike was so finely balanced that you didn't have to put your feet down when you stopped.
I'd never heard of Wooler before this. The 1955 flat-four is a marvel. It must have been very expensive, judging by the high standard of fit and finish. And it looks as if the drive-shaft forms the RH part of the rear swinging-arm (an inspiration for the Jaguar E-type's rear-end arrangement, perhaps?).
It's over complicated junk, that underperformed a single.
Great vid thank you.
3:23 Guzzi used a Dolphin fairing in 1956 and 1957 (Kavanagh - Dutch TT V8, Lomas - Dutch TT, V8 1957, Dale - V8 IomTT 1957) . Gilera used a Dolphin fairing in 1954, the design of which is basically what they use today.
The Guzzi V8 was to fast and to far for it's time. Legend! 👌
Looking at the Ariel trials bike in the background tells me where Honda got the design for their TL series.
Get some trade plates on the Guzzi and let it breathe on the main road for a couple of miles.😎
Banning the dust bins was a tough decision for sure. Great for land speed though.
Sarebbe bello rivederla in chiave moderna
Is this one a flat plane crank like Sebastiano Marcellino made or a cross plane crank Todero made in his hirth crank shafts? Last version they used I think was the cross plane crank. Have the drawing of the Tordero engine. What a great bike this is!
I recall examining exploded view drawings of the engine some years ago. Seems to me they didn't have set-in valve seats either, just used the head material, going by what I saw. Anyhow, sat on one of the v-8s at a dealer meeting in New Jersey in '67. I was amazed at how small the machine is and how narrow the engine.
@whalesong999 yes no set-in valve seats same thing at Lino Tontis Bianchi parallel twin. Don't know if Sammy's bike has hard valve seats. falcone-club.de/moto-guzzi-v8/
The wooler factory became the vandervell shell bearing works
Just up the road from the ace
cafe(Wembley)
That's just like the test runs I did after rebuilding Ducati singles
I know why the dolphins got banned but isn,t it time to revisit this tech.
twice the capacity and 20mph faster vs modern race bikes
Commer knocker trucks had that kooky beam engine. Talk about taking a simple design and making it complex.
In 1955 VW already had their head around a pretty nifty flat four.
The 4 stroke principle is basically unchanged since Otto got it going and he was studying gas flow and sound waves in exhausts from the word go. Nothing new in engines that hadnt already been done in the early years.The Poms tried to get into supercharging just before WW2 as the Germans were winning. (In the races) and after the war they banned superchargers. Say no more.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍
"Not an easy bike to ride".
Wow he raced back then came 2nd aswell and they only go 20mph quicker now haaha
Came here looking for the Woolers, could have done with out the umpteenth showing of that Guzzi monstrosity...
YT fanboi catering ...
As always a four cylinder sounds like a four cylinder, but I've never heard a V8 that sounds as F1 ragged as this Guzzi,
Somewhere on YT, some Italian? held version sounded REALLY unhappy with the guys pecker heading around trying to get it going...
Nice editing and better upkeep here I'm sure...
Utterly beautiful.
Looks horribly, horribly uncomfy too!
Still, Art demands sacrifice, as they say.... ☯
0hjkk
awesome , please please dump that loud stupid unwanted music at the start , it's shit , sorry , hugs