The "Monward" Special
The "Monward" Special
B. R. NICHOLLS
THE END OF THE 500CC racing class has been forecast on many occasions but seldom with more clarity than after the statement by A.M.C. Ltd. that production of AJS, Matchless and Norton raceware would cease in 1964. But the international senior class holds the public imagination as no other can in racing so it is obvious that it will take a long time for it to die altogether. Geoff Monty and Alan Dudley Ward are two enthusiasts determined to keep the five hundreds alive and the first of two racing test beds is now ready for action and if successful will be put into production.
As both men were highly successful racers in the immediate post-war period and have since proved themselves as tuners and special builders, there is no reason to believe that the latest venture will be anything but a success. From the photograph, enthusiasts will immediately see that the 250cc G.M.S. frame has been used to house the 650cc Triumph engine, the larger powerhouse being used for testing in the hope that it will quickly reveal any design faults.
The engine has twin G.P. carbs and one float chamber while the machine has modified Norton wheels, 19-inch front and 18-inch rear; the exhaust system, chain guard, seat, gasoline and oil tanks are all Monty specials. The machine has shortened Norton forks and as seen in the photo, with oil in the tank and gearbox but no gas, weighs under two hundred and fifty pounds. This gives a very impressive power to weight ratio.
So much for the prototype. On production models there will be no separate oil tank. Instead there will be a large diameter top and cross tube to hold oil, with the filler positioned just to the rear of the steering head. The right-hand downtube will transmit the oil on scavenge return to the top tube, acting as a cooler in the process. Engines will be 650s with a short-stroke crankshaft or 500s, but in either case Alan Dudley Ward-tuned, fitted with oil pump geared off the inlet camshaft.
Titanium bolts will be fitted throughout, the engine will have nimonic valves and Reynolds forks will be used. These forks weigh the same as a Norton pair that have had all the lightening dodges known applied to them so in themselves represent some weight saving. Güera were experimenting with them at the end of last season. The only other item on the production machine that would vary is the petrol tank which will be in alloy, shaped like the Morini, complete with the chin indentation. •
