The Ufo

THE UFO

INNOVATION

All it needs are little green men...in kilts!

DAVID DIXON

ONE of the strangest devices ever seen at the Isle of Man appeared during TT week this year. Head-on, it could have been a UFO on wheels. From above, it definitely was a UFO, and from the fantastic attention it attracted wherever it parked, it could have been from outer space.

But it had only come across from Scotland (which, to a non-Scot, is outer space) with its constructor, 36-year-old auto body and fender man David Matthew. He built it as a fun vehicle, taking a leisurely three years and $650. Matthew liked the idea of a threewheeler, which, in Britain, is assessed motorcycle road tax, and a low insurance premium rate, but there was nothing to meet his needs on the market—and he didn't care for a sidecar outfit.

So, he took a 1959 BSA 497-cc Shooting Star, cut off the front and top frame tubes, and built on a tubular front chassis to carry Mini-Cooper 10-in. diameter disc braked front wheels and suspension, with the mini driving shafts removed. Instead of the Mini shock absorber units, he substituted motorcycle hydraulic telescopic shockers.

The front wheels are steered by drag links, which push and pull, and are attached to a normal, if rather short, handlebar. Because all this was rather low, Matthew opted for a kneeler driving/riding/flying position-as do European sidecar racers—with his knees cradled on platforms each side of the engine.

The chassis was then covered with a beautifully styled fiberglass body, which took one year to make. The headlamp is centrally mounted. A 3-gal. fuel tank is located in the nose, with the gasoline electrically pumped to the carburetor. Air scoops in the body top duct air to the cylinder head and carburetor. A massive scoop beneath the body directs additional air to the cylinder block and crankcase. For town use, or a slow crawl up mountain passes, an electrically driven fan is fitted, which can be brought into use at the flick of a switch.

The rear section is merely a streamlined tail which covers the rear wheel and chain; this lifts off with removal of four bolts, whereas the main body section requires about 10 min. to unhitch.

A long pull-lever attached to the kickstarter shaft is used for starting. This is a bit of a disappointment, as one expects pushbutton equipment on such a sophisticated projectile, but the engine starts easily, just the same.

On the open road, the vehicle handles surprisingly well, in view of its unorthodox appearance. Below 20 mph, the direct steering is very heavy, but above that it is pleasantly light, and becomes increasingly lighter—until around 85 mph, when the front end starts to weave perceptibly from side to side on bumpy surfaces. With most of the weight rearward, this is not surprising.

It can be steered to a fraction of an inch on fast, smooth corners, with very little effort. Only when rushing corners much more rapidly than one would do with a sidecar outfit is there a suggestion of understeer, and at no time on dry roads can the rear wheel be induced to slide.

On a smooth road, rider comfort is fine, but on bumpy surfaces, road shocks are too easily transmitted through the thighs and arms—mainly because of the short, stiff travel of the front suspension.

The front disc brakes, operated by the right handlebar lever, are really potent, but require too much pressure. The BSA rear brake unit is light in operation, but of little effectiveness. Incidentally, with hydraulic operation one would expect lighter front brake operation, and Matthew has gone to the trouble to install a hydraulically-operated clutch, but it, too, is. noticeably heavy in use.

Some may question the time and cash spent on a seemingly useless non-commercial venture, but David Matthews has built something original, ingenious, made with old fashioned craftmanship without a single blueprint for guidance. He did it without thought of financial gain, and made it for fun, because he wanted to. How much brighter the world could be for more thinking along these lines! Now he's planning an even more weird device...