[Interviewer] Right good afternoon folks. Nice to see so many of you outside again and yeah, once again
we're joined by Allen Millyard and Phil Read, and Allen's here with the bike. We're gonna
run it in a few minutes, then we're gonna have a little chat with Phil as well. So first of all
we'll just let Allen tell you a little bit about the bike very briefly, and then we'll start her up.
[Allen] Well it's my Honda replica RC374. It's 374cc.
It's got a roller bearing crankshaft I made myself with a very short stroke of 32mm.
So hopefully it sounds very much like the original from the RC174 which is
297cc. So the engine is actually a Yamaha based engine from the SCR250RR, which I cut in half and
joined two together. The whole bike's handmade. It took me about five months to make it 2017.
[Interviewer] There we go. So that's what it is. We'll quickly have a world with Phil.
So Phil, this is obviously very similar to the bikes that you raced against back in the day. So yeah,
your thoughts on the bike? You've been impressed? [Phil] Yeah I used to hate this bike, because to follow it
at more than 10 feet away, it reached and hurt your brain, the noise of about 16,000 revs.
And although the Yamaha 4 was slightly faster than this,
but Mike Hailwood of course being Mike-the Bike, he made up the difference, and usually beat me. [Interviewer] Well
I'm sure it brings back some memories even if it reminds you of the slight deafness it caused. So
without further ado, Allen's got his ear plugs in, so we're just going to take a little step back
and fingers in ears times, and we're going to turn this mic off so we don't blow the whole thing up.
So there we go.
[Indistinct dialogue]
What else can we say? The high revs. A very authentic sounding and looking device.
So yeah, wonderful stuff.
Sorry, he's still got his ear plugs in.
So yeah, why this model? Why this bike? Why did you want to do this
one in particular? [Allen] Well I've always wanted one of these bikes but it cost half a million pounds for
a replica, and then probably 2.5 million for a real one. And none were available, so I thought
the only way I can do it is to make one. I was actually talking to Guy Martin at Castle Combe when I rode
up there on a Viper bike, and he was riding George Beale's RC174. And he said 'just make one.' So I
was riding back down the M4 thinking about how I was going to make it. So this is what I made. [Interviewer] So
there you go. That's the motivation, and yeah, you've done a fantastic job. So I think if you're alright to
give it another little blast, because these guys are all here to hear it rather than me talking.
[Interviewer] Thank you very much Allen. And I think we're going to be joined by another another chap who is coming in here
with a Benelli. So this is a 250 Benelli 4 which, so basically a replica effectively in the
Kel Carruthers 1969 World Championship bike. So we're just going to quickly, before our
man starts it up. So anything you can tell us quickly about the bike? [Bike owner] Yeah as you said it's a 254.
It's 230cc, so it's a tiny little four cylinder engine.
Benelli built them from about 1986 onwards,
I'm sorry '76 onwards until about mid 80s.
[Interviewer] There we go well again we're all here to hear him so we'll leave him to start it up.
[Interviewer] [Indistinct dialogue]
You can tell there's slightly different notes. So yeah, it sounds fantastic. So if we get we could quickly take his
picture and then we're just going to... We've got something completely different coming in next.
A Kawasaki two-stroke triple. This one is also fairly ferociously loud as anyone who's heard
it earlier. But again a totally different sound. Just quickly give us a little
brief overview because they're here for the noise really. [Bike owner] Yeah it's a '75 H1500.
I bought the frame about five years ago now, and slowly rebuilt it into what it is now. It's been
a drag bike since the sort of late 80s when it was built by a drag racer called Martin Bishop.
And then it was campaigned for a few years and then shelved. It's back to life. [Interviewer] Lovely well thank
you ever so much. And again, without more messing around we've got some more different noise.
[Interviewer] Lovely, thank you very much. It's great isn't it.
All the different sounds of it.
So far we've got a six, a four stroke six, a four stroke four,
a two stroke triple,
and I think we've got another one on its way in. And this is a sports single two-stroke.
So again another different noise and another different smell. This one's going to
require Chris and his rollers.
I think we're just going through a few minor technicalities.
Here we go, again.
Petrol's on, so that's a good start.
Okay.
This one's quite loud as well, so Chris is putting his ear defenders on wisely.
Oh, chap's just saying he's not quite sure it's gonna go.
[Bike owner] Try again.
[Interviewer] Another fantastic noise as well.
[Indistinct dialogue] ...you can hear them on the mainland.
With that noise you can kind of understand
how. So yes, I think that's our four that we were going to run. So
while we've got your attention and everyone's here, just have a quick word with Phil who's here.
What do you think of the show Phil?
[Phil] Quite unbelievable, the amount of people and
enthusiasts here is incredible. You know, nice to see. I'm sorry I'm not in this
business again. Classic bikes... But if I win the lottery I'll think about it.
[Interviewer] Well it's brilliant isn't it. It's just so fascinating all the different noises that
we get from all the engines. And of course when you were, you know, in the 60s in your heyday,
these noises were quite common within the paddock. The two strokes and the four strokes. And that's
something that hopefully we're giving people a bit of an idea of, just how loud bikes were,
and the different sounds. So you know, you started on the single cylinders and
then into all these multi's. So yeah, so it must be quite evocative. I think it's incredible to see what
Mr Millyard has done with the replica Honda 6.
But also it runs well and registers
about 16 and 17,000. And it's got an electric start on it. [Interviewer] Which were it alive back in the day it
would have made it make life a bit easier. Better than push starting. But I think Allen's looking like he's...
right I think he's going make his exit. Most people do entrances, Allen does exits so
cover your ears everybody.
[Interviewer] There you go.Thank you everyone, I hope you enjoyed it.