Kevin Cameron

[husaberg]

Guru, AMA tech inspector, and probably the best technical editor who ever wrote


Yeah i know it doesn't belong in buckets but there is less a-hole here
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[husaberg]

more...
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[pete376403]

When I was buying "Cycle" magazine, Camerons articles were almost always the first thing to be read.

[husaberg]

When I was buying "Cycle" magazine, Camerons articles were almost always the first thing to be read.

Yeah he sure has an easy to read syle always entertaining and really informative at the same time.
I have TDC vol 1 and his Performance street bike books, they are both excellent reads.
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[husaberg]

The other that would not fit.
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[oldjohnno]

His "Classic Motorcycle Race Engines" is a must-read and is full of insights about the engine designs and how they came to be. It's interesting to see how pragmatism often triumphs over technical sophistication, and sprinkled throughout are little pearls of wisdom like "there's little to be gained from carving an alternate universe from billet".

People that combine both technical understanding and the ability to write clearly and in an entertaining way are rare - another that comes to mind that I enjoyed very much was the late Gordon Jennings.

[husaberg]

His "Classic Motorcycle Race Engines" is a must-read and is full of insights about the engine designs and how they came to be. It's interesting to see how pragmatism often triumphs over technical sophistication, and sprinkled throughout are little pearls of wisdom like "there's little to be gained from carving an alternate universe from billet".

People that combine both technical understanding and the ability to write clearly and in an entertaining way are rare - another that comes to mind that I enjoyed very much was the late Gordon Jennings.
I haven't seen that one, but i will find it and put in on the Xmas list
Yes to Jennings as well and prior to that Phil Irving aka Slide rule
Who also managed to pen the most revered and iconic motorcycle in the world and a F1 wining engined.

[husaberg]

The rest that wouldn't fit.
plus some i missed.
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[jasonu]

Yeah i know it doesn't belong in buckets but there is less a-hole here
]

I'm sure they won't be far away.

[Michael Moore]

"there's little to be gained from carving an alternate universe from billet".

Depends on your goals, there can be a lot of personal pleasure/satisfaction from that kind of activity.

Add Vic Willoughby to the list of "interesting writers on technical subjects".

cheers,
Michael

[oldjohnno]

"there's little to be gained from carving an alternate universe from billet".

Depends on your goals, there can be a lot of personal pleasure/satisfaction from that kind of activity.



I agree entirely Michael but I think Cameron was looking at it from the perspective of a factory racing department looking for a return on their investment within a reasonable timeframe. A recurring theme in the book is the need for a new engine to be able to be brought to a competitive state fairly quickly, and this often means a simple, conservative design is often a better choice than a radical one with possibly more potential. While you're still developing the next world beater the competition is gathering points. Brabhams V8 is another example of a simple engine of limited potential that was successful purely because it could be brought up to speed quickly while the oppositions engines were still being de-bugged.




Add Vic Willoughby to the list of "interesting writers on technical subjects".

cheers,
Michael

Anything in particular by Willoughby you'd recommend?

[Grumph]

Anything in particular by Willoughby you'd recommend?

The Racing Motorcycle - Hamlyn, 1980. Probably well out of print now but pretty good stuff. Different perspective from Cameron as Vic actually rode a lot of the bikes mentioned. Like Cathcart in that respect - but goes deeper technically.
Bradley wasn't the first to use that title...

I've made the mistake of trying to carve an alternate universe from billet more than once - and been on the fringes of a couple ot other projects who've gone down this track. It's not just factories who like simple solutions. Most projects never get finished simply because they wouldn't accept a simple answer.
It quicker to get a bike on track using existing parts than making your own....Are you listening Husa ?

[husaberg]

The Racing Motorcycle - Hamlyn, 1980. Probably well out of print now but pretty good stuff. Different perspective from Cameron as Vic actually rode a lot of the bikes mentioned. Like Cathcart in that respect - but goes deeper technically.
Bradley wasn't the first to use that title...

I've made the mistake of trying to carve an alternate universe from billet more than once - and been on the fringes of a couple ot other projects who've gone down this track. It's not just factories who like simple solutions. Most projects never get finished simply because they wouldn't accept a simple answer.
It quicker to get a bike on track using existing parts than making your own....Are you listening Husa ?

Yes i was thinking how deeply that parrallelled me....... right up to the part where you expected me to listen to reason.................

I'm sure they won't be far away.

Already one here it seems :lol:

[oldjohnno]

Yes i was thinking how deeply that parrallelled me....... right up to the part where you expected me to listen to reason.................

If it's any consolation Husa you're not alone. More than once I've abandoned projects that somehow got all out of proportion to what was really needed.

The really stupid thing is that I tend to lose interest and move on after all the hard work is done and all that's left is the detail work to finish it :(

[diesel pig]

The really stupid thing is that I tend to lose interest and move on after all the hard work is done and all that's left is the detail work to finish it :(

I think it's because after a couple hours milling billet or cutting and welding some one else can come along say look at what you have done! where a couple hours sorting out wiring and control cables or sorting out jetting and some one else would ask what have you done?

[pete376403]

In similar vein to the Cameron quote (and logic behind it)
"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week".

[husaberg]

A few more
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[husaberg]

Plus a few more
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[Michael Moore]

Since I've never been fast, I've built stuff because that is what I want to build, not because it is what I need to win. To do the latter it is much more effective to put a faster rider on the bike!

Other good books by Vic W: "Classic Motorcycle Engines" and "Exotic Motorcycles"

[AllanB]

Trademe is littered with abandoned projects. Plenty of cars that have had the hard and expensive work done and need time and patience to finalize a street runner but get put up for sale under the title of 'new project so must make room'. Often a good deal to be made on these.

[pete376403]

Thanks Husa - just read all those TDC articles. Camerons genius is not just knowing (and explaining) the "what" but also the "why".

If you have it, I'd really appreciate a look at the Cameron article about the Britten when it (the bike) first appeared.

[husaberg]

Thanks Husa - just read all those TDC articles. Camerons genius is not knowing (and explaining) the "what" but also the "why".

If you have it, I'd really appreciate a look at the Cameron article about the Britten when it (the bike) first appeared.

I'll put it up here later, when i have downloaded and edited it.
Most of these are not scans as i don't have all the mags of this era, hence the cropping is a little hit and miss (sorry)
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[pete376403]

Thank you. excellent read.
Those 10 TDC articles should be required reading for the bike license test, so people would have a little more appreciation of why their bike does what it does. (or doesn't)

[F5 Dave]

Well that'sa few hours done, always a good read.

[husaberg]

I haven't had a chance to read them yet.
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[husaberg]

A few more.
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[jellywrestler]

i'm reading his hardback
book top dead centre which is great including an article on john britten among others

[F5 Dave]

TDC2 is good too. Hmm. . . no doesn't seem to be a tdc3

[Grumph]

I looked at the Britten attatchments and was amused looking at #6 where a road version was promoted. There is mention of an electric starter version already running. To the best of my knowledge this never happened.
I had to see Mike Brosnan about something so dropped in to the Addington workshop they used at the time. I was immediately asked where i would put an electric starter...John had asked him to investigate one asap. I gave my opinions and we discussed various geared starters for big singles that i knew of - and various decompression devices too. Apparently John was reluctant to use any decompression method.
At the time no one on the team had much knowledge of current japanese tech - and the circle of hangers on were BEARs enthusiasts.

[husaberg]

I looked at the Britten attatchments and was amused looking at #6 where a road version was promoted. There is mention of an electric starter version already running. To the best of my knowledge this never happened.
I had to see Mike Brosnan about something so dropped in to the Addington workshop they used at the time. I was immediately asked where i would put an electric starter...John had asked him to investigate one asap. I gave my opinions and we discussed various geared starters for big singles that i knew of - and various decompression devices too. Apparently John was reluctant to use any decompression method.
At the time no one on the team had much knowledge of current japanese tech - and the circle of hangers on were BEARs enthusiasts.

I was hoping you would tell the Kevin Cameron "undercover agent story"
I found that one amusing.
Page 6 I added, as it was in an article i seen in another issue of CW. There were many failed daliances with manufacturers such a one of the many Indian start ups Harley also expressed an interest. Pretty sure thay had a darn good look inside one.
I am pretty sure i scanned the Britten write up Mark Forsythe did that had some very good pictures. (but i don't know where i filed it)

I only just started reading it now:laugh:
Attachmnet 4 is interesting, As i recall it "Mike" built the pipes.

[Grumph]

I was hoping you would tell the Kevin Cameron "undercover agent story"
I found that one amusing.

The only one I know is from I think Alan Wylie - an odd looking bloke wouldn't leave them alone at Daytona. Practically salivated over the bike every time it came out. They had to move him out of the way a couple of times and thought he was high or drunk....
Turned out to be Cameron....

Oh and one that Shand told me as a scrutineer...In the IOM, scrutineering shed, Shand had gone ahead to warn the officials that the team were running late and was standing next to the chief scrut and his deputy. Heard the chief say to his mate "where the hell do you start on this ?" "I've got no idea what to look for"
I could have told him, LOL.

[Henk]

I'm sure they won't be far away.

Yeah, I really wasn't sure I read that correctly

[husaberg]

Yeah, I really wasn't sure I read that correctly

What i meant was the bucket forum, wasn't really the correct place for the thread, but it has less A-holes visiting it( well a pretty class of A-holes, :) and far less trolls)


The only one I know is from I think Alan Wylie - an odd looking bloke wouldn't leave them alone at Daytona. Practically salivated over the bike every time it came out. They had to move him out of the way a couple of times and thought he was high or drunk....
Turned out to be Cameron....

.

Yeah, thats the one "odd bearded scruffy guy", Turned out to be Kevin Cameron.

[husaberg]

Some more, why is it i only ever find 11 per year.

[peewee]

did you post the one this guy is talking about ? march 2007 ? seems like good info about head cooling http://www.dynotechresearch.com/blog/archives.asp?chosenMonth=2&chosenYear=2007

[Grumph]

I should print out a supply of copies of "Doing it"....I'm continually being told that people who can "do it" are becoming rarer and rarer.

Every optimist (not the word I first used...) who thinks i'm going to be available for ever to do a job for them will get a copy of that column.

[husaberg]

did you post the one this guy is talking about ? march 2007 ? seems like good info about head cooling http://www.dynotechresearch.com/blog/archives.asp?chosenMonth=2&chosenYear=2007

I am generally posting them by year, from memory Cycle merged into Cycleworld in about 1993, Thus far i have only done 1993, 1994 and 1996 ,so maybe by about mid Jan?
I are also generally concentrating on his TDC musings ,rather than his full technical articles, (for a start anyway.)


I should print out a supply of copies of "Doing it"....I'm continually being told that people who can "do it" are becoming rarer and rarer.

Every optimist (not the word I first used...) who thinks i'm going to be available for ever to do a job for them will get a copy of that column.

A quick look at some of the Custom project bikes etc on Trademe , confirms imagination often exceeds practical ability (and good taste)
Cameron has very rare abilities, of being able to do it, understand complex technologies, write about it in a way that most could easily understand Yet be both thought provoking and entertaining at the same time.

[husaberg]

Well it looks like Honda were racing with Fuel injection in the Beattie era as well.

[TZ350]

Great stuff these DC articles, thanks Husa. Honda and fuel injection, good one ...... :niceone:

[husaberg]

Great stuff these DC articles, thanks Husa. Honda and fuel injection, good one ...... :niceone:
Cheers TZ. I only found ths out the other day but Honda were actually first racing a fuel injected 2 stroke bike in the late 70's in europe(RC125 MX bike)
It was a mechanical fuel injection set up and it was a failure, Marty Smith tested it in the states, but refused to race it

[husaberg]

posted elsewhere

[husaberg]

https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/86554-ESE-s-works-engine-tuner?p=1130863088#post1130863088
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