Silk Motorcycles 1970-1980

This book is the first full account of the specialist motorcycle manufacturers Silk. Founded in the late 1960s by George Silk, the company produced a racing motorcycle by fitting a Scott engine into a Spondon frame. After the success of the 'Silk Special' at the Barbon Hill Climb in 1970, Silk set up Silk Engineering with his partner Maurice Patey, eventually leading to the launch of the Silk 700S in 1975. Paul Ralph describes the history of the company, including the Mk 1 and Mk 2 Silk motorcycles and their various improvements. Apart from details of the racing and competition, the book also includes information on the engineering aspects and technical data. One of the most innovative engineering aspects was the thermo-syphon cooling system which boiled water using engine heat then fed it back from the radiator in a rubber tube to the engine cases. Production of the 700s Mk 2 continued until December 1979.