Malcolm Newell's FFs

Quasar
Rotoraser
SEV Z13
Sports Quasar
Gold Wing Phasar
Twin Head Phasar
VT500 "White Shark"
V50 Phasar
V50 Quasar
SR500 Phasar
Odd Bikes
Rollcall

Sadly, Malcom is no longer with us. In his time, he was the godfather of the modern FF and produced more, different designs than any other single person. He scratched a living from turning ideas into metal in the garage of a small farmhouse in the wilds of Wiltshire, UK. Armed only with a Mig welder, resin and glass fibre, he single handedly created the machines here.

He is missed by those who knew him and its to be hoped that another great British eccentric appears to take up his mantle.

Quasar

The Quasar was originally built to a design by Malcolm Newell and sold commercially from '75 to '81. The original design used a Reliant engine and gearbox and an Earles leading link fork. Although heavy, they have proved virtually indestructible and many of the ~30 built are still on the road. When the original manufacturers went out of business, Malcolm went on to build a number of variants using the Bob Tait centre hub steering system. These used engines ranging from the Reliant with Guzzi gearbox to Suzuki GS850, VF750 and even a Kawasaki 1200-6.

The early Quasars suffered from the heavy fork but all of them provide an unparalled level of comfort and safety once on the move. Some of the more spectacular crashes involved a barrel roll into a ditch and the destruction of a Renault 5 at 70mph. In both cases, the riders emerged unscathed.

Head room could be a bit of a problem for tall riders, and several owners have removed the central section of the roof. I always figured that this would be an ideal vehicle for the USA and really ought to be tricked out with a big whip aerial, CB, flame paint job and stealth radar counter measures. Sadly, as far as I know, no Quasar has ever been taken there.

Rotoraser

Steve Harris in Bitterne built this rotary-engined, targa- topped Quasar which uses a frame built by Malcolm Newell and carbon fibre bodywork that Steve made himself and Norton Rotary engine.

SEV Kawasaki Z13

One of the more extraordinary machines from the Malcom Newell stable was the Z13 Phasar. This was commissioned by Cibie as a publicity machine and used the Kawasaki 1300-6 and Bob Tait centre hub front end. It was speed tested at 160 mph! Malcolm's experience with this led directly to the Z13 Quasar. It has since been exported to Australia and terrorised the natives for some years before finally being written off after an attempt to ride over a foot high curb at speed. The written off vehicle has been purchased from the insurance company and is being rebuilt.

Sports Quasar

As if the Z13 was not enough, Malcolm built his most extreme example and actually finished one machine, although a couple of others were started using Z13 engines. The Sports Quasar used a rear engined GPZ1100 engine. This was actually run on the road for a while, but proved pretty hard to ride. The photo shows Malcolm sitting in the bike on the unmade road that led to his house. For many FF owners, this was the first obstacle to deal with on their new machine and guaranteed a healthy shot of adrenalin before even reaching normal roads.

Gold Wing Phasar

After the SEV, Malcolm built a number of broadly similar bikes using the Bob Tait system and powered by Gold Wing, Guzzi Convert, and BMW engines. The touring versions had some strange and ungainly fairings and were not terribly successful, possibly due to them being built as cheap as possible.

Twin Head Phasar

Malcolm designed another Phasar in an attempt to produce a cheaper, more mass production machine. This used a new front end design using the standard forks but with two steering heads. a conventional one and another low down at the front of the engine. This second one was linked to the fork lowers via two drag links. This was an attempt to get the anti dive effects of centre hub without the expense and machining difficulties. The biggest problem was the high stiction created by no less than 6 ball joints in the steering. The rest of the bike used the standard frame although it was radically attacked with a hacksaw and Mig welder. Several of these machines were built with Yamaha LC engines as well as SR500, Guzzi V50, VT500 and even BSA 500. Most of them used the twin head system although several similar bikes used standard front forks.

VT500 "White Shark"

My own VT500 used the standard forks and was effectively built over one weekend. I arrived at Malcolm's house on Friday evening and rode away on Sunday night with a totally different machine. the total cost of the conversion ('86) was only 500 pounds including fairing. This was an attempt to change the riding position with no other changes to the standard machine and worked pretty well.

It's still on the road and is currently for sale from Peter 'Monty' Billington

V50

The V50 used an early version of the Bob Tait system with a monoshock and is noteable for having adjustable footrests. Both this and the VT500 are running and currently owned by Monty Billington.

V50 Quasar

At least one V50 Quasar was built with a slightly different bodywork design. This has since been radically chopped and turned into an open top machine. It used the standard wheelbase and was pretty ugly to start with but has turned out quite well now. It stood in a garden for several years before being resurrected by the present owner.

SR500

Another variation on the Twin Head theme. This time as a two person machine powered by a Yamaha SR500 single.

Odd Bikes

Here's some shots taken in about 1989 of a attempt at building a leaning three wheeler with two front wheels. I don't know much about this bike, but it was built by modifying an existing Twin Head steer with some sort of Kawasaki engine, although I can't tell from the photos which one.

Royce Creasey has written "Malcomes original design relied on a 'double leading arm' system on each side of the front of the tub, with a more or less conventional upright and wheel unit attached to the ends of the arms by ball joints. Tilting was freely permitted by a crossed linkage between the two lower arm pivots, and the linkage had a spring unit in it to provide front suspension.

It rapidly became apprant that there was insufficient angularity in the ball joints to acccomodate tilt, steer and suspension movement, and that the angle of the arms at full tilt would prevent suspension movement and might jam into a tilted mode.

I provided a possible solution with a redesign that basically separated the various functions into separate hardware elements. Suspension would be provided by a pair of wishbones, very like the pair normally found supporting a racing car wheel, but facing forwards and including a suspension unit. the apexes of these wishbones were to support a transverse parrallelogram with a centre upright to tie the wishbones together and an upright at each end to support the wheel units. Rack and pinion steering, on the axis of one of the wishbones would conveniently provide steering, and an 'A' frame, it's apex on the front bulkhead and its legs on the wheel uprights would keep the transverse frame in line and deal with brake torque. What we call trunnions would replace the ball joints to provide sufficient movement. I think they might be called wrist-pins in America, you have two at right-angles.

I appreciate there are several other 'dumb' or free-flying solutions and no doubt Mercedes Benz have everything under micro-processor control (The video is a bit staid to be convincing, shot moodily through trees etc. BFF president Ian Leslie has a copy UK people, it's published by the ADAC)

But

There is a basic contradiction in the requirements of the various elements in a free-flying tilting three wheeler. Suspension requirements demand good, even firm, damping and progressive sprung resistance to movement. Tilting requires absolutely free moveent of the wheel, up or down as the vehicle is banked fromside to side. I believe that this paradox can only be resolved mechanically, by linking the two wheels together in some way, or by actively controlling the suspension so that free tilting can be accomodated. Any mechanical system will have mass, inertia and wearing parts which will reduce the operating quality of all the systems they apply to. Any active control system will require complex programming, including fail-safe routines which, it may be argued, have no place on a road vehicle. In the case particularly of Malcomes design and my re-design I believe that the two wheels would have been liable to 'patter' against each other and the damping in the suspension unit would have had limited ability to control the effect.

Given this apparant inherent problem I have to ask what is the advantage provided by the layout that justifes it? I agree that the single front wheel of the conventional single track vehicle is, ultimately, the limitation on cornering performance but I guess you can see why I'd argue for a single track two-front wheel set up, as discussed recently. It provides all the advantages of two front wheels, including incidentally that the rear front wheel is always running in a dry track, with very minimal problems in assembly or function.

Then again people race moto-cross sidecar and go cave-diving... "

David Turner adds:- Malcom told me that someone did take the Leaning Trike out for a run at speeds up to 80mph. Malcolm thought that a bit too fast bearing in mind that he had only tack welded it together... Malcolm took it for a slow test ride. I only sat in it and made vroom vroom noises.

Finally, here's a shot of what I think is a Guzzi Convert Phasar that went north to Scotland and hasn't been heard of since.

Here's a fairly definitive list of machines built by Malcolm. (words mostly by Paul Blezard) This is not easy seeing as most of the machines had the same number plate at some time, probably no chassis plate and certainly no "official" Malcom applied serial number.

Yamaha LC250 THS Steve Scruton's long wheelbase two-seater.

Yamaha LC350 YPVS THS *2 Chris Baker's and Steve Scruton's mate's. Chris Baker's is the one that I took down to the Bol and back in '86 and wrote about at length in Dec 86 SuperBike. Lobbed it at Paul Ricard when the rear tyre deflated and the arm of the twin head steer lifted the front wheel off the deck. No harm done. Lobbed again when the instructor at the Tours advanced riding I course I attended locked the front wheel and foolishly put his hand out, breaking his wrist. Still no harm done to the bike. Also pranged by Chris when his sleeping back got tangled up in the rear wheel. STILL no harm to the bike! Very peaky though - always felt as if the YPVS wasn't working properly. Also only did 30mph despite the improved aerodynamics - a bit heavy for an LC, but very comfortable at speed. Steve Scruton's mate rode his to Le Mans one year - 86? Whatever happened to his, Steve?

Yamaha SR500 THS Did this ever actually get on the road legally? And if so what happened to it? I think the original owner, Ian Kew, is on this list and wrote about it in MCS.

Kawasaki KLR650. Run by David Turner. Sold to someone in Barnsley to be broken for spares for his own KLR. No-one wanted to buy it as an FF.

Guzzi V50 Phasar Monty Billington's - still alive and well and living in Yorkshire. Have nice riding pix with VT500 taken by Neil 'Chateau' Murray at the V-twin rally in Shaftesbury, '86.

Guzzi Automatic Phasar As featured on the front cover of MCN with Tedger Snelling aboard. Subsequently got stuck in low ratio for quite some while. What on earth happened to it?

Gold Wing Phasar *5 Tim Brown's Grey one was the best because he spent the most time on it. As seen at the FF stand at the BMF in 87 and written about in MCS by Yrs Trly. He sold it on before he was tragically killed, but I don't know who to. Have pix. Then there was Tribble's 'Steaming Mango' - as featured in MCS. who did he sell it to? Have pix Then Richard Baughen's red one. have pix. Then there was the one that the Scottish short chap bought who was actually at the birth of Royce and Ingrid's first offspring, along with his brother - that might have been the first Wing. Last seen by me languishing in a shed in Edinburgh in 1985. One of the problems with the WIngs was that although the seat height was low, you needed longer-than average legs to get your feet on the ground because they had to bow around the cylinders, rather than go behind them as on the standard Wings. Not sure if there was a 5th Wing. Anyone know different? Was there perhaps another one that went to Scotland?

VT500 Shark Built by Malc for JB in a weekend and taken to the IoM in 86 and trail ridden with the VF500! Featured in both SuperBike (Nov 86) and MCS (Dec 86) and also in London Biker. Lots of pix. Still owned by Monty?

Leaning Trike Malcolm's last project, with Chris Baker. Two leaning wheels at the front, with a modified F3 racing car body behind, slug-style. Never actually made it onto the road as a legal vehicle. Not sure it ever even went under its own steam.

Sports Quasar (slug) *2 Tudor's GPz1100, alive and well and living in Cambridgeshire, and at least one Z13 - possibly 2. Not sure if either of the rear engined Zs was ever completed though.

Sports Quasar Avon Prototype Just a plywood mock-up - looked good though.

Z13 Cibie Tested by MCW at over 160mph. Shown at first NEC show 1981, near the Booleroo stand. Also featured on cover of MCS with Chris Baker aboard when written about by Royce. Chris sold it to your Cambridge Uni mate, Malc Modified it to carry a passenger, then it was taken to Oz, heavily pranged, but then re-built by new owner and believed alive and well and living in Oz. Anyone know different?

Quasar MkIIs V50 the dreadful V50 'Quasar' with standard wheelbase built for John 'One Eye' Golden and left languishing in the front garden of his house near Sunderland for many years. Rescued and transformed by our friend in Manchester whose name escapes me - you know the one I mean - very Banana-like now with no roof etc. Much more like Monty's.

Quasar MkII GS850 (shaft) IS this the one that turned up at our FF gathering last summer? Footrests ridiculously wide...

Quasar MkII GS1000 (chain)

Quasar MkI.5 Reliant/Guzzi/HCS I only know of two. Mark Verden's 'battleship' which featured on the Top Gear prog, with Yrs Trly squeezed in the back after Mark cut the roof off but left the rails. Sadly languished in Mark's front garden in Bristol for many years until it became more of an outdoor sculpture than a vehicle - featured in Top Gear mag in this condition and then sold to....Mad Ed the Welsh? A.N. Other? The other one is of course Mark Crowson's 'Y2K Quasar' currently being built and assembled with lots of help from Royce, as discussed on this list.

Quasar MkII VF750 Chris Baker's; As featured in SuperBike Nov 86 with Yrs Trly aboard. Also ridden by Chris to 86 Cologne show with Ingrid in the back and integral panniers fitted and then solo down to Monaco and back. Also present at the Top Gear shoot. Always had a blowing exhaust problem. Now belongs to Malcolm's son Gavin (Bear) but not on road for a long time. Potentially a very nice machine.

Quasar MkII Z13 As featured in Bike October '84 alongside Doc Vass's original Reliant Quasar. Thrashed around Goodwood by Royce the same year. Also now belongs to Tudor T - roof cut out by previous owner. Still more or less on the road...needs a bit of TLC? A very rideable machine, but a bit cramped for people of normal stature - outer cylinders are where you'd like to put your feet. Could just about fit two midgets. > >Any others? None I can think of, unless there was another Suzuki Quasar. Are the numbers right? Not far off. Malcolm definitely made in excess of 20 road-going machines after 1980-ish when he ceased working on the original Quasars with John Malfoy at Romarsh in Calne. Not bad going, especially when you consider that most of them were built between '80 and '88. Plus he also put Mark Crowson's original Reliant Quasar together in '85 from 'spares'!! There was also the 'conventional' VT250 Honda to which Malcolm added his own patent leg-protecting bodywork and ridden by his kids Gavin and Michaela on the road and pranged by at least one of them!

Royce Adds:-

Quasar MkI Before everybody unfortunately died there was some attempt to get to the bottom of the total Mk1 Quasar list. Offically 21 were produced, but two more were definitely assembled from 'spares' It is possible that there were two more. Mark and Marks Quasars are both addtional to this, being either an incomplete set of bits (M. Verden) that was completed using Guzzi and HCS components or an incomplete set of bit (M. Crowson) that was completed using Guzzi and HCS components. But they were different incomplete sets as were the Guzzi and HCS components. You couldn't really call either Mk1 Quasars! So there were definitely 23 Mk1 Quasars and possibly 25. In addition to this there are the two Mk1.5 Quasars referred to above.