BMCT News 57

June 2024 No. 57

NEWSLETTER OF THE BRITISH MOTORCYCLE CHARITABLE TRUST

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S T R E E T S A H E A D E X H I B I T I O N AT B E A U L I E U The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu opened its new permanent to our displays. It is an opportune moment to look back, at a time exhibition, Streets Ahead, over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend when the high-street is experiencing yet another revolution in with actors from the Gobbledegook theatre company on a re-created shopping habits.” street taking on character roles you may have encountered from the National Motor Museum Senior Curator, Gail Stewart-Bye said, “The decades following the Second World War. decades following the Second World War saw full employment, a As part of the opening weekend celebration, visitors enjoyed meeting growing population, greater affluence, the emergence of the ‘teenager’ a traffic warden, milkman, a bus conductor, and a motor salesman as a distinct sector of society, and an explosion in the affordability and spiv. Younger visitors were intrigued to hear stories from the era – availability of consumer goods, all of which fuelled a booming including wider opportunities for travel, changing tastes of fashion, economy.” Gail said that motoring was central to this transformation, the fight for equal pay, whilst those old enough to remember “Cars and motorcycles became accessible to more people than ever reminisced about the car and motorcycles on the street. before. Mass motor vehicle ownership, and the freedom for everyone The new gallery Streets Ahead: Motoring in Mid-Century Britain to travel was part of the shared experience of post-war life. Through displays artefacts from the Museum’s extensive motoring collections travel, fashion, in entertainment, and whilst growing up, motoring in shop fronts on the street; a toy shop with treasured playthings such became a significant part of popular culture.” as Corgi toys and Scalextric, a motoring clothing shop boasting sensible or fashionable outerwear and accessories, a travel agent that brought holidays abroad as well as UK trips and excursions to the masses for the first time. A mobile hardware store is also parked up showing a form of shopping when roads and perhaps lives were less busy.

Museum Chief Executive, Jon Murden said, “The re-development of this section of the Museum into Streets Ahead is a wonderful addition

RECENT ACQUISITIONS We’ve recently acquired this brace of Levis(es) which have been on loan at the Internal Fire Museum for some time now. When the owner decided to part with them we were pleased to be able to step in and ensure they remained at the Museum. They’re interesting bikes, a 1930 250 six-port two stroke and a lusty 1939 600 cc ohv single. More details to follow when we’ve examined the extensive history that came with these Birmingham-built machines.

PAGE ONE PHOTO. A British WW1 despatch rider making adjustments to his Triumph Model H in the village of Nesle, Northern France. The bike has had its marginally effective front stirrup brake removed, a common modification since they would easily clog with mud and were pretty useless anyway.

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S U N B E A M 1 0 0 C E L E B R AT I O N AT B R O O K L A N D S In mid-March the Brooklands Museum played host to the Sunbeam Motor Cycle Club’s Centenary celebrations. Despite the changeable weather and closure of a nearby stretch of the M25, attendance was good, and the BMCT were there to engage with the enthusiastic, knowledgeable crowd and witness a superb gathering of early motorcycles being demonstrated to the enthralled spectators.

Adrian Cooper, 1902 Quadrant

One of the oldest machines taking part - a 1897 Léon Bollée

Machines assemble in front of the iconic Brooklands Clubhouse

Stunning tribute to the 1929 AJS speed record attempt bike.

Here’s a rarity - a 1934 Vincent 250 cc Model W

BMCT Trustee Dennis Frost’s 1929 Velocette KTT

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BUYING AND IMPORTING A ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET FROM INDIA As a BAB (born again biker) I had long hankered after a Royal Enfield Bullet just like the one I had to give up after I joined the Royal Navy back in the 60’s. I had heard that the Indians had been producing these again for some time with quite acceptable results, thus began my search for a suitable steed that would be kind to my rapidly ageing body. However, for those residing outside India, acquiring a Royal Enfield motorcycle involves a multi-step process that includes purchasing the motorcycle from a dealer in India, shipping it to the UK, and unpacking it upon arrival.

Finding a reputable dealer in India is no easy matter and it is essential to research dealers who have a good track record of customer satisfaction. Once that’s done, the next step is to pay up and arrange for its shipment to the UK. When shipping a motorcycle several factors need to be considered, such as selecting the appropriate shipping method, obtaining necessary import permits, and paying customs duties and taxes. The buyer needs to work closely with the shipping company to ensure all required documentation is completed accurately and submitted within the specified timeframe.

However, all this can be avoided if you buy via ebay as I did. All necessary steps including payment are overseen by ebay and, should anything go wrong, you have (in theory) the backing of ebay to sort out any mess. This is the method I chose and within a few months, and after paying a little under £2,000 all in, my primrose yellow Bullet arrived in the UK.

The only unpacking faux pas I almost made involved the cross crate packing bar. Removing that too soon would have resulted in one very heavy motorcycle falling into your unsuspecting lap.

Nevertheless, after an hour or so box dismantling I had my sparkling new Royal Enfield on its wheels. After that you need to spend a good The lorry arrived at my house as arranged and the unpacking process few hours with the enclosed manual (mostly nicked from Haynes, I began. Had I got a bargain or a pig in a poke? noted) going through the machine checking and tightening nuts/bolts/ The first point to note was that it had been well packed in a hardwood chain etc., but most importantly resetting the handle bars and headstock which are swivelled round for packing.

After the necessary maintenance and adjustments are completed, you can begin the registration process with the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) to obtain the necessary UK registration number and a vehicle log book (V5C).

box frame that was quite difficult to open. Four-inch nails hammered into hardwood fight back and much levering of large jemmy bars was required to gain access. However what it revealed was pleasing to the eye once exposed. To say I was relieved was an understatement.

Post script The machine flashed up easily once the carb had been flooded and all necessary adjustments made. However, on the downside it was a very heavy ride and within 6 weeks I noticed that many of the nuts and bolts and lamp tinware had started to rust. Not beyond the wit of man to remedy but annoying nevertheless and it did sow a seed of doubt about the integrity of the nuts and bolts holding it together!

Would I repeat the exercise? In a heartbeat! It was just like Christmas!

- Mike Penn

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NEWS FROM DOVER TRANSPORT MUSEUM Hello Andy, We thought you would like to see that the Norman collection is still going from strength to strength. We had thought that all we needed to more or less complete the collection was the Anzani engined machine that has been on its way to us for about 3 years (it's still coming apparently), but one of our members recently unearthed this delight. Rarer than hen's teeth I am told and a great addition to the collection. Needs some tlc but there are no shortage of enthusiastic volunteers to take it in hand, Whether to restore or oily rag and leave as is will be the subject of some heated debate I don't doubt. They will however get the engine running.

At all events, I think we can now claim that we have what is the national collection of Ashford made Normans, and once again thanks for the help you have given us in achieving that.

Best wishes, Brian Brian Flood Chairman Dover Transport Museum

N I G E L TA K E S A TO U R Hi Andy I’ve been on my travels again. The trip in May was Eastleigh to Paris and Le Mans, with the end game being attending the French MotoGP race and go native, camping at the circuit and sitting on the hill. Eastleigh is central for gigging in Southampton area as well as visiting my sister. Also very handy for Sammy Miller and Beaulieu.

I finally got to Sammy’s on a very sunny Saturday and I was not disappointed. The BMCT area is very impressive (below) and the tea room serves great food too. Big thanks to John at the front desk, gave me a warm welcome and he’s a fount of knowledge regarding the extensive bike collection there. Couldn’t fit in Beaulieu timewise, so one for next year. I’m into aviation as well as bikes and took the opportunity to visit some Concordes around Paris (right). I would encourage anyone to go to Orly museum. Then motorsport history doesn’t come much bigger than Le Mans museum (bottom right).

Keep up the great work.

Kind regards, Nigel Ellis

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BOOK REVIEWS

Hanks – On my knees Hardback Edition. 300 pages. 90 images (240x160x30mm) ISBN: 978-1-8381336-4-1 Published by Wideline - www.wideline.co.uk If you have even had the remotest interest in sidecar racing, especially the Isle of Man TT you will know the Hanks family name and the distinctive orange and black helmets. If you live close to Erdington in the West Midlands you may also have visited Fred Hanks motorcycles, or if you have had some involvement in the ACU, where Roy Hanks, the author of this latest Wideline book, is one of the directors, the name will ring a bell. In fact Roy and his family have been an integral part of British motorsport for well over 60 years.

An oft-used the term these days is that ‘a person has done it all’, but in 276 pages you find that Roy Hanks really has. He has been an active racer, a motorcycle dealer, sports administrator, publisher and grandee of one of British motorsport’s greatest racing dynasties over four generations which continues to this day with granddaughter Jamie!

Roy Hanks personally has been at the heart of sidecar racing and not many people can say they have raced everything from the big-wheelers of the 1950s through to the sidecar outfits of the present day, or for that matter winning a sidecar TT at his 59th attempt in 1997!

Known for his trademark humour he has applied this to his action packed story of a life with motorcycles in every aspect, including the tragedy of losing his passenger in a crash due to a machine fault. Divided into 17 chapters with various sub headings, it is easy to dip in and out of helped by a writing style that makes it sound like he is speaking directly to you down at the pub and describing his amazing life in a very factual non boastful manner!

Although there are several colour plates backing up black and white images, the publishers have resisted the temptation to produce a glossy soft-back book, instead producing a hardback the size of most autobiographies found in most bookshops. As a result it stands out of the shelf from most large motorcycle books and for my mind is better for it as it focusses more on the amazing story.

British Motorcycles 1945-1965 From Aberdare to Wooler Author: Rinsey Mills Publisher: Herridge & Sons Ltd - info@herridgeandsons.com Hardback 210x270mm 600 pages, over 1,500 illustrations.

ISBN: 978-1-906133-61-0 Original price: £60 GB Aberdare? Never heard of them? Well, they made motorcycles and small-capacity two-stroke motorcycles under the name of Bown in Wales in the ‘50s. The obscure four-cylinder Wooler, however, should be of interest because of the fascinating eccentricity of John Wooler’s designs. In between the letters A and W you will find all the familiar names, with a number of unfamiliar ones and lost causes too.

There are two very special features about this book: The first is that it gets closer to the subject bikes and goes deeper into their make-up than any other encyclopaedic study of the British motorcycles of the period. The second outstanding feature is the nature of the illustrations, which are all reproduced from the manufacturers’ contemporary sales brochures and advertising. They range from the comparatively (and surprisingly) workaday publications of Vincent to the fabulous artwork produced by the likes of Ariel and Triumph.

The book is structured in such a way that each maker gets a historical introduction, followed by generously captioned illustrations, in chronological order, of the range of bikes they made, along with updates and revisions. The captions are not just labels to the pictures but discuss the bikes in some detail, with insights into their characteristics, technical aspects, onroad behaviour and performance, with quotes from contemporary road tests and input - often witty anecdotes from the author himself, who is familiar with a great many British bikes of the period and has more than 50 years of personal experience of them.

In the current climate autobiographies appear when a person has very little to say, or has achieved very little, but this book is book about not only a man who you can quite rightly attach the word legend to, but also the Hanks family and their influence and contribution to British motorcycling over numerous decades.

Compiled mainly from his own considerable archive, author Rinsey Mills stresses that this unique and high-quality book is not intended to be encyclopaedic, but is eminently readable and a comprehensive and reliable reference source.

Once again the publishers Wideline have come up trumps with one of the best books of the year and worthy of sitting on anybody’s bookshelf for a modest £25.00, or £20.00 plus p&p if bought directly from them!

- Ian Kerr MBE

Now out of print, but available online, the dedicated reader/ restorer will be ably rewarded for his efforts in finding a copy this superb 600 page tome with over 1,500 illustrations. Highly recommended.

- Jonathan Hill

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A B R O O K L A N D S M Y S T E RY Jonathan Hill writes: - Recently I came across this marvellous atmospheric print amongst a collection of digitalised car photographs taken at Brooklands, unfortunately with no information about the event or the photographer.

The information that I have received so far confirms that the Norton is either a side-valve 16H or Big 4 by its silencer and exhaust angle and was London registered in either later January or sometime in February 1923.

The bike most certainly isn’t set up for normal Brooklands racing or record-breaking, but it may be an entry in either an MCC or ACU (Auto-Cycle Union) long distance trial which would explain the number on the sidecar. Often these events featured a one/two hour or so session on the Brooklands outer circuit, with bikes having to maintain set speeds rather than race. The sidecar passenger could

well be an ACU observer whilst the rider certainly looks like a Brooklands regular with his racing-style helmet and goggles (perhaps for the time trials) – maybe he was a test rider or a salesman for the agents?

It is likely, as the subject Norton was London registered, that it either went through works rider Daniel O’Donovan or Maudes Motor Mart.

The sidecar differs considerably from the type fitted by Norton in the early/mid 1920s. Since this superb outfit looks factory fresh, it might just be a publicity shot taken at a Brooklands social day (note the admiring “flappers” in the background), when such bikes may have done a few “relatively” slow laps of the outer circuit or a blast or two up Test Hill (Norton had that year won the very prestigious Maudes Trophy, given for proven reliability over long distances in a set period).

TRITON JOINS “LIFE ON TWO WHEELS” When the Haynes Museum’s new Life on Two Wheels exhibition - partly funded with BMCT grant aid - opened towards the end of last year, one minor criticism was the absence of a bike that exemplified the “Rocker” culture of the period from the mid ‘50s to late ‘60’s. The curatorial team at Haynes were quick to react, and within weeks had sourced a true icon of the period - a pre-unit 500 cc Triton. Curiously one of the reasons the Triton came about was the success of Manx Norton engines in Formula 3 racing cars of the 1950s. Norton refused to sell engines separately so the builders of these cars had no choice but to buy complete bikes and remove the engines, thereby liberating a number of Manx Norton rolling chassis. Many Triumph Twin owners seized the opportunity to cure their machines’ sometimes wayward handling by transplanting their engines into the famed Featherbed Norton frames, and so a cult motorcycle was born. Later variants used the standard roadster Featherbed rather than the racing Manx frames, and engines of 500 and 650 cc were the most popular, together with alloy or glass fibre tanks, rearset footrests, clip-on bars, megaphone or Gold Star silencers and racing seats. Thus, a legend was born.

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T HE BR I T I S H MOTOR CYCL E C HA RI TABL E TRUS T A Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered Charity No. 509420 Life President: John Kidson Trustees: Ian Walden OBE (Chair) Peter Wellings John Handley Mike Jackson Nick Jeffery Mike Penn Dennis Frost Secretariat: Holly Cottage Main Street Bishampton Pershore WR10 2NH United Kingdom Secretary & Editor Andy Bufton Mob: 07754 880116 Email: editor@bmct.org

The British Motorcycle Charitable Trust (BMCT) was originally formed in 1979 to facilitate the building of the National Motorcycle Museum at Bickenhill, near Solihull in the West Midlands.

Since 1995, however, the BMCT has been an entirely separate organisation, a grant-making Charity dedicated to the promotion of British motor cycle engineering heritage through a network of affiliated transport and local interest museums across England, Wales, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Associate Membership is open to all, and allows entry concessions at all 18 of the museums in our affiliation scheme (listed right). Our funding comes from membership subscriptions, bequests, donations, and income from our investments. Please direct any enquiries to the secretary at the Secretariat address on the left. www.bmct.org

Our affiliated museums are: Black Country Living Museum, Dudley Brooklands Museum, Weybridge Coventry Transport Museum Dover Transport Museum Gloucester Life Museum Grampian Transport Museum, Aberdeen Haynes Motor Museum, Somerset Internal Fire Museum of Power, Tanygroes Isle of Man Motor Museum, Jurby Jet Age Museum, Gloucester Manx Museum, Douglas, Isle of Man Museum in the Park, Stroud National Motor Museum, Beaulieu Royal Engineers Museum, Gillingham, Kent Sammy Miller Museum, New Milton Silk Mill Museum of Making, Derby Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset The Norton Collection Museum, Bromsgrove

B A N D I T ’ S S U C C E S S AT T R I F E S T 7 5 At the Triumph Owners Motor Cycle Club’s 75th Anniversary celebrations, held at the historic Shelsley Walsh Hillclimb venue, our Triumph Bandit was judged “Best 1970s Bike”.

BMCT News is published by Matchless Management Services, Holly Cottage, Main Street, Bishampton, Pershore WR10 2NH. Any opinions therein are not necessarily the views of the publisher or of The British Motorcycle Charitable Trust.