THE SOUTHERN CLASSIC OFFROAD & RACING SHOW
le Autojumble Inc. The Kempton Park Motorcyc
Saturday, December 2, 2017
5AQ Kempton Park Racecourse TW16 m) 7.45a bird (early m 9.30a OPENS £10 Adult £7, Child/OAP £6, early bird kemptonparkautojumble.co.uk
Buy, sell and browse at
’Normous Newark Autojumble
Upcoming dates… Sundays, November 19 & December 10, 2017 newarkautojumble.co.uk
November 2017 £2.10 ISSUE
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OLD BIKE MART ’’
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Ninety years ago – and what a very different world it was! A smart young lady helps herself to petrol for an immaculate side-valve motorcycle from a shilling-in-the-slot petrol pump outside a garage in Cheltenham in 1927. Photo: Mortons Archive www.mortonsarchive.com
2 NEWS
November 2017
Pete’s Prattle www.oldbikemart.co.uk email: info@oldbikemart.co.uk
Editor Pete Kelly OBMEditor@mortons.co.uk Designer Charlotte Fairman Production editor Pauline Hawkins Picture Desk Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield Divisional Advertising Manager Billy Manning Advertising Matt Hansom mhansom@mortons.co.uk Alan Green agreen@mortons.co.uk
01507 524004 Marketing manager Charlotte Park Circulation manager Steve O’Hara Publisher Tim Hartley
A single glance through Old Bike Mart reveals just how many great events the various sections of the Vintage Motor Cycle Club bring to us each and every month of the year. In this issue alone we have lovely reports by John McCrink on the Beamish Trophy Trial organised by the club’s South Durham section on September 17; by Keith Rhodes on a new Hastings Vintage & Classic Bike Show organised by the South Eastern section; by Peter Monk on the presentation of a £1000 cheque by the Taverners section following this year’s Founder’s Day Rally at Stanford Hall; and by Graeme Rimer
about the ambitious plans for next year’s Golden Era Run starting from Elvington, near York, which will have a First World War theme. The countless hours of pleasure enjoyed by spectators and participants alike at events like these bring home the massive reach of the VMCC in the lives of every classic and vintage enthusiast in the country, and despite the inevitable squabbles and disagreements that break out in any large organisation, let us never lose sight of all the good the work of this hallowed institution and its many branches achieve year in, year out. Long may it continue!
Publishing director Dan Savage Commercial director Nigel Hole General Queries Customer Service Number: 01507 529529 Telephone lines are open: Monday-Friday 8.30am-7pm, Saturday 8.30am-12.30pm and 24hr ansaphone Archive Enquiries Jane Skayman jskayman@mortons.co.uk 01507 529423 Founder Ken Hallworth OLD BIKE MART (ISSN:1756-9494) is published monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $48 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 City Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft, WI and additional entries. Postmaster: Send address changes to OLD BIKE MART, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 City Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com PUBLISHED BY
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Waterways Museum hosts two bike shows Open to all classic and modern motorcycles, bike shows will take place at The Yorkshire Waterways Museum, Dutch River Side, Goole, DN14 5TB, on Sunday, April 8 and Sunday, October 7 next year. Open from 9am until 4pm, they will each raise money for an important charity, The Sobriety Project.
People sometimes ask how many years ago my usual ‘Prattle’ mug shot was taken, and the answer is not many – so for once I thought I’d bring the image a bit more up to date. It was taken at my brother Geoff’s 70th birthday party on Saturday, October 7, when I recited two of George Marriott Edgar’s famous rhyming monologues, The Lion and Albert and The Runcorn Ferry, which were performed at music hall theatres throughout the country by Stanley Holloway and others. Although Stanley lived in Hampstead, London (as I did when I worked for Motor Cycling in 1965), he’d developed a perfect northern
accent while serving with a Yorkshire regiment during the First World War. Performers who weren’t sure about the stage dialect were always told: “If thaz stuck on ’ow to pronounce owt, wear thy flat cap – it’ll ’elp!”
Clive Scarfe Systems reproduce Trident/Rocket 3 piston clamps New from Clive Scarfe Systems are these hinged piston ring clamps for Triumph Trident and BSA Rocket 3 machines. Faithful reproductions of the originals, they are an essential addition to any Triple owner’s toolkit, but have been unavailable for many years. To find out more about the clamps, which cost £45 per set including p&p, visit www.clivescarfesystems.co.uk. These are the piston ring clamps for Triumph Trident and BSA Rocket 3 triples now being produced by Clive Scarfe Systems.
Date correction
Ten years and £12 billion to tackle road repairs backlog
In a report on our news pages last month, we inadvertently gave the wrong dates for next year’s Classic Dirt Bike Show sponsored by Hagon Shocks at the Telford International Centre. The correct dates are Saturday and Sunday, February 17-18, not the 18-19 reported.
When you consider that riding into a pothole in the dark can kill a cyclist or motorcyclist, it’s depressing to report that, despite annual road traffic mileage in England and Wales increasing by 11.4 billion miles
since 2014, road maintenance budgets fell by £220 million in the same period. The annual spend on pothole repairs has dropped by £42m (29%) since 2014, and a total of 1,748,916 potholes were
repaired in England and Wales last year – 35% fewer than in 2014. It would take more than a decade, and £12 billion, to tackle the current road repairs backlog. Have you had any pothole experiences to tell OBM about?
NEWS 3
November 2017
Aaron Slight proves a big hit at 24th Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show Even the weather played ball for the 24th Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show at the Staffordshire County Showground on October 14-15, when former Kiwi World Superbike star Aaron Slight told entertaining stories on stage with compere Steve Plater. After each session, large queues formed of people who wanted to meet Aaron and have items signed. Bill Millar’s 1967 Bridgestone 350 GTR, displayed in the private entries area, was judged best in show, but such was the quality of machines on show that the judges’ task must have been more difficult than ever. Other star attractions were Barry Sheene’s two world championship-winning Suzuki RG500s, displayed in the Suzuki Village, and the 500cc Gilera four and Bob Tait 750cc two-stroke triple from the Sammy Miller Museum. The RG500s were fired up along with a handful of replica Aaron Slight Castrol Honda RC45s in the Classic Racer GP Paddock on the Sunday. The Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club gave some great expert advice in the Restoration Theatre, and enthusiasts enjoyed live action at the Classic Dirt
Bike Experience and in the arena motorcycle cavalcades, while the hundreds of trade stands did a roaring trade. Bonhams’ second Stafford sale of the year achieved £2,752,416, with all 48 lots in the Ivan Mauger collection of speedway machines selling for £140,000, a portion of which the Mauger family will be generously donating to the Speedway Riders’ Benevolent Fund. Ivan’s 1969 Model 890 speedway machine achieved £18,400 and the 1977 championship-winning double overhead-camshaft, four-valve Jawa sold for £17,250. Other ephemera such as pit boards and racing leathers were also included in the sale. The top price bid in this year’s Bonhams’ sale was £113,500 for an outstandingly original 1914 1068cc Henderson Model C four. Another four-cylinder machine – a 1911 688cc Pierce – went for £107,900 to a bidder in the auction room, and the gavel fell at £89,980 for a 1912 644cc Pierce Model 12 single that had been in single-family ownership for more than 101 years. A telephone bidder paid £101,180 for the ex-works Jorge Lorenzo 2007 world championship-winning 250cc Aprilia, a 1932 981cc Brough
Smiles from best-in-show winner Bill Millar with his 1967 Bridgestone 350 GTR.
Aaron Slight keeps visitors entertained during a live interview with Steve Plater.
The show brought massive crowds as usual.
Superior SS80 De Luxe achieved £107,9090 and a c1972 MV Agusta 750S was sold for £84,380. Other highlights included a 1950 998cc Series-C Vincent Black Shadow being bought for £79,900 and a 1949 example for £70,940; a c1978 837cc MV Agusta Monza for £66,460 and the ex-Bill Beevers 1955/6 Manx Norton for £64,220 against an estimate of £30,000 to £35,000.
Lose any piston rings? A packet of piston rings was found in the vehicle park nearest to the off-road hall at the Stafford Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show on Saturday, October 14. If the owner cares to ring the finder, Michael Lively (01952 404250 answerphone or email lepidus@hotmail.co.uk) he will be glad to return them.
Barry Sheene’s two world championship-winning Suzuki RG500s were a big hit.
This Bob Tait 750cc two-stroke triple was displayed by courtesy of the Sammy Miller Museum.
Vintage and classic bike show adds to Battle of Hastings Week celebrations It was on a bright, clear and sunny October 14, 1066 that Duke William of Normandy set sail across the English Channel to beat King Harold and his Saxon soldiers in the Battle of Hastings, and for some obscure reason that disastrous and unmitigated defeat is still celebrated each year, writes Keith Rhodes. However on Saturday, October 14 this year it was South Eastern section Vintage Motor Cycle Club member Simon Starmore who ended up victorious at the very first Hastings Vintage & Classic Bike Show when his Brough Superior took the ‘Most Favourite of the Day’ award. Almost 100 machines of all shapes and sizes, including Ariel Square Four and BSA Gold Star entries, gathered at the seaside town’s ‘Stade’ in an event sponsored by the Vintage Motor Cycle Club, BSA Owners’ Club and local tradesmen. One of the oldest machines, if not the oldest, was a beautifully turned-out New Imperial sporting a single-seat wicker sidecar and its equally well turned-out owners Dennis and Christine Etherington.
The event was a ‘first’ for the town, and with luck there will be another such gathering next year. Over the years, that special event marking the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings in 1966 has grown into a week-long celebration of all things Hastings, including music, culture, art and sport – and now it even embraces vintage and classic motorcycles! The ‘Most Favourite of the Day’ bike at the first Hastings Vintage & Classic Bike Show on October 14 was Simon Starmore’s Brough Superior.
Dressed perfectly for the occasion, Dennis and Christine Etherington show off their beautiful New Imperial wicker sidecar outfit.
This old AA sidecar patrol machine brought back many warm memories.
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November 2017
End of a glorious era as six White Helmets Triumphs come under Charterhouse gavel Sherborne auctioneers Charterhouse are selling six of the world famous Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team Triumph motorcycles at their Sherborne salerooms on Thursday, November 16. More commonly known as the White Helmets, the display team was a group of serving soldiers from the Royal Corps of Signals who performed public displays of motorcycling skills, aerobatics and stunt riding, and were based at the Royal Signals Blandford Camp. “We are delighted to receive instructions to auction these Triumph motorcycles from the daredevil White Helmets,” said Matthew Whitney, who heads the auctioneer’s classic car department. “I first saw them in action over 40 years ago when I was a young lad, and they certainly made an impression on me then.”
After 90 years of glorious history, the six remaining White Helmets’ Triumphs arrive at Sherborne in readiness for the November 16 sale.
Last of the line: White Helmets’ Triumph T140 No 30 will be one of those going under the gavel at an estimated price of £5000 to £8000. Top: The brass plate on the bike’s back mudguard.
The display team’s history goes back to 1927, and the riders were normally dispatch riders. The team has had several names in the past, including The Red Devils (before the Parachute Regiment team of the same name existed) and Mad Signals (on account of the bikes’ poor brakes) and adopted the name ‘White Helmets’ only in 1963. The Triumph T140 motorcycles that team rode are non-standard and tricked-out. Features to help them carry out their amazing stunts include no rear suspension, a solid steel frame, larger rear sprocket and a sticky throttle. Of the 26 Triumph motorcycles in the team, 20 have been gifted, donated to a museum, donated to sponsors or returned to LF Harris, who supplied all the bikes. Sadly, at the end of the 2016 show season the White Helmets were given notice that this year would be the last. With the Royal Corps of Signals rebranding as ‘Leaders in a Digital Age’ in line with innovative technologies and cyber capabilities, it opted to adopt a modernised image to coexist with the future of the Army.
Take one last look at the famous ‘backwards ride’.
Always striving to be the best – and you can almost hear the rasping open-pipe exhaust of bike No 30.
Fading memories of a ‘legs of Man’ arena display.
All six of the remaining motorcycles, estimated to sell at between £5000 and £8000 each, come to sale with a presentation file charting some of the history relating to each motorcycle. Viewing for the Charterhouse auction will be on Wednesday, November 15 from 10am until 6pm, and on the auction day (Thursday 16) from 9am, with the sale starting at 11am. Live internet along with telephone bidding will be available for those unable to attend the auction. For further information regarding this, along with Charterhouse’s non-related specialist autumn auctions, or to arrange a home visit, contact Richard Bromell or Matthew Whitney at Charterhouse, The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne 01935 812277 or email items for valuation at info@charterhouseauction.com .
Motorcycle Sport & Leisure wins MAG Media Award The Motorcycle Action Group has presented Mortons Media Group’s Motorcycle Sport & Leisure magazine with its Media Award for informed, accurate, balanced and ethical reporting of issues relating to motorcycling and motorcyclists. MAG’s vice-chairman Andy Carrott said: “I nominated Motorcycle Sport & Leisure as it is perhaps the only mainstream motorcycling magazine that has consistently reported on riders’ issues for many years. With the exception of custom magazines that have featured riders’ issues regularly, riders’ rights tend to get to the fore only when a degree of sensationalism is involved. “With Dr Leon Mannings’ column, various editorials and other features, MSL has featured political matters and riders’ issues every month and therefore ticks every box to receive this award.” MSL’s acting editor Mikko Nieminen said: “This award is testament to the talent and commitment of everyone involved with putting the magazine together each month. We have a great team working on a high-quality product and the best readers in the world. We couldn’t be happier.”
You can become a member of the Motorcycle Action Group for just over 50p per week (call 01926 844064 for details). Single membership costs £27, and family, joint, affiliated club and corporate memberships are also available. For more about Motorcycle Sport & Leisure, visit the www.mslmagazine.co.uk website.
MSL’s acting editor Mikko Nieminen (left) receives the MAG Media Award from Andy Carrott at Mortons’ Horncastle headquarters.
November 2017
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Triumph opens new Factory Visitor Experience at Hinckley Triumph Motorcycles has opened a new visitor centre that allows fans of the brand to go behind the scenes and see how today’s Triumphs are designed and made, journeying through 115 years of motorcycling excellence. Its priceless collection of Triumphs includes Steve McQueen’s original machine from The Great Escape; Tom Cruise’s Speed Triple from Mission Impossible 2; racing and land speed Triumphs including the original 1956 Bonneville Salt Flats recordbreaking streamliner and other rare original models. Exclusive guided factory tours can be booked to give unprecedented public access to Hinckley’s engineering and manufacturing processes, and there is also a cafe at the assembly plant. The opening of the visitor centre on November 1 comes at a pivotal moment in Triumph’s modern history, with the signing of a non-equity partnership with Bajaj, the world’s third largest motorcycle manufacturer, to develop a new lightweight model range; the signing of a global partnership with Dorna (MotoGP) to become the official engine supplier to the Moto2 Championship from 2019; and a fourth consecutive year of growth, with record sales of more than 63,000, and 15 new motorcycle models launched in the last two years.
November 2017
Amberley Historic Transport Gathering is 40 years young With almost 300 exhibitors showing vintage vehicles including motorcycles, and an attendance in excess of 700, the Amberley Museum’s 40th Autumn Historic Transport Gathering on Sunday, October 8 proved a great success. Once visitors had feasted their eyes on the old bikes, cars and commercial vehicles, there were still the museum’s
own historic bus garage and narrow gauge railway to visit. Among the craftspeople showing off their skills were besom broom maker Arthur Haffenden, who’s been at Amberley almost since it opened, and in The Greenwood village a bodger and stonemason, along with wood turners and potters, showed what they could do. Glyn Jones demonstrated a huge, newly restored horizontal saw dating from 1926. Flashback to the 1978 open day at the then fledgling museum, with an old Southdown open-top bus capturing the visitors’ attention.
This well-kept Velocette and its venerable companion were among the entries at this year’s Autumn Historic Transport Gathering at Amberley.
Behind the old Morris-Commercial van lurks an intriguing three-wheeler.
Romsey’s big Boxing Day Meet is on again Romsey’s 16th annual Boxing Day Classic Car & Bike Meet, a nonprofit-making event, is free to enter for vehicle owners and the public but there will be a charity collection. The event has already raised more than £27,000 for various charities and just over £23,000 for Prostate Cancer UK, for which there will be a collection again on December 26. Adrian Flux Specialist Car Insurers will again be supporting the meet, but because of the amazing attendance of more than 600 cars and more than 250 motorcycles, organiser Steve
Biddlecombe has to adhere strictly to pre-1976 Euro classic cars, bikes and trucks and pre-1996 American cars, hot rods and bikes. The event takes place in Romsey town centre in the Aldi, Crosfield Hall and Broadwater Road car parks, by kind permission of Aldi and Test Valley Borough Council. The action starts at 9am and finishes at around 1pm, and there will be hot food and tea vans to help keep everyone warm. For more information, go to http://www.romseyclassiccarandbikemeet.co.uk/
The 36-acre site on the Sussex South Downs has more than 40 exhibit buildings to visit, and is well worth a ride out during the opening season. The museum is a registered charity, relying heavily on the support of its strong team of
volunteers, and on the final day of the 2017 season – Sunday, October 29 – a Members’ and Volunteers’ Day with reduced ticket prices was held. The 2018 season will run from March 7 until October 28.
Fred’s BSA C15 cafe racer takes a bow Regular OBM reader and bike enthusiast Fred Austin has sent this picture of his just-completed 250cc BSA C15 cafe racer, which started second kick after being off the road since 2010. Fred, known for his BSA-based ‘Shuttleworth Snap’ look-alike from the George Formby film No Limit, regularly attends local meetings of the George Formby Appreciation Society and is an accomplished ukulele player.
There’s a hint of a ‘Goldie’ in Fred’s well-finished BSA C15 cafe racer.
November 2017
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Rest in peace, Ed After attending the funeral service of his motorcycling friend Edward Thomas Allington, known as ‘The Professor’ (1951-2017) on October 11, Alastair McQuaid has sent us this photo of the extremely fitting yet highly unusual ‘urn’ which now contains Ed’s ashes.
The beautifully finished petrol tank has an ‘Allington’ badge painted on each side.
November 2017
Motorworks’ motorcycle turntable makes garage repositioning a doddle We all know how difficult it can be struggling to reposition a heavy motorcycle within the cramped confines of sheds and garages – but now Motorworks has found a solution in the shape of a robust and effective turntable featuring a fully serviceable 46cm ball bearing race and a 42cm tread-plate platform diameter – and thanks to heattreated replaceable feet keeping the solid base off the floor, minor surface irregularities are no problem. Lifting your bike on to the stand is also straightforward, with an overall height of just 25mm. Before ordering, customers are advised to check the width of their bikes’ centre stands, although there are not many that the turntable will not accommodate. Motorworks uses the stands in its own workshops, and they see heavy use under BMW’s heaviest machines.
The turntables (ACA33131) cost £135 including VAT, with UK postage at £9.50, although they can be sent anywhere in the world. For further information, call 01484 340123 or look up https://www.motorworks. co.uk/vlive/Shop/Parts. php?T=6&Q=aca33131&x=0&y=0.
As the turntable stands just 25mm above the workshop floor, positioning the machine on it is easy.
Moddey Dhoo Club raises £1860 for Southern 100 The Isle of Man-based Moddey Dhoo Motorcycle Club, named after the fabled black dog that some would have you believe still haunts Peel Castle, has presented the Southern 100 Supporters’ Club with a cheque for £1860 to go towards safety equipment for the races held over the Billown circuit each July. The cheque was handed over by Barbara Barlow, whose late husband Denis was a staunch supporter of the ‘friendly races’, after the money was raised at a rock ‘n’ roll evening in his memory at the Manx Legion Club in Douglas during the Festival of Motorcycling.
The centre stand of an air-cooled BMW flat twin sits comfortably on one of the Motorworks turntables.
Entries open for Comet Classics’ Pride of Ownership competition
Flanked by George Peach and Peter Oates of the Southern 100 Supporters’ Club, and with Moddey Dhoo Motorcycle Club members in abundance, the £1860 cheque is handed over by Barbara Barlow in memory of her late husband Denis.
Entries are now being accepted for motorcycles and scooters to take part in this year’s Comet Classics’ Pride of Ownership competition at the Classic Motorbike Show that will take place at the NEC, Birmingham, from November 10-12. Machines manufactured before 2000 are eligible, and the winners will be decided by a panel of judges. Sponsors Comet Classics will be taking along a selection of classic and vintage motorcycles from their Hampshire showroom.
Roy Winters won the 2015 event with his 1958 Maicoletta scooter, and last year the trophy was taken home by Alan Stopford, who entered a 1969 Triumph Bonneville. Among the 15 clubs putting on displays at the event will be the BSA Bantam Club, BSA Owners’ Club, Vintage Motor Cycle Club and Royal Enfield Owners’ Club, along with the Awfully Pleasant Scooter Association and others. For ticket prices and booking details, visit www. classicmotorbikeshow.com.
November 2017
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10 NEWS
November 2017
Norton collection £100k sell-out at Netley Marsh A collection of classic Norton motorcycles and spares from a deceased estate in Reading was a £100,000plus sell-out at the Charterhouse auction at the Carole Nash Netley Marsh Eurojumble in September. Amassed over many years and stored in several garages, the collection took days to collect and move to the auction, yet it was only part of the sale. Elsewhere in the auction, which totalled over £250,000, were restoration projects, oily raggers and bikes that were virtually ready to be ridden away. Charterhouse’s Matthew Whitney said: “The Eurojumble pulled in a lot of buyers from the UK and abroad, and with a few deals done after the auction, we had our best-ever sale rate with just two motorcycles left unsold.” This superbly patinated 1926 350cc New Hudson Practical Sports was just one of the machines in Charterhouse’s Netley Marsh auction.
A comprehensive collection of Norton machines and spares was the highlight of the sale. This is a 1950 30M Manx.
Charterhouse is now accepting further entries for its next specialist auction of vintage, classic and modern motorcycles in conjunction with the Carole Nash Bristol Classic Motorcycle Show at The Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, on Sunday, February 5. For more information about this auction, contact Matthew Whitney at Charterhouse in Sherborne, Dorset, on 01935 812277 or email bikes@ charterhouse-auction.com .
Two-stroke theme for 2018 Andy Tiernan Classics charity calendar The 2018 edition of that much-anticipated hardy annual, the Andy Tiernan Classics Calendar, has now been printed, and this time the theme of Mike Harbar’s excellent artwork is Two-Stroke Motorcycles. All proceeds from the calendar go to the East Anglian Air Ambulance, which last year benefited by £1634.58. Mike, who enhances his lead pencil drawings with watercolours, once worked with Andy in rural Suffolk, but now lives an hour’s ride away from Melbourne, Australia. Each calendar costs £10 including secondclass postage, and payment should be made by cheque drawn on a UK bank and made payable to ‘East Anglian Air Ambulance’ or by PayPal to AndyTiernanCalendarDonation@outlook.com. Overseas customers should contact Andy Tiernan Classics for the postal charge. The six illustrations in the 2018 calendar are of a 1924 499cc Dunelt Model C, a 1929 500cc two-
The front cover of the 1918 calendar features a 1924 499cc Dunelt Model C.
speed Scott Squirrel, a 1940 342cc SOS Magnetic, a 1952 350cc EMC Mk I, a 1925 250cc Levis Model K and a 1913 269cc New Comet.
1960s’ trials ace Mick Dismore will be guest of honour at 2018 Moidart Run Open to motorcycles manufactured until 1979, the ninth Moidart Peninsula Classic Motorcycle Road Run will take place on Thursday, May 3, 2018. Organisers Andrew Johnstone and John McCrink have also announced that the guest of honour will be 1960s’ trials ace Mick Dismore, a Scottish Six Days’ Trial veteran who was a fully supported works rider for James from 1959 until 1964. Now 85, he’s still a regular visitor to the ‘Scottish’ and is looking forward to a run around the peninsula on his old Honda as he retraces his steps from several decades ago. Each year enthusiasts on an amazing variety of classic and vintage machinery make the spring pilgrimage to the Scottish Highlands, and last year’s event attracted entrants from all over the UK as well as Europe and even the USA. The Moidart Run has now established itself as the opener to a brilliant few days of classic motorcycling in and around Kinlochleven, the main event being the Pre-65 Scottish Two-Day Trial on the Friday and Saturday.
Starting and finishing at Kinlochleven, the run follows what used to be the Thursday route of the SSDT, and covers around 120 miles of breathtaking scenery, including the short Corran Ferry crossing and an opportunity to visit the infamous Devil’s Staircase that was once considered the most demanding and intimidating section by competitors, and loved by spectators. There will be a coffee stop at Glenfinnan, in the shadow of the world-famous railway viaduct built by ‘Concrete Bob’, and lunch at Strontian, where riders can relax, mingle, exchange yarns and generally soak up the atmosphere. Spring in the West Highlands can be roasting hot or cold and wet, so appropriate riding gear is essential. The Moidart Run is all about fun, camaraderie, scenery and an appreciation of old motorbikes, and each year brings a truly impressive range of pre-1979 machinery, from lightweights and trials irons to large-capacity twins and triples, and everything in between.
For an entry form, email johnmccrink@googlemail.com or send a large stamped, addressed envelope to John McCrink, Braeside Cottage, Grange Road, North Berwick EH39 4QT. Entries, limited to 80 riders, close on February 28 or when full.
High in the hills, the perfectly poised Mick Dismore is seen in action.
November 2017
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12 NEWS
November 2017
Outfits to the fore in Beamish Trophy Trial
L
ocal sidecar crew Ian Reavley and Colin Goode from Blyth, Northumberland, didn’t even have to leave the county to compete in the 45th Beamish Trophy Trial on September 17 – and on their 1935 Norton combination they beat their fellow sidecar competitors and all the solo riders as well to take home the Richard Hoare Memorial Trophy for the best overall performance, writes John McCrink, who also took the photographs. Organised by the South Durham section of the Vintage Motor Cycle Club, the Beamish is one of the few specialised events still around that allows such a wide range of machinery and age groups to compete against each other. It closely resembles a typical, pre-war reliability trial. Thankfully the wet conditions the area had experienced earlier in the week subsided, and around 120 enthusiastic entrants assembled in dry, sunny conditions at The New Board Inn near the village of Esh, County Durham, keen to tackle more than 100 miles of spectacular Cumbrian and Northumbrian dales, including some enjoyable but challenging off-road sections. It has become customary for a fair number of folk to camp at the ‘Board’ on the Saturday evening to partake of the excellent, hearty grub and fine ales on offer. Such warm camaraderie also affords
the opportunity (which no selfrespecting classic biker can resist) to exchange endless motorbike yarns – all great fun.
Good spirits
With waterproofs carefully stashed in backpacks, everyone was in good spirits and smiling in anticipation of the day ahead when the Sunday morning dawned. As the bikes were fired up, the start area resounded to the unmistakable noise created by dozens of elderly motorbikes which are invariably less well silenced than their modern counterparts. Some might call it a din, but to most of the assembled riders and onlookers it really was music to the ears. Soon everyone was off, most people aiming to follow the route card accurately and not get lost while others, more in the know, tagged on to seasoned veterans of the event in the hope that they’d lead them through all the twists, turns, climbs and descents without mishap. The off-road going was soft, and places like High House Lonnen and Hagg’s Bank could still catch out the unwary. Appreciative as ever, the spectators watching at these two popular sections were quick to roundly applaud a successful ‘clean’ and were audibly sympathetic to anyone who got it wrong. The settled weather made it really pleasant for everyone, and
More happy faces at the start of the event.
Anticipation is in the air as Beamish Trophy Trial riders assemble with their eclectic variety of machinery ready for the ‘off’.
the banter between marshals and competitors at the compulsory ‘question stops’ was superb. The ‘quizmasters’ were cheerful and highly encouraging, and were willing everyone to do well. It’s funny how the mind goes blank when you least want it to, yet a successful educated guess is a joy!
Atmosphere
The lunch stop at Allanheads was as atmospheric as ever, and for most people defines what the Beamish is really all about as riders, officials, helpers and onlookers mill around enjoying the spectacle. Long may it continue! With lunch over, the weather held as the riders set off on the final stages of the route, with more fabulous scenery, twisting roads, great trails and observed section ahead, and then – with about an hour to go and with no warning whatsoever – the heavens opened. It was raining stair rods as people frantically went for their waterproofs, often to find them too well secured at the very bottom of a rucksack. Soaked as they were, most competitors were still sporting a daft grin as they arrived back at the ‘Board’ having thoroughly enjoyed the 45th Beamish Trophy Trial. The Beamish has always attracted an incredible array of classic motorbikes, and this year was no exception. There were flat-tankers, big singles and twins, lightweights, trail bikes, trials bikes, home-brewed specials and, of course, the sidecar outfits that featured so prominently this year, with second place overall being taken
Two nice Japanese trailies lurk in the early morning shadows.
by another local man, Will Hawkes and his rookie passenger Bobby Hamilton on a Model 75 Panther outfit. Bobby was awarded The Robert Atkinson Cup for outstanding achievement or gallantry for his brave and masterly performance in the chair on his maiden outing. Mention is also due of former Scottish scrambles champion and ISDT medal winner Ernie Page from Edinburgh, riding a 1933 BSA 250, who went back over Hadrian’s Wall with the Ace Motorcycles Training Trophy for the Oldest Combined Age Vehicle and Rider.
Volunteers
Finally, let’s not forget the wonderful Austin Seven, skilfully piloted by J Stephenson, which successfully made the finish.
Beamish stalwarts Gerry Beer (left), a member of the South Durham section of the VMCC and BSA Owners’ Club, and Beamish Trophy Trial secretary Tom Norman make the perfect greybeard duo.
This lovely ‘Matchbox’ was a credit to its owner.
Hodaka trailies like this were once every teenager’s dream.
An event of such magnitude requires a large team of volunteers to make it work and ensure that everyone is safe to enjoy the day, so thanks are due to members of the South Durham Section VMCC and to their partners and friends, along with North Durham Motor Club, The Friends of the Killhope Lead Mine, North East Classic Motorcycle Club, the BSA Owners Club, Reivers Section VMCC and Northumbria and Mark and the team at the New Board Inn for all their assistance. Also very much appreciated are the landowners and users who once again allowed access to their land and property. The 46th Beamish Trophy Trial will take place on Sunday, September 23, 2018.
This lovely line-up of bikes was seen at the Allenheads lunch stop.
Northumbrian Keith ‘Sooty’ Sutton is a Beamish veteran.