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June 2020 £2.20 ISSUE

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While he was a competitive and successful solo rider, Freddie Dixon also raced sidecar outfits, of which more can be found on page 26. Here, in pre-sidecar days, he sits astride his Indian Scout V-twin, in 1920, on which he finished 12th in the Senior TT. • To find this and thousands more images, visit: Mortons Archive www.mortonsarchive.com

2 NEWS

June 2020

Editorial

www.oldbikemart.co.uk email: info@oldbikemart.co.uk Editor Dave Manning OBMEditor@mortons.co.uk Designer Tracey Markham Production editor Pauline Hawkins Group advertising manager Sue Keily Trade Advertising Team Leader (Classic Division) Leon Currie lcurrie@mortons.co.uk | 01507 529465 For Private Enquiries please visit

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Marketing manager Charlotte Park Circulation manager Steve O’Hara Publisher Tim Hartley Publishing director Dan Savage Commercial director Nigel Hole General queries Customer Service number: 01507 529529 Telephone lines are open: Monday-Friday 8.30am-5pm and 24hr answerphone 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.

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S

o, are we allowed out yet?

At the time of writing (May 27), it is still something of a moot point, as we are seemingly allowed to travel any distance in order to get some exercise (albeit only within the confines of England, as Scotland and Wales are, at this point, still ‘locked-down’), yet travelling simply for the joy of travel seems to be frowned upon, regardless of the fact that the joy of the journey is the main reason why we like motorcycles, especially classic ones.

Of course, the situation may have changed – in either direction – by the time this magazine has made it to your front door, but whatever the case, we can still rest easy knowing that riding a motorcycle (classic or otherwise) is perhaps the safest form of transport as far as any kind of socially spread disease is concerned.

As motorcyclists, we tend to travel alone, or with a loved one or close family member, and we wear protective equipment in the form of face and eye protection and hand coverage pretty much at all times.

And then there’s all the benefits that riding a bike has in terms of trafficbusting, economy and – perhaps the most important of all, yet often the last to be mentioned – the mental health benefits of riding a bike. And that last factor must surely be of huge importance, given the statements made by health professionals about the increase in mental health issues due to the Covid-19 lockdown…

Putting aside the tragic loss of lives from the virus, and the financial implications of closures of businesses, we have to think positively and look to the future.

Somewhat surprisingly, and in a

counter-intuitive argument against all the doom-mongers in our press and media (including social media), various companies have been doing incredibly well over the last few weeks.

The successes that have sprung from the darkness of Covid-19 lockdown are generally in the form of small unit manufacturers and suppliers, partly thanks to dealing with those in lockdown who are buying components and consumables to keep themselves busy, but also thanks to the fact that more folk are buying local, and that some engineering firms have found themselves helping with the production of equipment demanded due to the virus – respirators, masks etc. – that may not be making them much in the way of profit (it’s difficult to financially benefit from vital medical supplies while staying righteous) but are still continuing to work with the heart-warming factor of Doing The Right Thing. Indeed, various advertisers who appear within these pages have reported that sales figures have risen beyond all expectation, suggesting that more workshop spanner-twirling is being undertaken than would normally be the case at the point of the year when we swing into riding season, and that OBM readers are supporting those who advertise within these pages.

And, in turn, by remaining open and supplying parts, those businesses are supporting our readership, and they’re not the only folk who are aiding the health and morale of you lot out in Readerland. As has oft been said over the last couple of months, if there is anything positive that arises from the current pandemic, it’s

that people have become a little more aware of others’ positions and problems, and have in general become a little more caring and community-savvy. Naturally, this applies to the classic bike scene just as much as any other. As an example, the Sunbeam MCC send out a bi-monthly magazine to their members, in much the same way as most clubs do. However, since the onset of social distancing and locking-down, the club decided that it would be nice to fill in the gap between the magazines and keep their membership – many of whom are more senior in years and who live alone – entertained and ‘in the loop’, and so now send out an additional newsletter between the magazine’s publication dates!

Although the relaxing of government guidelines will allow us to actually ride our bikes now and get some much-needed saddle time, mass gatherings are likely to continue to be prohibited for some time to come. However, smaller social runs could be allowed to resume in the near future, given that they are predominantly outdoors and allow for social distancing. In fact, I hear from the VMCC that

they are preparing for options, and are actively working with other large motorcycle organisations to progress the interests of motorcyclists as we head towards an exit from lockdown. And, reflecting on my earlier comment about motorcycling being the safest and most socially distanced option for travel, I think that there could just be a chance that motorcycling will benefit over the next few years from a social wariness of travelling on public transport and in cramped cars…

Lastly, my apologies for, once again, devoting my editorial column to rabbiting on about the same thing that has dominated my scribblings on page 2 for the last few issues, but with no appropriate events taking place, and little chance for any of us to expand upon our classic motorcycle experiences – except for garage time and spanner-swinging, and I may just bore you with tales of classic Kawasaki woes next month – what else is anyone talking about?

And, in answer to my opening question.

Yes, it looks like we are.

Stay safe.

June 2020

NEWS 3

Festival of no bikes at all

I

n yet another blow to the classic motorcycle event calendar, this year’s Festival of 1000 Bikes, due to be held at Mallory Park on the weekend of July 11 and 12, has been cancelled due to the ongoing restrictions brought in by the Covid-19 crisis.

The decision was made by the organisers in the Vintage Motor Cycle Club after a series of long discussions – both within the club and with partners – and, given the UK Government guidelines, it was decided

that the event could not be safely run for participants, staff and spectators while still providing the ultimate classic bike track weekend that it is known for.

All entrants will receive a full refund, although this may take a little longer than normal due to reduced staffing levels within the VMCC office. However, the VMCC is taking this opportunity to have a thorough review of its plans for the 2021 festival, as the majority of VMCC members

(and there are more than 14,000 of them) are, first and foremost, active riders and feel that classic bikes belong on the road and track, not hidden away gathering dust.

Next year is, of course, special for the VMCC as it’ll be the club's 75th anniversary, so we can rest assured that, while we have no festival this year, there’ll be a lot of very special VMCC events in 2021!

For further information please visit www. vmcc.net

Prescott bike festival heads for 2021

There’ll be no views like this, of John McGuinness on the Winfield Paton, on the Isle of Man this year.

Classic TT cancelled

Following the cancellation of this year’s Isle of Man TT Festival due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, and the hope that many had held for racing on the world-renowned Mountain Circuit to take place later in the year, unfortunately the decision has been made to also cancel the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT, due to take place at the end of August.

This means not only that there’ll be no racing over the Mountain in 2020, but also that the planned commemoration of John Surtees’

racing career will not go ahead, nor will the much-anticipated Charter House auction of classic racing machinery, also due to take place during the festival.

What effect this has on the tourist industry on the Isle of Man remains to be seen, but we can safely assume that the massive reduction in trade throughout 2020 will mean that yet more hotels and boarding houses will close, and that there’ll be a huge demand for accommodation and ferry tickets for the 2021 events!

Covid-19 has put the kibosh on another premier motorcycling event this year, with the Prescott Bike Fest, due to run over the weekend of June 26-27, being postponed until a similar time next year.

The event, which runs as a charity fundraiser for the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes and, in particular, the Severn Freewheelers, has fast gained a reputation as being a relaxed, yet fun, weekend out for anyone with any interest in motorcycles – whether it be classic machinery, modern race reps or radical custom machinery, all of which can be seen taking to the famous Prescott hill climb course.

More details about the event, and news of next year’s festival, can be found at www. prescottbikefestival.co.uk

Still get your Vin & Vet

While the phrase “it does what it says on the tin” doesn’t always translate accurately, Vintage & Veteran, located in the beer capital of England, Burton-onTrent, is perfectly named, given that the company specialises in vintage and veteran motorcycles.

While it sells complete bikes, that side of the business, as well as sales at shows and autojumbles, has been put to one side of late, thanks to all the social distancing that has been implemented, but that’s not to say that the business has gone quiet; far from it.

Aside from the full machines, Vin & Vet also specialises in bearings, oil and grease supplies for the veteran and vintage motorcycle scene, and is providing a mail order service direct to your door.

Visit www.vinandvet.eu to see the full range and contact Phil to order, by phone 01283 509562 or email vinandvet@aol.com

Can you kick it?

With the popularity of BSA’s two-stroke lightweight seemingly growing by the week, especially within the twin-shock off-road trials arena, it’s little surprise that the aftermarket is expanding to suit.

What you see here are folding kick-starts for the Bantam – for trials or road use – as supplied by Alan Wright at Trico Products.

These fold in nicely to allow freedom of rider movement plus they clear the footrests on trials machines.

They are made in steel, so are strong but small and don’t go sloppy as aluminium ones do on the “post”.

There are two sizes of kick-start shafts for Bantams – the ¾” as fitted to all three-speed models, plus the

D10 and early D14 models. And then there is the 7⁄8” shaft, as fitted to late D14 and all B175 models to which these kick-starts fit.

The BSA factory increased the shaft size in 1969, as with the smaller shaft when the kick-start is tightened it fouls on the gear lever shaft which runs through its centre and thus impacts on changing gear sweetly.

If your bike has a smaller bore shaft, the conversion is simple. Just bore out your side casing to 7⁄8” and buy a new 7 ⁄8” shaft now available from Alan – ¾” shafts are also available, but not ¾” kick-start levers. The kick-start costs £65 plus £5 for postage and packing.

Contact Alan at Trico Products on 01789 751422.

Colombres looking likely

Despite the current lack of international travel and the continued efforts to halt (or at least reduce) the spread of Covid-19, it still looks likely that the 2020 Colombres Rally will take place.

Scheduled to run from October 4 to 11, the popular event is open to motorcycles registered before 1988,with daily routes of between 75 and 155 miles, through some of the most beautiful landscapes of northern Spain and the mountains of Picos de Europa, which are the location for the famous 300-mile route, taking place on Friday, October 9. This challenging route isn’t compulsory, and there is a

shorter version of the route for those not up to it. With a snack provided en route for each day’s riding, and a back-up van following on, there are no worries about sustenance or reliability.

The final weekend sees an autojumble in the Colombres sports centre, as well as a classic bike display, while Sunday sees classic motocross taking place.

As you’ll have seen from event reports in previous editions of Old Bike Mart, the Rally de Colombres is a very special event. If you’re interested in taking part, then visit the website at www.motoclubindianos.com

Brand new Bonnie up for grabs!

Amazingly, those folk at the National Motorcycle Museum have managed to find another brand new old stock British twin for their 2020 summer raffle!

The bike in question is a 1977 Triumph T140J, which as you’ll know, is the Silver Jubilee edition. It has never been run or registered and, as such, shows just four miles on the odometer, all of which have been covered while pushing!

Second prize in this summer’s raffle is a Sealey combination tool chest, worth an impressive £850, with third being the traditional luxury hotel break and dinner for two at the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse in the Manor Hotel, Meriden.

As usual, tickets can be bought online for £2 each, or direct from the museum shop when they finally open again and social distancing measures have been relaxed. So, for now, head to www. nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk

4 NEWS

June 2020

Aiming for ultimate speed

M

otorsport is moving closer to starting up again, and one of the new motorsport disciplines to be taking place in 2020 is the Straightliners Ultimate British Classic Bike Championship. As the name suggests, it’s all about top speed, although in a change to the Bonneville-style format of very long open spaces, this championship will also cover shorter distances such as the quarter mile.

As part of the Ultimate Street Bike-Speed Championship (aka USB-SC) it will be a series of events run at both top speed venues and quarter-mile venues with the emphasis on speed and speed only – no times over the measured distances will count.

While the main championship will cover modern machinery (the classes being Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda and Other), the UBCBC will be run in the same way but for up-to-1970

British classics only, with the classes being Triumph, Norton, BSA, Velocette, Enfield and Other. There is still the option for changes to the classes, as there may a requirement to add a singles class, for instance.

The way it will work is at the top-speed events riders will get speeds over the half mile and mile, and their best half-mile and mile speeds will become their results for that event – the speeds will be added together to give them their points total. So basically it’s points for mph!

Aside from this giving road riders a chance at pushing their machinery in a safe environment, there are a lot of ex-sprint and record-chasing classics parked up in garages and workshops throughout the country, and this championship will give them a chance to stretch their legs in true competition, and not just in a demonstration capacity. This has to be better than starting a

raucous open-piped classic in your garage with the only result being an annoyed neighbour…

Subject to the Covid-19 restrictions being lifted, the venues and events currently scheduled (with the potential of more being added) will be:• Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales, June 27-28, Quarter Mile and Half Mile event.

• East Kirkby, Lincolnshire, August 1-2, Quarters only.

• Elvington, Yorkshire, August 15-16, Half Mile and Mile.

• Elvington, Yorkshire, September 26-27, Half Mile and Mile.

• Melbourne, Yorkshire, October 10-11, Eighth Mile only.

At the end of the year there will be a champion for each make, and an overall champion scoring the most points.

More details can be found on the website at www.straightliners. events

Chimay dismay

Yet another casualty of the Covid-19 virus is the series of events due to be held at the Chimay circuit in southern Belgium, close to the Ardennes. The most popular event, the Chimay Classic, was due to take place from July 17 to 19, followed by the Open Trophy (for modern machinery) from July 24 to 26 and the Supermoto event on August 16. All of these have now been cancelled with the intention that they will take place in 2021.

The reasons behind the cancellations are clear – aside from Belgium’s restriction on mass events until August 31, there’s also the doubt as to whether competitors and spectators will be able to travel internationally, and a significant number of participants travel to the events from outside of Belgium. Additionally, the hospital at Chimay, which normally provides medical staff for the event, is likely to still be heavily involved with looking after Covid-19 patients.

The organisers add the following statement: “For our part, we are already starting to think about the next summer, which we hope will be even richer in spectacular races and moments of sharing between fans in the friendly atmosphere at Chimay. See you in 2021 to celebrate together the 95th anniversary of the Chimay racing track.”

John Cooper drawing the raffle, while in lockdown!

Raffle winners

Thanks to the Covid-19 lockdown, the National Motorcycle Museum’s winter raffle was drawn by John ‘Moon Eyes’ Cooper at his home in Derbyshire.

The lucky winner of the top prize – a brand new factory-customised Triumph Thruxton – was Andrew Winscom of Worcestershire, while Anne Alexander of Berwick won the Sealey electro-hydraulic bike lift, and Paul Thompson of Preston the hotel break at the Manor Hotel in Meriden. Congratulations to all three, and many thanks to all who entered for supporting the museum!

Andrew Winscom is the proud new owner of this Thruxton!

Back to the future?...

The dates may have been and gone but, somewhat bizarrely, the events could still happen!

Sunday May 3, Nottinghamshire Classic Car & Motorcycle Show at Thoresby Park, Ollerton, is now rescheduled to Sunday and Monday, August 30-31.

Sunday May 10, Bowood Classic Car & Motorcycle Show at Bowood House, Calne, has a rescheduled date that is yet to be announced.

Sunday May 17, Festival of 1000 Classic Cars & NW Classic Bike Show at Cholmondeley Castle, near Malpas has been rescheduled to Sunday, September 20.

The remaining schedule of events for 2020 is currently unchanged and organisers will continue to assess the position and provide updates as each event approaches.

Those visitors, traders and exhibitors who have already booked into one (or more) of the above events will automatically have their tickets moved to the rescheduled event. More information is available at www.classicshowsuk.co.uk

Moto Giro is still go!

The Moto Giro event in Italy is still scheduled to go ahead, taking place from September 13 to 19. The event website has been updated with the details, and the Italian mountains are truly beautiful in the early autumn, making for some iconic and memorable classic bike touring.

Incidentally, the Moto Guzzi factory in Mondello has its ‘open house’ weekend in early September, which would make an epic trip even more memorable.

More information on the Moto Giro can be found at www.motogiroitalia.it

6 NEWS

June 2020

More replica parts available from Kingpin The current crisis has, as is alluded to in the editorial on page 2, brought forth the point that we have a vast aftermarket industry in the UK for classic motorcycles, and it’s one that has, in general, continued to supply parts and materials for our projects and complete bikes throughout the crisis.

Kingpin Components is a prime example as not only does it have an expansive array of replica parts, spares and materials, but it is also continuing to expand its range regularly.

Founders Day 2020 – update

You’ll probably be able to guess the gist of this piece by just looking at the title, given how many similar news pieces have been included in this issue…

The Committee of the Taverners section of the VMCC has carefully considered the current

Government’s rules and guidance, in particular regarding the circumstances of the Founders Day event, and has subsequently decided that the event is cancelled for this year. Consequently, all autojumble applications will have been returned by now, so if you

The latest additions include engine plates for prewar lightweight Triumphs (pictured) and clear hooter horn brackets and footrest hangers for the Norton D-shape footrest rubbers. With a view to continual expansion of the product range the company is always open to new ideas and if you are struggling to find parts for your project please visit the website and get in touch.

The company's recently rejuvenated website can be found at www.kingpincomponents.co.uk

made an application but haven’t heard anything, please contact the organisers.

The club looks forward to organising Founders Day 2021 and celebrating 75 years of the VMCC. For more information please see www.foundersday.co.uk

Miller museum is restoration heaven While the lockdown of shops and public traders has now begun to ease, we’ve yet to see any easing on the closures of public services such as libraries and museums, yet that doesn’t mean that they’ve been simply mothballed for the last few months.

As an example, while the Sammy Miller Museum in the New Forest has been closed to the public, Sammy himself has, in his own words, been “isolating in heaven!”, ensconced within the workshop and working on bikes for the museum.

One in particular was the four-cylinder 200cc Fruin – with a freshly restored powerplant by John Ring – which was due to have its first outing at the Festival of 1000 Bikes, and then the Kop Hill Climb.

We’ll be letting you know just as soon as the museum is open to the public.

Gone missing While we’ve all been under lockdown, and undertaking little in the way of venturing away from home, it hasn’t necessarily made our bikes any safer, or seen much in the way of any kind of reduction in the amount of thefts taking place. Somebody who’s prepared to steal someone else’s pride and joy isn’t the sort of person to take any notice of any governmental advice, especially that to stay at home…

And we have to be aware that theft doesn’t just mean your bike being taken in the middle of the night. There have been numerous cases in which bikes have been taken right under the nose of the owner, in the form of fraud.

While these scams – for that is exactly what they are – will only apply if you’re selling your classic bike, it still pays to be vigilant. If you think that the people running scams are any different to the people physically stealing bikes, you’d be wrong – both amount to theft.

There have been a few scams in which classic bikes have been purchased under false pretences, including some of fake £20 notes of which there are a considerable amount apparently in circulation. A handful of cool, hard cash is nice to have, but it’s not so satisfying when it’s about as legal as Monopoly money. It’s clearly far safer to sell a bike using a bank transfer, although that in itself could have issues, with potential fraudsters being given your banking details! The moral of the story is to take care and be vigilant. Stay alert!

A number of classic bike owners have also been caught out when a prospective buyer has handed over a passport or driving licence as collateral while they take the bike out for a test run, only to never be seen again as the licence or passport is false! Ken German informs us that false licences are now very cheap, and easy to get hold of as well.

Ken also mentions that he has spoken to many European policemen recently at various conferences, and they’ve said that there really is a lot of interest in classic motorcycles and cars being stolen or obtained by fraud. Sadly, many (ex) owners don’t have the knowledge available to them to make the necessary enquiries, and those bikes that have been discovered have usually had the back-up of a good tracking company. Electronic trackers are now cheap to buy, and easy to tuck away out of sight on a bike, so it’s well worth the time and effort to fit one. And, to iterate on a point made in a previous issue, while it is easy to circulate the information about stolen bikes quickly, it is still imperative that owners take lots of pictures, particularly of the frame and engine numbers, and also mark them, or ‘tag’ them, maybe using business cards inside the handlebars or footpegs, or inside clock housings etc.; this gives a bike provenance, makes it easier to recognise as ‘your’ bike, and makes repatriation far, far easier.

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June 2020