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A side valve BSA sidecar lugger attracts the attention of two Dartmoor ponies and a foal in this charming photo taken by a reader of The Motor Cycle in Princetown, Devon, in June 1953. The sparse and ancient-looking fourwheeled vehicles also seen further underline the date. Photo: Mortons Archive www.mortonsarchive.com
2 NEWS
November 2016
Pete’s Prattle
www.oldbikemart.co.uk email: info@oldbikemart.co.uk
Editor Pete Kelly OBMEditor@mortons.co.uk Designers Charlotte Fairman, Tracey Barton Production editors Sarah Palmer, Sarah Wilkinson Picture Desk Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield Advertising Tania Shaw tshaw@mortons.co.uk Alan Green agreen@mortons.co.uk
01507 524004 Marketing manager Charlotte Park Circulation manager Steve O’Hara Publisher Tim Hartley Publishing director Dan Savage Commercial director Nigel Hole Associate director Malcolm Wheeler 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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n a world where investing through banking institutions is rapidly becoming a waste of time – and eventually might even cost you – it’s not surprising that growing numbers of people are sinking their money into assets such as veteran, vintage and classic motorcycles. As recent auction results have demonstrated, the prices of certain makes and models seem to be in an ever-upward spiral. Whether this is a good thing or (as many believe) a bad one, there’s no getting away from the fact that market forces will always dictate the outcome. Machines we have known, loved and perhaps even owned are rapidly becoming out of reach for the average rider, and worse
still are likely to be cocooned for years while some investors (who perhaps have no interest in motorcycling whatsoever) simply lie back and watch their assets grow. Not being able to see and hear such machines in action is the biggest loss of all for so many of us who believe that bikes of whatever age or rarity are made for riding – and my vote will always go to those who continue to share their treasures with others. These include the National Motorcycle Museum, the Sammy Miller Museum Trust and those wonderful members of the Vintage Motor Cycle Club who so kindly entrust their precious machines to ordinary motorcyclists at
training days and other events. ■ Following the passing of my dear wife Liz in the Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, on Monday September 19, life has necessarily taken on a new perspective, but from the bottom of my heart I must thank all those, both from within Mortons and without, who have helped me complete the last two issues of Old Bike Mart during these trying times. Everyone I’ve asked for help has responded unfailingly with stories, letters and photographs, strengthening my faith in that great institution known as the brotherhood of motorcycling. From now on I’m likely to be accompanied at every event I attend, and every interview I undertake, by our rescue dog,
Vincent Comet makes £24,640 at H&H’s Duxford sale
Flying Penguin on tour
For years the single-cylinder Vincent Comets have been seen as the ‘poor relations’ to the fabulous V-twins, but this 1952 Comet went under the hammer for £24,640 – thought to be a record – at the H&H Classics’ sale at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, on October 12.
Popular bikers’ cafe goes up for sale A regular haunt of cyclists, walkers and motorcyclists, the hugely popular Wessons Cafe and restaurant on the High Street in Horam, East Sussex, has been put up for sale. After 16 years of running the cafe, whose breakfasts are something of a legend, current owners Steve and Lorraine (‘Loz’) Wesson now hope to retire
Elsa, but don’t worry: she doesn’t bite, and the worst fate likely to befall anyone is being licked to death.
from the hospitality trade and travel the world. The sale is being handled by Andrew Moore, Director at Christie & Co’s Maidstone office and himself a keen motorcyclist. The freehold property, which includes two flats and a vehicle workshop, along with the right to sell vehicles if desired, is on the market for offers exceeding £850,000.
Frank Melling gave an evening of tall but true tales from his lifetime in motorcycling at the Ship Inn, Chester, as part of the Chester Literature Festival on Tuesday, October 11. The stories appear in his latest book, The Flying Penguin, which is already on its way to becoming a best-seller just like its predecessor, A Penguin in a Sparrow’s Nest, and the evening went far past its official finishing time as he signed copies for the sell-out audience. Frank will also be talking about his life and his two recent biographies during the NMM’s ‘Museum Live’ open day on Saturday, November 5.
8 NEWS
November 2016
Buzzing at the Beamish Imagine you’ve just turned 16 years of age, you’ve just got your provisional motorcycle licence, you’re the proud owner of a buzzy little 1979 50cc Fantic two-stroke and you’re raring to go. Or you’re a lady rider who just loves bombing about on your 200cc Triumph Tiger Cub. There again, you might be more than 65 years young, a veteran of decades of off-road competition, who still enjoys your plonking 500cc Ariel trials bike. You might even be one of that special breed who just love scampering about on old sidecar outfits – the older the better in fact – or you might be in your eighties, and after all this time the lure of riding old motorbikes is as strong as ever and you just want to be out there enjoying yourself with like-minded folk on all sorts of machinery, from genuine 1920s trials irons to the late 1970s, and the best offerings from Europe and the Far East. But where could you go? What events exist that allow such a wide variety of machinery and range of age groups to compete against each other in both on and off-road riding?
A few such specialised events are still around, and from my experience one of the very best is the Beamish Trophy Trial organised by the South Durham section of the Vintage Motor Cycle Club, writes John McCrink. The ‘Beamish’ is one of the last events to closely resemble a prewar reliability trial, so as well as enjoying some superb road riding, competitors also tackle some challenging, but safe and rideable, observed hill sections of the type used in the early days of reliability trials. Also, at various marshal points on the route, entrants are tested on their knowledge of the history of motorcycling, which adds another element of fun to the proceedings. The 2016 Beamish Trial took place on Sunday, September 18, starting as always at The New Board Inn near the village of Esh, Co Durham. More and more entrants are opting to camp at ‘The Board’ on the Saturday night to eat, drink and blather about old motorbikes. The Sunday morning dawned warm, dry and sunny, and the 130 entrants wore broad smiles as the surrounding area echoed to the
Shadows lengthen as a Rickman Metisse-mounted entrant concentrates on his line.
sounds of a wide assortment of old bikes, including flat-tankers, rorty four-stroke twins, thumping big singles and smoky ring-a-ding two-strokes all ready to tackle over 100 miles of road work and off-road sections amid the glorious scenery of the Northumbrian and Cumbrian dales. Superb. The settled weather, including unbroken sunshine, meant that not only was everyone in good spirits, but that also the observed sections were, in the main, ridden with ease. Even High House Lonnen, which is particularly sensitive to the vagaries of the weather, presented few problems for most of the entry. I’m always intrigued by the quirky names given to parts of the route, such as Studdon Hairpins, Velvet Path, the Black Road and Gold Hill. I’m sure that somebody involved with the event will know a bit about the origins of these names. Many spectators make for what is considered one of the trickiest observed hill sections, namely Haggs Bank. It’s a challenging steep, twisting section with lots of loose stones, and when you consider the combined ages of some of the riders and their machines, it’s little wonder that a successful ‘clean’ is enthusiastically applauded by the appreciative crowd of onlookers. For me, the Allenheads lunch stop encompasses what the ‘Beamish’ is all about. The warm, friendly atmosphere is clearly evident as riders, officials, helpers and dozens of onlookers mill around enjoying the camaraderie that’s so much a part of this event, and long may it continue. After lunch, it’s more of the same, with fantastic scenery, twisting roads, great trails and observed sections, and before you know it everyone is back at ‘The Board’ having thoroughly enjoyed the 44th Beamish Trophy Trial, which will go down as being one of the driest on record.
It’s that sinking feeling as a rare and beautiful Gilera gets caught in a bog during this year’s Beamish Trophy Trial. Photos by Phil Model.
The Richard Hoare Memorial Trophy for best overall performance was won by a veteran of the Beamish, Dave Moffat from Girvan, Ayrshire, on his well-travelled 1939 350 Ariel. Special mention is also due to the winner of The Robert Atkinson Cup for outstanding achievement/ gallantry, namely Flynn Leybourne, a 16-year-old newcomer (with a provisional licence) riding – you’ve guessed it – a 50cc Fantic. No report on the Beamish Trophy Trial would be complete without acknowledging the many people who work so hard to support the event year after year. Given the magnitude of the trial, and the distance involved, it’s a sizeable team that puts in such a massive effort to enable us to enjoy ourselves on the day. Huge thanks are due to Tom Norman and his fellow club members and friends, and thanks also to the North Durham Motor Club, The Friends of Killhope Lead Mine, North East Classic Motorcycle Club, BSA Owners’ Club and the Reivers and Northumbrian sections of the VMCC.
A Triumph Trophy Trial rider picks his way through a path of stones.
Dry stone walls, girder forks, solid back end BSA and a rider having the time of his life – that’s the spirit of the Beamish Trophy Trial.
10 NEWS
November 2016
A week and a bit in France When I had to decide whether to enter this summer’s Banbury Run or head back across the Channel to Luc Sur Mer for the annual weekend bash at less than half the price, I chose the latter, partly because this also meant I’d be on the right side of the Channel to continue down to Provence for the annual fiveday event run by the Moto Club Senas as part of team Classic Bike Esprit, writes Ian Kerr. The van was loaded with two bikes from different eligible age groups, and thanks to the excellent Brittany Ferries service to Caen, I was deposited close to the centre of the action along with numerous other classic bike fans. The event starts on the Saturday, with a small autojumble and gettogether, but the main part comes on the Sunday, with an escorted ride through wonderful French scenery. If you’ve ever fancied blasting nonstop through red traffic lights and stop signs, with the traffic being held by police motorcyclists to get an idea of what it feels like to be a celebrity, this is definitely the event for you.
The FN (Fabrique Nationale de Herstal) four was manufactured in Liege, Belgium, from 1905 until 1923.
The beauty of continental classic bike events is that you come across gems like these two Belgian Sarolea motorcycles nearest the camera, the first looking distinctly Panther-like.
Almost 200 motorcycles made an impressive convoy to the Sunday lunch stop in a medieval hall – all included in the modest entry fee – before heading back to the coast for the prizegiving, with British riders picking up some of the many trophies on offer. Having warmed up, it was just a short hop down to Provence to meet up with ex-pat Neil Thomas, who runs the superb Classic Bike Esprit set-up, and head off to Sennas for five days of sun and roads that definitely wear out the tyres. Almost 75 machines were entered, including those of many regulars and an increasing number of Brits who were all keen to avoid the Brexit debate and vote. This year’s event was centred in the Ardèche, in an almost brand new holiday camp right next to the Ardèche river. Daily runouts saw us explore the region as well as getting a run alongside the Ardèche Gorge, with a road that’s moved up to my top ten in the world –
If you think that ‘high-up’ pillion positions are the preserve of modern sports bikes, just take a look at this side valve Motobecane, and its sharp contrast with the British café racer next in line.
This amazing machine was seen in the excellent bicycle and motorcycle museum at Domazan, which was included in one of the tours. A smart BMW R60/5, with its chrome tank panels, overlooks the Ardèche river.
sheer motorcycling magic! The Senas club had also arranged for another classic touring club to put in an appearance one evening, which saw the arrival of some superb classic French machines and their enthusiastic owners. With stops at an excellent bicycle and motorcycle museum at Domazan, and a look around the £88 million Caverne Du Pont D’Arc, the five days in the Ardèche region were over all too quickly, and with new
Answers on a postcard, please…
friendships forged and old ones reinforced, everyone headed home contented and already looking forward to next year. Hopefully Brexit will not spoil the fun, as just like us, the French classic enthusiasts just want to ride their classic bikes and have fun.
Colombres Classic Motorcycle Rally scores again The fifth Classic Motorcycle International Rally for pre-1988 motorcycles organised by Moto Club Indianos in Colombres, Spain, from October 2-9 proved another great success, writes Tony Page. The event offers eight days of riding along the empty and pothole-free roads around the Picos Mountains of northern Spain in the company of over 300 other classic bike riders, and there is also a four-day option. Excellent route cards are provided, with lunch served halfway around each of the daily 100-mile routes. This year’s special guest was Paul Smart, who rode every day, and many couldn’t resist the lure of ferreting around in the weekend’s autojumbles or watching the Saturday hill climb and Sunday motocross events. It was a busy week for the riders of classic vintage and veteran motorcycles who, apart from just one day of drizzle, enjoyed good weather throughout. The roads were uncluttered all right, but at times they had to be shared with cows and sheep in the high mountains. Next year, the organisers are arranging an optional five-day pre-event ‘Tour of Spain’ for those wishing to further extend their last trip of the year, and details will appear on the club’s website in good time. Price and accommodation details, along with a link to
A Morini and a Velocette are at the front of the queue as riders in the 2016 Colombres Rally prepare for the ‘off’.
On his ‘bathtub’ Triumph, Dr Martin Kirk was a long way from his home in Aberdeenshire.
the discounted Brittany Ferries rates, can be found on www.motoclubindianos.com and the website goes live towards the end of December for next year’s event. Just about all the participants from the UK use Brittany Ferries for a no-hassle journey to Spain, and with the sailing schedules fitting in with the event’s start and finish dates, and special rates for participants, it makes sense to plan ahead and get the greatest discounts. With sailings from Plymouth and Portsmouth to Santander (44 miles from Colombres) and Bilbao (100 miles) this saves both money and mileage, as it is 850 road miles from Calais. See www.brittany-ferries.co.uk
Clean lines: This tasty R90/6 BMW was one of the many classic roadburners taking part in the Moto Club Indianos-organised event.
This tasty Triumph twin was one of the many British machines that took part in the Spanish event.
The Vintage Motor Cycle Club West Wilts lads took their Velocettes on tour.
16 AT YOUR SERVICE
November 2016
Roomy lodges for great biking breaks Team Katy samples some brilliant overnight accommodation for adventurous motorcyclists offered by Radnor Revivals. Mick Payne reports.
W
inter is coming, the geese are getting fat, and many riders will be hiding their pride and joy away until a warmer sun warms the sky. There’ll always be those willing to brave the hardships of the colder months – you only have to go to the Dragon Rally on a classic bike to see that! I went twice on my own Triumph T140E, but it was never put away for the wintry weather, and nor were any of my other bikes. However I must admit that winter camping has lost its appeal as I’ve grown older!
Hotels and B&Bs abound, of course, but they are always a bit expensive and always involve what has generally become quite an expensive evening meal. The Youth Hostels Association offers a surprisingly good alternative, and the hostels are nothing like those you might have visited on a school trip in the 1960s and 70s. Most offer small rooms and are even licensed now, but they are still a bit ‘communal’ and something like a school trip going on might make things a little hectic.
The spectacular views are a bonus when you stay at a Radnor Revivals lodge.
When touring on the continent, we often stayed in small cabins – sometimes attached to hotels, and sometimes privately owned. I remember the Alpine Regions and the Adriatic Coast being well supplied with such places, often tucked away in quiet locations, and Kate and I recently stayed in just such a place in the wilds of central Wales. Radnor Revivals, which advertises in Old Bike Mart, and whose owners Bev and Tim Kemp are both enthusiasts, offers an ideal solution for a biking break. “We recently hosted an event for The Sunbeam Club,” said Bev, “and our son Jack works out routes for local rides if requested.” The accommodation is situated in a beautiful area for riding that’s particularly suited to older machines, along with adventure bike riders and members of the Trail Riders’ Federation. To help visitors plan their own routes, the site has a map room with all the local copies of OS maps mounted on the walls. These also have all legal off-road routes highlighted, and while it was tempting to try the trail tyre-shod Jawa on one, discretion suggested otherwise, for some of this going is very rugged indeed.
Four vintage combos found in Gloucestershire barn bonanza When a pair of creaking barn doors were swung open in deepest Gloucestershire recently, no fewer than four motorcycle combinations from the 1920s and 30s, covered in dust, were discovered. They’d been collected by the same family who loved sidecar outfits, and it had been planned to display them in a museum that never materialised, says Mark Bryan of H&H Classics’ Motorcycle Department. All four will come under the hammer at H&H’s next big bike sale at Donington Park on November 16. The combos, all in original condition, are a 1924 AJS Model D (estimated sale price £12,000-£14,000), a 1932 BSA G12 once used by the Bath City Police and
still bearing the name (£16,000-£18,000), a 1930 BSA Sloper (£7000-£8000) and a 1925 Quadrant (£10,000£12,000). Also coming up at the Donington Park sale is a 1938 HRD Series-A Rapide (CUP 660) that was found among a collection in Japan and could well result in a world-record price for a Vincent. Once owned by racing driver, car builder and TV presenter Alain de Cadenet, it is one of only 78 ever produced between 1936 and the summer of 1939, and it’s estimated that just 50 survive today. The Series-A Rapide was nicknamed the ‘plumber’s nightmare’ because of all its external oil pipes.
Found in a barn, this 1932 BSA G12 sidecar outfit was once owned by Bath City Police.
Another of the tasty combinations is built around a 1924 AJS Model D.
Perhaps the cheapest of the four outfits to buy, at an estimated £7000-£8000, is this BSA Sloper combo.
With an estimated sale tag of £10,000-£12,000, this 1925 Quadrant sidecar combination simply oozes character.
November 2016
READERS’ LETTERS 21
Washing powder nickname for a very special Vincent Reading your ‘Prattle’ (OBM October) brought back memories of the era from 1958 onwards. At that time I had my wonderful 1950 Series C Vincent Rapide, and being an engineering apprentice, I completely rebuilt it and smoothed and polished all the alloy to the highest standard. I was privileged back then to be a marshal at Bemsee events at both Silverstone and Crystal Palace, and because of the bike’s shiny appearance, it was christened ‘Omo’ at Silverstone (Omo being a washing powder that was always advertised as adding ‘brightness to whiteness’). I went through countless tubes of Solvol Autosol before I sold the bike in 1968. The photo, taken in 1962 after my demob from National Service, shows the unusual registration
Carburettor mystery
Tim Moore of Skysport Engineering Ltd, Rotary Farm, Thorncote Green, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 1PU, wonders if anyone can identify this very well made pair of (racing?) carburettors. They have a bore of a mere 5⁄8in (16mm) but carry no ID clues at all. Tim can also be contacted on 01767 627375.
The identity of these gorgeous little matched carburettors is being sought by Tim Moore.
The interest those old cover shots always bring! With the alloy so bright it ruined the camera setting, this is Ed Dale’s 1950 Series C Vincent Rapide at its most glorious.
plate, NI 18 B because I had Omo with me when I was stationed in Germany, where the British Forces’ private vehicles had to have special registrations. The original PMU 802 was later reinstated. I believe the bike is now somewhere in Canada. Happy days! Ed Dale, Email
Judging by the type and sparsity of the traffic seen, this view of the old Chatham Motor Co Ltd was probably taken in the late 1940s or early 1950s.
Eddy Williams – the master of Rhydymwyn
Catch 22 – my comfortable, reliable Burgman
Responding to your editorial about motorcycle names, while I love the old bikes of my youth, during the last few years I have resorted to a modern automatic steed, my wonderful Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive scooter that’s pictured Named Catch 22, Ken Partington’s Suzuki somewhere in France. Burgman is a comfortable, practical and reliable I have named it Catch mile-eater that’s taken him all over Europe. 22, because its circular Germany and the Czech Republic, meaning faithfully reflects my habit of and this year I went to Benidorm going round in circles (even with sat without breakdown. nav) whenever I go on any long ride. I hope you can make an Catch 22 is also my favourite exception for a modern bike in your book, and in my opinion the best columns. novel ever to come out of the USA. Ken Partington, Since I bought the bike in 2010 Email I’ve ridden it to Croatia, Portugal,
I’ve been a regular reader and receiver of Old Bike Mart for 10 years now and wouldn’t be without it, for it’s more important than the daily paper. A few months ago you carried an article about racing at Rhydymwyn, only eight miles from where I lived. I’m 77 now, but as a young man used to go to all the race meetings there. The best rider was a local man by the name of Eddy Williams, but there was no mention of him in the story. It would be interesting if you could trace his results and discover where his Rudge racing machine is now. W D Woodward, Email
A heavily modified Ariel racer I wonder if any reader can identify an interesting Ariel that I recently acquired. It has been heavily modified for racing, including reversing the inlet and exhaust. I have no history of the machine, other than that it came from a
Seen from both sides, Arran Marshall’s heavily modified and extremely interesting Ariel racer appears to be based on a 250cc Colt c1929/30.
Alan Spurge, former owner of the legendary dustbin-faired, heavily-tuned 1961 pre-unit Triumph Bonneville Voodoo, whose story was told by Tony Page in last month’s OBM, has forwarded the accompanying photo that was taken in Johnson’s lounge on the A20 in Kent around 1966/7. Alan would like to know the names of everyone in the picture. No 1 was ‘Big John’, who died a few years ago; No 2 Chris, who died around 1968; No 5 a chap Alan believes was called George; No 8 is Alan himself; No 9 is Anita Cooke and No 12 Ron Maddox. Alan believes that most of the guys worked at AMC’s Plumstead works. With the carburettor at the front, the cylinder head has been reversed.
Can any OBM readers complete the missing names in this wonderful group shot from 1966/7?
In reply to Graham Wilson’s query: “Does anyone remember Voodoo?”, OBM September, (we’ve been away plotting routes for our next tour for old motorcyclists, so this response is a bit delayed), but in the 1960s we frequented Johnson’s on the A20 just up the road from Brands Hatch. The most notable road burner was a Triumph duplex-framed Bonneville with a DMD dustbin fairing going under the name Voodoo which was emblazoned on the side. It was also known as ‘Alan’s Bonny’ although the owner’s real Christian name was Albert. Voodoo and Alan were held in awe by everyone who frequented Johnson’s Cafe in those exciting and now nostalgic days. Alan had bought one of the first duplex T120s from the Jack Surtees
dealership in Forest Hill. When it was collected, he was over the moon with the performance and smoothness of the engine. The log book was not available at that time so it would be sent on – but it never came, so Alan started to push and made enquiries as to when he would get it. In desperation he contacted the Triumph factory for their help, and discovered that the bike was a demonstrator only and that he shouldn't have had it because it had only ever been intended for doing the dealership rounds! Clearly the Surtees dealership had made an error in thinking they could sell it on and obtain the log book later, so the duplex T120 had to go back. Alan then had the promise of the first new Bonnie that Surtees could
family with the surname of Woods in the Argyle and Bute region of Scotland. The frame number is L36253, the engine number BK3660 and gearbox number RPD23779. Arran Marshall, Email
We’ll see what we can find out, Mr Woodward, and if any reader can help with either enquiry, please let us know. – Ed
Those were the days – but what were their names?
Why ‘Alan’s Bonnie’ was called Voodoo
Having lived all my life in the Medway towns, and remembering the old Chatham Motor Company well, I wonder whether Jim Avery (OBM October) is correct in identifying September’s front cover picture as having been taken outside that dealership. In the photo here, probably taken in the late 1940s or early 50s, the road to the right rises to join the A2 at the end of the New Road Viaduct (within whose arches there used to be an auxiliary fire station), but I don’t remember any hardware store. Also in the original picture the road appears to be flat and not rising – I could be wrong, though. Tony Gutteridge, Email
get, although they did try to sell him a new CSR instead (extolling the virtues of a centre crankshaft bearing). After several weeks a new T120 arrived, and Alan collected it with all the paperwork etc. It was destined to become Voodoo due to the disappointing performance and vibration of the engine in standard trim – absolutely not a patch on the demonstrator model! Alan (an electrical engineer at the time) had the engine worked on by professional tuner Alan Dudley Ward, including a close-ratio gearbox and that DMD fairing for increasing top speed, twin GP carburettors and straight-through pipes of the correct tuned length. These tuned length pipes actually finished inside the reverse cone megaphones, creating that ear shattering sound that sent tingles down the spines of those
that were there at the time. Magic memories for all! The bike ended up really fast and would often blow out spark plugs on the 10.5 to 1 pistons fitted. It reverted to 9.0 to 1 and strangely went faster! The masking of the valves on the high dome 10.5 to 1s probably caused poor gas flow. Therein lies a lesson for road burners and racers! We had occasion to pick up a broken-down Voodoo with missing spark plugs one dark damp night, in my friend’s dad’s Ford Thames van, so have some knowledge of the bike. Also I was in touch with Alan only last year.... he came to tea and we talked about old times, hence this story. The bike was reputed to do 75 in first, 90 in second and 115 in third, with top speed upwards of 125mph –
The initials ‘EXP’ and the word ‘Special’ are clearly stamped on these covers.
and over-revving in the intermediate ratios was clearly necessary for these speeds. Alan rode alongside me one night to check the speedometer on my 1957 pre-unit T100. I was doing just over 90 twoup down the Mad Mile with a heavy passenger, not far from the famous Dutch House pub where some riders lost their lives trying to take the bend at high speed. Alan rode alongside me and confirmed the chronometric speedometer as accurate as his. Then he dropped to third gear and disappeared down the road! Now does anyone else remember a Dominator 600 known as ‘Frank’s Norton’? It was another tuned road burner that unfortunately blew up a few times. Brilliantly fast – but it could not catch Voodoo! Dave Blanchard, Email
26 NEWS
November 2016
Ariel Owners’ Club celebrates 65 happy years Richard Thomasson describes the evolution of the Ariel Owners’ Motor Cycle Club, which was formed at London’s Ace Cafe in 1951 and is still going strong.
A
The Ariel Owners’ Motor Cycle Club was formed in November 1951 at London’s Ace Cafe, but after that establishment closed, and the premises became a tyre and exhaust centre for many years, it wasn’t until the cafe’s reopening over 15 years ago that the club could celebrate its 50th anniversary there. This beautifullycrafted plaque was unveiled after a celebratory run to the club’s birthplace in 2001.
t a time when Ariel was busily producing its distinctive range of four-stroke motorcycles at its long-established home in Selly Oak, Birmingham, the Ariel Owners’ Motor Cycle Club was established at a meeting at the Ace Cafe London on Saturday, November 24, 1951. The club quickly became recognised, for despite not having the sporting credentials of perhaps Norton or Triumph, the bikes acquitted themselves well in everyday life either hauling family sidecars or modified to more sporting configurations, perhaps with engines tuned by a certain Mr Hartley. The factory sponsored club events such as the long distance run from London to Edinburgh, starting at
Marble Arch at 6am on a Saturday and finishing back at Marble Arch 6am the next day! The 1960s heralded one last blast for the factory, with the tremendously successful Leader and Arrow two-stoke models. By the mid-1960s though, production had ceased, arguably handing the learner market for 250cc two-stroke twins to the Japanese manufacturers on a plate. With the closure, certain motorcycles were offered to the club including the 1898 Trike now at Beaulieu and the 1904 Veteran now with the club. Remarkably the Trike was rejected at the time of inspection at Stanford Hall simply because it wouldn’t start! With the 1970s on the horizon,
The spirit of the 1950s is encapsulated in this photograph of a typical Ariel owner at the time of the club’s formation.
there was a buzz around the club branches about a new ‘Ariel Three’ which was anticipated to be a rebadged BSA/Triumph 750cc triple, and even now, after all these years, one can easily imagine the disappointment when what actually appeared was a 50cc trike! Some relief from such sentiments was had from the arrival at the annual rally at Caddington, near Luton, of the 1000cc Healey Four after the Healey brothers put the legendary Square Four engine into a decent frame to show, perhaps, what the works could have done to release the engine’s potential. These rallies reflected the times they were held in. The site was a farmer’s field, with an old Army tent to host the evening gathering. Toilets were literally a hole in the ground dug each year by the local Hertfordshire branch, water came from a stand pipe, and pretty much all the bikes were in use as daily transport. Notable events included a police ‘raid’ for selling beer without a licence and a ‘streak’ around the rally field by a female member on a 600cc side valve (it’s funny what detail you remember!). The 1980s heralded the era of magazines dedicated to vintage motorcycles, and perceptibly the approach to the bikes in the club changed. No longer was the focus on the repairs and overhauls necessary to simply keep the bikes on the road, for complete rebuilds started to take place. Such efforts were not without their challenges given the lack of certain replacement parts at the time. Mudguards were a good example, for daily use on salt-laden winter roads saw many rust out. At that point, club member Erik Howard – sadly no longer with us – and his excellent range of glass fibre replacements came along. The moulds were taken from ‘in service’ steel guards, so you got glass fibre mudguards with rust pitting – just how authentic can you get! The annual rallies really went
A 500cc Ariel VH Red Hunter looks very much in keeping with two vintage roads signs.
During the early years of the Ariel Owners’ Motor Cycle Club, rally facilities were basic and the vast majority of members’ machines looked like this as they were in regular use as everyday transport. How times have changed!
When Ariel ceased production in the mid-to-late 1960s, motorcycles including this 1904 veteran machine and an 1898 trike were offered to the club – and the trike was rejected when inspected at Stanford Hall simply because it wouldn’t start!
Reminding us that motorcycling is meant to be fun, spontaneous delight shines from the faces of two young sidecar passengers at an AOMCC Rally.
The 1950s were great years for motorcycling, as this happy family picture of an Ariel sidecar outfit clearly shows.
30 NEWS
November 2016
Make mine a Triple... Tony Page reports from the 11th French Triples Rassemblement around Angers, and the extraordinary commitment to the pre-1975 Triumph and BSA triples by organiser Georges Boisniere.
S
ome will immediately recognise the name Georges Boisniere. A Triumph/BSA Triples stalwart from a young impressionable age, he deserves a medal – well, several actually – for as well as never owning anything except Triples of the pre-1975 Triumph and BSA variety, he’s been organising rallies, or rassemblements, for them in and around Angers, France since 1980. How many of us have stayed true to our first love? Most of us wavered, didn’t we, but Georges, having seen a Triple win at Le Mans in 1971, (what the works Tridents did not win in 1971 was won by Rocket Threes) was hooked.
He managed to obtain his first Triple in 1972 and has never had another type of bike. He now possesses eight, his favourite being a standard-spec T160, but he also has a super-rare Anglo Bike ‘Tristar’, and has returned to organising Triple rallies. I say ‘returned’ as, after staging 10 of them through the 1980s, he had a 24-year break to raise his two daughters, then returned three years ago and announced the 11th rassemblement. Back in 1980 he formed the French Trident and Rocket Three Club shortly after Tim Smithells created the UK TR3OC in the UK in 1979.
Surrounded by a mouth-watering array of Triples, rallyists relax beside the Loire during the Saturday lunch stop.
Count the cylinders… George Pooley’s Quadrent – spelt thus to reflect the last few letters of ‘Trident’ – is a beautifully understated piece of machinery.
The sound of music – T160s on tour.
Georges announced his first rally, in May 1980, to be held in his mum’s back garden in Vande, near Angers, France, and as 35 to 40 turned up, it was something of a full house. As more came the following year, including a solitary rider from the UK – a certain Norman Hyde – a ‘proper’ site was required. Incidentally, Norman loaded up his Trident with parts for French customers in an effort to avoid thethen import tax, but was rumbled at customs and had to fork out ‘quite a large sum’. His French customers were not too happy. After seeing an advert in MCN announcing the third French Rally, I rode my T160 there to see what was what and ended up attending every year, watching the rassemblements grow in size and popularity until Georges stopped doing them in 1990. The 10th was the last, and attracted hundreds. Although still running a scaleddown French Triples Club (offering technical advice and parts-sourcing) Georges found that his family commitments had to take a front seat. Raising two daughters meant that organising what had become mainstream international rallies attracting upwards of 300 people simply had to be put on hold – for 24 years. But three years ago it was announced that the 11th rassemblement would take place, near Angers as usual, and ridden-in Triples were invited.
Rally organiser Georges Boisniere’s Hurricane/Featherbed special was one of the most eye-catching Triples on display…
Note the ‘ridden-in’ bit, because back in the 1980s trailer queens and the van contingent were not on the agenda. They probably existed, but we never noticed any, for it was all about riding bikes (and anyway, we couldn’t afford vans or trailers). Hence three years back we, 90 of the faithful, duly arrived and the years (if not the waist measurements, but definitely most of the hair) fell away and it was the mid-1980s again. The specially-chosen site comprised various rural buildings set out for large groups and meetings, attached gites, kitchen, toilets and showers plentiful enough for over …and it comes out here! 100 people, a huge gravel car/bike the 13th, despite there not being a park and ample camping area. Well furthest travelled award, of the 80away from the nearest house, noise plus people attending, my vote went was never going to be an issue. to Mark Van der Looy and Francis As these are riders’ rallies, providing another excuse to ride Marshall, who rode their Tridents from Munich, over 700 miles each off somewhere, people come from way. Mark hails from New Zealand far afield. This year, numerically but lives and works in Munich, and Francis is a Brit who moved to Munich over 20 years ago. Neither owns, nor has ever owned, any bike more ‘modern’ that a Trident. For Mark, Francis and the rest of us, a big part of the event is the ride. As I said, back in the 1980s, a bike rally really was yet another excuse for a ride, and this event encapsulates that sometimes-lost ideal. Trailers and vans are a no-no. Active riders are the thing here. Georges always includes a rideout to a place of interest, and this year’s offering was the huge Tank Museum at Saumur. After a great 45-mile massed ride following the Loire River, we arrived at what is claimed to be the world’s largest tank museum. It comprises a massive covered exhibition with more than 200 well-laid-out working tanks on show from First World War vintage through to the Iraq conflict, and there were 600 more ‘awaiting attention’ outside. Feast your eyes on George Pooley’s double-overhead-camshaft Rocket Three.
A well-laden Triumph Triple hits the road.
November 2016
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unearthed
If you have unearthed something recently and would like to share the news, or think I could help, write to me Mike Worthington-Williams, The Old Schoolhouse, Cenarth, Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire SA38 9JL email worthycomments@btconnect.com
ANOTHER MODEL D Brian Richardson in Sheffield was interested to see in the September issue that Charlie Hall has an AJS Model D requiring restoration. He too has one, albeit a 1920 model, and here you see photographs of it. Brian has owned it for over 45 years and has been gradually refurbishing it during that time. It bears engine number 11867 and is clearly marked on the crankcase as a 1920 model. However he has no rear brake mechanism, and needs some help with the chain case, so I’ve therefore put him in touch with Charlie, who is not too far away in Derby, and Brian is looking forward to a meeting. That’s what this column is largely about.
SPEED TWIN Following the demise of its previous owner, Chris Tier recently purchased the 1939 Triumph Speed Twin shown here, but unfortunately he didn’t get any paperwork, and he doesn’t feel he can press the widow for this. It might be, of course, that the bike is already on the Swansea computer, in which case it will simply be a matter of completing a V62 and paying the DVLA £25 for a duplicate V5. If it isn’t on the computer at Swansea, however, then the archive records for CCR 218 should be held in Southampton City Record Office in the Civic Centre, Southampton SO9 4XR. If the records show the frame number as well as the registration number, then the number could be recovered through the V765 using the Triumph Owners’ Club, which is approved by the DVLA under the scheme. I’ve given Chris the drill.
D-RAD
BSA BANTAM
The Deutsche Industriewerke AG of BerlinSpandau was in business making D-Rad motorcycles from 1922 until 1933, at which time the firm was taken over by NSU and the factory was closed down. PreWarCar.com recently advertised this 1930 R11 model for sale and needing restoration. Rather optimistically priced at 4,800 euros, it features a side valve sloper engine that looks like the 500cc designed by Martin Stolle, and which was their mainstay from 1926 until closure. The bike is in Germany.
Last October, Ian Davies of Ystradgynlais found this BSA Bantam in a shed where it had languished for many years. It bears registration number GAM 90, frame number D72393 and engine number FD7 9598. The registration number is a Wiltshire series, and what records survive are held in Wiltshire Archives, Cocklebury Road, Chippenham SN15 3QN. If the records show the frame number, then the registration is recoverable through the V765 scheme and the BSA Bantam Club can assist.
SKYE BORNE Colin Whyte sends me this photograph of a Royal Enfield which, he tells me, has been languishing in a cattle byre on the Isle of Skye for more than 40 years. He thinks it might be a Crusader, and is looking for missing parts and documentation. It’s registered 419 HTV, an old Nottingham series issued between May and June 1960. The frame number is 14092 and engine number SR5747. Can anyone identify the model? The Nottingham registration records are incomplete, so there is little chance of recovering the original number.
COVENTRY EAGLE Lewis Reid has acquired this Coventry Eagle two-stroke from the 1930s. The registration number, TF 9923, is a 1932 series issued in Lancashire and the archive records are held in the record office in Bow Lane, Preston. I’ve directed Lewis to the British Two-Stroke Club, which is approved by the DVLA under the V765 number recovery scheme. If the original number cannot be recovered, then perhaps the club can issue a dating certificate to help in obtaining an age-related number when the bike is ready for the road.
KOEHLER-ESCOFFIER Another machine advertised for sale on PreWarCar.com is this pretty desperate Koehler-Escoffier twin-port two-stroke said to date from 1940. The company started making motorcycles in 1912 and originally enjoyed an excellent sporting reputation. In 1929, however, it was taken over by Monet Goyon, largely to acquire the racing technology. Thereafter the products of both companies became increasingly similar, and after the Second World War all Koehler-Escoffier machines were powered by Villiers two-strokes. Manufacture ceased in 1957.
NORMAN Tony Gutteridge sends me this photograph of a Norman Autocycle he recently acquired after finding it languishing in a derelict weekend bungalow in the back garden of a house not more than half-a-mile from his home. Bought new in 1947, the autocycle was used for only a couple of years before being replaced by a Norman Nippy in the early 1960s, and is believed to have been used by a “dockyard matey” to get to nearby Chatham Dockyard. Many Normans were used for this purpose in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
UNIDENTIFIED LIGHTWEIGHT Alan Smith wonders if anyone can identify the make of this lightweight frame he has acquired. Distinctive features include pressed steel front forks with rubber bands at the top to aid suspension.
VELOCETTE VENOM John Campbell sends me this photo of the long-neglected 1965 Velocette Venom which is his latest restoration project. It looks complete and bears a Leicestershire registration. John doesn’t tell me whether or not he has documentation, but if he doesn’t then it will probably have to be an age-related number. The archive records for that area are only preserved up to 1927.
KEEP THEM COMING Although the popularity of ‘Unearthed’ means I’ve been able to keep it going despite no longer being able to liaise directly with the DVLA about registration queries, I do urge readers to keep their correspondence coming. This will enable me to continue pointing readers in the right direction, and such letters are always of immense interest to OBM’s readership as a whole. If you have unearthed something recently and would like to share the news, or think I could help, write to me, Mike Worthington-Williams, The Old Schoolhouse, Cenarth, Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire SA38 9JL. email worthycomments@ btconnect.com
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November 2016
feedback David Walker writes with further memories of Colmore’s in Leicester. The showroom was on a corner near a big roundabout at the end of Charles Street and Belgrave Road, and the building is still there. Further along Belgrave Road was Colmore’s arch enemy, King’s of Oxford, with a much larger showroom on two floors. Colmore’s workshop was on a smaller street at the rear of their showroom. While still under 21, David was promoted to salesman at a time when they were selling Ariel, BSA and Douglas Vespa scooters. He remembers being sent out to ride scooters hard, to try to partially seize them and run them in quickly, because apparently scooter buyers had little mechanical knowledge and used to ride them flat out from new! After marrying at the age of 21, David moved to Lincolnshire, but now lives in York. When he left home, he left in his dad’s greenhouse a 600cc Ariel Square Four, a 500cc Vincent HRD missing a wheel, a 350cc BSA Gold Star scrambler and a Peugeot scooter, and later discovered that his brother had sold them all! His dad was at 20 Oakfield Avenue, Glenfield, Leicester. Does anyone remember buying any of these machines? David now rides a 1964 red and white Ariel Leader and a 1950 Douglas Mk.IV identical to his first real bike. The Levis Motorcycle Club (www. levismcc.asn.au) is apparently the oldest motorcycle club in South Australia, and began beach racing in the 1920s. It has been granted approval to host a two-day classic event at Sellicks Beach, South Australia, in February 2017. Annual speed trials were held at this venue until 1953, with re-enactments in 1986 and 1992, but regular races have not been held for over 60 years. All makes will be eligible if manufactured prior to 1963 [Pic.1]. A Levis is pictured. Chris Grellier is seeking the whereabouts of a c.1962 500cc
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If you'd like to share an old picture or two with Old Bike Mart readers, or can add anything to recent 'Unearthed' topics, write to me Mike Worthington-Williams, The Old Schoolhouse, Cenarth, Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire SA38 9JL email worthycomments@btconnect.com
BSA Shooting Star twin, registered 26 NYD, that was once owned by his brother-in-law Colin Hawkins, who bought it around 1962. Does it still exist? Anne Winfindale in Nottingham is becoming a regular correspondent, and it’s always good to hear from her. Her latest letter enclosed a 1965 Christmas number of Motor Cycle [Pic.2], at a time when the editorial line-up included the late great Bob Currie and Vic Willoughby among others, and advertisements included Rowland Smith Motors, Pride & Clarke, Whitbys of Acton, Geo.Clarke Motors, King’s of Oxford, Glanfield Lawrence, Gus Kuhn, Raymond Way, Claude Rye and Comerfords of Thames Ditton, all of which take me back to my twenties! Jim Culshaw sends me this photograph [Pic.3] of his late father taken in 1943 on a WD Matchless when stationed in Wrexham, North Wales, on bomb disposal duties. Apparently he never owned a motorcycle and probably posed on this one just for the photograph. Jim wonders what the date of the bike could be, but I don’t know if the number on the tank gives a clue? John Lyons, secretary of the South Liverpool Motor Club, sends me this further photograph of founder Alec Lewis on a Douglas Speedway machine [Pic.4] Can anyone roughly identify the year of the machine? Responding to the query posed by John in the September issue, Al Ussher, the competition secretary of the DOT Motorcycle Club, confirms that photograph 12 in that issue was taken on the occasion of the North West 200 event. As a native of Londonderry, he says the North West was for him an annual family trip in the month of May in the sidecar or a Riley Nine. The photograph was not taken during the Manx GP but at Henry’s Corner, opposite the harbour, where the riders then straighten up, heads down, for the run up to Portstewart promenade towards Coleraine. Apparently the
1
3 present NW 200 doesn’t use the promenade or this famous corner. Works teams always supported this event, apparently to shake down or find out what was going to break before the following month’s TT races. Mr A Wilson sends this photograph of an Albion hand-change gearbox stamped ED/313 [Pic.5]. It’s a two bolt underslung type and he wonders which motorcycle it would have been fitted to? John Robinson found this photograph [Pic.6] in his wife’s Uncle Andrew’s papers. He had no interest in motorcycles but was a keen amateur photographer and
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4 had photographs of everything, including his time in the Western Desert during the Second World War, but this is the only motorcycle. It looks like a Norton and the picture might have been taken on the Isle of Man. Does anyone recognise the rider? Terry Hamill also comments on photograph 12 in September’s ‘Feedback’, and confirms that the photograph was taken at Henry’s Corner on the North West. He confirms that the shop on the right was his great grandparent’s emporium, and that on the left was a building for the use of fishermen. Neither apparently still exists in Portstewart. He thinks the unfaired
5 bikes and tele forks indicate the 1950s. His aunt and uncle lived opposite the pits, and he says: “We had a great view of the start and finish from the upstairs bedroom window, from where we could also see the bikes sweeping down from Primrose Hill around York Corner and along the short straight to Henry’s Corner”. Ah, the memories …. Toby Sears comments on photograph 8 in September’s ‘Feedback’. He says the photograph cannot have been taken in the mid-1920s because the fabricbodied Morris Minor in the background wasn’t introduced until late in 1928, so the earliest the photograph could have been taken was 1929. John Wakefield (a regular in this column) tells me that Jim Keene in Beverley, whose CB72 was featured in October’s ‘Unearthed’, should have no problem registering the bike as it’s already on the DVLA database, although has not been licensed since 1978. A V62 and £25 sent to the DVLA should obtain a V5c. Apparently it was first registered on January 10, 1966. Trevor Harrison in Leeds tells me that he recently made contact with Peter Middleton, the 1959 Junior Manx GP winner and Oliver’s Mount Champion. Now 86, he’s seen here with the cut-out presented to him by Hepolite [Pic.7]. Trevor also sends me photographs [Pic8, Pic.9] of the Vincent and BSA Gold Star he sold in 1982 to buy a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow to start a wedding hire business. It was successful, and when he retired in 2013 he was able to buy…. another Vincent Rapide and a BSA Gold Star. What goes around comes around!