Old Bike Mart July 2025 issue **20 PAGE FREE PREVIEW**
VicAllanslitheringthroughtheslush on aBultacointheBattleofNewburyMotocrossraceonMarch10,1974. Vic appearsinthisissueonpage48astheguestofhonour at therecentMoidart Run. [Photo by NickNicholls]
• To findthis andthousandsmoreimagesvisit:MortonsArchivewww.mortonsarchive.com
Fortyyears agothis monthanew magazine appeared.Itwas only four pagesand it hadarefreshingly home-made air aboutit, butitwas almostimmediatelywelcomedand embracedbythe classicmotorcycle world. It was, of course, OldBike Mart
It wasthe brainchild of Kenand Irene Hallworth and wasdesignedto not onlychampion autojumbles,but to be ashowcasefor the countless small (and large) traders, engineers and craftsmen who areessential to keepingclassic bikes on the road.
To getitestablished, at frst OBM wasfree, Kengamblingonthe fact that advertisingrevenue would pay for the printingand distributionof the title,although that didn’t take into accountthe many hoursand the herculean efortheput into distributing OBM,drivingcountless miles with bundles of the magazine in the back of his car. Without the huge amountofworkand time that Kendevoted to OBM,the magazine wouldn’t exist. We owehim ahuge debtofthanks.
Keneditedthe magazine forthe frst nine yearsbeforehandingthe reins over to Malc Wheeler when OBM wasboughtbyMortons.Five yearslater NigelClark became editor,followedin 2008 by Tim Brittonand then. at the beginning of 2017, the much-missedPeteKelly Dave Manningfollowedand then I waslucky enough to be passed the editor’s hatinJanuary 2021. It is truly
an honour and aprivilege to do this job.
To celebratethe 40th anniversary of this remarkable little magazine,we arereprintingthe very frst issueof OBM in ourcentrepages.Ihopeit brings back memories forsome of youand achance for otherstosee hownot onlythe magazine butthe classic worldhas movedoninthe last four decades.Pleasedon’t ring anyofthe phone numbersinthe classifedsads in that reprint–I’m pretty sure that the 1973 Norton Commando Fastback isn’t still available for £850!
Meanwhile,once again my belief hasbeenprovedthat, betweenthem, OBM readersknoweverything. Last month Iwrote abouthow Ihad for yearsbeentryingtofnd outmore aboutBirmingham’s ‘petrol stationof the future’
As youwill seefromour Letters page,Terry Glynn reportsthat this wasthe WestleyRoadService Station and that it openedinAcocks GreenonAugust27, 1968 between the WarwickCinemaand the New Innpub.Healsopointedmeinthe direction of moreinformationand Isubsequentlydiscoveredthata Rover3500 wasthe very frst vehicle to fllupatthis station whichBPhad converted to a‘no pumps’ format at acostof£4500, making it the frst garage of its kind in Europe
At the time BP said that it had‘no plans to re-equip other sitesonthese lines until thecompletionofafull
Founder of OBM,the lateKen Hallworth, on a1921 Royal Enfield V-twin combination. He’d just been taken for aride in the chair by George Pollard(Pollards of Dinnington) and said the experience terrifiedhim!
evaluation of the system …Particular emphasis,ofcourse, will be placed on motorists’reaction to the new styleservice.’
However, as Colin Miller wroteto tell me,itrevertedtoa normalselfservice petrol station within twoor three years. Ican onlypresume that the experimentwas unsuccessful, whether through technical problems or simple customer resistance Taking to the internet,I took a look at theaddressonStreetview Google and foundthatthe Warwick Cinemaisnow abowlingalleyand the pubanAfghani and Pakistani restaurant (thepub closed for good in 2021). Butthe currentoccupant of the site,Calthorne Tyres, looks
rather as the garage must have done back in the 1960s,although the frst surpriseisjusthow smallthe forecourt is.But the secondsurprise wasthatthe metal markings on the ground, putintodirectmotorists to park underneaththosefuturistic overhead hoses,are still there. Iwonder howmanypeoplepass them everyday,unaware of their little part in ashort-lived episodeof localhistory?
The first customer at the Westley Road Service Station on August 27, 1968. Note the metal ground markings which arestill there.
Acallfor girder-forkedtrialsbikes!
Tere must be some girder-forked trials bikeshidingingarages and sheds outthere, or hasitcrossed yourmind to build one? If so,the Tavernerssectionofthe Vintage MotorCycle Club wantsyou Te Tavernerssectionin Leicestershirerunstrials for vintage andclassic bikes throughout the traditional winter season from September to April. Tere’s aseriesofnine trials around Leicestershireand Rutland, each held on aSunday. Tese trials areaimedatenjoying older machinery, with the sections beingmanageabletoall abilities and with no ‘dangerous’ sections,meaningyou don’tneed atrick biketohavea good dayat these events.Teaim is to keep
genuine oldbikes beingused withoutthe risk of damagingthem or the riders...
Eachevent haseight sections of which riderscomplete eightlaps (unlessinthe guestclass), and there’salwaysacivilised stop after four laps for lunch whichmakes the daya real social eventaswell.
Many makesofbikes compete –AJS,James,BSA ,Triumph, Levis,Panther,Royal Enfeld and more. Taverners trials have been runningfromwhen fattankers were beingtrialled andwhenthe VMCC cut-of date reached1957 it wasdecided to have that as the deadline to trytokeepthe older bikes in use.
Tere areavariety of classesfor diferent bikeswith trophies for the topthree in each –Pre-1940 girder forks ;four-stroke telescopic forks and rigidrearend;fourstroke telescopic forks and sprung rear end;two-strokemachines ; youthclass (11-16years old); youthtwinshocks(pre-1980bikes under200cc and 11-16years old); guestclass for pre-1957 specials and pre-65motorcycles as well as asportingclass whichisany of the aforementionedbut with just sixlaps.
ROYPRATT 1939 -2025
It waswith sadnessthat we learnedofthe deathofRoy Pratt MBEonMay 25, 2025. After servinginthe army,Roy began acareerineducation and in the1960s wasgiven the joboforganising activities for east London children during the summerholidays in order to keep them of the street and outofmischief.Hewas oneof the foundersofthe Hackney AdventureHoliday Project which gave kids from one of the poorest boroughs in the countrythe chance to ride horses, go sailing,
taketrips andotherthingsthat theywould normallynot have the chance to do
During thecourseofthis project, childrencameacrossa couple of old BSABantams and Roy, who’d developedalovefor motorcycles whileinthe army, told them that if theycould get the bikes running, he would teachthem howto ride.Tey did, so he did!
Tose motorcycles soon became ahugelypopular part of the holiday project anda few morebikes were acquired. To
In an eforttoencouragenew blood,the Tavernerssection is oferingfreeentry in the upcoming2025/26 season forpre1940 girderforkmachines.What afne waytohavefun on your motorcycleata minimumoutlay! Formoreinformation, contact
cuta longstory short, in 1970, the Imps Motorcycle Display Team wasformedand wassoon takingonchildrenbetween fve and 16 yearsofage and teaching themnot onlyhow to ride and performstunts, butinstillinginto themconfdence,disciplineand, aboveall,empoweringkidswho felttheyonlyhad limited options becauseoftheir disadvantaged circumstances.
Sincethenthe Imps have toured theworld and, in their distinctive redtunics, performed their spectacular routinesto thousands of people (including eighttimes at the Edinburgh Tattoo). Untilthe end of his life at theage of 86, RoyPratt was the drivingforce and passion behind theImpsand he was much admired andloved by the children whoselives he touched and shaped forthe better BradleyJohnson, whowenton to play football professionally for 20 years, wasanImp as ayoung boyand says :“It’s hard to put into wordswhat Roymeant to so many of us.Atruelegendinthe community, he dedicated over 50 yearsofhis life to helpingyoung people through hisincredible work with the Imps Motorcycle Display Team –somethingI waslucky to be apartof. Roy wasn’t just aleader ;hewas amentor, arolemodel anda friend to countlesskids who foundpurpose,discipline and joythrough the teamhebuilt.His legacy will liveoninevery life he touched. Tank you, Roy, for everything. Youwillbedeeply missedbut never forgotten.”
PeterMonkon 07826 683600 or email pmonk83@yahoo.com or ring Mark McEvoy on 07973 142440 or email mmcevoy@ infoteknix.co.uk Youcan also fndout more information and nextseason’sdates at www. tavernerstrials.org.uk
Presidents’ Memorial ClassicRun
Since1979 theStevenage &District MCChas organisedthe George BrownMemorialRun in memory of its late presidentwho is best known for hisVincent Nero andSuper Nero sprint bikes.
However, following thedeath last year of PatBarrett,who served as presidentfor many years, the event hasbeenrenamed as thePresidents’ Memorial ClassicRun in honour of both men.
Tisyear’srun will take place on Sunday,July13and will begin from thePlumeofFeathersinLittle Wymondley, Hertfordshire,at11am From whereitwill thenproceed is aclosely guardedsecretuntil the day, butrestassured that around 40 miles lateryou will fndyourself at acarefully selected pubfor lunch beforesettingofagain,albeiton aslightlyshorter routebacktothe PlumeofFeathers. Te club lays on arecover yvehicle so that no one is left behind in theevent of a breakdownormishap.
Te memorialrun is open to allmakes ofmachine registered beforeDecember31, 2002, with sevendiferentclasses.After therun there is the presentationofmany awards,includingthe George Brown Memorial Trophy which,fttingly, is presentedtothe best Vincentor HRDonthe day.
Fordetails of thememorial runregulationsand an entr yform, please contact the club secretary,Mick Taylor,on 01438 354130,or email stevenageanddmcc@ gmail.com or visitthe websiteat stevenageanddmcc.co.uk
Cotton at Gloucester Goes Retroevent
In2015 aGloucestercitycouncillor visited the annualCottonOwners andEnthusiasts Club (COEC) Rally to askifitwould supporthim in anew venturecalledGloucester Goes Retro. Te four gatestreets of GloucesterCity –Eastgate, Westgate, Northgateand, you’ve guessed, Southgate–would be assigned diferent periodsintime. Vehicles from thoseeraswould be on display andparticipants asked to dressaccordingly Te COEC agreed to support the event, butwantedtodisplay Cotton motorcyclesofall eras in WestgateStreet, this beingjust afew hundred metres from the
original Cotton factory. Tiswas agreed andthe inauguralevent wasdeemedasuccess.
It hassince become so popular that thegatestreets arenow fullybookedbyEaster. With the exception of Cotton,motorcycles arenow displayedinTeQuays area that wasonce Gloucester Docks. Te Cotton display usuallyconsists of motorcycles builtbetween the late 1920s and 1980s andasclubsecretaryPaul Shepherdtoldus: “Conversations rangefrom‘Ihavelived in the city allofmylife and didn’t realisethe Cotton factorywas here’to‘Iused to work at thefactory’or‘My dad
used to paintthe petrol tanks’.”
Tisyear’sevent will be the Retro’s10th anniversaryand will be held on Saturday,August 23. Te COEC hasbeenassured by the organiserthatitwillhave its usualspotinWestgateStreet andmembers will be present throughoutthe daytoencourage newrecruits andtogenerally entertainvisitors. Te eventisfreetoexhibitors and the generalpublic. Hopefully, the COEC canonceagain persuade the town crier(one of the loudest in the country) to do hisbit to promotethe onlyvehicleson displaythatweremanufactured in the cityofGloucester. For moredetails,visit www. gloucestergoesretro.uk
Celebratingthe 50th anniversary of theJota
At theend of1975, theveryfrst LaverdaJotaarrivedinthe UK and since then it hasbecome one of the most desirableEuropean machines of thelasthalfcentury.To celebrate this landmarkbirthday, the International LaverdaOwnersClub will be holding acelebratoryevent at theNew InninWillerseyinthe beautiful Cotswold countrysideof Gloucestershire.
Te ILOC held an eventatthe same
location last year (pictured here) and it wasthe largestevergathering of Laverdas in the UK,soit’slooking to surpassthat feat with the2025 anniversary dayonSunday,August 3. It will be open to anyone who owns aLaverda and to registeryour motorcyclecontact Malcolm Cox on 01789 764349 or email coxeng@ gmx.com or search for ‘Laverda OwnersWorldwide’onthatnewfangledFacebook
WEEBLE’SWORLD
OneMan andHis Dog
“A little unorthodox, but as long as he wipedthat screwdriverI don’tsee any
issue,” thought Dog. “Then again, Idoubt if he did wipe it frst…”
CCMgoesinto administration
Aftermorethan50years, Bolton-based CCMhas gone into administration. Founded by Alan Clewsin1971asClews Competition Machines,the frm soon gained areputation as a builderoflightweight, nimble four-strokemachinesthat couldcompete with thebest of the two-stroke motocross motorcycles.TeCCM ’crossers were originallypowered by BSAengines andlater by Rotax motors whichwould lead to thecompany producing the ArmstrongMT500 used by theBritish Army andthat later became the Harley-Davidson MT350E after theMoCobought therightstothe machinein1987.
CCMreturnedtothe military market in 2010 with acontract for 1500bikes,but by then it had alreadyestablishedareputation for road-goingmachinery too. In 2014 it launchedthe GP450,an incredibly lightadventure bike usinga Kymco450cc engine Tenthere wasthe Spitfre, the Maverick,the Bobber,all of whichdivided thecrowd when it came to looks, although few reviewers coulddenythatthey were ahoottoride. In recent yearsthere hasbeen talk of expansionand even a newadventure motorcycle,but insteadproduction slowed down andemployees were made redundant. Now, along with sixassociatedcompanies (including Clews& Sons and CCMMotorcycles (UK) Ltd), CCMisinadministration Of course,CCM hascome back from thedeadbefore. Back in 1998, Alan Clewssold the companytonew owners who used Suzuki DR-Z400engines butcouldn’t make thebusiness work.Whenitclosedin2004, Clews bought back theassets andrelaunchedCCM with two newmodels,the R35Supermoto andthe FT35 fat-trackerthe following year.Twentyyears on, we canonlywaitand see whetherthisisfnallythe endof thelinefor CCM.
Gloucester Goes Retro attracts all sorts, as the December 2024 cover of the club’smagazine ‘Cotton Pickins shows.
Nick Jefferies on a325cc CCM at the 1978 British Experts Trial –wherethe spectators all appear to be dressed in CCMcolours!
[Photo by Nick Nicholls]
Buya boxedFirebladeat Iconic'sSummerSale!
Oneofthe mostinteresting lotstobeofered at Iconic’s Summer Sale at Shuttleworth on July 20 is abrand-new Honda CBR1000RRFireblade
Twenty yearsafter it rolled of theproduction line, this 2005 ’Blade has neverbeenremoved from its transportcrate.Teseventhgeneration SC57 Fireblade, fnishedinRepsolcolours, wassuppliedtoaHonda dealer in 2005 wasnever sold,insteadbeing drystored and untouchedfor twodecades. Still wrapped,
with thekeys, mirrors, booksand screen sealed in theirdeliverybox,itis unregisteredand is expected to be sold forbetween £10,000 and£15,000
“We’ve handledplentyof zero-mileagemotorbikes, butit’sveryraretosee a2005 Fireblade that hasnever even satonits wheels,” said Mark Bryan, motorcyclemanager at Iconic Auctioneers. “Te crateisstill stapledshut. ForHonda enthusiastsand investorsalike,this is agreat opportunitytoacquiresuch
abike–the questionisthen whether to useitorjust admireit!”
Now, youmay be thinking: “Tat looksa littlefamiliar,” andyou wouldberight.It wasone of the lots in Iconic’s sale at the MCN Motorcycle Show in Februarywhere it sold foranundisclosed sum. It wasalsostatedinthe cataloguefor that auction that the Hondahad been removedfromthe crateand startedonce, although then reboxed(andpresumably restapledshut). We can onlypresume that the
sale subsequently failed to materialise,hence its relisting.
Te interest,ofcourse, liesinthe fact that the Firebladeisefectively brand-new and hasnever been on theroadwhich wouldseemtoguarantee that it neverwilland will be destinedfor amuseum or privatecollection.After all,registeritand useitand it immediatelybecomes just another 20-year-old ’Blade –and youcan pick one of thoseupfor under fvegrand.
Stafordwinners
We didn’t have room in our Stafordreportfor the winners’ listsoheretheyare, topped by the Best in Show:
■ Best in Show: Brendan Taylor –1966 Triumph TR6SR
■ Best in Show Runner Up: DavidBatty –1968Honda CL450
■ Veteran&Vintage (Pre1931): ChrisMartin –1911
RoyalEnfeldV-twin
■ Post Vintage(Pre-1946): Adrian Scott–1936 Vincent HRD Series ARapide
■ Post War(Pre-1965): Bill Broughton– 1958 Triumph Tunderbird
■ Classic (1965-on): Roy Collins –DucatiSL1 50
■ Best Japanese: Richard Holmes –1979 HondaCB50J
■ Best Military Machine: Robert Ramba– 1917 Sunbeam 5hp
■ Best Autocycle: Bob Adams–1940 Francis-Barnett Powerbike
■ Best Scooter: BrianClough –1955 LambrettaLD
■ Best Sidecar Combination: Ivan Rhodes–1936 Velocette WorksISDToutft
■ Best ContinentalMachine: AndyAshley –1961 Gilera Giubilio
■ Best Competition Machine: StevePease –1966 DOTWhite Strength
■ Best Scrambler : Peter Saunders–1968 Husqvarna360
■ Best Enduro/Trail Machine: Claire Best –1984 Yamaha IT200
■ Best Trials Machine: Sue Tornton –1980 Beamish Suzuki
■ Most Original Machine: JulieDiplock –1931 Matchless Silver Arrow
■ Best Racing Machine: Peter Quirk– 1972 Aermacchi Ala D’oro
■ Best Oldest Machine: ]Mark Homer–1914 Sunbeam3½hp
■ Best Classic RacerGrand Prix Display: BRTRacing
■ Awardfor Engineering
Excellence: Andy Stevenson–2022 ASPV-twin
■ Best Ex TT Machine: AndrewStevens –1948AJS 7R Best TradeStand: VintageGas Pumps
■ Outstanding Service to theClassic Motorcycle Movement : Howard Wilcox
■ Best British Club Stand: LE Velo Club
■ Non-British Club Stand: MV Agusta OwnersClub GB
■ MixedMakeClubStand: ItalianMotorcycleOwners Club GB
■ Local Area ClubStand: Wolverhampton&District ClassicMotorcycleClub
■ Club Stand: Gold Star OwnersClub
Hangingup your gloves
Thismonth Mick Payne takes alook at twooutfits with which their owner is sadlyhaving to part.
Itcan’tbeaneasydecisiontomake to giveupriding. Forvarious reasonsitwillprobablycometoall of us,and fora multiplicityofcauses.
In the case of long-time sidecar enthusiast and owner of twooutfts, William‘Bill’Moore,itwas basically ordered by hisdoctor, whotoldhim : “Ifyou keep joltingyourspine your problems will just getworse.” It isn’t just thefact that oneofhis bikesisa rigid andthe other aplunger; “the doctor wasmoreconcernedwith thefactIhavetowearahelmet,” explainedBill.
Ifrstmet Bill at aCharnwood Sidecars open daywhere theyard wasfull of sidecars.Headmittedto driving thereinhis car(“I’d fallen out
of acherrytree” wasthe reason)but that associationwith Charnwoodwas to continue. JimD’Arcywould work on Bill’s machines and keep them in the fnefettleinwhich theyremainto thisday
“Asa schoolboy I’dalwaysogle a neighbour’sold Pantheronmyway home,”Bill remembers, so Panthers were alreadybecominga passion. At 17 he realised hisdream andbought a650 Panther with adouble adult Busmar sidecar. It wasn’t alasting relationship.Later in 1974 it was replaced by aUral. “Awful bike, chair on the wrongside anditbroke rear wheels andthrottle cables regularly.”
Tisexperience wasenough to ensure Yorkshire’sbig thumpera
lastingplace in his heart. Bill’s Pantherand BSAwereboth lauded as sidecartugswith the manufacturersevenproviding models of their own. Te Panther should,byrights, have rear suspension butitcamefromthe factoryasa rigid andisftted with a CharnwoodMeteor. Te BSAhas a commercial boxuniquelysignwritten in memoryofJim Bates,a localJAP specialist. Bill explains:“Iknewhim very well as alad. He and his wife Ivyweresurrogate parentstome, I virtually lived around there. Priorto becominga motorcycle dealer he hadworkedpre-waratJaguaron experimental aircraft. He wasone of Bill Lyons’‘Blue Eyed Boys’.”
Te Beezerhas been chairedup since2005 although the‘tribute’ paintworkismorerecent. “Te sidecarchassis came outofa hedge in Northumberland,”Billsays. Tis wasprobablynot ararefnale for many unlovedsidecarswhen their useful life hadended.Itwas handpaintedwith Jim’sdetails,including the period telephonenumber, by afriendofBill’s,AlanEvans.“Alan wasa signwriter whodid all my work
whenIwas in business.A mostkind manand brillianttoboot.”Praise where praise is due.Signwritingisa dyingart these days when most of us arecontent with modern cut-vinyl for ourgraphics
Bill Moore, as Ipointedout earlier, is abit diferent; forthis pieceI emailedhim afew questions. Afew days laterthe postmandelivered ahandwrittenletterwithall my questions answered.Not,asmost of us writeinballpoint–ohno, Bill writes in real ink with avintage fountain pen. If Iwas lookingfor an archetypal old bikeowner it would probably be him.
Duetothe aforementioned doctor’s orders, both machines are up forsale, thePanther comingwith alarge cacheofspares. Bill describes the BSAas“goinglikeanoverhead valvebike” so if you arelooking for awell-sorted classic outftthen Bill canbecontacted initiallyon wapmoore1@gmail.com for details. In his words: “I’d like them to go to goodhomes.”
The outfit after which Bill lusted as alad.
Acloser lookatthe signwriting artistry of Alan Evans.
The days when you could still ride a big bike and chair on Lplates.
The Panther comes not only with aload of spares but plenty of history
Bill’sBSA with acommercial sidecar signwritten in homage to his friend Jim Bates.
JapaneseStreet Scramblers: SuzukiStinger
Canyon racer,creek machine, street scrambler,Stinger, Wolf or Flying Leopard– Steve Cooper finds thattherewas nothing straightforwardaboutthe SuzukiStinger.
This time we’ll look at an iconic bikethat wasnever really marketed as astreetscrambler but, nonetheless, certainlylooks like one.Well, mostofthe time anyway Suzuki’s incrediblycute-looking T125 hadashortmodel runofjustthree ofcial yearsevenifitremainedonsale alittle longer.
From 1969to1971 Suzuki ofered the singularly unique two-stroke twin with its near-horizontal cylinders and open cradle frame.Temotor might have looked alittle likethatofMoto Rumi’s twin, butittooknodesigncues from the Italian machine.TeT125’s chassiswas said to be adirectspin-of from Suzuki’s earlier GP racingand this bearsupunder scrutiny. Suzuki had athingabout hangingthe motor out of the bottom of the frameand even ranthe very frst RG500 prototypes in somethingsimilar–one BSheene Esqsoonmade it very clearthe design wasn’t ft for purposeonaracetrack! As an aside,the T125’srunninggearwas alsosharedwith theTC120 trail bike.
Early models (Mk I) ranchrome plated pipes with blackend cans with the Mk II usingblack pipesand chrome endcans –bothupswept àlastreet scrambler
Right: This 1973 Stinger appeared in the Bonhams Spring Sale at Staffordlast year and had been offthe road for some 35 years, during which time its registration number had been reallocated by the DVLA. It fetched £2520 (including premium) and we would be interested to know if it is in the process of restoration.
Bodges, lash-ups, gorilla-repairs, ham-fsted fxes. We’ve all been there, encountered the end results and, if we’re honest, most of us have perpetuated them occasionally
Over the course of the twomodels Suzuki woulduse threetypes offront mudguard,three styles of handlebars, severalsubtlydiferenttanksand at least twodiferentseats.With the majority of Mk IIsrunningbracedhigh’bars and frontmudguards,the profle was overtlystreetscrambler,unlessyou were lookingatthe lowordownpipe models whichseemtohavebeenmade in smaller numbersand generallysold in the SE Asianmarkets
Although mostof OBM’s readerswill hopefullyacknowledge the T125 as a closet semi-street scrambler,ironically that wasn’t Suzuki’s original intention. Tere hadbeenrequests from Suzuki USAtobuildwhat the Americans called a‘canyonracer’–somethingthatwas lean, stripped back and visuallypure. Te factory’sinterpretationwas known in its designstage as a‘creekmachine’ and it wasunique to the company’s designethos.Telaid down cylinders caused some fuellingissues leading to Mikuni making the frst downdraft carburettors ever fttedtoa Japanese motorcycle.
Although popularstateside,the T125 neversold in the volumes hoped for and quiteprobablybecause of the small-capacitymotor ;inthe US of A, cubeswerewhat mattered before style and looks.
Almostuniversallyknown as the Suzuki Stinger, the bikealsohad other names dependingupondestination, capacityand the whim of Suzuki’s
marketingdepartment. Duetodomestic licensingregulations,Suzukialso produceda90cc versionofthe T125 whichwas once again sold in some South EastAsian countries.InMkI formatboththe T125 and T90 were advertised as theSuzukiWolf. JDM brochuresclearly show high pipe versions of both models advertised as the Wolf
So,that’ssortedthen, right? Well, no, becausefor thehomemarketand in some partsofAustralia Suzuki then sold some Mk II T90s with the word ‘WOLF’ on thetank’s graphic where Suzuki hadbeenonthe T125. And while you’retryingtoget your head around that, in France and the partsofAustralia that didn’t getthe ‘Wolf ’, the T125 was marketed as theFlyingLeopard.You reallycouldn’t make this stuf up.
Ultimatelyin125cc form the bikewas nevera canyon racer and it couldn’t match Yamaha’s AS1 forperformance Te Suzuki hadathree-portmotor while the Yam’swas fve, so it wasalwaysgoing to be an unevenmatch.Suzukichose not to upscale thedesign, so therewas never a250 or 350cc version whichdoesseem likeasignifcant errorgiven the gift of hindsight. Te fnal models were rolled outinAmericaasthe T125R in 1971 while UK dealersstruggledtomovethe last Mk IIsin1972/3.
And that wasit. Suzuki wouldn’t ofer the 125 strokertwinagain until 1974/5 with the GT125 whichsharednothing with the Stingerother than its conrods!
Muggins herewill raise agreasy paw to one acknowledged moment of shame with an RD350 back in 1976. The front brake pads needed changing so the wheel was whipped out, new pads inserted, and then confusion –the disc wouldn’tslotback between them. In arush, and anxious to get out on aFriday night, the caliper was removed, split in two, then the brake pistons drifted back using asuitable implement (read ‘short length of alloy scaffold pole’) and aclub hammer Wheel duly reinstalled, hydraulics bled, cursory trip around the council estate and then offtosee agirlfriend. Primitive and effective, but as subtle as honing abore with ahouse brick! That said, four decades later –same owner,different RD350 –acaliper overhaul nowcarried out with fnesse and precision saw an Allen bolt tear out the steel threads from the caliper body.Just goes to show that you can’talways trust abrand new torque wrench!
Thiscolumn’sSuzukiApache proved to be remarkably fckle in selecting neutral when stationaryfor no apparent or obvious reasons. It was only when frst and second gear werelostthat asubsequent strip down revealed aPO(Previous Owner) had managed to swap thedrain anddetentplugs around. Quite why and how is amystery,but the situation was undoubtedly aggravated by Hamamatsu’sengineersusing the same thread on both fttings.Which just goes to show that youcan’t always trust POs to look at what they’re doing!
And then therewas the Kawasaki F7 trail bike tank and its fuel tap. An American import, the rather cute little fella needed some TLC inside to remove old petrol residues and asignifcantamount of rust. Being a1973 model, its creators had seen ft to equip it with avacuum-operated fuel tap instead of the previous model’smanually operated device. Half acenturyon most Japanese vacuum taps aregetting little tired so a rebuild at the very least was on the cards.
Secured to the tank’sspigot by adouble threaded nut, this example had been spectacularly thread locked via atrowel full of plastic metal. Normally you’d use ahot air gun to melt the grey gunge but not when the tank still smelt of fuel, thanks very much!
Judicious application of atiny cold chisel and hammer fnally evicted everything and kettles of hotwater helped loosen the nut’svice-like grip. But undone tap and spigot remained as one until given asound crack from aplastic-headed mallet. Some inexorably stupid PO had also glued the two together,but why? Oh, that’s simple… because said PO couldn’tbebothered to ft anew sealing washer.Bodge extraordinaire, all forthe sakeofa$1fbrewasher,which also goes to show that youcan’t always trust people to use the correct parts! And then therewas the Yamaha XS500 that probably owed moretolocal hardwareshops, independent car spares outlets and DIY stores than any genuine spares supplier.Car-type fuses werebodged into a wiring loom with those hideous redinsulated terminals, along with some domestic green/yellow earth wirefor good measure. Various gasket faces weresmothered in bathroom mastic and numerous fxtures and very obviously non-metric fttings wereforced on or into metric threads. And thatgoes to show that you defnitely can’ttrust POs not to take the cheapest/ easiest/nastiest solution (or all three!).
Aget-you-home fx is absolutely fne, as is arunning repair.But when such adaptations and workarounds become custom and practice you rather knowitwill end in tears –ifnot foryou, thenfor the next owner which just goes to show that alittle knowledgecan often be the most dangerous tool in the shed!
Above: Althoughnot marketed as astreet scrambler,the advertising tag line ‘built to take on the country’ conveyed that sentiment.
This 1972 T125 was spotted at the CheshireSteam Fair in 2018 by Steve Glover.
This is the Wolf, the name under which the T125 was sold by Suzuki in its home market.
Left: Under the name Flying Leopard, the T125 was promoted moreasaracer than an off-roader
This neat little T125 customwas built by CalifornianKent Riches to showcase the products of his companyAir-Tech Streamlining.
Although not a street
One of the stars of the Bonhams auction was the ex-Carl Fogarty 1988 and 1989 TT Formula 1World Championship-winning Honda VFR750R. Sold fromthe Dale Winfield Collection –Dale Winfieldbought it directly from Foggy,which is the sort of provenance most of us canonly dream of –itwas offered with no reserve.Itexceeded the estimate of £30,000-40,000, selling for £59,800 including buyer’spremium.
Right: Brendan’s1966 Triumph TR6SR which wonthe coveted Best in Show award. Brendan has ahistory of restoring American-spec Triumphs and this one was imported from America in avery sad state. That it took the top prize is testament to what afine jobhe has done.
InternationalMotorCycleShow
Spring has sprung andit’stime for John Mi lton to spring into the StafordShow. Gary Chapman and Matt Hull try and keep up whiletaking some photographs.
Ifit’sApril, it must be Staford. I’mnot sure if that’s atraditionalold saying, butifitisn’t it should be because, as we all know, the cruellestmonth means the International Classic MotorCycle Show at the Stafordshowground. Te showalwayshas what people in businesssuits call a‘unique sellingpoint’; sometimes it’s aparticular specialguest– such as Guy Martin last year and Giacomo ‘Ago’Agostini the previous year Sometimes it’s abike–who remembers in 2019, the year when the weather wasso grim and BudEkins’TR6SSsold for £85,000? (If Iremember rightly, that wasaround three times the auction estimate.)
Sometimes it’s an attraction likethe BSAGold Star Owners Club buildingaGold Star liveduringthe course of the 2017 show.
Butthis year it was– could onlybe, really–Brough Superior.Itmarks 100years since the legendar ySS100
model went into production and so oursistertitle Te ClassicMotorCycle and the showorganisers took on the Herculean taskofamassing as many SS100s as theycould. Te result wasa remarkable display of 22 motorcycles,the mostBrough Superior SS100s to be gathered togetherin one place anywhereand probably at anytime.Each SS100 wasbuiltto an owner ’s specifcation, so it wasn’t as if therewas ever alarge amount of fnishedmotorcycles at the HaydnRoadWorks in Nottingham whereliterally ahandful of machines were built each year (the largest amountofSS100s produced was65in 1925, whereasjust twowerebuiltin1935).
Giventhe price of Broughs even in adepressedmarket, Iwouldn’tevenwantto think abouthow much the insurance bill wasfor that one weekend!
Acentury ago, Broughs were outofreach of all but the extremelywell-heeled
This is one of the last SS100s, built in 1939 and then shipped to aDublin buyer.And if youthink Brough owners don’tuse their motorcycles, listen to this. It has been ridden –deep breath –to Albania, Austria, Belgium,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark,France, Germany,Greece, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Norway,Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland (it was ridden from Switzerland back to England, adistance of almost 620 miles, in asingle day). And it’sstill virtually all original.
and nothinghas changed in that respect. Butthe joy of the Stafordshowisthat it showcases the machines that are, for themajorityof us,unobtainable alongside thosewhichwecould
envisageowning– and many whichwehaveindeed owned over the years. It alsobrings together awide rangeof motorcycleenthusiasts,from the puritanical classic element to owners’ clubs of ever y
This was the last SS100 madein1925and dispatchedto shipping agents, Goodwin, Ferrier &CoofLiverpool andthento Sao Paulo in Brazil wherethe new ownerwas Emanuel Klabin, playboy and heir to afortune. He used it until 1934 anditwas then parked up in one of his warehouses whereitstayed until 1986. Because the chaincase with theBrough logo was missing, no one knew whatthe bike was until four years later whenitwas identified by RichardFlynn, an American living in SaoPaulo.The machine was finally returned to the road in 2000.
description to localMCCslike the LastWolf MCC, Beartown Bikers andthe Greedy Pigs MCC, amongmanyothers. Onenew featureofthe show wasdiferentbike parking. Tisyearmotorcycle
parkingwas inside the show whichhad the dual andmuch appreciatedadvantagesof hard standingand security Oh,and of course,not so far to walk whichisalwayswelcome after alongday of strolling
As always at the show, the Ariel Arrow andLeader section of theArielOwnersClub had afine turnout of motorcycles. However,this was tinged with sadness because it also seems likely this was the stand’slast appearance as thegentlemen who organise the stand areretiring.I hope they still come to the showasvisitors.
Sammy Miller (right) oversees Martin Brailsfordstarting the BRTRacing Laverda998 Motodd in the fire-up paddock.
Above: Brendan Taylor with his BestofShow awardand some chap in ahat gatecrashing the photo.
This caught my eye in the autojumble, a1964 NorBSA. If my back was up to aproper café racer then Imight have been tempted, but commonsense won out!
This old-timer was, Ibelieve, the oldest motorcycle at the show, having rolled out of the Royal Enfield works some 114 years ago. The 1911 V-twin belongs to Chris Martin (presumablynot the Chris Martin of pop combo, Coldplay).
The Rudge Motorcycle Club had managed to squeezequite a number of machines on to itsstand andyet, as this overhead shot shows, had done it without making the display look overcrowded.
The good people of the Arrow and Leader section of theAriel Owners Club, bidding farewell to Staffordafter many years.
No need to worry about adress code on the Norton Owners Club stand –itwas everyone in white!
This gleaming Honda CL450 was restored by DavidBatty and won him the well-deserved Runner Up Best of Showaward.
All bikes have history,but some morethanothers. David Wood’s 1919 Matchless Victory was dismantled in 1927 and taken to Canada by the owner.Itremained in boxes foralmost threequarters of acentury before being repatriated and restored. Few Victorys survive, even fewer in such original condition.
Attracting alot of attention –and certainly one of the blingiest motorcycles in the show –was this 1937 Koehler-Escoffier
Averyinteresting collection of motorcycles up for sale by the main hall; Irather fellfor the little250cc 1957 New Imperial in the back middle.
The Main Hall was ahive of activity all weekend long. In fact, some people weremoving so quickly they just became ablur!
Youcould be forgiven for thinking you’d never seen aHusqvarna Cheetah Husky 250cc because this was aone-offprototype that never went intoproduction. If memory serves me right it was built by Bob Gollett and riddenbyGordon Adsett, at the time a works rider for Cheetah, but the engine was not as successful as the Villiers lump. But what Ireallyliked was that incredibly neat stand!
This extremely rareAJS S3 was offeredwith no reserve in the Bonhams auction. This model with its –unique for the time –transverse V-twin engine was made for just six months. The selling price? £16,100 with premium,inthe middle of the £12,000-18,000estimate.
around both the halls and the autojumble whichwas as large as ever (and, at the end of the day, my feet reckoneditwas larger than ever). Tatarea wasalsoenhancedbya large RoyalEnfeld presence with the manufacturer takingalong its entirerange,and its stand wasbusyfromstarttofnish on both days
Aspotofsunshine meant that people spentlongerin the outside areasalthough,for me,itsimplymeant Ifound morethings that Iwanted. I wasparticularly taken with aNorBSA café racer with a SuperRocket650 enginein a1964 Norton Dominator 650SSframe,while closeto the main hall were anumber of machines I’dhavehappily taken home.A Triumph TigerCub stoodnexttoNew Hudson and Douglas fat tankers, while nexttothem wasa 1928 Humber 350cc and a1935 Levis 250. But, if Ihad been forcedtochoose, it would have been the New Imperial –not the most excitingmotorcycleondisplay buta very pretty little250.
Te Bonhams auction was, as always, amain attraction although it must be said, prices aredefnitely lower than of afew yearsago.We’ll bringyou afull report on the auction in nextmonth’s OBM, butitwouldn’t have been a Bonhams auction without
aBroughSuperior and, in keepingwiththe theme of this year ’s show, it wasanSS100. Buta rather specialone (yes,I knowthey’re allspecial, but some are, well, specialer…).
Lot310 wasanexample from the frst year of manufacture; delivered to Brough Superior Irish agent, SamWallace of Belfast, on March27, 1925 and specially tunedfor competition for the new owner,Bob Matthews. Aheavy-setchap, Bobwas known as the Bangor Boat but the SS100 hauledhis 18-stone frame to many victories, includingsecond place inthe 1927 Ulster Grand Prix After an accidentin1939 it waslaid up foralmost30years beforebeingsoldin 1966 and then boughtbythe vendor ’s father in 1972. Te catalogue estimatewas £300,000350,000 whichdidn’t seem unreasonable (okay, Iknowit depends upon your defnition of ‘reasonable’) given that only 12 of the 69 SS100s produced in 1925 areknown to still exist. However, on the dayitsoldfor £276, 000 whichincludes the buyer’spremium Havingremindedmyself that Iwould indeednever own aBroughSuperior,I wandered back to look at that amazing display in the main hall and have acup of tea andsoI shall leaveyou some photosat whichtolook.
Looking down on the Brough display. Idid quite abit of eavesdropping and found that most people really didn’t like the modernBrough SS100 (on right with blue seat).
Known as the ‘Works Scrapper’, this much-modified Brough Superior JTOR was built in 1927 by Freddie Dixon and the factory. Dixon and the Works Scrapper took the record for the first motorcycle with asidecar to lap Brooklands at over 100mph. In 1929 Bert LeVack set aworld record on it, clocking 129.05mph at Arpajon,France.
Left: How cute is this Motograziella? Fitted with a Sachs 50cc engine, it’s afoldable minibike that was made between 1968 and 1979. And yes, it was actually called the Cheeky Boy
As you might imagine, therewereBroughs everywhere –on display,inthe auction and,rather amazingly,even outside. You don’tsee half adozen Brough Superiors on an autojumble pitch every day!
One thing Henry Cole doesvery well is tell astory andhekept the crowds thoroughly entertained.
Broughs as far as the eye could see –these wereinfront of the stage.
The instantly recognisable ‘Cunliffe Brough’, originally raced in the 1920s and 30s by Jack Cunliffe andprobably the only Brough to ever sport alilac frame.
Special guest Henry Cole poses for aphoto with afan.A keen Brough Superiorfan himself (in 2013 he set aland speed record on Bonneville Salt Flats forapre-1955 750cc motorcycle on a Brough), Henry clearly enjoyed the weekend.
The handsome young fellows of the BSA Bantam Club.
That’swhat Ilike to see, someonetaking full advantage of the autojumble –amudguardlashed across the seat, an exhaust bungee’d on and heaven knowswhat in the top box!
Peter Cunningham won Best of Show at last year’sStafford International Classic MotorCycle Show and he was back this year in the fire-up paddockwithhis Matchless G45. That lovely fairing was made by Peter and inspired by aphoto of Dennis Christianson’sdustbin-fairedG45 at the1957 TT
The Ducati Owners Club GB always puts on astylish display,as befits an Italian marque. I’ve never owned aDucati but Icould be tempted by any one of this lovely line-up.
Youused to see them everywherebut these days it’ssomething of ararity to seeaKawasaki Z650 in such nice condition
TheMoto Mental Martin has been around for quite afew years now,but this is still my favouriteHonda CBX streetfighter.Infact, one of my favourite CBXs of anyvariety
Margaret
competition
AMotobeam –yes, that is aMoto Guzzi engine fitted into aSunbeam S8!
a
(I
Ihave to admit I’d never heard of Voge Motorcycles, but apparently it’sthe premium arm of the Loncin group, a Chinese manufacturer which produces morethan 2.5 million motorcycles ayear,aswell as making parts for the likes of Honda, BMW and MV Agusta. On its stand was the Benda Chinchilla, a500cc cruiser that is less than £5500 on theroad. And it looks pretty good,too.
Of all the Broughs on show, this one probably attractedthe most attentionbecause UL 656 was oneofthe legendary series of machines, all named ‘George’, ownedbyTELawrence. This Brough wasLawrence of Arabia’ssixthSS100 andhetradeditinatthe beginning of 1932 for the machine on which he was killed on May19, 1935.
The
Everett Pavilionisalways one of my favourite areas of theshow with varied
machinery on show, including this array of race bikes.
ABrough Superiorwith asidecar shaped like
canoe
think it’saSwallow De Luxe Launch), what’snot to love?
Visitors admirethe excellent display of private motorcycle entries in the show
readers’ let ters
Please
✪ Whi te Diamond Star Letter
Amysterysolvedatlonglast!
Ienjoyed your report in last month’s OBM on the garageinAcocks Green, Birmingham.
Iwas living thereatthe time and remember it. It opened on August 27, 1968 in WestleyRoad, in betweenapub and apicturehouse. It was the frst petrol station of this type in Europe. It closed in the early 1970s.
Terry Glynn, Cowes, Isle of Wight
Iamindebted to Terryfor this information –and confirmation that Ihadn’tdreamed the whole thing! –and for the photo he sent which you see here. From what he has told me I’ve managed to finally track down some details of this ‘petrol station of the future’, as Ireportinthis month’s editorial. Thank you again, sir! Ed.
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Girl on a motorcycle
Is Scotland an E5 desert?
Wow, great feature on Anita on the Harley in Readers’ Tales in OBM479 –she looks like the twin of my wife Kay (left). Kay took her test on a Suzuki RV 125cc and within two weeks she was offtothe TT on her 1340cc Harley (well, both bikes have fat tyres) and she could really throw it about, scraping the underside of the footboards.
in
OBM gets better all the time and I’ve been therefrom the start (free copies at Bolton autojumble).
Thanks for agreat read.
Barry Lester
In summer 2022 Irodemy 1951 Sunbeam S8 up to Scotland’sWest Coast, using E5 fuel as Ialways do
To my amazement, in Scotland,Ifoundonly one garage with E5 (in Fort William).All the rest only had E10, so Ihad to use that after which the bike started to run poorly,which got worse… It fnally stoppednear Skye, 800 miles from home, with a blown head gasket.This is pretty rareonSunbeams, it had blownbetween the two
cylinders, acopper/asbestos gasket.
Most of us old motorcyclists have seen ablown head gasket with the usual black soot all around the missing bit …but notthis time. The engine is all alloy,and both head and block were clean silver alloy in the gap which I’d never seen before.I’m told that ethanol can dissolve normal gasket sealant. Iuse Hylomar so I suspect E10. I’ve had not trouble with E5, althoughIdo
In April 1950, Dad took us down to Blandfordtosee the motorcycle races at the army camp. One Geoffrey Duke was debuting the Norton featherbed, and one-piece racing leathers. Idon’t remember the races, or Geoff, and my herowas Norton team member Johnny Lockett. (Heardofhim? Died in 2004, yet Idon’trecall reading an obituary in the motorcycling press. How about an article?)
run the carb dry after each run like Mike Page (Letters, OBM476).
Unbeknown to me, afriend who also rides an S8 was touring Scotland at the same time. He also hadtrouble at a similar mileage and that too was ablown head gasket. We both know S8s pretty well –in my case for 60 years and 186,000 miles –fnding them normally reliable, smooth and all spares available by retur n of post from Stewarts.
The question is, has
Just over 50 years later,Ibecame one of the last to ride round the circuit. It happened like this. Dorset section VMCC was invited to display bikes at the Royal Signals open day at the camp. Bill Denny,one of the last apprentices at Rudge and later asenior fgureatH&L Motors, Gloucester,organised the event, and got John Reynolds along with his Suzuki. The White Helmets put on afull display beforewewereushered on to
Scotland got E5 yet? Europe and Morocco have, I’m told, so it’sabouttime! Thanks so much for OBM, such agreat mag, endlessly informative and for me the best newspaper in the world! Nick Skeates, Torpoint, Cor nwall
We would be inter ested to hear from our Scottish readers and riders of classic motorcycles as to whether you’ve noted anyproblems with fuel. Ed.
Riding the BlandfordCamproad racing circuit
the feld. For some reason, Iwas asked to lead and form up alongside John. After everyone had ridden round the feld, Ifollowed John on to the circuit.He was very friendly and Itold him not to hang about. Once on the circuit some gatecrashers pushed their way to the front, and then came some vicious road humps, so John got well away.Coming round the last corner,the public were still coming into the camp using part of the circuit! Since therewas no one to stop me, Iwent round for asecond lap. When Igot back, John asked where I’d got to. The humps had to be ridden slowly on the Sloper
The following year health and safety stepped in; no riding on the circuit, unsurprisingly.SoIwas one of the last to have ridden in the tracks of Geoff, who took over from Johnny as my hero. Iwas now trying to draw Geoffinstead; ‘speed-mad-charlie’ my teacher called me. Inever grew up.
John Witcomb
Long beforeyoung Mr Witcomb’stime, but hereisthe Royal Corps of Signals motorcycle display team –aka theWhite Helmets –onTriumph 3TsatRavenham Park, London, in 1952.
Another encounter wi th the dreaded‘companypolicy’
Just apoint on your closing comments on the matter of ‘It’s Company Policy’ in last month’sissue. Ispent some time in close contact with one who knew alot about this industry and, as such, I can tell you that, though my own enquiries on just the same subject it was (as told to me) indeed ‘company policy’. Not so much that the bike had to be on its side stand, more that the rider was not to be sat astride it;the reason given being ‘should the owner slip, spill or otherwise cause fuel to come into contact with apotentially hot engine or electrics. I think the company’s management or health and safety department may have seenone too many old movie clips for some track racer bursting into fames in the pits.
That said, Ialso once took apetrol station to task for allowing me to park up at the pump, dismount and commence flling. Then the pump unexpectedly stopped and for no
reason that Icould see.
Ilooked over to the kiosk, only to see the male attendant making all sorts of strange gestures in my direction, while banging on the window and moving his arms about. This meant nothing and I was at the time the only person present refuelling. This male was then joined, having presumably either summoned, or made such afuss as to attract afemale colleague who evidently showed him wheretoaccess the station’sPAsystem. I then was subjected to a barrage of very impolite and, in fact, downright rude demands to remove myhelmet.
Iput the handset back in the pump and entered the shop. Although unjustifed, given the way that this bloke had thought it was okay to address me, Iasked him to turnthe pump on again, as Ihad not fnished with it.
But he refused and was now being backed up by the female assistant –but at least she had afew more
manners and tried to tell me that –yes! –“this is company policy,sir”, adding that the reason was so that they could confrmthat Iwas over 16 years of age!
Itried to argue the point that she would see very few under-16s riding a40-year-old 750cc machine, let alone the obvious that, even with my helmet on, I doubt anyone would think of me as being a kid., being 6ft 1in and 20 stone dry! But they were
not having any of it and so Itried to pay for the £1.80 (I think) that had been dispensed prior to the pump being turned offand for which I offered my debit cardfor payment to be taken. Youguessed it –itwas ‘company policy’ not to accept cardpayment under £5 (this was in the early 90s). Well, Idid not have £1.80 in cash, having already used the note Icarried to buy my lunch at acafe that did not accept cards at all.
So he would not turn the pumps on again and would not accept my cardand, although some people may think that it was Iwho was being the awkwardone, Istuck to my guns, not only in disagreement with his claimed ‘company policy’, but also in the way Ihad been addressed.
Then came the big surprise. BeforeIcould take any further action, it seems that the female assistant who had left
Asnapped shotofStuart Graham
Please fndattached avery old and faded photograph you might be interested in. It is none other than Stuart Graham, taken at Oulton Park after winning on his Suzuki on East Monday 1970. Isnapped him with my Instamatic that Ihad been given for my 21st birthday Also, Iamled to believe that Barry Sheene purchased the same bike and also had success with it, leading to his being signed with Suzuki as aworks rider and the rest is history
Gerald Graham Cope, Winsford, Cheshire
the scene had done so for the purpose of calling for the police, who now turned up.
A10-minute talk followed in which it was claimed that Ihad been unreasonable, but also so was the attendant’s behaviour with the result that the attendant was then told that.
As Ihad offered legal tender (be it adebit card) the assistant had no right to refuse, ‘company policy’ or not.
Ipaid the £1.80 –on
the card–and left to fll up at the next station, at which Ihad no such issues, even with my helmet on. Ifollowed the incident up with a formal complaint to the people whose badge was on the pump, only to receive aletter stating that, although it was their petrol being dispensed, the station was in fact afranchise over which they had no powers.
Barry Sheene did indeed buy Stuart Graham’sRT67 Suzuki. He bought it for £2000 and won first time out at Mallory two days later.Atthe end of theyear,ittook him to second place behind Derbi works rider Angel Nieto in the Spanish GP.[Photo by Nick Nicholls]
Farnz
With the miracle of modern technology we managed to ‘unfade’ Mr Cope’sphotograph.
Greevesmemories
Nei lPower wasrecentlygiven asmalltreasuretrove of photographs which he andthe Rallingfamilyhavebeen gracious enoughtosharewith OBM readers.
I’verecentlyacquiredmy late mother-in-law’s iPad whichcontainedaphoto archivefromher husband who waschief design engineer at Greevesinthe late 1950s and 60s
My father-in-law,John Ralling(not Rallings as annotatedonthe YouYube video‘Te Greeves Motorcycle Factor y’) was amodestman andnever reallydivulgedmuchdetail
to me abouthis time at Greeves. JLR’sgaragewas a treasure troveoftestcastings and prototypecomponents beinghand made.I’ve been marriedtoone of his daughters since1986 and she recalls the many people who visited their houseon Greevesbusiness, and refers to them as UncleDerry, UncleJock, etc. JLRwas aprivate manbut he lived an extraordinar ylife.
Prior to workingatGreeves hewas afoundingmember of the Apex Group, apre-war parachutetestand display team.
He performedmany display jumpsaround the countr y, includingwing walking.
Here aresome of the photos for OBM readers to enjoy and perhapseven identify themselves or relatives.
Another from probably the same dayatthe racetrack.
Above: Malcolm Davisinthe Bristol MotorCycle and Light Car Club’s John Douglas Trophy Trial.
Above right: Don Smith in the National Traders Cup Trials at Pontrilas, Wales.
From an exhibition–possibly the Earls Court Motorcycle Show?
Dave Simmonds on a250cc Silverstone racer
Road racers, possibly at Brands Hatch.
Right: Amotley crew with aGriffon. JLR is second from left in this picture.
