The Classic Motorcycle May 2025 issue **20 PAGE FREE PREVIEW**
Tereisnobetterseasonthanspring, especiallythe startofspringand especially for motorcyclists.It’ssocheeringwhen the days starttoget abit longer, when the sunhas some warmth in it,and whenthe prospect of goingfor aride and not getting asoaking or freezingcold becomes areality almostwithin touching distance.
Tere’salsoStafordjustaroundthe corner (andthis lookslikebeinga good one;I’m genuinelyexcited by the machines we have coming,see news and page 30 for more), while we’vealsohad thestarter that is Bristol, still alovelyshowand agreat weekend away
As Iallude to in the report (page24), there’salot of ‘old bikes’atthatevent, in real contrasttoNewark–reportedtwo months before–wherethe trend has defnitelymoved on to later classics.Of course,Ilovethem all anyway,gettingas enthused by an early 1990sRGV250 Suzuki (especiallyinPepsicolours) as Idoby many of the machines we featuremonth in, monthout,withthismonth my appetite whettedbyprettymucheverything we have featured
Te Brough Superior SS100features predominantlyinthis issue, andit retains the position it hasheld since its introduction, 100years ago, at the‘topof thepile’. Tere’s simply nothing elsein motorcyclingthat hasthe presence and charismaofanSS100,and while thereare othermachines whichperhaps have similar value,cost-wise anyway,theyhavethat
EDITOR
James Robinson jrobinson@mortons.co.uk
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down to rarity and/or specialhistory.Any original-series SS100has afnancial value unmatched by mostother motorcycles,and while theyare unattainable to many of us, they’renot that unattainable –compare it to saya Ferrari250 GTO(averageprice £30 million), or even an Alfa Romeo8Cor Blower Bentley, let alone the €135million Mercedes 300SLRUhlenhaut. Okay,an SS100isbeyondthe majority,ofcourse, but with dedication and smartmoves (orselling ahouse;UKaverage houseprice £268k) it could possiblybeacquired –whichis unlikelytohappenregardinga250 GTO.
Still, we’vealsocovered machines in this issuesuitingfar moremodestpockets, whichwill allbring interest and enjoyment, too. It’s arichand varied motorcycling landscape outthere, and while we can’t all perhapsaford the superexpensiveitems, we canappreciate them at events like Staford,while enjoyingour moremodest classics too. Tere’s quitesimply, something for everyone
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This picture was reproducedalongside aletter from the rider, decryingthe products of his home country…Albeit he’d also abandonedhis Brit twin,bythe time of publication.
This all-American scenewas includedinthe July 6, 1961 issue of Te MotorCycle,alongside a letter, titledCan’t Stick’em,written by the manonthe motorcycle, Rick Willey, from St Louis,Missouri. He wrote:
“May Ijoin in the bigtwincontroversy? Ihaveridden many diferent makes of US and foreign machines since Itookup motorcyclingin1948, and, unlikesomeUS enthusiastswho ride strictly at weekends,I usemymachine ever yday
“All told, Ihaveowned fve1200cc V-twins, seven500cc and 650cc vertical twins,one 500 single and twohorizontally opposed twins of 500 and 600cc.Besidesthese, Ihave ownedsix other machinesfor competition use. Ican, therefore, claim that when I compare one bigmotorcyclewithanother,I know what I’mtalkingabout.
“I have used all the touringmachines on longtrips,usuallywithmywife riding pillion. We enjoy motorcyclingand useour machines as much as possible.Withour presentmount,wequiteoften cover over 600miles in one day.
“When Irodebig V-twins,suchdistances were impossible –weevenhad to bring one home in atruck!Tey just will not hold up undersustainedhigh-speed riding. Te vibration, poor handling andpoorriding qualities of the bigtwins areundesirable in theStates. At presentIhavea 500 BMW; it is one of the nicesttouring machinesI have ever owned.
“I don’t believe anything could persuade me to go back to thoseV-twinmonsters.
‘Mile-eatingisnodescriptionofthem –man eatingwould be closer to it!”
On the same page,two other letters were printedaswell, both sticking up for Harley-Davidsons,one comingfromFred Warr,bossofthe frmonLondon’s King ’s Road whichwas,fromthe 1940s to the early 1970s,Harley-Davidson’sonlyofcial representation in the UK .Fredpointed
outsome ofthe make’s plus points,while ADBaxter, from Scarborough,Yorkshire, detailedHarley-Davidson achievements and innovations,datingbacktothe vintage days.
Te photograph chosen to illustrate thepage, though,was this one,with the accompanyingcaption: “OftoCalifornia, in this 1959 shot,are Mr and MrsRickWilley, of St Louis.For long-distance work,says Rick,a V-twin is not the answer.” Tough he alsodoesn’t saythe answerisaMatchless parallel twin, to be fair,though lookshappy enough with his mountinthis picture.
Butquitewhatisthe motorc ycle? It’s a Matchlesstwinofcourse, while Willey’s letterreveals he’s owned‘seven500cc and 650cc vertical twins’soitmustcome into this category.It’salsodated to 1959 –Matchlessdid introduce its 646cc G12 twin for that year,soitisquitepossiblyanearly one of these, while theyalsomade the 498cc G9, whichin1959 wasalsolistedin‘CS’ specifcation, whichiswhat this machine would look to be 1959 wasalsothe onlyyearMatchless listeda G9CSR alongside the G12CSR,but the scrambles-typepetroltank fttedsuggests
aCS, as the CSRuseda standardpetrol tank
Te one on this machine would have been fnishedbrightred,contrastingnicelywith the polishedmudguards,forkshrouds etc, making for an eye-catchingmachine.
Te CS alsohad quickly detachable lights –ashere–and generallyasiamesed exhaust,although thereisalsoevidencethat a650cc twin (the ‘Super Hurricane’no less) wasactuallyonofer in America as earlyas the openingmonths of 1958inRoadSports (with‘twin pipes and mufers’)and Super Scrambler variants.Infact, Cyclemagazine of Januar y1958 tested afull 650cc G12CS. It
used astroked crankshaft,asdid thelater 650ccmachines,with the standard600cc seven-fn barrel and heads,but used special pistons with the gudgeonpin locatedhigher, to stop them tanglinguptop.Maybe Willey’s machine wasone of those? Te 1959 650cc machine hadaneight-fn barrel. It’s not quitepossible to countthe fnsonthe barrel in the picture.
Whatever Mr Willey’smachinewas,he clearly decidedhe’dbebetterofwith a BMWfor touring, so maybehekept theCS forscrambling, as that’d be perhapsajob it wasbettersuited for –particularly with its
two-gallon petrol tank.TeBMW R50 which he evidentlyhad at the time of writing, would have boastedapetrol tank ofnearly twice the size.
Completingthe scene,the be-fnned carinthe background is,seemingly,a 1958 Chevrolet BelAir,while there’salsoa truckinthe yard too. Ishowedthe picture to OBM editor Blue Miller,anAmericana enthusiast who identifedthe car, and who alsopointedout that despitethe relatively inexpensivetract housing, that property has twonearlynew vehiclesinits yard
End
Te American Dreamindeed
&News Events
Comeand seethe stunners
We’ref as tc ou nt in gd ow n to Th eInt ernat ional Cl assi c Mo to rC yc le Sh ow now ,w hic h is held ov er Ap ri l2 6/27 at St affordC ou nt yS howg ro und, wi th the bi gn ews be in g the Brou gh Su pe ri or SS 100 colle ction we’re we lcomin g, its ap pe aranc e be in gu nlik ea ny thin gs ee n be fore, in te rm so fa si ng le mo del re pres entation.
Tere’splenty moreinthe issue–see page 30 –regarding the manwho hashelpedus greatlyingatheringtogether thedisplay,detailingsomeof themachines,he’ll be coming alongtoo.But that’s just some of them,asthereare others as well, includinganhistorictrio; the famous WorksScrapper, T ELawrence’s George VI and the ‘Cunlife racer ’, known for its distinctive, mauvefnish
Te ‘Scrapper’ wasowned by the Brough Superior factor y over severalyears andpressed into service in variousroles, from record breakerto test mule.‘Lawrence of Arabia’ hardly needsany introduction, while his love for(anddeath on)aBroughSuperior SS100, 90 yearsago this year,iswell documented. Te machine we have coming– featured in ourMarch 2020 issue– washis penultimatemachine,while the purple-fnishedmachine campaigned by Jack Cunlife in period,isan eye-opener.
Tat’s just scratchingthe surface of this remarkable occasion,it’sreallygoingto be something. Plus,ofcourse, there’sall the other huge attractions at the show, not least star guestHenr yCole Advance tickets arepriced
at £16.50, while on-the-gate entr yis£21. Under-16s go free,makingitthe perfectday outfor families.Don’t miss yourchancetobepartofthis
unmissable celebrationof motorcyclingheritage
Fortickets and more information, visit www. classicbikeshows.com
Vinc entSpare snew managing dire ctor
Te VO CSparesCoLtd has announcedthatBen Kingham hastaken the role of managing director, startingMarch 2025. BensucceedsBob Patchett, who hasretired Benwill be well known to thoseinterestedinclassic racing. He and his Vincent BlackShadowhaveanenviable trackrecordatthe Goodwood
Revival, and alsoinother classic race series.
Te VO CSparesCo, which trades as Vincent Spares, wasestablishedbythe VincentHRD Owners’ Club 50 yearsago.Itisa Limited Company, separate from the club whichholds 43% of the shareholding. VincentSpares provides all the components
necessary for postwar Vincents ;inaddition, club members’bikes aresold on commission, and the workshop in Desborough will undertakeprojects for customersrangingfrom acompleterebuild to a simple service
Te relevant websiteis vincentspares.co.uk
Lawr ence of Arab ia’s second -to- la st Br ough Superior SS10 0, a1 929 example, whichL awrenceacquiredb ra nd -new.E ng ineisaJTO RJAP
Henr yCole, knownf or hisloveofB roug hSup eriors,willb ea t theshow.
NoelMavrogordatowiththe WorksS crap per. ‘Mavro’b oughtthe Scrapp er before theS econ dWorld Wara nd wonaB rookla nd sG old Star on it
NewV incent Spar es MD BenK ingham, in ac tion on hisB lack Shad ow racer.
&News Events
Tere’s nothing ne w
Originallybuilt as a1922 Douglas and then converted by aMrPidcock of Peterborough in 1942 to electric powerowing to petrol rationinginthe Second WorldWar,this machine will be ofered by Iconic Auctioneers as possiblyBritain’soldestelectric motorcycle, with an estimateof £5000-£6000.
KopHill Climb
Onetomarkinyourdiaries,the KopHill Climbtakes place on September20/21. Formore details visit kophillclimb.org.uk
Brian Davis
Successful 1960s road racer BrianDavis hasdied. His highlights includedwinning the 1966 Southern100 in the Isle of Man, and fnishingas second 350cc runneratDaytona in 1964, though his career endedfollowinga1967 crashat Cr ystal Palace
Ithas hadsome publicity before, beingfeaturedin the June 1942 MotorCycling magazine.Itisbelievedto be one of the frst electric motorcycles to be road registered. Te machine is capable of 18mph and the charge could last all day. Te machine’selectric economywas worked outatthe time as ‘nine miles perpenny’
It is fttedwith threesix-volt batteries,replacingthe 2¾hp Douglas fat-twin engine.Te three-speed is linked to the three batteries –position one is 6v,two is 12v and position three is 18v
It is UK-registeredona currentV5C and suppliedwith ahistory fle containinganold
Shelsle y Walsh Bike Bonanz a
To be held onJuly5,2025, there’s ahostofattractions to make a visit to thefamous old hill climb course amemorable dayout
Triumph collector Dick Shepherdistobring some of his famous machines outto play,while at least20ridersand machines from the Lansdowne ClassicSeries for pre-1962 race ware aredowntocompete.
SteveParrish will lead aride in, as well as demonstratean RG500 Suzuki, and there’ll be trade stands and jumble,too
An Italianday out
Tisyear, the Moto Italiawill be on Sunday,June1. Te free event is held at the PowisArms, Lydbur yNorth,Shropshire, and is an opportunityfor all Italian motorc ycle enthusiaststoget together.
Te 2025 Ang lo-Dutch
Startedin1912 butresurrectedin1989, this bi-annualevent alternates betweenthe UK and theNetherlands. It’s formotorcycles made prior to 1915 and is limited to 25 Dutchridersand 25 UK riders. Send an email to anglodutch2025@vmcmotor.com or download theregistration formfromthe Veteraan MotorenClub website, www. vmcmotor.com/anglo-dutch
Te eventwill takeplace from July 28 to August 2, 2025.
As themodifi ed,bat tery -p ower ed Doug la ssta nd stoday.
RF60 buflogbook,numerous letters from period,copy of MotorCycling magazine, wiring diagramand some Douglas correspondence Tis bikeispartofthe Iconic
Spring Shuttleworth Sale on May4,atShuttleworth, Old Warden Park,Bedfordshire, SG18 9EP.Visit www. iconicauctioneers.comorcall +44 (0) 7958 107974.
Bank holiday ride in
Te National Motorc ycle Museum (NMM)has announceda Bank Holiday ‘Ride in’ event, takingplace on Monday May5,2025. Tere will be alarge autojumble inside in the museum’s Compton Suiteand its adjacentoutdoor area,machine fre-up,reducedrate entr ytothe museum and theday will alsofeature an exclusivestage showinter viewinthe museum’s BritanniaSuite, with Lili Myers, widowofthe late ‘Hair yBiker ’DaveMyers,alongside specialguest andDaveDay organiser,Jason ‘Woody’Woodcock.
Go ambling in August
Th eA ug us tA mb le 2025 is a new thr ee -d ay so ci al ri di ng ev en t, op en to ri der so f sm aller cl as si cm ot or cy cl es up to 250cc and ov er 50 ye ar s old, ie 1975 or be for e. Th er e wi ll be ar ec ommend ed ri din gr ou te for ea ch da y us in gs ma ller ru ra lr oa ds th at ar ew ell su it ed to sm aller ca pa cit ym ac hi nes.
Entr yi nc ludes tw on ig ht s’ ha lf bo arda ccommo dation at Th eG re et ha mValle yHot el (Rutl and) whic hw ill be the ba se for Au gu st 19 -21, 2025. Fo rf ull infor mat ion and boo ki ng details contact Pe te Mu rray gu zz ip et em@gmail. com
19TH-21ST August 2025
Fr om 19 42 ,MrPidcock with his elec trifi ed Doug la s.
Bonhams sale NMM winter rafe
Te National Motorc ycle Museum’s winter rafe topprize is an absolutelystunning‘yellow peril’ 1972 Norton Commando ‘Nor vil’production racer, which is agenuine machine,registered and all road legal.
Second prizeisavoucher for anySealeytoolproducts to the retail value of £1500, with third
Te draw will takeplace on Sunday,April 27, 2025, at the International ClassicMotorcycle Show,Staford. Rafe tickets costing£2may alsobe purchasedbyvisitingwww. thenmm.co.uk
Aston Hill Climbevent
AstonHill wasthe sceneofsome of the countr y’searliestand mostprestigious Hill Climbs from 1904 to 1925, with many notable driversand motorc ycle riderstakingpart.
On May17, 2025, a celebrator yevent will takeplace. Fiftycarsand nine motorcycles whichran in theoriginal event between1904 and 1925, or
models of the same type and year,havebeenconfrmed.
Te eventfeaturesa runup the hill forsomeentries,along with alarge display of classic motorcycles and cars that should provetobeofmuchinterest.
Display machines will date from the early1900s uptothe 1980s. Please seewww.astonhill100. com
Ther emarkable, c1 89 4Hilderb ra nd an dWol fmuller.
Originally, Bonhams was planningonasingle-day sale to be held on April27atTe International ClassicMotorCycle Show,atStaford, butsuchis the depth and qualityofthe grid assembled, the decision has been made to have the ‘Winfeld Collection’ sold on the Saturday, all with no reserve.
Tis selection assembledby Dale Winfeld, is stunning, with, amongits highlights,two exCarl FogartyHondaRC30 racers, aSteve McQueenScottand sidecar, an Eddie Kidd Yamaha stuntbike, variousVincents,a super-rare AJSS3(the Moto Guzzi-esq500cc V-twin), a beautiful Sunbeam95R,MV 750S and lots of cammyNortons and Ajays, amongothers.
Ten on Sunday,a remarkable sevenBrough Superiors, Series AVincent-HRD Rapide,ac1894 Hilderbrand &Wolfmuller,an AJS7R3, Hendersonand Indian fours, another 750S MV,a1912 Yale V-twin, plus aloadmore veterans from the GreenHouse farmCollection will be up for grabs.
Tenthere’ssomemore general-appealoferings, includinglots with no reserve, while there’sthree Mk.II cammy Velos,a rare BSAA70 (the 750cc homologation specialA65) and a loadofvintage Nortons,several of whichwe’ve featured over the years, plus aSquareFourthat’s been on ourcover too.
Take alookatbonhams.com for more
Da ting to 19 31 ,the AJ SS 3. It’s asid e- va lve500 cc V- twin.
Giro South We st
Entries for the 2025 Giro SouthWest(Tree MoorsRun),which will be held September14-17, arenow open. It’s an eventcovering 500 miles andspecifcallyfor Motogiroeligiblemachines,sosub175cc and pre-1970, essentially. Email RussellBenneyatRussell@ phaseone.co.uk
Theex- GuyA shen denH enleyisone of themachine sexp ec teda tthe AstonHillevent .
1925
Acceptinginlet valves run much cooler due to incoming fuel, the developmentof materials for steels suitable for exhaustvalveshas taken precedence.For morethan adecade,3%nickelsteel hadbeenthe accepted ideal for exhaustvalves, butnow engines were runningfaster, necessitatingthat everstronger valvespringsteel developmentfor internal combustion engine valves was again at the forefront.
1950
Te reigning500cc World Champion LesGraham proved yetagain the worthof the over-the-counter350cc AJS7R‘BoyRacer’,bywinning not onlyhis capacityclass, butalsothe 500cc fnal at Eppynt.One canonlyimagine many privateers and sponsors were nowqueuingupto secure theirs…
1975
On May26, American daredevil stuntman Evel Knievel attemptedanew worldrecord astride his 750cc HarleyDavidson at the WembleyArena. Hittingthe ramp at over 90mph, Knievelcleared 13 London
2000
Builder of Tickle 350 and 500cc Manx Nortons,manufactured in conjunction with Roy Price (Price Productions, rebuildersofmotorcycle distributors), John Tickle diedinSwansea Hospital on May14. Apartfrombeinga qualifedengineer,Ticklewas achampionship swimmer and yachtsman, who started road racingsolos,beforea seriouscrash left him with permanentkneeinjuries. Ten, passengeredinitiallybyhis frst wife Kathy, he competed nationallyand internationally with Norton 500, 600 and 650cc outfts
First, metallurgists considered chromium and vanadium steels as replacements for nickelsteels, and research was nowencompassingnickelchrome,stainless, cobaltchrome and tungsten steels Already,some researchers were thinkingofreser ving tungsten steels for ultra-fast revving, high performance engines only. Te press assumedthis thoughtwas basedoncosts,ratherthanthe ideal material…
Other winnersatthis Welsh Mountain Meetingincluded Fron Purslow(348ccBSA)in the Clubman’sRace,Wilmot Evans (248cc AJS-Triumph Special) from Roland Pike (249cc Rudge) in the 250cc class,while Pip Harris led home LenTaylor (both Norton) in the barrow boys’ event.
busesbefore crashingintothe fnal double decker, breaking anumberofbones,including his pelvis.Layingona stretcher waitingfor an ambulance,Evel announcedhis retirement. We await achangeofmind!
John startedhis own engineeringbusiness part-time in arentedFinchleyworkshop, beforerelocatingto St Neots, where, alongwith Kathyas his businesspartner,headded arange of items,including clip-on handlebars,twin leadingshoefront brakes, fve- and six-speedgearboxes and headlampbrackets, to his range. Hisdesignwork outside motorcyclingincluded products for yachts and the Tickle nose-clip for swimmers. In the early1980s,hemoved, with his second wife Ruth,to Wales RichardRos enthal.
Foreword: Mike Nicks–former editor of Bike and ClassicBike magazines.
Published by: Norman Hyde
Contact : Email: triumphbooks2nh@gmail.com
Designedby: Waysgoose, Southampton Hardback,120 x250mm (portrait); 143 pageswith over 100 photographs and illustrations
100 and illustrations
ISBN 978-1-3999-6926-0 £40 GB: $51 USD; $71 CAD; $78 AUD.
Norman Hyde wasa developmentengineer in Triumph’s Experimental Departmentfrom1968 to 1975. He wasakey memberofacloseknit team workingunder Chief DevelopmentEngineerDoug Hele on projects to improve production machines and win races to promotethem
To keep trackofthe many drawings and one-of parts emanatingfromthe department –previously no records had been kept –Hydeinitiated a numberingsystemwith each item recordedinabook. Tis pricelessold ledger hassurvived –1000 projects arelisted, along with many illustrations and photographs–and his secrets arerevealedhere, alongwith his frst-hand recollections and comments
Te author recalls the trials and tribulations of workingon the dynamometer,tryingto tune thecarburettorsofaracing 500cc Daytonaengine whilst facingthe 100mph draft from thecoolingfan with theengine revvingupto10,000rpm –with noprotectivesafetyscreen. Hyde alsorecountsspending weeksonthe dyno with the experimental Edward TurnerdesignedP31 chain-driven dohc version of the650cctwinengine –plagued with overheating, he wasunable to getasignifcant powerincrease.
We read of a750cc twin engine with apatentedbalancer mechanism ;the four cylinder ‘Quadrant’ prototypeand abelt-
drivenohc Tridentengine.At the laterKitts Greenfactory, the teaminherited boxesofparts for afour-valveversion of the Norton Commando cylinder head, designedbyKent-based Piper FM. Tishad the same topend powerasa John Player racingengine,but onlygavean extra2bhpmidrange
It’s alittle-known fact that Triumph looked into replacing traditional inlet and exhaust valves with rotaryvalves. Te work wasdone beforeNorman Hyde joinedthe Experimental Department, but, apparently, failures causingthe ideatobe droppedweredue to excessheat and rotorsealingproblems.
Racingsuccessesincluded winningnine Isle of ManTT races,three Daytona200s,two Bold’Orand Truxton500 endurance events and Britain’s frst Superbikechampionship of 1971. Hyde himselfcompleted in sprintsand drag races,and in 1972 successfully gained theworld sidecarland speed recordof161.8mph on an 850cc Trident-poweredoutft.His recordstood for over 35 years.
Tis fascinatingbook, an essentialaddition to the Triumph enthusiast’s library, comes with additional video content and thelinkto download the author’s talkon ‘WinningIdeas’.
Book reviewed by Jonathan Hill.
Earlywork
Motorcycling onScottish es
from anauthor who wastobecomea well known namein later
Tyears.
he article,whichappearedin Te MotorCycle of June 10, 1915, shared the same title as used here, with the byline creditingthe author,H Mortimer Batten.
Tatwas Henr y(althoughalwaysknown as Harr y) Mortimer Batten, born on Februar y4,1888, in Otley,Yorkshire. At the time of writing, MortimerBattenwas in his early yearsasanauthor, though, subsequently, wastobecomea familiar name to many.
Mortimer Batten hadapparentlystarted writingin1912, meaningthatthis report wasone of his earlier eforts, certainly beforeheearnedthe renown that was to come
It’s asomewhat curiouspiece,with severalhugegeneralisations andsweeping stereotypes(“Te Scot maybeslow, buthe is far quickerthanthe Englishman when it comestorealisingthe value of anew mechanical invention”) of the type which would come back to haunt afgure who was to become well known
Butoverall Mortimer Batten is positive aboutthe useand impact of motorcycles on the Scottish estates, while praisingtheir adoption, and the Scots who used them. Ouraccompanyingpicturecarries the caption ‘Inspecting buildingsinaremote district’and is referredtointhe main text, after Mortimer Battenhad explainedthatin the valleywherehewas located, therewere fvelarge estates, wheremotorcycles were used,‘either by thestewardsor by the head woodsman.’Teexplanation went :
“Teowner of oneoftheseestates keeps threemachines for the useofhis servants Twooftheseare P&Msand the thirdisan AJSsidecaroutft. Teirowner declares that theyare of the utmostser vice,and this elderly gentlemen is to be seen almostdaily ridingabout hisestateinthe sidecar, with oneofthe clerks or the head stewardin the saddle.”
He goeson: “Tat mostScottish estates have to be worked to the utmost in order to produce anythinglikeareasonable return sharpens the wits of the landowners… Te machines used…are worked tremendously hard,and aregenerallyonthe road pretty well all dayand often at nighttoo
“TeScotch motorcyclistisusuallyno fool. Most of the stewards with whom I acquaintednever –orhardlyever– clean their machines,but theydouse them with oil regularly. Smartappearances areofno consequence; reliabilityiseverything.
“Tes eS cottish stewards’motorcycles areprobablythe hardestw orkedonthe road. Teir ow nerspracticallyliveinthe saddle,and consider ingthe mountainous natureofthe countr yand the awful roads the estate men arecalleduponto negotiate, the test the ygivetheir machines is mosts evere.
“Itissignifcant to notethat the most popularmountsare P&Msand Sunbeams
for solo work,and AJSsidecarcombinations Belt-driven machines areconspicuous by their absence,and no wonder,considering the uncertainty of the weather in theseparts andthe abundance of watersplashes.One or twoDouglases areinuse,but the estate men aremostlyofthe opinionthat 3½hpis the rightand proper powerfor the work.”
In thosetimes,3½hphorsepower equatedtoa500cc model, while aDouglas would have 2¾hp, or 350cc.P&M –from the surnames of partnersJoahPhelon and RichardMoore –had joinedforces in 1904, with Phelon havingpreviouslybeen involved in P&R (for Harr yRaynor) and producingadesignlicensed to Humber
Te new P&M retainedthe inclined engine as downtube as seen on theP&R/ Humber,but addedasimple two-speed gear usingtwinprimary chains of diferent ratios.Tey were selected by clutches and fttedinthe bottom bracketofthe frame, with chain fnal drive. It’s possible to see thearrangementinthe accompanying picture, or at leastthe lever– back selected frst gear,for ward the higher ratio. Te kickstarteroperatedinthe free engine position; it operated by kickingawayfromthe rider, too. Te twoP&Mspicturedsport ‘C’prefx registrations,suggestingthey’dbeen registeredatP&M’s Cleckheatonworks, beforejourneyingnorth
Mortimer Battenhad made asimilar journeybythe time of his article,though in arather morecircuitousroute than one suspects the P&Mshad travelled. Educated at Oakham School, Rutland, he wasanexcellent rugbyplayer, appearingfor both Bradford and Northampton. He trainedasanengineer, then, hungry for adventure,wentoverseas, variously working, amongotherthings,as prospector, fur-trapper, forestrangerand boatmanonthe Mattagami RiverinCanada, beforereturningtoEuropeand served as a dispatch rider in the FirstWorld War.
He’d startedwritingcirca 1912, though it wasinthe 1920s he came to prominence, as alecturerand broadcasterwith the BBC,
as well as author of amultitude of both fction andnon-fction books, aboutnatural history,particularly wild animals and birds He wasalsoakeenmotorist, owningfor ‘at least10years’the ex-DickWitchell 1914 TouristTrophyStraker-Squirewhichwas apparently used as a‘familyhackinthe Scottish Highlands’.
Mortimer Batten settledinArgyll, Scotland, and hadseveral businessesinthe area,before, in 1954, he decidedonafveyear trip to British Colombiaand Alaska.He diedinVancouver, in Januar y1958, after visitinghis sister.Hewas buried in British Colombia, an area he hadreportedly ‘fallen in love with.’
The‘engine’of TheClassic MotorC ycle magazine is jointlyfuelled by the passions of thosewho putittogetherand thosewho read it;one without theother simply won’twork. So we hope we can persuade youtobecomepar tofour communit ywith asubscriptiontoour magazine so we can, together, traver se thehighwaysofmotorcyclinghistory.
Sand racing forabig cash prizeattracted some star names, plus plenty of others too, to the northwest beach.
Publishedinthe May29, 1930 issueof Te MotorCycle, this photograph features three motorcycles,two of whichare somewhat unlikelyracers,while the other, unsurprisingly, wasthe mostsuccessfulof the trio,featuring in the results, unlikethe other pair.
Te eventwas Te Southport Hundred (writtenlikethat), whichtookits name from thewinner receivingthe ‘DailyDespatch’ 100-guineaCup and £50 cash prize, notan inconsiderable sumby anymeans,certainly enough to attract some ofthe star names, includingthe manwho wastorun out winner,Charlie Dodson, victor in both the 1928 and 1929 Senior TTsonSunbeams,the same marque on whichhetriumphedhere.
Howe ve r, Do ds on didn’t have it all h is ow nw ay ,n ot to st ar tw ith an yw ay ,t ho ugh by the end of th erace –w hic ht oo k1 h 40 minut es –h ew as three la ps ahe ad of the ru nner-up,w ho wa sa ct uall yt he ma n frontl eft in ou rp hot og ra ph,num be r 49 JHSGardner on hi s4 90c cNor to n CS 1. Th is is aWal te rMoo re -des ig ne d exam ple,amac hine so on to be re pl ace d in the ra ng ebyt he Ar thur Ca rroll ve rsi on , whic hw as to go on to dominat eroa d ra cin gt hrou gho ut the 1930s.Ind eed ,by 1930 th eNor to nw orks tea mw erea lrea dy ca mp ai gn in gs uc h, ea si ly identifi ab le wi th the ma gn et oc ha in cove rb ein go n the ri ght, as opp os ed to le ft on mo de ls lik eGardner ’s.T he ex haus tp ip eo nt he ri ghto fGardner ’s ma ch ine is ab it of an anomal y, as the yw ereg en era l ly on the left.T he ev entw ri te -up als orev ea ls he ha da n‘au xi li ar yp et ro lt ank ’w hic hmus t be the boxm ou nt ed on the ma ch ine’s re ar. Al as,i ts pr un gal ea k.
He ld ov er 50 la ps,t herew ere6 0s tar te rs for the ra ce,w hic hb egan wi th arolli ng st ar t. Ra cin go nt he be ac h, ap pa re nt ly ‘therew ereo ne or tw op at ch es of de ep, lo os es and on the co ur se,t hatt he ri de rs did not pa rt ic ul ar ly lik e.’E ar ly le ade r, cla di nw hit eove ra lls as us ual, wa sR on Pa rk ins on, tho ugh hereo na5 96c cf ore -
TeSouthport‘Hundred’
and-aft Do ugl as tw in rathe rt ha nh is us ual
AJ SBig Po rt.O ther sg oin gw ell inc lude d Di ck Bi rc ha nd ‘Pet er Ja mes’–r idin g under an as su me dname,t ho ugh ‘… [his] identify wa sn omys te ry to So uth po rt ri der s’ ap pa re nt ly –o nap air of Brou gh Su pe ri or s, while lik e-mo unte dC hr is Tatt er sa ll (l at er the ma ke ro ft he CT S) wa s showi ng we ll, to o.
Parkins on crashedout of his easy lead, breaking his collarbone,while HF Brockbank met asimilar fate;he‘parted with his hybr id OE C, duplex-steer ing,
spring frame camshaft Norton engine model; poor ‘Brock ’suferedrather bad concussion.’TeBrough of PeterJames went onto one cylinder and then sufered gearboxissues,puttinghim out, while SydGleave, on aSunbeamModel 90, was ‘goingver ynicely.’S oon, though,“Dods on’s steady ridingwas payingof, for he was nowleading, or nearly so –apart from the surpr isingefor ts of hisfriendBirch.For many laps thes etwo held an alternating lead, and the feld wasnow sufciently thinnedtoenable the leaderstobe
