ispublishedmonthlyby Kelsey MediaLtd,TheGranary, DownsCourt, YaldingHill, Yalding, Maidstone, KentME186AL Forsubscriptioninformation go to https://www.classicmagazines.co.uk/ subscription/OBM/old-bike-mart
PUBLISHED BY PRINTED BY
KELSEYmedia
Editorial
Regularreaderswillknowthat everynow andthen Iliketohave a little nagatyou alltorecord yourmemoriesin somefashion, whetherwrittendown, recorded or evenvideoed. No doubt afewof youwill say,“Why shouldI bother? Who’sgoingtobeinterested?” Well, alotmorepeoplethan you think,bothnow andin yearsto come.Forexample, when you reachReaders Taleson page 20ofthis very issue, you’ll find apiece by reader PeterLord whichdocumentshis journey (literally andinthemodernand platitudinoususe ofthe word) from a12-year-oldladlearning to rideon aNortonsidevalveto, over sixtyyearslater, still ridinga Gold Star.Mostofyou will have storiesliketheseandtheyare important, theyare history and, if youdon’trecordthem,when you’regonethosestoriesarelost forever.
Iwas remindedofthisonce morewhen rifflingthroughthe MortonsArchiveI cameacross thephotoyou seehere. It wouldbenice to think that everyphoto–andthere aremillions –in thearchive isfullydocumentedbut sadly it’snot so.Perhapsanysalient information waslostbeforethe archiveacquiredthephoto or, more likely,itwasneverthere inthe firstplace.Whenaclub
had a photograph taken then wasnoneedforthe participants to writedownwho wasinthe photobecause theyallknew each other,didn’tthey? Butthe years pass,memoriesfade,peopledie andhereweare in2026 witha wonderfulphotobut withno clueofwhothesegallantriders were orwhat wasthecontext–wasitaclub outing, ameet,a competition, arun out? Isuspect the latter,giventhelongriding coatsand goggles worn by several men. All Iknowfor sure aboutthis pictureisthatitwastakenin1921, thatjudgingbythe registration numbersonthemotorcyclesit wasinthe Belfastareaandthat everyoneinthisphoto, fromthe ladinschoolboy caponthefar left to the gentlemanonthe right in asplendid flat cap, isdead. However, allisnotlost! There
i is a ‘mark-up’ on the bottom showswherethephotowas to be croppedforuseinapublication, althoughwhetherthat wasin ‘TheGreen ‘Un’or‘TheBlue ‘Un’ Ihaveyet to investigate. If –and it’s abig if –itwasused ina magazineand Icantrackdown thatmagazine,that maytellme the occasionofthephotograph, butit’sveryunlikelyto nameall the gentlemenintheimage. Imay be theonlypersoninthe world whothinksit’simportantto find out, butIwill keep you posted anyway. Onto todayand,asmentioned last month,thisissuehas ahuge eventslisting. Like Topsy,it has grownandgrown.(Mytyping fingerscan testifytothat!)Each time Ithoughttherecouldn’t be anymore, another twoorthree would popup. There’saround 700shows,eventsandbikenights
f for you to peruse and I rather hopeitwillbelikethe Christmas Radio Timesofold,when you looked forward to itspublication and spentagescirclingallthe programmesyou wanted to watch andin similarfashion youwill mark events youwanttoattend. Imakenoapology forincluding bike nights(and Iknowfor afact that thisisnot acomprehensive list ofthose) becausetheyare theperfectexcuse to getout on amotorcycleofasummer’s eveningfor acoupleofhours. Whether youchooseapubmeet on aweekday near you or venture furtherafieldfor ashow, Iwish youall agoodtime.Takecareout there.
MOTO GUZZI FALCONE
Newevent in Cambridgeshire
We have longbeenadmirersof the‘WhereisAnna?’event inthe Netherlands, arunfor pre-1931 motorcycles organised by Hans DevosofHD-Classic (we’ll be bringingyou someofhisIndians in afutureissue)but we’venever ventured over theChannel to attend. Nowwewill have asimilar eventright on ourdoorstep– or at leastinthe adjoiningcounty!
DavidOsbourne of The Timing Chest, purveyorof vintage motorcycle partsand generalall-round enthusiast,is organising‘StillKicking’, an event that hefullyadmitsis very close informatand spirit to ‘Where is Anna?’.Ashesays; “Imitation is thesincerestformof flattery
and,in ouropinion,Where is Anna?isthe perfectevent forearly motorcycles.”
Over the weekendofJuly 10-12,Bottisham Airfieldin Cambridgeshire, already the venueforthe increasingly popular WheelWednesdaymonthly meet,will welcomeall mannerof pre-1936 two- andthree-wheeled machineryinfourcategories: Cyclecars(anycyclecarthat datesbefore1936);Veteran motorcycles (before1915); Vintage motorcycles (before 1st January1931) andPost-vintage motorcycles (pre-1st January 1936).
Dressing in period clothingis encouraged andthere is already
animpressive arrayofover100 machines booked infortheevent, featuringeverything from a1901 DART to atrioof1921ABCs. You canbookforthe weekendorjust forthe Saturdayrunandtickets areavailable at thetimingchest.
com,but hurry, entriesclose soon.
StillKicking takesplace at the Bottisham Airfield Museum, WilbrahamRoad, Bottisham, CambridgeshireCB259BU on July 10-12,2026.
World’sfastest monowheelatSammy Miller Museum
Thelatestadditiontothe ever-growing Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum is ‘Trojan’,the world’s fastestmonowheel. TheUK Monowheel Team,madeup of sixdedicated enthusiasts (for‘dedicatedenthusiasts’ read ‘bonkers madmen’!) from Lincoln, Nottinghamand Northamptonshire, designed,
developedand builtthe extraordinary machineover aperiod of tenyears.It’sthe team’s fourthmonowheeland is currentlyrecognisedasthe fastestinthe world, having achievedaGuinnessWorld Record of over80mph.(The teamisnow buildinga new machinewiththeaim of90mph. We did saybonkers…)
Having seen monowheelsin action,weknowjusthow truly difficult they aretoride, but we stillaskedSammy’sPA, the lovely Viv, whether Sammyhad riddenit. Shejustlaughed.Have we finallyfound something that theestimableMr Miller can’tride? We wouldn’t beton it,which is whythe Museum staff have quickly installediton
permanentdisplay inthefoyer ofthebuilding to stop Sammy takingitfor atriparoundthe car park…
Youcan seethe world’sfastest monowheelatthe Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum, BashleyCross Roads, New Milton, HampshireBH25 5SZ. Formoredetails,visit sammymiller.co.uk.
Italyputsits stamponDucati
If you’re both aphilatelistand alover of Italianmotorcycles,then youmight be interested to know that Italyhasissued aspecial postagestamptocelebrate the centenary of Ducati.
Launched inthemiddleof April,the stampispartofa series called‘Excellence oftheProduction System andMadein Italy’whichisdedicated to companies thathave made asignificant contributiontothecountry's development andinnovation.
Founded in 1926in BorgoPanigale, Ducati hasbuilt aunique identityoverthecourse of acentury,evolvingfromits earlydays in radio technology to become aglobalforceinmotorcycling andmotorsport. Thecompany says that thevalues of style, sophistication, andperformancehavealwaysguidedits choices andtheseelementscome together in thecommemorativestamp dedicatedtothe Centenary,featuringaniconic Ducati motorcycle -the Ducati Superleggera V4 CentenarioTricolore- crossedbythe colorsofthe Italian flag:a tributetothecompany'sidentity andits deep connection to Italy’screativity, technologicalinnovation,and tradition.
Foroverseascollectors, thestampisavailable at filatelia.it.
SCORTON - NorthYorkshire EventsCentreDL106EJ 5minsoff A1atCatterick, B1263Catterick to TeesideRoad –1 mile east of Scorton-Starts7am UNDERCOVER &OUTSIDE 16th MAY& 20thJUNE ADMISSION£3.00 PITCHESFROM£15
AMASSIVE10ACRESITEOF AUTO AND BIKE JUMBLE INSIDEANDOUT AmpleParking ExcellentRefreshments CALLBERT ON07909904705
Change of site for VMCC touring week
Thedatesofthisyear’sVMCCScarborough touringweek areJuly4-11,2026 (that’s Saturday to Saturday). However, there is anew campsite aboutwhichthe eventwillbebased. Insteadoftheusualsite, thetouring week will be basedat Spital Farm,behindthe SpitalInn andRestaurantinStaxton, NorthYorkshire,justoff theA64. It willcost £20 pernight per unit, £25 withanelectric hook-up,buttheseare limited so firstcome firstserved.
Please bookdirectlywiththe site,bycalling Sandra on 01944711377andquoting‘VMCCtouringweek’.Further details canbefoundfrom Tony Cowley,the eventorganiser, by emailing tonycowley96@gmail.com.
Scottish Motorcycle Show winners
We arepleased to bringyou thelistofwinnersatthe recent Scottish Motorcycle Show,heldatthe RoyalHighlandCentre, EdinburghonMarch 7-8,2026.Picturedherewithhis lovely 1972 RickmanMetisse BSA550is theConcourswinner, Mac Mackenzie,with, to theleft, John Moffat and,onthe right, Lowland Halls ClassicGuestofHonour,TTwinnerAlex George.Meanwhile,the cheery lookingsoulsarethe Maico OwnersCluband well mighttheylookcheeryforthey’d just scoopedthe Best Club Standaward at their very firstattempt. Meanwhilehere arethe rest ofthewinners.
•Sidecar/Trike: Robert Simpson–2001 HondaValkyrie F6Ccombination
Fundraisingcheque presentation for SalisburyFoodbank
SalisburyMotorcycleand LightCar Club presenteda chequefor £2303.22 to Salisbury Foodbankduringits recent clubnightinMarch.Club chairman IanStanden handed over thesplendid amounttoMaria Stevenson,the manageratSalisbury Foodbank. Everyyearthe club selects alocal charityfor afundraisingcampaignand last yearthe Salisbury Foodbank was chosen. It wasfeltthat,due to thecost oflivingcrisis, food bankswould be increasinglyindemand andaworthy causeforwhichtoraise desperately needed money.
Events were arranged throughout theyear, and,inreturn,participants donated an entryfee inaidof Salisbury Foodbank. Theseeventsincludedthe Five ValleysMotorcycleRunin April, HorsesandHengesMotorcycleRun in June,Lightweight Motorcycle Run formachinesup to 350cc in July,the ArbuthnotLongDistanceTrialfor historicmotorcyclesandthe Mavro Motorcycle Run, both held in September. Alltheseeventswerewellsupported by both riders andthe generalpublic. In addition,therewereevents exclusivelyfor club memberswhile food andessentials were also donatedby members at monthly clubnights. MariaStevenson says:“Community fundraisingiscoretothe service we
provide,notonly does it raisevitalfunds, italso createsawareness ofwhat we do andhow we supportpeople. AHUGE thankyou to everyonefrom Salisbury MotorcycleandLight CarClub for welcomingusintoyourcluboverthe last 12months.
"Peoplewhoneed oursupport don’t often seeitcoming, it really could be you nextmonth or afriendorfamilymember –losingajob,familyillness, grief,vehicle repairsfromhittinga whopping pothole inthe night! Many of us areone to two paydaysfrom financialcrisis. Our foodbank goesbeyondprovidingfood. We provide ahandup, not ahandout. We fundadditionalprojects such as Debt Adviceandadvocacy,ensuring as many people as possibleareoffered the helptogetthemselves back on track.”
This year’s charitywill be DocBike which is workingtoeradicate motorcycledeathsthrough engagement,injuryprevention, research,education androadside critical care. Theclub hasalready run its firstfundraising eventof2026, the Five ValleysMotorcycleRun which sawpartipantstakeinthe Wiltshire countryside.But thereis, of course, theArbuthnot TrialinSeptemberand youcan findmore details at www. salisburymotorcycleandlightcarclub. co.uk.
The ThreeMoors Runisnow well-known asBritain’s tiddler moto-giro, afourday500-milecircuitoftheSouth West peninsulaexclusivelyforpre-1970175cc machinesand smaller. Butthis year will be different. Forthis year only,GiroGB isintroducinga250cc‘taster’class.Age eligibilitywillbepre-1974andtheideais to introducethetiddlerconcept to agreater number of riders, perhapsthose with really interestingmachines who have missed outpreviouslybecause ofthe strict eligibility
This year’s eventstartsnearBridgwaterand runs betweenSeptember13-16 and hasalready attracted entriesfrom Europe andthe USA. Luxury hotelsandback-up vehiclesare allincluded.Informationand applicationformscan be obtainedfrom RussellBenney at russell@phaseone.co.uk.
MorgansSweep TheBoard
On June6,2026,therewillbea uniqueopportunity to seehistoricrace-winning machinesand recordbreakers displayed togetheras well as in motionaround thetrack at the Curborough Sprint Course near Lichfield,Staffordshire.
Thosethree-wheelers are, ofcourse,Morgans. Sincethecompany’s firstthree-wheelerswerebuilt in1909, thecarswereusedincompetitiontohelp develop andimprove their performance as wellas to promotesales. Three-wheelerMorgans arestill racing andwinningtoday againstbiggerandmore powerful vintage cars,inracesand events allaround the world.
Theevent in Juneisorganisedbythe Morgan ThreeWheeler Clubandis called‘MorgansSweep the Board’ intributetothe bookofthe same name whichisacknowledgedasthe definitivehistory of Morgan three-wheelers incompetition.Fittingly, it is anticipatedmanyofthe cars featured in the book will be present.
Oneexample,originallyowned by Douglas Hawkesin1921,competedat Brooklandsin the 1920s, brokeseveral shortdistance recordsin1922
andwonthe1100cc heat thesameyear. Subsequent ownerand driver Ronnie Horton transformedthe cartoitsiconicSuper Sports Aero shape, which racedatSouthport Sandsand lapped Brooklands at 95mph, before laterowner RobinJackson made more modifications,takingitover100mphin1930.
Thecar’s presentowner,Alistair Rew, says:“It’s wonderfultobeabletoshare this caranditshistory at Curboroughalongsidesomanyother cars with racing history.”
Therewillbea selectionofMorgans withnotable record-breakingorcompetitivehistory at hill-climbs, sprintsand classictrials, up to 1975.“This will be such aspecial event; aonceina lifetimeopportunity to celebratesportingMorgans,” saysChas Reynolds ofthe MTWC.“It’s achancetopromotethese unique cars,their historyandtheirfutureonboth road andtrack.”
EntrytoMorgans Sweep TheBoard is£5(which includes Morgan Three-WheelerClub membership forthe weekend –it’sfreeforexisting club members).
Theevent opens at 10amon SaturdayJune6with historiccarstakingtothetrackintheafternoon.
50th AnniversaryLaverda Book
We weren’tsure what to expectwhen we received the InternationalLaverda OwnersClub’s 50th Anniversary book. After all, we already have IanFalloonand Mick Walker’s books onLaverdaTwins andTriplesonthe OBMlibraryshelf so surely we didn’t need anotherLaverda book?
Well,actuallywe did! This beautifully producedhardback booktakes adifferent approach by celebrating theILOCitselfand thepeoplewho have joined itsranks over the years. It haspersonal recollectionsfrom dozensofLaverda owners,completewith copious photos. There’s Graham andElaine Rose whowentaround theworldon an RGA1000 (orangeofcourse),AndyBartlettwho hasbeenracing Laverdas since1982, Keithwho hadhis firstLaverda at the tender ageoftwenty-one, Clem who’sowned his1200TS Mirage for47years (hewasonlygoingtokeepitfora year or so…) andsoon. Amixture of interviewsandindividualmemories, it’s abook youcandipinto or simply readinonesitting. Apassionfortheirchosenmarque shinesthroughineveryrecollectionandthat’ssomethingwecanallappreciate. TheInternationalLaverdaOwnersClub’s 50thAnniversarybookhas been producedina limitedrun andisa worthy addition to anybookshelf.You canorder online at anniversarysales@iloc.co.uk.
MOTORCYCLES
ENTRIESINVITED| CONSIGNTODAY
TheSuummerSaleOnlineI5 -15June2026
BonhaamsMotorcyclesHQ,MiltonKeynes
BRINGYOOUR MOTORCYCLE TO BONHAMS, WE’LLSELLITTOTHE WORLD. Visit bonhams.com/motorcycles pick up thephone, or drop us an emailto:
Entriesare nowinvited forour Online SummerSale. With motorcycle sales exceeding g £8 million in 2025 together with an industry leading96% averagesell throughraate,Bonhams remainsthe trustednameinthe market.
If you’recconsidering selling -wwhether you’rre simply exploring your options or readytoconsign -ourspecialistsare here to offerno-obligation advice,expert valuations,and access to an internationalaudience. Contactustoday foracomplimentary auctionvaluation andguidanceonachieving thebestpossibleresults.We’re here to supportyou everystepofthe way.
Myex-wife wasborn in1956– stay with meplease! –and herfatherRonmovedfrom Chiswick to Lutontowork at Vauxhall.Havingtobuya houseforhisnew family meant therewasn’ttoo much money leftfortransport,sothiswas courtesy of aBSA Bantam outfit.
Bearinginmindthe year Lindawas stilla babe in arms, the best that this would have been wasa150cc Bantam, althoughit’s farmorelikelyit wasanolder125. Betweenhis parents’ houseinLondonand home in Lutonwas St Albans with its steepHolywell Hill. Well,the poorlittle Bantam couldn’t climbthissteep incline withall aboard,soRita, his wife,had to disembark andwalkupthemilelong hill carryingher child. Fast forward to 2026and another BSABantam hasbeen coercedintosidecarduties. That’s seventyyears between themandthenewmachine hasnothing at allincommon with that DKW-derivedmodel ofnearly three-quartersofa
century before.It hasgone from asimple two-stroke to a four-valve liquid cooled single with 29bhpand21.85 lb-ftof torque fromits334 cee-cees.Rita, Ronand baby Lindacouldonly dream of such performance. The modern version’s sixspeed transmission would have helpedwiththat hill too– their Bantam madedo with three gears.
Usingthis Indian-built machine, WatsonianSquire is fillinga nichethathasbeen emptyfor many years; that ofthe ‘off thepeg’sidecar outfit. Foralmostaslongas I’ve beenaround sidecars,the manufacturershaverequired the customertoprovidethe bikeandthen buildan outfit aroundthat.(Therehavebeen exceptions ofcourse,Wilf Green(MZ)collaborated with Squireto buildacombination; Jawa andVelorexwere availableand,until recently, therewas also theUral, thoughthat seemed niche even inthe somewhat niche worldofoutfits.) In doingso, Watsonian hasalsorevived
the Squirebrand. TheSB1is builtin Watsonian’sCotswold factoryandisintendedasan affordableway into theworld of sidecars.Itusesthe tried and tested rubberin torsion suspensionofSquires ofold,a platformchassisandaplain 10-inchsteel wheelwhich shouldgive asmoother ride than the8-incheronthe Dart as fitted to the MZ.Likethe MZ,the settingsarebuiltin at thefactory, so anovicerider doesn’thavetoworry about lead,toe in andleanout–handyifthe chair is removed fromthebike– andbasic instructions aresuppliedwith each outfit.
Thebodyisthe traditional octagonalnosed GRPina black gelcoat finish, and amoulded seat with ablack vinylpadded cushionisprovidedfor the passenger, asis amoulded GRP winddeflector. Ipersonally likethe paredbacklookof the chair,I’venever been one forblingandit does sitnicely alongsidethelittleBeezer(can we really refertoitwith such familiarityyet?) Thespacious
bootisaccessedbehindthe seat;manySquiresdidn’thave anopening boot,either. At just £8995 OTRitreallyis alow-pricedway intosidecar ownershipand,thoughit’s hardly likelyto be amile muncher,itshouldhave adequategetupandgofor most Aand Broads.It’sgreat to seethecompany that produced the Rocket3outfit catering for theoppositeend ofthemarket. Ireallyhope that there is goingtobea Squire revival,though sadly
themouldsforitsangular bodies such asthe ST1have longbeenretired.Idowonder if,way back in the1980s,I’d not been able to buya road readycompleteoutfit(the aforementionedMZand Squire)whether Iwould have gotintothe wonderful worldof sidecar-ing. Probably not!
Complete coverthatcosts youless
If you’relooking foraffordableinsurancefor yourclassic bike,youcantrustBikesure to find youacompetitive quote thatwon’t compromiseonquality.
We offerspecialistclassicbikepolicies,tailored to yourridinghistoryandpersonalneeds.
HiddenGems:SuzukiGT500
Thismonth Steve Cooper looksata machinewhichsurvivedbecauseofthe failureofanotherSuzukimodel.
No,Suzuki’s firstbiggerbike marches to anall-together differentdrumbeat. The bigtwo-stroketwinwas designed intheearly-to-mid 1960sas Suzuki’s onlyreal responsetothebigBritish twinsthat were allthe rage stateside.Why didn’tthe firm copythe Midlands500s and650s? Becauseitknew two-strokesinside outand didn’t have the resources to develop apushrod clone. The result wasamasterpieceand evennow, fifty-eightyears afterits launch, Suzuki is rightlyproudofthebikeand especiallysooftheengine. Thebig strokertwinmatched theBritsinmostareas (othersthanhandling)but wassomewhat marginalised by Kawasaki’s H1triplethat
came outthe same year.
In variousguisesthemodel (known in-housesimply astheT500) ranfrom1968 through to 1975and was possiblypencilledinfor obsolescence,butfate had otherideas. Thedisasterthat wastheRE5meantSuzuki hadto back pedalandthus theT500 received astayof executionwhilst the firm was sortingoutitsfour-stroke range.
Taking thediscbrake front endfromitsmiddleweight triple,the ‘all-new’ GT500 finallyreceived ahalf-decent frontbrake.Itwasn’t perfect butsignificantly betterthat theoldTLSarrangement… unless it wasraining!
Theotherlong-standing criticismoftheT500 was itstank range, butthis wasaddressedby fittinga GT750tank.Tocomplete the revisionsthebikewas fitted withelectronicignition whichmeant owners didn’t need to faff around with gapping pointsand settingup timing. Somemightsuggest the GT500 wassomethingof a Plain Jane,yetitfulfilleda marketneed andstillsoldto riderswho appreciatedthe bike’sunderstatedcharms.
what it wasintendedtodo–eatingupthemileswiththe absoluteminimumoffuss. That motor majors increamy torque ratherthan revsand will getits rider to thedesired destinationina calmand predictable manner;some have suggestedit’sa big strokertwinthatthinksit’sa four-stroke.
Runningonenowissoeasy with many wearandservice items availablefrom various sources.Modernbrake pads maxoutthebraking potentialandif youwantto upgradethere’sa floatingdisc available.Pistonsandrings areavailablefrom multiple sources,ditto conrod kits. Rex’sSpeed Shop will happily sell youamodernCDIblack boxand TheMotorcycle WorksofPeterborough specialisesinengine/gearbox rebuilds.Now addinthefact that thebikealsohas been used very successfully for
classic racingand yougeta good ideaofjusthow robust themodelis.
Althoughprices have calmeddownnow it’s the T500that generallygrabs theheadline sales figures withthe GT500 some way behind,whichisgoodnews if you’reinthe marketfor oneofthe classicscene’s hidden gems.Wherea comparableconditionT500 mightcomein at £5500,the GT500 equivalent willonly relieve youof£4000.Andif you’refeelingadventurous, complete projects startfrom aslittleas£1500. However, I’dhavetoadvisecaution here andrespectfully suggest youget amateinvolved.As mentionedearlier,Suzuki designedthemotor to be as strong as possible so it’s no lightweight-andits55 kilos mass does seem to be afair bitmoreforthoseofusof advancingyears!
What would your perfectweekend break? Howabout waking upin abeautifulthreestarhotelin asmallhistorical Dutchtown, havinga spotof breakfastandthen strolling outside to an autojumble anddisplay of remarkable motorcycles,right outside yourhotel?
Youcandoallthisin Raalte, northofArnheim,whereMax Middelbosch haslocated hisAmerican Motorcycle Museumin acomplexwhich includesthe HotelInn Salland, abrasserieanda cocktail bar. Theopportunity to visit Max’sworld-renowned museum –acollectionof over 150Americanmotorcycles –is attractionenough,but each yearthe European chapter
This edition wasblessed with both alongBank Holiday weekendandthe best weather you couldhopewith balmy temperatures,andit attracted over70 vendorsandcountless visitors. Peoplecome to thismeetfromnot just the Netherlandsbutfromall over theworld –from, infact, some 24countriesthis yearand fromasfarafieldas Australia and, yes, the United Statesof America!Eachyearthe Dutch AMCA Meet hasatheme andthistimeit was‘Original Paint’,which producedahost of patinaedmachines,many
withthe paintworkwith whichtheyleftthefactory 80, 90and even ahundred years ago.
Unsurprisingly, many of thesemotorcycles rolledout offactoriesin Milwaukee, Wisconsin,or Springfield, Massachussettsand,indeed, many of Max’sexhibitsinthe museumitselfareHarleys or Indians.Buttherewerealso somemoreunusualvisitors. Forexample,whendid you seeaFlyingMerkel‘inthe wild’andnotin amuseum? Therewerenotone buttwo at the event, not to mention moreHendersonsthan I’ve seeninoneplace,a Thor, an Ace, aYale,a coupleof Excelsiors…
However, youdidn’t have to have somethingrareand
1921modeland,intheforeground,a1928101Scout.
ancient to attend –theAMCA welcomesmotorcyclesthat areatleast 35 yearsold (don’t forget, to such acountry, that isantique!)andit’s not snobbish aboutwhattheyare. AHarley-Davidson sidevalve trike, builtin Californian chopper style, attracteda lot ofinterest andadmiration during the day.
At thecentreofitwas Max Middelbosch, nowalmost 80 andnotinthebestofhealth butstill reigningoverthe eventastheconstantparade of people wantingtotalk to himdemonstrated.Heand his wifeAnsboughttheir first Harley-Davidson –anElectra Glide –whenMax was25 yearsold. They startedriding alloverEuropeanddeveloped apassionforthe MoCo’s bikes.
That ledtoMaxfounding the VintageRacingTeam, campaigningHarleyJDsand then,when partsfortheold bikes becameincreasingly difficult to find, switchingto WLs.
In the early 1990she bought aWallof Deathshowfrom SouthAfrica; itarrivedin severalcontainers, ahuge wooden barrel with tenIndian Scouts.Havingformedateam of riders, Maxtouredhis Wall of DeatharoundEuropeuntil heandAns settleddown in Raaltetorunaninterior designbusinessandfurniture shop.But havinga museum wasalwayshisambitionand, to that end,he builtnotonly the wooden beamedbuilding inwhichhisextensive collectionishoused,butthe
hoteland restaurant as well. On April30,2004,they opened theAmerican Motorcycle Museum,not withoutdifficultiesasthelocal planningauthorities were farfromimpressedwitha destinationthat wouldattract bikers. Butthoseauthorities camearoundandnowthe museumisthebiggesttourist attractioninthe town.
ButtheAMCA meettakes that ideaone stepfurther. The best waytodescribethe event overthe weekendisanopenair museum with many bikes comingand going, the sound of machines beingkickstarted into life, thesmellofoil, petrol andexhaustfumes,all toa backgroundoflivemusic.I loveditand Ithink you all wouldtoo.
Oneofthefewnon-Americanmachines– old Europeanbikesarealsowelcomeatthe event –wasthis1931BroughSuperior680.It had apricetagof€85,000orabout£75,000 whichwasquiteambitiousinthesetimes.
FromridingaroundanallotmenttotouringEurope, Peter Lord tellsusofhislifethroughmotorcycles.
Mylovefor motorcycles began in1962atthe age of12when afriendof my olderbrother(who hada D3 Bantam) hadanon-running Norton600 side valve. He said if Icould getitrunning, Icould have it.Check –nospark,so cleanmagnetoandit firedup. Iusedthe Nortonfor acouple of yearsaround ourallotment, minusexhaust. Ibetthe neighbourswereimpressed! Whilststill at secondary school,all Icouldthink about were motorcycles. Thescience teacherused to rideanoldA10 Golden Flash with adouble
adultsidecar. In theclassroom he hada CammyVeloengine: Icould spendhours rotating thecrank, watchinghow itall worked.Ileft school withno AorO levels,not even aspirit level!
When Iwas15, Iacquired a125 Bantam,and Ihada greattimeusing itaround some sparegrounduntilI went through somelong grass andthethingstopped dead. Unfortunately, Ididn’t,and Islidoverthetank,the half roundspeedonotdoingmy weddingtackleany benefits! Thefootrests hadbecome tangled inanoldsprung
mattressthatwashiddenin thegrass.
Ihadambitionsof racing it,so, at thelocalengineering workswhereI hadjuststarted asan apprenticeengineer,I paddedthecrankcase outand fabricated acylinderhead withcentralplughole outofa 6-inchsolidaluminiumpipe, completewith acoupleof fins Imilledinit. Thecompression must have been about25to 1. It firedonceandthen went bang, nevertorun again. It wasaboutthistimeI spied amotorcycleand sidecar underneathsometarpaulin in abackstreet. Ilifted the
Stillatschoolandalreadyannoyingtheneighbours!
tarpandit wasaBSA Side ValveV-twinG14. Iwasin awe.
Iput amagnetoonfroma singleand stuckonanold carb Ihad. It firedand Ihad itrunning, albeitonone cylinder …thendisaster–it self-ignited!Luckily Imanaged to drag it outofour garage (a convertedwooden chicken shed)anddousethe flames, butithad to go.IfIknewthen what Iknownow!
By thistime Iwas approachingmy16thbirthday and hadacquired aBSA C12, areallynicebike. Iputlotsof aluminiumonit, engineplates,
coverovergearbox,etc.I was scrambling onit roundthe local reservoir –it wasonlya narrow path with asteepdrop to theright andthe reservoir to theleft– when my mate on his150cc Sunquicklydidan aboutfaceandshotoff (well, asquicklyasyou canshootoff on aSun).
Iwondered whyandthen Isaw amounted policeman galloping towardsme. The path wasn’t wideenough to turnaroundquicklyand by thetimeI’d managedtoget it half turnedroundhe was towering overme,withthe horse slathering andsweating. MethinksI’mintroublenow.
He says,“Have yougota licenceforthat?” Well,honesty beingthe best policy,I said “No”.AfterallI wasstill15. He askedwhereI lived, soI vaguelypointedovertowhere Ilived,about twomiles over
publicfootpaths.“Well, you’d better getoff and pushithome anddon’tletme catch you roundhereagain,”hesaid. That wasthat. As soonashe’d goneand wasoutof earshot, Irodeithome: Ididn’tfancy pushinga C12 acoupleof miles.However,thiswasn’t to be my onlyrunin withthe law…
At thestrokeofmidnight on my 16thbirthdayIwas legaland outonthebike. It wasmuchbetterthancycling to work.AssoonasIpassed my test –which inthosedays consistedoftheexaminer tellingmetodrive around theblock and steppingout holdinguphis handforthe emergencystop– Itradedthe C12for a1955DB32 Gold Star. Ipaid£60foritin1966. Ihad many adventures ontheGold Star,and many misadventures. It tookme
and my girlfriend at the timeona tripfrom North Manchestertosee her sisterin High Wycombe.Onthattripit developed afractured petrol tank buta bitof chewinggum gotushome.Anothertime we’d bookeda B&Binmid Wales,milesfromanywhere, butatthebreakfasttableinthe morningwhoshould be there buthernextdoorneighbour! Stoppingonthe waybackata cafefor acoffee,wesaw fouror five ladsaroundthejukebox, whichwasplaying‘AWhiter Shadeof Pale’. Oneofthem went outsideandwhenhe came back in, Iheard himsay withincredulity, “It’saGold Star”. I’ve alwaysliked Procol Harumsincethen.
Ihad acoupleofaccidents onthebike, onewhen acar went through ared lightand clipped thebackend. Luckily therewasn’t muchdamage,
onlya squashedexhaust. Anothertimecouldhave been alotmoreserious. The girlfriendshouted“Lights!”, buttoo late,I slappedallon andweslidabout30 yards down the road.
Only my pride washurt butthebikewasnowhereto be seen. We walked back to the junction to seeanNCB (National Coal Board)lorry stopped,withthe Gold Star underneathits back wheels. Theguy shouted, “Lookatmy wheel!” Therewasonly alittle scratchonit.
Thebikewasn’tsolucky,the forks were squashed. Ileant it up against some railingsand some kids walked past and askediftheycould have the carb.I smiled politely and told them to go away.I rebuiltit usingA7forks andfront wheel. Iusedtoruniton CastrolR andI onceunsuccessfully
Thetimecamein1967 to reluctantlysellitinorder to fundanA10. That bikewas bulletproof, butitgotmeinto troublewiththe lawa couple oftimes. The firstofthesewas comingbackfromBlackpool with agroupof mateslateone night. As we camedown the PrestonBypass, we gotpulled over by thetrafficpoliceand he said to us,“Did younot seethe signsforthe50limit?” No,weall saidinnocently. He tutted andpointedoutthey areasbig asbloody dustbin lids!Wewerefortunate we
hadcomeacrossa kindcopper becauseheletuson ourway without charges. Thenexttime we weren’tso lucky. Threeofuswerecoming down alonghillintotown with a30mphlimit; Ishould have knownbetter, because at the topofthehill wasthe police station. Ilookedinmy mirrortosee the guybehind meonhisB31 hadnipped up aside street,andinthe distance Icould seetheblue lights.Wegot stopped bya copperinanMGCandhe askedmehow fastI thought Iwas going. “Well,”I said, “I wasbobbingona bit.” He said,“Well, Iwasdoing90and you were pullingawayfrom me.” He walked up to my mate onhis Bonnevilleandasked himthe samequestion. When my friendanswered“30”,the policeman’snotebookcame out. Atotalof tottingupsaw him bannedfor sixmonths;I gota fineandthreepoints. Movingforward to 1972, when wewould go to lotsof rallies.One particularone we went to wasthe Thistle RallyinScotland. Iwason my SunbeamS8and my mate hadasicklyA65. Comingback intoLancashire at asteady 55 or60(that’s alltheA65would manage withoutblowing up), we gotpassedbyhalf adozen
Beemers. We lookedat each otheranddecidedwewould both getthenew HondaK2. Ipurchased minefrom JimSandifordsin Bury;with four carbsandanelectric start, chalkand cheese comes to mind.Oncewhen Iwas goinguptheM6, we both got passed by aV12 ETypeJag. We lookedateachotherand nodded.Off we went after him,mymatecouldn’t keep upthe chase;I couldn’t pass him butwas rightonhistail.I knew Iwas gettinglow onfuel, so Iindicatedoff at Lancaster services.Whenhe sawme indicate, he pulledoff too. Parked up,hecameoverto meandsaid,“What on earth have yougotthere?” He’d neverhad abikehecouldn’t shake. Ismiledand saidfour carbsOHC.Isaid surelya V12E Type should have left meinthedust, buthereplied that theyare so unstable,he couldn’tsafely take itany faster.
We decidedtotourEurope onthe Hondas. Theweekend before wewere duetosail, Iasked my mate ifhe was allset.Helookedat meall sheepishlyand saidhedidn’t owna passport, so Idecidedto go by myself.BeforeleavingI gave thebike agoodwash,but founditto be misfiring. The
metalplug caps were shorting out. In my wisdom Ithought WD40should sort that out: notetoself,don’t sprayWD40 on arunningengine,itacts likea blowtorch!Fortunately, no damage wasdone. Itravelleddowntothe Harwich-Hookof Holland ferry on averyheavilyladened Honda. Icarried anarmy kitbag fullof tools,clothes andthings Imight need for theplannedtwo-weektour, includingaspare chain,as theHondas hadahabitof stretchingthe chain. This was amistake, asthefront end becameextremelylight,soI’d just have to take it easy onthe throttle.
Havingtravelledthrough Holland,alongtheRhine through Germanyand overtheSimplon Pass in Switzerland, Iplannedtogo to Rome.However,I tooka wrongturnand gotlost. After twodaysoflivingoff Marsbars anddrinkingCoke, Ithought “Buggerthis,I’m goinghome!” Thetriplastedthree days. Many bikes later, including aYamahaXV1000and aBMW K100RS, my jobbroughtmeto Devonin1975. In 1990 Isetup my ownbusiness, whichkept me busy 24/7forthenext20 years. Iwasbike-less. It wasn’tuntil2010thatI
couldaffordmynextpurchase, aDBD34 Gold Star.Itwas awful –clipons,RRT2box and abeltdriveprimary drive. For some reasonit keptshearing thegearbox tabwasherand undoingthe nut. Iputthis down to theenginenot having ashockabsorber,soithad to go afteronlyfouryears,butI did make aprofit.
My nextbikepurchased in 2011 wasa1961TriumphT110. Alovelymotorcycle, this was soldin2015, butnot beforeI hadboughta Velocette MAC in2013. That’s abikeonwhich Idid amemorabletrip,taking theferry to Santanderand then ridingupthroughFrance to gettheferry back to Roscoff Ididthat tripinthecompany of Merv onhisModel120 Panther,TrishonherT140and Colinonhis BSAA10. I’ve still gottheMAC.
On sellingtheT110,I purchaseda1967 Bonneville with aMorgo 750conversion. Idid17,000milesonit, includingtrips to thePecos mountainsin Spain. Isold that last year becauseitwas startingtocostmemoney, includingthe petroltank splittingtwiceandtheoiltank threetimes.
Meanwhile my friend Merv hadpurchased aT160and Iliked thelookofthem,so
rashly Iboughta ‘project’in 2016. Iknew ourgoodfriend IanatOld School Classic Motorcyclesin Bowwestof Exeter wasa noted expert ontriples,soherebuiltit.I dreadedwhenhe’d ring me upandsay,“That bloody triple!”andthengo on to say what needed doingnext.Our favouritesayingwas “Itiswhat itis”. At theendofthe dayI had aTriple Icould be proudof, includingKeihinCR carbs(no tickling)and right-hand gear change,somuchsmoother. Butitwas by thistimea heavy bikeformeandsoI decided to move iton,not beforeithad takenme to northern Portugal andaroundBrittany.
It wasaround2018thatI sent apicturetoawell-known bikepaper. They hadjustdone astory on WalPhillipsfuel injectors, so Ithoughtthey’d be interested in seeingmy oldDB32,which theyduly published.
Shortlyafter Ireceiveda phone callfromthe editor to saythe currentownerofthe bikehad seenthe registration numberand wouldIlikehis contactdetails?Ongetting in touchwithhim,hesaidthe bikewasinbitsinhis garage andgavemethehistory. His friendhad boughtthebike fromthe chap Isoldit to in
Bolton, buthisfriendhad sincesadlypassedawayand he hadinherited thebike. Of course Ihad to have it! It tookme twoyears to wear himdownbyringingevery coupleofmonths.Intheend he relentedand Itravelled uptheM5 to pickupa box ofbits. Ihad saidnoprojects ever againafterthecostofthe Triple…
Nevertheless, again Ianat OldSchoolClassics rebuilt it,and I’mnow theproud ownerof abrandnewDB32. Almostevery part wasnew, withtheengine sent up to Jon Cronshawfor anewcrankand thendulyrebuilt.
Onlylast year Iputa pictureofitonFacebook andachaprangtosay his friendhad boughtthebike brand-new buthadcrashed it(that explainedthe odd partsonitwhen Ioriginally boughtit). I’vesubsequently learnt that it came outofthe factoryinTouring trimand wasdispatchedtoReg Smith Motorcyclesin Dagenham.I’d also like to thankGeorgePrew forprovidingmostofthe parts. Butitdoesn’t twitterlikeI remember. In the1960s,I took the silenceroff and putiton afriend’s MSSandanother friendsaid, “Allthat twitters is not Gold Star”.
PRIZECROSSWORD
Send yourcompletecrosswordto obm.editor@gmail or post to OBMCrossword,KelseyMedia Ltd, Morton Way, MediaCentre, Horncastle LN96JR;ifyou don’t want to cutupyour OBM aphotocopyor scanis fine. Theclosing date is May29,2026.
ACROSS
7 Oneofthesebeautiesfrom Stevenagesaw three major seriesmodelupgrades.(7,6)
Followingthepassingof oneofthiscountry’smotorcyclinglegends, BlueMiller pays tributetoJeff Smith.
Backinthe1950sand
’60sthe starsoftrials and scrambles were household names.While these days perhapsone personin ahundred–no,a thousand –could namea modernmotocrossstar,sixty yearsago many men(and women)inthe streetasked the samequestion would reel off the namesof Dave Bickers, SammyMiller,VicEastwood andmore. This was, after all, atimewhen scrambles meetingscould attract25,000 ormorespectators (theBritish GrandPrixatHawkstone regularly sawacrowd of 70,000)andit wasshown on BBC’sGrandstandwith real
coverage, ratherthan justa ten-minute fillerforwhenthe horse racingwasrainedoff Butoneoftheridersbestknown to even peoplewithno interest inmotorcycles was Jeff Smithwho passed away on March21,2006.
JeffreyVincentSmith was bornonOctober14,1936,in Colne,Lancashire.Hisfather, Vincent, wasa keentrials riderand wasquite happy forhis young sontotakehis Matchless250ccoutonlocal fields,onlycominghome when darknessfell.Afterthe Second WorldWar,Vincent bought him a1930s two-stroke Triumph;Jeff wasjustnine yearsold.
Withhisfather’s encouragement, Jeff began ridingintrialscompetitions, firstonaBSA Bantam,atthe ageof fifteen. He startedashe meanttogoon, winningthe very firstclubtrialinwhich he wasentered.A year later he wasridinghisfather’s 500T Norton,inherited from VincentafterSmithSenior, whiledemonstratingtohis sonhow asection should be taken,lostcontrolofthebike andbrokea finger.According to Jeff,his Dadhandedover theNortonthereandthenand neverrodeagain.
In Septemberof1951,on the strengthofthoserideson hisfather’s500T,the Norton
ThelegendaryJeff Smith.
factoryloanedhim amachine. He rodeitfrom Birminghamto Italy, wonaGold Medal,and rodehome againonthebike. He wasjustsixteen yearsold and technicallynotoldenough to compete,but Vincent fibbed abouthis son’sage!
Nortonoffered him aplace ontheworksteamforthe1952 season, by whichtime Jeff was workingasanengineering apprenticefor BSA. He won the RedMarleyHill Climbthat Easter. Impressed, Norton provideda scrambles machine whichturnedout to bebeset withproblemswhilehe was injured prior to the1952ISDT andunable to compete. Then, at theendof1952,Norton closed itsworksteamdown. It hadseeminglybeena short-
livedsojourn to the‘bigtime’. Despitehisinitialsuccess, noother manufacturerwas willing toofferthe teenager aride,soheboughtanexworksBSA machinefor£100 andimmediatelytookthat to victoryinseveralNational trials rounds,putting him intheleadoftheBritish trials championship.BSA realised that theladit was employingwas capableof morethansimplytaking engines apartand putting them back together.Itoffered him aplaceonthefactory teamandalsoloanedhima Gold Star scrambleras well. Jeff repaid BSA’sconfidence by winningtheBritishtrials championshipin both1953 and1954.
In 1954heenteredhis first scramblesGrandPrixin Hollandand wonitaswell as clinching hissecondISDT Gold Medal. He wasn’t yet twenty yearsofage. Althoughhe would become well-known totelevision viewers throughmotocross, trials wasJeff Smith’s first love.But withthetrials season runningfromSeptemberto March, he washappy to ride scramblesforthemonthsin between.And,unsurprisingly, he wasgood at that too, taking
his firstBritishmotocross crownin1954. Hiscareerwasthen effectivelypausedfor two yearswhilehedidhisNational Service,appropriately as amotorcycleinstructorat Borden Camp in Hampshire. Buthereturnedtodefend hismotorcrosstitleand win hissecondBritishmotocross championship;another seven wouldfollow(1960-65and 1967),whilehe would be instrumentalintheBritish team’s victoriesintheBritish
Motocrossdes Nationsand theTrophéesdes Nations events overthenextten years.
In 1957he finished fourth inthe firstWorld Motocross Championship, competing in –and winning –theBritish GrandPrixthe dayafterhe hadgot married. By themid-1960s,fourstroke scramblerswere beingreplacedbylight and agile two-stroke machines. Although Jeff wonthe1965 500cc Worldcrown,itwas thelasttimethat afour-
stroke bikewould winthat championship.For1966 BSA createda lightweighttitanium frameforitsfour-stroke motor; it wasn’t asuccesswiththe frametoo fragilefortherigours of racing. BSAcontinued to soldieron withfour-stroke ’crosserslongafteranyone else,often relyinguponJeff’s extensiveengineeringskills to keephis machinecompetitive. Butin1969herodeinthe WorldChampionshipfor thelasttime.Hehad won53 individual racesand30Grands Prixduring histime racingin theWorld Championship. He went on to raceas part of aBSA worksteaminthe1970 Trans-AMA scrambles series inAmerica, at atimewhen BSAwasdesperate to reclaim the US marketfrom Honda, finishingthe seasoninthird place.Healsojoinedforces with Dave Bickerstoracein Europe (primarilyfortheprize money). Thepair went onto racein NewZealand butwhen, afterthe six-race series,they were bothlevelonpoints,they decidedtocutthetrophyin half,andnearly succeeded! In 1970 Jeff Smithbecame Jeff SmithMBE whenhewas awardedthehonourforhis services to motorcycling. Then,inthemiddleof1971 after yearsof financialturmoil, BSAannounceditwas finally closingand,following that,Jeff announcedhis retirementin Januaryofthenextyear. Therewereplenty who wanted totemptthe37-yearold outofretirement– for instance,the Surteesrace teamoffered hima drive. Buthechosetotakea contract withthe Bombardier Corporationin Quebec asa specialprojects managerfor itsnewly formedCan-Am motorcycledivision. This was originally intendedasa threeyearexcursion –Bombardier waspayinghim very well–beforereturningtothe United Kingdom,butlifein North Americasuited Jeff,asdid Can-Am.A 250 Can-Am would givehimanotherfourISDT Gold Medals.Hecompeted inhislastISDTin1986inthe samearea of Italywherehe hadriddeninhis firstasa sixteen-year-old. When Bombardierdecided to discontinuemotorcycle production,Jeff persuaded thecompany to lethim negotiatea contract with Armstrong-CCM to takeover production. Thus Can-Am motorcyclescontinued for anotherfour years, nowbeing builtinLancashire, thecounty where Jeff hadbeenborn. (Production wouldcease in 1987whenthemilitarysideof Armstrong’sbusinesswas sold to Harley-Davidsonand CCM back to originalfounderAlan Clews.) In October1990 Jeff became thedirectoroftheAmerican Historic RacingMotorcycle
Association(AHRMA),ata timewhenit wasstruggling. Underhisdirectionandwith thehelpofhis wife,Irene, theorganisation went from around800membersto over 5000, became financially stableandinstituted afull calendarof road racing, dirt track, motocross andtrials events.It’snot toowilda statementtosay he savedthe AHRMA.
Wellinto his70she continuedtorace –sometimes to thedispleasureofIrene!
–winninga numberofdifferent championships.His son anddaughteralsobecame vintage scrambles champions with daughter Chrisrunning MotorsportsPublications, distributing many British motorcycle magazinesinthe USA.
Jeff SmithMBE passed away at aclinicnearhishomein Wisconsin, USA, aftera brief illnessbut aremarkablelife. He was91years old. Safehome, Jeff,safehome.
He reckonedmowingthelawnwaspartofhistraining regime!
HUGGYSSPEEDSHOPSHINDIG
MEET AND VINTAGE AUTOJUMBLES
LIVEMUSICGOODFOODANDSOMESHINDIGERY!!
MARCH7TH
APRIL4TH
MAY2ND
JUNE6TH
JULY18TH–VINCENTOWNERS
CLUB DAY/BIKESHOWWITHTROPHIES
AUGUST 1ST–CARSHOW WITH TROPHIES
SEPTEMBER5TH
OCTOBER3RD
SAVE THEDATES PEOPLE!
AUTO JUMBLEwillbeheldinournewareabytheshopunlimitedspace forparkingandtrading.A free eventforthepublicandtradersits£10 apitch. Do youneed somewhereto hold yourevent,wecanhelp 01827712906 •07968948886 •07984318952 huggysspeedshop@yahoo.comformoreinfo &booking
MOTORCYCLESWANTED FREDASDINER
PRESENT
FOUNDERS DAY
SUNDAY 19th July2026 www.foundersday.co.uk
THISYEAR’STHEME80 years of theVMCCand Flat Tankers
SteveColleywillbeputtingontricktrialridingdisplaysinthearena To book campingprebook at thelinkbelow Thispriceincludesentry to theshowonSunday https://stanfordhall.co.uk/visit-us/founders-day
Each year we think,“Wemusthavereachedthemaximumnumberof events”and each yearmore popup!Sohereina speciallistingwebring youhundredsofshows, ralliesandbike nightstakingplacethroughoutthesummer.Asusual,weadvise that youcheckdetailsiftravellingfromany distance.Butwherever yougoand whatever youdo,enjoy!
If you’dliketoshare an oldpicture or twowith OldBikeMart readers, or canadd anything to recent ‘Feedback’topics, writetome: Blue Miller, OBM,Media Centre,MortonWay,Horncastle, Lincs LN96JR or email OBMfeedback@gmail.com
PeterLordasks ifanyone canshed somelightonacoupleof mysteries that were recentlyunearthed in agarden. Thecompletebike [Pic.1,Pic.2] he believestobea homemade special–itsinlet over exhaustinlinefour-cylinderengine hasanunusual hand pullleverto startit. Anengineand gearbox [Pic.3,Pic.4] were discoveredat the sametimeand Peterthinks itcould be aHenderson, butcan anyoneconfirm that or suggestan alternative? We toowould be keen to hearanyideas –theonly things we everunearthin ourgardenare bitsofbrokenblueandwhitechina (wheredoesitallcomefrom?)and George the OBM Dog’sold bones. We have heardfromIan Mackenzieof NorthYorkshire whowrites,“My father wasa keen motorcyclistinthe period between the twowars. Irememberhim tellingmeastory abouthow he reallywantedtoknowwhatitwas liketodoone hundred milesan hour,soheand agoodfriendspent the best part of amonth tuning up their machines,then tookthemto alongstraight, whichI thinkisnow
the roadinfrontofTeessideairport. Thentheyeachwenttoanendof the straight anddrovetowards each otherat50milesanhour –which wasthenearesttheywereever goingtoget to the magic ton!”
Ianhas just onephotographof hisfather’smotorcycle [Pic.5] and itis,aswas so oftenthe case at the time,verysmall, butwiththeaidof ajeweller’s loupeIan hasmadeout the registrationnumber, whichis HN1959, aDarlington number.Mr Mackenzieseniorislyingunderthe frontwheelwhile at the handlebars is Ian’sgreat aunt Charlotte who was, he says,somethingofa pioneermotoristwhodrove“a huge Austin(16 Ithink)whichwith no powerassistedanythingwould dauntmostmodernmotorists.”
However, pleasecould someone identifythemotorcycleinthe photo?
Afew yearsago,Melvyn Hodgkins’ wife wasgiven somebric-a-brac. In that wasasmallphotoalbum withpicturesdatingfromEaster 1925 to Easter1927. Thephotosare primarily ofthe Ellisfamilyand extendedfamily andpicturetrips
outfromWykennear Coventry. This [Pic.6] wasthe very last photo inthealbumand Melvyn would dearly love to reuniteitwith descendantsofthefamilyand, hopefully,the youngfellowinthe photo. If yourecognisehimorthink you canaddmore, we will putyou in touchwith Melvyn.
Back in OBM486, SteveCorbett askedifanyonecould tellhim moreaboutthisphoto [Pic.7] inhis collection,uncertainwhetherthe notationonthe rear [Pic.8] read ‘Nap’or‘Wap’.Well, Nick Smith cameuptrumpsandsays, “Little Nap(shortfor Napoleon). The miniaturebikewas made by the Hobart Bird companyand appears to have aJES engineor similar. ‘Nap’was apparently afemale chimpanzee.” In 1914 Motorcycle wrote;‘This Liliputian sidecaroutfit wasmadespeciallybyMessrs Hobart Bird &Co. It ispropelled by a1½hpJES engineand‘Little Nap’ andhis fianceehopetoplease musichall audiences withtheir ‘turn-out’.’AsSteve points out, it lookslikeLittle Napwas having aday outatthe seasideinhis
postcard becauseotherssuchas Pic.9 show himinmilitaryuniform. We hadaninterestingletterfrom Mike BarryofClassic Motorcycle Restorationsand Museumin Scaleby Hill, Cumbria, whoadmits at firstthepictureofWilliam Barker’s ‘Cock-a-Snoot’ mascot in March’s OBM didn’t ring abell withhim. Butlaterhelooked at thepictureagainand realised that he hadthatverymascotina glasscabinetinhis museum! Mike reports, “It’ssolidand hasthe fixing onthe bottom to boltona bonnet.It’salittle rustyinplaces buthasthefeathered partsonits
thighs,thehoofed feet,etc. Thetail is at the side [Pic.10] butI have just leftitthereincaseitbrokeoff while Iwas puttingitatthe back.I hadneverheardofMrBarkerorof it beingamascot, butwhatavery interestingstory and abrave man. Iwillnowmakeacardupwiththe wartime storyand putthe mascot [Pic.11] in amoreprominent placeforvisitorstosee.” If you want to visitthe mascotand Mike’s museum,callhimon07808867419 tocheckopening times.(Andthank youtoMrs Barryforthephotos as Mike doesn’tdocomputers or smartphones!)
60 YearsAgo:May 1966
IanBradyandMyraHindleywerefoundguiltyofmurderandsentencedtolifeinprison.TheNationalUnion ofSeamencameoutonstrike,paralysingports.MuhammedAlibeatHenryCoopertotake the World Heavyweightboxingtitlewhile former WorldMiddleweightchampRandolph Turpin wasfounddeadin mysterious circumstances.TheUlster Volunteer Forcedeclared warontheIrish RepublicanArmy. Everton wonthe FA CupFinal,beatingSheffield Wednesday 3-2.The580ft PostOffice ToweropenedinLondon. NASA unveileda prototypecraftdesignedtolanda manonthemoon. Aheatwaveclosedpartsofthe M4. Glasgow’s Renfrew Airportclosed.JackieStewart wontheMonacoGrandPrix,the firstoftheseason,andGrahamHill wonthe Indianapolis500.Meanwhile,DavidDixonof TheMotorCycle felthe wasgoing faster thaneither…
IN AT THEDEEPEND
IF youwanttoswim, jump in at thedeepend. That Ican’tswimandonly want topaddlefallsondeaf ears,but Irealizethis to my horroronlywhenthe first cornerloomsupandthe maniac –sorry,driver– at my rightelbow nevereveneases hisfootontheaccelerator. As we hurtleinto theright-hander, Ifranticallythrow myself acrossbehindhiminaneffort, Ihope, to keepthevehicleon an even keel.AllI dois rock the boat andgiven myselfan evenmorehorribleshock asa bankonthe apexofthecorner whips past,onlyinchesfrom my head.
Islide back into areclining position, bobbingupand down ontheunfurnished floorand stareintothe gaping mouthsof atwin-choke Weber carburettorstickingupfrom the bonnetinfrontofme. As topgearisnotched,wedrift around aleft-handerand tear down along, wide straight with a118-mph galewhipping at ourfacesandleather.
Yellowsignsontheleft–300,200,100 –followedby asudden jabonthebrakes, arapidblipofthrottlefor adownwardgearchange following by that delightful rasp onthe overrunand we areturningsharpingintoa right-handedhairpin.
Another pushinthe back andweare accelerating rapidlyaway,intotopalong anotherstraight andaiming fora bridge at theend.
Ajolt, blip,raspand Ipush my noiseovertheleftsideas we cutclose inaroundthe blindleft-handerunderthe bridge,shootingintoviewof anemptygrandstandanda blind right-handerin adip. Ablast ofnoiseechoing betweenthehigh bankslining the roadandwearerocketing into anotherstraight.
Notchtop,overtotheleft sideofthe roadfora very late peeloff for anever-ending righthander, andasweclip theapex, thebendopens out into viewofthestart area. Butnot so fast –there’sa very sharpleft-hand hairpin taken at acomparative crawl in secondand calling fora very rapid change ofdirection. Ablast ofexhaustas we accelerateoutofthebendand into thepits.
Theplace wasSnettertona weekor twoago,and Owen wasdemonstratinggently–theman’sa comic –how the Mini goes beforeitwas my turn to driveit. By farthemostdominant impression wastheincredible powerspread. Thoughthe engine peaksat8000rpm, it reallygives beefy punch fromaround3000or so–unfortunately,therevmeter hadbroken, butOwengave methefacts.
Only fortheverysharp Russell Hairpin,taken at about 25 mph, wasitnecessary to drop belowthird.
Thefour-speedgearbox has wider ratiosandarenormally foundin amotorcycleandthis, together withthewide power band,isoneoftheMini’s greatest virtues,forit saves valuable seconds by cutting outtime-wastinggearchanges.
Duetocramped foot space, it wasimpossibleforme to heel-and-toe for changing down,thatis, blipthe accelerator withtheheelwhile keepingthe toesonthebrake pedal.
Thereforegear-changingisa threestage operation –jab the brakepedal to getthe speed down,movethefoot to blip theacceleratorwhiletheleft handmovesthe stubbygear levertoa lowernotch asthe clutch pedalisdepressedwith theleftfoot,then rightfootoff theacceleratorandonto the brakepedal.
Easeoff,anditdrifts out ashade –butthechangeis subtle.
Thereisnodifference onleft handers, unlikean orthodox chair,which must be constantly poweredarounda left-hander withtherearend driftingoutward.Onlywhen theMiniis reallyrushinga cornerdoestherearend tend to drift outa shadeunder
centrifugalforce.
Wedged in aseatwith very littlelimited room to move thereisnoopportunityor necessity foracrobaticsfrom thedriver, butitdefinitely helpsifthepassengerthrows hisweightaroundoncorners, hencethe gapbehindthe driver’s seat to allowTerry Fairbrother,Owen’spassenger for many years, to hang overboardonright-handers. He alsogetshisweightover thesideonlefts,thoughhe admitsthecramped space makespassengeringharder work than with aconventional chair.
Onemanwho haslost someprizegold beingbeaten into secondplaceis Colin Seeley,andheverysportively boughthis492cc FCS-BMWto Snettertonforcomparison.
Having riddenthree of Chris Vincent’sBSA kneelers, Inever expectedto findanother outfit to compare withthem –but Selley’sisverymucha goer.
So smoothistheenginethat acareful eyehas to be kepton the revmeterneedle to avoid exceeding9000rpm;above 4000rpm,the flow of poweris so rapidthat road speedbuilds updeceptivelyquickly.
Iwentwhistling around
Riches– firstright handerafter the start–withthe rearend hangingoutandpassenger, TerryFairbrother,wondering whetherhe oughttobe somewhere–anywhere– but inthe chair. However, the handling was so precisethat the outfitcould be placedtoafractionofan inch.A very delicatetouch was needed.Myinitial tendency wastoturnthewheel too sharply,whichcausedsudden clutchingfromTerry as directionoftravelviolently altered.
Just themerestguidance wasnecessary with,ofcourse,
Without my making any specialeffort, or getting beneaththe screen –I couldn’t becausethe position was tailoredfor Colinand too crampedforme –theneedle wasshowing 8200in fifth down NorwichStraight. Colin wasgettingabout9400rpm onthesame gear at the first meetingofthe year.
Colin hadwarnedmethat the gear change mightbe tricky,requiringprecisetiming to avoidcrunchingbut Ifound it very pleasantwithshort, crispmovementandlight clutch action.
Theoutfithasan absolute gem, requiringmore finesse anddelicatehandlingthanthe Mini. Both would requirea lot ofpractice to gettheultimate. Theownersadmittheyare still learningandarenowherenear thelimit.
YetOwenand Terry Fairbrother were quite enrapturedafterdriving the Bee-Em. “It’soneofthe biggestregrets withthe Mini that itis overthe500cclimit, andwecannotdrive itinthe
Island,”remarked Owen.
“Ifwe’dhadan outfitlike Colin’sa coupleof yearsago, we could have goneplaces withit,”continuedTerry.“It’s so much quickerthanany of ouroldTriumph outfits.In fact,it’sthe firstoutfitwe’ve everdriventhat’s not ours.”
Seeleywas equally impressedwiththe Mini, thoughhethoughtitwould take some gettingusedto afterracinganorthodox outfit. Thespreadofbeefy powerimpressed him too, but Idon’tthinkhe wouldhave abandoned hisprecious BMW infavorofthe Mini,though that cost£500less!
Owen’sMini hasaroused more violentcontroversy in recentmonthsthan anythingI canremember, andthe behaviourofcertain elementsofthe recentFlorian Carmathiasand Mallory Park meetings filledmewith disgust. Curioustheywere so quiet before Greenwood startedwinning.
If Ican just askthema few questions.Doyou objectto acarengine,three wheeler (withinthe ACUdefinition)or
Start ’em young, says Colin Seeley, as 2½-year-old Colin Juniorwields ascrewdriverandspanner.Let’emgeton withit,saysDad –bingo,oneBMWoutfitbeingrapidly dismantledbyJunior!
Out of the Esses, Greenwood whams the Mini into the straight before Coram Curve as Dixon throws his weight to the right
After puttingthepileof mangledremainson the benchjustbefore ChristmasI hadbeentrying to convince myselfthat acquisitionof adilapidated totallydismantledNorton Commandoisno worsethan buyinganintactwreck. Staring gloomilyatthe scattered corrodedentrails Iwastrying to thinkthatmaybethings reallyweren’tasbadasthey looked…
Donatedbymygood friend Pennyafterthe passingofher husbandBrianthree years ago, this September1971 bikewas last onthe roadin 1976. Shortlyafteracquiring it,Brian hadtakenit apartto rectifyunpredictable handling caused by maladjusted isolasticmountings.
So far so good.Except that the repairprocess apparently requiredcomplete dismantlingoftheentire machine.Brian wasnothing ifnotmethodical.Andthereit endedforthenext fiftyyears in severalcardboard cartonsand neat pilesofmoulderingrusty pieces.Exceptthat rats had eatenmostofthe boxes.
Studyofthe partsmanual suggeststhat thebikeismore orlesscomplete. Maybe progress will revealthat minor partsare missing, although that is abitacademic because much ofwhat istherewill need replacing. Forexample, the silencers,whichhad been carefullywrapped in ahessian sack,actuallyfell apartwhen unpacked.
Fortunately, Pennyhad
cajoledBrianinto storing theengineand gearboxin thenice warm garage at their home, although Idid findthat themotorwas seized until liberatedbycopiousdribbles ofdieseland alittleheaton thepistoncrownsandaided by averylarge Stillsononthe endofthecrankshaft.
Thecylinderhead must have been removedbackin’76or even earlier.It wasoddthat the pushrodshad beenleftin situ.Stickingoutlike knitting needles,theywerebent. Ah well…
Acloserlookatthenewly freedoff pistons revealeda very strangesituation.Brand new standard size pistons were fitted.Completelyfree from carbontheyare housed innicelyhonedliners. One damaged+.020” oversize originalpistonremainedin arat gnawed box. It suggests that therehad been aserious enginefailuresuchas, well, Idon’tknow. Linersand newpistons were then fitted allthoseyears agoandthe enginenotfullyreassembled or runsince. As work continued further evidenceof mechanicaltraumacame to light. More ofthis later.
Many yearsago Brianhad described the‘frightening’ handlingbeforeproceedingto dismantlethewholemachine. It islikelythathewastaking theopportunityfor acomplete overhauland rebuildwhich neverhappenedbecause life just gotinthe way. In yearsgone bya restorationprojectwould have
been startedwithoutworrying overmuch aboutthelikely cost. However, valuesofoldbikes havetumbledoverthe last few yearssoitseemedagoodidea to work outwhat thejobmight cost.
The firstquestion to think aboutwastherestoration standard. Wasthebiketobeas closetoasfoundas possible? Orconcours?Or somewhere in between?
Idecidedonthe good ‘ol Britishcompromiseofgoing halfway.
So theaimis to have allthe blackcycle partsrefinished and to fitnew tyrestothe still shinyrims.New mudguards, then replacethe wiring harnessand refurbishtheseat. Newsilencerstoreplacethe fallen to bitsdeparteditems. Replacethe (bent) handlebars andallcontrol cables. The resultshould be atidybike whichcancompleted within budgetandimproved inthe futurewithouttheneed for completedismantling.
Ihavea completiontargetof theday that Iandfriendsplan to departfor ourannualtrip to frightenthegoodpeopleof darkestNorth Yorkshire. That’s just fourmonthsaway, willI make it?
Workingcarefully throughtheparts manual adepressingly longlistof needed items wasidentified andpriced. Just to make sureI wasonthe righttrack my mate Dave andhisfriendAndrew, both Commando owners, were invited to comeand givemethe benefitoftheir
considerableexperience. Well,they didn’t tellme not to doit.Orevenlaugha lot. TheonlyphraseI really rememberwas,“It’s alotof work”. “You cansay that again” Imight have replied, butthey would have beenembarrassed to seeanOAPbreakdownin tears. So,mustering fortitude and puttingina bulkorderfor teabags, work began.
Remembering Brian’s approach,‘methodical’ seemeda good waytogo.I laid outalltheCommando parts, ratherlikethe way that accidentinvestigators research downed aircraft.
Frameand running gearon one bench. Engine,gearbox andancillaries,including carburettors andelectrics,on theother.
Although Christmasand NewYeargotinthe way,the projecthasnowbeenunder wayfor aboutsix weeks. Partshavebeenidentified. Metalworkhas been
dismantled, studiedindetail, cleanedandtaken to oursuper competent andoverworked refinisher Glenn at GD Design in Welford, Northamptonshire. Ihavefoundthat akey part of having outsourced work done is to be clearonleadtime. Apartfromthedisappeared silencersthereisvery little chromeplateonthe Commando. Thewheels had theirnicenewrims fitted
alongtime agoandthey haven’t beenused since. Pricing showsthat it will be moreeconomical to buy replacementsforothershiny partsinsteadof rechroming originals.Meanwhile,the corrodedfront forks have been reconditioned withnew stanchions, bushesand seals. Theisolasticunits will be rebuiltinduecourse withthe vernier-typeupgrade.
Aftertheforks my attention wandered toward the cylinder head. It wasniceand cleanbut thevalves wereremovedfora precautionarycheck.Asisso oftenthe case,newproblems were found. Thevalves were pittedand twoofthe guides toowornforfurtheruse.
Avoidingunnecessary cost wherever possible,I made thetraumaticdecisionthat the best waytodealwiththe head would be to replaceall
four valvesandguides(plus springs, ofcourse). Theparts were allpurchased at what felt like theusualastronomical cost.
UsingmyancientSykes Pickavant cutters, the valve seatswerelaboriously recut, valvesgroundinandthehead reassembled.Myblisters should be okay in acoupleof weeks.
Thenasty oil-encrusted Amal Mark Iconcentric carburettorshad beenlurking, dismantled,ina nearby panof diesel. Theywere eventually retrieved andafter much scrubbingreassembledwith new gasketsand washers, courtesyofFeked ClassicBike PartsinDorset. It remains to be seenifthe carbsare in usablecondition. Someofyou mightbe wonderingwhy thecarbs weren’tsimplyreplacedwith
amodern type forimproved performance.But,having suffered with twin carbsinthe past,theplanis to save money by fittingthe currentunits and seehow thebikeruns.If itisentirelyawful, asingle carburettorand manifold will be fitted forfutureeaseofuse. Althoughthisis very much arestorationprojectI have arule: ‘Ifitain’tbrokedon’t fixit.’. As aresult Ihad been gazing smuglyatmyalmost completeCommandoengine, onlytorealisethat,due to theseized pistons,I should checkconditionoftherings. Liftingthe cylinder barrel wasmightilyhindered bya generoushardenedswathe of redHermatite, aproduct whichwasinalmostuniversal use fiftyyears or so ago. While ‘gentlypersuading’ (mallet, wedges betweennutsand fins,etc)the barrel to move,I
hadbeenremembering that Hermatitewascolouredred sowe could seeitwhen we got itall over ourhands.Ahyes, thosesimple days ofold!
On removalofthe barrelthe pistons wererevealedinall theirpristineglory.Brazing ofthecylinder skirtwasalso revealed.All became clear! Thereasonforthenewliners and standardsizepistons was suddenlyapparent. Amajor failure- perhapsa broken piston- haddamaged theleft side cylinder bore so badly that linershad been fitted. The brazingwas simplyto secure thenow quitethinremainder oftheoriginal cylinder skirt. Fora fleetingmomentit seemedthat theexercise hadbeenawaste oftime until amyopic squintinto thecrankcase revealeda lot ofbrownfuzz. It looked as thoughtherustofmillennia
haddrifted into the residual oilandformedwhatis sometimes referredtoasa protective coating. It wasclearthat theonly waytoremove thisstuff effectively wouldbetosplit thecrankcases.Somebody out thereistellingmethatthisis easy,and Ijustneed to geton withit.SoI did,onlydelayed for afewhoursbytryingto remove twoawfuland totally mangledset screwsfromtheir comfy recessesatthelower edge ofthecrankcase. It was done eventually withheat and my favouritehammerandthe crankshaft wasextracted.
Themain bearingraces had developed pittingdue to long immobility, so replacements have beenordered. Thecrank
journalsare-.010”andinnice condition. So newshellsplus the variousfastenersare also onorder.
Removalofthebrownfuzz wasgoingwelluntilI began to ponder aboutthe sludge traps. Modernloresaysthat theseMUSTbecleaned out… exceptthat thetraps on aNortontwinare inthe crankshaft ‘cheeks’,perhaps bobweights to youandme. Asthereare no removable plugs,theonlyway to access thetrapsistodismantlethe crankshaft.
Theengineisnow almost fully dismantledsounbolting thecrankand cleaning the trapsisajobfor tomorrow. When Imight be feelinga bit braver…
■ BritishMotorcycle Preservation Society NorthWales: www.bmpsnwales.org.uk Barnsley: Fred Austin,01226 245611. Meetingplace at presentn/a. Sheffield: Pete Johnson, 07707803932. Second and fourth Monday of themonth from 8pmatthe Bridge Inn, Hollow Gate,Chapeltown, SheffieldS35 1TZ. Manchester: BobTaylor07512 682984.First andthird Monday of themonth from 8.30pm at the BeconsfieldConservativeClub, TheGables, Stamford Street,Ashton-under-Lyne,PL6 6QL. Allare also on Facebook.
■ BritishMotorcycleRiders’ClubOxford Membership enquiries: Mark Howard at mark.keelerhoward@gmail.com
We’vementionedOptiMate severaltimesin thesepages overthe yearsandthat’s because theproductsareeffectiveand we usethem inthe OBM Shed.However,thisdoesinvolve havingtoswapoverleads betweenbikes (because we’retoo mean/poortobuy an OptiMatefor each machine!)whichisn’tthat bigadeal–until youforget. Thus,wereallylikethisnewproduct,the OptiMate3 Dual Bank chargerwhich,as the name suggests,canmonitor,maintain and recovertwo 12V batteries –atthe same time.Eachbattery is chargedindependently oftheotherandit’s safe to leaveconnected forlongperiodsoftime. It workswithall typesof12Vlead-acidpowersportbatteries, includingSTD(with filler caps), AGM,GEL (sealedVRLA),deepcycleandEFB.Itcan also be used tocharge 24V vehicles with 2x 12V batteries fitted,adding to itsversatility. Totallyautomaticandfullyprotected against usererrors, theOptiMate 3Dual Bank tests both batteries' stateofhealth, diagnosesand repairssulphated units,and canevensave neglectedbatteriesfromaslowas2Volts. Moreover,keepingyourbattery at full charge
will significantly extenditslife. TheOptiMate3Dual Bankis supplied with twoweatherproofbattery leadsand twobattery clip sets,aswellasa three-year warranty.It’sweatherproof(althoughdon’t go dunkingitina bucketof waterorleavingit outina monsoonbecause it won’tlikeit)and is ratedforusedownto40°C.Wethinkthe OBM Shed gets closetothatsometimes. Availablefor£129.90from www.optimate. co.uk or yourlocalOptiMatestockist.
SW-Motech Legend Gear 3tailbag
Bike ShedMoto twilljacket
TheBikeShedinLondon hasbecomeknown forits coolmerchandiseand nowithas revamped itsfamous twill jacket. It’s atimelessdesign which is surprisingly flattering on figures ofanysize. The new jacketis in100%cotton heavyweighttwill andnowhasa chestpocket. It hasthe Bike Shed logo on thefront but, in this version,notontheback forthosepeoplewhoprefera more subtle approach to their wardrobe.Obviously,it’snot protectivewearsodon’t go throwing yourselfdown the roadinit(plusthat wouldn’t begoodfor evenheavy-duty twillfabric)butfor summer eveningsit’s perfect. Availablefor£150(looking coolisn’t cheap)in sizes S-4XLand achoiceof Black, Dark GreenorBrown,from bikeshedmoto.co.uk.
HAMPSHIRE SO40 7GY
NETLEY MARSH, HAMPSHIRESO407GY
SEPT11-12, 2026
•ADULTADVANCE
FRIDAY-£9
•ADULTADVANCE
SATURDAY-£7
•UNDER16SFREE
netleymarsheurojumble.com
SW-Motech’sLegendGearrange haslong been afavourite amongriderswho want luggagethatcombines classicalstyling withmodern-day functionality. First launchedoveradecade ago, thecollection hasevolved into aversatileoffering, suitablefor awidevarietyofmotorcycles, and latest inthe rangeisthenew LR3tail bag. Idealforthoseessentials youwant to takeonaride(for many that will be tools, forusit’s usually sandwiches),thenew bagiscompactandyet hasaTardis-like propensitytoexpandfrom 6to12litres. It’s madefrom Eco-Tech fabricwhich hasbeenspeciallydeveloped to looklike canvas butbesignificantly resistantto UV exposure,wearandtheelements.A PU coatingontheinsideadds water resistance, while awaterproofinner bag with clickclosureprovidesextraprotection whenthe weatherturns.Anditusually does. Overlapping lidsfeature internal compartmentsonboth sides,while outer
pockets with covered zips keep frequently used items closetohand.
Unlike many luggage options,there isnoneed for bulkyracking orunsightly mounting hardware.Insteadthetail bagusessimple loop straps,allowing it to be quickly securedtoapassenger seat or rear rack andthenremovedjustaseasily. Thebag’s structured constructionhelpsitholdits shape, aidedbyanon-slipundersidethat keepstheloadstable evenon spirited rides.Apaint protection filmisincluded, helpingprevent scuffswhere the bagmeets bodywork.
TheSW-MotechLegend Gear LR3tailbag retailsfor£129.99from www.sw-motech. co.uk. Anadjustableshoulder strapis available separately for carryingoff the bike.
We maymoanabout technology andthefactthat younow seem to need an apptodoeverything from findingoutthe weatherforecastto paying for aparking space,butthereare some good usesforitandthe TracktingONEdeviceisone.
It’s away ofprotectingyourmotorcyclequicklyand easily witha smalldevice –aboutthesizeofamatchbox–that you canhideon your machine.Setitup easily viathe appand yourtrackerisreadyto protectyourbike.
In theevent ofan attemptedtheft,thetrackeridentifiesifthekey fobisn’t within closerange and willtheninstantly will call youand startreal-timetrackinginthe app. Youcanfollowyourbike’sreal-time position to recoveritquickly andtheTrackting ONEuses satellite ratherthanmobilephonetriangulation(whichisusedbyAirtags), so it’s aspinpointaccurateaspossible.Meanwhile,ifyou occasionally forgetwhere you’veparked,thetracker willalsosend you thelocation of yourvehicle’s parkingspot. We'veneverdonethat.Ohno. Ahem. TheTracktingONE requires asubscriptionplanwhich costs£39for ayear(or£59for twoyears)andwhich includesglobalcoverage with real-timetheftalerts. It’s poweredbyarechargeable batterywhich lastsupto4monthsand canrecharged viaUSB-C cable.It’sresistant to water, dust,mudandheat.Lightweight andcompact,thisreallyis a‘hideitandforgetit’ device,butitmightjusthelp youget yourbike back iftheworst should happen.
TheTracktingONEunitcosts£129(plus subscription)anddetails canbefound at www.trackting.com.
As we enterthefinal stretchesofthe A-Z, we meettwo remarkablemachines that were eachahead oftheirtime.
In thehistory ofBritish motorcyclinginthe first quarterofthe20thcentury, the Unibus standsas oneofthemoreunique contributionstothat story. Following theendofthe FirstWorld War, aircraft manufacturersnow found themselves without amarket. OneofthosewastheGloster Aircraft Co in Cheltenham
(itwasoriginally calledthe GloucesterAircraftCompany, butthe name waschanged in1926as potentialoverseas buyers foundthecounty name toohardtopronounce)which, by the beginningof1918, was producingsome45Bristol fighterairplanes each week. But, withthecessationof hostilities,thecompany found itselfin financialstraitsand with aworkforceidle, so,like
Thelayoutofthe1913 VALsingleseatmonocar.
VAL
TheVAL MotorCompany ofBradfordStreet, Birmingham,wasanother short-lived concernthat primarilybuiltsidecars. However, in1913,it ventured into the cyclecar market;atthe Olympia Show in Novemberof that yearitexhibitedtwo models,a964cc V-twin two-seaterand a499cc solo.However,itsprimary product wassidecars,as TheMotor Cycle wrotein August 1914: ‘Inthe V.A.L. sidecarthefrontofthe body is supportedfromthe chassisona coupleofplain helical springsinmuch the same mannerasthe Calthorpe, butinthe rear quiteanindividualform
many ofits peers, itdecidedto diversifyintoearthbound twowheels.But,while many of thoserivalsaimedtoproduce amachinewhichwould provide cheaptransportation, GAC– asit waslocallyknown –wentina differentdirection withtheUnibus scooter. Whenthewarended,a youngdraughtsman called Harold Boultbeewas employedbyGAC andit was hewho woulddesignthe firm’s nextprojectwhichwas dubbed ‘the carontwo wheels’. TheUnibus wasunveiledin thesummerof1920andcould be said to be the firstscooter. Althoughtherehad been other machineswhichwere theforerunnerofthemodern scooter, mostnotablythe Skootamota, theUnibus took
VASCO
of suspensionisadopted. Thechassisis aperfectly rigidaffair,andontheaxle tube ismounted atubular frame, whichisfreetoswing upanddownonbearings. Thisframeisconnected to anarmsupportedbythe chassisthrough acoiled spring at each aide. This arrangementnodoubteffects aconsiderable reductionin weight andcertainlymakes averyneatand satisfactory construction.’
Butthatmonth Germany wouldinvade Belgium, heraldingthe United Kingdom’s entryintheGreat Warandit appearsthat, like so many firms, production ofthe VALMotor Company ceasedand wouldnot resume.
aquantumleapforward from thosedesigns.Looking ata Unibus today,it’s hard to grasp that it wasmanufacturedwell over ahundred yearsago. TheUnibus hadmodern bodywork (somodernin factthat inadvertisements it waswrittenas‘bodywork’ inquotation marks)that enclosed theengineandfuel tankanda flat floorand sat on achannel-sectionframe withleaf-springsuspension at eitherend. A269cc twostroke single-cylinderengine wassetacrosstheframeand driventhrough adry-plate clutchto atwo-speed gearbox. Unusually– andadvanced for thetime –the Unibus hada dualbrakingsystemwithone brakecontrolledbyhandand theother by foot,bothacting
Althoughthe Vascoappeared in TheMotor Cycle in1922 with that estimableorganstating, ‘A commendablefeatureofthis neatly designed machineisthe largeandeffectivealuminium silencer’, we can findlittle evidencethat many machines were built. Thereisevidence that onemodel wasriddenby the builder, CE Taylor,inseveral reliabilitytrials,apparently successfully. Thisused a349cc single-cylinderBrolerengine, made by Brookes, Traslerand Cox in Leicestershire who appear to have disappeared aboutthe same timeas Vasco.
insidethe reardrivehousing. On the roaditproved to be notonlycomfortablebut stable,thankstothe weight distributionand16-inch split-rimwheels.InJune 1920, Motorcycling wrote: “Fromwhateverstandpoint the Unibusisviewed,it standsasanengineer’sjob from startto finish. The designmarks anewerain the marchofprogressofthe twowheeler.” Laterthatyear, whenitwasdisplayed at the OlympiaShow, MotorCycle wouldadd, ‘Oneofthemost interestingexhibitsinthe miniaturelineisthe Unibus chassis, which showsdistinct originality… Easeofcleaning andweatherproofing are keynotesofthedesign.’Unlike many other machinesof the period,the Unibus was aimed at themostexpensive
endofthe marketand,in particular,atwomen. Its advertising brochuresshows smartlydressed ladies clearly delightedwiththeirnew machineswhileGACtargeted not just thetraditional motorcyclingmagazines buttitleslike Punch and TheField (‘(TheCountry Gentleman’s Newspaper’), both publicationsnotknown foreithertheirinterestinor affinity withmotorcycles.It wasanindicationthat GAC wasaimingsquarelyata more affluentmarketandwhile The Fieldnoted that the Unibus offered ‘completeprotection for both riderandmechanism inanyweather’, italso railed against theprice,writing that it was‘toohightoattract popularity’. Andthat wastrue. The priceofthe Unibus was95 guineas. In 1920that would have boughtyou aBrough Superior.Despitebeing advancedboth technically andindesign,the Unibus was simply tooexpensive. Fewer than ahundred machines were builtand,ofthose, just three survive. Only oneisin rideableconditionafter being restored by Mike Websterand isnowondisplay inthe Jet AgeMuseumin Gloucester, just three milesfromthe Sunningend Workswhereit wasbuilt.
Afterthe FirstWorld War there was, as we’veseen throughoutthe A-ZofBritish Motorcycles,aboominthe Britishmotoringindustry. Vauxhall hadbegun making cars in1903andhad built areputationforits vehicles incompetition. Looking to expandits market,the company'sdirectors commissionedaprototype motorcyclethatwould reflectthepremium,highperformance natureoftheir four-wheeledofferings. The result wasthe1922 Vauxhall motorcycle, amagnificent, over-engineered inline-four.
HarryRicardo’s Ricardo Engineeringwasgiventhe commissionforthedesign of such amachine.Although thepioneeringengineer had already designedanengine for Vauxhallthat would be competitiveforthenext 15 years, themotorcycle projectwas handedover to MajorFrank Halford, possiblybecause Halford hadexperience withbikes –in1922he raceda 4-valve TriumphRicardointhe Senior TT, finishingin13th place, as wellas racingand settingrecords at Brooklands.
VERUS
(Halford wouldgoonto becomeonofthiscountry’s most noted aircraftengine designers, creating thede Havilland Gipsyengines, widelyusedbylight aircraft inthe1920sand'30s,and thendesignedajetengine that becametheDeHavilland Goblin.)
Havingrealisedthatithad no relevant experiencein
this field,themanagement of Vauxhall washappy to give Halfordand Ricardoafree handand,moreimportantly, asubstantialbudgetwith whichtowork. It mayalso have beenpleased to see MajorHalfordatthehelm,for Vauxhall believedthat senior armyofficerswithexperience ofthecompany’s staff cars would be areceptivemarket
We have metthecompany producingthe Verusbefore, back in Part 49oftheA-Z of British Motorcycles.Afterthe FirstWorldWarAlfred Wisemanbegan manufacturing motorcyclesinhisGloverStreetworks in Birminghamunderthe Sirrah name(the name camefrom reversingthe surnameofthedesigner, aMrHarris), machineswhichused anumberofproprietaryenginesand were aimedatthe budget market.However,to complementthe variousSirrahmodels,Wisemanoffered the Verusrange,whichwere pitchedasthepremium rangeofthecompany.
Forthemostpart, the Verusmodelsused Blackburneengines(unlikethe Sirrahs whichusedBradshaw,Blackburne, Japand Unionunits,aswellasenginesof Wiseman’s ownmanufacture). The firstVerus machines were lightweights,one a21ccandthe other269cc, whichappearedin1919. Thefollowingyeartheinitial pair wasjoinedby a Blackburne348ccfour-strikeand499c sidevalvewith two-andthree-speed Burman gearboxesrespectively.In1920, areportfromthe OlympiaShowcomments: ‘Very rapid hasbeenthe rise ofthe Verus. Atrust inthe valueandlessonsof reliabilitytrials probably accountsforthisinnosmalldegree. Anyhow,whateverthe cause, the Verus nowranksamongthearistocracyofthe pastime,and carefulexaminationprovesthat the position hasbeenwell earned’.
for aVauxhallmotorcycle. As we’veseen,virtuallyall motorcyclesofthis period used either asingle-cylinder or V-twinengine with achain or beltdrive. TheVauxhall motorcyclebuckedthose established trends witha longitudinallymounted inlinefour-cylinderengine displacingapproximately 950ccandusinganadvanced shaft-drive. It wasrefined,it wascomplexandit was, in some eyes,over-engineered. Essentiallya carontwo wheels,thebiginlinefour washousedina sturdy duplexframe butelsewhere Halfordbecameobsessive abovereducingweight, even hollowing outboltswhere possible.
Theend result was mechanicallybrilliantbut
also incrediblyexpensiveto build. It couldnever have beenbroughttomarket withoutconsiderable modificationwhich would have negated thewhole point oftheprestigiousproject.
Just twoprototypeswere built(onlyoneofthosea completemachine)and by thetimethosewereontheir wheelstherehad been aboom inaffordablemass-produced carlikethe Austin Seven. The Vauxhalldirectors realised that themotorcyclewould have aprohibitivelyhighpricetag that few wouldpay –andthose that wouldwereprobably alreadybuyingBrough Superiors.
and12engines –wereoffered for sale to Vauxhallemployees withthecompletebikebeing soldfor£45 by Victor Belfield. Thus,withtheone finished machineinprivate hands, MotorCycle finallygot to examinethe Vauxhall at closequarters although, interestingly,throughoutits four-pagefeature (written by Victor’s brother,Bruce) inits November19,1925 issue, Vauxhallisnot referred to by name butsimplyas‘a well-known firm ofmotor manufacturers’.
Whilecommentingonthe factthat productioncosts had clearly not beenconsidered, itdid saythatthe‘motor cycleengineunitiscarefully thoughtoutin everydetails, anditsperformanceislittle shortofwonderful.’ Outon the roadthe Vauxhall was ‘delightful to drive, andthe four-cylinderunitis so sweet running that one sometimes wondersifthereisnota harmonic balancer tucked away somewhere!’
Thearticleaddedthatno spareparts were obtainable andthatthenew owner had boughtthecompletemachine, together withenough spare partstomakeanother cycle. Butwhatoftheother prototypewhich wasbeing used as adevelopmenttest bed? That endedupinOxford where it wasbrokenupfor scrapbycarbreakers West’s of DenmarkStreetinaround 1935.
In 1921 aBlackburneV-twinoutfitwasadvertised althoughwhetherthis wasactually eversoldisdebatable.By1923,thelightweights were goneandthe Blackburne-engined machines hadbeen augmentedbymodels with JAPengines. Like the Sirrah,the Verusrange allused the same Wisemantubular frame –infact,the sameframe wasused by allofthecompany’s motorcycles. The final yearofproductionwas 1926afterwhichAlfred Wisemanreturned to producingrailway components.
That wasaboutthe same timethat thecomplete Vauxhall,nowowned by Stan Sherwood in Wembley, was dismantled. Theframe,forks andpetroltank were taken by over-enthusiastic scrap metalcollectorsforthe war effortafter Stanleftitoutside hishouse,butwhat wasleft survived in abox.In1952that boxwasgiven to Bob Thomas who realised that thiswas something rather special– or at leastthe remainsofit. Thomas wasthemechanic andlifelongfriendof SirClive Edwardsandthus wasableto undertakethe work himself. Evenafter30 years, Vauxhall stillhadcopiesofFrank Halford’soriginalblueprints; it gave them to Thomasand usingthosehewas able to rebuildthe remarkable bike. Whenhecompleted the rebuildin1957, Vauxhall wassoimpressed that it had itstop panel beaterandhis apprenticescreate anewfuel tank.
In 1963 ThomasandSir Clivemoved to Miln Houseon the Isleof Manwhere Thomas restored motorcyclesinanold mill. When SirClive diedin 1999, Miln Housewasleftto the Manx governmentandis nowa trustwithapermanent display ofvintagecarsand motorcycles,includingthe Vauxhall.
Seeour websiteforour expanded rangeofnuts,boltsandstuds, andour replacementparts for BSA, TriumphandNorton. We hope to seeyou at Kempton Parkon May9th2026 M:07961044850 E:info@stainlessclassics.co.uk
TheLondonDouglas Motorcycle Club LTD is an internationalclub forDouglas owners and enthusiasts. Bi-monthly magazine-the envy of many otherclubs, that links like mindedenthusiastsin over34countries. Register of all knownDouglas motorcycles worldwide, comprehensivespares service,marquespecialist fortechnical help, dating service on all models. Write: RegHolmes, 48 StandishAve,Stoke lodge,
TheBristol ClassicMotorCycleShow sponsoredbyDevittInsurance February 20-21, 2027
TheRoyal Bath &West Showground, BA46QN
www.classicbikeshows.com
Newark Jun7 | Aug9 | Sep13 | Oct18 | Nov22
Newark Showground,Notts NG24 2NY
Jul18 | Sep19 | Oct24 | Dec5
KemptonParkRacecourse, TW16 5AQ
Aviation Classics
AviationClassicsMonthlycelebratesthe legendary aircraftthatruledtheskiesfrom World WarIItotheendoftheCold War. Every issuedivesintoiconicmachines—from Spitfires,B-17sand Zerostojet-agegiants likethe F-86Sabre,MiG-21andB-52.
Expectmeticulously researched features, rare archivalphotographyandspeciallycommissioned artwork,bringingtheengineering,missions and peoplebehindtheseaircraft vividly to life. Fromcombataccountsanddevelopmentstories to restorations andpreservedairframes,it’s aviationhistory toldwithauthorityandstyle. Plus: every88-page issueincludes a6-pagegatefoldcoverwithposter artwork worthyofframing.
