The Classic MotorCycle July 2017

There are times – many times – as I look through the Mortons archive when I veer off on a tangent, unable to resist going down an avenue as my curiosity has been piqued, which happened again as I researched the 1954 Dutch TT for the archive picture in this issue. Occasionally a name appears that isn’t as recognisable as many of the others – in this case it concerned the AJS team. ‘R W Coleman’ and ‘R McG McIntyre’ were instantly familiar as Rod and Bob... but who was ‘L T Simpson’ on the third factory Porcupine? Simply, I didn’t know. And so I set off to find out who he was. It didn’t take long really, but his name, ominously, disappeared from the records and results after appearances…

Tim Britton, Rachael Clegg, Jonathan Hill, Roy Poynting, Richard Rosenthal, Martin Squires, Jerry Thurston, Phillip Tooth, Alan Turner, Phil Turner, Steve Wilson. THE CLASSIC MOTOR CYCLE (USPS:710-470) is published monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd., PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK . USA subscriptions are $63 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft, WI and additional entries. Postmaster: Send address changes to THE CLASSIC MOTOR CYCLE, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com SUBSCRIBE TODAY! FROM ONLY £20 » Every issue will be sent hot off the press and delivered straight to your house » You’ll never miss an action-packed issue or supplement again SEE P24 FOR DETAILS…

There was a crowd of 100,000 race fans at the 1954 Dutch TT at Assen, all excitedly anticipating the start of the big (and final) race of the day, the 500cc blue riband event. Kiwi Rod Coleman was the fastest starter and pictured here, on the number 15 AJS E95 Porcupine, he leads the 37-strong field as they set off for 16 laps of the circuit, making a race distance of 163¾ miles. Though Coleman is in front, already up to second place is world champion Geoff Duke (Gilera, 1) with Coleman’s AJS team-mates Leo Simpson (another Kiwi on a Porcupine, 16) and BobMcIntyre (Porcupine, 17) in close attendance. Heading the next group is Fergus Anderson (MotoGuzzi, 4) and Rhodesian Ray Amm(Norton, 17) with Reg Armstrong (Gilera, 2) ahead of…

H&H atNMM H&H Classics, one of the top auction houses in the UK, has announced that it ismoving itsmotorcycle sales from Donington Park to the National Motorcycle Museum from June this year. The first sale at this prestigious new venue will be on June 1/2. This will be a long-term partnership with H&H Classics, holding three sales in 2017 at the museum andaminimum of three a year in the future. David Earnshaw As TCMgoes to press, we’ve learned of the sudden death of David Earnshaw, veteran and vintagemotorcycle enthusiast and co-founder, with KenHallworth, of Old Bike magazine. David completed 300 miles in Scotland over May 6/7 this year on a Triumph Model H. The followingThursday, while riding in the APMC (Association of Pioneer Motor Cyclists) ‘Ken Hallworth Memorial White Peak…

BIGCROWDS FOR BICESTER The thirdannual Flywheel Festival at Bicester Heritage brings together more than 100 competition cars for an action-packed timetable hostedon itsdemonstration track. It takesplaceon Saturday andSunday, June 24/25, 2017. To purchase tickets for Flywheel 2017, visit www.flywheelfestival.com CHALFONTREVIVAL Anyone interested intaking part in 2017’s Chalfont Hillclimbshould contact theevent secretaryat bryanlambert2002@aol.com for details. Theprovisional date is September23. SURREYBBQ TheSurreyNortonOwners ClubBarbecue takesplace on Saturday, June17, at the club’s regularmeeting venue, theStepping Stones pub in DorkingRH56BS, close to Rykas café,Boxhill. Theguest of honour is Colin Seeley. Everyone iswelcome and there’ll be a fair few motorcycles on display too. MECUM’SHUGE SUMMERSALE Followingon fromits gargantuan Januarysale, Mecumis nowworking towards its summer sale, to be held on June 1-3. There is expected tobesomething in theregion of 750machines on offer.Go to www.mecum.com for details. CHEFFINSAUCTION…

Westonzoyland is always a popular venue for competitors and spectators at any of the National Sprint Association’s events, heldover a straight quarter-mile course at the former Second WorldWar airfield. This, onMay 6-7, was the first event on this season’s sprint calendar to take place at the location and attracted a rich mixture of vintage and classic machinery to do battle over the two-daymeeting. Among the smaller capacity classes, former grasstrack rider PeterThomas rode a 250cc Hagon-BSA converted for sprinting. He was also contesting theprewar quarter-litre class on a 1938Tiger 70. JonathanClarke posted15.41 at 83mphonhis 500cc Rudge Special, quickest of the prewar bikes. Day entry Stuart Balnaves got into the 15sec zone on his 1934 KTT, just eclipsing the 16.09/81mph of Dave Kenyon’s prewar VelocetteMAC, while John Carter’s postwar version ran…