The Classic MotorCycle August 2019

For the last four weekends, I’ve managed to get out on a vintage pre-1931 motorcycle, which is pretty pleasing. And I’ve only got soaked about 10 times… The weekend just gone, as I write, was the Banbury Run, where I was thrilled to be riding the 1928 AJS K10, owned by my cousin Peter, who lives in Australia. The story of this K10 – which will be told in due course – is an interesting one, suffice to say an awful lot of Anglo-Australian engineering effort has gone into producing a stunning-looking motorcycle. And it goes pretty well too; of course there’s the usual vintage limitations to consider (look at the size of that front brake!) while it has a couple of other foibles too, but, really, it’s doing pretty…

There were 60 motorcycles due on the line for the 1956 Thruxton 500 mile road race, to be held over the kidney-shaped 2.7574 mile course. Organised by the Southampton and District Motor Cycle Club, practice was on Saturday June 24, between 10 and 11am, with the race starting the same day at noon, grid places decided by ballot. The meeting had attracted some well known riders, among them Bob McIntyre, Alistair King, Geoffs Monty and Tanner (the latter the double 1955 Manx GP winner), Dennis Christian, recent Clubman TT double victor Bernard Codd, Ned Minihan, Percy Tait and Eddie Crooks, while Velocette sales director Bertie Goodman was sharing one of his company’s new products (a new 500cc Venom model) with journalist and Brooklands Gold Star holder (on a 350cc Velocette…

VINTAGE AND VETERAN RUN On July 14, the Dorset Section of the VMCC will be holding their 41st Veteran and Vintage Run. This is specially organised with suitable routes for these machines. Starting from Leigh Village Hall, near Sherborne, the route – of about 45 miles – will include a coffee stop. Assembly is from 10am, for an 11am start. Cost of the run is £3 with lunches available for an extra £5. For further details of either event please contact Rod Hann 01935 872528 or email rodhann@hotmail.co.uk THE 26TH EUROJUMBLE This year’s Netley Marsh Eurojumble is on Friday, September 6 and Saturday, September 7. Join thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts from across Europe as they set out to find that elusive part, piece or purchase for their next projects. Situated…

The owner of Ideal Motorcycles, of Washington, West Sussex, Simon Elliott, was more than happy to welcome some surprising visitors to his motorcycle showroom recently. It’s not every day that a team of Japanese gardeners, complete with personal assistant and a translator pay a visit. It transpires that this was no ordinary gardener, but Japan’s most eminent (and Chelsea Flower Show 10 times Gold Medal winner) Kazuyuki Ishihara, with his design team. The concept for Mr Ishihara’s 2019 ‘Green Switch’ garden at Chelsea, was to provide a place of beauty and calm to take a shower in the garden, relax in a tea room, enjoy the pond, the sound of water, nature and surround oneself with the things you love most – in Mr Ishihara’s case, an old motorcycle. A…

Among the attractions at the VMCC Founders’ Day on July 21, will be a celebration of the rare Duzmo motorcycle, as this year it is 100 years since the company started. At least three of the four known Duzmos will be there, maybe all four. In addition, and borrowed from the National Motorcycle Museum, will be the only known Advance. The Advance Motor Manufacturing Co of Northampton manufactured Duzmo engines in 1921/22, as the badge attached to the engine of Nick Harrison’s example states, (right). If anyone has any Duzmo information, then Nick Harrison would love to hear from you. Contact him at nick.harrison@oakingtonplane.co.uk…

A highly collectable single-owner 1955 Vincent Black Knight, pictured right, is one of the stand-out lots at the next H&H Classics auction at the National Motorcycle Museum on July 30. Mark Bryan, of H&H, says: “The bike is in amazingly original condition, showing 58,000 original miles. It comes with the original bill of sale, Vincent guarantee, RF60 buff logbook and factory workshop manual. It is the full package.” Lifelong enthusiast Rex Bigg, from Muswell Hill, London, bought the Vincent Black Knight from Turner Brothers in London for £381.18 on hire purchase and kept the bike until his death in 2017. He used it for his honeymoon and regular trips to Ireland and the Lake District. The bike was restored by him in the early 1980s. There’s plenty more in the…