The Classic MotorCycle February 2024

What’s your opinion on motorcycle specials? And what, to you, makes it a special? A few things have brought this to mind, not least my readings in various car magazines, generally Classic and Sports Car and The Automobile, regarding cars (some cyclecars) being built up using period, if not maker-original parts. One such example was a gorgeous 1924 Benjamin P2 in The Automobile, which looked as if it was made by a period manufacturer, but actually featured a lot of home-build input. Incidentally, the owner of the car had also built a V-twin motorcycle, where he’d converted a side-valve Harley-Davidson WL V-twin to ohv using 1950s AMC top ends. Do get in touch if you’re reading this! This car and its ilk were in mind as I read the Montgomery…

This wonderful photograph was published in the December 21, 1911, issue of The Motor Cycle. The accompanying caption read: “En route for the Gometz-Le-Chatel Hill Climb. Some members of the ACU party of motorcyclists photographed at Charing Cross Station on Saturday before leaving for Paris – Messrs Cooper, Carter, Witham and C and E Webster.” No further details were given, even as to who was who, or what the motorcycles were, though from looking at the picture, it’s possible to deduce they’re both Matchlesses, albeit of rather different specification, the lighter-coloured, barrel-tanked one on the left being powered by a ferocious 90-bore JAP (see the NUT in last month’s issue), while the other has a side-valve JAP engine. They are sporting consecutive numbers (LE 1012, left, and LE 1011, right)…

Bristol show Originally held in the centre of Bristol, the-now Shepton Mallet-based annual show has grown and evolved into Britain’s greatest West Country celebration of all that is best about motorcycles of yesteryear. Bristol Classic MotorCycle Show is a magnet for enthusiasts, club members and traders alike – attracting thousands. It features the finest themed club displays with fierce competition for the much-coveted ‘best stand’ award and cash prizes too. The show also features an auction from Dore and Rees. Held over February 24/25, 2024, at The Royal Bath & West, BA4 6QN, compere Steve Plater will be joined on stage by ex-British champion and TV commentator James Whitham. Have a look at classicbikeshows.com Museum winter raffle Triumph’s weird-and-wonderful – certainly different! – Triumph TSX is the prize up for…

This remarkable motorcycle appeared in the August 20, 1925, issue of The Motor Cycle and given the various coverage of late by Richard Rosenthal regarding frame design and such, its inclusion seems fitting. Likewise, there is no better way to detail it than by transcribing the published description (which was under the headline ‘Four-valve engine in channel steel frame’) verbatim. “In the construction of his unconventional home-made machine, a young engineer, Mr G E Parker, Parkside, Fishtoft Road, Boston, Lincs, has pinned his faith to channel steel for the frame instead of the usual tubular construction. Practically every part of the machine was made by himself and a friend. “The 640cc engine (86x110mm), has four overhead valves actuated by a gear very similar to that of the AJS. There are…

Classic archive The caption for this photograph, printed in the July 26, 1951 issue of The Motor Cycle read: “Members of the Harvard-Yale athletic team with the four BSAs they purchased from Alexanders, of Glasgow. The men on the motorcycles are, from left to right, S Twitchell, R C Johnson, P White and EE Grutzner. The three men at the back are Alexanders’ staff A Watt, J Shand and R McCall.” Every two years since 1893 – breaks for world wars and pandemics aside – the bi-annual ‘HYOC games’ have taken place, which sees the combined might of American universities Harvard and Yale’s athletics teams take on their counterparts from the British institutions Oxford and Cambridge, in what is the longest running event of its type; indeed, it pre-dates the…

STAR LETTER Considerate group riding In response to the letter in the January issue of TCM, regarding group riding, I ride regularly with my local club with groups ranging from five or six, to well over 20. The club uses the ‘Second drop off’ system. This means having a leader and a tail-end Charlie. At each junction, the rider behind the leader positions safely at the junction to indicate to the others which way to go, and stays there until they are then picked up by the tail-end Charlie. The riders continue to shuffle down the pack until the end of the ride. This means that we do not have to ride as a long line of bikes. We can be split up as traffic dictates – traffic lights, roundabouts,…