The Classic MotorCycle October 2024

Patina has been occupying my thoughts of late, the trend being now much more to preserve rather than restore, if at all possible. Obviously, that’s not always viable, if something is too far ‘gone’. Jerry Thurston’s column (page 96) deals with that dilemma – if a leaky petrol tank, say, has to be repaired and subsequently repainted, it might stick out if the rest of the motorcycle is largely unrestored, so the case then is what to do? Artificially age the rest of the machine, or restore the whole lot? The beautiful Flying Merkel featured in our news pages – page 10 – has had new rims and spokes for safety reasons (though the old ones are there) but they have been toned down a bit (the bike is, after…

Southport has been much in the UK news of late, owing to a terrible atrocity, claiming the lives of three young children and injuring many more. This is a much more positive focus on the North West coastal town, with the picture capturing a wonderful scene at the start of the speed trials in 1921. Published in The Motor Cycle, on May 26, 1921, the caption was headed ‘A lively scene on the sands’ and reads ‘Single and twin sidecars and a three-wheeler at the start of the unlimited passenger class. From left to right: H Reed (8hp Dot sidecar), D Barron (7-9hp Indian sidecar), H L Hughes (8hp Morgan) and A Cowley (3½hp Norton sidecar).’ The short report which accompanies it does hint at the frustrations of the reporter.…

Fabulous Merkel confirmed for Stafford This incredible time-warp 1913 Flying Merkel 996cc Twin Seventy-one 471 was acquired by Vic Norman in 1998 from Bud Ekins. Vic’s work routinely took him to California for the air show season, and his friend Alain De Cadenet and he would often ride over to Ekins’ place. A consummate off-road racer, bike restorer, motorcycle dealer, occasional stunt rider, and all-American hero, Bud was a close friend of actor Steve McQueen and performed the famous motorcycle jump in The Great Escape. In his autobiography, Norman Conquest, Vic recalls: “I fell in love with his (Ekins’) 1913 Flying Merkel, still in its 100-year-old original paint. It was only after my many visits over a three-year period, that he finally agreed to sell me the Merkel. Plus, I…

Those riding most of the motorcycles featured in the pages of this magazine inevitably defer to the age and rarity of the machine, and leave full-out performance to estimates or makers’ claims. So it is interesting to see venerable bikes being – in modern parlance – ‘given the berries’. Such an occasion was the ‘Flying Quarter’ at Manston Airport. As an airport, Manston closed a decade ago. Originally built as a wartime facility, it had one of the country’s longest runways. This was necessary for emergency use by aeronautical casualties returning over the nearby English Channel. While there have been projections for the site’s future, for the time being, much of the facility remains in usable condition. A local group negotiated permission to use the venue for a speed trial…

1924 Over the past few weeks, several makers had announced 1925 season programmes, and many of the featured models were to be displayed at the autumn shows. Major makers, including BSA, offered a large range of models, with the Small Heath maker cataloging 250cc side-valve lightweights through to a 986cc machine intended for sidecar work. The range included colonial options for some models, featuring generous mudguards and large balloon tyres. Also listed was the ohv 350cc single and a selection of sidecars. While many models had been modernised, BSAs retained dummy rim brakes throughout. From the smaller factories, Francis-Barnett offered another lightweight using the newly- modified Villiers 172cc two-stroke engine, Montgomery listed two new sidecars including a single seat sporting-model clad in polished aluminium, and Excelsior had combined forces with…

“Raring to Go!” Star-studded stories from high-flying reporter and sports journalist Ted Macauley. Author: Ted Macauley Published by: Veloce Publishing Ltd., 2 Poundbury Business Centre, Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester DT1 3W Tel. 01305 260068 E-mail: sales@veloce.co.uk Hardback, 210 x 148mm (portrait); 160 pages with 106 colour and b&w photographs. ISBN: 978-1-787116-71-9 UPC 6-36847-01671-5 Original price: £16.99 (UK); $22 USD; £30 CAD; $33 AUD. The autobiography of Ted Macauley – award-winning newspaper reporter, columnist and sports journalist. This is the account of a lifelong career filled with the excitement of the sports that he covered, tales of enviable assignments and featuring a host of celebrity friends, movie stars and sporting superstars, including Mike Hailwood, George Best, Barry Sheene and many more. Ted first met 21-year-old Mike Hailwood at the Isle…