JUNE Update

Its June already and recently we have been busy signing off pages of the new website. The new Fenland Classic Motorcycles.co.uk site will be the place to visit for Bikes, Parts, News and information. We are even building a virtual museum where you can discover Images and information about pre-war bikes. In addition we will introduce “The Shed” where you can get hints and tips on that hard to finish restoration, as well as keeping up with the Street Custom scene. Clearly, such a venture is quite time-consuming, so we will be rolling it out over the next 12 months. Watch this space or follow us on twitter @fenlandclassics

Draft of the new Landing Page

Southern Classic Bike Show Diary

The May Bank Holiday was a busy Motorcycle weekend with the Bike Shed Event, and Pendine. However, EP Enterprises Show and Auto-jumble at Kempton Park was a must do event. On Friday afternoon I caught up with organiser Eric Patterson for a quick chat as Exhibitors, and Stallholders were arriving. The ever youthful Eric was proudly sharing his experiences of Elvington Airfield the week before when he achieved a record breaking 132.494 MPH over a mile on his 1000cc Vincent. Eric has built the event from humble beginnings in a Village Hall, before moving to Ascot and then to its current location at Kempton Park. Eric has retained a very hands on approach, which many feel is what gives the Jumble and two annual shows a unique atmosphere. One knock on effect is that Eric does not have long to chat as he is called away. I also had to make way for other vehicles so with the help of one of the Brooklands Volunteers we unloaded the Museum’s Francis Barnett and set up the stand.

Zoë Cano with her Bonneville

On the Day of the show I just managed to slip in the back door as the main gates were opening. Understandably most people wanted to grab a bargain over in the Jumble, so there was time for a quick chat with Zoë Cano about her trip across America on a Triumph Bonneville. She was soon swamped with customers  keen to grab a signed copy of her book so I moved on to the Marston Sunbeam and London Motorcycle Museum stands to try and grab a few more WW1 vintage bikes for the Brooklands Great War 100 Event on 27 Sept. 

An early visitor learns more about Brooklands Museum 

Once back at the Brooklands Stand, people were keen to know about the Tommy Meeten Record Breaking bike, and one Guy from the Two-stroke Club even brought over a picture of Meeten at Brooklands on what we believe was an earlier bike of the same type.

I met Classic Bike Editor Gary Pinchin, fresh back from the London Bike Shed Event the night before. He was busy gathering bikes for a photo shoot and it was time for me to make my excuses and sneak off to grab some brake cleaner and a few bits from the Jumble.

Brooklands Volunteers study picture provided by the 2-stroke Club

All too soon it was time to pack up. I had missed the lunchtime engine run and the prize giving! If I was covering this for a magazine I would have been sacked. However, I did a lot of networking and had a great day out. If you have never been to a Kempton Show I recommend you pay a visit to the Southern Off Road Show on 5 December 2015. If you can’t wait that long the next Kempton Park Jumbles are on 25 July, 19 Sept and 24 Oct. More details at: egp-enerprises.co.uk

Zoë Cano’s book ‘Bonneville or Bust’ is available on Amazon and details of signings and future events can be found at: http://www.bonnevilleadventure.blogspot.co.uk/ 

If you have a 1910-1920 motorcycle and would like to be part of the 1915 Service Events commemorations please email: warbike@fenlandclassics.co.uk and we will send you details. Bikes manufactured during the above period will be free to register.

Triumph volunteer reports for duty in 1912

The Ethanol Debate

I meet a lot of Classic/Vintage bike owners and read a lot of magazines. Over the last few years there has been a growing an obsession with ethanol. I can’t seem to have a conversation without the “E” word popping into the discussion somewhere along the line. Magazines and Club Newsletters are filled with the latest thoughts on the dreaded ethanol. At least one publication even refuses to print letters, preferring to summarise the continuing deliberations at the end of each year. One thing is for sure; whilst there are some very real issues, there are also a lot of urban myths out there.  

Over the last few weeks I have heard various stories about the level of ethanol in various branded pump fuel and one DIY ethanol removal method doing the rounds. However, so far I have seen one cracked fibre glass tank, several leaking taps and two ruined paint-jobs caused by petrol.

Over the next few months we will be doing a bid of digging to see if we can discover more about the real issues and find out if there are any solutions. For once we don’t want to hear your stories, as we have a mountain of magazines filled with horror stories and solutions to keep us very busy.

Fenland ClassicsTV

Our monthly trawl of the web Including Bike World Series 9 Episode 4 & 5:

Old Timer