July 2017 UPDATE

So much is going on there is less time to get a few words down on paper.

The Banbury Run

It was way back In May that I shot off to Banbury to do a bit for Old Bike Mart. This time I thought it would be good to get out on the road and see some of the bikes in their natural habitat. Here are a few shots that did not make the final cut.

John Surtees Tribute

Participants line up for the Photoshoot

In July I got the opportunity to see the Surtees Tribute at Mercedes Benz World in Surrey.

Triple World Champion rider Freddie Spencer, former Grand Prix Motorcycle rider, and Saloon Car driver Stuart Graham, Journalist and former TT Rider Mat Oxley and Norton Motorcycles CEO Stuart Garner took to the track at Mercedes Benz World on 11 July in a fitting tribute to John Surtees, who passed away in March this year.

Freddie Spencer led the pack round the MB World Track

Damon Hill 

On track later were a number of Surtees race cars driven by Damon Hill, Derek Bell, Alexander Simms, Scott Malvern and Oliver Turvey.

Mat Oxley

The tribute was part of the annual Henry Surtees Foundation Team Karting Challenge at the Mercedes-Benz World Circuit in Surrey.

Stuart Garner Norton CEO

Inside MB World was an exhibition featuring cars and bikes owned by John.

A Surtees owned Mercedes at MB World

Its been said before and it will hopefully will be said many times more “This man was an epic hero and true legend, the like of which are unlikely to ever be seen again”

I was lucky enough to meet him on a couple of occasions and he was so matter of fact about succeeding to the highest level on bikes and in cars. It would seem to me from speaking to some of his friends that he had a keen eye for bikes and was continuing to build his collection up until his death.

HS Foundation's Michael Digby Fires up the MV Augusta

 His legacy will of course be his own sporting achievements, but going forward these will be matched by the wonderful work of the Henry Surtees Foundation that was founded by John following the tragic death of his son Henry, killed aged just 18 years old whilst competing in Formula 2 race at Brands Hatch in 2009.

Their primary objectives are to assist people with brain or physical injuries caused by accident to return to community living by the provision of support for equipment and facilities. We also seek to provide education and training associated with motorsport-related programmes in technology, engineering, and road safety instruction for two and four wheels.

One last note. There are many who were pushing for a knighthood for John. However, the honours system is steeped in tradition and process and I personally believe that the reason he was not knighted, was that he got a foot on the ladder early on. Once in the system its seems to me that you have to work your way up, which he was doing with the more recent CBE.

To find out more about the Foundation visit www.henrysurteesfoundation.com

FEBRUARY Update

War Bike Project

The history of the military motorcycle is fascinating and it is often difficult to stay focused on the key facts. For example many of the pioneer motorcyclists of WW1, not content with risking life and limb on the roads of France and Belgium, were drawn to the excitement of flying and joined the RFC. Sadly many of those who did not get shot down fell out of the sky in aircraft that were essentially still under continuous development.
During the early part of 1915 the Motorcycle magazine was advertising for men to join the newly formed Motor Machine Gun Service. The concept was highly mobile units able to move quickly to where they were required. However, the concept behind this new service was soon overtaken by events on the Western front as both sides dug in bringing to what had been a mobile war. Many of those who signed up to the MMGS subsequently found themselves attached to units in the trenches.
Below is a short film which shows this mobile force during WW1.



Still on the subject of Combinations, I was privileged to view the ledgers of Westerdick & Sons who manufactured sidecar bodies for Phelon and Moore.  A member of the family had read my article on Brooklands during WW1. 

Originally a firm of cabinet makers, they branched out into manufacturing after one of the sons designed and manufactured a sidecar body. The Father was not keen on the new departure, but the son proved that it was more than just an extension of his love of motorcycles by obtaining contracts to supply many manufacturers with Sidecar bodies.

The long and boring final stages of the book are going well and I must thank Mortons Media who have tracked down some wonderful images which will help bring the words to life.

Click here to see more of the Mortons Archive

AJS Model 22

We have recently rescued a 1938 250cc AJS Model 22. The bike is in reasonable condition having been dry stored for many years. The engine still has compression and everything looks complete. The 250 is a twin port which has had one of the ports closed off. This was apparently not uncommon for trials riders or those who just wanted to save a few bob on Exhausts. The priority was to check out the fuel tank, which whilst damaged was not leaking. The gloppy liquid mess inside was drained, and seems to be old petrol rather than a degraded tank liner. Next on the list will be to clean out the tank then remove the carburettor for cleaning. Watch out for further updates over the coming month.

John Surtees

BBC's excellent series Racing Legends included (at last) the living legend which is John Surtees. John Surtees really is a living legend and an old school gentleman. These days he devotes his time to building up a collection of Cars and Bikes which are paraded and displayed to raise money for the Henry Surtees Foundation founded after the tragic death of his son. If you missed the programme or don't live in the UK click below (NO LONGER AVAILABLE).

[ link removed ]

Cafe Racer of the Year 2014

This is your chance to vote on the top ten Cafe Racers featured on Cafe Racer TV

Fenland Classics TV

This month we have trawled the Internet to find what we think are the best bike related films online.

• Cafe Racer (BMW R90 S by Sebastien Beaupere) A Short from Cafe Racer TV Slightly Spooky computer assisted narration but excellent images.
• WINGS - a film about the retro motorcycle. A moody short by Stephanie Meffait
• The Way of the Desert Sled A short from Cycle world showcasing Triumph Trail Bikes
• Chelsea Bridge Boys- Rockers  An insightful period documentary film by Peter Davis and Staffan Lamm
• Kott Motorcycles 1971 Honda CB750 Custom Cafe Racer. Street footage from the Moto Channel.
• Bike World Series 8 Episode 7 More from Suzi and the gang at Bike World

Old Timer

AUGUST 2013 Update

By our standards July was a relatively quite month, but it has given us a chance to catch up on some research, fettling and of course chilling out at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Rhonyx Project

We are continuing work on the little French Rhonyx we rescued. Our contacts in France tell us that the Marque, based in Rhone in the 1920s to 30s relied heavily on word of mouth and were not big advertisers. Consequently the motorcycling press of the day did not write anything much and there is next to nothing out there in print. We have however found some similar examples and are slowly gathering more about the model and the engine which was manufactured by the Rhonyx Company under the brand of Stainless. If you have any further information we would love to hear from you at: info@fenlandclasics.co.uk
 

War Bike Project

THE CANADIAN ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR© IWM (Q 53568)

Whilst researching the All Our Yesterdays piece it occurred to us pretty soon that the motorcycle news stories would begin to come to an end as the 100 year anniversary of World War One was reached. We subsequently decided that it is important to ensure that we document as much information as we can about bikes of both wars and so the War Bike Project was born. For now we will be concentrating on WW1 hoping that the interest in the anniversary will prompt more information from private archives. You will have seen from "All Our Yesterdays" that we have already captured some information about testing and procurement of motorcycles by the war office and research now continues for the remainder of the year with the Imperial War Museum and other sources. We already have some information from Club archives as well as ‘My grandfather rode this bike, do you know what it is?’ requests. This information will begin to create a feel for the motorcycle’s place during this period. If you have and information, documentation or pictures you would like to share with this important project. Please contact warbike@fenlandclassics.co.uk We aim to find an appropriate archive for any original unwanted documents after scanning for better accessibility. This is important history and needs tio be saved.

Goodwood Festival of Speed

© FenlandClassics

My first visit to the event must have been about 15 years ago; I was expecting a static event of a few cars at the side if the Racehorse track. Not only did I get the venue wrong, this was NOT a static event. For anyone who does not know, The Festival of Speed is an event dreamed up by Goodwood’s owner Lord March to bring motorsport back to the estate and to allow visitors to get closer to the action.  The Event has celebrated its 20 birthday this year, and its huge success is due of course to all of the organisers, but it is the format that makes it so popular. At its heart is a hill climb event, but It is the overall format which has made it so popular with entrants and visitors. There is a relaxed atmosphere where superstars of motorsport mix with the crowd and where those who are passionate about the machinery can get up close and chat to the mechanics and owners about the history of the vehicle in question. If that is not enough those same vehicles worth thousands, even millions of pounds will be seen running up the hill either with a timed lap for the competition, or as part of a “parade”. Each year the event has a theme in addition to many anniversary celebrations. This year the theme was “The best of the first 20 years” and one of the most notable celebrations was 50 years of Mclaren. This year it was Porsche that were celebrated on the iconic artwork in front of Goodwood House. There are acres of stands and static exhibitions as well as Stunt bikes, BMX and not to mention a 2 mile Rally Stage. This piece really does not do it justice, but if you love motorsport, check out the website for next years event. If you can’t wait that long The Goodwood Revival is held on 13 to 15 September 2013 at the nearby Circuit. Another fantastic event....Just check out the website.

Click Here for a video of Highlights of the last few years

 Images:


KTM 1290 Super Duke Prototype



Augusta Helicopter Engine powered MTT 420s StreetFighter



Action on the Hill



Sammy Miller's  1972 MV Augusta 750



John Surtees's Norton F Type 1955 Prototype



John Surtees and Sammy Miller share a story in the Padock