NOVEMBER Update

WARBIKE Launch

Warbike: British Military Motorcycling 1899-1919
Launch Price £8.50 + p&p

                                            

The book was launched on 1 October and has been well received. The aim was always to fill the gaps in current publications and not to cut across other excellent books. The book looks at the development of the military motorcycle which was in fact driven initially more by manufacturers and riders than by the War Office itself. It is interesting that 100 years ago motorcycle manufacture initially continued as normal before more facilities and resources were required for the war effort. The book ends in 1919 as Douglas and Triumphs were piled up at Kempton Park Race Course waiting to be “re-manufactured” by their original makers. 

It was perhaps fitting I run into Chris Orchard co-Author of British Forces Motorcycles 1925-45 at the October Kempton Pk Bike Jumble. Chris explained that he was currently working on a revised copy of the book which is currently out of print. For those who own (or think they own) a military motorcycle BFM is an essential reference book dealing with individual machines and technical specification. It sounds as if the new book will widen its timescale, although as we both agreed pre 1925 is a challenge because of a lack of records and post WW2 presents a similar problem due to many records still being classified.

The Warbike Project continues as a virtual archive of military motorcycling information and we will begin to piece together the development of military motorcycles from 1920 to 1945. We are therefore keen to know about the people who rode, made and repaired military motorcycles. And; because none of us is getting any younger we are also keen to gather experiences of those who have been involved with military motorcycles since WW2. So far we have information about some experimental development following WW1 and snippets post WW2. 

If you have any information from Brothers Fathers Uncles etc please get in touch at Warbike@fenlandclassics.co.uk One other piece of unfinished business concerns commemoration of Phelon and Moore testing at Brooklands. We need a P&M machine to photograph on the Brooklands track as a reminder of the part played by these machines in the service of the Royal Flying Corps. Please get in touch via the email above if you have access to a P&M we could borrow for a half day shoot.

Brooklands Great War 100 Event

Page from 1914 Red Cross Day Guide 

Research projects have a habit of throwing up new information about other areas of history, such as testing at Brooklands and the three motorcycle events held in 1915. There was not room in the book to cover the Brooklands WW1 story, so we are currently working on a separate publication covering Brooklands motorcycling 1914-18. 

This period is currently covered in print, and is quite rightly dominated by the development and manufacture of Aircraft. However, the Red Cross Field day, testing, military meetings and Royal Aircraft Factory meeting and continued record breaking provide more than enough for a reference book that will be available sometime during 2016.

Despatch Rider Peter Birket signs up

Whilst the existence of the military events was know about and is even featured in film on one of the Brooklands Museum DVDs it was a revelation to piece together the names of the people involved and identify them in photos of the event by their race number. It really bought the events to life; and this was taken a step further when I was asked by Brooklands Museum to commemorate the events at the Great War 100 event on 27 September. 

Douglas negotiates the serpentine course

I am indebted to the twenty or so owners who brought their period bikes and took part in a re-run of the Serpentine event and race starts. We even had a bicycle take part! As for the future; if it is up to me there will be another event.

Cameraman Perry Barwick checks non-period cameras
 on Rick Parkington's bike

A new imperial bicycle takes to the course

A period onlooker waits for motorcycles to return from the track 

Aspen Ethanol Free Petrol Test

 In early September we were let loose at the Shere Hill Climb as part of the Brooklands Trust Team. The story began sometime in July as I decided to use the event to test Aspen Ethanol Free Petrol. This was never going to be a scientific test, but we just wanted to see how it would work in a 1930's engine.

As we all know Ethanol attacks many of the parts that we rely on such as fuel tank liners, carbs and even some petcock corks.

I have recently seen firsthand damage caused through exposure to Petrol including this tank liner which has been attacked by Ethanol. 

Carb after a clean up

We have also recently been working on an AJS which had a stodgy mess in the bottom of its tank. This muck extended down into the carburettor, which lead to a lot of work before it was fit to be used again. Whilst the AJS problem was one of evaporation rather than ethanol my research has shown that Aspen also has an extended life, keeping fresh for 5 years meaning that it could also make a good storage fuel.

So back to the Hill climb preparation. The 250cc Sunbeam was drained (no liner) and the carburetor cleaned. The first fill of the tank with Aspen was cut short after one of the petcocks leaked. This is when, with the aid of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubswebsite I discovered that cork also could be attacked by ethanol.

The second attempt with the fuel, sold primarily for Horticultural machinery, was much better and the bike started immediately. It ran for about 15 minutes including a few runs on the Brooklands Banking. 

First Test Run at Brooklands

The bike felt normal and the acceleration was good. Other than a slightly different exhaust smell all was the same as normal.

During the week before the event I took the bike out for a full test run and apart from wet sumping all went very well.

A quick check before the start

Come the day of the Hill Climb I was having a few continuing oil issues, but as far as fuel was concerned the Aspen performed well under load up the climb and on the return which involved running on public roads. I was also conscious that the bike was starting better than normal.

A rest between runs

So, a non-scientific test which will continue as I see what happens to the components over time. One of the main benefits for me personally was the lack of smell. When working on bikes I find that pump fuel hangs around on my hands and cloths etc. Whilst the background aroma of petrol and oil makes for a proper shed ambiance, the strong smell of pump fuel gives me a headache. Aspen has hardly any smell and no noticeable lasting aroma meaning that I was not experiencing the usual petrol smell as I drove the bike away in the van.

It seems that this is one of the reasons that the product was first developed; so I met up with Eddie Bocquillon of Aspen to find out more. Eddie explained that the fuel was developed in 1988 by Roland Elmang, a Swedish chemist to help deal with the affects of normal petrol on forest workers working with chainsaws for long period. Bending down, they were breathing in the exhaust fumes leading to headaches and potential long-term health issues. I was shown two of Eddie’s party pieces. First he presented me with a jar of Aspen with a piece of expanded polystyrene floating on top, which he tells me has been in the jar for three months. I was given a jar of pump fuel and invited to float another piece of polystyrene. I placed the polystyrene in the pump fuel which immediately consumed it within about 15 seconds leaving no trace. I was given the test kit to take away and now after seven months in the Aspen the polystyrene is beginning to absorb the fuel but it is still holding its shape even down to the moulding marks. The second demonstration had to be done in pictures as we were standing opposite the Goodwood Pits, but Eddie likes to set fire to a plate of pump fuel followed by a plate of Aspen. This demonstrates the clean burn of Aspen compared with pump fuel and can be seen below.   

Eddie went on to describe where Aspen, more properly known as Alkylate petrol fits into the crude oil to fuel refining process. It all seems quite complex, but essentially Alkylate petrol could be described in layman’s terms as gases from crude oil distillation resulting in clean burning and exceptional antiknock properties. As a result Akylate petrol contains less of the harmful ingredients of pump fuel, no ethanol and has a storage life of five years! This link provides more technical information and the table below provides a comparison with pump fuel.

So, is Alkylate Petrol the answer to all our ethanol woes? Not quite. The fuel is only currently available from horticulture outlets and is more expensive than pump fuel. However, it does make a viable alternative to flush out the pump fuel on the last runs of the season if your bike is being stored for the winter. As ethanol free pump fuel becomes harder to locate accurately and ethanol levels are increased it could become the only real alternative. I was very impressed and we will certainly continue to use it in the Sunbeam as part of an ongoing trial. 

ALKYLATE PETROL (Aspen 2 stroke and Aspen 4 stroke)	UNLEADED PUMP FUEL
Chemically stable/long storage life	Deteriorates rapidly/short storage life
Designed for machinery with small engines	Designed for car engines
95 RON, 92 MON	95 RON, 85 MON
Labelled as harmful	Labelled as toxic
Less than 10 hydrocarbons	Over 100 harmful hydrocarbons
25% less hydrocarbon emissions than pump fuel	25% more hydrocarbon emissions than Aspen
Less than 0.01% aromatic hydrocarbons	Up to 35% aromatic hydrocarbons
Less than 0.01% Benzene content	Up to 1% Benzene content (volume)
No Toluene content	Contains Toluene
Only 2 ppm sulphur	10 ppm sulphur
25% more hydrogen/burns cleaner/less soot production = cleaner engines	n/a
Ethanol content Nil	Ethanol content 5-10%

New Web Site

We have put the new website on hold until next year and continue to source interesting original and re-manufactured items. Warbike: British Military Motorcycling 1899-1919 will however be available via a temporary page at www.fenlandclassics.com shortly. 

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WARBIKE: British Military Motorcycling 1899-1919 Is available at the special launch price of £8.50

Old Timer

OCTOBER_Update

Warbike Project

After a busy two months. The waiting is over and Warbike: British Military Motorcycling 1899 - 1919 has been published. The book is the culmination of a three year research project exploring the development and procurement of military motorcycles from the pioneering days of the late 1900's until the end of the First World War where the motorcycle saw action for the first time.

This is a book that deals with "motorcycling" rather than concentrating just on the machinery. It has become clear during the research that the development of the military machine was driven by the riders rather than the Army. It was entrepreneurs and pioneers of military cycling who first brought the motor-bicycle to the attention of the authorities. However, in 1908 the War Office were embroiled in a race to develop a replacement for Horses and Mules as the logistical driving force behind the Army and were not interested in motorcycles.

Access to original War Office documents has provided a fascinating insight into how the motorcycle first found its way into the Army Service Corps, Royal Engineers and the Royal Flying Corps. The documents also reveal how Douglas, the second most successful manufacture in WW1 struggled to make the grade.

Access to contemporary letters, interviews and military records has uncovered the story of the individual men and women who took their motorcycles to War for the first time.

The book is available now at a launch price of just £8.50

Warbike: British Military Motorcycling 1899 - 1919

ISBN: 978-1-326-40667

116 Pages

70 Photos & Illustrations

Click on the Sales Page Button Below to Buy:

Francis Barnett Owners Club

In August we joined the Francis Barnett owners club on their AGM at Brooklands Museum. Members met to discuss club business and take their bikes up Test Hill.

Whilst the owners were engaged in official business we took time out to meet Andrew Longfield the owner of the Francis Barnett brand. It turns out that Andrew is just an ordinary bloke from Coventry who is driven by a passion for Fanny B's. He was at Brooklands to give his latest bike "The Falcon" its first outing.  Andrew explained that he was up until the early hours preparing the bike, which has only recently been delivered. Asked about the official launch he replied modestly "well I suppose this is it"

We also discussed another mutual interest: Electric Bikes, and for those new to the blog we support electric vehicles on the basis that it means more petrol for vintage vehicles!

Andrew says that he has been playing around with the idea of launching a range of Francis Barnett bicycles and power assisted bicycles; saying “I plan to do what Francis Barnett never did”.  A reference to the fact that many motorcycle brands grew out of bicycle manufacture, whilst Andrew plans the reverse; and we wish him every success.

Shere Hill Climb

On 6 September we adjourned to the picturesque village of Shere in Surrey where we were invited as part of the Brooklands Trust entry. The hill climb is a non-competitive, mainly car based event held on Staple Lane off the A246, a location more used to hosting Cyclists on the Tour of Britain and London/Surrey 100 than Motorcycles.

We were privileged to be the first Motorcycles to be invited since the event held in aid of local charities was started three years ago. Co-incidentally the event was being held exactly 100 years after an Army & Navy hill climb at nearby Newlands Corner on the A25.

For the last few weeks we had been preparing the 1935 250cc Model 16 Sunbeam for the event, and whilst doing so flushed out the tank and carburetor to try out Aspen, Ethanol free fuel. Keep a look out for the full review of Aspen in the November Blog.

We arrived just before 8am as the early morning mist was clearing to reveal a wonderful autumnal day. Accompanying our bike was a Model 9 Sunbeam, a 1930s Velocette Street Sprint Special and a 250cc 1930s Triumph. Sadly a further 250cc 1930s Velocette had to stay in the paddock suffering oil circulation issues.

As we formed up for the first run the model 16 was smoking a bit, but amused the crowds as we gently left the line at a sedate pace. Also joining us for the run were the guys from Guildford Harley Davidson providing the visitors with a moving Motor Show. I was joined at the top of the hill by the Triumph and Model 9 Sunbeam and we had an enjoyable run back over Newlands Corner before returning to the Start.

On the third run I managed to dislodge an oil line resulting in an unwanted conversion to 2-stroke fuel as the spray got sucked into the carb. However, the run was completed and it was a big thumbs up to Aspen fuel, not least because there appears to be no residual smell, although in my case the overalls over my leathers did smell of burnt oil!

Brooklands Great War 100

On 27 September Brooklands Held its second Great War 100 event commemorating the First World War. This year’s event was overshadowed by the cancellation of the Air Display. However, it gave the motorcycles an opportunity to take centre stage as the volunteers commemorated the Centenary of the Brooklands Services Meetings held in August and September of 1915.

23 period motorcycles took their place in the hallowed ground of the Brooklands Race Bays before taking part in a re-run of the 1915 Serpentine Race. Riders negotiated a series of “gates” as slow as possible without putting a foot down. The majority made it look very easy masking the real skill needed to manage these 100 year old bikes. There was a variety of bikes from Rick Parkington’s VERY original Blackburne TT Sports, to a concourse, museum quality Douglas that had been ridden 15 miles from Camberley. This was incidentally this was the same journey made by the Army entrants based near Aldershot in 1915. 

For the afternoon session the riders moved to the start/finish straight were they took part in “Race Starts” before disappearing onto the banking under the Members Bridge. The Castrol “R” began to drift from the air as the bikes re-appeared to the waiting crowd.

Also on static display was the Vickers Matchless Gun carriage which was kindly loaned by the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust. The Matchless together with WW1 re-enactment groups, period military Lorries and four period aircraft added to the occasion.

There was a moment of unplanned reflection when the crowd fell silent as the military vehicles lined up for publicity shots during the afternoon. It was an opportunity to remember all those affected by WW1 and in particular 2^nd Lt Frank Houghton; the Architect of the 1915 Motorcycle Services Events who went on to become a pilot, and was killed just six months before the end of the War whilst testing aircraft to aircraft radio.

More images and Video of the event will appear on the Brooklands Museum Motorcycle Volunteer’s Facebook page  and FenlandClassicsTV over the next couple of weeks.

Next Time:

More from Great War 100 and the Aspen Petrol Review

Old Timer

MARCH Update

The sun is shining and the birds are singing, but all the bikes are still in bits. Need to get a move on if I am going to get out before the roads get to busy. Only time for a short update this month as we are developing a new website and online shop more news on that during April.

Vintage Memories

I was thinking the other day that I seem to have always been into vintage stuff. Some of it was driven by a passion for days when things were a lot more uncomplicated, but some like hand down bicycles with sit up and beg handle bars and rod brakes was thrust upon me. This was the sixties for goodness sake. Luckily by the time I got my first moped I was more in vogue with my little Garelli Concorde with pillion for the ladies (not that I had passed my test!). I felt like the leader of the gang, but only just; I was surrounded by a mixture of rather dated mobylettes, a couple of Dandy’s and a Raleigh Wisp.

Garelli owners I thought were something special. How important I felt as I sat at home for weeks on end waiting for the factory in Italy to be making yet another piece especially for me. Returning to the shop on another occasion I was told that the new electrics were stuck on a train in Turin. I was so impressed; surely this was tracking, far advanced for its time!

Bored with sitting at the side of the road and unable to afford a New British Bike I was drawn like a Hamelin child to the Land of the Rising Sun and there I remained for several years. So this confessional is now over and I feel a lot better. The benefit of a diverse history of ownership means that I have not become locked in any particular era. I can now enjoy a Triumph Model H as much as an ex-80’s Street Tracker fresh out of the Shed.

If you have an old Moped rotting away at the back of your shed that you want to get going there are still a lot of parts out there. See more at Classic Moped Spares, and their blog Here.

Warbike Project

The history of British Military Motorcycles is continuing to develop. Still a few gaps to fill and so it was off to more Museums and Libraries during February. I would like to extend my personal thanks to James Hewing and the team at the National Motorcycle Museum for letting me get up and personal with the Vickers Clyno Machine Gun Carrier.

We have just published the second part of Brooklands during WW1 which tells the story of military motorcycle testing and Service events. This is currently only available to readers of the Brooklands Trust Magazine, but a full version will be available more widely later in the year.

AJS Model 22

We managed to start our second model 22 in February. There is however a bit of a question mark over the lubrication so we will be giving that a bit more attention over the next few weeks.

Electric Motorcycles

Caterham ebike launched 2014. Where is it now?

As I spend a lot of time with my head buried in Papers and Magazines of the last century I discover that many things we consider ground breaking have often been done before. Only the other day I discovered an electrically driven motorcycle had been unveiled in Norway during 1918. Norway has remained one of the leading countries in the development and promotion of electric vehicles. Even during the 70s I found myself dodging tram lines and the battery powered mini buggies whilst riding through Oslo.

There is now a renewed interest in electric vehicles and it is interesting to consider the similarities with the development of the petrol engine 100 years ago. Batteries remain one of the stumbling blocks, but innovators are quickly finding ways around the problems. More Cars and Motorcycles are being developed, but we see fewer motorcycles in this country as the UK Government is unwilling to match the subsidies seen in other countries. Zero Motorcycles one of the world leaders in ebike production recently shut up shop in the UK and there don’t seem to be many others out there. Is this just another example of the stranglehold being placed on motorcyclists? We will be investigating ebikes further later in the year.   

Fenland Classics TV

More short films from the web, plus News and action from Suzy and the Bike World Team.

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

SEPTEMBER Update

Warbike Project

The last month has been dominated by the WW1 motorcycle project. The 1914 motorcycling blog has been live since July and tells the story of the events leading up to and during the war. We have uncovered fasinating stories of those who were thrust into battle on motorcycles, having previously been battling against one another on the track. The Blog is available at www.fenlandclassics.com

Vernon Busby and A.J Sproston are at the top of the list for a follow up and the plan is to place their biographies in the Brooklands Museum library.

The Classic Motorcyle Magazine

We are pleased to report that a summary of our Military Motorcycle research appears on page 62 of the current edition of the magazine.

Brooklands 100

On Sunday 3 August a large crowd gathered at Brooklands Museum to comemorate the start of World War One. Many period cars and four motorcycles were displayed at the event and the crowd were also treated to a fly past by the WW1 display team.

DECEMBER 2013 Update

November was an interesting month. We were supporting the Brooklands Motorcycle Volunteers with a trip to the Sammy Miller Museum and spent some time at the National Archives working on the War Bike Project.

War Bike Project

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

 

The research continues and last month we were looking specifically at the work that went into setting up military motorcycles for use supporting the Army. There was initially some debate about the role of motorcycles and it seems to be the Royal Flying Corps that did the most planning for the use of motorcycles in the field, both as methods of transporting intelligence and possibly transporting pilots and mechanics. The documents we have reviewed relate to the organisation of the Special Reserve just prior to World War One and we are still on target to publish volume one of Warbike in July next year.

 

Brooklands Motorcycle Volunteers

The motorcycle volunteers continue to make history at Brooklands by maintaining the Museums interesting collection of Bikes and promoting the Museum at outreach events such as the VMCC Festival of 1000 Bikes and the forthcoming Southern Classic Off Road Motorcycle Show at Kempton Park on 7 December 2013.



Bowser Pump after Restoration

The volunteers are nearing the end of refurbishing the BP Petrol Pagoda which included a fine restoration of a BP Bowser hand cranked petrol pump seen here after restoration.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

Last month also saw the start of the restoration of the Earle Cotton Jap.

The Brooklands Earle Cotton Jap Pictured before the start of the Restoration



The Earle Cotton Jap Frame

 

This bike was built as a recreation of an outer circuit racer created in later life by Doug Earle who raced at Brooklands in 1938.  The bike has a Cotton Frame powered by a 498cc Jap engine. It is thought that the bike may have been used as a grass track racer before being created in its current form. It remains a controversial bike as it is a later and somewhat eccentric build. However, it helps tell the story of racers like Earle and continues to provide a relatively smooth ride.

The Volunteers also took a visit to The Sammy Miller Museum with Tommy Meeten’s record breaking Francis Barnett for a photo opportunity. Sammy could not resist a ride on the little 2 stroke and was surprised to learn that it averaged 50mph in its record breaking endurance race. The bike benefits from three separate fuel tanks which extended the range well beyond some of the larger and faster bikes that had to stop to take on fuel. Mr Miller also fired up his V4 AJS for a couple of circuits of the courtyard.

Sammy Miller on the Tommy Meeten Brooklands Special



Keep up to date with the volunteer's their Facebook Page.

Caterham Bikes  

Whist we remain committed to keeping old bikes running, regular readers will know that we also have an eye on the future and are always on the look out for sustainable solutions which will help save precious fuel for older bikes. So we did not hesitate in contacting the newly formed Caterham bikes to find out more about their e-bikes launched last month. The Classic e-bike is modelled on a 1920s racing motorcycle and Caterham tell us that it will be ready next year so keep an eye on our twitter feed @fenlandclassics for more information. For more information on the Classic e-bike and other bikes in the range see our news page and Caterhambikes.com.  




The Caterham Classic E-Bike

F1 Fantasy Team

News hot off the press is that the Fenland Classics Fantasy F1 team finished 9,560 places higher than our starting position back in March but sadly still finished in 1,427^th place.

Old Timer