News

Of advanced design and intended for sidecar work, the new V-twin was powered by a 6hp side valve JAP engine, with two-speed countershaft gearbox. In its issue published on May 29, The Motor Cycle carried a brief feature (and picture) entitled ‘Motor Cyclists and the Army’, leading with: “Under the terms of a Special Army…

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Pip Harris, who recently passed away TCM’s January and February 2010 issues carried a two-part feature detailing the achievements and successes of Peter Valentine Harris, the son of 1920s TT racer Curley, a garage proprietor based in Wombourne, west of Birmingham. Starting racing on a ‘bitsa’ (nominally Grindlay-Peerless) outfit, he soon swapped to a Manx…

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Once there the weather had minimal impact, with almost everything, including the jumble, under cover. The show was the regular mix of familiar faces and bikes along with some new restorations after extended shed-time over the winter. The Norton Owners’ Club had a neat stand arrangement as well as an impressive selection of models to…

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1932 Brough Superior BS4 The 1932 Brough Superior BS4 offered is one of only ten machines of the type built by the factory in 1932. Powered by a four cylinder Austin Seven engine and gearbox, they were characterised by the distinctive twin rear wheel layout. Only seven examples of the breed are known to survive…

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Marco Lucchinelli World champion road racer and IoM TT winner Geoff Duke celebrated his 65th birthday at a recent surprise party organised by his wife Daisy as 35 family members and close friends joined the youthful looking OAP for the celebration. After a theoretical five years of production, the last parallel twin cylinder Triumph Bonneville…

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Scottish Show approaches… Star guests at the show will be father and son Scots racing champions Bill and Ian Simpson. A wide selection of trade stands will also be offering motorcycling parts and merchandise for sale and there will be both private motorcycle exhibitors and club stands. Gates open 9am both days, pre-booked one-day tickets…

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Brian Martin Peter Stirland (246cc Greeves) was runner-up and Alex Wright (246cc Greeves s/c) relegating Langston to the sidecar class runner’s-up spot. Class awards were 150cc: R Weston (James), 250cc: Eric Adcock (Dot), 350cc: Don Smith (252cc Greeves) and Sammy Miller took the 500cc award. Having launched a 60mm vibration resistant speedometer at last November’s…

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Eric Fernihough Having started racing in the 1920s, during the early 1930s Eric established a garage at premises on the Byfleet Road near Brooklands. In 1935 he built a normally aspirated 996cc ohv V-twin Brough Superior JAP for racing and record attempts. Soon he was lapping at over 113mph and on July 23, 1935, took…

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With the serious business dealt with in the afternoon, the evening was given over to the Awards evening and a chance to socialise. With a large number of trophies to dispense, it looked as if it could be a long night, but a small number of obviously talented riders cleared a lot of the silverware.…

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Ivan Wicksteed getting down to it, on the blown Speed Twin in 1938 Today, 75 years later, Brooklands Museum and Ace Cafe London are coming together at the historic Weybridge, Surrey venue to organise a special ‘Ton-Up Day’ on June 23. Special displays will highlight how on March 12, 1938, Eric Fernihough riding a 996cc…

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