A Rainy Monday

www.london-motorcycle-museum.org

October 14^th.

It was raining this Monday morning unlike last Monday that was warm and dry and sunny when we had eight visitors through the doors.  Pete was with me and he had been out and about visiting dealers that included, West London Suzuki in Bedfont,  Cooperized Dyno and Service Centre in Feltham and First Line Motorcycles in Arnos Grove handing out fliers as he went. Then I had arrived on the Valiant but this Monday I was in the car and first to arrive waiting in the drizzle. A dull day weather wise but not for us. Yesterday, Sunday, had been busy in the museum and the two Jes’s had been wall mounted near the entrance. 

 

Now that was a surprise for me as they had both been in the barn last Monday. My mission today was to find the Classic Bike Guide Magazine of April 05 and read up on an interesting AJS that I had spotted last Monday. I didn’t know that AJS had made, what looked to be a “racing” vee twin in the thirties. I thought at that time the big 50 degree twin was only side valve. So when I did find the magazine and read about it I discovered that it was not an original. It looked a bit American with the style of the handlebars and position of the footrests. 

 

The hairpin valve springs should have been a give away as the whole bike turned out to be someone’s’ brain child. Parts gathered from later models and made into a very nice special. Sadly to say it is not in our museum. More people came to see us, one guy from Spain with limited English and his girl friend interpreting. Valves are valvos and frames are chassis and she did well to pass on my descriptions of things. Among the things discussed was the influence of Art Deco on the shape of fuel tanks and mudguards of the early twenties and the 1946 GP racer. At the end of the afternoon a Velocette LE enthusiast asked me about a problem he had with his LE. I would have asked him to bring it around so I could help but he was here and the bike in Scotland! I said he needs to join the club!  Now I have the magazine and got it home to scan in the pictures and finally get around to reading it only to discover tucked in the back of the magazine is one of my favourites from my youth, a TRW. 

If I can remember it was an ex RAF model from around 1954 that was worth nothing at the time and a moped was quicker and cheaper to run. This particular one in the magazine had an excellent finish and looks very nice. I still prefer the one in the museum that has rear suspension and a slick-shift gearbox and was registered in 1972 and appears to be the only one in existence although Triumph did experiment with the TRW engine in a Trophy frame. The TRWs were used by the Royal Corps of Signals until more powerful ohv engines replaced them. Having done figures of eight at a handling skills day like the “White Helmets” it is a very interesting experience and is just as much fun to do as to watch!