Gone West

www.london-motorcycle-museum.org

Canada

            At the Wey Valley Advanced Motorcycle club night the other Thursday we had a presentation by Graham Field on his travels with an elderly Kawasaki KLR. He is an entertaining speaker and prompted me to buy two of his books which he kindly signed for me. One was “In Search of Greener Grass” and the other “Different Natures”. He had come on his KTM which was well loaded with books and his load was considerably lighter when he went on his way. 

            It was a night to remember being warm and pleasant when I left home on my return lightening was flashing over where I was going and it looked as though it was going to rain. My journey around the M25 was dry to start with and as a got closer to home the road changed from dry to flooded. It was not raining but the amount of water around was considerable. I pull off onto a slip road and put my oversuit on to try to keep dry. I still got home soaked and I had missed the heavy rain falling on me. The books in the top box of the Buell remained dry and will be my reading while on holiday. On Saturday I rode to Nottingham and back on the Buell and now I am committed to doing a presentation on my visit to the Enfield Shrine. On Monday I arrive in Toronto and pick up a hire car for a few days. Gita and I are staying with friends and we are close enough to have a visit to Niagara Falls. During the stay I search out the only Triumph dealer in the area and that is at Whitby about 20 miles north of Toronto. 

             I pay a visit but choose the wrong time of the day when everyone is very busy but I still get a excellent reception and a mug of tea, would you believe it, Yorkshire tea!
         
            
            

           



            
            It is a mega bike shop called GP bikes and he manager has promised to promote the museum and welcomed the fliers.  I see close up the new Ducati scrambler and that looks a mean machine. They have a very nicely restored T100 on display.

            Back in Toronto on a walk about I spot another Meriden Triumph looking sporty parked up. There is allot of bikes in and around the city and a prevalence of electric scooters and policing it all are guys on some very nicely turned out Harleys two of which were parked up in the afternoon sun.

After the BEN ride.

www.london-motorcycle-museum.org

Chinnor Byke Dayz 2015

After winning a concours cup at the Paul Fynn Rally it was time to celebrate so after a quick change I was chauffeured out to the event. We arrived about 7:30 in plenty of time to have a walk around and hand out even more fliers to the unsuspecting. I even managed to hand one to the MAG Political correspondent, Lembit Opik and a feature is promised in the Road magazine at some point. 

Lots of traditional beer and enough rock music to keep everyone happy. Once again this year Shambollick entertained us with high wire gymnastics and some interesting juggling with fire and even more fire breathing to singe us all. This year it was warm enough without any pyrotechnics. My thanks goes to Wycombe MAG who put on the event and the proceeds have gone to supporting MAG and the local Air Ambulance Service.

I had too many things to do on the Sunday with the Observed Sunday on the first of every month and the Heathrow Classic Vehicle Show. Neither of which I managed to get to. I needed to be at the Wey Valley Club meeting point by 09:30 but as I didn't wake up until 10 so I figured it was best to stay where I was. The day ended up being filled with family stuff making any escape impossible.

Monday at the Museum was not busy with only a few visitors but the couple from Austin in Texas made the day worthwhile, talking bikes and history all afternoon. The next day I received an e-mail with photo from the couple they were very complimentary about the Museum and us Volunteers. This just makes what we do as Volunteers even more worthwhile.

After coming back from Luxembourg and discovering that the Valiant had been incontinent I had replaced the right tap insert and now discovered that the left one was not sealing either so I replaced the cork on the tap. Thursday was a blisteringly warm day and great for a run out with the Bike club with a trip around Surrey and Hampshire covering some 240 miles by the time I had got home. Saturday was another warm day and Gita and I had been invited by the organisers for the local 2CV club to take part in the Burnham Carnival near Slough. Another venue to hand out fliers and talk cars and bikes and have a pleasant afternoon in the sun.

Back at the Museum on Monday and a very wet start. It dried as the day went on and for this Monday we had a visitor from Toronto, Canada. The relevance of this will become evident in the future.

BEN Charity through Windsor Great Park 2015

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Paul Fynn Rally 2015

I try to do this rally each year, last year it was rain, rain and more rain, this year it was glorious sunshine and soaring temperatures. Even in the morning I set off on the Valiant taking a route through Uxbridge, Iver, Langley Datchet, Old Windsor, Virginia Water and on to the meeting point at the carpark by the miniature railway at Ascot Race course. Almost there and as it was so warm the Valiant did the trick of overheating and stalling at a junction near Saville Gardens. After a few minutes it took a push start to get going again and did the same again at my arrival. I had a little walk around at the start and took a few photos of bikes and cars. There are always some interesting things to see. 

We were given route cards and a briefing. For the first time motorcycles were being lead through the park as there had been a prevalence of accidents on these roads due to there being no right of way, no road markings and no one really understanding that. We set off just before 11am lead by a very nice late 30's MG Roadster. Somehow I was at the back of our group so I had to do catch up with the bigger bikes. Not a problem unless overheating happens again. I have a little cam corder, mounted on the handlebars, running to record the event. 
You can find this on You Tube   
  https://youtu.be/mHQSy7JZLOE. 
Last years event  in the rain
 https://youtu.be/7rI9iSaXeGI

1911 Singer, before they focussed on car production.

The run was uneventful and the Valiant kept going all the way to the end at Sunningdale Parish Council Recreation ground just down from BEN Nursing home Lynnwood House. This Rally is invitation only and is run to raise money for BEN, the Motor Trade Charity. This year there were fewer bikes and Eamonn Galligan, the organiser of this event is keen to get more bikes on show for the afternoon as it is a major part of the Sunningdale Village Fete. If you are interested in having a run through Windsor Great Park and having your bike on show or having your bike club there too then contact Eamonn on 01344 298100. 

While I am at the Fete I hand out fliers for the Museum and have a general chat to people. I can fill the day nicely until prize giving. Over the last few years I have thirds and second prizes, this year was an exception I was awarded first prize for the post war category and along with the Bully Cup to which I have to add my name and year to it. 

Another success for the little bike and it got me home covering 68 miles for the day and only one overheating and stalling episode at Iver where I was caught in traffic as they too were having their village fete.

Cassington

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Cassington 2015

I got home as quickly as I could from the Museum and with Gita in tow we headed up the M40 towards Oxford on the Buell. Another warm day and it was very pleasant to be out in the air enjoying the rare warmth of and English June evening. I had heard about Cassington and thought I should go visit, but had no idea where it was or how long it would take to get there. It is billed as a very big biker event with thousands of bikes focusing on one small village. Just the place to hand out fliers for the Museum. Cassington is a small village in Oxfordshire and hosts this event. It is well organised with massive parking areas for bikes with food and drink laid on throughout the village. Cassington is on the north side of Oxford just off the A40 and for me about 50 miles away. After struggling through the rush hour traffic is was nice to blast up the M40 and then at junction 8 pick up the Oxford bypass and head around to Cassington. A one way system was in operation so you could not turn right into the village but had to go down to the roundabout and back again to make the turn. The whole place was buzzing, bikes and people everywhere. 

Overflow parking!

 No badges or decal anywhere, there were some nice examples of an early BSA Gold Star, an AJS twin port single that I guess from the positioning of the magneto as late 20's or early 30's, Enfield Mitesse, Rudge and a Greaves. Less distinguished were the Velocette camp an LE looking like they could do with a little TLC. 

I had about 200 fliers with me and within and hour I distributed them all to interested people one was a former member of Wycombe MAG and he handed me a flier for the Twisted Iron “the Happening” that will take place 11^th and 12^th September you can find them on www.twistediron.co.uk for more information. By the time I had got to the vintage and classic bike display many had left. I leave early sometimes because you when on a vintage bike every journey is an adventure and doubly so when you need to use lights.

Rudge                                                                         Enfield Mitesse

Around 9pm many of the bikes were leaving and there was a steady stream out of the bike parks. The air was filled with the sound of exhaust notes from classic Japanese two stokes to race spec Hyabusa's and thundering Harley’s all adding to the biking experience even if only to watch. We headed home as it was getting dark and coming back along the M40 I could hear the clatter of insects on my helmet and screen. I cleaned my helmet as soon as I got home but the bike will have to wait. It does give a new meaning to fly screen!

Bike Club Event

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Trip to Luxembourg

Every now and then you get to do something a bit special so a couple of weeks ago I went on a club outing for a long weekend to Vianden in Luxembourg. It has a chateau and the area has some wonderfully bendy roads to enjoy and not a lot of traffic,

On the way with a stop to check navigation.

The Chateau with menacing black clouds.

What was there were locals in cars and bikers from all over. I saw plates from Germany, Holland and Belgium enjoying the roads. Bike groups were everywhere some taking life easy, you can do nothing else on a 125 there and others being a bit too quick. 

I did see the aftermath of one accident and that was between three cars at a tee junction. Some of my colleagues from the Wey Valley Advanced Motorcycle Club did have a few spills from youthful exuberance with only minor injuries to the bike and pride. I did nearly 1000 miles on this trip, first in glorious sunshine and returning in drowning rain. I did finally finish off my disc pads and replaced them as soon as I got back in preparation for the MOT this week. 

     The Valiant became incontinent while I was away and peed petrol over the garage floor and flooded the sump so an immediate oil change was requited and a new tap insert fitted. This one failed because it was a non-original replacement and needed to be longer to seal properly but only by a millimetre or two. I missed that Monday after that weekend at the Museum so this week, after returning from Coventry on Sunday I was ready for a light day. Only three people arrived and the last one through the door was a gentleman from Portugal, Pedro Pinto, He is a journalist and is putting together a book on the history of Triumph motorcycles in Portugal. He has known the importers personally for many years and knows how and why they started up. The Triumph name has been around for many years and at first bicycles were imported then later, motorcycles. One of the importers was Harry Hartley who was a war hero, saving many lives through his actions in the middle east. He was frequently out on his bike scouting around and his observations and reports undoubtedly saved many. Pedro brought some presents with him, among them were Triumph Owners of Portugal key fobs and a brochure for Pachancho. 

There is nothing in the Illustrated Encyclopaedia about this Portuguese make that is predominately 50cc motorcycles and mopeds. There is even a 50cc racer that has a rigid rear end and looks very vintage with the main frame loop sweeping around the crankcase. 

The racer!                                                                   The moped.

 More reason for Pedro to visit was his interest in the Coventry Eagle Flying 8. The big 1000cc JAP vee twin. He also has a 500cc single. He is looking for information about Coventry Eagle motorcycles and their history. I passed him on to the Coventry Transport Museum and the VMCC. If you have information about Coventry Eagle Motorcycles please contact Pedro on pedrobppinto@gmail.com I headed home on the Valiant to get a quick turn around and be on my way to one of the biggest motorcycle events taking place at this time of the year. I had not been there before and I needed to have a look and hand out fliers for the Museum.