Over the Hill

www.london-motorcycle-museum.org

Kop Hill Climb 2015

Just a week after visiting the museums in Spain it was great to see some action at Kop Hill. It was a weekend event that had a grand assortment of cars and bikes of all ages blasting up the hill or at least trying to. The London Motorcycle Museum was there for the first time. We didn't get a chance to send something up the hill as our registration was too late, but perhaps next year we will.

Kop Hill is in Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire. It is a charity event that has been going for years. It provides an opportunity to show off your bikes and cars and give them go up the hill. It looks quite steep at the top and for most vehicles takes about a minute and a half to get there. I did walk some of the way up, but having bike gear on I didn't get too far. The hill is closed towards the top so few get to see them arrive. At the bottom of the hill there is the paddock that has the bikes and cars in for everyone to look over.

The start close by and the sounds of tannoy and engines revving gives the feeling of real competition. I was there Sunday afternoon with Gita on the Buell. I had a few fliers with me and passed one on to a guy who was parked next to me. I took a few short videos on my camera and put the best bits together and now that is on You tube:  

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xggDMAaMwhc

It was good fun to see the bikes and talk to their owners. Other museums present were Brooklands, Shuttleworth and a good representation from the Vintage Motorcycle Club made the show very enjoyable. Even Bonhams were there with some immaculate machines.

I visited the Thames Valley Air Ambulance stand and got them to send me one of their lottery forms. They need all the money they can as they only operate from donations. They have no government funding like the RNLI but more important for bikers as we are more likely to be in need of an air ambulance than rescuing at sea (Guy Martin being an exception). The lottery means that the Air Ambulance gets well deserved funds and you may get a little money back if you win. You won't get millions but you will get something for your money.

Back at the Museum on Monday morning and there are spaces where the Kop Hill display bikes should have been. Another international day of visitors and more discussions on rear suspension systems that were innovations at the time. More to come on that subject.