LE MOT Day 2016

Jack Lilley Triumph

It has been a motorcycling week with the LE Owners Club on the last Tuesday of the month followed by a ROG's run on the Thursday and an MOT on my 1963 Velocette LE on Friday at Jack Lilley's motorcycle shop. 

My LE, not so standard and in the dry!

Tuesday was to have been the MOT day but had to be moved because day time had other things going on. There was much discussion at that meeting over the Motorcycle Cavalcade where Ixon was extolling the virtues of the “Everyman” motorcycle with the LE. His comment then which is just as valid now in the engine should have been a larger capacity. He thought it needed at least a 350 cc engine. How about a TRW engine as an alternative? I think I could do that with a bit of strengthening of the bodywork. Talk of wiring and 12 volt conversions finished off the evening. On to Thursday with a blast out with the gang, some 17 of us, from Ryka's covering some 200 miles during the day with lunch at the Crown and Anchor at Dell Quay near Chichester finally ending the day at Billy's on the road on the A 29 for a final mug of tea and leaving Museum fliers for other unsuspecting bikers to find.

Bikes all over the car park.

Now Friday was a mixed bag of weather with rain, sleet, snow, hail and a bit of sunshine just to get to Jack Lilleys in Ashford for the MOT. I got a bit wet on the way. You may ask why there and it is historical. I've used them since 19992 when I moved into that area and pretty much ever since although I live quite a bit further away than I used to. It is always a challenge to ride a fifty something year old bike on dual carriageways and busy roads against much faster traffic. While I was waiting watching the guys do the MOT I had a good look at Jack Lilley's Triumph. It is a much modified 3HW the war time 350 cc rigid rear end with girder forks. 

It has AMC telescopic front forks, a small petrol tank, a minuscule oil tank and the only alloy barrel and head seen on a Triumph of that era. It uses BSA Gold Star cams. It cost £170 in 1946 to put together. Nine were made and sold at £180. Not allot of profit there. Jack Lilley was an excellent trails rider and won the first trial he entered this bike into. It was quick enough to do scrambles and grass tracking! 

Quite a surprise to read the information sheets and I don't think many people look very closely at them or the bike. It now sits on the edge of the waiting area balcony. It used to reside near the entrance but I guess didn't quite fit the image of the modern Triumphs. I certainly didn't take much notice of it until this day. I could have got much better photos of it then!