Video from the Missenden Flyer

www.london-motorcycle-museum.org

More Questions.

Like most interesting things more information is uncovered the further you dig. Some thing I had not considered was that there was more than one style to the Seeley frames. I only thought there was one however soon to be proved lacking Pete comes up with an article referencing Seeley frames. 

During the years of production different styles had evolved beginning with the Mark one and two where I could see no obvious differences to the three and four which ca easily be identified by the position of the top rear suspension mount. The Mark three has a short bracket close to the rear triangle and the Mark four has an extended bracket. Now down to a bit more interesting information the Sanby, Seeley, Khun, Commando in the Museum has a Mark three frame.

I like reading but I am not sure I will have the stamina to read Colin Seeley Racer and the rest volumes one and two but if I do receive them at some point I'll do my best to get through them.

There have been some interesting Mondays with a video being made with the Missenden Flyer and Geoff doing a grand job of presenting it for us. It was too long for one Youtube video and it was split in two. See them through the following links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU4UjQVZjpk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6bwOWZE6jk

These were all about Triumph the next one may be about the rest.

We have had more international visitors from South America, Australia and just around the corner where they have finally found us.

I am always surprised when I see motorcycles in adverts. I think the most memorable one is the lady on a Ducati having used some perfume other than WD40 to attract her fella. Then there are the car ads were a young lady is rushing off with no helmet and wind in her hair. Is it to high light the rebellious nature of motorcycling that the powers that be want us off the roads? Then there is the One Show that is so squeaky clean! However where I going is to a lesser know postage retailer that has used a Mondial racer for its rebellious individuality that, dressed well, will pull the lady. 

John Lewis used a Triumph for last Christmas but it did not appear many times. Keep an eye on the ads for what is symbolised by a motorcycle being there. I think we are missing a trick by not making something of these ads particularly when nearly all our relations who lived in the fifties there only form of transport was a motorcycle and no one complained too much about how they were ridden even thought they were much noisier than today. Just a thought it is believed that the EMC split single we have in the Museum was the loudest and in the fifties you could hear it miles away. I can't hear much now as the continual white noise of traffic dulls the senses with the swish of cars and the rumble from the tyres from the main road. The nostalgia of dad leaving work with the steady beat of the old single ever coming closer to home is now lost in history and a fading memory of what was freedom.

A Visit to the Bike Shed

www.london-motorcycle-museum.org

The Bike Shed Visit

Another interesting day at the Museum with more visitors from South Africa. I am always amazed how people find us and just keep turning up from all corners of the world. I was a bit more comfortable this week as the heating has now gone on and I don't need two extra layers except when I go into the little barn where Bill Bragg’s sprint bikes are displayed. Yellow Peril has been rechristened “Brown Peril” in respect to Henry Coles efforts at Santa Pod on the Motorcycle Show. 

Just to keep me out of mischief I was out and about the other Thursday and being around St Paul’s I dropped in to the London Tourism Office to leave some fliers. The last time I was there was for the Olympics in 2012. We were quite busy during the Olympics and this prompted us to open for another day a week. It was quite difficult to be open 4 days a week then needing all our Volunteers to do extra. Still in London I headed off to the Bike Shed, Bike display, Shop Restaurant and Bar. It is quite a place under the railway arches near Shoreditch. I had been prompted to visit by an article in the MAG magazine “Road”. 

I have followed them on Facebook for ages with their reports on bikes that have been created in “one's shed” show casing peoples' dreams. They have a show from 11^th to 14^th November. It is an interesting place as the bar has an amazing selection of wheat beers and the shop has just the right stuff if you have a fair bit of spare cash. Even so a place to visit.

 One of the guys there runs his own bike club, MC Forum and they are always looking for places to go. I had to leave and missed out on the live performance as it was about to start. One side of the arch way under which is the Bike Shed sits is an alley that is used for parking your bike, right next to the entrance. What a bonus for those who a) don't like walking and b) keeping an eye on your bike. I have to go again. On the Monday at the Museum we had a couple from France who like British Triumph bikes and cars. They were talking to someone who likes French Bikes and cars. Strange world this? This Monday another question was asked and that was about the capacity of the Wooler flat four aero engine that was to power a folding aircraft. It turns out to be an over-bored 500cc making it 600cc. I think that would have been a lump to satisfy the sidecar guys. 

There have been some changes in the line up of bikes displayed with a few of the old ones moving on for various reasons and being replaced by others new to visitors. Time to pay us a visit again. Geoff has been working hard at getting some of the history of the bikes down on paper and there will be a short video on Youtube at some point. Peter has been ill and is now better and back with us. His enthusiasm for Ducati remains undiminished and he has passed on to me some information about the racing 50cc Cucciolo. A 60mph moped!!!