London Motorcycle Show 2017

www.london-motorcycle-museum.org

London Motorcycle Show 2017

Over the last week I’ve been to a Motorcycle Action Group meeting at the ACE cafe on Thursday evening instead of being at the Wey Valley Bike Club night. I had a choice of talking politics or listening to a presentation about blue tooth ear plugs. I decided politics and to meet up with the new London Rep Tim Fawthrop and as MAG had a stand at the show went along on the Sunday. In between I had been to the Science Museum to pass on my knowledge of the steam revolution in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to some friends and their children. I’m not sure what was most tiring, PR at the Museum or the Show. As usual I was loaded with fliers to hand out , cheekily, at the MAG stand. Tim had taken some on Thursday and the rest of the gang on the stand handed out more over the weekend. They supported me very well in my efforts for the London Motorcycle Museum. Talking MAG, Advanced Motorcycling and Museum filled the day and I did take the opportunity to talk to the people on the Enfield stand about the Enfield shrine and Greg Staves Arctic-Antarctic trip on his Enfield that we have at the LMM. Also to the guys on the BMW stand about our prototype R80 that was used to test out the gear required for the Police and Ambulance Services after Norton stopped production. I left fliers with all the insurance company stands for details that may help them in their promotions and lastly, at the end of the day I was at the National Motorcycle Museum stand passing over the last of the LMM fliers and receiving some very good complements on how good the LMM is. I also got some half price vouchers to visit the National Motorcycle Museum. Another visit in the offing.

I thought the show needed a few more dealer stands, however what was there was very interesting. Triumph had come up with a snow special, studded rear tyre for grip and a ski on the front to steer. I have driven snow mobiles with ski steering and they do have a mind of their own. Best not to go too close to trees and rocks I guess. 

The Indian stand looked a bit Lora Ashley with pastel shades and tassels from a full dresser. I was looking at a Honda MSX as something to chuck in the back of a car for fun but the new model has those silly ridges on the side of the tank that is supposed to assist comfort however they get me just behind my knee and is quite uncomfortable. I had the same issue with the Deauville. On the other hand a new idea from Honda with an Adventure Scooter!! 750cc and an open frame. 

Automatic transmission with manual control. I had not been impressed with automatic transmission as it selects the gear it thinks and not what you need. With this one you are able to select whatever gear you want to run in and change when you want to change. You are able to select the right gear for the job in hand. Much, much better when you can go around a bend in the right gear or tough terrain off road. Mark Upham was on the Brough stand helping sell his wares. The record breaking machine that Eric Patterson rode at Bonneville was looking as magnificent as usual. 

What caught my eye was a very lean and mean CCM. A limited edition of 150 and only 4 left by the end of play. I thought the the manufacturers were starting to become a little more adventurous and a bit more Bike Shed in their approach.

And last but not least a name from the past has re-emerged there was a Hesketh stand with new models on display. Those who had bought them in the past found they were very good. So good that most still have them and still running!

Coventry Transport Museum 2017

www.london-motorcycle-museum.org

Coventry Transport Museum

I was up in Barnsley the other week and passing by Coventry I made a little detour to visit the Transport Museum there. The journey was hampered by fog and traffic jams and it seemed to take forever to get anywhere. It was worth the effort as the museum has done an excellent job with their new displays. Just walking in was different from before with a Triumph Trident in a display case and on the wall next to it were all the names of the manufacturers that had been in and around the city.

 The displays were in order of eras with the early bicycles, cars and motorcycles put together by manufacturer. Rover, Singer, and Humber being the earliest. Each decade was represented as you moved through the displays. I did like the one of bicycles that seemed to curve around you and go on for ages.

As usual I took lots of photos to record what was there and how the displays looked. Although the Triumph factory was located by the Cathedral and was bomb damaged during World War causing, not only the factory to go up in flames but the Cathedral next door I felt that such an important marque would have more representation it did appear to be a little light weight with a feature display on the Hinkley Triumphs. Towards the end of the tour there was, as before Ted Simon’s Triumph noted in his book Jupiters Travels and also the  BMW that he used on his second trip noted from his book Dreaming of Jupiter. 

Both I have read and doing long trips is not impossible only yourself is the limiting factor. Doing them on your own is your best adventure. The more you have around you the less you interact with the locals. What was also on display, next to Ted’s bikes  was the outfit of Stanley Glanfield on a Rudge Witworth  all British World Tour 1927/8. Something to look up I think. It was a1927 Rudge Combination On the 2nd of July 1928, Stanley Glanfield embarked on a world tour, on his Coventry-built 499cc Rudge motorcycle combination. The journey was to take him just 8 months - covering 18,000 miles, passing through some 16 countries and crossing 4 continents to peak your interest. 

Remember the epic journey of Richard and Mopsa English that took their Triumph 650cc Thunderbird around the world in just over 4 years covering over 90,000 miles in this amazing adventure that they started in 1983. Since my last visit the number of motorcycles on display has been reduced but what they have on display is easier to see and understand what the manufacturers were achieving at the time. Something to bear in mind that in this  case “less is more”

Back at the Museum more interesting visitors the other Monday with a prospective around the world tripper coming along to see what we had and later in the day a couple of Scott enthusiasts commenting on whether our 1925 Flying Squirrel was really a Super Squirrel. A question to be asked of the BMCT as it is their bike and restoration. We had some interesting discussions about the Science Museum and the Scott aeroengine they have on display there. My biggest complaint about the aircraft and engine displays are that they are poorly lit and it is difficult to see much in any detail. I know there are austerity measures going on but reducing the lighting level helps no-one.

Last Sunday I was at the Wey Valley Advanced Motorcycle Club monthly meeting and out on the Buell for the first in many weeks. I had a good run out and back but it was a little too cold to spend much time on the bike. Crisp enough to freeze the cobwebs.