Another visit to the Norfolk Motorcycle Museum

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Norfolk Revisited

It is that time of year again when there is a family visit to the Norfolk Broads accompanied by lots of fishing, sailing, eating and frequent visits to a pub. Somewhere to get away from it all, not quite, as in that area is the Caistor Motor Museum, only open from April to September, and I missed it this year and the Norfolk Motorcycle Museum. As it happens, on the last duty at the LMM there were a couple of guys who know George, The Proprietor, through his activities with motorcycle clubs around Cambridge. They too think he has a great set up but didn't know about his treasure trove in the next building that is not open to the general public. His museum has had a good summer and is continuing to do well with much publicity from the area papers. Last year they were working on a Triumph Tigress Twin scooter (250cc ohv four stroke) and its restoration is now, almost complete. I would recommend a visit if you are in the area remembering that during the winter months they are not open on a Sunday. I did buy a lottery ticket in the vain hope of winning some £123 million to save all the museums but that didn't happen. Any one got a spare million or two?

I have missed a number of bike runs recently mainly due to a faulty side-stand switch that I am waiting to get replaced so I have been working on another project that is getting close to completion that will free up more of my time. This has given me a little RSI from filing and fabricating parts from metal making my twist grip hand a bit sore. Not sore enough to not to get out on the Valiant with a request from another member of the LE owners club to come out for Vee Day at the Ace Cafe on the Sunday. The other member failed to arrive having lost his way trying to avoid the North Circular. Even I had to use it but that was only for 50 yards from Hangar lane gyratory to get to the access road that passes a Chinese supermarket. Now that is a place to visit if you are a foodie! At the Ace there were a few Vincents and a few of the bigger Velos and the Valiant was the only little one. It created quite a bit of interest with a few people not ever knowing they were made. One guy tried it for size. He was quite tall but looked comfortable on it. Who knows, we may get another member for the club. 

After a short visit to the LMM on my way home I set about catching up on all the bike racing that had been recorded while I was away. The Tivo box had got to 100% and I have lost a few things. Never mind, Henry Cole will surely get repeated.

  Back at the Museum on Monday and there were discussions about when the first shaft drive appeared on Motorcycles. I know it was around on bicycles as early as 1895 as I have seen one at the History on Wheels Museum at Easton Wick but motorcycles this required a delve into Tragatsch to discover it was FN of Belgium in 1903. They perfected it over the next few years and used it on their famous straight four of 1908. A little while ago a visitor knew of a Vauxhall motorcycle. Only two were made and only one survives. The other is believed to be in the foundations of the Vauxhall factory. Perhaps one day it will be rediscovered.

I have dug up a picture of the survivor and this is from Classic Motorcycle of June 1984. It is still mild enough to be out there and the LE has remained dry in spite of the predicted rain. I just managed to get home and everything put away before the heavens opened last Monday.

Another Hill

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Kop Hill Climb 2016

Following a little trip out to Eastbourne there were too many things going on over the weekend to do them all priorities were a birthday and a visit to an old friend. That did leave me a few hours each morning to do something. I was due to pick up some cables at Kempton Park auto-jumble but ran out of time to get there so they are now being posted to me and the weather was not that pleasant after the heat of the week. Sunday was much better and with an early start I was at Kop Hill by 10:00 on the Buell. 

I took a few photos and talked to number of people even before I got to the stand. The stand created a lot of interest with Frank starting the ohc Triumph and with so many people to talk to about the Museum.

I spoke to a journalist who used to make the videos for Duke entertainments and now is looking to do something a bit more interesting now retired from full time work. Arriving at the stand were a threesome who were in period costumes two of the thirties and the other from the fifties pictured with the Brooklands Sprinter.

I am told by Frank that it started like as a 1927 Sheffield Henderson and has a Blackburne engine. The frame has been much modified to take that engine with the lower top tube being pushed up and to one side to squeeze the engine in. Have a close look at it. It has some very interesting features. A new addition to the Museum collection is the Rickman Miteese and the kind owner has donated it to us. It is an ex-police bike that has a black enamel frame, unusual as Rickman usually nickel plate their frames. It is in the little barn at the present so ask if you want to see it.

If  you wonder why we didn't run something up the hill it is a matter of cost. To enter the hill climb the motorcycle needs to be road legal and that means taxed, insured and number plates!!!

I'm planning for next year to take part with the Valiant so watch this space for the outcome. I left Kop Hill around 12:30 to then go off to see our friend who lives near Alexandra Palace. Another late night.

Waiting at the bottom of Kop Hill, now on Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU_a0JWtGUo

Now Frank has https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ria5-ukKzfUanother go at starting the Single ohc Triumph at the display at Kop Hill.

Back at the Museum on Monday, not having good start as when I went to leave home on the LE it would not start and I have petrol pouring over the floor. This was just a stuck float. Not having time to wait to sort it out and running late I went on the Kawasaki so I didn't have to unload my magnetic tank bag. Not much going on there were not many visitors, but what was a coincidence that three of them and in the Museum at the same time were from South Africa. A husband and wife and, on her own, another lady who does paintings of motorcycles, took so many pictures from all angles they kept us busy all day. I think they had a good time.

Gaydon Motor Museum

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Going to Gaydon

I've been up and down the M40 a number of times recently and thought each time I went past I should pay them a visit. I'm building a kit car and was in need of some special sized speedo and handbrake cables and at the Southern Classic Bike Show at the end of May I picked up a flier and when I was ready arranged a visit. This I did and went to JJ cables, not a stones throw from the car museum. Off on the Buell and only a few spots of rain to deal when almost home is was a pleasant dry ride. JJ cables have been supplying things to Bill at Reg Allens's motorcycle shop for years so it was a nice surprise when I arrived that he knew all the people I did. It was not long before I was on to the Car Museum. 

It has some interesting veteran and vintage cars along with many of the prototypes that we all know about like the Issogonis Mini and the Marina but know by numbers and not names. The museum is well laid out leading you from one section to another however to find the cafeteria and toilets required some deciphering. There are no signs on the first floor lobby to tell you where to go. There are only a couple of motorcycles there and they were early Rover before they started making cars. There is even a mention of an Austin motorcycle. 

There are a couple of early tricycles and some period bicycles. In another building were even more cars, vans and small lorries. I was particularly interested in a glass-fibre Mini that came from South America. I had a deep conversation with one of the volunteers about how the structural strength had been imbued into the construction to take the front and rear subframes. I had seen enough after a couple of hours and made my way home thinking about how you could have a strong enough body made from glass-fibre. A future project is in the planning. Needless to say I left some fliers there.

Back to biking and not a lot going on as I have been using the fine weather to work on my car as I have to do it all outside. I'm getting a good tan. 

I was at the Wey Valley Club first Sunday of the month and even then I spent the time doing the Club shop as opposed to riding. More recently the Museum has been down to Brighton for the Ace Cafe London to Brighton run to do more promotion on the sea front. It was a bit cold and windy on that day and the bikes are still in the van being ready for Kop Hill this coming weekend. The Tiger 80 and 1929 single ohc special will hopefully be run up the hill at this event. I look forward to being there on the Sunday but in between I managed a little trip out on the Buell just to Eastbourne for a promised fish and chip lunch with Gita at Harry Ramsdens on the sea front. 

Bike parking was conveniently place just across the road. I have missed so much bike riding weather that this was a real treat covering some 198 miles in the day and enjoying every minute with a blast over Beachy Head on the way back for good measure.

PS Speicher Museum

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To Einbeck and Back.

So what is there to do in August? There is a summer holiday? Not sure about the summer bit and there is going somewhere special. First of all was the International Citroen Car Club meeting in the Netherlands and the main reason for heading off in the El Cid my kit car that looks like a Citroen Mehari and based on a 2CV to be like minded people and also to visit the Burton Car works as I'm building one and needed some guidance. This was at Zutphen some 10km from the rally. As is my luck rain followed me around (I am the Rainmeister) After this rally I went on to Germany and the very picturesque town of Einbeck in lower Saxony. It has many historical buildings from before 14 century and very cute they are too. However this is not my main interest what is of interest is the PS Speicher Museum there. This part of it has lots of bikes and some small cars in it and has a racing exhibition. The Freigeist Hotel next door is where we stayed. Long suffering Gita needed some luxury after a very damp rally. The hotel four star and has a motoring theme with a four wheeler bubble car truck in the foyer and motorcycles and scooters bolted to the wall high above there is even a table made from a nine cylinder radial engine.

 On each floor there are murals of bike, car and cycling events. It is worth a walk around on its own. Not only does the hotel embrace the spirit of the museum but the town does as well with pictures of bikes on garage doors and alleyways. Surprising for such a quaint town. 

The Museum itself is a converted mill with lots of new additions and has now been open for about two years. It is part of a bigger collection of cars, aeroplanes and memorabilia. I didn't realise it but they were closed on Mondays as are are most German museums. I arrived on a Monday and got as far as the entrance foyer. The guys I met there were Sascha Fillies and Soren Affeldt and they agreed I could get in on the Tuesday an hour early. This mean't, instead of a whole day, I had three hours to look around before heading back to Holland and some work on the ageing carburettor of the car. I can honestly say three hours was not long enough to see all the displays and read the information, much of which was in English. The displays start with early bicycles and motorcycles like the Hildebrand and Wolfmuller 1894 and a replica of the wooden framed Daimler from the  same era.

 As you would expect the museum has mostly German motorcycles on display with many Triumphs of TWNs (Triumph Werks Neurberg) and DKW, NSU, Adler and many more. The number of manufacturers were as many as in the UK. 

There is even a Norton Commando on display as well as a Munch Mammoth but what was a surprise was the carousel of scooters in a coffee bar setting. A great deal of thought and effort has gone into this museum. The displays start on the top floor with the oldest exhibits and as you return to the ground floor you move through different decades. 

I could have been lost for days! This is a museum I need to return to. Just a little coincidence I have just finished reading about Granville Bradshaw and he had involvement with the Bond three wheelers and Nick Witherspoon who wrote about “Lawrie Bond - The man and the marque” was due to arrive later that day. There is a small car display that includes many of the famous three wheelers from the fifties like Heinkel, Isseta, Messchersmidt and of course Bond. It was only a 1200 mile round trip so perhaps I might fly the next time or could I combine it with the Wey Valley French trip to Luxembourg next year?

Reading more magazines

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More from Magazines

On Monday 25^th July we had a visit from a Swiss family and one of the children left behind a gaming console. We have it and it is safely stored at the Museum.

I was out to Jacks's Fish and Chip shop in Bagshott the other Wednesday for the discount chips for seniors and to make contact with the local VMCC who just happen to meet there. Pretty much everyone knew about the Museum so not many fliers to hand out. It was surprising what they did want were application forms for the British Motorcycle Trust and they took all I had. So far the last few Monday has been quite busy and there has not been much time to look up anything but a few articles have come to light. These are: A track test on a Seeley Khun Dominator similar model to the one we have at the Museum from Motorcycle Mechanics June 1970, a rebuild of a 1930's Triumph that I have been told is a rebadged New Imperial and the Ariel in line four that looks like an oversize Leader both from The Classic Motorcycle March 1984.

While I was reading magazines Pete was composing some ditties to fill in the time and has come up with this one for our amusement:

At the London Mo’cycle Museum,

There are bikes and you really must see ‘em.

While there’s Triumphs galore,

There’s a good many more,

To be seen at the London museum.

You must see the Crosby Collection.

They’re the Triumphs of Bill’s own selection.

Right from 1905,

To the one that’s alive?

It’s a full working Speed Twin in section!!

If it’s looking a classics you seek,

Then we’re open just 3 days a week.

There’s some biscuits and tea,

For just 80p.

And it’s free if you’re needing a leek.

                          

                                                    Proge.

After this I was on my way to Chalbury for the Wilderness Festival, not sTaying but being a taxi the return journey towards Oxford was just a traffic jam so I decided to get some food and found refuge in the Chequers at Cassington. This is where I picked up their newsletter and the event, this year, raised a very impressive £948 from bucket shaking and the pubs, hotels and business donated £3595 to help make the Bike Night happen. All the charities in the village did quite well too!

 The Wey Valley Advanced Motorcycle Club meeting on Sunday morning and there are always some choice bike to see. This day was no exception and what caught my eye was this 200cc Duke from KTM. It is so small and I recon that with an engine double the size it would be a real gas to hoon around on.

Sunbeam Owners Club

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Another Ray of Sunshine.

It has been a little while since I did a presentation about the London Motorcycle Museum and this one resulted from doing some fund raising at Kempton Park last March. George Smith took my details and after a week or two I received a message about arranging a date. What was months away arrived on one of the warmest days of the year. At last I am going out on the bike with no threat of rain!! Perhaps, at last, the honour of Rheinmeister has been passed on and I can get a bike ride done in the dry! It is Monday 18^th July and I am on my way to West Kingsdown and the village hall to meet the guys and gals from the Sunbeam Owners Club. They are the business as they are the people who organise the Pioneer Run and the London to Brighton. Within the club are experts on pretty much anything. Would my meagre knowledge cut the mustard? I had left plenty of time to get around the M25 but a Tomtom failure to recognise the location left me 10 miles from where I should have been with 20 minutes before the meeting started. Fortunately I arrived just in time loaded with laptop, back-up memory stick and lots of fliers. All turned out well as I set up the laptop and projector, Screen arrived and within a few minutes I had launched into my presentation. I spoke a little about what I do for the Museum, all voluntary, representing them at events and shows and, when possible get out to bike clubs to promote the cause of getting people to visit us. The most recent thing is to try to raise funds to keep the Museum doors open for as long as possible. So far we are good until the new year. On this evening I was talking about the bikes at the Museum and some of the historic events that influenced the types of motorcycle produced. The presentation covered 1902 to 2003 starting with our 1902 Ormonde and finishing with Bruce Anstey's 2003 Super sports TT winner and lots of stories around some people who influenced the motorcycle industry like Harry Ricardo and Granville Bradshaw. 

1092 Ormonde

Bruce Anstey's 2003 TT winner

It was a very good evening with contributions from many people. One of the motorcycles, the 1930 OHC Triumph racer, that had expired at Brooklands a few weeks before was now running and I played the video of it being started. 

1930 OHC Triumph

A couple who had visited the Museum just the day before had a treat as Frank had had a modern technology failure and was not able to show them the clip on his phone. What an evening as each person in the club had something to talk with me about even down to the former owner of the 1915 Calthorpe that he used to ride regularly. I had a great time and I think everyone who turned up enjoyed it too. Their collection for the Museum added another £74.50 to keep us open a bit longer. I am amazed how generous the Sunbeam Owners Club are and more people have promised to pay us a visit especially on a Monday!

Some odd bits

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Odd bits for Now

Just received the July Newsletter from the BCMT and there is a bit about Moto Museo at Bassella! Somewhere that I visited last September and now it appears in the News. Another co-incidence? More people are visiting the Museum but the numbers still need to increase. The Haynes Museum gets 100,000 visitors a year. How much better we could do if we had that number coming through the door? What has peaked my interest and get me to go along to Sparkford is that Robin Spalding’s collection of British Scooters is well displayed there. Good for a visit on a rainy day later in the year (or August).

Moto Museo Bassella

Now back at our Museum and passing the 1927 Sunbeam I see spots of red stuff on the floor. No pools of blood visible anywhere, no body lying around so I guess it has come from the bike. Perhaps it really is a living thing that responds to the rider?

To me, it looks more like RedX the fuel additive, but why it should appear now? I have no reason as it has not been run for some time. Could it be a spiritual phenomenon? There have been many such things reported about tears from statues in religious quarters. So something coming from a revered motorcycle should that not be significant too?

So while I was having fun in Swindon and Chinnor Byke Dayz going on Frank was off at Brooklands doing the test hill. Having done it twice on the, one and only, 1930 OHC single It expired on the third attempt. Frank thought he had broken it so he spent last Sunday working away to find out what had happened to it. It turns out that the rockers have clamps on the bearing shafts. The spindle has no flats on them to stop the rocker arms moving so as things warmed up the clamps worked lose and the valves remained firmly closed. Once the clamps were tightened up valve operation returned and we, once again, have a running bike. It should be fine when it goes again at Kop Hill. Not sure what else will be at Kop Hill.

So here is the link for the short video of Frank firing up the Triumph after being fixed.

https://youtu.be/u199yteQ3Go

So far I am progressing slowly with the book on Granville Bradshaw, “The Flawed Genius” and when I have finished it I'll report back. It is very technically detailed and is requiring slow and careful reading. Little nuggets of information pop out. Granville did lots of work for lots of people and Zenith was one of them. Zenith had a factory in Lower Mill Road East Molesey and there was some production at Hampton so could the Gradua at the Museum have been produced at East Molesey instead of Hampton? Another thing is that the ABC works, now a housing estate, in Hersham was across the road from the Barley Mow pub and behind the Petrol station. Many of the ABC twins were produced in the Sopwith works at Richmond Road, Kingston-upon-Thames.

Further to that the Scootamota in 1919 was produced at the Hersham works but from later that year to 1922 it was made at Selsden Engineering, Brighton Road, Croydon. The engine is reputed to be half of the 250cc unit that was used to power generators in World War One and could produce 3bhp at 4,000 rpm and one was reported to have managed 10,000 rpm!!!!!! Even so, 4,000 rpm was a good pace for any engine at that time. More to come on Granville as I work my way through he book