Lucas Magdyno

This drawing of a magdyno came to me with several other cuttings in an old book. I've no idea of its source but it's a nice thing and worth reproducing here...

It's a pre-war model of magdyno and I think is an MDV which was current mid twenties to early thirties.

Drawing of a Lucas MDV magdyno.

Thirties sketches

This series of sketches was a lucky find in a small box of pre-war literature that I picked up recently. Sadly the condition is a little poor, looks like the proverbial book worm has had a good old nibble at some of the sheets.

Fantasy v twin

I bought a few old bike books recently in a bundle and and discovered some cuttings mingled up with everything else. A couple of which were these illustrations of an ohc v twin motor. It's a wonderful looking engine but not familiar at all to me, a bit like the Koehler Escoffier pre-war racing motor but not quite the same. I feel it is a what could have been flight of fancy on the part of the illustrator and what a lovely machine it would have made...

AJS R7 painting

Big thanks to James Kelly for loan of this picture to reproduce on the blog. A junk shop find, nothing is known of the painting bar the signature J. Way and a date 23/7/27.

It's no lost masterpiece but as an evocative period piece it is a peach. If I were to stick my neck out I would say that the location would be Ballaugh Bridge and the rider Jimmy Simpson. Simpson was third placed in the Junior TT in 1927.

The Brigadier's Side Car

'The Brigadier's Side Car', a postcard illustrating the British Army's ASC in the First World War. The machine illustrated is fairly clearly a Triumph, probably a Model H, of which many thousands were produced for military service. The Army Service Corps was the unit tasked with military logisitcs.

Autowheeling to Brighton

There's been a slight shed re-alignment of late. My Wall Autowheel / Raleigh x-frame combo found a new home with fellow Sunbeam MCC member John Joseph. The Wall had an entry in the Pioneer Run but work dictated that I was unable to ride. I was genuinely chuffed that I was able to pass stewardship of the machine on to John in time for the run. John now has a pair of Autowheels and lent his new one to a friend who successfully piloted it all the way down to Brighton. That's four Pioneers completed in as many attempts, never fully without issue but not a bad record for a tiny atmospheric inlet motor that is over one hundred years old.

A wonderful facet of our hobby is the folks you get to meet. The vintage world is inhabited by a range of interesting and individualistic characters: you have after all got to be of a different cut to the norm to take pleasure in riding and fettling obsolete machinery. John is an artist and vintage enthusiast. It is well worth taking a look at his website for a sample of his work - http://jnjart.co.uk/  

John on the right with his Humber / Autowheel
combo and the Raleigh / Autowheel is on the
left with pilot for the day, Sam.

Classic Racing Watercolours

The last couple of watercolours from Gie in Belgium. Thanks again Gie.

Rob North Triumph Trident watercolour

One more painting from Gie Goyvaerts in Belgium. This time a Rob North Trident.

Rob North framed Triumph Trident watercolour.

Moto Guzzi Albarone 1939

Another great watercolour from Gie Goyvaerts in Belgium. This time a 1939 Moto Guzzi Albarone race bike. As far as I know Albarone is a district of Rome. Gie's email is below.

1939 Moto Guzzi Albarone.

Laverda V6 watercolour

Here's another watercolour from Gie Goyvaerts in Belgium. Many thanks Gie for sending in and permission to use on the blog. If you like Gie's paintings and want to get in touch his email is below (it's in image format to fox the spamming scumbags so you will need to type it out).

The legendary Laverda V6 endurance racer.

To juxtapose here is Gie's own 1200 Laverda, a machine he's
just completed a 4000 mile trans-European trip aboard.

Royal Enfield Sidecar Racer Watercolour

Guy from Belgium was also at Chimay Classic Bikes in July and was similarly taken with the Royal Enfield 700 twin based sidecar racer. So much so he painted a watercolour of it and kindly emailed a copy of the painting across. Guy isn't a commercial artist but he does sell some pictures to help fund maintenance and restoration of his old vehicles. If you are interested get in touch and I'll forward your details.

Watercolour by Gie Goyvaerts of Royal Enfield 700 twin
sidecar race bike at Chimay Classic Bikes.

Royal Enfield sidecar racer. The painting is so much better
than the photo...

Noel Pope painting

Noel Pope made his name in the motorcycle world as a speed merchant and record racer of note. His motorcycling biography, 'Full Chat' is one of the classic motorcycling books. As the man who held the ultimate speed records for both solo (124.51mph, 1939) and sidecar (106.6mph, 1937) at the Brooklands speed bowl on a supercharged Brough Superior it comes as a surprise that he was the son of an artist. He was a keen amateur artist and sculptor himself. Post War he spent some time in Switzerland and the below oil painting is signatured 'Noel B. Pope 1952'.

Noel Pope oil on canvas landscape 1952.