Popham Megameet

Not a lot of spare time but a newly acquired BMW R100RS that needed to be ridden, a spare morning and memories of a great event last year had me heading up to Popham Airfield for the annual 'Megameet'.

The Beemer was going great but there was a distinct whiff of petrol in the 25 miles between home and Salisbury. I stopped to check and saw a veritable waterfall of petrol dripping down on to the left hand silencer. I'd dumped about 8 litres in those 25 miles. It looked like it was coming from where the pipe plugs in to the tap so with two taps and pipes teed off before they go in to the carbs I decided that just tying a knot in the pipe was an ideal bodge.

I rode on and made it close to Popham when more wafts of benzine headed up my way. This time it looked like it was coming from the tap itself but the quantity was far less prodigious. A great place to stop by the side of the road though. Thanks to the guy from Wimborne who stopped with his Beesa Rocket 3, even after I overtook him like a hooligan further up the road. Also to the chap with the Guzzi convert who even offered to help me drain the tank and sort the problem out properly. Also the guy who came out from his house with offers of assistance. With little time to turn around before heading home though I decided to ignore the problem and ride on to the event.

I was glad I did as there were some cracking bikes there and I picked up a nice pair of panniers for the Beemer. The ride home went fine with just minor petrol loss. No great shakes, this is how you sort out a bike that hasn't been used for a long time.

Rare to see a Harley Davidson Aermacchi out and about.

Cotton Conquest. In my mind finest looking of the British
sixties two strokes. Essentially an homologation special. A
production racer on the road.

Unusual combination and beautifully executed. Greeves
Griffon frame with Rotax engine. Seen on the Motor
Cycling Club stand.

Well done sir! Series B Rapide ridden to the event and left
in the spectators car park. And it wasn't the only one there.

Another unusual beast on the MCC stand. Featherbed Norton
single hitched up to a sidecar and prepped for long distance
trials.

Very tasty 1927 Norton Model 19 with just about the perfect
amount of patina.

That Norton again alongside a 1926 Model 16H.

And here's the finest British Two Stroke of the seventies.
A Silk. Not to detract from it but I think the only other
contender to the crown is the fairly horrible NVT Easy
Rider moped.