Southern Classic Bike Show Kempton Park 3

The final tranche of photos from a day of scuffing around Kempton Park. This time some punters bikes from the bike park and a few more autojumble gems.

Lovely used pre-war Velocette MAC ridden to the show.

This is what could be termed a 'character bike'. Panther with
mods for regular comfortable use. Is that screen from a Ural?
Plus massive tail pack, possibly for carrying a canine companion.

Recently built Metisse with electric start Indian Royal Enfield
Bullet motor. Sweet bike.

Harley 45 ridden to the show.

This cafe racer BSA A10 was in the jumble
area. Not sure if it was for sale or not. Nice untouched
sixties cafe racer. Were it mine I wouldn't change
a thing on it.

Tail view of same BSA A10 cafe racer. Hmmm... did I say
I wouldn't change a thing if it was mine, amend that, I might put a
period black / silver number plate on it.

This Triumph pre-unit chop was displaying some heavy
duty patina. It could have been tucked away for years but
I know from bitter experience that just two or three years in
a leaky shed can yield similar results.

Close up of the Triumph chop. I'm a big exponent of keeping
stuff oily rag but this one would definitely benefit from looking
shinier.

Last but not least this very purposeful Norton Commando
engined Wasp off road outfit. The rear suspension is
taken care of by a cantilever with a Mini rubber suspension
cone and external damper.

Southern Classic Bike Show Kempton Park pt2

Some more snaps from Kempton, these of bikes exhibited in the show.

A lot of time and skill has gone in to the detail work on this
Norton ES2 cafe racer. Not sure of the function of the speedo
and rev counter cooling rings but they are works of art!

Fuller view of the same ES2 cafe racer. How many
hours went in to its build?

Detail from 1910 2 1/4 hp Royal Enfield Motosacoche
engined v-twin. The bike caught fire doing the Pioneer Run
in 2012, has since been repainted and is beautifully turned out.
It was offered for sale at £14,000. A fair lump of cash no doubt
but as it goes nowadays very reasonable money for a veteran
v-twin in excellent order.

Acetylene headlight on the 1910 Royal Enfield.

Unusual combination. Kawasaki two stroke triple in a
featherbed frame.

Very nicely restored post-war Villers 6E engined OEC. I believe
the model is an Atlanta. 

There was so much interest around this beast it was hard

to get close to take a photo. Nicely engineered V8 powered

Norton featherbed framed special with supercharger.

Detail from a very lovely 1954 Moto Rumi Junior Corsa
125cc two stroke twin race bike. Look at those short megaphone
exhausts. What a racket it must make!

Full view of the Rumi Junior race bike.

On the Moto Rumi Club stand was this split motor. A well
thought out design and it looks nice and easy to work on.

This was my star of the show. The home built 'Nash Racer' - a
Model 23 unit construction New Imperial from 1932 sleeved
down from 150 to 125cc. The bike is holder of several Brooklands
records and was in hiding for a good number of years until
the show.

Credit to the owner for keeping the Nash Racer in such fine
original condition even down to the perished bicycle handlebar
grips held together with tape. It looks like the machine is a goer
though as several key parts seem to have been refurbished.
Note the spent shotgun cartridge used as a lever end protector.

The New Imerial Owners Club put on a fine display of
machinery. This JAP engined v-twin inspired envy in me!

Again on the New Imperial Owners Club stand
this lovely oily rag mid-twenties JAP engined
side-valve.

The Ariel Owners Club displayed nothing but ex-forces WD/NG
models in honour of the forthcoming D-Day commemorations.
Five of them in total.

Southern Classic Bike Show Kempton Park

 I can't remember the last time I made the trek up to Kempton Park for the Southern Classic Bike Show and motoring up the M3 at stupid o'clock in the morning in the driving rain I questioned my sanity. As it turned out the rain stopped by 9.30, the sun even said hello once or twice and a fine time was had by all. The autojumble was a vast as ever and the show hall was packed with interesting bikes and heaving with punters. This is the first of a couple of posts on the show and comprises snaps taken whilst mooching around the jumble.

There were a lot of French lightweights on offer. Most of them
quite cheap, in the proverbial 'barn find' condition and most of
them fairly unloved by the Kempton park buying public. Not
sure why there has been a sudden rash of French imports. This
particular one is a 1932 100cc Grimault and seemed a bargain at £250. 

Another of the rash of French mopeds. This one a Favor.

Magnificent 550cc Blackburne engined Quadrant. There
was no price displayed.

A rare bike now and apparently reasonable sought after as
it sold quick enough with an asking price of £2695. Hub-centre
steered Yamaha GTS 1000.

There's been a few Swallow Gadabouts come to light recently.
This one sold with an asking price of £1650 and looked very
tidy and original.

Being sold as a complete project or as parts this Triumph
engined machine would make a tasty cafe-racer though your
pockets would be lightened considerably by the end of the
process. The label didn't say what the frame is, it looked newly
built. I would say a Vendetta but would be happily corrected
by someone who knows better.

Very original and unrestored BMW R26/3 single in unusual silver-grey
was offered by a French seller. 

A project for the brave. Home-brewed VW engined Sunbeam
S8. It looked like it had been hitched up to a sidecar previously.

More Autowheel oddities....

If you look at this blog regularly you will know that I have a love / hate relationship with the Wall Autowheel and a fascination for all its weird and wonderful variants.

I've just come across a nice book in Dutch - 'De Motorfiets in Nederland 1895-1940' (ISBN 9061208661). It's a collection of period photos published to commemorate 35 years of the Veteraan Motoren Club. The book is out of print but if you come across a copy snap it up, the images are great.

These two images are borrowed from the book and show firstly an act of great moto-cruelty: a Briggs and Stratton scooter hitched up with a trailer. How you were ever expected to start the device with no clutch, no gears and no pedals or for that matter stop it I do not know! Secondly a Dayton Motor Wheel from around about 1915. Essentially a Wall Autowheel unit but in the front wheel. Removing the problem of having a hideous greatly weighted appendage hanging off the side of your bicycle but in turn moving the vast weight on to the front wheel...

Briggs and Stratton Scooter with trailer.

Dayton Motor Wheel.

Two speed Scott with canine passenger

Lovely shot of a Scott two speeder. The registration plate is Scottish - Glasgow, what a pity it's not a Highland Terrier for the North of the borders grand slam. Looks like it is packed up to go further afield, wonder if the dog went along too!

Early twenties Scott two speeder with furry pillion!

BSA Bantam rigid frame period photo

Unusual to see such a good quality photo of a humble commuter bike. It's a rigid BSA Bantam, probably 1949 and is all accessoried up with legshields and panniers. 

Rigid Bantam period snap.



VMCC Relay Rally part II

There's great joy to be had in the biennial Relay Rally riding your machine about on a route you choose at your own time, seeing other chaps about on the road doing the same and stopping for a tea and a natter at checkpoints.

This year I decided to try and bag a grander than usual number of checkpoints, though down my way they are thinly spread and even given the fleet wings of the Dommi 99ss I only managed four. Namely Wessex Veteran & Vintage at Shillingstone Station, Dorset at Pulham, Somerset at Wookey and Stonehenge at Old Sarum Airfield. The company was good at each, the machinery varied and the routes in between pleasurable.

Here are a few more that caught my eye on the day. 




Very smart BMW R25/2 at Shillingstone.

 

Another BMW, this one a R90s and also at Shillingstone.

BSA A10 at Old Sarum Airfield.

A trio of flat tankers flying the flag for the Wessex Veteran
and Vintage Section.

Royal Enfield 350 from 1926 and late twenties Douglas behind.

Stunning Sunbeam Model 90 from the late twenties.

There were two Series D Vincent Rapides at Wookey, the
unrestored one caught my eye.

Great period stickers show long service.

Unmistakable as a Vincent.

This Model H Triumph combination has been in long term single
family ownership. Nerd that I am I was particularly curious about
the front mudguard stays. Englarge the picture and take a look.
They are designed as mud catchers in addition to the already
voluminous guard and are completely original.

Another lovely feature on the Triumph and
one I haven't seen before is the logo on the
footboard.

The Anglo Bavarian Brewery

Passing through Shepton Mallet you can't help but notice this impressive building. The sign up top names it as the 'Anglo Trading Estate'. I was passing through on the Norton Dommi riding the VMCC Relay Rally and it looked like a nice backdrop for a few snaps.

Shepton Mallet was once a thriving town and a regional focus of the Industrial Revolution. There were reputed to once be some fifty mills in the town. Shepton is still a regional centre though best known these days for cider brewing.

On investigation the Anglo Trading Estate turns out to be the once home of the Anglo Bavarian Brewery, claimed to be the first lager brewers in the country. The bewery opened in 1864 and handed in the towel in 1921. At one time there were some 250 agents throughout England and the lager was sold across the Empire.

Since closing down the brewery has been a furniture warehouse and is now a business park. The 'Bavarian' part of the title was dropped at the beginning of the Second World War. It is on the English Heritage buildings at risk register.

More information on Wikipedia.



The Anglo Bavarian Brewery building in
Shepton Mallet.



Norton Dominator 99ss outside the Anglo Bavarian Brewery.

VMCC Relay Rally

Some pictures from today's VMCC Relay Rally. More to follow...

I bumped in to this Francis Barnett at several check points. A
very well travelled bike being a veteran of several big continental
tours. Doing well on the Relay Rally too having set out from
Hayling Island and being spotted as far afield as Wells. 

This tidy Harley WLC was at Shillingstone Station. Saw it at
Wells too. A big thanks to the owner who let me try it for size.

Very tidy Rudge Ulster at Wells.

This Triumph Tiger 90 at Shillingstone was very purposefully
set up for long distance trials.