Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Moto Legendes at Montlhéry 2003

Some pictures from the album. Scanned in blurry vision but worth reproducing as it was such a memorable event. A few years back Moto Legendes changed venue from Montlhéry just outside of Paris to the circuit of Dijon Prenois near (yes) Dijon. The Montlhéry events linger in my memory the best as you just can't beat the atmosphere of the historic autodrome. There were downsides - vile toilets and a general lack of facilities, this somehow added to the atmosphere of jovial anarchy of the event. One year sozzled folks even wheeled bikes on to the circuit and started to circulate at night. 

What made 2003 stand out was the theme of record breaking bikes. For the record breakers' parade they opened up the full outer circuit. Watching Ivan Rhodes circulate on the 24 hour record breaking Velocette near the top of the banking at full bore was a glorious site, made all the more poignant as the bike was burnt out in the fire at the National Motorcycle Museum only a few months later.

Dan's faithful Bullet with the circuit as a backdrop.

In Cherbourg on our way to Moto Legendes. My 350 Bullet in
front, Matt's BMW R90s next, then Dan's Bullet and, just poking
its front wheel in ,other Dan's Moto Guzzi Le Mans.
Brough Superior 'Moby Dick' on the banking. Moby Dick wasn't
quite given its full head but the circuit is very bumpy.

Ivan Rhodes circulating on the Velocette Venom that broke
the 24 hour record in 1961. 

A view of the banking from the other side.

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