London Classic Bike Show at Kempton Park May 2022

Some photos from a visit to the London Classic Bike Show at Kempton Park last weekend. The visit was thoroughly enjoyable but the autojumble was smaller than in the past and the number of show stands was down too. Maybe it's an effect of the pandemic or maybe there are just a lot more events to choose from these days and this one has lost momentum a bit. Either way it was still fun despite being reduced in size.

Below a selection of pictures of show exhibits, autojumble offerings and bikes ridden in to the car park.

A cammy Norton is always a good place
to start. This one a 1935 350cc International.

1938 Royal Enfield 'S' 250cc in the show area.

Eric Patterson's hyper rare c1928 Speedway Sunbeam
nearing completion of its restoration.

Really gorgeous 1939 BSA M24 Gold Star.
The first of the Gold Star line.

This wonderful device was on the Hayes and Southall
Motoball Club stand. The bike is in the condition it was
last used in anger back in the fifties and the owner
sensibly is not going to restore it though is seeking some
girder forks to bring it back to an earlier spec.
The engine is an Ariel Red Hunter, the frame an ex-WD
Royal Enfield Flying Flea and the forks currently fitted
look like Dowty fitted with a short extender.
There's a great Pathe News colour film clip from 1959
that features this very bike in action. Well worth checking out.
https://www.britishpathe.com/video/motor-cycle-football-motorcycle-football

Sweet little Royal Enfield 225cc two stroke
from the late thirties. Their budget model but
still featuring a nice switch / instrument panel
in the petrol tank.

Pressed steel girder forks were the vogue of the time
for lightweight bikes and, for a short while, across the
whole Royal Enfield range apart from the big twins.
Hand gear change was slightly anachronistic by then though.

Veteran inlet over exhaust v twin project. I didn't see
the owner to ask but it's either a Royal Enfield or a
Motosacoche (they were virtually identical).

On the same stall was this very rare twenties FN
petrol tank in great condition.

And still on the same stall this purposeful grass
tracker. Fitted with a Blackburne engine but the
frame is an unknown. Presentable but probably a
bike built up from parts for the early postwar make
do and mend grass track scene. Never the less it looked
like fun for the asking price of £4.5k.

Gigantic fuel filler on this BSA A65 cafe racer.

Proper old rocker's bike!

This BSA beagle was in remarkably original condition
and quite sweet. Designed as BSA's answer to the
Honda cub and variants they should have been better
but were let down by being made on ancient machinery
and beset with a poor reputation for reliability. To this
end there are a fair few virtually unused survivors!

An AJW Fox Cub from 1977. The styling can
best be described as 'brave' or 'unusual'. An easy
and unusual project it seemed like a bargain at £350.

1964 Italjet 'Vampire' 50cc racer. Apparently
a 'works' bike it came with another example
in pieces for the asking price of £4.5k.

Practical BSA B31 awaiting a new home.

Well turned out BSA Bantam racer was
offered in the autojumble. £2100 if my
memory is correct. Seemed reasonable.

Full view of the Bantam. Full traditional
mid to late sixties Bantam racer spec with
Velocette LE front forks and wheel.

Much modified Vincent combo.

Prize for shinest bike surely went to this
flat tank Douglas.

Sweet G3 Matchless ridden in. There's
something very appealing and workmanlike
about these Matchlesses.

Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica in the car park.
A beast of a bike to be riding around London.

Nicely used unit Triumph in the car park

And another used Triumph ridden in.

Vincent Black Shadow in the car park.
Those updated Honda 'Comstar' wheels
and forks are not to my taste but then its
not my bike and it certainly seems like a
bike that racks up the miles, so maybe not
a bad mod for regular use on today's roads.

This once lovely BSA Golden Flash plunger must
have broken the restorer's heart. In great condition
apart from the fact that the top layer of gold paint
hasn't adhered to the primer and is flaking off
prodigiously. The bike was offered in the autojumble.

Full view of the flaky A10.

My overall first prize of the day goes to the chap
who rode in on this mid twenties AJS v twin.
Well done sir!

Also in the car park this Hesketh is a bike to covet.

The Hesketh V1000 power unit.