Rukka 3 Finger 'lobster' glove review

The last pair of winter gloves I had I eked out for a good ten years. The time finally came to buy a new pair when I arrived back home from riding the Hardy Trial with waterlogged frozen hands and threw them direct into the bin.

Given that a pair of gloves can last a very very long time in miserly hands such as mine I thought that this time I would invest in quality in the hope of warm and dry winter fingers. The Rukka brand carries a reputation of pre-eminence so it seemed like the way to go. Looking at the options for four season gloves the 3 Finger glove is the most budget in the range, Rukka claim them to be fully waterproof.

Pricing for Rukka products seems to be the same everywhere so I went to MotoLegends as I've bought from them before and the service is excellent. I went by MotoLegends' sizing guide and measured my hands up and put in an order. The gloves arrived swiftly and were...too small. No problem, I called up the customer service line and sent the old ones back. My return postage was refunded. I was recommended to go two sizes bigger, this worked - they are a generous fit but allow for an underglove in comfort.

The gloves have now seen a good bit of use, I wore them up to the Dragon Rally so they were certainly tested in the cold. I used them with undergloves and my hands were (admittedly though behind a fairing but without heated grips) very toasty for a long ride in low temperatures. They have seen showers but not heavy heavy rain and have remained waterproof. The comfort is extremely good and they are light, thin even, perhaps so thin that you cannot believe they will keep you warm. However they are very effective and I feel the Rukkas are money well spent. Perhaps I'll be reporting on how well they have lasted in ten years time...

Rukka 3 Finger 'lobster' glove.

Unknown thirties machine

Here's a challenge. Can you identify this machine? The exposure is poor and doesn't help. I haven't got a clue personally. Looks like a lightweight, could that headlight be a Villiers item - the step in the rim is fairly distinctive? Probably early to mid thirties? Over to you....

Guess the bike.

Norton and Triumph at 1950 Clubman's TT

Norton mounted Ken Arber (77) overtakes H E Gilbert on a Triumph at the 1950 Clubman's Senior TT. Arber went on to finish fourth at 74.41mph average whilst Gilbert was right at the bottom of the finishers with 62.07mph.

The photo is annotated as 1948 but thanks to the official TT site database it was simple to work out the right year..

Norton International overtakes Triumph Tiger 100

1904 Quadrant project

In the last few weeks the mortal remains of a 1904 Quadrant have found a new home in my workshop. Obviously this is a very heavy project but one I reckon is quite achievable. I've had a fascination with the early pioneer machines for a while now and building one up from this starting point was pretty much going to be the only way that I could ever lay my hands on one.

What I've got is a frame, a complete engine without ignition or carburation but with some spares and drawings for a petrol tank. Given that most parts for bikes of this age bar the engine and frame were generic I think I have a good chance in finding appropriate parts or fabricating what I can't find. 

In its day the Quadrant was a sporting mount, in 1903 Tom Silver (in the picture below) set a new record for riding from John O' Groats to Lands End and then set off on a 6000 mile ride around Southern Africa. How wild would it be to try and replicate that journey! More on Tom Silver's exploits on the Go-Faster site.

Looking on the positive side, coming across a machine in this condition can allow a certain laissez-faire attitude in bringing it back to life; you don't have to be too precious about using it because no matter what beatings you meter out to it you can relax in the knowledge that you are not damaging an irreplaceable original antique.

Finally, it goes without saying that if you have any parts that may be useful please do get in touch. There's plenty to find...

1904 Quadrant project.

This is what it will hopefully end up like, Tom Silver with his
Quadrant in 1903.

A pair of Velocette Venoms

A tasty pair of Velocettes from back in the day. I am guessing both are Venoms, though they could be Vipers, there's not much difference visually between the two models.

A pair of Velocette Venoms.

Classic and vintage motorcycle events in Europe 2015

The time has come around again for a listing of excuses to pack up and head across the Channel on two wheels. Once again I haven't managed to find any decent calendar of continental events online so here is my humble offering. By no means comprehensive it simply represents a list of events that I have either been to in person, friends have been to, or I have heard good things about. If you have feedback or events you know of that should be in the list then how about getting in touch.

There's the usual caveat that only a rash fool would use this page as the sole information source before heading off into the sunset. Check details for yourself, dates change, events get cancelled.  

A few new events in the list this year and one biennial in and one out. Get out there and enjoy, don't be scared to take something old on a long trip, they were made for it, breakdown cover is cheap and a wonderful thing and there's a great joy to be had riding with friends on machines you've put together yourselves. Even roadside tinkering and repairs aren't so bad. 


20 to 22 March: Veterama, Hockenheim, Germany.
- Very big autojumble.

25 and 26 April: Iron Bikers, Circuit Carole, France.
- Circuit based event near Paris for 50s to 80s bikes.

1 to 3 May: John Bull Rally, Belgium.
- Organised by the BSA Owners Club Belgium but open to all old British bikes. Gets great reviews.

9 and 10 May: Vintage Revival Montlhery, nr Paris, France.
- Pre-war bikes and cars. Biennial event. Absolutely superb, can't recommend this one enough.

17 to 23 May: Motogiro D'Italia, San Marino.
- Hooning around Italy on small bikes! Touring event for big cc lovers too.

22 to 24 May: 10 Years of 6 Volts, Gullegem, Belgium.
- Celebrating 10 years of the Belgian 6 Volt Moped Club.

23 and 24 May: Ton Up, Lurcy Levy, France.

30 and 31 May: Coupes Moto Legende, Dijon, France.
- All old bike enthusiasts should visit at least once.

31 May: Rando Cyclo, Sars Poteries, France.
- Event for those who favour fewer horsepower. Double check the date if planning to go, I always find it difficult to get info on this event.

4 to 7 June: MC Piston Cantabria Tour, Cantabria, Spain.
- I rode a MC Piston event last year and it was great. Expect wonderful scenery, great hospitality and laid back but efficient organisation.

6 and 7 June: Autodrome Heritage Festival, Montlhery, France.
- Car and bike, no idea what it is like but any event at Montlhery is worth a visit.

11 to 14 June: Wheels and Waves, Biarritz, France.
- New wave custom and classic event. Liable to be massive this year.

20 and 21 June: Cafe Racer Festival: Montlhery, France.
- In the title and ditto the above re Montlhery.

4 and 5 July: Biker's Classics, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.
- Racing for more recent classics.

5 to 11 July: Milano-Taranto, Italy
- Like the Moto G but lower key and possibly more hardcore.

12 July: Stella Alpina Rally, Bardonecchia, Italy.
- Ride up a mountain with fellow enthusiasts.

16 to 19 July: Round Kurland Rally, Latvia
- Latvia isn't so far if you take a couple of different ferries.

17 to 19 July: Classic Bikes Chimay, Chimay, Belgium
- Belgian vintage street racing. I went along last year. Great fun, proper street racing, Belgian beer. Close to the town. Camp at the circuit for the full experience.

8 and 9 August: 17th Journée Coyote: Nogaro Circuit, France.
- Weekend track event. Looks like mostly more recent classics.

15 August: Oldtimerdag Ruinerwold, Ruinerwold, Netherlands.
- Old vehicles take over Dutch town.

21 to 23 August: Belgian Classic TT, Ardennes, Belgium.
- Belgian road racing.

25 to 30 August: Irish National Rally, Munster, Ireland.
- Perenially popular jaunt through Irish countryside.

4 to 5 September: Red Bull Alpenbrevet, Grimsel, Switzerland.
- For me Red Bull is the Devil's own piss but don't let big corporate sponsorship put you off: a 1000 moped endurance run over Swiss Alpine passes must by its very nature be an awesome event. Double check the dates, they are not announced at time of writing and I've gone by unofficial information.

4 to 6 September: Glemseck 101, Glemseck, nr Stuttgart, Germany.

- New wave customs and cafe-racers, corporate sponsorship and hipster drag racing.

18 to 20 September: Trophee Gerard Jumeaux, Circuit Carole, North of Paris, France.
- Classic racing French style.

19 and 20 September: Bol D'Or Classic, Magny Cours, France.
- Good if classic endurance racing is your bag.

18 to 20 September: Circuit des Ramparts d'Angouleme, Angouleme, France.
- Glamorous vintage cars racing around medieval town.

28 September to 4 October: MC Piston Rally Meeting, Santander, Spain.
- Rode this event last year. Excellent. Great atmosphere, hospitality and stunning roads. Opt in to the event as much as you like, the three day tour at the beginning was great. Very good value. Possibly the largest old bike road riding event in Europe.

4 to 11 October: Rally de Colombres, Colombres, Spain.
- This is what the MC Piston event started out as. MC Piston moved the rally to Santander and some guys formed a club called Moto Club Indianos and carried on running it was it was.

9 to 11 October: Veterama, Mannheim, Germany.

- Huge autojumble.

18 October: Moto Retro Leuven, Leuven, Holland.
- One day bike jumble.

20 to 22 November: Salon Moto Legende, Paris, France.
- French show.

Ariel Square Four

MKII Ariel Square 4 1000cc with enormous double adult sidecar fitted. Plenty of room for three kids.

High end family transport: MKII Ariel Square Four outfit.