available

Page 3
Paradise & Gell has been located on Michael Street in Peel since 1974.
Here you will find a wide range of furnishings to enhance any living
space. Whether you are looking for something contemporary or a more
traditional piece, then look no further than Paradise & Gell.
Page 4
Contents
Page 2
Secretary's Notes
Page 3
New Members
Page 4
Chairman's Chat
Page 5
Yellow Belly Notes - "A Indian Summer"
Page 8
Resuscitating the Donkey - Ray Knight
Page 12
VMCC Trials Results
Page 13
My Last Race - Cyril Taft
Page 17
Book Review - Villiers Everybody's Engine
Page 22
The Birth of Excelsior
Page 25
Sons of Thunder - Pt2 - Allan Jermieson
Page 30
Just another Velocette Racer? - Dennis Frost
Page 33
Motorcycles - Part 3 - Bob Thomas
Page 39
Fixture List
Editor: Job Grimshaw
Sub Editor: Harley Richards
Cover Pic.. (Amulree)
That young whipper snapper and club member Bill Snelling, 36, riding in a pre' 65
trial at Salisbury in 1983. Bike is Bob Thomas's 1931 Douglas Light 500, so
called because it was pared down to a specific weight to qualify for a cheaper
road fund licence. Note the rear tyre- so hard that very little air was needed!
Page 1
Secretary’s Notes
Hi Everyone,
You will find, in this edition, next year’s fixture list incorporating the trials
list coloured in red. For the road runs the start venue and time is detailed but
not the finish venue, as sometimes changes have to be made. Full details can
be found on our web site before the run, or give me a call on 878242 before
the run when I can give you the finish details. You will also notice that the
Club Nights are not necessarily on the second Thursday of the month, this is
to avoid other events. I do ask all members to check your fixture list and keep
it safe. A lot of Committee time goes into arranging these dates so as not to
clash.
The Annual Dinner has been rescheduled to Saturday January 14th, and is to
be held at Mount Murray. Tickets priced at £15.00 will be available from
Committee members. The ticket price has been heavily subsidised this year
in the hope that more of our membership will attend. Our aim is to lift
attendance to at least 150 persons this year. The meal will be more “upmarket” than hitherto and entertainment has been arranged that should please
everyone. More importantly, for the first time in the Section’s history our
Guest of Honour will be the Island’s Governor, His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor Mr. Adam Wood. In our view it is a great honour to have His
Excellency with us to present the awards. Hopefully, this, plus the price, plus
the food, plus the entertainment will persuade you all to swamp us with
demands for tickets. We need you to support our hard working Chairman and
Committee.
Your Committee has already started work on the T.T. Rally, the M.G.P.
Rally and the VMCC Festival of Jurby. We are also working closely with the
Government to bring about more enthusiasts to the Island, particularly for
the Manx Grand Prix Festival fortnight. As you may have seen from the
Press reports, the numbers attending this years Festival were well up. The
VMCC Isle of Man Section can pat itself on the back for playing a major role
in that success.
Page 2
The Lakeland Rally [Harry’s Run] is being organised once again for depart
Friday July 6th return Tuesday July 10th 2012. Every year the Lakeland
Section gives us a great welcome. The Hotel that we stay in accommodates
us in a very friendly, welcoming manner and the Steam Packet Company
offer us a discounted ferry crossing. For friendship, scenery, gentle riding
and a good laugh, you will not better this event. Phone Roger Halliwell on
675149 or myself on 878242 for further details.
The road runs have been well attended in 2011, but would be even better if
more of you supported them. We shall continue to offer free tea and buns etc
at the end of each run, for as long as the Section can afford it, and even if you
are unable to ride on the run itself you are most welcome to join us at the
refreshment stop afterwards.
We are also planning for Jan-Feb a film night at the Peel Centenary centre.
A full screen, tiered cinema seating show with refreshments, showing
archive film from VMCC HQ Library by Castrol, Renold Chain, Shell,
Ferodo etc. Featuring Trials, Scrambles and road Racing but, for a change,
not from the Isle of Man. Hopefully we can fill the Centre which seats 200
max. A nominal fee will be charged for the evening, and we really need your
support to make this a very popular event. Till the next time, happy riding.
Tony East
Page 3
Chairman’s chat
Dear Members,
Another year nearly over and we are well into the winter series of club nights at
Knock Froy, all our events this year have been as popular as ever, so we must be
doing something right. The committee have already started on next years events and
have had meetings with various interested parties, more info to follow.
The annual dinner and prize giving will be at the Mount Murray hotel and country
club on January 14th 2012. I am pleased to tell you that the Lieutenant Governor of
the Isle of Man, Adam Wood will be attending, this should be a good night, and all
for only £15:00 per head. Your club is subsidising the evening to the tune of 50%,
this being achieved through careful budgeting and hard work throughout the year.
Reserve you ticket now by contacting me, or any committee member. Tony has
secured some period motorcycle films for a show in January, details in this mag or
from Tony.
It only remains for me to wish you all the Compliments of the Season and happy
and safe riding for 2012. If you have any new ideas for runs or events I am always
pleased to hear from you. Keep between the hedges.
Richard
A FILM SHOW WITH A DIFFERENCE
Friday January 27th 2012 at Peel Centenary Centre
Sponsored by the Vintage Motor Cycle Club
Isle of Man Section
Two and a half hours of professional films from yesteryear, Featuring
Trials, Scrambles,Road Racing and 3 wheel racing. On loan from the
VMCC HQ Library.
Come and support us, £3 entry fee, with light refreshments available.
This is something different, be involved from the start. Tickets
available from Tony East 878242
or email tonyeast@ manx.net
Page 4
Yellow Belly Notes
An Indian Summer or m’mmm Springfield
Owners club meetings at the MGP give the onlooker a chance to talk to
enthusiasts of their chosen marque. The turn out of Indian motorcycles was
fantastic and it was no surprise that the owners were friendly, knowledgeable
and keen to discuss all things Indian.
The chap in Pic 1 had assembled this racer from authentic parts which he had
tracked down from all over North America. He was a top man and to call the
bike a replica would be to do it an injustice. It was the nearest thing possible
to a 1911 T.T. racer.
Indian had a clean
sweep in the Senior
T.T. that year with
O.C.Godfrey,
C.B.
Franklin and A. Moorhouse taking the honours.
To celebrate that centenary, owners and enthusiasts had travelled
from Europe and the
U.S.A with their fabulous bikes.
Pic. 1
Pic 2.
Made in Springfield
U.S.A., the Hendee
manufacturing Company produced Indian
motorcycles until the
mid 1950s.
Pic 1
Page 5
Pic 2
Pic 3.
Page 6
At the VMCC Jurby Classic Festival this fabulous example of a cherished
and used four cylinder, was one of the many on display.
Pic 3. It was good to see so many of these bikes in what I call “oily rag”
condition. Congratulations to all I.O.M. members for a great day out.
Pic 4
Many years ago, I produced a series of illustrations for a now defunct motor
cycle magazine and I came across this water-colour of an outfit I had seen
on the Pioneer Run. Pic 4. It was not done as a technical illustration, but
more an attempt to give an impression of the shades of red in the paintwork.
Maybe that’s why it was never published!
Pat Sproston, Louth, Lincolnshire
Footnote: At the “Milestones of the Mountain” parade at this years T.T, a
Canadian built replica of a 1911 580cc Indian racer was due to lead the pack
away. Sadly it did not make it to the grid. That bike was for sale at the
Bonhams auction at Stafford on the 16th October. It was sold for £18,4000.
Page 7
Resuscitating the Donkey
The prospect of recreating my 1968 Daytona Production Race winner for
the Millennium Lap of Honour seemed easy enough at the time......
From an abandoned project, the motor came in three boxes of bits and
pieces, many covered in thick oily ‘gunge’ and the aluminium parts were
positively growing a grey coat that pitted the alloy; an interesting jigsaw. The
‘donkey’, seemed to have had something of a chequered history having
started life in 1972 as an export model to the US of A. The 'chequered bit'
was the fact that it spent some time underwater and it had probably seized.
The original barrels had been scrapped.
Pic: Spannermann
Give it some ‘ammer Ray!
Page 8
The crankshaft and rods seemed the logical place to start. It was to be
revealing, eventually. The rods were still in place. But when removed from
the crankpins revealed standard shells in reasonable nick. The pins too
looked OK. So far so good, but it’s easy to get complacent. Now started
something of a struggle that I would remember. It's vital to clean out the
sludge trap on unit Triumph twins, for that matter, any motor that has such a
provision. You simply unscrew the plug on the end of the crankshaft to
remove the sleeve residing within, clean out the debris and you have a nice
clean crankshaft. That’s what it says in the handbook anyway. Oh well.
The plug was secured in place by ‘pop’ marks in the bob weights to peen
metal over the plug to prevent it ever coming loose. It was easy enough to
drill them out and apply a large driver to the screwdriver slot in the plug. I
applied considerable pressure, to no effect. Next, a mole wrench applied to
the shank of the driver to add to the leverage gave much increased exertion,
but no sign of movement. Hmmm!! Heat sometimes works wonders, so the
crank went into the oven.
Musing on the need for increased leverage, I unearthed a long forgotten very
old joiners driver about three feet long, but even that made no impression.
Neither did the lump hammer and impact driver to which I finally resorted
after much exasperating heaving and sweating. By this time the driver slot
was looking somewhat sad in mute testimony to my brutal ‘mechanicing’.
The thing was beginning to annoy me. A centre punch and light hammer
wielded with some frequency, I thought, would eventually shake it loose
with the vibrations. Soon it became ever more difficult to find virgin metal
unsullied by punch marks. So the hammers got larger until eventually the
lump hammer came back into use and here dear readers, I should draw a veil
over the resulting butchery but record that I simply chewed lumps out of the
plug without it moving so much as a thou.
Somewhat dismayed by the sight of what was by now left of the head of the
plug, it was clear that there was but one more route available to removing the
recalcitrant plug; drill it out. I now had visions of wrecking the thread and
rendering the crank to a pile of classic scrap; crap might be more applicable.
So I opted for a halfway house
Page 9
I got three holes drilled closely together down through the plug. With the
crank in the vice and an old driver hammered into the created slot, I broke
the driver. Next with enlarged holes drilled, I hammered a chisel into the
holes until it was very firmly wedged in place and by now I was beginning
to break out into a sweat again, and this was in the middle of December. The
mole grip wrench applied to the chisel served to further mutilate the surface
of the chisel but did little else other than increase the frustration of this - no
I won't say mechanic, to new heights.
Well, I thought, ‘Shomething’ or bust. I hammered the chisel into the plug
ever deeper and put my foot against the bench and using a 24 in plumbers
pipe wrench applied to the chisel and heaved more mightier yet. As the
chisel began to twist like liquorice, there was a crack like a rifle shot as the
plug gave up its tenacious grip on the oilway thread. It turned, the wrench
slipped off the shank of the chisel and I shot backwards and my unscheduled
trajectory finished with me in a somewhat confused and disorderly heap on
the floor with my sit upon planted firmly and painfully into the box of bits
of metal that might one day be useful --- painful!.
I was about to find out the truth of the alleged seizure, as the crankshaft
oilway proved to be so utterly blocked with the solidified sludge of ages of
abuse that the debris was totally solid. In fact it was so impacted that
eventually I resorted to a half inch drill to clear a way in. With sludge trap
sleeve revealed, the next problem was simply how to get it out.
Now, I had an old blacksmith’s round file about three quarters of an inch in
diameter. It locked nicely into the tube, but it did seem that I was faced with
another job out of the bodgers book of top ten tips. However, in spite of
vigorously exercising my ex-naval vocabulary , it simply refused to extract
the tube. Grrrr! Again! Now for some real inspiration. I drilled the tang of
the file and forced a six inch nail into the hole and then used it upon which
to hammer the rollickin’ hell out of it. And the tube came out. After that it
was a case of rough emery strips in a slotted rod in an electric drill to clear
out the solidified crud of ages from tube and oilway. And the crankshaft
thread was not even damaged.
The replacement barrels that had come with the jigsaw puzzle turned out to
be a whopping 070 overbore; frankly I never conceived of such a size. But
Page 10
even so the barrels didn’t look too thin. They had been freshly bored but the
lot was covered in so much accumulated crud that I couldn’t even poke a
driver through the ‘fin tunnels’ between the bores to clean out the ‘poo’. The
muck was almost as solid as the sludge trap had been. Nevertheless a long
soak in the paraffin bath eventually loosened it enough to enable removal of
the burnt on oil and road filth of ages. When they were cleaned up, the
barrels even got a coat of spray-on matt black heat resistant paint.
That was the good part --------The bad was that, when the barrel and pistons were in place, the motor
wouldn’t turn all the way over; something would go ‘clunk’ and the motor
lock solid. The piston skirts of the American made pistons were fouling the
flywheels. Inspection of an old (seized) one revealed that the originals had
skirts of a different shape; much more rounded. The solution was to file the
new ones until the shape was the same as the old at that point.
The thread on the crankshaft had been slightly ‘bruised’ in its travails and so
the nut that came with the 'Daytona -do-it-yourself kit’ wouldn’t start.
Possessing a set of needle riffler flies I was able to clean up the first thread
and the nut eventually started.
I should have known! Three threads on and things ground to a halt. It didn’t
want to go any further even with my insensitive fingers on the end of the
socket bar. Borrowing a thread gauge, I found that the crankshaft thread
proved to be 18tpi, the nut 14tpi. Some of these later engines had a mixture
of threads, designed I’m sure, to catch out the unwary restorer. A loan of the
necessary die cleaned up the crankshaft OK. So all was not lost, but this was
just one more ‘incident’ that will have the professionals among you
convulsed with mirth, if not incredulity, at the travails of one amateur
‘mechanic’.
Ray Knight
Merry Xmas
Page 11
VMCC
Trials Results
Invitation A Route
1, Sammy Ball (Fantic) 0;
2, Oliver Megson (Yamaha) 0;
3, Ralph Mooney (Montesa) 0;
4, Richard Skillicorn (Gas Gas) 1;
The Dhoon Quarry
Sun 20th of November
5, Paul Smith (Suzuki) 3 (Furthest clean);
6, Daniel Woods (Beta) 3;
7, Gwilym Hoosen-Owen (Gas Gas) 9;
8, Nigel Woods (Fantic) 11;
VMCC Members A Route
9, Mark Moyer (Sherco) 12;
1, Shaun Huxley (James) 0 marks lost;
10, Paul Ansermoz (BSA) 15;
2, Kevin Whiteway (Honda) 1;
3, Graham Thomas (Honda) 2 (31 cleans);
4, Andy Sykes (Rigid BSA) 2 (30 cleans);
5, Phil Ward (Yamaha) 4;
6, Chas Watson (Yamaha) 5;
7, Stuart Clague (Fantic) 10;
8, Jim Davidson (Triumph) 14;
Invitation B Route
1, Paul Doherty (Yamaha) 1;
2, Russell Millward (Fantic) 2;
3, Justin Warby (Gas Gas) 3
4, Brian Kinrade (Beta) 13;
5, Dave Haynes (Triumph) 15;
6, Gary Smith (Montesa) 17;
VMCC Members B Route
1, Ashley Gardner (BSA) 10;
2, Mike Ellis (Yamaha) 12;
3, Steve Taylor (Honda) 23,
4, Richard Bairstow (Yamaha) 24;
5, Chris Procter (Ossa) 28;
6, Mike Ulyatt (Yamaha) 38;
7, Matt Bond (BSA) 28;
Youth A Route
1, Dan Smith (Beta) 1;
2, Ashley Gardner (Gas Gas) 10;
3, Luke Smith (Gas Gas) 19;
Youth B Route
1, Thomas Cairns (Beta) 3.
FLOGGERS CORNER
Lathe for sale - LOGAN 10 inch swing
Contact Les Austin on 878686
Page 12
MY LAST RACE
Cyril flying down Bray Hill
Amulree
Cyril Taft was one of those individuals who took any happening as the
normal state of affairs. The fact of being the father of ten children was to him
just normal, though he admitted that the job of rearing them bordered on the
miraculous. He certainly relied on the fact that all things are directed and
come out right in the end. The record he established in 1949, when, aged 46
and the father of nine, he won a race in the I.O.M. at his first attempt, should
stand for all time. His reply to a note from the editor of the TT Special was
typical of his outlook on things. He wrote as follows:“Dear Geoff. Have been delayed doing the write-up. Tenth child arrived
three weeks ago, followed by 'flu all round. What a picnic! Cyril.”
S
everal things which had happed to me in the past contributed to that
“little extra” that allowed me to win the Clubman's Lightweight T.T.
in 1949. After all, a slide is not so fearful a problem after six years
professional speedway racing. Further, being more interested in tuning than
riding on the dirt, I had picked up a few clues that were useful when it came
to tuning a 250 Excelsior. I had long since got past the nervous tension that
is usual in a first T.T. Race. Finally the T.T. Course had no bad psychological
effect on me, because a bend is a bend to me, whether in the I.O.M. or
Page 13
elsewhere. So I must admit that I felt quite confident when I faced the starter.
The last thing I expected was a win – that was the shock of all shocks. But
read on, because I write as it comes to me.
I have always got a tremendous kick out of watching the T.T. races during
the last 25 years, and have thought that perhaps, one day, I might get the
chance to ride myself. The Clubman's series seemed to offer that chance even
at this late stage of life – so over to the 1947 Clubmans to see how it was
done. Yes, it could be done. Must get a try-out this season. My B.S.A. Twin
was duly fitted with two carbs. (probably the first to be so), and entered for
Scarborough. Got badly slated by the domestic department and had to drop
it, but a few weeks later entered Dunholme and told no one. The B.S.A. got
me a fourth in the three lap race (40 starters) and I was lying about seventh
in the 100 mile event when I went out with a leaking petrol tank at the 90th
mile. But the try-out had said: “Yes. Have a Go!” I entered a Rapide in good
time for the 1948 Clubman, but got slung out with the rest of the
The winner! - Cyril gets his victory hand shake. His 250 Excelsior sported homemade rear
suspension. Race speed was 68.10 mph.
Page 14
unfortunates. The domestic weather situation was somewhat “unsettled”; so
I decided to come down to a 250cc for 1949. It took some time to find, but I
acquired a 1939 Excelsior Manxman that looked good. Reduced it to little
bits before Christmas, but landed in hospital on 8th January for a nice quiet
stay of three months. Sent off the entry while still laid out. It caused a
thought, so to speak, but seemed a normal thing to do.
It was long and hard work in April and May, tuning, assembling and fitting
my own idea of a spring frame. I had a grim determination to to do all the
work before getting to the island so that it would be a holiday, mainly.
On arrival, I paid Albert Moule & Co., a visit at their workshop where they
were busy – working! Roared with laughter a the darned fools, mentioning
something – organisation!, and told them I had come for a holiday. Albert
smiled one of his sweet smiles, and said little. I went out on my first practice
the following morning and did two laps. Finished with no brakes to speak of
and discovered several snags in the rear springing device; but made the
fastest time in my class. At breakfast, Albert Moule, with a broad grin,
enquired how the holiday was going – he had heard of the vast amount of
work I had in hand. I replied: “Later”. (And it was later too – the holiday
came after I had finished the race!).
The engine blew up at the 13th milestone on the following practice period,
causing me to miss the next time out. In all, I did five practice laps which,
added to five touring laps the year before, constituted my total “lappery” of
the T.T. course. Ninety-nine and a half per cent hard work, half a per cent
holiday – that's just how it was. But I got the model ready in time. It, and I,
were on the line on race day.
My knowledge of the course was first acquired by hours of study of the
detailed description of it in “The Story of the Manx” - this after a few laps
touring in 1948. Finding that it was possible to get through certain sections
at full bore, such as from Union Mills to Greeba Castle (three miles) Kirk
Michael Corner to Ballaugh (three miles) and so on, simplified matters
considerably . The major bends I did not bother about, simply shutting off
very late, grabbing for everything and just scrambling round. There were two
places, however, that frightened me particularly – Bray Hill and Kates
Cottage. One day I took them both absolutely full bore, and that was the end
of any worry about them; make your mind up and do it, sort of style.
Page 15
On the line at the start I felt good. The awful backache (hang over from the
hospital do) from which I had been suffering, had gone after a few days
“holiday”. I felt fit and ready to enjoy myself. Down went the flag and I gave
a nice swinging kick. Nothing happened; but Frank Cope, my companion
on the line, shot off after one kick, leaving me still prodding away.The
engine fired at last and I passed Frank before the bottom of Bray, catching
four of the five early starters before Ballacraine. From then onwards I had
the road to myself until the second – and last – time round at Ramsey. I had
a “comfortable” run up to that point, except for a horrible two-wheel slide at
Bedstead on Lap one, so at Ramsey I said to myself; “This is precisely where
one decides to get home”. I managed to remember this until I reached the
Gooseneck. Then I must have forgotten, for the father and mother of the
wickedest slide occurred. Women screamed, etc., etc., but my speedway
training helped me, and I managed to hold it. Well, oil was the answer to that
one; the bike was floating in it.
So with a firmer resolution to get home, I eased down on the major corners,
but kept flat on the tank on the rest, as indeed I had been all the way.
Watching the revs go up over 8,000 towards Brandish, I thought: “My word,
I'm whizzing in top”, and in a flash realised I was still in third! Dabbed for
top - over 7,000 at that - and so on to the finish, with oil on the brain!
I look back with a great thrill on over 20 years of racing and on the climax
of them, which was my little win in the Clubman's 250, 1949. And so with a
wife, ten children, and age of 47, they must remain, “Those were the Days”.
Too bad; but of course, there is always the rising generation ......
Cyril Taft
Acknowledgements to the TT Special
Page 16
BOOK REVIEW
From the 1920s to the 1960s Villiers certainly were everybody’s engine:
From the insurance man’s auto cycle to the Atco lawnmower, to the myriad
of lightweight motorcycles on which we learned to ride and commute. How
many people know that this sprawling empire that went on to rule the world
of small capacity two-stroke engines, was in fact founded by John Marston,
maker of the superb Sunbeam cycles and later motorcycles. On finding that
the available cycle pedals were not up to his standards, Marston imported
manufacturing machinery from the American firm of Pratt and Whitney to
make his own and to supply the trade. With the success of this outlet a new
Page 17
independent company, the Villiers Cycle Components Co., was formed, run
by son Charles, situated next door on the corner of Villiers Street, Wolverhampton.
Villiers made many developments within the cycle industry, but it was their
improved lightweight free wheel that put them on the road to financial
independence and by the mid 1950s they were producing over four million
a year. When Sunbeam entered the motorcycle market in 1912, Charles
Marston decided to concentrate solely on engines to feed the many fledgling
motorcycle manufactures of the day. Villiers first engine, a 349cc fourstroke was built in 1912, but was superseded in 1913 by a Frank Farrerdesigned 269cc two-stroke engine that was an immediate success. By 1928
there were 200,000 Villiers-engined machines on the road, used by 20
different manufacturers. Having suffered at the hands of outside suppliers,
Villiers designed and patented their own flywheel magneto and in 1927 the
rights to the Mills carburettor were purchased and produced as their own,
virtually unaltered, until their demise in 1967.
This excellent, well-illustrated reference book includes sections on: Bicycle
products; Between the wars; The War Effort; Civilian Life; The Sporting
Era; Design Derivatives; Multi-cylinder engines; The Starmaker; Norton
Villiers; kart racing and industrial engines. Other makes of two-stroke
engines are described, along with after-market conversions and the classic
scene. The list of Villiers engine users is truly immense, and as far as
motorcycles are concerned it’s like a who’s who. A very useful and wellillustrated potted history of most of these marques is also included. Full
credit to authors Carrick and Walker and designer Alan Wilson.
Authors: Rob Carrick and Mick Walker
Designed and published by Redline Books,
2 Carlton Terrace, Low Fell, Tyne & Wear NE9 6DE
www.redlinebooks.co.uk
Softback, 210 x 205mm, 288 pages,
with over 250 photographs and illustrations.
ISBN 978-0-9555278-4-5
Price: £29.95
Book reviewed by Jonathan Hill
Page 18
Page 19
Bikes as far as the eye can see…
Page 20
VMCC 2011
Festival of Jurby
Page 21
The family photo album of W.H.Carson, Excelsior's
driving force in the pioneering years, has recently come
to light and fascinating it is too.
Bayliss, Thomas and Slaughter was established in 1874 as cycle
manufacturers. Slaughter left the concern and it was re-named Bayliss,
Thomas and Co. with a brand name of Excelsior. In 1896, they started
experimenting with motorised cycles and by 1902 Excelsior motorcycles
were being produced under the guidance of well-known racer Harry Martin.
When Martin left the firm in 1904, Carson took over the reins as chief
designer and principal executive. By 1905 he was pushing the boundaries
by offering a tricar and in 1910 he moved the Coventry-based company into
four-wheeled car production with the Bayliss-Thomas - so named to avoid
confusion with a Belgian car manufacturer called Excelsior.
The shop in Gray's Inn Road, London, believed to be 1908. Carson is in the
doorway holding the bicycle.
Page 22
Carson appears to have been determined to prove that Excelsior motorcycles
were reliable and, judging by the album, he seems to have specialised
personally in road trials and hill climbs with large capacity sidecar bikes,
culminating with a machine powered by the 810 cc single cylinder engine,
known as the "Hill climb model". We know that he competed in the Colmore
Cup trial in 1913, and in the Coventry & Warwick motorcycle club team
trials and Yorkshire's Rosedale Abbey Bank hill climb in 1914.
WHC climbing Rosedale Abbey Bank, 1914, on the 814 cc Excelsior single and sidecar.
Carson resigned from Excelsior in 1924 and took up an executive position
with Mills-Fulford Ltd, the sidecar specialists of Crown Works, Coventry.
The family also set up a garage in Sheffield, as Carson & Co., selling and
repairing motorcycles and bicycles.
The photos have been tracked down by author Paul Ingham and a selection
appears in his new book "Excelsior and its Racing Rivals" (available from
Page 23
October 1914, WHC takes nine boy scouts off to camp.
Lexicon Bookshop, Strand Street, Douglas, or via Paul's website,
www.ilkley-racing-books.co.uk). (152 pages, paperback, about 250 b&w
photos).
As well as the Carson shots, the book offers a comprehensive photographic
history of racing in the '20’s and '30’s through Excelsior and its major rivals,
such as Cotton, CTS, Dot, New Imperial and OK Supreme. The Foreword is
by the legendary Bill Smith, whose career began with victory in the 1956
Southern 100 aboard an Excelsior Manxman.
Raymond Ainscoe
The Annual Dinner is on Saturday 14th January 2012
at The Mount Murray Hotel and Country Club
7.30 for 8.00pm
Tickets £15 - Ring Tony East on 878242
Page 24
Sons of Thunder
Pt 2 - The Superior motorcycles of Aircraftman Shaw
George Brough on his SS100
However at the end of that month Lawrence had an accident when
returning to Bovington from a trip to London, and Boanerges [his first Mk
1] was badly damaged. He had been let off unexpectedly early from duty
“...leaped for my bike, raced her madly up the London road…Hounslow
by 1.20pm…3 hours less 5 minutes. Good for 125 miles: return journey
10 minutes less… Bust the bike just outside camp. Ran over broken glass
bottle, burst front tyre, ran up a bank and turned over. Damage to self nil;
to bike somewhat...”
In May of that year he told Lionel Curtis “..I sleep less than ever…eat
breakfast only… When my mood gets too hot and I find myself wandering
beyond control I pull out my motor-bike and hurl it top-speed through these
unfit roads for hour after hour. My nerves are jaded and gone near dead, so
that nothing less than hours of voluntary danger will prick them into life…”
Page 25
At the end of June he described to Lionel Curtis a Sunday ride to Wells with
his friend Snowy White. On the way there he swerved to avoid a bird and
mounted the verge. It seems at this point that the Brough was fitted with a
sidecar, as the bird “dashed out his life against it”.
In November he wrote to Lord Winterton that “the bike is often being laid
up, since it is a costly item”, which perhaps indicates that early Broughs were
fairly high maintenance.
Clouds Hill
By the end of the month Lawrence had found Clouds Hill and was busy
making it watertight – on December 22nd he wrote Mrs Hardy that the
Brough [his second] had been “borrowed by a villain who rode her
ignorantly and left her ruined in a ditch”. The “villain” was in fact himself
– he had skidded on ice and crashed, injuring his knee, ankle and elbow. The
Brough was far from ruined, needing new mudguards, footrests and
handlebars, and by Christmas Day he was writing to the mother of his friend
Arthur Russell, planning to visit her in Coventry “…We’ll come up by
Brough, & that means you will hear us long before you see us. As he
[Arthur] says ‘I like a bike with a good healthy exhaust.’…”
Page 26
Writing Mrs Shaw in March 1924, Lawrence hopes he will manage to see
her husband’s play “St Joan” “… My bike will probably let me see it one of
its nights if it goes properly …”. He had twice called on the Shaws but not
been admitted by their staff either time due to his appearance after a 150 mile
ride “…the grime and oiliness of those dark 150 mile dashes… were thick
upon me… the guardians of your entanglement couldn’t pierce through them
to see the harmless softness of my face ...”
In August of that year T.E was in trouble with the camp adjutant “…for
impertinence – passing an officer at more than twice his speed…” on the
Brough.
In February 1925, in one of his letters to Trenchard , he records, “...last
Sunday I rode to Yorkshire [from Dorset] and back, averaging 44mph, just
for fun...”. For that time of year, on the poorly surfaced roads of the day, this
was a serious ride of some 600 miles.
Lawrence still hoped to be allowed to transfer back into the Air Force, and
each year wrote Trenchard, its chief, appealing for his case to be
reconsidered. The stumbling block was not in fact Trenchard, who was
sympathetic, but the Air Minister Sam Hoare, who for reasons best known to
himself was bitterly opposed to Lawrence being allowed to rejoin the RAF,
and vetoed the proposal each time. However Lawrence had enlisted the aid
of John Buchan, lawyer and famous novelist, but also an influential figure
politically and eventually destined for the Governor-Generalship of Canada.
Also in Lawrence’s corner was George Bernard Shaw, who was concerned
that his friend might commit suicide if disappointed again, and pointed out
to the Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, the “appalling scandal” that would
result if this happened. Alarmed by this, Baldwin directly over-ruled Hoare
and instructed that Lawrence’s wishes be granted and he be re-admitted to
the RAF “on his own terms”.
In July 1925 Trenchard signed the order approving Lawrence’s transfer to
the RAF. Lawrence wrote John Buchan “…The bike [Boanerges is his
name] did 108 miles an hour with me on Wednesday afternoon. I think the
news of my transfer has gone to its heads [cylinder heads, of course] .. I owe
you the very deepest thanks. I’ve been hoping for this for so many years…”
Page 27
Accordingly, Lawrence arrived at RAF Cranwell as No. 338171 Aircraftman
Shaw on 24th August. He would remain in the RAF until two months before
his death.
In September T.E. found
himself suddenly depressed
and rode the Brough to
London to see his wartime
comrade Feisal.
Together
they travelled to lunch at Lord
Winterton’s “lovely home” at
Shillinglea Park – by car.
Perhaps because of his earlier
accident, Lawrence was not a
fan of wet or icy road
conditions and wrote to Mrs
Hardy in November after a
trip to Bovington “It is a little
too far for a winter ride [to
Dorset] with the probability of
wet roads under the wheels.
When summer comes I‘ll
hope to come more often, and
will then call.” However in
December he came off on an
Different worlds - Lawrence at Rabegh . . .
icy road, damaging the bike
and himself. He wrote “...Boanerges rusts in his stall. He is mended. My
arm is cured. My knee nearly so. Till my leg can bend again, I’ll not ride
him…”
By February the weather had improved. T.E. rode from Cranwell to
Barton-on-Humber recording that ‘..a stretch of 17 miles I did in 17
minutes’. The next day he rode over to Nottingham "..I took Boanerges to
his birthplace for a stroll – the roads were not fit for going fast so we turned
on to by-roads and idled through Newark and Southwell.” He took a break
at a Lyons Tea Shop where he remarked “...the only friendly person was a
black cat …” – Lawrence bought it a cream éclair.
Page 28
In August Lawrence
was writing Mrs
Shaw
from
Edinburgh where he
had ridden from
Cranwell in sevenand-a-half
hours.
The purpose of his
visit was to consult
with Bartholomews,
the map makers, in
connection with a
map they were
adapting for ‘The
Seven Pillars Of
. . . and on one of his Brough Superior SS100s
Wisdom’. He wrote
“…Boanerges would go madly, if I would. Alas, surely I grow old. Again
and again when we came to a piece of road which invited ninety, I patted his
tank and murmured ‘Seventy only, old thing, and kept to it…”
On the way back, having detoured to visit Durham, he did a 30 mile ‘return
around’ to avoid a toll-bridge “...I never pay tolls…”. He stopped briefly at
Cranwell where “… B Flight ...came out and stroked Boanerges lovingly …”
and then “...fled wildly down the Great North Road to London…” Lawrence
was due to publish the first public edition of ‘Seven Pillars’ at the beginning
of March the following year – he had made up his mind to go abroad for a
long period in order to avoid the press harassment which would inevitably
follow. He approached Trenchard, who obliged with a posting to Karachi.
Shortly before he was due to leave from Southampton by ship in early December, Lawrence crashed the Brough and badly damaged it. He had started off to visit Dick Knowles and George Bernard Shaw – rain had made the
Islington streets greasy, and the wood block paving used in parts of the
borough doubly treacherous.”.... I got into a trough and fell heavily, doing
in the off footrest, kickstart, brake levers, handlebar and oil pump. Also
my already experienced kneecap ..Alb Bennett took the wreck for £100..”
He told Francis Rood “ I sold the bits, and am not fit company for the
world”
to be continued…
Allan Jermieson
Page 29
KTT 31
Just Another Velocette Racer?
Dennis Frost is in the fortunate position nowadays that exciting
classic motorcycles find him, rather than the other way around!
It was breakfast time and the Frost family were discussing orders for the day.
Did daughter Sophie have games, and was her kit still covered in mud from
last week? Out in the hall, I heard the letter box open and the usual pile of
mail tumble onto the mat. “They’re all for you, Dad. There’s a surprise,” says
Sophie handing me a disorganised pile of letters. Straight away one envelope
caught my eye. The handwriting was familiar, the postmark confirming my
guess. Inside was a letter from Richard: “I am thinking of selling KTT 31
and remember that you were looking for one.” I glanced at the clock. The
time was just after 8am. I picked up the telephone and by 8.10am the deal
was done.
Page 30
Some years ago I had put the word around a few friends that I would like to
buy a Velocette KTT Mk.I. These 350cc ohc Velocettes are arguably the first
motorcycle marketed as a race replica, celebrating the Hall Green,
Birmingham, factory’s 1928 Junior TT win. Some 180 were built in 1929,
when Velocette were again Junior winners. The KTT features all sorts of
innovations, not least being the first production machine to be fitted with a
positive stop foot gear change mechanism.
Grinning like a Cheshire cat after my first ride on the Bertie Rowell KTT. Picture
by Christine, my other half. We've been months getting it a registration number,
along with general fettling.
KTT31 (Velocette identified their motorcycles by engine numbers) dates
from February 1929 and was ridden by Bertie Rowell in the 1932 Junior
Manx Grand Prix. A picture of him dicing with another Velocette rider
coming down to the Creg appeared in Vintage Mann No. 26 (June 2011).
Bertie rode Velocettes in the MGP until 1935, after which he changed
Nortons. His best Velocette result was fourth in the 1934 races (both Senior
and Junior), although by then he was riding a later marque of KTT.
Page 31
In the early 1950s Velocette sales director Bertie Goodman was in the Island,
and was offered a ride on a KTT Mk.I owned by the VMCC’s secretary Eric
Thompson. Titch Allen tells the tale – and probably also took the well known
photograph which appeared in his serialised history of Velocette in
Motorcycle Sport – of Goodman galloping along Douglas promenade,
trouser bottoms tucked in his stocks and coat tails flapping.
On the same occasion – of the Club’s TT Rally – it was Harold Rowell that
let the boss of Veloce Limited know his brother still owned the KTT he had
raced in the early 1930s. Goodman bought KTT 31 – Velocette didn’t have
a vintage racing cammy of their own – and put the machine through the
factory’s repair shop where, with the help of parts from Eric and the VMCC,
it was restored.
KTT 31 was then seen on high days and holidays, and also spent some time
in the foyer at Hall Green. A picture of it features in Burgess and Clew’s
book on Velocette, ‘Always in the Picture’ where it is identified wrongly as
having engine number KTT 51. The machine remained in Bertie’s ownership until his death in 1996, when it passed to his son, Simon.
Dennis Frost
Page 32
Part three of
Motorcycles
by Bob Thomas
Milntown
Bob's “ Endeavour”, Douglas’s first transverse twin.
Talking of "snow trips" two further incidents come to mind…
One, way back about 1937. I had set out with friends to watch a Trial in the
Bagshot area, a trip of about thirty miles, I was riding the Douglas "Endeavour" (the same one as in the Marlborough incident). It was snowing, and
about two inches deep when we left. After about twenty miles the carburettor
on my Douglas decided to freeze up, not an uncommon event with this
model, however, this caused the throttle to stick open at about the 30mph
position. There was no means of stopping or slowing the engine apart from
"stalling" it with the brake - ease the clutch and it roared up dangerously
-braking hard on icy roads can be interesting, it was, but we survived !!
Page 33
Milntown
Some time later in 1952 I was riding to work at Bicester, a fifty mile trip, this
time on my nearly new 350cc Douglas. It was a sharp but nice morning, cold
enough to give frosty eyebrows. I was happily doing about 40 to 45 mph
when near Missenden I came across a pantechnicon lying on its side in the
middle of the road! A man waved me down, he said "Don't you know it is
icy?" he went on "I only came out of there from that side road and it spun
round and fell over". The rest of my journey was completed at a much slower
pace!
Incidentally it was whilst at Bicester (about 1943) during the war, that I first
became acquainted with diesel engines. We were fitting in railway tracks at
Bicester Ordnance Depot, the Royal Engineers detachment next door were
allocated a small Caterpillar Bulldozer - which nobody knew anything about.
They asked for help, and my OC said "Go down and see what you can do!"
I had had nothing whatsoever to do with diesel engines, much less with the
multiplicity of hydraulic controls, or steering track laying vehicles. But I had
to have a go - or else!
Page 34
Anyway I went. It had obviously seen better days......it did not take long to
discover it should have a 12 volt battery. All that was there was a smallish
six volt. Back I went and took the six volt battery out of my long suffering
Morris Minor and coupled the two together. After a bit of fiddling I managed
to start it. Now I had to teach myself to drive it! Steering was relatively easy,
but controlling blade height etc took a bit of time. However, I eventually
drove it back to my own camp - where I was given charge of it!
So off to a bit of waste ground to practice. Soon I was told to try clearing
some rough ground further in. I managed fairly well and was given more to
do. This went on for about three weeks, when in the middle of a very smelly
boggy area - the engine failed! I could not get off the machine, the ground
was too awful! I fiddled around and concluded fuel was not getting into the
injector - finally realising the the fuel filter was totally bunged up! I recoursed to poking a screwdriver through the filter element a few times - and
success, it started! To a few cheers I got out of the bog and drove it three
miles back to base - where it was finally "condemned" and sent away.
Milntown
George Hayward on his 1949 MK 111 Douglas, with Bob
in the foreground on his 1928 SW6 OHV 600cc
Motor cycling is a good means of learning road sense - in my early days,
about 1936, I was riding my 600cc Douglas to work, late as usual. Near
Heston aerodrome was a sharp left hand bend, one which I enjoyed taking
Page 35
rather quickly. On this occasion I obviously "overdid it" something grounded, and I slid across the road into a ditch!! An old chap plodding along on
his bicycle came by saying "Serves you bloody well right" - I had to agree
with him, but if he had been a second or two earlier he'd have been in the
ditch too, underneath me!!
On another occasion on the same bike, same thing, in a hurry to get to work.
Only this time on a straight road, near to where London Airport is now. A
man in a Ford Ten car came across the road from my right, turning right in
front of me, I had no alternative but to hit him in the back, or to hit the three
cyclists he was about to overtake. I chose to hit him - I finished up running
along the road in front of him, coming back to find my bike on fire, his
bumper had broken the petrol pipe, turned it on to the sparking plug, also
broken, and the lot was ablaze. Three fire extinguishers failed to snuff the
fire, but I took off my coat and "flapped" it out!!
Taking stock, I had a very slight bruise on my forehead, which left a four
inch dent in the back of his car (no helmets in those days) and a bruised shin
bone. I then proceeded to push the bike the three miles back home!! Took
the rest of the day off! For a time then the ABC was maid of all work, but I
bought the remains of a 1906 FN4 with the idea of using it in the Pioneer
Run. It took about a year to rebuild it, during this time the VMCC was
formed, and I joined. I rode the FN in 1947 gaining a finishers award.
Shortly after this I was put on the VMCC Committee and at one meeting Reg
Ashton on my left said "Do you want a 1913 ABC? "Wingco" Maclachlan
has had it a year but can't find any spares for it" Stan Johnson, on my right,
whispered, "I know where there is a brand new engine for that". The rest of
the story you know.....
In the meantime 1 was still concerned with the Weybridge Club, and hit on
the idea of combining a Vintage Trial with a Weybridge one (I was on their
Committee too), using a separate course, but their organisation. This to be
on Bagshot Heath. I advertised that every Section would be ridden by me on
the ABC so there would be no wreckers. It was quite successful for a first
venture, even though one spectator described it in the mag as “a course set
out by that mountain goat Thomas!” I think this was the first ever VMCC
Trial, things just grew from there. Entry lists show some interesting names Page 36
Bob Rounds the Gooseneck
on the ABC in Sept 1983
– presumably on the Manx Rally
Milntown
Jeff Clew for instance, and later one had a very youthful Bill Snelling , riding
my Douglas.....Things were much easier then. I'm sure few of our events
worried about things like insurance, but speed events did have to be done
properly. As sprints were much less formal then, one just rode to the venue,
entered and had a go. No leathers or such, ordinary riding gear would do. I
used to ride the ABC fifty miles each way to say Sampford, where we had a
quarter mile sprint (don't ask me me how accurate the measuring or timing
was, that was just taken for granted). It's best time was 16.4 sees.
On Royston where we had a Grass Hill Climb (and great fun it was) we got
lots of rides with practice and timed runs, all very friendly and no pot
hunting. Many social events finished with tests similar to John Horton's
"Frolic" these were simple riding tests, either timed, or to be ridden "feet up".
I don't know of anyone getting hurt, except when Phil Heath dropped his
bike on his leg and was carried off to be plastered.
In the early days of the club we had annual lunches, usually at Pimms
Restaurant in London, where Graham Walker used to persuade many personalities to come and talk, with leg pulling as only Graham could do it. For
example, of one well known Norton tuner "the first time I met your mother
she arrived at the foot of the stairs on a tea tray, but you arrived all the
same..............!!"
to be continued
Page 37
Page 38
January 12th
14th
Club Night 8.00pm Knock Froy, Santon. Quiz.
Annual Dinner & Prize Presentation, Mount Murray.
7.30 for 8.00pm
15th
Trial. South Barrule Quarry. Start 1.30pm.
27th
Film Night. Peel Centenary Centre. Start 7.30pm
February 9th
Club Night 8.00pm Knock Froy, Santon.
Speaker: Geoff Brazendale.
March
19th
Trial. Kings Forest. Crosby. Start 1.30pm.
8th
A.G.M. and entertainment. 7.30pm
Knock Froy, Santon.
Page 39
Page 40
Page 41
300+ VEHICLES ALWAYS ON
SHOW AT BETTRIDGE’S
Mines Road, Higher Foxdale
opposite Foxdale School
Page 42