September

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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.
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Contents
Page 2
Secretary's Notes
Page 3
Chairman's Chat
Page 4
Yellow Belly Notes - “Boastie"
Page 7
A Moment in Time
Page 8
Trials Results
Page 10 Hawick Heroes - "The fastest men in the world"
Page 22 Book Review - "Triumph Thruxton Bonneville"
Page 24 Rider Profile No. 28 - Renzo Pasolini
Page 25 Forthcoming Events
Page 26 Floggers Corner
Page 27 One Man's Jurby
Page 28 Out and About
Page 30 Vintage Mann goes Digital
Page 31 IOM Section - Hills & Ponds Rally 2015
Page 36 Strangers in a Strange Land
Editor: Harley Richards joand.harley@virgin.net
Cover Picture:- Graham Walker heads out onto what could be the first VMCC
TT Rally.
Photo by Amulree
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Secretary’s Notes
Hi Everyone,
Since the last magazine the weather has been pretty good with hopefully lots
of riding for you all. The Classic TT, Festival of Jurby and MGP Rally are
now a distant memory, and I really must thank all those who turned out to
help and support our Section in its endeavours we could not run these events,
especially Jurby, without you. The Regularity Run and Concours on the
Green was a great attraction even though it was an unexpected race day.
Looking back, the whole event was a brilliant success both financially and
organisation wise but, like all good events, we cannot rest on our laurels but
must come up with new ideas for 2016.
Rupert and I are attending a Government meeting shortly to suggest various
new ideas and themes for 2016 and if anyone has any thoughts for 2016 we
would be pleased to hear them.
Having just returned from the UK, I cannot see why we do not mirror the
rules of the DVLA as regards taxation of vehicles i.e. no tax discs on the
windscreen, no cost for historic vehicles, the ability to get credit on unused
portions of vehicle tax, the ability to tax just for six months etc etc. I know
the argument would be that the Island cannot afford to do this but the UK
procedures must produce considerable savings otherwise they would never
contemplate its continuation. Many of our members have more than one
machine and if we don’t protest and try to get change the £15 charge will
continue to rise. Our Club has an obligation to its members to lobby Government departments to try to get a fair deal…the present system is unfair to the
historic movement!!
Don’t forget to give Kestrel Insurance a chance when looking to renew your
car and bike insurances, just mention the VMCC to get your discount and let
me know how you get on. All the best, safe riding and look forward to seeing
you all at our Club nights.
Tony
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Chairman’s chat
In my last notes we were looking forward to the Classic TT/ Manx Grand
Prix rally and Jurby, well it’s history now but I must say that the week
passed in a flash.
All our days were filled with activity and events, which, judging by the
comments received went down very well, my special thanks go to the
committee and everyone who volunteered to help at all events but especially
Jurby, thank you all.
We had the current VMCC president Tim Penn staying with us for the week
and he went home singing our praises, so perhaps HQ might acknowledge
our continued existence, time will tell.
We still have a full program of club nights for the winter but if you, or
anyone that you know, is willing to talk to us on any subject that you think
will be of interest to members please let us know.
Our stand at the Royal Manx show proved popular so I am hoping to repeat
this next year, again, thank you to everyone who helped with manning the
stand and loaning bikes.
If you would be willing to organise a road run or an attendance at other
events for next year, now is the time to act so that they can be included on
the events calendar which will discussed at the next committee meeting.
I hope you can all enjoy some autumn riding before it gets too cold.
Richard
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Yellow Belly Notes
“Boastie”
Pete Boast is a legendary “Yellow Belly” racer. He has competed in long
track, short track, ice racing, moto cross, road racing and many other
disciplines. Three years ago he won “Best Newcomer” at the Pre – TT
meeting on the Billown course. He is an instructor for MSV at track
days and has his own short track oval deep in the Lincolnshire countryside.
Pic 1
At this year’s Pre - TT he had
four rides; Yamaha TZ250,
Honda 500/4, Yamaha 1000c.c.
OWO1 and my Aermacchi. Setting up camp at the Castletown
paddock required flying the Lincolnshire flag and the flag of our
host country (Pic 1).
He has a good team of dedicated
helpers, and his enthusiasm and
energy levels enable him to
tackle such daunting schedules.
By the time you read this he will
have competed again on four
bikes at this year’s MGP!
The official Pre-TT programme
had an interesting version of my
first name under race number 54
(Pic 2), but it is usually my surname which gets mangled.
When Pete contacted me during the winter about racing the ‘macchi, I said
that it would be a pleasure and no worries. Pete added that he would really
like Owen George along to fettle the bike. Knowing full well that my
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mechanical abilities are
limited (i.e. non-existent)
Owen re-jigged his holidays and joined us. He is
pictured here changing
the gearing after practice
(Pic 3) - please note the
very stylish Persian carpet inside the awning;
standard kit for road racing! The bike uses a
Rickman frame and adPic 2
justing the chain requires
the use of numbered discs inserted into the swing arm behind the pivot shaft,
or something like that. All beyond me, but Owen knocked it into shape in no
time at all. During last year’s races, Pete was being followed around by
“Bike” magazine and, in their piece about the Pre - TT, they described Owen
as “probably the cleverest bloke in the world”.
Pic 3
Page 5
Pic 4
So: The best laid plans of mice and men etc... This year Pete only had one
finish out of the four starts (500cc Honda) and the ‘macchi had done a big
end (Pic 4). That’s racing for you.
Downhearted? Not a bit of it. Everyone had thoroughly enjoyed themselves
and can’t wait to return.
Pat Sproston
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A Moment in Time
I imagine that everyone reading this magazine will, at some time or another,
have ridden off without turning on the fuel. For most of us it ends in nothing
more than an embarrassing few moments at the roadside while you turn the
tap(s) on and coax the engine back into life.
Maria Costello’s experience during this year’s final Classic TT practice
session took an altogether more frustrating turn of events. The fuel in her
Paton’s carbs had run
out by the bottom of
Bray Hill which, in
turn, meant leaving
the track to find
enough
room
to
bumpstart it. I don’t
know what compression ratio a Paton runs
but it took the combined efforts of five
helpers (and the input
of fellow Paton rider
John McGuinness pictured) to get the engine running again.
However,
Maria’s
woes were not over as
then she wasn’t allowed to rejoin the
session! (Apparently,
by sneaking back to
the pits via public
roads, she did make it
back in time for the
next outing.)
Photo: Karen Dickins
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TRIAL RESULTS
Carnagrie - 16th August 2015
Victory in the Vintage A class of the VMCC's Trial at Carnagrie went to Jim
Davidson from Shaun Huxley, with matters largely decided at the boggy Section 3.
With the route for Vintage B class avoiding the mire, Andy Sykes was able to keep
bike, rider and his scorecard clean, finishing with the class win on 0 marks lost.
Invitation A class was headed by Daniel Smith from Paul Smith, both on Triumph
Tiger Cubs. After an enforced lay-off, Paul Doherty took Invitation B with a clean
ride, while in Youth Invitation B, Kaytlyn Adshead produced a matching performance, losing no marks to finish ahead of Bradley Calvert. Youth Invitation A class
went to Harry Corrin. Thanks go to Southern MCC for the use of Carnagrie.
VMCC Members 'A' route
1. Jim Davidson (Triumph) 11 marks lost
2. Shaun Huxley (James) 13
3. Brent Seal (Yamaha) 17
4. Kevin Whiteway (Triumph) 19
5. Gwilym Hooson-Owen (BSA) 21
6. Sammy Ball (Fantic) 24
7. Neil Kerruish (Yamaha) 32
8. Ashley Gardner (BSA) 67
VMCC Members 'B' route
1. Andy Sykes (Rigid BSA) 0
2. Jon Duncan (Yamaha) 12 (23x0)
3. David Haynes (Triumph) 12 (22x0)
4. Ian James (Yamaha) 19
5. Philip Crellin (Suzuki) 30
6. Michael Ulyatt (Yamaha) 54
Invitation 'A' route
1. Daniel Smith (Triumph) 8
2. Paul Smith (Triumph) 18
3. Colin Scarffe (Triumph) 31
4. Brian Kinrade (Fantic) 37
5. Ian Lees (Yamaha) 44
6. Richard Skillicorn (Bultaco) 46
7. Alan Lund (Fantic) 59
Invitation 'B' route
1. Paul Doherty (Yamaha) 0
2. Sean Booth (Sherco) 2
3. Peter Peniata (Triumph) 6
4. Trevor Denning (Yamaha) 9
5. Billy Booth (Fantic) 18
Youth Invitation 'A' route
1. Harry Corrin Gas Gas) 31
Youth Invitation 'B' route
1. Kaytlyn Adshead (Beta) 0
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Pooilvaaish - 20th September 2015
Kevin Whiteway was a clear winner on the Vintage 'A' route of the VMCC's Trial
at Pooilvaaish, dropping just one mark over the rocky terrain where Steve Lace was
having his first competitive ride on his rasping new Triumph Twin. At the other end
of the capacity and weight scales, Andy Sykes rode his rigid BSA Bantam to his
customary win in Vintage 'B'. Invitation 'A' went to Sam Ansermoz on his Kawasaki, just one mark ahead of Paul and Daniel Smith. Marks were also close in
Invitation 'B' where Sean Booth took the win, again just one ahead of Paul Doherty
and Peter Peniata. In Youth Invitation 'A', Ella Doherty took first place from Fraser
Hegginson, while Bobby Moyer led home Youth Invitation 'B', ahead of Oscar
Lace.
Invitation 'B' route
1. Sean Booth (Ossa) 11
2. Paul Doherty (Yamaha) 12 (26x0)
3. Peter Peniata (Triumph) 12 (25x0)
4. Phil Pemberton (Gas Gas) 28
5. Billy Booth (Fantic) 29
VMCC Members 'A' route
1. Kevin Whiteway (Triumph)
1 mark lost
2. Sammy Ball (Fantic) 5
3. Shaun Huxley (James) 7
4. Neil Kerruish (Yamaha) 12
5. Jim Davidson (Honda) 15
6. Steve Lace (Triumph) 20
7. Mike Kerruish (Fantic) 46
VMCC Members 'B' route
1. Andy Sykes (Rigid BSA) 12
2. Ian James (Yamaha) 19
3. Jon Duncan (Yamaha) 32
4. Richard Bairstow (Yamaha) 54
5. Philip Crellin (Suzuki) 70
6. Michael Ulyatt (Yamaha) 87
Youth Invitation 'A'
1. Ella Doherty (Beta) 11
2. Fraser Hegginson (Beta) 14
3. Toby Lace (Beta) 36
4. Dylan Groom (Gas Gas) 52
Youth Invitation 'B'
1. Bobby Moyer (Beta) 15
2. Oscar Lace (Beta) 18
3. Kaytlyn Adshead (Beta) 37
4. Kai Kiernan (Oset) 50
Invitation 'A' route
1. Sam Ansermoz (Kawasaki) 3
2. Paul Smith (Fantic) 4 (29x0)
3. Daniel Smith (Triumph) 4 (28x0)
4. Billy Cubbon (Beta) 9
5. Nigel Woods (Honda) 12
6. Aaron Peniata (Yamaha) 23 (20x0)
7. Richard Skillicorn (Bultaco) 23 (17x0)
8. Mike Stevens (Gas Gas) 25
9. Paul Ansermoz (Yamaha) 32
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When writing to a fellow club member in Sweden, giving him a pen
portrait of the town I live in, I told him – ‘Hawick is the only town in
Scotland, perhaps in Britain, which has statues of two world champion
motorcyclists in full racing leathers in its public park.’ It occurred to me
that this might be something of interest to other club members who may
find themselves in the Borders area – hence this article.
The two men whose statues stand in Wilton Lodge Park are of course Jimmie
Guthrie and Steve Hislop. 40 years lay between their championship careers
– both were of an age when they met sudden and violent deaths. They were
very different men in upbringing, outlook, and era – yet the young Hislop
was an ardent admirer of the Guthrie legend as a boy, and this was one of the
factors which encouraged him into competitive motorcycling.
Jimmie Guthrie was born in Hawick in 1897.
His father, a plumber, had one of the first
motorcycles in the county, a 3½ hp NSU and,
according to local legend, he used to tow
young Jimmie and his brother Archie behind it
on their bicycles. Jimmie served his time as an
engineer with a local firm. He was a keen
marksman and to further this hobby he joined
the local TA regiment, the 1 /4 KOSB. When
the Great War broke out in 1914 he was mobilised and sailed overseas on his 18th birthday.
‘Overseas’ meant the slaughterhouse of Gallipolli. On the fateful July day when 540 of the
680 men in Jimmie’s unit became casualties, he was among them. Invalided
to Malta (which probably saved his life) he rejoined his unit in Egypt where
he was wounded again. The ‘Kosbies’ then sailed for France, where Jimmie
transferred to Signals and became a dispatch rider. It was here he got
seriously bitten by the motorcycling bug. When he returned home in 1919,
after 5 years’ absence, one of the first things he did was buy a WD surplus
motorbike.
Page 10
Shortly afterwards, Guthrie began competing in local hill climbs and trials.
He had his first success on an AJS and in 1923, part-sponsored by Hawick
MC, he rode in his first TT. Sadly, his Matchless/ Blackburn suffered
mechanical failure after two laps. Jimmie tried hard to get a works machine
to ride, but was turned down by New Hudson. At that time there were few
hard-surface tracks – grass and sand racing were the norm. The biggest
Northern England meeting was at Chevington Sands, Nothumberland. In
June 1926, before a crowd of 30,000, Jimmie had his first major success,
winning the main race, the trophy, the 50-guinea purse and also the 350cc
open. In doing so he beat the New Hudson works team, among them Bert Le
Vack. The New Hudson manager took note and in 1927 offered Jimmie a
works ride for the Island.
Jimmie was by
now in business
with brother Archie in their father’s
old
premises as motor and general
engineers. Telegrams from the
Island
were
posted in the garage window lap
by lap to keep
Jimmie’s legion
of local fans informed. Guthrie finished a close second to Alec Bennet, twice a TT winner,
and his home town went wild.
In 1928 Jimmie began his long association with Norton. His first TT race for
the marque in the Junior was literally a blaze of glory – the Norton burst into
flames at his first pit stop, igniting Jimmie, who was smothered by extinguisher-brandishing marshals before any real damage was done. The following year a practice accident put Guthrie out of the TT. With a fractured bone
in his spine he was sent back to Hawick Cottage Hospital to spend weeks in
traction. He passed the time by courting his pretty young nurse Isabella
Page 11
Compton, and the following year they were married in Annan, her home
parish.
Walter Moore left Norton in 1930 to work for NSU, taking with him his
winning ohc engine design, which was his personal property (and which
very soon appeared in German guise). The work of designing a replacement
engine was given to Arthur Carrol, later tragically killed in a motorcycle
accident, who devised the power unit from which was descended every
subsequent ohc Norton produced by the original company. The new engine,
world-beater though it was to prove, was to experience more than its share
of teething troubles, and Jimmie switched for the 1930 season to the stable
of Nigel Spry, millionaire marmalade manufacturer and motorcycle enthusiast, to ride his new AJS 250, 350, and 500 racers. The 250, of which only
two were ever made, gave Jimmie his first TT win at a record average of
64.71 mph. Engine failure put him out of the Junior and Senior races.
By 1931 Joe Craig, former Norton rider, was back with the team as manager
and had the new engines finally sorted out. Craig was one of the many
motorists who brought their cars to the Guthrie garage to have them
‘breathed on’ by ace tuner Archie, and during one such visit he persuaded
Jimmie to re-join Norton. It was to be the start of 7 years of Norton
domination of European circuits. Between 1931 and 1937, the Nortons
would win 78 of the 100 major races they entered – Guthrie himself would
win 26 TT and GP races on the marque.
Guthrie’s skill as a racer
was due in no small
measure to his skill as
an engineer. He had a
feel for engines, and
never abused them. A
quiet and modest man,
he enjoyed enormous
local popularity in his
home town. Throughout
his years as an international star he continued
to run the Hawick business, now employing alPage 12
most 30 staff, with his brother, and he was never too busy to chat to local
motorcyclists and give them the advice they sought.
He was physically a very hardy character, riding 3 times a week in the racing
season to train at a gym in Edinburgh, 50-odd miles away, being back in time
to start work at the garage. Stories about him have passed into local legend
– Guthrie racing the Carlisle express train on the winding Newcastleton to
Hawick road, where the track ran alongside atop an embankment, Guthrie
and his brother testing an Archie-tuned 350 AJS at 90mph on the treacherous, winding A7 north of Hawick. Little wonder ‘Motor Cycling’ once
referred to him as ‘the dashing, plucky Guthrie’.
As well as his epic racing success, Jimmie Guthrie was a notable record
breaker. At Montlhery Speed Bowl in 1935, hampered by ice on the concrete
and a huge 7 gallon tank which leaked at speed and splashed alcohol fuel on
his goggles, Guthrie set up a new one hour record of 114.09 mph and also
took the intermediate 50km, 50mile, 100km and 100mile records at over
114mph.
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Guthrie was very much admired as a
racer in Germany. The Fuhrer himself
was said to be a great personal fan.
But the challenge from the state
backed 500cc BMWs was making it
much harder for Nortons to continue
their dominance. In 1937 the Norton
works team of Frith, White, Guthrie
and Woods went to Hohenstein-Ernstthal in Saxony for the German GP.
Jimmie, at 40, was the oldest rider in
the race and was in fact planning his
retirement from racing afterwards.
There was a crowd of over a quarter
of a million at the track, with a soldier
posted every 5 yards round the circuit
and a 60-strong medical team of doctors and dentists.
On lap 4 Jimmie took the lead and by
the last lap had a minute to spare over
his closest pursuer, Gall, riding a
BMW. The Union Jack was readied to
crown Guthrie’s victory as he passed
Jimmie Guthrie’s statue in Wilton
out
of sight into a wooded section of
Lodge Park
the circuit a mile from the finish line,
but Jimmie Guthrie never emerged
from the trees. The news came that he had crashed and was very seriously
injured. En route to hospital, the ambulance struggling along the choked
roads, he lapsed into a coma from which he never recovered. His body would
lie in state with a German military guard of honour before being shipped
home to Scotland. The German sports minister declared him the posthumous
winner of the race. Jimmie’s wife, then heavily pregnant, learned of his death
from a local reporter who had heard the news on the radio and went to her
house.
What happened in that final minute? Stories abounded. The Norton’s drilled
rear wheel spindle had broken; the connecting rod had snapped; the engine
had run out of oil and seized, locking the back wheel. Not until 1992 did
Page 14
Stanley Woods, Jimmie’s team mate and the only eye-witness to the accident, come out with a dramatic revelation in an interview with Mick Woolett
for his book ‘Norton’.
Woods stated, and said he was prepared to swear on oath, that Guthrie had
been accidentally fouled by Kurt Mansefield on the DKW.
Woods had just been overtaken by both riders. Guthrie was about to lap
Mansefield on the downhill right hander, which he took flat out. Mansefield,
according to Woods, also tried to take it flat out, failed, slackened off and
drifted out into Guthrie’s line, forcing him off the road into a line of saplings.
Whatever the truth, Jimmie
Guthrie’s funeral in Hawick
was attended by thousands,
the procession being over
three miles long. His coffin
was wrapped in the Union
Jack which had waited for
him on the finish line in Saxony.
Today the Wilton Park Museum, a few yards from the
bronze statue of Guthrie,
hosts an excellent display of
photographs, memorabilia
and trophies and a Norton, a New Hudson and an AJS once owned by
Guthrie. Among the trophies is a massive bronze sculpture of 3 racers on
BMWs – its inscription reads ‘The Grand Prix of Europe. The Leader and
Chancellor of the German Reich, Adolf Hitler, 1936.’ It is perhaps typical of
Jimmie that his preferred use for this was as a doorstop.
Guthrie’s son Jimmie, born two months after his father’s death, continued
the family tradition by winning the Senior Manx Grand Prix on a Beart
Norton in the ‘60s, after which he retired from racing.
Steve Hislop, ‘Hizzy’ as he was later known to millions, grew up in the rural
Borders at Southdean, Chesters, a village near Hawick, in the 1960s. Racing
ran in his family – his father, Sandy, had twice won the Manx GP in the 50s
Page 15
and, riding an Aermacchi, had been placed 4th in the World Championship in
1967. He encouraged the interest of Steve and his older brother Gary by
regularly taking them to race meetings at Silloth Airfield. The brothers began
riding old motorcycles in the fields near their home, and soon began entering
competitions. Like his hero Guthrie, Steve was to serve his time as a motor
and motorcycle engineer, learning his trade at the long-established firm of
J.Oliver’s in nearby Denholm, where he stayed for 8 years after leaving
school in 1978. Jim Oliver was to help him in the early stages of his racing
career.
Shortly after Steve began competing in 1979, his father died suddenly of a
heart attack aged only 43. Barely three years later, his brother and best friend
Gary, who had won the 350 Newcomers Race at the 1982 Manx GP, was
killed riding in a club meeting at Silloth. The double blow sent Hislop into a
deep depression. It might have been the end of his racing career had he not
gone on holiday to the IOM for the 1983 TT.
Hislop said later that the racing bug bit him at the 11th Milestone while
watching the battle between Dunlop and Brown in the Senior Classic. He
Page 16
secretly bought an old 350 Yamaha and applied for a racing licence. In his
first IOM race Hislop was placed second – he went on to become a TT
specialist. By 1987 he had scored the first of eleven TT wins. By 1989 he
was riding for Honda Britain, and with top quality machinery, won three TT
races in one week, a treble he would repeat in 1991 when he set an unofficial
lap record that would stand for eight years. In 1992 he took Ron Haslam’s
white 588 Rotary Norton to victory in the Senior TT after an epic battle with
Carl Fogarty.
After Steve Hislop decided to leave TT racing in favour of shorter circuits
things ran less smoothly for him career wise – he himself would refer to the
next few years as the time of the ‘Hizzy Jinx’.
An enigmatic character and a self-confessed loner, Hislop’s nature made him
unable to pursue and snatch sponsorship deals and cash rewards which
should have been his by virtue of his riding talent. He was commercially
naïve, being more interested in racing than off-track politics, and for this
reason never landed the major factory contracts he deserved.
Also, unlike most racers, he was a skilled mechanic who was not prepared
to ride machines he considered poorly set up or downright dangerous, and
he was forthright in stating his views. It was not an attitude that endeared him
to team bosses. He also, by his own admission, sometimes became bored by
racing – when
his normally incredible concentration slipped,
so did his results.
Three
times he was
sacked by teams.
Nonetheless. his
arch-rival John
Reynolds found
himself forced to
describe Hislop
as ‘probably the
fastest man in
the world’.
Page 17
By his legion of motorcycling fans he was considered ‘one of the guys’,
always very approachable off-track. Like Guthrie, he had a common touch,
outspoken as he could be with team managers and sometimes fellow racers.
For many, he was the most exhilarating rider of his generation – fast, fluent,
extremely brave. The term ‘flawed genius’ was used of him more than once,
but as the Rev. Combe observed at his funeral, ‘to say that he was flawed is
to say no more than that he was human.’
Steve Hislop went to live on the Island: where later, like Guthrie, he would
have a memorial erected to him. He was almost the same age as Guthrie had
been in 2002, the year he won the World Superbike Championship for the
second time. It was to be his last big win. He had become interested in flying
and qualified as a helicopter pilot. Having flown up to Roxburghshire for a
visit, he took off one Wednesday in August 2003 for the return flight.
What happened remains a mystery – a Teviothead farmer found the burntout remains of Hizzy’s Robertson helicopter a few hours later. The cause of
the crash has never been satisfactorily explained, the AAIB report stating
that a malfunction ‘could not be eliminated’.
Hislop, like Guthrie, had an enormous turn-out at his funeral, hundreds of
motorcyclists following the cortege through Hawick. In Wilton Park Museum, near where his statue stands facing across to Guthrie’s, there is a
memorial room full of photographs, trophies, sets of leathers, and three of
Hizzy’s bikes, including the first and last ridden by him in competition.
Page 18
Both men are honoured yearly by commemorative rallies which culminate in
the village of Denholm. The Guthrie
Run in June has a high turn-out of vintage machines; the Hizzy Run in September is an altogether larger event,
attracting hundreds of riders who were
fans. To attend either, as spectator or
participant, is a worthwhile experience.
Hawick is approx. 50-60 miles from
either Newcastle (A68) Carlisle (A7) or
Edinburgh (A7 or A68). The town is
surrounded by a network of country
roads which provide excellent motorcycling but need to be intelligently ridden.
Hope I’ve tempted a few members to
come exploring!
Allan Jermieson
Scottish Section
Photos courtesy of Amulree and
acknowledgements to all photographers.
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
BOOK REVIEW
By Jonathan Hill
Possibly due to its exclusive nature, the Thruxton Bonneville seems to
have gained a somewhat mythological status in motorcycle history – this
is probably due to the fact that, until now, very little has been written
about a machine that was not even listed in Triumph’s sales catalogues
so is, in reality, a very rare bike.
Page 22
The legendary Triumph Thruxton Bonnevilles were originally a batch of 52
bikes built by Triumph in 1965 to meet the new homologation requirements
in production racing – a further 100 or so were built and supplied to selected
dealer/entrants and riders. Because they were referred to in the build books
as made “to Thruxton specification” these bikes became known as Thruxton
Bonnevilles, but not by Meriden. Virtually hand-built (with many parts
made and finished in the tool room), supposedly to the homologation rules
of the time, the factory including parts not generally available to the public.
They were very successful racing machines capable of sustained high-speed,
and with the handling to match.
“Triumph Thruxton Bonneville 1959-1969” describes how the Bonneville
was first conceived; the design modifications carried out by the factory,
including details on special “works only” parts for racing, race preparation
and gives detailed descriptions of the major races. The Thruxton was immensely successful at production endurance racing especially at Thruxton
(after which the bike was named), Montjuich Park in Barcelona and the Isle
of Man where John Hartle won the first Isle of Man TT Production Race on
a Thruxton. Then in 1969, Malcolm Uphill recorded the first 100 mph lap by
a production bike and averaged 99.99 mph for the race!
With fascinating tuning anecdotes from designer Doug Hele, forewords by
Les Williams and George Hopwood (who were both closely involved with
the machine’s development), interviews with riders and sponsors, many
previously unpublished factory details and over 300 photographs and illustrations, this excellently researched book (written by life-long Triumph
enthusiast and Thruxton owner Cloudio Sintich), is destined to become the
definitive work on the model and to replace many of the so-called myths
with proven facts – perhaps to the disappointment of those who have paid
dearly for a so-called genuine “Thruxton,” to discover that all they have is a
standard Bonneville with relevant parts fitted after it was sold. It is also an
excellent read.
Author: Claudio Sintich (l’Ingllese)
Price £24.95
Forwards by Les Williams and George Hopwood
Published by Panther Publishing Ltd, 10 Limes Avenue,
High Wycombe, Bucks HP11 1DP Tel.: 01494 534778
E-mail: info@panther-publishing.com
www.panther-publishing.com
Softbank, 195mm x 260mm, 245 pages, approx 300 photographs and illustrations.
ISBN 978-1-909213-20-3
Page 23
Renzo Pasolini – Rider Profile No. 28
Renzo Pasolini, an Italian road racer, was born in Rimini, Italy on the
18th July 1938.
Renzo, a dedicated sportsman, had been
into motocross, boxing and various other
sports before becoming a road racer – his
fitness regime included smoking and being
an enthusiastic party goer!
In 1962, he raced an Aemacchi 125cc and
his first two races saw him finish ahead of
Agostini, leading to their long standing
rivalry. Renzo then took a two year break in
his career for Military Service in Sardinia.
Whilst there he met and married his wife,
Anna.
On his return to Italy, he took up his road
racing career again and, before long, was a
member of the Benelli team. Renzo became a great favourite with the fans
because his unusual, but dangerous, style of riding was exciting to watch and
his rivalry with Agostini and Saarinen was the icing on the cake.
During his short, but successful, career Pasolini had six World Championship Grand Prix wins from 1969 to 1972 – three on 250cc Benellis and three
on Aermacchis. His best Isle of Man TT results being in 1968 when he
finished second to Phil Read in the Lightweight TT, and to Agostini in the
Junior.
Pasolini’s last race was the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on the 20th May
1973. On the first lap of the 250cc race Pasolini fell on an oil spill, Saarinen
ran into him resulting in a multiple pile up – twelve riders were involved.
Sadly both Pasolini and Saarinen were killed and several other riders were
seriously injured.
Page 24
Renzo Pasolini was 34 years of age and left behind his Anna and two
children, daughter Sabrina and son Renzo Stefano.
Dorothy Greenwood
October
8th
18th
Club night. 8.00pm Knock Froy, Santon
Trial. Billown Glen. Start 2pm
November
12th
15th
Club night. 8.00pm Knock Froy, Santon
Trial. Dhoon Quarry, Laxey. Start 2pm
December
10th
20th
28th
Club night. 8.00pm Knock Froy, Santon – Bring and Buy
Trial. Knock Froy, Santon. Pie and cake
Road Run. Christmas Hangover Run.
St Johns. 11.30 for 12 noon start
Page 25
Flogger’s Corner
1948 James Autocycle
Oily rag condition including original paint. Villiers Junior de Luxe engine,
98cc. Has been in shed for about 5 years. Was working fine before being laid
up due to health problems of owner. IOM registered, passed Tromode in
1998. Would be an easy renovation as all parts are available if replacement
parts are needed (but I don't think they are). Must go to a good home!
£600 ovno.
Old Bike magazine
Complete run of all 12 issues. Excellent condition. £40 ovno
Classic Motor Cycle
Complete run from the very first issue under the editorship of the late, great
Bob Currie to the present. Approx 400 issues all in excellent condition.
£1200 ovno
Contact Ian Stone 880454 or Olga Stone 430967, or irs30@cam.ac.uk
Page 26
ONE MAN'S JURBY
For those of you who haven’t
taken to the track at the Festival
of Jurby, Section member John
Dalton talks us through what
this entails.
PIC 1: Meeting the pit crew. Although John was unable to fault
their
enthusiasm,
confusion
reigned when they were asked to
“Balance the carbs”. Despite being a guru of early Hondas, John
Pic 1
was stumped by references to
“Fatty acids”, “Essential proteins” and “Excess starch”. The bike sounded
great on tickover so the carbs were left alone.
PIC 2: Getting the race
face on. You know it’s a
“parade”, but that is no
excuse to miss an apex or
get a line wrong. There is
a crowd of paying punters
who are watching your
every move so concentration is critical.
Pic 2
PIC 3: To the victor, the spoils! After a hard
session (or two) out on track it’s nice to have your
all your hard work appreciated!
Pic 3
Page 27
Jurby Test Day
fun and games
Photo: Vic Bates
Jurby Test Day
more fun and games
Photo: Vic Bates
Section member Dave Ward about to put his
Manx through its paces at the Ramsey sprint
Page 28
The traditional post Road
Run check for missing
nuts, bolts, pillions etc.
A welcome cuppa and cake
after a Road Run in the sun!
A long way from home
but still much admired.
Page 29
It has been suggested to me that members might prefer to receive their copy
of Vintage Mann via email rather than through the post. If you would like to
embrace the digital age in this way then please let me know at
joand.harley@virgin.net and I will pull together a mailing list. If there are
enough people interested then hopefully this should go live for the December
2015 issue.
However, to stop receiving the magazine through the post you will also need
to contact VMCC HQ and ask to be taken off the mailing list, as we do not
keep a list of local member’s postal addresses within the Section. The
magazine will, of course, continue to be available online through the Section’s website. I hope that makes sense but please do get in touch if you have
any questions. Thanks.
Harley
Page 30
For this year’s summer outing we chose Morecambe as an ideal base to
enable three full day’s ‘clover-leaf’ rides – and sixteen of our hardriding section entered. These traditional summer runs in the UK hark
back ten years or more to the days when Harry used to take us to the
Lakeland Section rallies and, since then, we have had two trips to
Scarborough, and now this first trip to the north west area.
Before we left I had warned all riders as follows:
1) Following a dodgy batch of clutch cables three years ago (especially on
Enfields), riders were warned to “OIL YOUR CLUTCH AND THROTTLE
CABLES”. Naughty nipples have long been the source of most problems on
Lakeland rallies, especially with new cables (usually un-oiled) and pressedon nipples (ouch). One member went on an evening shake-down run a
couple of days early and guess what? His clutch cable nipple came off! Of
course he was able to fix this locally before we left, but you have been warned!
2) The petrol station you are passing may be the last one in Yorkshire, and
they’re even rarer in the Lakes.
3) Tyres only go flat at the bottom in bad jokes – keep an eye on your tyre
condition and pressures to prevent them going flat all the way round.
Tuesday, Lake District.
Following Roger on his original route of Carnforth A6/A590 we approached
the lake district via Grange-over-Sands, Flookborough, Cark, Greenodd and
Torver with our first coffee stop at the idyllically placed Bluebird Cafe at
Coniston. The next leg was planned to be over the big passes, but instead we
split up, with some ‘tekkin the low road’, returning via Ambleside/ Lyth
Valley. A break-away group took the ‘hee road’ from Duddon Bridge,
continuing across Bootle Fell to lunch at Ratty Station (which I think Colin
of Lakeland section had originally introduced us to) and returning back via
Eskdale Green and over Ulpha Moor. At Coniston we welcomed Mike and
Alan, a couple of Lakeland section visitors who also popped up the next day
in Hawes.
Page 31
Wednesday, Yorkshire Dales.
Not going quite as far as originally
planned we enjoyed a blast along the
Ribblehead Viaduct road with a coffee stop at Hawes in bright sunshine.
A comfort break at Castle Bolton resulted in helmets and jackets off and,
for some, a leisurely lay-down on the
green. When we got them moving
again lunch was eventually taken at
the Overton House café, Reeth, where
proprietor Fiona actually put up the
‘closed’ sign to accommodate us on
the picnic benches outside in the hot
sun. The return route followed
Swaledale, the famous Buttertubs
Pass, and the Devil’s Bridge at Kirkby
Lonsdale. We also had to again negotiate around the major roadworks surrounding Heysham-Lancaster by
various minor routes between Hest
Bank/Carnforth and Caton/Hornby.
Thursday, Forest of Bowland,
Due to the extensive roadworks building the Lancaster bypass, we cut
through the back lanes again to High
Bentham and then turned due south
following the cycle route to Slaidburn. More coffee and buns at the
Riverside café (lovely and sunny
again), a bit of a mystery tour north of
Clitheroe (sorry chaps) and we then
followed the old coaching route
northward through what was once the
hunting forest of Old Bowland. A late
lunch was taken at the Ship Inn Caton
(who managed to take ¾ hr to serve
Page 32
us, so cross that one off the list!). We split
up again and for those wanting a bit more
riding, Roger led us uphill and downdale
round Arnside, Silverdale and Yealand before delivering us safely back to the hotel, to
join the other members out on the balcony
with a beer in the setting sun.
The Strathmore Hotel on Morecambe prom
looked after us royally, giving us our own
seating area in the dining room, our own
lockable bike garage at the rear, a balcony at
the front for cool beers in the evening sunshine before dinner, and providing entertainment in the bar each evening. The rate
even included all evening meals. Mention
must be made of the quiz in the bar each
evening which we managed to win four
times! – we donated our bottles of
bubbly/boxes of chocs to our fellow residents (the ladies staying at the hotel
on their coach tours).
As far as favourite mounts were concerned, it was a tie between Triumph,
Velocette and Honda (4 each), plus one each of Jawa, Triton, BSA, and
Royal Enfield.
Page 33
“Where did they all go?”
The final night saw a surprise prize presentation by Gary, with most riders
receiving appropriate mementos like ‘The Oil Gusher Trophy’ and the
‘Prince of Darkness Shield’, although the shields for most punctures and
running out of petrol were thankfully unclaimed.
A great time was had by all, and the pressure is already on to do something
similar next year. We had sixteen riders this year and, to an organizer of
routes etc., that figure is just about manageable. There is theoretically no
limit to further riders joining us, but we may have to split ourselves up into
more manageable groups. We could manage about twenty but, above that,
there would be additional considerations like the number of available hotel
rooms and twenty plus riders in a gaggle is a real traffic hazard/ added risk
of losing people etc. So, although most of the 2015 riders have already
booked their places for next year’s ride, if more members want to join in for
2016 then we could consider extending the numbers.
Friday morning found us on our way to the ferry, but instead of heading
straight for the Atomic Arms, I took a detour and led the group across the
Page 34
wet and muddy causeway to Sunderland Point, which was well worth the
effort. Only one member nearly came to grief by trying to cross the centreline of soft mud, the rest of us adopting the trials rider’s maxim of always
sticking to the rut you find yourself in. We did not have time to visit Sambo’s
grave, perhaps next time?
As far as I can remember (or have been bribed to forget) the awards went
something like this, I should add that judging was not an exact science!
Rupert & Jim: Happy Motorcyclists Award - no breakdown or dramas.
Ian Hodgkinson: Castrol Award - for short dipstick.
Paul Langley: Pratts Petrol - Long Distance Award, for using more petrol
than every one else.
Jim Crook: ??????? Award - kept disappearing.
Roger: Navigation Award - leaving Job at the petrol station.
Job: Pratts Petrol Award - getting left at petrol station.
Martin & Ian: Pratts Petrol Award - going back to the IOM to fill up.
Ian: AA Award - top box breaking frame.
Cliff Prince: Castrol Award - single cylinder smoke machine.
Tony: Autosolv Spit & Polish Award - first bike ever cleaned on tour!
Gary: Happy Biker Award - no one thumped him for the micky taking
awards.
Brian Ward: Dunlop Award - Tip toeing in to Grange over Sands on wet
greasy roads.
Phil Ward: Castrol Award – very, very, very long dip stick.
Norman Cowin: Sheep Shagger Award – for removing sheep from the
highway.
Steve Leonard
Page 35
Strangers in a Strange Land
Honda CL250s were never intended for the English market but, in 1962,
a batch of six black CL250s arrived at Honda UK. Presumably destined
for America, they had mistakenly been included with a consignment of
new Honda motorcycles.
As it would have been too costly to simply redeliver them America, the word
was sent out that six “scrambles” Hondas were available in England. Among
the applicants were a motorcycle dealership by the name of Davey Bros. in
Ipswich (Pic 1) and a Honda dealer - Minions of Derby. The first buyer of
the bike for sale at Minions was a Mr Colin Wilkinson, who had seen photos
of the CLs in American motorcycle magazines and jumped at the chance to
buy one. To go with the bike he got a first edition CL parts list book and a
tool kit. Colin entered scrambles and motocross races but with not a lot of
success, unlike the American Dave Ekins who was very successful with his
1962 CL250 in the all important off road market in America. Because of
Page 36
failing health, Colin packed in his racing and moved house to Wales, out in
the country with fresher air.
The bike was laid up for quite a few years and deterioration of the CL
inevitably set in. Colin decided to sell it in 1976 and so gave the bike a bit of
a tidy up and got it road registered for the first time, hoping that having a
logbook would help to sell it. The second (and current) owner of the bike,
Peter Maddocks, got word from a friend of a friend that a Honda CL250 was
up for sale (Peter, like Colin before him, had also seen this style of motorcycle in the American motorcycle magazines). He made contact with Colin in
September 1977 and a deal was done. When Peter got the bike home he
found that there were a lot of missing parts and work to be done on the bike,
but all this would have to wait - the main thing was Peter at last had a CL
Honda!
With work commitments, bringing up a family and two house moves, Peter
satisfied his CL urge with searching for parts that were missing from the
bike. Fortunately for Peter, the bike had come with an original parts book
which helped him enormously in tracking down parts for this rare bike. To
put that into context, although some 89,000 CLs were built by Honda, they
were never officially imported to the UK and, in pre-internet days, Peter’s
restoration was to require a lot of patience, long distance phone calls and
detective work. A seat was required and, surprisingly, he was able to get one
from a parts supplier in England. However, a lot of the items on Peter’s bike
were unique to the early CLs i.e. ribbed and vented rear chain guard (Pic 2),
elaborate holding wire clips for the cable adjusters on the handle bars
(Pic 3), a complex stoplight switch for the rear brake (Pic 4) and the hunt for
these took a long time. Annoyingly for Peter, these items were changed on
later CLs that were to make their way to England in much greater numbers
as private dealers bought bikes in from the USA.
Pic 2
Pic 3
Page 37
Pic 4
As the rebuild progressed, Peter had to tackle issues such the handlebars and
the front mudguard being bent out of shape. However, on these early bikes
the mudguards were made of thick alloy so Peter was able to get them back
to rights with some fine fettling. The frame was powder coated black, the
original wheel rims were re-chromed, spokes cleaned and re-zinced with
Peter building up the wheels himself. The frame was found to be cracked just
by the seat which required careful repair and a replacement was found for
the broken chrome loop at the back of the bike.
As one of the first
CLs to arrive in
the UK (albeit by
mistake!), Peter
wanted to use as
many
original
parts as possible
on the restoration
and, in 2009, the
project was finally
completed. Peter
now lives on the
Pic 5
Isle of Man so not
only can he enjoy riding it to VMCC meetings here but we can
enjoy the fruits of all
his hard work! (Pics 5
and 6)
A special thank you
to Neil Kirby for the
use of photos from
Davey Bros. in 1962.
John Dalton
Pic 6
Page 38
A hearty welcome to these 4 new members:James Labdon, 6 Ballaterson Road, Peel, IM5 1BJ
Bernard Scotter, Down Maughold, Ramsey, IM7 1BG
Robert Simmons, Ballageigh Cres, Jurby Road, Ramsey, IM8 3NZ
Helen Sargent, 15 Glen Vine Park, Glen Vine, IM4 4HA
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