Old Bike Mart
Editorial
In his 1821 autobiography, ‘Confessions of an English Opium Eater,’ Thomas De Quincey wrote, ‘Surely everyone is aware of the divine pleasures which attend a wintry fireside; candles at four o’clock, warm hearth rugs, tea, a fair tea-maker, shutters...
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After parting from his Greeves in spectacular fashion, Malcolm Davis kept a copy of this photo in his shop in Gloucester to remind him to be more careful in future. He was tragically killed during the President’s Trial in 1980 when he was hit by a car...
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The Lampkins – Arthur, John, Alan and Martin – at the 1980 Scottish Six Days Trial. By now the family had won the event on five occasions. Then, along came Martin’s son, Dougie (just four at the time of this photo), who would win the SSDT an astounding...
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At the Woodvale Dragfest in October 1965, a lorry fetches riders back to the start. Holding on to the truck are on the left, Pete Smith (649cc blown Hagon Triumph) and on the right, Priness Perry (the doubleengined ‘Stagefright’ Triumph). Preferring to...
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John Cooper with his BSA Rocket Three racer on which he beat Giacomo Agostini in 1971. Twice. • To find this and thousands more images visit Mortons Archive: www.mortonsarchive.com
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Rolf Tibblin of Sweden and Paul Friedrichs of East Germany enjoying a cuppa between races at Hawkstone Park in July 1965. Tibblin had won the 500cc Motocross World Championship for Husqvarna in 1962 and 1963 and Friedrichs would go on to do the same...
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Vic Allan slithering through the slush on a Bultaco in the Battle of Newbury Motocross race on March 10, 1974. Vic appears in this issue on page 48 as the guest of honour at the recent Moidart Run. [Photo by Nick Nicholls] • To find this and thousands...
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Two glamorous young ladies try out the Monaco sidecar on the Watsonian stand at the Earls Court Cycle and Motorcycle Show of 1964. • To find this and thousands more images visit: Mortons Archive www.mortonsarchive.com
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SUBSCRIPTION ONLY NEXT ISSUE: JUNE 7
As it’s the time of the year for the Scottish Six Days Trial, here’s David Tye of the BSA factory team competing in the 1953 event. David had previously ridden the works flat twin trials Douglas before joining BSA to ride Gold Stars. • To find this...
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George Brough with the SS100 Alpine Grand Sport Prototype on which he won the 1925 London to Edinburgh Trial and the Victory Cup Trial in 1926 (it also won the London to Exeter Trial that year, ridden by JP Castley) before selling the machine to Prince...
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Editorial
We are all familiar with the circular blue plaques that are attached to buildings and denoting that a prominent person once resided within those walls. But have you ever wondered just when blue plaques started to appear? Much to my surprise, the blue...
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Peter Fraser and Bill Banks try out their new Royal Enfield Constellation and Swallow sidecar while heading for the famed Elephant Rally in Germany in 1963. • To find this and thousands more images visit: Mortons Archive www.mortonsarchive.com
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Editorial
It was with sadness that I received the news in November that the British Motorcycle Preservation Society of North Wales has ceased to exist. While I know that clubs rise and fall over time as membership waxes and wanes, it is still unfortunate to see...
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On a smaller machine than we generally associate with him, Barry Sheene is pictured on a Suzuki FR50 while Suzuki GB racing manager Rex White is astride his racing 500cc twin. What’s with the moped, you may ask. Barry had just bought it for his mum,...
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From Coventry comes this photo of his-and-hers 250cc machines waiting at a zebra crossing. The lady is riding a 1959 Triumph Tigress while her companion is aboard an early Ariel Leader. The number 3 bus route still exists although, sadly, without the...
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The Mitcham & District Lambretta Club – aka ‘The Goons’ – taking part in the Esso Scoot To Scotland, a 24hour event which started from various parts of the country and ended in Edinburgh. The club’s president was Harry Secombe, hence the name, and they...
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NEXT ISSUE: OCTOBER 5
In 1931, aged 22, Justine Tibesar bought a 350cc FN M-70 from a dealership in Saigon and learned to ride in just three days. Despite accidents and illnesses, Belgian Justine rode alone through Asia and Europe and is seen here arriving in Turin, Italy,...
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The gold BSA A65 Lightning, complete with rocket launchers, that was supposedly ridden by Lucianna Paluzzi as SPECTRE agent Fiona Volpe – actually racer Bill Ivy in a blonde wig! – in the 1965 James Bond film, Thunderball. As the film bike ended up in...
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In 1943 Captain Philip Slessor’s voice was the first to be heard on the British Forces Broadcasting Service. He went on to broadcast for the BBC (hosting Variety Bandbox until 1952, after which he was the first presenter of Radio 2’s Friday Night is...
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