available

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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
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Page 3
Page 5
Page 9
Page 14
Page 20
Page 23
Page 24
Page 27
Page 28
Page 34
Page 39
Chairman's Chat
Secretary's Notes
Yellow Belly Notes "If you go down to the woods today.."
The Vincent is Dead! - Long live the Vincent
The Stillborn JAWA Boxer
Book Review - The Rugged Road
Forthcoming Events
VMCC Trial Results
Ray Amm - Rider Profile No. 16
Sons of Thunder - Pt 4 - Allan Jermieson
Motorcycles - Part 5 - Bob Thomas
Past Problems
Editor: Job Grimshaw
Sub Editor: Harley Richards
Cover Pic - John Barton on Rupert Murden’s GSXR 750 at Governors
Bridge en route to second place in the Classic Superbike Manx Grand
Prix. They purchased the bike on eBay!
Page 1
Chairman’s chat
Dear Members,
I hope that you are getting in some riding despite the weather. Its got to
warm up soon surely?
The TT is now upon us and I am sure that you will wish Brian Ward and
his team every success with the TT rally.
Hopefully you have chosen to enter in time, as all events take a great deal
of pre-planning and commitment, and it is always gratifying to see some
returns for your efforts.
At this time the Manx Grand Prix is under scrutiny and discussion, the outcome will inevitably affect our Rally and the Jurby event.
It is your committee’s decision not to make any statement on this matter
other than to agree to work with all parties to achieve the best possible outcome for our, and the festival’s events.
We intend to continue to “talk up” the `Manx and be positive in all our discussions.
Following on this theme, Tony, Rupert, Ros. and Chris Procter and I attended the Stafford show on behalf of the Govt. to run the Isle of Man
stand promoting the Island and the Manx in particular, we took along three
bikes from different eras and were joined by Ryan Farquhar’s winning
classic Paton kindly loaned by Roger Winfield.
The stand was well attended and I think everybody visiting was left in no
doubt that the Island is open for business and ready to welcome everyone
who comes over.
Finally, if you intend to attend our Jurby event your assistance will be
gratefully received, even if for only an hour there is a job for you!
Best wishes
Richard
Page 2
Secretary’s Notes
Hi Everyone,
The T.T. is here, and I hope everyone enjoys the event and stays safe. It
will be very interesting for us locals to see how successful the innovations
of the snooze box and the fanzones are, it will be great if they prove to
bring a financial gain to IOM PLC.
We have had many new members this year, but hardly ever see you out on
the Club runs. We are a friendly bunch and it is always great to see a new
face, so please roll up and make yourself known. If you need any further
details on any of the runs, just give me a call on 878242, mobile 474074,
or email me [email protected]. The average club run attracts 40-50 signing on, it would be great to see that number up to 70+.
The month of May saw the Club arrange a visit to Elder Grange Nursing
home, organised by Brian Ward. Congratulations must go to Brian and to
all those who attended. This is really appreciated by the staff and residents
and a thank you card has been received.
Clive Robinson and I attended the Hospice day centre at Nobles in April
with one of my Greeves, and I gave a potted history of the Greeves Motor
Cycle Factory. These activities take very little effort by Club members but
give great pleasure to those less fortunate than ourselves.
Please don’t forget that the VMCC Festival of Jurby requires a massive effort from Club members, to date only 4 or 5 volunteers have come forward
with offers of help. We need a lot more, you voted for the Section to take
on this task and now is the time to show support for your Club. Hopefully
there is money to be made for Club funds from Jurby, and this will be for
the benefit of all our members. You all have my contact details or contact
Gary Corlett.
I am please to say that the T.T. Rally is resurrecting the T.T. BBQ which
will take place on Tuesday June 5th. For those not in the Rally, tickets are
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available from Pat or myself at a cost of £15 each. The Manx Jazz Aces
will be entertaining us.
I don’t wish to say anything about the new proposals for the MGP Festival
2013, I am sure most of you have read the details in the press. The Dept of
Economic Development remain fully committed to the VMCC MGP Rally,
the Festival of Jurby and the VMCC MGP Parade so let us hope that the
DED and the MMCC can overcome their differences for the benefit of all
concerned.
Lastly I would like to mention a charity event being held here in Kirk
Michael to raise money for the Hospice. It is on Saturday July 21st in the
afternoon, with tea on the lawn [weather permitting], stalls and a display by
the Manx Jazz Cats. Tickets will be available from Pat or myself. The Hospice plays a very important role in the community, as many of our members can vouch for, do come along if you can.
Tony
Donations to the Hospice in memory of Clive Robinson's wife Irene, came
to £1,656.00. Clive wishes it to be known that he is very grateful to
everyone who donated.
A hearty welcome to these nine new members:Alan Warner - 4 Castle Street, Peel, IM5 1AN
Michael RE Hentall - 8 Larivane Meadows, Andreas, IM7 4JD
David Haynes - Sundawn, Pinfold Hill, Lonan, IM4 7HL
David R. Peach - 7, Scarlett Road, Castletown, IM9 1NT
Robbie Bruce Gill - Heathercliffe, Ballageb Crossing,
Lonan, Laxey, IM4 7HB
James Blanchard - Porch Cottage, 27 Shore Road, Peel, IM5 1AP
John Madden - Ballacannell, Lonan, Laxey IM4 7HH
Stephen Lace - Balley Dowin. Baldhoon Road, Laxey, IM4 7ND
Max Stewart - 28 Snaefell Crescent, Onchan, IM3 4NH
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Yellow Belly Notes
British Historic Racing came to during the week-end of 19/20th May, and
with it, a new race class; British, European, American Racing and
Supporters, or, to use the acronym, “BEARS”.
The class is for bikes
derived from production
road-going motorcycles
freely available to the
public prior to 31st
December 1985. To score
points in the six race
meeting
series,
competitors must be a
member of the V.M.C.C..
(Pic 1: Ben Kingham on
the BMW K100RS at the
inaugural race at in April.)
When the series was first
suggested it seemed an
attractive
proposition;
Pic. 1
Laverdas,
Ducatis,
BMWs and Moto Guzzis
racing together, and they
were just the obvious
ones. Or would the entry
be mainly British bikes
already entered in other
classes and simply having an extra ride? Your correspondent was fired up
(not a common occurrence these days) and discussions over mugs of tea in
Pic 1
sheds in the Louth area ensued.
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After the initial
burst of “I know,
I’ll get a Benelli
Six or a Harley
Davidson
Shovelhead”,
I
settled
on
something I felt
more at home with,
Moto Guzzi, and so
the winter build
began (Pic 2).
Pic 2
As usual the bike is
not yet ready, but I
am pleased to say that others are far better organized. The grid at Cadwell
was varied and interesting with well-prepared bikes. (Pic 3:A 1980 Laverda
Barcelona.)
Pic 3
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Pic 4
The experienced BMW rider Ron Maul had adapted a 1971 R75/5 and
produced a superb racer looking for all the world like a “stealth fighter” (Pic
4). He rode with his customary style and speed in cold and damp conditions.
Novice rider Rob
Lawton was very
quick on his 1975
Laverda Jota (Pic 5)
and he will doubtless
become one of the
stars of the series. I
encountered
Rob
some years ago at Spa
where
he
was
circulating as quickly
as you like and his
exploits can be seen
on “You Tube”.
Pic 5
Page 7
Last word must go to a Moto Guzzi (even if ours is not ready). Nigel Clark’s
1972 V7 Sport shows just how challenging the conditions were (Pic 6).
Pic 6
Imagine tipping into the Gooseneck (Cadwell Gooseneck that is) on that
thing and changing down just a fraction of a second too early. The
momentary lock-up of the back wheel concentrates the mind and the benefits
of shaft drive become less apparent. Still, a good beginning to the BEARS
series and who knows, I may even have my bike ready for the next report.
Pat Sproston: Louth, Lincolnshire
Picture Quiz
Can you name anyone on this photo and what is the occasion? ANS. P26
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The VINCENT is DEAD!
Long Live the Vincent
One of the notable aspects from the annals of production racing back in
the late 60s/70s was simply that the class became so popular that
manufacturers built works specials to get their names to the front of the
grids. Names like Velocette Thruxton,Triumph Thruxton, 120 Bonneville,
and Norton Yellow Peril were well enough known. However, there were
machines registered with the ACU for production class racing that were
less so. Like the Cotton Conquest for instance, or the Dresda H900, or
the Vincent Shadow 70. Vincent what? I hear you say. Read on.
There have been many attempts some recent and even some on-going, to
revive the Vincent marque and in various guises. Such is the enduring
popularity of Phillip Vincent’s original 1944 design. In the mists of time,
mine, I owned three Vincents and was a dyed-in-the-wool vee twin
enthusiast. The dye was not indelible, though, as each one was interspersed
with other models.
At the time, I was a road racer in waiting as you might say, and possessed
of such singular lack of mechanical sympathy that these, and indeed several
vertical twins as well, soon succumbed when subjected to my repeated
attempts to persuade them to deliver more performance, for which read
RPM rather more than their designers intended.
One notable attempt to put the Stevenage warhorse back on top was
masterminded by Roger Slater, who runs a most adequately equipped
engineering company and indeed later was responsible for developing the
Laverda Jota, which I also managed to break.. He had plenty of views on
the various foibles of the original machine and devised his own solutions.
The most obvious of which was the rolling chassis, copied under an
arrangement with Fritz Egli of Switzerland, and produced a bike that was
actually registered as the Vincent Shadow 70 (1970). Indeed, it actually
appeared in several production races.
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When you have studied the model on the left, the model on the right is the Slater
Vincent 70. The husky fellow is Roger Slater talking to the gent with the sideburns, John Renwick, of Vincent sprinting fame. Reay MacKay, well known Vincent racer at the time is looking on with his young daughter. The photo was
provided by Ann Guy.
Fritz Egli’s spine frame accommodated several motors and found wide
favour and a reputation for good handling. In essence though, of itself, it
was not so different from the Vincent ‘box bridge’ construction from which
the motor was suspended. However, a decent set of telescopic forks, plus
swinging arm certainly transformed the handling. Unfortunately, my notes
from all those years ago lack the maker’s details.
The differences between the old and the new go a lot deeper than the
obvious differences like teleforks and swinging arm rear suspension,
though I seem to remember seeing George Brown riding a model equipped
with 7R teles. Roger’s facelift went all the way, in fact deep down, right to
the vitals of the massive vee-twin motor.
What many might have called the Achilles heel of the original design was
the Servo Vincent clutch. Certainly I have many an unpleasant memories of
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a clutch that both slipped and dragged on the same day. Dragged through
the traffic and slipped while out of the limit and ready to use the quoted
125 mph, no chance!! Many an owner in those days gone by fitted a
modified Norton clutch, and Roger’s ‘new’ Shadow had a multiplate clutch
of conventional design that gave a beautifully smooth and light action, yet
exhibited no traces of slip. There were seven AMC friction plates.
On the other end of the clutch, as you might say, was standard Vincent gear
cluster, though modified
to provide what is called
double backlash. This
condition is obtained by
removing every other
tooth and enables much
quicker engagement at
high engine revs, a thing
that can be difficult with
the unmodified cluster.
You once had to pause
and synchronise the revs
properly before
engagement was certain.
The modification was a
well-known one to
racers of the big twins
and means that you
could swop the cogs as
fast as the pedal could
be operated. In fact,
Roger Slater still
maintains that the new
clutch contributed much
to the efficiency and
longevity of the
gearbox, and that those
failures became a thing David Dunfey on his replica Vincent Grey Flash,
of the past, wish I’d
racing at Miller Motorsports road racing facility, Utah
2011 See full article in September edition
known at the time.
Page 11
At the heart of the matter, the big ends are of tougher construction than
originally. The common crankpin is 1¼ in shouldered carrying a caged
roller setup, and the oil pump is now of the two-start variety, which makes
for a more copious supply to all the vital parts and means that 6000 rpm is
now a regular and safe maximum.
The breathing department received plenty of attention. Timing gears are
now made of steel and the cam forms are those used in the Black
Lightning-model. Cam followers are stellite faced to reduce wear. Rocker
arms run on needle roller bearings; exhaust valves are of Nimonic 80 and
the springs are by Cosworth. The beast is fed via 32 mm Del'orto carbs
type SSI; pistons are 9:1cr, Specialoid manufacture.
The Fritz Egli design features a massive tubular spine, which like the
Vincent design, acts as the oil tank and from which conventional forks are
suspended with swinging arm to provide the rear. Front wheel is 18 in with
a twin sided, twin leading shoe brake of Grimeca make; the rim is a 300 x
18 in Dunlop and in those days the ‘boot’ was a racing triagular.
So was it all worthwhile? Well I do remember quite clearly that day at
Silverstone, a SUNBAC meeting for cars and bikes and run on the club
circuit. The race was a pushstart affair, since the event was open to
anything on two wheels, even the odd manx Norton, some production
machines to be sure, and a selection of stripped and tuned racing twins. In
all, the field was about 45 strong with some more than useful opposition.
Some four years previously, I’d raced a Thruxton Bonneville on that track,
so I had a benchmark. I'd won the production race and set a lap record in a
time of 1 min 11.8 sec. So that was to be the target.
So out on to the circuit behind most of the field, and with a gentle tweak of
the throttle the motor sort of lazily wound itself up and broke into a canter,
then into Copse Corner when I put it firmly down to see what sort of
reaction there might be from the bike. Not that there should have been too
much reaction anyway, since the corner was a smooth one and posed no
particular problems. It did not; out of the right-hander the 50 or so foot
wide track opens up and disappears over the horizon, where the next
feature is a gently curving left-hander with a fair succession of ripples that
Page 12
are the real test of roadholding at Silverstone, since one takes this one
absolutely flat out in top. This must be fair clapping along on anything at
all rapid and I could tell after half a mile that this was going to be - but
rapid.
No sooner did I get the bike back upright again than I found myself
approaching, rather hurtling up to, Becketts. This is an acute hairpin bend
that takes you right back on yourself and back towards the pits; it's the
second part of the triangle that comprises the Silverstone circuit and the
1000 yard straight leads up to Woodcote Corner which is just in front of the
start/finish line, then, I noticed this lever...…
Pictures kindly supplied by David Dunfey
To be continued …...
Ray Knight
FLOGGERS CORNER
BSA Rocket 3, 1969. 14000 miles from new. Owned for over 20
years, has matching numbers. Repainted, rechromed, powder coated
frame, stainless bolts where possible. £14,500 Tele Tim Layhe on
466810
Page 13
The Stillborn JAWA Boxer
Funny how the mind works sometimes. A short piece in 'Torque', the
Jawa – CZ Club magazine prompted a flashback to a long forgotten time
in the 1980's. I was standing outside Ensign Motors in Southport, idly
studying the new 250 CZ in the window, when Horace the proprietor
popped out, full of enthusiasm. He couldn't wait to fill me in on the latest
Jawa. A flat twin, he said, with five gears and a top speed of over 90. He
would give me a bell as soon as one arrived. Exciting news, but
unfortunately it was not to be......
In the early 1980's, Jawa were still producing bread and butter ride to work
two stroke machines developed from a long line stretching back to the late
1940's. The model 10 ' Springer' 250 singles designed during the Second
World War started production in 1946. Ogar, another Czech factory, was
taken over by Jawa in 1948. The Ogar 350 twin cylinder two stroke engine
was fitted into the 'Springer' frame and became the model 12. These two
machines, very advanced in their day, were the basis for all the later two
strokes produced by Jawa.
Apart from the speedway bikes and the road racing Jawas, used to such
good effect by Frantisek Stastny and Gustav Havel, (2nd & 3rd in the 1961
350cc World Championship) the last four stroke in production was the
lovely, unit construction, Jawa 500 OHC. Designed in the early 50's, it
achieved a top speed of 90mph. Remarkably, it was fitted in virtually the
same square tube frame as the two smaller models.
So the news that Jawas were to produce a revolutionary four stroke flat
twin in 1984 marked a complete change in policy, heading in a new, up
market direction. The significance of this cannot be overstated. The R&D
department had carried on producing excellent new designs over the years
,which mostly due to political restraints, had not come to fruition. Some of
these were sold to other firms around the world. Here at last was a model
to carry Jawa forward into the future.
Page 14
Acknowledgements to the photographer
The prototype Jawa 824. Development started in 1979 and ten were built
in 1984. It was designed by the Research and Development Plant NP Jawa,
and the subject of several patents, under copywright licence no184898.
Originally a 350 it was uprated to 487cc
The superb and
innovative
engine, with five
speed gearbox
underneath, to
allow the contra
rotating
mainshaft to
counteract
torque reaction.
Note the
cylinders are
cleverly rotated
90 degrees from
normal practice
Acknowledgements to the photographer
Page 15
to put the exhaust below and the inlet above the cylinder. This permits the
carburettors to be positioned above the engine away from the riders
feet..All this results in a shorter wheelbase than other boxers.
On the prototypes the overhead camshafts operated two, or in the case of
the sports model, four valves per cylinder. The gearing could be changed
by the owner, presumably to suit solo or sidecar. Both electric and kick
start were fitted. The cylinder configuration was just over-square at 68mm
bore by 67mm stroke. Output was 27 Kw giving a very respectable top
speed of 150 km/h.(93mph) Fuel consumption was 5 litres /100Km (52
mpg), and total weight 175Kg (388 lb)
This cross section emphasises how compact the engine -gearbox is.
The contra -rotating clutch is geared directly to the crankshaft at the front
of and below the engine (top of pic). Driven by individual chains from
sprockets on either side of the crankshaft, the single overhead camshafts
open the valves through rockers. The hemispherical combustion chambers
with domed pistons are with the two valve head. Wonder what the four
valve looked like !
Page 16
The generator sits neatly at the rear of the engine, while the 'sideways on'
gear lever protrudes from under the drive behind the left hand cylinder.
Sparking plugs face the front, good for cooling, but perhaps need
protection from the elements. What appears to be a drive chain, just in front
of the main bearing, on the front of the crankshaft, is possibly to the starter
motor which can be seen on some pics sitting on top of the engine
Acknowledgements to the photographer
Several different styling cues, wheels etc, were tried on the prototypes.
Personally I like the grey engine!
Why did this super bike never reach production? No-one seems to know!
We can only guess. Perhaps the Jawa engine, which apart from cylinder
configuration and air cooling was quite similar in design to the Honda CX
500 which started production a few years earlier, infringed Honda patents.
Page 17
Acknowledgements to the photographer
On the other hand, I have heard that these first ten engines were actually
manufactured in Russia, possibly because the Rusky's felt that flat twins
were their remit. So the problem could have been that no more engines
were supplied.
A third option could be that the Communist overlords simply vetoed the
project, as they did with the very successful CZ Cezeta scooter, putting
hundreds of employees (mostly female) out of work!
Where are these ten prototype bikes now? They seem to be mostly in Czech
museums although one picture seems to indicate a Dutch owner, with the
bike still on the road. One thing is certain, when the Boxer failed to
materialise, a great opportunity was lost, perhaps for ever, to open up a
section of the world market previously untapped by Jawa.
So, sadly, I never did get that phone call from my friend Horace at
Ensign Motors.
Job Grimshaw
Page 18
Page 19
BOOK REVIEW
Page 20
By Jonathan Hill
London to Cape Town overland by Panther motorcycle and sidecar, pulling a trailer! No roads, no back up - just straight across the Sahara through
equatorial Africa, and south to the Cape – in 1935, without even a compass!
This is quite simply the most amazing motorcycle journey ever told and a
revelation to today’s travellers. Theresa Wallach and friend Florence Blenkiron
were remarkable women in a male-dominated world – Wallach gaining a degree
in mechanical engineering; both were successful competition riders and, together with Beatrice Schilling, were the only women to lap Brooklands at over 100
m.p.h. When “Blenk” wanted to visit relations in Cape Town, Theresa suggested that they go by road. They spent a year planning the 7,500-mile expedition,
but had great difficulty in obtaining assistance or sponsorship from an industry
very wary of adverse publicity. However Phelon & Moore showed considerable
interest in the two ladies and agreed to supply them with a carefully prepared
600cc Model 100 Panther fitted with extra heavy duty Webb forks, stronger
spokes, large section tyres, wider mudguards and a car-sized dynamo. Watsonian supplied the touring sidecar with tradesman’s trailer, John Edgington the
tent that fitted on top of the trailer and clothing manufacturers their tropical
outfits and special topee helmets. Undeterred by nomads, sand drifts, heat, rain,
rivers, breakdowns and politics, Theresa Wallach and Florence Blenkiron
completed a journey that might well defeat a modern machine today. From
oasis to oasis arguing with the French Foreign Legion for permission to continue – and winning; fashioning a tow hitch for the trailer when it broke in the
desert; replacing a broken con rod in Agadez. Meeting lions, gorillas and snakes
on the road, staying in African villages and meeting an amazing variety of
friendly and helpful people on the way - from nomads to missionaries; pigmies
to ambassadors. It is also an account of a remarkable adventure by two women
who had to overcome all the prejudice and problems of their day as well as the
physically demanding task of riding across the Sahara and the length of Africa.
This second edition included several new photographs and provides more
details on Theresa’s life after this epic journey. Quite simply, an awesome story
and an excellent read.
Author: Theresa Wallach
Introduction and biographies by Barry M. Jones
Published by Panther Publishing Ltd, 10 Limes Avenue, High Wycombe,
Bucks HP11 1DP Tel.: 01494 534778
E-mail: [email protected]
www.panther-publishing.com
Softback, 155mm x 235mm, 174 pages, approximately 48 photographs and illustrations
ISBN 978-0-9564975-2-9
Price £15.00
Page 21
Page 22
June
Thursday 21st - Evening Road Run, in memory of all our old friends.
Start from Glen Helen Inn 7.15 for 7.30pm Suitable for older machines
and sidecars, but all welcome Organiser Rupert Murden.
July
Sunday 22nd - The Charles Craine Memorial Run from Sea Terminal
1.45 for 2.00pm start. Organiser Steve Price.
August
Sunday 5th - Road Run and BBQ. Start Waterfall Pub, Glen Maye
1.45 for 2.00pm start. Organiser Dudley Robinson.
Sunday 19th - Trial. Pooil Vaash, Castletown. Start 2.00pm.
September
Thursday 13th - Club Night. Knock Froy, Santon Film Night. 8.00pm.
Page 23
VMCC TRIALS RESULTS
Handicap Trial
Ballagaraghyn, Jurby
Sunday 18th March 2012
Marks lost + Handicap=Total
1, Steven Lace
6+56 = 62;
2, Sammy Ball (Fantic)
0+70 = 70;
3, Paul Ansermoz ('75 Yamaha)
9+66 = 75;
4, Brian Kinrade ('75 Suzuki)
7+68 = 75;
5, Geoff Griffiths (Fantic)
3+75 = 78;
6, Nigel Woods ('80 Fantic)
10+71 = 81;
7= Russell Millward (1983 Honda)
0+81 = 81;
8= Paul Doherty ('83 Yamaha)
0+81 = 81:
9, Simon Tyer (Yamaha)
7+79 = 86;
10,Chris Bridson (Yamaha)
31+56 = 87;
11, Paul Smith (Suzuki)
0+91 = 91;
12, Sam Ansermoz (Kawasaki)
1+92 = 92;
13, Andrew Brown (Gas Gas)
1+96 = 97;
14, Daniel Smith (Suzuki)
0+104 = 104;
15, Mark Moyer (Honda)
20+85 = 105;
16, Robert Clague (Sherco)
7+109 = 116;
17, Jason Whittaker (Gas Gas)
5+120 = 125;
18, Paul Wilcock (Gas Gas)
11+119 = 130;
VMCC Members
1 Andy Sykes(Rigid BSA )
0 + 34 = 34;
2 Ian Harland (AJS)
1+44 = 45;
3 David Haynes (Triumph)
2+49 = 51;
4, Kevin Whiteway (Royal Enfield)
6+48 = 54;
5, Tom Mason ('63 BSA )
7+55 = 62;
6, Phil Ward ('76 Bultaco)
0+62 = 62;
7, Stuart Clague ('82 Fantic)
0+62 = 62;
8, Shaun Huxley (James)
0+64 = 64;
9, Ian Sleight (Honda)
19+58 = 77;
10, G.Hooson-Owen ('62 BSA)
3+75 = 78,
11, Chas Watson ('82 Honda)
3+75 = 78,
12, Steve Taylor (Honda)
15+75 = 90,
13, Mike Ellis (Kawasaki)
26+67 = 93,
14, Brent Seal (Yamaha)
0+95 = 95;
15, Chris Procter (Ossa)
39+61 = 100,
16, Richard Bairstow (Yamaha)
41+67 = 108,
17, Joe Wood (Bultaco)
39+91 = 130,
18, Stuart Bedford (BSA)
66+80 = 146;
Non Members
Youth
1, Tom Cairns
13+130 = 143
Page 24
Invitation A Route
Garey Mooar Trial
marks lost
1, Russell Millward (Honda)
4
Sunday 16 April 2012
2, Sammy Ball (Fantic)
8
VMCC Members A Route
3, Colin Scarffe (Triumph)
(26 cleans);
16
4, Daniel Woods (Beta)
(25 cleans);
16
5, Nigel Woods (Fantic)
22
6, Paul Smith (Suzuki)
25
7,Steven Lace (Triumph)
26
8, Paul Ansermoz (BSA)
43
9, Paul Doherty (Yamaha)
45
10, Jason Whittaker (Gas Gas)
49
11, Dan Smith (Triumph)
52
12, Juan Brain (Yamaha)
53
13, Mark Moyer (Honda)
73
Invitation B Route
marks lost
1, Brian Kinrade (Suzuki)
21
2, Andy Sykes (Gas Gas)
25
3, Chris Bridson (Yamaha)
50
marks lost
1, Jim Davidson - Triumph
5
2, Kevin Whiteway (Honda)
7
3, Phil Ward (Bultaco)
11
4, Brent Seal (Yamaha)
12
5, Shaun Huxley (James)
15
6, Graham Thomas (Honda)
18
7,Gwilym Hoosen-Owen (BSA )
61
8, Ashley Gardner (BSA)
84
VMCC Members B Route
1, Joe Wood (Bultaco)
16
2, Ian Sleight (Honda)
26
3, Mike Harding (Suzuki)
34
4,Steve Taylor (Honda)
37
5, Mike Ellis (Kawasaki)
45
6, Justin Warby (Yamaha)
51
Youth A Route
7, Chris Procter (Ossa)
70
1, Oliver Lace (Scorpa)
2, Ashley Gardner (Gas Gas)
marks lost
4
10
Your Club Needs You!
Helpers and Observers are always needed at the
VMCC Trials. If you would like to assist and have a
pleasant day out, please phone Sean Seal on 834855
Page 25
Picture Quiz - Answer
L to R 1. Herbie Mills of Onchan, Gary Corletts grandfather. 2. The late
Phil Haslam. 3. Mal Carter his sponsor. 4. Brian Mills, Gary Corletts
Uncle. 5. The next chap is unknown, and last but not least 6. a young,
angelic, Gary Corlett . The occasion was the presentation of a £100 cheque,
put up by Herbie, to Phil, for the first 100 MPH lap in the MGP
Page 26
W.R. Amm was born on 10th
December 1927 , Salisbury
Rhodesia
He had six World Championship Grand Prix wins as a Norton Works Rider
He competed in the Isle of Man
T.T. from 1951 - 1954
1952 I.O.M. T.T. Senior 3rd
Norton
1953 I.O.M. T.T. Junior 1st
350 Norton
1953 I.O.M. T.T. Senior 1st
500 Norton
1954 I.O.M. T.T. Senior 1st
500 Norton
In addition he won 1952 Italian G.P. Monza 350 Norton
1954 Ulster G.P. Dundrod 350 Norton
1954 German G.P. Solitude
- 350 Norton
Sadly he died on April 1955
during the Shell Gold Cup at
Imola, it was his first outing
on a M.V.Agusta. He slid
off, hit an iron post and was
killed
In typical foot-down style - Ray on the streamlined
500cc Norton - 1954 Senior TT
Dorothy Greenwood
Page 27
Sons of Thunder
Pt 4 -
The Superior motorcycles of Aircraftman Shaw
In the RAF using the name T.E.Shaw, Lawrence had just been posted to
RAF Cattewater in Plymouth.
When Lawrence arrived Cattewater was still waiting for its full complement
of aircraft, equipment and tools, so he had time on his hands. He wrote
Trenchard in April “… The bike is magnificent. It has taken me twice to
London, fastest time 4 hours 44 minutes. The Cornish Riviera train is 13
minutes better than that, but it does not start at Hyde Park and finish at
Cattewater …”
pic Bonhams
The 1934 Brough Superior SS100 996cc one of 8 completed in that year
Page 28
He was mildly annoyed by an article published in ‘John Bull’, which
reported that he “was not much troubled with RAF duties” and spent his time
among other things in “tinkering with his ‘super-sports’ motor bicycle.”
At the end of the month Lady Astor arrived to visit Lawrence at Cattewater
– he took her for a ride on the ‘flapper-bracket’ of his Brough. Also in April
Lawrence wrote B.E.Leeson regarding some of the newspaper articles about
himself “... please believe that I don’t love or hate the entire sex of women.
There are good ones and bad ones, I find, much the same as men and dogs
and motorcycles …”
In July 1929, still busy with his Schneider Cup duties, he wrote “…The new
Brough is good but this is June and she has done only 3500 miles.
Something very wrong … Brough will disown me if I ride so little ...”.
In August, writing about proposed RAF reforms to Liddell-Hart, he
commented “... Pillion-riding on motorcycles – airmen are the only people
in England forbidden it: Not soldiers, not sailors. It’s rather an insult …”
By September the Schneider Cup was
over with an RAF victory; Lawrence was
able to write in October “… I was trying
a new thing for George Brough and its
engine had run so remarkably that I was
half-a-hour in advance of schedule. So I
said ‘Manchester’…and swirled off there
to pass the time of day with you …”
Unfortunately his friend [B.E.Leeson]
was not at home.
At the beginning of October, Cattewater
had officially become RAF Mount
Batten. The following month, writing to
Acknowledgements
to the photographer
John Brophy, Lawrence remarked that he
had given up writing but was doing
Aircraftsman Shaw
translations of Greek and French books
at Cattewater
because “... the publishers pay me well
… the proceeds very usefully supplement my RAF pay, which isn’t enough
for my motor-bike’s costs …”
Page 29
By the following February he was complaining to Mrs Shaw “…poor
Boanerges has rusted all over, and I only rub more grease over him, instead
of going out for a long fast run…”. Bad weather and his translation of
‘Odyseus’ were responsible. But in September he was writing Henry
Williamson with the same complaint “… the bike rusts in the garage … I am
always saying ‘I will go out this weekend’ and when the time comes I cannot
get into breech and puttees [his riding gear] and moon about …”. However
in December he rode up to visit Lady Astor at Cliveden “...and what an
excellent ride back I had, including a race across the plain with a sports
Bentley; well, not so much a race as a procession for the Bentley, which only
did 88. I wished I had a peeress or two on my flapper bracket ! …”
Acknowledgements to the photographer
In early February1931, a Blackburn Iris III, a large biplane flying- boat used
for maritime reconnaissance, crashed while landing in the Sound. Both
Page 30
Lawrence and the Smiths witnessed the accident, which was due to pilot
error. Lawrence and his CO tried to organize the rescue of the survivors –
but the launches then in use as seaplane tenders, which were of standard
naval design, proved useless as rescue boats, and those not killed in the crash
died in the water. Lawrence later contemptuously described these launches
as “...a development of the hollowed-out tree trunk ...”.
Both he and Smith were convinced that the RAF needed a new generation of
boats for air-sea rescue – powerful, fast, and with good handling capabilities,
and had been campaigning to have such craft introduced. Both were familiar
with the advances made in hard chine hull design by the British Power Boat
Company at Hythe.
By April 1931 the RAF had created a research team to conduct the trials and
evaluation of new types of marine craft for the service, and Lawrence, as
mechanic and tester, was heavily involved from the beginning. That month
he wrote Robert Graves “… imagine me ... oilskin covered, urging
speedboats up and down Southampton Water through the wind and rain at
noisy rates I am frozen and soaked, but interested ... a job worth doing ...
engrossing, and very exhausting…”
Motor-boats were to seriously interrupt Lawrence’s motor-cycling over the
next four years – but in them he found the joy of speed that he found on his
Broughs, with the added bonus that he was doing a job he considered both
interesting and worthwhile.
In June he wrote Lady Astor from Plymouth “…We had a hard seven and a
half hours run down from Southampton in our motor boat, got in before 7pm,
made down our beds, and slept nobly till Sunday morning. Ring me up and
we will meet. No pillion. The new Traffic Act puts pillion riding beyond
modest means and forces the love-sick to screw nasty iron spring-things to
their back mudguards ...’ By 25th June T.E had enough spare time to launch
his own speedboat “… went off to Polperro in Cornwall, a 25 mile run.
Sparkling sea and sun out; soft rain with a choppy sea, home. The poor
boat’s first run for months ...”
Page 31
Lawrence had found lodgings at Myrtle Cottage in Hythe, near the BPBC
boat yard. He was to stay there for ten months, and would return later for a
shorter period. A blue commemorative plaque now marks the cottage, the
only building associated with Lawrence still in existence in the area. The
man Lawrence was closely working with during the trials and construction
of the new seaplane tenders was the remarkable Hubert Scott-Paine, the
founder of the British Power Boat Company and former owner of
Supermarine. ‘Scotty’ Scott-Paine had fielded a winning entry in the 1922
Schneider Trophy races [Sea Lion II’s victory prevented the Italians from
winning the Trophy for the 3rd year running and thus claiming it] and had
later designed the speedboat ‘Miss England’ which had won the 1929 World
Championship from the US-built ‘Miss America’.
Acknowledgements to the photographer
The 'Miss England 'Speedboat with Sir Henry Segrave (in boat, left) in Germany
An initial problem had been that Scott-Paine utilized American power units
in his boats, and the Air Ministry was absolutely firm that British engines
had to be used. Unfortunately the only modern British marine petrol engine
being produced was the Brook, which compared poorly in power-to-weight
ratio with American units. Scott-Paine searched for an alternative, and found
it in the 6-cylinder Meadows engine, which was currently being produced in
Wolverhampton for use in the Invicta car and the Vickers Light Tank.
Page 32
‘Scotty’ soon designed a marine version incorporating a modified oil feed
and designated the Power-Meadows; after trials a contract was placed for
one hundred of these engines.
Acknowledgements to the photographer
Scott - Paine went on to develop the Type 2 Whaleback HSL 164 in 1937,
which was widely used in air-sea rescue during the Second World War
In the summer of 1931 the first of the new marinised Meadows sixes was
installed in a 28 foot open launch – Lawrence and his crewmate, Cpl
Bradbury conducted some 50 hours of trials, followed by further intensive
testing using two 100HP Meadows units. The trials were all successful, and
construction of the first batch of RAF boats was well under way, when
disaster struck. On August Bank Holiday, fire raged through the deserted
premises of the Power Boat Company, destroying yard, drawings, prototypes
and the nine almost complete RAF boats. ‘Scotty’ suspected, probably
correctly, arson by a rival company. It was a devastating blow, but ‘Scotty’
rallied his workforce – incredibly, by October that year the yard was working
again, and all nine tenders were completed by Christmas. Out of the ashes
arose the most modern boatyard in Britain, with the latest architectural
technology and excellent facilities for its loyal workers.
To be continued….
Allan Jermieson
Page 33
Part five of
Motorcycles
by Bob Thomas
To revert to the time of 1947.
All supplies of petrol for private motoring were cut off completely, but it
was legal to run on methanol. I bought a couple of drums and persuaded
the Douglas to start and run on it, and continued to ride. The Weybridge
Club organised a "Shank's Pony Trial" at which I was the only one to turn
up on my own transport and I won the trial which was on the lines of a
Road Trial, but over
heath and forest land.
Milntown
In March 1949 I
bought my present
350 Douglas for £173
but it was a year that
was to change my life.
My father was about
to start up in business
with Clive Edwards,
and I had thrown in
my job to join them,
but sadly Dad died
before anything got
going and I was
thrown in at the deep
end, with no business
experience. However,
we soldiered on doing
general engineering and motorcycle work, we had a Douglas Agency of
course! I did a number of frame conversions for trials, two of which, Triumphs, gained Gold in the ISDT, in the hands of Eric Chilton, who worked
for us.
Page 34
It was this business which drew Clive and I together, we had met in 194243, when he was Lieutenant Edwards and wanted a motor bike, he was sent
to me for advice. He had never ridden one, but was experienced in racing
and sprinting cars. After talking him out of a Vincent Rapide and a Scott (I
hate two strokes) he settled for a Tiger 100 Triumph, bought from a friend,
a Rolls dealer. I was surprised to see a block tread on the front tyre, but
thought "Oh, a wartime oddity" and proceeded to try it out on the trip home
and back, fifty miles each way (incidentally a trip I frequently did on a bicycle or occasionally on a tandem) and it was lovely around 80mph. The
trouble came when he decided to go home on it, and at around 70 the front
tyre came off, proving itself to be a beaded edge tyre forced into the wire
edge wheel. It made an awful mess of the forks, but Clive Edwards was
only shaken up.
Milntown
Bob aboard the ‘New Orleans’ at Sulby Claddaghs with Graham Kneale
Later he bought the 1900 New Orleans Car which we still have. It was delivered to our billets at Bicester on "VJ" day and before long I was demobPage 35
bed on special release on "work of national importance" gas installations in
London's emergency business. The New Orleans came to my home for refurbishing, and its first official run was in 1946 when we did a Cavalcade
in London's Regents Park and the London – Brighton.
But to pick up the story. By the time we had got the business sorted out we
had both come to the conclusion we were too old and too self centred to
settle down and start families. After a recent visit of his ex fiancee Clive
said "What a lucky escape I had." we found we could share a house while
each going about our own way. It has worked out very well, though some
people jump to the wrong conclusions.........
Anyway, by 1960 we had had enough of the problems of running a business in England and he decided to get out and live over here. We came over
looking for a small house with a large garage but his mother came too, and
after various non-starters, Milntown came on the market. Much too big for
him, but she said if you'll share it I'll come too.
In the meantime I had lost all but one of my responsibilities in England,
and was easily persuaded to make it a trio. In 1965 I thought it about time
something VMCC got going, so wrote to everyone in the register as Isle of
Man residents, and eventually called a meeting. It was held at Charlie Murrays Museum, then at Peel. It was agreed we should try to form a VMCC
"Region". This was accomplished in 1966 and our first event was a Rally at
the Mooragh Park Promenade. I think, though I am open to correction, that
up to the time of his death John Catchpole and I were the only surviving
members of the inaugural meeting, though of course even then Em Murray
dispensed tea, coffee and grub!
From there we "graduated" to Road Runs, and eventually Trials, where my
long suffering 1925 Douglas was often the sole bike ridden by up to nine
competitors. We did once have a Grass Hill Climb, at Bride, but the weather on the day was atrocious. The only people to turn up were myself, 500
Douglas, and Malcolm Teare on a 250 Ariel Colt. We had a bit of fun, but
as an event it was a washout, and has never been repeated. Pity, but to do it
now would involve leathers, and vast insurance expenses. I still have the
"Track Certificate" somewhere.
Page 36
To retrack a bit, soon
after arriving in the Isle
Milntown
of Man in 1964 or 5 Kipper Killip might
remember, Geoff Duke
asked me to help make
a starting gate for the
Ramsey Club at the
Kimmeragh. This gave
me the introduction
into local affairs and
somehow I found myself on their Committee, and friendly with
Hugh and Roger Kelly,
and marshalling at the
Pete Murray in the first ever VMCC IOM Trial
'65 ISDT the long sufon the “long suffering” 1925 Douglas
fering ABC as sole
transport. One thing led to another and I was soon involved with the 2 Day
Trial, then on the Committee. At one meeting it was voted to abandon the
sidecar, and I defended it, almost a lone voice, to such effect that I got the
job of running the sidecar event, or it would be scrubbed.
Fortunately I was able to enlist the aid of John Catchpole, and between us
we ran it for the next ten years, pushing the entries up from around five to
the twenties. Hugh Kelly also talked me into helping with the second ISDT,
we had a whale of a time prospecting for routes with one of the Haflingers
and the Greeves that Roy Davis now has. I had responsibility for the Sector
from Laxey to Ginger Hall via Glen Mona and the Black Hut, some really
mucky stuff. But I learned a lot of tracks that I would not have attempted,
and I am most grateful for the experience. I also learned how badly the ISDT affected the landowners and the public. People who had been so helpful
said never again. Motorcycle became a dirty word , consequently, when it
was proposed to run it here a third time I refused to have anything to do
with it. The fault lay, not with the competitors, though they were not beyond reproach, but with the spectators and hangers on following the route
days afterwards, creating havoc with opened gates, broken fences etc. I
now know there were similar effects in Wales when the event was held
there.
Page 37
Later my arthritic hip started to play up, and I had to
retire from competing with many regrets. I've enjoyed my motorcycling,
I've never done anything
really exciting, or really
worth talking about - just
shows how opening ones
mouth can spoil the image!!
Next Instalment
- The Fanfare to
Europe Rally!
Bob riding his Competition Douglas in a
Gymkhana - 1980
Page 38
An interesting time can be spent at auto-jumbles browsing through secondhand manuals and handbooks of older bikes. Some will be found in pristine
condition, whilst others are obviously very well used; but though grubby,
they are worthy of a bit more than a casual glance.
Fanning through the pages one can
will find a variety of thumb-prints
and greasy marks, but there is
usually at least one section that is
far dirtier than the rest. It could
be the chapter covering the
clutch on one model, the cylinder-head of another, or the gearbox of a third. All tell of past
problems that went beyond normal maintenance and might even
indicate a weak-spot with those particular models.
But the amount of grease on the pages is not a totally reliable guide to
problems experienced, indeed, sometimes it is more of a reflection on the
person who used the manual. An experienced owner/mechanic probably
reads through the repair instructions before he starts, then leaves it in a safe
place near the workbench while he gets on with the job, making only
occasional further reference to the printed word. However, the less skilled
operative is quite likely to have his copy of the manual down on the floor or
bench where he is working. There it will be in proximity to greasy tools, oil
drips and recently removed components, whilst it is also at further risk of
‘contamination’ as he frequently refers to the instructions during both dismantling and re-assembly.
The results of those past endeavours are still there in greasy-black on white
at today’s auto-jumbles and on your bookshelf you may even have a grubby
reminder of your own learning days.
David Wright
Page 39
Page 40
Page 41
300+ VEHICLES ALWAYS ON
SHOW AT BETTRIDGE’S
Mines Road, Higher Foxdale
opposite Foxdale School
Page 42