West Coast Triumph Glasgow opens (replaces Triumph Glasgow)
2022 Motorcycle Live (19th - 27th Nov) claims 90k visitors, 36% up on 2021
Mahindra Group owned BSA reveals scrambler concept at Motorcycle Live
Richard Holden MP announces new DVSA Motorcycle Strategy Group
Smile Scotland auction "12 rare bikes" 29th December 2022
Brian John Duffy (Jet Black) of The Stranglers has died aged 84
Terence Edward Hall (Terry Hall) of The Specials/Fun Boy Three dies at 63
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£4,000 - £6,000 is the estimate The provenance looks pretty good There's not actually a lot to say about this story. The above wristwatch, we hear, was given to Mr Albert Bailey in 1973 courtesy of George Brough's wife (Constance?). Bailey, an ex-RAF Lyneham engine specialist, worked for Brough Superior back in the heyday.  Bailey, goes the story, used to drive the boss around in various sports cars during which time he rose from foreman to manager. Such was the esteem in which he was held, the watch was subsequently gifted to him complete with a letter of thanks for services rendered.
Actually, we think there's a little more to it than that. It seems that before Albert Bailey acquired the watch, there was someone else in the frame; a Mr Crosbie, perhaps. We're not that familiar with the Brough Superior back story. Suffice to say that it looks like there's some provenance there worth examining. And George Brough himself, we're told, wore this timepiece for an unspecified number of weeks, months or years.  The watch is a circa 1940s/1950s Omega Bumper RA model. The estimate is £4,000 - £6,000. H&H Classic Auctions is the firm flogging this off. The date is 7th December 2022, The venue is the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull. See more on this sale further down this page.
Meanwhile, anyone interested in the watch? Footnote: 7th December, fact fiends and history buffs, is the date that the Japanese launched its blistering attack on the United States Navy at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. Just thought we'd mention that for anyone who's interested. Worth reflecting on. UPDATE: The wristwatch sold for £6,325
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Duck walking Dr Feelgood guitarist has died He was best known as Wilko Johnson He wasn't the best looking bloke we've ever seen, and his on-stage theatrics suggested some very dodgy internal wiring. But Wilko Johnson, arguably the most fascinating and most memorable member of the Essex R&B band Dr Feelgood who has died aged 75, left an indelible mark in the minds of hundreds of thousands of fans and is to many something of a guitar god. He was born on Canvey Island, Essex, and attended a fairly local school before relocating to Newcastle University where he studied for a BA in English literature. After travelling overland to India, he worked for a while as an English teacher whilst developing his interest in music in general, and the guitar in particular. He soon became a member of The Pigboy Charlie Band which in 1971 evolved into Dr Feelgood, the members of which included the charismatic Lee Brilleaux (vocals and harmonica), John B Sparks (Sparko) on bass, and John Martin (The Big Figure) on drums. Dr Feelgood pitched itself onto a musical stage that encompassed punk, blues, R&B, pop and rock'n'roll and enjoyed hits with She Does it Right; Roxette; Milk & Alcohol; and Back in the Night. 
▲ Wilko Johnson (airborne) and Lee Brilleaux (his feet firmly planted on an R&B platform). Brilleaux died in 1994 aged just forty-one. The band Dr Feelgood is still playing and touring, but none of the original members are in the line-up. The band, with its hard-drinkin', percussive, raunchy chops coupled with down and dirty lyrics immediately drew a large audience and enjoyed some quality time on various hit parades with Roxette arguably being their most popular song. Live playing was the forte of Dr Feelgood, notably on the local pub circuit, but also at one or two biker shows. Wilko Johnson left the Feelgoods in 1977. We're not getting into the reasons why. It's all tittle-tattle now, suffice to say that Johnson soon after formed the band Solid Senders. By 1980 he was playing with Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Following this, Wilko's career bumped around like a ball on a pinball machine, and we don't mean that in any perjorative way. He was a talented songwriter who wrote most of the Feelgood material, and he wrote most of the ditties that he recorded on his other personal projects. It was therefore only natural that his creative compass should pull him in numerous directions. 
▲ Wilko Johnson (left) and Lee Brilleaux (born: Lee John Collinson). When it comes to stage presence, this duo kept their customers satisfied (and often mesmerised) for what was an all too short association. Not exactly Jagger-Richards, perhaps, but still a tough act to follow. Guitarists, check out Johnson's unique finger-style technique (if you haven't already done so). 
A serious health issue arose for him in 2013. But despite a grim prognosis he pulled through and continued in his inimitable style which included manically duck walking across the stage and firing his machine gun Fender Telecaster at whoever was in range whilst wielding his trademark psychotic stare. He appeared in the must-watch 2009 documentary about Dr Feelgood entitled Oil City Confidential (produced/directed by Julien Temple) and he later enjoyed a small role in Game of Thrones (whatever that was all about). Other musicians/bands associated with, or influenced by) Wilko Johnson include Status Quo, The Stranglers, Nick Lowe, John Lydon, Joe Strummer, and Paul Weller. You can add dozens more names to that. Johnson was married and fathered two boys (his wife pre-deceased him in 2004). His personal interests included English literature and astronomy. 
Such is his ongoing popularity, especially in Essex, is it just a matter of time before London Southend Airport is renamed Wilko Johnson Airport? Might happen. We wouldn't mind if it did. https://wilkojohnson.com
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23rd August 2023 is the date to watch All of Greater London is now targeted The plot thickens. Sadiq Khan, the current mayor of London—whose personal agenda includes murdering the internal combustion engine, which has served us so well for so long—has just published details of his latest asthmatic wheeze. We're referring to the proposed expansion of the London ULEZ (Ultra Low Emissions Zone) which will balloon on 23rd August 2023. Take a peek at the map immediately above. The red area represents the London Congestion Zone which was established in February 2003. The ULEZ was established in April 2019 and "sits" directly over that zone. In October 2021, the ULEZ was expanded to cover an area generally encompassed by the North Circular and South Circular Road; in other words, the blue area on the map. And now, come August 2023, we learn that the ULEZ will encompass all London and Greater London boroughs. If you're riding a motorcycle or driving a car (petrol or diesel) that's non-compliant with the relevant Euro emissions regulations, you'll have to pay a daily charge of £12.50 per day. But if you live in the zone and don't fire your motor on any given day, you pay nothing. It's a tax against movement, not ownership. And note that if you plan to drive through the ULEZ and into the London Congestion Zone, you'll have to pay an extra £15 per day—and if that ain't essentially a tax against the poor, we don't know what is. Additionally, if you motor around the periphery of Greater London on the M25 and plan to cross the Queen Elizabeth bridge over the Thames, you pay nowt if you ride a motorcycle, but will face a Dart Charge of £2.50 each way (but no charge between 10pm and 6am). But the M25 itself, even when it encroaches on Greater London is (currently) ULEZ charge free. So which vehicles are compliant/non-compliant with the ULEZ? Well, there are all kinds of rules and exemptions and caveats and standards that serve only to confuse, including exemptions for historic vehicles. So we think it's best to hit this link which will check your registration number and see where you fit in. But if you think you're getting a raw deal, contact Transport for London (TfL) and have a whinge. What with the advent of high-tech electric vehicles, this latest ULEZ expansion compounds the notion that petrol engines are on the wrong side of history. The noxious gases produced are a serious menace, etc. We know that. But still, it sometimes feel that the steamroller of the future is coming on a little too fast.  Meanwhile, The Khan is doing all he can to persuade us to ride the buses and tube trains where we can get a heavy dose of Covid-19 instead (along with whatever other nasty diseases are in circulation at any given time).
Makes you fink.
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Plenty of scooters on offer Plenty of low estimates here too Once again we're reminded of the cyclical nature of life; the fact that what's new today was so often new yesterday, and the day before that, and so on—albeit often in different shapes and forms. Take, for instance, the ongoing fascination with e-scooters. To the current generation of kids, teenagers and twenty-somethings, step-on scooters are pretty much the newest things in urban mobility. But to anyone with a longer personal lens, e-scoots are nothing more than the latest manifestation of an idea that was fairly commonplace back in the 1920s, and even earlier. Take the immediately above velocipede. It's a 142cc OHV 1921 Stafford Mobile Pup. It was the brainchild of Thomas George John (1880-1946) who, in 1919, founded Alvis Car & Engineering Ltd which was based in Coventry, UK. T G John, looking for new products and markets, and having sufficient spare manufacturing capacity, duly founded Stafford Auto-Scooters of Coventry and designed the humble Pup. Features include the simple, but durable engine located on the left side of the front wheel; the right-side hanging flywheel; the fuel tank that (initially) sat above the front mudguard; and the wire wheels. The first models were, as you can see, sans-saddle, but in due course a seating position was provisioned for those looking for a more comfortable jaunt. The top speed, at around 20mph, is considerably slower than the fastest modern e-scooters. The price was around forty-seven quid. And we've no idea how many were built. Rivals included Autoped, Kenilworth, Marseel, Macklum and Silva. 
This example was purchased 40 years ago by the current owner, but in all that time it hasn't spun a wheel; not in anger, anyway. But with luck, its display days are over because it's going under the hammer with no reserve and no special pricing expectation. There are some spares with the Pup, and a V5 is present. Maybe someone out there will give it a regular airing. 
▲ Wind the clock back 108 years, set your time machine to re-materialise in Central London, and you just might stumble across suffragette Lady Norman (1883 - 1964) who, it seems, was a familiar figure on her motorised scooter. The fascination with stand-on/step-on scooters waned a little as the 20s wore on, but returned in the 1950s with a huge range of urban velocipedes to suit pretty much all-comers. The Pup will be going under the hammer at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull on 7th December 2022. There are plenty of more mainstream scooters in this sale, incidentally; not just Italian but British too. Overall, we think the estimates have been suppressed, and we can see a few shrewd buyers riding away with some bargains—not that we're sure anymore exactly what a bargain is. Other bikes that, for various reasons, have caught our eye include: 
▲ 1964 150cc James Cadet. Here's a very pretty little flyweight with Italianate styling that might suit a classic biker looking to downsize and stay mobile. Matching frame, engine and registration certified by Coventry Archives. Engine overhauled with new bearings and oil seals. Frame powder coated. New wiring loom with 6-volt LED lighting (shame!). Girling shocks. Rebuilt wheels. Dunlop tyres. Some spares and documents. Estimate? £1,500 - £2,500.
▲ 1979 650cc BMW R65. These airhead Boxers are frequently overlooked in favour of their 800cc and 1,000cc stablemates. But we've owned a few and have ridden plenty, and for our money the R65 is the best of the bunch. Why so? Well that's hard to say objectively. They top out at around 80 - 90mph. They don't have the mid-range grunt and muscle of the 1,000 or the flexibility of the 800. And they're certainly no better looking. But, like the 500cc Triumph twins, they just feel "the right size" for the architecture. In other words, they buzz along without frills or drama. They always seem to be in the right gear. They've got better fuel economy. They're slightly lighter. And they're usually cheaper. This one has no reserve, and it's been "used and enjoyed" by its owner—but that doesn't mean there isn't life yet in this old dog. Go check it out. 
▲ 1935 BSA G14. Are those handlebars really that high and that wide? Or is it just lens distortion? We looked at all the other images on offer, and we couldn't tell. Either way, BSA certainly built these fantastic 1,000cc sidevalve V-twins with big 'bars. This example has been dubbed "Old Colonial" due to the fact that, in company with another bike, it toured 25 countries of the British Empire. That was sometime in the thirties. More recently, the bike was restored a few years ago. Since then, it's enjoyed a few vintage runs. But there's no evidence that, since then, it's seen much action on the tarmac. The estimate is £18,000 - £22,000.
www.handh.co.uk
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This growing custom bike show is back again... Find it at G-MEX Manchester There's not a lot to be added to this story. The image immediately above is pretty much all you need—except, of course, to remind you all that this is a great show with lots of heart and is always anxious to please. So if you're in the area come April next year, or if you fancy a minor pilgrimage, this will be a pretty good destination. As ever, Lorne Cheetham is the organiser, and as ever you can expect an eclectic mix of choppers, bobbers, cafe racers, brats, baggers and whatnot, with the usual attendant trade stands, eateries and so on. The show will begin on the 8th April 2023 (which is a Saturday), and will finish on the 9th. Ticket prices are not yet available, but they'll be going on sale from 1st December 2022—and they're always too cheap. So check the website for yourself and be grateful. Here are some more details from the ticket people: "The whole show is inside the Grand Hall and all visitors can enjoy an Access All Areas pass which means you can enjoy all the bikes on display and all the fun and entertainment including:
BUMPER CAR RIDES ON THE DODGEMS
BIG WHEEL FERRIS RIDES
SIDE SHOWS AND JAW-DROPPING CIRCUS ACTS
THE FIRE PERFORMERS
COOL TRADE STALLS AND MERCH
THE FINEST TATTOO ARTISTS
GREAT COFFEE AND STREET FOOD
LICENSED BARS
THE STUNNING KICKBACK SHOWCASE
FRIENDLY VIBE AND BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
SUPERB WEEKEND OF FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY" If you need to program a satnav, the G-MEX postcode is M2 3GX. And yes, we know that the venue is actually officially now called Manchester Central (since 2007, fact fiends), but old habits linger, etc. Whatever you prefer to call it, Kickback will be waiting for you. So just show up and support this show. www.manchestercentral.co.uk
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www.britishdealernews.co.uk Any colour you like, so long as it’s not black [Oxford Products expansion]
Honda outsells hero
Ken Blacklock [obituary for this popular Durham dealer]
www.motorcyclenews.com 
UK-designed Mutt DRK-01 range features liquid cooling for the first time
www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial 
Indian FTR Sport (2023) - Technical Review
www.visordown.com 
Royal Enfield announces new 2023 Super Meteor 650 cruiser
Honda announces new CMX1100T Rebel touring cruiser
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October 2022 
300,000 visitors attended over 20 years Economic issues are said to be at the heart of the closure The organisers of this well established annual event cite Covid-19, the recession, Brexit and inflation as the reasons why this show has ground to a halt. And of course there might well be other less obvious factors. Regardless, it doesn't change the fact that the Irish Motorbike & Scooter Show is defunct, and won't be regenerating any time soon, if ever. 
In recent years Carole Nash Insurance has been the leading promoter, and it's possible that their interest has waned, contributing to the closure. But we're speculating, note. Ruth Lemass was the organiser of the event which entertained bikers with a mix of show bikes, race bikes, trade stands, stunt riders, fire breathers—and any number of fringe attractions. We're advised that over the years 300,000 visitors attended the show.
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Triumph and Christies club together A total of £6.1 million was raised for various causes There's something seductive about the James Bond franchise that, at the mere mention of 007, makes otherwise fairly ordinary folk trot out all the familiar lines and catchphrases, either in a faux Scottish or German accent, and often with accompanying theatrics. We're not going to repeat those lines here or articulate one or more bad puns, suffice to say that the Triumph Scrambler 1200XE piloted by actor Daniel Craig (and stand-in stunt man) in the movie No Time To Die has recently been sold raising the not inconsiderable sum of £138,600. The beneficiary is Severn Hospice in Shropshire. The bike was part of a collection of 25 lots at a charity auction held in London by Christies. Triumph Motorcycles donated the £110,000 sale price of the Scrambler,  leaving Christies to donate the money that it "would have received from the sale" thereby bringing the total up to £136,600. We're not sure that we fully understand that corporate assertion/arrangement, but we're not going grey over it. The total raised at the auction was £6.1 million, with the money being divided among a range of causes.
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1918 V-twin flat tanker outfit One family ownership throughout  Lately we're hearing quite a lot about 100+ year old motorcycles. And, given the medical and social advances of recent decades, it's likely that we'll soon be hearing much more about 100+ year old bikers; such is the burgeoning future. Of course, whether many of us want to still be around when we've hit that momentous arthritic King's telegram century is another matter (and here at Sump we'll perhaps have some more insight into that issue as and when we can). Meanwhile, we're focussing what's left of our ageing minds on the immediately above 104 year old 980cc Jap V-twin Royal Ruby "Russian Model".
Russian? Well, this machine hails from a time when Royal Ruby, like many other motorcycle manufacturers, was supplying bikes to the Russian Imperial Army. And things were, apparently, going reasonably well (commercially speaking) until the 1917 Russian Revolution kicked off which disrupted distribution and left this motorcycle on an English dockside with no place to go, except back to the factory. Ruby Cycle Co Ltd was founded in 1909 (also noted as 1911) in the great British city of Manchester. And 1911, it seems, was certainly the first year of motorcycle manufacture. Based at Cannel Street in the Ancoats district*, the firm produced a range of bikes configured as two-strokes and four-stroke singles and twins, with engines supplied by the likes of Villiers and JAP. The cycle parts were manufactured both in house and drawn from suppliers such as Bosch, Druid, Brown & Barlow, Dunlop, Sturmey Archer, ROC and Chater Lea (to name but a few). A range of cycle cars was also built. 
The company was noted for the quality of its product which was correspondingly expensive and faced stiff competition from other manufacturers of the era; such is the conundrum faced by all quality manufacturers. Ruby Cycle went bust in 1922 and sold its commercial interest to Albert Horrocks who attempted a revival, of sorts, but by 1931 the game was up. A few machines might have been assembled in the commercial wind down/clean up. That assertion isn't clear. When WW2 began, this particular Royal Ruby was squirreled away in a cellar where it languished for around 50 years. Following its rediscovery, it was restored and is now being offered for sale. The auctioneer is Silverstone. The auction date is 13th November 2022. The estimate is £20,000 - £30,000. And if it matters to anyone, we're advised that it was owned by one family from new. * Royal Ruby later relocated to Moss Street, Altrincham and later to Bradshawgate, Bolton, Lancashire
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September 2022 
1981 - 2022 Founder Oliver Barnes is retiring Check the text on the image immediately above. It's pretty much all you need to know—but it's by no means the entire story. As with all (or at least most) business ventures, there are always tales within tales, commercial intrigues, trading highs & lows, and so on. We can't tell you much more about the closure, except that it's connected to health issues, and it's not Sump's policy to delve too deeply into people's most personal lives. So we're accepting the news at face value—and with much regret. Tri-Supply's closure means that a wealth of knowledge is being dissipated. Meanwhile, we're hoping that Oliver Barnes enjoys his retirement and looks back with fondness at what was a pretty significant commercial achievement that stayed the distance and kept a lot of folk mobile. If you want to read a little more on Tri-Supply, some years back we created a small page. Just follow the link below. Tri-Supply dealer feature
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Motorcycle Live 19th - 27th November 2022. £22 adult tickets (advanced)
Harry Dunn v Anne Sacoolas video-link trial. 27th October 2022. Old Bailey
2023 Tiernan calendar . £12 UK inc postage. Air ambulance benefits, note
Oxford Products donates two ex-NHS ambulances to Ukraine war effort
DVSA: disqualified MOT testers rise 2020 - 2022. Up 49% on 2018 - 2020
Phil Read MBE, 1939-2022. Champion motorcycle racer and bike journalist
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Ducati 999R to auction Silverstone is the auctioneers It's got just 47 miles on the clock and has been "stuck behind a sofa" in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. That's the story behind this 2006 Ducati 999R. If it isn't bad enough leaving a bike languishing in a living room for 16 years, this particular motorcycle was zipped up in soft bike cover where it couldn't be enjoyed, visually speaking. No plinth. No spotlight. No nothing. There ought to be a law against that kind of thing, but it's out of our hands. Regardless, the bike is going to be offered for sale on the 11th November 2022 at the NEC where Silverstone Auctions is expecting it to sell for £20,000 - £25,000. With 0 - 60mph in 3 seconds acceleration, and a top speed of 170mph, the bike is likely to be a fast seller (pun intended)—notwithstanding the huge waste of biking time being stuffed behind a sofa (if you want to look at it in that way). To paraphrase Matthew 8, verses 34 - 38: "For what shall it profit a man if he shall gaineth a lotta investment dosh, but loseth his own soul?" Know what we're getting at?  The auction will be held as part of the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show which runs from 11th - 13th November 2022. But remember; the Duke goes under the hammer on the 11th. A V5C is present, and there are also old MOT certificates and various documentation. Additionally, we hear that the bike had a cam belt change and service in 2014.
Meanwhile, there's no word on whether or not the soft bike cover is part of the spoils. www.silverstoneauctions.com
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31 bikes to be auctioned Bonhams will offer these machines at its autumn Stafford sale After 25 or so years languishing in what is effectively a motorcycle mausoleum, the Forshaw Speedway Collection will go under the auctioneer's hammer on 15th & 16th October 2022. So what is the Forshaw Collection? Well, it was founded by the late Richard Forshaw, an engineer and motoring enthusiast who was the son of Captain Ivan Forshaw (1911 - 2006); an ex-motorcycle racer who founded the well known Aston Martin specialist works operating out of Ferndown, Dorset. 
The two lots anticipating the biggest money are a c1934 500cc OHV Crocker single (ex-Otto "Red" Rice) that's looking down the barrel of £100,000 - £150,000 ... 
... and a c1927 350cc OHV Indian (also a single) looking at £90,000 - £130,000. Those numbers, of course, are the auction estimates. Also on the sales platform are: c.1930 Norton Speedway 490cc OHV Speedway, est: £14,000 – £18,000
c.1933 Martin-J.A.P. Special Speedway, est: £12,000 – £16,000
c.1930 Wallis-Blackburne 500cc Speedway, est: £10,000 – £15,000
c.1948 Langton-JAP 497cc OHV, est: £5,000 – £7,000
c.1965 Hagon-Cole 497cc JAP, est: £4,000 – £6,000
c.1977 Jawa-ERM 493cc DOHC, est: £3,000 – £5,000
c.1979 Rotrax-JAP 499cc DOHC Mark 2, est: £3,500 – £4,500
The collection, we're advised, includes various items of memorabilia and engines, etc. The total number of bikes is 31. The venue is the Bonhams Autumn Sale at Stafford. www.bonhams.com
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New exhibition focusses on the iconic raceway name Event will run for at least six months The British Motor Museum at Gaydon, Warwickshire has finally opened its umbrella wide enough to include motorcycles—at least as far as a dedicated exhibition is concerned. The new gathering of bikes is focussed squarely on the illustrious Daytona heritage which, when you think about it, has given more thrills to the biking world than, say, Bonneville ever did. The Daytona International Speedway track in Florida, USA (as you might recall), has for 80 years been the home of the iconic "Daytona 200", a gruelling, hard-knocks, no-cissies-please combat arena more or less guaranteed to spill a lot of competition glory over the entrants. This was the place where, in 1966, Buddy Elmore famously trounced the 750cc Harley-Davidson hard cases by starting in lowly 46th place on a 500cc Triumph Tiger, and then powering home in first place. Following that, what the hell could Triumph (Meriden) do in celebration of that race-winning half-litre machine except hang the Daytona moniker on it? Having therefore hammered the name Daytona firmly into the hearts and souls of red-blooded bikers worldwide, Hinckley Triumph has since been more than happy to pay homage/cash in on the heritage and has produced a range of mounts that have acquitted themselves most excellently on the streets and on the tracks. Sixteen bikes from road and race will be under the spotlight, some of which are boasting provenance that visitors are invited to check out with due consideration. We won't be attending this show. Adult tickets are £14.50 in advance, or sixteen quid on the day. A family ticket is £40 advance, or £44 on the day. The exhibition, which opened in July this year (2022), will run through to 2023. www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
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August 2022
www.britishdealernews.co.uk Romney Return [Romney Marsh Classic Motorcycle Bikejumble 11/9/22]
Bikes selling fastest in West Midlands
Peckham Scooter Service Centre closes [40 years in business]
Record breaking [Module 2] test numbers [67,511 Apr 2021/March 2022]
www.motorcyclenews.com 
Rebels with a cause: Winners of Honda's custom competition announced
MotoFest returns! Coventry's brilliant weekend-long moto-festival is back
‘Smacks of the war on riders’ [plan to slash rural speed limits; 60 to 30mph]
www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial 
Royal Enfield Scram 450 set to follow on from new 411
Is Vincent about to be revived by Indian giants Bajaj? 
Royal Enfield Hunter 350 - Review (2022 – on)
www.visordown.com 
Northamptonshire Police gain innovative new police bikes
New study confirms self-driving cars are not safe for bikers
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Harley-Davidson has lost one of its greatest lights He was 93 years old We were talking about Fred Warr recently, just the general kind of musings you engage in when discussing folk of a certain age who've pretty much dropped from sight—but not from memory. And now, with regret, we hear that long time Harley-Davidson man Fred died on 11th August 2022. We knew him slightly. We used to visit his old shop just off the King's Road, Chelsea, London; a small premises in Waterford Road boasting no more than half a dozen bikes and littered with Harley-Davidson memorabilia. He was generally a busy man, always caught between jobs, but he was infinitely patient and willing to chat about all things H-D. And in that regard, as you might expect, he was a treasure trove of knowledge and insight. He was born the youngest of three children to Captain Frederick James Warr and his wife, Margaret. His father was also a motorcycle dealer and operated a general repair shop. Fred naturally became involved in the business at grass roots level, and soon discovered a burgeoning passion for Milwaukee's most famous son. Or daughter, if you prefer. He left school at age 14, incidentally. His first job was as a messenger boy for Harrods. WW2 arrived at about that time, but he was too young to see active service. However, in 1947 he joined the Royal Air Force, two years ahead of UK National Service. 
By 1949, with the hostilities out of the way, the business was in need of fresh impetus. Having been an official H-D dealership since the 1920s, it was perhaps natural that Warr's should take advantage of the surplus ex-WD WL750 V-twins then being demobbed. Suitable bikes were purchased, civilianised, and put on the market. Warr's Harley-Davidson soon developed something of a cult following. But new motorcycles, due to post-war trading restrictions, weren't available. So, in the early 1950s, Fred junior travelled to the USA, redeveloped stronger bonds with H-D and began lobbying the British and American governments for special dispensation to trade in new bikes. The effort paid dividends, and in 1956 the first new Harley-Davidsons since the war arrived on British shores just in time for the swinging sixties. Both new and used machines were soon being bought and ridden by celebs, fashionistas, and plenty of other folk who could afford the asking price. They also became an increasingly familiar sight on the movie screens. But the rockers of the era were less likely to be seen on American iron—not that Harley-Davidsons weren't considered attractive. It was more that they were just so expensive; almost double the price of the top of the range UK domestic motorcycles. Nevertheless, the cash till kept ringing, and as if to consolidate Warr's grip on the UK H-D scene, in 1960 Fred became the official UK concessionaire for the company. But it would be some time before the brand was exactly a household name on these shores. In fact, many bikers in the English shires, and further afield, had never even seen an H-D in the wild let alone ridden one. Fred, who had been at the helm since the mid-1950s, had married Margaret Ann Humphries (aka Rita) in 1955. Two years later their first of five children was born. And throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the business generally grew and prospered (albeit through some lean times). 
By 1986, at the relatively young age of 57, Fred semi-retired and began handing over the reigns to son, John—who still occupies the hottest seat in the business. Having relocated to a nearby new premises, Warr's Harley-Davidson is the premier dealership not only in the UK, but in Europe. The firm also occupies another Warr's dealership in Mottingham, South London. Fred's son, William, was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2003. And at about that time, Fred's health began to deteriorate. But he stayed involved in the business, albeit in a low-key way and was always on hand to offer help and information. How will he be remembered? Well, as an affable man, 100% loyal to the H-D brand; as a trusted motorcycle dealer; as a skilled rider; as a good businessman; as a great Harley-Davidson mechanic; and as a much loved family man. He was 93 years old. www.warrs.com www.mndassociation.org
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Filtering in traffic is the thorny subject MAG, unsurprisingly, offers a dodgy response The Motorcycle Action Group has, it seems, managed to persuade the Essex Police to take down a highly controversial post on its website. The post, as you'll see below, is part of the Essex rozzers' Summer Road Safety campaign. It warns that smaller vehicles (i.e. bikes), when filtering between traffic lanes, might be largely invisible to stationary cars and lorries. The post then drives home the unequivocal message that "Filtering is dangerous." That suggestion has, predictably, got MAG (and a lot of other motorcyclists) pretty aerated. Consequently, following numerous complaints, the outcry has pressured the cops into retracting the post. All hail the power of direct action and activism, etc, never mind that the Essex Police (no friends of ours, note) are perfectly right. Filtering is dangerous. That's the long and short of it (or is that the left and right of it?). Filtering between lanes of traffic is dangerous. And this isn't the Essex Police talking, this is us with hundreds of thousands of miles of motorcycling in various parts of the world and with long experience of despatch riding, road-testing, commuting, joyriding and generally mucking around on two wheels. Filtering is dangerous, and denying it isn't going to help or convince anyone with even half a working brain that it's a safe practice. 
All motoring and motorcycling is, after all, based upon predictable behaviour. You do what you do because you're trained and conditioned to expect certain causes and effects and responses. In other words, when everyone obeys the rules, the system works. Except that everyone obeys the rules only most of the time, and not all the time. Therefore, if you weave or straight-line between queues of vehicles, sooner or later someone is going to abruptly switch lanes without indicating, or will suddenly open a door, or will eject an object of some kind, or will let the family Alsation rear up at the window and give you a fright, or will take umbrage at your greater mobility and get out and give you a thump—and any of this will possibly flip you off the bike and cause you some damage or hurt. Okay, at slower speeds it will probably result in not more than a tumble and a few aches and sprains. But at only slightly higher speeds it might result in a broken bone, or a whiplash injury, or worse. Or you could end up hitting a stray pedestrian. Or animal. How do we know? Because we've directly experienced all of this—and we've had our share of idiots on motorcycles too suddenly appear between cars or vans and run into us. If you want to obviate the risk of getting hit, hurt or killed between lines of stationary or slow moving traffic, just don't do it. Alternately, weigh up the risks, as you best perceive them, listen to a range of advice, think about it for a bit, and then do what you have to do. However, the Motorcycle Action Group, in telling all and sundry that filtering is safe, is actually doing some riders a huge disservice. Why? Because some riders genuinely don't have the skills to weave and lane-split. Their reaction times are slower than normal. Their peripheral vision is narrower. Their general observational skills are poorer. Their ability to predict and reason is less than ideal. Therefore, telling these guys (and gals) that filtering is inherently safe is itself dangerous. And yes, you might (or might not) argue that anyone who doesn't have top notch riding skills shouldn't be on a bike in the first place. But that's another argument—and one that, if strictly applied via a more stringent test, would effectively exclude a huge part of the motorcycling community. Better to simply accept that all motoring, and practically all human activity, carries danger with it. And once you accept that fact, you can then start apportioning the level of risk and respond accordingly. 
Meanwhile, let's not forget that many of us, if not most of us, were largely attracted to motorcycling because of the attendant risk, hence the death and glory lifestyle, the skulls and the crossbones, the black leather, the high speed antics, the parading of our battle scars. And so on. If MAG really wants to do biking a service, it needs to focus its attention on making car drivers and truck drivers more aware of the dangers inherent in their own modes of transport rather than try to maintain the perfidious pretence that biking, in any form, is safe. It's not. It's only a question of degrees of dangerous. And in that regard, motorcyclists and non-motorcyclists alike need to drive home the message to the police, the government, the do-gooders and all the other doctrinarians that personal safety for adults should always be a matter of free choice—provided that that choice doesn't impact others. No pun intended.
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Co-star of The Sweeney and Minder has died He was 74 years old We're way behind with this small obit to British actor Dennis Waterman. He died in May this year (2022), but we've only just got around to writing a few words about his colourful and memorable life. Why? Because it's been a very busy year. It's as simple as that. We've been up to our ears in garage stuff and riding stuff and personal stuff. But we nevertheless want to mark his death, so stay with us if you're interested. Best known for his TV roles in The Sweeney as Detective Sergeant George Carter, and as bodyguard/gofer Terry McCann in Minder, Dennis Waterman also found renewed fame as "ageing" criminal investigator Gerry Standing in the series New Tricks. But his acting career started way before all this in the movie Night Train For Inverness (1960). Easily recognisable, he was twelve years old and showed a lot of promise as a child actor, so much so that the following year he was picked to star in the Adelphi's Theatre production of The Music Man (which US actor Robert Preston, you might recall, made his own in the film of the same name). If you were brought up on Richmal Crompton's Just William novels (and you might not want to admit to that), you'll perhaps remember Dennis Waterman as a 14 year old starring as (11 year old) William Brown in the BBC TV series about a precocious schoolboy and his unlikely adventures. The following year he took the lead role in Lionel Bart's Oliver! By 1968, having consolidated his skills as an actor in numerous stage and movie productions, he took a major role in the now classic movie Up The Junction which also starred Suzy Kendall (with music by Manfred Mann, fact fiends). Throughout the seventies Waterman was popping up in everything from Hammer (Horror) films to TV plays to Royal Shakespeare Company productions. He also found time to record the theme song to Minder; I Could Be So Good For You which did very well in the Australia pop charts and made number four. Beyond that, he recorded three albums and twelve singles (none of which will rattle Elvis's bones very much). By the 1990s, having scored numerous parts in comedy and drama he was appearing in The Knock, a TV series about H.M Customs & Excise and their investigative shenanigans. 
Whatever else you might think of Dennis Waterman, and there were one or two more controversial aspects to his life (which we're not going to dredge, largely because it's largely tittle-tattle, you'll perhaps agree that he was always a notable presence on the screen, a reliable performer, and he took professional chances in extending his versatility. Dennis Waterman was born in Clapham, London. He came from a large, working class family and at an early age became interested in boxing and joined a local club. Boxing was a skill/talent that popped up repeatedly during Waterman's professional career helping to underscore his tough guy image. He married four times and fathered two daughters (one of them actress Hannah Waterman who currently stars in the TV series EastEnders). 
▲ Confession time. We remembered a Barbour advert from the 80s or 90s showing Dennis Waterman perched on a Hesketh V1000, but we couldn't find a good image. So we created one. It ain't great, but you gotta take what you can get in this world. Meanwhile, in case you were wondering, Waterman does have a fairly strong connection to motorcycles and scooters on and off screen. So he's "one of the tribe", etc. But does it matter? Not to us. How people remember Dennis Waterman is likely to be greatly influenced by whatever generation they belonged to. But for us, the character of George Carter in The Sweeney is the high point—which isn't to say that his career went downhill from then onward (although you can look at it that way if you must). It's just that The Sweeney was so right for its time, and the interplay between John Thaw as Detective Inspector Jack Reagan was, and is, great TV perfectly produced and directed. Other parts Waterman played didn't quite have that Sweeney magic—not through any obvious fault of his. He was quite simply a great British actor who will be missed. Dennis Waterman was 74
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July 2022 
86% sell-through rate Vincents top the sales H&H Classic Auctions is claiming a sell-through rate of 86% for its National Motorcycle Museum sale held on 20th July 2022 at Solihull, Birmingham. The top selling lot was the immediately above 1953 Vincent Black Shadow which returned £63,250. The bike, which was restored 12 years ago from "large lumps" and requires recommissioning, was one of three Vincents at the auction. The other two Vincents were, respectively, a 1947 Series B Rapide which sold for £51,750 and another Black Shadow which sold for £41,400. 
Of extra special interest was the immediately above 850cc five cylinder Kawasaki built by the inimitable motorcycle engineer Allen Millyard. Fabricated from two 500cc 1976 KH500 triples, Allen hacksawed the engine cases, waved a magic wand, and re-joined the cases with five inline cylinder bores instead of the usual three. The crank was suitably reconceived with a 1-5-2-4-3 firing interval. The gearbox shaft was also extended. The oiling arrangement was modified, and ... well, the whole thing was thrown back together. Thrown? Okay. Hardly. Allen created a motorcycle that Kawasaki itself would be hard to deny the manufacture of. And just to prove that it was no fluke, there are two others just like it motoring around somewhere on the planet. Allen made the exhaust system, incidentally, by snipping steel and hammering the components around scaffold tubing (and probably whatever else came to hand). And if you known anything about Allen, a regular face on TV these days we note, you'll know that he does much of his work "by eye" whilst employing lots of feel. But given the visual and technical quality of his work, we're pretty sure that a vernier gauge and a micrometer was involved somewhere. The bike—known as the KH-Five—finally sold for £47,150. 
Another lot of interest was the immediately above 1941 Norton Big 4 which sold for £27,600. Fully restored with lavish attention given to period detail (including a gas mask and a rifle). Of the 100,000 or so Norton motorcycles sold to the military before and during WW2, 4,700 were Big 4s.
Overall, it certainly looks as if H&H did okay at this sale. There were no huge financial shocks, and classic bike prices appear to be reasonably steady. There were a lot of scooters, however, and we're not really au fait with scooter values. So we can't comment on that. The next H&H motorcycle sale will be on Wednesday 7th December 2022. That will also be at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull, Brum. www.handh.co.uk
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Indian Motorcycles Sheffield. New dealer at Steel City Classics, S41 9EH
6th July 2022. Mandatory speed limiters on new EU cars. No UK plans yet
Triumph Trident 660: top selling UK large motorcycle (June sales figures)
Fraser Scott: 1935-2022. Founder & driving force of Scottoiler has died
Kickback Show reminder. 18th September 2022. Gloucester Prison
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Cancelled for a second year Paint (again) seems to be the problem  There's no need for us to labour the entire story here. You can get most of that by following the link below. Suffice to say that the 2022 Brighton Speed Trials is off the menu as far as motorcycles are concerned. It's the second year running that this has happened.
Why? Because, we're told, there's an ongoing concern about marking paint on the "track" (i.e. Madeira Drive) that, it's feared, will cause problems for speeding two wheelers transitioning from ordinary tarmac to paint to tarmac. Furthermore, it's whispered, the Brighton and Hove Council had promised to provide technical data regarding the paint to enable tests to be done, or questions to be resolved, or whatever. But the data has not been forthcoming, so the organisers of the trials have canned the whole thing for another season. The cars will still be running, mind. So it's not a complete loss for "petrolheads". But the bikes are going nowhere. 
The date was to be Saturday 3rd September 2022, incidentally; the day before the Brighton Burn Up. The Brighton Speed Trials is considered by some to be the longest running motorsport event in the world (dating to 1905). True or false, it's not boding well for the future. They say that there's no progress without friction. Well, this Brighton fiasco certainly seems to underline that assertion. 2021 Brighton Speed Trials: No bikes https://www.facebook.com/vmccsprint/
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