December 2011  Classic bike news

 

Above:  Howard R Davies, 1895-1973. You've seen HRD often enough on the petrol tanks of Vincent motorcycles; well this is to whom those initials belong. When way back in the 1920s a young Phil Vincent wanted to build and market his own bikes, he feared that his name had no brand value and so looked to buy into an existing marque and piggy-back on that until his personal reputation was secured. Howard R Davies was a motorcycle builder, a motorcycle TT racer, an ex-motorcycle despatch rider, and an ex-World War One airman (twice shot down and finally captured and imprisoned). A Boy's Own hero and a man's man, this 24-inch x 28-inch photograph of HRD is currently on sale on eBay (as of 11th December 2011). The buy-it-now price was (gulp!) £1,245 but has since been dropped to (only) £622.50. It's a little rich for us, but maybe one of you guys has deeper pockets.


December 2011 Classic bike news

Manx Norton screen for Thruxton Bonnies

2012 Andy Tiernan calendar

Top five UK biker gripes revealed

Harley-Davidson sued over "dodgy" ABS warning light

London bus lane victory for bikers

JVB Brit Bobber—yours for €15,000

Annual SORN to be scrapped. And V5Cs too?

Royal Enfield Crusader info wanted

"Joint enterprise" bikers cleared

50-plus classics found in a hall

BBC online road death map

Warning: London Low Emissions Zone, 2012


November 2011 Classic bike news

Royal Enfield Bullet Desert Storm

Bonhams to auction WW11 POW

One hundred years of Watsonian

Newly minted Commando bearing shells from Andover Norton

Du Pont Collection to be auctioned

New McQueen photo book

Hot Work by Hepworth & Grandage

2012 Triumph Speed Triple R

Brussels protest ride gathers pace

Von Dutch Bonnie: last chance to buy

Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200

Rollerburn picks Davida

$250,000 Brough offered online

MoTs to be scrapped for pre-1960s bikes and cars?


October 2011 Classic bike news

Classic "Rode Safely" YouTube vid
VMCC BSA Rocket Gold Star raffle closing...
Steve McQueen T100 Bonneville
Moby Dick fails to reach estimate
Bonhams back in Harrogate
Grand Prix helmets set for launch
Sammy Miller's honorary membership
New law is set to target dangerous drivers
$13,975 for a BSA M20?
Indian production re-started
London Motorcycle Museum expansion plans
2012 AJS and Matchless owners club calendar
Riders Digest is bust
Fonzie's Bud Ekins Triumph sale


September 2011 Classic bike news

80mph limit back on the agenda?
Diabetes driving licence woes
Thirty years of the Suzuki Katana
John Favill to talk at Coventry
Tell it to Penning
Thomas Humber gets a plaque
10th anniversary of the Davida Jet
"Gus Kuhn" Commando: £6,670
Wideline Featherbed from Andover
Mike Wheeler: new Royal Enfield dealer
2012 Triumph 675 Daytona unveiled
1936 Panther on eBay - £14,999
Three dead at the 2011 Manx


August 2011 Classic bike news

Hughie Hancox:1938-2011
John Howard Davies: 1939-2011
Radical shake up of the MOT regulations?
Custom BSA takes World Championship freestyle second
MOSI's Customising, Culture and Harley-Davidson exhibit
Cheffin's T140 Bonneville bargain
Mick "Hesketh" Broom hospitalised
Solicitors from Hell
Gary Nixon: 1941-2011
Vince Cable's Norton Loan
Bill Saker's new venture
Rick Edwards: 1967-2011
Rockingham Classics & Sports have closed


July 2011 Classic bike news

New DVLA organ donor rules apply

Davida "fighter pilot" visor

Unique DOHC 250cc Velo sale

Scott Hardy UK charity bike ride
H&H Buxton auction results
Captain America's Harley on show
Avon Tyres unearths Vincent film
Coventry-Eagle Flying-8 at Quail
Braking News
New Ariel badges from Draganfly
Last ever Brough Superior SS100
H&H's Rare Brough Superior racer
Harley-Davidson shares intrigue
Frost Automotive's "ethanol fix"
Coventry Transport Museum exhibit pays homage to the Ace Cafe
Classic Vespa ACMA on eBay
Hightown Crows


 

June 2011 Classic bike news

Don Godden :1936-2011

Ted Simon Foundation

Norman Vanhouse

Romney Marsh Bike Jumble

"2000 visitors" at Enfield Weekend

"Gold Star number one" on eBay

Ugly Fish biker specs from Down Under

£45,600 for a British Anzani V-twin engine
Road Safety Minister Penning launches new "Think!" initiative
Draganfly's 35th birthday
Andover Norton Commando production racer head steady
Roy Bacon dating certificates doubts
New T120 & T140 pistons from Norman Hyde
First Daventry Motorcycle Festival
Travelling with Mr Turner


 

May 2011 Classic bike news

Lambeth Council redefines potholes

McQueen's Husky breaks auction record
New EC legislation threat to online
classic bike spares traders

Big Dog Motorcycles is bankrupt
Sheriff of Cambridge buys Hyde Harrier
Jubilee prototype

500,000th Hinckley Triumph arrives
Ultra rare AJS Porcupine heads for
Bonhams' Carmel Auction

Lambrettas back on the streets
The Norman Club is 10 years old
Electronic speedos and tachos from SRM
A Gagg & Sons is selling up
Cambridgeshire bike shop doubles as a
post office and grocery store

Cat & Fiddle cameras are switched on
Indian Motorcycle acquired by Polaris


April 2011 Classic bike news

£2 million netted by Bonhams at the 2011
Stafford Show

Judges throw out No To Bike Parking Tax case

Dymag relaunched

Tory MP moots dangerous and reckless
cycling law

Hailwood's TT Cromwell to be auctioned
Hobgoblin Enfield Bullet winner
New ethanol warning
T120, T140 & T160 clutch cush drive "rubbers" from Tony Hayward

MAG gets a grip
Harley-Davidson 883 SuperLow Sportster
gets a Watsonian chair

Two Norton racers added to
Bonhams' Quail Lodge auction


March 2011 Classic bike news

Kawasaki W800 suspension mods

Spring Veterama 2011

Cylinder Head Shop ties up with BLR
Engineering and G&S Valves

Francis-Barnett: The Complete Story
Bike death on Mike Hailwood memorial run
BSA A7, A10 & Ariel Huntmaster
dynamo belt drive kit

Captain America's chopper on the block
UK Government switches drink drive
emphasis to drugs

Shadows' bassist Jet Harris dies
Moto Guzzi celebrates 90th birthday
Pre-65 Motocross Club extra event
Electric bikes debut at the 2011
Red Marley Hill Climb

New rocker book from Mick Duckworth
Welcome to The Manor Cafe
Bristol cars go in administration
Battistinis Retro Revival
Steve McQueen bounds back on the big screen
1938 350cc Excelsior Manxman
sells for £26,640


 

 

February 2011 Classic bike news

Dave Degens at South of England Ardingly Classic Bike Show

Vinnielonglegs under the hammer

50 years of the Welsh Dragon Rally

Charge warning light driver

Round Kurland Latvian Rally

Mike Hailwood Memorial Run

Triumph Tiger 90 register

Crash Card launched at the Ace Cafe

VMCC raffles a T160 Triumph Trident for 2011

Harley-Davidson Sportster Custom

KLN 804, where are you?

Douglas: Light aero engines from Kingswood
to Cathcart

Bonhams' Paris Grand Palais
Auction draws near...

£144 Lucas ammeter on eBay. Sold!

BSA Golden Flash eBook from Sump


January 2011 Classic bike news

Record sales for Rolls Royce

1942 Royal Enfield WD/CO for sale on eBay

WW2 Waltham watch for sale

Steve McQueen Husqvarna for sale at Bonhams

New Royal Enfield V-twin denied

Carbon fibre T140/T120 frame

BSA-Indian bobber on eBay

VAT rise hides dealer price hike

Meriden blockade stepped up

Ealing to boot bikes from bus lanes?

Harley-Davidson share price rise

New Norvil Catalogue

Triumph leading UK big bike sales

Rare Megola heading for Bonhams' Grand Palais Paris auction

Draganfly John Bull knee grips & toolboxes

Hildebrand & Wolfmüller sells for a record $161,000 at Las Vegas

BSA Golden Flash eBook from Sump


 

December 2010 Classic bike news

$15,000 tin toys auctioned

Captain Beefheart 1941-2010

Two old Texans head for Bonhams' big one

Two more HD dealers hit the skids

Prince Charles: "I hate motorbikes"

1925 Brough Superior prototype set to smash marque auction record

Police supt changes speeding plea

UK blocks Euro wide motoring fines plan

"Select" MPs call for new drink driving purge

New old stock US container bonanza from Burton Bike Bits

US Government bailed out Harley with $2.3billion

April ‘Real Classic’ Malvern Classic Bike Show date change

Calling Panther owners...

Eight Vincents on offer at Bonham's 1st Las Vegas sale

Simulated riding research "shock"


 

 

November 2010 Classic bike news

Penning's Triumph?

Royal Enfield Fury set to launch

Roberto Rossi Rivale Bonneville

Amazing key fob camera

White line warnings

1926 Indian Scout tops Bonhams'
18th Harrogate sale

Zero emissions racer hits cyclist

Fall in London bus driver assaults

120,000 tons of Aussie salt on the way

Off duty New York cop shoots bike thief

Rare AMC Rickman Métisse auction

1929 Scott 3-speed Flyer TT Replica

Michelin wants its windows back, please

5p off Shell V-Power—for one day only

Stolen bike recovery rate falling

Accident Exchange

Royal Enfield and Watsonian Squire
are flying again

Bike theft risk

Douglas: The Complete Story

High level Hinckley Bonnie exhausts

The end for Pontiac

Oxford speed cameras back in the frame

Bonhams to auction rare Hildebrand
and Wolfmuller


Norvin cafe racer from Sump Magazine

October 2010 Classic bike news

Low sun warning from the IAM

"Plain clothed" traffic wardens

100,000 anti terror suspects stopped in 2009: zero arrests

Bud Ekins memorabilia auction

Brough Superior makes a record £286,000

Triumph 675R Daytona tank badge intrigue

Philip Hammond criticised over insensitive
suicide remarks

EC rejects ABS "switch off" option

100 Years of AA Ireland stamp issued

Norman Hyde triple pistons

Norvin cafe racer auction result

Quarter of a million pound Brough?

Dave Aldana's Rocket for sale

Andy Tiernan Air Ambulance calendar

Big UK freeze on the way

Helmut Fath's URS outfit sells for
£102,700 at Stafford

New sliding gear for BA or BAP gearboxes

Triumph Trident and BSA Rocket Three oil pumps from Hyde

AJS 7R & Matchless G50 looking for £25-£28k & £28k-32k, respectively

Triumph Tiger XC images released

2011 Adventure Travel Film Festival

Keis bodywarmer

Eric Patterson at the Ardingly Show

Motorcycle Action Group organising
mass lobby of Parliament

Tom Swallow James Comet for sale

Mayor Johnson launches
motorcycle safety campaign

Sussex Police on TV

2011 ABS Triumph Speed Triple

Bonham's £12,000-£16,000
1939 Triumph Tiger 100

Norman Wisdom 1915-2010

New driving test rules take effect

125p per litre petrol soon?

New Rocker culture book

Legendary 100 Club set to close

Cycle lobby to challenge motorcycle
bus lane access

M4 bus lane now open to cars

Norvin cafe racer to fetch £29,000?

1931 500cc Sunbeam Model 9 Plus


September 2010 Classic bike news

New VMCC Devon section proposed

Michael Scott Wade

Pensioner jailed for assaulting Hells Angel

Schwarzenegger signs noise emissions bill

Harley-Davidson extended warranty offer

Biker cleared of filming hysterical gun toting cop

New buckles from Chequered Flag

Thefts at Triumph Live

£33 billion road safety economy drive

Norfolk Speed Cameras "facing the axe"

The "sun shines down" on Netley

AJS-Matchless Calendar 2011

Morgan to build cycle cars again?

Biking Brigadier's charity appeal

Blueye eyewear

BSA kevlar clutch plate kit

Bedford is next to open bus lanes to motorcycles

Stolen 1931 Sunbeam Lion

Francis Barnett trademark for sale

'53 Squariel sells strong for £11,900 at
Bonham's Beaulieu

Friends of Speedway film appeal

Triumph - Britain's largest automotive company?

Ariel Square Four repro 'rods from Draganfly

3D Wonderbra distraction

Police predict a riot

Johnny "Chester" Dowling

Easy Rider special screening

Scottish police need help

Repro Triumph Speed Twin forks

1937 Stevens auctioned for £12,980

Police officer guilty of killing 60s pop star's son

Canadian optical "safety" illusion

1200cc shaft-drive Triumph spotted

Councils cut the streetlight budget

Real Classic sold to Mortons Media

Helmetless bike thief dies in smash

Triumph X-75 Hurricane at Cheffins

Rare 1932 Triumph XO?

Superbike magazine sold to Vitality Publishing?

Two killed at the Manx Grand Prix

Hinckley Bonnie wheels

Crash proof Volvo?

Ace Cafe Reunion

Bike Parking Tax demo

Velocette M Series

War Department's 1940's day

BSA M20 bobber

Norton Commando hits 129mph at
Bonneville Salt Flats

Matthew Dieckmann killed in bike/car crash


 

August 2010 Classic bike news

Schwarzenegger to rule on noisy bikes
Northamptonshire police compensation claims
Kawasaki W800 is rolling
Interesting helmet research
Ace Classics to race at Goodwood
Bikers carjack celebrity wife
Taxi driver wasn't dead
New Amal parts for monoblocs
Val Emery Decals
Cameron & Clegg scrap pub plans
England gets the thumbs up
RoSPA's Communiqué
Villiers book
New three cylinder Triumph engine confirmed
Road pricing survey results
Drag Bike Racing - from Veloce
Road sign cull
Interphone
The Fabulous Teddys
Davida 92
Draganfly's new plunger tubes
ID Document Bill
Morton's picture archive online
MO1 magneto replacement
Eddie Crooks
Triumph & The Stranglers
Royal Enfield Pub opens
Peter Williams Autobiography
Helmut Fath's outfit auctioned
Sammy Miller bikes on the block
8 Vincents auctioned
New V5Cs
TR3OC Breakfast
"Lewis Leathers" Enfield Bullet


 

Classic Bike Events

 

Manx Norton screen for Thruxton Bonnies

 

Sump visitor Selwyn Morgan asked us to pass on this modification for owners of Thruxton Bonnies with clip-on 'bars. It seems that the (Hinckley) Triumph flyscreen, as fitted to the Special Edition Thruxton, costs a hundred quid, which can be a little hard to stump-up in these straitened times.

 

However, talk to Barry at Mead Speed in Newport Pagnell, and you can pick up a Manx Norton numberplate/flyscreen for £50. For an extra fiver, Barry will cut an eight inch hole for the headlight.

 

You'll need to "turn up a couple of alloy spacers 35mm long, with a male thread of 13mm to screw into the headlamp, and a 13mm female thread to screw the screen on. These threads are approx’ 25mm long", we're advised.

 

The other fitting requirements should be pretty obvious once you knuckle down to it, and include a cut-out for the ignition switch. You should be looking at around £60 for the complete thing if you know what you're doing. Whether or not you think it's an improvement over the standard Hinckley design is another matter.

 

And remember that this mod won't fit the later Thruxtons with a one-piece handlebar.

 

http://www.meadspeed.com

—  Girl Happy

 

 

 

2012 Andy Tiernan calendar


Andy Tiernan and Nick Ward have gone and done it again; one more calendar, drawn, signed, sealed, printed and delivered—at least, it will be delivered once you stick your hand in your pocket and do what's necessary.

 

These calendars are practically a rite-of-passage for classic bikers. In fact, your garage isn't a true classic bike garage unless and until you've got a Tiernan calendar nailed to the wall above the vice and beside your current pin-up.

 

The money doesn't go to Andy or Nick, note. It goes straight to the East Anglian Air Ambulance, and that's whose name should be on the cheque. The price for these minor works of charitable art is a miserable five quid, and the ambulance needs your contribution to carry on saving lives. So don't be mean.

 

That aside, Nick's sketches—nay, studies—of six classic Triumphs are beautifully drawn and highly evocative and will get you thinking Spring thoughts during these dark and desperate days of winter.

 

If you're buying from the UK, add 92p for second class postage. If you're elsewhere in the EC, add £1.79. Everyone else add £2.60.

 

Meanwhile, check out Andy's site. He's changing stock all the time, and he trades on his reputation and will see you alright.

 

http://www.andybuysbikes.com

—  Del Monte

 

 

Top five UK biker gripes revealed

 

According to Swinton Insurance, the single biggest on-the-road complaint by British motorcyclists are drivers who fail to indicate properly.

 

One thousand riders, we hear, were polled, with 53% of them citing poor indicator etiquette, followed by airborne cigarette butts (21%); potholes and road damage (11%); unnecessary bad-weather overtaking (9%); and poor observation and ineffectual use of mirrors by other road users (6%).

 

If that chimes well with your own riding experience, then good luck to you. But it seems to us that the firing-order is wrong there, with poor observation being the motoring behaviour most likely to stoke our boilers, closely followed by idiot cyclists, idiot bus drivers, idiot scooterists, black cabs, close-passing, and tailgating (not necessarily in that order)

 

Of course, we don't know what the questions were. But in any case, you can't argue with the actuarial industry who, at times, appear to know as much about risk as a five year old playing with a shotgun. It's no wonder premiums are so often way out of kilter with our day-to-day experience.

 

But still, their press release and transparent promotional plug was an amusing little distraction in an otherwise dull day, so put your hands together for Swinton with their 603 one-stop shops, etc. They're the UK's leading high street insurance retailer, or so they claim. And no, they didn't pay us to say that (but if they've got a little loose change lying around, we're prepared to say it a second time).

—  The Third Man

 

 

Harley-Davidson sued over "dodgy" ABS warning light


So okay, the trial hasn't happened yet, and all the evidence has yet to be heard. But on the face of it, we've got some sympathy for the victims of a road accident that left the rider badly banged around, and left his (now estranged) wife with brain damage and lifelong health issues.

 

So what happened? It seems that Californian rider Jack Wilson had been cruising about on his Harley-Davidson Road Glide for around 15-months thinking he had anti-lock brakes on demand, when all he had was a (non-lighting) icon on his tachometer. So when he finally urgently needed to throw on the anchors (faced with sudden gridlocked traffic), the wheels locked and down he went. Wife too.

 

Now the lawyers are flying lazy circles, and the wife wants a big settlement.

 

The salesman who flogged them the bike, it's claimed, verbally led the Wilsons to believe that ABS was a feature of their Hog. But Harley-Davidson, and the salesman, claim that Jack and Judy had clocked over 12,000 miles and ought to have figured it out by the time the emergency happened. Moreover, Messrs H & D claim that all their Road Glides are manufactured with the warning light embedded in the tachometer in readiness for optional ABS. And hey, "nobody else has complained". Or lived to.

 

Harley's excuse sounds pretty dodgy to us, and will probably sound equally dodgy to the judge—if it goes that far. Which seems unlikely.

 

Meanwhile, any Harley riders out there had better check that all the other labels and lights on their bike really perform a meaningful function—and better check the tank badges too just in case you haven't upgraded to an optional Honda.

 

It's a painful reminder of what can happen when it doesn't do exactly what it says on the tin, huh?

—  Dexxion

 

 

London bus lane victory for bikers

 

The experiment is over. From January 2012, motorcyclists will be granted permanent access to the majority of London's bus lanes.

 

Transport for London (TfL) has conducted two 18-month trials to see exactly what the effects might be of opening bus lanes to bikers, and—surprise, surprise—they've concluded that it's safer for bikers, presents no significant risk to cyclists, cuts emissions, and speeds commuting.

 

But let's be gracious in victory. TfL has made their views clear, and the lanes are ours. But WAIT! Not all bus lanes are Tfl Lanes. You can, and will, still get ticketed if you transgress and use those lanes not open to bikers.

 

But how do you tell which is which?

 

Broadly speaking, TfL operates the red routes, with local authorities operating those bus lanes marked with yellow lines along the kerb. So check the signs and check your watch, because most of the hot spots are policed by cameras, and policed by the buses too.

 

To ensure that things continue to run smoothly, a code of conduct has been drawn up which can be summarised thus: Don't do anything stupid.

 

Birmingham, Reading, Bath and some London boroughs have long opened their bus lanes to bikers. But TfL's decision is significant and can only help encourage other British local authorities to follow suit.

 

—  Girl Happy

 

 

 

JVB Brit Bobber—yours for €15,000


Take one (Hinckley) Triumph Thruxton, hack away the mudguards, shave the seat, fabricate some narrower side-panels, rework the headlight, chop some height and slap some new paint on the tank, and there you have it; one "Brit Bobber" weighing in, we hear, at around 200kg.

 

"The engine and tank look bigger and more muscular," we're told. "The rest is slimmed-down and taut. You sit low and relaxed, but the bars (designer Jens vom Brauck calls them chopped down ape-hangers) bring your fists up in front of your face."

 

We ought to be more impressed, but we ain't. Seems like we've seen a thousand variants on this theme, few of which have broken any new ground at all. But Cologne-based designer Jens has collaborated with Berlin bike builders Urban Motors and has given the soup another stir.

 

Nice enough wheels, if you like that kind of thing (and generally speaking we do). And it's easy to see that a lot of (hidden) work has gone into this project, but it's hard to see fifteen thousand euros. And a 200kg bob-job? Sounds like it needs to cut down on some more pork pies.

 

But what do we know? It's taken us about ten years to stick a new wiring loom on our spare T140.

 

Anyway, there's more where this came from (and between you and us and GCHQ, more interesting stuff—particularly the Jap crap), so check out the site.

 

jvb-moto.com

—  Sam 7

 

 

 

Annual SORN to be scrapped.
And V5Cs too?

 

Rumours of this have been circulating for a while, but now it's official. The government has declared its intention to scrap the annual Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) requirement and replace it with a single, one-time DVLA proclamation.

 

Currently, UK motorcyclists and motorists have been obliged to declare annually if and when their vehicle is off road. The paperwork and postage generated by this requirement was colossal, not to mention the rampant (and expensive) bureaucracy involved coupled with the onerous burden of fines for failing to remember which of your numerous classics is either hors de combat, broken down, rotting in disgrace, withering on the vine, or just languishing forgotten at the back of the shed.

 

Scrapping SORN is just one of 142 regulations that will be bite the bullet, or be "improved", as part of the government's Road Transport Red Tape Challenge (launched on 7th April 2011) and intended to cut waste, shrink the pressure on the public purse, and generally behave a little more intelligently.

 

Other changes include:

 

Removing the need to have an insurance certificate (by working more closely with the insurance industry and handling it all online).

 

Scrapping the requirement for riders and drivers to retain a paper counterpart of their driving licence.

 

Scrapping the automatic issue of a V5C vehicle registration certificate for fleet operators, and eventually "rolling it out" for the private rider/motorist—which means that the writing may be on the wall for "log books".

 

Under the current rules, failing to declare SORN incurs a penalty of £80 for each offence, whilst making a false declaration can result in a maximum fine of £5000, and even imprisonment. The changes will probably still incur the same maximum penalties, but you'll have to make your declaration only once.

 

We would have made all this up, except that we're not that smart. But apparently the government has been forced to wise-up to the fact that the UK is awash in senseless regulation (much of it introduced by Tony Blair and Co) which we simply can't afford anymore.

 

We can only hope that the government also will now also consider scraping away the vast majority of the yellow (and red) lines that make parking (and even stopping) in the UK a major burden for ordinary citizens, and which are a huge slap in the face for thousands of shopkeepers who have had their businesses decimated through the loss of old-fashioned kerbside trade. We're not holding our breath in anticipation of this, however. The yellow line scam earns big cash for our bloated councils, but on the other hand, they're not doing anything to help get the economy moving.

 

More on all of this soon. But for now, we're (almost) beginning to enjoy this recession.

—  Dexxion

 

 

 

Royal Enfield Crusader info wanted


It was built by the Royal Enfield factory in 1961 and has been residing in a shed since 1965. It's got an all-alloy engine based on the 250cc Crusader, a four speed gearbox, a lightweight frame and long leading-axle trials forkswhich were shared with the Bullet trials. Also fitted is a genuine trials speedo casquette and Renthal handlebars.

 

Owner Dennis Yates, who inherited the bike from his father, would be very interested if anyone out there can shed some light on this machine, or on similar machines.

 

According to author Roy Bacon, Royal Enfield listed this model for two years—1962 and 1963—priced at £210 and £225, respectively. Evidently, the bike wasn't a great success and has been largely forgotten.

 

You can contact Dennis direct on: Dennisayates@aol.com.

Message ends.

—  Del Monte

 

Footnote: This bike is currently on eBay (as of 22nd December 2011) with 32 bids and a current price of £2611. Whether that reflects interest in the bike, or the registration plate (590 VPL) remains to be seen. But it seems an awful lot of dosh for an otherwise unremarkable 250cc Brit single).

 

Update (24th December 2011): The Enfield sold for: £5,207.76

 

 

"Joint enterprise" bikers cleared

 

Remember back in August 2010 when five Yorkshire bikers were charged for causing the deaths of one of their riding buddies and his wife? Well the charges have been dropped.

 

Dean and Helen Slater were killed when riding between Cottingley, near Bingley, Yorkshire to Squire’s cafe in Sherburn-in- Elmet, also Yorkshire. During the 32-mile ride, Slater, piloting a modern Yamaha sportsbike, lost control over a bridge and hit an oncoming Vauxhall Vectra. Both he and his wife died at the scene. Five other riders were subsequently charged with jointly causing death by dangerous driving.

 

However, at Leeds Crown Court on 5th December 2011, Judge Geoffrey Marson threw out the case stating that "There is no evidence from which a jury properly directed could safely conclude that the way in which any of these defendants rode in some way caused Mr Slater to ride dangerously or caused him to continue to ride dangerously."

 

In other words, Slater was solely responsible for his own demise and the death of his wife. Not that there was much doubt that the group were at times speeding. And probably taking chances. But ultimately, the evidence against the other five riders was not viewed as compelling enough to show much promise of a conviction.

 

More commonly used in incidents such as gang violence, riots and street brawls, "joint enterprise"—also known as "common purpose" or "common design"—is intended to convict those viewed as peripherally complicit in an offence.

 

But it can also be dusted and deployed by the woefully incompetent Crown Prosecution Service for "lesser" crimes, and has recently come under renewed scrutiny and criticism for inadvertently, carelessly or even vexatiously convicting members of a group who were in fact largely, or entirely, innocent.

 

The 1952 Derek Bentley/Christopher Craig "Let him have it" murder intrigue is one of the most well-known examples of a conviction by joint enterprise. More recently it was used to convict three teenagers of the murder of Garry Newlove, even though Newlove (aged 47, from Warrington, Cheshire) died from a single kick to the head.

 

The Home Office, note, keeps no records of exactly how many people have in recent times been jointly convicted under the law.

 

—  Del Monte

 

 

 

50-plus classics found in a hall


If you thought the days of great barn finds were behind us, you're gonna have to think again. In fact, we're looking at a whole new generation of essential junk because men being boys, they will hoard and hoard until they die, which is when the cycle—or even motorcycle— starts again.

 

This lot (above) was "found" not exactly in a barn but in an old village hall near Bristol and will be put on sale by Bonhams at, appropriately enough, the Bristol Classic Motorcycle Show on 18th February 2012.

 

Lots include the following:

 

  1928 Ariel Model B De Lux (estimate £1,000 – 1,500)
  1936 Ariel 350cc Red Hunter (estimate £1,000 - 2,000)
  1946 Norton 16H (estimate £1,000 – 1,400)
  1947 Velocette KSS (estimate £3,000 - 4,000)
  1958 Panther Model 100 (estimate £1,500-2,000)
  1960 Velocette Venom (estimate £3,000-4,000)
  1975 Suzuki GT380 (estimate £300 - 800)

 

Most of the machines are in a woefully neglected state, some of which have suffered a little further during collection, we hear. The lot preview is still under construction on Bonhams' site, so you'll have to be patient and wait for the full list. We'll update this story as and when the info comes in.

 

Meanwhile, try not to spend all your pennies in the Boxing Day Sales. What with the Euro going belly-up, and Merkel and Sarkozy desperately trying to force 26 very disparate nations into marching to the rousing strains of "Das Lied der Deutschen" and "La Marseilles", we've got a suspicion that a few very serious bargains are on the way when the big meltdown happens.

—  The Third Man

 

 

 

BBC online road death map

 

We don't know how long this one will be up on the web, but it's there now (Tuesday 6th December 2011). It's an interactive map that plots a decade of UK road deaths, county by county, vehicle by vehicle, etc. In hard numbers that's 36,371.

 

The gory years are 1999-2008, inclusive (different years are quoted by other sources), but if you're from Northern Ireland, you'll have to look elsewhere for the full picture. The Department for Transport supplied the data, the object being ... well, we're not sure really. Information for information sake maybe? Or more public fearmongering? Or just a responsible reminder of the perils of being alive in a dangerous world.

 

Either way, you can go and muck about with the map for yourself and decide what it has to offer, but don't come crying to us if it all suddenly looks a little too close to home.

 

Check it out: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8401344.stm

—  Dexxion

 

Footnote: Here's a better map:

 

http://map.itoworld.com/road-casualties-uk

 

Thanks to Ian Soady for that.

 

 

Warning: London Low Emissions Zone, 2012


Here's an important warning for all you classic autojumblers driving older diesel-engined vans.

 

From January 1st 2012, diesel vans REGISTERED before 1st January 2002 with a kerbside weight of 1.206 tonnes/3.5 tonnes gross will be liable to a £100 per day charge for entering the London Low Emissions Zone (LEZ).

 

Heavier diesel vehicles (3.5 tonnes upward) REGISTERED before 1st October 2006 will be liable to a £200 per day charge.

 

So what is this zone? Broadly speaking, it's the area inside the M25 orbital motorway (with exceptions). It's managed by Transport for London (TfL). The zone was created back in 2008 to improve air quality and reduce health issues and deaths due to diesel particulate matter (PM).

 

A worthy ideal, of course, but it will hit a lot of autojumblers (and other traders) hard—and the penalty for non-payment is high at up to £1000 for EACH offence, reducible to £500 for payment within 14 days. Lighter vans (1 tonne to 3.5 tonnes) will pay £500 for each offence reducible to £250 for early payment.

 

Here are a few bullet points to help clarify the position.

 

There are two standards applicable: Euro 3 (light vans) and Euro 4 (heavy vans and trucks).

 

ANPR cameras will police the area.

 

Non-compliant vehicles will be exempt if fitted with (expensive) filters (currently estimated at between £1800 and £5000).

 

Non-compliant vehicles will be exempt if fitted with approved gas engines.

 

Payment can be made up to 64 days in advance, but cancellation must be made within 7 days of travel.

 

Payment must be made by midnight on the following day of travel.

 

Chargeable hours are midnight-to-midnight. So if you enter the LEZ at, say, 11.00pm on a Wednesday and leave (two hours later) at 1.00am on the Thursday, that will be a two-day charge.

 

The charge operates every day of the year, including bank holidays.

 

Failing to register a vehicle, where applicable, will incur a penalty.

 

Cheques that fail to clear in time (even if they clear later) will incur a penalty.

 

Overseas vehicles entering the LEZ must be registered with TFL even when otherwise compliant—or will incur up to a £1000 penalty.

 

Northern Ireland vehicles entering the LEZ must be registered with TFL even when otherwise compliant—or will incur up to a £1000 penalty.

 

Historic vehicles are exempt.

 

MOD vehicles are exempt.

 

Petrol-engined vehicles are exempt.

 

Agricultural vehicles are exempt (if their primary use is off road—such as tractors, JCBs, mobile cranes, etc).

 

People carriers are exempt (unless registered as utility vehicles—see below).

 

Mini-buses weighing less than 5 tonnes (GVW) are subject to Euro 3 regs. Other buses are subject to Euro 4.

 

Private and commercial vehicles are equally chargeable.

 

Horseboxes, camper vans, fire engines, etc, are chargeable.

 

Many utility 4x4s and pick-up trucks are chargeable.

 

“Early adopter” engines subject to Euro 4 compliance can apply for exemption (i.e. pre-2006 engines designed to meet post-2006 standards).

 

Entry into the LEZ does NOT include entry into the Central London congestion zone. That will be carry an extra charge.

 

There should be signs warning you well in advance that you're approaching the LEZ. But while the responsibility will always be yours, the control will be theirs. So watch out.

 

Vehicles will be checked against a database linked to VOSA. Therefore, you might well modify your van to lose weight, but TfL's computers will fine you regardless if you flash up on their list of non-compliant vehicles.

 

Euro 5 is on the way.

 

 

This change has been about as well advertised as the second coming. But it’s unfortunate that these regulations should be forced upon drivers who have bought vehicles that were perfectly legal at the time of purchase, many of whom now face punitive motoring taxation—if not forced out of the Greater London area entirely. The legality of this zone is questionable, so expect challenges.

 

Natural vehicle wastage should be enough to remove older vehicles from the road, but Transport for London has thrown up a huge barrier around the capital penalising thousands of drivers. If this doesn’t deserve a mass protest, nothing does. It’s extremely damaging to trade and will help push up prices, both locally and nationally.

 

Autojumblers are advised to explore this situation further and check details in case we’ve made an error, but we’ve been in touch with TfL, and they’ve (so far) confirmed our understanding on the situation—except that there's still much confusion among their own ranks, and we're getting conflicting information on the situation. And relevant dates.

 

That aside, you paid for the road. You paid for the diesel fuel. You paid purchase tax on your vehicle, or the tax on the spares. You pay to park it. And you pay to enter the congestion zone. Now you’ll pay to enter the London Low Emissions Zone if your one tonne diesel van was registered before 1st Jan 2002.

 

Classic bike dealers and venues within the LEZ include Russell Motors, Ace Café, Ace Classics, Reg Allen Motorcycles, The London Motorcycle Museum, and The Motorcycle Shop. Fred Warr Harley-Davidson in Kings Road and Mottingham is also in the zone. Clarkes Classics in Dartford, Kent is outside of the zone.

 

Note that Kempton Park appears to be just outside the LEZ, but you must approach it from the M25. Check carefully for yourself, however.

 

If you’re unhappy about this nonsense, tell it to David Cameron and London Mayor, Boris Johnson (up for re-election in May 2012). Meanwhile, keep us posted if you discover any anomalies regarding the LEZ and the new regulations.

 

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/lez/17678.aspx

 

http://trafficalerts.tfl.gov.uk/microsite/tn2007-map.php?lez&easting=547572&northing=200189

 

—  Dexxion

 

 

 

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