BMCT News 52

NEWSLETTER OF THE BRITISH MOTORCYCLE CHARITABLE TRUST

NORTON OC / BMCT / VMCC DAYAT SAMMY MILLER MUSEUM

Lovely Spring weather ensured a good turnout for this midweek event at Sammy Miller’s. The latest additions to the BMCT Collection, the 1916 Triumph Model H and the 1916 Douglas WD were installed in the museum’s dedicated BMCT area, and the 1914 Blackburne was removed in preparation for its permanent relocation to our newest affiliated museum, the location of which will be revealed in the next few weeks. Three of our trustees, Mike Jackson, Nick Jeffery and Paul Barnes were on hand to meet and greet our members and sign up new supporters to our cause. Thanks to the NOC and VMCC for allowing us to co host the event.

HELP WANTED! Sammy Miller is looking for part-time volunteers to help with general duties around the museum, and he’s suggested that this might suit BMCT members from the local area. For further details contact Sharon Bumpsteed, Museum Manager, on 01425 620777.

Front page photo: BMCT Chairman Paul Barnes prepares to parade the BMCT’s unique water cooled Norton Rotary Classic through the streets at the annual Bromyard Speed Festival in Herefordshire.

From l to r: Mike Jackson, Sammy Miller MBE, Andy Bufton, Nick Jeffery, Paul Barnes.

SOUTH OF ENGLAND CLASSIC BIKE SHOW

Wooler was the featured marque at July’s Ardingly event, and Elk Promotions’ supremo Julie Diplock did very well to assemble four examples of the ultra rare make, along with members of the Wooler family who brought along their 1911 two stroke and a 1920 350 which is nearing the end of a full restoration. VMCC Wooler marque specialist Bill Dunlop made the trek down from Scotland with his 1920 version. We were thrilled when our Wooler Flat Four took “Best 1950s Bike”, and even more so to receive our award from John Wooler, grandson of the founder of the company. Our Wooler is now back with Sammy Miller.

John Wooler (L) presents the award to BMCT secretary Andy Bufton

John Chubb discusses his 1911 Wooler two stroke with BMCT trustee Nick Jeffery and VMCC marque specialist Bill Dunlop.

The quartet of Woolers at Ardingly

TOP MOUNTAIN MUSEUM RETURNS

The motorcycle museum that was completely destroyed by fire in January 2021 along with 330 rare bikes is enjoying its busiest summer season ever. Astonishingly, the Top Mountain museum in Austria was rebuilt in just 10 months and thanks to the efforts of collectors around the world it has been restocked with yet more extraordinary motorcycles, including, it would seem, the Jones 500 4 (below right) that was previously in the Hockenheim Museum. Our member Sam Bailey, who sent these photos, visited while on a European motorcycling holiday and thoroughly recommends it if you’re in the area. Visitor information can be found on their website: https://www.crosspoint.tirol/en visitor info

HAVE NORTON -WILL TRAVEL

Since we acquired the Norton Rotary from our member Chris Chant we have been busy using it to promote the BMCT and British motorcycle engineering heritage. So far this year the bike has been to Norton Day at the Sammy Miller Museum (see p2) , the Bromyard Speed Festival in Herefordshire (cover photo), on a VMCC club run to the Internal Fire Museum of Power in West Wales, and starred at the VMCC Herefordshire Section’s annual classic bike show at Mordiford. Custodian of the machine is Paul Barnes, who confesses to being smitten by its qualities of performance, ride and handling. For a bike that has its origins in the 1970s it is a quite astonishingly capable bit of kit which surely deserved to find a wider audience back in the day.

NATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM CELEBRATES 50 YEARS

Hundreds of vehicles gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu on Sunday July 3rd as guests and visitors discovered the final selection to tell The Story of Motoring in 50 Objects.

Owners of Seventies classics joined the party as some even dressed for the decade to take part in the 1970s Classic Car Drive In Day on Sunday 3rd July.

Lord Montagu asked young ambassadors of Starter Motor the charity which aims to get the next generation driving, maintaining and enjoying classic vehicles to choose the best car of the show on his behalf. They chose the Lotus Elan Series 4 SE owned by Beaulieu volunteer Kevin Kinsella, who was called from giving a tour in the National Motor Museum to be presented with his winning trophy.

An anniversary golden paddock recreated the Beaulieu car park of 1972. It also displayed some of the amazing vehicles which took part in the original celebratory cavalcade at the museum opening, half a century ago.

Lord Montagu said: “It’s been quite a trip back in time! When HRH The Duke of Kent came to open Britain’s National Motor Museum in July 1972, it was the proudest moment of my father legacy.

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now account for over 130 years and so it is no surprise that our collections have expanded considerably, especially in the

libraries and archives. It has been with these collections in mind that we’ve created The Story of Motoring in 50 Objects, giving you every reason to re explore the museum. The exhibition launches the start of our sixth decade and a new chapter in the development of Britain’s National Motor Museum.”

National Motor Museum Trust Chief Executive Jon Murden said: “Our next challenge is to take the museum and its collections forward, by reimagining Edward, Lord Montagu’s vision in order to engage with a wider audience and remain relevant for the future.”

At the celebrations, Lord and Lady Montagu cut a cake which was shaped as one of the #50 objects the 1930 'Blower' Bentley 4½ litre Supercharged.

Editor’s note Three motorcycles made the list of 50 objects. The ex Mike Hailwood Honda 250 4 RC162, a Honda C50, and the 1912 Norton BS ‘Old Miracle’ (below).

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After a long and successful career at Brooklands, this Norton holds an impressive 112 records. It is believed to be the

The opening of the museum in 1972

The car that started it all

Remember these?

JONATHAN HILL’S BOOK REVIEWS

Norton Commando”

Author: Mick Duckworth

Foreword by the late Peter Williams. Norton race team engineer and rider 1969 75.

Publisher: Andover Norton International Ltd, Unit 6, Wooler Park, North Way, Andover SP10 5AZ

E mail: simon.amos@andover norton.co.uk Tel: 01264 359565

Hardback, 200 x 255mm (portrait); 149 pages, with over 160 photographs and illustrations. ISBN 978 0 9570665 6 4 £29.99 (UK)

Originally intended as a stop gap model with which Norton’s new owner could put the defunct marque back on its feet, the Commando gave new life to the traditional British parallel twin and remained in production for almost a decade. When released onto the market by Norton Villiers Ltd in 1968, the 750cc Norton’s scorching acceleration and 120 mph maximum put it in a league of its own. And, most significantly, this high performance twin could carry its rider for mile after mile at speed without the discomfort caused by engine vibration.

The directive was given to build an entirely new machine from scratch for the 1967 Earls Court Motorcycle Show in less than a month! Newly appointed as director of engineering, nuclear scientist Dr Stefan Bauer (not a motorcyclist), designed the new lightweight (26lb) straight tube frame (to everyone’s horror. he did not like the Featherbed frame). Bob Trigg and Bernard Hooper devised the ingenious Isolastic engine mounting system and development engineer Wally Wyatt refined and improved the ageing Atlas engine to produce around 58bhp. London designers Wolff Olins were commissioned for the styling.

Stop gap it may have been, but for several years it was a great success, both on road and track. However, when Kawasaki brought out its 900cc Z1, Dennis Poore, Norton Villiers’ managing director and stock exchange wheeler dealer, demanded more power from the ageing pushrod motor. The engineers disagreed, wanting better reliability, strict quality control, disc brakes and electric starters. Unfortunately they were not listened to. Advisers close to Poore told him (not always correctly) what he wanted to hear resulting in the disastrous high compression Combat engine that cost the company a lot of money in warranty repairs.

This book is not a service manual or an exhaustive guide to year by year specification changes, but a celebration of the Norton Commando in all its forms. Along with the conception, development and evolution of standard models, it profiles many of the people involved, studies market conditions of the time and covers the remarkable success of the Commando and its evergreen engine in many forms of motorcycle sport, finally coming up to date by covering the 21st century Commando scene.

First published in 2004, and now due to popular demand re issued by Andover Norton International, “Norton Commando” is the highly readable story of this classic superbike, written by the renowned motorcycle journalist, Mick Duckworth.

“New Imperial Motorcycles” Second Edition

Author: Chas. G. Lipscombe

Foreword: David Jarvis, Technical Secretary, New Imperial Owners Association

Dedicated to the late Fred Pateman, Founder and former Honorary Life President of the New Imperial Owners Association

Published by and available from Andy Dean, Chairman, New Imperial Owners Association, Keephatch Farmhouse, Clover Close, Wokingham RG40 5PU

E mail: andy@keephatchnet Tel; 07799 848914

Hardbound, 215 x 300mm (portrait); 385 pages, with c.1,000 photos and illustrations limited run of 500 copies ISBN 978 1 3999 0062 1 £48 (UK)

The history of The Imperial Cycle and Motor Company, later New Imperial Motors, is really the story of one man, Norman Tuckwood Downs. Downs founded these companies and remained virtually in sole control until his death in 1936. Norman Downs’ first known connection with the cycle and motorcycle trade was as Company Secretary of a cycle manufacturer called Heal & Tonks. Downs later purchased part of Heal & Tonks from the receiver to found his own company called The Imperial Cycle and Motor Company. New Imperial as such, were not formed until 1908.

The 1920s were very prosperous times for New Imperial, with cycles and JAP engined motorcycle selling well and their riders gaining world speed records and winning two Lightweight IoM TTs. A young Matt Wright joined the company as chief engineer and they started producing their own engines and gearboxes, along with having a new modern factory built and greatly increasing their model range. This was, indeed, a bad decision, as following the world recession they were left with many unsold machines.

In line with the public’s so called demands they produce modern machines with unit construction, geared primary drive and full rear suspension. However, when it came to it the conservative buying public were not impressed and sales were very poor except for their brilliant little 150cc o.h.v. Model 23 which sold very well, but unfortunately its profit margin was so small it did little to help their increasing debts.

The 250cc “Gr and Prix” model was a popular and successful production racer along with the fabulous 500cc V twin ridden by “Ginger” Wood, TT winner Charlie Dodson and Syd Gleave.

1936 saw both the untimely death of the dynamic Norman Downs and Bob Foster winning the Lightweight TT on his works unit construction New Imperial. Despite this success sales were still poor and the company went into receivership.

Author Chas. Lipscombe is to be congratulated on this excellent second edition the complete guide to New Imperial Motorcycles the result of many years research to combine much new information in this 385 page tome, with approximately 1,000 photographs and illustrations depicting every model ever made by New Imperial, with complete descriptions of all models and interviews with famous personalities associated with the marque.

INTERNALFIRE MUSEUM MOTORCYCLE DISPLAY NEARS COMPLETION

On a recent visit to the Internal Fire Museum of Power it was good to see how Paul Evans and his team are developing the motorcycle display after a long hiatus due to Covid. And after years of trying, Paul has sourced some interesting bikes from the Birmingham Science Museum where they had been languishing in store for many years. Full marks to Paul for persevering and getting these motorcycles on display to the public.

THE BRITISH MOTORCYCLE CHARITABLE TRUST

The British Motorcycle Charitable Trust (BMCT) was originally formed in 1979 to facilitate the building of the National Motorcycle Museum at Bickenhill, near Solihull in the West Midlands. Since 1995, however, the BMCT has been an entirely separate organisation, a grant making Charity dedicated to the promotion of British motor cycle engineering heritage through a network of affiliated transport and local interest museums throughout the country.

Walden

Wellings John Handley Mike Jackson Nick Jeffery John Kidson Mike Penn

Associate Membership is open to all, and allows free entry to all the museums in our affiliation scheme. Our funding comes from membership fees, bequests, donations, and income from our investments. Please direct any enquiries to the secretary, at the Secretariat address on the left.

Our affiliated museums are:

Black Country Living Museum, Dudley Brooklands Museum, Weybridge Coventry Transport Museum

Dover Transport Museum

Gloucester Life Museum

Grampian Transport Museum, Aberdeen Haynes International Motor Museum

Internal Fire Museum of Power, Tanygroes Isle of Man Motor Museum, Jurby Jet Age Museum, Gloucester Manx Museum, Douglas, Isle of Man Museum in the Park, Stroud

National Motor Museum, Beaulieu Sammy Miller Museum, New Milton Silk Mill Museum of Making, Derby Tank Museum, Bovington

The Norton Collection Museum, Bromsgrove

Preserving the past...for the future

Sgt J H 'Crasher' White and Sgt Freddie Frith, famous as pre war works racing and trials riders, now motorcycle instructors at an RASC driving and maintenance school at Keswick, pose on their Velocettes,. October 1942.