Classic Bike December 2021
Classic Bike helps and inspires enthusiasts to get more from their passion for classic motorcycles. The magazine shares their fascination with motorcycling’s heroic past while also helping them buy, fix and improve the bikes in their shed. Our main areas of content are: - Inspirational and entertaining reads that celebrate the glory of motorcycling, from riding stories that put the reader in the seat of history’s greatest bikes to incredible racing tales - Restoration stories and instructional features that inspire and help people get their tools out and sort out their old bike - In-depth technical features from the most expert and authoritative writers in motorcycling If you share our passion about classic motorcycles from the last century, you'll enjoy reading Classic Bike.
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goodbye, old friends...
THE NEWS OF Dave Nourish’s passing, followed by Paul Smart’s tragic death only a few days later, has made it a sad month and hit us on a personal level. CB Art Editor Austin Smith’s dad raced sidecars in the 1960s and ’70s, and with his family and Dave’s both living in the Rutland area, became good friends over time through attending the same race meetings. Austin’s dad even passengered for Dave in a one-off occasion. And when Austin was a teenager, he spent time on the Island with Dave. “I’d planned to go to the TT, but I had crashed my 250 and broken my collarbone just days before,” says Austin. “Being a typical teenager and a hardcore TT fan, I refused to miss that year. So, with my arm in…
history of the vmcc
The Vintage Motor Cycle club was started in 1946, for owners of bikes made before December 1930 – a date intended to ensure members rode bikes of the previous era. Since then it’s accumulated the original British motorcycle factory records for Triumph, BSA, Norton, Ariel, Scott, Levis and Royal Enfield (the largest collection of motorcycle-related paperwork in the world), held thousands of runs, built up a huge network of sections, and organised numerous massive events. It’s now for owners of bikes over 25 years old and annual membership costs £40 a year. More details at vmcc.net…
“the vmcc has to change”
CRICH BIKE DAY WAY WE WERE EVENTS YOUR CLASSICS LETTERS The Vintage Motorcycle Club (VMCC) is the world’s biggest classic motorcycle club, with more than 13,000 members across the UK. It’s hard to overstate its importance – the VMCC has the world’s foremost library of information on British motorcycles, campaigns on behalf of classic owners and has 84 regional sections that organise hundreds of runs a year. But despite all this, storm clouds have been gathering over the club. In 2019, the average age of members was close to 70, membership numbers were declining, finances were all over the place and the VMCC’s long-term survival was in doubt. Against this backdrop, the VMCC brought in Mario Costa-Sa, a 56-year-old businessman who had turned around the fortunes of the Trail Riders Fellowship. But…
what the vmcc offers
Though Mario is keen to stress the community benefits of a national club (eg, getting a distant member to check a bike out for you if you’re looking to buy), there are plenty of more direct benefits, too: • Big events: The Banbury Run, Founders Day and West Kent Run are all worth a visit if you want to join hundreds of classics in action. • ’Try a vintage bike’ days: The VMCC has a fleet of excellent classics that it loans out for free test rides several times a year. • Smaller events: Each of the VMCC’s 84 sections organise regular runs where you can meet local riders. • The library: If you need your bike dating for the DVLA, require information for a restoration, or are just investigating your bike’s history, this…
vincents invade vintage village
The Fourth Annual Classic Motorcycle Day at Crich Tramway Village in Crich, Derbyshire attracted more than 250 classic motorcycles on October 3. Organised in conjunction with the Vincent HRD Owners’ Club, the event combines the passions of vintage trams and classic motorcycles, offering a great family day out. External judges were on hand to select the winners of ‘Best British Motorcycle’ which was won by Mick Ash from Nottinghamshire with his Vincent Black Shadow (1), ‘Best International Motorcycle’ and ‘Best Pre-war Motorcycle’, which were both won by Alan Barker from Lincolnshire with his Terrot HLG 350cc (2), and ‘Best Japanese Motorcycle’ which was won by Dennis Murfin from Derbyshire, for his Honda CB77. The Old Bike Mart magazine ‘Best Classic Motorcycle in Original Condition’ was won by John Fletcher from Derbyshire with…
famous enfield bullet for sammy’s museum
THE SAMMY MILLER MUSEUM Trust collection has recently taken delivery of the ex-Peter Fletcher 1961 works 500cc Royal Enfield. The very special Bullet features a lightweight Reynolds 531 tube frame and, being an ex-works bike, it has many special features and was campaigned by Peter with great success. “Peter was a very close friend mine,” said Sammy Miller. “We travelled to many events together, including the famous Tatra Trial in Poland.” In that particular event, Sammy’s Ariel suffered an uncharacteristic oil pump problem which led to an engine seizure. Peter Fletcher, though, won the Tatra riding his 500 Bullet, in what turned out to be a rout by the Royal Enfield riders. John Brittain and his brother Pat completed the podium. The Enfield joins the museum’s Off Road Section in the newly…
