Classic Bike

34 IT’S 1977. My mate Bev and I are sat, legs dangling over a wall overlooking the pit lane at Le Mans just before early practice kicks off the Bol d’Or. The pit lane is busy –a cacophony of noise with people out-shouting each other as, one by one, bikes are being fired up. The air is filled with excitement and expectancy of a great weekend. But in a split second all that noise is drowned out and people scatter. All we can hear is a bike at full bore coming down the pit lane. Conversations stop. Eyes crane left. And there is this guy, with Bel Ray emblazoned on the chest of his leathers, on a Kawasaki with high bars, no fairing, howling flat-out down the pit lane –…

Norton Motorcycles have bought 55 bikes from the private collection of arch Norton fan Ian Loram, to kickstart a heritage collection. Ian’s passion for collecting Nortons was sparked in the late 1990s, when his wife suggested he needed a hobby. A quarter of a century and more than 60 bikes later, he’s decided to thin out his hoard and is happy that the bikes will remain accessible for Norton fans. Norton Motorcycles are planning to put their new heritage collection on show at the company’s headquarters in Solihull. Initially, a small selection of the machines will go on display in the reception area, before enthusiasts are allowed access to the full collection later on this year. It’s a welcome move by Norton and a clear sign that they recognise the…

PHOTOGRAPHY: GARY PINCHIN AND COURTESY MORTONS MEDIA GROUP The Mike Hailwood exhibit was the focal point of this year’s April Stafford Show. With exclusive access to never-seen-before memorabilia of the legendary ‘Mike the Bike’, the organisers of the International Classic MotorCycle Show put of a wonderful display of Hailwood’s very personal heirlooms collected in his years of racing around the world on bikes and in cars. They ranged from his 1978 TT winner’s Dunlop cap through to his George Medal, awarded when Mike rescued Clay Regazzoni from his burning BRM at the South African Formula One GP. And, to coincide with the exhibition, Banovallum Books launched a new coffee table book called Mike Hailwood in 100 Objects (see overleaf). In keeping with the Hailwood theme, the guest celebrities for this…

Mike Hailwood. The bike stats we know. But just for the record: nine world championships, 76 GP wins, 14 TT victories, his TT victories separated by 18 years – the first in 1961, the last in 1979. No wonder he was known as ‘Mike the Bike’. His car racing career was similarly impressive: Third at Le Mans in 1969 driving a Ford GT40, winning the 1972 Formula 2 European Championship and competing in 50 F1 Grands Prix – his debut in 1963, his last in 1974. He was also awarded the MBE and then the George Medal for his bravery in rescuing fellow F1 driver Clay Regazzoni in 1973. But what of the man? ‘Mike Hailwood in 100 Objects’ gives a unique insight into his racing career from an absolute treasure…

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SAMMY MILLER MUSEUM Back in the early years of motorcycling, it was not uncommon for women to ride powered two-wheelers – in fact, the practice was popular enough to convince some manufacturers to create machines specifically as ‘Ladies Models’. Sammy Miller’s latest restoration is a perfect example of the genre. This 1924 Beardmore Precision Ladies Model is so called because it has a step-through loop frame to allow for the ladies’ dresses when mounting/dismounting, with the short fuel tank also forward mounted for the same reason. It is powered by a 250cc side-valve engine with a three-speed gearbox, while a band-type front brake and a hub rear brake deal with deceleration. The Beardmore Precision company came about when the William Beardmore & Company, a Scottish engineering and…

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