BMCT News 55

Number 55

Major new Exhibition Celebrates the British Motorcycling Story

Haynes Motor Museum is set to unveil a major new exhibition telling the story of British motorcycling from its origins to the modern day. ‘Life on Two Wheels: The British Motorcycling Story’, which opens to the public on 21st October, will provide a fascinating new perspective on the social history of the motorbike and the impact bikes have on society, technology, and the economy.

Innovative displays will allow up-close access to dozens of historically significant bikes, alongside interactive and handson STEM activity stations and layered interpretation designed to engage visitors of all ages and interests.

“For the first time ever, this new exhibition will tell the entire story of British motorcycling from its beginnings at the very end of the 19th century to the current day,” said Museum Curator, Dr Luca Hoare. “It will also highlight the central role the motorbike has played in our society over the decades. The exhibition features many of history’s most iconic motorcycles including a 1930s Brough Superior Sidecar Outfit and a 1970’s Triumph Bonneville,” she added.

The exhibition is part-funded by the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust and is the first permanent new display at the award-winning Somerset attraction for three years. It is also the first to have been undertaken since the Museum gained full

Arts Council England Accreditation.

As well as detailing the evolution of the motorcycle from its early origins to the 21st century, the new exhibition will look at everything from the science of how motorcycles work to the specialised protective clothing used by riders.

Displays will showcase the role of motorcycles at work and during wartime as well as for pleasure and leisure, examine the changing fortunes of the British motorcycle industry and exploring current trends.

“Life on Two Wheels is the first of a series of new exhibitions planned for the next few years as we continue the exciting transformation of the Museum into a more accessible destination with wider appeal for multiple audiences with a focus on enthusiasts, families, and the social visitor,” said Chief Executive, Chris Scudds.

Opened in 1985 by John Haynes OBE, the man behind Haynes Motor Manuals, the Museum is home to the UK's biggest exhibition of cars and motorcycles dating from 1900 to the present day.

BMCT Members can enjoy an exclusive preview to the new exhibition from 17th - 20th October upon presentation of their membership card. Normal entry concessions apply.

An artist’s impression of the new exhibition

FRONT PAGE PHOTO. Respected journalist Alan Cathcart riding the BMCT’s unique Norton P53C Rotary. Alan’s road test report will be published in the international motorcycle press later this year. Photo by Kel Edge.

Isle of Man Motor Museum

The Isle of Man Motor Museum mount a special promotion in the island’s largest shopping centre over the TT period each year, and for 2023 they chose to display a scooter from the BMCT’s British Scooter Collection. Our 1969 Triumph Tigress 175 really looks the part alongside the Museum’s Kawasaki H2.

Bantams by the Sea

BMCT member Ray Leggett tells us how his BSA Bantam Museum came about:

One day, whilst walking down the garden, I happened to say to my wife Elaine how much I would like to have a motorcycle museum. The reply was “That’s a good idea lets build one!”

All the wood was purchased to extend my 10 x 10 shed into a 20 x 10 shed and after several weeks it was built. We then insulated it and lined it, painted the inside and fitted a carpet. The electrics, lights and power points were then fitted. All we had to do then was fill it up with motorcycles and memorabilia that I had obtained over many years. Six BSA Bantams, consisting of: D7 Trials, D5 Super, D1 Plunger, D7 Silver, D10 Silver and D3 Plunger, were installed into the museum. Most of these bikes had been obtained as basket cases and rebuilt by myself up to the standard they are now, several 2 gallon fuel cans had been obtained and painted in correct colours and other items had been obtained or donated for the cause.

The museum was officially opened in October 2012. Over the next few years more Bantams were acquired to add to the collection. Again, many were completely rebuilt to running standard and included D14/4 Sport, B175, B175 GPO telegram bike, D14/4 Supreme and a 1949 D1 Rigid. The last bike, a D10 Bushman, was obtained in 2022 and was a complete ground-up restoration in memory of my good friend Malcolm, who left me the money in his will to preserve this bike.

The museum is open once a year for people to come around and have a look at the collection, we have a collecting box for donations to The British Motorcycle Charitable Trust. The museum is full of memorabilia about motorcycles, and garage items and donations of items still keep turning up from various places.

I obtained my first BSA Bantam around 50 years ago and I still enjoy these motorcycles. The museum has recently had to be extended into another 8 x 6 shed to account for the extra bikes and memorabilia.

Visits to Ray’s collection in West Sussex are strictly by appointment only and can be arranged through Andy Bufton, whose contact details are on page 8.

Ray with one of the Bantams from his collection. Photo courtesy of Mortons Media.

British Bike & BMCT Day

September’s British Bike and BMCT Members’ Day at the Sammy Miller Museum was blessed with brilliant weather, which brought plenty of superb bikes out to enjoy the sunshine. BMCT trustees were on hand to meet members and chat about motorcycles until well into the afternoon. Prizes were on offer, and the award for oldest machine went to a BMCT member for his 1928 New Hudson (left), ridden from Southampton to the event. Another member brought his lovely early Norton Dominator (below left) and a quick peek into Sammy’s workshop revealed an interesting engine restoration under way (below). We’ll be revealing more of this bike in the next issue of BMCT News.

TT Gallery Opens at Manx Museum

Manx National Heritage have officially opened the new TT Gallery in the Manx Museum’s 100th anniversary year. The new gallery tells the story of the Isle of Man TT from 1907 to the present day, through the real-life stories of riders, families, mechanics, marshals and fans. Featuring TT trophies, motorcycles, sidecars, leathers, helmets and memorabilia sourced from around the world, the gallery showcases the rich history of the Isle of Man TT races. Two machines owned by the BMCT feature prominently in the exhibition. The AJS which was ridden to fourth place in the 1914 Junior TT, and our original, as-raced 350 Manx Norton. The new gallery is open daily from 9.30am to 4.30pm at the Manx Museum in Douglas. Donations are welcome.

Dover Transport Museum Visit

Thanks to BMCT member Nigel Ellis for this contribution:

I’m slowly working my way around all the BMCT affiliated museums, the latest being Dover Transport Museum. I was at the start of a European bike tour on my own with the end destination of the MotoGP in Misano. I planned the itinerary so that I would have time on the Sunday morning to spend a couple of hours at the museum before catching the ferry. What a wonderful place with loads of bikes, cars, electrical and other memorabilia thoughtfully displayed including a room full of local manufacturer Norman. Some pics enclosed. Lovely and dedicated staff too. Had an interesting chat with Derek Vincent who has been involved with the museum since 1984. I’d recommend anyone to take time out to visit. Another recommendation but a bit further afield is TOP Mountain Museum at Hochgurgl, Austria where my tour route purposefully took me. Mind blowing location and collection, the banking photo (below) showing just a small handful.

2023 Levis Cup Trial

The fifty or so entrants in the 2023 Levis Cup Trial got under way under grey skies on September 24th. Essentially a mini Banbury Run, the Levis Cup Road Trial is the premier event organised by The North Birmingham Section of the VMCC. Dating back to 1913 it is the oldest road trial in the vintage calendar and is one of the most challenging. It is also one of the few really competitive VMCC events and attracts entries from all corners of the UK and beyond.

The organisers have always kept the event as near to the original format as possible, but some changes have been made over the years. Nowadays the Levis Cup is restricted to machines manufactured before 1965, and starts and finishes at the Cob House Country Park in Worcestershire with a lunch stop at Ludlow. The route is about 100 miles, run over quiet scenic country roads in Worcestershire and Shropshire.

A competitor is flagged away on his 1928 AJS K9

1936 Matchless-engined Brough Superior SS80, bequeathed to the Brough Superior Club some years ago by a Mr. Tate of Bristol

Interesting details on this leaf sprung 1920 ABC

A very nice 1929 350cc Twin Port BSA Sloper

Three Levis were entered, this one a 1939 Model B

1926 New Imperial

New BMCT Trustee

We’re delighted to announce that Dennis Frost has joined the BMCT’s Board of Trustees. A lifelong motorcyclist, Dennis still has the Velocette he bought as a teenager, nowadays owning a few more machines produced at Veloce Limited’s Hall Green factory in Birmingham.

Dennis has been a senior manager in UK universities running campus services and also a civil servant advising elected politicians. In the 1990s he took a break, joining The Classic MotorCycle magazine as their staff writer. He rode and wrote about machines from Anzani to Zenith and also judged motorcycle concours competitions

a role he continues to carry out as head judge at the twice-yearly classic bike shows held the Stafford County Showground.

Now retired, Dennis advises local authorities about the allowances councillors receive, while also being a board member of one of Britain’s largest pension schemes.

Book Review by Jonathan Hill

Dave Bickers was undoubtedly one of our greatest scrambles (moto cross) riders – his record speaks for itself: twice 250cc European moto cross champion in 1960 and 1961 (prior to it being upgraded to world status), five times ACU 250cc champion; winner of the 1966 ACU 500cc championship and five times winner of the BBC television Grandstand Trophy, including a 250/750cc double over the winter of 1966-67, making him a household name.

Born in Coddenham, Suffolk in 1938, he learnt to ride and drive at a very early age working in the family garage business and in 1954 had saved up enough to buy a new 197cc competition model D.O.T., having been inspired by the racing that he saw at the nearby Shrubland Park. Within six weeks of his first event, Dave had won a novice trial, his heat in a scramble and the up to 250cc class in a grass track race - all on the same machine (as you could in those days).

Bickers progress in scrambling was dramatic and he soon received limited support from the Manchester D.O.T. factory, later being invited to join the Greeves works team with the late, great, Brian Stonebridge as his mentor.

“Dave Bickers Unscrambled”

Author: Ian Berry

Foreword: Sylvia Bickers

Publisher: York Publishing Services, 64 Hallfield Road, Layerthorpe, York YO31 7ZQ. Tel.: 01904 431213

E-mail: orders@yps-publishing.co.uk

Softback, 210 x 250mm (portrait); 228 pages with over 240 photographs and illustrations. Also available in hardback format.

ISBN 978-1-7390832-0-5

RRP £20, available for £18+P&P at https://ypdbooks.com

Author Ian Berry tells the story of an amazing man, a man who showed doggedness to overcome serious health challenges in his childhood and a man who would go on to achieve greatness, first as a motocross champion (affectionately known as the Coddenham Flyer); a highly-successful motorcycle dealer with his manager, Fred Cotton, when, after joining the CZ works team, he became the sole GB importer of Jawa/CZ machines and later, by chance, to film and TV, where he would go on to make his name in the world of stunt coordination and create a whole new life with his company, Bickers Action, where he often doubled for well-known actors in the stunt riding scenes in both film and television.

“Dave Bickers Unscrambled” tells us of a man who had no set chapter to his life, always looking for the next challenge and following where ever life led him. Drawing on the words of his friends, family, teammates and rivals, interwoven with journalistic reports of the day and narratives from his work colleagues, author Berry sorts the facts from the fiction and we are presented with a colourful portrait of the man and his captivating life story.

A well-written, well-illustrated and highly recommended book.

THE BRITISH MOTORCYCLE CHARITABLE TRUST

A Charitable Incorporated Organisation

Registered Charity No. 509420

Life President:

John Kidson

Trustees:

Ian Walden OBE (Acting Chair)

Peter Wellings

John Handley

Mike Jackson

Nick Jeffery

Mike Penn

Dennis Frost

Secretariat:

Holly Cottage

Main Street

Bishampton

Pershore WR10 2NH

United Kingdom

Secretary & Editor

Andy Bufton Mob: 07754 880116

Email: editor@bmct.org

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.

Associate Membership is open to all, and allows entry concessions at all 18 of the museums in our affiliation scheme (listed right). Our funding comes from membership subscriptions, bequests, donations, and income from our investments. Please direct any enquiries to the secretary,atthe Secretariataddresson the left.

www.bmct.org

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 Motor Museum, Somerset

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

Royal Engineers Museum, Gillingham, Kent

Sammy Miller Museum, New Milton

Silk Mill Museum of Making, Derby

Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset

The Norton Collection Museum, Bromsgrove

The BMCT’s Norton P53C Rotary has been out and about again this year, netting an award for the “Best 1990-2009 Bike” at the recent WAC Star Bike Show at the Worcester Auto Club. Andy Bufton received the trophy on behalf ofBMCT.