LANCASTER LUNE AND WYRE MOTORCYCLE CLUB

Newsletter No 123                                                                                                                                                                         March 2002

What a brilliant turn-out to the Scarthwaite last month, 20 attendees in all, and a very good evening was had by all, Ian won the wine being the nearest to Derek’s magazine extract from the mid ‘50s. George, Jeff and Roy managed 17/20 coming equal winners in Dick’s quiz from the newsletter, answers being from 1-20, Arkholme, Crooklands, Silverdale, Holme, Wray, Capernwray, Brookhouse, Hawkshead, Greenodd, Knott End, Slaidburn, Dent, Tebay, Settle, Brough, Grasmere, Troutbeck Bridge, Ambleside, Chatburn, Dophinholme.

 Having driven from the main road through a hundred yards of  3’’ (75mm) of mud, then paid £2.00 to park the car I was welcomed to bonny Scotland’s Motorbike show at Ingliston by a hairy native with a colloquial lilt “bloody ridiculous it is…..twa poons tae park in a’ this shite, then a lang wait an anither twelve poons tae get intae the show”. Fearing for my Sassenach accent I simply responded “Aaaye” and made my way through the bitter wind into the arena.

The Show however was worth the £12, with a good selection of machinery on show, plenty goodies, a ‘Classic’ collection with a very good selection of British and some very nice Japanese classic machinery. The British stuff was mainly concourse quality (high value) stuff, but there was a nice collection of off road BSA’s, Greaves etc which were obviously still roadworthy. Also some race track machines lovingly maintained. I was probably one of the first hundred through the turnstiles at 9.00am on Saturday and for that was rewarded a relatively clear run through the main exhibits and was able to sit on quirt a lot of the displays. The CCM stand was certainly different with some lovely kit for a complete blast on the back roads for a Sunday, though not for the short-legged or long distance trips. The Moto-guzzi range seems to have moved up a notch in finishing since the change of ownership last year (?) but nothing remarkable in new models. The Triumph stand was getting lots of attention, surprisingly, for the Bonneville based low-rider set for the American market. This was a new one on me, not having read a motorcycle paper for at least 6 months, and is a Harley look-a-like with a bucket full of optional extras for the wealthy. Lots of attention to detail such as ribbed engine cases make the look-a-like  impression more curious. I was on borrowed time at the show but had time to look out onto the field where several events were taking place despite the bitterly cold, and damp weather. The starting point was a display of moto-cross riders leaping two stories height on their bikes and doing all sorts of acrobatics in the saddle, off the saddle and over the bike before landing again on an equally steep ramp. The most impressive of these was a young lad who managed to get his bike almost beyond the sideways on point and back again before making the landing. Each pass he had the bike more skew-with and nearly horizontal until on his final attempt I think he probably scared even himself, it was a miracle that he landed without trouble to entertain another day.

Following this there was a ‘demonstration’ big single race for several laps of the track, not without incident due to the over enthusiastic racers on the cold, wet track.

Then the regular stunt riders pulling three-up wheelies and stoppies, doughnuts etc, ( just the kind of thing you see nowadays at Devils Bridge if you’re lucky) though remarkable throttle control given the conditions and 140bhp at the end of the throttle cable!

Then the highlight of the morning track events was the purple helmets display team. A band of idiots dressed in tattered old brown army coats, knackered old matt black helmets and astride a selection of knackered old  (factory prepared) Honda C50’s and C 90’s in various black guises. This merry band brought the roof down with wheelies, jumping on ramps, and various other silly (yet very dangerous) antics, culminating in a wheelie bin race in which several council wheelie bins, suitable cut in half with skid plates under them, carrying a passenger, were towed with a piece of best BT duct string around the race track.   Instability was a major problem, and the commentary was enhanced by the various names of the bin teams (such as 4-cannel).

All in all a good day was had even though I had to retreat early for 2.00pm.

See You Wednesday

Alastair  

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