Brisk Business at H&H’s Inaugural Harrogate Auction

1 May 2008

Despite the doom and gloom pervading the current economic climate, H&H enjoyed a notably successful sale on its first visit to Harrogate. With the motorcycle section crammed full of racing machinery including four ex-Works bikes, department head George Beale knew the chances of a 100 per cent sales rate were slim (though, he did achieve this for the road bike entries).

Nevertheless the highly-strung thoroughbreds that did change hands made respectable prices including a Suzuki RG500 MK2 (£12,650), Triumph Trident (£12,650) and Honda RS250 (£8000).

Bonhams wind up for million pound sale

11 April 2008

Just some of the stunning Ehn collection that goes up for sale at Hendon in June.

Bonhams is delighted to announce an important addition to the calendar of motorcycle sales for 2008. The sale of the Professor Fritz Ehn Museum Collection from Austria will be the biggest single-owner collection of motorcycles ever to be sold at auction. The sale will be on 30 June 2008 at the RAF Museum in Hendon and will comprise over 300 machines from pioneer to Japanese racing machinery, with estimates ranging from £200 to £28,000.
This wonderful collection includes many rare and historically important machines and highlights include:

• 1953 AJS 7R, estimate £12,000-14,000
• 1927 Böhmerland Reisemodell, estimate £24,000-28,000
• 1927 BMW R47, estimate £18,000-22,000
• 1927 Harley Davidson 1200cc JD, estimate £12,000-15,000
• 1991 Honda RC30, estimate £10,000-14,000
• 1933 Jawa Rumpal, estimate £7,000-10,000
• 1904 Laurent et Klement V-Twin, estimate £20,000-25,000
• 1976 MV Agusta 750S America, estimate £18,000-22,000
• 1929 Neander 1,000cc P3, estimate £18,000-25,000
• 1982 Suzuki Katana Prototype, estimate £7,000-8,000
• 1953 Vincent Black Shadow Series C, estimate £22,000-28,000

The motorcycle museum in Eggenburg was established by Professor Ehn in 1980 and was the first museum of its kind in Austria. It has been open to the public since 1980, drawing over 10,000 visitors a year. Professor Ehn has had a life-long involvement and interest in motorcycles, having started out as a young boy riding in the sidecar of his father’s Puch 500. He was given his first motorcycle in 1961 for passing school exams, and his passion for collecting has continued unabated since then.
His expertise and specialist knowledge is widely recognised throughout Austria and he was Director of the Technical School in Vienna for 30 years. In 1999, the President of Austria made him an honorary Professor.
Despite ‘retiring’ several years ago, he is now actively involved in building new collections – of Steyr Daimler Puch AG motorcycles and also his other passion, tractors and farm machinery, to display in the museum buildings. This has led to his decision to sell the Museum collection.

Ben Walker, Head of Bonhams Motorcycle Department, said: “We are honoured that Professor Ehn has asked Bonhams to sell his collection. The variety and types of machines are fantastic and will not disappoint enthusiasts and collectors – there is literally something for everyone. The RAF Museum in London is the perfect venue for such an important sale and 30 June is a date that should be in every motorcycle enthusiast’s diary!”

South of England Show

24 April 2008

Despite a six inch carpet of snow, the South of England Show, Ardingly, some 56 motorcyclists braved the conditions to display their wares. Fortunately a bit of a thaw set in by lunch time and it was more of slushy ride home. As a reward for those who did turn up, free tickets to the Rye (Marsh Road, Hamstreet) Autojumble on Sunday 18 May. (Details from Elk Promotions on 01797 344277.)
Typical of those who attended, or maybe not, was Dave Hawes who brought out his immaculate Laverda Jota for a 140 mile round trip, he said, “Fell off twice on the way here but only once on the way back and that was at the bottom of my drive. A good day out.”

Mascot warning

24 April 2008

No, it’s not April 1, but it seems that if you have a mascot on your motorcycle, be warned, it may be deemed dangerous and as such your machine could fail its MoT test. This may be a slight over reaction to the news that a Mk2 Jaguar, in Northern Ireland, was failed because its standard fitting ‘leaper’ mascot on the bonnet, did not comply with current regulations.
Such items can, it would seem, be classed as ‘posing a risk to pedestrians’. Advice is being sought from the Department of Transport on appropriate measures to overcome this ridiculous situation, providing testers with guidelines instructing them to accept original ornamentation, such as the Morris Minor’s bonnet loop, as compliant. Whatever happened to common sense?

Norton get technical

24 April 2008

Andover Norton International Ltd, the Norton Motors Group company responsible for production and distribution of Commando and Dominator parts, has acquired JR Technical Publications Ltd. Andover Norton have taken on all stock, print files and equipment necessary to continue the distribution and when necessary reproduction of Norton and Triumph workshop manuals, parts lists, handbooks and technical wallcharts previously distributed by JR Technical Publications Ltd. Former proprietor Trevor Gleadell will continue to concentrate on his LP Williams Triumph business.
Norton boss Joe Seifert said, “The list of books will be on our website as soon as possible and we hope to be up and running in a couple of weeks. Our main interest is supply of trade but we will process orders from retail customers too.”www.andover-norton.co.uk.

Royal Enfield dealer’s big day out

11 April 2008

A7 Motorcycles from the Scottish Borders scooping Best New Dealer

The hills were alive with the sound of Royal Enfield motorcycles as 40 dealers descended on Prescott, home to the historic hill climb track, for the company’s annual conference.

The Prescott Estate was purchased by the Bugatti Owners Club in 1937 and provides the perfect setting for the historic Royal Enfield brand, which achieved a 15 per cent growth in UK sales last year.

In addition to sales, marketing and technical presentations from the UK management team and a representative from the factory, dealers had an opportunity to test ride the new Woodsman, which will soon be available for sale.  A light dusting of snow and temperatures only just above freezing were no deterrent for the dealers, who had travelled from the length and breadth of the country to attend.

This event is also the occasion of the Awards for best-performing dealerships, which was won for the sixth consecutive year by Hayward's of Cambridge.  However there were new faces in the other categories, with Llandow Classics from South Wales being Highly Commended and A7 Motorcycles from the Scottish Borders scooping Best New Dealer.

‘Thriller’ for Jackson

11 April 2008

Bonhams – one of the world’s leading auction houses – is delighted to announce that Mike Jackson, renowned authority on motorcycling’s competition and industry side, is to join the motorcycle department as consultant for Sussex and Wessex. The appointment will take effect from 26 April 2008.

Mike Jackson has competed in trials and motocross events at the highest level in UK, Europe and USA. He began racing in 1954, riding on Francis Barnett, James, Greeves and AJS, winning numerous events. During this time he worked in sales for Greeves and later AJS. When he was appointed General Sales Manager for Norton Villiers Corp in 1970, he moved to the US, and raced AJS in West Coast Desert events. He enjoyed some top placings in the prestigious Barstow To Vegas Hare and Hounds and the Elsinore Grand Prix.

Mike Jackson’s career with Norton Villiers continued – he became Sales Director for the European concern, before becoming Marketing Director for Norton Villiers Triumph Ltd between 1974 and 1981. In 1981 he became the owner of Andover Norton International Ltd and – 10 years later – co-owner of BSA Group Ltd.

In 1995, Jackson sold the business and was appointed by Sotheby’s as consultant in the UK and the US. He also worked as consultant and Chief Judge for the Louis Vuitton Concours, until this event concluded in 2004.
Since 2000, he has been a member of the National Motor Museum Advisory Council in Beaulieu, and writes on a freelance basis for various British and American motorcycle publications.

Still riding today – though not always on Norton – Jackson became President of the Norton Owners Club two years ago. He has also acted as consultant to Cambridge-based auctioneers Cheffins until his appointment by Bonhams.
Malcolm Barber, Group Managing Director of Bonhams, said: “ Mike Jackson and I have known each other for the last 15 years, working together at international events such as the Louis Vuitton Concours and The Legend of the Motorcycle. I am very pleased that he has joined the Bonhams Group to further complement our team.” 

Ben Walker, Head of Bonhams’ motorcycle department said: “We are delighted that Mike has joined the team. His experience and expert knowledge will be a real bonus to our department. Our line-up of consultants, including Jeff Clew, Colin Seeley, Mike Worthington-Williams and Bob Cordon-Champ is now second-to-none.”

Mike Jackson said:” It is due to so many genuine enthusiasts that the historic scene is such a joy in which to work, and where each new task is different. It’s also a humbling thought to realise Bonhams has been going even longer than I.”

Classic caught in the net as new road tax discriminates against bikes

Added: 2 April 2008

Under new emissions-based rates of road tax announced in the March Budget, vehicles that produce less than 100g of CO2 per/km will pay nothing – unless they are motorcycles. Despite emitting less than 100g per/km, many motorcycles will next year pay double according to the Environmental Transport Association.
The new rates discriminate against motorcycles – despite the fact that CO2 emissions for motorcycles of all types are already below the average level for petrol and diesel-engined cars. A 125cc commuter bike currently pays a vehicle excise duty of £15 – but the rate in 2009 will more than double to £33.

Andrew Davis, director at the Environmental Transport Association said: “A doubling of tax for motorcycles that produce less than 100g of CO2 per/km makes a nonsense of the revised rates of vehicle excise duty. It appears that motorcycles are subsidising the new zero rate of vehicle excise duty for the lowest-polluting cars. At a time when we are struggling to meet emissions targets and high petrol prices, a case must be made for motorcycles that produce less CO2 than cars and use far less fuel.”

Killer wires slammed by BMF

Added: 2 April 2008

Wire-rope safety fences can pose a risk to bikers.

The British Motorcyclists Federation has written to Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick calling for an end to the installation of wire-rope (‘cheese-cutter’) safety barriers. The letter was prompted by the recent death of a motorcyclist who was killed after colliding with a wire-rope safety fence on the A41 New Ferry bypass in Merseyside.
Pointing out that although the Highways Agency is well aware of the BMF’s concerns over the wire-rope safety fence (WRSF) type of vehicle restarint and now specifies other types of barrier, the ‘de-trunking’ of large parts of the Highways Agency network now means that control is passed to local authorities where they often install wire-rope safety fences mainly for aesthetic reasons. If this continues, say the BMF, wire-rope safety fences will be installed on a growing part of our road network, so increasing the risk to motorcyclists.

Chris Hodder, the BMF’s Government Relations Executive said:
“It seems perverse that a safety system has been designed which actually increases the likelihood of a fatality. Not only is the wire rope itself dangerous to motorcyclists, but its numerous upright support posts can also be lethal to riders. In the Netherlands and Norway such barriers have been outlawed following a spate of fatal accidents and moves are being made in many other UN ECE countries to remove them. We want the same to happen here.”

Air conditioning

Added: 2 April 2008

Philip Lightfoot (right) receives welcome support from members of the Aircooled RD Club on his solo Easter rally.

Members of the Aircooled RD club were keen to get their bikes out after the long winter lay off, but the 3rd Annual South West Easter Meet fell foul of the weather with Easter being so early in the year, writes Derek Freegard.
The long awaited Easter Saturday arrived with reports from Essex to Salisbury and Devon of grey skies with falling snow. The event was then officially called off – but then word got out that Philip Lightfoot had left Cheshire at 6am and was heading south on his 1980 RD400F followed by a freezing northerly arctic wind. Phil has only recently got his driving licence back after the DVLA withdrew it when he suffered a stroke.

The weather forecast for the meet at Cheddar Gorge in Somerset was clear and sunny with a freezing wind, so four hardy members from the west region headed off on more modern machinery through the light snow to meet up with Phil. The five club members and the single RD met up in the village of Cheddar at the bottom of the gorge and had a warming cup of tea before putting the bikes through the twisty bends up and down the gorge.
The group then heady over to Weston Super Mare and parked up on the sea front and were soon accosted by the “You don’t see many of them” and “I used to have one of those” comments from passers-by.

After another warming cup of tea, the group headed home, with Philip this time having to endure the freezing headwind on his return journey North. Heroic Philip was the farthest travelled bike on that cold day clocking up a total of 444 miles. Quote of the day was from Phil, “That’s the first time that I have ever paid 15 quid to fill an RD tank!”
The ‘cancelled’ first meet has been rearranged for 8 May at 11am at the bottom of Cheddar Gorge followed with a run to Weston.

Roy Richards dies

2 April 2008

Roy Richards with an ex-Barry Sheene FWD Manx in the museum

Roy Richards, owner of the National Motorcycle Museum died on Saturday 29 March, at the age of 77. He had been ill for some time. In the short term at least, Richards’ stepson Simon Hartland is to take over the running of the museum site, which includes extensive banqueting and meeting facilities as well as the motorcycle museum.

A board meeting has been called for today (2 April 2008), presumably to discuss the future running of the site.
Roy Richards started his collection of motorcycles in 1970, with the purchase of a Vincent and opened the museum in 1984.

The museum suffered a serious fire on 16 September 2003, re-opening just a year later on December 1 2004. Mr Richards leaves a wife, Christine, a son & daughter, and three step-children.

Bike Tagging Threat Removed

Added: 2 April 2008

The British Motorcyclists Federation has welcomed the decision by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to abandon plans to use electronic chips for motorcycle identification purposes.
The plan had been for Electronic Vehicle Identification (EVI) to be used as a means of tackling Vehicle Excise Duty evasion. This announcement follows the recent disclosure that the VED evasion figures for motorcycles had been erroneously grossly exaggerated by the Department for Transport.
According to the DVLA’s figures, the scheme would have cost around £100 million to recoup £27 million in lost VED revenue, but the BMF had already said that Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) has proved that a significant number of vehicles of all types use cloned or stolen plates so even this figure could not be guaranteed.

In addition, EVI might be more easily read but an embedded chip could be easily masked or indeed stolen along with the registration plate. This could mean, as now, that the victims of cloning or theft could be the ones held liable for the actions of criminals. Without adequate road policing for ‘stop checks’, the culprits would remain unidentifiable.
BMF Government Relations Executive Chris Hodder said: “We are pleased that the DVLA has taken note of our comments. EVI is not the solution to VED evasion. We knew it would be expensive to introduce and in any case be largely ineffective in deterring the criminal. All it would have done is ‘tag’ the honest and law abiding citizen.”
Initial VED evasion figures quoted a 38 per cent evasion rate whereas revised figures proved it to be only six per cent.

Norman ‘stands up’ for Hinckley Bonnevilles

Added: 2 April 2008

New Bonneville stand

Triumph specialist Norman Hyde has developed a strong and functional centre stand that is designed to be retro-fitted to post-1999 models of Triumph Bonneville.
Manufactured in the UK from powder coated steel, the Hyde centre stand makes for stable parking and also enables owners to perform routine maintenance, such as lubricating and adjusting the chain, neither of which are easy with only a side stand.
It is supplied complete with all necessary fittings and bolts directly to existing mounting points without the need for modification. The new standis priced at £108.10 including VAT.

Call 01926 497375 or visit www.normanhyde.co.uk for details

VMCC Sprint Section Web Site.

Added: 20 March 2008

The VMCC Sprint Section’s new Website has gone live and initial feedback is extremely encouraging. Click on the link www.vmccsprint.co.uk and have a look.
On the blog page, there is now an RSS feed that will automatically send reminders of upcoming events and latest news. In addition, it is possible to download entry forms, regulations and results etc. There are also some great photographs from way back which the sprint section plan on rolling out over the next few months.

Ace Heritage

Added: 20 March 2008

Celebrating its 70th anniversary, the Ace Café is to compile an archive, preserving pictorial written and anecdotal history of the café. The material is to be used for a TV documentary and hard backed book, to be published by Red Line Books. If you have any tales or images from your time at the Ace, clothes to photograph, press cuttings etc, contact Mark Wilsmore on info@ace-cafe-london.com.

Rip roaring start to the year for H&H Auctions at Cheltenham

Added: 20 March 2008

H&H's third visit to The Centaur Complex at Cheltenham Racecourse on 26/27 February was rewarded with a number of new world auction and
in-house records, not to mention a gross sale total of over £1.5 million.

Benefiting from fine weather and held in conjunction with http://www.liveauctioneers.com, the two-day event drew bidders from as far afield as North America, the Far East and mainland Europe (their participation being partially due to the fact that all lots were listed on eBay some ten days prior to the sale).

Although the cars outnumbered the motorcycle lots, two-wheelers had their day in the sun at the racecourse too. Almost certainly a new world auction record for a British single-cylinder, the estimate-busting £45,650 achieved by the ex-Tommy Robb 1962 AJS 7R generated a well-deserved round of
applause.

Other impressive prices among the motorcycles included the 1951 Vincent Rapide Series C (£24,750), 1948 Norton Manx 30M (£12,100) and
the barn find c.1961 Aermacchi Racer (£5,060). Overall, the sale grossed in excess of £1,500,000.

New kid on the classic block

Added: 20 March 2008

Classic Super Bikes

Classic Super Bikes is a new business based in Fleet, Hampshire, by enthusiast Chris Bunce to provide a service to the growing number of enthusiasts who love to own and ride classic motorcycles. Chris is an experienced businessman and lifelong motorcyclist, who aims to build a reputation for the best classic motorcycles, clothing, accessories and memorabilia.
Give him a call on 07809 894777, send him an e-mail at csb@classicsuperbikes.co.uk  or visit his website  www.classicsuperbikes.co.uk and arrange to meet up for a chat about what you want or what you’ve got. A collection and delivery service is available.

British and European Classic Motorcycle Day

Added: 6 March 2008

Running with the American theme, all British and European Classic Motorcycle enthusiasts are invited to attend this year’s British and European Motorcycle Day on Sunday, 18 May at Butler’s Orchard in Germantown, Maryland, USA (visit www. classicmotorcycleday.org for full details).
At last year’s show it was announced that the Marque of the Year for 2008 would be Triumph. British and European Classic Motorcycle Day is in the heart of Triumph Country and many of the people who worked for Triumph’s Eastern distribution centre, affectionately referred to as TriCor, headquartered in Towson, Maryland, are still in the area and it’s hoped many of them will be at the show.
Naturally, there will also be a full concours with over 60 trophies, a swap meet (autojumble) and the vintage trials demonstration as usual.

The ninth annual Riding Into History

Added: 1 March 2008

Riding Into History, one of America’s biggest motorcycle events, will return to the World Golf Village near St Augustine, Florida, on 17 May, 2008. The event will feature Charity Rides, a Concours d’Elegance, the Biker’s Ball and the Historic Ride. All of the proceeds from Riding Into History will benefit the Buddy Check 12 breast cancer charity, a partnership between Baptist Health and First Coast News.

Between 300 and 400 antique, vintage and classic motorcycles from all over the country are expected to enter the Concours. Thousands of spectators are once again expected to enjoy the event which also includes exhibitors, entertainment, clubs and a variety of food. Admission is still only $10 at the gate for the Concours. Various packages are available for the Biker’s Ball and the Charity Rides.

The Grand Marshal for this year’s event will be Mert Lawwill, former Grand National Champion and star of On Any Sunday. He will be available to meet patrons at the concours and he will speak at The Biker’s Ball.

The World Golf Village is located just north of St. Augustine on I-95, exit 323.

For additional information go to RidingIntoHistory.org, or email info@RidingIntoHistory.org