Well another year has come around and before I knew it I was off for a 300 mile round trip to the sheds of Newark Showground to see what I could find. Well I subconsciously themed this outing as all the machines were sprint bikes!
1930 Scott Hillclimber / Sprinter
(ink sketch)
This amazing outfit was built in the late 50s by Ozzie Neal, and raced at hill climbs and sprints in the 60s. The bike started off as a standard Scott, but was then lowered and built as a sidecar outfit. Ozzie raced it with his daughter Sheelagh as passenger. Sheelagh now races it herself with her husband in the passenger seat. It's great to see this sort of special still racing and for it to still be in the family is just perfect.
This Corgi was displayed alongside the Scott, app recently it's used as a training bike for the upcoming generation of Neal kids!
Sprint Bantam
(ink sketch)
Well I wasn't expecting to see this one again so quickly! This Bantam was sold at the Stafford Show last October. It has since been cleaned up and given a lick of paint. What I love about this bike is the simplicity and functionality. Essentially it's a stripped down plunger Bantam with some clever tuning. One day I will put together something like this... one day.
'Frightened Chicken' Lambretta
(ink sketch)
Lastly this long and low Lambretta caught my eye. There is something about sprint bikes that makes them stand out to me. I think it's the fact that there is no particular blueprint for these bikes, as you would have with a straight restoration. Anything goes as long as it goes faster. Sprint bikes like trials bikes demand that the owner / builder think outside the box in order to solve the problems that are thrown up by the sport.
The Frightened Chicken, as this Lambretta is known is the current ACU record holder for the Standing Mile Record on a Scooter. Richard Baker averaged 105.52mph, and topped out at 115.8mph on his East - West run, at Elvington on 17th May 2014
More Motorcycles....
1911 Sun Precision
125 Benelli
40s Guzzi Engine in a 70s Seeley Frame
Honda 500r on the jumble
1959 Matchless G3C
Lambretta Innocenti
1959 BSA Sumbeam Trials (left) & Pheonix 150 (right)
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