Vintage Motorcycles in UK

[Robin Holmes]

Today I went to the Heritage Motor museum at Gaydon to watch the start of the annual "Banbury Run". I'd know about it for years and seen them on the road but not been interested enough to go and watch the start. These bikes are all pre 1931.
As I get older I am beginning to take more of an interest in old bikes. When I was younger I was only interested in the new stuff. Looking round today it seems there are few ideas that hadn't been thought of over 70 years ago. The oldest rider by the way was nearly 90, so I hope I have a few more riding years left in me.

If anyone is interested there are more pictures here...

http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o108 ... un%202008/

If this isn't the sort of thing you like to see on GT Rider, I'm sorry, I don't live in Thailand (Yet) so can't write any trip reports, and don't want to be just a "lurker".

This James was pretty well in showroom condition.

Starting off in 2's 3's and 4's it took a couple of hours before all 600 were away.

 

[Rhodie]

Robin
thanks for posting such a splendid report & pix.
That fella on the Rudge in the last image looks as tho he's wearing what was then,
ATGATT - a tweedjacket & deerstalker - no doubt with trousers tucked into socks ans "sensible shoes"!
As for the wicker chair with gas lamps -
I'm sure the Guv'nor would avail himself of its services from his current Riverside haunt, if it were available!

Really special seeing such legendary names still rolling.

Thanks for taking the time allowing us to share what must have been a great day.

 

[E3L0]

Hi Robin,

Is that first one powered by a big liquorice allsort?

I used to live in Leamington and work in Kineton so I went past Gaydon every day. I don't remember that many bikes being there.

Dave

 

[HIKO]

No it is not. It is a gasoline driven Scott, two stroke. Scott was manufactured from 1908 up the late 1970's with several interruptions and owner changes. The specific thing with Scott was the two stroke design which especially in the 1910-1920 gave Scott plenty of success on the Race track. The first bikes were one and two cylinders. In th 1930' they developed a three cylinder two stroke about 40 years before Suzuki.... Scott bikes were also otherwise modern with good suspension and a developed transmission. The were sold up 1989 and as far as I remember some English enthusiasts tried still in the late 1980's to create an English Challenge for the 500cc World Championships using the three cylinder Scott.

The model on the picture is probably a two cylinder Scott Flying Squirrel from 1929 or something like that.

The last Scott model looked like this:

HIKO

 

[Robin Holmes]

The other thing about Scott - and that one is indeed a "Flying Squirrel" - is that they were water cooled.

 

[monsterman]

HIKO the modern Scotts of the 1980s were called SILK after the Scott restoration specialist and parts maker George Silk, decided to make some new modern Scott updated replicas .

By all accounts they were excellent machines.