Page 1 Paradise & Gell has been located on Michael Street in Peel since 1974. Here you will find a wide range of furnishings to enhance any living space. Whether you are looking for something contemporary or a more traditional piece, then look no further than Paradise & Gell. Page 2 Contents Page 2 Secretary's Notes Page 3 Chairman’s Chat Page 4 Moments in Time Page 6 YBN “The Benelli Brothers Did Not Make Ice Cream” Page 8 Help Needed! Page 9 Life Lessons Page 10 New Members Page 11 Forthcoming Events Page 12 ScooterMANIA Page 15 IOM VMCC TEST DAY Page 17 Floggers Corner Page 20 Book Review - The Triumph Tiger Cub Bible Page 22 Trials Results Page 24 The 59th VMCC TT Rally 2014 Page 28 Rider Profile No. 23 - J.H. Simpson Page 29 A Thank You to the Section Page 30 Pride & Clarke Editor: Harley Richards [email protected] Cover Picture:- It may have been 75 years since BMW won the Senior, but they haven’t been absent from the Winner’s enclosure in that time. The cover shows Nick Jefferies on his way to winning the1985 Production TT (more BMW winners can be found on the “Moments in Time” page). (Photo by Amulree) Page 1 Secretary’s Notes Hi Everyone, Very short this time down to pressure of work, and going away for a week. The Museum side of my life has been hectic as we have had a large number of visitors, and visiting car and bike clubs, and also a couple of film crews filming programmes to be shown later on in the year. The VMCC side of life has also been very hectic with planning for the VMCC MGP Rally and Festival of Jurby going at full pace. Our Closed Roads Parade is fully subscribed with 108 riders, and numbers for the Rally and the Gala Dinner are also up, although with a disappointing turnout from our local members (there is still time to enter!!). It is a truly international rally with entries coming from Hong Kong, America, Denmark, Germany, Spain, France and Ireland so please give our visitors a warm Isle of Man welcome. The VMCC Festival of Jurby on August 24th will be the largest event we have ever held. We do need help, please telephone my mobile 474074 or speak to Pat on 878242 - all offers of help, however small, are gratefully received. New to the event will be the National Motorcycle Museum who are bringing rotary Nortons for both on and off track display, as well as our regular friend Sammy Miller riding two fantastic machines not seen before. Most of the stars from the Classic TT will be in attendance as well as over 200 of our own VMCC members parading. By the time you read this member, Chris Procter will be on his way to the Bonneville Salt Flats to attempt two land speed world records. We wish him well and look forward to his safe return. Many issues need to be discussed and these will be raised at the next Club Night when there is more time. Happy riding Tony Page 2 Chairman’s chat We are now into July, unbelievably, and the riding season is firmly under way. The TT rally went well, in spite of the changes to the race schedule, and Brian and Jim are to be congratulated for their efforts. A team also attended the Stafford show to promote our events in particular and the island generally. In spite of our “off piste” position in the hall, all our literature was given out before Sunday morning was through. Interest is clearly very high for the Classic TT and also our events, especially Jurby Day, so thank you to Roz, Chris, Rupert and Tony for your efforts - we were “all talked out” by the end of the show. Tony and Rupert picked up silverware for their machines on display but regret- tably this was over shadowed by the theft of Rupert’s toolbox and tools, and Tony`s inspection light from his Triumph: there really is some low life about. The number one issue raised by show goers regarding the Classic TT is getting to the Island, with many people being disappointed at not obtaining their book- ings. This, in turn, has a knock on effect on our rally numbers, but we will keep lobbying the powers that be. Our Jurby test day proved very worthwhile, track sessions continued throughout the day and were enjoyed by everyone who attended. The first evening run of the year proved extremely popular with a vast array of machinery out for an airing. I must say that, compared with photographs in the VMCC journal, which largely show a line of small commuter transport on their road runs, our line up is vastly superior. We still need volunteers to help at our Jurby Day so please make yourself known, I have had several several offers of help but more are needed, you will even get a free lunch! Don’t forget that club nights continue at Knock Froy throughout the summer so come along, it’s your club. Richard Page 3 Moments in Time Picking up from the 1. cover shot of Nick Jefferies, here are just a few of the BMW machines that have been clocking up wins around the TT since the 1939 Senior victory. 2. 1. Willy Faust - 1955 Sidecar TT 2. Fritz Hillebrand - 1957 Sidecar TT 3. 3. Helmut Dahne - 1974 Production TT 4. Dave Morris - 1999 Singles TT All photographs 4. courtesy of Amulree Page 4 Page 5 Yellow Belly Notes “The Benelli Brothers Did Not Make Ice Cream” In 1959, four 250cc singles were made in the Benelli race shop in Pesaro, this one being GPX1003 (Pic 1) - it also appears in Mick Duckworth’s book “Classic Racing Motorcycles”. The ASI Moto Show held at Var- ano in May saw it back on track where it belongs. Pic 1 In a coffee shop in Louth just before Christmas, a plot had been hatched. Arch Velocette enthusiast and gnarled racer Rob Drury, who is the owner of this historic Benelli, suggested that a group of us take bikes to this fabulous event (see Vintage Mann No 22 for more information about the event). I was in because I wanted to run my ‘Macchi engine in, prior to the pre T.T. and we would also be taking a Mk. IV KTT and a Mk. VIII KTT because, according to Rob, “It would be a treat for the Italians to see some proper race bikes”. Page 6 Varano is in a scenic valley not far from Parma and a number of the coffee shop plotters had flown in on cheap flights. On Friday morning the paddock was already full as we unloaded the bikes and set off for scrutineering. This was more of a social occasion, a bit like a ‘weigh-in’ on the Isle of Man. In front of me and the ‘Macchi was this Pic 2 beautiful Morini (Pic 2). The interest in the Benelli was huge and before long we were introduced to an ex- racer called Frances- co Guglieminetti. He was nice old boy who told us that he remembered racing the bike at Monza against Mike Hailwood, who was on a similar bike owned by Fron Purslow. He said that he won the race, adding with a smile that Mike had broken down. This was in the early 60’s but by then the singles were obsolete, and Benelli had produced their four cylinder racers. The time came for Rob to take the bike Pic 3 out on track. The noise it made was one of the loudest I have ever heard, but of course in Italy that was not a problem, so out it went (Pic 3). After a few gentle warm up laps, it bel- lowed round at a brisk pace - mission fully accomplished. Page 7 Pic 4 How did the Velocettes go down? Well, just have look at this young man on the Mk VIII (Pic 4). His name is Davide and now he knows all about Freddie Frith! Pat Sproston. Photographs by Raymond Ainscoe HELP NEEDED! Does anyone know the where- abouts of the Guzzi in this picture? It belonged to Pam Brown (Norman Brown’s daughter) and, as she is com- ing up for a big birthday, a clandestine mission is under- way to possibly reunite her with it again. If anyone has any information please call Roy Hall (496380) but, please remember, this is all a secret. Page 8 LIFE LESSONS As the riding season looms once more, your editor thought it might be a opportune moment to remind you of those valuable lessons that we pick up after years of riding but somehow forget at the exact moment we really shouldn’t. 1. Any aftermarket part labelled “universal” will fit no motorcycle. 2. Nasty noises from the engine that go away should be treated with the same level of suspicion as those that don’t, or indeed those that get worse. Engines, by and large, do not mend themselves. 3. Before major surgery to tackle an oil leak, check that the bike doesn’t have a chain oiler which is turned full on. 4. If your workshop manual doesn’t make sense, it might be worth check- ing how “stock” your bike is (I’m thinking here of a keen young type of my acquaintance who was cursing Mr Haynes for the inaccuracies in his manual covering BSA’s C15, when it was pointed out to him that, for reasons no one ever fathomed, the bike in question had been fitted with a Tiger Cub motor).