Sammy Miller
Pageant revs up Liverpool
Source: Insidebikes | Carole Nash » Bike News - Wednesday, 26th May 2010, 13:34 GMTThe Pageant of Power is a kind of Goodwood Festival of the North, and the organisers put on a spectacular preview of this July’s main event, free of charge, in Liverpool last night. Alastair Walker was there. The Cholmondeley Pageant of Power is a celebration of aircraft, powerboats, classic cars, motorcycles and the heroes of motorsport. It takes place each July at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire and this year’s weekend of petrolhead heaven will happen on July 17th and 18th. Last night saw part of the Strand closed off to normal traffic in Liverpool city centre, whilst an 800bhp JCB digger, a 24 litre Napier-Bentley, Lamborghini Gallardos and a Bugatti Veyron all spun their tyres past the Liverpool One shopping venue and Albert Dock. For bikers, TT heroes like Charlie Williams and Stuart Graham rode classic race machines, whilst John McGuinness was warming up the Padgetts Honda 1000cc race machine that he will be using at the TT races in a week’s time. BSB star Ryuichi Kiyonari was on hand to smoke some rubber and pop a few wheelies on his HM Plant Honda too. An estimated 20,000 crowd watched the free show, which also had the Breitling wing-walkers and Big Cat class powerboats on the Mersey. Amongst the rare machines there, a Moto Guzzi single cylinder race machine attracted interest with its leading-link forks and authentic tool-roll, which used to be essential on long distance races back in the 50s. Pioneer bikes like a 1910 Singer which featured no brakes, or raucous 70s two-strokes like a Maxton Yamaha TZ385, ridden by TT winner 11 times over, Charlie Williams brought a smile to the faces of road racing fans. The main Pageant in July will have a wide range of two-wheeler machines in action, including the Cagiva 500 GP racer from the 80s, the 1940s AJS Porcupine and rare models from well known collectors like Sammy Miller and Chris Wilson. Local dealers like Bill Smith Triumph and Knutsford Honda will be part of the trade area at Cholmondeley in July as well. The organisers of the Pageant of Power hope that the Liverpool showcase will become an annual event and you can find out more at; www.cpop.co.uk Read article
Norton rocks the Thundersprint
Source: Insidebikes | Carole Nash » Bike News - Monday, 10th May 2010, 15:05 GMTThe Thundersprint is a free motorbike show and classic motorcycle sprint event, where the entire town of Northwich in Cheshire is taken over by two-wheeled fans, reports Alastair Walker. The stars of this year’s event included former GP star Steve Parrish, 60s GP legend Jim Redman, current 125 MotoGP rider Danny Webb and Chris Walker, BSB racer for the last decade and now sales manager for Norton Motorcycles. Chris was in action on the short sprint course, giving the new 961cc Norton Commando twin a real workout for the crowd. The old Norton motorcycle company stopped making the Commando twins back in the late 70s and after a troubled attempt at selling rotary powered bikes in the 90s, went bust and the assets were sold off. Now the rights to use the Norton name have been acquired by Stu Garmer, a Midlands-based businessman, with a passion for two wheels. The new Norton bikes proved very popular at the Thundersprint and Andie Waite from the revived Norton company told insidebikes that they were `overwhelmed by the support from bikers old and new, we’ve also had five deposits placed on new machines today, which is brilliant.’ The demand for the new Commando is impressive; everyone insidebikes spoke to admired the styling, classy components and the styling of the Commando. In a recession, selling a hand-built motorcycle, at between £16,000-£18,000 is a tough proposition, but a strong debut looks likely from the small manufacturer when Norton twins go on sale later in 2010. Let’s hope Norton can build on the tremendous interest and get a viable manufacturing business going right here in the UK which might be as successful as Hinckley Triumph one day. On track, riders from the UK, France and elsewhere all battled to set the fastest time around the car park sprint course, with Jason Caunce, organiser Frank Melling and Alain Marie on his 1972 BMW 750 proddie racer all setting impressive times. Motorcycles from the 1920s to the 1990s, plus sidecars and a George Formby `Shuttleworth Snap’ replica, offered a diverse display for the huge crowd at this free biking festival. Other interesting bikes on show at the Thundersprint Motorcycle Show on the Saturday included a Honda RC181 racer from Sammy Miller’s museum, Keith Williams’ Difazio Ducati 750 - the only one in the UK - and a fantastic collection of 1970s Fizzy mopeds, RD250s and 350LC models from Yamaha club members. For many bikers seeing those on display at the Saturday motorcycle show was a real trip down memory lane. The Thundersprint cavalcade through town and the Spitfire fly-past give the event a real friendly feel and it looks set to grow in 2011 with continued support from Cheshire West Council and many local motorcycle dealers. More at; www.thundersprint.com Read article
Team to show off land speed contender
Source: Insidebikes | Carole Nash » Bike News - Wednesday, 10th March 2010, 5:00 GMTMotorcycle enthusiasts will get to see a world land speed record contender this weekend as preparations for the Race Retro 2010 show come to a conclusion this weekend. This August the Angelic Bulldog team travels to Bonneville, where it is hoping to smash the 400mph barrier and bring the motorcycle Land Speed Record back to the UK for the first time since 1937, will be making an appearance at the show, held at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry from 12th to 14th March. The British made six and a half-metre long ‘streamliner’, powered by a 2.3-litre supercharged 700-horsepower engine, will attempt to break the current record of 360.913mph, set over a kilometre by American Rocky Robinson riding his machine, named Ack-Attack, in 2008. Angelic Bulldog project boss and rider Gabriel Uttley is hoping to bring the crown back to these shores and will be displaying his machine at Race Retro, giving enthusiasts a chance to get a glance of this rapid two-wheeler. For rapid racing bikes, the International Historic Racing Organisation is serving up four treats from its recently-created IHRO Class 2, which targets pre-1972 multi-cylinder Grand Prix machines and replicas. Four bikes are on display including a Yamaha 350 and a Konig 500, which used a two-stroke motorboat engine. The internationally-acclaimed Sammy Miller Museum is showing two Nortons - a 1956 Model F 350 and a 1960 350cc Lowboy. Race Retro will also pay tribute to 60 years of Norton with a stunning display of motorcycles as well as having famous racers from the past fifty years on hand to talk about the bikes’ finest hour with Race Retro motorcycle MC Steve Parrish. Adult ticket prices start from just £20 for Friday and £15 for Saturday and Sunday when booking in advance. Alternatively, upgrade to a VIP ticket with fantastic hospitality and a chance to meet are special guests. Children’s tickets are £5 on Friday or Saturday and free on Sunday. Parking is also free throughout. The show is open from 9.30am each day and closes at 5.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday. To book tickets and for the latest updates, visit www.raceretro.com Read article
Clarification of Classes for the 2010 ACU Sammy Miller Products Championship
Source: Latest News Articles from ACU.org.uk - Thursday, 4th March 2010, 17:29 GMT1 – PRE-UNIT RIGIDS - Read article
