NCC SUSSEX'S INNIT TO WINNIT

I BELIEVE IT WAS SAMUEL PEPYS WHO SAID: “AN ENGLISH SUMMER IS THREE DAYS OF SUNSHINE AND A THUNDERSTORM.” ALL WEEK THE DOOM-MONGERS ON THE TELLY’D THREATENED FLOODING, ETC., BUT THE GUYS AT THE NCC SUSSEX POOH-POOHED SUCH THOUGHTS.

SO, while all around were getting moist, like in films where villages’re under a protective dome, the sun shone, and shone, on the Bull at Boreham Street, Sussex, and like a muppet I forgot the sun protection.

Now in its fifth year, this event goes from strength to strength, even with so many others on in a packed and compressed diary, with Chopper Club members coming from all over the country – there were lots of friends I haven’t seen in ages, and the most amazing trophies made from carved pistons. I can never

remember the name of the rock n’ roll trio who played through the afternoon, but they’ve become a tradition, and suit the event so well, and this year, as well as the pub food, there was a BBQ, and cheese toasties from a horsebox, which were ace.

The field also had the usual mix of bikes, though I thought slightly fewer Brits and rats than usual. The winner of Best Brit was a flat-track Triumph, and Rat was the Bilgerat

(made by the Umbrella Corp!), and there was a scooter, in the most stunning red, which won Best Paint.

Bike of the day for me was Chris from NCC Kent’s stunning steam-punk Suzuki Savage, in which String from Raw Steel Choppers had had a hand, and it won deservedly Best Engineering. String had his own bike there too, the ultra-long Social Distance. The bike I would’ve loved to’ve owned, even though I loved the Savage, was a 350 twin chop which, to me, just looked so much fun. My good lady, on the other hand, made puppydog eyes at me over the plethora of Triumph Rocket 3s, but one’ll stay a dream for her unless a lottery win comes in.

As it was a Chopper Club event, there were a variety of engines in chops, not just Harleys, including several large Japanese four chops that, you could see, were properly used and abused. There were a couple of tidy FJs, a very old-skool 750/4, more than a

few oil-burner Suzukis, and at least one classic Kwak, and a lovely GS, too.

The landlord of the pub, who always gets so excited about seeing us all (and keeps a nice pint) gives out his own prize too, and this was won by Matt Burberry on his stunning Slinky Bint Sportster. As he always rides carrying as little as possible, and has no carrying capability on his bike, I have no idea how he got his trophy home.

Best Club Bike went to Roger from Dorset aboard his Harley (unusual not to see him on his long-term 750/4) and, being an NCC Sussex event, the winner of Best Trike was, of course, a V8 monster. Sussex, you see, has developed something of a reputation for building big V8s over the last few years, and it’s really good to see ‘em! Best Streetfighter was a very purposeful black and white Bandit, which oozed speed standing still; Best Hot Rod went to a cherry silver and red Chevy truck; and Best Chopper to a silver and blue Sporty that was a lockdown rebuild after an accident. Finally, Best in Show went to a very trad’ dark candy Harley with long girders.

As the presentations ended, and I steadily turned a fetching shade of cooked lobster (Did you know that lobsters’re only pink after they’re cooked? In life they’re a mottled brown), the Chopper Club guys got ready to party into the night, but we had to head home and, would you believe it? We got back, and found we’d missed torrential hailstorms and localised flooding – glad we were well away from that!