Weslake specials at Ashford

Former Weslake employees will be reunited with the engines they built and designed at the Ashford Classic Motorcycle Show and Autojumble this Easter Monday, April 18.

Based at Rye Harbour in East Sussex until its demise, Weslake has a connection to Ashford through its subsidiary,

The Ashford Tool & Gauge Company. Renowned for building fast off-road engines including singles, parallel twins and v-twins, Weslake’s engineers worked on the development of the Hesketh engine, the Norton Challenger and the Triumph eight-valve head.

Exhibits at the show will include a cutaway speedway engine, sectioned

750cc eight-valve twin engine and pattern equipment with some parts for the ill-fated 500cc Grand Prix racing engine. Taking centre stage is the 1959 1000cc Norlake Cafe Racer, which took 5½ years and 517 man-hours to build and is powered by a Weslake V-twin pushrod eight-valve engine.

In addition to the Weslake display there will be many more classic and vintage machines on show in the main hall, plus dozens of bike jumble stalls, trade stands selling tools, clothing and accessories and more besides. The Ashford Classic Motorcycle Show and Autojumble is held at the Ashford Livestock Market, Orbital Park, Ashford, KENT, TN24 0HB. Tickets, stall bookings and all other info can be found at www.elk-promotions.co.uk