Chasing the Dragon

Further to the article by Lewis

Potter in OBM427 about the very wet 1966 Dragon Rally, along with my pal John, I rode from Leeds to the rally at Llanberis that year. We were both on John’s 1964 Bonneville as my Dommie was off the road.

Four other mates unbelievably went by car! However, it was useful as a bunkhouse as we had no tent. The riding shot here was taken through the rear window of said car.

The other picture was at a petrol stop, well into Wales, but I’m not sure where. I’m the one in the

Phil Read pudding basin, handpainted, long before they became commercially available.

I don’t recall much of the rally itself apart from it being very wet and cold, but I was really pleased to have done it and get that coveted badge. That has since been lost, unfortunately.

The Bonneville behaved impeccably, in very trying weather, with us taking turn on pillion both there and back. This was in the premotorways era of course, and Leeds to Snowdonia was a fair old trip, especially in those conditions.

Lewis’s tale stirred up lots of memories of a great era to be a teenage motorcyclist. I now live in Lincolnshire and, at 75, have great times riding the Wolds on my twoyear-old 350 OHC Jawa, but only in fine weather unless caught out.

David Bray, Lincolnshire