FAST AMERICAN

Alan Cathcart mentions having a long memory, and regarding to Lance Weil’s Harley, so do I.

The Weil Harley had a frame that looked a little similar to a featherbed, but it was not. The twin main loops ran parallel down from the head stock, finishing under the swinging arm where there was a cross tube. Taken from this was a single vertical larger diameter tube which carried up to the front of the rear subframe. You will also be able to see from the enclosed photographs that the rear subframe and swinging arm are different. The early bike had a 10” 4-leading shoe brake, whereas the later one had twin Lyster discs.

I saw this machine in the flesh at the Hutchinson 100 Race at Brands Hatch in 1967, which was run in an anticlockwise direction. At the meeting Lance was in the Noninternational race for up to 750cc machines, and he ran away with it winning by about half a lap.

That year the Mellano Trophy was awarded to John Hartle for his very fast lap in winning the production race. This was on the Thruxton Bonneville that was timed at the TT at 142mph. Then in the main race which included all the stars; Hailwood, Honda 296cc; Phil Read, 349 GP Yamaha; Ray Pickerell, Dunstall 750 Domiracer, and many more, Mike Hailwood, with John Hartle on the Bonneville seemingly glued to his tail rode away from the rest. That was until Hartle was seen to ground out the Triumph, trying too hard, and fell, leaving the unassailable Hailwood miles in front of the allstar field, every one of whom was on a larger capacity bike. What a man! Bruce Hosie, member 6616

It’s true – you certainly have excellent memories, Bruce! Thanks for sharing them. Frank W