Time-saving device

The report of Richard Rosenthal’s Golden Anniversary OEC ride (news, June 2021) reminded me of a similar one I did in 2005.

I bought my first ‘proper’ motorcycle, a 1950 FrancisBarnett Falcon 55, from Cheshunt Motorcycle Mart (Harry’s), on May 1, 1955. By coincidence, the VMCC Relay Rally was being held on May 1 in 2005, so I decided to do it on my current Falcon 55, a 1949 model, to celebrate 50 years of F-B ownership.

Back then I had been doing the event on my 1929 BSA Sloper along with Derek Fox and Frank Dolman on vintage Model 18

Nortons. Clearly a different arrangement was necessary if I rode the F-B, owing to the differences in performance.

We were using a circular route from the Herts/Cambs area out via Oxford, Chipping Campden, Towcester and finishing at Shefford, where the refreshments were always the very best. It was agreed that I would ride the same route, but in the opposite direction.

From home to home, it usually worked out at around 260 miles, depending on the location of checkpoints. The interesting thing is that I was slightly over halfway round when I met them between Chipping Campden and Stow on the Wold.

Speed was clearly not a factor, the simple explanation is that whenever the Nortons pulled into a check, they were surrounded by people admiring the bikes, whereas when I pulled in on the F-B, the usual greeting was along the lines of ‘get that smelly, popping thing out of here.’

Those few extra minutes at eight or nine checkpoints soon account for the best part of an hour and the average speed on a journey has little to do with cruising speed, but is very much dependent on the time one spends stopped.

We all agreed that it had been a good day out, but I was pleased to be back on the Sloper next time. Five years later, when the other two could not make it, I took part on my 1955 197cc Dot, which had the luxury of rear suspension, clocking up

255 miles and six checkpoints. Don’t dismiss the lightweight machines, there is more to motorcycling than street cred and image!

Mike Jackson, Puckeridge, Herts.