Where’s The Zoomer?
Excellent article on Lawrence Hartley, in the August 2021 issue. My old VMCC friend the late Guy Ashenden knew Hartley well and used to ride the celebrated side-valve racer. Apart from its extraordinary performance, Guy retained two special memories of this machine: its surprising smoothness, endorsing Hartley’s reputation for engine balancing, and the absence of ohv clatter under the tank. It felt like riding a very fast vacuum cleaner, which explains why the machine became known as “The Zoomer.” Does anyone know what became of it? Bob Torrens, Suffolk.