Holsworthy Vintage Vehicle and Engine Rally

28th - 29th June 2008
This year it is being held at the new showfield, and I understand there will be a shuttle-bus service to keep the event within easy walking distance from the town as it was before.Normally held around June, this is a very popular event that has been running for several years now. It gives us all a chance to see the machinery of yesteryear, a lot of which are restored to very high quality.For entries etc. Tel - 01409 254719

Holsworthy Vintage Vehicle and Engine Rally 2008

28th - 29th June 2008It has now become a large event with a tremendous amount of exhibits. Here are a few photographs. With hindsight I wish I had taken more.
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Back to topFortunately Rodney "Paparazzi" Parrish was also there and he took a lot of photos so here are a few more to browse

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A Few Thoughts on British Bikes

This section is just for Curt who got me thinking about British Classics !!
My first road bike was a Cotton, equivalent to a modern trail bike which is neither one thing or the other, it was maroon with a Villiers 197cc engine, the frame was twisted so it looked a bit like a crab from behind.The lights were so bad that it was scary to go out on a really dark night, unless you went really fast, but then ,of course, you couldn't stop the damn thing. It was a B****** to start and I hated 2 strokes with a vengeance until I rode an Arial Arrow (Wow!! what a bike for the time) when I grudgingly had to admit that not all 2 strokes were bad.

At one time I had an old 350cc BSA B38 Gold Star and to make it modern "ish" I substituted telescopic front forks off a Panther(can't remember which model,but it was a sloper). They were actually knackered but looked better than the original girders. The hairiest moment I recall with this bike was when I overtook a Land Rover on the Callington road on a long, but visible, bend and the back stepped out (raining hard, approx 85mph, solid back end, no suspension) but I managed to collect it before disaster struck.This bike did me good service but when it eventually expired and I stripped it down I found that most of the nuts were so loose that I didn't need a spanner. Probably if I had tightened them it would have lasted a little longer.

The worst bike I recall for vibration was a G9 Matchless (which was officially my uncle's (but I had the use of it) It would do the ton (103mph was the best I saw on it, my mate reckoned he got 105 one day). Once you got over about 80mph the vibration tingled everthing, I had to grab a new handful of throttle approximately every telegraph pole (it was set to flyback). I really liked that bike but it was very heavy, more noticeable because I wasn't, just getting it on the centre stand was a major feat.

The other thing with old bikes was your shoes, probably Winkle Pickers at that time, the left one was always immaculate but the right one had it's sole knackered from the kickstart and the toe from the gearchange.

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After speaking to Curt I have found that a lot of the motorcycle exhibitors are followers of and contributors to Real Classic magazine which is essential reading to classic bike lovers everywhere.