The Classic Dirt Bike Show, Telford - Preview
By John Dickinson on 16th Feb 17
THE Classic Dirt Bike Show sponsored by Hagon Shocks takes place at Telford International Centre this weekend.
And the event, formerly known as ‘Wrighty's Show' is more popular than ever under new management, with the original instigator Alan Wright still heavily involved as a consultant.
Guests of Honour this year are Roger Harvey and Peter Duke.
Roger needs no introduction to off-road fans, currently Honda's MXGP general manager, Roger was 1983 British 125cc MX champion and has been involved in the sport at management level ever since hanging up his boots.
Peter is the son of six-times World road race Champion Geoff Duke and best known for running Duke Video.
Both will be called on stage to be interviewed by none other than omni-present motorcycle commentator and mc Jack Burnicle.
Club stands and private entries will showcase the best classic off-road machines in the country, covering all the well-known marques and models, and probably a few lesser known ones as well, for fans to drool over all weekend.
There will be prized and pristine – aka shiny – two-wheeled beauties in all shapes and sizes, but also something different, like the home-built Triumph Trident that Guy Martin rode on his televised Wall of Death programe!
Or check out Vic Eastwood's actual 1963 500cc Matchless that he rode to success in the hugely popular BBC Grandstand scrambles series.
Perhaps the most special machine on show, though, to many fans will be the great Don Rickman's personal Matchless Metisse.
Even the latest trials and enduro steeds will be present with John Lampkin on the Beta stand, John Shirt with the Gas Gas range and Nigel Birkett showing the latest Scorpas.
If it's bits and pieces you are looking for, there's the likes of Dave Renham who has every Bultaco part imaginable, Steve Goode who has a colossal range of 1970s items, Alan Wright will be purveying his discount clothing or boots; and there's Adrian Moss for all things Rickman, while Rod Spry and John McCrink deserve a mention, too.
And don't forget the outside auto-jumble area, packed full of stalls, that opens at 9am on both days and will features everything from rusty wrecks to bikes just needing some tlc, plus every part for every bike if you are prepared to dig for it.
Last but not least you'll have to visit the Hagon Shocks stand because, as well as being the official title sponsors, they always have a good selection of bikes – and of course shocks!
A full list of traders will be printed on large boards that will be on display at the venue throughout the weekend to help you find exactly the stand you want whether it is a complete bike, a chassis kit, a tank, handlebars, levers, footpegs, pair of shocks, an engine rebuild or something as tiny as a carburettor pilot jet.
It will all be at Telford...
GREEVES
THE first ever complete line-up of Greeves motorcycles – one for every year that the company existed and an example of every model built will be on display this year.
In a world first, 21 scramblers, from the first production run in 1954 to the very last 1976 QUB Mk2 380cc Griffon, will be lined-up on a Greeves stand more than triple its normal size.
"Its going to make a fabulous display – one model for each year of the factory's existence,” says show consultant Alan Wright – who has never ridden a Greeves in his life!
Even better you can ALL see the bikes and, indeed, many other displays before official opening times each day. They will fill the whole foyer area of the International Centre giving you even more time to puruse the inside halls and spend your dollars with the hundreds of trading outlets.
Greeves was formed after Bert Greeves thought of a way to help give motorised movement to his invalid cousin Derry Preston Cobb.
Thus the Greeves Invacar was built, using a 197cc Villiers engine. Thousands were built between 1952 up to the mid-1960s at a small factory in Thundersley, Essex.
With a strong interest in trials, Bert instituted the concept of off-road motor cycle manufacturing and over the years, trials, scramblers, road bikes and even road racers were built.
But it was in scrambling in the early 1960s that Greeves became the world's leading manufacture with such names as Brian Stonebridge and Dave Bickers winning in the UK and abroad.
Badger Goss made his name on Greeves when he claimed runner-up to Bickers in the 1963 British Championship and Badger will be at the show on Sunday, as will Dick Clayton and Arthur Browning.
Alan Clough took a second and third spot in 1964 and ‘65 in support of the all conquering Bickers and he also will be on stage on Saturday.
Irrepressible Arthur is on stage each day with Bill Brooker and the fast talking Ernst Hausler, for many years the Swiss importer of Greeves and CCM whom Arthur often stayed with on his continental forays.
Ernst just never stops telling tales!
Mike Jackson, who was in the factory team with Stonebridge and Bickers and who later sold the marque in the south of England and in the USA, is also on stage. Jack Burnicle will be asking the questions and with such interviewees is rather likely to get some pretty fine answers!
HONDA TRIALS
HONDA France arch-enthusiast Patrick Pissis is to bring the last factory-built Honda RTL trials bike to Telford.
Built in 1988 by HRC, the 250cc double disc steed was ridden by a very youthful John Shirt in the British Championship. Young Shirty won that year's Manx Two Day Trial on the bike.
Patrick – a Telford regular – will also bring along that year's production RTL for comparison. Not so many of these exist and even fewer are ridden because of their value.
Of course it was Eddy Lejeune who made famous the earlier factory RTL, winning three trials world titles on the 360cc model in 1982, '83 and '84.
Sadly Papa Lejeune, his larger than life father died last year, his wife Marthisa passing just three weeks later.
Eddy himself is in poor health, while elder brother Jean Marie and the effervescant Eric in contrast are in rude health. Eric rode his home-built Honda twin with his usual vigour in the recent Costa Brava Two Day in Spain and is threatening to turn up at Telford.
Beware if you meet him!
MICHELIN
IF you think you can balance a bike, while it's standing still then a pair of the latest Michelin rear trials tyres could go your way at the Telford Show. Yes, after a two-year break the Michelin balancing competition is back!
All you have to do is keep your feet up longer than anyone else and you win!
But there is a twist! The bike being used is Andy Roberton's 197cc rigid framed James! Mid-Wales based enduro supremo and off-road dealer Steve Plain is the man in charge on behalf of Michelin, hence the connection to Andy as they are close friends and neighbours.
2017 Show commentator Jack Burnicle, is sure to liven matters up in his inimitable way and encourage the public to participate! Go on – have a go!
MARTIN LAMPKIN TRIBUTE
‘A tribute to Mart' is set to be one of the highlights of this year's Telford Show.
No fewer than six legends of the trials world have confirmed their attendance at the show to participate on stage in recalling their vivid memories of the first ever World Trials Champion, Martin Lampkin, who sadly passed away in April last year.
The great Sammy Miller, 11-times British champion, is the oldest legend having ridden against Martin during his years in the late 1960s on a C15 BSA, an Alta Suzuki and his very early years on a Bultaco.
Then there's jovial Rob Edwards – Scott trial winner in 1974, Cotton's #1 in 1969 and factory Montesa #1 from 1970 to 1974, and what about Dave Thorpe, the master of the one liner, #1 Ossa factory rider in the early years before Dave teamed-up in the official Bultaco team with Mart and Sid (Lampkin) from 1975 till the early ‘80s.
Mick Andrews – double European champion of 1971 and '72 – was the man who won the trial in 1975 at which Mart won his world crown and Yrjo Vesterinen, the Finn who achieved a World title hat trick for Bultaco in 1976, '77, '78.
Vesty now devotes much of his time to a new trials riding career on a BSA Bantam.
Finally, Sid Lampkin, Martin's older brother who is often underrated as a rider but was in the factory Bultaco squad with Mart. Sid won the USA round of the FIM Euro /USA championship in 1974 and was outright winner of the Scottish on a factory BSA in 1966.
Who better to recall good times with Martin?
Show consultant Alan Wright has arranged for at least four of Mart's actual bikes to be on show beside a massive mural at the stage area.
They include the BSA C15 on which he first rode national events from 1966, the 128cc Alta Suzuki that he rode for one year only in 1970, the SWM on which he won the UK crown in 1980 and one of his Championship winning Bultaco Sherpas.
Altogether it promises a lively discussion that's not to be missed.
Each day's final timings will be in the Show programme which will be offered free as you enter the show.
Let the legend of Mart live on.
