Myself (650SS), Robert Tuck (Dominator 99) and David Hulme (BSA Gold Star tourer) rode to the Flower Farm in Godstone yesterday to meet up with Simon Smith (Commando) before heading off along the A22 to the Hellingly Transport Festival, which is near Hailsham, where we met up with Graham Holcombe and Bill Plummer who had travelled by car. I had managed to get 4 free passes to the event but in the end they just waved us all through without checking anything.

The weather was fine and mainly sunny and it stayed dry all day including the trip back.

The A22 is quite a nice road and there was not a lot of traffic, you have to go via East Grinstead but that was not much of a problem at all and we sailed through.

I personally like these Country Fair Festivals as there is plenty to see and keep you occupied. There are classic cars, bikes, lorries etc. as well as army vehicles, organs, a fairground, an auto-jumble, food and drink stalls, plus a beer tent selling real ale from barrels. At the event I met up with Steve, an old colleague who was the president of the defunct South London Classic MC club that I once belonged to. Steve had one of his vans (as the green/cream van pictured) with a BSA DBD34 in it and his “assistants/nurse” made Simon Smith and I a nice cup of coffee and gave us some biscuits which was kind of them. Steve is an avid bike collector and has around 150 nice bikes as well as a few vintage lorries but unfortunately he is quite ill and will be selling his collection of bikes and some of his lorries, I wish him well.

All in all a very pleasant ride and day out. I will book early, for this event, next year and try and get some more free passes so then perhaps more of you could join us?

Best wishes – Ken

Surrey Branch at the Warlingham Rugby Club, Classic Car & Bike Show, 16 July 2023

The Surrey branch represented the NOC at the WRC Classic Car and Bike Show this year, which was an out standing event, as it always is. This is year number eight for this show, the event had some thing for every one to go and see,  to experience and to enjoy. The event is also proudly supporting many local charities for which a suggested charity donation of £3 was asked for. One of the charities was the Stroke Association, which is a very worthwhile charity to support, as many of us, will know of some one who has suffered and has been afflicted from this medical condition. The show also has many local sponsors, and affiliates for this show. The Surrey branch has often given a group donation for these charities from us all.

The event is organised by Steve Wakeman who has a very dedicated and truly efficient team of coordinators and helpers. The weather could not have been better, for this event, with so many stunning and beautiful cars and bikes attending.

The Surrey branch had nine Norton’s on display with a huge amount of interest from the show going public to this event. The bikes had display boards out with the bikes, with relevant information displayed out in the front of them. Graham Holcombe and Bill Plummer were there early at 7.45am, with Simon Smith, Dave Brown, Dave Cooper, and Ken Rawlinson arriving later. Simon as with out his trailer we would not have a stand to erect brought along all the equipment for the Surrey branch stand. The weather was very windy, so arrangements had to be made to make sure the gazebo was held down securely, so it would not lift off and get blown away. The gazebo was taken down early due to the very strong winds that prevailed at that time. Our members were holding onto the gazebo, as the wind picked up to stop to being blown away. The Surrey branch stand was later featured on the heading pages of the NOC web site. Ken Rawlinson won the best bike award for his Triton

Those members that brought along their bikes for the show were as follows

Phil Hannam 1962 framed 1961 Manxman 650cc

Robert Tuck 1960 600cc Dominator 99 Deluxe

Dave Brown 1958 Dominator 99 600cc café racer

Dave Cooper 1932 500cc International Model 30

Malcolm King 1965 750cc Atlas

Simon Smith 1973 Commando Roadster

Matt Crighton 1972 Westlake Triton 750cc

Ken Rawlinson 1959 600cc Dominator 99, ex Paul Smart

Ken Rawlinson 650 Triton

The next WRC car and bike show with be held next year on Sunday 14 July 2024

Can I thank all those that came along and made this event for the Surrey branch such a success for us all? Our stand really stood out from all the other clubs that came along for this show.

Anthony Curzon

Events Officer   

Surrey Branch at the Brooklands Motorcycle Day, 2 July 2023

The day started with Robert Tuck meeting me at my house with my P11A Ranger 750 waiting for him on the drive. The day before it started first kick, and ran perfectly fine. In the morning, it stubbornly refused to start, and even trying to bump start it, it would still not go. Robert gave it a big boot, and it burst into life revving at over 3000 rpm. This at 7.15am on a Sunday morning did not go down very well with my neighbours. It being a desert racer with loud exhaust pipes. I got on and rode off to top up with petrol in Forestdale, and adjusted the throttle stops down half a turn while Robert loosened off the throttle cable. Roberts magic hands did the trick, and madam behaved her self all day after that. The ride through South London was easy as on a Sunday morning as there is barely any traffic on the roads, going up to and through Epsom, then out onto the A3, and then onto Weybridge the home of Brooklands.

The Surrey branch represented the NOC at the Brooklands Motorcycle Day on a very warm and sunny Sunday. The weather stayed kind for us all day  Our super group of volunteers had the display set up and organised in a remarkably short time, which then gave most of our members a chance to buy tea or coffee and a bacon roll. Emphatically proving the saying that “many hands make light of the work” David Brown, Bill Plummer, Graham Holcombe, Phil Hannam, and Ken Rawlinson completed all this, along side Simon Smith, helping to erect our stand and all our associated banners. They had arrived there earlier to unload it all from Simon Smiths trailer. Without Simon, the Surrey branch would not have a stand, as Simon brings his trailer to all our events. Two nearby two long wooden bench seats were pulled inside our gazebo, to give extra seating, and Phil provided a gas stove to brew some tea after Max Groves magically produced a kettle from out of his van.

We had our stand to the right of the entrance of the Brooklands clubhouse fencing, which was a bit of a pain to find. However, this part of Brooklands turned out to work in our favour with hundreds of visitors passing by our stand in order to get to some of the other big attractions at the show.  Opposite us to the left of our stand was the Concord, under which was there was a huge display of Ducati motorcycles. Opposite us in another shed was the replica of the Atlantic crossing Vickers Vimy, from 1919, and the Hawker VTOL aircraft. Consequently, loads of visitors, anoraks and admirers, who stopped to look at our collection of Norton’s, to also take photos and ask many questions. By 11.00am, we had 15 Norton’s, of all ages, on the stand with the only obvious gap in the model ranks being a Lightweight. Two more Norton Dominators joined us briefly during the afternoon and I counted another dozen plus Norton’s dotted around the show ground as part of other clubs or groups, of bikes on display. We had four OHC Norton’s on display to the right, and on the left, we had our twins. We had between 15 and 18 Norton’s depending on exactly when they were counted, with lots of public interest, and we welcomed new members Kathy and Richard to our Branch. In total, we managed to sign up three new members to our Branch that day. 

The idea was to have the bikes displayed in their year of manufactured order. Each bike had a display card, in front of it, while Max Groves had a large display board that the wind would continue to blow over so many times, in front of his Manx.

We were honoured with not one but two visits from Paul Smith, the NOC Chairman, and also several Classic Bike journalists dropped by to check out our display. Thames Valley, Kent and the Solent Branch members came and chatted with our own Norton owners. The big news of the day was Martin Clegg, The Brooklands Classic Bike Day organiser, arrived to personally thank the SNOC for its contribution but also to invite us to return as part of a Norton themed event for 2024. Which he hoped would include a display of the newer 961 bikes.

I like to be able to talk to those members that come along with their bikes to get some background and history behind the Norton’s that they own and ride. The ever-dapper Barry Stickland came on a 1956 Norton International, Model 30, 500cc, which was in a Manx frame. The story behind this particular machine is extraordinary. This bike was left to Barry in a will by the deceased owner. Barry met the owner, when he was out on another of his other Internationals, and he passed Barry in his MG. When they had stopped off further on, and the then MG owner came over and explained to Barry that he had always wanted an OHC Norton. He finally managed to buy one, and contacted Barry about the bike that he had bought. It was not in that good a condition, and Barry did some minor work on that bike to make it rideable once more. This included the overhaul of the magneto and he went through, the rest of the bike. This was many years ago, then one day he had an official solicitor’s letter delivered to his home. This was to inform him that the then owner Ed had passed away, and he had left the bike to Barry. To keep Ed’s memory alive Barry rides the International as much as he can.

There was Richard Cornish who arrived on his 1939 Manx GP spec special International. Richard has been a member of the NOC for over 25 years. The bikes early history is unknown, but what is known is that the original engine was one built for racing. That particular engine was removed in about 1951, and it was then put into a 1950 Manx Norton. The engine from the featherbed frame was a DOHC Manx engine that was then put into a Formula 3 Cooper racing car. The engine now in the frame is a 1932 500cc Model 30 International engine. It was registered for the road in 1951.He bought the bike in 1998, from then chairman of the Bournemouth section of the VMCC.

David Brown, one of the very enthusiastic members of the Surrey branch who is always there to help with the stands, setting up and taking down, explained to me the on going story of his own café racer. David has got the Dominator running, but he explained that it has some sort of oiling problem. David wants to return the bike to the road, but it does not have any lights. There is the option of adding a Lucas dynamo, as the engine is from a Model 77, or fitting a later alternator crankshaft. David, has decided to add a battery, to operate the lights. He can fit the lights with out the provision for charging the battery. David can then take out the battery, and charge it when it is required.

Peter Burdon was there with his immaculate 1963 650ss that was imported from South Africa, where it was originally sold by the then importer Jacks Motors of Johannesburg. Peter has since added a non-return valve to the oil feed pipe to stop the engine-wet sumping. There is a Kingpin oil switch with an electrical cut out, fitted. The front forks have had the damping improved with the Covenant conversion damping up grade, with the longer fork bushes. Peter has also added a revcounter. This pattern revcounter gearbox leaks so he has had to modify it to stop it leaking. The heat shield of the revcounter cable was rubbing on the exhaust pipe, so Peter very cleverly repositioned it to clear the exhaust pipe. He fabricated an adapter himself so that the cable and drive gearbox points rearward. This has got around the problem of the cable rubbing on the exhaust pipe. Peter has done the normal maintenance items, to keep his 650ss, in sparkling, and in an amazing condition. Peter is always on our stand to display his bikes for us.

Kevin Barham from Oxford brought along his 1966 650ss. His engine number has a /P behind it, denoting that it was built at Plumstead, which Kevin did not know about, or what the /P meant. The reason behind him buying this Norton was that his dad had been a ton up boy in Ealing in West London, in the 1960’s. Kevin took his dad to the Kempton Park auto-jumble, and they were looking at all the bikes and parts on display and being sold. They saw a Norton 650ss, as that was the Norton that his dad had owned when he had met Kevin’s mum. She had worked in the café that his dad and his friends frequented back then, so he knew what type of bike his dad had back then in the 1960’s. They saw a 650ss for sale on a dealer’s lot, and his dad was very enthusiast about seeing it. The family photos did not have pictures of the registration number, so Kevin could not trace the actual bike that was owned by his dad. He has a friend who had a collection of Norton’s and he also had in his collection a 650ss. Kevin wanted to buy his friends unused future 650ss, project. He talked his friend into selling the 650ss, so that he could buy it for his dad’s, 80^th birthday celebration. His dad now lives in Spain, and when he came back to the UK, the bike was presented to his dad for his birthday. His dad had a very emotional response to receiving the bike, when he was presented with it. His dad stroking the petrol tank must have brought back so many memories for him. His dad has arthritis, so Kevin rides it for him, with his dad on the pillion. As they say, a motorcar drives your body, but a motorcycle drives your soul.

Huge thanks for the efforts of Dave Cooper our Secretary, and Phil Hannam, our Chairman who arranged for us to all be at the Brooklands event. Between them securing 8 complimentary tickets via the Brooklands Bike Show organiser Martin Gregg and coordinating the membership attendance. During the day, we had some of our other Branch members come along to support. Including John Summerfield who could not ride his bike due to a very server case of Gout. He came along with John Hurst.

Those members that brought along their bikes to display them on the SNOC stand were as follows.

Phil Hannam 1961, frame with a 1962 Manxman 650cc engine

Robert Tuck 1960 Dominator Deluxe 600cc

Simon Smith 1973 750cc Commando Roadster

Anthony Curzon 1968 P11A Ranger 750 desert racer

David Brown 1958 Dominator 600cc café racer

Peter Burdon 1963 Dominator 650ss

Henry Dulat 1963 Dominator 99 600cc

Kevin Barham 1966 Dominator 650ss

Barry Stickland 1956 International Model 30, 500cc in a Manx frame

Richard Cornish 1939 Model 30M 500cc to race specification

Dave Gibson 1935 Model 40 350cc International

David Cooper 1932 Model 30 500cc International

Max Groves 1953 Model 40 350cc Manx which is an ex Isle of Man TT bike

Max Groves 1964 750cc Atlas

Carl James 1959 Dominator 99 600cc

Ken Rawlinson 1965 Atlas 750cc

Can I express my thanks and gratitude to all of you who came along to our Brooklands event and displayed their Nortons.  To all of you, we rocked it totally.

Anthony Curzon

Surrey Branch at the Hayes Village Fair on Sunday 11th June 2023

The Surrey branch represented the NOC at the Hayes Village Fair on a day of outstandingly good weather. The fair comprised of an abundance of craft stalls, as well food stalls on the playing fields of the sports club. The event was held at The Warren, which is the home of the Metropolitan Police Sports Club, in Coney Hall in the London Borough of Bromley. The event is organised by Susie Walkden, and her organising committee. Her event stewards and the organizing committee do an amazing job to make the HVF a very memorable and experienced event for all those that attend it.

This has now become an annual event for the Surrey branch to attend. Last year we managed to get nine bikes for our display, and this year we did better with ten bikes. . We had been asked, in the previous year, by the visitor’s who came to view our display, about the type of bikes that they were looking at. Therefore, this year our Chairman Phil Hannam suggested that we should add some sort of narrative to the bikes that we would have on display. This worked extremely well, as so many visitors could be seen reading the displayed sheets attached to our bikes.

The show equipment for all our club stands was collected by Robert Tuck, and I from Simon Smith, as he was not able to make it to the HVF event this year. Robert was on a Britbike forum, and an Englishman living in the USA, now visiting the UK, was asking if there was anything bike related going on that he could visit. To this question, Robert suggested the Hayes Village Fair. The gentleman then visited our stand, and he was wearing a yellow Commando T shirt. He owned a Norton Commando, and also an ex AFS Matchless G3, 350cc single.

At the start of the show, after we had set up our stand we had a visit from a young lad named Sammy with his grandmother. Sammy being only three years old was adamant that he wanted a motorcycle when he was old enough. He also wanted to be able to try on and wear one of our crash helmets, which I then duly obliged, by letting him wear my Bell Eliminator helmet. It was so good to see some one so young, who had that amount of enthusiasm for motorcycles.

Graham Holcombe and Bill Plummer arrived at 9.10am, to help us all set up the clubs gazebo, and all of our other equipment. The whole stand was set up, being a hive of activity was erected by 9.30am, with all the banners being put up, and displayed. As the day was so hot, the gazebo, and the chairs were somewhere to take refuge and in the shade to escape the heat, and the sun.

Those members that brought along their bike for our display included the following……..

Phil Hannam 1961 featherbed frame with a 1962 Manxman 650cc engine

Bob Mathews 1959 600cc Dominator

Matt Crighton 1972 750cc Westlake Triton

David Brown 1958 600cc Dominator café racer

Anthony Curzon 1958 600cc Nomad desert racer, or North American Scrambler

David Cooper 1932 500cc OHC International

Robert Tuck 1960 600cc Dominator Deluxe

Malcolm King 1973 850 Commando Roadster

Dennis Etheridge 350cc 1964 Navigator

Ken Rawlinson 650 Triton

While I am at these events that we as the SNOC branch support with my fellow club members, I like to get the human-interest stories about their bikes, and their rebuilds.

One of our members being one Matt Crighton who rode his Westlake Triton to the event. Matt explained that the frame was a Manx type that had been constructed from T45 tubing. The front wheel was a twin-leading shoe brake from a 1960’s Triumph. Matt built the bike from 2010 through to 2013. The engine is a 1976 Triumph T140 unit, converted to a right hand foot change. The engine has the Triumph E3134 camshafts, the barrel is standard, and the engine was a standard Triumph T120 unit, when first constructed by the previous owner. It has the standard gearbox ratios that now  incorporates a belt drive clutch. It utilises the twin carb head with two Amal concentric carburettors. The rear wheel uses the BSA, Triumph conical rear hub, with a Dresda swinging arm. Matt explained that Westlake bought 200 Manx frames from Reynolds tubing, and created 200 Tritons. That detail, as Matt explained, coming from the previous owner.

Malcolm King rode up from Cuckfield on his 1973 850 Commando Roadster to the HVF event. He had purchased the bike from Clarks Classis in Northfleet, in Kent, in September 2007, as a renovation project. The bike had, many parts missing, and it took Malcolm nearly two years to get it road worthy once more. The Commando is painted in black. Malcolm has owned the Commando for over six years, and he has added an Alton electric starter to the engine. This makes starting so much easier for him. There is a Tri-Spark electronic ignition, and a single 932 Amal concentric, which is now in place of the two standard 930 Amal concentric carburettors. There are updated Commando Mark 3 vernier isolastics engine mountings at the front and the rear, so this makes adjustment so much easier. He had to get a new Revcounter and Speedo, as it never came with these instruments. The engine has new piston rings, new valve springs, and all new gaskets. The rest of the engine was found to be in very good condition but with many parts missing Malcolm had to source many of the major parts, for the rebuild.

Dennis Etheridge from the Kent branch brought along his immaculate 1964 Navigator that was painted in Polychromatic Blue. He is the fourth owner of this bike, and it only has 15,363 actual miles on the original Smiths Speedo. He has had it for just a year.

The Surrey branch had a very memorable day, with so many visitors, who came over to look at our Norton display. The day being a very enjoyable event for us all. We had some of our other members come to see and be part of the team at our stand. These being Andy Neal, and John Summerfield. Andy is hoping to get his ex WD 16H up and running so that he can bring it along to one of our next events in the not to distant future.

Can I give a huge amount of thanks to all those that came along, and displayed their bikes and helped the Surrey branch put on such an awe inspiring and colourful display?

Anthony Curzon