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Paesi
The 84th Pioneer Run: seasoned veterans and débutants complete the Sussex saunter
The youngest participant, 21-year-old Vyvyan Bewley, reaches Shoreham astride his 1904 FN
Tattenham Corner is a hive of activity at eight o'clock
1913 AJS Model B was in excellent condition
A 1914 Douglas cruises past a well-oiled 1913 Royal Enfield
Morgan man Chris Booth sets off with a smile in his 1914 machine
Erik Klinger, with his 1,000cc 1913 Excelsior, reckons he'll have no trouble outpacing the Douglases and Triumphs
A 1908 Triumph is inspected before departure
Nigel Fear coaxes some life into his matching 1914 Morgan
Chris Cook flies away on his glorious, unrestored 1913 Excelsior
Rob Bayman has an easy start on his 1914 Triumph
Young Les Searle rides the 1904 Givaudan as if the devil was chasing him
1914 BSA combination demonstrated the scope for involving children with Pioneer motorcycling
Gareth Willis cut a gentlemanly appearance aboard his 1914 Triumph
1914 Sparkbrook with sidecar looked well set-up for a leisurely ride
Philip Castle on a 1914 Triumph steals a lead over Andy Dean's New Imperial
Brian Southam gets away on his 1914 Premier
The Booths' Runabout was one of three early Morgans on the run
Roberto Vanrell made a good getaway with his 1914 Triumph
A 1914 Rudge Multi speeds away from the start
This Douglas rider set off with a look of determination
Rein and Joop Heerkens, respectively on 1904 and 1914 Ariels, appear to have had some trouble starting
A push was all they needed
1914 Douglas 350cc made a suitably dainty mount for Miss Kim Wright
The Leonardslee half-way stop: Rens Van Alebeek, on a 1908 Ariel, looks relieved to be within sight of a cup of tea
1914 and 1909 Triumphs reach Leonardslee
1912 Triumph has seen plenty of use
1911 Wooler shows off its dramatic lines
One side of the 1903 Calvert. What does the door in the tank reveal?
A charming 1912 OK
Oily Rag pair: a Triumph confers with a 1910 FN
Leonardslee provided an opportunity for tweaks and fine-tuning, as with this 1914 Douglas
The rider of this 1913 Rex was very pleased with his progress to Leonardslee
The gauntlets go on as Chris Cook prepares for the second leg of the ride
Mark Roper sets off on the second leg on his 1908 Chater-Lea
1904 Rover offers lots of comfort for the front passenger
Bedford shuttle buses were very much in keeping with the Art Déco setting
It was a pleasant surprise to encounter this 1935 Singer Nine Airline Coupé at the finish—what car could be more appropriate for a 1930s airport setting?
1914 Invicta represented one of the more unusual names
The Searles arrive at Shoreham, from left: Les Sr. on a 1914 Bradbury, Les Jr. on a 1904 Givaudan and Dee on a 1914 Triumph
Léon Bollées always account for the earliest entries; this is from 1896
The third Morgan: Miss Mandy Pachol's 1914 Runabout
Smart Royal Enfield dated from 1910
With a handful of FNs taking part, this 1904 Minerva bolstered the Belgian ranks
The 1910 Hobart—can anyone tell us about it?
Lovely 1905 Adler visited from Germany
1910 Wanderer was another German visitor
Karl Foulkes-Halbard's 1911 Indian was seen in one piece for the first time in at least 65 years
Another Wanderer from Germany, this one from 1904
The ever-so-pretty 1914 Ixion
1911 Fafnir belonged not to a German rider, but Sussex man Ian Hatton
Conditions at Tattenham Corner at eight o'clock on Sunday, October 6th, were just right for a veteran vehicle rally. The air was crisp and fresh, but not cold, and light cloud cover allowed the sun to shed its light over Epsom Downs without being dazzling. It's no wonder that the 120 motorcyclists were in high spirits as they embarked on the Sunbeam Motor Cycle Club's 84th Pioneer Run, for pre-1915 machines.
This year, for the first time, I followed the bikes along their route out of Surrey and into Sussex, and all the way to the finish at Shoreham Airport, which gave me the opportunity to see for myself how Shoreham compares to the original, long-established finish at Brighton's Madeira Drive. It's true, it does not have the same atmosphere as Brighton, where one is surrounded by interesting urban scenery and the thrum of life all round. On the other hand, the remoteness of Shoreham must make it much better from a rider's perspective. The road into Brighton has more than its fair share of uncivilised creatures who drive with no consideration for historic vehicles, and after that the slow crawl through the town begins, whereas the main dual carriageway leading to the airport has nothing like the volume or ferocity of traffic, and makes completion of the run a safe and simple matter. Alas, we all want to interest the public in our hobby, and the major shortfall of Shoreham is that the public are not given to taking walks on airfields, and so remain in ignorance of these fine machines.
Having passed a few early breakdowns on my way out of Epsom, once parked at Shoreham I was pleased to find most of the bikes had already arrived and made very good time. Seeing them lined up together, the richness of the entry list was apparent and even with 15 years of spectating behind me, the event continues to be educational as I stumble upon makes I never knew existed, such as Calvert and Hobart. Indeed, the 292cc 1910 Hobart was a very curious-looking machine about which I hoped to learn more, but I didn't succeed in pinning down the owner.
I did, however, meet Karl Foulkes-Halbard, who was débuting his single-cylinder 1911 Indian, which is thought to be one of only two of that particular model in Britain—the other is held by the Science Museum—and which has been in the Foulkes-Halbard family for at least 65 years. It was bought by his late father, Paul, as a restoration project and Karl remembers it being in pieces when he was a small boy. The restoration finally reached completion just a few weeks ago, and we will be covering it in closer detail in a future article.
In closing, it would be difficult not to address the fact that entries, though still wonderfully varied, have declined very sharply in number in the space of just a few years. I will not dwell on this, because I do not know the reasons for it, but I feel qualified to say this: owners of Pioneer machines are doing this hobby a disservice if they choose not to ride them, especially on the one occasion when it is most apt. And if one really doesn't feel up to the challenge—Brighton runs are not supposed to be a walk in the park—would it be asking too much to find a younger relative to take over the reins, or another enthusiast who would love to participate if only they had a suitable machine? Obviously these motorcycles still have owners who, one supposes, are enthusiasts. Do they really just want their machines to remain static and out of sight, every day of the year? Some of this year's riders set precisely the right example: there were those who, living on the Surrey-Sussex border, not only completed the run but also rode an extra 25 miles home under their own power. Our Continental comrades are to be applauded for their enthusiasm, too; well done to those seven riders who travelled from the Netherlands and Germany.
This reticence to ride seems less in evidence among the owners of vintage and post-vintage machines. Readers may remember my report from the Sunbeam M.C.C.'s excellent centenary event at Brooklands this March. The event was such a success that the club has announced it will run it again, this time as the Veteran & Vintage Motorcycle Day, with the date set for April 6th. More details will be available nearer the time.
Words and photographs: Zack Stiling
Pubblicato:
giovedì ottobre 10th, 2024
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Commenti
Jon Dudley
11 Ottobre 2024, 12:13
Firstly, many thanks to Zack for his comprehensive and enthusiastic report... how nice to have a young person so knowledgeable about the old vehicle scene. I have no wish to join in club-bashing correspondence, but Adrian, your comments cannot go unchallenged. Having ridden both routes on the Pioneer Run I can attest to the potential of a serious accident on the Brighton route occurring due to slow motorcycles joining the fast A23 at Pyecombe. The S.M.C.C. does not have the budget to cone off the inner lane for its private use like the veteran cars, so a move to the middle lane of this very busy road is unavoidable. There was much debate in the club before the difficult decision to move both the date and the destination of the Pioneer Run. There are several possible reasons for the decline in entry numbers and doubtless these changes are unpopular with a few, but in my experience, not the majority. Far from ignoring what you call 'the obvious' the committee (of which I am NOT a member) are actively working on a number of ideas which will help ensure the continuation of this important event for the foreseeable future.
Per saperne di più
Adrian Goding
10 Ottobre 2024, 16:26
It is an interesting angle taken by your reporter that the owners of Veteran motorcycles have an absolute responsibility to support a failing event just because—they absolutely do not and this is akin to victim-blaming.
For many, many years Vic Norman's fabulous Flying Merkel was one of the star bikes and you will see it entered for this weekend's Stafford auction and in the description Vic pulls no punches about the changes in the Pioneer that saw him stop entering.
There is significant cross over between Pioneer and Veteran Car Run entrants and to make the same commitment in a matter of just a few weeks does not appeal to many and the change to the Autumn date was only ever about the S.M.C.C. retaining entry fees in the Covid year. There never was any issue with riding into Brighton itself given the opportunity of free use of the bus lanes all the way to Preston Circus—certainly none of the crawling along claimed.
The S.M.C.C. can continue to ignore the obvious and if they wish blame all those no longer entering for the demise of the Pioneer or they could revisit the fundamental issues of date and finish location—it is firmly in their hands.
Per saperne di più
For many, many years Vic Norman's fabulous Flying Merkel was one of the star bikes and you will see it entered for this weekend's Stafford auction and in the description Vic pulls no punches about the changes in the Pioneer that saw him stop entering.
There is significant cross over between Pioneer and Veteran Car Run entrants and to make the same commitment in a matter of just a few weeks does not appeal to many and the change to the Autumn date was only ever about the S.M.C.C. retaining entry fees in the Covid year. There never was any issue with riding into Brighton itself given the opportunity of free use of the bus lanes all the way to Preston Circus—certainly none of the crawling along claimed.
The S.M.C.C. can continue to ignore the obvious and if they wish blame all those no longer entering for the demise of the Pioneer or they could revisit the fundamental issues of date and finish location—it is firmly in their hands.