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indexFollowing on from winning the runners up best stand prize at the Spring Show, several Yorkshire Section members put on a display of bikes at the Floral Hall of the Great Yorkshire Showground on Sunday, 1st October 2000. Autocycles, mopeds and cyclemotors were represented, John Bailey bringing a very original NSU Quickly 23S2 from 1962, the three-speed dual-seat model. John told me that it had been stored in a flat in Kent for 35 years. John's other machine was a 1953 Francis Barnett autocycle, complete with its original engine shields, and a cracking runner to boot, having completed the 1999 Coast to Coast run. Mike Hackney brought the other autocycle, a 1955 Norman, which is currently under restoration. Mike purchased, and had fitted, a drive chain from one of the specialist suppliers at the show. Mike's Norman is ex Leicester Police, so he is rehearsing his "'ello 'ello whatsgoinon 'ere then", and "You're nicked, Sunshine" for all those summer runs.
Dave Jackson and Paul Hornby had Le Rosbif and L'Escargot next to each other with Dave's Raleigh RM6 and its French parent the Mobylette Minor AV42 from Paul. Both have their original leg shields and the only real difference between them was the smaller tank on Paul's Minor, a utility model which Mobylette introduced to the British market in 1964 to compete directly with the RM6.
Linda Murphy showed her most unusual Danish Wooler moped with the offset Diesella friction drive engine, and Dave Larry showed a BSA Winged Wheel, with the original rim replaced by what looked like a stainless steel Raleigh 26×1½ Westwood rim. Winner of a Highly Commended rosette was Robert Casper with his Nassetti Brunetta, an unusual Italian friction drive cyclemotor fitting under the bottom bracket.
Also seen, on other stands, were a very attractive 72cc Moto Guzzi Cardelino from 1956, while on the same British Two Stroke Club stand there was a rare Bond Minibyke of about 1950, a strange and unsuccessful British 98cc lightweight with a Villiers 1F engine, massive leg shields and an almost totally enclosed front mudguard hiding the 16" wheel, and all in polychromatic light blue. Elsewhere, Mr Cross again showed his concours 1956 Quickly 26S1 in light and mid green. C Wylde Motor Cycles of Leeds were showing a 'Powabyke' electric cyclemotor with a front hub motor with 20×2.125 tyres on a folding cycle at a 'bargain' price of £725...
First published, February 2001