As published in July 2024 of Old Bike Mart

Well, if you are going to host a party to celebrate 100 years of your club, which promotes the use of pre 1940s motorcycles then Brooklands has to be the perfect venue, with its long association with Sunbeam bikes and cars which the club was originally named after, until inclusion to all models in 1925.

Always a friendly club, which promotes the use of pre 1940 motorcycles, they host the prestigious Pioneer run for pre 1914 motorcycles and attend and host other noncompetitive road runs.

In all my years of riding, the pioneer run has been the one not to miss and used to be season starter until recent change to October. During the years the club have had many challenges to overcome of the pioneer run including wars, snow and ice ,foot and mouth outbreak and covid so the little matter of rain and closure of the UKs busiest motorway wasn’t going to phase them. To make things better by 11 the sun came out and the day was perfect.

And on my arrival at Brooklands the place was alive to the wonderful sound and smells of these old bikes, it’s just a shame the sound and smell cannot be printed in the magazine. The courtyard was  hosting the pioneers while younger models frequented the pit area.  But best of all it was a moveable feast as owners went to attend the various events that day.

The best part as well is most of these bikes are ridden regularly and have that well-worn look only a hundred years can do. Not hidden as weather a bit damp. And  many were enjoying the parade laps, some quite enthusiastically on the Brooklands finish line and the post 1930 bikes (due to weather not allowing earlier bikes) attempting test hill.

There of course are also those who rock the vintage look from soldiers to flapper girls, also being the season opener lots of chatter as friends reacquaint. There were also a few other vintage motorcycle club stands

Even after all these years as well there are new finds which stop you. An early sidecar and machine gun was superb, a pair of glorious Woolers one of which should have a green tank, but the copper is nice too good to cover. A fabulous De Dion Bouton motorcycle with what looked like a radiator in the tank. An interesting fully covered HRD model W I would have loved to hear start up, sadly never found the owner. And One bike that was getting a lot of interest was a 1920s French “Dollar” which  surprised the owner, as he just dug it out of shed to give it a run, certainly the bike I would have loved to have ridden home.

To show how good it was after 4 hours I realised I hadn’t even poked my nose around any of the rest of the museum.

Great venue, great atmosphere and gives you a great feeling for the rest of the year. Congratulations to the Sunbeam MC and here’s to your next century.