Just got back from a very nice weekend in the Midlands, taking in the Stafford Classic Bike Show on Saturday. I did call in at Ian's booth a couple of times but you had a queues of people lined up to talk, browse or buy. VERY busy. Usual display of very shiny bikes plus one very dirty WDG3L belonging to Gordon May who had a stall selling his "Overland to......" books including his latest 'Overland to Vietnam" on the Matchless. I bought a copy and to be fair, the Matchie had had a pretty thorough overhaul and upgrade with help from Andrews Engineering, Alpha Bearings etc.. All in the book. Also see http://www.overlandtovietnam.com

Anyhow, found no rare parts, but completed most of a long shopping list of consumables, had a pleasant day out in the sunshine and experienced once more the best bacon bap in England!

email (option): fergusanckorn@icloud.com

Yep...Busy on the Saturday as usual at Stafford...

I got home today about 4.30pm.. Particular thanks to John O'Brien for the coffees he delivered during the busy time...I also got to meet up with a few other forum members which is always good to do...

The highlight for me was buying a lovely alloy tank for the Goldie café racer project that I'm currently collecting parts for... but I also found some other useful parts as well...

I think next time out for me will be 'Founders Day' at Stanford Hall in July...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I noticed more of the small artisan type fabricators, making tanks, carriers, bags, etc.. Nice to see and this is where a live show comes into its own as opposed to the www. You can poke and prod the offerings and ask daft questions.

email (option): fergusanckorn@icloud.com

I would hope Gordon May's Matchless had had a comprehensive rebuild as he is a self confessed mechanical numpty. His Enfield eventually lost compression and was difficult to start and he didn't adjust the tappets....
What was even more revealing that he wrote about it in his book and still didn't have a clue.

email (option): j@clogmaker.co.uk

Only had time for a quick read of the first few pages, but he bought the bike as a project WD bike that was sourced from Burma......quite an interesting tale and some folk here may know some of the characters involved. Anyhow, it was basically worn out and full of bodges from its former life as a WD mount in Burma and then, presumably, as a Burmese field bike. Andrews took it on and went through everything. I think on that basis, I might have been happy to use it as a reliable bike for local lanes, but Mr May decided to ride it to Vietnam! No doubt the book will reveal if his mechanical skills have improved!

email (option): fergusanckorn@icloud.com

He had just about a full inventory of Hitchcocks catalogue done on his Enfield engine. The Catalogue has everything in it needed to put you off ever buying an Indian Enfield, so comprehensive are it's lists of expensive fixes for KNOWN PROBLEMS.
Mind you I recently unearthed a 60's article on Ajay singles in which it was stated that the design was ok but not the materials. I had a rat bike 52 engine and gearbox in a duplex frame as my sole transport for a decade and would have to do a engine rebuild every autumn. I wasn't that impressed with the design, and a mate said his 54 wasn't any better. They sold on their paint finish, acquired during their brief ownership of Sunbeam. I thought my brother's 54 NH much sounder. I sold my AJS after it grenaded at 70 due to Alpha's innovative and disasterous take on the crank pin. I built another set of cases up with another Alpha [all that was available] pin and I heard it did it again, fortunately whilst being kickstarted.

email (option): j@clogmaker.co.uk