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What’s new? Bits for Bantams, a high-mileage Triumph Bonnie, the latest version of the V5C, some admin changes at RCHQ, free entry to the Popham Megameet and Triumph Hurricanes galore…
Bouncy Bantams
The folks at Draganfly Motorcycles are famous for their expertise in all things Ariel, but they also carry a huge stock of BSA bits and commission special spares when components become utterly unavailable. Some time ago, one of their customers sent Draganfly the tubes and columns from the plunger suspension on his Bantam, asking if they could re-condition them. The engineer at Drags replied that they he couldn’t do anything with them because they were totally Donald Ducked (a technical term meaning ‘beyond economical repair’), and suggested that he make some new ones.
So Draganfly now stock plunger tubes and columns to suit Bantams, the BSA C10L and even the Ariel Colt. Part numbers 90-4113, which costs £25, and 90-4121 at £18.50 each (plus delivery and VAT), all from 01986 894798 or www.draganfly.co.uk
Hurricane Warning
There’s something of a storm brewing in West London – the TR3OC’s annual Hurricane Meeting will be breezing into town on Sunday August 29th 2010 to join the bumper breakfast meet at the London Motorcycle Museum. So if you get swept along to Greenford then you’ll see plenty of triples (although we rather doubt that the winged thing pictured here will fit into the Museum car-park!). All old bike enthusiasts are very welcome to come along and enjoy the laid-back ambiance of the Museum at Ravenor Farm, UB6 9LB, which opens from 10.30am through to 3pm. Bring a British or European bike and you can ride it into the yard and join the classic display – or just come along with the family to browse through the halls of vintage and classic machines which include many unusual and one-off prototypes.
Admission costs £8 and this includes a hearty breakfast plus access to both Museums on site. See www.london-motorcycle-museum.org
Another Change To Your Registration Document
From the 15 August 2010 all V5Cs from the DVLA will have a new look. The new V5C will make it clear that the registration certificate is not proof of ownership and will provide details of where you can get advice on buying a used vehicle.
The ‘scrap’ box has also been removed because all cars, light vans and three-wheeled motor vehicles- excluding motor tricycles, must be taken to an Authorised Treatment Facility, who should issue a Certificate of Destruction (CoD). Vehicles other than those already mentioned, should still be taken to an ATF to ensure they are destroyed to environmental standards. Anyone keeping the vehicle but breaking it up for parts, etc, should make a Statutory off Road Notification (SORN) to let DVLA know that the vehicle is being kept unlicensed and off the road.
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Anyone with the existing blue version need not do anything as both types of document are still valid. For more information on the V5C and the DVLA’s Buyer Beware consumer protection initiative, go to www.direct.gov.uk/buyerbeware |
Damaged / Repairables on Now… |
Pop Along To Popham
Now don’t faff around: grab two envelopes and address one to yourself and stick a first class stamp on it. Put that inside another envelope and send the pair off to Dick Richardson at Popham Airfield, Winchester, SO21 3BD and providing it reaches him in time he will return to you a bright shiny FREE admission pass to the Popham Bike Mega Meet on Sunday 22nd August 2010. Your free pass only works if it is accompanied by a motorcycle aged 30 years or older, so no trying to sneak in with a new-fangled Hinckley thing (yes, Westworth, we’re thinking of you here!).
The Mega Meet is a glorious get-together, located not far from Basingstoke, and featuring a wide range of club stands plus traders, autojumble, and a vintage aircraft fly-in. Although the weather is normally kind, there’s even a spacious marquee for the club displays where you can shelter in the event of inclement climate. If you want to come along on a more modern bike, or have missed the boat for the free pass, then admission is £5 for grown-ups, and £3 for extremely grown-ups. See www.popham-airfield.co.uk
Very High Mileage
This Triumph T140 has seen a fair few miles in the past couple of months – and it’s about to undertake the journey of a lifetime… Back in March, David from Australia bought the Bonneville, unseen, from Bill Little Motorcycles in Wiltshire. The couple then collected the T140 in June and clocked up over 3000 miles in the next six weeks – including some very soggy miles in Ireland where they caught some of the summer season of road-racing. The T140, with a thoroughly worn out rear tyre, is now being packed up to be shipped off to join David down under. That’s one heck of a holiday souvenir!
Bill Little’s annual Open Day and autojumble is on Saturday August 14th 2010, so if you want to look at the other bikes he has in stock then you’d be very welcome to join the fun at Oak Farm, Braydon, SN5 0AG. See www.classicbikesuk.com
RCHQ Reorganisation
We’re in the middle of re-jigging how we do the admin here at RCHQ, which means that over the coming weeks and months we’ll be changing how we process online orders (and swapping to a different card payment system), and moving swiftly into something like this century with a direct debit facility for subscriptions, and a phone number for renewals and your changes of address and so forth. With cheques due to be discontinued in the not too distant future, we’ve had to swap to some other systems which hopefully should make life easier for you. Just bear in mind that some of the pages you’re used to seeing will change slightly so don’t be surprised if the renewal routine is different to last year.
Likewise, if you ring the new phone number then don’t be surprised if Frank or Rowena aren’t on the other end of the line! We’re all still hard at work at RCHQ in Bude, but we will be using the facilities of a bigger publisher to do the admin bits and pieces. This also means that F and R can take their annual holiday in the autumn with a clear conscience, and your magazine should turn up on time… we hope!
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