Review and Pics Borders Classic Rideout 16/09/07

Lacon Childe School in the picturesque rural village of Cleobury Mortimer was once again playing host to the Borders Classic Bike Show and having enjoyed this small but varied show in the past I was really looking forward to a cracking day out.

Joining me for ride over to the show were Thumper, Katana, my old mate Eddie and a non forum member Dave and his wife Sue. Thumper had selected his Ducati M600 Monster for the day, once again sporting its’ “Earthquake” pipes and when combined with the rasping four into one Katana has fitted to his lurid lime green Suzuki my neighbours were treated a suitably impressive symphony as we pulled off!

Thumper and Eddie

Dave and Sue astride the 1200 Bandit

En-route we were joined by two other friends of Dave, they rode a Honda F6C custom, a bike that somehow sounds like a WW2 Spitfire on a fly-past, and an absolutely immaculate Suzuki GT750 Kettle. Combined with Thumper’s Duke, Kat’s Street fighter, Eddie’s huge Africa Twin, Dave’s 1200 Bandit and my Thundercat we had quite a mix of machinery. We all tucked in behind the GT750 for the 10 miles to the show so we could enjoy the heady aroma of 2-stroke oil! To all you environmentalists – you don’t know what you’re missing!

Tony’s beautifully kept Suzuki GT750

Steve’s Honda F6C

Chewing the fat, Thumper and Eddie (Ducati and Africa Twin)

Eddie, Thumper and Katana

Once at the show itself the bike park provided an excellent display in itself; Norton F1, Ariel Square Four, RG500, BSA Goldstar to name a few amongst many.

Norton F1

Ariel Square Four

Perfect 18,000 mile RG500 Gamma

Not everything was immaculate!

BMW with suitably sporting accesories ~ a flask, and what appears to be a washing line?!

BSA Goldstar

This would suck your knees in! talk about breathing freely!

The Grinnall company was also showing its range of BMW and Triumph based trikes, and a BMW powered Scorpion 3 wheeled sportscar.

Grinnall BMW Trike

What a bizarre thing to have on a bike!

Grinnall Triumph Rocket Trike

Once we had stumped up our £4 entrance fee (included free programme and helmet park), we were greeted with two well stocked halls of wide variety of bikes spanning everything pre war Brit bikes all the way up to the iconic Honda RC30. Highlights included a beautiful Triumph café racer, a highly tuned BSA Bantam track bike and a near perfect FS1E

The main viewing hall, can you spot Thumper and Katana?

Well travelled (over 100,000 miles since 1992)Matchless that the couple in red have toured all over Europe on. She is 80!

Like last year the bikes details have been put on a sheet of A4 and taped to the headlight. Spoils the look of the bike, in this case a Triumph Cafe racer.

80mph racing Bantam

Having enjoyed a couple hours in the show we mounted up and headed for the café at Quatford just outside Bridgnorth, taking in the stunning sweeping views from Clee Hill en-route and taking Thumper’s favourite B road. Pace was gentle, like the sunshine playing on the tree lined rolling hills that surrounded us. It was too chilled a day to hurry to be honest. Loads of old Velcettes, Matchless and Triumphs etc were coming the other way, and that just added to the atmosphere even more.

The café provided its’ usual warm welcome and a mug of tea and Bacon butty rounded off a highly enjoyable day perfectly.

Cheers!

Thanks to all who came along and see you on the 30th!