Ardingly: Autumn Show Results

Results The South of England Classic Motorcycle Show 26th October 2025.pdf

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We had a great end to the season this Autumn at Ardingly, with a really super turnout of people and bikes.

The Show theme was Indian Motocycles, with a talk by Allan Ford, assisted by Alan Mercer, on Indian and the Wall of Death. Allan Ford ran and rode the Motodrome Wall of Death, using twin-cylinder Indian motocycles alongside Hondas, and is credited with reviving the Wall of Death in the UK. Thanks got to Euan Bentley for the pic! He’s a really great speaker with an interesting set of slides. Allan brought along his 1926 Indian Twin, the very same bike that show organiser Julie Diplock experienced the Wall of Death on the handlebars in the mid-nineties at Stafford, ridden by Ken Fox who rode for Allan’s Motodrome at the time. Julie asks "Did anyone get a photo of me on the Wall of Death? I’d love to see it! Meanwhile, here's a photo of Allan and myself recreating that moment from over 30 years ago!"

The Indian Riders Motorcycle Club was also in attendance, bringing along rare and fascinating examples of the breed, while Karl Foulkes-Halbard of Filching Manor Motor Museum, Phil Clarke of Clarke’s Classics and Ian Hatton of Verralls, ‘Britain’s Oldest Dealer’ added to the line-up with their personal veteran and vintage Indian singles and twins.

Heavyweights were also well represented by the Vincent OC. In addition to the Vincents on display, there were also two sectioned Vincent Engines on show, built by regular attendee ‘Gypsy John’ Newson of Oxney Motorcycles.

Above Left: 1951 Series C Vincent Rapide 1000cc Engine. John tells us “These crankcases blew up circa 1970and were heavily alloy-welded back together. They were part of a basket-case bought by me from Eric Hicks of Stockport in May 2022 for a planned Black Lightning replica project. After some work on the crankcases by myself and Tony Miller they were taken to Conway Motors who measured them up to discover they were badly warped with several of the bearing housings distorted.  After sourcing a new set of crankcases for the BLR project I added the damaged set to a pile of scrap parts I had been accumulating Conway Motor, Dick Wheeldon and another very helpful Vincent OC member from Lincolnshire added many other missing parts. In January 2025 I finally started to cut away using basic old school workshop tools only. Construction took 132 hours. “

Above Right: A 1950 Vincent Comet engine. John tells us “ After buying a job-lot of spares from Yeomans Motorcycles I discovered a damaged beyond repair cylinder head, barrel and piston.

Conway Motors donated a very rusty crankshaft assembly and with enough worn parts in my workshop, I set to work with a hacksaw and files. The only good useable part was the genuine brass Amal 289 pre-monoblock carburettor and float-bowl, I had to take a deep breath as the first cut was made… Construction took 74 hours.”

Just amazing to see both a single and a twin sectioned Vincent engines and possibly a world first?

John Newson also brought his Norvin Café Racer (above), which he started up in the fire-up paddock. A 'hot' 1000cc Rapide engine fitted in a Norton wideline featherbed frame with a Suzuki GSXR front end,  6-pot brake callipers, Norton AMC clutch and home-made wheel hubs.

The Lightweights were out in force too, with some super 50cc Racing Hondas on show. Right of the photo: Ian Plumridge brought his 1965 RC116R 'TT' Machine 49cc Honda along, and started it up for us in the fire-up paddock. Ian tells us: “This machine is a copy of the Honda that Luigi Taveri won the 1966 50cc IOM TT Race. I rode this actual machine in the 2007 100 Years of the TT Lap of Honour.

In 1963 I finished in sixth place in the 50cc IOM race on a Honda CR110; tenth in 1964 on a Honda and fifth In 1965 on a Derbi.” Sadly, he was one year too late to meet Beryl Swain, that other great lightweight rider on the Island. 

Foreground of the photo: Ron Ponti, 50cc British Motorcycle Champion in 1979 and 1981, brought his genuine 1963 Honda CR110, and started it up in the fire-up paddock. It took first place in the Competition Class. We were honoured to have these two gents and their machines at the show.

 At the other end of the scale, the popular NextGen Award is a £100 cash prize for the best Under 30 year old with a classic machine.

The winner this time was Toby Williams, with his 1964 650cc Triumph Trophy. First time at this event for this Triumph, Toby is pictured above left with Ian Hatton of Verralls.  The £100 cash prize was donated by a Vintage MCC Member who wishes to remain anonymous and wants to encourage youngsters into the hobby that has given him so much pleasure over the years.

A worthy runner-up was Eva White with her Honda CG125, pictured above centre.

Meanwhile Best Lightweight was won by Tony Fitzgerald of Essex with his red 1979 249cc Suzuki GT250 X7. Tony tells us “Owned for 25 years now. Restored and ridden, it always puts a smile on my face !” His wife Anne has the blue X7, also 1979. Anne tells us it’s a “Mark 1 with period modifications: Gibson Allspeeds, Gilly Seat, FLF Mudguard. Easily achieves 100MPH, restored in 2008. With current owner since 2004.”

With nearly 200 machines entered, the judges had a difficult job but you can see the full results here . The complete Show Programme with machine details for all the bikes on show can be viewed here.

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