Just added to 1911 is a jolly tale of English riders crossing La Manche for a French hillclimb where they flew the flag against opposition including a 2.6-litre X-four. If you can’t be bothered to trawl through the preceding yarns wordsearch ‘Gometz’. Enjoy.
Latest topics to join the gallimaufry include the Maudes Trophy, wherin Squariels are started by schoolboys, the Channel is traversed by a motor cycle and gold medals are acquired en route.
Just added to the gallimaufry: some more stepping stones in the pre-history of the motor cycle including pics of the first IC engine and the three-wheeler it powered (Lenoir); a pic of the ancestor of the two-stroke (Clerk), a flame-ignited IC engine from 1838 (Barnett) and an engine running on wood-gas (Lebon).
The latest addition to the A-Z Gallimaufry concerns the adventures of EJ Pennington: coiner of the word ‘motorcycle’; inventor of the ‘long mingling spark’ and the ‘war automobile’; entrepreneur, philanderer and, above all, world-class conman who ripped off entire towns. Roll up folks—its a great yarn!
For your delectation—full reports on the Scottish and ACU Six Days’ Trials and the TT (including the first win by a Manxman), a fascinating feature on the evolution of the motor cycle, roadtests, heaps of new models including a two-stroke shafty, ladies’ fashions, hill climbs, races, technical innovations, a unicycle, two-wheel cars, Ixion at his most whimsical and, I kid you not, a hero supporting a Douglas (and rider) with his teeth.
The listing for 1922 is amost complete, bar some more illustrations. The traditional Christmas story is rather good; you’ll also find some rather of-the-wall accessories and much more mirthful material besides.
Uploaded this very day, a report of the thrills and spills of the 1922 TT, complete with Ixion’s impressions of the action, news of misbehaving TT riders annoying Manx folk and the sad tale of a rider who was forced to retire when his braces snapped.
A full report on the big one, the ACU Six Days, is awaiting you in the 1922 Features section. Tales of endurance, technical notes and drawings, a staffer’s view of the trial, some cobby tiddlers and the debut of a big BruffSup…there’s plenty to read and loads of period pics. It was a great event.
1922 is turning out to be full of interest. Yarns uploaded today include the definitve story of the invention of the skidlid; an Edinburgh Trial competitor who ended up with hare on his face; a banking sidecar on test; a Harley with sidecar-wheel drive and a hill so steep that bikes were lowered back down on a rope. And we’re only half way through the year. It definitely beats 2020.
In 1922 The Motor Cycle published its 1,000th issue and marked the milestone with a number of retrospectives, including a definitive history of the birth and evolution of the sidecar—in 1922 sidecar outfits were the most common vehicles on UK roads. And in the 1922 Features section you’ll find a real gem: nothing less than a succinct history of motor cycling evolution penned by Ixion.
