I suggest heading back to 1929 where you’ll find a treasure trove: Graham Walker’s blow-by-blow account of his Senior TT, which was ended prematurely by a snapped pushrod but is possible the most enjoyable description of roadracing ever written—written brilliantly by the future editor of Motor Cycling—and the accompanying illustrations are an additional delight. Then there’s the adventures of an ISDT competitor who burned out his clutch, repaired it (with wine corks from his hotel bar) and had an adventurous time catching up with the trial (a task made more interesting by the lack of a passport)—at one point he faced a night on a bridge between between Italy and Switzerland. Great fun. We haven’t finished yet—there’s a report on the Scott Trial (so tough it was known as ‘The Tragedy’) which is simply delightful: don’t miss the magnificent poem that follows it, ‘On Denton Moor’ (Denton Moor, part of the trial, was described as “five miles of frightfulness”). Also added to the review of 1929 is a test of a well-mannered Royal Enfield 500cc side-valve combo, which I’ve inserted after the roadtest of the cammy 490cc Norton. It makes an interesting contrast. You can, of course, go straight to these features by wordsearching “Walker”, “ISDT”, “Scott” and “Enfield”, or just read the whole year again. In either case, enjoy!
Motorcycle Timeline 