The inaugural Classic Motorcycle Show held at the new Swansea Bus Museum and Transport Heritage Centre last Sunday proved to be a big hit with both exhibiting riders and public alike, writes Roger Gale.
The main display area echoed to the sound of tuned racing machines and the glittering array of the huge Honda Gold Wing machines brought to the venue by the South Wales Wings Club.
The Triumph Owners Club and the Sunbeam Owners Club were also well represented, both having stands and display motorcycles amidst the ranks of superb machines that attended from throughout the Principality.
Bikes of virtually every era, make and condition assembled, riders expressing delight that the show had returned to the city, having had many previous years of progression from a small gathering at the former Swansea Maritime and Industrial Museum in the Marina.
It’s hoped that the new show – supported this year by Mounts Motorcycles of Swansea and Port Talbot – will be an annual fixture at the Swansea Bus Museum & Transport Heritage Centre.
Some ninety machines were on display, ranging from such venerable bikes as the 1950’s BSA Bantam found in a neglected state by its new owner and proving to be a rare factory supported International Six Days Trial machine, to snarling racing machines that included the Phil Landeg of Swansea-owned Rob North Triumph Trident of 1972 vintage, and the up to the minute British Superbike Championship Yamaha R6 of nineteen year old Welsh circuit racer Mark Clayton.
The road bike entries were numerous and impressive, featuring specially constructed 1973 Triton of Leon Sparks, other ‘café racer’ style machines including the gleaming yellow Norton Commando of Swansea’s Gareth Smith, the MotoGuzzi250TS of David Price and Kawasaki Z9 RS of Neath rider Deri Lewis, all bringing back memories of the famed ‘rocker’ years.
So too did a gleaming array of lamp bedecked scooters from Lambretta and Vespa, evoking the ‘Mod’ era.
The yesteryears of the once mighty British motorcycle industry were well represented with Edwin Thomas of Merthyr wheeling in his pair of immaculate Triumphs, a 1956 Tiger 110 and 1961 Trophy TR6, both looking as if straight out of the dealers showroom, and probably even better ! Added were Velocettes, a Venom model of Godfrey Benson another rarity , as was the superb Brough SS80 of Pontypridd rider Ken Baxter.
Some worthy Award Winners – Dylan David, Edwin Thomas. Bert Davies, David Price, Alan Richards, and Colin Davies are pictured with Event Secretary Veronica Gale at the close of the show (above), and the organisers are confident that the success will be built on for 2019 and beyond.