YOUR LETTERS
Last month’s road test brings back memories for a CB reader
When I received the March edition in the post, I turned immediately to Rick Parkington’s test ride on the 1939 HRD Rapide. Well, hello good old DUR 599 – this takes me back! I say this because, way back in circa 1986, I was very kindly offered a go on this bike by the then owner – a friend of a friend, John Waltham, a farmer who used it as his daily transport. Like Rick, I was immensely impressed by the bike, the first Vincent motorcycle I had ridden. The experience made me determined to own a Vincent twin, although it took me more than 30 years to achieve this!
As you can see from the accompanying photo, the bike was not quite in the gleaming condition it is now; John was a long time Vincent owner who really used his bikes. Previous to this, I am told that he had owned a Series C Rapide with the tank painted lime green and a Great Gonzo sticker on the top! The white mascot, visible on the headlamp of the Series A, was a plastic cowboy, painted to represent a Morris dancer, with a sheep affixed to his loins! When a certain speed was reached, the handkerchiefs, glued at the bottom end to the cowboy’s legs, would tear free and stream in the wind! Now, in Arthur Farrow's ownership, the bike looks splendid, although in away I still hanker for the more rough and ready finish of 1986!
One thing I did notice that wasn’t mentioned in the test was its flexibility. It has manual advance, and while negotiating built-up areas on the ride I could use this almost like a throttle, backing off the advance, then opening it up when leaving the houses behind. It ran happily down to 30mph in top gear doing this.
John is currently a Guzzi rider – which is apposite, as I owe him a ride on my V7 Sport in return for my go on the A! The photo above was taken at the Vee Twin Rally in Shaftesbury, an annual pilgrimage for me at the time.
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Micron Man writes
It was great to see a picture of The Micron as it was in 1982 (page 66, March CB). It hasn’t changed since then. Can’t say the same about the bod with it (ie myself). I owned that bike for 42 years, buying it as a used bike in 1979. After taking a 350cc class speed record at Elvington, the bike lay dormant for 39 years before being bought by Steve Wagstaff and his brother Pete in 2021. They got it running and The Micron came back to the public gaze in January 2023 at the Newark Classic Show on the Vintage Japanese MC stand. Steve also did a couple of track days and displayed it at other events last year.
The blue-framed bike in the background is another Suzuki X7, Sidewinder I. At Elvington in 1982 it took four 250cc cla
