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Classic World

THE BRISTOL CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE SHOW FEB 23-25

If this show was anything to go by, it’s going to be a bumper year for classic biking. It was buzzing with showgoers and saturated with sound from the start-up zone. Here are some of the people and bikes we met

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: GREG MOSS

April 2024

Jeff Stray 1959 1300cc Panther

“I’ve always liked English V-twins – but you can’t get a running one for less than ten grand these days, so I thought maybe I could make my own,” says Jeff. “I had a normal single-port 600cc Panther – but when I took the mag off, I realised there’s a shelf that looks like it’s the right angle for another cylinder. In no way did I do all the engineering jobs on this; I’m good at thinking up solutions and doing the basic stuff, but then I get other people with the proper machinery and knowledge to do the complicated stuff. I’ve had help from people all over the country to make this,” he admits. The engine wouldn’t fit into a standard Featherbed frame, so Jeff got Dresda to make one three inches longer than stock. The forks are from a Honda Fireblade. “It’s an absolute dream to ride. I used to have a Rickman Bonneville once, and it kind of reminds me of that. It steers itself and has great stopping power. It just wants to go fast”.

Peter McGuiness 1972 Kawaskai H1B

“It’s a 1972 Kawaskai H1B, with a bit of spin” says owner Peter McGuiness, with a glint in his eye. “I’ve turned it into a sprint bike for the NSA (National Sprint Association) classic series for Japanese bikes. The frame’s been shortened and modified, which lost a bit of weight out of it, and it has a mildly-tuned 500cc engine, an H1R fairing and an H2 swingarm. I’ve got a few of these and I built it out of parts – it was never a whole bike. It started as a bare frame and I built it up from there. It’s literally been built in a shed in West Sussex,” added Peter with a smile. “It’s really smooth, nice and nippy. When it gets in the power it really pulls – very noisy, very stinky, very satisfying.”

The Bristol Classic Motorcycle Show

Lewis & Stan Salvidge 1954 Francis-Barnett scrambler

Lewis and his son Stan were showing their pristine little scrambler. “My father and I discovered it in 1991 in a bit of a basket-case condition,” recalls Lewis. “He fully restored it and got it back to its original state – everything on there is correct. It’s a 197cc engine, which is a 7E Villiers – but with a four-speed box. Dad died last year and I inherited all the collection.” Lewis also had a Francis-Barnett trials bike on display at the show. “I’m keeping dad’s legacy going – and Stan, my youngest, is going to carry it on as well. We like to keep the Barnetts in the family!”.