Sunday 21st August, and Wroughton airfield was alive to the sounds and smells of twin-lane motorcycle sprinting at an event run by The Sprint Section of the Vintage Motorcycle Club.
Drag racing is modern by comparison, but very similar, and although the event was organised by the Vintage folk (there's joke in there somewhere!), modern bikes are also invited, so amongst the whitworth and Castrol R, where synthetically-oiled 4-pot rocket ships, and the diversity didn't stop there, juniors were competing too, so at a guess, and age range of around 70 years.
I've put a few pics on the site to give an idea of what goes on, some of the older Mankies may well hit a nostalgia trip...... and I'll attempt to give a little explanation of the bikes for younger peeps.
Interestingly enough, the bikes aren't all ridden by the cloth-cap brigade either, on of the 1930's Douglas' is campaigned by a lad of 18, and there was a father & son pairing with their own Triumphs.
One thing that stood out at this particular meeting was the first-time attendance of a chap that that was, how shall we say, 'unique' ?? He gained so much admiration from the established riders....... why? because Talon is a paraplegic, and has obtained an ACU competition licence for Sprint/Drag/Hillclimb.
With the help of some good friends, and an adapted bike and willpower, he blasts of down the ¼ mile....
The bike's warmed up on a rear paddock stand, his buds assist him on, fix his feet to the pegs and Velcro his legs to the tank. He then operates the throttle and front brake as normal, gear change is push button (air-shift I think), rear brake is handlebar mounted, and there are two stabilisers that are handlebar operated should he need to stop without the catch crew......
The crew take the bike off the paddock stand and 'stage' it, with one guy holding the tail piece, lights go green, he blasts off.... turns around at the end and comes back and is captured by the guys who hold the fairing whilst the bike get back on the paddock stand (for stability), and then assist Talon back into his wheel chair.
Cool huh!!!!
Check his website out, as Talon runs a charity to help other paraplegic riders ride a solo machine again................. now if that's not inspirational......... Remember the name - Talan Skeels-Piggins
http://web.me.com/tskeelspiggins/Disabled_Motorcycling/Charity_Info.htmlPhoto -1000cc supercharged Vincent outfit called Methamon
