laird387 Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 Hi, And for the record - this is what the punter received from his friendly BSA dealer when he bought a new BSA C15T. From my offroadarchive an image of Max King testing his own newly delivered C15T - not a bike from BSA for a magazine test, but his own personal mount. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 Hi, And for the record - this is what the punter received from his friendly BSA dealer when he bought a new BSA C15T. From my offroadarchive an image of Max King testing his own newly delivered C15T - not a bike from BSA for a magazine test, but his own personal mount. Enjoy. This proves my point when the anoraks are going endlessly on about original machines, we need more original bikes in the Scottish P65 etc etcWho in their right mind would even try to ride the Scottish on THAT ! You'd struggle in a Club trial round our way! If riding bikes like that float your boat first try medication then petition for a return to the sections of the day before trying to make bikes like that ride todays sections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 H Guy's Dont be bitter OTF!! There is a place in this world for everyone, and a place in history for this mode of two wheeled transport. Regards Charlie. www.bsaotter.com . And even a place for one of these , Love Betty???? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 Hi, OTF, The real answer is, as I'm sure your tongue in cheek comment about the Linlochleven event implied, did anyone ever ride the old bikes in trials in the state they were delivered from the factory. In my memory the answer is a resounding NO. In fact I remember the announcements pronounced in the press of the day when the Greeves Scottish was introduced to the effect that here was the first trials model that could be ridden straight from the dealer's showroom to the start of the trial, whereupon most other manufacturers tidied up their acts and delivered rideable bikes. Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 Charlie and Deryk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 Hi, The power of offroadarchive - here is an image of the bike by Don Morley for Offroad Review. As can be seen by various wear marks of the bashplate, for example, it had obviously been used in anger. Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Hi Guys. Thanks once again Deryk. I still recon this bike could still be about somewhere ??? Do we care??? Yes we do!!!!!! Part of Trials Bike History. I am Old! With a passion OK. Regards Charlie ,www.bsaotter.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 HI Charlie et al, I only included Don Morley's article in ORR because I had actually seen the bike in action in various trials, and it had long since left the factory when I saw it last......... It could still be somewhere - and knowing Brian Verrall personally I know that he had a genuine interest in old bikes with a story but also a penchant for finding the best value of a registered number sold on to someone with money to spare......... He once called me and insisted I dropped into his shop the next time I was in the area. That I did the following week and he said; "Come in, there sit on that bike!" I did as he asked and then asked why? "So that you can tell your grandchildren you actually sat on Lawrence of Arabia's own Brough-Superior!!" Enjoy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Hi, Remember I included an image of my dear old friend Max King with his new BSA C15T as delivered by the dealer, which prompted a series of comments as to who on earth would ride such a machine, etc. Well I responded that we all bought bikes like that and then promptly started modifying them with parts that were on sale to the public and generally available at the time (remember that from my specification of eligibility rules ?????) Here, if you like is the proof of the pudding - Max riding his own bike in a trial, now sporting alloy mudguards in place of the chromed steel units supplied, an alloy petrol tank, in place of the pretty blue steel monstrosity supplied, an alloy trials number plate in place of the steel factory unit, etc., etc., That is the way it was - and that was the spirit of classic trials we attempted to replicate. Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparks2 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 (edited) HI Charlie et al, I only included Don Morley's article in ORR because I had actually seen the bike in action in various trials, and it had long since left the factory when I saw it last......... It could still be somewhere - and knowing Brian Verrall personally I know that he had a genuine interest in old bikes with a story but also a penchant for finding the best value of a registered number sold on to someone with money to spare......... He once called me and insisted I dropped into his shop the next time I was in the area. That I did the following week and he said; "Come in, there sit on that bike!" I did as he asked and then asked why? "So that you can tell your grandchildren you actually sat on Lawrence of Arabia's own Brough-Superior!!" Enjoy Deryk TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) owned several Broughs, over a period of time of course. Is Max King still with us?? Edited January 11, 2014 by sparks2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Hi sparks2, Yes I did know that - including the fateful one that I frankly wouldn't want to sit on!! The bike that Brian Verrall had was bought off Lawrence by a colleague of the great T. E. who promptly was posted to remote places, so his parents put the Brough in the little used front room of their home, where it lived for many years because the 'heir' sadly was killed in action. My own connection with Lawrence was interesting at the time because I was called upon to negotiate a contract, which we won, then project manage the job of replacing the signalling on the railway line to Aqaba in Jordan. This was in the early 1960s and the line was being reestablished after having been destroyed by some bod called Lawrence......... Strange coincidences as ever. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparks2 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Thanks for your reply Deryk As far as I knew, or can remember, the line was derelict and locomotive wreckage still littered the desert. But he surely disrupted more than one line?? Regards Sparks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Hi, Sparks2, that was the reason for the attack on the railway in the first place - there was only the one line, which was the sole route in and out to the port for mineral exports and food imports - and due to the difficult nature of the terrain it was mainly single line working over the route. Deryk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Hi sparks2 again - sorry, I only just noticed your query about Max King - no, he died some years ago now, after going almost totally blind. He was a very great friend to me, being very patient and helpful with all the questions I put to him over the years. My initial interest in trials riding stemmed from picking up a copy of his book in Smith's one day on my way home from school - the rest of my family tended towards the speedier elements of motorcycle sport whereas I preferred my bike as a means of exploring the moors around my home in Yorkshire. Deryk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 Hi Guy's Deryk and Sparks2. This was one of the first trials awards I won along with the "Jack Wright" Rose bowl. A copy of Max Kings Trials Riding. I have it in front of me, now with strips of masking tape down the spine. because of the use the little book has had over the years. It also has news paper cuttings inside of a picture in the local paper at the time of me being presented with this award. I will pass the little book onto my Grand sons and hope they will still use it when they are old enough. I will put the picture onto my web site. today. Happy Days. Regards Charlie. www.bsaotter.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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