Travels
with a MAC. By Rob Jones.
“It
was twenty years ago
today Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play.” So sung The
Beatles.
Well,
it was thirty years ago
in 1983 that I became the proud owner of a 1953 rigid Velocette MAC
registration number PNK52. And it was all the fault of my ex wife.
Some
three years earlier,
Sue, a friend, had called at our house riding her Honda moped, and
explained
that she had bought it for use back and fore to her office. Helen, my
wife,
thought that it would be a good idea if she bought a moped for her
daily three
mile commute and I could use the car for my drive to the school in
which I
taught. While agreeing that the idea was sound, I disliked the thought
of her
riding a 49cc through the local traffic and persuaded her that a proper
motorcycle
of 100cc would be better. There were better brakes, double the capacity
to get
her out of trouble and being a proper looking motorcycle and not a step
through, I could ride it also. (I thought at least it would have a bit
of
street cred.) So at the ripe old age of 27 we bought a second hand T
reg, blue
Suzuki A100M and I became a motorcyclist for the first time.
(Approaching the
age of sixteen, in 1970, I had badgered both my parents for a moped.
But my
father, although having ridden Douglas Vespa scooters with me as
pillion, put
his foot down. “Leave it a year and I’ll teach you to drive and you can
borrow
the car.” He said. The car was a one year old Ford Cortina 1600 Super
in Saluki
Bronze. The car won.)
The
wife did use the bike
back and fore to work, and I borrowed it also, until she became
pregnant. Then
she had the car and the bike became my premier form of transport. I
fitted a
rack and top box to carry my lunch, my school books and clothes, and a
handle
bar fairing in matching blue.
About
the same time we were
holidaying in our caravan in Saundersfoot and accidentally one Sunday
morning,
found the VMCC Saundersfoot Rally on the harbour. The old bikes looked
very
interesting and the people were very welcoming, explaining about the
run. Looking
at the bikes and chatting to the various competitors, from all of the
country,
I found out that to ride in the event one had to be a member and have a
bike of
over 25 years of age. The beginning of an idea was forming deep in the
dark
recesses of my mind.
Growing
up in Aberdare in the
1960s I was well aware of motorcycle racing in The Park, my cousin
Jimmy had
owned a BSA Road Rocket, used it to go to the Island
and my father had owned two Vespas on which I had pillioned.
The
idea crystallised in to
having a British bike and having a gentle run down in the Saundersfoot
Rally.
To pursue this dream a few obstacles needed to be crossed. Firstly I
needed to
pass my test as I was still riding on L plates. Secondly I need to get
a
British bike. BUT how to get the cash and how to decide which bike it
was to
be?
Passing
the test proved easy.
At the time I was completing my Degree course and worked out that with
the pay
rise that went with it and selling the Suzuki I would have enough cash,
about
£500, with which to buy a British bike. The wife agreed. BUT which bike
to get?
I had bought a selection of the then new Classic Bike magazines but was
still
no wiser. It was suggested, by my wife, that I talk to a Roy Howard in
her
office and get his opinion. He had, after all, given advice about
riding an
underpowered moped. So calling into the office I was given the advice
which was
to profoundly and inexorably change my life!
“Triumphs,
and BSA are ok but
run of the mill.” Said Roy,
“Vincents are really special but complicated and expensive. Velocette
made
good, reliable and well engineered bikes and they are always looked
different.”
The die was cast!
What
I knew of Velocette
could have been etched on the top of a pin and still have left room for
a copy
of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. I don’t think I had ever heard of them and
was
quite amazed that with a name like that they were made in Birmingham.
I needed to find out some
information, so back to the magazines. Even there I didn’t find too
much.
Looking
through the for sales
in the current copy of MotorCycle News an advert jumped from the page
and
smacked me in the face.
For
Sale 1953 Velocette MAC 350cc
in good
condition.
Some spares. £500 ono.
Swansea
I
phoned Bryn Thomas, a name
I had been given, in Merthyr, as he knew about Velocettes. I introduced
myself
and explained why I was ringing. His advice was that the price wasn’t
too bad
if the bike was a swing arm but if it was a rigid it might be a bit too
much.
Showing my ignorance I had the term rigid explained. This was certainly
turning
out to be a sharp learning curve.
Next
I needed to see the bike
and take someone sensible with me. Cousin Jimmy in Swansea
answered the phone and was more than
happy to come with me and look at the Velocette. So after a few more
phone calls
to the seller a date and time was arranged. I do like it when a plan
comes
together.
At
the appointed time we
turned up, in Dunvant, to be met by the owner who informed us the he
could not
get the bike to start. “It was ok last week when someone else came to
see it
but today nothing. You can still have a look around it and I’ll sort it
out
later” He said. The bike did look in good condition with a dual seat
and
panniers. These hid the rear of the bike and on close inspection I
could see no
suspension units. The bike was a rigid. The owner explained the reason
for the
sale when he showed us an immaculate Road Rocket undergoing a full
restoration.
The money raised from the Velocette would finish the BSA. We agreed on
another
visit when he could sort out the starting.
The
following week we were
back. It turned out that the plug lead had a crack inside the core and
replacing the lead had cured the problem. The bike was wheeled out and
started.
It sounded as lovely as it looked, with a great sound emitting from the
fishtail silencer as the throttle was blipped. It sounded even better
when the
owner rode it up the street and back before stopping next to the curb.
Next it
was my turn to start it. What a palaver! Do I really have to do this
every time
I want to start the bike! The sharp learning curve suddenly got
steeper. After
a few attempts following the instructions the bike eventually fired up.
Climbing on I took it down the street, executed a feet up u turn at a
tee
junction and back up the hill changing gear as I went. Up to the top
and back
down a few times and I knew I was hooked. The smile on my face was wide
as I
pulled up. A wad of notes to the tune of £400 exchanged hands and I was
the
proud owner of a Velocette.
After
the previous visit
Jimmy and I had discussed the bike, He was happy with the way it looked
and he had
moved it around the drive and given it a good checking all over even
though it
had no MOT. So we came to the conclusion that if it ran well, with no
strange
sounds and I could ride it then I would buy it. As Jimmy later
remarked, “The
grin on your face as you came up the hill was enough to tell me that
you’d be
taking it home.” We loaded the bike into the back of Jim’s transit, put
all the
assorted spares in as well and headed home with me sitting on the bike
all the
way from Swansea
to Aberdare quite unaware that the steep learning curve was to continue.
Rob
