26 reasons to visit the Stafford International Classic MotorCycle Show!
APRIL'S Stafford International Classic MotorCycle Show finally turns 40-years-old in 2023 (well… the COVID years prevented the Show from celebrating this milestone a couple of years ago) and here are 26 reasons why you need to be there!
The Stafford Classic Bike show is one of the most prominent and well-respected of classic motorcycling events. With hundreds of traders on-site, Stafford offers a large selection of spares, parts, paints, clothing, reg plates, oils, lubes, chains and carbs- just about everything you could possibly need to get the most out of classic motorcycling. Both inside the halls and outside you will also be able to find some of the best motorcycle ‘autojumblers’ from across the UK.
The Norton Owners’ Club celebrates 125 years of Norton (founded in 1898) and will be putting on a brilliant display of Norton bikes from throughout the famous brand’s history.
The Cossack Owners’ Club arrives in Stafford to celebrate its 50th anniversary as a club, and will be putting together one of the biggest collections of Soviet-era motorcycles from ‘behind the curtain’ in the UK.
It’s been 60 years since the Sunbeam Owners’ Fellowship came together to form a club, and members will be putting on a birthday theme on their own club stand.
The Trident & Rocket 3 Owners’ Club will be present, with its members celebrating 50 years since the launch of the Triumph Hurricane in 1973.
Retailers and autojumblers unite! From complete, mint, classic bikes to battered garage finds, there is pretty much everything a classic motorcycle enthusiast could want to buy for sale at Stafford. Hagon Shocks, Central Wheels, J J Cables, Yeomans, B.O.M. Batteries, and more are all set for the show, which also welcomes back AMAL Carburetors and many more.
Check out a steam-powered bike! Certainly a rarity, this is a genuine coal-burner in the manner of the original steam locomotives and traction engines…
From steam to the future of bikes, or at least part of it, as the Stafford Classic Bike Show welcomes Zero Motorcycles. The Californian company specialises in electric two-wheelers, and tries to combine the best aspects of a traditional motorcycle with contemporary electric technology. Its Z-Force electric powertrain and rigid, aircraft-grade aluminium frame (to minimise weight) put Zero’s motorcycles affirmatively among the more performance-focused electrics.
Brough Superiors lead the consignments for Bonhams’ spring Stafford sale when the auction house’s motorcycles team returns to The International Classic MotorCycle Show following another successful, record-setting year in 2022.
Star Lot for Bonhams - The 1931 Brough Superior SS100You could get your hands on a 1931 Show Model Brough Superior 998cc SS100, providing you have £150,000 – £180,000, which is the estimation for this interwar machine. The Brough Superior was hailed as ‘The Rolls-Royce of all motorcycles’ and was synonymous with high performance, engineering excellence and quality of finish.
As ever with Bonhams, there is something to suit every budget and this 1979 Laverda Montjuic looks decidedly, well, juicy in its resplendent orange paint. Mamma mia, che bella! “Ma, quanto cosa,” we hear you ask. This 500cc Italian beauty is estimated at £10,000 -£15,000. So, if you have some change left in the bottom of the pocket after the Brough… Fantastico!
Sure to be an absolute favourite of those attending the event has to be an incredibly rare Honda racing motorcycle. This 1963 Honda 250cc CR72 (estimate £120,000 – £150,000) was ridden throughout Rhodesia in the 1960s by none other than six-times world champion Jim Redman. ‘CR’ stands for ‘Customer Racer’, and only just over 100 CR72s were built by Honda in the 1960s as part of the ‘CR’ programme to diversify Honda’s racing offerings beyond the multi-cylinder machines reserved for the manufacturer’s factory riders.
Jack Burnicle talks to Giacomo Agostini - statistically the best Grand Prix motorcycle racer ever, with 122 GP wins and 15 world championship titles. Giacomo is in his 80th year and will be signing a special book published for the event and available on the main stand in the middle of the hall near the stage.
Marc Lamb is bringing his late grandfather’s 1955 Norton ES2/ Manx which was left to him. The bike evokes many memories and, as a youngster, Marc and his grandfather would take the bike to shows all around the country.
Just finished is Mark Bingham’s stunning Brough Superior SS80, built and registered back in 1936. Another interwar Brough, this is a ground-up restoration which has taken years to complete. This is the first time the bike has been seen at a show.
Ian Hemsley’s 1976 Suzuki GT750, a three-cylinder, water-cooled beast will be on display in a custom Union Flag livery - and just ahead of the coronation of King Charles III at the spring show. Great timing!
Nathan Hill has just finished his 1959 Triumph T100 ready for Stafford. It’s a numbers-matching engine and frame and restored from a complete basket case but with some modern tweaks, such as a 12v ignition system.
Karen Wicks is entering her Honda CB750/4, a bike she purchased, new, almost 50 years ago on 16 April, 1975. Over the years, it has been used for work, holidays and as a general mode of transport. Finally, Karen decided to restore it to its 1975 glory, starting the process in 2018.
John McCrink hosts the live start-up of some incredible machines in the GP Paddock area
Owd Codgers’ trials demonstrations at the Classic Dirt Bike Experience
Owd Codgers’ trials demonstrations at the Classic Dirt Bike ExperienceLive stunt show with ‘On The Edge Display Team’
Live music by The Daisy Belles on the bandstand
Neil Brailsford’s beautiful 1972 Seeley-framed Suzuki 500cc ‘stroker’ - This Anglo/Japanese weapon is fitted with a six-speed gearbox, straight-cut primary drives and works barrels, and has been campaigned in the 500cc classic championship in 2022, finishing sixth overall.
This 1974 Ducati 900 Imola is the larger-capacity descendant of the now legendary 750GT-based Ducatis that shocked the world to take a one-two finish at the Imola 200 in 1972, with the winning bike ridden by the late Paul Smart. This stunning, almost-50-year-old example of a 900 has many special and works parts, making it a very trick bike indeed.
The National Motorcycle Museum will be giving away a brand new 2023 BSA Gold Star Legacy Edition 650cc motorcycle at the show. This top prize in the museum’s winter raffle is the top-of-the-range version of this much-anticipated new arrival from the resurgent BSA company. The lucky winner will be drawn at random at the show on Sunday, 23 April.
11-times British Trial Champion, two-times European Trials Champion, and nine-time ISDE gold medalist, Sammy Miller - also a museum owner - is bringing his 1953 350cc Norton ‘Kneeler’, also known as the ‘Silver Fish’. The ‘Kneeler’ was Norton’s experimental attempt to improve the outdated Manx Norton’s performance, and where better to start than the aerodynamics. Sheet aluminium was hammered into fairings and mounted around a racer that was lying practically flat, the theory being that bike and rider will cut through the air with reduced drag and therefore improve the top speed. It’s not a winged Ducati Desmosedici, but the ‘Kneeler’ is a part of the beginning of the serious consideration of aerodynamics in motorcycle racing.
Don’t miss out! Get your advanced tickets for only £15.50 at www.staffordclassicbikeshows.com.
From her first experience going pillion at 31, Sam has been obsessed with motorcycles. She spent four years within motorcycle magazines in a purely sales capacity before getting the opportunity to use her long-neglected skills, whilst helping keep the lights on at Visordown.
