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Friday 27th February -
Getting the bikes ready
Next morning we start at 08.30 and are
joined by Bob Birdsall, his brother
Dick and friend Sam Trent - we now have
6
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Dick Birdsall (left) arrives to swell the ranks |
people working on the bikes. Later,
others arrive to help and later still neighbours stand outside
watching, trying to figure out what all these men are doing and why.
By lunchtime the garage is in chaos with
the people climbing over each other and the floor is littered with
tools, fasteners and swarf from the lathe. Sam takes photos, finds
lost tools, fetches burgers or goes to Bob Birdsall’s marine
engineering plant for components we need fabricated, picking them up
later when complete. It’s madness and it keeps going until 01.00 in
the morning. Next day we start again at 08.00.
By lunchtime we’ve made big progress but
realise getting both bikes running for the parade at Daytona is
going to be last minute stuff at best. By 16.00 we’ve got to leave
so the bikes are wheeled-out for a photo shoot in sun.
For the first time since I arrived we’re
relaxed enough to look at the bikes and appreciate what’s finished
rather than what isn’t… and agree they’re looking pretty damn
beautiful!
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The bikes are starting to look pretty good! |
We’re also taking a roadster Shooting
Star and Clubman Goldie to ride in the 50 BSA parade, one of the
events we’ve planned at the speedway.
Will I ride the Goldie or Shooting Star?
The luxury of choice! The Shooting Star starts first kick after
being 9 months idle - characteristically the Gold Star takes a
little longer.
Teasing Don I remark that it was after
all the twin that won in ’54 and that it can be easier to make a
Shooting Star go faster than it can be to make a Goldie Star go at
all.
Tomorrow we’re showing the bikes at AMI
where everyone who takes part in the vintage races must have their
bikes inspected before going to the track.
What Happened Next
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At AMI
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