Iconic competition bikes reunited with their riders at Salon Prive 2012

Some 30 exquisite motorcycle entries will make up two classes of the Chubb Insurance Concours d’Elegance at Salon Prive this year, with Class D: Vee Twins Through the Ages and Class H: Important Competition Machines representing the growing two-wheeled section.
 
A highlight of the section will see several notable race riders reunited with their competition bikes, including Johnny Brittain with a 1953 Royal Enfield ISDT, the Rickman brothers with a 1962 Metisse, Gordon Jackson with a 1959 AJS Trials and Eric Patterson with the 2011 Brough Superior record breaker.
 
From standard machines lovingly restored back to period specification, to more extreme entries such as the record breaking British-built Brough Superior SS120 and a Bond film stunt bike, the motorcycle class is bigger than ever at Salon Prive 2012.
 
Brough Superior’s record-breaking SS120 is entered jointly by owner Mark Upham and designer Alastair Gibson.  Their goal was to beat the AMA’s 1350-A-VG Speed Record at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, at the annual AMA/BUB Speed Trials, held in September 2011.  With the spectacular looking Brough running on pump fuel, former Bonneville record holder Eric Patterson (65) rewrote the history book with a series of high-speed runs across the salt.
 
Over two opposite-direction runs, Eric achieved a mean average speed of 124.98 mph – breaking the class record by over 10 mph!  The bike hasn’t been seen in public in the UK since its record-breaking run in the U.S. last year. 
 
Although a fraction of the Brough’s capacity but equally unique, another highlight to the tune of 100cc is the Allen Millyard-built 1975 Honda SS100 entered in the V-twin category.
 
First built in 1975, it was the product of two SS50 engines that were amalgamated to produce a 100cc V-twin, which Allen coined the ‘SS100’. This version now resides at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in the U.S., but Allen is applying his engineering expertise to finish a ‘Mark II’ exclusively for Salon Prive.  This breath-taking creation can be seen in its full 100cc glory within the V-twin category.
 
Allen is previously known for shoehorning an 8.0-litre Dodge Viper V10 into a road-going motorcycle, but his exclusive SS100 Salon Prive creation typifies engineering innovation.
 
Salon Prive visitors will also experience the following historic spectacles; James Dowdall’s 1942 750cc Harley Davidson WLA, Dave Degen’s 1970 650cc Dresda Sports Barcelona 24-hour winner, John Ely’s 1953 500cc Royal Enfield International Six Days Trial Team Trophy Award winner, Reg Everett’s 1962 250cc Greeves Silverstone Prototype, Brian Foot’s 1962 500cc Metisse MkIII Scrambler, and lastly the renowned Sammy Miller Museum’s 1959 350cc AJS 16MC Trials that won the 1961 Scottish Six Days Trial. 
 
Some of these entrants will also join Salon Prive’s inaugural 21-mile Tour d’Elegance from The Royal Automobile Club’s Woodcote Park in Epsom to Syon House in West London, opening the Super Car Show & Concours d’Elegance on Wednesday 5th September.

Tickets for Salon Prive can be purchased at salonprivelondon.com. Entry is fully inclusive of Pommery champagne, lobster luncheon, English afternoon tea and full access to all areas.
 
The full Tour d’Elegance line-up of 30 vehicles will be announced later this month.