Live bike action at Footman James Classic Motorbike Show
Live classic motorcycle action comes to the Footman James Classic Motorbike Show, when it opens its doors for the first time at Birmingham’s NEC from 12-14 November. Notable riders will be putting classic machines through their paces over a gruelling, 25x30m specially-built course designed to test the skills and the classic trial bikes.
Mick Grant, Neil Gaunt and Duncan MacDonald will be putting Ariels and Triumph Cubs through their paces and Mick Grant believes it will show classic motorcycles can be as much fun as newer machinery. “The course will be testing for pre-’65 bikes and we’ve made the course as testing and interesting as possible. It’s going to be fun and it will show just how much fun you can have on these classic machines.”
The Footman James Classic Motor Show is also promising the thrill of the century, retro style, with the amazing and nerve racking Wall of Death.
Two-wheeled gravity-defying antics are at the heart of the Wall, where old-school classic motorcycles gather sufficient speed to climb the wooden wall that measures a whopping 18 feet high.
Wall of Death supremo Ken Fox uses 10 Indian Scout motorcycles dating from 1921 to 1927: These are renowned for their handling around the Wall, which is made from heavy wooden planking. Ken also has 10 early ‘70s Honda CB200s.
Walls of Death were a big UK attraction in the pre-war era, the first appearing in the late 1920s, but by the end of the 1960s they had fallen out of favour as holidaymaker deserted the UK’s holiday camps for package tours to Majorca or Torremolinos.
Ken Fox’s Wall was built in 1994/95, and is made from Oregon Pine, and is 28 feet in diameter. The new Wall joined the existing Wall, which dates back to the late 1920s.
The show will also feature displays from the UK’s favourite motorcycle clubs, a trader village and a popular Bikejumble as well as a live interview stage. For more information on the Footman James Classic Motorbike Show, visit classicmotorbikeshow.co.uk.
