This year’s riders.
Every year brings something and someone new. This year we welcome 38 new riders and hope they have an enjoyable weekend.
There are several 50cc and 98cc machines entered this year and the substantially flat route should suit them well. Notable amongst them, Maurice Drew will ride his 32cc Cyclemaster, fitted to a 1920s tradesman cycle. I hope they all have a good time and will return home to encourage others to join us in the future.
Another notable increase is in the number of riders from France. We have the biggest ever group and, as well as our friends from APAPA, who support us every year, we welcome back Serge Levillain , his wife and his two daughters – all on French bikes of course.
Another welcome returnee is Neil Osborne who will ride his 1928 New Hudson. Neil suffered a terrible accident two or three years ago and his recovery has taken a long time. He contributed superb photos of the last couple of events and it is good to see him back in the saddle.
Dave Richmond rides his 1939 AER two stroke. He has been working on it for years and, finally, it is finished. Most visitors will never have seen another. The ‘unusual two stroke’ theme continues with two Adlers, a TWN and three Puch split singles.
Hugh Mills will ride the first Sanglas to be seen at the IWKR and Roger Farris the first Capriolo. Sylvain Berland will ride his Dresch again. We saw it a couple of years ago at Wrotham and it is a lovely example of French art-deco in a largely unrestored state – ‘dans son jus’ – as the French say.
There are a number of other fabulous continental machines to look out for too. Joerg Dreisoerner and Michael Ernst ride Ducatis, Frans Pelk a late 20s F.N, Jan Hoornsman has a Horex Imperator and Sjoerd Brandsma brings an EMW – another first for the IWKR as far as I can remember. France is well represented by Bill Robsons 1924 Armor, Reynald Canu’s 1930 Terrot 500 and the 1935 Monet Goyon of Jean-Jacques Wassner.
English classics from the 50s and 60s are amply represented and the favourite models from BSA (always the most numerous machines), Triumph, Norton, Ariel and Velocette will be out in force. We have a number of early Douglas and Sunbeams too.
We try to design the event to appeal to, and to attract as wide a range of motorcycles as possible. 70 years of motorcycling are represented in our line up and, as has been noted, that includes everything from Cyclemaster to Ducati, scooters, sports mopeds of the 70s, autocycles, sidecars and Keith Clarkes Trojan ‘bubblecar.’
Every one is a valuable survivor and a part of the rich story of motorcycling in the 20th century. The entire spectrum of motorcycling development and interest will take to the road to the delight of the public and we wish every rider a safe and enjoyable West Kent Run.