"Blackburn-Wallis"...? From The Vintagent blog (http://thevintagent.blogspot.com/2008/09/dirt-track-collection-for-sale.html): Another JAP motivated machine is this Comerford-JAP Special, which was originally designed by George Wallis for the Surrey motorcycle dealer Comerfords. The original Wallis, from 1929, used a Blackburne engine; the frame is based on the Harley 'Peashooter' (Wallis had been competition manager for H-D in Britain), and the total package weighed 185lbs. There are a few significant departures between these two 1935 machines - the Wallis machine has forks similar to an early Scott, with a short telescopic tube near the axle (originally using Andre dampers as well), while the Martin has more typical short girder forks, which are still the standard today. When JAP introduced their own 'Dirt Track' engine in 1930, the Wallis became suddenly an unbeatable machine in the hands of Wal Phillips. It sold through Comerfords originally for £35 as a rollling chassis, or £75 complete with engine. [More on the Wallis can be found in the July 1986 Classic Motorcycle]
Thanks to Mark Shubin. Click the page to read it.
Skooter Farm material!!! sign him up!!
ReplyDeleteLess is More !! Keep It simple !! etc etc
ReplyDeleteThis is motorcycle journalism at its peak.
Great view on life, certainly if there had been a pr man about at the time, they would have topped themselves
ReplyDeleteWith views like that, he'd have his own TV show roday!
ReplyDelete"Blackburn-Wallis"...?
ReplyDeleteFrom The Vintagent blog
(http://thevintagent.blogspot.com/2008/09/dirt-track-collection-for-sale.html):
Another JAP motivated machine is this Comerford-JAP Special, which was originally designed by George Wallis for the Surrey motorcycle dealer Comerfords. The original Wallis, from 1929, used a Blackburne engine; the frame is based on the Harley 'Peashooter' (Wallis had been competition manager for H-D in Britain), and the total package weighed 185lbs. There are a few significant departures between these two 1935 machines - the Wallis machine has forks similar to an early Scott, with a short telescopic tube near the axle (originally using Andre dampers as well), while the Martin has more typical short girder forks, which are still the standard today. When JAP introduced their own 'Dirt Track' engine in 1930, the Wallis became suddenly an unbeatable machine in the hands of Wal Phillips. It sold through Comerfords originally for £35 as a rollling chassis, or £75 complete with engine. [More on the Wallis can be found in the July 1986 Classic Motorcycle]
This... This is amazing.
ReplyDeleteVery inspiring.