BMF Rally

1974 - Donington Park

This was not a normal bike rally but more of a small motorcycle show with BMF member clubs also having stands and a market place and camping weekend thrown in. In 1974 it was held at Donington Park, this was before the Donington circuit reopened (in 1977).

                   

- Ted

I went there on my Honda CB175 with Fat Barry (Warrener) on his CD175. Bazza had a rear wheel puncture on the way down. He managed to stay on the bike but the tyre came off the rim and the last 20 yards or so before he stopped were quite spectacular. He ended up sat on the bike with the front wheel in the ditch. We then had to find and fit a new tube, difficult with a fully enclosed chaincase, but a non qd back wheel.

The things I remember from the show were Tim Healey's stand with the Healey Square Fours. Fortunately Heather had a picture of Mr MacGregor actually test riding one there but I didn't know either of them then.

This was also the first place I saw powder coating for frames or cycle parts. The MZ importer Wilf Green was there with his 'Flying Banana' MZs and the latest model the TS250. Little did I know that in a few months time I was going to be involved in an accident on that very bike.

Ian Lee (still an active Dean Valley MCC member) bought the show model MZ and took me on the pillion to what I believe was the first MZ Riders Club rally at Whatstandwell in Derbyshire. I can't remember exactly what happened but we fell off in front of everybody at the lunch stop; I did a Superman impression over Ian but got the landing wrong. He has been running a bike training school for the last 35 or 40 years so it never gets mentioned (much) when I see him

- Ted Trett