Corkscrew Highway
CORKSCREW HIGHWAY
DAVID EDWARDS
Cycle World's third annual Rolling Concours roars through California's wine country
IS THERE A MORE PERFECT VEHICLE FOR A SUNNY SATURDAYmorning stroll in the lush hills of the Sonoma Valley than an ebony-black 1925 Rudge-Whitworth with gold pinstripes, sprung saddle and squeeze-bulb horn? It's a Sopwith Camel without wings, a Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang of a motorbike, which is why it was named Best of Show at Cycle World's third-annual Rolling Concours, part of Sonomafest 2001.
And lest you think things weren't up to date in Coventry, England, back in the Roaring '20s, note the four-valve head sitting atop a 499cc cylinder, the 2-into-1 pre-muffler and those rim binders ready to bring things to a sure (if not so short) stop. In the Nothing's New Dept., the Rudge even has linked brake operation, the rear pedal cueing both shoes.
"It's pretty advanced for its era, what with the four overhead valves, but it’s still fairly primitive,” says owner Pete Young, a 31-year-old mechanical engineer who bought the flat-tanker a year ago. “For instance, there’s no twistgrip throttle, just two levers on the handlebar, one for gas, one for air.”
Making it “haul in the family,” girlfriend Kim Lohstroh rode Young’s 1938 Velocette MSS to second place in the Vintage class. Her personal ’36 Ariel Red Hunter and ’35 Bianchi were up for repairs.
“Besides being great fun to ride, old bikes are a challenge to make work-by necessity, you’re involved,” says Lohstroh, a student at UC Berkley who’s been into classics for about five years.
Like the other 85 entrants in this year’s run, to be eligible forjudging Pete and Kim first had to complete a 50-mile ride through the wine country, starting and ending at Sears Point Raceway. Midway point was the Hess Winery on Mt. Veeder, which kindly turned over their parking lot to us for a coffee-andpastry break. Back at the track, entrants sampled the swapmeet or took in the AHRMA races while we judges went to work.
Unlike the clinical artificiality of a traditional static concours d’elegance, we weren’t too worried about matching engine and frame numbers, the exact shade of paint or whether a certain part should have been chromed or cadmium-plated. Let the 100point crowd wring hands about such inanities. Bug splatter, road grime and oil misting didn’t bother us either-in fact, too much post-ride primping and preening might land you some demerits!
Sponsored by Triumph, the Best British trophy went to John Niesley’s 1960 Bonneville, looking decidedly better than when he had purchased it as an unfinished restoration project a couple of years ago.
“The transmission was installed backwards, all the chrome needed redoing, but now it’s a real ridersmooth at 70 mph,” he says of the second-year Bonnie.
Shockingly resplendent in baby-blue with tan seat, Terry Lalonde’s rare AJS scrambler was voted Best Classic.
“I’ve got my wife convinced it’s the kids’ college fund,” he says of the 650 Twin, which took two years to bring back from rolling-basketcase status. “It’s been a fun project.”
Finished just a few days before the event, Ron Mousouris’ jewel-like Honda CB350 nabbed Japanese Classic honors, using the Rolling Concours as its shakedown run. “That’s almost too pretty to ride,” a spectator commented back in the judging paddock. To which someone else replied, “No such thing.” Amen to that.
Sadly, classes were so full this year that all of our etched wine bottle trophies were handed out, no leftovers, meaning the staff actually had to buy some of the local plonk at dinner that night. Happy to report we held up nicely under the strain.
CW ROLLING CONCOURS RESULTS
Best of Show: Pete Young, 1925 Rudge 500 Best British: John Niesley, 1960 Triumph Bonneville Vintage: 1st Paul D’Orleans, 1934 Velocette 350; 2nd Kim Lohstroh, 1938 Velocette 500; 3rd John Simms, 1946 Velocette 500 Classic: 1st Terry Lalonde, 1958 AJS 31CS; 2nd Steve Ready, 1958 BMW R50; 3rd Bill Whalen, 1969 BSA Rocket III American Classic: 1st Evencio Hurtado, 1970 H-D XLCH; 2nd Otto Hoffman, 1974 H-D SS350; 3rd Kevin Royal, 1967 H-D SS250
Japanese Classic: 1st Ron Mousouris, 1970 Honda CB350; 2nd Chris Capito, 1974 Suzuki GT750; 3rd Pete Strassman, 1979 Yamaha XS650 Street Specials: 1st Richard Dix, 1971 Trackmaster Trident; 2nd David Dix, 1953 Triumph T6; 3rd Rick Dyer, 1972 Triumph T120R Special thanks to Triumph America, Avon Tires, Progressive Suspension & Vanson Leathers for support and contingency prizes
