The National Motorcycle Museum has returned from another fantastic weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, bringing home four iconic motorcycles, plenty of unforgettable memories and, thanks to the soaring temperatures, a few suntans too!
This year’s Festival of Speed theme, “The Rivals”, was the perfect stage to showcase some of Britain’s most legendary racing motorcycles. The Museum’s line-up celebrated record breakers, TT champions and one of the greatest rivalries in motorcycle racing history.
Four legendary motorcycles
The Museum took four exceptional machines to Goodwood:
- 1928 Grindlay Peerless JAP: the motorcycle ridden by Bill Lacey to become the first rider to cover 100 miles in one hour on British soil at Brooklands, averaging an incredible 103.3mph.
- 1992 Norton Rotary ‘White Charger’: Steve Hislop’s famous Senior TT-winning machine, which secured Norton’s first Senior TT victory since 1961 after his legendary battle with Carl Fogarty.
- 1949 Norton Model 30 International: the motorcycle that carried Geoff Duke to his very first Isle of Man TT victory, launching one of the greatest careers in motorcycle racing.
- 1971 Formula 750 Works BSA: raced by John Cooper to a famous victory over Giacomo Agostini at Mallory Park, one of British motorcycle racing’s most celebrated moments.
Museum Director James Hewing was joined by Museum Restorer Wes in the paddock, alongside renowned engineer Allen Millyard and Classic Bike magazine editor Mike Armitage. Together they prepared and ran the motorcycles, with each bike taking to the famous hill twice a day throughout the event.
Bringing history to life
Positioned next to the ACU scrutineers, visitors could regularly hear the team firing up the bikes throughout the day, drawing crowds eager to experience the sights, sounds and smells of historic racing machinery.
One particularly memorable moment came courtesy of Allen Millyard’s famously loud Honda. So distinctive was its exhaust note that it reportedly overwhelmed the scrutineers’ noise monitoring equipment, registering around 130 decibels – louder than many aircraft at take-off and certainly impossible to ignore!
A rivalry recreated
One of the highlights of the weekend perfectly reflected this year’s “The Rivals” theme.
While riding the 1971 Formula 750 Works BSA, Wes found himself lining up alongside Giacomo Agostini and his MV Agusta. The pairing recreated one of British motorcycle racing’s most famous moments, recalling John Cooper’s unforgettable victory over Agostini at Mallory Park.
“It was such an iconic moment,” said Wes. “It’s something I’ll remember forever.”
Sharing the stories behind the bikes
For James Hewing, events such as Goodwood Festival of Speed are about far more than displaying motorcycles.
“Being at events like Goodwood Festival of Speed is such an important part of the Museum’s calendar. Although we’ve been here for over 40 years, there are still so many people in the motorcycle world who don’t know about the National Motorcycle Museum. It’s a fantastic opportunity to introduce them to what we do.”
Meeting enthusiasts throughout the weekend was James’ favourite part of the event.
“The motorcycles we bring mean so much to so many people. They’re legends. Whether they’re seeing them race up the hill or chatting to us in the paddock, it really makes people’s day. We’re not precious about them either – we love letting people get close, sit on the bikes and hear the stories behind them.”
With more than 1,000 British motorcycles in its collection, the Museum is passionate about keeping their stories alive.
“Every bike has its own story. Together they tell the story of Britain over the last century. In a museum they can sometimes feel static, but when you hear them running, smell them and see them in action, they really come alive. Motorcycles provoke such passion and joy, and Goodwood is the perfect place to share that with people.”
Looking ahead
Away from the paddock, Lorna and Charlotte kept visitors stocked up with National Motorcycle Museum merchandise and British-themed gifts from the Museum Shop, while the Museum’s raffle motorcycle attracted plenty of attention throughout the weekend.
With another successful Festival of Speed complete, the team is already looking forward to returning to Sussex later this year for the Goodwood Revival, where they’ll once again be flying the flag for Britain’s rich motorcycling heritage.
Coventry Road
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