Looking forward
With the 2019 Lansdowne Classic Series nearly upon us the anticipation of the battles ahead stirs the juices of every red blooded rider who has that itch to scratch.
The similarity and attraction for riders of these classic race machines is born from the same bloodline as the Battle of Britain pilots from WW2, with the seat of the pants control of their Spitfires, Hurricanes and ME109s. The basic machine controls are the same for all, designed and built for the specific job in hand by people dedicated to producing the very best machines from the very best materials and technology available. The pilots are separated only by natural talent, experience and a sharp competitive brain.
The machines we use in The Lansdowne today are pure race bikes, the very best design of the late 50s to early 60s and basically the last of the true thoroughbred British clubman/professional motorcycles produced. Be it the Norton Manx, Matchless G50, AJS 7R, or older Velocette and Rudge, these machines are all un-faired and an embodiment of that Bulldog spirit. Basic controls with pilots making the difference, seat of your pants feelings controls the competitive engagement against your adversaries. No electronic gizmos to prop up your lack of speed on these race bikes.
Camaraderie and friendships
The like minded camaraderie that exists in The Lansdowne series is due to the vast experience of all involved as none make a living from racing these machines. We ride them for our enjoyment, to test our natural talents and to scratch that competitive itch. The honest and raw control of our steeds make for an unrivalled experience today, the suck-bang-blow of the single cylinder four stroke racing motorcycle is as engaging now as it as ever been. There’s a place for all levels as the respect and friendship found in the paddock encourages thoughtful safe racing for all on track, echoed by one very experienced racer on his Yamaha TZ350 at Portimão. He was riding for the first time alongside our machines and was very impressed with the level of competence at speed by all the Lansdowne “Diesel” riders. The same ‘ring-ding-stroker‘ rider was given the chance to ride a Manx recently and his immediate reaction was that he must sell everything to buy what he considered to be the best race bike he had ever ridden, praise indeed!
Team Lansdowne looks forward to meeting old and new riders at the first round at Pembrey on 4th–5th May for this very special series.
