From the archives of Bob Montgomery
MOTORCYCLING'S PIONEERS REMEMBERED: Although the annual London to Brighton Run for early cars is well-known not just by those with an interest in motoring, but also by the public at large, motor cycling's equivalent is much less well-known, which is rather a shame as it is full of interest for all those who like early vehicles.
Organised by the Sunbeam Motor Cycle Club, the first motorcycle Pioneer Run was held as far back as 1930. It was often said that the first five years of the last century were spent in trying to design motor cycles which ran, the second five years refining them to run reliably and the third five years to refine them to run beautifully!
In its wisdom the Sunbeam Club decided that the span of 15 years from 1900 to 1914 "marked the growth of design and production from primitive ignorance to refined and successful concepts" which set the pattern for the emerging industry. It is this distinct period that the motorcycle pioneer run commemorates.
As early as 1938 the Pioneer Register was established to confirm the eligibility of the machines - motorcycles, tricycles and tri-cars - entered in the run from 1939 onwards. Thus it is that motorcycles manufactured before the end of 1914 are recognised as 'veterans' and are eligible to take part in the annual Run.
One of the biggest problems facing the organisers and the pioneer register is detecting the "fakes" which are constructed to deceive - for machines eligible for veteran status are particularly valuable.
This is particularly important to protect the credibility of this the world's most important event for veteran motorcycles and great pains are taken to ensure the historic integrity of all machines which apply for inclusion on the Pioneer Register.
A great deal of historic research is the result, and this is made more difficult by the vast number of motorcycle manufacturers who existed - particularly on a small scale - in the early years of the motorcycle's history.
All of this gave a tremendous spur to the growing interest in early motorcycles, to the extent that by 1950 there were over 200 machines eligible for the Run. Numbers continue to grow with more than 1,300 machines now on the Pioneer Register, with almost 350 machines taking part in this year's run last weekend.
The run itself starts from the Epson Downs and concludes - like the car equivalent - on Madeira Drive on the Brighton seafront.
It has become the largest gathering of these 'Veterans' to be seen anywhere in the world, and is viewed by a large and enthusiastic gallery of spectators along its route, who welcome the opportunity to see these marvellous Veterans being exercised on the public road.
In Ireland such machines are catered for by the busy Irish Veteran and Vintage Motor Cycle Club and the Royal Irish Automobile Club's Pioneer Run accepts entries from motorcycles and tri-cars as well as cars, although it limits these entries to those constructed before the end of 1904.