Bonjour Len, the museum borrowed my Shadowised Rapide for their Vincent exhibition in 1990 and when it was over the curator, Maggie Appleton gave me all the photos etc including this one ( see attachment).
I understand Henry Pennington was killed on road test on the Watford by-pass but when I asked Norman Peach what Henry was doing there he said "you could go where you liked as long as you did 50 miles on a single and 100 on a twin. Most of us preferred the A1 Great North Road."
Norman also told me that each tester had his own speedo, battery, fuel tank and exhaust system because the dealers did not want machines with "miles on the clock, acid in the battery, marks on the tank or blue pipes"
I asked who got the best bikes and, without hesitation, he said "Jack Surtees, he would send them straight back if they had a speck of dust on them !!"
I then said "Who got the clattery ones and, again without hesitation, he said "the Argentinians !!" I'll never know if this was true or if he was just winding me up as he had just ridden my B Rapide.....Peron's Revenge !!
