Latest News

The 27th Garden of England Run

Entry Forms and Regulations are now available for the 27th Garden of England Run, this is an event that will take place on 14th July for machines manufactured prior to 1940.
Visit the club calendar to see the entry form and contact information.
This run has been held since 1987 and is a good day out for veteran, vintage and post vintage machines.
A comprehensively marked route is provided and there are options of short or long rides and a total mileage of about 45 miles.
This year the event falls on Bastille Day so any French Bikes and/or Riders will be given a free entry.
Starting from Headcorn Airfield in Kent, lunch is taken at the Lord Raglan pub at Rabbits Cross who open specially on the Sunday for us. On return to the airfield in the afternoon, the Sunbeam tradition of tea and cakes takes place.
As this is a working airfield, the planes and parachutists, together with an old wartime museum, provide an interesting extra theme to the day's event.

The 6th Constable Run

This event is to be held on 15th September and is open to all members and non members and is now available for machines of any make pre 1940. (It was previously only open to pre-1931)
The start and finish point will be the same as the previous three years; the Corn Craft Tea Rooms, Monks Eliegh, Suffolk IP7 7AY with riders leaving at 11am.
The course will be similar to that ridden last year, approximately 54 miles, giving entrants once again the opportunity to experience riding in beautiful Constable countryside.
Those people not riding will have a base with interesting choices for browsing the various small outlets on site, plus refreshments and toilets.
This year, the Corn Craft Tea Rooms will offer full English breakfast or snacks from 10.00am (breakfast will be freshly cooked so please be patient and get there early) and pre-ordered lunches will include Sunday Roast Beef or Ploughmans.
We look forward to your support. Please inform others who may be interested in this event.
Regs and entry forms are available by going to the website calendar entry, they will also be sent to past entrants.
Entry fee is 10 pounds for SMCC members, 13 pounds for non members, plus 1 pound per passenger.
Secretary of the Meeting is Marian Johnson whose contact details are shown on the club website calendar.

The Dick Little Trial

The Sunbeam Club Dick Little Trial will now take place on the 20th October at the prestigious Hungry Hill venue in Aldershot.
There will be no Sunbeam Club Trial taking place this Sunday 23rd June
A decision was made to run the event in tandem with the Talmag Club to recognise jointly the achievements of John Allaway and Dick Little, both of whom have contributed so much to two and three wheeled off road events
For more details please contact Neil Sinclair 07885 660939

The 2014 Pioneer Run

Next year's Pioneer Run will be a little later in the season on Sunday 13th April.
We hope to avoid the extreme cold weather that affected us so badly this year, please put the date in your diary.

The Story of the Pioneer Run

Jenny and Baz Staple have put together a book to commemorate the 75 year story of the Pioneer Run.
The 250 printed copies of this history have all now been sold which seemed unlikely in March when the 2013 Pioneer Run had to be cancelled.
This successful sales result over a fairly short period only goes to prove the widespread popularity and acclaim of the Pioneer Run but is also due to various reviews that have appeared in the motor cycle press.
Whilst most orders have been received from UK enthusiasts and Pioneer riders, past and present, we have also had orders from France, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Czech Republic and as far away as New Zealand, Australia and USA.
A second edition is being contemplated in time for sale at the 2014 Pioneer Run, which will still be the 75th event of the Sunbeam MCC?s epic journey to Madeira Drive, Brighton.
The year 2013 was of course supposed to be the 75th Run, but spectators and riders were frustrated by the extreme arctic weather conditions.
To help the publishing team assess the quantity for a second edition, will those still interested in obtaining a copy of the Pioneer history, please contact Baz Staple, as a list of intended but disappointed purchasers is now being compiled.
The book can be pre-ordered from Baz Staple, click on this area for more information.

Pioneer Run Archive Footage

A new member to the club, Paul Gander, has found two short films from 1955 & 1961 and loaded them onto 'YouTube'.

He said "I have managed to find and convert a couple of ancient movies of Pioneer Runs and I thought you might be interested in seeing them, about 20 minutes of Veterans so get yourself a mug of tea to relax, sit back and watch them!"

In 1955 Gordon Little organised a Pioneer Run to Paris - all 160 miles! of it. You can see a short video here:
YouTube - Pioneer Run to Paris 1955

Also, the 1961 Pioneer run is recorded here:
YouTube - The 1961 Pioneer Run

If you know anyone who owns any of the bikes featured then Paul Gander can give them a copy of the videos - please leave a message through the club Contact Us page.

The West Kent Run

LATE NEWS
The organisers of the West Kent Run can offer up to 4 entries to anyone who has a Pioneer Run eligible machine.
The event takes place over the 1st weekend in August, for more information click on the link and select email to the organiser, Keith Gibbins.
For the purposes of this offer, ignore the message on the website that entries are now closed. West Kent Run

Serpolette's Tricycle

Leon Mitchell, who hails from Adelaide in South Australia, has launched an interesting e-zine which is a down-loadable magazine dedicated to veteran cars and motor cycles in Australia and New Zealand.
To find out more visit his website at this clickable link: Serpolette's Tricycle Magazine

Motorcycling in the 50's

Nigel Winter has sent through an interesting account by his father of motorcycling in the 1950's and the following link to his story contains many period photographs that will interest our club members and website readers.
Motorcycling in the 1950's

Discount Agreements

Morris Lubricants

We are members of the Morris Lubricants' affiliation scheme. If you buy your lubricants online via the link provided, you will receive a 20% discount and the club will receive a payment of 10% of your purchase order value. This will be a welcome addition to our club funds.

Refer to our links page.

Peter James Insurance

We have formed a new alliance with Peter James Insurance who have 30 years of experience in the provision of insurance for old and new cars and motorcycles - give them a try next time you are looking for cover.

Refer to our links page.