 Several stout pulls produced no effect so there was much discussion about the myriad things that can go wrong with flathead JAPs. Eventually the helpful gent wound out the brass primer tap in the head (there is always lots of brass around, along with dirty great magnetos and other exposed machinery) and stuck his finger in to look for tdc whilst his friends rocked the Aero back and forth in gear. Inevitably the piston trapped his finger against the head and then we had a few painful moments while the bystanders discussed which way to roll it. Eventually he was freed, some timing was done, and then the poor machine was cranked some more, a process which resulted in bubbles coming not only from under the primer cap (used to sauce the engine on cold mornings as fuel was poor and the carburetor downhill) but the valve caps in the head. Shouldnıt be surprised if the valve seats were loose, too, muttered a gloomy voice, which opened another unusual possibility. Having owned more vibrating British motorcycles in my time than really necessary and viewing the catıs cradle of linkages and flexy tubes that kept the trikes operational, I could only wonder what they did before Loctite, decent sealants and Araldite? Fix it be the side of the road, I suppose, assuming that the offending object hadnıt had time to rust. Oo it was marvelous, wandering under the trees and chatting amiably with all the relaxed folks, some of whom were already into their lunches. Hen-shaped girls in running shorts were flinging Frisbies about, toddlers tried to see how many fingerprints they could put on warmish exhaust pipes, a pleasant chap in a "Lordıs morning suit" (actually there were only about four people in costume, a new record) wandered around registering everyone, and every new set of arrivalsthey were supposed to come at stated intervals by class or somethingwas commented on ad lib. Oh heıs brought his on a trailer. Bad show. In a little booth several nice wives sold T-shirts, books, drawings and other Morgan artifacts, a slightly blurred but always cheerful Dr Capune broke the speed of sound several times by being in all corners at once, and we had a long and amusing conversation with John Sheally and Tim Hund who had actually driven a trike, with many adventures from Virginia Beach, Virginia to here. Mostly it was v pleasant wandering about looking at such sights as a green F model with Leatherette-covered body and Kamm tail, |
an old tri with a Dellow rad cover, the engine lurking behind in a basket, no less, a vintage wicker lunch basket on the back of a rakish 4-seat tourer which also sported a pair of doppio-corpo Webers, a brown and beige postwar model with Ford Classic motor and mag wheels, the somewhat overgovernmentized 1980 model running on cooking gas, Leavens '39 Super sports not overrestored for once, and, in fact, rows and rows of Early English Perpendicular. Almost as fascinating were snatches of conversation about old touring days: "So we put a piece of belt leather in for a rod bearing and made it home" or "Most Harley shops have a piston that will work" or from a group of Japanese students, "Old niza car." There seemed to be some sort of pecking order among entrants; of course this rating system will vary from make club to make club but Morgans appeared to be like this:
Which is not to say that they aren't all lovely. About this time, interrupting the bucolic scene of Morganites noshing on the grass, the gentle strains of "Rule Brittania" were abruptly cut off, the intrepid voyagers were introduced to vast acclaim, and intrepid Dr Capune commenced to give out awards for this that and the other. In keeping with the relaxed attitude, ceremonies were mercifully short and with shadows hardly beginning to lengthen, some members started to disengage themselves for long drives home. Vee twins sputtered into life, then settled in a gentle tickover, +4s vibrated quietly to themselves, and to the rustle of trash being picked up, we all faded into the sunset. Thank you very much for an old-fashioned gathering; let's hope that Morgan lasts another 70 years. |
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