Motorcycle Museum Tour – Sammy's Place
John Newman takes in the Sammy Miller motor museum
John Newman
I saw her out of the corner of my eye; the blonde. Weaving through the closely packed tables and heading in my direction. She leaned over to talk above the music and party cacophony:
"Are you John who writes about motorbikes?"
It was delivered without any hint of menace, but if she was a professional, I wouldn't suspect anything would I? I scoured my memory to remember if I'd put the boot into a particular bike or product I'd written about recently. How did they track me down?
She asked me to accompany her. A sucker for blondes, I pushed back my chair and followed through the crowd, to an unknown rendezvous..
.
'This is my friend Caroline, she reads your magazine'.
Smiles and handshakes all round followed, and a long a long motorcycle conversation began.
Quite a few decades ago Caroline's mum used to knock around with Sammy Miller and his mates in Belfast, riding pillion on the bikes he built; precursors to his tremendous trials and racing achievements. I told Caroline that a visit to his museum was on my writing programme, and so we agreed to ride there together later in the summer.
Under a late August cobalt sky we wove our way through the London suburbs, across East and West Sussex and on to Hampshire and the New Forest, where Sammy Miller's motorcycle museum is located. Caroline aboard her gleaming black Triumph Street Triple, and I'm was on Honda's NC700S utility roadster (see review
'All That Jazz' 5th September).
At the museum entrance there's a wooden lectern with a ring binder containing photos of how the building progressed from a literally derelict old farm to the full restored museum. It is set around a spacious courtyard where the cafe, outside eating area and various craft shops create additional interests to the main attraction.
The engine shed
It's probably the measure of a person who succeeded in so many areas of motorcycle competition and development, that he would look at a derelict site and see possibilities where others would only see problems.
Racing Hall
With over three hundred bikes in the collection, the museum could pose a 'where do I start?' dilemma. Fortunately the building is divided into different halls so that you can either hone in on your particular interest, or follow your direction of choice. And most of the exhibits are spaced so that those with cameras can shoot away without too many obstructions.
Racing Hall
With such a glorious array of machinery it's almost impossible to choose favourites. Trials bikes are prominent, including the famous GOV132 Ariel that Miller rode to numerous victories. Contrast this relative heavyweight with the two stroke Bultaco he developed and also rode in championships. The Bultaco and other Spanish machines marked the beginning of a whole new era in trials bikes and riding with the demise of the British industry and interest in this area of the sport.
GOV 132
I was drawn to the racing collection because of my interest and participation (historically) in that branch of the sport; and now I'm about to contradict myself, because I did choose a favourite. Displayed on its own raised platform was (in my opinion) a gorgeous and innovatively engineered bike that was a never given the chance to race: a Moto Villa 250cc V4 two stroke.
Moto Villa 250cc
Moto Villa bikes were designed and built in Italy by brothers Francesco and Walter Villa. They were racers themselves as well as engineers and tuners, and were at the forefront of two stroke development in the 60's and 70's. But their superlative 250 V4's track appearance was vetoed by a change of FIM rules, limiting 250 machines to two cylinders at the start of the 1970 racing season.
Radco Ladies Model
Museums are a learning experience of course. No matter how many motorcycling years one has been dwelling on the planet, there are invariably little surprises on hand, especially at such a place as Sammy Miller's. Who knew there were 'ladies' bikes produced by several manufacturers? The 1927 Radco is a cute example.
Redrup Radial 3 Cylinder
How rare is a Redrup Radial Three Cylinder built in 1948? Perhaps this is the only on in captivity. Did you know a Villiers V4 two stroke produced in 1962 existed?
Scott
There are two US bikes with large tube bicycle frames and heavy engines which were probably used for Board Racing. There's a 1914 Packer Special V-Twin, a comparatively simple piece of construction compared with the one it stands next to, a five cylinder 750cc Vernel. Marvellous displays. I could list exhibit after exhibit, such is the motorcycling splendour on view.
1914 Packer Special V twin
A visit to Sammy Millers should not be a one off it's one of those places that a motorcyclist will want to return to. The whole atmosphere is one of enthusiasm and dedication. They don't rest on the laurels of current restoration achievement, as active projects are always in play with Sammy's involvement being at the fore. Just as at eighty years old he still is able to conjure up speedy laps at the many events and parades he attends with his bikes.
Surrounding the museum buildings there are animal paddocks with donkeys, alpacas, and goats, plus chickens, American turkeys and other birds. There's the Bashley Manor Tea Rooms to take care of other appetites, a kids' play area, and visitors are close to the delights of the New Forest.
Sammy's Shiny Bultacoa
It's a bit soul destroying to use the motorway network on a bike, so Caroline and I opted for A and B roads there and back, which meant more hours in the saddle than we probably realised. Next time I'll make a weekend of it.
MV Agusta
EN