Circus life
This pair of Moto Guzzi singles allowed their young owner, Trevor Barnes, to join the continental circus in the 1960s.
In the 1950s and 1960s, it was the dream of many British motorcycle racers to join the continental circus and lead a nomadic life from one race weekend to another, while roughly following the Grand Prix calendar in the hopes you might be given a prized place on the entry list to at least try to qualify for a race. But a key priority above all was attending the numerous non-championship races held annually in little towns all over Europe, where a privateer’s meagre resources could receive much-needed cash injections by way of start money, and hopefully an occasional share in the prize money pay out. You might even win a trophy or two…
Londoner Trevor Barnes was one such dreamer – except he was determined enough to make that dream come true. But he had to wait a while to do so, for after purchasing a circa 1952 Moto Guzzi Gambalunghino 250cc single in 1959, at the age of 21, from the UK’s leading Guzzi guru Arthur Wheeler’s Epsom shop, he then had to serve 18 months of National Service in the Army. Then, to make things worse, he was posted to West Germany, too far away to go racing on weekend leave, as so many other young UK-posted conscripts did at the time.
But eventually, in Easter 1961, young Barnes got home leave for a week, and managed to fit in his first two races, finishing ninth at Snetterton on his debut outing in
