Motorcycle road-racing has always been a powerful sales tool for manufacturers. In Britain, the Isle of Man TT races reigned supreme, but at other times of the year, especially during the period between World Wars, the focus was on Brooklands, the Surrey speed-bowl which hosted many races as well as dedicated record-breaking sessions. Numerous records were set and broken, but the moments of glory were fleeting and there are few genuine machines surviving from that era.
There are a number of reasons. Works bikes tended to return to the owning factory, where there was little interest once the publicity was done. Much of the record-breaking was achieved with bikes assembled in the track’s legendary ‘tuning sheds’, often assembled from parts seen in previous track exploits. Collectively, the tuners had the measure of record-breaking, travelling just quick enough to set a record and claim the bonus payment rewards.
After a respectable break, the exercise would be repeated and, using a little more of the bike’s potential, another bonus could be claimed. If an engine survived, the poor condition of the track often resulted in damage to cycle parts. Eventually,
