Pictures from my Archive… a frequent dip into photographs that I want to share with you….

It is my good fortune to have a well stocked library of motorcycling ( and occasional other) photographs and literature and as the current “custodian” I want to ensure they are made available to as many people as possible…so I’m indulging myself on a frequent basis with a pic or two from it….. Look on!….
These two interest me and are quite contrasting... I'm always pleased with comment on my blog and Bo Eklund of Sweden was quick off the mark with some expanded information on the Swedish GP photo and so I'm correcting my comments, expanding them and adding his... thanks Bo...
The first , taken 10 August 1939, likely during practice for the Swedish GP at Saxtorp...barely weeks before the outbreak of WW2 and the cessasion of motorcycle racing for 6 long years...
Note the two factory supercharged BMWs of #5 Ludwig "Wiggerl" Kraus and #1 Georg "Schorsch" Meier, with the cylinders covered to prevent heat loss and the three Mk.8 KTT Velocettes leaning against the pit wall.
#43 is Ernie Thomas KTT ( engine number KTT815) and he can be seen immediately behind and standing between the number plates #46 and #10.....
#10, is the Austrian rider Franz Binder's KTT, entered in the 500cc class ( interesting this, as it has the special experimental rear suspension units which came out to Australia on the last Mk.8 supplied in Dec.1939, engine number KTT 851....I suspect Binder used this and it was refurbished at Veloce before despatch. I owned the frame for 30 years, with these units on...), but retired in the race.
#46, Englishman David Whitworth's KTT ( this could have been engine number KTT836, supplied by Veloce for Billy Tiffin to ride in the IOM TT as a supported rider...Whitworth also enjoyed "semi works" support). The other machines were....
Nr 55, de Döry, Hungary, NSU.
Nr 83, Petruschke.
Nr 81, Ewald Kluge, probably a DKW.
Nr 42, Fleichmann.
The person on the far right in the picture (with cap #10) is Harry Larsson who knew Binder well from before 1934 when Binder raced at the Swedish TT and Larsson was the organizer of that race. Larsson also raced together with Thomas in the Swedish TT 1929 and 1930. Later in the 1950s Larsson was the organizer of the Hedemora TT-races during the period of 1949 -58.

The contrasting photo, taken at "The Douglas Depot", is taken in the IOM during TT week 1925 and shows several of the sidecar TT machines, including the winning Douglas machine, ridden by Len Parker who is pictured in "Tam-O-shanter" cap with his right hand on the sidecar wheel of the left hand machine.
The little chap on the right, also wearing a "Tam-O-shanter" and smoking a cigarette is Rex Judd, a well known rider the later proprietor of a North London motorcycle business, Rex Judd Motorcycles.
The fastest lap during the race was made by Freddie Dixon, also on a Douglas.

Evocative stuff......

Left click on images to enlarge....