Sorry, bit of a part 2 to the previous ‘Happy New Year’ post, this but a couple of comments received made me think I should round up some more New Gerrard titbits.
Graham Gasson pointed out that Jock Porter was listed in the book ‘Britain’s Racing Motor Cycles’, written by former Continental Circus rider Les Higgins, as having competed with a Blackburne-engined New Gerrard 500cc twin in the 1922 Senior (500cc) TT. Higgins also reports that Porter entered the Senior in 1925 so surely there had been another 500cc Blackburne twin before the handful of specially made one-offs of 1926. Initial research in the book Fifty Years of TT History suggested that Jock actually rode a Sunbeam in the 1922 Senior but was certainly listed on a New Gerrard for the 1925 Senior.
Checking the post-race 1922 TT lap times table in the Motor Cycle, however, it appears Porter did ride a New Gerrard. There’s no mention of engine manufacturer but fortunately the bore and stroke is quoted as ‘64.5mm x 76mm’ the same as an NUT, also in the race. According to Jeff Clew’s ‘JAP: the Vintage Years’, JAP made a 70 x 64.5 twin engine so I’d guess that’s the one – if my maths is correct Clew’s figures work out at 228cc per pot (248cc for the Motor Cycle) so I think Jeff got some duff information. In a pre-race issue, the Motor Cycle claims that the NUT is the only vee-twin in the race, suggesting that perhaps Porter only completed the New Gerrard in time and had arranged for a Sunbeam ride in case it wasn’t ready. Further research and here we have the bike from the issue for 25th May 1922…
It is almost certain that despite changing registration numbers, this is the original incarnation of Porter’s 1924 Sand Racer with the Blackburne twin engine. Next stop will be to find whether the 1925 TT twin was the same bike.
Next Derek Coghill’s comment about the New Gerrard in the Edinburgh museum. There is also a New Gerrard which claims to be Jock Porter’s 1923 Lightweight (250cc) TT winning bike but if so, there’s not much of it left…
It’s lovely looking thing with a TT AMAC (albeit a 1925 onward one) racy oil tank and a lightened clutch basket but there’s not very much to tie it conclusively to Porter’s race bike. The engine fitted is a 1926-onward road going 250, compare the rockers and magneto chain-case to the picture of the actual race bike below. The gearbox is a lightweight Type M Burman gearbox instead of the heavier Type E TT box (with no kick starter) in the original picture. Also look at the tank; the cap is on the front right on Porter’s bike, rear left on the museum one; plus, Porter’s racer has a rear rim brake, this one a drum.
Worse still, this picture shows the museum bike back in the 1970s, looking the same but bearing a contemporary B suffix registration plate.
In those days you had only to ask for a particular number to be given it, so if the owner at the time had believed it to be SG7543, why register it under a different number? All looks pretty fishy doesn’t it… Or does it? We have already seen that Porter’s vee twin went through various incarnations before being sold off as a road bike. Race engines belonged to Blackburne and would have been returned to the factory after the TT – and the trouble is this was all done a long time ago, when nothing really mattered so much because none of it was worth anything. If you were sold a frame and told that it was Jock Porter’s 1923 TT winning 250, you’d get whatever parts you could, whether right or wrong, to build it up. The obsession with getting everything spot on is relatively recent. So although the bike is clearly a Grand-dad’s Axe, a Trigger’s Broom or however you describe it, after all this time it’s hard to say whether it contains the remains of Porter’s TT bike or not.
But it would be nice to think it was, like it would be nice to think that maybe somebody rescued that old twin from the rubbish piles of Shetland.
Sweet dreams,
Rick
The New Gerard in the Myreton Motor Museum was built in 1934 from parts bought from the factory after Porter’s death. It’s got a JAP engine, but don’t hold that against it!
Best wishes
Raymond
Prestwich rubbish…didn’t see Porter winning TTs on a JAP engine bike did you?
R
G’day Rick.
I bought a NOS New Gerrard fuel tank (1 of 2 on offer at the Sotheby’s Auction after Stafford in 1994)…still have it and still hope to pick up a decent frame to build up a replica.
Hi Rick, what do you know about NewGerrard interested in the history & when production stopped in Edinburgh what sort of numbers where produced etc. Any help much appreciated. Bill
Hi There. Jock Porter was my mothers eldest brother ( I am now 86 years of age. Porters Motor Mart was the Scottish agent for Sunbeam and his younger brother Jim was works rider for Sunbeam.The photographs of his restored New Gerrard racing machine is owned by Glasgow museum of transport. The machine that was built from parts is now in an Edinburgh museum. The 350 cc New Gerrard in Myerton Museum was discoverd on a farm in East Lothian awaits restoration. I lived in East Lothian and Knew the part owner of Myerton Mueeum, the late Mike Mutch, very well.
Jock bought some ex army motor bikes after the 14- 18 war which he restored an sold on after which he started building cycles and motor bikes. JAP engines were used. JAP asked Jock how he was able to make their engines go so fast.He said he would tell the them on condition they would not pass this on to Jocks racing compettors. This is exactly what JAP did. Jock then changed to Blackburn and kept his mouth shut about modifcations. The big twin found in the Shetlands was not a racing machine. I had a call from the subsquent owner asking me if this was a racing machine saying it must be as valuable as a Brough Superior £ 30 to 40.000 I never heard from him again.
I have a photograph of this machine.
Production of motor bikes ceased in 1940 and never resumed.A few cycles were made only to use up leftover stock.
At one time New Gerrard were built by Campion as Jock could not keep up with demand. when quality dropped off he dropped Campion.
Jock won 10 Grand Prix in 8 years of racing He retired very often due to engine failure. He was very deaf and I think he did not hear when things were going wrong
I raced a 1936 ex works ex Ray Petty 250 New Imperial very successful for a couple of years.
If I can be of any further assistance pleas contact me
regards, Colin
Ps The 500 cc twin never raced in the TT as there were over heating problems with the rear cylinder which was never resolved
Hello , this article about New Gerard’s bikes has just come to my to my notice . I had a New Gerrard road bike when I was 18 I paid £5 for it. When the new Queen cane to her official first visit to Edinburgh I was riding down the Royal mile ,High Street to me ,as my father had a lockup in Market Street . The pavements were full of pedestrians waiting for the, soon to come queen , when the hinge on the mud guard complete with number plate failed , I dragged them for a couple of yards amid cheers from onlookers and a police constable shouting to hurray of the street , all I could was to open my great coat and pass the curved end into my chest , number plate forward and drive on amid more cheers . I think the Queen never knew as she asked me to join her army .
Ha ha! Great story, Bill! I’d say that’s why you got invited to join HM Forces – after all it sowed initiative in the field, officer material I’d say! Can you remember anything else about the bike, what engine it had for example, what capacity it was, the registration number or year of it – I imagine it was a 1930s model if it had a hinged mudguard. Also can you mind if Porter’s Motor Mart was still open at the top of Leith Walk then?
Not to worry if not – it’s a wee while back now!
Thanks for getting in touch
Rick
Hi.
We are clearing out the home of Jock Porters great granddaughter and we’ve found 3 TT trophies from the early 1920’s.
We’d like them to find a new home after the passing of her husband.
I can see that there’s perhaps some issue regarding the bike on display, but feel it’s a fitting home of remembrance.
Do you know where the bike is currently on display?
Regards.
Martin Allen