Graeme Brown's Brookland racer

[Doug]

Graeme Brown's old Brookland racer was out on display at the recent Brookland Relived day (18Sep05) put on by the VMCC. 
Normally it resides in the museum, stowed in the box of the sidecar Graeme used to collect and deliver machines from his Douglas dealership in Godalming, Surrey.











A later engine from a Douglas DT is presently fitted. 




The sump and oil pump also date from a later model.


The rear hub of the I.o.M./TT models have a special spline coupling seen here.  This is different from the conical spline used on nearly all the other Douglas models from 1925-38.


The sprocket is detachable from the drum on the I.o.M./TT models.  Note in Douglas parlance the I.o.M./TT was a catalog model availible be for purchase by anyone, and does not necessarily mean a machine used by the factory in the I.o.M./TT race.  Usually these are defined as a Works I.o.M./TT entry. 




The quick fuel fill flip-top cap.  Also note the facility to carry two spare spark plugs. 


Graeme's 1930 S6 Douglas dispatch outfit.


-Doug

[alwyn]

Nice photos Doug.
Found this snippet about Graeme Brown :

"G.D. BROWN’S DOUGLAS MOTORCYCLES
The racing bike in the sidecar was purpose-built by racing motorcyclist Graeme Brown for competitions and record attempts at Brooklands. It has a 1926 TT frame with a 1928 499cc OHV special long stroke engine. The touring bike with sidecar, used to bring the racing bike to Brooklands in the 1930s, is a 1930 S6 model with a 600cc side valve engine, with dry-sump lubrication, designed by Freddie Dixon. Graeme Brown [1903-1996], long-time President of the London Douglas MCC, was a lifelong Douglas enthusiast, owning his first in 1923. Aged 23, he opened a motorcycle business in Godalming, as Surrey agent for Douglas. He raced at Brooklands from 1924 to 1935, winning the Essex Cup in 1925 and the J.A. Prestwich Cup in 1932. When manufacture of Douglas motorcycles ceased in 1957, he bought up the factory spares, and continued supplying these on a world-wide basis. The bikes and sidecar have not been altered since they last came to Brooklands in the 1930s."

A brief history of Brooklands can be found HERE. It is claimed that it was the first purpose built motor racing circuit in the world.

A good map of the circuit and some of its statistics can be found HERE

Alwyn
Global Mod

[MRD]

Hi All
Just to show the dedication of Graeme. Before racing at Brooklands, he would ride his sidecar outfit from Godalming all the way to Kingswood to pick up his works bike and then with the racer strapped to the sidecar ride all the way back to Brooklands. Some 220 mile trip. Once the event was over at the end of the day load the racer and do the 220 mile run again. Not bad considering Brooklands is only 20miles from Godalming.

Over the last few years Graeme's son has allowed his Dads racer to be ridden on a few select events, although not riding it himself, he allows a good friend and engineer to ride it. 
Regards

Martin