Last of A Fine French Vintage
LAST OF A FINE FRENCH VINTAGE
So, YOU'RE TALKING with Pierre Terbianche, Ducati's chief designer,
a guy who’s seen-in fact, created-more than his fair share of motorcycles. Mid-sentence, he looks over your shoulder, eyes widening behind too-cool glasses, and blurts out, “I gotta go! I gotta see this bike on the track!” And runs off.
That’s when you know there’s some pretty interesting machinery running around.
The bike that got Terblanche’s attention was nothing less than Sammy Miller’s Norton “kneeler,” the fastest Manx Norton ever built.
Europe’s most impressive gathering of vintage motorcycles is the annual Coupes Moto Légende. The meet has traditionally been held at Montlhéry, a racetrack just south of Paris. The circuit has remained unchanged since its construction in 1924, making it a perfect setting for a vintage event. Unfortunately, this was the last year the Coupes will be held here. Local residents have long opposed the roar of open-megaphone exhausts and the traffic snarls caused by 50,000 fans. Thus, the slow encroachment of suburbia has shut down yet another historic track.
But, oh, what a track it was! Although the layout allowed for road courses of up to 8 miles in length, Montlhéry is famous for its 172mile parabolic oval. Way up at the top, the banking rises into a nearvertical “wall of death.”
The bowl was an ideal place to set speed and endurance records. In 1953, English Grand Prix ace Ray Amm, aided by Eric Oliver, set a total of 41 records on the Norton kneeler-the same bike former trials ace Miller brought back to France 50 years later.
Coupes Moto Légende combines a giant swapmeet, vendor displays, a historic motorcycle concours and parade laps.
There are classes for absolutely everything, from utilitarian mopeds to bonafide works GP bikes. Such machines are often ridden by the men who originally raced them. Kenny Roberts made the pilgrimage in 2002; Giacomo Agostini comes every year. In total, about 1000 racebikes take their laps.
The promoter’s warning is stern: “This is not a race.” But putting riders like this on history’s most amazing bikes leads to only one thing: racing! Even Sammy Miller-otherwise seemingly immune to the effects of
time-low-sides, earning a ride back in the pace car.
What does the future hold? Without this epic event, Montlhéry faces slow decay. Weeds will push up through the cracked asphalt, vines will slowly overtake the concrete banking. But Coupes Moto Légende will go on. In May, 2004, the event moves to a new circuit in the Dijon region (yes, where mustard comes from.)
The machines on display, the crowd and the ambiance of the Coupes put any North American vintage event to shame.
French motards (riders) are friendly and many speak excellent English. Anyone who likes vintage motorcycles will find this a vacawell spent
Mark Gardiner
