British Iron Association Show Has Rare Beauties

OXFORD, MA – The Union Jack flapped in the breeze atop a flagpole at the Singletary Rod & Gun Club on Sunday as hundreds of British bike lovers converged for the 27th annual motorcycle show and swap meet staged by the British Iron Association of Massachusetts. Sprinkled among the dozens of British-made Triumphs, BSAs and Nortons were rarer Vincents as well as a Greeves, a Velocette, a Sunbeam and an Ariel.

“We’ve had well over 500 people and more people coming in,” said show coordinator Marty Dapolito as he surveyed the grounds shortly after noon. “We’re usually just around 600.” In addition to spectators, there were 63 show entrants and 30 vendors.

What the show ground lacked in quantity in terms of entries, it certainly made up for in quality with several rare beauties.

Geoff Hybertson of Kingston, MA rode in on a 1946 Velocette, a 350cc model that he’s owned since 2013. It formerly belonged to his uncle, Floyd Garrett, who put about 350,000 miles on it riding to places like Montana and Nova Scotia. It has its original paint in most places. Asked if he rides it a lot, Hybertson replied, “Not as much as I’d like to.”

Riding around the show grounds on a 1966 Greeves, a 325cc twin, was auctioneer Jerry Wood of Templeton, MA. He bought the bike last year. “It’s British and I’m a British bike fan. When I bought it, I went like ‘I’ll go to British bike meets and I’ll be the only one.'” And it was. “It’s pretty peppy. It goes good,” he said.

Among some of the other notable bikes on the show ground were a 1938 Scott Flying Squirrel, a 1951 Vincent Rapide and a 1936 Sunbeam Model 9.

Coming a goodly distance to the show were Mick Lynch and Chris Bitter, who have a restoration shop in Orleans, MA that specializes in British bikes. “I started out on British bikes. They make mechanics out of ordinary people,” said Lynch, who hails from Dublin, Ireland. “I don’t sell to the public. I do it as a hobby.”

Lynch handles the mechanics while Bitter tackles the electrical. They currently have 14 bikes in the shop. They brought with them a 1979 Triumph Bonneville 750 and a 1976 Bonneville 750. Actually, their bikes are for sale for the right price. “Everything’s for sale except the Mrs. because we’ve been together too long,” Lynch said.

In addition to show bikes and vendors, the show had concessions, swag and even a crankshaft toss contest. Yes, they’re heavier than they look.

Also on site showing off new Triumph models was National Powersports Distributors of Pembroke and Merrimack, NH.