Beschreibung:

The BMCRC’s ‘Cup’ Race Meeting on Saturday 6th October 1928 was to be a landmark event for Rudge-Whitworth with Ernie Nott winning a coveted ‘Gold Star’ on the banked Brooklands circuit with a lap speed of 100.27mph. This achievement set a new benchmark for Nott and encouraged him to cajole George Hack to allow him to go for the 500cc class Two Hour World Record. Just 13 days after winning the coveted ‘Gold Star’ the Works Team arrived at the banked Brooklands Circuit to challenge the record. Early laps were perhaps disappointing, however, as Nott got into his stride the record came in sight. He was soon averaging in excess of 100mph and, with only the briefest of refuelling pit stops, Nott was to cover 200 miles and 816 yards in the allotted two hours, winning the Buckley Cup. With an average speed of 100.23mph, Nott was to capture the Two Hour Record for 500cc, 750cc and 1,000cc solo machines. In addition he captured the 200 Mile Record in a time of 1 hour 59 mins and 43 secs. This rounded off an outstanding season for the Rudge Works Team and for Nott in particular. This important bike has been in the Geeson Collection for many years and was acquired for £140 from its previous owner, D.P. Bell. At that time it came with notes recording its earlier history however, at the time of cataloguing, those notes have not been located in the Geeson archives. During its time in the Museum it has been viewed by many pioneer motorcyclists, several of whom remember this famous bike in its racing days. A fascinating letter from Tyrell Smith, a celebrated contemporary racer with Ernie Nott in the Works Team, confirms that the larger, approximately 5 1/2 gallon, petrol tank was used for runs of one hour or more. Later modifications may have included the oil tank as Tyrell Smith rightly says that the TT two-filler type would have fouled the rider’s legs. Tyrell Smith goes on to say "In its track form this bike only ever had hand-change (we didn’t use foot change for road racing until 1929) and in fact, had only two gears in the box, first and fourth." Smith goes on to indicate that this bike was used as "a mobile test bed", covering many hundreds of laps at Brooklands and Montlhèry with a great variety of experimental and road-racing engines. Smith indicates that a similar machine was built in 1929, "but it never handled quite as well as the 1928 machine". Following its illustrious Works history, Tyrell Smith believes that the 1928 machine was sold, in the first instance, to Gus Grose. Nott is pictured on his trusty steed in Dr. Bailey’s Brooklands book prior to the start of the 1929 500cc 200 Miles Solo Race, which he won convincingly at a speed of 100.07mph. His various achievements on this bike are well recorded in the standard Rudge reference works. This historic machine has been restored in the Geeson workshops but has been unused for many years. The indicated frame number is indistinct. It is felt that this important machine can be readily recommissioned either for active competition or for parade displays and will be a most welcome exhibit at the historic circuits where it achieved such distinction.