Wordsley bike fan scoops double show success (From Stourbridge News)

Wordsley bike fan scoops double show success

5:04pm Monday 22nd February 2010

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A WORDSLEY motorcycle enthusiast is celebrating after unexpected success at an international classic bike exhibition.

Andy Hale won the Best Speedway Bike and Best Bike in Show categories at the Classic Off-Road Motorcycle Show in Telford earlier this month.

Andy, aged 44, collected top prizes for his fully restored Hagon chassis from 1969 paired with a 1948 500cc Jap engine.

He said: “I only wanted Best Speedway, I never expected Best in Show, I nearly sold the bike three weeks before the show but my girlfriend said we couldn’t do it - it is probably one of the few times I have listened to her.

“Winning Best in Show was quite jaw-dropping, there were bikes there from all over the world.”

Speedway fanatic Andy spent six months and around £2,000 restoring every component of the bike which forms part of his extensive collection of speedway memorabilia.

His collection includes a host of items connected to Cradley Heathens rider turned Hollywood actor Bruce Penhall, who starred in the hit series CHiPs.

Andy said: “It has taken five years to build the collection since I met him, he is still one of the greatest riders to grace the sport.

“There isn’t a rider that crosses the boundaries like he does.”

Andy has been a fan of speedway since his childhood and his passion for classic bikes is already taking another turn.

He is currently working on his next restoration project, another speedway machine he hopes will be ready in time to defend his awards at next year’s classic bike show.

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