JEFF CLEW
Contents
In the beginning
Hazards of the open road
Competition brings improvements
More power and greater refinement
The industry gets into its stride
Further reading and clubs
Places to visit
Today there is still doubt about who made the first motorcycle. Early experiments in Britain were handicapped by a 4 mph speed limit, repealed in 1896. Now the motorcycle became a practical proposition, early designs originating from the Continent. British designs soon followed, as did process of refinement, through the adoption of spray carburettor, the high tension magneto and mechanically operated valves. Competition successes helped boost sales, as did the inauguration of the Isle of Man TT and the opening of Booklands in 1907. A further step forward was the introduction of variable gears. By 1910 the motorcycle had become a dependable means of transport, and the British motorcycle industry the world leader. When war broke out in 1914 the motorcycle assumed a new role, that of a rapid means of communication under hazardous conditions.
Jeff Clew has been involved with motorcycles since 1946 and has owned over sixty different machines. An experienced competitor, he has ridden in most types of competitive events, including ten years of road racing, after which he became Chief Travelling Marshal for the British Motor Cycle Racing Club. Still an active rider, he has a small collection og nine motorcycles, all of which he has restored. He joined J.H Hayness & Co Ltd in late 1972 to start up their series of Motorcycle Owners Workshop Manuals and became the Haynes Publishing Group´s Executive Editorial Director until his retirement in 1991. He has written fourteen books, nineteen workshop manuals and innumerable features for magazines and newspapers, as well as appearing on radio and television. In 1985 Jeff Clew was awarded the Montagu Trophy, the first time it had been awarded for a motorcycle marque history.
