Panther Rally

Organised by the Panther and Associates Sidecar Club at Essex County show ground. The organisers became the London Sidecar Club and still run an annual Sidecar Rally in July.

I can't remember a great deal about this rally, except that it rained virtually all weekend. I had a Honda 500/4 at the time and in wet weather the spark was much more likely to be between the plug cap and the head than actually in the cylinder! The first properly waterproof caps made to fit (they were quite deep) were Champion rubber ones, but NGK started making some that cured the misfiring eventually. Also there was a broken down bike being worked on in the toilet block most of the weekend (The only dry place on site!) I can't remember whose it was, but due to where it was, he got lots of advice!

I won my first ever long distance award at this event in 1974, no doubt due to the bad weather! The only problem was I rode down there with my friend Barry Clark, and we both booked in the same mileage. Rather than make us share the Trophy the club provided us with one each.

I can remember talking to Paul Mullis and asking how he was managing to clock up so many miles. He had a white BMW R75/5 then and was really putting the miles on it.

- Ted Trett