MP joins Ride to Work Day to promote British exports

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, MP for The Cotswolds, travelled to work at the House of Commons in a sidecar on Monday 18th June as part of the Ride to Work Day celebrations.  Ride To Work Day is an international opportunity for motorcycle and scooter riders around the world to share the enjoyment of their daily commute and Geoffrey was invited to participate by Watsonian sidecars, Britain's only remaining major manufacturer of sidecars, who are located in the MP's constituency in the Heart of England.

“Not only is Geoffrey Clifton-Brown our MP, he's also a champion of British manufacturers like us, who export their products, so this is a great opportunity to raise the profile of Great British sidecars” explains Watsonian sales director Ben Matthews, who drove the outfit.

“Watsonian celebrates its centenary this year and not many companies in the British motorcycle industry can make that claim” he continues.  “We've survived two world wars, the Great Depression of 1929  and a devastating fire that destroyed our factory in 1930.  Today exports account for half of our production, with strong sales to Japan, Germany and France, so it's vital that the Government does all it can to support British manufacturing.”

The sidecar in which Geoffrey rode is a Watsonian Wizard, powered by a Royal Enfield 500cc motorcycle, based on the combinations that the factory supplied for the filming of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which appeared in the spectacular chase sequence in which Harry Potter flees from the Death Eaters in a sidecar outfit driven by Hagrid. 

“Ever since I first visited Watsonian Squire a number of years ago and discovered what an effective exporting company they were I have been a great supporter of theirs” says Geoffrey Clifton-Brown. 

“We had about a 3/4 of an hour trip in from Putney” explains Geoffrey. “It's been a wonderful experience.  You see things that you wouldn't normally see in a car.  I think this is a great way to travel.”

Watsonian will be hosting a centenary celebration rally at Stoneleigh Park near Coventry on 18th-19th August 2012.  For more information on this and Watsonian's current range of sidecars and details of the centenary rally call 01386 700907 or visit watsonian-squire.com. 

Watsonian sidecars centenary rally

Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry, 18-19th Aug 2012

Watsonian sidecars celebrate their centenary this year and to mark the occasion the British manufacturer is throwing a party at Stoneleigh Park near Coventry on 18-19th Aug 2012.

Founded by TF Watson in 1912, Watsonian has survived two world wars, the Great Depression of 1929 (and numerous economic recessions that followed) and a devastating factory fire in 1930. Today the company still makes Great British sidecars in the Heart of England, exporting across the globe. Visitors from around the world are expected - Watsonian's Japanese distributor, Corofi, will be riding a couple of outfits to the rally.

Attractions at the Centenary Rally include a display of historic sidecars along with the company archives, driving skills test, prizes for Best in Show, celebrity guests, trade stands and an opportunity to test ride Royal Enfield motorcycles, which have been distributed by Watsonian since 1999. Watsonian is keen to hear from owners of interesting or unusual outfits and three-wheelers, whether Watsonian or other makes, who would like to show their vehicles at the event.

Camping and self catering accommodation is available on site, as is the Stoneleigh Park Lodge guest house. On Saturday evening there will be entertainment with a live band and bar.

Tickets for the weekend cost £10 per person in advance; day tickets will only be available on the Sunday and can be purchased at the gate for £5.

For more information on the Centenary Rally and the full range of sidecars, trailers and motorcycles available from Watsonian-Squire call 01386 700907 or visit watsonian-squire.com.

Ride on the side for Harry Potter in the Deathly Hallows

British built Watsonian sidecars help Harry Potter get off a to flying start in the latest movie – Deathly Hallows – which is due for UK release on 19th November 2010.  Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is rescued from his relatives’ house by Hagrid (played by Robbie Coltrane) riding a Royal Enfield Bullet Classic, paired with a Watsonian Manx sidecar.  Watsonian Squire supplied a number of sidecar outfits to be used in the dramatic chase sequence, filmed on location in and around London.  The Blackwall Tunnel has never looked so exciting!  Visit the official movie website at http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthedeathlyhallows/mainsite/index.html

Sporty side to British cafe racers

British cafe racer styled motorcycles are enjoying a revival, with Triumph, Royal Enfield and Norton all offering examples in their current model line-up.

Now Watsonian sidecars have teamed up with Norman Hyde, Triumph performance specialist and sidecar speed record holder*, to create a sporty three-wheeler.

Modern Hinckley-built Bonnevilles have proved a popular choice for sidecar customers across the world as the bike's smooth power delivery and torquey engine suit sidecar driving, while Watsonian's Grand Prix sidecars, which retain the traditional octagonal nose shape dating from the 1920's, complement the Bonneville's classic styling.

This sports outfit combines a Manx sidecar, which has a shorter chassis than other models in the GP range and is thus lighter and more compact, with an 865cc fuel-injected Bonneville equipped with a host of performance accessories from Norman Hyde. These include a Power Commander and bellmouth air intake, sport silencers, rearset footrests and M bars, providing a sporty riding position to match the bike's enhanced performance. Additional stopping power is delivered by an AP Lockheed front brake disc and calliper; a steering damper and up-rated Ikon shocks beef up suspension to handle the extra weight of the car and Hyde has also specified a Givi screen for touring comfort.

Prices for the Watsonian GP Manx sidecars similar to the one pictured start at £3495 and a full factory fitting service, with tuition for novice drivers, is also available. For more information on sidecars contact Watsonian-Squire on 01386 700907 (www.watsonian-squire.com) and for details of Norman Hyde accessories go to www.normanhyde.co.uk or call 01926 832345.

ENDS

* Norman Hyde captured the World Sidecar Land Speed Record in September 1972 on the Concorde runway at Fairford, Gloucestershire. Using a supercharged 850cc Triumph Trident powered, home built sidecar outfit (Road Runner 3) Norman averaged 161.8 mph (260.8kph) for the two way run over 1 kilometre.

TF Watson produced his first sidecar in 1912 and the company has been manufacturing sidecars in the Heart of England ever since. Following a merger with the dynamic young Squire company in 1984 Watsonian Squire became the Europe's biggest manufacturer of sidecars.

Tokyo Motorcycle Show 2010

We were delighted to receive this photo of the Tokyo Motorcycle Show from our Japanese distributor.  As you can see, Corofi have embraced retro styling with a really eye catching stand and some interesting sidecar combinations.

Freewheeling with Squire Trailers

Freewheelers Emergency Voluntary Service is taking a Squire motorcycle trailer to the streets, to help raise awareness and funds for the operation. Run entirely by volunteers, Freewheelers provides a free out-of-hours emergency courier service for the NHS, using specially adapted motorcycles to deliver blood, test samples, patient notes, X-rays and other essential medical supplies to hospitals in the south west of England. 
Relying entirely on public donations and sponsorship, Freewheelers commissioned the Squire team to adapt a D18 motorcycle trailer for use at events across the UK to help raise the profile of the organisation and collect donations. The trailer – which will be towed by one of Freewheelers’ Honda ST1300s – has a custom built lid, which can be used as display board for promotional material and offers ample storage for banners, leaflets and fund-raising packs. Squire has also added a special floor section on which to mount an electricity generator. Freewheelers Vice Chairman, Mike Belch, said: “The Squire trailer will really boost our fund-raising efforts, as we will be able to carry everything we need. It will also be a great talking point when we visit schools, or attend shows and fetes to publicise our work.”  Squire motorcycle luggage trailers are growing in popularity in Europe, and as far afield as Japan, as an alternative to bike-mounted luggage. A well-engineered modern motorcycle trailer will not significantly affect the handling or performance of a machine, yet the volume of luggage they can transport is huge – up to 595 litres. Squire has performed several feats over recent years to demonstrate how easily modern high performance motorcycles can pull a properly designed trailer and in 2002 the Company set a world record, towing a Squire D21 trailer behind a Kawasaki ZZ-R1100 motorcycle at an average speed of 139.5 mph. Prices for motorcycle luggage trailers start at around £1000 and tow bar kits are available for a large range of motorcycles and scooters. Contact Watsonian-Squire on 01386 700907 www.watsonian-squire.com
Editor’s notes: Freewheelers Emergency Voluntary Service is a registered charity and winner of The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Freewheelers EVS has a coverage area that includes Somerset, Bristol, Bath and West Wiltshire and is funded entirely by public donation and sponsorship. For further info about the Freewheelers Emergency Voluntary Service and to make a donation, visit http://www.freewheelers.org.uk/

Margate to Land's End by Vespa and Sidecar

Watsonian Squire, Britain’s longest established sidecar manufacturer, is delighted to be supporting Paul King, who will be riding his Vespa T5 scooter outfit from Margate to Lands End to raise money for Help For Heroes.   Setting out on 10th April 2010, Paul will be accompanied by wife, Jules, and daughter Sophie, along with members of Modern Vespa, who will all be riding from Margate in Kent along the coast until they reach Lands End the following day – a journey of 466 miles.  Riders wishing to join the group for all or part of the journey are asked to raise a minimum sponsorship of £50.00 per rider; more details can be found at http://helpforheroessouthcoastvesparide.blogspot.com/. Help for Heroes raises money to support members of the Armed Forces who have been wounded in the service of their country.  Find out more about Watsonian-Squire's range of sidecars for motorcycles and scooters at http://www.watsonian-squire.com/