BELLE VUE: LANGTON BIKE AT CRAVEN MEMORIAL MEETING
Monday July 26, 2010
A unique speedway bike, which has a special place in Belle Vue history, will make its first public appearance for nearly 70 years at the Peter Craven Memorial Trophy meeting on August 2.
It was built by legendary Aces rider Eric Langton, who raced in the first Belle Vue meeting to be held at Kirkmanshulme Lane in 1928, before he became a key member of the all-conquering side that dominated the 1930s.
Langton, runner-up in the first World final in 1936, built his own frames which he powered with the famous JAP engines which he tuned himself at his workshop in Bradford.
He retired from racing in 1947 and two bikes he built, one at the start of the 1930s and the other towards the end of the decade, were left in his garage for ten years.
He emigrated to Perth, Australia in 1957 and the bikes were passed on to his older brother, Oliver, another Belle Vue star.
The stayed with Oliver until he died in 1978 and former rider, Manchester-based Roy Chappell, bought all Eric's speedway gear including the bikes.
Subsequently, former Belle Vue star and 1976 World champion Peter Collins bought them and he has spent the last four years restoring the later of the two machines.
Said Peter: “They were Eric's original bikes but he just left them behind when he emigrated. He made them himself which is why I was so pleased to be able to buy them.
“He made bikes for others riders as well as himself and Peter Craven, who won two World titles at Belle Vue, used a Langton bike when he started out.
“It has taken me four years to restore this bike. It has been a big job and I have only just finished. It looks absolutely gorgeous.
“It will be fitting for it to make its first public appearance for many years at the Peter Craven meeting. I will bring some of the other machines in my collection including the one on which I finished second in the 1977 World final in Gothenburg.”
There is another Langton bike still in existence apart from those in the Collins collection. He added: “Eric was the promoter at Sheffield for some years before he emigrated and the bike was left there before being sent out to him in Perth where I have been to see it.”
Langton, born in Leeds in 1907, died in 2000.
Also on show next Monday will be the Peter Craven bike which is now owned by Roy Chappell.
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