John Chatto with No 1	Alan Taylor trying a different route
Andrew Chandler	Paul Cook
Geoff Akers	Ian Turner

2014 Twinshock Series Round 2

Report Ken O'Brien

Pictures by Gary Dowzall, others can be found at sliders.photography

Pictures by Mike Yiend can be found at gallery

In excess of ninety Twinshock Air-Cooled mono and British machines gathered for the second round of the National Twinshock series held at Cox's farm Beckley near Oxford on Good Friday Morning with many coming from all parts of the country.
It was great to see so many older bikes out Montesa Ossa Honda JCM Yamaha Italjet Beta SWM Fantic Armstrong Majesty Bultaco Suzuki Motak Bsa Triumph DOT James to name a few and it looks as if this new series is going to take off big time with a similar number turning out at the first round.
Twenty sections were plotted with a mixture of muddy slots stream crossings Big Hills and cambered banks these were to be ridden twice.
The first riders off to section one were the Air-Cooled mono class, this sub was a fairly tame affair to get things started with an awkward stump to cross then a left up a steepish bank before dropping into a muddy turn, In a freak accident unfortunately the fence was damaged beyond repair and the second lap was made void on the expert route.
Eventual Expert A class winner was Chris Koch 250 Yamaha losing thirteen putting two superb cleans in at section two this was tricky, a deteriorating ditch crossing before lining up a steep bank that also cut-up really bad after a hundred or so bikes had been though.
Richard Allen 243 Fantic had to settle for second place today and Steve Bird Yam 250 split John and Tony Cowley both 260 Honda, incidentally Mr John Cowley had a very spectacular off right in front of me at section eleven so I thought it worthy of a mention *:-)/\:-) high five.

Class B was the Spanish Twinshock brigade and Robert Mycock 250 Bultaco posted the best score of 60 marks lost to take the win ahead of Gary Hawkins out on his immaculately prepared 348 Montesa.
Both of these riders taking ones on their second visit to section four a combination of cambers and roots with a fallen tree to make sure concentration was upheld to the very end.
Class C would include all other marques of Twinshock machinery with British bikes as well.
Expert rider Andrew Paxton guided his Bsa B40 to victory dropping a miserly eighteen marks this was some feat going head to head with some really top riders and comparatively modern kit.
Nobody could match Andrew on sub fifteen a real tester with a deep muddy stream just past the begins to cover then an equally hard slick turn before a second gear blast though a rooty ditch.
Robert Faulkner 250 Majesty lost 22 to take runner up spot with good rides at section sixteen a series of loose sandy steep climbs.
The clubman class was very well populated with around fifty riders split over the three categories and Ixion veteran Paul Wickson TY 250 Pinky turned back the clock to take the A class win on thirty blasting around the course in record time.
Mick Parkes also TY 250 down from the Midland Centre put in his usual controlled ride and was looking good at section 10 starting with a turn around an aging oak tree then with probably forth gear selected a major blast though well bog I suppose to the ends.
Section five was the fun section at least for the crowd that had gathered as word had got around it was taking  marks.
Arguably the longest section of the day it was all over in under a minute for most and Class B clubman winner Paul Cook 350 Montesa made it all look too easy, third gear was his choice for this flat out run up the marshy field before anchoring up and turning to do it all again downhill then a sweeping right hander before letting it go once again up this final climb where if you 'made it' the Hunting Gate was your target.
Clubman Class C top dog was 250 Honda mounted Nick Hammerton with a tally of nine by far the best performance on the B course.
Section 13 Nick was inch perfect with four stroke power just the job for the first nadgery turn before a leap over the brook then a wall of death left and a gentle ride through some garlic before crossing the natural spring for the final time.