Offered from The Forshaw Speedway Collection, Ex-Peter Collins , 1977 Weslake Speedway Racing Motorcycle

Engine no. L283

• Used by Peter Collins during the 1977 season
• Acquired directly from Peter by Richard Forshaw in 1996
• One of the very first Mk I Weslakes
• Presented in in remarkably original condition

Harry Weslake joined the Royal Flying Corp in the First World War designing carburettors for aero engines. He had taken out a patent for an improved version of the Rudge Senspray and after the war he began to manufacturer a carburettor of his own design under the name Wex. But his expertise moved to cylinder head improvements including emphasis on port shape and gas flow, his work for Bentley securing the first four places at Le Mans in 1929. Later work for many other manufacturers included the SS Jaguar and much later still contributing to the BMC Mini launched in 1959. With the formation of Weslake Research and Development based in East Sussex, design projects continued including the design and building of the 3 litre V12 engine for Dan Gurney's Eagle in 1967 leading to Gurney's win of the German Grand Prix of that year.

For some time the company had been carrying out gas flow tests on the JAP speedway engine for Don Godden's use in Long Track racing. In 1974 work started on their own speedway engine to challenge the Jawas. This new 4 valve engine was designed by Ron Valentine working with development engineer, Brian Lovell. Early tests were carried out in late 1974 by Don Godden, the engine mounted in a Godden frame.

Testing the engine at Hackney in December 1967 John Louis was so impressed that he asked for two of the engines for himself. In 1975 John Louis won the British Championship and finished third in the World Final. Not satisfied in producing just the engine by early 1976 Weslake had a full speedway machine under way designing and manufacturing everything themselves.

In early 1976 director David Short was able to claim that they had already produced four hundred engines and spares since April 1975. They were now planning to produce up to twelve engines a week, at least five hundred a year with perhaps only a hundred engines alone, the majority for complete machines. This considerable commitment was rewarded when Peter Collins took his early Mk I Weslake to win the World Final in 1976.

For this Collins received the highest recognition with the award of the MBE as well as the Segrave Trophy for his success by "Riding a British Weslake powered motorcycle". This placed him in the pantheon of past winners of the Trophy, including Malcolm Campbell, Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart. Harry Weslake was not forgotten with his award of the Segrave Medal.

This MK I Weslake in the Forshaw collection is a very early example acquired by Richard Forshaw directly from Peter Collins, the receipt from Peter Collins dated 30th May 1996. There is further confirmation of this from a recent conversation with Peter where he explained that the machine was indeed one of the very first Mk I Weslakes. Peter went on to explain that as a works rider he was provided with four machines and about six engines a year.

This Mk I was one of his stable that was used through 1977 when once again he qualified for the World Final missing the title by just one point to Ivan Mauger. One of Peter Collins works machines, it is in remarkably original condition with evidence of only maintenance as to be expected of any racing machine. Accompanied with reports of Weslake articles taken from the press, photographs, Weslake stickers and a part history of Weslake. The mechanical condition is not known and therefore we recommend re-commissioning and/ or restoration to a greater of lesser Extent.
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