Could this be the most beautiful motorcycle? The curvaceous tank is a bold statement of a fuel-thirsty, monster of a machine. The stance is of purpose and there is no doubt that this sort of bike would have been a dominant alpha on the race scene in the 1930s. The brute is a 1931 350cc Rudge Tourist Trophy Replica (TTR) with some unique period updates.
Rudge Whitworth were a lucrative by-product of the motorcycle boom that exploded at the turn of the century. The company were well involved on the racing front early on, and in 1914 Cyril Pullin won the Isle of Man TT on a Rudge at a speed of 49.49mph.
The First World War put an abrupt end to the TT and Rudge also entered something of a racing hiatus when the company put motorcycles on the back-burner as they turned to support the war effort. The company really bounced back in 1924 with the introduction of a new range of four valve singles available in 346cc and 499cc models. Rudge engineer George Hack is said to have taken his design idea from the four-valve Triumph Ricardo. The bikes came with four speeds with coupled front and rear brakes – both operated by the foot pedal – this braking mechanism provided for superior stopping power in comparison to other machines of the time.
In 1928 Graham Walker won the Ulster Grand Prix on a works 500 after a heroic handlebar-to handlebar battle with Charlie Dodson on a Model 90 Sunbeam. The win prompted the release of the battle-hardened “Ulster” sports model. The early Ulster’s featured parallel valves in a pent-roof combustion chamber, however in 1930 a trio of 350 bikes appeared at the Isle of Man TT with radial disposed valves and dominated both racing and practice in a style that had not been seen before, winning both the Senior and the Junior events and also smashing the lap and race records.
In order to mark the victory, in 1931 Rudge introduced the TT Replica models in both 350cc and 500cc variants. The TTR was a fierce over-the-counter racer available to the public, and despite having a similar appearance to the Ulster, it was a world apart. The notable competition features on the machine included:
- a four valve motor (349cc or 499cc) with cast iron TT type fully radial cylinder head
- a forward mounted ML racing magneto
- a four speed close ratio TT replica type gearbox, operated by the left foot
- 8” front and rear brakes
- a TT carburettor with twin float chambers
- a competition petrol tank with twin fillers (note the tank on this machine is not factory spec)
- an oil tank (mounted on the rear frame tube) with two fillers, one either side of machine (filling station on race circuits could vary on either side of the track)
- TT pattern non adjustable handlebars with handlebar operated steering damper
- race-style mudguards
- no kick starts here!
This 1931 350 variant of the TTR was reportedly owned by a private French rider, Felix Rich albeit the history of the machine is unknown. The motorcycle has some modifications from the standard factory variant, most notably the oversized petrol tank for improved capacity when endurance was pivotal. The upturned pipes also differ from the standard spec (which were originally twin low-level downpipes that fed into silencers and 6” fishtails ends) and the brake drums have been beefed up for extra stopping power.
In 1932 a 250cc TTR model was also added to the line up to celebrate a Rudge triumph in the 1931 Lightweight TT race, won by the very popular Graham Walker (his first TT victory after years of attempts!), and with teammate Tyrell-Smith taking second spot.
The TTR was produced for three years only, but it was one heck of a machine and was available only to serious privateers and those who had a bob or two, which makes them very rare, particularly by todays standards.
This TTR is in the hands of Cometa Restauraciones who have restored the bike to its current brilliance from a frame accompanied with a box of bits (even the gas tank was completely unsoldered when it arrived into the workshop!).
Thank you to Cometa Restauraciones for the photos and information of this wonderful old motorcycle. Visit the website of Cometa Restauraciones.
an article by The Girder Club
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