1959 Royal Enfield Works Replica carries on

Vintage Royal Enfield can get you there, even without a road.

In June Graham Lampkin will ride his 1959 Royal Enfield Works Replica trials single from his home in Colne, Lancashire, to the Shetland Classic Vehicle Show in Lerwick.

As far as possible, he won't use roads to get there. He calls his trip "Lampy Goes to Lerwick (aka The Muddy Way Up)."

"The bike will be the 'works rep' trials Bullet, with a few modifications," his website explains. "It has been fitted with a larger petrol tank, a more comfortable seat (essential) and the gearing raised."

Works Replica after a recent practice run. Note nav system on handlebars.

Its "navigation system" (a scrolling map wound forwards and back with knobs) is built into a kitchen food box on the handlebars.

This is Graham's second Works Replica. He had three happy years on one in the '90s but moved on to other bikes and built his own Royal Enfield based machines to suit. Yet he wanted a Works Replica.

"Problem was, they were in short supply and prices had moved on — upwards."

Then "A friend told me of a guy about 15 miles away selling a competitive Royal Enfield Bullet trials bike. I rang him, it was a Works Replica  engine and had been the personal bike ridden by Dave Danks (a well known good rider but even better builder of Royal Enfield trials bikes). That's how I got to own the bike I'm using for the trip."

Another sandwich box above the gearbox, for storage.
No, the ride is "not sponsored by Tupperware."

Lerwick is in the Shetland Islands, so the trip will include a ferry. But the land part of the journey will be by legal "green roads" and tracks, wherever possible, to reach the ferry at Aberdeen.

Graham's long ride will raise money for Cancer Research UK. His wife lived through breast cancer. You should donate to Cancer Research UK in his name through JustGiving. I did it. It is easy.

His home is pretty much the center point of the island of Britain. The ferry in Aberdeen is 345 miles away by road, but Graham's off-road trip could take four days.

"The show is on the 7th and 8th June, so we leave 3rd June," he writes.

Graham wrote me that the idea to take on this challenge came in three steps:

1. He wanted to bring his classic Works Replica to the classic bike show.

2. He wanted to ride off road more, so why not make the trip that way?

3. And, finally, "Chatting to daughter Sarah, explaining what feeble ideas the aged mind was producing, and in her normal manner she said 'well, if you're doing it, do it for charity.'"