Geoff Duke Ariel Colt SON 198

[emlyn.evans]

Does anyone have any information on the bright red 200 `Trials Colt' that Geoff Duke used in 1957? I understand that the one off pivoted fork frame was draughted by Roger Barlow in the Selly Oak Drawing Office. I have only ever seen one photograph of it and that was taken in deep water during one of the few trials events that Geoff attended in the 1957 season.

I gather that Geoff should have ridden it in the 1957 Scottish Six Days but he had to withdraw owing to a racing accident. The Colt was ridden in the SSDT by Clyde Bell a friend of Gordon Blakeway but I cannot trace any mention of it.

The Colt may have been fitted with a pair of HT front forks and it appears that an oil feed was taken to both rocker arms via an external pipe from the return side of the pump.

Any information would be really helpful.

Emlyn Evans