Maudes Trophy


The Maudes Trophy is a motorcycle award established in 1923 by George Pettyt, owner of Maudes Motor Mart based in Great Portland Street, London who promoted an impartially-observed endurance test for motorcycles and provided a challenge award to the ACU who participated by acting as the body responsible for providing observers. Pettyt donated a silver trophy for the Auto-Cycle Union to award annually, although over the years attempts proved to be infrequent.

Winners

YearWinnerMotorcycle usedNotes
1923Norton500 cc, soloAveraged 64 mph for 12 hours at Brooklands.
1924NortonBig Four with sidecarRidden 4,060 miles from Land's End, Cornwall, England to John O'Groats, Highland, Scotland, and back in 18 days.
1925Norton
1926BSADemonstration of sixty climbs of Bwlch y Groes
1927Ariel557 cc Model B with sidecarRidden for 5,011 miles without stopping the engine.
1928Ariel250 cc overhead-valve
500 cc overhead-valve		10,000 mile endurance test over a 120-mile open road course.
1930Dunelt498 cc ohv engine13,119 miles endurance test over 16 days in the Isle of Man.
1931ArielSeven motorcycles:
  1. MB.32
  2. M.2F.32
  3. VB.32
  4. VG.32
  5. SB.32
  6. SG.32 with sidecar
  7. 4F:6.32 Square Four
Seven tests, one for each motorcycle:
  • Seven-hour endurance run at Brooklands: 368 miles covered.
  • Consumption test: approx. 700 miles on seven shillings worth of petrol and oil
  • Head decarbonised in 4 min 19 s using only spanners from the motorcycle's tool kit
  • One-hour speed run at Brooklands: more than 80 miles covered.
  • Run for 70 minutes in each of four gears on ordinary roads
  • Seven non-stop ascents and descents of each of seven famous test hills: Porlock, Lynton, Beggar's Roost, Countisbury, Bwlch y Groes, Dinas Hill, and Alt y Bady
  • 700 miles in less than 670 minutes
    • 1933Triumph6/1 motorcycle with Gloria sidecarCovered 500 miles in 498 minutes at Brooklands.
    1934Phelon & Moore250 cc Red PantherPerformance in Land's End Run: average speed greater than, fuel efficiency of, "hands-off" stability at and over
    1937TriumphTiger 70Tiger 80
    Tiger 90    		Machines chosen by ACU at random from Triumph dealers. Three hour high speed run at Donington Park followed by timed lap around Brooklands:
    Tiger 70:
    Tiger 80:
    Tiger 90:
    1938BSAM21 Combination
    M23 Empire Star.    		Endurance test:
    • 20 climbs of Bwlch y Groes
    • Acceleration, speed, and braking tests at Brooklands
    • 20 more climbs of Bwlch y Groes
    • Crossing London in traffic, north–south and east–west, in top gear
    1939TriumphSpeed TwinTiger 100Bikes chosen by ACU observers from Triumph dealers at random. Bikes ridden from John O'Groats to Land's End, and then across to the Brooklands circuit, a total of 1800 miles, followed by a 6 hour high speed run at Brooklands.
    1952BSA500 cc Star Twin,Three motorcycles were randomly selected from the production line and ridden to Austria to compete in the 1952 International Six Days Trial. All three bikes won Gold medals in the competition. The bikes were then ridden through Germany and Denmark to Oslo, where flying quarter-mile tests gave average speeds greater than. The bikes were then ridden back to the UK, covering a total of 4,958 miles.
    1962HondaSuper CubThree standard production Honda 50cc motorcycles with a team of 20 riders covered more than 15,800 miles at Goodwood in a week long day and night continuous test. Honda received the first manufacturer's award in a decade and held the trophy for 11 years.
    1973BMWR75/5Two motorcycles ran continuously over the Isle of Man TT circuit for a whole week, day and night, between 3–10 May 1973.
    1974SuzukiGT380
    GT550
    GT750    		Ridden three times around the coastline of Britain.
    1994YamahaFZR60010 New Zealand riders average over 100 mph on standard bikes chosen at random from the UK warehouse in the Supersport 600 TT.