Maudes Trophy

{{Short description|Motorcycle award}}

The Maudes Trophy is a motorcycle award established in 1923 by George Pettyt, owner of Maudes Motor Mart,{{cite web |url= http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Maude%27s_Motor_Mart|title= Grace's Guide: Maude's Motor Mart|author= |publisher= Grace's Guide|access-date= 2013-09-16 |url-status=live|archive-date= 2013-10-04|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131004072517/http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Maude%27s_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.{{cite web |url=http://tiger100.co.uk/tracktrials&trophies.html |title=Triumph wins Maudes Trophy ! |date=November 2010 |website=Tiger100.co.uk |publisher=Media JuJu |access-date=2013-09-16 |archive-date=2013-08-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817174224/http://tiger100.co.uk/tracktrials%26trophies.html}} Pettyt donated a silver trophy for the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU) to award annually, although over the years attempts proved to be infrequent.{{cite web|url=http://www.thekettleclub.org.uk/maudes/maudes.asp|title=Maudes Trophy history|access-date=2008-07-13 |archive-date= 2008-07-05|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080705192458/http://www.thekettleclub.org.uk/maudes/maudes.asp}}

The last award came in December 2023, when electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero Motorcycles successfully took a pair of DSR/X machines on a 60 hour, 1200 mile, ride starting in Lands End and taking in Lowestoft, Edinburgh and Holyhead, before ending at the FIM Awards ceremony in the city of Liverpool.{{cite web | work = acu.org.uk|url=https://www.acu.org.uk/News/2023/12/Zero-Motorcycles-awarded-Maudes-Trophy-after-epic-electric-winter-endurance-ride/ | title=Zero Motorcycles awarded Maudes Trophy after epic electric winter endurance ride|date= 4 December 2023|access-date=13 January 2025}}

Winners

class="wikitable"
Year

! Winner

! Motorcycle(s) used

! Notes

1923

| Norton

| 500 cc, solo

| Averaged 64 mph for 12 hours at Brooklands.

1924

| Norton

|Big Four with sidecar

| Ridden 4,060 miles from Land's End, Cornwall, England to John O'Groats, Highland, Scotland, and back in 18 days.

1925

| Norton

|

|

1926

| BSA

|

| Demonstration of sixty climbs of Bwlch y Groes

1927

| Ariel

| 557 cc Model B with sidecar

| Ridden for 5,011 miles without stopping the engine.{{cite web |url= http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/14255/lot/505/ |title=Lot 505 The ex-E H Littledale, 1931 Ariel Square Four Motorcycle & Sidecar |author= |date= 23 April 2006|website= Bonhams|access-date=4 May 2014 |url-status=live |archive-date=4 May 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140504055539/http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/14255/lot/505/}}

1928

| Ariel

| 250 cc overhead-valve
500 cc overhead-valve

| 10,000 mile endurance test over a 120-mile open road course.{{cite news |author= |title=10,000 MILES — Ariel Machine's Great Feat. |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21365478#pstart1656026 |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |location=Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |date=10 January 1929 |access-date=4 May 2014}}

1930

| Dunelt

| 498 cc ohv engine

| 13,119 miles endurance test over 16 days in the Isle of Man.{{cite web |url=https://cybermotorcycle.com/marques/dunelt/ |website=Sheldon's EMU |title=Dunelt Motorcycles |access-date=24 September 2019}}

1931

| Ariel

| Seven motorcycles:

  1. MB.32 (350 cc side-valve)
  2. M.2F.32 (350 cc overhead-valve 2-port)
  3. VB.32 (550 cc side-valve)
  4. VG.32 (500 cc 4-valve overhead-valve)
  5. SB.32 (550 cc side—valve "Sloper")
  6. SG.32 (500 cc 2-valve overhead-valve "Sloper") with sidecar
  7. 4F:6.32 Square Four

|Seven tests, one for each motorcycle:

  1. Seven-hour endurance run at Brooklands: 368 miles covered.
  2. Consumption test: approx. 700 miles on seven shillings worth of petrol and oil
  3. Head decarbonised in 4 min 19 s using only spanners from the motorcycle's tool kit (target time: under 7 min)
  4. One-hour speed run at Brooklands: more than 80 miles covered. (target distance: 70 miles)
  5. Run for 70 minutes in each of four gears on ordinary roads
  6. 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
  7. 700 miles in less than 670 minutes (target time: 700 minutes){{cite news |author= |title= THE MAUDES TROPHY.|url= http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32398368#pstart2865990|newspaper= The West Australian|location= Perth, Western Australia, Australia|date= 18 February 1932|access-date= 4 May 2014}}{{cite web |url= http://www.arielklubben.dk/Sales_brochure_1932.html|title= Sales brochure|author= |website= Ariel Klubben Danmark|access-date=4 May 2014 |url-status=live |archive-date= 2013-08-11|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130811205749/http://arielklubben.dk/Sales_brochure_1932.html}}
1933

| Triumph

| 6/1 motorcycle with Gloria sidecar

| Covered 500 miles in 498 minutes at Brooklands. (The combination had earlier won a silver medal at that year's ISDT){{cite web |url= http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-british-motorcycles/triumph-6-1-zm0z13mjzbea.aspx?PageId=2#ArticleContent|title= Triumph's First Twin: Triumph 6/1|last1= Davis|first1= Simon|date= May–June 2013|website= Motorcycle Classics|publisher= Ogden Publications|location= Topeka, Kansas, USA|access-date= 2014-04-26|page=2 |url-status=live |archive-date= 2014-04-27|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140427024817/http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-british-motorcycles/triumph-6-1-zm0z13mjzbea.aspx?PageId=2}}{{cite journal |last= Thomas|first= Trevor|date= February–March 1991|issue= 25|title= Maudes Trophy|url= http://leeroebuckracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Booklet-6.pdf|pages= 62–64|journal= Classic Motorcycling|editor-last= Bowdler|editor-first= Jeremy|issn= 1033-3517|location= Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia|publisher= Mason Stewart Publishing|access-date= 4 May 2014}}

1934

| Phelon & Moore

| 250 cc Red Panther

| Performance in Land's End Run: average speed greater than {{convert|35|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}, fuel efficiency of {{convert|115.7|mpgimp|L/100 km mpgus|abbr=on}}, "hands-off" stability at and over {{convert|50|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}

1937

| Triumph

| Tiger 70
Tiger 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: {{convert|66.39|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}
Tiger 80: {{convert|74.68|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}
Tiger 90: {{convert|82.31|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}

1938

| BSA

| M21 Combination
M23 Empire Star.

| Endurance test:{{cite web|url=http://home.quicknet.nl/qn/prive/ahum/milestones.htm|title=BSA Milestones|access-date=2008-07-13 |archive-date= 2008-11-13|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081113122531/http://home.quicknet.nl/qn/prive/ahum/milestones.htm}}

  • 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
1939

| Triumph

| Speed Twin
Tiger 100

| Bikes 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.

1952

| BSA

| 500 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 {{convert|80|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. The bikes were then ridden back to the UK, covering a total of 4,958 miles.{{cite book |last= Wilson|first= Hugo|year= 1993|title= The Ultimate Motor-Cycle Book|location= London, UK|publisher= Dorling Kindersley|isbn= 0-7513-0043-8|at= 1952 BSA A7 500cc Star Twin, p. 69|quote=This is one of three historic Maudes Trophy bikes, subjected to an observed 4,958-mile (7,979km) test in 1952}}

1962

| Honda

| Super Cub

| Three standard production Honda 50cc motorcycles (a C100, a C102 and a C110) 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.pipeline.com/~randyo/Honda%20History.htm|title=The history of Honda|access-date=2008-07-13 |archive-date= 2012-02-09|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120209041155/http://www.pipeline.com/~randyo/Honda%20History.htm}}

1973

|BMW

|R75/5

|Two motorcycles ran continuously over the Isle of Man TT circuit for a whole week, day and night, between 3–10 May 1973.{{cite journal |last= Nutting|first= John|date= June 2003|title= BMW's Big Week|url= http://www.vintage-register.co.uk/library/Magazine%20articles/Maudes.pdf|journal= Classic Bike|pages= 37–39, 41|access-date= 2013-09-16 |url-status=live |archive-date= 2014-05-04|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140504002444/http://www.vintage-register.co.uk/library/Magazine%20articles/Maudes.pdf}}

1974

| Suzuki

| GT380
GT550
GT750

| Ridden three times around the coastline of Britain.

1994

| Yamaha

| FZR600

| 10 New Zealand riders average over 100 mph on standard bikes chosen at random from the UK warehouse in the Supersport 600 TT.

2023

| Zero Motorcycles

| DSR/X

| Two electric motorcycles ridden between four points in UK in 60 hours.{{cite web | url=https://www.visordown.com/news/general/zero-makes-electric-motorcycle-history-maudes-trophy-success | title=Zero makes electric motorcycle history with Maudes Trophy success | date=4 December 2023 }}

References