Jersey artist and motorcycle enthusiast Mike Etienne recently competed in a special custom-bike event at the famous Monza race circuit in Italy.
Mike has been competing in the Glemseck 101 gathering for several years at the old Solitude Glemseck racetrack near Stuttgart in Germany.
This event caters specifically for the unusual motorcycle, featuring the best of the custom world, pitting their skills against one another on a one-eighth-mile elimination sprint in a variety of classes.
Mike explained: ‘From the “built in a shed” to the “money-no-object Sultans of Sprint”, this is a weekend of everything that is great about the motorcycles of character lifestyle phenomena. Bikes of all sorts, the most diverse characters and the opportunity to rub shoulders with the greats and otherwise “normal” folk.’
Mike rides his creation, ‘Tronti’ – a mix of a 1958 Manx Norton frame, 1979 Triumph Bonneville 750-cc engine and 1994 Ducati forks, wheels and brakes.
He was asked to be part of the Team Glemseck 101, who were invited to enter The Reunion 2018 at the old Monza track on the straight between the still surviving banked curbs.
Mike commented: ‘It is an iconic place and home for a weekend for the sights, sounds, smells and people who flocked from all over Europe to show their stuff and race their bikes.’
Mike loaded Tronti into the trailer hitched behind his car and shared the road trip down to Monza and back with his mother, Elizabeth.
By avoiding motorways whenever possible the pair were able to enjoy the amazing sights of spring at its best in France and Italy.
Upon arrival in Monza Mike took a signed copy of Hamish Marett-Crosby’s new book, ‘Italy’s Other Island’ and presented it to il Sindaco (the Mayor) of Monza, Dario Allevi, with a personal message from the Italian Consul in Jersey, Serafina Venticinque.
The next morning they made their way to the Monza Eni Circuit, located within the Royal Park. The sprints were held on part of the old track.
‘The venue was alive with bikes and truck arriving in preparation for the two-day event to follow. The “Sultans of Sprint” were also setting up. These are the no-money-spared, highly modified bikes that would take pride of place in the event,’ Mike said.
Other sections included the ‘Freak Class’, with a limit of two-cylinder air- or oil-cooled motors up to 1,600 cc, with no limits regarding chassis, nitrous oxide, turbo or superchargers, and the ‘Factory Class’, supported by the industry, featuring Yamaha, Triumph, BMW and Indian motorcycles.
Porsche, BMW and Ferrari were testing on the circuit proper, so there were sights and sounds of engines at full throttle, as well as an opportunity to admire the sculpture of Fangio with his Mercedes race car.
‘Saturday morning saw us arrive on track. I set up my pits with Mic Sheer from Stuttgart, one of the other members of the Glemseck 101 Team. He had his immaculate 1,000-cc BMW R100, a former police motorcycle that has been treated to some fine components to create a very nice Café Racer.
‘We also found Ulfert Janssen of Gannet Design out of Switzerland, the third member of the team. He has a very nice 850-cc Moto Guzzi V9 Café Racer-style bike, quite modern and running carburettors instead of fuel injection.
‘Mum was dressed in her finest attire and ready to be my “Pit Girl”. Then it was time to get ready to race. On with the one-piece leathers. I’ve had these for years, since the late 1970s, and they were secondhand then. They really look the part, with the stars up the arms, and this with the “piss pot” helmet was my uniform for the sprints.
‘We made our way to the pit area and took in the feel of being one of the 32 bikes who were to do battle on the strip in the Zenith Sprint Race – Café Racer Class, meeting up with Steven Flier, the Glemseck 101 creative director, and our ‘team manager’.
‘This was elimination sprinting. After a practice run, we would return to the start area to make our first run. The winner would then go on to the next round. One thing I noticed was the number of big lenses that were being pointed everywhere. The atmosphere was electric, the bikes varied, and the ensembles eclectic.
‘The practice run was cancelled, so it was straight into action. I was pitted against a 1,000-cc Ducati.
‘My bike was running well, I got a good start, but the Ducati beat me!
‘All part of the fun, and Mum and I were invited to go over to the Moto Heroes temporary photo studio for pictures and interviews. Competing over for the day for me, it was time to enjoy a bit more of the racing, meet new people and look at what was on offer from all over Europe.
‘I went to check out the car park on the main track. The Mille Miglia was on, with some of the most beautiful cars ever produced on show and doing laps of the Monza Eni circuit. The mixture of these old cars was really something remarkable to behold, and the sounds of their engines as they drove round the track was also something special to experience.
‘The rain came down at about 5.30 pm, calling an end to the racing for the day. I left Tronti under cover with some really cool Italians, who were happy to keep the bike dry next to their amazing creations. The nice thing about an event like this is that national boundaries are ignored – instead there is an appreciation of the skills and passion that lead to the creation of wonderful motorcycles.
‘We arrived back on track on Sunday morning. I had been invited to represent Europe in the One-Eighth Mile of Europe. This would pit the Europeans against the Italians. Some 20 bikes took part. The two teams would each have a practice run, then the race proper would be on. The winner of each round would win a point for their team.
‘The European team was made up of German, Swiss and me. I didn’t mention Brexit or the fact that Jersey is not in the EU!
‘This time I was up against one of the new Triumph Bonnevilles, 900 cc with an eight-valve head and fuel injection. He beat me by a bike’s length, tribute to how well my 40-year-old, old-school pushrod engine actually goes, although it does need to be a bit faster…
‘Italy won 6-4, which was actually a very nice result for them on their home turf. Just as we finished, down came the rain, ending the event nicely on time.
‘Time to say goodbyes, load the bike back onto the trailer and make our way back to the hotel. All in all a great event. With possibly the only “real” Café Racer at the event, there seemed to be a lot of attention, there were certainly a lot of camera lenses being pointed, and the crowds loved the whole thing.
‘This is an opportunity to let the hair down, dress up and be carefree, and go as fast as you can on one of the most iconic places on Earth.
‘To sum it up, Mum’s words are: “Noisy, fast, happy, chaotic at times, and interesting”.
‘The route back was just as interesting. We had deliberately chosen different stops in order to see new things.
‘En route to Cesson-Sévigné in Rennes we happened on one of the most amazing sights ever. After a stop in Martigné-Ferchaud to get food for lunch, we saw a sign for a dolmen at La Roche aux Fées. Quite a stunning structure, easily one of the most impressive we had ever seen. The sheer size and fit of the ancient stones has to be experienced. The dolmen is near the town of Essé, about 30 km south-east of Rennes.
‘To sum up, I asked Mum what her best moments were. “Flowers and the dolmen” was her reply.’
Mike Etienne wanted to thank Matteo Adreani, organiser of The Reunion at Monza.
