Chapter 3. Why a BSA and why Marge


I’ve never actually considered myself a “BSA” enthusiast, although I own a C15 converted to a C15T for green lane riding, nor do I normally give my bikes a name, except when the b**tards won’t start. However, as I was in the process of buying the B31-2 on eBay, that difficult time when you’ve actually bought it, but have yet to tell your wife or partner, I was doing some on-line research into the model. I happened across more than one article and many photos of Marjorie Cottle, one of Britain’s best-known motorcyclists in the 1920’s and ‘30s and actually a “works” rider. Giving my bike a female persona did actually help smooth things over for a while, although that’s been wearing a bit thin these days as I’m spending a lot of time in my workshop, only emerging to collect “another present for Marge” from the postman or courier.

Marjorie mainly competed in Trials events, and in the 1927 ISDT picked up a Silver Vase. Good old Wikipedia records her as competing in this event every year from 1925 to 1939. As we all know...? Brooklands was used in the ISDT for the reliability trials. 

This splendid photo was captioned ‘Marjorie oils up – 22nd June 1925: Marjorie Cottle, one of three female competitors in the International six day reliability trials at Brooklands, oils up her bike before the race.’ I’m guess people were a little more innocent in their thoughts in those days.


Marjorie initially rode for Raleigh, as in the photo above, but in 1930 when the event was held in Italy switched to BSA where she continued until 1937, her last two years of competition being on a Triumph. From 1929 through 1936 the event was held in a variety of European countries, but in ’37 the ISDT returned to Wales and England. I like to think that on her 250 BSA she would have done some laps of our circuit – perhaps one of the archivists can advise me on this? She has been attributed with some wonderful quotes, such as “to never let yourself be photographed using the wrong spanner or donning make up whilst sat on the motorcycle or of being untidy and dirty.” I think the first bit of advice, but not the latter, would apply to Perry and me working in the McEvoy shed on a busy day.

Anyway, do a search on-line and you’ll turn up some wonderful photos and articles from the time, but here are a couple of Marjorie, with a BSA 250 like mine.





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