I don’t often get the chance to stop in Verralls in Handcross, just south of London, but it’s a venerable place with a great selection of older motorcycles, and a great pleasure to visit. Ian Hatton, who took over the business when Brian Verrall died a few years ago, has been a pal since 1987, when he was a lowly mechanic on Brian’s machines (and about 19 years old, while I was a lofty 25). Ian liked my painted-up Velocette jacket, and I purchased an MZ 250 from his father, which I then rode to the Soviet border and back in a great loop around Western and Eastern Europe, a trip of many thousands of miles – all on back roads, with zero mechanical trouble. That’s another story, but we’ve since remained friends, and I’ve long been a fan of the business. Ian has continued Brian’s policy of looking after machines they’ve sold – if there’s a problem, they’ll deal with it, usually for free (unless you run the bike without oil). Enjoy this brief tour!














