3-Time Isle of Man TT Winner Joan Crawford Celebrates 120th Anniversary First Motorcycle Race | Season 4 – Episode 53
Wheels Jul 19, 2024
The Ireland Made video crew was on the road again and travelled to County Antrim to meet with Joan Crawford, 3-Times Isle of Man TT Winner, “Best Lady Rider on The Island” and joint organiser of the 120th anniversary race-route recreation event, in celebration of John Paul Burney winning the first motorcycle race in July 1904.
Joan, originally from Finaghy on the outskirts of Belfast, first got into motorcycles when her brother’s friends came to their house and being resourceful she would make the lads sandwiches and then be offered a ride up the street. Joan’s own passion for motorcycles ignited when a girl on her street bought a Triumph Tiger Cub, and her own first motorbike was a step-through Honda. We will be bringing you the full story of Joan’s riding history in a future episode of Ireland Made.
++
Please SUBSCRIBE to Ireland Made for two new Irish transport videos each week – www.irelandmade.ie
++
Joan and David Crawford are well known in motorcycling circles in Ireland and further afield and have an incredible collection of twenty bikes including Moto Guzzi, MV, Ducati and an ultra-rare Bond Mini Bike. We will be exploring their unique collection in an upcoming episode on Ireland Made.
Joan showed us her Bond Minibyke with a 125 cc JAP engine and as she says; “the engine is probably rarer than the bike itself”. The Minibyke is the same model as her husband David’s first bike.
Joan purchased this brand-new and unregistered Minibyke with just 38 miles on the clock in late 1989 from the collection of John Ellis in Celbridge, Co Kildare. At the time Ellis was acknowledged as having one of the biggest vehicle collections in the world.
Previously, in May 1950 Ellis had bought the manufacturing rights for the Bond Minibyke and for the next three years built 700-800 machines in 98cc standard form and 125cc De-Lux G form with a JAP engine. Joan’s De-Lux G still has its original tyres, tubes, chain, light bulbs and tools and it has a total of 338 miles on the clock!
In 1992 Joan rode her Bond Minibyke from Lisburn to the Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) and won “Best Overseas Bike” on the Tuesday and again on the Thursday of the same week. The following year Joan was back at the TT on her Moto Guzzi and won “Best Lady Rider”. As Joan says; “I claim to be an Isle of Man three times TT winner – best lady rider on the island and the boys can’t beat that!”
For the past fourteen years Joan has been the Secretary/ Editor of the 30 Motorcycle Club of Ulster and was one of the first ladies to join the club. Twenty years ago she was the Ireland-based organiser of the 100th anniversary of John Paul Burney having won the first motorcycle race on 19th July 1904, over a 200-mile course from Belfast to Derry/ Londonderry and back to Glengormley riding a 3.5 hp Royal Enfield. In July 2024, Joan and JP Burney’s great granddaughter, Julie Horne (a Royal Enfield rider) are organising a recreation of the race-route to be held on 20 – 21 July 2024.
The 2-day celebratory ride starts from Donegal Street, Belfast, at 9.15am on Saturday 20th and at 9.30am from the Drummond Hotel, Limavady, on Sunday 21st with an 11.30am stop at Royal Enfield dealers, GS Motorcycles, Ballymena, who are holding an open day.
There are still places available on the 120th anniversary recreation event, and further details can be obtained from Joan Crawford at [email protected]
Check out our video on JP Burney’s July 1904 road race:
+++
Each week we love to bring you our Irish transport stories. Please show your support by sponsoring our work via www.irelandmade.ie
+++
Sources of Information and Photo Credits:
Belfast Telegraph
Moped Archive
The Bond Owners Club (Minibyke)
If you have a story to share, please email Kevin Reid [email protected]
