The Sunbeam S7D (for De Luxe) was described and defined as ‘The Gentleman’s Motorcycle’. And this one lived in a context which ticked all the boxes.
In a venerable village at the base of the Downs, at the end of a drive hundreds of yards long, lies a very nice house in several well-tended, tree-fringed acres, surrounded by a multitude of barns and stables. In one of them there is a well-patinated soft-top Morris Minor.
Like the house, the Minor belongs to the Sunbeam owner’s partner, Tina, a game girl who when we first met at our local show, had just carried two folding chairs for several miles while riding on the S7’s pillion pad. The owner, David Tilton and his late wife had both grown up in Leicester and later they returned there. But after his wife had sadly passed away some years ago, David finally had moved south to be with Tina. “I’m not complaining,” he said, gesturing around.
To the Manor Born
The Mist Green S7D with its elegantly curvaceous lines looked right at home on the gravel drive. David had bought it five years ago. It was a somewhat unusual choice, given his former profession; he had been a fighter pilot in the RAF, on the Tornado GR1, the ground attack version. So, an officer and a gentleman.
A previous British bike had been a 1960s BSA A65 Thunderbolt. “I like the Sunbeam’s quirkiness,” said David. “I’ve also got a Cyclemaster,” the 1950’s 30cc clip-on two-stroke. “A friend took me down to Pendine Sands when they were racing them! With the S7, I’ve probably only ever seen 50mph. I ride it into the market town now and then, to get the Sunday papers. Or up onto the Berkshire Downs with Tina, we take a drink, park up and watch the sunset…”
If that all sounds a bit sedate for a former skydiver, it should be said that David had just returned from the MC Piston rally in
