Charles Joseph Pearson (though ‘Pownall’ has also been suggested) Dodson was born December 6, 1901, youngest of four boys, in Didsbury, near Manchester, son of a successful barrister, who died when Charlie was just five years old.
Schooled until the age of 17, he was then apprenticed to Royal Ruby at Altrincham – he’d cycle the seven miles there and same back, daily. Always an advocate of personal training and fitness, some attributed his determination to succeed to his height; it’s reckoned he was but 4ft 11in (though other sources have him at 5ft 3in) and a couple of pounds under nine stone.
Dodson started competing on a specially-built – largely by himself – Royal Ruby, finding some success in local sprints, before his employer folded and Charlie swapped to a 350cc Sunbeam – but not just any old Sunbeam, but one which had previously been campaigned by experienced old hand Pa Cowley, while Charlie’s mother also bought the young racer (who was starting to show real promise) a brand-new 492cc Longstroke Sunbeam.
Denne historien er fra February 2021-utgaven av The Classic MotorCycle.
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Denne historien er fra February 2021-utgaven av The Classic MotorCycle.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Runs should be fun
The club run is an integral part of the old motorcycle scene. During 2020, a variation on the usual theme emerged, enabling people to ride in the company of like-minded souls.
Hybrid chicken
BSA Bantams come in many forms, and the ability to interchange parts between different models permits an almost endless number of variants.
Green WITH ENVY
Life aboard a 1950s 350cc British single is perhaps as good and as uncomplicated as it can get.
Worth the wait
Captivated by sight of one as a small boy, finally our man has the chance to try an NSU Max.And a ‘Spezial’ one at that…
The Motorcycle: DESIGN, ART AND DESIRE
The concluding part of a two-part feature, in which the history of motorcycle evolution is examined and a new book’s author interviewed.
Cream rises
There were several ‘star performers’ at Bonhams’ winter sale, as the choice machines achieved huge sums.
The Giant of Provence
With so few events to report from, it’s time to look back over a spectacular French event and look forward to its hopeful resumption.
Store cupboard special
A big box of presents? Must be Christmas! More deliveries keep the project on track.
By 1929, CJP Dodson was a bona fide top level road racer, pretty much unbeatable on the sand, too.
The diminutive Charlie Dodson was the last man to win a TT, the 1928 Senior, on a ‘flat-tank’ machine, then the next year became the first (and only) winner of a TT on a saddle tank Sunbeam, as well as recording the last ever success in the Island for the Marston maker.
Cassandra the Canadian Commando
After landing a new job and with time on his hands, a young man in Vancouver decided to restore a British motorcycle considerably older than him.
