Last rideout for pioneering biker

Len's son Peter said motorbikes were his life

Hundreds of motorbike enthusiasts paid their last respects to one of the earlist pioneers of the British motorcycle industry.

Len Vale Onslow, from Hallow, near Worcestershire, died last month at the age of 103.

He started building bikes at his family-run motorbike shop Vale-Onslow in Sparkbrook in 1926.

In 1995, he was made an MBE in the New Year Honours for lifelong services to the motorcycling world.

Enthusiasts assembled at his shop in Birmingham

Mr Onslow only stopped working on bikes 18 months ago.

He died after a short bout of pneumonia, just days before his 104th birthday.

During his career, he has won more than 400 trophies at rallies, speed trials and race meetings.

His sons and daughter - aged in their 60s and early 70s - plan to carry on running the family shop in memory of their father who died on 23 April.

Enthusiasts assembled at his shop, on Stratford Road, at 1200 BST on Friday, and rode to St Agatha Church, Sparkbrook.

After a service at the nearby Robin Hood crematorium guests gathered at the National Motorcycle Museum.