Manchester 17 Motorcycle Club Ltd
About
Manchester 17.
Founded in 1935, Manchester 17 brings together people who compete in, organise and support motorcycle sport — from club trials and national events to enduro, legal trail riding and the wider motorcycling community.
Who we are
A club built around motorcycle sport
Manchester 17 is affiliated to the Auto-Cycle Union and is both a company limited by guarantee and a Community Amateur Sports Club registered with HMRC.
Manchester 17 was founded in 1935 and today has a membership generally exceeding 200 people. Members are involved in competing, organising and helping at motorcycle trials and enduro events, riding legal rights of way, road riding and supporting motorcycle sport more widely.
The club became a company limited by guarantee to protect members and club activities. It later adopted a constitution allowing it to operate as a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC), registered with HMRC under reference CH13051.
The registered company is The Manchester '17' Motorcycle Club Limited, company number 05983737.
Manchester 17 at a glance
- Founded in 1935.
- Affiliated to the Auto-Cycle Union.
- Company limited by guarantee.
- Community Amateur Sports Club.
- Trials, enduro and legal trail riding.
- Club-owned land protected for motorcycle sport.
- Support for other clubs and sporting motorcycling.
What we do
Riding, organising & supporting
The club's activities have always gone beyond one discipline. Manchester 17 organises major competitions, beginner-friendly events and supports legal access and the future of motorcycle sport.
From Dead Easy to Nationals
Manchester 17 runs trials across a wide range of difficulty, including Dead Easy events, the Wobblers Trial and major road and national events such as the Dave Rowland Trophy Trial and Northern Experts.
Manchester 17 Trials →Fast events & introductions
The club organises enduro, including the Brinks and introductory-style events designed to give riders a route into the discipline.
Manchester 17 Enduro →Legal trail riding
Members ride legal motorised rights of way and the club takes an active interest in protecting lawful countryside access for motorcyclists.
Trail riding & rights of way →Protecting venues
The club owns certain land used for trials and aims to safeguard it for sporting motorcycling into the future. It also provides assets and advice to help secure motorcycle-sport land.
Practice & venue guidance →Helping other clubs
Manchester 17 members regularly support other clubs' events and share experience, equipment and organisational help where requested.
Contact Manchester 17 →Social & club events
The club's history includes annual dinners, ride-outs, rallies, barbecues, charity events and other social activities alongside competition.
History & Heritage →How we run the club
Members, committees & organisers
The main committee handles the club's legal and overall responsibilities, while sporting groups organise the events themselves.
Main Committee
The main committee is responsible for the club's overall management and legal responsibilities, including finance, membership, assets, rights of way, social matters and relationships with other organisations.
It is reconstituted through the club's annual general meeting, and members are able to participate in the governance of the company in accordance with its constitution.
Read about the constitution →Sporting Committees
The club's trials and enduro organisers plan and deliver events, with additional small groups forming around particular events when useful.
Manchester 17's current Trials page publishes forthcoming trials and committee meeting information.
Trials information & meetings →Our formation
Why “Manchester 17”?
The name has been part of the club since its beginning in 1935.
Eric Cave's advert
A group of motorcycle enthusiasts responded to an advert placed by Eric Cave in the window of a café in Chorlton.
The first meeting
The group met and decided to form a motorcycle club.
The name
After discussion about what to call the club, somebody suggested counting the people present. There were seventeen.
Runs & Christmas dinner
The club log records early rides to trials, the Cat & Fiddle, Rainow and the first Christmas dinner — complete with winter motorcycles and sledging.
Our identity
The Manchester 17 badge
The familiar shape can be traced back to the club's earliest years and has developed into the registered club trademark used today.
A design with roots in the 1930s
The classic badge shape is an inverted, truncated triangle carrying a stylised 17. Two horizontal bars carry the words Manchester and M.C.C., with sets of four-bar wings completing the design.
The club's existing account credits the form used around 1970 to Melvin Cranmer, produced for the Manx GP helicopter fund sticker, with later refinement by Rick Stewart.
Manchester 17 owns the badge and controls its use. Permission to use the trademark can be requested from the club.
Member information
Privacy & ACU affiliation
The club's current policy explains how membership information is used in connection with ACU affiliation.
What happens to membership data?
When you join or renew Manchester 17 MCC Ltd membership, you are registered as an affiliated member of the ACU. The club supplies the information needed by the ACU so that your affiliated membership and online access can be administered.
Manchester 17's published policy states that it does not otherwise share members' personal data and that its website does not use tracking cookies.
For information about how the ACU handles personal data, see the ACU website and privacy information →
Find out more
Manchester 17 information
Membership, history, governance and contact information.
Want to be part of it?
Join Manchester 17.
Whether you ride trials, enduro, legal trails, road bikes or simply want to help motorcycle sport continue, Manchester 17 membership keeps you connected with the club and its events.
Join or renew membership →