Killer Steerforth's involvement with the BMW "Boxer"

Captain Eric "Killer" Steerforth MC's military career is well documented. From his heroic episodes in the trenches of Flanders, to his field promotion to Captain at Paschandaele and his rapid progression to a staff posting in Scotland following an unfortunate incident with a young bullfighter at Arras, his military pedigree was beyond reproach.

Steerforth served, as we know, in the King's Lincolnshire Fusiliers (KLF) and, although he didn't appreciate it at the time, the regular exercising of his platoon in swimwear with bucket and spade on the dunes south of Grimsby proved to be invaluable training for the trench warfare of northern Europe that was to come.

Steerforth's Regiment was a progressive one - just as well since they were billeted close to what was, at the time, the unofficial capital of gender dyshphoria in the UK in the shape of the port of Grimsby. A small request halt stood at the foot of camp and KLF riflemen would take pride in finishing duty on Friday afternoons to catch the "last train to trans-central". The men made as much of the opportunity as they could before being despatched to the low countries to fight the Hun, their distinctive battle-cry of "Uh-huh, Uh-huh!" carrying across the battlefield.

It was during his time in Scotland that Steerforth's renowned skill in the boxing ring came to the fore. He would regularly spar against foes more used to tossing cabers than punching Englishmen and would often overwhelm his rivals by deploying a quick uppercut while they attempted, invariably unsuccessfully, to drop a telegraph pole on his head.

It was at this time that Steerforth developed his renowned skill on two wheels and his appointment in 1924 as Chief Test Rider at Hurley Pugh in Scunthorpe temporarily allayed his passion for boxing. Steerforth was always on the lookout for a new challenge though and, being an accomplished horseman, he set about attempting to replicate his favourite equestrian activities on his beloved Manxman Excalibur Clubman.

Unfortunately things didn't go well for Steerforth in his endeavour to introduce his motorcycle to the sporting field. He was banned by the Heythrop after flattening the Master attempting a hunt jump using a scaffolding plank resting on half a dozen young hunt supporters and a bemused saboteur. He was further excluded by the Hurlingham Polo Association after his machine's total loss lubrication system rendered a Windsor pitch unplayable and 59 prime Argentinian ponies lame.

In his quest for a new challenge, Steerforth came to consider replicating equine jousting on motorcycles. The one-hit nature of the sport soon led to his interest waning though and he yearned for a more sustained and epic battle. It came to him in a flash - motorcycle boxing!

Steerforth had a "ring" built at the Scunthorp Fettling Sheds and recruited some of the younger fitters to practise with. The ring was 30 yards round and the riders were equipped with oversize boxing gloves such that they could aim blows at their opponent's head as they rode in random patterns around the ring. Having established the concept, Steerforth hungered for competition, and with relations between Great Britain and Germany having mellowed, Steerforth invited a works team from the Bayerische Motoren Werke for some sparring.

The Germans brought a couple of machines with them and, under the watchful gaze of their chief engineer Max Frotz, their lightweight fore-and-aft twin was first to take to the ring, with Herr Helmut "Grossenwurst" Schmidt at the controls. Schmidt wore one boxing glove so as to keep control with the friction throttle of his lightweight machine, and its agility served him well putting him several points up well into the bout. Sadly for him, the extreme manoeuvring and lack of air at speed to cool the engine led to his machine seizing and his ultimate disqualification.

Steerforth, in contrast, had commissioned a bike especially for the day and so The Manxman Excalibur Clubman Pugilist model was born. It was fitted with a triangular tiller astride the tank such that the rider could steer the bike with their knees, and a clench-buttock throttle concealed in the saddle. This enabled total handsfree control and allowed the rider to wear two, in Steerforth's case weighted, boxing gloves.

In response to the embarrassing defeat of the first bout, the Germans deployed Frotz's new R32 machine which featured a transverse mounted flat twin. The new design was much better at keeping the engine cool and, while Steerforth gained an early advantage with his use of both fists to bring his adversary to heel, the agility and reliability of the German machine allowed more accurate blows to be landed and it soon prevailed, Steerforth continually suffering from over-clenching in the face of adversity resulting in regular loss of control and his flying out of the ring into the crowd, resulting in several fatalities.

The triumphant result led to the BMW returning in glory to Bavaria, and in honour of their feat the new engine design was christened the "boxer".

The rest, as they say, is history.