Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 45 Winter 2017 i Classic Dirt Bike

Organisers Andrew Johnstone and John McCrink are pleased to announce that the ninth Moidart Peninsula Classic Motorcycle Road Run will take place on Thursday, May 3, 2018. Open to motorcycles made up until 1979, each year an increasing number of genuine enthusiasts on an amazing variety of classic and vintage machinery make the pilgrimage to the Scottish Highlands for the event. Last year saw entrants from the UK, Europe and the USA. Guest of honour for 2018 will be Sixties trials ace Mick Dismore, a veteran of the SSDT and a fully supported works rider for James from 1959-1964. At 85 he is still a regular visitor to the ‘Scottish’ and is looking forward to a run round the peninsula on his vintage Honda. Starting and finishing at Kinlochleven, The…

If the atmosphere at the official team launch of the UK’s 1966 ISDT bid was anything to go by then yes, our teams could possibly win this prestigious event. Hopes were high for a successful trip to Sweden where the ISDT was to be held that year, and the not-so-surprising news for those assembled at the Casa Blanca Motel, Fenny Drayton, Warwickshire in early August 1966 was the machinery supplied to the teams. AJS had provided its men with traditional machines, superbly prepared; Greeves the same, though Jim Sandiford’s bike nipped up on the speed test when closing the throttle at the end of the MIRA straight starved the engine of lubrication for a few seconds but in reality all eyes were on the Triumph and BSA machines. Mindful of…

The ClassicDirtBike Experience Since the launch of Classic Dirt Bike 11 years ago – yes that’s right, 11 years, or 45 issues if you prefer – interest in all things dirt biking at both the Classic MotorCycle Show and the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show at Stafford has grown immensely. Probably the bravest move came when live action in the form of a trials riding demo was sanctioned. In all seriousness, the health and safety requirements to do this are interesting to say the least but the reaction to motorcycles moving around was incredible and once sidecars were introduced too… So, thanks to the Owd Codgers and friends for putting on a demo at the show for us. This year the commentary was handled by Wayne Kershaw who also demonstrated he’d…

PART TWO In October, 1969, with Schoolboy Scrambling still in its infancy, the first British Schoolboy Championships were run by the Schoolboy Motor Cycle Association at Horley, near Banbury, catering for Juniors, Intermediates, and Seniors. Interest in this branch of the sport was increasing at that time and there is a Pathé News film of the event you might want to check out on YouTube. Competitors came from pioneering clubs such as Reading, Ringwood, Corsham and Horsham and the winners on the day were a certain Dave Thorpe, Rene Stubbs and John Seward. The race footage ends with Seward confidently wheelieing to the chequered flag but what stood out most for me was the image of the three champs displaying their trophies. Seward looks very self-conscious, Stubbs happy with his…

There’s a place within Mortons’ head office that ought to have a health and safety warning. No, it’s not the press hall with all the printing machinery – though it does have such notices in all required places – nor is it the warehouse, though it too has the required safety information. The place I’m referring to is a seemingly innocuous room just across from the editorial desks. It is a place where time is recorded by image, a place where such information depicting more than a 100 years of motorcycling lies ready to ensnare the unwary… yes, I’m talking about Mortons Archive. Now there’s not an issue of Classic Dirt Bike that doesn’t contain some form of classic image from the various elements that make up the archive, and…

While the headlines screamed about Malcolm Rathmell’s cast iron nerve as he wiped the floor with the opposition during the British round of the 1977 world trials championship, a lot of the focus was on Mick Andrews’ cantilever Yamaha. As the world trials stars battled their way round a 53 section course in the Elan Valley, Wales in February, they were treated to the future of suspension though they may not have known it. While the majority of the entry were using traditional twinshock machinery, Mick Andrews was out on his super trick 400cc cantilever trials bike. By Mick’s own admission the Japanese factory were experimenting with all sorts of things at that time. Capacity was up and down, gears were being altered, suspension went from standard to cantilever and…

The awards presentation for the Toughsheet National Twinshock MX Championships took place recently at the Moat House Hotel, Stoke, where all the silverware from a successful seven-round series was handed out. More than 150 riders, family and friends attended the evening, and the ones blessed with hair (not many), were able to let it down, and dance the night away. Rob Kinsey was inducted into the Twinshock Hall of Fame, for services to the sport, after 10 years doing the commentaries, but was unfortunately absent after being rushed into hospital the day before. He is now recovering and we wish him well. Peterlee’s Barry Turnbull is the new Wulfsport National Twinshock Champion, and will carry the number one plate in 2018. Thanks went to the Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire Twinshock…

Let’s get it out there at the start, this show is a modern show with no real concession to the classic, twinshock and Evo scene which makes up the bulk of this magazine. That said, there was enough of ‘our’ type of motorcycling to create some interest for the editor. Naturally the Toughsheet Twinshock series stand was overflowing with bikes and people, the 125 Evo series stand too had stuff on there which caused us to stop and chat a bit. Amid the glitz and glamour of the new stuff in the main hall at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, there were things like the tyre guys, with all of the latest rubberware to deal with all sorts of enduro and MX terrain. Michelin had arranged a test of its new…

As the chimes of Big Ben heralded the end of the Swinging Sixties and the dawn of what would be partially referred to as the decade style forgot, there were changes afoot – or possibly ‘awheel’ in the international enduro scene. Hitherto in order to qualify for the trophy contest, teams had to be mounted on machinery manufactured in their home country. The vase teams, plus club, military and individuals, could ride whatever motorcycle they liked. For 1970 the restriction was lifted for the trophy teams, largely at the request of the American teams it has to be said. You see, off-road sport was quite the big thing in the USA and liable to be a big money spinner. So, despite the fact there was no actual need to ride…

1 In the frame Need a new frame for your tired old MXer? Or perhaps you’re putting something together from scratch and assembling selected goodies to make a stunning bike? If so there’s a good chance you’re going to need a frame of some description and on display at Farleigh Castle during the Vets was this BZS frame from Holland. Chatting to the lads CDB learnt they build all the frames in their workshop in Holland and there’s not just this C and J replica for XT500 motors on offer… it just happens to be the one they brought. All tubing is chrome molybdenum steel and welded using TIG or MIG process with wire if the same composition as the tube. The construction process is checked at every stage to…

There were jubilant scenes at this year’s Vets MXdN at Farleigh Castle as the home teams scored sensational victories in both Twinshock and EVOdes Nations classes. Strong performances from each squad with all four membersclaiming overall positions inside the top eight ensured both teams came home with the silverware, despite some tough opposition and some extremely challenging conditions on daytwo following heavy overnight rain. First up was the twinshock class, and there wascruel luck in store for team Husqvarna International squad. Americans MikeBrown and Jeff Emig who were fastest in practice both suffered mechanical issues with their Swedish machines ruining any possibility of an overall victory. Ex GP runner Mervyn Anstie and fellow Brit Ross Sturmey both riding two-stroke Husqva ma’s completed the squad. Anstie finishing as top scorer for…

There is a fascination with massive non-unit construction fourstroke MX machines which goes beyond any real reasoning. I am unashamedly a fan of these often brutal looking motorcycles even though I’m way too young to have seen them raced in their heyday. By the time this Hedlund was created the day of the dinosaur in MX was long gone in top flight GP racing as even BSA had pushed the Goldie to the comp shop basement and their man Jeff Smith was flashing round the scrambles circuits of the world on an ever lighter Beezer evolved from the company’s B40. As pounds were shed and cubes added, Jeff looked to be having it all his own way… but perhaps no one told Nils Hedlund and Rolf Tibblin that smaller and…

Turning up at the start of a trial with something new always creates a bit of interest. Blyth motorcycle dealer and trials rider, John Charlton, did just that when he arrived at the start of Castleside Trials Club’s round of CDB’s Northern British Trials Championship with a Drayton Triumph Twin instead of his usual C15. Even better for this debut he went clean all day and topped his class. Okay, he’s a handy rider but still to go clean first time out on an untried bike is some feat, it helps that Drayton has a good reputation and as well as the Pre-65 Scottish winner riding one this year there was also the top two places in the Manx two-day going to Drayton bikes. So, we got hold of John…

If anyone had said to me in the Seventies “what you need son is a 125…” I’d have laughed them out of the place, I knew what I needed, it was the red and black Model 199 325 Bultaco Sherpa, because that’s what ‘Vesty’ and the Lampkins were riding and winning on, or so it appeared. The thing is with the best will in the world I’m not a ‘Vesterinen’ or a ‘Lampkin’ nor I suspect are a great many other riders, but the bigger bikes were doing the winning and that’s what we wanted. In some respects this has always been the case in the competition world and despite a smaller capacity machine being available the rider would always convince themselves the bigger one would be better. The evidence…

Reaching the bottom of Callart Pass in the Pre-65 Scottish 2017 – it’s a good old slog up from Callart Cottage to the viewpoint at the top where I’m not the only one to stop and er… take in the view shall we say before attempting the drop down to Loch Leven – I was fishing for the gear lever when it eventually dawned the thing was missing. Luckily for me I was in third and able to ride along to Kinlochleven, buy another lever (thanks Albert) and head back to finish the sections. What happened to the lever? I know it was tight enough on the bolt – a quick check is part of the pre-event prep. But it had still dropped off, a closer inspection post-trial showed the…

In June this year a scrambling pal, Barry Townend from Shrewsbury, suggested that I should join him and a lad called Paul in a three-man team to take part in the Chester Classic Club’s popular 100 Mile Team Scramble at a place called Ruabon near Wrexham in North Wales. He assured me the really well organised, laid-back event would be great fun and I would really enjoy myself. Being the joker he is, I’m sometimes inclined to take what Barry says with a pinch of salt, however, on this occasion he was absolutely right on all counts and the ‘100 miler’ proved to be one of the most enjoyable day’s scrambling I’ve ever experienced. The weather was good, the track well laid out, the organisation excellent and everybody was most…

There’s no doubt the track action was superb despite overnight rain turning parts of the track and paddock into a quagmire, leaving riders dropping bikes left, right and centre as the clay mud filled tyre knobbles up to the point where they resembled race slicks. However, while Nick Haskell took in the best of racing and kept telling me I should have been at the circuit on Saturday when it was in prime condition, I took myself off and wandered round the paddock to see what was going on. The simple answer is there was a lot going on, sometimes it was going on frantically as teams scraped mud off bikes before attempting some much-needed maintenance and other teams – who had clearly not yet been out in their first…

Reed or disc There are many different types of engine under the Rotax banner but for our SWM features these will be restricted to two basic types and differentiated by induction method. Smaller models of Rotax two stroke – those around 250cc tend to be disc valve models, that is the carburettor feeds directly into the crankcase and instead of the piston opening and closing the ports a spinning disc allows the fuel into the crankcase. For the bigger engines such as the 370 and 440 the induction is via a reed valve. When Michael Simmons talked to Philippe about a big MXer the suggestion Philippe came back with was ‘why not an SWM 440 TF4MC?’ and with Michael’s MX background featuring KX500s, CR500s and YZ465s the idea of a…