Old Bike Australasia # 51

Legends on and off the track It’s one thing to be a gifted motorcycle racer – to possess that certain innate talent that lifts one rider above the rest. It’s another to remain unaffected by that gift when not behind the handlebars, and to conduct oneself with dignity and a certain degree of modesty. In retirement, some former ‘stars’ can be a little painful, particularly when embarking on the post-career celebrity circuit, but such is most assuredly not the case of three-times world champion Freddie Spencer, who was this year’s special guest at the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed held in March at Sydney Motorsport Park. The affable Freddie was never seen without a broad and genuine smile on his face, answered thousands of questions from media and fans alike,…

20/20 racing? It’s been interesting to absorb the feedback coming out of the Lakeside Nationals. Such a great event that it was – this seems to encourage people to make it even better next time with some good observations and suggestions that can hopefully be implemented. The question I came away with after four days was – why are the races so short? Three or four lap “sprints”, 10 minute practice sessions, repeated four or five times a day (no wonder the organisers are run off their feet). This seems to be a “modern” phenomenon that has crept into “historic“ racing (sort of like 20/20 cricket on wheels). Do competitors want this format? Would one 30 minute race be unpopular? Races used to be long – let’s make them long…

Recently I was a spectator at the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed at Eastern Creek. As it happened on the Friday I was in the Garage Coffee Shop when an accident occurred involving one sidecar at turn one. It looked pretty devastating at the time and the people in the coffee shop were clearly concerned for the driver of the sidecar and his passenger. I watched on as the passenger was attended to, his leathers cut off and then he was given an IV drip – I was very concerned. However, I did notice that he could move all his limbs, bend his legs and could roll onto his side and back again. His head was held at all times by a person no doubt concerned for any spinal injuries.…

Indian tin ware Recently I got to hear about a fellow up north making tin ware for Indian motorcycles. So the next time I was in Queensland I arranged to have a meeting and find out more about him. I visited Terry Kay, a native of Gympie and a retired panel beater. Obviously with this type of background in the motor trade one of his skills was that of metal fabrication. He tells me that in his time in the trade it was not uncommon to have to make from start to finish door sills and other components that were not readily available. He was an active push bike racer and later had a short stint trying to race a 350 twin Jawa on dirt tracks, before he switched to…

Sydney’s St. George Motor Cycle Club notches up its 100th anniversary this year, and to celebrate this very special occasion, the club is holding a Gala Dinner on Saturday 11th July. Venue is the Novotel, Brighton le Sands, from 6.30pm to 11.30pm. Tickets are limited to 350 and are available at $85 each, which includes dinner and soft drinks plus an anniversary momento. St. George MCC has a long and proud history of race promotion stretching back many decades and encompassing virtually every form of the sport. The club is seeking historical information, photos and other memorabilia and these items, along with bookings can be addressed to the Secretary, St.George MCC PO Box 249 Caringbah NSW 1495. Email secretary@stgeorgemcc.com or see web site www.stgeorgemcc.com…

Held for the past two years at the Manukau Events centre near Auckland Airport, the very popular Classic and Custom Bike Show moves to the larger and more central ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane, just south of Auckland CBD. The show will be held on the weekend of 15/16 August, 2015 and will continue to stage the Classic Bike of the Year Awards with categories from Vintage to Post Classic across British, American, European and Japanese marques. Star Insurance continues as the show’s major sponsor and will be on-site to assist with quotes and queries on all forms of motorcycle insurance. A special display will feature “100 Years of Indian”. The show is a charity fund raising event and is managed by the Papakura Rotary Club. For information contact Colin Macdonald…