Innholdsfortegnelse for # 51 i Old Bike Australasia

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,…

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…

Twice World 500cc Champion, American Honda works rider Freddie Spencer visited Bathurst on March 20 and announced his support for the proposed second circuit. “Although I have never been here, I am a bit of a history buff so I know about it (Mount Panorama)”, he said. “You can feel the history here. When they are looking at developing a second track, it is important to keep the history very much a part of it. It is that history that will pull people to it.” Spencer was accompanied by former Team Kawasaki Australia rider Murray Sayle and the publicity officer for the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed, Peter MacMillan. He said that Bathurst Mayor Gary Rush’s dream of one day hosting a round of MotoGP or World Superbike at the…

One of the familiar faces of the Sydney motor cycle trade in the ‘fifties, RON BLACK, passed away on 19th January. Ron worked for many of the big retailers over a long period of time, including Eric Moore and Hazell & Moore, and was also a keen competitor in scrambles, short circuit and road racing. Eric Moore was the NSW distributor for Lambretta, and it was this connection that led him to purchase one of the two works Lambretta racing scooters that were originally brought to Australia by ‘Big Sam’ Jamieson. After leaving the motorcycle trade Ron worked at Boyded Motors at Auburn. I worked on most of Ron’s bikes and in the ‘sixties we travelled throughout NSW to race meetings. In later years we played squash on a regular…

But six months before its launch at the Earl’s Court Motor Show, he was acrimoniously dismissed for having the temerity to question the business logic of their budgetary arrangements; which allocated 90% to the Race Department and just 10% to the Production Department. Then as now, race wins translate to motorcycle sales; but just four years later, a near bankrupt Norton Motors was rescued by Associated Motorcycles Limited (AMC) and Norton’s Race Department (NRD) closed its doors for the very last time – no more Norton Works Teams and no more Norton Factory Racers. Subsequently, longtime Race Department Manager Joe Craig, retired and shortly thereafter a motor vehicle accident in Austria ushered decades of NRD secrets to the grave. What happened behind those doors in the intervening period has been…

The early sixties were a period of much upheaval in the British Motorcycle Industry. Those brands that had survived from the earlier boom times were finding it increasingly tough going against the might of the Japanese, and by the time the decade was out, many, if not most of these would be gone. The casualties included such illustrious names as Matchless, AJS, Velocette, Ariel, and in 1967, Royal Enfield. This latter company was perhaps the most venerated of all, harking back to 1892 when the first bicycles bearing the name ‘Enfield’ were produced. In the following year the Enfield Manufacturing Company Limited was registered; its business being to market the bicycles being made by the Eadie Manufacturing Company. In 1896 the New Enfield Cycle Company took over both operations. Within…

The ever-popular Annual Aussie Triples Rally takes place from 14-16 August at Silver Sands Park, Evans head on the NSW north coast. An evening ride is planned for Friday 14th, with long, marshalled rides on both days of the weekend. The event is supported by the Northern Rivers Classic Motorcycle Club, the Triumph Register of Australia, and Re-Engineered Concentrics, and is open to riders of pre-1976 British 3-cylinder motorcycles. For accommodation bookings at Silver Sands (02 66824212), be sure to mention the rally to receive special rates on everything from tent and van sites to Luxury cabins. For rally information, call 02 66834429 or email aussietriples@yahoo.com.au…

When Yamaha decided to take on the might of Harley-Davidson, BSA, Triumph and Norton on the US Flat Track scene in the early ‘seventies, it had the services of a talented youngster named Kenny Roberts to call upon. To be eligible under AMA rules, motorcycles had to be derived from genuine production models, and a minimum of 200 produced. To challenge the established players, more horsepower was needed from the XS1 twin, so Yamaha in USA set about producing a special 750 (actually 743cc). Whether 200 individual bikes were actually built is a subject of much conjecture. Some knowledgeable people say only around 50 were made, as the AMA inspection process never required 200 to be sighted at the same time. What is certain is that this is perhaps the…

The walk up Acland Street in Melbourne will reveal ‘The Vineyard Bar & Restaurant’ as a popular motorcycle stop. There is limited parking in Acland Street but bikes are allowed on footpaths in Melbourne. One interesting bike I noticed was a custom Shovelhead Harley, beautiful and clean in powder blue which is not a regular Harley colour. Badged Speedking Racing it was heavily customised, had hand change gear selection and a set of handlebars and grips which reminded me of ‘70s Go-Go bikes. Very nice small details all over the bike shows the fabricator’s talents and attention to detail. Half way along Acland Street, St. Kilda you will come across a couple of footpath-parked Vespas pointing down a side street to the Vespa Museum, which can be better described as…

Barry Sheene Festival of Speed • 20-22 March, 2015 – Sydney Motorsport Park, Eastern Creek NSW The racing was excellent as usual, but the Australian leg of the 2015 Barry Sheene Festival of Speed was more notable for a spate of accidents, intermittent showers, and endless delays to the program that saw races cancelled or shortened. The problems began as early as Friday when the Selke/Cornwall F2 Sidecar left the circuit and clouted the concrete wall at the end of the main straight. Proceedings ceased for more than one hour while medical staff attended, but remarkably, injuries to the pair were minor. Much of the glamour went out of the main Period 5 Unlimited class when Shawn Giles’ TBR Suzuki broke a conrod, putting Giles out for the meeting. Two…

Kersbrook Tiddlers Ride • 15 February 2015 – Kersbrook SA We had nearly heat wave riding weather with the temperature around 37c, but this didn’t stop the usual suspects and a few others venturing out for a ride. We arrived at Kersbrook in an orderly manner and by 9.30 we had about 20 bikes and riders present. Ian Hese gave a brief description of the run and when Ian mentioned we turn left at Cockatoo Valley and travel to Lyndoch, Pud Freeman quickly piped up and said we go past the ‘nudist colony’ on our right. He was quickly questioned why he knew so much about its location, only to reply ‘there is a sign there’. No Pud, there is nothing of the sort, just a high fence. It was…

Here, imported motorcycles (at least the larger capacity ones) are taxed unmercifully, so H-D has set up a manufacturing and assembly plant to produce its twin juggernauts into the local market, which also happen to be aimed at our learner market. The motorcycles in question are the Street 500 (now on sale in Australia) and the Street 750 (not coming here at this stage). So what’s it like? Well, it’s not like a Milwaukee Harley, although you can see a bit of V-Rod in there somewhere. All things considered though, it’s not a bad scoot, and clearly the aim is to get riders aboard the brand as early as possible, and develop the loyalty that leads to continued sales. For $9995 ride away, you get a liquid cooled SOHC V-twin…

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…

At the recent Penrite Broadford Bonanza, no fewer than 83 examples of the famous Metisse marque turned out in a tribute to the motorcycles created by the Rickman brothers. “I think we had at least one example of every Metisse ever built with the exception of the Bultaco Metisse, Velo Metisse and the one-off Fath-4 Metisse,” said organiser John Matthews. “I called Derek Rickman in England and he was amazed at the size of the display. There were Metisses out on the road circuit, scrambles, motocross and the dirt track. I want to personally thank everyone who brought these bikes along and contributed to an absolutely amazing spectacle. I know the spectators loved it – I was answering questions all weekend.”…

Yamaha’s outstanding MT-09 triple has been one of the sales success stories of recent times. Now the nofrills MT-09 has been totally revamped into a second model, the Tracer, which Yamaha calls, “the ultimate weekender”. With a dry weight of just 190kg and the high-torque 847cc triple cylinder DOHC MT-09 engine, the Tracer has an attractive power-to-weight ratio and is much lighter and less expensive than most other dedicated tourers. The Tracer also shares the HT-09 CF-aluminium die cast frame which is ultra slim and rigid, however the riding position is completely different for maximum comfort and long days in the saddle. Watch for a full test of the new Tracer in our next issue.…

The Kawasaki H2 triple has a reputation as a mighty quick motorcycle – from an era where there were lots of mighty quick motorcycles. It also had a reputation for being a bit of a beast, particularly when ridden hard, which most of them were. In standard trim, the H2 could develop a mind of its own occasionally, but few road-going motorcycles delivered such an explosive torrent of power, such an adrenalin-pumping rush, as the big air-cooled triple. Warren’s H2 was completely standard apart from a twin-disc front end, and unlike much of the field, ran on petrol. For the 1972 Castrol Six Hour Race at Amaroo Park, Adams & Sons decided to enter the new H2 with riders Dave Burgess and New Zealander Mike Steele – one of three…

And the grand daddy of these was the Milano-Taranto which was first run in 1911 to celebrate 50 years since the unification of Italy. The basic event ran irregularly and with various routes until 1937, when a 1283 kilometre run was formalised to become an annual event. The route began in the country’s far north and ended way down south on the ‘instep of the heel’ overlooking the Ionian Sea. The only requirement to compete was a valid motorcycle rider’s licence and a motorcycle, but success in the event was enormously prized by the factories and vigorously contested. The Italian factories fell over themselves to achieve victory in the race, forming well organised teams and using the very latest racers, such as the Moto Guzzi 500cc twin ridden by Gugliemo…

Bill Glaser, the man behind the ambitious Amaroo Park motor sport complex in the now-plush Hills District north western Sydney, had three venues running within the complex as Christmas 1963 approached. The first to open was the rocky and rugged scrambles track in early 1962 – a wheel-wrecking course hacked out of the sandstone walls lining the valley through which ran Cattai Creek. It was a short-lived venture as patronage rapidly dropped off among riders who preferred the much less punishing Moorebank track. Further up the ridge was venue number two; the tar-sealed tree and boulder lined hill climb, which is now buried underneath Everett Place, Annangrove. Just south of the hill climb, the bulldozers were hard at work during 1963 constructing a dirt surface Short Circuit track of about…

Sally-Anne Fowles is currently writing a book concerning women in motorcycling, called Women Ride – Documenting the journey of Australian Women Motorcyclists. She is seeking any information and images, stories and images of women motorcyclists of all eras and on all makes of motorcycles, and particularly of N.E.S women dispatch riders (WW2). If you can help, contact Sally-Anne Fowles 0437060801 or email sally@womenride.com.au…

On July 18-19, the 32nd annual All Bike Show will be held in Mackay, Queensland in an old warehouse on the Pioneer River. Organisers expect more than 120 bikes in 15 categories, including Luck Kaiser’s latest creation. Doors open at midday on Saturday and concludes the following day with a trophy presentation at 2pm. For more information contact Dale Kennedy on 0418 185974 or Bob Inkson on 0418 728273.…

Power from the sun Most classic bikes don’t get ridden every day, and if they use a battery ignition, than means keeping the battery charged and in good condition is a top priority. Sydney man Chris Zoch has come up with a practical solution to the problem, using solar, not mains power. His control unit has four independent outputs for trickle charging of batteries, powered by a single solar panel. Each output can be selected to 6 or 12V and it is suitable for both negative and positive earth bikes. The package includes a fused harness with non-reversible plug for permanent fitting to the motorcycle. Supplied also are 4 x 4m cables to facilitate quick connection of the charger to the bike. The control unit takes the feed from the…

Still, the Spagforth works had stockpiled vast quantities of motorcycles powered by this beastly concoction, and the board of directors maintained that the best way to reduce the inventory was to flog them in markets where their notoriety and infamy had not yet reached. This was no simple task, as the Strontium range had been the subject of more jokes and jibes than the entire Irish nation. Coincidentally, Sir Carruthers Spagforth himself had interests in Mindanao, where he grew spaghetti and macaroni trees, which thrived in the lush tropical climate. When his close friend, the Sultan of Maguindanao, expressed a desire to stage a major motorcycle race on the island, Sir Carruthers seized the opportunity and dispatched works rider Edgar Jessop, mechanic Peter Prong, and a specially prepared Spagforth Strontium…

In front of an excited gallery, the brand new Vee Two Ritorno (“Return or Comeback”) engine was started for the first time in public on Easter Saturday at the Penrite Broadford Bonanza. The new engine, which goes into limited production in May, fired up at 1pm and again the following day. “This is a culmination of much work and a considerable financial investment,” said Vee Two general manager Andrew Cathcart. “We chose the Ritorno name because this really is the return of one of the most famous engines in history – the engine that powered the Ducati ridden by Mike Hailwood to win the 1978 Isle of Man Formula 1 TT. And although the Ritorno follows that design closely, it also incorporates the latest materials and redesigned combustion chamber and…

AFTER THE SUCCESS of the 2014 event, organisers of this year’s All Italian day are already well advanced with preparations for a feast of Italian engineering and food. To be held at the historic Tomago House at Tomago in the NSW Hunter Valley on 11th October, 2015, the day is open to all Italian motorcycles, scooters and cars. All proceeds go to the National Trust for the maintenance of the house, which dates back to the 1840s. For more details contact 0400 635064 or email Graeme.studdert@tpg.com.au…

In the days prior to the advent of the World Superbike Championship, seven-fifties were by and large touring based models, while the big-bore Production class was fought out by the one-litre machines. With lessons learned from their successful RG250 Gamma – a boys’ racer that became the dominant force in the ferocious 250 Production class – the new 750 was designed with the twin performance parameters foremost – the lightest possible weight and substantial power. In fact, the new 750 was preceded by the GSX-R400, released in Japan only in March 1984. Looking every inch the race-replica it was, the 400 used an all-aluminium frame and borrowed heavily from the specification of the Yoshimura TT racers, tipping the scales at 152 kg – substantially lighter than its rivals in the…

With a wad of cash in his pocket, McAlpine arrived at the Gilera factory at Arcore and pleaded his case as to why he should be permitted to purchase a racing ‘four’, based on his racing successes in Australia and to a lesser extent, his Italian heritage. Gilera however, were completely unmoved by either McAlpine’s cash or commitment, but were sufficiently impressed by his audacity that they agreed to sell him a single cylinder Sanremo Saturno racer. There was no time to argue. The TT was just months away and all the production Nortons were already spoken for, so Tony left with a receipt and went back to England, to await the arrival of his motorcycle. McAlpine’s Gilera Sanremo arrived on the Isle of Man by ship from Genoa only…

What makes Goodwood unique is that the venue itself is as historic as the vehicles competing, and is presented in its finest light. From the glistening white picket fences and replicas of the original grandstands that graced the 3.8 km track in its heyday from 1948-1966, the planter boxes full of colourful blooms, authentic signage and flags and numerous souvenir stalls, shops, cafes and other outlets dressed in period, this is a sight to be savoured. To maintain the authentic integrity, no modern vehicles are permitted within the circuit for the entire meeting. Add seventy thousand fans, the vast majority wearing the fashions of the ‘fifties and ‘sixties, or military uniform to signify the venue’s original purpose when it was known as R.A.F. Westhampnett, and you have an atmosphere that,…

This photo was amongst a batch of fine shots taken by Stan Sheppard at Bathurst in 1962. At first glance it’s just another outfit drifting through Hell Corner, but on closer inspection all is not as it seems. It appears the bottom end of the Triumph engine has been reversed, putting the primary drive and clutch on the right hand side. Why? And either the rider, listed as R. Hibbert in the program, has no right leg, or he has clambered into the sidecar for maximum traction. Sidecar supremo Lindsay Urquhart has shown the photo to the Victorian chairmen with no further information forthcoming, so perhaps a reader may be able to help.…

The Adelaide Hills Restorers Club holds its annual Power of the Past Rally at Mount Barker Oval on the first weekend of March each year. For 2015, Rob Lewis and his Nikon took in the sights.…

In OBA 50 Out & About we featured a shot of a mystery motorcycle spotted by a reader in Foxton, NZ. The owner, Shorty Cole, also from Foxton, has come forth with an explanation: I received several excited calls the other day about a photo of my bike (OBA 50 Out ‘n About P84). The frame is a 1956 Ariel Huntmaster, the forks are Norton Road Holders, and the wheels are BSA full width alloy. Gearbox is off an AMC single, and the motor…an Austin Seven. Yep, after a few beers last year with some fellow riders, I mentioned that I thought this might work, so away we went. It did take a lot of figuring out, and reworking a bit, and around Christmas I started her up and went…

Penrite Oils Broadford Bike Bonanza 4-5 April, 2015 – State Motorcycle Complex, Brodaford Vic. Can the Penrite Oil Broadford Bike Bonanza get any bigger? With almost 1,200 bikes pounding around the six separate tracks at the State Motorcycling Complex over Easter, it’s a fair question. And it wasn’t just the record entry that made the 2015 Bonanza the biggest yet, “It’s probably the biggest crowd that we’ve had over the seven years that this event has been running,” said event organiser Peter Drakeford. This year, the Bonanza had three separate themes, celebrating fifty years of Bathurst 1938-1988, the Metisse marque, and what was termed ‘English Oddities’. In the case of the former, a swag of former competitors and motorcycles turned out for what was a very colourful show. Among the…

34th Annual Orange Country Motorcycle Rally • 21-22 February 2015 – Lake Canobolas, Orange NSW This year’s rally at the Canobolas Scout Camp, promoted by the Central West Branch of the CEMCC opposite the picturesque Lake Canobolas attracted 105 entries from as far afield as Tamworth, Griffith and Melbourne. Under clear skies the riders departed for a 170km ride on Saturday morning after an early breakfast and briefing. The morning run took the field through the orchard country of Nashdale and Borenore, then around the outskirts of Orange before a 40km run to Euchareena for morning tea. After a sumptuous spread provided by the local school P&C, entrants travelled via Molong and Manildra to Cudal School for lunch provided by the school P&C and voting. With voting over the riders…

The Samford Museum has been celebrating Australia Day for many years and the Historic Motor Cycle Club Queensland have been supporting the hard working museum volunteers, by annually presenting a display of old bikes. This year over 40 bikes from 1912 to the ‘80s gathered under the sunny and excessively humid conditions for our ritual display. The public always embraces the opportunity to see our prides and joy. Some re-live their memories while the young people witness machines they have never seen in their short time they have been around. The quality and variety of bikes was outstanding as always and there were a few notable bikes worth mentioning this year. John Finglas had one of his Matchless trials bikes on display. The engine was fettled by Irv. Seeds who…