Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 61 i Old Bike Australasia

That’s high praise for someone who, with little road racing experience and an unenviable record of crashing, quit his job as an accountant in a Melbourne bank in 1958 and set sail for England with his wife Eileen, in company with Harry Hinton Junior and Harry’s wife Fay, as well as Tom and Betty Phillis and Keith and Geraldine Campbell. As well as a famous family name, Harry had the skill to match, three Australian TT wins to his name, plus a season’s racing in Europe under his belt. Jack, on the other hand, was an almost totally unknown on the local scene, with well-worn tackle and no results to speak of. Born in 1935, Cyril John Findlay ‘borrowed’ the road licence from his father Jack at age 15 and…

Notwithstanding its relative lack of experience in the two-wheeled field, Yamaha had hit the ground running with its initial model, the DKW RT 125-inspired YA1 125cc two stroke single. The prototype YA1 had been mercilessly tested around the clock for 10,000 kilometres before it went into production to be sold under the curious title of Red Dragonfly. Teams of sales representatives were sent throughout the length and breadth of Japan, riding Red Dragonfly models, to sign up dealers. It was no simple task for a brand primarily associated with pianos, as the bikes were expensive compared to the competition, and Yamaha’s terms of sale were strictly cash on delivery. By July 1955 the Yamaha Motor Company had been established as a separate organisation to the main musical instrument company, with…

Doug takes up the story: “Brian, Bruce Mutton and I travelled from Adelaide in my beautiful 1932 Ford V8 Tourer. I fitted an extra light at the front, taken from my 1936 AJS. Easter Saturday 1951 was 24th March. Maurie Quincey loaned Brian his road registered Matchless to give Brian an introduction to the track. On the day before practice began (21st March), Brian, Bruce and I walked the full length of the circuit, and I stood in various locations and took photos. During practice Brian’s Manx Norton developed a split in the oil tank, and with some outside help this was repaired in (car racer) Lex Davison’s garage. Brian finished thirteenth in the Senior TT, won by Harry Hinton, which was a good effort given the calibre of the…

“AS SOON AS I GOT ON A MOTORBIKE, I WAS FINISHED.” Although he has a British accent, Jon was born in Melbourne. His father was in the RAF and with his wife, came to Australia post war. In 1956, the family, including young Jon, moved back to England where he began playing around on pushbikes before acquiring a 150cc James Cadet for just thirty shillings. “I pushed it home because I was too young to ride on the road, but as there was a large cornfield near us, I was able to tear around that when it wasn’t under crop. As soon as I got on a motor bike, I was finished; at school all I wanted to think about was bikes,” he says with obvious conviction. Even before he…

Unlike nearly all the other east coast rallyists, they rode their machines over the Nullarbor and back. For this three, the Rally week was only the meat in the sandwich, just a tasty morsel. Their transcontinental trips, to and from the western seaboard, were their main fare, a substantial feast of riding! John rode his 1969 Velocette Thruxton 500, while Geoff rode his 1954 Velocette MSS 500, a machine that had seen scrambles duties with a previous owner. Chris rode his rare rotary-engined Norton Commander 588. Tom Freeman of Traralgon, riding a Moto Guzzi 850, joined them for the ride to Perth but did not attend the rally. John and Geoff’s ladies, Maureen and Robyn flew to Perth and joined the rally activities; Maureen travelled in the minibus and Robyn…

This year’s Rally was again based at the beautiful seaside town of Evans Head, Northern NSW. We had 52 entrants bring their Triumph Tridents and BSA Rocket 3s for three days of riding in perfect weather. Entrants came from as far as South Australia, Victoria, the ACT and Queensland. Many rode large distances to the Rally while others trailered their bikes. Friday’s short ride was south to Iluka Pub for a meal and a chat, as most riders only come together once a year at this Rally. On Saturday the local soccer club, the ‘Woodburn Wolves’, provided a great breakfast for us before we headed off for a 220km ride with a fuel stop at Mullumbimby before the journey to Alstonville Public School for lunch and the bike judging. We…

A sparkling winter’s day greeted 147 entrants for the annual MTMR&PC Rally, held in and around Windsor and its network of wonderful motorcycling roads – Governor Macquarie wasn’t called ‘The road builder’ for nothing! Saturday’s run took riders from the start at Maralya to Windsor, Freemans Reach and on to Colo for morning tea under the Colo River bridge. Then it was on to the Sackville Ferry across the Hawkesbury River to Maroota and the lunch stop at Glenorie School. As well as the food, there was the allimportant judging in the various categories, with all entrants receiving a voting slip for their selections. Most chose to depart around 2.30 and freshen up for the presentation dinner at Windsor RSL. The night saw Peter ‘Everyone’s a winner’ Drury at his…

We are happy to report the running of yet another successful event for the Pine Rivers HMCCQ: The Annual Don Nicol Side Car Circus, which was held in good weather and riding conditions. Billy Cochran led the 20 Solo Marshalls for the event, whilst the field of 22 outfits was fittingly led out by Craig Strachan who is now the custodian of Don’s 1952 Matchless. The event saw a variety of bikes of different makes, models and ages, including a 1922 Indian which was a welcome addition. Other notable inclusions were Phil Smith’s 1962 Left Hand Drive Chang Jaing 750, Brad Campbell’s 1942 WLA Harley whilst Dick Butterworth joined the ride on his 1955 Sunbeam as did Mick Udina on his 1936 Harley. Setting off from the Pine Rivers Markets…

If you followed motorcycle racing in the ‘fifties, you would know of the Walsh Bantam and its creator, Eric Walsh. In fact, Walsh Bantams is more correct, since there was always more than one, drawn from a seemingly inexhaustible supply of frames, engines and assorted bits, but generally only one running at any given time. But first, let’s look at Eric Walsh; the man. Melbournite Eric was another whose racing career was seriously interrupted by WW2. Usually Velocette mounted, Eric was a very handy competitor on grass tracks and what passed for scrambles circuits in prewar Victoria, and resumed racing as soon as he could once peace returned. At places like the annual road races at Ballarat, a little later at Darley and Fishermen’s Bend and Rowville, and at various…

While France, like Britain and the U.S., saw literally hundreds of different motorcycles come and go in the last 150 years, most are virtually unknown today, for example French companies named Dollar and Hasty. Some of those that still garner attention, albeit often faintly are Dresch, Gnome & Rhone, Motobecane, Nougier, Rene Gillet and Terrot. Still they lie somewhere beneath the usual vintage bike radar, although often they, like both Monet & Goyon and Koehler-Escoffier, left an indelible mark and with a decidedly French flair. Background History: A Good Cause If Monet & Goyon were still in business, they’d be about to pop the cork on some 100-year old French bubbly, having built their first motorcycle back in 1917, during the post-WWI recovery of Europe trying to get back on…

When the much-anticipated Milan Motorcycle Show opened on 3rd December 1950, it confirmed that the recovery of the once great Italian motorcycle industry was indeed on the way. Held at the salubrious Palazzo della Triennale, the same venue where the annual shows had taken place pre-war, it was the opportunity for the country’s manufacturers to trumpet their wares, or at least, their very existence, following the near devastation of the war years. ‚ No one was keener to exploit this chance than Count Domenico Agusta, and while his contemporaries displayed practical, ride-to-work products or their more sporty derivatives, the Count went for the jugular. On the MV stand stood one of the most formidable motorcycles ever produced – nothing less than a road-going replica of the company’s fabulous, if still…

Kusel brake? This brake (above) came in with a customer to restore, reline the brake and fit a rim. It looks like a replica Manx double-sided 8” brake. The axle size is 17mm, same as Norton. All castings are magnesium. It’s obviously been well used and well made. The owner said it had been made at the Commonwealth Aircraft Factory in Melbourne. There’s residue of a gold dichromate finish on the backing plates so it would have looked pretty good and stood out on whatever it was fitted on to. Does this ring a bell with anything you can think of? I’m going to have a look through my own info but it’d almost be nice to track down who made it and what it was fitted to. Phil DeGruchy…

The 8th Motogiro Australia was fully subscribed at 40 entrants, many bringing multiple bikes including Aermacchi, Aspes, Benelli, Ducati, MotoBeta, MotoGuzzi, MotoMorini and MV Augusta. Despite some rain and cloud on Wednesday’s ride up Mt Glorious (tempered by a roaring wood fire at the Mt Glorious Cafe) the rest of the tour was run in brilliant sunny conditions. This year’s event was based at Woodford from Wednesday to Friday to coincide with a Classic Bike Track Day at Lakeside on Thursday morning. Our thanks to QEMSC for their generous support in accommodating our riders on the track and mingling in the pits. The wide smiles said it all – it was an exhilarating experience. Those attending the ‘Giro dinner were entertained by Rob Turton, founder of Tyres for Bikes, who…

Our Annual Rally saw a total of 81 pre-registered riders and a couple extra on the day. The three-day event saw a couple of entrants arrive earlier in the week and took advantage of the weather and our roads to explore the region together. The Rally started with the Friday ride heading towards Lemon Tree Passage and the waters of Port Stephens. Back at the caravan park, as further riders began to arrive, a welcome BBQ was held and registration packs handed out ready for Saturday’s big ride. With the skies completely clear, but a chilling breeze in the air, the riders set off from Stockton. The first leg of the ride took everyone on the outskirts of Raymond Terrace to the back roads of Hinton and Phoenix Park, arriving…

Frosty conditions but fine days greeted the participants to the annual HMCCQ Pine Rivers Swap, Show and Shine. Thankfully the massive winds experienced on Friday night had abated but I saw many fallen trees on my journey to Samford. I only made it for the Sunday which included the second running of the show and shine. The swap was well patronised particularly on the Saturday. I did get to see a few vendors on Sunday with some interesting bikes either for sale or on display. Ian Stone showed me his newly acquired one-owner 1940s Excelsior which was in exceptional unrestored condition (some guys are just born lucky). I was also attracted to a 1946 Triumph-Werke Nürnberg (TWN ) Triumph which was pretty well intact but needed a full restoration. These…

Top hats from Davida British-made Davida jet-style helmets comply with ECE22.05 standard and are now fully legal in Australia. The shell size varies in proportion to head size, so the helmet always looks ‘right’, and inside you’ll fine soft leather lining. There are numerous finishes available, from classic white to intricate patterns, priced from $649.95 including GST. New Australian distributors Crazyhorse are looking for a select number of dealers for this high-quality hand-built open face helmets. Available from Crazyhorse/Zorros at 55 Governor Road, Mordialloc, Victoria, call 0433 106669, website www.zorros.net.au or email sales@zorros.net.au. Borrani is back After being unavailable for many years, the famous Borrani rims are now back on the market, imported to Australia and New Zealand by Classic Motorcycles Restoration Australia. There are many different styles of these…

Charles Rice: A life well lived The pages of OBA would look quite different without the magnificent photographs by CHARLES RICE, which have graced this magazine since the very first issue. But Charles was much more than a gifted photographer; a very talented racer himself, innovator and mentor. Charles has died, aged 91, in Brisbane, typically strident to the end. He was one of the very strong bunch of Clubmen racers who plied the Victorian tracks post war – riders such as Ken Rumble, George Campbell and Maurie Quincey, all of whom honed their skills on well prepared Matchless singles. In 1953, Charles and his G80 crossed the border to race at the opening meeting of the very fast Gnoo Blas circuit at Orange, NSW, and thrashed the field to…

“To explain the operation of this set up will be equally as difficult as it was to ride. “On the right side of the bike was the normal gear lever mounted in reverse. On the left (drive side) there was as normal the rear brake pedal, but behind this brake pedal was another lever which was controlled by the heel of your left foot. Coming from the clutch handle there were two cables; one went to the clutch in the normal manner, the other went to the heel-controlled lever behind the foot brake. Attached to this lever was a metal plate, quadrant shaped, with a rod that attached to a lever that controlled Bill’s mechanism inside the drive side crankcase. A metal plate the same shape was fixed to the…

Over the centuries, Bohemia has had many rulers, so it is not surprising that it suffers from somewhat of an identity crisis. For example, the language spoken could have been German or Czech, and many products were marketed with names for both. Nowadays, Bohemia is part of the Czech Republic, bordered by Germany, Poland, Moravia and Austria, with around 6 million inhabitants. This polyglot environment is how a motorcycle designed by Albin Liebisch came to be sold under two names – Böhmerland (Bohemian Country) in Germany and Cechie in the Czech dialogue. Liebisch was born in Rumburk, the son on a gardener, and in 1985 the family moved to Krasna Lipa in northern Bohemia where his father founded a very successful gardening business and built greenhouses. Fighting on the eastern…

The superb 1977 Silk 700S Mk2 Sabre featured in this article is owned Andy Roxburgh. It is a low mileage (only 10,798 miles on the clock) original condition machine that looks almost factory fresh, finished in a striking red set off by the gold coloured Campagnolo cast wheels and the polished chrome work. Andy currently uses it for rallies and runs, it was recently seen on the Vintage Car Club of NZ National Rally at Dunedin. Once it is over 40yrs old (when NZ registration costs fall dramatically) Andy intends to use it a lot more as it is a very practical and reliable machine. The story of Silk motorcycles and how this unusual machine arrived in New Zealand from the UK is quite intriguing. Bob Cleare, of Auckland, was…

It was towards the end of the year when the next event was to be a road trial – in fact, the Ravenswood Trial. I had no real idea what it involved and as I didn’t have a road bike, showed little interest. That was when my mate John Weber suggested that I could ride his 1956 500cc Goldstar BSA and he would ride his Big Valve Rocket. The route for the Trial was Townsville to Brandon, Brandon to the turnoff near Clare and then onto Ravenswood via Woodhouse Station, then back to Townsville via Mingela. As it transpired there were only 5 riders competing this year. They were John and myself, Phil Gordon on Adam Semple’s 1954 Triumph, Noel Walduck on a Suzuki 80 and Col Neucom on a…

What started in 2012 as a Classic Motorcycle Show expanded after two shows to include Customs in 2015 and has finally emerged as a fully-fledged Motorcycle Show this year. Hosted by the Rotary Club of Papakura, all profits from the show return to the community. With the Motor Industry Association this year bringing along virtually all the brands of new bikes the show grew some 60% over 2015 and the visitor count increased by 100%! This proves that all sectors of the motorcycling fraternity are needed to support each other and make the show not only such a success but also sustainable. While the Clubs are still the backbone of the show the diversity this year made a show that was simply ‘electric’. Where else can you see Baggers, dropped…