Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 62 i Old Bike Australasia

Home and Away You may be wondering whose voice this is, and why it’s been given to the front page of this issue’s OBA. It’s Mr and Mrs. Old Bike’s offspring, Rennie, here, and I’m back from the U.S. for the briefest of times before climbing the bird again to a land that hopefully won’t have lost its mind and elected that bloke who will set the world back 100 years. I’ve been living and working in the U.S. for nearly two years now as the Road Test Editor at legendary American mag, Cycle News. It’s been quite the whirlwind, a mix of never-ending plane travel, testing, racing, and generally living the motorcycle dream, as my mates here constantly remind me. The U.S. motorcycle industry is much like ours –…

Legend has it that the late Claudio Castiglioni once received a visitor in his office in Varese. The caller represented the Honda Motor Company, and the matter concerned the rear swinging arm that was fitted to the then-new Ducati 916 – the machine that, it was hoped, would turn around the fortunes of the Ducati brand, which was at that stage owned by the Castiglioni family. Honda’s legal representative carefully explained that the rights to the single-sided swinging arm were covered by a patent owned by Honda, the Japanese giant having paid a considerable sum of money to the French Elf concern, who had in turn developed the concept on the Elf-Honda 500cc Grand Prix bikes ridden quite successfully in the ‘eighties by the likes of Ron Haslam. Reportedly, Signor…

When I first caught a glimpse of the JBS 500 at the 2016 Classic MX Titles at Harrisville (Qld) I assumed it was a Cheney BSA John Banks Special of 1974, mistakenly confusing JBS with JBR (John Banks Replica). Before it took to the track I’d realized it was a one-off special, then watched as it trumped a class field of Rickman Triumph/BSA/Jawa Metisses and CZs. On hearing its fascinating story, it became apparent that its humble home-grown origin belies a pedigree of its own. That weekend it convincingly claimed the Australian Pre-65 open class title with three out of three race wins under Queenslander Greg Cavell. And not for the first time – this was its ninth national title! Incredibly, it was born way back in 1964, a full…

Veteran & Vintage Motor Cycle Club of SA – 60th Anniversary Rally • 17-21 September, 2016 – Clare Valley, SA The 60th Anniversary Rally was well attended and it seems everyone had a good time. The weather was not so kind to us with most days cold and wet. There were approximately 90 bike entrants, and 40 supporters. Interstate bikes and riders were well represented, with 36 from SA, Victoria 30, NSW 11, WA 8 and Queensland 6. Saturday 17th September was a 34km afternoon ride to Annie’s Lane Winery, wine museum and art gallery near Watervale. Sunday was Clare to Spalding for morning tea, then on to Burra for lunch, then back to Clare via Farrell Flat. Monday was Clare to Blyth for morning tea, then to Bute for…

NOVEMBER Walcha Challenge TT 19 November 2016 – Walcha NSW. Presented by the Taree & District Vintage & Classic M/Cycle Club. Not the Tourist Trophy, but the Touring Trophy – a handicapped touring event that fosters a friendly competition between both Historic Club registered machines and later motorcycles of any age. Arrive Friday 18th and register, Saturday 19th compete and trophy presentation dinner, return home Sunday 20th. Free admission, entry form and details contact Neil Weir 0404041627 or email: tdvcmc@gmail.com SR500 Club Annual Rally 19-20 November, 2016 – Bethanga Community Sports Ground near Albury/Wodonga AGM on the Sunday, varied selection of SR400/500 XT/TT500 XT/TT/SRX 600 etc (but any bike make welcome),club ride and a band on Saturday night, fully catered or do your own, all monies raised go to the…

A G45 project Some more on the Tasmanian Bill McGregor/Peter Ricketts Matchless G45 (OBA 57). I am the current owner, I bought it from Barry Sulzberger in 1972 minus the engine which ended up with Elmer McCabe in his Porcupine replica. Another owner of note was Graeme Trinder (father of Steve & Craig) who sold it to Ike Chennall. I ended up fitting a Matchless G12 CSR engine and AMC/Quaife 5 speed gearbox. Attached is a photo of Graeme Trinder at Lakeside in 2000, re-united with the bike after 40 yrs! Also a recent photo; I have been collecting the correct G45 parts to restore it to original condition. When I helped Ray Armstrong restore the ex-Bob Brown G45 I was fortunate to be able to copy some of the…

Joe Eastmure and the ’72 Castrol Six-Hour The Castrol Six Hour race had rapidly grown in status since its inception in 1970, showcasing the exciting new superbikes of the day; Bonnevilles, Commandos, Tridents, Rocket Threes, 4-pot Hondas, 3-pot Kawasakis, Ducatis and MV exotica , pulsating twins and sizzling multies, booming 4-strokes and screaming 2-strokes. It was dubbed the “Battle of the Superbikes”; six hours at race pace, straight off the showroom floor, yet on TV screens across the nation Joe Eastmure trounced them all on his 315cc Suzuki, prevailing over bikes more than double its capacity, as if the bike’s model designation was prophetic – 350 Rebel! I could scarcely believe it but delighted to hear it (being slightly built I had a keen interest in the midcapacity bikes). What’s…

Before the four stroke invasion took over, Suzuki’s big two stroke twin enjoyed an enviable reputation as a roadster, as well as proving very receptive to tuning for the race track. When the first version of Suzuki’s big two stroke twin appeared as the 500/Five in 1968, with the vast majority of production destined for the USA, it rapidly gained a reputation for a prodigious thirst, and extremely wayward handling, as well as a rather astonishing turn of speed. That model was fairly short-lived, and was replaced by the T500 Cobra. Outwardly and inwardly there was little difference, but in an attempt to tame the handling, Suzuki lengthened the swinging arm by a whopping 11.7mm. The ploy worked, and thereafter the Cobra gained a reputation for predictable steering to match…

The sport began in 1950 at Funabashi, but was briefly banned because of the high rate of injury. Unlike the Australia/European version, Auto Race is conducted on asphalt-paved ovals, not dirt tracks, and while the motorcycles appear similar in both disciplines, they are both highly specialised. Auto Racer bikes have evolved over the years but still have a highly unique appearance, particularly in the handlebar department. Because of the extreme angles of lean achieved, the bars are asymmetric. The left side of the handlebar rises almost vertically, which is a bit weird when the bike is upright, but not so when it is at full lean. The modern trend to leading link forks on speedway bikes has yet to hit Auto Race; these bikes use old style lightweight telescopic front…

Once per week, I had 2 hours booth access, and I was on my way to my certificate III, which I now hold. The bike was already all but 100 years old, with many original parts among those to be painted. Naturally, these parts were somewhat out of shape and rather rusty. Apart from the frame, the rest were small enough to go in the TAFE sandblaster. I began the shape repairs with the pair of original mudguards. The rear guard was a simple shape, but deeply pitted, requiring several cycles of rubbing back, filling and re-priming. The front guard was not as badly pitted, but a very complex shape, made from 3 overlapping parts, running fore and aft, riveted together. It has deep scalloping for the fork legs, and…

Macquarie Towns MR&PC Annual Show Day • 11 September, 2016 – Macquarie Park, Windsor NSW A sunny late winter’s day provided a wonderful setting for the Macquarie Towns club’s annual Show Day which for 2016 returned to its traditional spot on the banks of the Hawkesbury River. Although entries were down a bit on previous years, with 81 members’ bikes and 14 from visitors, the quality certainly was there and a healthy crowd of spectators turned out. After many years at the helm, Alan Phillips handed over the organisation to Jason Stone who did a great job. Flowers were presented to club patron Rahna Hollis, with thanks for the long support she and her late parents have given to the club’s Show Day.…

New Plymouth Bike Show • 16-17 July, 2016 – New Plymouth, NZ The Biennial showwas held at the Pukekura Raceway attracting 94 bikes organized by the New Plymouth Classic Motor Cycle Club. To enable access for fans and photographers, limited numbers were in the plan. Barry Styles as organizer, assisted by a subcommittee, saw that all went to plan. Our theme was Velocette and BMW, and the great majority of bikes had not been seen at this venue. Twelve Velocettes and six BMW were displayed. Club Secretary Eldon Peters has put the finishing touches to his LE Velo which his father purchased for him in his student days. Daniel Suhr brought a Velo Valiant, in original paint and used condition. Kelvin Bishop’s BMW Dakar drew the crowds to look at…

Tracing Billy Bob’s lineage is also not the work of a moment. His great grandfather, Nathanial Johannes Jessop, arrived on the North American continent as a stowaway on a plankton-processing steamer that plied the North Atlantic. Covertly disembarking on Baffin Island, Nathanial was set upon while drinking in a bar in Iqaluit and pressed-ganged into joining the troops led by Major-General Thomas Bland Strange in the fight against the Cree at the Battle of Frenchman’s Butte. Sharing the spoils of victory, he loaded a sled with lynx and beaver pelts and set out southwards. A shrewd and astute bargainer, he soon swapped his sled for an ex-Boar War Spagforth Biltong truck, and by the time he arrived in Dogpatch he had accumulated vast quantities of military surplus equipment and set…

It is one of the sport’s great ironies that a talent and a character like Alex Campbell should lose his life in what was to be his farewell race meeting. But then, very little about Alex’s life followed a conventional path. As a child his early life was spent at the coastal town of Port MacDonald, with his parents, older brother Lance and younger sister Gaylene. Even at a young age, Alex was seen as a gifted mechanic, and his first employment was at Walker’s Garage in Mount Gambier. Old Bill Walker said, “Alex only needs two tools, a screw driver and a shifting wrench’’. He learned his trade on both cars and motorcycles, but only rode as a means of transport – there were no thoughts of racing. Around…

Mead & Tomkinson B50 BSA Endurance Racer Bob Heath, multiple Isle of Man winner and former BSA test rider and factory racer, astride Neil’s bike at Phillip Island in January 2016. This motorcycle, or rather series of motorcycles, was a daring attempt to succeed in the competitive world of Endurance racing using a venerable British single (a BSA B50) rather than opt for the multicylinder route. Mead & Tomkinson owned a chain of motorcycle shops in Britain, and Mike Tomkinson was also renowned as a tuner. With some help from the BSA factory in the form of parts developed for the BSA effort in world championship motocross with their B44-based engines, Tomkinson built two B50-based machines that competed in the Bol d’Or in 1972 and 1973, as well as in…

To ride a motorcycle halfway across the world with exactly zero experience behind the handlebars is an unusual undertaking to say the least. To do so aboard a 17-year-old 350cc Ariel, loaded to the gunnels with belongings and spare parts, plus a pillion passenger, defies belief. But that’s what Hugh Grant and his fiancé Sue Welch did in 1971 when they decided they’d had enough of Britain and headed home to Australia. The whole adventure began as a typical Aussies-to-Earls Court pilgrimage of the ‘sixties, as Hugh recounts. “My sister Virginia, her friend Betsy, and Sue decided they were going to England, so I thought I’d go too. We had friends over there so we had somewhere to stay as soon as we got there.” ‘Somewhere to stay’ turned out…

Local pioneers gather in Adelaide PETER ALLEN organized the inaugural Jamboree of Australian-Made Motorcycles at Moseley Square, Glenelg on Sunday the 24th September. There were 28 motorcycles on display, the majority being built before 1930 and I believe 25 examples of Lewis, Elliott, JAP, Tilbrook, Bullock and Dusting sidecars were all made in Adelaide. The weather started off with misty rain, but cleared for a sunny day with a cold wind off the ocean. Numerous people visited the display and some were amazed and quite surprised to discover that the small and antiquated motorcycles were all Australian made. Some were in rough ‘as found’ condition while others were restored to pristine and stood gleaming in the sun. Given the success of this display the VVMCCSA will endeavor to hold another…

Northern Rivers Classic Motorcycle Clubs Annual Rally • 16-18 September, 2016 – Evans Head, NSW After many years based at Ballina it was decided to relocate a little further south to Evans Head for 2016. This beautiful location proved to be a great move with 104 entrants coming from far afield. Basing a Rally at the one central location provides a very social atmosphere with most of the riders and their families staying at the North Coast Holiday Park. The event was further enhanced with several members of the HMCC of Qld bringing their Vintage and Veteran Bikes, using our Rally as their annual “Old Bangers Run.” The Friday ride left after lunch and travelled on mostly flat roads to suit the older bikes. This was followed by a BBQ…

Shark’s New Warrior: The Spartan Shark Helmets have a strong reputation for rugged, safe and stylish designs. The Spartan is no exception, offering riders the highest levels of safety, comfort and sophistication. A dual spoiler system optimises air drag and internal cooling, keeping your head cool, while special Shark Skin fastenings on the side of the peak help reduce whistling noises significantly. Shark’s Auto Seal system further improves soundproofing and makes the Spartan a warmer, more comfortable fit. Constructed from carbon fibre and weighing just 1350g, the Spartan features an antiscratch, UV reflecting sun visor. When the Shark R&D team designed the Spartan, they took a reverse engineering approach. This means every decision started and finished with the needs of the consumer; from the use of numerical crash simulations utilising…