Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 63 i Old Bike Australasia

On the Australia Day weekend in January, the 24th AMCN Island Classic will be under way at Phillip Island. Tickets are now on sale for what promises to be another thrilling instalment in the annual five-nation contest for the International Challenge. Over 500 entries have been received for the meeting, which also conducts the Phil Irving Perpetual Trophy over all support classes in 56 races. Teams from Ireland, New Zealand, USA, UK and Australia will contest the Challenge. Heading the squad for defending champions UK will be Jeremy McWilliams and TT legend John McGuinness, while the Australian squad will comprise Jed Metcher, Steve Martin, Shawn Giles, John Allen, Alex Phillis, Chas Hern, Scott Webster, Beau Beaton and Cam Donald – the latter pair aboard the booming Irving Vincent twins. Australian-based…

Earlier this year Tom Sturgis announced he was disposing of the Nelson Classic Motorcycle Collection (featured in OBA 53) due to ill health. Tom was looking for a buyer to take on his world class collection of over 300 Veteran, Vintage and Classic machines. The trustees of the Bill Richardson Transport World, in Invercargill, took the bold step of buying the whole collection as they saw it as a perfect match to their extensive truck and car collection. With this year’s Burt Munro Challenge being the target opening date an amazing amount of work has been undertaken to open on time. 300 motorcycles, sidecars and 3 wheelers, staging, works of art and memorabilia were transported to Invercargill; involving 15 trips in a specially converted car transporter. Meanwhile a large shop…

From this issue we welcome a new advertiser – Consolidated Motor Spares (CMS) based in The Netherlands. Company CEO Mike Buttinger cut his first deal at the age of eleven when he rebuilt a Tomos moped and flogged it for enough to buy a Honda C310. From there on Mike traded in Honda spares, frequently buying up inventories of NOS parts, before establishing CMS in 1996. “I never meant to start a worldwide operating company,” Mike says. “ From an early age onwards, I loved working with motorcycle parts. When I discovered I could make some money by trading them, this was a pleasant surprise, but I never imagined that things would turn out they way they did.” Today, CMS has a product range of 3.4 million, dispatching 60,000 shipments…

The ‘fifties was the decade of the scooter – and not just the tiny putt-putts that zipped around on daily duties. Bigger and better versions kept appearing – a select few bridging the performance gap between scooter and motorcycling. One such was the cute and functional Zündapp Bella. Pre-war, Zündapp was renowned for its powerful flat fours and twins, many of which spent years ploughing through the sand dunes and mud of the combat zones. Fast-forward a decade, and Zündapp, like the rest of Europe, was struggling back to life as best it could, given chronic shortages of materials and capital. Cheap, reliable transport was what was needed, and that, in European terms, meant scooters. Borrowing a little from the ideas in the 1952 Parilla Levriere scooter, Zündapp launched the…

When Yamaha sent a genuine works 250 to Australia in early 1966, it was a whole new ball game. There had been works bikes in Australia before; as far back as 1936 Irish superstar Stanley Woods had brought a rare works 500cc Velocette with him on his whirlwind Australia tour. A pair of works Moto Guzzis, including the famed wide-angle 500cc v-twin, accompanied Fergus Anderson on his 1948/49 Aussie sojourn; reigning World Champion Geoff Duke brought two 4-cylinder 50cc Gileras with him in 1954/55, and a year later the Moto Guzzi team of Bill Lomas and Dickie Dale had a couple of the all-conquering 350cc and 500cc singles on which to stir up local opposition on their summer holiday Down Under. Tom Phillis and Jim Redman brought wellworn works Honda…

When Mike Hailwood made his celebrated comeback to the Isle of Man TT in 1978, after an 11-year absence from the circuit where he already had 12 wins to his name, the deal was initially for him to ride an NCR Ducati 860 in the TT Formula One race and possibly the week-ending Unlimited TT, with much of the sponsorship coming from Castrol. The arrangement suited Mike, as the Ducati was considered the underdog against the works Honda to be ridden by Phil Read, and certainly suited the Ducati’s entrant, Sports Motorcycles of Manchester, who were happy to have Mike and the blaze of publicity all to themselves. However Mike’s comeback created such a media avalanche that soon a second string was being mooted; for Mike to ride not one,…

DEREK PICKARD reports on a very bright classic day in Melbourne’s dull spring weather. Nearly 200 enthusiasts attended the November annual Mods & Rockers run by Melbourne 59 Club. Though the turn-out for the early morning meeting place was thinner than previous years because of the very dull weather, when the ride arrived at the destination for lunch, the crowds in cars and bikes were there waiting. The 59 Club obviously has a strong following and many willing workers as the reception was very well received. Antique Motorcycles next to Moorabbin airport had been converted to an excellent reception for the event. This normally fascinating classic bike warehouse and eatery had a rock band, ready snacks, bar and many displays of both bikes and trade sellers. Although barely more than…

As an observer reported, “Scarcely a moment goes by in a typical moto-polo game without an exciting spill or a tangle.” Relatively low speeds however prevented major injuries to bike or rider and apparently the relatively new sport was spreading to motorcycle clubs across the country with league and championship rules in effect while the solo-seat bikes themselves were regulated by the American Motor-Cycle Association, or the AMA, as we know it today. Often the bikes were stock, run what-youbrung civilian machines, although the regulations permitted the removal of anything not needed in the game including the front fender. The U.S. version of Motorcycle Polo apparently allowed choice of gear, including headwear, ranging from hardcore football inspired helmets to spiffy sweater and tie apparel. Ten bikes of two five-man teams…

OLD BIKES AT THE TRACK Scott’s Motorcycles Australian Historic Road Racing Championships • 17-20 November, 2016 – Symmons Plains, Tasmania The AHRRC returned to Tasmania for the first time since 2011, and while entries were down on previous years, the racing was as close as ever. The circuit, with its pair of high speed blasts punctuated by heavy braking near-stop corners places extreme demands on machinery and the first days of the four day event saw a number of mechanical casualties that further depleted fields. However despite the attrition, it was a recordshattering weekend, with new marks being set across the board in perfect racing conditions. The meeting was also largely incident-free and ran like clockwork, thanks to the hardworking members of the Tasmanian Motorcycle Club and numerous volunteers. The…

21st Annual Cooma Girder Fork Rally • 14-16 October 2016 – Cooma, NSW The 21st Girder Fork Rally attracted 45 entries. This Rally is organised and run by Cooma Monaro Historic Automobile Club Inc., utilising their very modern clubhouse and facilities. The rally is held over scenic sealed roads of the Cooma Monaro area and foothills of the Snowy Mountains. The prime attraction for the entrants is being able to ride the uncrowded roads of the Cooma-Monaro region. This year’s entrants were treated to views of snow- capped mountains and unusually lush green growth in the pastures. Approximately 12-15 riders participated in the 30 Km ‘tune up’ run to Numeralla on Friday afternoon which left at 2 pm. Girder Fork Rally Trophy Winners Saturday brought a glorious sunny day on…

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Fox on the run I was most interested in the Tracks in Time article about Bathurst 1951 (OBA 61) as this was the only meeting at Bathurst that I ever rode solo at; a virtual road race beginner on my 1937 250cc 2H Triumph in the Lightweight class. At the time the late Frank McNamara was very keen to give his new 596cc DOHC Manx Norton outfit an outing in the Jubilee Sidecar TT, with his brother-in-law Jim Sutherland as rider and with Frank as passenger, and he offered to take me and my Triumph along for the week. We had accommodation at the Fitness camp and there were three days of practice prior to the event, and we took part in two. Happily I had…

The big names keep coming for the 2017 International Festival of Speed at Sydney Motor Sport Park on 23-26 March. The latest signings are 15-times World Champion Giacomo Agostini and TT legend John McGuinness. ‘Ago’ will be aboard Julian McLean’s 500cc MV Agusta, while McGuinness will pilot Roger Winfield’s Paton 500 racer. The two stars add further depth to an already formidable line-up that includes former MV Augusta works rider Gianfranco Bonera, TTF1 World Champion Graeme Crosby on an ex-works XR35 Suzuki, triple World Champion Troy Bayliss, and a host of 500cc GP race bikes from various eras. For 2017, fans can watch the action in air-conditioned comfort in a Corporate Box; fully catered with morning and afternoon tea, hot buffet lunch and a cash bar. Bookings and tickets are…

The collection of trophies won by the late Frank Arthur headlined the results of Mossgreen’s latest auction held in Melbourne on November 27. A 9 carat yellow gold helmet won by Frank in the 1928 season went for $16,740, while a collection of trophies brought $4,712. Also under the hammer was a 350cc Manx Norton for $34,500, a 1966 Triumph Bonneville for $22,425 and a Heinkel Tourist scooter (top) brought $4,600. A Malvern Star Autocycle fetched $2,530 and a set of speedway breastplates (above) collected by Jack Ryder went for $2,232.…

Phoenix Motorcycle Club is running a rider development lottery to raise funds for South Australians racing overseas. The bike which is first prize was built by former semiprofessional motocross rider Kelvin Franks in the mid-80’s. Kelvin was a South Australian who left for England in the late 1950’s. He raced in Europe and the UK, and eventually found his way to the west coast of the USA in the mid to late 1960s. This coincided with the motocross boom and he did a great trade in modifying motocross bikes for top riders. By the mid-‘80s he was producing hand made parts for the road racing scene, and actually hand built three road racers and a moto-trials bike. These bikes came with him when he returned to South Australia in 1989,…

The prototype V6 Laverda 996cc endurance racer which made a single brief but memorable appearance in the 1978 Bol d’Or 24-hour race, is widely acclaimed as the ultimate Italian two-wheeled tour de force of the Post-Classic era. Although riders Nico Cereghini and Carlo Perugini were forced to retire after eight hours with a broken final drive coupling when lying in a respectable 23rd place out of 80 starters, it provided a rare glimpse of a near-mythical motorcycle whose fame has far exceeded the sum total of its achievements – which are, basically, zero! For after that solitary outing, when its unique exhaust note thrilled spectators and was aptly described by one observer as sounding like ‘ripping silk’, the V6 Laverda was retired to the factory lobby as silent testimony to…

Since the earliest days of motorcycles some designers have looked at adding some of the creature comforts of a car to a motorcycle: a better seating position, better weather protection, and isolating the noisy, oily engine from the rider. The 1911 Wilkinson four was probably the first tentative step in this direction but the idea really emerged in the 1920s with the Neracar (US designed, made in the UK and the USA), which incorporated centre hub steering. A number of such machines appeared in Europe and the US before WWII; in the UK the RO Monocar (built by pioneer aviator A.V. Roe) and the Whitwood Monocar, in Germany the Morgan Monotrace and the Mauser, and in the US the 1934 Henderson KJ Streamline, to name but a few. The idea…

Royal Enfield Australia and New Zealand has just concluded their inaugural dealer ‘Custom Bike Build Off’. With eight bikes entered from Australia and New Zealand, the competition was fierce. Royal Enfield Sydney took out the coveted prize of a Royal Enfield Classic 350 with their entry ‘Rough Cut’, a highly modified Classic 350. “The idea of the ‘Custom Bike Build Off’ was to create interest and demonstrate to the public what a great starting point Royal Enfield motorcycles can be, as a base for custom builds," commented Royal Enfield Australia and New Zealand’s Marketing Manager, Joshua Pilley. "The end result was fantastic, considering the dealers only had 31 days to complete their builds. All of their hard work had paid off, making it difficult for our fan base to decide…

Eric Harrison’s riding took him through New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. Based at the BP Service Station in Cabramatta, NSW, the bike that began the racing career was one he and a few men from the garage, including Ronnie Elliot who remained his mechanic through the entire racing history, put together. A member of the Southern Districts Motor Cycle Club, he successfully raced locally until the club had to close as they had no money to obey the new fencing laws required by the NSW Speedway Act, after which he joined Willoughby MCC. His swingers included Ray Ward, Eric Smith and Allan Hepworth. During one meet at Moorebank he went through five passengers – they kept falling off or jumping off! Some of his many racing achievements…

Shannons Insurance Southern Classic • 5-6 November, 2016 – Broadford, Victoria The Historic Motorcycle Racing Association of Victoria, (HMRAV) were once again the proud promoters of the Shannon’s Insurance Southern Classic, held at the road race circuit, Broadford Victoria. Now in its 35th year, the “Southern” is a major event on the historic road racing calendar. As usual we were well supported by racers from all over Australia. With 225 entries, including 40 sidecars, it was always going to be an action packed weekend. Racers started arriving on the Thursday, securing good campsites and preparing for the Friday’s MV practice day. Race practice and qualifying took place Saturday morning, with the first two legs of each of the ten races in the schedule, being completed by the close of racing.…

OLD BIKES DO IN ’THE ROUNDS Natureland Rally • 4-6 November, 2016 – Hat Head, NSW The little coastal town of Hat Head, near Kempsey on the NSW north coast, swelled to capacity for the running of the 21st rally held by the Natureland Classic Motorcycle Club. Even on the Friday’s run, which is usually a quiet affair, large numbers of bikes were out enjoying the country roads, and many more arrived during the course of the afternoon, to reach an eventual line up of more than 160. Friday’s run went out through Kempsey for a refreshment stop at Phil Webb’s property. Universally known as ‘Kiwi’ Phil has an amazing collection of chainsaws – everything from tiddlers to big brutes of all vintages. Saturday dawned fine and sunny, and after…

In Iwata, Japan, the seventh running of the Yamaha World Technician GP took place in November, with Roly Orr from Wilder Motorcycles in Young, NSW representing Australia. The event is an industry-leading initiative that recognizes excellence in the motorcycle service industry, helping to incentivize, develop and retrain extremely skilled technicians within the Yamaha network. Despite missing out on a podium position, Roly impressed everyone with his friendly demeanour and enthusiasm and described the event as “An unbelievable experience…It made me proud to be able to represent Australia and I am so glad that I took the opportunity.”…

250 examples of the base model Norton V4-RR costing GBP28,000 will be built in 2017, alongside the limited-edition Norton V4-SS priced at GBP44,000, all 200 versions of which have already been sold prior to its launch to customers eager to acquire the ultimate performance motorcycle bearing the name of Britain’s most historic sporting brand. Both versions are powered by the all-new Euro 4 compliant liquid-cooled 16-valve 72-degree V4 engine with chain-driven dohc developed by Norton at its Donington Hall factory, in conjunction with leading design consultants Ricardo Motorcycle. Measuring 82 x 56.8 mm for an exact capacity of 1200cc, the engine will be built in-house in the Norton factory and produces in excess of 200 bhp at 12,500 rpm, with maximum torque of 130Nm delivered at 10,000 revs. It features…

The first time I saw a photo of an Indian Scout 249 I immediately thought that the photo had been reversed prior to printing. I mean, primary drive case on the right? But no, this was the real deal, even if things were about-face to usual (that is, British) practice. The short and anything but sweet saga of the new generation of Indian lightweights – the Model 149 220cc Arrow single and the Model 249 440cc Scout twin – began in 1945 with the takeover of the Indian company by industrialist Ralph B. Rogers. The President of Indian faced an unenviable task, not just in penetrating the market with these most un-traditional offerings from America’s most venerable motorcycle company, but in convincing the ultra-conservative dealers – many of whom had…

INTERNATIONAL MOTO CROSS 1972 International Moto Cross 1972 Well before his tilt at motor sport promotion, Linden Prowse made a name for himself, and a small fortune, via his pet food company Luv Pet Foods. So fervent was his belief in his product, and his skill in self-promotion, that he appeared on national television where he devoured a brimming plateful of Luv as a testament to the quality of ingredients used. It may or may not have sold more Luv, but it certainly made headlines, which was the whole intention. After divesting himself of his recycled animals business to a US multinational in 1971, Prowse went on the hunt for fresh fields to conquer. At the time, the prosaic game of chess was in the process of acquiring a whole…

It was motor cycles only back then with 4-wheeled vehicles joining in ten years later. Apart from the odd historic event the granite hasn’t been sprayed in anger since the late ‘90s. The Vintage Speedcar Association of Qld (VSAQ) has kept the spirit alive and decided on a few events to commemorate the 90th anniversary. On the exact day of the first race, the club threw open the doors of their clubhouse to the public. A display of historic cars and three speedway motorcycles were positioned on the lawn out front of the clubhouse while much of the club’s memorabilia was on display inside. Many once-famous speedway steerers were mingling and sharing stories of the glory days. I gravitated towards the motorcycle side but, like the display, the content was…

THE PICTURESQUE GERMAN-STYLE TOWN OF HAHNDORF, in the Adelaide Hills, will host the 2017 Southern Triples Rally for pre-1976 British three-cylinder motorcycles. Based at the Hahndorf Resort Tourist Park in Mount Barker Road, the rally will run from 10-12, March, 2017 with rides through the hills, taking in the historic towns and villages. Register your interest with Gerry Rowley on 0477 250749 or email AdelaideTriples@gmail.com or see the website http://tmra.org.au/southerntriples…

2016 Australian National Vincent Owners’ Club Rally • 15-17 October, 2016 – Parkes, NSW The New South Wales Section had the honour of hosting this rally and the weather was perfect. Nearly 100 people and over fifty Vincents arrived by Friday afternoon to enjoy a weekend of pure, unadulterated Vincent life. The Parkview motel was Vincent HQ and luckily we had every room booked so there were no complaints about the noise! Friday evening was the welcome barbecue where we all engage with old friends and meet new ones to join in what has become a not-to-miss event held every two years in one of the Eastern mainland states. Some rode from Bundaberg, Armidale, Sydney, Traralgon and beyond. Saturday morning was clear and mild with late arrivals still coming into…

100 Years of Motorcycling • 15-16 September, 2016 – Hart’s Mill, Port Adelaide Lew Hylton and other members of the Classic Owners Club organised and assembled a large gathering of veteran, vintage and classic motorcycles to be displayed in the complex of the historic Hart’s Mill in Port Adelaide, covering 100 years of motorcycling. On talking to Lew, he said at first members of his own club doubted if he could get around 50 motorcycles for the display and it would be “an embarrassment to the Classic Owners MC”. Firstly he had to find many volunteers to assist him with this project, and then over many months of advertising and negotiating with various interested parties to entice them to display motorcycles at this extravaganza. About 153 motorcycles were promised and…

On a recent trip to Bolivia I came across this picture and scribbled on the back were the words: “The legendary Edgar Jessop standing beside the relatively unknown chap by the name of Ernesto Guevara.” Attached with a pin were a couple of pages possibly torn from a diary containing a story written partly in Spanish and partly in English. For the readers interest I have done my best to translate. “During the winter months (off-season for racing) Edgar would return to Giggleswick and would usually stay at Sir Carruthers’ mansion where generally boring times (apart from eating and drinking) were to be had. This year turned out to be a little different as Sir Carruthers’ twin daughters Salamander and Gertrude had just returned home from finishing school. Edgar, being…