Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 64 i Old Bike Australasia

And while it can be said that the 400 owes much to the RD350 it replaced (which in turn owed quite a bit to the preceding R1 through to the R5), it really seemed a quantum leap at the time. The RD350 did immeasurable good to make road racing affordable for the average Joe; it was fast, reliable and handled adequately – just the kit to get your rocks off on weekends. More than a few play racers on RD350s graduated to bigger and better stuff; it was the perfect machine to show up natural ability, or lack of it. The RD350 sold phenomenally well around the world, even in USA where the Honda CB350 had been the chart topper for several years. But in reality, and in detail, the…

Naturally, in the days before purposebuilt circuits, our TT, like the other one on the opposite side of the world, had been conducted on public roads which were specially closed for the occasion. Even when new circuits were built in the 1950s, the TT generally stuck to its ethos, but it became harder and harder to find local authorities (especially the police) who would embrace the concept of motorcycles tearing around normal streets. Of course Mount Panorama was, and still is, a public road, but it had been built with motor racing in mind, and progressively adapted for the purpose over the years. The mountain track naturally hosted its fair share of Australian TTs, as the honour was shared state-by-state on a rotational basis, and continued at other big, fast…

Robert Elnar Petersen was a prolific magazine publisher who began with Hot Rod magazine and expanded to many other titles, including Motorcyclist, “delivering gasoline-powered dreams to the mailboxes of millions”. In 1996 he sold his company for $450 million, but during the previous four decades had amassed a very large collection of motor vehicles and with his wife Margie, had purchased a defunct department store on the famed Miracle Mile, which became the basis for the original museum. Petersen died in 2007, aged 80, but his wife continued with the museum until her death in 2011. With proceeds from her estate and the Petersen Foundation, a $125 million revamp of the building took place in 2015. The result is a stunning creation which wraps the original building in ribbons of…

This is our fourth year at the Laidley Showgrounds, time flies. Three bikes given away now, last year’s winner loves his Triumph and uses it regularly. This year’s winner, Gary ‘Blue’ Henderson, has now got a chance to motor in a more sedate manner than his current classic ‘70s Kawasaki. Greg O’Dea was the winner of the vest donated by Bill Williamson, Viking Bikes and Gear, drawn after the Enfield. The 230+ vendors filled the very large showground oval and the overflow areas. On both Saturday and Sunday there were large crowds supporting the vendors and bike show. On Sunday morning 650 folk registered for the Royal Enfield and 43 bikes entered our second bike show held at this event. Bike show entrants this year received an engraved key ring…

Run by HMCRRSA, the annual state titles meeting drew over 100 participants with 160 bikes. Riders came from afar with Townsville, West Australia, and NSW represented and of course the core from SA and Victoria. We had a class field in the Period 3 500 race with 5 Manx Nortons and 3 G50 Matchless in a field of 17 participants. 39 events over the two days racing kept everyone busy. Some precipitation was experienced on both days in the morning, but Mac Park has the reputation of being grippy in the wet as well as the dry so good racing continued. With modifications at a few of the corners new record were set in a couple of categories. The atmosphere shared by all at this meeting is second to none,…

The annual week-long National Velocette ‘Good Companions’ Rally for 2016 was successfully staged in the Latrobe Valley in Gippsland. Using Century Inn as rally headquarters, 150 Velocette enthusiasts took in the delights of the various roads and scenic spots throughout the area. Entrants travelled from all states and territories with the exception of Tasmania. Overseas entrants came from USA and NZ. Keeping in mind the need for safety the organizers this year adopted a corner marshalling system which saw riders in bright pink vests. Those nominated for marshalling duties soon reverted to various antics which included dressing up in all sorts of outfits which kept all the riders amused. All riders highly praised the marshalling system as it allowed riders to concentrate on the road and traffic which always seemed…

The Swedish Husqvarna company had been in business for two centuries before it produced its first motorcycle in 1903. Originally, the core business was firearms, just like BSA, but when military contracts dried up, Husqvarna began looking for other areas of revenue. What followed was an illustrious line of quality motorcycles, including successful Grand Prix racers, but by the end of the 1950s, the company had decided to abandon motorcycle production. Instead, the new vision was for engine production at a new facility known as M1, primarily to supply engines for mopeds, sewing machines and chainsaws. Independently, there had been a highly successful off-road racing effort, which was the result of Husqvarna employees working in their own time and with no budget from the parent company. When the FIM 250cc…

And yet the Thruxton, which is today regarded as the pinnacle of the company’s road-going products (as opposed to the illustrious line of works and customer racers), was not conceived by Velocette themselves, but as a spin-off of the efforts of dealers, primarily L. Stevens (with Reg Orpin as the main man) and Geoff Dodkin. Production Racing, albeit in the British form that allowed many modifications and non-standard equipment, was big business in the late ‘fifties and early ‘sixties, with the Silverstone 1000 Kilometre and Thruxton Nine Hour being the biggest and attracting the lion’s share of publicity. Reg Orpin had been building racing Velocettes that incorporated his own ideas for some years, even to the point of building a highly developed version that, in the hands of top racer…

My highlight was with Allen Smith, who is still importing bikes. He sold quite a few of his collection at auction in the US (following the closure of his museum at Marburg) but also decided to buy a few while he was there and bring them back home. I spotted a sweet little red Benelli nestled on a paddock stand out front of his display. This baby bike was Christened the Leoncino (which appropriated translates loosely as little lion). Benelli proudly mounted a beautiful matching cast aluminium lion to the front mudguard of all Leoncinos. This little lion was born in 1956, just like me in fact, but it was a little shinier and had definitely aged better. It was powered by a baby 125cc, 2 stroke engine with integral…

In three years, the CAMS (Classic Action Motorcycle Sport) Southern Classic has gone from a small show to celebrate CAMS’ 25th anniversary to a standout event; the recent running of the 2016 event attracting in excess of 300 motorcycles to compete in a packed program of races over the weekend at the pristine Levels circuit near Timaru. For 2016, the promotion of the meeting was boosted considerably with major sponsorship from Mike Pero Real Estate, the Christchurch-based empire established by long time competitor Mike Pero, who competed at the meeting on his own TZ250 as well as a later model owned by Rod Price. By Thursday, the paddock area was crammed with tents and trade stands – a veritable classic motorcycle show of its own, and the spectator mounds densely…

Tell people you have a BSA and their first response is a comment about the state of your rear end. It was time for a change! So at this year’s BSA National Rally, BSA would stand for Beautiful, Stylish and Aerodynamic. 80 or so participants and their bikes made their way to Beaudesert in Queensland for the 12th BSA National Rally hosted by the BSA Owners Club of Queensland. There were a few ring-ins and one very strange hybrid but all the bikes lived up to the “new” BSA definition. Doug Fraser obviously didn’t get the memo about the BSA name change. He rode from Carrum Downs in Vic on his 1971 B50 Victor really putting his rear end to the test. Doug, I take my hat off to you…

On a blisteringly hot day in January 1976 at Laverton Air Force base, west of Melbourne, a young Kiwi was writing himself into the history books. Aboard a new Suzuki RG500 Mk1 owned by his employer Tommy McCleary, 20-year-old Stu had 15-times World Champion Giacomo Agostini, works Harley-Davidson/Aermacchi rider Gianfranco Bonera, and virtually every top line Australian behind him until the closing stages of the blue ribbon Senior TT. Avant had audaciously ridden around the outside of Agostini’s MV Agusta to take the lead on the second lap, and then just steamed away with the race seemingly in his pocket. Then, in a split second, it was all over, the Suzuki seizing at the hairpin and casting him unceremoniously down the road. But that race was to prove the turning…

On the way home he talked of nothing else, and his enthusiasm convinced his father to investigate the possibility of producing a motorcycle of their own design. Manuel was a successful businessman with a factory in Badel which manufactured projectors and other cinematographic equipment under the name of O.S.S.A. (Orpheo Sincronic Sociedad Anonima). The original company had been formed in 1924 by Manuel and his brother Ernesto, primarily to produce for the home market, but had expanded rapidly and was eventually renamed Maquinaria Cinematografica S.A. During the Spanish Civil War, Manuel became a motorcycle despatch rider, which certainly gave him a taste for two and three-wheeled adventure, and following the war he formed a partnership with a French friend, Ricardo Soriano, producing racing outboard engines under the Motores Soriano label.…

1982/83 Triumph T140W TSS Specifications In reality, it had been on a downhill slide since being taken over by BSA in 1951, with worn out tooling and scant investment in new designs. The fatal blow had been delivered in September 1973, when Dennis Poore, chairman of Norton Villiers Triumph (NVT) addressed the workers at Meriden and announced that the factory would be closed down within the next five months. The reaction from the factory’s workers and trade union officials was immediate and violent. A total blockade of the factory took place, with workers occupying the premises and management shut out. All complete motorcycles, parts, tools and equipment were seized. The occupation lasted almost two years, during which time the old BSA factory at Small Heath was closed and demolished, leaving…

This event was specifically in honour of the speedway motorcycle which was in fact the only machine raced at the Ekka until 1936. Around 23 speedway bikes were lined up on each side of the road in front of the museum. The museum hosts, Darryl & Donna White and their many helpers, fed and watered the masses of visitors. A discounted entry fee to see their amazing Indian collection was also offered this day. On arrival I was magnetized to a small group of ‘mature aged’ motorcycle greats and/or their offspring who bought along bundles of period motorcycle racing photos. Firstly we had Reg Warry who was reunited with a fellow competitor Doug Stratford. Both raced in the late 1950s and hadn’t seen each other for around 50 years. Graham…

The United Kingdom team made it three wins in a row by taking out the 2017 International Challenge at the 24th running of the Island Classic over the Australia Day holiday weekend. Although Australia staged a late rally to narrow the gap following a dramatic final heat, the home side’s goose was effectively cooked when both the Irving Vincents, in the hands of Beau Beaton and Cam Donald, expired in the opening clash on Saturday morning and took no further part in the meeting. 52-year old Jeremy McWilliams once again starred for the UK team, winning the first three encounters convincingly. A boost for Australia came from a new face – Alex Phillis, son of Superbike veteran Robbie – who celebrated his 23rd birthday on the Saturday and showed his…

The Southland Motorcycle Club’s annual search for a guest of honour for the Burt Munro Challenge came up trumps this year with Guy Martin. Competing in some of the events Guy’s presence considerably raised the profile of the “Challenge”, generating a lot of national media interest. Guy has been to New Zealand before but he had never visited the South Island. Guy decided to bring out the hill climb special he had built for the “Pikes Peak – Race to the Clouds” event (in the US). After retrieving the machine from a museum and recommissioning it, the motorcycle nearly didn’t get to New Zealand. A mix up with a shipping container meant it wasn’t going to arrive on-time until Air New Zealand stepped in and airfreighted the machine to Auckland.…

The SHVC held its 5th annual Tiddlers Rally on 11-13 November 2016 at Terara, Nowra with over 40 entries. The rally is restricted to 250cc machines to allow riders to enjoy a leisurely tour of some of Nowra’s quieter roads. On Friday evening early arrivals were treated to a delicious supper provided by the committee. Overnight heavy rain threatened to bring a soggy day on Saturday, but fortunately the morning turned out to be a warm and sunny. An amazing array of small bikes lined up for departure at 10 am. These included the usual Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki as well as other marques such as Maico, Henkel, Jawa, MV Agusta, BSA, Ducati, DKW and Bridgestone. The morning run followed Terara Road to Currarong Road and on to the…

The 2016 Oz Panther Rally was based at McLaren Flat, a little south of Adelaide. It was our first venture away from the eastern states, and despite the heavy rain on the Sunday, was a cracker of a weekend. Panther owners came from far and wide. So far and wide in fact, that we had two couples from the POC in the UK (in Oz for 12 days only), that most adventurous and intrepid of Panther owners Des Molloy brought his equally adventurous 1964 M120 650cc Panther Penelope over from New Zealand (they have travelled together in over 50 countries – you should watch The Last Hurrah), a couple came over from Perth, one chap came down from Darwin, a few from Queensland, six or so from NSW, a sprinkling…