Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 65 i Old Bike Australasia

Flower Power. Seven years ago, Motorcycling NSW began a project that was seen as vital to the survival and prosperity of motorcycle sport in the state – the ultimate construction of a new road racing facility at Yerriyong, near Nowra on the south coast. It would have been the first new track since Wakefield Park opened at Goulburn in 1994, and a sorely-needed replacement for Oran Park and Amaroo Park, both now lost to housing development. MNSW were initially encouraged by the support of local industry, which rightly saw the new circuit as a major income stream to the area. The Shoalhaven Council, state government members, and many individuals also lobbied long and hard for the project to progress as quickly as possible, and there were numerous promises of infrastructure…

Yamaha Motor Australia has a treat for MotoGP fans with YMA’s Mugello Motorcycle MotoGP Tour. This Italian holiday is the trip of a lifetime for anyone passionate about road racing and especially Rossi fans. So much more than a visit to the track, the Mugello trip includes dropping into Rossi’s hometown of Tavullia, to the maestro’s dirt track VR46 ranch plus a visit to the VR46 store and restaurant. Plus with two nights in the capital you can check out classic Roman sights such as the Vatican, the Coliseum, the Roman Forum and for shoppers, the Prada outlet store. Six nights in Florence allows you to soak up the vibes of this historic city including a guided tour of the Duomo. And that’s all on top of three days of…

The owners of the famous AJS name have been importing Chinese made scooters and 125cc motorcycle into Britain for several years, branded as AJS. The latest offering is the AJS Cadwell, named after the famous north England race circuit, which is an air-cooled 125 single manufactured by Jianshe (Yamaha’s partner in China). The engine is a modern design with a five-speed gearbox, fed by a carburettor instead of the more normal fuel injection, with non-ABS disc brakes and 17 inch alloy rims front and rear. The Cadwell sells in UK for just £1898. Interested? Visit their website at... www.ajsmotorcycles.co.uk…

A couple of years ago, I encountered Bill Horsman when he was at Ron Angel’s place preparing bikes for Ron’s stable of young riders for the Broadford Bonanza at Easter. I said to him, “Why don’t you have a ride Bill? It’s not a race.” He replied, “It would be for me.” That sums up Bill, a committed racer for whom second place was the first loser. When I later phoned Bill to ask him to talk to me about his exceptionally long and highly successful career, he flatly refused. “That’s in the past,” he said. “I’m into different things now. In any case, I can’t remember much about it.” “Well, Bill,” I replied carefully, “I’m probably going to write it anyway, it’s part of history, but I would prefer…

Mike Pero, six times New Zealand National Road Race Champion has opened the country’s very first public gallery which is only six minutes from Christchurch International Airport. Since its opening in February, Facebook posts are hailing the collection as a ‘must see’ for visitors to Christchurch. Mike Pero said the idea of a gallery for the classics came about when his former (post-earthquake temporary building) became vacant towards the end of 2016. “I’ve always had a passion for bikes – I started my motorcycle apprenticeship and road racing in 1977. The collection came together very quickly and before we knew it we were full to the brim. We’ve had an overwhelming response from people from all over New Zealand, Australia and further afield. There’s nothing more satisfying than to see…

Many enthusiasts will have noticed the absence of Greg and Louise (The Woodies) from the Melbourne bike restoration scene in recent times. That has now changed. As Greg says, “Many of you know us well, as a small, personal family business working in the automotive engine building game for many years. Times have changed but the world of bikes and their amazing owners have been a very significant part of our lives since establishing Hydroblast back in 1995. I believe that everyone’s project deserves the same quality of services that the professionals use, at an affordable price. Definitely no job is too small for us. The task of refurbishing, both our whole shop and most of the machinery in it was inevitable. The job took much longer than anticipated and…

Forty kilometres south of Auckland is the market town of Pukekohe and its race track. Constructed in 1963 the circuit boasted a long back straight and was considered to be the fastest track in the Southern Hemisphere. In 2013 that changed when the circuit underwent a major revamp and the long back straight had a chicane added. Other work was done all to accommodate the V8 supercars. Unfortunately during construction, motorcycle safety was ignored. The revised track layout was deemed too dangerous for motorcycle racing. In 2015 a dedicated group within the New Zealand Motorcycling Racing Register decided to run a Festival as they had in the past before the track changes. There were numerous cries of ‘too dangerous’, but this hardened the resolve of the organisers to prove that…

Twenty-nine members attended the third annual Positive Earth Motorcycle Rally held at the Kiwi Park Holiday Camp in Murchison approximately 140 km south of Nelson. This unique event caters purely for motorcycles with a positive-earth polarity electrical system. Only British motorcycles had a positive earth charging system from circa 1950 up to and including 1978 for all makes and models. On arrival at the Murchison gas station the timing could not have been any closer as the northern and southern groups of riders met at precisely the same time. A social get together at the hotel was in order, before we left to get our rooms and park our bikes up for photos and judging. An evening meal and entertainment was enjoyed by all at the local hotel, and later…

Speedway heist Recently, a number of machines, along with a large amount of speedway and motor cycling memorabilia, trophies, badges, books and programs were stolen over a period of time from a rural homestead located in the wheat belt region of Western Australia. The items stolen were the property of the late George Best, a Western Australian motor cycling legend. One of the machines taken was an early Rudge-Whitworth speedway bike that George had ridden. West Australian Police are currently investigating the theft. If anyone has any knowledge regarding this despicable theft, please contact George’s daughter, Doreen on (08) 9524 1759 or via email on dor.drysdale@hotmail.com or alternatively, myself. Bill Powell Secretary, Australian Speedway Riders’ Association See the news article in this issue’s Buzz Box - Ed The Six Hour Thruxton…

Thieves targeted the Koorda property of Doreen Drysdale, George Best’s daughter, late in 2016 and made off with many family heirlooms, some of which have since been recovered. However the Rudge and other racing memorabilia remain unaccounted for. Best was well known as a farmer in the Koorda community (230km east of Perth), as well as for his motorcycle exploits that included speedway racing in the very early days of the sport. One of the many stories associated with George Best concerns his 1938 trip to Nuriootpa to contest the South Australian TT. George’s International Norton was sent from Perth to Adelaide by ship, but he had a crop to harvest so after attending to that, he simply strapped a water bag onto the handlebars of his Ariel (which he…

Indian describes the new Roadmaster Classic (above) as “rich in leather and luxury features”, examples of the former being the touring seat, fringed saddlebags, and a quickly-detachable leather trunk (top case to most of us) that is large enough to hold to fullface helmets. With deeply valanced mudguards, plenty of chrome and retro-inspired two-tone paint, the Roadmaster Classic has heritage written all over it. However underneath it’s all modern; key-less ignition, cruise control, heated grips and seats, LED headlamps, power adjustable windscreen, ABS, and a 100-watt audio system. The Indian Roadmaster Classic will be available in Australia from April at a ride-away price of $38,995 for the all-black version or $39,995 for the two-tone colour options. n…

This trait stayed with him from his early days with Norton right through to running his own Formula One Team. Australian World Champion Alan Jones, who drove for Surtees briefly, described him as “one of the most stubborn bastards I’ve ever met.” Surtees, who died in London on March 10th aged 83, had incredibly high standards, and he demanded nothing less of those around him. The only man to win both motorcycle and Formula One World titles – a feat that surely will never be emulated – Surtees came into this world in 1934 and spent his pre-teen years hanging around his father Jack’s motorcycle shop. At age 14, he jumped into the sidecar of Jack’s grass track outfit for the Trent Park Speed Trials at Cockfosters, North London, and…

As an aspiring racer, Paul Dunstall made do with a lightly modified 600cc Norton Dominator twin, his on-track career beginning in 1958 while he was working at his father’s motor scooter shop in Eltham, South London. Coincidentally in the same year, Nortons themselves had finally accepted that the venerable Manx single’s days were numbered and was experimenting with a possible replacement – the twin cylinder Domiracer. Three years later, Paul had abandoned any ideas of becoming a star racer himself, handing his Norton to sometime GP rider Fred Neville, Neville was killed in the 1961 Manx Grand Prix when riding a 7R AJS, and Dave Downer took over the reins of the Dunstall 600. When the Norton Race shop was closed down by AMC in 1962, he was offered the…

Priced at $34,490 in Australia, there was only one motorcycle more expensive in 1997 than the Bimota Vdue, and that was the $35,995 Ducati 916 SPS. Both were high performance vee twins, but that’s where the similarity started and finished. The Vdue was a 500cc v-twin two stroke no less, from a time when ring-dingers had largely been consigned to museums. Only on the Grand Prix circuits did the two-stroke continue to reign, and that was about to change as well. But then, Bimota had always done things differently. It’s just that this time, the result was so catastrophically unsuccessful that it sent the company to the wall. First, let’s establish just who Bimota is, or was. Back in the late ‘sixties, Massimo Tamburini (yes, the same man who later…

FREE Winton passes The 41st running of Historic Winton – Australia’s longest continuously run historic race meeting – takes place on 27th and 28th May, and you can be there – for free. We have five double weekend passes valued at $120 each to give away. Just go to the Old Bike Australasia magazine Facebook page for full details. You can find us on Facebook at... www.facebook.com/oldbikemag…

The Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club has an exhibition in the National Motor Museum from the 19 March to 16 June 2017 to acknowledge the achievements of early Japanese motorcycle importers. 2017 marks 60 years of Yamaha in South Australia with the first Yamaha arriving in 1957, one year after Victoria and one year before the USA. The South Australian agent Frank Johns (Liberty Motor Co) in conjunction with Yamaha, designed the Liberty Yamaha Ranch model which Yamaha produced for Frank who had world-wide rights to it. One example is included in the exhibit. A farmer about 15 km from the National Motor Museum purchased the first one sold in the world. The National Motor Museum is located about an hour’s ride from Adelaide CBD in Shannon St. Birdwood, South Australia…

A total of 75 Yamaha Ténéré riders took part in the recent Tasmanian Devil Run which covered a lap of the Apple Isle on dirt roads and byways. Around 1830km was covered by the Tragics during the course of the five-day run on a range of machines from the first 1983 XT600ZL Ténéré to the latest 1200 twins. The Tasmanian Devil Run was unanimously received as the best Tragics Run in the event’s seven year history. The combination of fabulous riding on both tar and gravel roads, eyepopping scenery, superb hospitality and Tasmania’s enthusiasm for the tourism industry made this Tragics Run a ride to remember. “I stated at the welcome dinner that this year’s Tragics Run would be hard to top, and that’s just the way it played out,”…

Motorcycling WA has confirmed that there will be no permits issued this year. The announcement comes following the death of 22- year-old Chris Adley in November, the sixth fatality at the track in 16 years and the second in 2016. The Department of Sport and Recreation has received a draft audit of an independent engineering report criticising many safety aspects of the circuit. However both the department and Motorcycling WA say the latest fatality, where Adley lost control and fell, and was struck by a following motorcycle during the Kings of Wanneroo event. The circuit itself has long been under threat from encroaching housing and there have been repeated calls to establish a new facility in a less urbanised area. This leaves Collie Motorplex as the only motorcyclelicenced road facility…

Since its official opening in late November, Classic Motorcycle Mecca in Invercargill, NZ, has welcomed over 10,000 visitors. The museum has recently added a new café, Meccaspresso, which has proved immediately popular with locals and visitors alike. An adjunct to the established Bill Richardson Transport World, Classic Motorcycle Mecca has just introduced a “Turbo Pass” which allows guests to view both attractions. Transport World director Joc O’Donnell says, “We deliberately put Classic Motorcycle Mecca into the CBD (in a different location to Bill Richardson Transport World) to create more foot traffic, with the aim of providing a spinoff effect to help other businesses in the area”. Classic Motorcycle Mecca is home to around 300 motorcycles and motorcycle focussed artwork. The collection ranges from a 1902 Peugeot motorcycle to a 21st…

The humble 150cc Gilera, handsome though it undoubtedly is, hardly represents ground breaking design. Yet this machine went on to become the largest volume seller in the famous Arcore company’s history, with sales of 96,000 in just over a decade of production, from 1949 to 1960. The story really begins with the birth of Piero Remor in Liguria in 1989 – a man who would entrench himself in the annals of motorcycling history with his brilliant racing designs. In 1923, Remor, in conjunction with Carlo Gianini, designed a four-cylinder engine for motorcycle racing, but having no funds to develop it, the pair fell in with the entrepreneurial Count Luigi Bonmartini, who owned a number of automotive and aviation companies. It took a further six years to build the complete machine,…

“If you’re not part of the solution then you’re part of the problem.” Eldridge Cleaver The problem was that while the new breed of superbikes offered previously unparalleled levels of engine performance, contemporary braking and handling were left floundering. It’s perhaps no small wonder that because of their ability to tie themselves in knots, certain machines earned notoriety and became known by names like ‘Flexi Flyers’. Whether manufacturers should lead through design innovation or be led by an often- conservative bikebuying public is open to debate, but what is clear is that there was (and still is) a stubborn reluctance to move away from the ubiquitous telescopic front fork. In the early 1970s disc brakes were also in their infancy and if you’ve ever sampled one I’m sure that you’ll…

PETER STRAWBRIDGE from the Barossa Valley Classic Motorcycle Club writes... Proof that motorcycle restoration is a bit like cooking. You can create something both unique and tasty from left overs! BVCMCC club member Sid Wooby has restored many motorcycles in his time. As owner of one of these, a CB400F Honda, I couldn’t help but recognise some left overs here. What do you do with the pile of bits in the shed after years of repairing and restoring old bikes? Well here is one rather unique option. Made from Honda, BSA, BMW and Lightburn parts. No not a Lightburn motorcycle, but a Lightburn Cement Mixer, this bike debuted at BVCMCC’s Annual Run on the 19th of February, 2017. The most popular suggestion for the tank badge on the day was…

In mid 2015 I sold my 1968 Bonneville but it left me at a loose end as far as garage fiddling went. The seed for the project Matchless was sown when I came across a photo of a Matchless G45 racing bike from the mid ‘50s. Having always been attracted to Manx Nortons but about $50,000 away from ever owning one, I saw the G45 as a possibility of building a road-going replica on an achievable budget. I figured this could be done as the G45 was based on a road motor which stayed very similar in appearance throughout its lifetime – right up to the final Matchless G12 in 1962. The first step was to find a 650 Matchless/AJS basket case, as I wouldn’t butcher a bike in good…

Attending a swap meet is a bit like fossicking. One day you find nothing but another you can uncover some real gems. Such was the case at this year’s 2-day Maleny Swap. I only went Sunday which seemed pretty quiet. It was ideal for taking the time to speak to various vendors and I found a few interesting motorcycles for sale. The first bike was a Greeves Triumph (Grumph/TriGreeves) which Trevor Kassulke had for sale. Beautifully restored, it started life as a 1961 Greeves TDS24 (Scottish Trials) but the original engine was replaced by a 1967 Triumph Tiger 100. It was raced in the ‘60s by Buster Anderson before it was restored and then acquired by Trevor around six years ago. Beautiful machine – light weight, mostly aluminium construction, with…

Racing began at Sellicks Beach in 1913 and ceased in 1953, with two reenactments held in 1986 and 1992. After an enormous amount of work by enthusiasts and the support of the Onkaparinga Council, the historic event returned for 2017, held over a 1.6 km course with two barrels set half a mile apart linked by two straights. The mix of bikes was nothing short of amazing, with the oldest bikes being a 1924 AJS and an old Douglas which has never had a clutch! It wasn’t just the bikes that were old with a couple of riders over 80 and still taking it serious and the proof was in the pudding when said riders got up to the podium come Sunday afternoon. This time of year is often hot…

Sunday arrived as a cool and pleasant day, far from the searing heat we had experience in the days leading to this weekend. The drive thru the hills to the annual ‘All British Day’ event at Echunga Oval was a pleasant relief. Approximately 21 members of the VVMCCSA gathered in the middle of the oval grounds bordered by the BSA Owners, Norton Owners and Triumph Riders of SA. The VVMCCSA display was divided into three sections of 10 VVMCCSA motorcycles on one side, then two 1930s AJS cars from Rob Smyth and Peter Wilksch in the middle, then nine motorcycles of the AJS and Matchless motorcycle owners group organised by Brian Kuerschner. You could see a sea of gleaming motorcycles from the BSA owners with 27 motorcycles which included the…

The subject of our test is the rather exquisite Turismo Veloce Lusso 800, the luxury version of the slightly less exquisite Turismo Veloce 800. Complete with panniers, the Lusso will set you back $24,999, while the standard Turismo goes for $21,499 – both plus on-road costs – but it’s the Lusso that’s under the microscope here. Both fall into what is now known as the Sports/touring category. Heart of the matter is the very oversquare (70mm x 54.3mm) triple engine, which makes the most delightful growth when stirred. This really is a masterpiece of modern engineering, but the fruit is in the electronics that tell everything what to do. There’s no Bowden cable connecting twistgrip to EFI, it’s pure ride-by-wire, with plenty of mapping options at your fingertips. You can…