Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 81 i Old Bike Australasia

Given that Honda and Yamaha’s earliest attempts at racing machinery were designed to be used on the rugged dirt surfaced courses in Japan like Asama Mountain, they were off-roaders as much as road racers – street scramblers if you like, and often shod with knobbly tyres. It was not until the early ‘sixties that the designs became slightly more refined (coincidentally with the increased popularity of motocross in Japan as a result of Aussie Tim Gibbes’ Racing Schools conducted there from 1963). But back in 1957 what Honda offered the budding racer was what the factory termed the RC70F; a 250cc twin using the C70 (and later C71) engine, which had the ‘rotary’ gearbox favoured by several of the Japanese manufacturers. This had first gear at the bottom of the…

Dan Smith’s recreation is a marvellous piece of work which is ridden regularly, but it incorporates sensible mods to make it more practical for everyday use (at least in Canadian summers). A completely original Series A Rapide is a rare item indeed, and eye-wateringly expensive, but Franc Trento from Eurobrit in Melbourne, acquired the one shown here from the USA some years back. Comparing this with Dan Smith’s recreation it is easy to spot the differences, including the hubs and brakes, mudguards and stays, seat and the aforementioned oil tank and toolbox. Being in regular use, Dan’s bike also has concessions such as larger later model twin speedometer and tachometer plus a clock, the post war dual seat, air filters and the mandatory luggage rack for touring. But essentially, they’re…

Upon the death of John Youl in 1827, his eldest son James inherited the property and successive members of the family have farmed and managed grazing on the estate until it was sold in 2011. Pastoralist Boyce Youl and his sons Gavin and John were all prominent in Tasmanian motor sport and key members of the Light Car Club of Tasmania. Both John and Gavin were talented drivers and Gavin competed successfully in open wheel racing in Australia and in Britain, where he was one of the first customers for the new M.R.D. (later Brabham) cars built by Jack Brabham and Ron Tauranac in London. The club had promoted race meetings on airfield circuits such as nearby Quorn Hall and Valleyfield, as well as the once-a-year road circuit at Longford,…

Walter was born in Graz, Austria, on October 5th, 1939, just in time for WW2. His father, who was half Slovenian, was conscripted at age 40 into the German army and sent to the Russian front, where he was captured and sent to a Russian prison for ten horrifying years. Mrs Wolf, a Slovene, took her children to Yugoslavia, where young Walter was required to contribute to the household coffers by working whatever jobs he could find. It was 1951 before his father was released from prison, and when he returned he took the family to West Germany, and in 1958, to Canada. Walter spoke no English and claimed he learned the language by watching Hollywood western movies at the local cinema. Working first as an elevator repair man and…

More recently, the business has shifted to Esk, a more central location with a building offering greater space. “We chose Esk due to its ideal proximity to all major centres as well as being a great ride for customers around some of Queensland’s most beautiful waterways being Wivenhoe, Somerset and Perseverance,” says Naomi. The showroom houses many rare and interesting machines as well as the 30-strong collection belonging to Brian Holzigal who has owned classic motorcycle businesses in Brisbane and USA. The heart of the business is the workshop at the rear of the premises, which does everything from routine tuning to complete restorations. Jim has years of experience working on British bikes, and complimenting his expertise is a huge parts inventory. With an eBay store, phone orders and floor…

Bevel & Bull Rally • 4-6 May, 2019 – Beaudesert, Qld. The Labour Day weekend gave Bevel & Bull organiser, Brad Goostrey, the option of an extra day of riding – well for the Queenslanders at least. This was the 12th running of the event in celebration of bevel drive Ducatis which were built up to 1986. 114 people had registered of which 60 were bevel riders. Beaudesert was the start point Saturday morning and the weather overcast and not looking too special for traversing the nearby mountains. We rode through Boonah and Rathdowney to the first stop just before Woodenbong where the Mt Lindesay Highway intersects with Summerland Way. Next stop was Casino for lunch where the early departed were greeted with a heavy shower as we rode the…

Hamilton Rally • 5-8 April, 2019 – Hamilton, Victoria This mini-rally, although held in Victoria, was organised by the Velocette Owners Club of Australia (SA), and proved to be a very enjoyable several day’s riding around the roads in that neck of the woods. Most rallyists arrived on the Friday; from SA, Victoria and even from northern NSW. Those driving or riding down from SA had some difficulties with high winds creating dust storms that at times reduced visibility to less than 300 metres. In fact, one major road north of Adelaide was closed. The nearer we got to Hamilton the less dust there was. The total number of 25 machines comprised 18 Velocettes of different models plus seven other makes, and 35 rallyists in total. Day 1 saw us…

A former refrigerator salesman, Floggitt had come to the attention of Sir Carruthers Spagforth after the former sold an ex-Crimean war naval barge, loaded with 80 dozen ex-army ice chests, to the Inuit inhabitants of Sir Carruthers’ fur seal farm in Svalbard in the North Atlantic Ocean. Upon taking up his new post in Giggleswick, Floggitt dispatched the sales force far and wide in search of markets for mechanised cycles. One such identified was the highly specialised area of Motor Pacing, where the stakes were sky high and those in charge of purchasing not adverse to financial inducement. In short order, a prototype Spagopacer was prepared, and corpulent Spagforth test rider Hugo Jessop (fourth cousin to works rider Edgar and an experienced wind breaker) was duly sent to Lilliput Velodrome…

In the earlier Junior TT he worked his way up to 8th place behind a string of works machines but was forced to retire with machine gremlins. Just three weeks earlier, he had celebrated his 30th birthday. Following the Isle of Man, Roger lined up for the Dutch TT at Assen on June 29th. He only gained a start when English Guzzi star Bill Lomas crashed in practice and was unable to start, but Roger made the most of the opportunity, finishing eighth in both the 350 and 500 races. Two weeks later was the fourth round of the Championships, at the fast and dangerous Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, but on the same day there was an international event in East Germany which offered much better starting money for the…

The Illawarra area has a rich history in the motoring field, and in motorcycling terms has produced more than its share of champions, Wayne Garner (a patron of the museum) and Troy Corser to name just a couple. Fittingly, there is a dedicated exhibition of bikes and memorabilia from the Gardner family, although it is sealed off behind glass panels. As well as the motor vehicles, there are extensive displays of things like petrol pumps, workshop equipment, gramophones, typewriters and telephones that provide a fascinating snapshot of the 20th century. The NMRA has an exhibition to itself, with service vehicles like the ubiquitous Morris J Van and sidecars. I was pleased to see the museum had obtained one of the two surviving Spencer motorcycles (this one owned for many years…

Around four years ago, Bruce Hollow was at Sydney Motor Sports Park taking in the sights of the annual Festival of Speed when he spied a sandwich board sitting outside the pit garage occupied by Steve Leembruggen, boss of Old Gold Motorcycles and a keen Historic racer himself. The board contained photos of bikes currently on offer, plus shots of a few that were being prepared for shipment from Japan. The one that really caught Bruce’s eye was a vivid yellow Magni Moto Guzzi, so he thought about it overnight before talking to Steve the next day. “We just discussed the price and when it would be in Sydney, shook hands and the deal was done”, says Bruce. “Steve was great to deal with, I was happy with the price…

This was the 10th running of the event and saw around 100 bikes being proudly displayed. The event really showcased the diversity and innovation of the Japanese motorcycle industry, with many fine examples of classic models dating back to the sixties on show. Around 1,000 visitors enjoyed the event, which was held in the Telethon grounds at Burswood. The show was also a celebration of 20 years of the venerable Suzuki Hayabusa, and many great examples were on show, ranging from immaculate Generation 1 bikes through to some stunning customised examples. Those within the Hayabusa fraternity certainly have a passion for this bike and it’s no wonder. Hayabusa in Japanese means “Peregrine Falcon”, and it lived up to this name, being unassailable with a top speed of around 310km/h off…

As a teenager Sam would ride his push bike from his home to watch grass hill climbs, but his love of bikes was certainly not shared by his parents as they banned him from owning a bike until he turned 21. As a booking clerk for an auctioneer he started saving to buy his first bike soon after his 21st birthday, but doesn’t remember the early 600 BSA Side Valve fondly. Later, as a sales rep for Castrol Oils Sam decided to try racing, beginning with a beach race meeting in December 1952 at Greens Beach where he got the taste for winning on a 498 Matchless. The start of the Longford race meetings (from 1953) saw Sam, along with so many others, spend a great deal of time helping…

Historic Winton 2 + 4 • 17-19 May, 2019 – Winton Raceway, Benalla Vic. Australia’s oldest all Historic event, the 43rd annual Historic Winton, saw over 400 vehicles entered, with a further 2,000 on display for the weekend. The display area was so large that a free courtesy bus was provided to ferry spectators to the various display points. As well as the race meeting, the Benalla Historic Vehicle Tour for Red Plate vehicles explored Kelly Country, culminating in a Show & Shine. A highlight of the motorcycle section was the Harley versus Indian Hand-Shift Battle for 750cc three-speed side-valvers, attracting 15 starters. A total of 115 solo entries were received, with a healthy 21- strong sidecar field. A notable entry in the sidecars was the real life partnership of…

All British Rally • 27-28 April, 2019 – Newstead, Victoria The 43rd (yes it’s hard to believe there has been that many) All British Rally (ABR) was held at its now well-established home of Newstead, near Castlemaine in central Victoria. Newstead, unlike a few other places the rally has been held at, is in a “rain shadow” so this year like most, the weather was kind to us. If you haven’t been, this is a big event: 900+ fully paid entries as well as day visitors and trade displays and the locals who supply a wonderful range of quality food and beverages. This year’s rally was marketed as a three-day event, but as ANZAC day fell the day before, many decided to make it a four-day affair. The rally is…

Brian Clarkson The biggest moment of BRIAN CLARKSON’S extensive and varied racing career came in 1971 when he won the inaugural Sunraysia Desert Rally near Mildura. The event was a new concept for locals, and there were many different approaches taken by competitors. Clarkson’s approach was simply pull on his faded yellow Husqvarna jersey, strap a gallon of petrol to the top of the forks, and go for it. The win was a touch fortunate after several of the leading competitors became lost due to incorrect course marking, but ‘Clarko’ just soldiered on through the dust storms, battling with the loss of first gear which made getting through the deep sand difficult. But for the most part, it was flat in top and after 170 miles, the three-year old Husky…

First came the astounding AJS V4 – astounding because apart from the single example that was manufactured in 1935 and exhibited at that year’s Earl’s Court Show in London and subsequently dismantled with the planned production run cancelled – virtually nothing exists. As we saw in issue 75, this almost total absence of reference material did nothing to deter Dan’s resolve, in fact quite the opposite. Then came a second challenge – the fabled Velocette Roarer, but at least one example of the supercharged 500 twin that completed a solitary lap on the Isle of Man TT course in 1939 existed in the hands of Ivan Rhodes in UK. Dan was able to take measurements and compared notes with Ivan, but it was still an immense project, which was detailed…

I did not have the £60 he wanted but he was very interested in finding a swinging arm Ariel Red Hunter. After putting together a complicated deal to acquire a friend’s Red Hunter, it all fell through. Commiserating over a couple of ciders my old mate Tuck mentioned he had the worn partial remains of a post war Scott, which if I twisted his arm hard enough, he would part with. So after putting together another tortuous deal I became the proud owner of a 1946 Scott Flying Squirrel. After the first flush of enthusiasm and resisting the urge to tear everything apart, I quickly concluded that rebuilding the engine, and obtaining a radiator was going to be costly. As I had a few other machines to work on, I…

After reading the article regarding Heinkel Motor Scooters in issue 78 of Old Bike Australasia magazine, I was inspired to offer comments about my own obsession to ride Heinkel motor scooters. I was born in Darwin in 1940, 18 months before the first of 64 Japanese bombing raids on the city. I learned to ride on a Czechoslovakian Jawa CZ175 cc two stroke motorcycle I owned for a short time in 1960. In 1961 I upgraded to a four stroke Triumph 200cc Tiger Cub and rode this around Darwin for a few years. Early 1964 I chased my girlfriend Emma to England but ended up working in Germany for Siemens with friends Ralf and Wolfram. I bought a 1959 Heinkel Tourist 103 A-1 four stroke 174 cc scooter, to ride…

The latest offering from the Russian company can be a bit of a handful in city traffic (what isn’t?) but leave the urban lights behind and a whole new world awaits. The 750cc twin engine has been around long enough that it should be virtually bug-free, which is what you want when you’re exploring. After all, the company has been in business since 1940, initially to counter the invading Germans with their R71 BMW outfits. Their solution; capture, copy, attack, win. Following WW2, the Ural was put into civilian guise and sold extremely well, and with subtle and continuous refinements, is the machine you see here. Of course, those refinements have included such mandatories as Electronic Fuel Injection and a CDI ignition system sourced from Italy, but the flat twin…

The idea crossed my mind for about two seconds and much to his disappointment I said ‘Stuff it, I’m going to build the B50 I planned to build back in the early ‘80s when I collected most of the parts. Nine months later it was finished and had completed its first Red Plate Enduro. We decided to leave after the All British Rally before it became too cold, however, our intended destination, central Queensland, was still flooded so a slight change was required. Cameron Corner sounded like a good idea, so one not-so-wet Melbourne morning we departed and headed to the North-East of Victoria via every twisty road we could find. This included Reefton Spur, Eildon-Jamieson, Mansfield-Tolmie then bush to Cheshunt for the first night and then bush to the…

Following this wonderful article I was able to locate Mr Duckworth’s daughter Carmel, who still has some copies of her dad’s book: (cmtaig@yahoo.com), and gain through her and her brother extra information. This was to assist a recent trip by my brother Jon and I to Curtin Springs Roadhouse, the home of Peter Severin who owns the Mount Conner area where Bankin’s grave is. In essence, our visit was an integral part of a six week 8,500km sojourn in my restored original 1963 Land Rover through SA, Vic, NSW, Qld, and NT. Rather than go into too much detail of our trip, it was important to us to at least follow some of Bankins route including Tibooburra and Milparinka, (we’ve been to Innamincka numerous times and followed Bankin on the…

Inverell Motorcycle Restorers Club Rally • 12-14 April, 2019 – Inverell, NSW The club’s 27th Annual Rally has been run and done; great weekend had by all with perfect weather for the three days of riding. Friday’s ride out to Green Valley Farm saw 55 riders enjoy this unique theme park and museum. On Saturday, riders assembled at the Pioneer Village in Inverell, the base for our rally. Bikes were lined up in decade categories on the Village Green for judging before leaving on the 108 km run through Ashford, Wallangra to Graman for a delicious BBQ lunch supplied by Graman Hall Committee who used all local produce and homemade cakes. A shorter more direct route of 44km was taken by some older machines. A total of 178 entries made…