Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 83 i Old Bike Australasia

Cannonball Classic set for 2021 Named after the legendary American Erwin “Cannonball” Baker, who in 1915 rode an Indian twin from Sydney to Melbourne in 18 and a half hours, a Cannonball Run traditionally is a transcontinental event, and has been a feature of US veteran and vintage activity for many years. The Indian-Pacific Cannonball Classic is scheduled to take place in 2021, beginning at Busselton Jetty, Western Australia, and running east to Eden, on the NSW South Coast – a distance of 5,000 km. From Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean. Open to motorcycles of 73 or more years of age, in other words, built in 1948 or earlier, to be presented in a condition close to original from the factory. More information will be published as it comes to…

Given the premium specification for these 500 singles, that statement could very well be factual. This was indeed a luxury motorcycle, and one possessed of a fair turn of speed, hence the V initial which stood for Veloce (Fast). The V series had its beginnings in late 1933 and was simply called the Model V. For Moto Guzzi, this was a completely new design concept, and a radical departure from its predecessors. The V was available as either a rigid frame or with rear suspension, and enjoyed a healthy life span in various guises and refinements which included the GTV, the GTC, the Astore, Falcone and even had its DNA in racing models such as the Condor, Dondalino and the works racer Gambalunga. Alongside the V series engines, Moto Guzzi…

With only 186 originally built between 1959 and 1962, it’s not surprising that the Matchless G50 was a rare sight in this country. Just a handful made it to Australia and New Zealand, usually brought home by returning ‘Continental Circus’ riders. By the ‘seventies the OHC Matchless was a relic, and uncompetitive. But then came Historic Racing which gave the big red machines a new lease of life, and spawned a plethora of replicas. For the record, the G50 was, as Australian legend Jack Ahearn put it, “Just a big 7R”and he should know, since Jack was selected by Associated Motor Cycles (AMC), owners of AJS, Matchless and Norton, to pilot the prototype G50 at the 1958 Isle of Man TT. The plan was simple enough; to give the privateers…

After opening Bill Richardson Transport World – the largest private automotive museum of its type in the world – in late 2015, owners Joc and Scott O’Donnell heard about the huge collection of motorcycles that had been assembled by American ex-pat Tom Sturgess in Nelson. After a self-described “rush of blood to the head” they purchased the and shifted the bikes south. Classic Motorcycle Mecca opened in mid-2016. The classic motorcycle museum, with the tagline ‘Ride into Yesterday’, has not only created a place for enthusiasts to revel in the legacies of their favourites, but has also added to the heritage of the inner-city. Two beautiful period buildings in the innercity were restored to their former glory. Inside visitors will find a celebration of all things motorcycle through the ages,…

The rally was once again based at Grafton Showground from where 96 entrants enjoyed a weekend of brilliant weather, good rides and great companionship. Friday’s afternoon shakedown ride included a stop at the new Grafton bridge where representatives from the builders (Fulton Hogan) gave us a rundown on the construction, then a short ride with a refreshment stop at Strontium Park. Saturday saw us follow the Clarence River down to Lawrence, then out to Copmanhust Rodeo grounds for morning tea. Suitably refreshed we followed a circuitous route to South Grafton for lunch and entrants’ choice judging. Saturday night’s dinner was at Grafton Services Club where the traditional tombola raffle was held and rally trophies were presented. Sunday was again a short ride, unfortunately a marshalling mix up caused some problems…

Graham Stewart Motorcycle racing lost one of its best known National and International officials with the passing of finishing flagman GRAHAM “CHECKERS” STEWART at the age of 55. Graham suffered several serious health issues over the past few years and finally lost his battle with brain cancer in June. Graham’s funeral was very well attended by riders past and present, other officials and a host of friends he was involved with during a virtual lifetime in the sport. In 1982 Graham joined Bankstown Wiley Park MCC and raced Short Circuit for a few years. On retiring from racing he decided to continue as an on-track finishing flag official. He waved his flags on a host of Club, State Titles and National Open race meetings and went on as an International…

During WWII he served with the Marine section of the RAAF in the South Pacific and was discharged as medically unfit for further war service and sent home in 1945. He managed to purchase two ex-army 1200cc Indians for £125 each, using one for delivery from his butcher shop in Windsor, Melbourne, and the other for pleasure riding. With help from his mate Clarry Rial, the second Indian was soon turned into a racer and used for scrambles and track events. Despite being huge and heavy, the Indian proved surprisingly useful and gave Frank a serious taste for racing. “The weight of this big monster was 928lbs (421kg) dry,” said Frank. “Clarry was soon to make this drab outfit into something worth looking at, straight through pipes, two Amal carbies,…

The Americans seemed fairly happy with the Honda Gold Wing, which had attained cult status since its introduction in 1973, but the Europeans had a slightly different view, and Honda was well aware of it. The Big H was also well aware of the market dominated by BMW – let’s call it sports touring – and the need to produce a motorcycle that Europeans could embrace. Enter the Pan European, or ST1100. That story began in December 1989 with the announcement of the all-new V4 that shared practically nothing – not even the engine – with other Hondas. Well, perhaps the engine had its origins in the unit that had appeared as the V45 Sabre in 1983 and had evolved in the variants such as the VF750F and various racing…

It did make sense however, to the accountants from both companies. Aermacchi was primarily an aircraft manufacturer – Aeronautica Macchi SpA– for which motorcycles had only ever been a sideline. H-D, on the other hand, was exactly the opposite, and the US management could see clouds on the horizon, as the Japanese made constant inroads, capturing a new, non-traditional motorcycle market, and raking in the cash. Harley was also determined not to follow the slide to oblivion suffered by the long-established British manufacturers, and quite a few European ones as well. Giulio Macchi established Nieuport-Macchi in 1912, on the shores of Lake Geneva, and much of the early production was sea planes. Military production followed during WW1, after which the firm was renamed Aeronautica Macchi. In 1934, its MC-72 seaplane…

More gold for Jon Once again, Jon Munn (above) has taken the major motorcycle award at the prestigious Motorclassica Expo in Melbourne. The winning entry is a rare 1922 Brough Superior Mk1 with a 90-bore overhead valve 1000cc JAP engine, which Jon and workshop manager Geoff Knott restored at Classic Style in Seaford. “This is a very rare model,” says Jon, “and we were fortunate that Jay Leno has one in his collection in the USA and allowed us to inspect it so we could fabricate some of the missing parts. The bike has been in Australia for many years, and came from a deceased estate. Some restoration work had been attempted over the years but we basically started from scratch. There are very few parts available for these early…

I am delighted to report that the Owen legacy lives on with the family continuing to support the show that bares their late husband, dad, grandad and great grandad’s name. Yes, I am talking three generations and they continue to bring along Ray’s favourite race bikes (his trusty 250 Triumphs), photos and take pride in wearing t-shirts with Ray’s race number 27. This year I got to meet one of his grand-daughters, Brooke Goulding. Ray’s wife Pat introduced me to her and the experience was so wonderful I just had to share it. Brooke has been carrying on in the very deep wheel furrows left by Ray, who she refers to affectionately as “Pa”. She competed in off-road motorcycle events earlier in life but starting a family and business commitments…

September 9 saw the Annual Celebration of Speedway Motorcycles in Brisbane. This year’s event moved to the front yard of the Vintage Speedcar Association of Qld Clubhouse. Once again passionate speedway tragics Darren Sonnenberg and Tony Webb put together the event. While it is primarily in acknowledgement of the achievements of Jack White and Nigel Boocock, it was an event to celebrate all speedway motorcyclists. While the excessive winds were fanning fires in regional Queensland, they also presented a challenge on the day. Darren Sonnenberg’s extensive collection of framed and laminated speedway photos along an over 6 foot border fence were buffeted but luckily none were dislodged. Chequered flags adorned each fence post which I christened the ‘Speedway Fence of Fame’. I noticed also that Darren included an area devoted…

This year’s rally was again based at the beautiful seaside town of Evans Head, Northern NSW. We had 55 entrants bring their Triumph Tridents and BSA Rocket 3s for three days of riding in perfect weather. Entrants came from as far as South Australia, Victoria, the ACT and Queensland. Many rode large distances to the Rally while others trailered their bikes. Friday’s short ride was north to Brunswick Pub for a chat, and to meet up with the Queensland contingent. Saturday we headed off for a 220km ride, bypassing Lismore and enjoying the sights as we road through Nimbin to the fuel stop at Kyogle. We then journeyed on to Wardell Sports Club for lunch and the bike judging. We had a variety of Triples including T150s T160s, Rocket 3s,…

In contrast to 2019’s 19-round, nine-month marathon which concludes on 17th November, it took just 11 weeks to complete the inaugural FIM World Championship in 1949. Run over six rounds, points were awarded to the first five finishers in each of the four solo and one sidecar categories, with an extra point for the fastest lap of the race. While all results counted for the 125cc and 250cc championships, only the best three counted in the 350cc and 500cc classes. On September 4th, 1949, ex-RAF pilot Les Graham DFC was officially declared Champion of the World in the premier 500cc class, despite crashing in the sixth and final round of the inaugural FIM World Championship. On the best-three-results system, Graham scored two wins and 31 points in the title chase,…

Prior to the completion of the Trans Australia Railway in 1917 very few adventurers had attempted to traverse the continent in either direction. Even the most superficial contemplation of the desolate Nullarbor Plain was enough to convince most wayfarers that facing ‘mal de mer’ on a steamship across the Great Australian Bight was a better proposition than the risk of ‘doing a perish’ on the world’s largest limestone slab. That the journey had never been attempted without camels did nothing to deter Bert and Fred James who, having run out of luck in the West Australian goldfields in 1897, cycled home to Geelong carrying no more than a puncture kit and the makings for a ‘cuppa’. Then came the omnipresent outlander Francis Birtles who cycled from Fremantle to Sydney in…

Stein-Dinse was founded in 1983 by Hans Dieter Stein, and now has a staff of around 50 people. Based in Braunschweig, in the middle of Germany in Lower Saxony, the company operates from a 7,000 square metre warehouse, with more than 39,000 articles always in stock. The stock includes genuine and authentic reproduction parts for Moto Guzzi, Ducati, Aprilia and other Italian brands, as well as accessories from leading Italian manufacturers including Brembo, Dell’Orto, Rizoma, Tommaselli and Mistral exhaust systems. As well as the massive warehouse complex, the Braunschweig site houses a large, modern retail showroom, with several of the owner’s treasured vintage and classic motorcycles on display. Mrs Editor was immediately drawn to the rare Moto Guzzi Normale, but there are plenty of other glamorous machines on show. Sales…

After a couple of lean years, the Macquarie Towns Club Show day bounced back better than ever for 2019, with an entry of 144 bikes, including 118 from the host club’s members. Organiser Jason Stone and his helpers did a wonderful job to drum up interest not just from their own club, but elsewhere, with a strong line up of visitors’ bikes entered. The weather certainly could not have been better; the picturesque Macquarie Park on the banks of the Hawkesbury River opposite the historic town of Windsor looking lush and green as the bikes began arriving from 8am. Although the earlier categories were a little thin, the line-up of ‘sixties, seventies and eighties bikes was extremely healthy, making a difficult task for judges in determining the awards. Macquarie Towns…

The eleventh Moto Giro Australia was based at Boonah and Woodford over 6 days and attracted many new entrants. 38 riders from WA, SA, Vic, NSW and Qld faced the starter, riding Aermacchi, Ducati, Gilera, Moto Guzzi, Moto Morini and MV Agusta. This year included the pillion teams of Kym & Jenny Bull and Murray & Linda Buhse, each mounted on Moto Guzzi Nuovo Falcone 500s replete with leg guards. Moto Morini was well represented by four 3.5 Sports, a 3.5 Strada and Mal Craig’s 250 Settebello. The first day’s ride started in a brisk chill which got colder as we climbed 500m to Queen Mary Falls for a steaming coffee. We then descended to Rathdowney for lunch and a photo stop at Moogerah Dam, where the abundant bird life…