Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 116 i Old Bike Australasia

Celebrating a century Ten years ago I joined many other enthusiasts at Kirkconnell, near Bathurst NSW, to celebrate one hundred years since the staging of Australia’s first motorcycle Grand Prix on 5th October 1914 (see feature by Peter Shannon OBA 47). It was a marvellous event, well organised and strongly supported by Bathurst Regional Council which was represented by mayor Gary Rush, who ‘flagged away’ a recreation of the start of that 1914 Grand Prix. From 21-23 June 2024, it was Goulburn’s turn to celebrate the centenary of their staging of an Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, in 1924 over a 52 mile/83.7km circuit taking in the towns of Goulburn, Windellama and Bungonia. This too was a marvellous event, jointly promoted by the Goulburn Mulwaree Council and the Goulburn Chamber of…

Rikuo… The Japanese Harley-Davidson In discussion after a recent meeting of the Taree and District Classic and Vintage Motorcycle Club I became aware that a new member, Ken Hopkins, had a Japanese Harley Davidson, a Rikuo Type 97 which he is rebuilding. I was aware previously that these machines existed when I had read about Alfred Rich Child. Ken is a boilermaker by trade and previously operated the Harley Museum of NSW at Kandos from 2008 to 2019. In that collection he had some 26 Harley machines dating from 1912 to 1970. Ken’s Rikuo Type 97 sidecar was manufactured in Japan during the 1930s. He acquired it from John Johnson about 28 years ago. He was the son of Jack Johnson who operated Redfern Motorcycles. This machine was used by…

Originally from Yass in New South Wales, born on 12th August 1898, Cec began riding motorcycles in 1913 and working as a motorcycle mechanic, but soon after, enlisted in the Australian Army as WW1 escalated. He was sent to France and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M) for his gallantry in battle in 1917 at Mont St Quentin, France, for capturing an enemy gun emplacement, though suffering wounds in the action. After being invalided to England, Cec returned to Australia at the end of the war, initially back to Yass, before a move to Sydney where he opened his motorcycle service and repair business, trading as “C.J. Weatherby – Cycle and Motor Mechanic” at 170 Liverpool Road, Ashfield, with agencies for Velocette, AJS, Douglas, New Imperial, Sunbeam, and Waratah. Cec…

For 2024, it was revived after a four-year absence, due to the dedication and hard work of a handful of enthusiasts and sponsorship from Honda, and held on the Monday public holiday. And like all such events, the race meeting itself was only a section of the whole show that always attracted thousands of enthusiasts and clubs. Twin Ring Motegi, to give it its full original name, (now called Mobility Resort Motegi) is a take-your-breath-away venue and probably unique in the world. Located about two hours north of Tokyo, the area is sparsely-populated by Japanese standards, but with good roads ringing the entire complex and access by three big gates at various points. To construct it, the top was lopped off a formidable mountain and an amphitheatre created, with grandstands…

JANUARY 6 Gracefield, Wellington, Suzuki TR500. JANUARY 12-13 Ruapuna Park, Christchurch, Rickman Suzuki 750 MARCH 10-11 Daytona, Yamaha TZ750A MARCH 31 Bathurst, Len Perry Suzuki TR750 APRIL 28 Lakeside, Queensland, Hazell & Moore Suzuki TR750 MAY 12 Oran Park McCulloch Gold Cup, Yamaha TZ750A JUNE 2-3 Road Atlanta, Georgia, Yamaha TZ750A JUNE 17 Loudon, New Hampshire, Yamaha TZ750A JULY 6 Sandown Park, Melbourne, Yamaha TZ750A JULY 28 Laguna Seca, California, Yamaha TZ750A SEPTEMBER 1 Talladega, Alabama, Yamaha TZ750A OCTOBER 6 Ontario, California, Yamaha TZ750A NOVEMBER 3 Lakeside, Queensland, Kawasaki H2R NOVEMBER 10 Oran Park, NSW, Kawasaki H2R NOVEMBER 24 Adelaide International Raceway, SA, Kawasaki H2R DECEMBER 22 Gracefield, Wellington, Coleman Suzuki TR500 Mk II DECEMBER 26 Cemetery Circuit, Wanganui, Coleman Suzuki TR500 Mk II DECEMBER 31 Bay Park, Tauranga, Len…

Ultimate Motorcycle Tours By Grant Roff Published by Hardie Grant Explore 198 pages Flexibound RRP: AUD$45 NZD$50 ISBN 978-1-741-17736-7 According to the introduction, this is not a book about hard-core, bare-bones touring to far flung destinations where food is considered a luxury. No, this is more for average folk who enjoy comforts such as a bed in which to sleep, fine local restaurants, and a comfortable, well-appointed and utterly reliable motorcycle on which to savour the sights at whatever pace floats you boat (or bike). Author Grant Roff is a former editor of the now-defunct magazines Motorcycle Trader and Two Wheels, who has “ridden every kilometre of the 20 great rides features in this book”. Those rides include USA, Canada, throughout Europe, UK, Ireland and the Isle of Man, India,…

Rex at the pump The article on Brooklands in OBA 115 prompted me to send you this photo (below), courtesy of the Tilbrook family collection. To my everlasting regret, I didn’t sit down with Rex and record an oral history of his time at Brooklands and racing across Europe. The inscription on the rear of the photo says, “Lemon Burton’s Bugatti filling up in ‘The Paddock’ Brooklands Track. Eric Fernihough’s little New Imperial, Rex Tilbrook refuelling Bugatti (1936). Francis Beart’s work shop in background. (signed) Rex Tilbrook.” Lyndon Tilbrook ACT Tom Phillis at Warwick Farm Please allow an old codger to reminisce about an event which took place in February, 1962. Those of us who loved motor racing, gathered at Warwick Farm to pay worship to heroes such as Stirling…

FOMSA forges ahead Now that the Undercover Winter Swapmeet has successfully concluded, the Festival of Motorcycling SA (FOMsa) committee is working on the program for the remainder of the year’s Festival events with a ‘Mill-to-Mill’ style poker run as our fundraising ride. The run will be held on Saturday 5th of October and open the later part of the year’s Festival activities, starting at Hart’s Mill Port Adelaide and visiting historic mills around the Adelaide Hills. We aim for it to be a great social day and the run will culminate at the National Motor Museum in Birdwood. We will have a few stops along the way to “draw your hand” and take in a couple of other historic mill buildings in the hills, with a morning tea and lunch…

BACK ISSUES NOW AVAILABLE PLEASE NOTE: ISSUES 1-8, 10-26, 28-30, 32, 34-37, 39, 42-45, 47-49, 51-52, 58, 60-62, 66 AND 67 HAVE SOLD-OUT AND ARE UNAVAILABLE FOR BACK-ORDER. subscribe online anytime Visit mymagazines.com.au or call 1300 361 146 for full issue details and pricing. Copies available as indicated at the time of going to print.…

In its barest form, as in most of the British tracks, Grass Track was speedway without the cinders – just a large oval staked out on a farmer’s lush paddock. At least, the paddock was lush prior to being pulverised by the spinning rear wheels of some very powerful motorcycles – both solos and sidecars. By the end of the British meetings, what had been a virginal track of sward now had a deep groove carved into it, with virtually all traces of the original grass flung far and wide. Many of these tracks were once a year affairs, used only out of growing or grazing season, so were re-ploughed between events. Some incorporated a right hand kink to form a kidney-shaped circuit, and those tracks that operated in Australia…

Thankfully, Royal Enfield addressed all the issues and the result is a quantum leap in virtually every area. The totally-new 452cc motor (which RE call the Sherpa) is now watercooled and with 29.4 kW at 8,000rpm is almost 50% more powerful than the old mill. Torque is up from 32Nm to 40Nm, and there’s an extra gear in the box as well, which further improves the power spread. Another tangible improvement is that the 450 weighs 10kg less than the old one. Chassis wise, it’s all-new here too. The frame is tubular steel with twin top tubes, and the engine bolted at the top and rear to act as a fully-stressed member. A steel swinging arm is controlled by a single shock with a rising-rate linkage. Up front sit…

Historic Winton • 25-26 May, 2024 – Winton Raceway, Benalla Vic. The 47th Historic Winton for classic cars and bikes, was held under almost perfect racing conditions. Both Saturday and Sunday (there was no Friday practice for bikes) featured blue skies, with maximum temperatures nudging 20 degrees. The bikes were out first at 8.30 on Saturday for qualifying with more than a few riders reporting cold fingers and a cold/slippery track. Fortunately, race 1 was late morning by which time the track had warmed up providing ample grip for those wishing to test their limits. Warley Consultancy, supported by RAM Garage and Motorcycle Dyno & Garage, is sponsoring the expanded SEQ Cup, now in its second year. As I’m sure all are aware, safety is of prime concern and this…

Goulburn GP celebrations • 21–23 June, 2024 – Goulburn, NSW It took 18 months of hard work from conception to execution, but it can be said that the celebrations to mark the centenary of the 1924 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix held in Goulburn was truly a spectacular success and a credit to all involved. Even the weather cooperated although just like the 1924 event, it was absolutely freezing. Things got underway on Friday evening with the Street Cruise through the main street which attracted more than 150 bikes, many of them modern. Saturday’s activity was centred around the Veolia Arena in Goulburn Recreation Area, where the pavilion was packed with motorcycles of all ages, including some racers of the 1924 era. Indian took the opportunity to play a major role…

Italianiron Classics, based in Tucson, Arizona USA are purveyors of classic Ducati parts and accessories. Owner Scot Wilson shares his experience with the Australian made Hand Held Dyno® Ignitions. “We keep an eye out for innovative products to offer our classic bike customers. They have expensive bikes and only want the very best products available, so when we heard about the Hand Held Dyno® Ignition we had to try it, and it has certainly surpassed our expectations! It sounds crazy, a classic bike ignition with Bluetooth and a Smartphone App, why? But the App is like magic, with many useful features, turn the key on and there’s your battery voltage. There’s no need to reach for the multimeter, pull side covers off etc to test the battery or know if…

I’m a very relaxed person. I fall asleep very easily, nearly every night. Unfortunately, I once fell asleep while riding my motorcycle. It was the middle of a warm day, three days into a long trip on a slow bike, an early Honda XL, from Sydney to Proserpine, Qld. Day one was Sydney to Nimbin. Perhaps staying there was my error. Day two was Nimbin to Rockhampton. On day three, I was nearly finished the long, straight Marlborough to Sarina stretch, which in those days ran inland of the coast. I was entering the Sarina range, when I must have fallen asleep. I awoke with a broken collarbone and sore gizzards. It could have been so much worse. A copper and an ambo were hovering over me. One said to…

Glenn Willing The youngest of the three Willing brothers, GLENN WILLING, passed away on 10th June, 2024, aged 60 from spinal cancer. Like elder brothers Warren and Len, Glenn was a fine competitor on the track, but equally skilled at race craft and tuning. As an 18-year-old Glenn had his first road race in 1982 at Oran Park, riding a Yamaha RD250LC. With help from Dudley Lister and some personal sponsors, he landed a ride on the new Honda MXV250 triple in the hectic 250 Production class, and at Easter 1983 scored a excellent second place behind team mate Campbell Ferris. Working with Lister helped Glenn hone his own technical skills, and he became the go-to man for a number of top riders. At the same time he grabbed rides…

From bulbs, trees and vegies to digging holes and planting seedlings, Garden Express offers a wide range of products, catering to all garden types (and all gardeners!). Whether you have a backyard full of vegies or a balcony where everything is growing in pots, Garden Express has all the tools and accessories to help your garden grow. WHAT’S IN THE PRIZE PACK? 36 gardening accessories selected by Garden Express including: stand up weeders; peat pots and tray kits; gloves and knee pads; plus, a range of tools to cover your garden needs as you dig, plant, maintain and protect your patch. How to enter… Simply subscribe, extend or renew your subscription to any of the participating magazines for a minimum of 1 year. For more information, visit mymagazines.com.au/fd24 1 of 10 prize…

Back issues also available SUBSCRIBE NOW! SUBSCRIBE TO OLD BIKE AUSTRALASIA AND SAVE OVER 17% Each issue of Old Bike Australasia contains feature articles on a wide range of stories including famous bikes, forgotten circuits, personality profiles, road tests, rally roundups and current race reports from Classic/Historic meetings on the Australian and New Zealand motorcycle calendar. Choose the AUTOMATIC RENEWAL OPTION and SAVE OVER 17% subscribe online anytime mymagazines.com.au YES! I would like to subscribe to Old Bike Australasia for: ◯ NEW SUBSCRIPTION ◯ RENEWAL ◯ GIFT SUBSCRIPTION AUTOMATIC RENEWAL: BEST OFFER (Credit/Debit Card ONLY) ◯ 7 issues (1 year) ONLY $75 – SAVE OVER 17% STANDARD SUBSCRIPTION: ◯ 14 issues (2 years) ONLY $154 – SAVE OVER 15% ◯ 7 issues (1 year) ONLY $79 – SAVE OVER 13%…

Ray Owen Classic Bike Show • 26 May, 2024 – Canungra, Qld Sunday turned into a beautiful day and there were people keen to get in well before gate opening time, probably trying to get in first to the swap meet. One of the biggest headaches we have at every Ray Owen is the car parking on the hill. This year The Scenic Rim Regional Cadets took care of everything related to this job. The cadets’ ages range from 8 to 18 years and were superbly led by Shane Murphy. It was all carried out with military precision, with a shift change every hour to allow the cadets to enjoy looking at the bikes and show. We had 100 bikes registered for judging and the quality this year was exceptional.…

Goodbye frigid digits Having recently celebrated a significant birthday, I made myself a promise, “No more suffering cold hands while riding.” As luck would have it, our friends at Link International let us know about their range of Macna Heated Gloves (see OBA 115 Good Gear) and I knew my prayers had been answered. A subtle suggestion and – hey, presto – a pair of Macna Unite 2.0 RTX gloves arrived, just in time for me to give them the acid test at the mid-winter Debenham Rally in the NSW Southern Highlands. There could not have been a more appropriate place to try them out; it was freezing, and the rain didn’t let up all day. There are several price points in this Macna range, but I requested the budget…

CLUB SECRETARIES: Because of our lead time for printing, please ensure your listing is received at least four months prior to the event. Email your event details to… scaysbrook34@bigpond.com AUGUST NSW Historic Racing Championships 9-11 August, 2024 – One Raceway, Goulburn, NSW Conducted by PCRA of NSW. Enquiries: Ken Lindsay highwaystarmce@gmail.com CBX6 Annual Rally 9-11 August, 2024 – Mitchelton, Qld. Presented by the CBX Owners Club of Australia. Entries open now on club web site www.cbx6.com.au/events/ Accommodation at The Brook Hotel, (07) 3355 5366 or https://www.brookhotel.com.au/accommodation – has 12% discount using code ‘CBX1000’ when booking. Info: info@bx6.com.au 13th Aussie Triples Rally 16-18 August, 2024 – Evans Head, NSW Triumph Tridents and BSA Rocket 3s 1968-1976. Contact Col Em: aussietriples@yahoo.com.au – Mb:0428 869 889 Newcastle Vintage Motorcycle Club Touring Runs 16-18…