Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 123 i Old Bike Australasia

Dude, where’s my new Goldie? At the recent Debenham Winter Tour in the NSW Southern Highlands, a fellow approached me and asked, “What do you know about these new Gold Stars from India?” Well, the answer is, not much. Around three or four years back, certain motorcycling circles were abuzz with chat about the new BSA being produced by its also-new owners, the giant Mahindra Group in India, which took over the venerable brand in 2021. Photos were circulated, and the new model, titled the BSA Gold Star 650, certainly looked to have a foot, or a wheel, in the camp of one of the most revered British models - one that had first appeared in 1937, and disappeared a quarter of a century later. From a distance, the new…

The Grand Prix Triumph During World War 2 the Lancaster Bomber was a vital part of the Bomber Command’s efforts to combat the enemy, so many former motorcycle factories were now engaged in making various components for the military. Velocette made the hydraulic landing gear for the Lancaster and Triumph made a parallel twin engine, based on their pre-war 5T, to power the Lancaster’s generator. I believe that this is the first engine made by Triumph that, unlike the 5T, used an alloy head and barrel. It was cooled with a fan and fitted with a different carburettor. Ernie Lyons won the 1946 Senior Manx Grand Prix on a T100 fitted with the head and barrels from the generator model. The machine was prepared by Freddie Clarke who amongst other…

After 55 years of operation, administrators KordaMentha have been appointed to seek a buyer for the business which includes the Peter Stevens Motorcycles (PSM) retail chain and Harley Heaven outlets throughout Australia. The sale does not include Peter Stevens Imports (PSI), Fox Racing and PSI Cycling which were split from Peter Stevens Motorcycles in 2021 and bought by Steve Chiodo and his son Paul. John Chiodo took full control of the accessory division Monza Imports in 2019. The Chiodo brothers Vince, Steve and Peter founded PSM in 1970. Vince died in 2013 and his daughter Jessica Chiodo-Reidy bought the retail business outright in 2023. It is estimated that 400 employees stand to lose their jobs from the 15 dealerships in Victoria, NSW, South Australia and West Australia. PSM retails eight…

On 5th August the Tasmanian Motor Cycle Club turns 120 years and is looking to mark the occasion at a special race meeting. Saturday 27th September is a ride day, and Sunday 28th is round 3 of 4 of the Tasmanian Road Race Series. Tony Oliver (0418 578 893) is coordinating the extras with assistance from Mal Campbell (0408 128 872) and Mick Damon (0448 287 861) and each can be contacted for more information. You could also look at the TMCC web site for details. So far for the Ride Day a State learner rider training officer has been organized to conduct a session on the big concrete slab with the addition of allowing the riders, at a much reduced cost, to ride round the track during the ride…

At the time At the time of its inception, motor sport in New South Wales was in a very delicate state for several reasons, one of which was the creation of Eastern Creek Raceway, primarily to hold the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. The event had been snared from Phillip Island via a government intervention that ballooned steadily to a reputed budget of $75 million. One of the sweeteners for voters and the treasury was a proviso that at least one of the two existing Sydney circuits – Oran Park and Amaroo Park – would be closed down in order to divert income to Eastern Creek to shore up its viability. This little gem was not made public until well after the Grand Prix circuit had opened, but ultimately Amaroo Park…

The disappearance of the MZ brand from the line-up of new motorcycles was all part of the way the market decides who stays, who grows and who goes broke. This once famous East German brand which was the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer in the 1930s, had emerged with better bikes after the Soviet Block collapse with outsourced engines from first Rotax and then Yamaha as part of a real effort to build a genuine global seller. And so the MZ Skorpion was launched in the 1990s as an attractive and different big single with little opposition. Designed by UK firm Seymour Powell, the new MZ had a typical modern British layout frame, Italian brakes & suspension, and a Japanese engine; all with German electrics and assembled in the MZ factory.…

More than just an Ignition Mike Pacella from Atlanta Motorcycle Works (AMW) in the USA recently tested the new “Hand Held Dyno” Ignition System by OEM.Digital on a 1982 Kawasaki KZ 1000K2. “It’s the best system I’ve come across in 50 years of doing this. By all accounts, it’s an easy-to-install DIY project that can be completed in one to two hours,” says Mike. Over two days of full testing of using the 9 ignition maps stored in the Hand Held Dyno system memory, (easily changed via Bluetooth to the Hand Held Dyno App), Mike narrowed the options down to a suitable map just right for the bike. Mike was very impressed with the dyno test outcome, “the Hand Held Dyno makes + 6.5 hp over the Dyna Ignition.” You…

Cool cases from Coocase Singapore company Coocase has a range of very well designed products with a reputation for quality and durability. Here are a couple of examples of their topcases. The S48 Astra Basic Topbox looks compact but holds a whopping 48 litres of gear – enough for two full-face helmets. A padded inner liner is available as an option to provide extra cushioning for more delicate items, and a pillion backrest pad is a further useful option. Finished in shiny black with smoke tinted lenses, the Astra Basic holds up to 5kg weight and comes with manual key lock and a base plate. RRP AUD $250.00. Product Code S48BPBLK. The S48BP looks very smart with its Silver lid and smoke reflectors, but is otherwise identical to the basic model…

Norton Commando clutch explained The Norton Commando clutch is well designed. However, during manufacture it has been compromised. The Commando clutch sprocket is attached to the clutch backing plate with three rivets using a 50-ton press or suchlike. This process creates three low spots at the rivets and three high spots in between on the backing plate, thus making an uneven surface. When you load your nine clutch plates in the housing, the clutch plates become wafer washers which is poor manufacturing by the Norton factory. To remedy the problem it requires a simple machining job in the lathe. Some backing plates have run up to 0.020” (0.5mm) out of true. After machining it is often better to slip on an extra steel plate as it gives you a better…

Entries are now open for the 42nd Down Under Jampot Rally, organised by the AJS and Matchless Owners Club of Australia, to take place over the weekend of 7-9 November 2025 in Wagga Wagga, NSW. Based at the Ingenia Holiday Big 4 caravan park, the rally is open to all motorcyclists (ownership of an AJS or Matchless is not a requirement). The event promises a laidback weekend of scenic riding, mechanical interest, and old-school camaraderie through the back roads of the Riverina. Proceedings kick off on Friday evening with a twilight sausage sizzle at the Wagga Wagga Historic Engine Club, setting the tone for a relaxed and sociable weekend. Saturday morning will see bikes lined up in the Cross Street carpark in central Wagga for judging and public display, followed…

from your Old Bike Australasia collection? BACK ISSUES AVAILABLE NOW! BINDERS back in stock… Protect your prized issues of OBA with these rugged binders, now back in stock. Priced at $39.00. If you’ve missed an issue, spotted an article on our website or social media posts that you would like to read, or you just want to purchase a copy for a friend, our OBA Back Issue Library is the place to go. SOLD-OUT ISSUES Please note that issues 1-11, 13-15, 22-26, 28-32, 34-36, 41-43, 45, 47, 61, 64, 66 and 67 have sold-out and are unavailable for back-order. Visit or call 1300 361 146 for full issue details and pricing.…

Superbike Masters 13-15 June, 2025 – Moragan Park, Warwick Qld. Riding the North Coast V-Twins Ducati 851, Beau Beaton has continued his total domination of the 2025 Superbike Masters Series with another clean sweep at Morgan Park, Queensland. He topped qualifying by an astonishing 2.82 seconds from Joshua Mathers (Yamaha FZR 1000) who had a further comfortable margin of more than a second over third qualifier Corey Glock (Honda RC30). Over the three races at the tricky circuit, Beaton strolled to an 18.847 second victory in Race 1, heading home Mathers and Ben Burke. Glock got to within 1.92 seconds of Beaton when the flag fell on Race 2, with Burke again third. In the final encounter, the winning margin was 12.67 seconds, with Burke heading home Glock. With only…

Jack the Lad Brent Scholes, a member of the UK Vintage Motor Cycle Club, has advised us of the publication of an interesting book recently published in England by the Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society, and it’s free. It is entitled “Walter the Raleigh. The log-book and Account Book of a motorcyclist.” Brent says, “Young Jack Winchester rode his 350c.c. side-valve Raleigh motorcycle, with hand-change gearbox, widely through much of England, Scotland and Wales in the 1920s. Several times, he rode 200 miles in the day, and sometimes by night by the light of his acetylene lamps. He recorded and mapped his extensive tour of Scotland.” The book is in the original handwritten form: please click on this link: https://mlfhs.uk/research/find-out-more/public-resources/public-documents It’s a free download in pdf form. I hope…

Two Harleys for six quid I was interested to read Ken Goodman’s letter in OBA 120 (yes, I am behind with my reading) about the “Five quid Harleys”. I can say that such things existed in England in the 1960s as I had one. A friend told me her ex-boyfriend had a bike to sell cheap – it turned out to be a WLA which became mine for a fiver. Not my style of bike, but for that price… It was all up and running, but a bit non-standard, such things as footrests instead of footboards, only a hand clutch (no foot pedal), dual seat instead of saddle, but luckily the twistgrips were swapped to have throttle on the right and ignition advance on the left. It also came with…

The Brisbane Motorcycle Club is hosting the 2025 Australian Classic Motocross Championships at Queensland Moto Park 26 to 28 September this year. This event is the highlight of our 100th year celebrations as a club. The circuit has been specially prepared to suit Classic and twin Shock machines. There is also Pre 1960 Evolution classes and Classic Sidecars. Free camping is available on-site. It’s an ideal opportunity to bring out that old dirt bike, or to just come along and enjoy the racing. For more information contact Randell Goldsworthy on Mb: 0449 723 327 or Em: secbrismcc@gmail.com…

Shortly after the introduction of the trail-blazing Yamaha DT1, Honda retaliated with the Honda XL250 and though it’s unlikely that many of these reliable SOHC four-stroke machines ventured much beyond suburbia, the XL250 remained Australia’s top-selling motorcycle for much of the decade. Neophytes wishing to stretch the limits of the five speed close-ratio gearbox could move up to the XL350 and XL500 models – or the Honda XR350. So, when Honda introduced the XR500 to our shores in 1978 it appeared a strange move. For hard core enduro competitors, the XR500 was too heavy in comparison to the Husqvarna 390, KTM 400 and Yamaha IT400. For the growing number of weekend trail riders, the well-priced Suzuki DR370 and Yamaha TT500 received better reviews than the XR500 – despite the Honda’s…

SUBSCRIBE NOW! SUBSCRIBE TO OLD BIKE AUSTRALASIA AND SAVE OVER 18% 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 18% Back issues also available YES! I would like to subscribe to Old Bike Australasia for: NEW SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL GIFT SUBSCRIPTION Price offer open to Australian residents only, ending 14/09/25. Savings based on cover price, including GST. For all other rates, please visit mymagazines.com.au. If you select the Automatic Renewal Offer, you will be automatically renewed at the current rate unless previously advised or cancelled. Subscriptions commence with the next…

Everyone bar Brough Superior owners acknowledges that the first true Superbike in motorcycling annals was the Vincent V-twin. The series of such models produced over the two decades from the 1936 debut of the Phil Irvingdesigned 998cc Series A Rapide to the closure by founder Philip Vincent of his firm’s Stevenage factory in December 1955 set new standards for two-wheeled performance, which no other motorcycle manufacturer in the world could match – not even George Brough. In high-performance Black Shadow form, and especially in competition Black Lightning guise, the Vincent earned an enviable reputation around the world as the leading-edge benchmark of motorcycling excellence. Alongside the 78 versions of the Series A Rapide built before the outbreak of war, a total of 6,852 examples of the Vincent V-twin were produced…

In that 2019 test, I analysed the Verseys’ personality as “James Bond. Utterly efficient, resourceful, handsome, and somewhat inscrutable.” The current version embodies all that, and quite a bit more. Worldwide, three versions of the Versys 1100 are marketed – the standard version, the S and the SE. Here in Oz, we get just the S model, so we’ll concentrate on that. The Versys is primarily a big tourer – at home on the road (all sorts of roads), comfortable, reliable, with that wonderful four-cylinder engine, bumped up from 1043cc to 1099cc via a 3mm longer stroke, delivering a greater serving of mid-to-high range torque and poking out 135 PS instead of 120 PS. There’s also an updated quick-shifter for the six-speed gearbox which has revised gear ratios, all designed…

Classic & Enthusiasts MCC Debenham Winter Tour 21-22 June, 2025 – Moss Vale, NSW It may have been the shortest day of the year, but it served up magnificent weather for the very popular event that began in 2001, named after the legendary Eric Debenham. Once the morning temperature crept over the zero mark, bright sunny skies and comfortably warm conditions greeted the field of over the expected 70 riders, mostly on lightweight and early historic machines. It was a welcome change from the drenching of 2024. After a briefing from co-organiser Jim Cummins, a healthy fleet of marshals departed from the Moss Vale Caravan Park to man the numerous corners over the opening day route, which took the field out on a clockwise loop through some very scenic countryside…

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 Aussie Triples Rally No.14 8-10 August 2025 – Wooli, NSW (New venue) For British Pushrod Triples. Contact Col Em: aussietriples@yahoo.com.au or Mb: 0428 869 889. NSW Sidecar Come & Try Day  10 August 2025 – Pheasant Wood Circuit, Marulan NSW Details: ausidecarscene@gmail.com Grafton Classic Bike Rally 15-17 August 2025 – Grafton Showgrounds, NSW Presented by the Clarence Valley Historic and Enthusiasts Motorcycle Club. Short ride Friday for older bikes followed by meet & greet at Showgrounds (camping available), Rally HQ for the weekend. Longer rides around the great Clarence River on Saturday and Sunday. Contact Mark Smidt 0467 833 116…