Author Topic: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders  (Read 43127 times)

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Offline firko

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #15 on: July 09, 2013, 11:59:48 AM »
There were a number of backyard builders manufacturing copycat Hagons  in the sixties. Some were pretty nice, others were dangerous crap. I had an Aussie made Taylor frame that was very similar to a Hagon Sand Tracker and the welding and little details were actually better than the Hagon original. Jonesy's got a couple of Aussie made speedway frames that look pretty neat as well. Of course, because 4130 and Reynolds tubing was hard to find, they were all made from seamless mild steel, but so are most UK speedway and grass track frames come to think of it.

There was a mob called P&R that made nice TZ frames (among other stuff) back in the 80's. I have a vague memory of seeing a custom framed YZ125 at an Amaroo Park MX in the early 80's and recall thinking how trick it was. I'm almost certain it was a P&R frame. I can also recall a bloke in my club, Annandale-Leichardt that worked for Qantas who built a sweet Maico-ish  chro-mo frame to suit his Yamaha SC500 engine in about 1975. He'd gone to the US and brought back Arnaco shocks and cool translucent plastic 'guards and a B50 BSA style tank that we'd yet to see here. I went overseas myself  not long after and when I returned 6 years later the bike and its builder had left the club, and presumably the sport. It was a beautiful thing, all TIG welded using Maico forks and a rectangular tubing swingarm with 45 degree laydown shocks. A photo of the bike appeared in Revs or AMCN at the time.
'68 Yamaha DT1 enduro, '69 Yamaha 'DT1 from Hell' '69 DT1'Dunger from Hell, '69 Cheney Yamaha 360, 70 Maico 350 (2 off), '68 Hindall Ducati 250, Hindall RT2MX, Hindall YZ250a , Cycle Factory RT2MX flat tracker, Yamaha 1T250J, Maico 250 trials, '71, Boyd and Stellings TM400, Shell OW72,750 Yamaha

Offline Lozza

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #16 on: July 09, 2013, 12:52:03 PM »
Bob Martin in Victoria built a fair few one off's and specials.


« Last Edit: July 09, 2013, 01:52:24 PM by Lozza »
Jesus only loves two strokes

Offline GD66

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #17 on: July 09, 2013, 01:26:54 PM »
Another of Steve Roberts' works of art, a semi-monocoque TR500 he built for Keith Turner to take back to Europe for the 1972 GP season.



A Frepin chassis for a TZ350, Christchurch-built by Begg Engineering wrench Fred McLean and Peter Pinion.



They also knocked up a frame for Paul McLachlan's TZ500.
« Last Edit: July 09, 2013, 01:42:48 PM by GD66 »
Nostalgia's not what it used to be....

Offline Lozza

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #18 on: July 09, 2013, 01:55:56 PM »
Wobbly has just rebuilt that Frepin frame hopefully Trevor Discombe will ride it next January at the Island Classic. Couldn't forget John Britten

Jesus only loves two strokes

Offline JAP 454

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #19 on: July 09, 2013, 05:40:59 PM »
As Pancho and Firko pointed out, in the '70s there was a plethora of copies of the Hagon Sandracer frame made for Short Circuit, there was one, that to me, stood out from the rest which was the Don Stafford copy of the Pommy Elstar frame, the Alstar.
A very close copy but with detail differences like better forks and taper roller steering head bearings instead of a bush etc.
Jim sent me this pic of one.



Foss

Offline VMX60

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #20 on: July 09, 2013, 07:15:10 PM »

What about the WA made Kerr frame lots of early Twostroke motors fitted  for the stockbike class over here

Glen their was one Frepin kit raced at Wannero by a Pom think it was sold when he went back to the UK ????

Cheers

Offline JAP 454

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #21 on: July 09, 2013, 07:25:12 PM »
I don't know much about the Kerr frames, # 60, but I do know that # 710, Kevin Patton from Canberra rode one, with a Yammy two stroker fitted  with some success, he also rode a JAP powered KSS frame
Foss

Offline GD66

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #22 on: July 09, 2013, 07:27:49 PM »
Glen their was one Frepin kit raced at Wannero by a Pom think it was sold when he went back to the UK ????


Yep, that is the one pictured with the TZ350 in it Murray, it now lives in Welshpool. Those pics are quite recent.



Kevin Kerr's a good soldier, there's a feature on his Goldie flat tracker in VMX #27.



And a yarn about him at http://www.vmccwa.com/stories/kerr.html   ;)

Supersenior 50 gets a mention...
« Last Edit: July 09, 2013, 10:24:07 PM by GD66 »
Nostalgia's not what it used to be....

Offline Lozza

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #23 on: July 09, 2013, 07:40:14 PM »


The rebuilt Frepin in Wobbly's workshop
Jesus only loves two strokes

Offline GD66

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #24 on: July 09, 2013, 08:15:03 PM »
Nice ! This Frepin has just been restored in England. They're everywhere !
Nostalgia's not what it used to be....

Offline Rosco86

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #25 on: July 09, 2013, 08:50:48 PM »
Don't have any photos but I had one of Lindsay Urquarts first centre hub steering road race outfits. Built for Ron Bergmeir, ridden at the Avalon Air base meeting when the internationals came in the 70s. Ron blacked out on the back straight hit the hay bales and broke his back. After lying on a rsj from the air base for 20 minutes and unable to move realised he needed a bit of help from the old St Johns. Frame ran a cb750 Honda motor and passengers floor pan served as the tank with an electric pump to feed the carbies. Very trick with the centre hub steering. Had no room for it when arriving in Qld in 93 and gave it to the gentleman running the British bike shop in Beaudesert in exchange for some ccm parts. Partnership split and I have no idea where it went. Another one through the fingers! Unsure if Peter Lucock was one of the proprietors? He used to be out Jimboomba way and did a fair amount of motor work for Vern Grayson. ( 2 guys lost their lives on the bike so perhaps it was a good one to let go)

Offline jimg1au

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #26 on: July 09, 2013, 09:20:26 PM »
i have a very special slider type frame built from all pre 60 parts
1955 bantam front end including stearing head and wheel laced in 23"
1955-58 ariel swing arm rear end and wheel
all joined together and raced by the builder at nepean in the 60s
my brother jap454
gen art senior 350 ariel
1955 rotrax jap tank
been in the family for a long time
jim
454

Offline VMX247

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #27 on: July 09, 2013, 10:05:38 PM »
it now lives in Welshpool.
Is that the same Kerr Speedway bike at the Perth show ?
Photo our pre75stand.

http://ozvmx.com/community/index.php?topic=21184.15
« Last Edit: July 09, 2013, 10:10:43 PM by VMX247 »
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Offline VMX60

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #28 on: July 09, 2013, 10:38:45 PM »
Rays
 Goldie Kerr frame  :)    :)    :)

One of the same

Offline Michael Moore

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Re: Aus/NZ aftermarket frame builders
« Reply #29 on: July 10, 2013, 01:53:19 AM »
Those are some interesting photos.  Thanks for digging them out.

cheers,
Michael