OzVMX Forum

Marque Remarks => British (BSA, Greeves, Triumph etc) => Topic started by: Purple Dave on December 04, 2012, 07:52:00 pm

Title: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Purple Dave on December 04, 2012, 07:52:00 pm: Like many riders from my era 60's/70's my first English bike was a BSA BANTAM ( 1959 150cc )
(http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/triumph51/1959BSABantam1968.jpg)
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Purple Dave on December 04, 2012, 07:56:09 pm: In 1968 I had 350cc AJS ( '46 motor in a '59 frame........complete with speedway style tank....so cool !! )
(http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/triumph51/350AJS1968.jpg)
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: jimg1au on December 04, 2012, 08:01:33 pm: my first english bike for dirt track was a tiger cub given to me by my bro(jap454).sid willis rebuilt the motor it ran well but leaked oil onto the mountian cub pipe.
rode it at nepean when i was 15 to 17 novice race only.no mimi bikes then
jim
now i have 3 british bikes to race dirttrack with when i finish then.if you count an antig it 4
1 spanish
1 chec
1 italian
2x jap/usa halfcasts
some jap bikes as well
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Purple Dave on December 04, 2012, 08:03:55 pm: Next in 1970 my first mistake......I call it THE ROTTEN COTTON !!......maybe I just had a bad one...'62 model I think ?
(http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/triumph51/TheRottenCotton.jpg)
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Purple Dave on December 04, 2012, 08:10:32 pm: Hi Jim, in my club Central MCC, I could compete with the Tiger Cubs on Scrambles and Grasstracks, but they were too fast for me on Short Circuit......and BOY !! they sounded soooo good !!
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Purple Dave on December 04, 2012, 08:22:48 pm: Great Yamahas followed, until my next mistake.......a Hagon-JAP that was passed its use-by date......

In 1975, Purple Dave's Purple JAP !!

(http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/triumph51/JAPGriffith1975-1.jpg)
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Slider29 on December 04, 2012, 08:25:27 pm: When I was 16 I got a Hagon Jap 500,..... bit quicker than my tm 125 suzy.
That was 1974
cheers Mark
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Slider29 on December 04, 2012, 08:27:57 pm: Hey Dave, I bet you wish you had the Jap 500 now. They are bringing some big bucks.
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Purple Dave on December 04, 2012, 08:28:17 pm: Then back to Yammys until I retired in 1979.....and lastly my 2001 model Triumph RS Sprint......It's a rocket ship !!
(http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/triumph51/EasternCreek2005.jpg)
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Curly3 on December 04, 2012, 08:30:48 pm: I went from a TM 125 to a Speedway 2V Jawa in 74, now theres a coincidence Mark.
Where is that foto of you on the 350 AJ taken Dave?
Great fotos that most of us can relate to.
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Purple Dave on December 04, 2012, 08:32:31 pm: Hi Mark.......you are not kidding.......I wish I'd kept ALL my bikes.....It's funny, when I went to Australian Bike Museum at Nabiac a few years ago...ALL MY OLD BIKES ARE THERE.....the same models I mean....
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: smed on December 04, 2012, 08:34:34 pm: Those purple leathers look like they have gone up a few sizes over the years Dave ;),cool pics :)
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Curly3 on December 04, 2012, 08:36:13 pm: That's called, been in a good paddock Smed, I'm glad you said it first ;)
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: albrid-3 on December 04, 2012, 08:39:32 pm: Purple leathers was all the go in the 60`s, black with purple strips, even my brother weddings suits were purple.
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Purple Dave on December 04, 2012, 08:39:52 pm: Hi Steve. I grew up in Belfield.......that was a practice track that we used, right alongside George's River Road.......it was Water Board land that was vacant.....Belfield Speedway !!....Bob Levy lived opposite.....we used to have probably 20 to 30 people sometimes, standing, watching us....no mufflers...MEGAPHONES !! They'd lock you up and throw the key away these days !!
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Curly3 on December 04, 2012, 08:45:34 pm: Gobsmacked, as you know Dave I only live one suburb away from Belfield, can you pinpoint where.
Trust the Short Circuit guy's to get the forum buzzing again.
SC shat all over MX ( Scrambles ) back then.
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Purple Dave on December 04, 2012, 09:08:08 pm: I don't think they have built on the land yet, however, it is MANICURED lawn with PARKLAND trees now..........coming from Belfield shopping centre towards Croydon Park, the land is on the left before you get to Coronation Parade.
When I joined Central in 1967, it was a Short Circuit club mainly, which suited Ricky Day and me and all the young blokes I joined with. My hero has always been Mr Magic.......Jim Airey and the Speedway Royale in Sydney was MECCA......In Short Circuit.....The Captain, although the 2 best riders I ever saw were pommies !!....Dave Mitchell and Julian Wigg....don't tell anybody I said that !!
When I rode Short Circuit, it was VERY competitive and WARLIKE !! I was surprised when in the pits at Speedway, Road Racing and Scrambles/MX the riders were so friendly to each other..........However, I loved the HARDNESS of Short Circuit and the riders !!
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Purple Dave on December 04, 2012, 09:12:33 pm: What I love about the Triumph........you can RACE it on Sunday....and TOUR on it on Monday........
(http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp45/triumph51/coffsharbour2007.jpg)
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Curly3 on December 04, 2012, 09:29:34 pm: Faaaaaaaaaaaaark, Georges River rd just before Coronation pde, I walk my dog there nearly every morning, well maybe not so much recently but it's just a spit from home.
It now hosts the Starr Bros Circus once a year.
That really is amazing because we only lived one or two suburbs away and had no idea, back then Carlos and I were taken to countless open SC & Road Racing meetings nearly every second weekend.
How many other stories are there of suburban tracks like this from the bygone days?, now theres a topic all on its own.
These days you can't even fart in your own backyard >:(.
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Purple Dave on December 04, 2012, 09:42:45 pm: So true Steve. I will have to ask Kesso ( Kevin that is ) the name of the street off Water Street he lived in, before he moved to Raleigh, it was near Ford Park. In the same area, but on the other side of the canal, we built an MX track, also. In fact I discovered a young guy JUMPING LIKE MADMAN over our jumps.....I convinced him to buy my DT1 Yammy and join Central........his name.....John Behrens.....he went on to be one of the most spectacular MX riders of the 70's.......he was discovered by me at Belfield MX !!
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: cemotobull on December 04, 2012, 09:45:58 pm: Mine was a 1961 norton single in a slim line featherbed, the bike is 20 yrs older than me, so does that count for the early days?
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Curly3 on December 04, 2012, 09:51:26 pm: FAAAAAAAARK, fellow Central member and rode for Betric Racing along with Geoff & Jan.
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: Purple Dave on December 04, 2012, 10:08:10 pm: I cant remember what year........someone might have the records......maybe '78....Nepean 6 Hour.......Betric entered 2 new Yammys.....John had first choice....the 4 stroke or the 2 stroke ?.........he picked the TT 500........so me and my team had the 2 stroke...a 400. This was the first time I rode a bike that could win against the BIG BOYS !! We practiced Saturday on old tyres and put new tyres on for Sunday.......I pinched the tube on the rear tyre and PATCHED IT........WRONG !! With an hour to go.......the 4 stroke was no chance, we were comfortably in 2nd.......In a NSW TITLE EVENT !! The patch lifted, we had to come in and change a wheel......still came 4th....my fault....DICKHEAD !! John was sillier.....he picked the wrong bike !!
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: JAP 454 on December 04, 2012, 10:29:15 pm: Quote from: cemotobull on December 04, 2012, 09:45:58 pm
Mine was a 1961 norton single in a slim line featherbed, the bike is 20 yrs older than me, so does that count for the early days?

It certainly does , Cemoto, in the early '70s, EA and I owned a 650 SS in a Slimline, what a pisser of a bike to ride on the Taralga to Goulburn road, bloody brilliant handling, brakes weren't all that good but they only slow ya down !!
Foss
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: albrid-3 on December 08, 2012, 08:56:13 pm: I started racing on a Montesa Cappra 125 1972, In the 60`s my brothers race Cottons, F21m, Montesa, Triumph 650 twin. Matchless, AJS. and all are court on film
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: sprint76 on April 30, 2013, 08:45:30 pm: Like Dave I started racing with Spanish bikes, first a Bully, then a Monty.
But then I got my hands on a brand spanking new Hagon 84s, boy oh boy what a bike.
Sold it Len Anderson when I went to speedway. But I would give my left nut for one now. :)
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: jimg1au on April 30, 2013, 09:13:19 pm: dave
i now have a yetman 750 pre70 dirttrack triumph its on the way from its home in las vegas to a new home in sydney namely nepean.
also have the makings of a pre65 a65 bsa vmx bike which i need to sell.
started on a triumph cub now at a good age of 55 a quick tr6r 750
jim
Title: Re: English Bikes.......What Bikes did you Race in the Early Days ?
Post by: TM BILL on May 01, 2013, 08:16:12 am: Circa 1973 BSA Bantam

(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e204/tmbill/b1d45dbf-379c-4c0d-93ef-3539e9856eba_zpsf5b8af8f.jpg) (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/tmbill/media/b1d45dbf-379c-4c0d-93ef-3539e9856eba_zpsf5b8af8f.jpg.html)

(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e204/tmbill/010_zpsad098c81.jpg) (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/tmbill/media/010_zpsad098c81.jpg.html)

(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e204/tmbill/011_zps12727561.jpg) (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/tmbill/media/011_zps12727561.jpg.html)