OzVMX Forum
Clubroom => General Discussion => Topic started by: RED ALERT on April 08, 2009, 11:17:42 am
-
Hey all,
A friend in the US is trying to find some contact details for Kelvin Franks. Kelvin and her Father, Stu Peters,
were mates and he has heard Kelvin is Ill and wants to get in touch.
I will pass on any info you may have. He is in Adelaide they have heard.
Cheers
-
he has a website. im trying to find it.
ok this is best i can do. its not up and running but i found it on the archive
http://web.archive.org/web/20040718030312/http://www.franksracing.com/
-
Thanks guys,
Will pass on the web address and see if they have any luck.
Cheers Walter, will give you a call if needed
-
Im going to see Snowy ardel next week and he is in the next workshop bay if you want me to drop in see if kelvin is in there ? or has a sign up with contacts on it
-
Thanks again,
That web address gave Sondra and her Dad all the details they needed, they were stoked.
In the VMX story on the Pro-fab Yamaha twin, it mentions that Kelvin was the victim of a hit and run driver. Sounds like he was knocked around pretty bad.
Cheers
Rod
-
Is the news right of Kelvins passing.
-
Is the news right of Kelvins passing.
Yes ,I think so . R.I.P Kelvin
-
There is a funeral for a Kelvin Franks in Adelaide on Wednesday. ???
If it is the Kelvin Franks, RIP.
Can anyone confirm?
He did some fantastic work ofr me in the late 80's.
-
from Lynda Franks:
Just a short message to let you know that Kelvin Franks from Franks racing passed away this week. He worked manufacturing from an Adelaide work shop for local and over seas biker until recently, he was a passionate biker.
Many racers had franks triples I know I did on my road racers , his shop was prity out there with piles of Ali swarf all over the place but he could turn out all many of clamps and items from Ali well before multi axis
and lasers come in and took out the skill
-
That's so sad. I only spoke to him once and that phonecall turned into a full on history of California motocross. He was probably our most famous motocross export but was hardly heard of in his own country. I'll try and post a little history later on today.
-
http://sa.newsclassifieds.com.au/Death-Notices-Funerals/adelaide/SA/Funerals/FRANKS-_/3147408V4?sr=true (http://sa.newsclassifieds.com.au/Death-Notices-Funerals/adelaide/SA/Funerals/FRANKS-_/3147408V4?sr=true)
-
Had the pleasure of talking to him a few years ago when he came back to live in OZ about some Roo Link frames he made for XR80's and RM80's back during the late 70's and early 80's, his memory was like it all happened yesterday with some great stories, next day he sent me in the mail all these photos, ads and how many frames etc that he had built and one prized autograph from him.
I was a nobody and he had the time to talk to me for hours about those great times back then in motocross history ,to me that just goes to show what a real gentleman of our great sport that he really was.
RIP Kelvin
Mark
-
I'll try and post a little history later on today.
After talking with Blair Harley & VMX42 at CD9, I mentioned to VMX42 that it is imperative we get these older vmx talents in the VMX Magazine before they have all gone.
Good to see VMXmagaizne has a nice five pages on Kelvin Franks in issue #13 8)
RIP Kelvin
Good engineering is just a matter of commonsense - so very true.
-
After talking with Blair Harley & VMX42 at CD9, I mentioned to VMX42 that it is imperative we get these older vmx talents in the VMX Magazine before they have all gone.
Good to see VMXmagaizne has a nice five pages on Kelvin Franks in issue #13
I couldn't agree more. I tried like buggery to get Roy East to sit down and record his life and times but the humble old guy always put it off with a "nobody wants to read about me" and we'd move on. Unfortunately he died without that great history being documented. I may be the bad omen on these guys as I was just starting to document Col Evans career when he died and was well into a drawn out history of Sprite and Frank Hipkin when he too died. Thankfully I've got more than enough material to finish his story. I'm glad I've documented Per Klitland and Frank Stanborough's careers but still feel sad that I/we missed out on hearing the great stories from Roy and Col. Ray Fisher has a wealth of stories and a shitload of photos and memorabilia, much of which he shared with us at CD3. Blair Harley is also a wealth of history. Their careers needs to be documented more sooner than later.
Here's a piece on the Kelvin Franks 3 wheelers https://sites.google.com/site/franks3wheeler/ (https://sites.google.com/site/franks3wheeler/), Kelvins website showing his amazing work...http://web.archive.org/web/20040718030312/http://www.franksracing.com/ (http://web.archive.org/web/20040718030312/http://www.franksracing.com/). Along with Stu Peters, Kelvin created the CMC, to this day the main motocross organisation in California...http://www.socalmxnews.com/page2.php?recordID=139&VolIssueID=7 (http://www.socalmxnews.com/page2.php?recordID=139&VolIssueID=7) scan down the page until you get to the MXA BACK IN THE DAY: Mike Bell, A Yamaha Twin & The Kelvin Franks Era section http://motocrossactionmag.com/Main/News/MXA-MIDWEEK-REPORT-JLaw-His-New-Pals-New-Products-2231.aspx (http://motocrossactionmag.com/Main/News/MXA-MIDWEEK-REPORT-JLaw-His-New-Pals-New-Products-2231.aspx)
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/KGrHqNlMEHZbdynBQBdIBOrzQ60_12.jpg)
-
I first ran across Kel in SoCal back in the heyday of our sport - the 70's. He was building all sorts of trick bikes that were weird, wacky and wild - Monoshock CR125 was one that worked very well from all accounts - there was a TA125 twin engined beastie that gave me the heebiejeebies just in the pits at Carlsbad - Another was a CR125 with the shocks under the frame that while it worked was a maintenance nightmare and many, many more that I have long forgotten. The guy was a true genius and a very humble and sincere person.
-
As well as the profile of Kelvin in issue 13, I interviewed him in regard to the Yamaha Pro-Fab 125 twin in Issue 37, the Franks Honda 125 in Issue 39 and for the Tommy Croft article in Issue 44. Kelvin contributed to all those articles. He provided me with quite a few original photos of many of his projects so I may do a 'spread' in Issue 53.
Regards
Ken - VMX Magazine
-
As well as the profile of Kelvin in issue 13, I interviewed him in regard to the Yamaha Pro-Fab 125 twin in Issue 37, the Franks Honda 125 in Issue 39 and for the Tommy Croft article in Issue 44. Kelvin contributed to all those articles. He provided me with quite a few original photos of many of his projects so I may do a 'spread' in Issue 53.
Regards
Ken - VMX Magazine
That'd be great Ken :-)
-
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/6960_10200103150247754_905019879_n.jpg)
Jeff Jennings aboard the Franks Honda
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/GO4strokeJennings.jpg)
Magoo also rode the bike.
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/frankstrialsbike_2.jpg)
Kelvin produced this 200cc Carabela powered trials bike in 1970
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/Roo20Link.jpg)
Kelvins trick XR80s were ahead of their time.
-
In some of the earlier editions of VMX mag there were profiles of riders and personalities from our sport which seems to be missing from later editions.
Those of us who have been around bikes for a fair while remember that most of the personalities that we knew or knew of were involved in all or most aspects of the sport.
So I would like to see more stories about personalities great and small from the motorcycle scene while we can.
cheers pancho.
-
Hi Pancho - if you go to this page of our website
www.vmxmag.com.au/08_what_bike/vmx_what_bike_listing.html
and scroll to the bottom you'll see all the riders/legends that have been featured so far in the magazine. There's no way there's less now than earlier issues. As noted above for example, there's been three other interviews with Kelvin Franks in later issues, besides the initial profile in the earlier issue. I am always keen to do as many profiles as possible.
Regards
Ken
-
Sad day
God Speed
Kelvin Franks
-
warning old thread
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r259/vmx247/Franks_zps288d8f75.jpg) (http://s146.photobucket.com/user/vmx247/media/Franks_zps288d8f75.jpg.html)
-
Kelvin gave me the same shirt, i used to wear it over my leathers before we had some badges made up
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb143/Yokkachi/IslandClassicPeople11_zpsdbfd2371.jpg)
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb143/Yokkachi/IslandClassicP5Scott31614_zps77713d57.jpg)
i still wear it
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb143/Yokkachi/2012-09-02112141_zps18b2530c.jpg)
-
Kelvin gave me a couple of his old MX shirts over the years
here's one of his originals.. straight out of 1967 i'd say
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb143/Yokkachi/Picture010_zps6bdd01b1.jpg)
here's the one he used to give to any juniors riding his minibikes
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb143/Yokkachi/Picture009_zps298c28ea.jpg)
it actually fits me tightly, i'd say the teen MXers in SoCal are fairly large ;)
here's a Maico top, i can't remember when he said he'd got it as i can't recall him ever saying any of his bikes were Maico powered. although Kelvin did use to say " one year Maico made 'Bitchin' MX bikes, although really it was the Japanese making klunkers in '81 " :D
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb143/Yokkachi/Picture012_zpsf887333f.jpg)
and here's the one pictured above when i used to wear it over my leathers while roadracing, i wear this one when i'm riding my MX bikes now.
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb143/Yokkachi/Picture011_zpsa3c32f9e.jpg)
here's how my leathers looked once we got the patches made
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb143/Yokkachi/_DSC6799_zps25c2564c.png)
this shot was taken at MacPark in MtGambier when we finally won the SA Historic Unlimited RoadRacing Championships in 2006/07
-
Now there special memos to keep. 8)
good for you, Franks Friend ;D
-
I just came across this...........http://pelicanguanomotorsports.com/1974frankshonda125.html (http://pelicanguanomotorsports.com/1974frankshonda125.html)
-
warning old thread
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r259/vmx247/Franks_zps288d8f75.jpg) (http://s146.photobucket.com/user/vmx247/media/Franks_zps288d8f75.jpg.html)
Was a familiar sight - unfortunately often a FMF racer, a Competition Cycles bike (Dave Carlson), a Miller Mano shirt and maybe a works Honda or Yamaha too >:(
Fortunately the Franks bikes often ran at the front though.
-
Here you go Zakk..
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=562297413810937&set=a.562296473811031.1073741936.100000920495079&type=3&src=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ak-ash4%2F182817_562297413810937_897052895_n.jpg&size=960%2C640i
-
Second in....Carlsbad 125 pro class ..thanks Vintage Factory fb
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r259/vmx247/secoundinaFranks_zpsd8dc20b5.jpg) (http://s146.photobucket.com/user/vmx247/media/secoundinaFranks_zpsd8dc20b5.jpg.html)
-
i've posted this pic previous in another topic, but....
here's Andy Northrop on Kelvins CR250 engined bike, slightly different shirt this time....
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb143/Yokkachi/Kelvin1980-CR250AndyNorthrop.jpg)
-
last pics i have... these are from a magazine artical about the 4stroke MXGP held at Carlsbad in 1980..
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb143/Yokkachi/Carsbad4strokeGP1_zpsdb481ef6.jpg)
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb143/Yokkachi/Carsbad4strokeGP_zps33ec281b.jpg)
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb143/Yokkachi/Jennings_zpsde7da6ad.jpg)
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb143/Yokkachi/4StrokeSpecs_zps40042f4b.jpg)
#56 is Jeff Jennings on Kelvins XR500