The Infamous Vern Grayson Cheney Triumph Case

[firko]

The 1995 Australian Classic Motocross Championships, held that year in the Barossa Valley's beautiful Tanunda were notable for a number of amazing performances, a brilliant track and the start of one of the most controversial dramas to emerge in our sports history. When Vern Grayson won the pre 65 class on his Cheney Triumph 500, a chain of events started that to this day still haven't been settled.

In 1998 I wrote a piece for Dirt Action magazine that both gave description of Vern's lovely bike and explained the eligibility controversy in which Grayson and his bike had become embroiled.

                     
                     
                     

[Slakewell]

Sadly vintage racing lost something that can never be measured or bought back because of this saga and it is still a disgracefully episode. I for one lost all interest in the pre 65 class because of this. 

[firko]

Does anyone have problems reading the 'controversy' part of the above post? If so how do I make it bigger? Any clues?

[Davey Crocket]

Vern is/was a hard man....but a good bloke who would go the extra mile for you and his involvment along with his lovely wife Averill in the vintage scene is sorley missed....it was great to see them at CD8.....most of the people riding at Nudgee wouldnt know but there was about a core of 1/2 a dozen people who built that track....sadly most dont attend any more.

[paul]

the words are hard to read on the third page

[bazza]

Vern a bloody good Kiwi now Auzie,lets hope by 20yrs they will sort out rules.Great to see Vern doing laps on Blue J the metisse at classic dirt

[cheapracer]

I was there most every step of the way and here's some points;

Not one single picture can be provided of the bike or even one "similar" can be provided pre '65, however early 1970's magazines show almost identical Cheney's.

Many people were against the obvious modern looking rear suspension more than the bike as a whole - I offered to make Vern a new swingarm not actually knowing at that point that Vern himself was a boilermaker and totally capable of making one himself had he wanted to (personally I think that was pretty damning).

Ron Newitt, then Prez of MAQ, ran adverts himself in British bike magazines seeking validity of the bike.

Why is it that other cases of incorrect bikes or parts are a one off; "your bike is illegal" and people go away and fix the situation but this dragged on for years and years overtaking and ruining many a pre Oz Title and Brisbane Club meeting.

The rules are the rules and they are clearly written, either change them or abide by them or anarchy will prevail and 1970 frames in pre 65 or XR200 motors in pre '75 - I see no difference just because of the person who's sitting on the bike.

 

 

[GD66]

Does anyone have problems reading the 'controversy' part of the above post? If so how do I make it bigger? Any clues?

If we, the readers, right click on the image and save it into our Pictures, it can be easily blown up and read, Firko.

G'day, by the way ! 

Regards GD

[supersenior 50]

Firko's articles describe the events re the Grayson Triumph pretty accurately, and Slakewell's post summed it up for a lot of people. Pre65 big bore took a big hit for a decade as a result, and while there was a lot of anger at the decision, it was the handling of the affair that generated the disgust. Interestingly,two of the leading agitators against Grayson have since been caught out cheating. There was/is considerable anecdotal and photographic support for granting of eligibility, but the absolute stubborn refusal of the very vocal opposition [of a few] to consider this material was staggering.I have correspondance from John Giles, Ken Heanes,& Terry Challinor
supporting the case for the bike.The common responce from the "anti" lobby--"we dont care what the English say, this is Australia" As Firko said,some of the most respected names in Classic MX were written off by our local gurus.
Initially it was the "single down-tube" that was the objection.Then when that argument started to look shaky,it switched to the "swing-arm", then it turned to the radious of the tube below the swing-arm mount. When I showed the "experts" photos of a bare frame in a 1964 English Green Horror and one I took at Cheney's factory in 2000, they couldn't tell which was which and resorted to "well it doesn't look pre65" What the!!
By the time it got to the final MA hearing there had been so much flak it was like a trial by media.
MA was on the spot and it bascally all came down to the definition of "replica"

[supersenior 50]

Further to the above--Grayson denies that Mark ever offered to fabricate a swing-arm, however a swing-arm WAS made locally and is still on the bike. It has the shock mount further back, in the same position as a contempory BSA, not as in the photo in Firko's post.This was done on the advise of a Commissioner of the day who stated that if that mod. was made the bike would be acceptable Pre65. So much for that.
Yes, Ron Newett did obtain some material from UK, but my understanding is it supported the case for the bike.Like most supporting material, it didn't suit the knockers' agenda.
Grayson could have fought on, but became disilluisioned with the whole scene and went off to pursue other interests. The Cheney saga should be laid to rest before it festers again. We lost too many good men & bikes over this.
Now to the present. We had a "championship" class for each Pre60 & Pre65 at the DT Nats a week or so ago,the first for some years.
Our club [Brisbane] has about 10 Pre 60/65 bikes, Classic Scramble Club must have a bundle, and there must be a good number in WA.

[supersenior 50]

Sorry folks--a bit more.
There seems to be a resurgence of interest in Pre60/65 ,and an increasing number of bikes such as Monark,Lito, Husky[4 str] etc,and even talk of a Hedlund.Metisse is of course always a factor.All this is great for the future,and with the split in the Nats for 2012 the time is ripe for  greater support & encouragement for these wonderfull machines.
However it would only take another Grayson/Cheney episode to undo all the good prospects.
Having been through that sorry saga, raced in UK, Sweden & USA and studied the good and bad points, we should be able to avoid the pitfalls.
Should any of the above machines,[or replicas] ,including Metisse be exposed to the same blowtorch scrutiny,including millimetre accurate replica components, photographic evidence,
etc. as Grayson's bike,we can kiss it all goodby.When I asked Nils Hedland for a spec on a Hedlund frame his comment--"they're nearly all different" Same applies to most early "specials"
It's not about the rules,it's about commonsence and the "big picture"

[jimg1au]

HI
after some at length discussion with dave tanner i have now the parts and know how to build a pre 60 and a pre 65 ariel based dirttrack bikes.will take a while but i will get there
jim
454

[firko]

Damn....I couldn't agree more with all of Superseniors above assumptions of the Grayson Cheney fiasco. He's articulated the case far better than I could.

The pedantic and vitrolic behavior of the 'anti' school when this case was being fought left a bitter taste in the mouths of much of the VMX community that saw a withdrawl of interest in the class that set it back a decade. It's disgraceful that two of the main protaganists have since been caught cheating themselves....

The pre 65 class is the true classic jewell in our sports crown. It's been a long hard battle to come back from the Grayson Cheney debacle but if the number of new bikes that are being built is an indication, pre 65 class is about to enjoy a well earned reinassance.

[Freakshow]

Now to the present. We had a "championship" class for each Pre60 & Pre65 at the DT Nats a week or so ago,the first for some years.
Our club [Brisbane] has about 10 Pre 60/65 bikes, Classic Scramble Club must have a bundle, and there must be a good number in WA.

mmmm.....NOt enough for the CMX nationals yet in either class - tell them if there serious to pull there finger out.   ITs all talk till the entire are in and its too late when the entries close, no matter who you are......

4 weeks and closing

[cheapracer]

... photographic support ...

.. then lets end this thread early, post the pictures of that Cheney competing in the period - it really is that simple.


Heres my offering, a 1970 Cheney Victor which looks near as damnit to identicle down to the steering stops on the front downtube..