looking for more info/pics on the BSA 'widowmaker' from Broken Hill area

[Skivi]

i spotted this picture of this Beeza taken at a show in Mildura last year, I'm told the bike is a resident of Broken Hill and is nick-named the widowmaker, anyone with any more pictures or info on this bike or ones like it? I have a B33 500 i'm currently building.



thanks,
Nick

[JAP 454]

Hey, Skivi, that is a really nice old Beeza , obviously well set up for Speedway and Track racing ,for any info on it try contacting the Broken Hill Club, Silver City MCC at http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-7083-0-0-0, they may have some info on the bike.
Foss

[VMX247]

Colj500 forum member may also know,he's from back in the day "BushPig Racing" and much more   cheers

Hi,

Just thought that I would post a pick from my bad old days of sidecar riding.



The picture is from a Silver City MCC gymkana in about 1981/82.  The bike is a TT500 with home made sidecar, and as can be seen, safety was paramount.

CJ

[Tim754]

Is not that same machine featured in another current thread post here? On a rickety trailer? yep (Shite I am now talking and typing to myself )  try "Old Speedway Bike " thread by Dutch

[firko]

is not that same machine featured in another current thread post here? On a rickety trailer

I just did a bit of a comparo and I reckon Tim might be on the right path. Although the 'Widowmaker' has been tidied up for modern tastes with what looks like a Bantam tank and brakes, it could well be Gidgee's old bike.

I'm curious about the Triumph flat tracker in the background as well.

[matcho mick]

Gidgees motors more Empire Star looking,different rocker box to B series motor,justa flat tin lid basically,forks are different,so's the back wheel,looks boltup ariel,(popular mod),Widow maker has vertical cylindrical oil tank,Gidgees looks std M20 ish,concidering there were shiploads of these bikes bitd,going with 2 different bikes on similar duties,years apart but!Widow Maker rings bells with me,theres an article on a young bloke & that named bike in an early oz magazine ,strapped to rear of his car going to race meeting ,somehere out west comes to mind,wagga??,

[firko]

Yo've dazzled us with science Mick! You're probably right but what a coincidence both bikes being from Broken Hill?

[Skivi]

Mick i reckon both bikes (as in the one i posted and the Gidgee one on the trailer here) are defo pre-unit B series BSA singles as the earlier Empire Star had vertical fins on the head not horizontal ones, though the motors are very similar. no idea what the front end is on either bike but you'll notice the bike pictured on the Trailer has a stock looking B series ridgid frame where as the widowmaker has what i think is a modified frame in the rear, the widowmaker gearbox looks like the rigid/plunger model box and same on the Gidgee bike, they could be the same bike but i do know these cast iron B's were pretty popular as speedway bikes because they were a lot cheaper then the Alloy Goldstars and the Goldie cranks, pistons, valves, springs and cams were a straight swap.

JAP i'll email the club and see if they can shed some light, cheers.

-Nick

[matcho mick]

nah!,wait till Fossil wades in again  ,"widow maker" was pretty popular name for a lot of bikes back then too,

[matcho mick]

silver star (M23) had vertical finned head,Empire Star M22?,had normal horizontal finning?, not sure about Blue star?,look at the clearance between bottom of tank on Gidgee's, the head shape in the "valley" left,dosen't look quite right for B series,looks too flat,& shallow??,B series is taller there,the relationship twixt pushrod tunnells topend & daylite looks too odd to me for a b series,

[pancho]

 I agree with matcho mick. I remember a beeza  with a flat top on the head that a friend had, it was supposed to be a 500 from 1939. I remember that the head looked quite different from the 'B' motors, no little alloy covers but a ftat steel cover. It was a cast off from B grader Leo Pretti, He painted it purple and called it Elvis, guess it musta been 1955.
 cheers pancho

[JAP 454]

nah!,wait till Fossil wades in again  ,"widow maker" was pretty popular name for a lot of bikes back then too,

You're not wrong there, Matchy, one that springs immediatly to mind is the Michigan Madman, EJ Potter's V8 drag/ exhibition  bike " The Widowmaker "

I thought at first that there might be some connection, through Gidgee, between the two bikes, purely because of the size of the sign-writing and the handlebars !!! however Skivi may get some info from the Broken Hill Club. we'll have to wait and see

Foss

[Skivi]

one of the blokes at the Silver City MCC is printing the picture out and taking it to the clubhouse so if anyone recognises it hopefully they'll be in touch, i thought that was pretty nice!

[Freakshow]

We race silver city coming up as a support class, if its there ill get the guys details.  remind me
Ohh and get on Face book - classic Speedway Australia as i have posed iot up there too.

[Skivi]

i found recently the bike was on the cover of the Historic Motor Cycle Racing Register of SA's newsletter 'The Good Oil' from June of last year. follow this link for a PDF download or this link for a quick view of the newsletter. i've emailed the editor for further information or pictures.

-Nick