« Reply #108 on: December 10, 2011, 04:36:42 pm »
Mark, I'm quite sure Graeme wasn't ridng the big green in 1975
I just got off the phone with Frank and he was fairly sure it was 1975 and then I checked my own notes and came up with the following extract from a piece I wrote in issue #43 of VMX.........
'Frank's growing reputation as a tuner saw him appointed to manage Kawasaki Australia's new works team in 1974. Western Australian Graeme Smythe and New South Welshman Geoff Woodham were the riders aboard ther newly released KX range. These bikes were meticulously prepared and despite the limited budget, the riders, especially the brilliant Smythe began to achieve results never seen before from the 'green machine'. In 1975 Kawasaki decided it had a team to take it to the more fancied opposition so the company obtained the ex Jim Weinert SR250 and SR400 machines from Japan.....and so on.My own recollections have Graeme aboard the SR dicing with Per Klitland on the OW Yamaha, the only year he rode it, I recall thinking at the time that seeing three genuine works bikes (Ploens RH as well) was something pretty unique for Oz at the time. Towards the end of 1976 Team Kawasaki had disbanded and Smythe (and Frank) signed with Maico distributor Blair Harley to ride a Maico for the 76/77 seasons. I left Australia in late 1975 and with the exception of 3 months return when my Dad passed away in 1976, didn't come home until late 1980 so any memories I have of the SR must be from prior to '76.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2011, 04:41:22 pm by firko »
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'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
