Pre 60 bikes. What are the choices?

[jimg1au]

most national d/track meets i have been to pre60 and pre65 are all powers.i think brad is a good enough rider to over come the 250cc difference in mx.dont know about dirt track though those bsa and velos are quick

[09.0]

Good score Brad, if guy's like you aren't prepared to race in pre60 then eventually we'll have no pre60 class.
I have to agree with Firko, stick with the well earned original Patina.
If anyone from Briz are coming down to Taree for the Troy Bayliss meeting I can pick it up on my way through and pass it on?

thanks for the offer Steve. I will ask in the transport section.

[mike1948]

Brad, my mates bike was a stripped down Californian, just making a comparison. I must say I will be very pleased to see a genuine pre60 Jawa on the track.
Cheers, Mike

[albrid-3]

There is another 557 Jawa here in Victoria not used for years,I am surprised know one has jump on it and draged it out.

[firko]

Here's the delightful Mel with John Caldwells 1957 Maico.
                                                                       
  It was purpose built to compete in the Premier Lightweight class.

The rules allow for 7" travel up front and 4" rear travel. The original Earles type forks were replace with later units and the early very short swing arm was replace with a later square barrel type. As per the rules the main part of the frame remained the same. After that particular muddy event at Washougal I decided to make a few improvements to the frame. The battery tray was removed and the frame strengthened in that area and an aluminum air box was fabricated along with an improved air filter system. The rules allow for a pipe with two cones, so I fabbed up a down pipe prototype along the lines of the 77 250. It works well and allows the motor to really rev out. As per the rules it runs a 34mm carb and to accomplish this the intake was enlarged as the original was only 28 mm. I also increased the size of the transfer ports. The head is an aluminum type and has been modified to my own design. I run a PVL but this is going to be changed to another type that is programmable.

The original "M" type motors are ok but there is room for improvement, they use a 3 plate clutch and a single non roller primary chain. The rods are long and thin and the big end bearing is a strange affair, as well next to impossible to find. The motor is narrow and the transfer slots are narrow at the base. Because of this I decided to use a square barrel lower end, That gave me an upgraded transmission, primary chain and clutch. I was also able to take advantage of the wider port slots and increase the transfer port area of the cylinder by welding up the lower section of the cylinder and widening the port sizes.

Shortening the stroke with the square barrel lower end meant shortening the cylinder. There was lots more done but I don't want to divulge all my tricks. When originally built it ran 13 / 58 gearing but when I changed the pipe design I was able to drop to a 56 on the rear. All in all a fun bike to ride and is quite fast as race results have proven.

Cheers, John

[albrid-3]

This is my favourite

[firko]

Matchless G80 are good things too. Most G80 engines in motocross are housed in Metiss frames but the stocker or a BSA frame work well for pre 60..........
                                                             

[firko]

My choice for 2014...a TriBSA
                                                         

[albrid-3]

[albrid-3]

[mainline]

Great photo, shows the older bikes can handle more than flat paddocks.

[albrid-3]

[firko]

In the above photo of Jeff Smith, John Clayton and Dave Curtis riding in the Brian Stonebridge Memorial meeting, the #20 bike of Curtis is more than likely the Cheney Matchless now owned by Jonesy. The Maico in the shot above is Fritz Betzelbacher, the 1957 European 250 Champion, when the Euro title was as close to a World Championship the 250's got. The class got full World status in 1962 when Torsten Hallman won it on a Husky. That's the closest Maico ever got to a World Title. The Adler rider is Dutchman Rudy Boom.
                                                                       
                                                                       

[firko]

With the talk of pre 60 Ariels coming up a few posts back I came across this great shot of three old war horses that I took at the very first Amaroo Greybeards Vintage Meet, Easter 1988.
Shown is the late, great Roy East chatting with Albert Newton aboard the fifties Ariel 500 that he still owns to this day. Albert raced the bike from the mid fifties right through to the end of the sixties and then brought it back to race vintage in the late 80's/early 90's. Alby would have to be in his 80's yet he rode the bike around the carpark at last years Hawkesbury Club reunion at Bilpin.
                                                                       

[EML]

Great photo, shows the older bikes can handle more than flat paddocks.

So where are all the beautiful sandy circuits now days.