Works Ossa Phantom

[jerry]

Just thinking was there ever an official factory entry and if so how trick was it?J

[VMX60]

Jerry

In Australia most of the state dealers Helped    one or two Good riders in mainly  Enduros on the Pioneer/SDR Models as that is where they sold most bikes

The Phantom arrived to late as most A grader MX riders had a deal with a FREE Jap brand bike by that time

Never heard of a Factory Ossa rider in Australia

Maybe Phil Young Helped out a few riders in NSW 

[jerry]

I think I may have been the only works rider in Oz but I was wondering about Internationally. Did the Spaniards have something special for their home GP. I think John DeSoto in the states got some help but how modified his bike may have been I have no idea. J

[firko]

I think I may have been the only works rider in Oz

NSW OSSA (and Hodaka)distributor Phil Young had Gary Hodge riding his Phantoms and Hodakas for yonks. Phil still has the original tricked up Phantom Hodgy rode in '74 and Gary still owns the red desert Phantom he rode in enduros and desert rallies in the mid seventies. Gary also raced Phils OSSA in the very early days of VMX and finished second only to Ron Dinsdale on Rob Watson's trick Mk7 Pursang in a class 250 field at the first Amaroo VMX in '88
 
Below: Hodgy's restored OSSA Desert Phantom at Kamp Kevlar CD5.
                                                                     
Below:
Gary Hodge and the legendary Phil Young at Amaroo in 1988, the only time the bike raced in gold livery and with lay down rear shocks.  Phil's an inspiration to all cancer sufferers, being given 6 months to live with an aggressive brain tumor in 1976 he opted for radical surgery where almost half of his brain was removed and he's still going strong and still fiddling with his OSSAs in 2013. Troy Bayliss Classic winner Michael Kirkman rode Phils very trick dirt track Phantom at a few vintage meetings a few years back. Anybody who's ever met Phil will know what a special bloke he is.
                                                                     
                           

[firko]

1976 works OSSA
                   
'Carla' Carlquist on his '75 Works OSSA.
                       
Marty Moates and Kenny Zarht on the USA factory '77 OSSA's
                       
Marty Moates 78 World Championship factory OSSA
                         

[John Orchard]

Sorry to derail the thread for a moment, just a couple of quick thoughts I am having ...

1- It's amazing how many riders with an amazing, interesting and dedicated life to motocross there are out there.  Riders that many of us will never know or have the pleasure to speak to and find out their history  :-(

2 - It's amazing how much history is locked away in Firko's head.

I so look forward to hearing as many stories as I can when I get to various classic motocross events.

[firko]

2 - It's amazing how much history is locked away in Firko's head.

It amazes me too John but it's nothing unique, plenty of you guys have a great grasp on our sports past, it's just that I'm passably OK at writing it down. I've got a good retentive memory for stuff that interests me like 60's/70's rock music trivia, motor racing and rugby but I'm pretty hopeless on other shit....My short term memory is woeful, I can never find the 13mm spanner I'd been using just 20 seconds earlier .

When I get it wrong, it's really wrong....they're my senior moments as my comrade 'Davey Crockett' calls 'em.

[VMX60]

Jerry

Tell us your story as a factory Ossa rider in Australia Details of Model Phantom raced and what results in MX and the dealer you got the works  Ossa from all good stuff to know for Ossa history down under



Phil Young

Ossa  LEGEND  have a Dyno readout sent from Phil 250cc roadracer rearwheel 43HP

AMAZING

Cheers

[evo550]

Marty Moates '76 GP2 Phantom.

[firko]

Phil Young

Ossa  LEGEND  have a Dyno readout sent from Phil 250cc roadracer rearwheel 43HP

Just before Christmas I got a phonecall from a very disturbed Phil telling me that "the rumours of his impending death are not true". He'd been a bit off colour for a few weeks and somehow word got out that his tumor was back and that he was ready to drop off the perch. Turns out he had some sort of virus and while he doesn't get around so well any more, he's otherwise fine. When I told him of the Dirt Track Aussie titles coming up in September at Temora he got excited and vowed to get the dirt tracker (the ex road racer VMX60 spoke of) set up for the meet, saying something about putting some A grade hot shot on it as he'd done a few years ago with Mick Kirkman. I hope he follows through as it'd be great to see the old legend involved again. He's not only the best OSSA tuner in the business, he's one of the sweetest, most genuine people I've ever known. All with 50% brain capacity
Phil's 50hp Road racer/dirt tracker Phantom
                       

[09.0]

I have no doubt a '76 or '77 Ossa would be at the very least competitive in pre 78 after riding my 74 250. That thing is a bullet and handles twice as good as a green stripe. Even the brakes are very good.

[EML]

That's it, I'm rolling out the Ossas, if someone with half a brain can tune them, I must be a chance

Sorry in advance guys-I had to say it.

What is even more exciting is the guys keeness to put good riders on his bikes and get them out there, as opposed to parking them up-welded to a chromed stand. CUDOS to Phil.

[Tahitian_Red]

I have no doubt a '76 or '77 Ossa would be at the very least competitive in pre 78 after riding my 74 250. That thing is a bullet and handles twice as good as a green stripe. Even the brakes are very good.

    

[Ted]

And couldn't Hodgey move on that Ossa

Was good to chat with him and Phil at classic dirt Raymond terrace.

Just after Glenn Macquarie ( RIP ) turned B grade back in the mid 70's Glenn, Phil Smith (  both Roy Easts apprentice mechanics at the time ) and myself went to Paul Giles shop in Richmond  We said to Gilesy, come to Amaroo on the weekend and watch Glenn flog everyone. He said there's a kid coming down from the bush on one of them Ossa things and I reckon he will win by a mile. Of course we said bullshit, Glenn is riding a sponsored Honda from Roy East. Glenn is unbeatable.

Phil and Gary turned up and won by a mile. It took a long time to walk into his shop again...haha

[VMX60]

Great Photo of Phils Dirt Tracker anybody see it race when Mick rode for Phil

On the Phantom side think that farmer Boug in Vic won a heap of VMX Aussie 250cc championships on a 1974 model      

Cheers