Sprite-UK/American Eagle-USA /Alron-AUST

[VMX247]

Quote: Contracts where won via McCormack International USA.
Few 405 Sprite were sold in UK and I know of no surviving spares.
Hipkin did a fair bit of traveling to set up exports ,Belguium, USA and Aust..Not for the Kawa,but just in general.
cheers

[firko]

American Eagle sent a couple of engines to Sprite in the UK where the engine mounts were jigged and welded in before nickel plating and then exported in kit form, as Ken indicated. The engines were sent to the American Eagle factory direct from Japan. Apparently they had a surplus of F21 engines after the model failed to excite the American market and wished to get rid of them before the F81M was released. The number of American Eagle Geronimos is tied directly into the number of engines Kawasaki had left on the shelf. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any record of those numbers any more. Perhaps there is a record hidden away in some dusty corner of Kawasaki in Japan but I don't like our chances of finding out. One of the engines sent to the UK was also used by Alf Hagon and ended up in a grass track Hagon. Nothing is known as to what happened to the other engine.

[VMX247]

How did you find that out so fast    ?
Just reading though the pages of info.....Did they ever name a works team in 65 ?....
How many 500cc Triumph motors where used ? 
cheers

[firko]

I could tell you Alison but I'd have to kill you straight after. Just lucky finding a Brit contact sitting at his computer. 

[VMX60]

Ken/ Firko
Another photo of the Kawa with a Maico in the background The 125 CZ sure is a rare bike, I owned a 250 model that Ron Gill imported over here in the West. Ken have a few more Kawa photo if required for your reference
Cheers

[firko]

Here's a rare one...A Hodaka 125 powered American Eagle 'Fastback'.

[firko]

Few 405 Sprite were sold in UK

They sold a lot of Sprites in the UK. The factory supported a 3 rider works team at various times including the below 3 riders and Terry Challinor, Vic Eastwood and Frank Hipkin himself. The wouldn't have supported a team for a bike that "sold very few" in the UK.


Terry Challinor aboard the works Maico 360/Sprite in 1968 (111) at the Brian Stonebridge Memorial meeting at Hawkestone and a year later at the same meeting and in the same place on a 405 Sprite (11). He won in 1969.

In recent years Rodger Harvey and Terry Challinor became the top pre 65 racers ib the UK. Harveys now retired but Challinor ,in his 60's is still winning aboard Triumph Metisses against much younger opposition and lighter B44 Cheneys. If you've never heard of Terry Challinor and are interested to see just how good he is, watch this YouTube video of Challinor (Triumph Metisse) versus Tim Manton (Cheney B44) from last year. Manton is half Challinors age but the old fella fights him right to the finish line.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y22DhcIEGIs

[JC]

Tha Maico engine sure fills the Sprite engine bay (#111) doesn't it!

They wouldn't have supported a team for a bike that "sold very few" in the UK.

You would normally assume that to be true, but on the other hand, are they turning up on UK ebay, in UK vintage racing, or in the mags? 

The little correspondance thats been in CDB mag seems to indicate there's not much Sprite stuff in UK.
They must have sold a few of the early ones tho before the export markets opened up.

Maybe by the time the 405 came out the poms realized their limitations & avoided them

[firko]

Challinor aboard the Maico/Sprite which he reputedly disliked.

Brian Nadin on a Sprite Villiers in 1964.

Works rider Ray Jordon

[VMX247]

Just deleted my post 
Depends which article you read about the 405.Contradict each other. 
Didn't the A Eagle do most of the 405 business. ?? Answer No cause they where up sh..t creek without a paddle...how heart breaking/frustrating and pissed off would Mr Hipkins be 
thanks for the works riders photos 
cheers

[Tossa]

great research and photo's Mark, hate to say, but know a few of those names!!

[Tim754]

Hurry up and do the book on this epic story Firko!!!  This really is a great read!!!!! Cheers Happy New Decade    Tim754   or does that start on the 01/01/2011???

[firko]

Hurry up and do the book on this epic story Firko!!! 

Michaelangelo took 4 years to paint the Sistine Chapel Tim. Great art takes time! Happy NY to you and the family Tim.

[Tim754]

Found some Hodaka book pressies for you Firko and the other Kevlar members, will off load to you at Broadford. I have a VMX mag poster of a Super Rat autographed by Ray Ryan here too somewhere you can have for the Club room (Shed) too. Cheers
 Took me 26 years to paint the bedroom ceiling ,  well arrrr actually I still haven't...... hate foo ken painting ..
Now back to the Alron Sprite etc etc thingo

[VMX60]

JC/Firko
John have a look at these photos.
Talk about on the piss. In 1972 they would have been drinking long browns!!
Removed the front end and exhaust pipe and first thought the frame was bent. Oh NO, the motor was sure not designed for this frame. 7mm of square 5mm tilted on the side and a very strange height of the front mounts to squeeze it all in.
I wonder if the frame was jigged in the UK or here.
They must have been dreaming to sell this up against the Japs.
Possibly this must have been the very first bike they tried to adapt the motor too.







Cheers