I recieved this email from a friend, Paul Neilson aluding to Gaston Rahiers bike..........
After Rahier was here I ended up owning one of his 125s. I think it must have been the first time he was here when he raced at Amaroo with Vic Allen ( awsome rider on an absolute rocket ) and ran a school at Jilliby. The bike I owned was the one he rode with the RM100 seat. Funny thing was that it also had RM100 on the cases but from memory had an odd number of cylinder fins - different to either RM100 or RM125. It had a beautiful box section aluminium swingarm when the production bikes still had the pressed steel ones and also had titanium fasteners everywhere. When I got the bike Frank Pons put it on methanol and fitted Fox Airshocks before I rode it and it was an absolute missile - quicker than any 250 I lined up against and faster than most open bikes. I only raced it a few times, crashed alot like I normally did back then, but I do remember winning the 125 class at an Amaroo Mister Motocross round. ( Al least I think I remember -I do see the trophy now and again ) I think they called it the Eldorado Spectacular. I can remember having a coming together with Murray Wicks and passing Stephen Gall going into the big berm at the end of the straight. ( Probably the high light of my racing life.) That little Suzuki was unbelievably fast. I have a couple of photographs of the bike and I'll see if I can find them. I ended up selling it to a guy called Geoff Sparrow who sold it on to another guy that used it for a trail bike. I've been trying to track it down ever since I got involved in VMX with no success. Graham Boyd rang me once and asked lots of questions about the bike and later claimed that he had come across bits and pieces of the bike including the swingarm. But I'm not really sure. best regards, Paul
The swingarm mentioned has a bit of a story. I aquired it amidst a pile of Maico stuff when I bought old Karl Kremers Maico stash a few years ago. I believe he'd aquired the swingarm from Anthony Gunter. I differ from Pauls description in that I believe the swingarm was titanium. I kept it for a few years, waiting to find a bike to use it on but eventually Graeme Boyd found out that I had it and wanted it by hook or by crook. At the same time HEAVEN founder Mark Cotterill showed some interest in it as well for his very trick RM125B (VMX#15 page 57). I told both of them that I'd swap it for a set of Fox Airshox and quick as a flash Mark had found a set and the deal was done. Poor old Boydy wasn't impressed as he was certain he'd get it, after all how could I refuse the great Boydy! He hasn't spoken to me since, much to my eternal distress :'(.
Graeme's not a man to be spurned when he wants something though, so it wasn't long before had made an offer to Mark for the whole RM and the deal was done and Graeme Boyd finally had his swingarm. I'm sure the bike is packed away in a box along with the rest of Boyds huge collection, never to be seen again by us mere mortals. More's the shame, the bike is the prettiest and trickest RM I've seen to date.
