By landrovereditor at 2009-11-06

One of the greatest characters in motorcycle racing, hard rider, good crasher, fun to be around, notched walking stick!

Don't seem to have read much about him on our forum, or have I missed it?

Anyone got any stories about him and where is he now?

C P , you're ticking all the right boxes with me tonight you're correct , not enough about him on the forum along with some of his ' oppos ' from that mid '60's --mid '70's era , he still comes out and rides Norman White's Nortons .
Was supposed to have had 230 + ' prangs ' with not a lot of personal damage IIRC , an achievement in those days of minimal protection of person or circuit I think !!!!

Excellent topic!

Dave was one of the true greats of his time, looking forward to some great posts!

At one stage he worked as a window fitter and I used to encounter him all the time in the South Harrow timber yard where I worked. I remember him as a friendly cockney sparrer who must have got cheesed off at times with my somewhat limited racing related conversation, but always indulged me. I do also remember that every other word with Dave was f... As you probably know he used to live in Ruislip and I suspect he still does. The picture is defintely '71. Oh, and I distinctly remember him telling me that the best bike he ever owned/raced was a 7R.

Great pic of Dave CP, Dave at Snett 1971, with Pickrell & Barry Sheene just visible, been on before but good to have this thread so to use it again.

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

The 2 bikes he was riding at the Pukekohe Classic festival earlier this year.

Same bike? (maybe not?) 1975, at Brands Hatch King of Brands meeting.

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

No the one nearest, as you can see is the monoque chassis. He was still wearing those original leathers though!

The nearest one would be the monocoque fitted with the "revolutionary" Norton Challenge engine , then ? The spaceframe version being the last one equipped with the Commando-based engine ? ( or am I making a fool of myself )

Possibly? I dont think its the Cosworth Challenge bike/disaster?

Challenge in 1975

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.
and 1976

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

I asked for it !

Thanks for those excellent documents Graham, the Challenge does look distinctly different, specially the cast rear swing arm with the original mounting of the rear disc on the outside of the chain sprocket . I didn't remember that there had been a monocoque version of the good old Commando-based machine .

Hi Phillipe, as far as I know Norton used the monocoque in '73 and the spaceframe type in '74 for the Commando engine. The Challenge had a space frame type as well. According to a pic in one of the Norton books, the Challenge didn't have a conventional frame; instead there were separate front and rear parts of the frame mounted to the engine, hence the engine being a supporting part of the layout

If you scroll long enough, you' ll find a nice Norton vid here

http://www.babelgum.com/browser.php#play/S...EVANT/4,3002078

with Alan Cathcart commenting about the details

A couple more of Dave.

Nice to hear he is still active in the nostalgia racing fraternity.

Yes Russ I remember his language.

At Silverstone one year, we had just parked along side him, he got out of his car hobbled over to say hello with his notched walking stick supporting him, my Mother asked how he was, a long explanation followed punctuated by lots of expletives and big grins. I felt very uncomfortable, but he was just being himself.

Nice pics, Rod Gould & dear old Pat Mahoney.

1975, a factory rider & his Motor home!!

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

A few years ago at Mallory, when i was working doing promo for the Castrol Honda Race School, my dad who instructed at the time was giving the spiel to a guy who was there with his son , asking about the usual stuff, how long do you get on track etc , whats it cost , when halfway through an answer, he stops , and goes ' bloody hell . you're Dave Croxford'...
... which he was. Very funny. After a fairly lengthly natter about the old days, we arranged for Dave to come and ride in a legends parade a few weeks later, which i think was a memorial race for Fred Beecroft, longtime spanner man for Ray Stringer, which ran at the final Emra race that year.

We had a couple of of pre production VFR's , i think Trevor Nation rode one and Croxford the other, plus a handful of other good local and national racers who pulled on there leathers , Stringer rode a Ducati , and im sure there were a few good superbike guys out there as well as circuit specialists.
It was a busy day, and i dont recall taking any pics, which is a shame, it was a few years ago, maybe someone has some ?

Crasher Croxford - a legend!

I hate to shamelessly plug my book, but I interviewed Dave for The Cafe Racer Phenomenon, which is just out with Veloce books UK. We chatted about great racers, characters, the best bikes, the worst and the genesis of the motorcycle disc brake. Dave told me about the Brit industry's total blindness to progress, even after he won at Mallory in 66 using a disc brake made from old boiler plate iron!

Yep, 230 odd crashes, no broken bones. Still living in North London area and does classic bike parades etc.

BTW now working on a history of kawa triples; road 250-750 bikes, kawa expansion into overseas markets, bike resto tips and of course a chapter on KH400/Coupe Kawasaki, plus H1-R and H2-R racing air cooled monsters of the 60s/70s...a chapter on multi engined specials too.
All info, pics or memories very welcome. PM me anytime.

alastair w
motorcycle journo bloke

1975.

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

The Norton Cosworth Challenge 1975

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

Same as this one?

I've seen this pic before and commented that the disc is out board of the rear ssprocket, how do you change the gearing via the rear sprocket? seems a mystery to a simpleton like me

Just found this one.

Not quite the response I expected, maybe we should invite him to the forum.

So next time someone bumps into him, give him the invite.

Lovely Shots, John....Yeah, I rekon he'd enjoy it - might have to join the paddock club though.

Think that ought to be part of the deal for Dave , Russ