Go to "the eBay thread" here and look at post 302 , lots of pix !!!

Yo Bernard.
Yes, you're correct. I saw Peter Hole at Tweseldown, freezing January 1963 it must have been - what a performance. 'Metisse' frames were made by a couple of brothers in the Soton area I recall - more usually Triumph engines? 'Scrambling' became 'motocross' about this same time, as heavy four-strokes were replaced by lightweight two-strokes.
Later, I also remember Vic Eastwood vainly & gallantly trying to hold back the tide on a works 500 Matchless, but Dave Bickers usually pipped him on a CZ 'bee in a jamjar'.
I only saw it on TV (live) but will never forget - Jeff Smith on a 500 BSA in a marathon battle with Bickers. Smith incredibly won (just). Bickers was small & wiry. Smith was built like 'a brick outhouse', but tough & tenacious. No way was any bugger going to pass him! He went on of course to a world championship, a Heifetz of the motorcycle. I read he is 70 now & living in Wisconsin. Murray Walker rated the Smith-Bickers duel as an all-time classic. Right, but is there a DVD? I'd love to see it again. Oldgit

Here's a wierd looking racer from 1966. What is it and who rode it?

I was almost tempted to say it resembles the 'Kneeler' Norton practised at the IoM TT by Ray Amm, but that dates to 1953. Perhaps it's a sprint bike? My era but I just don't know.

It is a 350 Norton built and ridden by South African Ray Flack.

I do not think any one will guess this rider now, it is John Samways who rode for my father Doug Aldridge in 1967 and 1969.
He had moderate success in both years but then decided to pursue his gunsmith carrear in the USA.
cheers
Peter.

Well Paul - it IS a Kneeler Norton a 350 Manx in fact - and by coincidence, built and ridden by another rider called Ray!! But this one was built in 1966. I'm not sure if it ever got raced in anger (apparently, the Ray Amm one got no further than practise sessions?). According to the test report I have on it, Dave Degens also had a go on it. Perhaps others can throw more light on it?

Can anyone guess who this rider is.I am not sure.
Picture taken circa 1961 South Africa.

cheers
Peter

Re the scrambling 4-stroke days;

sorry Berhard, Paul Rochdale & Macca, I overlooked your previous relevant remarks. "What went wrong?" In a way, nothing. Perhaps the technology moved on to a new style of rider & racing that just doesn't appeal to us older generation, I'd guess. And the crowds today just don't know what they've missed.

To return like all old bores to my own query - about a very special Manx 350 campaigned by Reg Dearden. Yes, it was he, I finally remembered: a few synapses fired & I Googled the rest.

This always stuck at the back of my mind - Dearden prepared (late 1950s) this 350 which riders discovered would rev to 10,000 (claimed). Dreams? But, it did keep winning - the pudden's proof. That all ended when the crankcases were replaced. Now why would this be?

The rev limit of a big single is set by the destructive forces of speeding the heavy piston, then stopping & reversing its direction - a huge strain on the conrod assembly as revs rise. Even titanium rods & one-piece forged flywheel assemblies have a limit.

As an eminent IATE (Ignorant Armchair Theoretical Engineer), I suggest: Manx engines were more hand than mass-produced, so dimensions might vary in small but significant ways, as in this example. Perhaps the crankcase walls were slightly thinner/thicker than the norm? Speculating, might this have had an enhancing effect at ultra-high revs? Like. that large piston hammering up & down also increased & decreased c/case gas pressures. The normal c/case exhausting provision might not be coping as intended once over the designed rev limit. Was a secondary harmonic of shock waves set up?

Maybe with Dearden's engine, he had stumbled on an extreme 'sweet spot' harmonic that somehow eased or cushioned the reversing forces - as similarly with much later two-stroke tuned exhaust technology. Significantly, Dearden claimed this was discovered accidentally, when a rider muffed a gearchange & saw the rev counter spin past 8,000 (but the engine didn't self-destruct).

Yes, it figures. Who would experiment on the bench with such dangerously high revs? Get it wrong once & you'd have some horribly expensive Manx bits to buy. Tuning is tough enough without - many hours of hard work, the most usual reward, 'four-fifths of sweet Fanny Adams' (Joe Craig).

Any other similar cases, or thoughts? Oldgit

Regarding that mystery rider - looks like a G50 - I'm not very well up on that period, but could it be Jim Redman?

I've just browsed through Jim Redman's autobiography and for most of his career he wore a plain silver helmet. Earlier on his helmet had a transfer at the front but never a pale stripe across the top and around the rim. Me? I haven't a clue...

pmb boy

Errol Cowan ?

Alain Barbaroux built a twin-cylinder Bultaco 500cc set in a Norton Manx frame in 1968. It was called "Barbulton" and was built in the Sud Aviation shops. Alain Barbaroux got killed shortly after the bike was completed, so the project died. I do not know what happened to the bike, but it was very well done and apparently with some support form the works. I do not have a picture of it at this time.

T54

The Ray Amm Norton kneeler was used to set speed records at Monthlery in 1953 and was the basic inspiration for this fantasy bike which I designed for the Yamaha International Magazine in 1975. Note that it wears Hurley Wilvert's famous # 39, as Hurley was/is a very good friend:



Regards,

T54

No I am sure it is not Errol Cowan, my father who had this picture in his collection said it was Bruce Beale from Rhodesia. I looked at the picture and thought it might have been another Rhodesian rider Shaun Robinson but the more I look at it I am sure it is Bruce Beale. The picture was taken at the Roy Hesketh circuit in Pietermaritzburg and I was hoping that when someone saw the picture they would confirm that it was Bruce Beale. Maybe someone will.

cheers
Peter

Post 6.3 shows the German Heiner Butz, Asphisheim

On June 6th 1962 350cc race, Laurel Banks, Isle of Man. His widow lives in Australia. Last june she wrote me a letter.

On my Homepage click the button "Hobbies/Links" and click the second Link from above. You will find a lot of pictures from former racers.Enjoy it.

Thank you TTMarshal.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?p...r&GRid=17273800

pmb boy

Shaun and Tommy Robinson visited me about 8 years ago when they were in England but have not heard from them for a while

Bernard, the more I look at the photo I am sure it is Bruce Beale.
Here is another of my father Doug's photos again taken at the Roy Hesketh circuit.
The two riders are Tommy Robinson and Jim Redman.

cheers
Peter

Who, where, when ?

[img][IMG]http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/9581/romoloferrigilera125cc1kk8.th.jpg[/img][/IMG]

Romolo Furri, 1956, Gilera 125cc twin, First round of the Itaian Championship at Monza (Sharp intake of breath!)

Those Gilera 125's were the prettiest GP bikes ever...

Thanks PMB. thats a great picture. Tommy told me a horrible story about Ian Burne being killed on a beach in Mozambique somewhere by a robber . I once travelled back on the boat from the IOM with Ian so that came as a big shock

Uh Paul, may be "Romolo FERRI"?

Congrats, 100%

Another one:
Who, year, where?

[img][IMG]http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/7640/lastscanyh3.th.jpg[/img] [/IMG]

Bernard,
I do remember my father telling us the sorry tale of Ian Burne. I think when he was killed he had fallen on hard times.It was a real tragedy as he was a very talented rider and should have achieved much more in the racing he did in Europe.
cheers
Peter

I think it is Jack Ahearn 1958 Salzburg Austria.

cheers
Peter.

No, it is not Jack Ahearn

Straw clutcher here. Ray Amm used to wear his helmet at odd angles, and this rider's helmet is a bit skew-wiff with his goggles. Ray Amm?

John Hempleman ? Dennis Fry?

Let's try Ken Kavanagh.
cheers
Peter

Well done Bernard: The picture shows John Hempleman,New Zealand, on his Norton, , in the 1959 500cc Race in Schleiz (East Germany)

Please try this, who is the rider??

[img][IMG]http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/3278/lastscanvc5.th.jpg[/img][/IMG]

Bernd

I've PM'd you.

Paul

I have answered Paul.

It looks like a G45 Matchless and the only one I could think who rode one continuing the NZ theme was Peter Murphy but its only a guess

It's certainly a Matchless G45 and German riders frequently wore helmets painted white with a black band. The Continental '1' on the numberplate suggests this also. Mystified (but intrigued) again.

Bob Brown (G45) at Solitude in 1955? (just a guess...)

The picture shows the German Ernst Hiller 1955 in Schleiz on a G45 Matchless.

This is Bob Brown, T54, very similar.

[img][IMG]http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/8436/lastscangp7.jpg[/img][/IMG]

Without helmets and leathers. Any idea who these guys are??

[img][IMG]http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/5813/lastscanpz6.jpg[/img][/IMG]

Flock'o Brits having a jolly good time?

Location: Rosevilla guesthouse, Isle of Man 1955. Back row L to R:Allen Burt, Gerald Roberts (Canada), Bill Collett (NZ), Fred Cook (NZ) and Bob Brown.
Front L to R: John Hemplemann (NZ), Richie Thomson and a typically well-dressed Maurie Quincey.

My next pictures will show again riders and their machines.

If I should stop it, please drop me a line. Pictures enough for the next few years ;)

hey bulli...how's things
cheers marty

Wow, Hallo Martin, ich habe schon gelesen, dass Du hier im forum unterwegs bist.Hast Du meine DVD schon reingepfiffen?? Man liest voneinander.Very good Nostalgia Forum, it is unbelievable, but the lads here know everyting about racing, wow.I am impressed.I assume they knwo the answer of the question : What colour were Mike Hailwoods socks when he won his last TT

Keep on running

Bernd

T54,These drawings impress me so much as they are over thirty years old. This thing still looks ultra-modern today. It should look like the bikes of today and yet it still looks futuristic and different even now. It is odd that motorcycle chassis design has just not gone the way we thought it might. Monocoque construction hasn't really happened and modern design of MotoGP bikes concentrates still on the 'twin beam' chassis that became fashionable in the eighties rather than true monocoques. Hub centre steering is still not accepted and we stick with fork sliders which change steering geometry hugely which may help the bike turn in but always at the expense of stability. I suppose kneelers were always going to be difficult to use because, unlike a sidecar, bikes change direction in multi-planes and the rider needs to move his weight around constantly and kneeling restricts this. But I still think, in many ways this bike still looks ultra modern because it still is. Chassis design on two wheels seems so slow to change. What are your thoughts?

The Japanese and the people working for them, British, American, German and French engineers have over the years, determined the direction in which racing technology has evolved. Frankly, I am not competent enough to judge if that direction is good or bad, I can only think that raising the CG to get greater cornering clearance instead of lowering it to use less angle for equal speed sounds to me like the wrong approach. However, today, a single person cannot have enough knowledge and talent to do what it takes to get a GP bike to the top, so I prefer to not say too much as the technology by-passed my limited knowledge a long time ago.

As far as center-hub steering, I believe that there are better ways to achieve the desired effect today, such as wide-base double A-arms with a rigid upright as I sketched in this project for the 125cc Gilera:



There you can see some of the possible advantages of such a system that can incorporate the brake calipers, a variable ratio steering depending on the track design, a fully adjustable trail and caster as well as the use of a much more sophisticated single shock/spring unit, while providing less unsprung weight. While something similar has been produced since my original 1977 drawings, no one as yet has fully used the available width of the driver's shoulders to design the widest possible wishbones, so the actual result by Fior and others may be tainted by a lack of rigidity and leverage of the system.
In my opinion of course!

Anyway if you like this, you could have a looksie here , as more of the same is shown...
Regards,

T54