Sorry it wasn't a wind-up

Now I've seen the "new" pic I agree it's John Hartle. He had a great riding style.


re "Motorcycle Racing Guide 1974"

I've just bought a copy from http://roysbooks.co.uk/Roysbookshomepage.asp

£4.00

anne.williscroft@btinternet.com
91 Parkfield Crescent
Two gates
Tamworth
Staffs
B77 1HB

Looks like a 7R/G50 in the centre, although it seems to be curiously undersized...... just a big rider I guess? It's wearing Avon rubber so probably no later than '63. I don't think I can ID any of them.

Probably mid 50's....as the Manxes and the 7R are no later than that.....and is that the works Porcupine extreme right ? KTT Velo as well ? I wonder if its Silverstone?

I think it is?

Gotta say Russell, I smiled at first... but looking at the seat and the rear guard.... mate, you're lethal !

In he just!!!

SO...... judging by the body language of the rider.... Bill Doran ?

Gentlemen, please ........ I cant blow this up, but......Just above the 7R seat is the saddle of what looks very much like a Factory Guzzi ?

Bloody hell....lie down, Russell !!

Could easily be........ Of course it might not be the Porcupine at all, as early on the 3 valve 350 was housed in a procupine type frame and the background colour on the number could be blue.....?

Probably a mile off the mark but how about No.18 Don Wolfindale on the Alpha Centuri (which to a blind man on a galloping horse would pass as an Enfield GP5) He was Dave Browning's team-mate I think.

Belated Happy New Year to all.HW

Sorry chaps, been away a few days, Guadix, Granada, Spain. I thought this may be IOM?

Another little gem for you

honda *benly* with race kit?(or maybe a do it yourself one)

125 Benley, early to mid sixties vintage. There were loads around then as they produced a 'racing kit' and quite a few blokes started on them. Not sure what the kit consisted of though but someone on here might know ?

Could well be.....big meeting though wherever it is.

Belated greetings to you Herr. Don Wolfindale.....my fast fading memory kinda recalls the name but not well enough, nor the brilliantly named Alpha Centuri.....presumably created by gearbox makers?

Hi Russell,
It was a concoction made by Alpha the bearing people.Leading links,One piece tank/seat.Motor looked like the lovechild of a GP5 and a Starmaker
HW

What am I on about.....Alpha gearbox I think I meant Albion. Thanks for the info Herr.

Russell take a look at this;

Villiers Information at www.villiers.info

HW

Sorry Russell its this (my fingers work a lot faster than my brain!)

www.lortim.demon.co.uk/alpha/index.

HW

B----- Hell I'm worse than I thought.If you slap Donald Wolfindale into the googly thing,you should get it.
I,m going to uncork a bottle of red,that way I'll have an excuse for my daftness

HW

I got there Herr, thanks.

I think this is a really nice shot of a time when save for a bit of fiddling with the gearing and jetting, a bike could be raced for a full season without needing to be touched. There are a couple of fairly well known guys here ?

Don't recognise anyone, but what a great shot! Anymore where that came from?

I'm guessing 1964?

Close, it's '63. There's a Manx winner there......and the circuit ? What'ya rekon on the front brake fitted to the Manx?

Yeah - great air scoop! Still none the wiser. How about a clue?

One guy was later bady hurt in the Bol d'Or, 72 ish.......And another was famous but not for his bike racing exploits.

Still nothing registering I'm afaid - 1963 is a bit too early for me .

But a shot in the dark - is Dick Wyler there? Any more clues regarding the MGP winner?

Barry, yeah, Dick is number 14, apparently on the late Fred Neville's 7R. Fred was killed at Appeldene when leading the '61 Junior Manx (by miles). The Manx winner won in the same year as the picture was taken.....

Peter Darvill?

Yes.. I don't remember him racing that often on short circuits around that time, but later, as you may recall, he was a regular on his Honda four, particularly at Snetterton. I think this may have been the bike he rode at the Bol d'Or and on which he had his career ending crash. What about the circuit?

Here's a subject close to your heart Russell - someone put a call out recently asking for information about the ex-Malcolm Uphill 1965 Junior-winning 7R. Apparently Roly Capper rode it in 1968. Engine/frame numbers and any other details. He'd be lucky, but you never know...........!

Apparently, the factory kept no records....... George Beale though has a little collection of engine/frame numbers. Does the guy have a 7R he thinks may be Malcom's or is he wanting to trace it?

Not sure Russ, I don't know more than that. It was a request from someone in the MGP Rider's Association.

Beautifully made......that tubing from steering head to swinging arm would be a bit vulnerable though during the inevitable get offs?

Isn't that just gorgeous !

http://www.kakeh.com/imatra/2008/imagepages/image1.htm

Here is a link to a classic motorcycle event at Imatra last year. The photographer was Kake Heikkila.

Hmmmmm some good pics there ,including the very rare Vostocks

Thanks for posting this Paul - wonderful machinery, wonderful pics.

This may be of interest to some of you. News from the Race Retro organisers about this year's show:

OLD LEGENDS MEET NEW HEROES AT RACE RETRO

Two-wheeled racers spanning over 50 years will be roaring into Race Retro, the international
historic motorsport show, when it accelerates into Stoneleigh Park from 13th to 15th March.
The three-day show will combine the legacy of manufacturers such as Triumph and Norton,
with special appearances from the racers who continue to chase championship titles on the
circuits today.

A core feature will be a tribute to 50 years of the Triumph Bonneville and racing Triumphs, with an
amazing display including the spectacular "Texas Cee-Gar" streamliner, as well as other racing
Bonnevilles and racing Triumph models.

Live action will come from the Pre-'65 Motorcycle Trial Demonstration, which returns to Race Retro
by popular demand. With action from both solos and sidecars, the course has been created by
riders Mick Grant, seven times winner of the Isle of Man TT and Macau Grand Prix winner and trial
champion Neil Gaunt.

Mick and Neil will be joined by other celebrity riders, including Steve Parrish and Guy Martin.
Steve became a professional motorcycle racer in 1976 at the age of 22, joining Barry Sheene in
the Suzuki GP team. In 1978 and 1979, he clinched the British Motor Cycle Championships,
joining Yamaha in 1980 before trying his hand at truck racing in the 1980s.

Guy Martin currently races in the world-renowned British Superbike Championship on Honda's
legendary Fireblade, a bike tuned to make over 200bhp and travel in excess of 200mph. He also
competes - setting record lap times and winning - other races, including the Isle of Man TT, the
North West 200, and the Ulster and Macau Grands Prix.

Other motorcycles on display include the Joe Potts Garage Collection, featuring the 1962
500cc JP7 Potts Manx, the final and ultimate development of a Norton by Joe Potts of
Bellshill. The bike was built for Bob McIntyre and was first introduced midway through the 1961
season. The JP7 engine was highly developed and had many special features, including Potts
high-lift cams, a special crankshaft assembly, a modified drive-side main bearing, and a ported
cylinder head. The JP7 Manx Norton was first raced in 1961. One of its notable results with
Bob Mac included victory in the 500cc class of the Leinster 200 at Dunboyne and setting a
new lap record at 94.74mph.

The JP7 will be joined by the 1958 250cc JP5 Potts Manx, the 1951 150cc Bruce Special and
the 1958 250cc DOHC Bruce Velocette, as well as the 1957 Joe Potts Desmo, the 1951 JP
'Universal' Car and anm array of rare pictures, posters and drawings detailing the collection's
history.

H&H returns as Race Retro's auction partner with an impressive collection of racing bikes, including
Carl Fogarty's 1990 Honda RC30, which won the F1 TT, the Senior TT and several rounds of the
1990 F1 World Championship, and is estimated to fetch a price of between £32,000 and £36,000.
This is joined by the 1984 EMC 250 used by Australian rider Graeme McGregor to win the IoM
Junior TT Race in 1984, setting a new race and lap record at 111.06mph - 11.4 seconds faster
than Con Law's record set the previous year!

Other lots available include the ex-Chris Palmer Honda RS125, which won the 2004 TT and Ulster
GP, the ex-Joey Dunlop 1990 Honda RS250, raced in the 1990 and 1991 seasons, and the
ex-Stephen Cull Yamaha FZR600, winner of the Ulster GP winner and many other races.
Continuing the Irish winning theme is the ex-Robert Dunlop Yamaha Spondon, the F2
Irish Championship winner used for Robert's first North West 200 win and the ex-Gary Cowan Yamaha TZ350, lap record holder at the Ulster GP and winner of many other races.

The show will also feature the Retro Racer and Cafe Racer Concours, with 20 finalists at the
show, each hoping to win one of the categories which include Best Race bike (judged on three
time spans), Best British, European and Japanese, as well as Best Café Racer.

The Retro Racer categories will be supported by the Road Racing Legends Charity, offering advice
on the race bike categories, providing an experienced judging panel, and generously
donating the trophies, rosettes and product packs to the awards list. The Café Racer
category is supported by Ace Café London and founder Mark Wilsmore will be joined by former
road racing legend Mick Grant (winner of seven IoM TT races) and current star road racing rider
Guy Martin, to award the prizes at the show.

Entry forms can be downloaded from the Race Retro website at http://www.raceretro.com, or
obtained by emailing Race Retro Co-ordinator David Alderson on david@livepromotions.co.uk.
The successful finalists will each receive two free show entry passes per bike displayed, as well as
having their bike on show for the duration of the event.

This bike was mentioned on here a while ago. I saw this today and it's nice to know that these old bikes are still being restored or maybe I should say preserved in this case. Anyone know what it is?

Hello Henry,
I used a clutch like that one, it was on an Albion 5 speed box, that I had on Manx, before Beart removed it and replaced it with an AMC.

I wonder if anyone knows what bike this is, where it is and who it is?

I think the rider is Tom Armstrong.

Great pic. I think you could be right though Barry.

Welcome to dusker/Tom?

Hi and hello to you is it a Triumph Metisse ?? :\ Oh IOM ?

I reckon it's a "Lowboy" Domiracer frame (that I think Dunstall copied from the "works" Norton twin that Tom Phyllis rode in the 1961 TT?).

Mmmmmmmmm food for thought Barry, I was looking at the tank,fairing,front brake .
Hows tricks ?? OK I hope

Hi Phil - I'm good thanks! Yes - it certainly looks like a Metisse at first glance. But then I thought there was a similarity to the Dunstalls that Griff Jenkins and Ray Pickrell rode in the late sixties? We'll have to wait for the jury!