Yes, wasn't it Aussie Terry Denehey who raced the first Drixton 450 Honda in Europe '68ish. I liked The 450 road bike - went like the clappers, but it has to be said that it handled like a bag of shite....

Hang on, you´re getting me confussed . If that is indeed Freddie Van Niekerk then he is definitely on a 305 twin, which used a 350 kit (can´t remember the name of the kit, but it was a British conversion I think). The question I´m asking myself is, what is the front machine, a 350 or a 500 Manx? (what is the fairing). Can anyone tell? If it´s a 350, then it´s Freddie on his converted 305. If a 500 then it could well be someone else on a converted Bomber. Don´t think so though. I can´t remember seeing a coverted Bomber to be honest, well not amongst the top guys anyway.
Lets wait for one of the Aldridge boys. They are bound to know.

Can't tell what size the Manx is (without, I think, counting the cylinder fins) but the fairing is, again I think, an 'Avon'. It's the one that was originally designed to be fitted with the perspex nose cone. Ian Burne used them on his Manxes but like you I don't think its him.
Were 'Read' ( no connection) the producers of the Honda conversion kit ?

Yes, that was it. Read conversion kit. Any experience with them yourself Russ?

The following pic is interesting for several reasons, but mainly because of the machine. Sorry about the poor quality, but you may just be able to make out the machine. Had to be one of the quickest British built machines from those times I´ve ever seen

Looks like a Manx frame but is that motor a big Norton twin? No, although I worked for Honda in Oz, I raced an Aermacchi.... I did though get to ride new road bikes when they first appeared, including the first ever 750 four in Australia in 1969.

The numbers on the Manx suggest that it's a 500 (350's normally having white numbers on a blue background) and, although not quite clear in the photo, a plain megaphone? The 350 Manx had a reverse-cone megaphone.

I would'nt disagree with any of your comments on that issue Barry !!!!

Isn't it a pre-unit Triumph in a Featherbed ?

Spot on GD. The bike was built by Stan Sataro (who was Marlene Redman´s first husband), although it belonged to Ian Williams, Ian Burne´s uncle, who was one of SA´s better known sponsors in the sixties.
Unfortunately Stan lost his life in a boating accident, on Easter Sunday 1969, one day after winning the unlimited event on this machine, at the national Easter races held on the Roy Hesketh circuit. Williams then gave the bike to Keith Crawford (the rider in the picture) to ride, and he was very successful on the machine. I´m not sure who did the engine, but it was indecently quick.
Just as a matter of interest, I´ve scanned a cutting of the 1971 TT which shows Crawford hanging on to some very respectable machinery on the 650 Triton. Ahead of him are the two works 750 triples of Pickrell and Smart, as well as the 500 Suzuki of Guillie Cruse, the then reigning 500 SA champion. That will give you some idea of how fast the bike was.

Look at old Smarty, what a distinctive style he had!!

I see the extract about this bike and it confirms my guess at Keith Crawford, Keith raced a very special 7R before this which was also sponsored by Ian Williams this bike looks like the frame and wheels from the AJS with the twin engine fitted. The man who did all the engine work was Vic Moby who also did Ian Burne,s Abbie De Kok and before that worked Frank Setaro Stan,s Dad. Another achievement for Vic was that he did the climax engine for Neville Lederle to win the SA F1 champioship.
cheers
Peter

Thanks for that Peter. Always thought it was a Manx frame, but one lives and learns.
Please take a look at the pic I posted with the two riders rounding Angels, and see if you can identify them, the front one in particular (#78). Could it be Bob Duncan?

Rhodie,
looking at the picture it sure does look like Ian Burne the bike the helmet and they way he wore the goggles but he does look slightly bulkier than I remember Ian, I would say it is not Bob Duncan as i canot recall Bob riding anything but the 7R. I would still say it is Ian.
The honda behind could well be a modified road bike as i do not beleive other than Bruce Beale and some select riders in Europe got the 305 racers. I do know that Freddie worked for the Honda importers and I am sure he would have been able to get some go fast kits from the factory so this will explain why the bike would be so quick mind you Freddie pretty good himself.
A lot of riders in SA managed to get factory kits through the importers, I know for a fact that Trevor Van Rooyen got some factory parts when he raced Suzuki 50,s and eventually a complete bike.

cheers
peter

Well done Bazza!!

Well done indeed.

Thanks for your input Peter.

One last thought. I´ve never seen Ian Burne or a pic of him without a leather mouthpiece. It was more this than the size of the rider that convinced me it was someone else. Silly old me.

I too have never seen him without the leather wotsit Rhodie. This 1966 pic shows his Manx wearing the same make fairing as the SA pic but you'll note the bike seems a lttle more trick: disc brake, high level exhaust..... Wearing his gogles differently too. Should we have a retrial? And Barry didn't the reverse cone megga only appear very late on?

To be honest, I'm not convinced myself that it's Ian Burne. I only threw it in because he's one of the few non-brits I remember using a Manx with that Avon fairing! Others in the new picture are Stuart Graham leading, Jack Findlay of course 23, Fred Stephens (Hannah Paton?) 12, possibly Kel Carruthers 34 and Guilo Marchofski (however it's spelt!) bringing up the rear?

I think all the short-stroke 350 Manx's had the reverse-cone Russ.

Yes, Fred Stevens on the Paton and I too thought Carruthers is 34 with Guyla Marsovsky at the back. I don't honestly know about the megga question - I thought that it appeared almost at the end of production. Have to do a bit of research. The guy behinf Findlay looks familiar but I cant name him...think he was German/Austrian, ditto for the bloke up Steven's meggas.

Good excuse to post these.....Francis's 350 of '64. Gilera front brake.

Walter Scheimann behind Stevens. No need for excuses to post any Beart pics, Russell. But his stuff isn't really representative of production practices, and I subscribe to the 350/reverse cone megga philosophy.

You blokes are right - I've found several pics of late 50's 350 Manxes with reverse cones. Blimey, I must be the only bloke on here who didnt know that..... Apologies for doubting you Barry.

Yes most 350 Manxes ran with reverse cone, in fact I think there was more than one lenght of cone. I remember my dads first 350 ridden by Jack Gray had a much longer cone on the ones that Martin and John rode, I suppose the differance is the age as the first 350 dated from 57 and the later ones from 1960 and the revs had gone up from 8,200 to 8,700.
Going back to the Ian Burne picture I think it is Ian but in an early years before 65 do we know what year the picture was taken.
cheers
Peter

No prob Russ!

Got any more photos?

I'm pretty sure that the shade of green Francis Beart had his bikes painted was Ford Ludlow Green as found on Ford Anglias 105Es.

Correct ! Thanks Paul, my brain cell's been bubbling......

Hailwod, 350 Manx at the Palace, October, 1958.

While on megaphones.... Anyone know who this is?

In this '65 shot he looks a little more like the SA pic?

...and Derek Minter (16) and Guyla Marsovsky (44) approaching the La Source Hairpin during a Belgian GP at Spa. Sorry, can't help with 12.

I think number 12 is John Dodds?

Your latest picture confuses the Ian Burne saga further Russ - because his Manx is sporting the '62 four-leading shoe brake there, while the bike in the original picture has the standard 2LS brake! Also, Burne looks somewhat smaller in the definite pictures of him don't you think?

Spot on Barry , Aussie John Dodds. An oversized megga or is the flattened side turned outwards as it where ?

Yes, he does appear to be undersized....you wouldnt want to bet your house on it being him.

I'm in a time warp....how did that happen?

Barry, your'e in the future......... your post is 15.19 buts it's only 1509

! For some reason I lost the connection during my first attempt at the reply, so I re-sent it when my connection returned!

Barry, please see my post # 1704, which I wrote without seeing your post above mine (1703). In fact, your post only appeared on my screen much later in the discussion for some unknown reason. I was worried you might have thought me rude for appearing to ignore your contribution, so I´m glad I now have a reason to explain myself.
Ian was a very slightly built fellow and very thin, unlike the rider in the shot.
There is also another reason why I don´t think the #78 is Ian (I hope I´m not labouring the point here ), but Ian had a habit of riding with his levers very high (as can be seen in the other two pics). Also, facially it doesn´t resemble Ian. Admittedly these points are hard to see due to the poor quality of the photo, but these two factors, coupled to the size of the rider and the absence of a face mask, tend to point to someone other than Ian.
But I suppose unless someone comes up with a definite answer we will never know for sure.
Mmmm.......I wonder if I kept the programme? Nah, don´t think so.


BTW Russ. Great pictures. I can almost taste it all.

Apparently, earlier in the same race.........

For you connoisseurs out there - WWWW.

Stanley Woods at Monza

? ? ?

Rhodie,
i also am beginning to think it is not Ian as you say he was very slight and this rider certainly looks bigger, I have a suspicion it is a Rhodesian rider I don,t know hwy but just that the bike looks a bit more up to date than a SA bike. The guys from Rhodesian always seem to get the English kit before the Sa riders if you look at the fairing and his leathers it all looks like he has ridden in europe or has to equipment sent out. I maybe talking complete rubbish here but it certainly does intrige me as to who it I have taken to looking through all my old progs and mags but no joy.
cheers
Peter

Fergus Anderson but where ,when?

Gilera.

Didn't he used to do track tests for a magazine after his retirement ?

Looks like past the pits at Monza...

Fergus A never retired - he was killed on a semi-works BMW Rennsport at Floreffe early in 1956.

Never did track tests for any magazines.

I still think it's SW in the mid-50s at Monza - and that would be for a magazine article!!

I agree 100% with you Larry --no doubt some smart arse will say otherwise

I tend to agree with it being Stanley Woods. Definitely a Gilera 4 of mid 50´s vintage, so it must have been a test of sorts. Could he have tested the bike when Goeff Duke rode for them?
Looking forward to the answer Russ.

Well why not Rhodie ,after all Vic Willoughby and later David Dixon tested several exotic bits of kit for ' The Motor Cycle ' I recall DD riding the works Yamaha 4's at Brands after the Race of the South --Readie's last race on the 4's IIRC until Assen in '98- in Oct 1968 I was lucky to be there both times

I meant Stanley, after the initial query. I have read an article from years ago where he tested the Guzzi V8, and a separate one where he rode a couple of the horizontal singles and his engineering knowledge was quite astonishing, considering his racecraft was honed in the days when the machinery was more rugged. Also he'd be about 6 inches shorter than Fergus, who looked more as though he was draped on a bike than sat in it. I thought Stanley was a wonderful old bloke who was a real treasure to the sport, and in the days of the CML mag, where Russell got the Joe Dunphy/Francis Beart pic, Stanley made it clear that he was still making and flogging his famous TT Toffee. While I dithered about, keen to have some but unsure about how to approach the great man, he died not long after his beloved wife. Lesson learnt : the legends in our sport are both human and approachable, so if you ever get the chance to meet and chat with them, DO SO ! They may be stars, but beneath it all they're bike racing fans, just like us.

I bow to the collective superior knowledge.Never knew SW did any mag articles or testing for others after he retired.Fergus was contracted to Guzzi for a while so it would be impossible to get his leg over a Gilera.
Had the pleasure of having a chat with SW at the MGP about 20 years ago.What a lovely,charming and unassuming man he was.
HW

A few photos from The Pukekohe festival.

Bunch of 3TA Triumphs (mostly 1960)

AJS 7R

1963 Manx Norton

1955 Jawa Manx

1962 Manx Norton

1962 Manx Norton (yeah right! )

McIntosh Nortons

1953 AJS 7R