Tony Foale Aermacchi
#1
Posted 12 July 2011 - 17:39
#3
Posted 12 July 2011 - 20:41
Anyone have any history on these specials? Sadly, my memory is bereft of knowledge of these bikes...
HW, where are you Andy, surely you must know...
#4
Posted 12 July 2011 - 21:59
Ray
#5
Posted 12 July 2011 - 22:20
Damn it, that looks nice, even to a stinkwheel fanatic like me!!
Anyone have any history on these specials? Sadly, my memory is bereft of knowledge of these bikes...
HW, where are you Andy, surely you must know...
Never saw this version before,Mick. Thought the 'Brewmacchi' was the only survivor.Nice,different !!
HW
#6
Posted 13 July 2011 - 00:58
http://www.tonyfoale.com/
These pictures are of my own Aermacchi, and date between 1972 and 1975.
I originally bought the bike in Australia in 1971 before I returned to England. As bought it had a Drixel frame. In 1972 I built my own triangulated frame which was both stiffer and lighter than the original. This frame appeared in 3 variants. The 1st used a box section swingarm with twin suspension units and retained the original Borrani front forks. When the DeCarbon monoshock units became available the rear end was converted to a triangulated swingarm with a single DeCarbon unit mounted over the gearbox. This second version ( 1974 ) retained the front forks. The third ( 1975 ) had light weight leading link forks and a different fairing, this was partly to accomodate two side radiators for the 4 valve watercooled engine fitted at that time.
Edited by jonnoj, 13 July 2011 - 01:00.
#7
Posted 13 July 2011 - 17:27
Sent the pics to Tony Foale and sadly he says it's not one of his and he does not recognise the frame type either. Oh dear !
#8
Posted 13 July 2011 - 17:39
The next one is a Honda SS50 with a 150cc monkey bike race motor fitted. Goes really well.
#9
Posted 13 July 2011 - 18:01
Edited by Russell Burrows, 13 July 2011 - 18:04.
#10
Posted 13 July 2011 - 18:23
Sent the pics to Tony Foale and sadly he says it's not one of his and he does not recognise the frame type either. Oh dear !
Whoever built it seems to have gone to a lot of trouble - why not put their own name to it. Unless it handles like a bag of shite?
#11
Posted 13 July 2011 - 23:18
Whoever built it seems to have gone to a lot of trouble - why not put their own name to it. Unless it handles like a bag of shite?
Perhaps the current owner isn't aware he's been sold a pup?
There may be a market in iffy bikes on the continent.
#12
Posted 19 July 2011 - 04:44
paul
http://img714.images...0/ws2006065.jpg
#13
Posted 20 July 2011 - 16:44
Whoever built it seems to have gone to a lot of trouble - why not put their own name to it. Unless it handles like a bag of shite?
There is a saying 'If it looks right it is right'.
Tony Foale (excellent products) or not that frame looks right.
#14
Posted 17 May 2013 - 21:04
Here's a pic of what I think is a Tony Foale Aermacchi owned by Mike Bungay and ridden by Dave Roper from time to time.
paul
http://img714.images...0/ws2006065.jpg
I know that this is a late reply but I have only seen this thread.
Firstly the initial bike shown at the beginning was not made by me. It is way different from anything that I would build. That is not to criticize it, just that it is not my style.
Until 2009 I had only ever built one frame for an Aermacchi - my own bike.
Secondly the Mike Bungay bike was not built by me either but Rocky the guy who did build it said that he was inspired when he saw a picture of mine. It is not a copy though. In late 2005 Mike Bungay got in touch with me and asked if I wanted to ride the bike at Daytona. I had not even been on a race track for 30 years so it was a crazy idea. I accepted immediately. I also rode the same bike at Mid Ohio and Barber the same year 2006. That rekindled my passion for racing and I have been doing it ever since. In 2008 I went to live in the USA for 3 years and in 2009 I built a replica of the Aermacchi that I rode in the 1970s and won the AMA national 500cc championship with it. There are pictures of its construction in the Aermacchi folders on my Picasa pages at
picasa pages
There are some riding pix in the Playtime folders.
Original bike.
Regards
Tony Foale
Visit My Website
#15
Posted 17 May 2013 - 22:42
There's a great depth of knowledge and stories here, please join in!!
#16
Posted 17 May 2013 - 23:36
#17
Posted 18 May 2013 - 14:38
Yes, a warm welcome Tony, and thanks for sharing your gallery with us, there are some beauties in the race chassis archive ! And I was unaware of the little 250 Suzuki-based watercooled twin built in cohorts with our own forum buddy, Terry Shepherd, who was much-loved on here. Hopefully things aren't too hectic for you these days, and you can spend some time with us. Very interesting !
The bike with the Terry Shepherd engine was built for Les Kenny to race in the island. I forget the exact year but 1974-1976. The frame was almost the same as those that we built for the TZ250/350 except for whatever changes were necessary to mount the engine. I recall that the bike was not very successful, I think that Les only rode it in practice but was disappointed in the engine and used a Yamaha in the race, but my memory is not great so I could be wrong. The engine was Terry's and went back to him and I think that the frame was the one that eventually ended up at Waddon's and was the one that they copied and then claimed as their own design when announced at a London show.
BTW. Although I had built 5 chassis previously for my own bikes it was Les Kenny who got me into making frames as a business. Funnily enough, we had raced against each other back in Oz. but did not know one another back then. In 1973 I started a business doing cast wheels, in the UK, but Les knew that I had made frames and came to me to make a couple for his Yamahas, I considered it a one off job and did not expect to do more. He was successful with them from the beginning and I started to get orders for more, so I got into the frame business by accident.
Regards
Tony Foale
info@tonyfoale.com
http://www.tonyfoale.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/tonyfoale
https://www.facebook.com/tony.foale.5
https://www.youtube....ser/MotoChassis
#18
Posted 19 May 2013 - 09:42
I remember watching Les whip through White Gates, Ramsey, probably as quick as anyone up until then ever had, and then frightening the bejesus out of everyone as by a knats todger he missed a ride ride through the middle of the hedge coming out.The bike with the Terry Shepherd engine was built for Les Kenny to race in the island. I forget the exact year but 1974-1976. The frame was almost the same as those that we built for the TZ250/350 except for whatever changes were necessary to mount the engine. I recall that the bike was not very successful, I think that Les only rode it in practice but was disappointed in the engine and used a Yamaha in the race, but my memory is not great so I could be wrong. The engine was Terry's and went back to him and I think that the frame was the one that eventually ended up at Waddon's and was the one that they copied and then claimed as their own design when announced at a London show.
BTW. Although I had built 5 chassis previously for my own bikes it was Les Kenny who got me into making frames as a business. Funnily enough, we had raced against each other back in Oz. but did not know one another back then. In 1973 I started a business doing cast wheels, in the UK, but Les knew that I had made frames and came to me to make a couple for his Yamahas, I considered it a one off job and did not expect to do more. He was successful with them from the beginning and I started to get orders for more, so I got into the frame business by accident.
Regards
Tony Foale
Edited by Russell Burrows, 19 May 2013 - 09:43.
#19
Posted 20 May 2013 - 18:07
Edited by Russell Burrows, 22 May 2013 - 00:04.