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Maxton Yamaha


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#1 fazz

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Posted 14 March 2012 - 18:26

Hi Guys its been a long time but I have finally finished my 1974/75 Maxton Yamaha I am showing it at the Manchester Bike Show this weekend, near the Trafford Centre.
Mark

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#2 fil2.8

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Posted 14 March 2012 - 18:32

Very smart , Mark :love: , well done :up: :clap: :wave:

#3 picblanc

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Posted 14 March 2012 - 18:41

Superb Mark & well worth the wait, hope you enjoy the show. :wave:

#4 fazz

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Posted 14 March 2012 - 20:50

Thanks Guys I have had to put the silencers on as I am not Charlie Williams so I dont think I would get away with it with any organisers when I want to have a blast on it.
Mark

#5 Paul Collins

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Posted 14 March 2012 - 21:55

Thanks Guys I have had to put the silencers on as I am not Charlie Williams so I dont think I would get away with it with any organisers when I want to have a blast on it.
Mark


Lovely bike Mark, Whats the history of it? the reason I ask is that a mate of mine had a twin shock Maxton of that era.

#6 fazz

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Posted 15 March 2012 - 08:06

Lovely bike Mark, Whats the history of it? the reason I ask is that a mate of mine had a twin shock Maxton of that era.

Hi Paul
The history of this is I started with a frame and petrol tank seat unit and yokes etc which Ian Dugdale was selling in the 90's. I missed the sale and later found out from a friend that Charlie Williams had bought it. I spoke to Charlie sometime later and he told me that the frame was damaged as when he bought it he didnt know. The frame came from the remains of the bike which Ken Huggett crashed at the 1975 TT. Charlie later sold the frame and seat unit to me.

So to be honest thats all I can say regarding any history, I have collected all the period parts over the years to build it back as a true Maxton, The Dugdale link is really due to my early race meetings in 1974 seeing Charlie, Eddie Roberts, Bernard Murray etc. And experiencing my first Manx Grand Prix in 1974 as a 12 year old when Dugdales had a clean sweep, some parts I did get from various friends who bought items when the Dugdale shop closed down.

Ken Huggett as you will know rode for Dugdales for a few years.

Em Roberts has helped me tremendously with getting things done and advice, he is a brilliant engineer.

Mark

#7 Paul Collins

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Posted 15 March 2012 - 19:39

Great history there, I wondered as my mate Paul Thrush from Leeds had one in the 70's.

Talking of Ian Dugdale you just reminded me of an incident many years ago at the MGP, Ian broke down in the Junior at Union Mills and I brought him back to the paddock in my car.

Later that night a few of us were out on the town and bumped into 'Duggie' in the street, he had just nipped out from his hotel to get something from the shop down the road for his girlfriend who was waiting back at the hotel for him, anyway he insisted he owed me drink for giving him a lift and decided he'd just nip for a swift half with us.

Well as you can imagine, the swift half turned into a session and Duggie finally wobbled off back to his hotel in early hours of the next morning.

I saw him in the paddock a couple of days later and he said he'd had a right old roasting from the missus when he finally returned to the room about 4 hours later, pi**ed and without whatever he'd gone to get her, he said he couldnt understand why she had been so emotional, and why at that point 2 days later she still hadnt spoken to him :)

What a lad!! :rotfl:



#8 picblanc

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Posted 15 March 2012 - 20:36

:lol: Nice one Paul, great story! :up:

#9 fazz

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Posted 15 March 2012 - 22:36

Great history there, I wondered as my mate Paul Thrush from Leeds had one in the 70's.

Talking of Ian Dugdale you just reminded me of an incident many years ago at the MGP, Ian broke down in the Junior at Union Mills and I brought him back to the paddock in my car.

Later that night a few of us were out on the town and bumped into 'Duggie' in the street, he had just nipped out from his hotel to get something from the shop down the road for his girlfriend who was waiting back at the hotel for him, anyway he insisted he owed me drink for giving him a lift and decided he'd just nip for a swift half with us.

Well as you can imagine, the swift half turned into a session and Duggie finally wobbled off back to his hotel in early hours of the next morning.

I saw him in the paddock a couple of days later and he said he'd had a right old roasting from the missus when he finally returned to the room about 4 hours later, pi**ed and without whatever he'd gone to get her, he said he couldnt understand why she had been so emotional, and why at that point 2 days later she still hadnt spoken to him :)

What a lad!! :rotfl:

O he certainly was he had a job testing oils or fuel for Shell, His job was to put miles on a road bike to develope whatever they had put in it. He said it was the easiest money he ever earned. He was a top rider to around the local circuits to us Oulton Park and Aintree. I remember he had a carbon framed 350 Maxton tz the only one ever built I think. Ron Williams would be around his camp making adjustments and taking notes. I certainly never saw another.

The frame and other parts I have after it was crashed in the 1975 TT Classic race was taken back to the Dugdale shop and was made to look okay to promote the Maxton frame kits from a distance as a complete rolling chassis. The Dugdale shop was a great place to go they had 3 foot tall black and white pictures of all the riders who rode for them all over the inside of the shop. And was main dealer Yamaha agents.

I was told that Alan Dugdale went to a rival teams hotel not sure if it was Don and Peter Padgetts hotel in the early 70's before they had a shop in the Isle of man and asked which table they sat at for there meals. He then stuck the round Dugdale stickers all over the plates etc which was on the table ready for breakfast.


#10 knickerbrook

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Posted 17 March 2012 - 19:46

Love that bike - it's a credit to you Mark :up: !
Had one myself in 1976. I remember a few quick ones (twin-shock) around that time. Dave Rawlins springs to mind (didn't he ride the "Smokeless Fuels" bike?) and of course Peter Ellis.

Say - was that you trundling along the Wales-bound M4 recently with a Dugdale Maxton on a trailer? If not, I wonder who it was?

#11 fazz

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Posted 18 March 2012 - 22:11

Love that bike - it's a credit to you Mark :up: !
Had one myself in 1976. I remember a few quick ones (twin-shock) around that time. Dave Rawlins springs to mind (didn't he ride the "Smokeless Fuels" bike?) and of course Peter Ellis.

Say - was that you trundling along the Wales-bound M4 recently with a Dugdale Maxton on a trailer? If not, I wonder who it was?

Hi Barry
Thanks this bike to me just represents a superd era of the first meetings I ever attended and a great piece of engineering from Ron Williams. The Dugdale Maxton Yamaha just looked so much better than anything else at the time.

It certainly wasnt me going along the M4, so not sure who that was, there are are a couple of Dugdale Maxtons around as I know of another bike which has been done as a Dugdale Maxton.

I took it to the Manchester Bike Show this weekend the first time it has been on display, as luck would have it Charlie Williams was there and was very complimentary about the bike, as he knew I had carried the frame etc out of his garage a great number of years ago to start the restoration. He signed the seat unit for me an absolute top bloke.

The bike was awarded 2nd place in the Racing category which was a turn up and Charlie looked as thrilled as I was.

Pete Ellis I remember on a Maxton, I only remember Roger Nott on the smokeless fuels bikes, then Derek Huxley rode them after him, which was around 1974/75.

Great Days.
Mark




#12 picblanc

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Posted 18 March 2012 - 23:20

Pete Ellis 1975.
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#13 picblanc

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Posted 18 March 2012 - 23:26

Charlie Williams 1975 (low res picture)
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#14 fil2.8

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Posted 18 March 2012 - 23:42

Say - was that you trundling along the Wales-bound M4 recently with a Dugdale Maxton on a trailer? If not, I wonder who it was?



Friend of mine in Somerset has/had one , Barry :up: , he was toying with the idea of selling it ......................

#15 fil2.8

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Posted 19 March 2012 - 00:05

I have piccies on my FB pages :p , but , I don't know how to move them over :eek: :rolleyes: :wave:

#16 fazz

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Posted 19 March 2012 - 12:07

Friend of mine in Somerset has/had one , Barry :up: , he was toying with the idea of selling it ......................

Hi Phil was it Colin W who made ignitions as he has a nice one.
Mark

#17 fil2.8

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Posted 19 March 2012 - 12:12

Hi Phil was it Colin W who made ignitions as he has a nice one.
Mark



Thats the man , Mark :clap: :up:

#18 fazz

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Posted 19 March 2012 - 12:34

Pete Ellis 1975.
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Hi Graham superb pics of great days Pete Ellis and Charlie.
Mark

#19 fazz

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Posted 19 March 2012 - 12:37

Thats the man , Mark :clap: :up:

Yes Phil, Colin has a nice early cantilever model which is in Dugdale colours also.

Mark

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#20 zidder

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Posted 20 March 2012 - 20:32

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#21 knickerbrook

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Posted 21 March 2012 - 14:52

Hi Phil :wave:
Must have been your mate from Somerset I saw on the M4 then! On the way to Pembrey for a run out I expect. Tried to keep up with him in my lorry for a closer butchers, but failed. It had me drooling and remembering the great season I had on mine in 1976! This is a shot from a memorable day at Cadwell (excuse the indulgence of posting myself - couldn't resist :) !)

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#22 fil2.8

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Posted 21 March 2012 - 16:14

Hi Phil :wave:
Must have been your mate from Somerset I saw on the M4 then! On the way to Pembrey for a run out I expect. Tried to keep up with him in my lorry for a closer butchers, but failed. It had me drooling and remembering the great season I had on mine in 1976! This is a shot from a memorable day at Cadwell (excuse the indulgence of posting myself - couldn't resist :) !)

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Hi, Barry :wave: , hope all is well in Welsh Wales , it could could well have been , Mr W , with his ex Dugdale Maxton :love: , I hope to be coming to Pembrey , might be able to help you all out again , i'll get in touch sometime next week :up:

#23 fazz

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Posted 22 March 2012 - 19:23

Hi Phil :wave:
Must have been your mate from Somerset I saw on the M4 then! On the way to Pembrey for a run out I expect. Tried to keep up with him in my lorry for a closer butchers, but failed. It had me drooling and remembering the great season I had on mine in 1976! This is a shot from a memorable day at Cadwell (excuse the indulgence of posting myself - couldn't resist :) !)

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Cracking photo Barry please share with us what happened at Cadwell to be a memorable day?
Mark

#24 picblanc

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Posted 22 March 2012 - 19:49

A. He stayed on!?
B. He won?
C. He got "lucky"!?
Phone this number ********* all calls cost £1.05p.
Winners will be notified eventually.
Correspondence will not be entered into.
Good luck!

#25 knickerbrook

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Posted 23 March 2012 - 14:16


:clap: :clap: :rotfl: !!
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#26 picblanc

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Posted 23 March 2012 - 16:52

A memorable day then Barry, nice one! :up:

#27 fazz

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Posted 25 March 2012 - 17:43

A good day all round, I bet it still feels like it was yesterday. Did you replace the Maxton with the Dave Potter 350 Yamaha?

#28 picblanc

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Posted 25 March 2012 - 18:16

A good day all round, I bet it still feels like it was yesterday. Did you replace the Maxton with the Dave Potter 350 Yamaha?


I think that should be with parts of the Dave Potter Yamaha Mark............ :rolleyes: :lol:

#29 knickerbrook

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Posted 25 March 2012 - 20:35

Yes Mark. I paid far too much for the Potter bike though. It was the most successful 350 around at the time (with Potter on it!) and a few months after I bought it, Mitsui went and slashed the price of a brand new TZ to something like £1500 (with spares). I was absolutely gutted, having paid well over two grand (1977 money). I asked Ron Williams about converting the Maxton to monoshock, but for some reason he said it was not a practical proposition. The Maxton was good to me :up: !

#30 fazz

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Posted 26 March 2012 - 17:22

Yes Mark. I paid far too much for the Potter bike though. It was the most successful 350 around at the time (with Potter on it!) and a few months after I bought it, Mitsui went and slashed the price of a brand new TZ to something like £1500 (with spares). I was absolutely gutted, having paid well over two grand (1977 money). I asked Ron Williams about converting the Maxton to monoshock, but for some reason he said it was not a practical proposition. The Maxton was good to me :up: !


Dave Potter was very quick on the 350 as you say so his success made the bike a nice earner for Ted Broad when it came to selling it. If Ron Williams had made the frame for a twin shock he would not not have turned it in to a cantilever. As he would not have liked to alter one of his designs.

But would have sold you a cantilever, he did say to me that the frame on mine he should have put a hack saw through it, due to it being damaged. He works on the principal that if a component he had designed and made then fell apart after it had finished the race it had done its job. So altering frames he had designed went against his principals.

I may have mentioned this before but I remember Dave Potter flying on the 350 at Oulton Park at the Transatlantic 350 race. And once at Brands he was delayed due to an ignition wire. He sorted it and then took off wheeling up the hill to the tunnel to go down to the start.

Mark






#31 knickerbrook

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Posted 27 March 2012 - 13:54

Potter only rode it in 1976 of course (it was a "C") and it held the 350 lap record at three circuits - I think Oulton, Brands and Mallory - and it played a big part in earning him the King of Brands title that year after the 750 let him down. Also came sixth I think in the 500 Dutch TT as a 351. It speaks volumes about the skill of the man, as it had been a long time since he regularly rode in the 350 class, which at that time was ultra-competitive! When I got the bike it had an interesting tyre combination, a 3.25 slick on the rear and a REAR Dunlop triangular on the front, which suggests to me that he was loading the front up pretty hard braking into corners! (Slicks hadn't been in long and most were still using a treaded tyre on the front). I couldn't get on with this set up at all - probably because I didn't push anywhere as near as hard as he would have done!

As we all know, Dave was a superb rider, so stylish and much respected by his peers - huge respect :up: !

#32 fil2.8

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Posted 27 March 2012 - 15:49

As we all know, Dave was a superb rider, so stylish and much respected by his peers - huge respect :up: !



And , Barry , Dave was a thoroughly decent bloke :up: