362 replies to this topic

[Twin Window]

Hello all

As it says in my sig, my name is Stuart Dent and although my motorsport background has concerned the four-wheeled sport (in the media, competing in car racing & rallying, rally driver instructor and so on) I've followed motorcycle racing since the early 1970s mainly through magazines such as Motorcycle Racing.

The first bike race I attended was at Mallory Park in 1976 but, unusually for me back then, I didn't take a camera, so as a result my memories are quite hazy. However I'm pretty sure that Barry Sheene was there (it made my then-girlfriend's day) as were Steve Baker and Mick Grant! I continued to follow the sport from a distance through magazines and MCN and even bought my very first TV (a portable) in order that I didn't miss the 1983 British GP as I was on holiday in a TV-free Cornish B&B!

Amazingly it was almost exactly twenty years after that before I got track-side again; this time for the World Superbikes at Silverstone in 2003, enjoying the privilege of being a guest of the works Ducati team by merit of having become friends with Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti. Similar visits to Brands and Assen followed that season and likewise in 2004, then in 2005 & 06 a new job took me to around half the MotoGP races plus several SBK and BSB rounds. To say I was in my element wouldn't do those experiences justice, and my passion for motorcycle racing reached an unprecedented level where it still remains.

Since that job ended I have acquired a modest archive of b&w images ranging from 1952 to 1957 which has meant a lot of hard work as the negatives came with a year if I was lucky, sometimes a venue (a lot of which were wrong on both counts), but not a single rider or bike ID! Given that I knew of perhaps half a dozen riders from that era you start to see the steepness of my learning curve... But I wouldn't have swapped it for anything; I have spent so much time with these amazing, brave characters from the '50s that I almost feel as if some of them are my friends! One look at any of my Bill Lomas portrait shots, for example, and you just know he was a real character - a fact borne-out when I subsequently read his wonderful autobiography.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings; please say a few words about yourself on this thread in order that we can all get to know each other a little better!

[Herr Wankel]

Hi all,
Despite the handle I am not German,but have a (peculiar) passion for Rotary engines (see Avatar).
Got infected with motorcycles by my dear departed brother,who has left my youngest son and me the legacy of an Ariel Arrow and a Scott Squirrel.Had a go on the circuits myself starting in 1970 on my road going Honda SS50 at Darley Moor,then onto Garelli,Honda CR110,and back to Garelli.Hillclimbed on Ducati 900,Can-Am 175,MZ ISDT rep,DKW Rotary,CCM/BSA specials (500/545/580cc).Did a stint as monkey on a Fiddaman Norton 920 outfit .Raced pure roads in Ireland on CCM/BSA 500/580.Long distance road trials both solo and chairs.Last road race in Belgium in 96 on the DKW.No wonder I've been married 3 times!!!
Happily retired in South West France now after a working life of being a car and truck mech.Self employed bike spares trader,pub landlord and HGV driver.Hope to continue to wrong guess Mr Fu's WWWs for many years to come.
By the way,the Pyrenees are the just fantastic for motorcyclists.(I detest the term biker)
Keep it rolling guys
HW

Edited by Herr Wankel, 21 May 2009 - 16:03.

[Bjorn Kjer]

Hi , I am Bjørn Kjer from the TNF. Motorracing including Motorcycle racing has had my heavy attention for over 40 years. I never worked in either branch and never owned a motorcycle , and only attended 1 bike race , the Ulster WC TT in 1967.
But I know a lot through reading books and mags , and in later years also watching on the telly. My interests nowadays besides the fading socalled "MotoGP"also cover SBK( also the UK) and SS600 .
An extra interest to motorcycle racing is my search for transporters/vans in GP racing 1949-1967 mainly.

[fil2.8]

Hi all , i'm Phil and have had a ongoing love affair with motorcycle racing and everything that encompasses it since 1964 . Over the years I have known and made life-long friends with some great characters from both sides of the fence and although after being away from the 'scene' for about 18 years have bounced back with even more enthusiasm than ever it seems , and unfortunately for some intend to be about for a lot longer
So folks , enjoy all the forum has to offer , raise a glass to all the riders , sponsors , hangers - on et al , by and large , the salt of the earth

[sterling49]

Hi all, as some of you will know, I live very near Brands Hatch and have done for most of my life. I used to pushbike up to Brands from the age of nine, and watch cars, bikes, karts, stock cars, sprints, test days, rally-x, anything that had an engine basically and moved fast! I mainly watched cars though, although I did watch Mike the Bike in '67 on the glorious Honda 250-6, and needless to say, he won by a country mile. I used to Road Rally a Mini Cooper and Escort and basically enjoyed being a petrol head....age does not improve the affliction! I have found out from the forum, that I worked for the same company as MR Fu, but a tad earlier than him, and we regularly used to see Pat Mahoney in our works yard. I find modern day bike racing, more exciting than F1 these days, but hey, it has all changed. I look forward to your stories, history and info.

From the Garden of England

[sterling49]

By the way,the Pyrenees are the just fantastic for motorcyclists.(I detest the term biker)
Keep it rolling guys
HW

...and for four wheels! My 1st sortee in 1970 (the year that I was legally allowed to drive ) I could not resist looking over the fresh air drops.....in a right hand drive car....... Suddenly, I found an even higher respect for rally drivers sideways around fresh air bends

.....oh, in May there was snow at the top in Andorra

My mate that I cycled to Brands with now lives in the foothills of the Pyrenees, I might just pay him a visit.

Edited by sterling49, 21 May 2009 - 18:03.

[jules ryder]

Evening all. Julian Ryder, ageing bike hack and rent-a-gob here. It's Stuart's fault, he made me sign up.
I'm currently writing a 60 Years of GP book with official GP stats man Martin Raines so i might urgently need to indulge in lengthy debate over some item of trivia at any time.
Anyone read Kevin Cameron's history of the GP bike yet? It's a work of genius.

[picblanc]

...and for four wheels! My 1st sortee in 1970 (the year that I was legally allowed to drive ) I could not resist looking over the fresh air drops.....in a right hand drive car....... Suddenly, I found an even higher respect for rally drivers sideways around fresh air bends

.....oh, in May there was snow at the top in Andorra

My mate that I cycled to Brands with now lives in the foothills of the Pyrenees, I might just pay him a visit.

What can I say? I was born in Louth within ear shot of Cadwell Park, have loved Motorcycle racing since my early teens, remember the first ever MCN I bought had Ray Pickrell on the cover,(1971 TT week,) hooked ever since, saw my first race at Snetterton in 1971 Bemsee National, and followed the races and riders ever since.
Married very young (18) and had three children early in life, so no finances to race myself (something I really regret) But attended race meets from Club to International & GP till middle 1980's, had a break till 1991 and enjoyed going to Supercup/BSB for the next 7 years, another break and been race going since 2004, and in last 2/3 years enjoyed the Classic scene at CRMC & Lansdowne events.
Have been taking photos since 1971, and in the last 18 months had 6 published in Bike mags across the World, and recently have the privilege of 4 of my photos going up in the Hailwood restaurant at Brands Hatch.
Have made many friends on this forum since joining at the end of 2006, I look forward every day to seeing what has been posted & enjoy contributing my photos.
Somehow have acquired numerous names on here (Fu, Buster, George!!) But my legal name is Graham Etheridge!!.
Have met a number of you in the last couple of years, and hope to meet many more.
Graham.

Edited by picblanc, 22 May 2009 - 08:47.

[picblanc]

Evening all. Julian Ryder, ageing bike hack and rent-a-gob here. It's Stuart's fault, he made me sign up.
I'm currently writing a 60 Years of GP book with official GP stats man Martin Raines so i might urgently need to indulge in lengthy debate over some item of trivia at any time.
Anyone read Kevin Cameron's history of the GP bike yet? It's a work of genius.

Welcome Julian So no call from Hollywood yet then!?

[renzo]

Evening all. Julian Ryder, ageing bike hack and rent-a-gob here. It's Stuart's fault, he made me sign up.
I'm currently writing a 60 Years of GP book with official GP stats man Martin Raines so i might urgently need to indulge in lengthy debate over some item of trivia at any time.
Anyone read Kevin Cameron's history of the GP bike yet? It's a work of genius.

welcome jules.

hi all,my name is dennis rapley,now 62 years old and sadly in ill heath now.
started racing in 1967!! on a greeves then spent 6 years on a 250 ducati finaly ending in 77 on a td3 yamaha.
had a few good results over the years and rode in seven manx gp's finishing in five.
rode against some great riders including sheene etc(on 250's)also had some battles with some on this forum!.
in 92 i got the bug again and bought a 350 honda and rode this till 95,had a lot of wins and places on this beuty(wish i still had it)
had a great time racing and would not change one moment of itin cluding all the broken bones
made some good mates on this board.

Edited by renzo, 21 May 2009 - 19:37.

[exclubracer]

Hi everyone.

My name's Mick, I club raced intermittently from '75 to '93, mainly in the north of England and Midland circuits. I never achieved much of note but apart from the hospital food and spending a small fortune (which should have been spent on dishwashers and new 3 piece suites and carpets every 2 years according to some ), I enjoyed every minute of it.

The camararderie amongst the club racers was superb. A better bunch of like-minded people would not be found in any other sport IMHO.

My bikes were many, a bit tatty and not the quickest, All Yamahas and all two strokes, two of which I still have and would never part with. How sad is that?

I look forward to more discussion and banter on the new forum, a bit of, ahem, sanity in the modern world

Welcome on board to Julian Ryder, a legend indeed!

Perhaps the news will spread and we will have many more stars of the past joining us here

Edited by exclubracer, 22 May 2009 - 22:54.

[fil2.8]

Evening all. Julian Ryder, ageing bike hack and rent-a-gob here. It's Stuart's fault, he made me sign up.
I'm currently writing a 60 Years of GP book with official GP stats man Martin Raines so i might urgently need to indulge in lengthy debate over some item of trivia at any time.
Anyone read Kevin Cameron's history of the GP bike yet? It's a work of genius.

Yes welcome Julian --hope you enjoy your visits here , and we look forward to reading your input

[fil2.8]

Welcome on board to Julian Ryder, a legend indeed!

Perhaps the news will spread and we will have many more stars of the past joining us here

Don't think he'll take to being called ' a star of the past ' Mick

[Bernard]

Hi Folks,

Great to have our own forum now. I am Bernard Slater, now live in Yatton nr Weston Super Mare and became interested in Racing in about 1959 going to Crystal Palace for cars/bikes. Went to IOM in 63 for first time and became a bit obsessed by the whole idea of the Continental Circus. So took my holidays on my trusty NSU and went to Spa, Assen, Opatija, St Wendel (great pictures on the site) and St Ursanne hillclimb. Did a bit of pedal cycle racing then got married and dropped out a bit but since my wife died I have resurrected my interest in thst period again. As I have said before some people had rock stars as heroes others had motorcycle racers.I made myself a press pass from a ficticious magazine and managed to bunk into various paddocks and some people like Hailwood, Findlay, Aeurbacher acted like heroes and didnt let you down when you spoke to them. Look forward to poating when I have something constructive to say.

[Mondiale 41]

G'day all.

I work for Mallory Park Motorsport Ltd and have done so since 1988. I'd never seen a bike race in the flesh until i started work at the circuit and i was a big car racing fan but now i have "gone the other way" so to speak and much prefer two wheels.

Good to see Mr Ryder has arrived on the forum, easily the best TV commentator ever in my humble opinion.

Favourite riders include Scott Russell, James Whitham and Luca Cadalora.

Cheers,

Wayne P.

[jeff sayle]

Hi all, Jeff here from the land down under.
Have been interested/involved in motorcycle racing all my life, the joys of being born into a fanatical motorcycle racing family.
Starting racing in 1972 and had my last race in 1990, competed in Europe from 1978 to 1983,when finances dried up an i returned home.Loved every minute of it and did travel the world.
Have many good memories and met some wonderful people along the way.
Fondest memory,meeting the great SMB Hailwood and doing a few laps with him around the IOM TT course in 1978. What a legend.
Enough of the rant.
Great site.

Jeff Sayle

[TZ350]

Hi My name is Julian ( Stevens ) also known as Alsoran on some other forums ( with a an ID like that obviously I don't take myself too seriously !)
Raced TZ'S & RG'S from the late 70's to mid 80's sadly retired due to pressure from a beautiful woman and regretted much since , although lost touch with the racing scene from late 80's until almost the demise of 2 strokes at GP level soon after the Millennium . Moved to Canada just over 2 years ago and promptly found this site and others about 18 months ago and many old and a lot of new friends since !
thats really all to say apart from thoe that remember might call me a bit of a character

[philippe7]

Hi friends, Philippe here from France, although having lived in a remote remnant of the french empire in the south pacific ocean for the best part of the last 20 years. Started riding on two-wheels at 14 on a grey Mobylette and hardly ever stopped since, although finance shortage and common sense prevented me from ever buying big, fast machines, so after a string of japanese 125cc twins I owned on and off a number of mid-range trail bikes, which are more suited to the New-Caledonia dirt roads anyway. Have been fan of the sport ever since, although the few miserable attempts I made at circuit track days or enduro racing soon convinced me that I would be well advised to remain on the spectator side of the fence. I was fortunate to meet in person over the years a number of riders, always through sheer coincidence since I never was an insider of the sport – Patrick Igoa , Guy Bertin, Pascal Renaudat ( who, with his lovely wife Florence, former PR of the Pernod team, took me to the 1987 french GP with a press pass, a marvelous experience of rubbing shoulders in the paddock with all my heroes ) , and in later years my youth icon Barry Sheene, whom I was privileged to become friendly with, and visit him at his Gold Coast home.

The Nostalgia Forum has brought me a lot of joy since we started a few bike discussions about 5 years ago, it’s great to be able to share a passion and of course to communicate with former riders, mechanics or gofers, and benefit from their real life experience – all this in a friendly and club-like atmosphere . Long may it continue, now that we have been granted our own space to pursue our old farts ramblings !

[TTMarshal]

I`m Bernd Bouillon, born on June 7th 1949 . I watched The first motobike-race 1955 in St.Wendel near the French border. From that time on I am influenced. My hero was Australian rider Tom Phillis. Many years later, in 1997, I visited the place on the IOM, wher Tom has been killed and collected a stone from that place.The stone and an autograph from Tom is my treasure. I also did marshalling a few times during the TT and I am a life member of the TT-Marshalls-Association.Via Mr.Don Cox, an Australian journalist, I came in contact to Eric Hinton and Tom Phillis` widow.I stay in contact to many other riders from the 50th and 60th, and my collection of old photos from that aera is about 5000.
This year I am the organizer of "60 years racing at St.Wendel". More details on my homepage:
Visit My Website

One run is of course in memoriam of Tom Phillis

[fines]

Hi!

Like Sterling, I really come from the "four-wheeled side of the fence", but I have always had an interest in the bikes as well. Look forward to reading interesting threads, instead of navigating a clumsy, all-purpose, a-million-things-in-one mega thread of a gazillion posts only to find that Fu has again only posted pics of British club riders that I'm never going to identify anyway!

[LamboNZ]

Hi all, my name is Nigel Lambourne, also known as Lambo by some. I was brought up with racing around me, with my father (Len) who started on a 7R in the 60s, of which he had to sell to by my pram in 1968! He then returned to racing in the early 70s firstly with a Commando, then a TR2B followed by various TZs. He raced right through to 1984 when he had a huge crash, from which he nearly died, and spent some time in a coma. He then started F2 sidecar racing in 1990.
So I was inhaling R30 from an early age, and could be well be one of the things that made me so attracted to the sport for as far back as I can remember. Growing up in the Lambourne household was pretty cool, as there was usually a couple of TZs in the garage at some stage of dismantle. Also parties of my parents would have riders such as Trevor Nation, Les Burgan, Roy Kennedy, Tom Phillips etc. attending.
I started racing in 1985, on an MT125 Honda which was all I could afford to buy on an apprentice wage at 17. I got a trophy in my first race as class winner (but there was only one other rider in the class that day, and he was older than Les Judkins!!). I then moved onto TZ 250s, starting with my dad's K model, then had Dennis Trollope build me a Spondon T, since then have had W,B, D, E & F models, and 1 RS 250 Honda. I had over 50 wins at club level, but unfortunately due to a serious lack of talent, nearly as many crashes! I never won a club chamionship (finished second 5 times) and didn't do much at national level (best was a sixth at Snetterton)
I packed up racing in 1997, and went mechaniccing for gary may, then my good mate the late Gavin Lee. I moved to NZ in 2002, and after discovering this site a while back and with it stirring up the racing fires, have recently bought a TZ250 again on which i will be making my return to the track at Pukekohe next weekend.

[SeaDoubleYou]

Hello All,

Like Nigel, I was also brought up with racing all around me and my father raced a 250 DMW Starmaker before switching to sidecars which he thought would be safer!!

I have since a very young age always followed bikes and racing, almost to the point of obsession!! I have watched almost every GP from 91 to date and with Eurosport’s excellent coverage that has included a lot of practice and qualifying sessions too. I have been fortunate enough to race competitively, initially as a sidecar passenger, then 125 solo rider before reverting back to 3 wheels as a driver where I managed to race a few events at European championship level. After I packed in, I was lucky enough to assist my brother on occasion, who drove sidecars at world level in 2003 and 2006.

I went as a spectator to every British GP during the 1989-2000 period (always good weather!) and also took in several overseas GP’s, WSB, BSB meetings and club meetings from 1978 to date.

It’s great to have our own section within the autosport forum, Thanks Stuart! Since joining I have enjoyed reading the contributions from all, I look forward to catching up with the threads I missed first time round and partaking in new ones.

Thanks
CW

[Jambo]

Hello all,

I have made a few posts in TNF and have read quite a few articles so thought it best to introduce myself.

My name is James McCaughern andI come from the famous motorcycle town of Ballymoney. I am quite young at 27 years old but grew up travelling to all the local road races as well as a few on the TT F1 circuit back in the 80's such as Vila Real. My main love is Road Racing but over the years I have learned to embrace nearly all type of motorsport!

So Hello!

[bobness]

Evening all
I'm Rob, living and working in Nottingham. (the bobness nickname is a long, ice hockey related story, which isn't important right now).
I'm not from a world of bikes, and I've never been an insider to the world of bike racing (nearest I got was probably watching the 1985 Stars at Darley from the inside of the hairpin with Steve Henshaw's dad. Steve binned it and broke his collarbone right in front of us early on, so not a great day) but was hooked from the day I first saw a race meeting at Donington on 12 April 1980, when I was 12.
I was a regular race goer in the 80s, but then discovered beer and women, so it took a bit of a back seat, but was never thrown out.
Being a collector, I have over 400 programmes from UK races over the years, and shelves of books etc and whilst I don't go to races as often as I used to, I'm just back from a now annual, but very frustrating this year, NW200. I also have an annual away day to the Dundrod 150, there and back in a day, so can claim to have seen the fastest current bike race in the world a couple of years ago. Me and about 300 other people judging by the spectators that day.
I love the WWWs from "my era" (the 80s I guess), as they bring back such fantastic memories. And, being an accountant, I love testing my memory...
Some of the pictures are just brilliant.
My fave bike ever is the NR500, such a glorious failure, and still the best sounding bike I've ever heard in the flesh.
Anyone who's ever raced a bike at any level gets my total admiration.
I contribute as and when I feel I can add something!
Cheers

[Twin Window]

Anyone who's ever raced a bike at any level gets my total admiration.

I'll second that!

[Jambo]

Evening all. Julian Ryder, ageing bike hack and rent-a-gob here. It's Stuart's fault, he made me sign up.
I'm currently writing a 60 Years of GP book with official GP stats man Martin Raines so i might urgently need to indulge in lengthy debate over some item of trivia at any time.
Anyone read Kevin Cameron's history of the GP bike yet? It's a work of genius.

Mr Ryder I believe I have served you a drink in Joeys bar a few years ago when you were attending the North West!

[Rob Lees]

Hello all - I'm something of a newbie to TNF and it's fair to say that I have become more of a four wheel man these days.

However, when I was growing up in West Cumbria in the 1970s and early 80s I was obsessed with bikes, with a definite leaning towards to the off-road scene as I was blessed to have a number of good motocross tracks nearby, a thriving local trials scene and Workington Comets speedway where I was fortunate enough to see riders of the calibre of Tom Owen, Phil Crump and John Davis. I could reminisce all day about the British motocross scene of that period and was a big fan of CCM and anyone who rode one of the big bangers against the hordes of tinny two strokes - favourite riders would be local hero Norman Barrow, John Banks, Vic Allan, Jimmy Aird, Mark Fulton.

Once I learnt to drive, I'm afraid I went over to the dark side and have spent most of the intervening period following rallying, with occasional forays into stockcars and circuit racing too.

However, I moved to Merseyside in 1990 and have made a few visits to British Superbike rounds at Oulton Park and Cadwell, as well as occasional clubbies at Aintree and Three Sisters. I still retain an interest in bikes, follow the Speedway GP scene avidly and try to get to see Comets once or twice a season. I also have a small collection of late 70s/early 80s offroad photos that I'm happy to post on here as long as there's an interest in them.

Great to have a separate bike forum, big thanks for making it happen!

[TZ350]

Anyone who's ever raced a bike at any level gets my total admiration.

Bobness
many would say we are somewhat 'unhinged'
but has worked pretty well for me ;)

[sterling49]

Have been taking photos since 1971, and in the last 18 months had 6 published in Bike mags across the World, and recently have the privilege of 4 of my photos going up in the Hailwood restaurant at Brands Hatch.

Just got back from Brands Graham and saw your photos, I now know someone famous

Great photos mate, I wish I could take them as well, I am crap at photography

Edited by sterling49, 22 May 2009 - 17:36.

[exclubracer]

Bobness
many would say we are somewhat 'unhinged'

Oi !!!

Speak for yourself !!

[TZ350]

Oi !!!

Speak for yourself !!

Oh Ok Mike sorry I should have said some of us

[exclubracer]

Oh Ok Mike sorry I should have said some of us

OK Julian, You're forgiven!

[TeeZed]

Hi Fellows,

I hope you don't mind a Yank in your midst. Name here is Don Henry and I'm from south western Pennsylvania. I'll be 63 years old in couple months and have been into bikes for 40 years. I didn't start racing until 1988.......yes, I was 42 years old then. From '88 up through 2002 I was a very active racer in the WERA Vintage National Championship Series. Four times I finished in the top 5 for the year. Like most, I've quit several times. However, this is a very hard addiction to shake!

I still race, but not nearly as much as I used to. I can't explain this, but vintage Yamaha TZs keep following me home which I feel compelled to rebuild/restore. It really is a sickness.

Oh Yeah, to further feed this sickness, 2 1/2 years I started the North American Two Strokes website and forum. Stuart, thank you for all your efforts and please don't be offened if I spell tyres with an "i".

Don

[peterd]

We meet up again, Mr Ryder. I look forward to your insights. And I know there will be many, since unlike most of us, you kept copious notes!

Hi, I'm Peter. I stumbled across the nostalgia motorcycling forum last year while searching for an answer: Who rode the Yamaha 350 #70 in the Gracefield round of the Marlboro Series in 1974. I have a pic of John Boote (#140 riding the TZ700 in its world debut), followed by Trevor Discombe ( #3), coming up to lap #70. I'm still awaiting an answer on that. Not even Oz writing legend Don Cox can help.
Back in late 60s-early '70s New Zealand it was all about two wheels; high school and the (pulling) power (??!!) of a T10 Suzuki, followed by a series of other Suzukis (the Geoff Perry influence). Fast forward to being an enthusiastic but absolute backmarker in any form of racing, I quickly realised I had to come up with a plan that involved being paid to enjoy the two-wheeled world.
Journalism, and later PR, won through and for the best part of 30 years I got to visit exotic locations (The Monaro Highway in the middle of winter, Mallory Park in February? Or even worse, Hawkestone Park on New Year's Day) to watch and write . . . and sometimes play. Then there were the special days; Mallory Park and a 16-yr-old James Toseland tyre-testing on a CB500 and Hawkestone and Dave Thorpe winning the British 500 MX GP. And Wayne Gardner's first GP win. Not a bad life, but not nearly as good as now being able to kick back in New Zealand and regain a life!
Great to see some familiar names on the forum; Stu Avant (watching Stu sweat it out as I lay under the Dutch sun in the Assen infield in 1976), and the Sayle Bros (Murray, a man of few words and thus a journo's nightmare, and Jeff, a man of many words, mostly unprintable).
Long may the humour, banter, good cheer, memories and photo challenges of the forum continue.

[lil'chris]

Hello all,

I'm Lil'Chris, formerly LittleChris and have been hanging round TNF for the best part of 10 years now making the occasional,generally insignificant, contribution.

Though the cars and bikes themselves are of interest, it's the people and particularly the circuits that fascinate me and year after year I have to find reasons to suggest to 'er indoors as to why we should take holidays involving visits to obscure places off the beaten track so that I can video or photograph tarmac eg Floreffe ( Unmissable Trappiste Ale), Mettet (also beer related and unmissable ), Cadours ( Can't remember , but might've been wine related and was definitely unmissable) Bourg-en-Bresse ( Particularly tasty breed of chicken that was un..........) , Kells, ( un............ Irish hospitality), Walderstown ( as per Kells ) etc.

My interest in motor sport started at a time when the four wheel brigade still raced at the proper Spa,Brno etc and I guess that my interest has,over the last few years, transferred to two wheels, in particular pure road racing as practised in Ireland and certain countries in mainland Europe, because they now carry the mantle of what first attracted me.

I'd also like to thank Twinny for sorting out a seperate forum for bikes where I hope to gain knowledge from the experts.

cheers

Chris

[PhilG]

Hi
Phil Gee, been around racing since 1969 when my dad raced sidecars, was at Mallory when Coops beat Ago , and pretty much every 70's transatlantic, started racing MX in 1975 till 2002 when i switched to supermoto, which has given me the chance to race in the AMA series against the likes of Schwantz, Russell, Jeff Ward and Jeremy Mcgrath, plus MX champs like Everts, Langston ,& Bartolini to name but a few. Still race British Championship, but not as fast as i was.
Lived in the Mecca of road racing that is Stoke Golding, and as such have the humbling experience of having shared a beer with more top line riders than i can remember, and raced a few of them too.

Having worked for Mitsubishi Ralliart, Jaguar F1 and now Ilmor, my life has been racing for a living and for pleasure for far too long, and as such dont have anything im not into.

Am a bike tester for Supermoto International magazine, and write a column each month on the more random side of racing....... and spend far too much time on the internet.

Currently in a cast recovering from a pre season testing crash, which is going to keep me from riding the Supermoto GP next weekend at Mallory, which sucks big style, even if it was on the Euro open class.

Phil

[picblanc]

Just got back from Brands Graham and saw your photos, I now know someone famous

Great photos mate, I wish I could take them as well, I am crap at photography

Thanks Sterling,....but I think you must mean Infamous!

[Patrick Fletcher]

Hi - I can remember when the first posts went up for the bikes and in a few short years over 29,000 posts.
Great reading and hope to keep learning all about the great times that are shared on this site.
I cannot add much but very involved in providing a neat little club circuit to keep the club racing ethic alive and well.
Cheers
Patrick

[littlemono82]

hallo allemaal,

My name is remco and i life in Amsterdam.
I still race a supermono in the Netherland and a cross Europe,
I got my bike virus from my brothers how used to race there ducati bevels when i was i little boy.
My first race memory is from about 10 years old when i went to a dutch road circuit called Ammerzoden en my elder brother summersalted his 350 rd air cooled bike in front of me and my poor dad.
Other memories are from a ducati clubrace meting at Zolder where my two brothers put a bevel into my parents beatel The front door never closed properperly anymore.
My current pet project is to build a replica of Tony Rutters TT2 racebike.

Stuart thanks for this forum, i read it everyday with great plesure.

Graham thanks for all your briljant pixies

Cheers and best whishes to you all

Remco

[renzo]

hallo allemaal,

My name is remco and i life in Amsterdam.
I still race a supermono in the Netherland and a cross Europe,
I got my bike virus from my brothers how used to race there ducati bevels when i was i little boy.
My first race memory is from about 10 years old when i went to a dutch road circuit called Ammerzoden en my elder brother summersalted his 350 rd air cooled bike in front of me and my poor dad.
Other memories are from a ducati clubrace meting at Zolder where my two brothers put a bevel into my parents beatel The front door never closed properperly anymore.
My current pet project is to build a replica of Tony Rutters TT2 racebike.

Stuart thanks for this forum, i read it everyday with great plesure.

Graham thanks for all your briljant pixies

Cheers and best whishes to you all

Remco

willkomen remco

[stuavant]

We meet up again, Mr Ryder. I look forward to your insights. And I know there will be many, since unlike most of us, you kept copious notes!

Hi, I'm Peter. I stumbled across the nostalgia motorcycling forum last year while searching for an answer: Who rode the Yamaha 350 #70 in the Gracefield round of the Marlboro Series in 1974. I have a pic of John Boote (#140 riding the TZ700 in its world debut), followed by Trevor Discombe ( #3), coming up to lap #70. I'm still awaiting an answer on that. Not even Oz writing legend Don Cox can help.
Back in late 60s-early '70s New Zealand it was all about two wheels; high school and the (pulling) power (??!!) of a T10 Suzuki, followed by a series of other Suzukis (the Geoff Perry influence). Fast forward to being an enthusiastic but absolute backmarker in any form of racing, I quickly realised I had to come up with a plan that involved being paid to enjoy the two-wheeled world.
Journalism, and later PR, won through and for the best part of 30 years I got to visit exotic locations (The Monaro Highway in the middle of winter, Mallory Park in February? Or even worse, Hawkestone Park on New Year's Day) to watch and write . . . and sometimes play. Then there were the special days; Mallory Park and a 16-yr-old James Toseland tyre-testing on a CB500 and Hawkestone and Dave Thorpe winning the British 500 MX GP. And Wayne Gardner's first GP win. Not a bad life, but not nearly as good as now being able to kick back in New Zealand and regain a life!
Great to see some familiar names on the forum; Stu Avant (watching Stu sweat it out as I lay under the Dutch sun in the Assen infield in 1976), and the Sayle Bros (Murray, a man of few words and thus a journo's nightmare, and Jeff, a man of many words, mostly unprintable).
Long may the humour, banter, good cheer, memories and photo challenges of the forum continue.

Post that pic of #70 Pete and lets have a go at it!!!

[Ninja1950]

Murray Sayle

Started racing in 69 a few years before Jeff, by the time Jeff started I had progressed from YAS1 Yamaha 125 twin to a second-hand TD1C Yamaha, then bought a TR2B Yamaha. Gave Jeff a ride in the TD1C before I sold it and it made Jeff realize that if he wanted to go Road Racing more seriously be needed a more competitive race bike and as they say the rest is history. I raced production motorcycles in the Castrol 6-Hours race with Warren Willing on his T250 Suzuki, then we won on the DS7 250 Yamaha the next year, rode with brother Jeff the next year and won the 250 class on a RD250 for the second time in 1973.

After winning the 250 class with Warren in 72, Jeff, Warren and I travelled to NZ to race over the Christmas period and managed to race at various meetings, Jeff got a ride a RD350 at Wanganui, Warren had his methanol burning TD3 Yamaha and at that time I had the TR2B. I won a race at Wanganui against the late Ron Grant on a very modified 3 cylinder Suzuki 350. On this first trip to NZ we young Aussies managed to meet up with Stu Avant, Mike Sinclair and John Boote to name just few, and many more good friends.

I also raced in NZ a few more times over the next few years on my TZ350, HR2 Kawasaki then later on KR250 and KR750 Kawasaki, finished second in both the 250 class and 750 class in the final year of the Marlboro Series 77-78 we had some great times and some great racing in New Zealand during that period.

Back in Australia i managed to set new lap records at Bathurst in the 74 500 Race against Bill Horsman Suzuki TR500 and the late Ken Blake on his TZ350 I retired in the 350 race in 74 but came back in 75 to win the 350GP and set another lap record in the 500 race with Bill winning again with Ken Blake finishing 3rd again. I was offered a ride on the second 73 H2R Kawasaki from Team Kawasaki in August 74, I was still riding the TZ350 up to the middle of 75. I was given the original 7-speed 75 model KR250 to race in the 250 class, the engine a 180 twin produced high frequency vibrations which made it an interesting bike to ride

Rode the 73 model H2R up to late 76, rode the 77 KR750 and KR250 at Daytona in 77, finished 9th in the 250 race after dicing with the late Tom Heron the whole race, 750 race was stopped early, I thinks I was 23 rd after starting 48th. At the start of 78 was without a ride after being dropped by Kawasaki after my 2 x second places in NZ Marlboro Series. Got a ride on a ex Bob Rosenthal TZ750D through the Victorian Yamaha distributors, managed to win the Australian Unlimited Road Racing Championship, finished second in the Pan Pacific series at the end of 78, won the King of the Weir in 79 then packed up to race in Europe in 79 and 80. Racing at a number of famous tracks Spa, Imola, Paul Ricard, Le Mans, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Assen, Donington just to mention a few, had some top tens results in both F750 and 350Gp along with a 3rd at Spa 250GP after the riders strike in 79.

Race at 49 different tracks around the world, met some great life long friends and have been involved at a National level in the politics of Motorcycle sport here in Australian for a 10 year period. Been to every GP and WSB in Australia, watch most races live or on the internet. Been married for more than 30 years to my lovely wife Rhonda and have been blessed with our first granddaughter 2 months ago.

I have been working for Kawasaki in Australia for more than 21 years, visiting Japan frequently in the past few years.

Just have to get Jeff to put up some of his images.

Cheers


Murray

[Herr Wankel]

Blimey Murray,Thats some C.V.!!!!!
ATB HW

[Coupe Kawasaki]

Hi, David here. As the name suggests I did a bit in the 1978 Kawasaki KH400 series after my Bultaco TSS refused to let me make my race debut the year before, through breakdowns. The usual, ran out of dosh so after saving up I went back out in 2003 (takes a long time when you have kids in between! Was in an open proddy race at Oulton in May 78 and had the privilage of being lapped by Steve Wynn on the Sports Duke soon to be ridden by Mike H.Still 14th if I remember rightly. Pete Suckley won that on a GT750 Suzuki! Well a thinly disguised TR anyway.

Been to a few memorable events over the years 79 Silverstone, Woodcote, like being at a soccer match! Assen, Misano,Bol'Dor-all on bikes. Never stopped following racing and want to get back out even more now! I'm formerly from Coventry, England. Watched club at Gaydon,Keevil,Staverton, Wellesbourne, plus the Mallory Cadders etc. I moved to USA (Illinois) five years ago and found I could buy stuff I really wanted years back so cheap! So I have CB750s,GT750s,Cb350s,T350 ect etc to build as vintage racers. My favourites may be a YR1 road conversion to something approaching a tr2 and my GSX1100 hopefully to be ridden in the vintage superbikes races where possible, I'm building cafe racers too so it's fun

I've read loads of the posts on here over the past few months and can't help but admire the knowledge of some of you guys in the WWW, I did get a few though. Great to have some input from top riders like Stuart,Jeff and Murray.

Anyway, having highsided my KH400 at the esses trying to catch Austin Hockley on the second corner of my first ever venture onto the track back in '78, I was back to bite the dust at Edwinas 25 years later on a KR1S owned by team Sparrow. So 52 isn't too old is it?

Enough rambling, this is a great site as my wife will point out that it stops me from talking about bikes for hours. Pure entertainment. Thanks Guys.

David

[philippe7]

Blimey Murray,Thats some C.V.!!!!!
ATB HW

...and Murray being too modest to post pictures of himself, here are two which I find significant ( and both in good company )





Copyright unknown for the colour pic , borrowed from the Murray Barnard website ( http://www.ozebook.com/h2ra.htm ) edit : or rather I thought I had, can't find it anymore....but plenty of other green meanies pics
The press clipping is from the short lived french weekly Moto-Presse in early 78

Edited by philippe7, 26 May 2009 - 04:57.

[philippe7]

......and since there's no reason to post pictures of Murray only, I found this nice website with pictures of our other notorious antipodean members, Jeff and Stu ( and of our banned once "contributor" VC too )....

http://www.deejay51.com/lakeside.htm

Edited by philippe7, 26 May 2009 - 05:46.

[fil2.8]

......and since there's no reason to post pictures of Murray only, I found this nice website with pictures of our other notorious antipodean members, Jeff and Stu ( and of our banned once "contributor" VC too )....

http://www.deejay51.com/lakeside.htm

What a great set of piccies Philippe

[fil2.8]

A warm welcome to Coupe Kawasaki -------hi David

[picblanc]

A warm welcome to Coupe Kawasaki -------hi David

Yes welcome David.

[Herr Wankel]

Yes welcome David.

Yes,Welcome from me also David,theres some really knowledgable blokes on here.I only wish my memory was as good.
Philippe,the name John Warrian is one I've not heard in a long time.Didn't he have an awe inspiring ride on a Ducati 750SS at the Castrol 8 Hours one year?
HW