87 replies to this topic

[philippe7]

Sometimes I wish all the priceless riders career infos that we have on this forum would be well organised in relevant dedicated topics but I realise the task of classifying all that there is in the various threads would be just enormous . I tried to do it on the subject of Rudi Kurth and Dane Rowe but it's a big piece of work...

One rider whose career whe have NOT discussed here so far is John Boote from New Zealand so here's a good reason to get a clean start on a rider's biography . I personnaly do not know much about him but it seems that some people around here do .... A collection of various reactions on a mystery pic I posted recently

.... Kiwi John Boote with #36, Nigel was quite close with John Woodley on that one ! John Boote came to Europe in 75 it seems, one year earlier than Stu , two years before John Woodley, three years before Dennis Ireland, to mention only those brave expatriates from NZ !

John Boote being the first person to race a TZ 700 anywhere in the world.

..but I racecalled the Gracefield meeting where JB made the world debut of the TZ700, January 1, 1974, and you knew then, on the day, that it was a significant event...

I was just looking at the pic of John Boote in the field at Assen. We were best mates through school and beyond. He has a good story to tell...but the reason that I popped my head up is because of the A7. Booty has a 40 ft container full of brand new A7 parts. Got them from America when the American Eagle ( I think) Gurney factory closed. Booty has one of everything ever made and some cracking race bikes TBH..

[philippe7]

A quick internet search produced the following article written by Terry Stevenson for Bike Rider Magazine .


http://www.brm.co.nz...interview&id=25

[peterd]

Like Glenn, I was at Gracefield when John made his TZ700 debut. I remember the day before, sitting around in the sun with a large group of riders, mechanics and mates, probably talking rubbish, and there was the rumour that John had this four cylinder Yamaha. And will he or won't he be riding. He turned up in a box van on race day and a crowd soon gathered. Yep, he was riding it! After the first race, Jim Landrebe, no mean 350 rider, was near speechless when explaining just how fast how John came past him. The day two stroke racing changed forever.

That's an interesting magazine story, Phillipe. Answered a whole lot of questions I was going to ask Stu. Was at Mallory on the Sunday and saw he was in the programme, but didn't appear. Now I know why.

Edited by peterd, 10 May 2010 - 00:22.

[picblanc]

A quick internet search produced the following article written by Terry Stevenson for Bike Rider Magazine .


http://www.brm.co.nz...interview&id=25

Another great find Philippe, thanks for that.

[stuavant]

Another great find Philippe, thanks for that.

Wow what a good read!! We stayed at each others house's as teens and were pretty much inseparable. The only gap was that Johns parents had a bob or two and mine did'nt. Thats not to say in any way that this was the reason for his success. He was and still is one determined bugger. He was always so intent on being slim and ate like a bird", hence the health issues.

We were sitting at Ruapuna the day he quit and he said to me "Stu, I am busting my arse to race and win on manufacturers bikes who reap all the benëfits of my success. Unless they start paying, i am outta here. True to his word, with one of the first RG500's and a trick TZ750 in the van, he packed up and went home never to race again in a proffesional way. We drifted apart until a few years back when i walked into his car yard and asked a lady if John Boote was here. She looked at me and said ÿou are Stu Avant". I went yep how do you know and she said I'm Johns wife and we were talking about you last night!!! This was 2008 and I had'nt seen him since 1977!!! Bootey collects bike brochures and has the worlds most comprehensive collection. In 08 we poked our head into a container which had an Art Baumen (?) KR750, various TD1C's, A1R's, and god knows what else. I think most of this has gone now but the off shoot is we have reconnected and thats great. Last time we caught up in Ch Ch he gave me and Warren Willing a lift in his two seater car back from the pub....tight squeeze and a bit like the "good old days

[picblanc]

This is what makes this Forum a great place to be & be part of.

Edited by picblanc, 10 May 2010 - 09:25.

[philippe7]

Seconded Graham, a great place indeed....

The article mentions that for 1973 , John was "offered ( By Tommy Mc Cleary ) one of the Dickie Lawton - Steve Roberts built TR 500's , the NZ-built ones, with Mike Sinclair at the wrench ".....

Probably the machine pictured below, photo provided by a forum member from down under ( who wishes to remain anonymous since he doesn't remember the copyright owner of the picture ) and said to have been taken at Sydney's Amaroo Park, with Mike Sinclair standing at John's side.

[philippe7]

Another picture found on the web . The TZ 700 looks very original ( brakes, shocks, pipes....) and the ...eeer...."trackside facilities" rudimentary to say the least... Can any of our antipodean friends identify this circuit, close to the sea or a lake ?

[fil2.8]

This is what makes this Forum a great place to be & be part of.

Exactly , well put

[GD66]

That's not a lake, it's the sheds in the Gracefield industrial area near Wellington. The pic is indeed from the world debut of the TZ700, so it's January 6th , 1974, and the photographer would have been standing near the foot of my commentary tower outside turn one at the end of the front straight. This is the same circuit (but not the same corner) as that mystery pic of Pat Hennen on the TR750 Suzuki from a couple of months back.

The Amaroo pic is from a match race meeting with an Australia vs NZ content, where from memory Trevor Discombe, Ginger Molloy and possibly Dale Wylie lined up alongside Boote, against an Aussie team including Dave Burgess, Mike Steele, Bryan Hindle and maybe Denny McCormack. It was all a long time ago....I have a feeling Russell may be able to add to the team list...or maybe Stu ?
Regards GD

Edited by GD66, 11 May 2010 - 10:08.

[philippe7]

That's not a lake, it's the sheds in the Gracefield industrial area near Wellington.

Oh, blawdy hell... Of course, it is so obvious now that you say so, but I really thought it was a lake in the background, with the mountains behind, somewhere like Lake Te Anau... wishful thinking from my part I guess, for me NZ is more about lakes than sheds

[7okai]

The Bike Rider article certainly brought some forgotten memories back.

John and Linda stayed with us, well mum and dad, I was only about 15 at the time during one of his visits to Oz. I have some great memories, and even as a youngster, developed the highest respect for him. Reading about the anorexia explains why mum was worried that he may not have liked her cooking, nonetheless she still speaks very highly of him.

As he said in the article, he could put the bike together blindfolded. I clearly recall John spending a week playing around with the crankshaft gears and cylinder heights and using a degree wheel and set of feeler gauges to get all 4 cylinders timed at exactly 180 degrees. Every afternoon after school I would toss my school bag onto my bed and whizz out to the garage to see how John was going with the engine.

He always had time to answer my questions about what he was doing and treated me to some interesting insights. I found it very difficult not to respect him. I even learned a little Japanese from Linda. Which I have now completely forgotten. Linda would be in the garage with John while he was working on the bike and she would say something in Japanese. Once, when I asked what she had just said, Linda told me that it was along the lines of.."John has done much work to help improve you, now you must go faster". Of course, the bike understands, it's Japanese!!

I spent a lot of time helping out where I could, or maybe being a pest. Maybe a pest to others, but not John.

So much time, that the young lass that lived next door would have to call out over the back fence when she wanted to have some "playtime". I remember John looking at me with a quirky smile and saying.." I think your wife wants to know where you are" with me thinking ...right, I'll nick one of mum's ciggies to enjoy during the afterglow and be back in 20 minutes.

John Boote, one of the good guys in my book.

Edited by 7okai, 10 May 2010 - 11:35.

[gmwzorro]

Not very good photo Race of the Year 75 John Boote

[exclubracer]

Another great find Philippe, thanks for that.

What a good article, well spotted Philippe!

[Mats Karlsson]

Oh, blawdy hell... Of course, it is so obvious now that you say so, but I really thought it was a lake in the background, with the mountains behind, somewhere like Lake Te Anau... wishful thinking from my part I guess, for me NZ is more about lakes than sheds

I remember reading an article in Cycle magazine by Phil Schilling in '75 about John Boote and how he shipped this TZ 750 to California for the Ontario 250 mile race in October '75. Apparently John dismantled the whole bike and packed it up as checked luggage. The bike was kind of trick and was converted to a monoshock by John himself. I wish I still had that copy of Cycle, great magazine that was killed off by a bunch of greedy executives at Hachette Publications in 1991 to save Cycle World, The executive's name that killed off the mag, Dick, very fitting indeed.

Edited by Mats Karlsson, 11 May 2010 - 19:31.

[picblanc]

Another picture found on the web . The TZ 700 looks very original ( brakes, shocks, pipes....) and the ...eeer...."trackside facilities" rudimentary to say the least... Can any of our antipodean friends identify this circuit, close to the sea or a lake ?

Looks more like a large warehouse or market garden greenhouse in the background rather than the sea?

[picblanc]

Note to self.... read other posts before posting on first post read!

[picblanc]

Not very good photo Race of the Year 75 John Boote

How interesting Gary, I was there on the Saturday it was a lovely day, I seem to recall that race day was quite wet off & on?
So is this from Saturday? I have been through my negs and I dont have one of him.

[picblanc]

I remember reading an article in Cycle magazine by Phil Schilling in '75 about John Boote and how he shipped this TZ 750 to California for the Ontario 250 mile race in October '75. Apparently John dismantled the whole bike and packed it up as checked luggage. The bike was kind of trick and was converted to a monoshock by John himself. I wish I still had that copy of Cycle, great magazine that was killed off by a bunch of greedy executives at Hachette Publications in 1991. The executive's name that killed off the mag, Dick, very fitting indeed.

Thats exactly what the article says in the link that Philippe posted earlier Matts.

[Mats Karlsson]

Thats exactly what the article says in the link that Philippe posted earlier Matts.

I should have read that article first...........and yes it was Laguna Seca and not Ontario, 35-years and several thousand gallons of beer later...it's amazing that I still remember that story...

[philippe7]

He did also race at Ontario in 75 , though....look in the relevant thread with T54's pictures . Did well in his qualifying heat but retired during the first leg of the big race with engine trouble.

[Mats Karlsson]

He did also race at Ontario in 75 , though....look in the relevant thread with T54's pictures . Did well in his qualifying heat but retired during the first leg of the big race with engine trouble.

Philippe,

It's amazing how much you know about 70's and 80's racing, like some kind of encyclopedia, almost like Rain Man, I wish I could sit down with you for a day and two and talk racing. And yes, the 70's was just something else, the sport just kinda took off.

[philippe7]

Thanks Mats But you know , all this "knowledge" is really only from magazines, personal notes and spectating at races ... I never was an "insider" of the sport . But I guess that your memory remains sharper for the things that you were really passionate for at your adolescence. And this Nostalgia Forum has been a blessing those last 5 years or so to jog the old braincells and discuss with fellow enthusiasts and of course the added bonus of former riders from those golden years .

Edited by philippe7, 11 May 2010 - 05:08.

[philippe7]

Another pic documenting that historical day at Gracefield in January 1974 : John Boote with #140 closely followed by Trevor Discombe # 3 , both coming up to lap # 70 ( if anybody knows who #70 is , it would solve a long-standing mystery...)



The owner of the copyright to this picture is currently unidentified and welcome to make himself know

[philippe7]

The Bike Rider article certainly brought some forgotten memories back.
........
John Boote, one of the good guys in my book.

Thank you for those first-hand memories, 7okai

[gmwzorro]

How interesting Gary, I was there on the Saturday it was a lovely day, I seem to recall that race day was quite wet off & on?
So is this from Saturday? I have been through my negs and I dont have one of him.

Pretty sure I only went Sunday the other photos I have from then all have good
crowds so I think it was definitely Sunday

[lukebaby]

Another pic documenting that historical day at Gracefield in January 1974 : John Boote with #140 closely followed by Trevor Discombe # 3 , both coming up to lap # 70 ( if anybody knows who #70 is , it would solve a long-standing mystery...)



The owner of the copyright to this picture is currently unidentified and welcome to make himself know

Dennis Ireland

[stuavant]

Dennis Ireland

Nope I think its Dave Ogden..by the way Mike Sinclair emailed me the other day to say he had stumbled on the Nost Forum .

[peterd]

Year too early for Dennis; he bought Jim Landrebe's TZ at the end of this series.

Stu, here's another name who checked the forum today...Barrie Neilson. Remembers you and Dennis as the 'young guns.'

[GD66]

It is Dave Ogden for sure. Discombe is on his 350, but it didn't take long for him to wheel his TZ700 out in Air New Zealand colours, what a good looker that was.

[stuavant]

[quote name='peterd' date='May 11 2010, 09:37' post='4338433']
Year too early for Dennis; he bought Jim Landrebe's TZ at the end of this series.

Stu, here's another name who checked the forum today...Barrie Neilson. Remembers you and Dennis as the 'young guns.'
Is that Barry Neislon from the Antartic Angels? Greek Boat cruises? If so me and Sinclair have been looking for him for years!!!

[stuavant]

It is Dave Ogden for sure. Discombe is on his 350, but it didn't take long for him to wheel his TZ700 out in Air New Zealand colours, what a good looker that was.

It was a looker. Would love to see a pic. Trev and me were briefly Team Mates back then but although he is a good guy I was a young smart arse. Trev dobbed me in to Whites Yamaha ( our sponsers) because I refused to turn my Dunlop KR81 ( not sure about it) on the rim to get both sides worn out before we got our new tyres...eat you heart out Rossi

[peterd]

Yep, same Barrie. Just back from the Greek Islands. Coming out here later in the year.

[Ninja1950]

Another pic documenting that historical day at Gracefield in January 1974 : John Boote with #140 closely followed by Trevor Discombe # 3 , both coming up to lap # 70 ( if anybody knows who #70 is , it would solve a long-standing mystery...)



The owner of the copyright to this picture is currently unidentified and welcome to make himself know

I raced in NZ many times also against John Boote during his first season of the TZ700A, I had great race down at Teratonga Park passing John on the last lap but the finishing line was just too far from the corner (more than 50 meters) and he went pass easily to win. I was on my TZ350A and it was no match for a rider like John on his TZ700A.

Murray

[stuavant]

Yep, same Barrie. Just back from the Greek Islands. Coming out here later in the year.

Send me a contact for him PD. I first came across him at a Road Race Meeting in Wiamate ( spelt wrong I am sure) when I was 15 yrs old. I was with Warren Guy as my Mum kinda trusted him and he had a TR250 Suzuki. Into town came the Antatrtic Angels on there Triumph Bonnervilles. Barry was Warrens brothers mate but he was killed in abike crash. Barry turned up for whatever reason and raced his Bonnie. Cannot remember the result but last seen at my place in Pangbourne when we had a a feed with Warren Willing, Mike Sinclair Jim Cashman and self...great meeting point this forum

[peterd]

Try Waimate

Have emailed you Barrie's address.

Now please get Mike to post a few stories. The wind surfing season must be over by now.

[stuavant]

Try Waimate

Have emailed you Barrie's address.

Now please get Mike to post a few stories. The wind surfing season must be over by now.

ha ha will try

[Coupe Kawasaki]

You guys deserve some recognition for riding on circuits like those .....I bet when you rode in Europe they were like billiard tables in comparison There were a few conversations about that between you and some of the GP Circus moaners then?
After watching some of the videos all I can say is big nuts

Great that you've met up on here...what a brilliant forum



David

[stuavant]

You guys deserve some recognition for riding on circuits like those .....I bet when you rode in Europe they were like billiard tables in comparison There were a few conversations about that between you and some of the GP Circus moaners then?
After watching some of the videos all I can say is big nuts

Great that you've met up on here...what a brilliant forum



David

Yep, big difference (as a 20yr old) in Italy from Wanganui!! Still when we won the NW200 way back I just thought of it as 4 NZ Road Circuits joint togeather by long straights!

[stuavant]

You guys deserve some recognition for riding on circuits like those .....I bet when you rode in Europe they were like billiard tables in comparison There were a few conversations about that between you and some of the GP Circus moaners then?
After watching some of the videos all I can say is big nuts

Great that you've met up on here...what a brilliant forum



David

Yep, big difference (as a 20yr old) in Italy from Wanganui!! Still when we won the NW200 way back I just thought of it as 4 NZ Road Circuits joint togeather by long straights!

[exclubracer]

Yep, big difference (as a 20yr old) in Italy from Wanganui!! Still when we won the NW200 way back I just thought of it as 4 NZ Road Circuits joint togeather by long straights!

Was that '83 Stu? Did you have a Mk7 or 8?

I recall reading about it in Classic Racer, didn't you have a bit of a tussle with Norman Brown and Graham Wood?

[lukebaby]

I remember John Boote at Amaroo Park in 1974 and his girlfriend got cleaned up by a runaway TD2 in the pits......The rider was Larry Patterson and as he push started it he slipped and fell and the bike kept going with a mind of its own eventually turning hard left into Johns tent. Was ugly at the time and when next you speak to him Stu I am certain that he will remember

[stuavant]

Was that '83 Stu? Did you have a Mk7 or 8?

I recall reading about it in Classic Racer, didn't you have a bit of a tussle with Norman Brown and Graham Wood?

82 on a Mk7, great bike and I sold it on to Roger Burnett who went well on it. I tussled with Norman the whole race and I think it was Granty and Joey back a ways. Brought my first house for 18000 quid with winnings from that and Nogaro. Had to nick a letter head from Chas Mortimers riding school to type up a wage schedule so Barclays would loan me the balance...memories..wank wank

[Herr Wankel]

82 on a Mk7, great bike and I sold it on to Roger Burnett who went well on it. I tussled with Norman the whole race and I think it was Granty and Joey back a ways. Brought my first house for 18000 quid with winnings from that and Nogaro. Had to nick a letter head from Chas Mortimers riding school to type up a wage schedule so Barclays would loan me the balance...memories..wank wank

Needs must eh Stu?
HW

[kz71]

Seconded Graham, a great place indeed....

The article mentions that for 1973 , John was "offered ( By Tommy Mc Cleary ) one of the Dickie Lawton - Steve Roberts built TR 500's , the NZ-built ones, with Mike Sinclair at the wrench ".....

Probably the machine pictured below, photo provided by a forum member from down under ( who wishes to remain anonymous since he doesn't remember the copyright owner of the picture ) and said to have been taken at Sydney's Amaroo Park, with Mike Sinclair standing at John's side.

What a great web site!
You fellas impress me with your knowledge of racing and obviously you have memory which works a lot better than mine does.
Still, browsing through this site does get the memory working again and that's gotta be good for an old fart!
This shot was sent to me last year also and it was at the Trans Tasman Challenge at Amaroo Park in early 73 (I think).
John is on my (well ok, Tommy's) TR500 and I reckon that is Mike Steele's front wheel poking in the edge of the pic (Mike had a Fontana brake whereas we used Ceriani brakes).
I built quite a few of these using Steve Roberts frames and motors which came from Suzuki via Colemans the NZ distributor.
Tommy McCleary (local Suzuki dealer and my employer) funded it all and the deal was that I built them and raced them until somebody bought the bike and I'd build another.
Hell of a deal for me as my racing was affordable that way, even if, from the looks of the photo I couldn't afford a haircut!
John first rode one of Tom's TR500s at the Shell Race of the Year at Wanganui on boxing day ('72 I think) and he won against all the kiwi hot shoes and also Ron Grant on his factory TR750.
He was a total unknown and certainly had everybody sit up and take notice after that.
He made my bike look pretty flash also!
John was at school with my brothers and I knew him through them.
He had been riding local club events on an H1 Kawasaki and I had been racing against him on a TR 250 and 500 of Tommy's that I was riding at the time.
I planned to concentrate mainly on the 250 championship that year and asked Tom if I could give this local lunatic a ride on the 500 at Ruapuna (local circuit) after work to see how he went.
The first time we went out he was fast and the second session out there he went under the existing lap record which Geoff Perry had set.
Off to Wanganui for his first ride on a racing bike and he puffed them all off.
Amazing performace, but he always was a very fast rider and I have always thought he was one who could have gone right to the top even on the world stage.
I guess he wasn't driven by the idea of becoming a professional racer and after he had done the F750 race in Assen and had gone so well there, he told me that he had seen what the top level was like and the whole life style with its living in caravans and scratching about to make a living didn't appeal to him at all.
Quite the opposite to me and I guess John just didn't have enough of the gypsy in him, which was necessary in the 70's for any colonial racing (or spannering) in Europe.
Mike S KZ71

[peterd]

Great postscript to the John Boote story, Mike.

And welcome to the forum. May the gypsy tales begin.

[philippe7]

I guess he wasn't driven by the idea of becoming a professional racer and after he had done the F750 race in Assen and had gone so well there, he told me that he had seen what the top level was like and the whole life style with its living in caravans and scratching about to make a living didn't appeal to him at all.
Mike S KZ71

Yes, thank you for your insight Mike - very interesting indeed from a psychological point of view . And it is perfectly in line with what Stu has written, that John Boote was a bit annoyed that he had to buy the bikes and pay to win races , while in all logic he felt he should have been paid instead by the manufacturers whose bikes he was winning on...

Not too different from the stand that Kenny Roberts took when he arrived in Europe full-time in 1978 : he was outraged that the riders where getting so little money from the Grand Prix organisers, while after all they were running the show ( and taking the risks ) .

[kz71]

Yes, thank you for your insight Mike - very interesting indeed from a psychological point of view . And it is perfectly in line with what Stu has written, that John Boote was a bit annoyed that he had to buy the bikes and pay to win races , while in all logic he felt he should have been paid instead by the manufacturers whose bikes he was winning on...

Not too different from the stand that Kenny Roberts took when he arrived in Europe full-time in 1978 : he was outraged that the riders where getting so little money from the Grand Prix organisers, while after all they were running the show ( and taking the risks ) .

Yes, John had exactly KR's attitude but John didn't have the achievements to back it up yet.
If he had come on the scene 5-10 years later things would have been very different methinks.
He would have been treated how he expected and could well have been top of the pile.

[jeff sayle]

John was one of the most naturally talented riders ever. With a different attitude he could have been anything.

Welcome Mike

[philippe7]

Originally posted on the "Marlboro Series" thread ... a copy here seems relevant to me

John Boote at Pukekohe 1975, love Woodie's (his mechanic) snazzy outfit complete with spare spark plug wrist band.