MOTOR CYCLE MADNESS

"I Say! a rather sporting way to carve up some two lane blacktop!"

Motorcycles weren't much of a presence around me when I was growing up. I wasn't interested in motorcycles as a kid. They were a poor man's transport  (especially for the younger man) When I was about 10, the doctor's son next door to us bought an AJS of either 350 or 500 capacity. He treated me to a quick blast around the back streets of Randwick now and then. It was a fun thing at the time. Later, my cousin, who was a Leichhardt "Bodgie", became a role model for me because he looked "cool" and knew how to talk the talk. He also happened to play pumpin' boogie piano with considerable talent. He owned a black Matchless 500 single which he wielded with flair with its impressive exhaust note.

A Frog 500
Model Aircraft Motor

As a schoolboy of the time, I busied myself with the then current craze of powered model aircraft on control lines. The suburbs were buzzing with 'em throughout the fifties. My world consisted of Frog "500s", Glow Chief 6cc and Taipan 2.5 cc powered control line models. From reading hot rod magazines we knew we had to do secret things to these motors to "improve " them.

Speedway Midget

Another Speedway Midget 

How to make a Harley "pump"
use Ariel OHV barrels+heads

More Harley performance Improvements
Thanks to Norton OHV Heads

When I got my second car (a Hillman ), I went to watch the Midget Speedcars at Sydney Showground. (aka "Satdee night at the Skids")  The whole night's entertainment consisted of Solos, Sidecars, Midgets and Stock Cars. All of it was exciting to a seventeen year old from the 'burbs.I couldn't help but notice that the solos, powered by long-stroke long-stroke  JAP 500 singles, really put themselves on the line when it came to racing, more so than the Midget drivers.  These JAPs put out a throaty roar which could be heard all over the known world (ie at least beyond Paddington!). There was even more excitement as the fans drove towards home with a dash of Castrol R (castor oil) in their jalopies .

British Solo Rider

Speedway Sidecar

Doug Robson ( I think)

The Speedway Sidecars were something else. Invariable powered by Vee Twin 1000cc Vincent HRDS, these contraptions were the highlight of the show. This was my first contact with "Heavy Metal Thunder!





I was hooked !!

MEANWHILE...

The time rolled around and one day the mechanic at the service station over the road from where I lived found he had two motorcycles surplus to his requirements. One was an Australian built Waratah with a two stroke motor of about 250cc capacity. The other caught my eye. It was a JAP 350 sitting in an ancient girder-fork frame with an exhaust note to be proud of. As I was working "pumping gas" and had some cash to spare, I got together with a friend who added some cash to mine and we bought it. As it was not roadworthy there was only one thing to do with it: learn how to hang its tail out turning to the left. It provided hours of fun before we sold it for much the same money as we payed for it: 10 pounds. Wish I still had it now!

1927 "Sloper" BSA 500

In the late fifties and early sixties the NSW government decided that the movie "The Wild One" had created a scenario for the breakdown of docile and compliant society as we then knew it. As kids had stopped attending Sunday School and had purchased  fur lined Flying Boots and Marlin Brando Jackets to match their Triumph 650s, teenagers were on a One Way ticket to Hell. Rock'n'Roll music completed the decadent picture. Youth was clearly doomed. The only avenue left was to triple the cost of motorcycle registration so that it cost more than a car to run. The result was that old motorcycles came off the roads in droves and were stored in chook sheds and under houses. A work colleague mentioned to me that for 5 pounds I could purchase his 1927 Sloper BSA 500. I did. It had a hand gear change and external valve gear. It was then ridden like it had no tomorrow. It was taken to "Motorbike Hill" at Milperra and allowed to run free with all the other vintage motorcycles then stretching their legs on that hallowed turf. They were fun times for motorbikes and young blokes. Some of these last mentioned went on to join legitimate motorcycle clubs for scrambles and short circuit racing on oiled clay as a way of passing the time.

NOT the actual Triumph I describe !

By the autumn of 1962,  I owned an immaculate 1954 Triumph 650 Thunderbird with a "sprung hub" suspension -just like Marlin Brando had in the movie. This was the excitment machine of the time but my model was about eight years old. It had been well kept and was a joy to ride.On a cold dry morning the sound of the Amal carburettor sucking in air is still a sound strong in my memory. The best enjoyment was riding out in the countryside outside Sydney with similarly outfitted friends. Campbelltown on the back roads was clean air experience. Around the city traffic was sparse and most suburban roads almost empty.As a bonus, the 650 could blow the Rollo Richboys in their MG sportscars off the road, at least with acceleration, but maybe not "Bling". Even today, most cars just cant seem to  lift those front wheels to show a little daylight under 'em. Fortunately I had sufficient money to never have to rely on the "Trumpy" to get to work in rainy weather. I had a 1950 Holden sedan to do that, as well as providing a comfy backdrop to romance.

Triumph 650 Thunderbird

BSA 250

Registration costs finally got the better of me and I dropped back to 250s which were so much cheaper to register. I had a nice little BSA which got around without much fuss but didn't lower property values in the neighbourhood. To enhance the excitement in my life, I got rid of the Jawa two stroke that I had for scramble racing (I had joined Bankstown-Wiley Park Motor Cycle Club in the meantime) and purchased a Dirt Sidecar. Now this thing did have "cache". It was powered by a 1938 BSA Gold Star single bored out to 600cc, with a Vincent conrod and running on Ethanol with Nitro looking on. This thing pumped!! With my sidecar partner, we became known as "Bluey and Curly" (from an early Australian comic strip) and we had heaps of fun in the short circuit tracks around Sydney and Orange.

Clergate near Orange

"Bluey + Curly"

"Bluey + Curly"

My last dirt "short circuit" racing  was in 1966 at Salty Creek near Newcastle. My Ariel was all I had then because I was saving to spend some time in Europe.

Ariel Paddock Basher

Honda SL125

Honda CB100

After returning home in 1973, I purchased a little Honda SL125. I had seen adds for them in England and they looked businesslike with their OHC engine. I found that they performed better than 125s had ever done in the past. Later I also bought a CB 100 which was too cheap to ignore.
I had respect for the Yamaha company's Retro SR500 single. I had to have one and eventually bought a good one off a returning Irish backpacker. It was a great machine and the motor had cojones of iron, not to mention heaps of low down torque. Its not a surprise to me that they are still made in Japan and they have achieved an iconic status (Check out "Deus ex Machina") I am still puzzled as to why I sold it!!

Yamaha SR 500

 I bought a particularly crummy Yamaha SR185 that had more problems than could be counted on two hands. It did get to go short distances but I wished it had been the larger SR250 model, which would have been worth working on. I sold it not long after and found a very original Honda CB100. This was cheap to run (with a 99cc motor it was once considered to be a moped for registration purposes). Although from the mid seventies  It had had one careful owner (which was not me) and it still runs well and I still have it. It could do with a respray admittedly.

Honda CB100
neglected but still running

Mechanic making Fine Adjustments

I was also impressed with the Yamaha SRX250 which had the look of a "cafe racer" and I purchased one unseen on eBay. It's still sitting in the back yard and may never have its troubled innards attended to as I am still disappointed at what a wreck it is. I think I may need to purchase another wreck and make one out of two. At least I would know that a smashed wreck was running once to have been become smashed.

I've always found riding motorcycles to be heaps of fun!
It can be guaranteed to put a smile on your face !!

End of my motorcycle stories, (for now). More tales and photos to come later, folks.. Meanwhile, check out my exciting earlier posts! -You wont regret it :-)




Visit my Photo Pages. Just click on  the "My Picasa Site" shown below.