Today in motorcycle history, November 7, 2008

   

    







  The Kings of Wanneroo goes International as a large contingent of overseas riders head to Western Australia to compete at Barbagallo Raceway Wanneroo.  But, it's the sidehacks who steal the show!
 

  According to the Motorcycle Racing Club of Western Australia's press release this is only the second time in the history of motorcycle road racing at Barbagallo Raceway that such a large number of international competitors will compete in Western Australia.  Not since 1972 have WA motorcycle fans seen such a prestigious lineup when the Pan Pacific Series finale came to Perth with the likes of London born, US based Ron Grant riding a works Suzuki 750, UK rider Cliff Carr on a Kawasaki 750, Daytona 200 winner and AMA Hall of Famer Don Emde aboard his 750 Harley-Davidson, Malaysian Sonny Soh on a 500 Suzuki and New Zealander Ginger Molloy straddling his 750 Kawasaki.




  But, to everyone's surprise the most exciting match-up was a supporting act to the Kings of Waneroo - the third and final round of the Australian Sidecar Championship.


  Few people expected anyone to match the blistering pace of veteran World Championship competitors Shane Soutar and passenger Jeff Rowe.  Young local siblings Dean and Darren Walker soon threw that prediction out the window as the two Suzuki powered teams bumped fairings repeatedly throughout the opening laps of the first round.


  Soutar/Rowe eventually managed to break away in the closing stages of the eight-lap race, their fastest lap though being only .02 seconds faster than the Walker brothers best.  This was a first for the Walkers who were unaccustomed to any serious competition in WA, but this new challenge helped them step their game up a little higher.


  The Walker brothers smoked it coming off the line in the second bout and this time around it was Soutar’s turn to give chase. There was no way Soutar was going to be able to pass the home-grown heroes in the corners as the Walker boys virtually took up the whole track, their outfit completely sideways through the turns. Eventually Soutar managed to make a pass and without a broadsided sidecar in front of them at every turn, managed to break away from the Walker brothers to take the win.


  Victory in the second race brought enough points for Soutar and Rowe to claim the 2008 Australian Sidecar Championship.  While the Walker brothers took second at Wanneroo their overall season results placed them third in the Nationals.  At only 20 and 23 years-old the tandem of Dean and Darren injected some much needed young blood into the Australian sidecar scene. 

 
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Today in motorcycle history, November 6, 1921

   

  

  On an overcast Sunday afternoon at Brooklands, Major Frank Halford breaks the 500cc World Hour Record at 76.74 mph aboard a "Riccy", along with the 50-mile standing start record with a speed of 77.27 mph and the one-mile British record at 87.8 mph.

  Similar to the earlier SD model, Triumph's Model 'R', their first four-valve, 500cc, OHV motor was introduced in 1921. 

  The 21 bhp, four-valve head (with twin valves set at 90 degrees apart) was designed by Sir Harry Ricardo and Major Frank Halford with the idea of producing an engine which could maintain maximum power at sustained high speeds using a machined steel cylinder and an aluminum piston. The motor was nicknamed "Riccy" by it's two designers. 

  Sir Harry Ricardo was an engineer who developed the modern understanding of engine breathing and combustion processes.

  In keeping up with the Jones', BSA produces its first motorcycle, a side-valve 770cc V-twin using vertical valves, aluminum slipper-type pistons, one-into-two exhaust manifold, two independent oiling mechanisms. The "secret project" cost over 10,000 pounds and took 18 months. Initial tests at Brooklands had promised speed, but at the TT, it was sidelined by the end of the second lap as the result of melted pistons.  Should have kept it a secret.

 

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Today in motorcycle history, November 5, 1955

 


  

  Suzuki participates in racing for the first time with a special built works racing machine. Suzuki's racing debut is held at Asama. 

  Five riders from Suzuki participated in the 125cc class with the new Colleda SV, a racer based on the 125cc single cylinder 2-stroke Colleda ST.  The course used North Karuizawa as the starting point and was nearly 12 miles (19.2 km) long using unpaved public roads around the volcanic mountain Asama. The course was to be lapped four times.  Two riders started simultaneously at 30 second intervals.

  The first four places in the 125cc class were all taken by Yamaha, followed by Suzuki's team placing fifth, sixth and seventh.  For some unknown reason no lap times or speed were recorded, the results showed only the finishing time differences. Suzuki's Yasmashita was the first to cross the finish line 2.7 seconds after the winning Yamaha's.  Hideo Suzuki and Toshio Kamiya followed their winning team mate by .03 and .05 seconds. When the dust cleared the factory considered it a good first attempt, also Honda finishing last helped to bring a satisfying nod or two.




  It is said that Japanese road racing started at the 1955 Asama race.













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Today in motorcycle history, November 4, 1962

 

   

   

  

  Nearly 100,000 fans turn out for Japan's Suzuka Circuit's inaugural motorcycle race, the All Japan Championship Road Race.

  Ireland's Tommy Bobb, riding a Yamaha, wins the 17-lap, 102 kilometer 125cc Class race in a time of 52 minutes 9.0 seconds, Canadian Frank Perris, on a works Suzuki, finishes second with a time of 52 minutes 42.5 seconds.

   Jim Redman of Southern Rhodesia wins the 350cc Class aboard his Honda by .07 seconds over Homeboy Gen Kitano riding for Suzuki.  Jim Redman would claim Championships in both the 250cc and 350cc Class in 1962.

  

  Suzuka Circuit was originally built as a test track for Honda (at a cost of $15 million) and designed by Dutch racing legend John "Hans" Hugenholtz, the 5.8 kilometer 17-turn circuit is rare in that it features a Figure-8 layout utilizing an overpass under the back straight. This allows the circuit to be used in three configurations.

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Today in motorcycle history, November 3, 2011

  
  

  

  In what was being hailed as the "sale of the decade", Auctions America by RM sells off what is a truly unbelievable collection of motorcycles, cars, parts and memorabilia – including the largest collection of license plates in the U.S., some 10,000! – amassed by collector Lee Hartung over 60-plus years. The collection includes 48 vintage motorcycles.

  Lee Roy Hartung, who died in May, 2011, at the age of 86, was a Chicago-area junk and scrap dealer with a keen eye for the rare and unusual. The scope of the collection, which he had displayed as a "museum" for years, boggles one's mind. Cars included a very rare BMW-powered 1950 Veritas (Latin for “truth”), a twin-grilled 1936 Lincoln Zephyr and a 1950 Edwards Roadster. The majority of the motorcycles were American, with popular names like Indian, Henderson and Harley-Davidson well represented. Among the foreign names is a 1904 four-cylinder Belgian FN in original running condition.



  Adjust your drool-buckets, a small example of the auction follows...

 A 1910 Thor single-cylinder went for $32,000, 1912 single-cylinder belt-drive Harley-Davidson, which the auctioneer claimed was "one of the best examples in the world, drew $100,000, a 1911 Flying Merkel, belt drive, V-twin brought a gasp-causing $175,000, 1904 four-cylinder FN with shaft drive-$48,000, 1913 Thor with the original sidecar - $47,000, a 1911 Pope Model H single-cylinder-$72,000, 1913 Indian V- twin, not running, missing fenders, handbars, controls, etc., still fetched an impressive $15,000, a super-cool 1926 Henderson Glenview Rural Fire Dept bike (even the motor was red), with the original fire extinguisher and first aid kit - $55,000, 1926 Henderson with no motor but, pretty complete frame, wheels, etc. - $26,000 and a 1921 Excelsior V-twin (Lee once told a guy that he called someone up, and asked him to take this bike away, for free) sold for $42,500.




  Then, at the end of the day, an old biker cap sold for $6,250.




  Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk

Today in motorcycle history, October 31, 1972

Frank Stankovich of Evanston, Illinois, is granted his patent for his "Motorcycle Front-End Assembly", US 3701544 A.


Chopper pilots worldwide celebrate.

  The basic jist:


  A front end suspension assembly for a motorcycle having a pair of fork tubes telescopically received in a pair of front wheel axle connected support tubes terminating at their open ends in spring collars, and a compression spring entrapped between the support tube collar and an adjustable locking collar received on the fork tubes.





  The Patent:

  "The support consists of a pair of elongated fork tubes of any desired length which extend downwardly from the motorcycle front end fork assembly, and which are telescopically received in support tubes through an open end thereof. The other end of the support tubes is attached to the axle of the front wheel. A collar is provided around the open ends of the support tubes, which collar may include a seal. A coil spring is received around the fork tube having one end bottomed against the collar of the support tube. An adjustable collar having releasable securing means such as set screws therein is also received around the fork tube and abuts the top of the compression spring. The set screws allow positioning of the adjustable collar at any point along the length of the fork tubes. Thus, the compression spring is entrapped between the adjustable collar and the support tube collar and controls telescoping of the fork tubes into the support tubes.

  It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide an improved motorcycle front end support.


  It is a specific object of this invention to provide a front end motorcycle support wherein fork tubes are telescopically received in support tubes with coil springs received around the fork tubes having one end thereof abutting the support tubes and the other end thereof abutting abutment collars received around the said fork tubes, the abutment collars being positionable at any determined point along the length of the fork tubes."





 

   

  

   Any readers of Easyriders or Chopper or Custom Bike or any other non-factory motorcycle magazine is familiar with the ad for "Forking By Frank's". A custom fork building specialist since 1966.









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Today in motorcycle history, October 29, 2009

  The Cheshire (UK) based auction house, H&H Classics Limited, continues it's unrivaled ability to bring in the big bucks as a 1949 998cc Vincent Rapide sells for $39,554.00.





  Somehow H&H attracts the Whales of the motorcycle auction world.  Previously the gavel fell on a 1922 Brough Superior SS80 'old Bill' with a jaw-dropping realized price of $455, 271.00, a 1929 Brough Superior SS100 fetched $447, 142.00.

  In an April, 2013 auction a 1932 Brough Superior BS4 brought $385, 230.00 and at the same auction a 1948 Vincent Black Lightning sold for the same. 



  I once sold a pair of 1968 Amal carbs at an auction for $115.00 and I thought  that was good.



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