Today in motorcycle history, May 1, 1955

  

 

   At Montjuic Circuit, Dubliner Reg Armstrong wins the 500cc Class Spanish Grand Prix aboard a Gilera four-cylinder.






   1955 saw Reg Armstrong have the best campaign of his life.  He would finish on the podium at the Spanish Grand Prix (first),  French Grand Prix (third), Isle of Man TT (second), Dutch TT (second) and the Nations Grand Prix (second).

  Unfortunately for Armstrong Geoff Duke was racing that year as well.

  When the Championship smoke would clear Duke would be the 1955 World Champion and Reg Armstrong would finish second.  Sigh.


  Though he always seemed to be a bridesmaid in his racing career, Honda asked him to manage their racing team in 1962 and 1963, and under his guidance they would win five world championships.

Today in motorcycle history, April 29, 1978

 

     



  

  Patriarch of the Indian Motorcycle Company Erle "Red" Armstrong dies at 89, fittingly in Springfield, Massachusetts, the home of his beloved Indian. 

  Erle Armstrong worked for Indian, either directly or indirectly, for most of the 50-year history of the company.  He was also a racer, a rider, a dealer and a Vaudevillian motorcycle stunt rider, building a special "Silodrome" and traveling with various riding partners, including his wife, putting on shows in theaters across the country.

  On July 3, 1915, Harley-Davidson flexed their muscle at the Dodge City 300 and then in August, Hendee flexed right back as Erle "Red" Armstrong rode an 8-valve Indian to victory in the inaugural, 300-mile main event on the boards at the newly-completed Tacoma, Washington, motordrome.

  Armstrong's dramatic victory ahead of H-D's Otto Walker and fellow Indian-rider Don Johns held the capacity crowd at fever pitch for most of the race.  In the closely contested finish, the winning Indian rider crossed the line only a wheel-length ahead of the Dodge City Champion.

  

  Along with his win in this important race, Red captured the world record for the 100, 200, and 300-mile distance for Indian.

  By the end of 1915, Armstrong decided to give up the morgue-visiting board-track racing circuit and began a much safer career as an emergency room-visiting stunt rider.  He built a special "Silodrome," which was basically a large barrel built with wood slats so that spectators could watch from any angle.  Setting up the Silodrome in theaters and calling the show "The Whirl of Death," Armstrong and another rider would ride in the small cylinder doing various stunts. He often rode in the show with his wife on a specially-built tandem Indian. The act became so popular that he was asked to perform the show during the Panama-Pacific Exhibition held in San Francisco in 1915.  

  Red opened an Indian dealership in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1927, and ran it successfully until 1940.  During his shop years, he formed the Armstrong Roamers Motorcycle Club, which put on AMA-sanctioned events including what would be Red's final race in 1931 at the age of 43.  He also was the Captain of a motorcycle polo team in the early 1930's.  One of his teammates was legendary New England racer Raoul "Woodsie" Castonguay.


  After closing his dealership doors in 1940, Armstrong became production manager for Indian.  He remained with the company until its final days.  A fervent Indian loyalist, Armstrong, along with several other Indian enthusiasts, tried in vain to keep Indian alive.

  Erle "Red" Armstrong was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 1998.

Today in motorcycle history, April 28, 1970

    



 

  Norton is granted a US patent for it's Isolastic frame.










  Believing the classic Norton Featherbed frame design went against all engineering principles, former Rolls-Royce engineer Dr. Stefan Bauer designed his "isolastic" frame around a single 2.25 inch top tube.  Bauer, Norton-Villiers Chief Engineer Bernard Hooper and assistant Bob Trigg, all decided (though the patent document gives Hooper credit as the lead inventor) that the engine, gearbox and the swing-arm should be bolted together and isolated from the frame by special rubber mountings in an attempt to reduce the problem of engine vibration being transmitted through the frame.

  As great an idea as it was, though it isolated the rider from vibration very well it left the engine to vibrate like a Home Depot paint can-shaker.  Eventually destroying anything attached to the engine.

Today in motorcycle history, April 25, 1976

"Once you’re on the road, it’s like being in a motorcycle gang"

                 Leonard Cohen, Frankfurt, Germany, April 25, 1976.

  I have no idea what the hell that means or why the hell he's wearing that beret.

Today in motorcycle history, April 24, 1969

    


  

   Evel Kneivel ditches his Triumph Bonneville for a Laverda American Eagle.








   At the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Evel Knievel successfully jumps 80 feet (eight cars) and lands smoothly on the red carpet.



   In 2011, Louis "Rocket" Re, friend and protégé to Knievel, in a tribute to the great jumper he began making jumps riding on a stock 1970 Laverda American Eagle at AMCA Rhinebeck's Grand National Meet in Rhinebeck, New York.  Lou jumped ramp-to-ramp over nine Jeeps on his Laverda.


  Evel Knievel’s granddaughter Krysten Knievel sang the National Anthem.  Very Kool.

Today in motorcycle history, April 23, 1972

  

  


 

  Motorcycle history is made when Paul Smart wins the first major Formula 750 race to run in Europe, a 200-mile roadrace held at Imola, Italy, on Ducati's new 750.  


 

  Racing in North America for what seemed like a peasants wage, Paul Smart needed a new gig.



  "My wife Maggie phoned me and said that she'd got this ride for me on a Ducati at Imola. All that I knew about Ducati was that they made out of date singles, and I didn't even know where Imola was, but Ducati paid my airfare and there was £500 wages, win or lose, so I was up for it.
  "To be honest, I didn't care what the bike was going to be like. We just needed the money to live. I later found out that the Ducati ride had been offered around before I got it and supposedly some riders had refused it because the bike was unknown and the money wasn't very good but as I have said, I didn't care. £500 was a lot of money for us and I was going to race the bloody thing no matter what it was."




  The attitude of that time was to win you would need to beat the guys on the John Player Nortons, plus some of the old Triumph/BSA riders like Ray Pickrell, John Cooper, Tony Jefferies and Percy Tait. The press knew that Giacomo Agostini was entered on a 750cc MV Agusta and expected him to run good. MV had put a huge effort into getting one of their new 750's ready for this event. When Ducati pulled in it got everyone's attention...

   Ducati had prepared eight bikes for the race.  Paul Smart, Bruno Spaggiari, Ermanno Giuliano, and Alan Dunscombe were secured as riders. The bikes had the new factory frames and 750 engines, and all were  prepared in a very short time. Wherever possible the bike was lightened, and new 40 mm Dell'Orto carburetors with accelerator pumps were used. These engines delivered 80 hp at 8,500 rpm.  But, could they last for 200 miles...


   Could they ever!  Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari crossed the finish one-two.  The party began, the entire city of Bologna celebrated.


   "Ducati had also promised me the bike if I won and, with my past experience of manufacturers' promises, I didn't believe them. But I was wrong and sure enough they did give me the bike and I've still got it today and it's now on display in the Ducati museum in Bologna."




   In 2006, Ducati produced a 1000cc limited-edition Paul Smart 1000 LE, in recognition of the 1972 Imola win.



   April 23, 1972 was also Paul Smart's 29th birthday.

Today in motorcycle history, April 22, 1973

    


  

  Finland's Jarno Saarinen rides the first YZR500 to victory over Phil Read and his MV Augusta at the 1973 French Grand Prix.

  The 1973 French Grand Prix was the opening round of the GP series held at the Circuit Paul Ricard at Le Castellet, near Marseille, France.  For Yamaha this race would mark its first ever GP challenge in the 500cc class.  The hand-picked riders who would mount the new Yamaha machine that had been developed under the OW20 code name were the previous year’s 250cc class champion on a TZ250 Yamaha prototype Jarno Saarinen of Finland and Japan’s Hideo Kanaya. 

   At last, Saarinen was ready to challenge Giacomo Agostini and Phil Read in the 500cc class with competitive equipment.


   Saarinen would ride the first YZR500 to victory over the 20-lap, 72 mile course in a time of 45.57 to beat rival Phil Read on the MV Agusta four-stroke machine by a full 16-second margin.  Kanaya followed in third place.  In the second round of the series at the rainy Circuit Saltzburg in Germany, Saarinen and Kanaya would finish one-two, and in doing so it brought with it the start of a new era in GP racing.



  The strength of the two-stroke Yamaha machine ended the domination of the four-stroke MV Agusta in the GP500 class.  At the time, some 20 different makes of 500cc machines were competing in the class, including Konig, Husqvarna, Ducati, Bultaco, BMW, Norton and Triumph, but up to that point none could stop the winning streak of MV Agusta.

   Tragically, one month later, on May 20, 1973, Jarno Saarinen would be involved in a controversial crash in the Italian Grand Prix that would claim the lives of Jarno and Italy's Renzo Pasolini. 

Today in motorcycle history, April 21, 1890

  

 

  


 

  World record holding motorcycle and automobile manufacturer, racer, showman and perfectionist, George Brough is born at 10 Mandalay Street, Basford, Nottingham, England.  

  The second son of the motorcycle pioneer William Edward Brough who had been building motorcycles at his Nottingham factory since the 1890's.  It was assumed that George and his brother would help develop their father's business, but this son loved both beauty and speed and wanted to incorporate them into high-performance motorcycles.  His father was not of the same mindset, however.  In 1919 George set up his own factory nearby at Haydn Road in Nottingham to produce what he would call Brough Superior motorcycles.  Superior in design, looks and performance.  And, by George, his motorcycles lived up to the claim as he brought together the best components he could find and added his own distinctive styling. 

  Brough Superior's were the first "custom bike".  All built to the customers' requirements. Each bike was assembled twice. Twice. The first assembly was for fitting of all the components, then the bike was disassembled and all parts were painted or plated, then reassembled.  Then every motorcycle was test ridden to ensure that it performed up to spec, and then was certified by George Brough himself. The SS100 model was ridden at 100 mph or more prior to delivery. The SS80 model was ridden at 80 mph or more before delivery. If any motorcycle did not meet specification, it was returned to the shop and reworked until it performed properly.  100% customer satisfaction.

  Brough Superior facts you might be interested in (they can be retold in a bar setting to impress).  Sir William Lyons (aka "Mr. Jaguar") owned an SS100,  George Bernard Shaw had an SS80 and T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) owned seven of them.  Sadly, he was killed after an accident while riding his SS100 in Dorset near his cottage, Clouds Hill.



  In 1928, George Brough recorded a speed of 130.61 mph at Arpajon, unofficially the world's fastest speed on a solo motorcycle at the time.

  They were dubbed the "Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles" by H. D. Teague of The Motor Cycle newspaper. 

  Approximately 3,048 examples of 19 models were made in 21 years of production.

 

Today in motorcycle history, April 18, 1934

  

      

   

  Speedway racing comes to New Cross Stadium on April 18, 1934, when promoter Fred Mockford relocates his Crystal Palace team in the new stadium at Hornshay Street, just off the Old Kent Road.  New Cross beats West Ham 32-21 in a National League match before a rambunctious Wednesday night crowd of over 14,000.

   New Cross entertained the "Wednesday Nighters" when riders such as Ron Johnson, George Newton, "American Ace" Jack Milne and Tommy Farndon tore up the 262 yard track (it was lengthened to 278 yards when it was reopened in 1959).  Jack Milne lost his right thumb in 1937 and while recovering practiced a new-style throttle control on his hospital bed rail.  Once out of the hospital he carried on as good as ever even finishing the season as the new World Champion, taking the title from the Australian Lionel van Praag.


  The Stadium was home of the National League Speedway Champions in 1938 & 1948 and also to winners of the London Cup in 1934, 1937 and again in 1947.

  The New Cross Rangers Speedway team operated from 1937 until their closure in 1953.  New Cross were originally known as the New Cross Lambs from 1934 to 1935 and then the New Cross Tamers in 1936. 


  The track was often referred to as 'The Frying Pan'. It was built inside the greyhound track and had banking all the way round.




   New Cross Stadium was used as a film set for some of the action and crowd scenes for the film "Once a Jolly Swagman" which starred Dirk Bogarde.

Today in motorcycle history, April 17, 1958

  

  

      

  

  One of the greatest motorcycle riders of his time, if not all-time, Paul "Dare Devil" Derkum dies at 78.








  Born on July 2, 1881, he had the need for speed even as a youngster. By the time he reached his teens, he had already been racing bicycles nationally for two years.  Motorcycles were just a natural progression.

  Indian was the bike of choice for many of the early racers, but Paul J.C. Derkum literally made his name on a 1908 Indian twin.  On February 22, 1908, Derkum broke ten speed records at a one-mile dirt track in Los Angeles—clicking off the fastest time ever for a flying mile, two miles, three miles and so on up to ten miles!

  His achievements were chronicled in the California newspapers, with one Los Angeles reporter dubbing him “Dare Devil Derkum,” a name that stuck throughout his racing career.

  The following excerpt is from the Los Angeles Herald, July 27, 1909.....

  On July 20, 1909, at 11:15 a.m. Paul “Daredevil” Derkum
checked in at Temecula during a timed 320 mile roundtrip race
between Los Angeles and San Diego.  He was determined to lower J. Howard Shafer’s June 30, 1909 record of 16 hours and 50 minutes.  In a cloud of dust, Derkum raced his Indian north out of town and into the record books.  His finishing time was 10 hours, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds.
  

  Everyone wondered if J. Howard Shafer could break
Derkum’s record and reclaim the title.  On July 26, 1909, at 5:00a.m. Shafer revved up his two-cylinder Thor motorcycle at the Los Angeles Herald office on First and Broadway.  Shafer was confident that he could make the run in ten hours flat. However, at 12:20 p.m., he returned to the newspaper office failing to set a new record.

  “Shafer, who went as far as Santa Ana, was met by a
large brown hen at that city and in the mix-up which followed,
Shafer, the hen and the motorcycle precipitated into a nearby
ditch with the result that Derkum's record is still unsullied and
that Shafer returned with a badly battered up machine and a
whole handful of chicken chicken feathers as the result of his effort.”






  Somehow or another Paul J.C. Derkum is NOT in the AMA Hall of Fame.