BORN SURVIVORS: THE BARNFIND EDITION ISSUE Sixty-o ne
DIRTbike CLASSIC
Winter
2 02 1
#61
Wheelie Good CLASSIC ACTION
Wasp sidecar celebration »
PLUS
Hudson’s year 250 MX world champ
HS ARIEL OSSA 303 AJS GREEVES SCOTTISH
MOTO IN BALANCE MEMORIES
Character building
Attitudes change, what was or wasn’t acceptable once may or may not be acceptable now.
I
have to thank John Dickinson for inspiration for these words as he talked about stories from years ago which jogged a memory or two for me. The weekend ahead of me as I write, will feature my own club’s trial on a course I’ve ridden since I started riding aged 14 in the early Seventies. As part of the beginnings of schoolboy or perhaps school-person motor sport I was naturally restricted to events held on private land in common with a few other younger riders in the North East Centre. Without a driving licence in order to get to an event a trailer was needed and it would be hitched to the family car. The concept of riding your motorcycle to an event was old hat by the Seventies and most people had a car/trailer or pick-up truck with Mini pick-ups being quite popular. There was a burgeoning market in trailers with makers far and wide. Up here there was Eric Ryan over Stanley way who did a nice job with independent suspension, square section tube all welded to make a light, strong thing. These trailers were generally open to the elements, few would have a floor and they could be picked up, stored on end or their side and when not being used for their true purpose could be easily stored in a garden or even at the back of a garage. They were so light, even with a trials bike on they were easily manoeuvrable. Getting the picture? They had one other attribute not so attractive to my father… they had to be bought and enough had been invested in The Trials Bike to make a trailer purchase out of the question. Getting to the first two or three events was achieved by borrowing a flatbed
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❝ In those far-off days having to do
such things was not deemed cruelty or harsh parenting and most of my father’s contemporaries would have followed a similar sentiment. ❞
trailer and laying the bike down in it. As I was off riding the trial my dad was inspecting trailers of all sorts and decreed one would be made to his specification. An innocent question from me as to the cost of steel tube, an axle, some wheels and wiring was dismissed with a terse “look about you, boy…” A statement followed by a curt nod to the steelworks which loomed over our town. The axle and wheels, plus leaf suspension – the Indespension rubber bonded units were deemed too fragile despite their use in many thousands of trailers – were acquired after my grandfather’s Morris Oxford Estate failed its MoT and was cut up, he having been given a Morris Traveller. In those days we had a largish workshop about half a mile from the house and the trials bike – a model 92 250 Bultaco Sherpa – was taken there, propped up and a chalk outline of a trailer drawn round it on the concrete floor to lay out the design. Once drawn the outline gave an idea where the axle should sit and some steel box section appeared one evening in lengths, just not quite long enough to do the job in one go. This time the answer to the question of “why only this length?” was more vague and actually only answered a few years later, long after the steelworks had closed and a chance conversation with one of my dad’s contemporaries enlightened me. Once constructed the trailer was a sturdy creation and deemed to be much better than commercially available ones. Okay, the trailer would live in this workshop during the week and it became my task
to walk to the workshop at some kind of ungodly hour on a Sunday morning and drag it back to the house where it would be hooked on to the car and the bike loaded on. The thinking here being if I was so keen on trials riding I wouldn’t object to doing such a task and it would build character and determination. Oh how I wished for a lighter trailer during this character-building exercise. In the same way pushing a dead bike four miles over the fells because I drowned it in a section and didn’t have any tools with me would teach me the importance of not drowning my bike and always having tools with me. In those far-off days having to do such things was not deemed cruelty or harsh parenting and most of my father’s contemporaries would have followed a similar sentiment. These days though there’d be counselling, support groups, a grant for a focus group and all sorts of academic publications filled with articles on the psychological impact of making someone do such a thing. There were lessons learnt: the first being the trailer thing instilled a lifelong dislike for the blasted things in me and a determination to have a van. The lessons learnt from pushing the dead bike have stuck with me since 1979 and I always park the bike safely so no one can knock it over and I always carry a few basic tools in case I drop the bike in a stream and drown it. WINTER 2021 |
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Regulars 03 In Balance
Building character is our theme this issue.
06 News and views
As the world struggles back to some kind of normality there are new events being launched, postponed events being updated and lots more besides.
40 Subscribe
Find out how to have your copy of CDB drop on your doormat on a regular basis.
60 Dicko’s view
The history book on the shelf is always repeating itself, as ABBA sang… although our man was never in ABBA he has heard a few tales a time or two.
70
Dirt talk
Four whole pages of news, views, opinions and suggestions fill our dirt talk section this issue.
82 Moto Memories
Factory launches of dirt bike ranges were truly epic things at one time. We found this pic of the Yamaha YZ launch in 1981.
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Events 52 Sammy’s spectacular
ISDT celebration at the Sammy Miller Museum... oh, and opening the new extension officially.
54 Doubled up
With the Classic Northern Experts and a round of the Rockshock trials series it was an action-packed weekend at Newcastleton.
56 Sidecar Celebration
Wasp sidecars are as intrinsic a part of British scrambling as mud is… so we went to a dusty track to celebrate the iconic marque.
58 Basingstoke Bulto Bash
Hot on the heels of Covid regs relaxing came the Bultaco Club UK’s big weekend at Basingstoke, just too late for last issue so here it is now, roll on 2022.
62 Vets in action
No, not a new reality series about animal husbandry but the Vets MXdN at Farleigh Castle where Nick Haskell pointed his camera at the best of twinshock and Evo action.
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Features 11
Hot Stuff
Ariel’s HS scrambler was a potent machine by all accounts and had the legs of the competition, unfortunately Ariel were owned by the competition.
20 Born survivor – Number 1
Original and unrestored dirt bikes are an unusual thing but we have three in this issue… first is a 303 OSSA Trial.
24 Hudson’s Year
1981 was Neil Hudson’s championship year. He battled all season with injury, mechanical misfortune and pure bad luck but eventually took the 250cc MX world title.
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34 Born survivor – Number 2
Second of our original and unrestored dirt bike trio featuring in this issue is a Greeves Scottish.
42 Workshop rebuilds
The life of a dirt bike is made much easier by regular maintenance… yes well, a delve into the editor’s workshop is often interesting.
66 Born survivor - Number 3
Number three in our list of unrestored dirt bikes is a Hagon JAP which has travelled further by carrier than under its own power.
74
Actually Just Stunning
For modern pre65 trials an AJS isn’t the first make which jumps to mind yet the marque was uppermost in the minds of pre65 inventors.
On the cover
74
Some sporting action from the vintage enduro scene graces our cover this issue. Vinduro is a fun sport, less technical than a trial, less intense than an MX but with the fun of both and a good ride out too.
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Classic Dirt Bike Show 2022 rocks with Hagon Shocks The dates to carve in your calendar are February 12-13, 2022. Why? Well it’s the weekend the best show in the classic dirt bike calendar fills the International Centre at Telford in Shropshire. Longtime show sponsors Hagon Shocks are back, clubs and enthusiasts are back, traders and stall holders are back and special guests Derek Edmondson and Arthur Browning are signed up to be guests of honour over the weekend. There will be few who won’t be familiar with the duo and their place in our sport. Both had plenty of enduro success in the ISDE, both were top trials riders, both raced MX – scrambling if you’re older – Arthur added speedway to his mix in the Seventies and road racing in the Nineties so there’s sure to be a tale or two from both lads. There’s only basic information for now on what private entries are already signed up but it’s a fair bet they will be the best of trials, MX, enduro, grasstrack, speedway, solo and sidecar from the classic, pre65, twinshock, Evo and Super Evo as in previous years. The bikes on display always provide inspiration for those of us who need encouragement to take our own projects to the next stage and when your project is stalled, talking to someone who’s done what you’re doing and comes out with “yes, that happened to me and I did…” or “try so and so for bits, they sorted me out…” always helps. Speaking of bits, the show always has loads of trade stalls with everything from new and pre-loved bits, tools, oils, tyres and… yeah okay, you’ve got the picture. Ticket prices will be £16 on the gate, £14 advance and anyone 15 years old or under can get in free of charge. If you’re an enthusiast and want show tickets contact Mortons Customer Services on 01507 529529. If you’re a trader and want a stand contact Andy Catton on 01507 529430 and we’ll see you in February.
Arthur Browning is to be a guest in 2022.
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Plenty of variety in the private entry section of the display.
Walter Frei and Philippe Vandewalle pose with Philippe's SWM.
Coming to Telford
Paul Baudains raises some steam in the stream in 2015's trial.
Jersey cream
For such a small island it seems incredible the Jersey Classic and Modern Trials Club can fit a two-day trial on it but they can, have and will do in 2022. After an enforced layoff while the world dealt with a pandemic motorcycle sport is back on track and the Jersey International Classic and Modern Two Day Trial will take place on March 19-20, 2022. It follows an inclusive format which sees all classes of trials bike eligible and sections laid out to suit both the variety of bikes and variety of riders as the entry makes their way round the island.
From moorland to mud, rocks to sand, with streams and banks as well, there is enough trials terrain to test every rider. As usual there will be a Saturday evening dinner included in the entry fee, a Sunday evening prize giving with free buffet and travel deals available from Fairfield Motorsport. Regs and entry forms are available on the website www.ji2d.com, as is more information. Further information can be had from Graham du Feu on 07797 717635 or email him at gadufeu20@ gmail.com
Edinburgh…ish While the MCC’s Edinburgh Trial doesn’t actually take place in the city these days, but rather explores the Derbyshire countryside and the Peak District with 185 miles of mixed road surfaces, it still provides a testing time. The MCC – Motor Cycling Club – are the oldest organisation actually running trials and their events follow the term ‘trial’ in its most original form. It took place in October at their new start venue, the Lichfield Rugby Club, when competitors headed out into the dark for the trial which included two additional sections on previous years
and an extra special test before dawn and breakfast. Daylight beckoned the competitors towards Macclesfield forest and the bleak moorland with its famous stony outcrops in the far west of the National Park, before a quick pit stop in Hollingsclough. The Edinburgh Trial is open to all classes of cars, motorcycles and sidecars with 265 entries making this year’s Edinburgh Trial the most successful yet. To enjoy it look at the MCC’s website www.themotorcyclingclub.org.uk for more details.
Sidecars are traditionally stalwart entrants to the MCC trials.
Following on from the success the Classic Dirt Bike Show has enjoyed at Telford International Centre the modern scene is going there too as the International Dirt Bike Show moves to the venue for October 2022. As the MX and Enduro season winds down at the back end of the year – we know the trials scene, traditionally a winter sport, keeps going – then the International Dirt Bike Show nicely rounds off the year and provides a showcase for manufacturers to introduce their products for 2023 to an eager audience. Europe’s largest off-road show will be held at the Telford International Centre from Friday, October 28 to Sunday, October 30, 2022. Follow the International Dirt Bike Show on social media for the latest news, or find out more information at www. dirtbikeshow.co.uk
Drawing your attention The 2022 Andy Tiernan calendar is here. It unfolds, so that the magnificient machines illustrated each fill an entire A4 sheet. The lower part has individual days outlined, providing enough room to note down award ceremonies, hospital appointments, court appearances and other important engagements. The theme for this year’s calendar is Triumph through the Decades. The six motorcycles are all magnificently drawn in pencil and painted in water colour by Mike Harbar – www. classiclinesartist.com – as usual Andy’s calendar proceeds will be going to the East Anglian Air Ambulance. Individual copies of the calendar can be obtained from: Andy Tiernan Classics Calendars, The Old Railway Station, Station Road, Framlingham, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 9EE, United Kingdom. The cost of the calendar includes postage and for the UK they’re £12 each, EU they’re £17, RoW they’re £20. Andy asks any cheques should be made payable to East Anglian Air Ambulance and drawn on a UK bank – or by PayPal to AndyTiernanCalendarDonation@ outlook.com
Sunny start to a bright idea Market Drayton Motorcycle & Light Car Club enjoyed wall-towall sunshine as their new trial for Pre2000 bikes burst on to the feet-up scene at Bourne’s Farm in Shropshire in October. Using a mixture of fresh ground just available to them and land used for generations a testing course was laid out to suit the three classes – twinshock, air cooled monoshock and pre-2000 – which meant a great mix of bikes on show. A good range of hazards had been laid out in 13 sections, the early ones had tricky turns around trees in the woods, then slippery rocks on the last hazards where local legend and former BSA, Triumph and Dalesman works rider Scott Ellis observed riders through. Topping the experts was Northamptonshire’s Richard Allen (Montesa 314), second was local star Pete Ruscoe (TLM Honda) while third was very local farmer and trial host Bill Bourne. For clubmen Paul Howells (Bantam) took first, Jerry Hawker second on a Gas Gas mono, Steven Mycock came in third and would have taken ‘furthest travelled’ award had there been one, then rushed back to West Lothian. If Pre2000 sounds your thing and you want to get involved details at marketdraytonmcc@gmail.com
Bill Bourne on his way to third in the Pre2000 trial premier class.
Pre65 Scottish is on for 2022
Gary Macdonald tackles pipeline in 2019, he is a previous winner of the trial.
Latest from Pre65 Scottish HQ is “Organisation of the 2022 Pre65 Scottish Trial is now stepping up a gear as the event looks like it will be able to go ahead after a two-year enforced break due to the pandemic. We are very much looking forward to welcoming everyone back to our Home in the Highlands at the end of April 2022.” The committee would like to thank all the riders who have been patiently waiting for their chance to ride in the event and for agreeing to the club holding their entry and payment over for the last two years. These riders have already been contacted a few months ago when their place was confirmed as secure for 2022. It is the committee’s intention that all the entrants who were on the Reserve List and returned their acceptance form will be carried forward to 2022. More information to be posted in due course.
No mileage Low-mileage older bikes are always of interest even if they’re roadsters and this Bonneville up for auction on Car & Classic’s website caught our attention. So, we investigated further and found there’s a lot of our kind of bikes on their site. Formed in 2005, Car & Classic is Europe’s number one classic and specialised vehicle website, seeing more than three million unique visits from classic enthusiasts around the globe every month. With over 40,000 vehicles listed at any one point through its private and trade enthusiast sales portal, Car & Classic also runs a standalone auction site, launched in July 2020. Check the Bonneville out and look at the offroad stuff there too at www.carandclassic.co.uk/ auctions/2005-triumph-bonneville-t100-paulsmith-limited-edition-nAxeVg
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No miles on this bike's clock.
2021 AMCA/CDB British Classic Motocross Championship The rounds have been run, the races won and lost and the winners are hailed as the 2021 AMCA/CDB Classic MX Championship comes to an end in a year fraught with uncertainty. Awards down to 5th place in the Pre60 & Pre-65 classes, and down to 6th place in the Pre-68 & Pre-74 classes will be presented at the Hagon-backed
Telford Classic Dirt Bike Show which is due to be held over the weekend of February 12-13, 2022. For a number of years the Best Newcomer Award has been dormant. This year the organisers intend to award it to Jak Watson. The 2022 AMCA classic fixture list will be decided at the AGM on Saturday, November 20.
PRE-60:
PRE-68
PRE-65
PRE-74
(1) Joe Chell.............................. 192 (2) Simon Chell ....................... 177 (3) Micky Allen ........................ 159
(1) Lewis Bell ........................... 183 (2) Ricky Pedder ...................... 182 (3) Keith Plumtree................... 125
(1) Keith Best............................ 186 (2) Nick Archer..........................149 (3) Mitchell Harris.................... 138
Icons of off-road join museum The Sammy Miller Museum at Bashley Manor is widely regarded as an exceptional collection of all types of motorcycles but the competition bikes are, we guess, pretty close to Sammy’s heart. It’s not just road racing bikes – don’t forget the lad was a top GP road racer in the Fifties before dominating the trials scene so completely – but off-road ones too. Latest additions include the 500 Royal Enfield trials bike so ably ridden by works team member Peter Fletcher and the Cheney Triumph which was the last ISDT bike Ken Heanes rode before retiring to handle team management duties for the British team. The museum details are at www.sammymillermuseum.com which includes full opening times.
(1) Chris Chell.......................... 163 (2) Wayne Partington............. 140 (3) Kristian Marshall............... 130
Under the hammer
Gill and Gav Douglas pose for their new business open day pic.
Glendale Classic Dirt Bikes CDB was invited along to the opening day of Glendale Classic Dirt Bikes’ new premises in Glendale Business Park, Haugh Head near Wooler in Northumberland on October 30, 2021. Launched by Gav Douglas, who is known for the excellent North East Vinduro Club events in the area, the business takes his motorcycle rebuilds, race prepping and restorations to a new level. Grabbing Gav and his wife Gill for a few moments as they hosted the day they told me the business will take on dirt bike restorations and help riders sort their machines by handling tasks
they maybe don’t have time to do or the knowledge and equipment to carry out. Said Gav: “We’re looking at doing race prep and set-up with things like suspension rebuilds as an example, as it’s okay rebuilding suspension but it’s better to have a few hours on track to set it up and we’ve access to tracks where this can be done.” Naturally the major focus will be on Vinduro era machines and there was a selection of them in the small showroom area, including a nice IT465. See more at www. glendaleclassicdirtbikes.co.uk or tel: 07384 856026.
Herefordshire-based auctioneers HJ Pugh have a full-page advert in this issue for their sale on November 19-20, 2022 at Hazle Meadows Auction Centre in Ledbury. Glancing at it we spotted this Montesa 172 trials bike already consigned. Fully restored with new engine parts including a piston, rings, main bearings, seals, gearbox bearings, kickstart shaft, spring, seal it looked a tidy bike to us. Further investigation revealed both wheels have new rims, spokes and tyres while the handlebars, levers and control cables are also new. Finishing off the bike are new front fork springs, rear dampers, rear sprocket, chain and seat. It has its original owner’s instruction and maintenance manual, is road registered and has a V5. Even more investigation revealed the sale includes lots of other dirt bike stuff too so check out their comprehensive website www.hjpugh.com and see if any of the 800 or so lots are for you.
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10 | WINTER 2021
HS ARIEL
Horse Power
Ariel had done exceptionally well with competition models intended to be used by sporting riders in all disciplines but post-Second World War specialisation was coming. Words and pics Tim Britton Extra pics Mortons Archive
Ariel’s forks were well ahead of the steering head; later thinking brought them back a bit.
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Above: As a team man Ron Langston would ride all sorts of Ariels. Here he is, HS mounted in 1958 at Hawkstone Park.
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A
fter enjoying a decade of success in the Thirties with a competition model suitable for all disciplines Ariel had plenty of reasons to feel confident this success would continue after the Second World War. Initially it did look as though the ride-in-anything-and-everything-on-the-samecompetition-model theme would carry on into the Forties and Fifties but the age of specialisation was coming and Ariel were on the back foot. Like every other manufacturer in the British industry of the time, what Ariel wanted to do may well have taken a back seat to what they were able to do in a world still reeling from six years of global conflict. With an economy stretched to breaking point, the supply of raw materials strictly controlled by a government that insisted manufacturers should ‘export or die’ in an attempt to bring desperately needed revenue into the treasury coffers, is it any wonder the supply of new machines to the home market was limited? There were a few changes to all motorcycles once peace-time manufacturing did resume. Gone were girder forks, in came telescopics; mostly though, rear ends were still rigid. With raw materials becoming more abundant, makers could think about answering some of the demands from a public desperate for the new thing… whatever ‘the new thing’ would be. Ariel chose, or perhaps had little option but to produce a motorcycle based on their single-cylinder roadster range. Such a choice was not difficult to understand as they wanted the world to see how good the road bikes were and to be seen placing their
faith in a 500cc single-cylinder engine emphasised this connection. So Ariel offered the VCH Competition Hunter with a shorter wheelbase, telescopic forks, alloy top end on the road engine bottom end, wheels of more common off-road sizes – 3.00 x 21in front and 4.00 x 19in rear – shod with Dunlop Trials Universal tyres, though other tyre options were catalogued. Two pistons were available giving high and low compression ratios depending on the sport an owner was considering doing. Alternative gear ratios too could be ordered and ancillary equipment such as mudguards, fuel and oil tanks, seating and so on were smaller, or made from lighter metals which allowed Ariel to make a machine nearly 50lb lighter than the road-going equivalent. Each engine was bench tested to ensure it performed as well as it should from day one and it all added up to a desirable machine. The problem was the opposition had overtaken Ariel and the VCH was looking a bit outdated compared with the offerings from London-based AMC or Ariel’s parent group BSA. Something had to be done to gain sales. Ariel were not short of ideas and had lots of excellent people involved in the engineering side of things. Ariel tackled both the change in attitude to the sport and the change in the sporting scene itself by producing two different machines based on the alloy engine. One machine, designated HT, had a frame made from welded steel tube, open under the engine with the engine plates forming the connecting structure. It was offered in rigid form. Works riders