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CONTACT Online: www.trialmaguk.com Telephone: 01663 749163 Email: england@trialmag.com Address: 48 Albion Road, New Mills, High Peak, Derbyshire, SK22 3EX United Kingdom THE TEAM Co-Managing Directors John Hulme & Charles Benhamou Executive Director Philippe Benhamou Editor John Hulme
(NUJ No: 949620)
Editorial Staff Cyrille Barthe, Jean Caillou, Phil Disney, Nick Shield, Matthew Heppleston, Heath Brindley and John Moffat. Photographers Barry Robinson, Malcolm Carling, John Shirt Snr, Colin Bullock, Cyrille Barthe, Eric Kitchen, Alan Vines, Toon van de Vliet, Mauri/Fontsere Collection and the Giulio Mauri Copyright, The Nick Nicholls Collection at Mortons Archive, Don Morley, Motorcycle News and Brian Holder. Proof reading Jane Hulme and Davina Brooks Commercial Manager John Hulme england@trialmag.com Design and Production Dean Cook The Magazine Production Company www.magazineproduction.com Printing: Buxtons Press Distribution: Warners Group Publications © 2020 CJ Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Great care is taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this publication, but neither CJ Publishing Ltd or the editor can be held responsible for its contents. The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Publishers. Trial Magazine is published by: CJ Publishing Limited, registered in England Number: 5947718. Trial Magazine: ISSN: 1753-0040. 4
1980 Scottish Six Days Trial Team Majesty Yamaha • Photo credit: John E Shirt Front Cover: 1980 Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) • Photo credit: Iain Lawrie
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
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COVID-19 – STAY SAFE, STAY STRONG Yes, they’re the words we all need to hear: stay safe and strong. Please be patient over event cancellations and disruptions in everyday life, as no one could have predicted the impact that the Coronavirus would have on the sport we all love, let alone life in general. At the Classic Trial Magazine offices, we have been strictly following the government guidelines. I am working on my own supported by my superb and super-efficient secretary, Lisa Carr, who has been based at her home some 45 minutes away. By following these guidelines, we have been able to keep both of the magazine titles, Trial Magazine and Classic Trial Magazine, on sale and available, along with the DVD and book collection, and merchandise through the website orders which we have gratefully received. The number of new subscribers for both titles has been very welcome, and once again much appreciated. Producing this magazine you are reading has not been easy. Still, the support from the contributors and photographers has given me a full 100-page magazine I am very proud of considering the circumstances. The trade and dealer support has really touched the staff and me, and I am eternally grateful for this. My chief design man, Dean Cook, at the Magazine Production Company has, as usual, made my work into something we can all enjoy. The wonderful people
at Buxton Press, based not far from us in New Mills in Derbyshire, have given the publication the print quality it deserves. With many retail outlets closed for the moment, I strongly advise anyone to get in touch with us and subscribe via the website: www.trialmaguk.com or leave a message on the answerphone: 01663 744766; we will call you back. Please be patient when calling as I can only pick up the calls when in the office and, remember, I am on my own! UK subscription times are running very well with the Royal Mail doing a sterling job but for overseas customers please, once again, be patient with delivery times. If you have any questions., do feel free to email me: england@trialmag.com. As we went to print, we were still waiting for news on the return of sporting events, including motorcycle trials. Our good friends at such events as the Leven Valley Two Day in Scotland and the Ventoux and Costa Brava trials in Europe are working hard to find solutions so that these events can run so please everyone; do keep your fingers crossed! Before I close, I would like to express my condolences to anyone who has lost loved ones during this pandemic. We are one big motorcycling family; they will not be forgotten. To everyone: please stay safe and stay strong. John Hulme
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Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
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Trials Guru • John Moffat
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BULTACO BUILD I decided that the Bultaco must be road registered, and I found the process of obtaining a registration document quite uneventful through the usual HMRC NOVA check and submission of documentation to the DVLA at Swansea. An age-related ‘R’ suffix number was issued, and I then invited Paul Houghton at Anglia Vinyl Art to make me the numerals and a set of bespoke airbox decals which proclaimed that this was a ‘370 Sherpa T’. Words and photo: John Moffat
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lot of the fiddly stuff I carried out myself but decided to outsource much of the work to local businesses. Fabricator, Richi Foss, corrected some damage that the frame had suffered and to square up the swinging arm, and Loch Ness Restorations subsequently painted both these items. I then fitted a needle-roller bearing kit to the swinging arm. Specially anodised red Rockshocks suspension units with chrome springs were ordered from Gary Fleckney as a nod to the colour scheme of the original Betor dampers supplied on new Bultacos of that era. The front suspension I did myself, using a very good set of genuine Bultaco forks I had sourced. These were stripped completely, cleaned and new seals fitted, and a progressive suspension kit was ordered from HFS Suspensions. The yokes and sliders were then mirrorpolished, so the forks were back to an almost 8
“… I have always had a soft spot for the brand, and it’s nice to have something that you have dreamed up, which isn’t a replica.” new condition. A nice bespoke front number board in red and silver adds the finishing touch. The only snag I faced with the chassis was the saddle. I had planned to fit an earlier unit, that was designed for the model 159 Sherpa, but this didn’t allow the rear mudguard to line up correctly. An old model 199 component was on the shelf but missing its mounting brackets. I fabricated these fittings from sheet steel and carefully drilled and profiled them before painting and pop riveting onto the base, and the task was complete. I used a local retired upholsterer, Jim Sutherland, to fit a cover sourced from InMotion. I’m almost there now apart from the wheels, which I will get rebuilt by Barry Brown
in Fife. Then, of course, the final item which is the 370 motor and its assembly, which will be undertaken by racing engine builders, Stuart Young Tuning. Why do all this, you may ask? Well, I have always had a soft spot for the brand, and it’s nice to have something that you have dreamed up, which isn’t a replica. It looks like a Bultaco; is a Bultaco, but is essentially different. As to performance, well you will have to wait until I get the beast up and running. Before I close, I’d like to say stay safe and keep strong to all my fellow motorcycle enthusiasts around the world during the Coronavirus pandemic. www.trialsguru.net Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
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Paddock • Caught on camera 1980
SMILE
AND RELAX
MAGICAL
NEXT
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Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
Caught on camera 1980 • Paddock
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Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
WHAT’S THE LINE?
PRESS TIME
PASSION
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Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
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Traditional • 1980 SSDT
The ‘home’ of the SSDT is the West End Car Park, Fort William.
1980 SSDT
A NEW ERA
The sporting history of the Scottish Six Days Trial goes back to 1909 when the pioneers of motorcycle trials came alive with this iconic event. The mighty men and machines were born of an age when a dominant Great Britain held the manufacturing of motorcycles in its grip. Two world wars came and went, and after picking up the pieces in a grey and dark period of time, the world began to change its manufacturing methods for motorcycles.
Words: John Hulme • Pictures: Steve Bird, Mauri/Fontsere Collection and the Giulio Mauri Copyright, and John E Shirt
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n the world of motorcycle trials, it was the Spanish who started to edge their way in with a first win at the SSDT by Sammy Miller on the Bultaco at the 1965 event. In the mid-70s, despite a challenge from the mighty four Japanese motorcycle manufacturers, which brought success for Yamaha with Mick Andrews in 1974 and 1975, the Spanish stood their ground. Martin Lampkin (Bultaco) had won the first FIM World Championship in 1975 before Finland’s Yrjo Vesterinen (Bultaco) dominated from 1976–1978. In 1979 the world championship had an American victory with Bernie Schreiber, which would also be the last world trials title for Bultaco. The SSDT witnessed the first win for Montesa with Malcolm Rathmell taking the win in 1979, but the foreign challenge of man and machine was ready and waiting to take a win. A new era was opening in motorcycle trials and, after the 1980 event, Great Britain would have to wait until Steve Saunders (Fantic) won in 1988 to return to the domination of winning in Scotland at the greatest of all trials. 1980 would be a year of so many changes in motorcycle trials as the domination on the trials scene by the once-mighty Spanish manufacturers was again coming under attack. It fought off the Japanese in the mid-70s, but now the threat was coming from Italy with Fantic, SWM and Italjet, to name but a few. 14
Mick Andrews on the left and Sam Brownlee on the right take in the news that Martin Lampkin has left Bultaco for SWM!
Taking time out: you can just see John Lampkin sitting in the Comerfords Bultaco van as Uncles Arthur and Martin talk with Malcolm Rathmell.
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
1980 SSDT • Traditional The cottage industry of small manufacturers in the UK had once again raised its game, with Anglo-British-built machines using Japanese components from both Beamish Suzuki and the Majesty Yamaha models. Foreign riders were inflicting pain on the once-dominant riders from Great Britain; 1980 would be a year of change, as we will see!
BULTACO IN TROUBLE
It’s previously been well documented, but 1980 was a very pivotal year for the Spanish manufacturers. The already successful factory-supported team at Bultaco was about to be pulled apart as financial and production problems hit the factory. It was not alone as we would also see the demise of another proud manufacturer, Ossa, in the early ’80s. 1979 had seen American Bernie Schreiber win the FIM world title for Bultaco; little did they know it would be their last. January 1980 had opened with the news that Yrjo Vesterinen had moved to Montesa amongst rumours that many of the Bultaco factory-supported riders were owed monies from the Spanish manufacturer. Production problems and the supply of machines had also come to light. In Spain, Jaime Subira had moved from Montesa to a new trials manufacturer from Italy, Fantic, to develop a new machine. In the opening FIM World Championship rounds, the men on form were Montesa rivals Vesterinen and Sweden’s Ulf Karlson. Mick Andrews shocked the establishment with a win on home soil on the Majesty Yamaha he was developing with his good friend John E Shirt. Little did the trials world know at the time but Schreiber would win in Spain, the last world round win for Bultaco! Spectacle-wearing Belgian rider Eddy Lejuene was the new ‘kid’ on the block having won his first would round in Belgium in March before taking win number two on the run-up to the SSDT in April. Riding the red four-stroke Honda, he brought a new dynamic to the trials scene as the crowds witnessed the return of the four-stroke engines after the domination by the two-strokes since the mid-60s. Along with Great Britain’s Rob Shepherd and Japan’s Kiyoteru Hattori, he would make up a three-man team at the ‘Scottish’.
Spain’s Jaime Subira had signed a contract with Fantic and moved from Montesa.
Yes, it’s yellow; the new Ossa ‘Gripper’ model makes its debut in the SSDT.
The biggest shock was yet to come though when Martin Lampkin arrived in Fort William for the weigh-in day, and he wheeled out his new mount, a bright yellow SWM – he had quit Bultaco! Showing a commitment to the Yamaha Majesty project, the UK Yamaha importers Mitsui were out in force.
“1980 would be a year of so many changes in motorcycle trials as the domination on the trials scene by the once-mighty Spanish manufacturers was again coming under attack.” Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
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Traditional • 1980 SSDT
A NEW ERA
MAC VESTY It was a case of not who, but when we would witness the first foreign rider to win the iconic and prestigious Scottish Six Days Trial. Words: John Hulme, Mike Rapley, John E Shirt, John Moffat, Jeff Horne, Yrjo Vesterinen, Mick Andrews, Jaime Subira and John Lampkin to name but a few of so many riders we spoke to. Thank you. Pictures: Steve Bird, John E Shirt, Iain Lawrie, Toon Van De Vliet and Eric Kitchen
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Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN): It was not a case of who, but when we would witness the first foreign rider win the iconic and prestigious Scottish Six Days Trial; ‘Vesty’ would make history.
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n a new era for trials, the legendary Irish rider Sammy Miller moved the goalposts with the first foreign machine win in 1965 on the Spanish Bultaco. Only two other wins for British-manufactured machines would happen, with Alan Lampkin on the four-stroke BSA in 1966 and Bill Wilkinson on the two-stroke Greeves in 1969. The Spanish machines would lead the way over the next decade, only interrupted by the wins from Mick Andrews on the Japanese Yamaha in 1974 and 1975. The attraction of the aptly named ‘Sporting Holiday in the Highlands’ was a massive attraction to overseas riders to compete in the SSDT. Word had filtered back to many foreign riders new to the sport of motorcycle trials as to just how impressive a true test of man and machine this six-day event was in the ’60s. The first foreign rider to make an impression on the event was Sweden’s Thore Evertson on his Ossa with a 13th place in 1972, followed up with a superb 7th in 1973. On the opening day, he had shared the lead with Mick Andrews (Yamaha) and Spain’s Fernando Munoz (Bultaco), and showing it was no fluke he also parted with the least marks on the final day, Saturday. In 1974, he moved onto the podium in third position, and it was also the year that Finland’s Yrjo Vesterinen (Bultaco) made his debut, finishing in 17th position. Over the following years, some great foreign names would appear in the top finishing positions, including 1975: Charles Coutard (Bultaco-FRA), 4th; 1976: Thore Evertson (OssaSWE), 5th; 1978: Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE), 5th; 1979: Yrjo Vesterinen (Bultaco-FIN), 3rd; Charles Coutard (SWMFRA), 5th; Manuel Soler (Bultaco-ESP), 6th and Jaime Subira (Montesa-ESP), 6th. It was about to become their time in the greatest of all trials; ‘Mac-Vesty’ was ready. Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
1980 SSDT • Traditional
Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN): When he moved from Bultaco to Montesa for the 1980 season his contract for the year also included the Scottish Six Days Trial; the manufacturers still valued the publicity from winning the event.
Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR): Walking the hazards on Ben Nevis, making note of every single rock. In 1979 the trial was won and lost in the final few hazards in Rathmell’s favour on Ben Nevis, proving a trial is never over until the final section is ridden.
Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR): Try as he might ‘Rastus’ could not repeat the victory from 1979, the very first for Montesa in this event.
Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR): After ‘Shep’ took the lead of the trial on day four the trials world held its breath as maybe, just maybe Honda would win the event. A disastrous day five put a stop to that.
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
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Traditional • 1980 SSDT
Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR): It would have been really nice to see a four-stroke victory; Alan Lampkin had been the last in 1966 on the BSA.
Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP): It was a superb display for the Spanish rider as he showed the potential of the smallcapacity Italian 156cc Fantic in the toughest of all trials.
Mick Andrews (Yamaha Majesty-GBR): After his machine had been stolen in Belgium at the world round, Mick rode John E Shirt’s personal machine.
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Mick Andrews (Yamaha Majesty-GBR): ‘Magical’ in his Furygan riding kit, he eyes up the line in the Ben Nevis hazards.
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
1980 SSDT • Traditional
Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA): As the early leader of the trial, it looked very much like the 1979 FIM World Trials Champion could be a first ‘Scottish’ winner from the USA.
MONDAY, DAY ONE 60 MILES, 32 SECTIONS
Put the sunshine on the back of the 1979 FIM World Trials Champion, Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA), and he will perform. That’s exactly what he did on the opening day at this year’s SSDT as the Mediterranean-like weather conditions were far more suited to his dynamic riding style. The opening action would be on the exposed open rivers at Callart Falls before the drop down over the other side and onwards towards Kinlochleven. The man on form early in the day was Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) who would be looking to carry on from the 1979 event as the winner. He finished the day just a single mark behind the American Schreiber. After changing a leaking rear innertube at the lunch stop, he stopped on the fourth section at Blackwater, which spoiled a very good opening day. The surprise package of the day was yet another foreign rider, Jaime Subira from Spain on the new 200 model Fantic. The only black mark for the small-capacity Fantic was a stop on the middle hazard on the steep iconic Pipeline group of sections, but he was very happy to be in the top three. Learning about the Italian SWM at every opportunity, the new team member and threetime previous winner of the event Martin Lampkin was looking very determined. Very much a crowd
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
Martin Lampkin (SWM-GBR): Having decided to make the difficult move from Bultaco to SWM, ‘Mart’ showed the brilliance that was rewarded with his three SSDT wins in 1976–1978.
favourite at the Scottish, his determination was highlighted on Pipeline when he was baulked by a spectator’s leg and was offered a re-run. Despite the steepness of this formidable hazard he started his attempt at the top section and recorded a ‘Feet-up’ ride, much to the delight of the assembled spectators. Another previous winner on no less than five occasions was Mick Andrews. He did not let an early stop at Callart Falls spoil a good day’s riding. He was followed closely by Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN), Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR), Charles Coutard (SWM-FRA) and, first-time rider, Eddy Lejuene (Honda-BEL) making it two fourstroke machines in the top ten as Spain’s, Josef Jo, rounded off the leaders on the Montesa. With six foreign riders in the top ten for the first time, the event was now moving into unchartered waters after years of ‘home’ domination. BEST PERFORMANCE: Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) with one mark lost RESULTS: 1: Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) 11; 2: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) 12; 3: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 13; 4: Martin Lampkin (SWMGBR) 14; 5: Mick Andrews (Majesty-Yamaha-GBR) 14; 6: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 18; 7: Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR) 20; 8: Charles Coutard (SWM-FRA) 21; 9: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 21; 10: Josef Jo (Montesa-ESP) 22. RETIREMENTS: Five.
Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA): What was going through Bernie’s mind with all the problems at Bultaco, we will never know. A few weeks after Scotland he would win the last world round for Bultaco before he quit and moved to Italjet.
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Traditional • 1980 SSDT
Martin Lampkin (SWM-GBR): Always a crowd favourite, he just loved the atmosphere at the ‘Scottish’.
John Reynolds (Beamish Suzuki): ‘JR’ moved into the top ten on Thursday where he remained for the rest of the week.
TUESDAY, DAY TWO 96 MILES, 32 SECTIONS
Despite the fine weather in the Highlands, it was time to put on a jacket for the 24-mile road journey to the four opening hazards at Laggan Locks. First used in 1957, at first glance, the rolling loose rocks look very rideable, but the ever-changing nature of the hazard can easily catch out the very best of riders on the exposed hillside. Despite a superb two-mark loss for the day by the very agile riding of Danilo Galeazzi (SWMITA), he remained outside of the top ten positions. After a super consistent day, parting with just three marks, the lead remained strongly in the hands of Bernie Schreiber with an incredible 11-mark advantage over Rob Shepherd. The first victim at Laggan Locks was Yrjo Vesterinen who parted with a hefty six marks lost, much to his dismay. In contrast, and riding the same Montesa machine, Malcolm Rathmell was faultless. Mick Andrews remained consistent to move up the leader board into third behind Shepherd, but the marks were still very close with Jaime Subira on the same marks, followed by Rathmell on 27. At this stage of the six days, spare a thought for Martin Lampkin. Having made the tough decision to move from Bultaco to SWM, the Italian manufacturer had pulled out all the stops to prepare a machine, even to the extent of swopping the brake and gear levers to the same sides as his Bultaco. However, he had his own SWM and had spent many hours perfecting the suspension and machine setup to his liking. What he did do was assist the SWM mechanics to swop the engine from their machine into his own, as he felt it was better despite the brake and gear pedals being on the other side to what he was accustomed! A new group of hazards named Meall Choire Ghlais, consisting of a very slippery river bed, was included and Martin knew that a clean ride was essential. He took two precautionary marks to surmount the biggest of the steps, but he knocked the machine out of gear, and in his desperation to put it back into gear he stamped on what he thought was the gear pedal; it was the rear brake, and another five-mark penalty was added.
Nigel Birkett (Montesa-GBR): Montesa UK importer Jim Sandiford was more than happy with his three-man team which included Birkett, as it won the much sought-after manufacturers’ team award, the Blackford Challenge Trophy.
BEST PERFORMANCE: Danilo Galeazzi (SWM-ITA) with two marks lost RESULTS: 1: Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) 14; 2: Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR) 25; 3: Mick Andrews (Majesty-Yamaha-GBR) 25; 4: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 25; 5: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) 27; 6: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 27; 7: Martin Lampkin (SWM-GBR) 29; 8: Lane Leavitt (Montesa-USA) 33; 9: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 33; 10: Chris Sutton (Montesa-GBR) 34. RETIREMENTS: Six
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Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
1980 SSDT • Traditional
Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL): Here we see Lejeune on the left and Hattori on the right as they ‘fettle’ Eddy’s machine prior to the weigh in. The official title of the Honda was RS 250 T.
Albert Juvanteney (Ossa-ESP): Coming good towards the end of the trial the Spanish rider seized the engine on the new yellow Ossa ‘Gripper’ on the race back to Fort William on Thursday, a day generally known for its tight time allowance. The relieved face when it fired into life on Friday morning said it all.
WEDNESDAY, DAY THREE 92 MILES, 32 SECTIONS
With the rotation of the riding numbers in this event, it was time for Finland’s Vesterinen to be moved to the back of the entry. It was a long day, made worse with the wind and rain, with the ride out as far as the Inveroran Hotel and the tough rocky hazards at Ba House and Chairlift on the return ride home. On a very high-scoring day, he parted with just 11 marks to pull himself up from ninth to second behind Schreiber, who had a high score of 29 marks lost but still retained the event lead, albeit by a single mark. On the morning of the day, it was the trio of Malcolm Rathmell, Rob Shepherd and Mick Andrews who were on form as they all parted with just six marks each. After the lunch check, it was the formidable hazards at Ba House and then Chairlift where the marks would start to be lost. Of the four hazards to be ridden, it was Jaime Subira on the Fantic who recorded the only double clean of the harder bottom-two hazards as John Hemingway was the only rider to stay feetup on the top two. Riding at the rear end of the day’s entry, but in front of super consistent Yrjo Vesterinen, John Reynolds on the Beamish Suzuki was the only rider to master the two hazards at Chairlift before the return ride to Fort William via Altnafeadh
Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL): Many hands make light work. The 250cc machine used by the Belgian rider and Kiyoteru Hattori was a stroked-and-bored version of the 200cc OHC two-valve engine more commonly found but which used external oil feed pipes. On the right of this picture is a very good friend of Classic Trial Magazine, Charly Demathieu.
and the village of Kinlochleven. Riding in the company of a top rider always gives you that extra bit of confidence, and this was certainly the case for Sheffield’s Chris Clarke on the Montesa who recorded his best-ever day’s performance at the event. Everyone still riding in the event completed the day as the halfway stage finished. In the fight for the victory, it was still very close at the top as Vesterinen moved into the leading riders along with five other riders in the sub-fifty marks lost. In sixth position on the four-stroke Honda and really enjoying his first ride in the ‘Scottish’ was the young Eddy Lejuene from Belgium. With a smile on his face, he spent much of the day with John Hulme on the Majesty Yamaha. Best Performance: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) with 11 marks lost Results: 1: Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) 43; 2: Yrjo Vesterinen (MontesaFIN) 44; 3: Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR) 44; 4: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 55; 5: Mick Andrews (Majesty-Yamaha-GBR) 45; 6: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 50; 7: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) 52; 8: Nigel Birkett (Montesa-GBR) 60; 9: Martin Lampkin (SWM-GBR) 67; 10: Charles Coutard (SWM-FRA) 67. RETIREMENTS: None
Chris Sutton (Montesa-GBR): Standing tall on the Sandiford sponsored Montesa is ‘Sooty’.
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020 23
1980 SSDT • Traditional
THURSDAY, DAY FOUR 110 MILES, 30 SECTIONS
You will not find anywhere better in the world than the Moidart Peninsular on a nice day, and that was the case for the remaining riders in this year’s event. The furthest mileage day in the event would open the action on the slopes of Ben Nevis with new hazards before the ride out to the Peninsular and Salen for the lunch check. In the afternoon, once again, new hazards were introduced at Kilmalieu before the riders caught the Corran Ferry for the ride back to Fort William. With his riding number putting him right at the back of the entry, the 1979 winner Malcolm Rathmell pulled himself right back into contention for another win leaving him just three marks away from the lead. Also on form was Yrjo Vesterinen, who matched Rathmell’s score. Vesty was riding in front of Rathmell, and with a tight time schedule for the day, he was pleased with his score and maintained his challenge for the win. For Bernie Schreiber, the early leader of the event, the day was an absolute disaster. Riding at the front of the entry, his chance of the first American win disappeared after he parted with 51 marks. The morning hazards had taken a steady flow of marks off all the riders with the best being Vesterinen on two, Rathmell four and three-time winner Martin Lampkin on six. The crowd knew that youngest of the three Lampkin brothers had risked his career swopping from the Bultaco to the SWM at very short notice for the event and were urging him on all the way, as you can see from the scores. The high-scoring hazard in the afternoon was the huge white boulders at Meall Nan Each. Double cleans on the two sets of hazards came from early man Subira and Glen Scholey (Bultaco) later in the
Charles Coutard (SWM-FRA): It was not a good week for the French Trials Champion, who finished surprisingly well down the order.
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
Kiyoteru Hattori (Honda-JPN): Very popular with the European riders, he scored his first FIM World Championship points in the Czech Republic at the end of the year with a superb ninth position.
day, riding in his first Scottish. The first of the four hazards looked impossible after riders failed on each attempt. That was until Martin Lampkin absolutely levelled it, much to the crowd’s delight. On the new hazards at Kilmalieu, Rob Shepherd, Malcolm Rathmell and Lampkin were the best on four marks lost each. The trial was now turning into a three-horse race for the victory. Between Shepherd, would we have the first four-stroke winner since 1966? With both Vesterinen and Rathmell close behind, who would win? BEST PERFORMANCE: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) with 17 marks lost RESULTS : 1: Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR) 66; 2: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 69; 3: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) 69; 4: Mick Andrews (Majesty-Yamaha-GBR) 84; 5: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 87; 6: Martin Lampkin (SWM-GBR) 90; 7: Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) 94; 8: Nigel Birkett (Montesa-GBR) 96; 9: John Reynolds (Beamish Suzuki) 100; 10: Kiyoteru Hattori (Honda-JPN) 105.
Kiyoteru Hattori (Honda-JPN): Concentrating to the limit at the top of Pipeline.
25
Traditional • 1980 SSDT
Lane Leavitt (Montesa-USA): Just check out the rear suspension setup on Lane’s Montesa.
FRIDAY, DAY FIVE 57 MILES, 33 SECTIONS
Giovanni Tosco (SWM-ITA): One of the old guard of Italian riders, Giovanni loved competing in the SSDT.
It was now time for Vesterinen to make his intentions clear for the first foreign victory with a strong, solid performance, parting with just five marks for the day and with it the lead in the event for the first time in the week. The day opened with the 17-mile ride in early-morning sunshine and, over the Ballachulish Bridge, to the new group of hazards at Kentallen. A mass of rocky boulders made up the six hazards, but as soon as the first group of riders arrived, it became very obvious that there would be time problems. The hazards were difficult, to say the least. Soon the wait to ride the first two hazards grew and grew until at one point more than 100 riders were waiting to attempt the group of sections. The officials struggled to control the problem, and one of the hazards was removed. It was only the first sections of the day, and already chaos had taken over as riders stopped time after time amongst the formidable rocks. Some of the waiting riders had two hours’ time delay added to their individual daily cards, and this made the whole day turn into a challenging one for the majority of the entry. Using his vast experience, Martin Lampkin used all these problems to his advantage to record a score of only four marks lost, closely followed by ‘Vesty’ on five. It was the ‘old-style’ Martin at his very best; chin out and in full control of the SWM, showing the watching crowd why he had three consecutive victories from 1976–1978 tucked under his belt. The only ‘blot’ on the day was when a feet-up clean ride at Cnoc a Linnhe was recorded as a three-mark loss by the observer. In the evening the officials realised the mistake and, with the support of witnesses – and much to Lampkin’s delight – the extra three marks were removed. As the day closed on a very difficult day for the club, due to the time problems, the riders knew they had competed on a hard day. This small village of Kentallen still currently hosts the SSDT hazards, but under new land ownership (we believe in the early ’90s) the name changed to Lagnaha and, yes, the hazards remain very difficult. As the day closed, Vesterinen was on the edge of recording history with Rathmell close behind and focused on the win, as he had been the previous year. BEST PERFORMANCE: Martin Lampkin (SWM-GBR) with four marks lost RESULTS: 1: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 74; 2: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) 77; 3: Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR) 92; 4: Martin Lampkin (SWM-GBR) 94; 5: Mick Andrews (Majesty-Yamaha-GBR) 95; 6: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 103; 7: Bernie Schreiber (BultacoUSA) 105; 8: Nigel Birkett (Montesa-GBR) 114; 9: John Reynolds (Beamish Suzuki) 123; 10: Chris Clarke (Montesa-GBR) 126.
Ady Morrison (Fantic-GBR): A very early convert to the Italian Fantic machines from Cyril Kenney’s trials shop, Welshman Ady would enjoy much success on the red machines from Italy.
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Glen Scholey (Bultaco-GBR): With a huge grin Glen starts in his very first SSDT.
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
THE CHOICE OF CHAMPIONS
TONI BOU 14 x FIM X-Trial World Champion (Indoor) 13 x FIM Trial World Champion (Outdoor)
To discover the MICHELIN Trial range visit: www.michelin.co.uk/motorbike
1980 SSDT • Traditional
Andy Watson (SWM-GBR): A very good centre and national rider, Andy can still be found spectating at many East Yorkshire centre trials.
John E Shirt (Majesty Yamaha-GBR): Putting his faith in his own product John cleans Pipeline on his 320cc Majesty Yamaha, pulling third gear all the way.
John Hulme (Majesty Yamaha-GBR): Yes it’s your very own Classic Trial Magazine editor putting on the style!
SATURDAY, DAY SIX 73 MILES, 30 SECTIONS
As this year’s Scottish Six Days Trial came to its conclusion, it would be a head-to-head between the two Montesa team riders, the trial leader Yrjo Vesterinen and Malcolm Rathmell. They had pulled away from other riders who were all battling for the final top ten positions; it was all to play for. Anyone who has ridden this event will know Saturday is in no way an easy day, but there was morning sunshine. Again, the day opened with a ride out, over the Ballachulish Bridge, to the two sections at Cameron Hill before dropping back into Kinlochleven for the ride up the formidable Pipeline. One of the early clean rides came from a certain John Hulme on the Majesty Yamaha. He selected third gear and literally flew up the hill in a controlled aggressive ride. Many more clean rides were recorded before the riders headed out over Blackwater Reservoir, back down into Kinlochleven once more before taking in Lock Eild Path and then the ride out on the moor, taking in Bradileig and back to the lower slopes of Ben Nevis where the group of ten sections would be ridden. Huge crowds had gathered, expecting to see the drama once again that had unfolded the year before when Malcolm Rathmell out-pointed Martin Lampkin, but it was not to be. Having lost two marks in the morning, Vesty dropped just a further two which secured the best performance on the day and the first foreign rider victory. Rathmell had to settle for the runner-up position having parted with seven marks as these two finished well ahead of the other riders. Rob Shepherd won the battle of the Japanese machines as he finished third in front of Mick Andrews’ Yamaha. As for Spanish rider Subira, he made his final day extra hard as he had arrived at Ben Nevis before realising he had missed out the whole group of sections at Bradileig. He raced back on the Fantic, rode the hazards and then rushed through the ten at Ben Nevis losing only two time penalties, much to his relief! How times change as Bernie Schreiber was the highest placed Bultaco rider with Martin Lampkin bringing home the SWM in seventh. Nigel Birkett’s eighth position ensured Montesa won the team award as Spain’s Albert Juvanteney crept into the top ten on the final day to relegate John Reynolds to tenth.
John Lampkin (Bultaco-GBR): With no colour pictures available we had to bring you another SSDT first-time rider in black and white. ‘Johnboy’ finished 84th in his very first six days. John E Shirt (Majesty Yamaha-GBR): Not only riding in the event, John also kept his eye on his sponsored riders. Here he talks with Irishman Derek Burton on the left. Helping the team effort in his Yamaha overalls is Ron Hulme, the father of the editor of this very publication.
BEST PERFORMANCE: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) with four marks lost RESULTS: 1: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 78; 2: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa) 84; 3: Rob Shepherd (Honda) 108; 4: Mick Andrews (Majesty Yamaha) 111; 5: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 114; 6: Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) 118; 7: Martin Lampkin (SWM) 121, 8: Nigel Birkett (Montesa) 132; 9: Albert Juvanteney (Ossa-ESP) 148; 10: John Reynolds (Beamish Suzuki) 149.
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
29
Traditional • 1980 SSDT
SCOTTISH SIX DAYS TRIAL 1980
Nick Holt (Honda-GBR): Everyone was wanting a production Honda trials motorcycle. Many enthusiasts built specials including this Pete Jerrerd 220cc Honda ridden by Nick. You must agree it does look rather tasty.
RESULTS: 1: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 78; 2: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa) 84; 3: Rob Shepherd (Honda) 108; 4: Mick Andrews (Majesty Yamaha) 111; 5: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 114; 6: Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) 118; 7: Martin Lampkin (SWM) 121, 8: Nigel Birkett (Montesa) 132; 9: Albert Juvanteney (Ossa-ESP) 148; 10: John Reynolds (Beamish Suzuki) 149; 11: Chris Clarke (Montesa) 150; 12: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 154; 13: Danilo Galeazzi (SWM-ITA) 158; 14: Chris Sutton (Montesa) 165; 15: Fred Michaud (Ossa-FRA) 166; 16: Kiyoteru Hattori (Honda-JPN) 170; 17: Norman Shepherd (Ossa) 171; 18: Charles Coutard (SWM-FRA) 172; 19: Joseph Jo (Montesa-ESP) 174; 20: Gilles Burgat (SWM-FRA) 176; 21: Nick Jefferies (Montesa) 179; 22: Pedro Olle (Montesa-ESP) 185; 23: Giovanni Tosco (SWM-ITA) 185; 24: Dave Thorpe (Bultaco) 190; 25: Peter Cartwright (Bultaco) 192; 26: Alan Lampkin (Bultaco) 193; 27: Boni Geebelen (Montesa-ESP) 194; 28: Lane Leavitt (MontesaUSA) 197; 29: Mike Skinner (Montesa) 198; 30: Tony Calvert (Ossa) 200; 31: Steve Robson (Montesa) 210; 32: Jack Stites (SWM-USA) 214; 33: Geoff Chandler (Bultaco) 216; 34: John Hemingway (Bultaco) 221; 35: Eddie Smith (Montesa) 223; 36: Ady Morrison (Fantic) 236; 37: Adrian Prato (Montesa-FRA) 243; 38: Glen Scholey (Bultaco) 250; 39: Chris Myers (Bultaco) 250; 40: Colin Boniface (Bultaco) 251; 41: Walter Luft (BultacoAUT) 256; 42: Steve Moore (Bultaco) 257; 43: Steve Smith (Montesa) 263; 44: Mike Leddy (Beamish Suzuki) 267; 45: Derek Burton (Majesty Yamaha) 270; 46: Ray Haslam (Bultaco) 272; 47: Andy Watson (SWM) 274; 48: Helmut Stanik (Montesa-GER) 275; 49: Chris Milner (Bultaco) 280; 50: Graham Watkin (Majesty Yamaha) 285; 51: John Hulme (Majesty Yamaha) 289; 52: Peter Oakley (Majesty Yamaha) 291. BEST NEWCOMER: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 154. SECOND BEST NEWCOMER: Fred Michaud (Montesa-FRA) 166. BEST SCOTTISH RIDER: Keith Johnston (Majesty-Yamaha) 359.
Nick Holt (Honda-GBR): Going for gold, Nick in action on the Honda.
BEST FOREIGN RIDER: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 78. BEST AGENTS RIDER: Nick Jefferies (Montesa-GBR) 179. BEST MANUFACTURER’S TEAM: Montesa A with Yrjo Vesterinen (FIN), Malcolm Rathmell (GBR), Nigel Birkett (GBR) 294. BEST UP TO 200CC: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 114. BEST UP TO 250CC: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 154. BEST UP TO 350CC: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 78. STATISTICS: Starters: 275; Finishers: 231; Retirements: 44; Total Sections: 189; Total Mileage: 488
SPECIAL FIRST CLASS AWARDS
MACHINES: Montesa: 18; Bultaco: 13; SWM: 6; Majesty Yamaha: 5; Honda: 3; Ossa: 3; Fantic: 2; Beamish Suzuki: 2. TOP 20 MACHINES: Montesa: 7; Bultaco: 2; Honda: 3; SWM: 3; Ossa: 2; Majesty Yamaha: 1; Fantic: 1; Beamish Suzuki: 1. RIDERS: Great Britain: 33; Rest of the World: 19 Stig Karlsson (Matchless-SWE): We salute Stig for his efforts and crowd entertainment on his way to finishing 171st on this mammoth of a trials motorcycle.
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TOP 20 RIDERS: Great Britain: 9; Rest of the World: 11
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
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Traditional • 1980 SSDT
BRIT SHOCK VESTY’S
In a true ‘Brit-Shock’ to an event dominated by riders from Great Britain, it was Finland’s motorcycle trials superstar Yrjo Vesterinen who broke the stranglehold on a victorious day for Montesa in May 1980 as he took the win. What’s remarkable is that as the season closed Montesa would also win its first FIM World Trials championship with Sweden’s Ulf Karlsson. Words: John Hulme with Yrjo Vesterinen Pictures: Steve Bird, John Hulme, Toon van De Vliet and Iain Lawrie
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Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
1980 SSDT • Traditional
In more recent times we spoke with Yrjo’ Vesty’ Vesterinen about his historic SSDT win: “When I moved from Bultaco to Montesa for the 1980 season, my contract for the year included the Scottish Six Days Trial. Manufacturers still valued the publicity from winning the event. A foreign rider had never won it, and I wanted to be that man. “They built special machines as opposed to modified production ones for the works riders and fabricated a small batch of handmade Cota 349 frames to try and slim down the rather wide machine. “The engine was very standard. My machine had minimal engine braking effect, which was a particular problem for me as I was so used to the then-outstanding Bultaco engine. I was gradually getting used to my Montesa, and I spent many hours practising, but the engine still did not feel quite right. In the end, I had to accept that the Montesa motor was just quite different from the Bultaco in how it ran and what I was so used to. “At the opening FIM world round in Northern Ireland, I came third with a damaged knee but slumped to sixth at the English world round before taking another third place in Belgium. “Before the Spanish world championship round, the motor would not run properly and was vibrating quite badly before it literally ‘blew up’. The engine required rebuilding, which was carried out at the local Montesa dealers Isern in Spain as the factory were on strike at the time. They confirmed the engine could never have run correctly as the main bearing location points in the crankcases had been machined out of line! With the rebuilt engine, I was much happier with how the machine ran and took another third place in the event in Spain. My focus now was on winning my first Scottish Six Days Trial.”
IN SAFE HANDS
“For the Scottish, I was based near Sandiford’s, the UK Montesa importers in the north of England. The machine would be in the safe, capable hands of Bill Brandwood. Bill was the same as Reg May was with Bultacos, a firstclass mechanic and Montesa specialist working for Jim Sandiford; it was a pleasure to work with him. He prepared the Montesa for the event by going right through the machine, replacing components that were worn out and
checking everything else was okay. The Montesa was slightly heavier than the Bultaco, but the build quality was much better. “When I arrived at the event, the French tyre company, Michelin, had a transporter full of the new prototype ‘sticky’ tyres for the supported riders to use. I was very determined and also very well prepared for the week ahead. After the opening day, which was held in warm sunny weather, the early leader was Bernie Schreiber. I was just off the top three and happy, taking a nice clean up Pipeline with the Montesa holding the line well in second gear. The Montesa, with its long wheelbase and the new Michelin tyres, was proving so good in this natural type of environment where the sections were pretty straight compared to the world championship sections. “At Laggan Locks on Tuesday, I once again used second gear to attempt the hazard. I had wanted to use third gear, but with no run into the section, both Dave Thorpe and I decided second gear would be the safest. With Schreiber still leading on Tuesday evening, I decided it was now or never to make my move for the lead. “Wednesday was a very tough day, and I was happy to move into second position behind Schreiber, just one mark adrift. Thursday was once again a tough, long day and with a tight time schedule, I pushed on all day, as Rob Shepherd moved into a slender lead as Schreiber slumped to seventh. On Friday, I took the lead for the first time. Saturday was the time for the kill, and I managed the best performance to take the first win for a foreign rider – to say I was happy is an understatement!”
THANK YOU
“Thanks to Bill Brandwood, Jim Sandiford and the Sandiford Montesa support the Montesa had run like a dream all week, and I had ridden very much my own event. As the 1980 season closed, I had the luxury of choosing to stay with Montesa or a return to Bultaco through Comerfords, who had agreed to underwrite the deal, which I took. I had had a good time with Montesa, and I am still grateful for having such a perfect machine to ride at the Six Days.” As a footnote, the Scottish Six Days Trial winner’s trophy, the Alexander Challenge Trophy for the best performance, would stay in the hands of foreign riders until 1988 when Steve Saunders broke the hold on the trophy on the Fantic.
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020 33
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Machine • Miller 350
THE MILLER MOMENT HIRO POWER
When Sammy Miller talks about anything related to motorcycle trials, it’s always time to listen. Such is his in-depth knowledge of the manufacturing of these specialist machines and the sport he once dominated so well on both two- and four-stroke models, I have the utmost admiration for the Irishman. Straighttalking, to the point, and, at times, somewhat blunt, it’s usually the truth that you do not want to hear. Words: John Hulme with Sammy Miller • Pictures: Alan Vines, Brian Holder, Honda, Trial Magazine France, Sammy Miller Museum Collection, Mauri/Fontsere Collection and the Giulio Mauri Copyright, Yoomee Archive and SWM
I
Sammy Miller stands very proud with his famous Ariel GOV 132 in his museum.
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had never seen Sammy ride the worldfamous Ariel GOV 132 in anger in his ‘heyday’, but did witness his early domination after the move to Bultaco in 1965. Back in the early ’70s, and perhaps through his ambitious developmental engineering eyes, he became involved with the Honda project. It did not come to the conclusion he wanted despite the fact he gave the Japanese company its first FIM world round win with Rob Shepherd and the ACU British Trials Championship in 1977. A move to SWM in 1978, where he worked with the Austrian Rotax engine, gave him an idea that would lead him to the Miller moment. Sammy had learned, through his connections with the SWM trials project, Rotax had issued a licence that allowed the engine to be sold to different manufacturers, one in each country, to use as the powerplant in many applications of Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
Miller 350 • Machine
Working with Bultaco in Spain Sammy had designed the template for the machine that would open the doors for the Spanish armada in 1964. It ‘floated’ into the once great manufacturing of trials motorcycles in the UK and simply blew them out of the water with the win at the 1965 Scottish Six Days Trial. Using the ‘Hi-Boy’ frame kit he built around 45 complete machines using the Villiers motors in the late ’60s.
This 1974 picture is of the Miller-engined Bultaco he used whilst waiting for the four-stroke Honda to arrive from Japan.
With the Honda TL 250 in the summer of 1974.
motorcycling. It was a very similar idea to what Villiers in Great Britain had done first before a whole range of ‘Micro’ engines became available from both Europe and Japan. Yes, I am referring to the smaller engine-capacity trials machines that appeared from a ‘cottage’ industry of motorcycle manufacturers in the late ’60s and early ’70s. During a year with SWM, he was secretly following a desire to manufacture and sell his brand of trials machines, and the Miller idea started to come to life.
a trials project after he had parted with Honda in late 1977. They discussed the possibility of Clews supplying Miller with a single-cylinder four-stroke trials engine dedicated to the needs of the trials motorcycle. However, the equation of the tooling cost to design and manufacture a dedicated four-stroke engine far outweighed the financial returns for it to become commercially viable.
Despite this setback, Miller had started to look at the possibility of finding a manufacturer who he could become involved with to produce a trials engine. He couldn’t see that his future would be with SWM after it had introduced the first trials machine with a price tag of just over £1,000. The machine had not sold as well as expected. Notwithstanding an excellent reputation for quality, they had not performed Once again using his Hi-Boy frame concept Sammy turned the four-stroke Honda TL 250cc into a winning machine.
A FOUR-STROKE OPTION
He had looked at the two-stroke Rotax engine, which used the Rotary Valve system, but did not like the crankcase induction idea and how it performed having seen it in action in the Italian SWM. He preferred a more conventional cylinder type of induction where the piston controlled the power delivery instead of a rotating disc or rotor. The Rotax engine was also quite wide and had a large engineering mass to power a trials machine. Despite having a strong reliability record the engines, in truth, were not the simplest to maintain and work on, requiring special tools in certain areas of engine rebuilds. Both Sammy Miller and CCM/Armstrong founder, Alan Clews, had spoken earlier about Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
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Machine • Miller 350
Sammy and Alan Clews, the CCM/ Armstrong founder, spoke about a trials project after he had parted with Honda in late 1977. They discussed the possibility of Clews supplying Miller with a single cylinder four-stroke trials engine dedicated to trials use. This is the modified BSA B40 engine in the prototype CCM trials machine.
as well as the ‘benchmark’ machines from Bultaco and Montesa that still dominated the trials market. Early in 1978, he contacted Italian businessman Andrea Misconi, who owned the Hiro name which produced two-stroke motorcycle engines for manufacturers such as Ancillotti and Garelli. The family-owned Origgio manufacturing company was based near Milan in Italy.
HIRO POWER
Sammy Miller decided to make a trip to Italy so he could sit and speak personally with Andrea Misconi. They both propsoed ideas over the telephone about the new two-stroke engine. Even though Sammy had so many questions concerning the development, manufacture and ultimately volume production of the new engine, Misconi could confidently answer all of them. The design template for the engine would be aimed at simplicity and ease of maintenance. This would include in-gear kick-starting and a six-speed gearbox, with the first four ratios dedicated to trials use and last two for tracks and the open road. Miller had been successfully selling his own steel tubular steel ‘HiBoy’ frames and explained that he had ‘mirrored’ a similar idea to the proposed Miller one. He had sold over 400 of the Hi-Boy frame kits including around 45 complete machines using the Villiers motors in the late ’60s. He explained in detail to Misconi how it also appeared in a different configuration housing the tall four-stroke Honda trials engine during his working time with the Japanese manufacturer, and how effective it was in keeping the overall weight down. At that time, the supply of the materials and components to
Just one engine had been built incorporating Sammy’s suggestions, which arrived in June 1979. It was fitted straight into the Miller machine for immediate testing. It has the exhaust routed to the right of the engine.
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On his way to winning his 900th trial on the SWM in 1978. He looked at the two-stroke Rotax engine which used the Rotary Valve system but did not like the crankcase induction. He preferred a more conventional cylinder type of induction where the piston controlled the power delivery instead of a spinning rotor.
manufacture a complete trials-ready motorcycle had not been as easy as it would be for the Miller machine to go into production. Now they had a wider choice of suspension components for both the front and rear, wheel hubs and wheel rims, handlebars, controls, mudguards, carburettors and ignition parts. Miller also had a huge selection of the parts he had manufactured for many of the current trials models for his busy aftermarket trials parts to hand. In January 1979, Sammy Miller eventually met up with Andrea Misconi and his father at the London-based Racing and Sporting Show. They both signed a contract to produce the new Hiro trials engine.
Sammy in action in the summer on his own Miller 350 at the 1979 Greybeards Trial.
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
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Machine • Miller 350 With a very busy aftermarket parts business to run, Sammy Miller Products had a stand at the end of season Bristol Dirt Bike Show in December 1979.
Standing very proud is the Miller 350 on the Sammy Miller Products stand at the Bristol Dirt Bike Show in December 1979.
The rival Italian motorcycle manufacturer Aprilia had started to use the Sammy Miller Hiro engine in its new 340 TR trials model and had put in a substantial order for the engines. His is the Aprilia 340 TR trials model at the Milan show in Italy in November 1979.
AN ANGLO-ITALIAN MARRIAGE
Agreeing that Sammy would receive royalties on all the Hiro trials engines sold, he also insisted that the ignition cover carry his proud name, Sammy Miller. The factory produced between 600 and 700 engines per month and so could easily adapt to produce the trials engine. The contract would be for two years, during which time the target would be from the building of the engine into a complete machine ready for volume sales into the trials market. The tried and tested Hiro 250cc motocross engine would be the starting point with the addition of flywheels on both sides to provide that extra low-down torque needed in the trials world. It would be a single-cylinder air-cooled type with an engine capacity of 305.8cc and a bore of 78mm and stroke of 64mm, which was quite long for the trials application, but would deliver smooth, usable power. The five-port aluminium cylinder barrel would have the Dell’ Orto carburettor’s 25mm diameter increased to 26mm Ø to improve the power delivery. To assist with keeping costs down, it would use a normal contact-breaker ignition system. While the new prototype engine would be built in Italy, Sammy would be busy at his New Milton base having the frame fabricated and assembling the various cycle parts and wheels to it. The Italian-supplied front suspension would come from Marzocchi, with Betor oil-filled shock absorbers for the rear suspension. The wheels and hub assemblies would also come from Italy and Grimeca, making it very much an AngloItalian marriage. The target for both parties was to have three prototype machines ready to start testing in March 1979. To aid his development, Sammy would engage the services of the experienced rider Geoff Parkin, who he had sponsored in the past and who was with him in 1978 at SWM.
WINNING DEBUT
With two new machines waiting for engines, the project hit some unforeseen delays due to a strike at the Italian Origgio manufacturing company. Sammy was desperate to show the complete machine at the Scottish Six Days Trial in May, but this would not happen, and so for the
Looking very ‘slick’ is the new Miller 350.
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Putting on the style at the Colmore Cup Trial in early 1980 is John Metcalfe on the new Miller 350.
first time in many years, he missed the event and instead travelled to Italy for a meeting with Andrea Misconi. Just one engine, incorporating Sammy’s suggestions, had been built which arrived just after his return. It was fitted straight into the Miller machines for immediate testing. At this stage, he was quite pessimistic about the whole project due to the snail’s pace of development. On Thursday 1st June, it was Sammy himself who recorded the first win on the Miller 350 model in a local event. Much happier with the machine’s performance, he stated that a production run of 100 machines
In the Miller-inspired Hi-Boy frame the Hiro motor was a very snug fit.
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
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Machine • Miller 350
You can see that the Hi-Boy frame is very Bultaco-like, and how low the Hiro engine sits in position.
would start later in the year. The pre-production model certainly looked competitive with its Reynolds 531 fabricated frame hard-chrome plated complementing the white aesthetics. It had now moved to electronic Motoplat ignition for reliability, and a 26mm Ǿ Mikuni carburettor was fitted. The overall weight was 190lb (86kg) with 13” (330mm) of ground clearance with a seat height of 31” (787mm). While in December 1979, the production run of machines had not commenced, he presented his latest Hiro engine Miller 350 to the general public at the Bristol Dirt Bike Show. With Geoff Parkin departed from development duties on the Miller, in 1980, John Metcalfe was signed to contest selected world rounds, the ACU British Championship, Scottish Six Days Trial and other selected
It was agreed that Sammy would receive royalties on all the Hiro trials engines sold and he also insisted that the ignition cover carry his proud name, Sammy Miller.
national trials. With both Miller and Metcalfe full of enthusiasm for the machine’s potential, John finished just outside the points in 15th position at the St. David’s British Championship Trial. In the opening FIM World Championship round in Ireland, he finished 45th after suffering from punctures. In Great Britain, one week later, he finished 52nd as he, along with many of the riders, suffered with time penalties. After breaking the gearbox and damaging the crankcases while practising, Sammy tried desperately to get John spare parts from Italy but to no avail, because they did not arrive. When he switched to an Ossa for the Allan Jefferies Trial in July with Miller’s blessing, the relationship between John Metcalfe and the Miller trials project was over.
GLOBAL RECESSION
The whole year was overshadowed by very poor support during the development process by the Italian side of the partnership. As mentioned earlier, despite some superb efforts by Metcalfe, he was forced away from riding the machine due to the lack of mechanical support and engine parts from Italy. There was much interest in the engine itself, as Sammy carried on with developing the machine producing three complete machines. In Italy, they had increased the engine size to 320cc by increasing the cylinder bore size by 2mm to 80mm; the carburettor setup was back with the Dell’ Orto. Aprilia, a rival Italian motorcycle manufacturer, started to use the Sammy Miller Hiro engine in its new 340 TR trials model and
Various rear suspension units were tested and Pirelli tyres fitted.
Wheel and hub assemblies would also come from Italy and Grimeca, making it very much an Anglo-Italian marriage.
42
Sammy Miller and John ‘Mecca’ Metcalfe were full of enthusiasm for the machine’s potential as he finished in 15th position, just outside the points, at the St David’s British Championship Trial.
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
Miller 350 • Machine
In the opening FIM World Championship round in Ireland John finished 45th after suffering from punctures and an early starting number.
placed a substantial order for the engines. However, with a production run of the Miller 350 imminent, the plug was pulled on the whole project as, in the face of the global recession, an enormous capital outlay was needed to produce 100 machines. Sammy decided that there would not be enough demand for a new machine in an already crowded marketplace. The Hiro engine’s cost of production was around the £350 mark. When all the other component and manufacturing expenses were taken into account, it was soon evident that it could not be turned into a financially viable option and the idea was shelved, much to Miller’s disappointment. Wanting not to waste his efforts, Sammy eventually moved to ride the new Aprilia 340TR trials machine in early 1981.
One week later in Great Britain at the FIM World Championship round he finished 52nd during a tough day for John and the Miller 350.
HIRO POWER
Over the next few years, the single-cylinder air-cooled Hiro motor had proved very popular due to its simplicity and ease of maintenance. However, it had started to suffer from the lack of development which also effected the ageing Rotax engine, which was still in production. When it was first used, the Hiro engine design was quite modern with its in-gear kick-starting and a six-speed gearbox. A Nikasil-coated cylinder liner and electronic ignition had added to its reliability. All was not lost though as Sammy Miller’s old friend, Alan Clews, benefited from the loss of the Miller project when he made the bold decision to put the Miller Hiro engine into a range of CCM/Armstrong trials models. They would taste ACU British Championship success, first with a young John Lampkin followed by Steve Saunders, before the supplies of the engine dried up in the mid-80s. One of the three examples of the Miller 350 can still be found in the superb Sammy Miller museum collection. Try to visit the museum and take a look at the Miller 350.
This picture of the Miller 350 in action is from the televised ‘Kickstart’ Trial. Soon after this John Metcalfe’s time with the Miller trials project was over. Not wanting to waste his development time, Sammy eventually moved to ride the new Aprilia 320 trials model using the Hiro engine in 1981.
Along with many of the riders ‘Mecca’ suffered with time penalties in the mud and rocks of the British world round.
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
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Machine • Miller 350
In 1982 Yorkshire’s John Lampkin would embark on a full season of FIM World Championship trials with support from CCM. On the Hiro-engined machine he would score his first ever points, finishing the season ninth in the world.
Despite the passing of 40 years, the machine still looks a very competitive package when it’s compared against the other trials machines of that era. I genuinely believe, after all these years, that with more support from the Italians the machine could have heralded the return to the top of the trials world for a Britishmanufactured trials machine Well done for your efforts, Sammy Miller!
SAMMY MILLER MUSEUM
‘Home to the most beautiful motorcycles in the world’; that is what describes this living legacy to the great man, Sammy Miller. He is a motorcycling legend; an eleven-time British Champion, winner of over 1,400 events, and still winning competitions more than 50 years after his first victory. The museum houses one of the finest collections of fully restored motorcycles in the world. It includes factory racers and exotic prototypes, with the collection constantly evolving as more motorcycles are acquired. This is a living museum with almost every motorcycle in full working order. Sammy regularly demonstrates the motorcycles at race circuits in the UK and Europe as well as the museum’s event days. It houses one of the biggest collections of exotic racing machines in the world, including the V8 Moto Guzzi, 1950 Bicilindrica, Moto Villa, Nortons, AJSs, Excelsiors, Velocettes and so many more. The museum includes various halls dedicated to racing, road, competition and sports motorcycles. For more details on this stunning collection, visit: www.sammymiller.co.uk or call 01425 620777.
Sammy in his world-famous museum. It houses one of the finest collections of fully restored motorcycles in the world
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As John Lampkin moved from CCM to Fantic in 1983 another UK rider, Steve Saunders, moved to the team. On the Hiro-engined CCM/Armstrong he won the first two of his ten ACU British Championship titles and he also scored his first FIM World Championship point in France the same year.
Standing proud in the Sammy Miller Museum is this superb example of one of the three Miller 350 machines produced.
Yes the Sammy Miller Museum is the home to the most beautiful motorcycles in the world; and a living legacy to the great man himself.
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
Remembering • Alpinestars
Sante Mazzarolo founded Alpinestars in 1963 by making hiking and ski boots.
Santé Mazzarolo, the founder of the Alpinestars brand, passed away on the 1st May 2020 at his home in Italy at the age of 91 after a long illness. The Italian was the force behind innovative technology and design in the field of off-road motorcycling boots back in the 1970s. The Alpinestars name comes from the English translation of the Italian mountain flower Stella Alpina (Edelweiss) which grows high in the mountains where the company was founded, near Asolo.
SANTÉ MAZZAROLO S ALPINESTARS FOUNDER
Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) 1979 FIM World Trials Champion
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Words: Bernie Schreiber, Every Footstep Counts and From the Sections to the Podiums • Pictures: Alpinestars, Mauri/Fontsere Collection and the Giulio Mauri Copyright, Yoomee Archive and Bernie Schreiber Family
anté Mazzarolo founded Alpinestars in 1963 by making hiking and ski boots. But the sp ort of motocross came calling and so Santé produced quality boots which would be used by the motocross legend from Belgium, Roger DeCoster. Bernie Schreiber: “I met Santé for the first time in 1979, just after winning the FIM World Trials Championship title in Czechoslovakia. Pete Hudson, who was then the Comerfords Import Manager for Alpinestars UK, introduced us. Just hours after the event, we all headed to a small bar for a celebration drink to discuss a potential partnership. Santé asked, in Italian with a translator, do you want to ride with us next year? I said of course, but under the condition, my name appears on those Alpinestars boots. After about 10 minutes and a lot of small numbers in US$ dollars, we had the contract details and an agreement written on two little pieces of paper which we both signed, exchanged and shook hands over. Just a few months later, I would visit the Italian factory to check the fit of my new prototype boots and sign an official agreement. “Our working relationship lasted from 1979 to 1993, of which three of the years was with Alpinestars Bicycles. We had our ups and Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
Alpinestars • Remembering
Motocross legend Roger DeCoster (Suzuki-BEL)
downs during that time, but never a year went by that Santé, and I didn’t sit down for a family meal to discuss products and life. I was fortunate to enter his home, drink his wine and meet his wife and children Gabriele, Lucia and Gloria. He would visit the Italian FIM World Trials Championship round every year and extend his support. It didn’t matter who the motorcycle manufacturer was at the time; I always felt like a family member and part of the team. Santé was the most down to earth
Innovation in advertising from Alpinestars, with the launch of the Schreiber boot in 1980.
individual; very generous, approachable, honourable and helpful in every way. A true gentleman who loved his family, factory, workers and world-class riders. He worked day and night innovating visionary new product designs, which he then made by hand. “Around 1982 we spoke about a flat-sole boot for trials riding. I was riding on the balls of my feet all the time and didn’t like a heel on my boots. The main problem was in mud as my feet would slide into the middle of the boot and get stuck on the heel or slip off. That was a considerable innovation for trials boots, and the design is used today by every trials boot manufacturer. A perfectionist and a craftsman, his master designs had attention to detail, quality and innovation with a heart of passion for being the world’s best. He believed that your feet and mind are connected. To ‘Keep your feet up’ was to keep your mind up. If your feet
Bernie Schreiber (SWM-USA): 1982 Scottish Six Days Trial winner.
are in pain, your mind will follow, and he was right. The Schreiber boot was produced for four years from 1980–1983. Over 7,000 units were sold worldwide. “Rest in Peace, my friend.” John Hulme – Trial and Classic Trial Magazine: “The contribution that Alpinestars in Italy has made to the world of motorcycle sport has been second to none. In the off-road world of motorcycle trials, it has achieved immeasurable success with such great legendary names as Bernie Schreiber from the USA in the twin-shock era right through to Toni Bou from Spain in the modern era. The production signature Schreiber boots were ‘The’ ones to have in the ’80s and opened the door to boot development in terms of both safety and style. The passing of anyone is always a sad time, but I am sure that the Alpinestars light will continue to shine brightly on so many more future stars in the motorcycle world. RIP Santé Mazzarolo, we salute you.”
t The Schreiber boot was produced for four years from 1980–1983. Over 7,000 units were sold worldwide.
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
p Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP): 2007–2020 FIM Trial World Champion.
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Picture Credit: Eric Kitchen
TONY SCARLETT (GAS GAS)
1989 ACU BRITISH TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP: COLMORE CUP
1980 FIM WORLD TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP: IRELAND
BERNIE SCHREIBER (BULTACO-USA)
Picture Credit: Mauri/Fontsere Collection and the Giulio Mauri Copyright
New Era • Gas Gas
GAS GAS
CHANGING TIMES In the mid-80s, times were changing in the world of manufacturing motorcycle trials machines. With the introduction of the production mono-shock trials model from Yamaha in late 1983, it made all twin-shock machines redundant almost overnight as they could not compete with the revolutionary technological change that the Japanese had brought to motorcycle trials. Within a two-year time frame, all the manufacturers had single-shock trials machines in production. Of the once-dominant manufacturers from Spain, only Montesa was still in production as Bultaco and Ossa had disappeared to be replaced by a much smaller group of manufacturers including Alpha, Alfer, Merlin and Mecatecno, to name a few. Of the Italian manufacturers, SWM had disappeared, but Aprilia, Fantic and Garelli had production machines, and in France we had JCM. From Japan, we still had Honda and Yamaha producing trials models. Out of the smaller industry in Spain, a fast-moving new manufacturer by the name of Gas Gas had been looking for a UK importer. That man would be John E Shirt, from Buxton in Derbyshire. Words: John Hulme with John E Shirt • Pictures: Eric Kitchen, TMX, Solo Moto, Snr and Yoomee Archive
J
ohn Edward Shirt needs no introduction. He was brains behind the successful Majesty Yamaha conversions, before moving his exceptional engineering talents to the revolutionary mono-shock Yamaha in which he played a vital part in its development. He had built up a successful business; not just selling the new Yamaha machines, but also adding his knowledge to further the development of the production models. He offered his hand-prepared models which also included many of the aftermarket parts he could now supply along with clothing, boots and accessories for the trials market from his Stable Lane base in Buxton. When Yamaha removed him as an official dealer, he started to look elsewhere to secure his future employment. 54
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
Gas Gas • New Era
Gas Gas team rider Andreu Codina in the 1988 Cingles Three Day Trial in Spain.
In the UK the general public got its first sighting of the new Gas Gas 327 model in the hands of Andreu Codina at Butser Lime Works near Portsmouth in the world round.
The new Mecatecno was on display at the 1988 Spanish world round.
It’s a proud John E Shirt with the first production Gas Gas 327 model in the country at Further Harrop Farm, Pott Shrigley near Macclesfield
Gas Gas had proved very popular with the buying public, as you can see with three of the Halley models on this trailer in March 1988 at the Spanish world round.
FIRST MEETING
In late 1987, John had looked at the new Aprilia TXR single-shock trials model and purchased one to evaluate it. He soon realised that using the ageing Rotax engine had made it on the heavy side, and so the Aprilia was sold. His 16-year-old son, John Richard Shirt, was riding the HRC supplied RTL Honda. I travelled with father and son to the opening 1988 FIM World Trials round at St Llorenc, Spain. Two new machines were on display from two of the new Spanish manufacturers, Gas Gas and Mecatecno. We celebrated son John’s 17th birthday in a local restaurant adjacent to the start area where, unbeknown to us, there were some of the management staff from Gas Gas including their rider Andreu Codina. I knew him from a few years before when I rode in a few world rounds, and I went over to say hello. He gave me a poster of the new Gas Gas in action, and when I returned to the table, I spoke with father Shirt as we cast our eyes over the poster. We then looked at the new machine in the paddock and, yes, it did look very competitive! Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
It’s July 1988 and ‘Shirty’ gives the Gas Gas its first taste of the UK mud and water at Further Harrop Farm. He is wearing the Crowtree produced clothing he had manufactured to sell in his busy shop at Stable Lane in Buxton.
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New Era • Gas Gas Having ridden supported Majesty and mono-shock Yamahas for John Shirt it was Nigel Birkett who accepted the offer to ride the Gas Gas for him on August 7th at the Hillsborough Club’s Jack Wood ACU British Championship Trial.
Nigel Birkett on his way to 17th position on the new Gas Gas in the Jack Wood Trial: “It had incredibly strong engine torque, very similar in many ways to my ‘works’ 325cc Suzuki I rode back in the ’70s”.
SPEEDWAY DAYS
On his return home to the UK, John rang a good friend who he knew through his speedway days, Keith Blair. Keith knew everything about motorcycle parts and accessories imported from Spain and Italy to the UK. John asked if he knew anyone at either Gas Gas or Mecatecno. Keith remembered a Spanish guy named Joseph Pibernat who had partnered up with Narcis Casas to produce the new Gas Gas trials machine. They owned a shop called Remoto, which imported off-road accessories into Spain. Around 1985/1986 they had started to produce the new Gas Gas trials machines and had scored a superb win with their ‘Halley’ model in the hands of Gabino Renales at the 1987 Belgian FIM world round. It was at the Belgian world round in 1988 that John came into contact with Joseph Pibernat who was there supporting his riders on the new 327 Gas Gas model. As John worked on his son’s RTL Honda, they spoke about the opportunity for a UK importer of the Spanish machines.
WAITING GAME
Gas Gas planned to produce between 800 and 1,000 units of the new 327 model and Joseph Pibernat had agreed with John Shirt to send him one for evaluation. With machines built in batches of 25, they could address any production problems immediately. The demand for the new machine in Spain had proved very popular. Both Joseph Pibernat and Narcis Casas had reputations as strong riders in the heyday of Bultaco, and both carried immense respect amongst the off-road riders of their homeland, hence the demand for the new machines. It was a waiting game for John, but in July 1988 the new Gas Gas arrived at the East Midlands airport from Spain for him to collect. The frame number was 231, which confirmed his thoughts that the machines were selling well in Spain. With the machine safe in his Stable Lane workshop, John gave it the once-over and was very impressed, especially with the overall weight at 83.5kg making it the lightest production trials machine on the market. After competing on it in a local Saturday evening trial, he took it to a local venue the day after at Further Harrop Farm, Pott Shrigley near Macclesfield in Cheshire. A few local riders were invited to ride it, and they all returned the new Gas Gas suitably impressed. John had worked with Nigel Birkett and sponsored him on both the Majesty and monoshock Yamaha machines and asked him if he would ride the Gas Gas for him on August 7th at the Hillsborough Club’s ACU British Championship Trial, to which he agreed. 56
John Richard Shirt on the start ramp with the Gas Gas at the 1988 Scott Trial.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Nigel Birkett: “This is such a long time ago. I have had to check some notes I made for the press to confirm my first impressions on the Gas Gas! It had incredible engine torque, very similar in many ways to my ‘works’ 325cc Suzuki I rode back in the ’70s. Even when I was pulling fourth gear and making the singlecylinder air-cooled engine work, the amount of grip available was unbelievable. “With a low seat height and quick and responsive steering, it gave it a very easy-to-ride feel. In the many rivers found in this event, the suspension package was excellent, with the biggest problem for me after riding the monoshock Yamaha for so long was which gear to use from the four trials gears, with the remaining two for moorland and road use. With so much torque and usable power, it gave you so much time to react when picking your chosen line in the hazards. “You could easily tell that it had been built with the rider in mind with nothing protruding to catch on the rocks in the rivers; it was actually two inches narrower than my Yamaha. The ‘floating’ front and rear disc brakes both performed very well, as did the clutch with its light action.
Whilst his father ran the business in the UK his son John went out to Spain to find out more about how the Spanish motorcycle manufacturer operated and to help with the development of the Gas Gas trials models.
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
Gas Gas • New Era
Sat between two mono-shock Yamaha trials machine is, we think, Russell Elliott on his Gas Gas 327 model at the 1989 SSDT. With the Beta at the side of the Gas Gas times were changing in the world of trials in the late ’80s. This picture is from the 1989 SSDT and the machine of John R Shirt.
Once again the Shirt family welcomed one of its earlier sponsored riders on Yamahas, Tony Scarlett, back to join the JST Gas Gas UK team in 1989.
Taken in Spain in 1989, from left: John E Shirt, Brian Cottrell and Joseph Pibernat after a ride-out on the Gas Gas machines.
With the full backing of his father, son John sits on the start ramp at the 1989 Hurst Cup in Ireland to start a full season of FIM World Championship on the Gas Gas.
“The modern looks would soon make it a popular machine with the buying public as they looked for an alternative for the ageing mono-shock Yamaha. The Gas Gas came with good-quality suspension and components, and I had no doubt then that with a top-class rider holding the handlebars it would become a very competitive machine.”
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
Six weeks later, John received his first batch of five machines. Two of these went to Dave Renham Motorcycles and one to local rider Andy Dale. The fourth one was kept as a Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
demonstration model, and the fifth one went into stock. His son John rode the first Gas Gas they had received in July for the first time in the September Red Rose ACU British Championship round. It would start a relationship for the Shirt family that is still around today. Interest in the machine in Spain was incredible as it became the best-selling trials machine of 1988, removing Montesa from the top of the sales chart. In the UK, interest was the same, and the Shirt family acquired more machines. As 1989 dawned, Tony Scarlett moved into a two-man team with John R Shirt. As they say, the rest is history!
GAS GAS 327 (1987) £2,300
ENGINE: Air-Cooled Single Cylinder Two-Stroke; Engine Size: 326cc; Bore: 83.25mm; Stoke: 60mm; Carburettor: 25mm Ø Dell’orto; Ignition: Motoplat Electronic; Gearbox: Six Speed. CHASSIS: Steel Tubular Chromoly with bolted rear sub-assembly; Swinging-Arm: Aluminium; Sump Guard: Aluminium; Fuel Tank: Plastic; Suspension: Front: Marzocchi, Rear: Corte Cosso. DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 1,328mm; Ground Clearance: 350mm; Seat Height: 712mm; Engine Width: 48mm; Footrest Width: 82mm; Footrest Height: 82mm.
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International • 1980 FIM WTC
Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) Winner Spain & France
Mick Andrews (Majesty Yamaha-GBR) Winner Great Britain
SIX ROUNDS
Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE) Winner Northern Ireland
Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) Winner Belgium & Austria
FOUR WINNERS Yes, that was the state of play after the opening six rounds of the 1980 FIM World Trials Championship. There were four different winners on four different manufacturers’ machines. With the season starting at a cold and wet Northern Ireland and the sixth round closing off the first half of the twelve-round series in a warm and dry France, the riders encountered a wide range of testing conditions. Before we move into the rounds themselves, let’s take a brief look at what had been going on in the world of trials during the run-up to the season opener.
Words: John Hulme, Alan Wright, Charly Demathieu and Mike Rapley • Pictures: Eric Kitchen, Alan Vines, Toon van de Vliet, Mauri/Fontsere Collection and the Giulio Mauri Copyright, Schreiber Family, Francesco Rappini, Beamish Suzuki, Bultaco, Fantic, Gori, Montesa, Ossa and SWM
W
ith the widely publicised problems at the Bultaco factory, the domination of the once-mighty Spanish manufacturers was entering what would be some challenging years as we went into the ’80s. The international team from Bultaco which had won the FIM World Trials Championship since its inception in 1975 with wins from Martin Lampkin, 1976–1978 with Yrjo Vesterinen and Bernie Schreiber in 1979 was now over. It was a case of ‘Viva Montesa’ as they had seen a significant increase in the sales of their Cota range of trials models, helped so much in the UK by their official importer Jim Sandiford. Off the back of the first Scottish Six Days win, by Malcolm Rathmell for Montesa on the new Cota 349 model, they had tempted 58
Finland’s Yrjo Vesterinen to join the team for 1980. Montesa and their publicity manager, Alberto Mallofre, presented an impressive international team in Vesterinen, Rathmell, Ulf Karlson (SWE) and Marland Whaley (USA) to challenge for the ultimate prize, the FIM World Trials Championship title. The factory in Spain would supply each of them with new hand-built prototype Cota 349 models. Montesa had the all-important monies to support the production of new machines, but the problem was the supply of the components to build machines.
TALK AND RUMOURS
Many component suppliers had had their fingers burnt with the non-payment for parts from other manufacturers and had not had the funds to invest in the production of more parts.
At Bultaco, it was not good news at all as there was talk and rumours of the works-supported riders not having received payments and the factory doors were shut. Without a doubt, the machine was more than competitive, proven by its world championship-winning pedigree. Still, with no finances in place to support the running of a team of riders, it faced a very uncertain future. Ossa had a new Spanish rider and machine combination with Toni Gorgot, but unfortunately, just when the season opener in Northern Ireland was on the horizon, he had a motorcycle accident on a road machine. He broke his foot, putting him out of the early part of the championship. Ossa had received a government cash injection based on the imminent production 200 of the new yellow Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
1980 FIM WTC • International
‘Gripper’ model. The Italian manufacturers were now being taken much more seriously, as both SWM and the new Fantic 200 model with its small 156cc engine looked more than competitive. Fantic had enticed Spain’s Montesa development rider Jaime Subira to work with them on a new model range, and SWM had some new young riders, one of whom was the Frenchman Gilles Burgat. As the season opened, the other major talking point was the compulsory introduction by the FIM of the fitting of working front and back lights. Other new manufacturers in the world championship included Gori from Italy and the new prototype Miller machine from Great Britain; it was going to be an exciting season indeed.
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
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TWIN SHOCK RESTORATION
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www.agbikes.co.uk
1980 FIM WTC • International Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE)
Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR)
ULF KARLSON N. IRELAND: WINNER
(MONTESA-SWE)
Pictures: Jeff Lawton, Mauri/Fontsere Collection and the Giulio Mauri Copyright A cold, damp day would make for a very tough challenging test as the season opened. With the Honda team riders sporting XR Enduro lights, and the Montesa of the Spanish team rider Miquel Cirera fitted with prototype Telesco Hydrobag shocks with a metal collar to protect the gas-filled bags, the action got underway. The tough six-mile course with 24 sections scattered around the old lead mines at Clandeboye, Newtownards would turn into a very high-scoring event. Only two riders, fifth-placed Martin Lampkin and 15th-placed John Reynolds, would not lose marks on time. The very heavy, muddy terrain would suit the four-stroke powered machines, and the early leader was Rob Shepherd on the Honda. He held a commanding 17-mark advantage after the opening lap with Yrjo Vesterinen in second position. A rear-
Manuel Soler (Bultaco-ESP)
wheel puncture slowed him on the second lap, and by the third lap, the lead had disappeared as he rushed the hazards. With many riders suffering from punctured tyres eventual winner Ulf Karlson rode the last four sections with a flat front tyre, and he was thrilled to win. Without a doubt though, the hero of the day was 20-year-old Chris Myers, who took his Bultaco into a fine seventh position.
ROUND 1: N. IRELAND
9 FEBRUARY 1980 • 75 ENTRIES RESULTS: 1: Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE) 137; 2: Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR) 146; 3: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 150; 4: Bernie Schreiber (BultacoUSA) 151; 5: Martin Lampkin (Bultaco-GBR) 162; 6: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) 162; 7: Chris Myers (Bultaco-GBR) 167; 8: Charles Coutard (SWM-FRA) 172; 9: Manuel Soler (Bultaco-ESP)
Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN)
176; 10: Nigel Birkett (Montesa-GBR) 179; 11: Jean Marie Lejeune (Montesa-BEL) 179; 12: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 181; 13: Chris Sutton (Montesa-GBR) 186; 14: Mick Andrews (Majesty Yamaha-GBR) 187; 15: John Reynolds (Beamish Suzuki-GBR) 188.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS
RESULTS: 1: Karlson 15; 2: Shepherd 12; 3: Vesterinen 10; 4: Schreiber 8; 5: Lampkin 6; 6: Rathmell 5; 7: Myers 4; 8: Coutard 3; 9: Soler 2; 10: Birkett 1.
Marland Whaley (Montesa-USA)
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020 61
International • 1980 FIM WTC
Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE)
Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR)
MICK ANDREWS GREAT BRITAIN: WINNER
(MAJESTY YAMAHA-GBR)
Pictures: Alan Vines, Vic Sandercock and Mike Naish
As we had extensive coverage of this event in Classic Trial Magazine Issue 32 with superb colour pictures from Alan Vines, we have used black and white pictures here for a special pictorial look at the event. I think you will all agree that they were too good not to use!
ROUND 2: GREAT BRITAIN
16 FEBRUARY 1980 • 86 ENTRIES
Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN)
RESULTS: 1: Mick Andrews (Majesty YamahaGBR) 115.8; 2: Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE) 119.2; 3: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) 121.0; 4: Manuel Soler (Bultaco-ESP) 123.0; 5: Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR) 123.0; 6: Yrjo Vesterinen (MontesaFIN) 123.8; 7: John Reynolds (Beamish SuzukiGBR) 125.2; 8: Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) 125.6; 9: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 126.4; 10: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 133.2; 11: Peter Cartwright (Bultaco-GBR) 145.0; 12: Jean Marie Lejeune (Montesa-BEL) 151.0; 13: Martin Lampkin (BultacoGBR) 155.6; 14: Mike Skinner (Montesa-GBR) 157.0; 15: Nigel Birkett (Montesa-GBR) 159.6.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS
RESULTS: 1: Karlson 27; 2: Shepherd 18; 3: Andrews 15; 4: Vesterinen 15; 5: Rathmell 15; 6: Schreiber 11; 7: Soler 10; 8: Lampkin 6; 9: Reynolds 4; 10: Myers 4; 11: Coutard 3; 12: Subira 2; 13: Eddy Lejeune 1; 14: Birkett 1.
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John Reynolds (Beamish Suzuki-GBR)
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
1980 FIM WTC • International
Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR)
Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA)
Roger Johns (Ossa-GBR)
Peter Cartwright (Bultaco-GBR)
Nigel Birkett (Montesa-GBR)
Miquel Cirera (Montesa-ESP)
Marland Whaley (Montesa-USA)
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
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International • 1980 FIM WTC
Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL)
Jean Marie Lejeune (Montesa-BEL)
EDDY LEJEUNE BELGIUM: WINNER
(HONDA-BEL)
Pictures: Mauri/Fontsere Collection and the Giulio Mauri Copyright After the hectic trip for spare parts to keep the HRC Honda in top condition between Ireland and Great Britain, the 18-year-old Belgian rider Eddy Lejeune scored his first-ever world round win. The other big talking point at the event was the theft of three machines the night before from the Grand Hotel in Verviers. The machines stolen were the winning Majesty Yamaha machine of Mick Andrews, the Ossa of Spain’s Joaquin Abad and Mike Skinner’s Montesa. The event consisted of three 28-mile laps with 20 sections per lap! Martin Lampkin got stuck into the action and was a brilliant second, out-pointing Yrjo Vesterinen by four marks. On a very off-tune Montesa the championship leader Ulf Karlson was very fortunate to finish the event with a smoking machine after his engine crankcase seals failed. Eddy’s elder brother, Jean Marie Lejeune, came home sixth, and after many crashes, John Reynolds took a well-earned single point for 10th position. Making its first appearance in the world championship series was the new Ossa ‘Gripper’ model in the hands of Alberto Juvanteny.
Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA)
ROUND 3: BELGIUM
24 FEBRUARY 1980 • 45 ENTRIES RESULTS: 1: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 112; 2: Martin Lampkin (Bultaco-GBR) 120; 3: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 124; 4: Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE) 126; 5: Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) 143; 6: Jean Marie Lejeune (Montesa-BEL) 144; 7: Manuel Soler (Bultaco-ESP) 154; 8: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) 160; 9: Claude Goset (SWM-BEL) 161; 10: John Reynolds (Beamish Suzuki-GBR) 164; 11: Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR) 168; 12: Jean Luc Colson (Montesa-BEL) 171; 13: Charles Coutard (SWMFRA) 175; 14: Xavier Miquel (Fantic-ESP) 185; 15: Nigel Birkett (Montesa-GBR) 186.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS
RESULTS: 1: Karlson 35; 2: Vesterinen 25; 3: Lampkin 18; 4: Rathmell 18; 5: Shepherd 18; 6: Schreiber 17; 7: Lejeune 16; 8: Andrews 15; 9: Soler 14; 10: Jean Marie Lejeune 5; 11: Reynolds 5; 12: Myers 4; 13: Coutard 3; 14: Goset 2; 15: Subira 2; 16: Birkett 1.
John Reynolds (Beamish Suzuki-GBR)
64
Alberto Juvanteny (Ossa-ESP)
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
International • 1980 FIM WTC
Karlson, Vesterinen and Schreiber
Toni Gorgot (Ossa-ESP)
BERNIE SCHREIBER SPAIN: WINNER
(BULTACO-USA)
Pictures: Mauri/Fontsere Collection and the Giulio Mauri Copyright It was Bernie Schreiber who took the win in Spain, riding a used Manuel Soler Bultaco he had acquired from a trials dealership near Barcelona. The standard machine was fitted with his favourite DEP handlebars and a new pair of Betor-branded rear shock absorbers. The start of the trial had to be moved from its traditional venue near Barcelona after protests by green activists in 1979, although the Terrassa Motor Club would still organise it. The new start area was on the outskirts of the city of Olot near Gerona. Instead of the usual dry, adhesive rocks this new venue offered large boulder-filled rivers and steep intimidating climbs, with the odd patch of mud also included. Under the typical Spanish sun, the riders covered a 15-mile lap three times, taking in 15 sections. Championship leader, Ulf Karlson, was the man on form on the opening lap, leading the returning Ossa rider, Toni Gorgot, by three marks. On the second and third laps, Schreiber posted the lowest scores to secure the victory from Karlson, with Vesterinen losing out on precious world championship points by way of the tie decider.
Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR)
ROUND 4: SPAIN
9 MARCH 1980 • 85 ENTRIES RESULTS: 1: Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) 52; 2: Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE) 59; 3: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 59; 4: Toni Gorgot (Ossa-ESP) 62; 5: Manuel Soler (Bultaco-ESP) 66; 6: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 69; 7: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) 69; 8: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 70; 9: Charles Coutard (SWM-FRA) 71; 10: Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR) 76; 11: Martin Lampkin (Bultaco-GBR) 77; 12: Danilo Galaezzi (SWM-ITA) 85; 13: Pedro Olle (Montesa-ESP) 87; 14: Francisco Paya (Ossa-ESP) 89; 16: Jean Luc Colson (Montesa-BEL) 93.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS
Martin Lampkin (Bultaco-GBR)
66
Mick Andrews (Majesty Yamaha-GBR)
RESULTS: 1: Karlson 47 2: Vesterinen 35; 3: Schreiber 32; 4: Rathmell 22; 5: Soler 20; 6: Lejeune 19; 7: Shepherd 19; 8: Lampkin 18; 9: Andrews 15; 10: Gorgot 8; 11: Subira 7; 12: Coutard 5; 13: Reynolds 5; 14: Jean Marie Lejeune 5; 15: Myers 4; 16: Goset 2; 17: Birkett 1.
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International • 1980 FIM WTC Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL)
Martin Lampkin (SWM-ITA)
EDDY LEJEUNE AUSTRIA: WINNER
(HONDA-BEL)
Pictures: Mauri/Fontsere Collection and the Giulio Mauri Copyright Nigel Birkett (Montesa-GBR)
Proving his win in Belgium was no fluke for Eddy Lejeune. He pushed his way past the older establishment that had dominated the FIM World Championship for so long to take his second victory of the season. Three laps of just under 20 miles had the riders take in 15 sections per lap in damp and at times wet conditions. Rivers and rocks were the order of the day as Martin Lampkin made his world championship debut for the Italian SWM team after dramatically quitting the Bultaco team the week before the Scottish Six Days Trial earlier in the month. Ulf Karlson further extended his championship lead with a strong second position as both of his nearest challengers Yrjo Vesterinen and Bernie Schreiber had poor days, by their standards, finishing in sixth and seventh position. Once again Toni Gorgot showed his potential with another fourth position on the new Ossa. It had not been an easy win for Lejeune after a difficult first lap, but he was learning all the time and was now the leading Honda rider above Rob Shepherd who scored two valuable points in ninth position.
ROUND 5: AUSTRIA
20 MAY 1980 • 60 ENTRIES RESULTS: 1: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 90; 2: Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE) 93; 3: Martin Lampkin (SWM-GBR) 97; 4: Toni Gorgot (Ossa-ESP) 99; 5: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) 103; 6: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 105; 7: Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) 108; 8: Manuel Soler (Bultaco-ESP) 110; 9: Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR) 118; 10: Pedro Olle (Montesa-ESP) 123; 11: Nigel Birkett (Montesa-GBR) 125; 12: Alberto Juvanteny (Ossa-ESP) 126; 13: Felix Kranstover (Montesa-ESP) 126; 14: Charles Coutard (SWM-FRA) 126; 15: Chris Sutton (Montesa-GBR) 133..
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS
RESULTS: 1: Karlson 59; 2: Vesterinen 40; 3: Schreiber 36; 4: Lejeune 34; 5: Lampkin 28; 6: Rathmell 28; 7: Soler 23; 8: Shepherd 21; 9: Gorgot 16; 10: Andrews 15; 11: Subira 7; 12: Coutard 5; 13: Reynolds 5; 14: Jean Marie Lejeune 5; 15: Myers 4; 16: Goset 2; 18: Olle 1; 19: Birkett 1.
Kiyeturo Hattori (Honda-JPN)
Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP)
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International • 1980 FIM WTC
Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA)
BERNIE SCHREIBER FRANCE: WINNER
(BULTACO-USA)
Pictures: Francesco Rappini, Mauri/Fontsere Collection and the Giulio Mauri Copyright It was a warm, clear day in France for the world round as Bernie Schreiber took his very last win riding a Bultaco. The organisers had laid out an 18-mile course taking in 20 sections, to be ridden three times, with steep, demanding rocky climbs and rivers to test the 45 riders. Schreiber was the man in command. With a clear victory as championship leader, Karlson slumped to 10th which saw his championship lead over Schreiber reduced to nine points. As had been the case at many of the opening rounds in first half of the 1980 series, the sections had been very much a case of a clean or a five-mark penalty for a stop; France was to be no different. Riding one of three four-stroke Honda machines in the
Manuel Soler (Bultaco-ESP)
70
event, young Eddy Lejuene continued to show he was gaining experience with a good solid fourth place. Lejuene and Rob Shepherd were on the 360cc machines and Japan’s Kiyeturo Hattori, who finished 14th and just out of the points, was riding the RS250T. In fifth place, and improving all the time, was Gilles Burgat on the SWM. Riding in front of a patriotic home crowd he scored his first-ever world championship points, finishing in front of fellow countryman and SWM number one rider, Charles Coutard. Fred Michaud’s eighth place on the Ossa made it four Frenchman in the top ten. Riding with a new-found confidence in his 200 Fantic, Jaime Subira once again finished in a points-scoring position in ninth.
Gilles Burgat (SWM-FRA)
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
1980 FIM WTC • International
Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL)
CHANGING TIMES
After the event, Bernie Schreiber announced he was quitting the Spanish Bultaco brand to ride the new prototype Italian Italjet. The other ‘shock’ news was that second-placed Manuel Soler would also be quitting at Bultaco to move to the rival manufacturer Montesa. The factory doors were still closed at Bultaco, and its future looked very uncertain, and so these top two riders had no option but to move. Initially, Soler was to have joined Schreiber at Italjet, but at the eleventh hour, he decided to make a move to Montesa. For the first time in the history of FIM World Championship, which had started in 1975, Great Britain had no riders in the top ten.
Charles Coutard (SWM-FRA)
With only three UK riders in France, Malcolm Rathmell was the best in 13th followed by Martin Lampkin in 15th and Rob Shepherd in 16th. The once-mighty hold that the Spanish manufacturers of Bultaco, Montesa and Ossa had enjoyed was now moving to Italy as Fantic, SWM and now Italjet started to make inroads to breaking this domination. With a small break in the championship, until it resumed in Switzerland, we would have to wait and see if Karlson could show the consistency he had missed in the past to move closer to that elusive FIM title both he and Montesa wanted so much.
Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP)
ROUND 6: FRANCE
1 JUNE 1980 • 45 ENTRIES RESULTS: 1: Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) 148; 2: Manuel Soler (Bultaco-ESP) 162; 3: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 171; 4: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 173; 5: Gilles Burgat (SWM-FRA) 175; 6: Charles Coutard (SWM-FRA) 178; 7: Christian Desnoyers (SWM-FRA) 180; 8: Fred Michaud (Ossa-FRA) 183; 9: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 185; 10: Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE) 185; 11: Eric Gouin (Montesa-FRA) 193; 12: Timo Ryysy (Bultaco-FIN) 197; 13: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) 200; 14: Kiyoteru Hattori (Honda-JPN) 205; 15: Adrien Prato (Montesa-FRA) 206.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS
AFTER 6 OF 12 ROUNDS: 1: Karlson 60; 2: Schreiber 51; 3: Vesterinen 50; 4: Lejeune 42; 5: Soler 35; 6: Lampkin 28; 7: Rathmell 28; 8: Shepherd 21; 9: Gorgot 16; 10: Andrews 15; 11: Coutard 10; 12: Subira 9; 13: Burgat 6; 14: Reynolds 5; 15: Jean Marie Lejeune 5; 16: Desnoyers 4; 17: Myers 4; 18: Michaud 3; 19: Goset 2; 20: Olle 1; 21: Birkett 1. WINNERS: Schreiber 2; Lejeune 2; Karlson 1; Andrews 1. MACHINES: Montesa 5; Bultaco 4; SWM 4; Fantic 2; Honda 2; Ossa 2; Beamish Suzuki 1; Majesty Yamaha 1. Martin Lampkin (SWM-GBR)
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR)
NATIONALITIES: Great Britain 7; France 4; Spain 4; Belgium 3; Finland 1; Sweden 1; USA 1.
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Ancillotti • Rare
ANCILLOTTI
FOLLOWING FASHION Travelling through Europe to attend the FIM World Trials Championship rounds always throws up some surprises in the way of motorcycle shops and old museums. They often house rare and exotic motorcycles just as I found when I came across a rare Italian brand. Article: John Hulme
I
n 2019, at the excellent Arco Di Trento Metzler Off-Road Park located near Trento in the north of Italy, I came across this Ancillotti CT 125 trials model. On site is a superb off-road shop and, at every world round, they display some exotic and rare trials models. I have never seen this Italian manufacturer’s attempts at the motorcycle trials market in the flesh before. As I made some enquires, it turns out that the Italian brand had opened the door in the mid-70s to its fellow motorcycle manufacturers into the trials world as the domination of the Spanish began to fade away. In many ways, it reminded me of the early Sprite trials machines Frank Hipkin had manufactured in the final days of the oncegreat motorcycle domination of trials in Great Britain. In the UK, a cottage industry of small manufacturers of trials machines Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
“… Ancillotti prototypes was rewarded when the team won the 125cc Italian IWF trophy in 1977…” 73
Rare • Ancillotti existed, and Italy was no different. Frank Hipkin used donor engines from Europe to power his small-capacity machines. In contrast, the Italians had access to their homemanufactured single-cylinder two-stroke engines such as the Franco Morini engine. Here we take a brief look at Ancelotti’s entry into the trials market.
ALESSIO BARTOLINI
The Ancillotti story started around 1972 when Alessio Bartolini, a student at the University of Florence, was studying for a degree in political science before he realised that his chosen subject was not ‘growing on him’. His spare time was taken up as an enduro and motocross rider so, instead, he began a career as a sports photographer, which allowed him to combine his hobby with his work. While visiting the events, Alessio took photographs for the Italian motocross magazine, Moto Toscana. He lived in Florence and opened a photo studio, and became the official photographer for the Ancillotti motorcycle company which was dedicated to small motorcycles between 50 and 125cc, which were popular in Italy. He, along with fellow Italian Carlo Camarlinghi, produced ideas for a trials motorcycle using the drawing boards at Ancillotti’s facilities. They had heard about the French brand, BPS, and that it planned to develop a trial motorcycle using the Italian Franco Morini engine, so they asked the company to build them one as well. The engine was also used widely for many small-capacity engine manufacturers in Europe such as Aspes and Monark. Thus, in the middle of 1976, one of the first Italian trials machines was finally built.
evaluate the performance. Three young riders Mauro Zambonin, Maurizio Morgati and Marco Barca, were supplied by the Ancillotti factory with a van for transport, bringing professionalism which was previously unknown for trials events in Italy. The factory support for the three young riders with their Ancillotti prototypes was rewarded when the team won the 125cc Italian IWF trophy in 1977 and consequently received
appropriate attention in the press. With minor changes derived from the experience of the trophy win the production was started. From a very humble start and the opening of the ‘door’ by Ancillotti, only Beta would survive to the present day as a producer of trials motorcycles in Italy. Classic Trial Magazine would like to thank both John Moffat – the ‘Trials Guru’ – and KurtPatrik Beckmann for their help with this article.
PRODUCTION
It did not go unnoticed by Ancillotti’s managing director, Piero Ancillotti, who decided to use this prototype as a way forward to a production trials model. With the capabilities of the motorcycle plant and its equipment, the original prototype was revised for production and the 125cc Franco Morini engine was kept. At the beginning of 1977, Ancillotti made a small batch of pre-production machines to
74
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
Drayton Frames are manufacturers of pre 65 trials frames for BSA Bantam, BSA C15/B40, Villiers 37/32A 8E/9E, Triumph Tiger Cub, Triumph Twins and Ducati 250/350 singles. We can also carry out any fabrication and machining work and supply forks, yokes, mud guards, cables, wheels etc. We can supply a frame, frame kit or a complete rolling chassis. Contact Rob or Pete on the above numbers for any enquiries.
Limited Edition • Gollner Honda
GOLLNER HONDA
SINGLE SHOCK It was a fact that the late Bob Gollner needed no introduction when it came to building trials motorcycles. In the ’60s and ’70s, he had seen it all, with his one-off specials and his converted and improved limitedproduction models. It was always a case of making a good product even better.
Words: John Moffat, Chris Griffin and John Hulme • Pictures: Toon Van De Vliet, Alan Vines, Jim Capper, Malcolm Wells, Terry Warren, Eric Kitchen and Brian Holder
B
ob Gollner had witnessed the prototype TLR Honda arrive with Japanese rider, Kiyo Hattori, in 1983. He followed its progress through to the production model, which arrived as a 200cc later in the year. The 250cc arrived in 1984 just around the time that the ground-breaking mono-shock Yamaha was starting to take hold in the trials world. 76
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
Gollner Honda • Limited Edition When the 250cc four-stroke mono-shock RTL Honda arrived in 1985, Steve Saunders set the trials world on fire with this superb £3,500 machine; it was very expensive. Bob knew it was time to give the four-stroke riders a ‘single shock’ with a more competitively priced machine. Honda produced its TLR series comprising of 200 and 250cc air-cooled twin-shock single-cylinder four-stroke models. The 200cc machine would be produced in quite large quantities as a trial/trail machine over several years; it proved very popular for its build quality and versatile, reliable engine. The 250cc TLR was produced in smaller quantities, making them more desirable than its smaller sibling, and were purchased by so many riders who remembered the good times of trials riding on the machines from the once mighty and proud manufacturing of motorcycles in Great Britain.
This is the Japanese brochure for the Honda
TLR 200 model.
Honda wanted to make a mark in the trials world with a reliable entry-level machine.
HRC
In 1985, the Honda Racing Corporation, which is the competition division of the mighty Honda Motor Company in Japan, would take charge of producing the mono-shock RTL or ‘Racing’ TL version. It was developed by Eddy Lejeune and a team of Japanese engineers, and latterly Steve Saunders. Saunders would ride the twin-shock TLR 250 in early 1985 until his new RTL250 arrived from Belgium after assembly at the HRC Europe headquarters. Saunders’ machine was initially a 250cc powered model until he moved to the more exotic 270cc motors, coded as ‘RTL270SW’, with an offset exhaust port which
Contracted to Honda UK for Enduro racing, Derrick Edmondson rode this TLR 200 to 59th position in the 1984 Scottish Six Days Trial. A high specification can be found on the
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
Honda UK brochure.
77
Limited Edition • Gollner Honda
In amongst the ‘Scottish’ rocks the Honda TLR certainly looked very competitive and was very well received by the general public.
When the Honda TLR 250cc arrived in 1984
Japan’s Kiyoteru Hattori was very much a part of the development work on the TLR range in the ’80s.
model. it was a welcome addition to the 200cc
allowed for a single downtube frame as opposed to the centralised exhaust of the production RTL250 which had a twin-spar downtube frame. Rothmans, the tobacco company, sponsored their campaign with the machines appearing in Rothmans livery for the 1986 season. Enthusiastic crowds loved to see the once-mighty, four-stroke machines winning again; all of a sudden four-stroke became the new alternative in the trials world. Bob Gollner loved four-strokes and tested both the 250cc Honda TLR and RTL to develop his knowledge. He agreed they were good but not really to his style of riding. In truth, he preferred the lesser-powered TLR 200cc with its softer power characteristics. The Gollner Honda story was about to come to life as Bob started to modify the TLR 200cc.
While waiting for the arrival of his new mono-shock Honda Steve Saunders rode this standard twin-shock TLR 250cc to victory in his local centre.
BACK TO BASICS
He liked the superior Japanese build quality and components which very much mirrored the original Kawasaki KT trials machines that he had previously modified into the successful Gollner Kawasaki. During the winter months of 1983, he started to change and improve the TLR 200cc. Always with a keen eye for talent, Bob had spotted a good young rider, Neal Hubbard who was riding one of the Seeley four-stroke Honda machines. The machine had seen better days and was quite tired, so Bob let him try his own modified Honda. Neal was suitably impressed, and so Bob decided to sponsor him through his trials dealership with free use of the machine and a supply of spare parts. Soon the results for Hubbard on the Gollner-prepared TLR 200cc were the talking point at the Southern Centre events he competed. It was at this point that Bob decided to delve even deeper into making the TLR 200cc a much better machine by applying his knowledge and engineering skills. 1984 was going to be a hectic year indeed. 78
Many riders wanted a competitive four-stroke trials machine and the addition of the 250cc TLR made those dreams come true. This rider is Buxton-based haulage contractor John Cantrell.
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
Gollner Honda • Limited Edition
A very confident Steve Saunders set the world on fire with his RTL 250, finishing third overall in the 1985 FIM World Trials Championship.
GOLLNER HONDA 200CC
He made the labour-expensive decision to strip and rebuild every one of the engines so he could incorporate a new set of rider-friendly gear ratios, similar to the RTL model. He also fitted a new shorter gear-change lever shaft, reducing the overall width of the engine in the process. The production clutch was not very smooth in the power take-up. It was made better with a modified clutch assembly which allowed for smoother power delivery; a lighter lever control action was achieved. He modified the carburetion to suit the new power characteristics, and a WES aluminium exhaust system, developed by Dick Walker, was fitted. The various unwanted frame brackets were removed, and the frame resprayed, to be finished off with an aluminium fuel tank covered by a lightweight fibreglass cover. Gold wheel rims and Renthal handlebars complemented the fine aesthetics of the Gollner Honda 200cc. With Neal Hubbard holding the handlebars, the machine carried on with its winning ways. With machines built to order, customers could also speak to Bob to have their machines individually customised as they liked and to suit their pocket. This is where the story changes direction. Yorkshireman, Chris Griffin, needed a machine for the 1986 SSDT. He decided a Honda TLR250 would fit the bill nicely. The problem was he wanted a single-shock machine to follow the trend that had changed the development of the trials machine forever. The Honda TLR250 was a good economic starting point as the Honda
Going for the long ‘dab’ on his way to 27th position in the 1985 SSDT is Mick Andrews on the TLR 250cc.
RTL250S was a costly machine to buy and only imported in small numbers. It enabled Honda franchise dealers to control the allocation to higher calibre riders who had a good chance at posting some top podium results.
PROTOTYPE 250CC
Chris Griffin takes up the story: “I had sent away an entry for the 1986 Scottish Six Days Trial, which was accepted. I did not have a suitable machine or much spare cash at the time. I scoured the Trials, and Motocross News classified adverts and spotted a TLR250 Honda for sale which was road-registered. I went to see it and bought it in late February. I rode my first trial on it in March. I felt it had too much power at the bottom end and that the rear suspension kicked off everything. I decided it was time to get the tools out to modify it. “Mono-shock suspension was definitely the way to go, and I purchased a new Beta TR33 model rear damper and mounted it horizontally; like the RTL Honda, but with no linkage. I had to remove the middle exhaust silencer and air filter box to fit it in, and so I was forced to mount the front pipe straight to the rear silencer and fabricate a new smaller air filter box. By a miracle, it all worked perfectly. By having to alter the exhaust and airbox, it lost its aggressive bottom-end power and produced super-smooth suspension at the rear. “The combination of the excellent air-assisted Honda front forks made for a superb suspension package; it worked so well. After a good ‘shakedown’ before the event, I rode it in the 1986 SSDT, finishing in 19th place. I rode in the
This shot of Chris Griffin is from the 1986 SSDT, where the Griffin-Gollner Honda TLR 250cc project came to life.
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
In early 1984 Bob had spotted a good young rider by the name of Neal Hubbard who was riding one of the Seeley four-stroke Honda machines. He would soon be taking many victories on a TLR 200cc prepared by Bob Gollner over the next few years.
company of Steve Moore that week, who was sponsored by Bob Gollner on the much more expensive Honda RTL250S. “A few weeks after the SSDT, Bob Gollner called me and said Steve Moore had told him about my TLR and he asked if he could put it into production. We spoke on the phone for a while, and I agreed, and so took my Honda down to his shop, Bob Gollner Ltd at Denmead, Hampshire, leaving it with him for a couple of months. He let me have one of his special 200 twin-shocks to use until I got my 250 back. I rode the modified Honda TLR for about a year, winning quite a few trials. “My last ride on the Gollner-Griffin Honda was the 1987 SSDT. I finished 29th, but by then the big factories had developed their versions on mono-shock machines with all the factory riders on them.”
GOLLNER-GRIFFIN TLR250 MONO-SHOCK
With Chris Griffin’s machine in the capable hands of Gollner, he enlisted the help of Robin Packham of Falcon Shocks to produce an adjustable single aluminium-bodied damper and steel spring. It made the rear suspension even better than before, with more controlled action. He also tidied up Griffin’s single-shock design and adopted the horizontally mounted damper position that Chris had experimented
Looking very different with the twin rear shock absorbers removed is the early Gollner Honda.
79
Limited Edition • Gollner Honda with and developed in competition. The services of Dick Walker, of Walker Exhaust Systems (WES), were once again needed. He fabricated the alloy exhaust system which ran down the offside of the machine whereas Honda’s production steel system had run down the nearside. Walker incorporated the all-important centre expansion box. He had built up a reputation in the trials performance exhaust game with a range of exhaust systems for many other machines. The mono-shock machines were topped off with a smart one-piece tank/seat unit, and a special decal proclaiming ‘Gollner-Griffin’ was attached to the front fork legs. Bob Gollner produced two mono-shock versions using both the TLR200 and 250 Honda platforms for the modified machines. The 200cc version retailed for £1,987 and the 250 at £2,200, both inclusive of VAT. He also marketed the modified 200 twin-shock HondaGollner TLR at £1,585 inclusive of VAT, which was aimed at the clubman market.
RARE
While the single-shock machines were in the hands of Gollner for development, both Hubbard and Griffin kept the flag flying on the 200cc twin-shock machines, with some notable success. On completion, the new 250cc single-shock machines proved very competitive as Neil Hubbard finished second in the end-of-season Knut Trial and Chris Griffin finished 14th in the Northern Experts Trial. Bob Gollner proudly displayed the new machine at the 1986 Dirt Bike Show in Bristol, where they were well received, and he was also able to take some orders. While generating this article, I did try to find out how many of the converted Gollner Honda trials machines were built but to no avail. As the world of motorcycle trials changed and production by all the manufacturers moved to the mono-shock or single rear shock absorber revolution, Bob Gollner ceased the conversions as they became less viable in a very pricecompetitive trials marketplace. Both the twinshock and single-shock Gollner Honda were produced in small numbers, making them a rare machine in the world of motorcycle trials.
First time out at the West Trophy Trial run by the Southampton Vikings MCC.
BOB GOLLNER
. This is a trade advert for the Gollner Honda
Bob passed away on the 23rd May 2019 after a long illness. He was the man behind the 1966 Cheetah, which used 37A Villiers and Triumph Cub motors until supplies ceased in 1968. He then created the 1968 Gollner BSA Bantam, the 1971 Gollner Yamaha and subsequently Gollner Kawasaki trials machines based on the KT250 model. At one point was the importer for the Frenchbuilt JCM trials machines. A close friend of Comerford’s Reg May, he was a well-known trials and scrambles competitor and motorcycle dealer who had his shop, Bob Gollner Ltd, at Denmead, Portsmouth, in Hampshire. He was a member of the Waterlooville Motorcycle Club.
In the wet winter mud Chris Sutton stands tall on the Gollner Honda at the Knut Trial in December 1987.
It’s 1971 and Bob Gollner can be seen on the ‘Gollner Yamaha’. Did he plant the seed to Yamaha in Japan, who in the next few years would produce the best-selling Yamaha TY 175cc?
Taken from the brochure, this rare colour picture shows the sleek new lines of the Gollner ‘Single-Shock’ Honda.
Chris Sutton with his new Gollner Honda in February 1987.
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Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
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2010 Pre-65 • Flashback
2010 PRE-65 SSDT
HAPPY HEYS With the cancellation of the event due to the Coronavirus, we were left with the question: how could we publish our summer edition of Classic Trial Magazine with no coverage of a Pre-65 Scottish? Well, the answer was a quick flick through the Yoomee Archive to uncover some unseen, unpublished pictures from the 2010 two-day event and a copy upgrade. Lancastrian Paul Heys on his machine named ‘Stealth’ claimed his second successive victory by the narrowest of margins, as the first three finishers in the Kinlochleven-based classic event all finished on three marks lost. In excellent trials-riding conditions with just the odd shower spoiling the fun, the event followed its usual format to give the strong entry a Highland trial to enjoy after the atrocious weather had spoilt the fun in 2009. Words: John Hulme • Pictures: Yoomee Archive
T
hirty-six-year-old Heys, riding his Triumph Tiger Cub painted black as a stealth bomber to confuse the opposition, was the only rider in the balloted 180-strong entry to go clean on the first day losing no marks. This skilful performance gave him victory over Davy Morewood on his Ariel and the 2007 and 2008 winner Tony Calvert on the Triumph.
WINES OF SPAIN
Sponsored for the first time in the history of the event by a foreign company, Wines of Spain, Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
the Edinburgh Club’s 26th running of the best-supported Pre-65 trial of the year was once again a resounding success, with riders and machines from many parts of Europe enjoying traditional Scottish scenery and Highland hospitality. Though Heys was the only rider to go clean on day one, there were six riders on just one mark lost. They were Morewood, Calvert, Scotsman Alan Crayk, who eventually finished fourth, Dave Thorpe, another past winner, Carles Casas from Spain and Eric McMeekin, which meant, that after 30 challenging sections, everything was very much still to play for on
day two. Riders set off from the Kinlochleven School playground to head off in different directions, with odd numbers going one way and evens the other. The course predominately comprised a loop around Meall na Duibhe, across the front of the Blackwater Dam and back down to Kinlochleven in a clockwise direction before a quick ride out towards Glen Coe along the south side of Loch Leven. Old hands at the Pre-65 trial remarked that there were some new sections in use, and rigid 83
Flashback • 2010 Pre-65
The 2010 Pre-65 Scottish is go! From left: Willie Gordon, John Maxfield, Eric Adcock, Paul Salvadori, John Moffat and Allan Johnston.
John ‘Ossy’ Byers on the left with Mr DOT himself Eric Adcock.
Classic Dirt Bike editor Tim Britton (BSA).
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Two very different Greeves machines.
stalwart, Clive Dopson, was in awe of the rock slabs at Choire Odhair used just five weeks earlier in the Ian Pollock Trial. He commented: “I looked at them and thought that if I don’t make it up there, I hope the machine lands at the bottom before me!” In the end, the Norfolk automotive engineer had his Norton 500T in total control for four superb cleans. While many other riders emulated him, to achieve it on such an old original motorcycle was very satisfying to the regular Pre-65 campaigner. Full Gas If anyone thinks the Pre-65 Scottish is an easy trial, then don’t let the scores fool you, as it is anything but. “I had a three on Pollock Hill” said ninthplaced Norman Shepherd riding in his second Pre-65 trial. “I should have given the James full gas, but I
tried to ride it steadily and had a big three. You can’t afford to waste any marks in this trial” he said. Indeed, those were his only marks for the day and effectively cost him fifth place come the end. Pollock Hill is a loose descent into a gully with a couple of twists. It provides for fascinating spectating as those watching on the hillsides can relate to the section as one that many think they could clean. But like other loose hazards in this trial, it changes with the passing of every rider, and for many, it is simply a case of good or bad fortune as to whether or not you achieve a good ride on such sections. Experience comes into much of this trial, and it is a pleasure to see some older riders still able to come back at the end of the day with some low scores. Dave Thorpe is a multiple winner of this trial, but his one-mark loss on Friday was exceptionally classy for a rider whose walking
The ever-popular Spanish rider Carlos Casas (Triumph-ESP).
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
2010 Pre-65 • Flashback
Attacking Pipeline is Mark Coughlan (Triumph).
Matthew Neale (Ariel) in full flight.
With his eyes on the section ends at Pipeline is Brian Irwin (BSA).
ability is now outclassed by his riding! Equally, for a rider in his mid-70s, Peter Gaunt’s loss of just ten on day one was superb as he remained ‘feet up’ until he was a yard from the ends-cards on the dreaded Pipeline sections. Dry weather, but with a chilling breeze, made it ideal for riding on both days, although spectators may have felt differently. While scores were relatively low on Friday, the trial as a whole was much tougher on Saturday.
CLOSE CALL
By his own admission Paul Heys had not slept well overnight: “Leading the trial knowing you have to match that type of ride again if you are to succeed is definite pressure” he said on Sunday afternoon, as he reflected on his second win. And with a chasing horde all eager to notch up another or a first win, Heys really had his work cut out. A significant number of riders all posted single-figure scores for day two, and the results say that the lowest were the two marks recorded against the names of Morewood, Calvert and Len Hutty. However, Davy Morewood considered himself fortunate as he could have lost more: “But that’s trialling” he said. “At some trials, you are scored more than you think you may have lost and at others less, and today was one of those days when the decisions have gone in my favour”. Multiple Scottish Six Days Trial winner from 1988–1991 Steve Saunders was riding his first Pre-65 trial on a 350 Triumph, and many considered he would be a potential winner. Having made few mistakes, Steve took fifth position, but such is the competitiveness of the event that every single mark lost is crucial. Saunders only lost five, but it was enough for fifth place on the tiebreaker.
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
Putting on the style is Jim Pickering (BSA).
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Flashback • 2010 Pre-65 Rafael Sirvent looks calm and in control (BSA-ESP).
There’s no mistaking the style of Steve Saunders (Triumph).
It’s 100% concentration for Clive Dopson (Norton).
TOUGHER DAY TWO
Saturday’s route was much tougher, not only through the sections but also on the course as the route went in the opposite direction to Friday, taking in several old favourite sections along the Mamore Road before climbing the hill over Callart. It then took the riders down the long tiring descent to the main road at Callart Cottage. It is still a long drop on a modern trials machine, but on a frequently heavy pre-65 machine it’s a really tough expectation! A new group of two sections, called Lower Caillich, proved difficult, and it was on one of these sections that Saunders took a surprising dab as his Triumph twin dropped into a slimy hole in the stream. It took all of Saunders’ supreme skill to extricate it for a dab, but that is the Pre-65 Scottish; it can, and does, test the best. Heys was concentrating as hard as a rider can when he reached his final section of the trial, the innocuous Camas na Muic. A long inspection of the classic Scottish stream resulted in another clean, but not before a host of photographers had taken his picture – flashes popping as they secured a final snap of the rider most considered the probable winner. And a winner he was, by the narrowest of margins: zero on day one and three on day two; it was that first day’s result that did the business for him after another superb Scottish Pre-65 Two Day Trial. The 26th in a series that has many years to run yet, landowners, organisers and entrants permitting.
REMEMBERING
During the search for new pictures, we came across quite a few of riders who have since passed away. We have published them as a tribute to their riding skills in the Pre-65 Scottish and the happy times they had in the Highlands. RIP our fellow motorcycle enthusiasts.
Andy Hipwell (BSA) is standing tall.
2010 PRE-65 SCOTTISH
It takes a big lad to control a big motorcycle! In the safe hands of Len Hutty (Matchless).
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A very traditional-looking David Coughlan (Ariel).
RESULTS: 1: Paul Heys (Triumph) 3; 2: Davy Morewood (Ariel) 3; 3: Tony Calvert (Triumph) 3; 4: Alan Crayk (Cotton) 4; 5: Steve Saunders (Triumph) 5; 6: Len Hutty (Matchless) 5; 7: Dave Thorpe (Triumph) 5; 8: Robert Bowyer (Triumph) 6; 9: Norman Shepherd (James) 8; 10: Leslie Winthrop (Triumph) 8; 11: Joan Rovira (BSA-ESP) 9; 12: Matthew Neale (Ariel) 10; 13: Martyn Stanistreet (James) 11; 14: Alistair Stewart (Triumph) 11; 15: Chris Milner (Triumph) 12; 16: Christopher Myers (Triumph) 12; 17: Murray Whittaker (Triumph) 12; 18: Colin Bailey (Trifield) 13; 19: Carlos Casas (TriumphESP) 14; 20: John Maxfield (Triumph) 14; 21: Chris Gascoigne (Ariel) 14; 22: Joel Corroy (Ariel-FRA) 15; 23: Eric McMeekin (BSA) 16; 24: Stephen Collins (Triumph) 16; 25: Chris Haigh (Velocette) 17; 26: David Coughlan (Ariel) 18; 27: James Newstead (BSA) 19; 28: Eddie Aitkin (Triumph) 19; 29: Andy Hipwell (BSA) 19; 30: Jose Buixo (BSA-ESP) 19.
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
Vintage Vines • 1970
MILLER ADVANTAGE
Sammy Miller (Bultaco): It’s 100% concentration, as always.
Having held the ACU British Trials Championship consecutively since 1959, firstly on the four-stroke Ariel before the successful move to Bultaco in 1965, it was once again Sammy Miller who was the man to beat in 1970. After winning the first round he was pushed off the top spot by his main challenger Gordon Farley on the Montesa in round two, but with the convincing win at round four which was the Wye Valley Trader Cups Trial he had opened up a 15-point advantage in the championship.
Mick Andrews (Ossa): Having spent so many months in Spain at Ossa the Derbyshire man had moved back to the UK to prepare for his push for the Scottish Six Days Trial win in May. The old Pennine model had made way for this new prototype of the Mick Andrews Replica. You can clearly see the right-hand-side exhaust front pipe. Another new prototype would arrive for the SSDT, with the exhaust front pipe moved to be routed over the engine.
Words: John Hulme • Pictures: Alan Vines On a fine, clear day the organising Wye Valley Auto Club, supported by the Hereford Motorcycle Sports Club, had plotted out a 40-section course taking 14 groups of hazards around the Welsh border, with the event starting at the Red Lion Inn at 10.01am prompt. Any tie deciders in the results would take place on a lane with a rolling downhill brake test located at the conclusion of the event, the Walterstone section. ACU British Championship points were awarded as follows: 15; 12; 10; 8; 6; 5; 4; 3; 2; 1.
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Bernard Gore (Bultaco): Showing good-old body lean is the Mid-Wales trials champion, who was a regular rider on the national trials scene.
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
1970 • Vintage Vines
Tony Davis (Montesa): Making good use of a long ‘dab’ he keeps the Montesa moving on to a strong fourth place despite chain problems with the Spanish machine.
Derek Adsett (Greeves): The Shell oils supported team including Adsett had moved away from the antiquated Villiers engined models to the new 175cc Puch engined Pathfinder model. Ultimately it would be the downfall of Greeves in the trials world.
Rob Edwards (Montesa): Another rider hoping to find his top form for the forthcoming SSDT.
Brian Hutchinson (Sprite): Micro machines were still very popular, and Hutchinson was very unlucky not to finish inside the points-scoring positions.
WYE VALLEY TRADER CUPS TRIAL SATURDAY 4TH APRIL 1970 WINNER: Sammy Miller (Bultaco) 43 FIRST CLASS AWARDS: Mick Andrews (Ossa) 51; Gordon Farley (Montesa) 53; Tony Davis (Montesa) 59; Dave Thorpe (Ossa) 59; Derek Adsett (Greeves) 60; Geoff Chandler (Bultaco) 62; Rob Edwards (Montesa) 63; Lawrence Telling (Montesa) 65; John Kendall (Bultaco) 69; Brian Hutchinson (Sprite) 71; Bernard Gore (Bultaco) 72; Alan Ketley (Bultaco) 76; Alan Blackman (Bultaco) 77. SECOND CLASS AWARDS: 15: Malcolm Latty (Bultaco) 82; Jack Galloway (Bultaco) 85; Karl Rowbotham (Bultaco) 88; Eddie Edwards (Montesa) 88; Chris Leighfield (Sprite) 88; John Walker (Sprite) 91; Mick Clarke (Bultaco) 92; Alan Wright (Sprite) 94; Scott Ellis (BSA) 97; Allan Collier (Bultaco) 97; Colin Harvie (Bultaco) 98; John Hughes (Dalesman) 99. BEST 125CC: Chris Leighfield (Sprite) 88. BEST 200CC: Derek Adsett (175cc Greeves) 60. BEST 250CC: Mick Andrews (250cc Ossa) 51. BEST WESTERN CENTRE RESIDENT: Tony Davis (Montesa) 59.
ACU BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP
TOP FIVE POSITIONS AFTER FOUR ROUNDS Chris Leighfield (Sprite): Another good national rider who rode the Birmingham Sprite manufactured Frank Hipkin Sachs engine trials models to some impressive results for such a small-capacity machine.
Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
RESULTS: 1: Sammy Miller (Bultaco) 57; 2: Gordon Farley (Montesa) 42; 3: Mick Andrews (Ossa) 25; 4: Derek Adsett (Greeves) 23; 5: Dave Thorpe (Ossa) 18.
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Locator • Find your parts dealer
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Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
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Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
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Show • Telford
CLASSIC DIRT BIKE SHOW
SIMPLY THE BEST
I challenge anyone who attended the Classic Dirt Bike Show in February 2020 at the Telford International Centre to tell me that they did not enjoy it! Once again it was sponsored by Hagon Shocks and promoted by the Morton’s Classic Show team. The driving force behind its success is the dynamic duo of Nick Mowbray and Andy Catton, who took the lead role to guarantee once again everyone had a weekend to remember. For the many motorcycle trials enthusiasts, the icing on the cake was the guest appearance of American Bernie Schreiber, the 1979 FIM World Trials Champion and 1982 Scottish Six Days Trial winner. Spread over the adjoining halls, it was an ideal opportunity to meet many of the ageing superstars and view a superb collection of machines from the many two-wheeled off-road disciplines. The show also catered for the modern trials riders as it was attended by the majority of the UK trials importers who found it an ideal show to display machines and products and, most importantly, to speak with their many valued customers. Article: John Hulme Pictures: Yoomee Archive and Ian Campbell
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All areas of off-road machines were on show.
Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
Telford • Show One of the funniest memories of that wet week in 1977 was watching the Honda team manager Sammy Miller change a rear tyre for Whaley in a public house car park. It’s quite funny as my father Ron swore me to secrecy at the time.
A superb tribute to the late great American Marland Whaley from the guardians of Honda trials memories from France Oliver Barjon, Jean Caillou and Patrick Pissis was superb and very fitting.
From left: Oliver Barjon, Patrick Pissis, Bernie Schreiber, Sammy Miller and Jean Caillou, true motorcycle trials enthusiasts.
I
n truth, the gathering of so many motorcycle enthusiasts is a true celebration of the off-road sports where everyone can meet up and reminisce not just about the past but also the present. At any one time (and while dealing with the many visitors to the Classic Trial Magazine stand, of course) we could meet a generation of stars from the sport. As a printed publication it’s great to be able to put a face to the name of the many subscribers we are so grateful to for supporting our two magazines and various other products we can sell at the show.
MARLAND WHALEY TRIBUTE
Having for many years been friends with the guardians of Honda trials memories from France, Oliver Barjon, Jean Caillou and Patrick Pissis, they never cease to amaze me with new additions and updates to their collection of superb four-stroke machines. On the 27th June 2019, American trials rider, Marland Whaley, passed away at the age of 60 after suffering a sudden heart attack at his home in Montana. The former Honda and Montesa factory rider was ninth in the 1979 FIM World Trials Championship, which was his highest placing in the series. Born in San Diego, California, on the 3rd July 1958 he won the Trial De Espania in the USA which eventually brought him to the attention of the mighty Japanese Honda concern for which he campaigned their experimental RTL series four-stroke machines. He was the AMA national champion 1975–77 on Honda and 1979–80 on Montesa. After retiring from motorcycle trials, he took up cross country mountain bike riding, which was a sport in which he also excelled. Classic Trial Magazine • Summer 2020
Sammy Miller contributed so much to the Honda trials effort in the ’70s.
I first came across the American at the 1977 Scottish Six Days Trial where he took two Best Daily Performance awards to eventually finish in 13th position. He also won the Second-Best Newcomer award behind his good friend and fellow ‘Yank’, Bernie Schreiber. One of the funniest memories of that wet week was watching the Honda team manager Sammy Miller change a rear tyre for Whaley in a public house car park. It’s was very much against the strict rules of the event, but he had no choice as Marland had no idea! It was quite funny as my father, Ron, swore me to secrecy at the time. The Honda trials display by the Frenchmen had three Marland Whaley Honda machines on display in a fitting tribute to the blond American, which was rewarded with an award from the organisers.
Hagon Shocks were the proud show title sponsors.
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Show • Telford
Engine spares were plentiful.
If you want to renovate a trials machine then the Telford Show is the place to be.
A mine of information is Jack Burnicle, who shared the centre stage over the weekend, seen here talking to Bernie Schreiber.
Barry Roads, Dave Renham and Bernie Schreiber reminisced over the glory days at Comerfords during the Bultaco years.
MOTORCYCLE RENOVATION
Over the course of the two days of the show on the Saturday and Sunday, I had a chance to walk around and enjoy the many renovation projects that had been carried out to such a high standard. It was a common sight to see people walking around with carrier bags full of parts and accessories needed to complete a project — or start a new one! It was so good to meet many of the advertisers who support Classic Trial Magazine, who had their trade stands open for business which proved very beneficial for them all. It’s a good example of bringing the shop to the people, where they can speak with the proprietors one to one and not over the phone or via the internet. Many of the British twin-shock series organisers across all the disciplines used the show as an occasion to present their awards to the winners. On both days the chronicler of so many stories from his many years of attending events, 94
Jack Burnicle, kept people entertained on the centre stage as he carried out some fascinating interviews. Along with Bernie Schreiber from trials, the organisers had invited the legendary hard-charging motocross rider Bryan Goss as the guests of honour. On the trials side, Bernie proved very popular. Many people requested autographs and photos to be taken with a rider who brought so much entertainment to the trials scene with his dynamic style in the late ’70s and early ’80s. They were both very well accepted and spoke at the sell-out Saturday evening dinner held at the adjacent hotel. Trade, retail and display prepare stands before the doors open on the Saturday and Sunday. In truth, the show is very much about Saturday as many people want to ride the off-road machines the following day. It is not a criticism of the show, but maybe the organisers need to add something to the show to draw the crowds in on the Sunday which is generally much quieter.
Having won ‘Kickstart’ in early eighties Bernie Schreiber went home without the trophy. He was reunited with it by the then SWM importer Jim Jones, seen here on the left with Martin Matthews from Moto SWM on the right of Schreiber.
2021 SHOW
As we went to print, still in Coronavirus lockdown in June, I spoke with the event organisers, and they confirmed that the dates were being set for the 2021 show around a similar weekend in February. The classic shows, run by the Morton’s group, during the course of the year are always well attended and very popular. When we spoke with them, they were already looking at ways to continue this year while following the strict government guidelines. I for one am very much looking forward to a really good catch up in 2021, so let’s just hope that common sense prevails and we can all have a good old ‘chinwag’ the other side of this terrible disease. Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
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Superstore • In the world of Trials
SUPERSTORE
Trial Magazine, in association with motorcycle trials literature specialist, Yoomee, can now bring you a selection of books dedicated to motorcycle trials. 01 DVD: 2019 CLASSIC REVIEW
Enjoy the 2019 Classic season review in your own home. £19.99 inc. P&P
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EDITION 01 | YEAR 2018
04 MOTORCYCLE COMPETITION SCOTLAND 1975–2010 100 pages covering all aspects of the motorcycle sport in Scotland. The book is A4 size and comes in the semi hardback landscape format from the Trials Guru, John Moffat. £19.99 inc. P&P
Look after the one you love by saving your Classic Trial Magazine collection year on year, the binder holds 12 issues. (Magazines not included). £9.99 inc. P&P
A PICTOR IAL HISTOR Y OF MOTOR CYCLE SPORT S
THE GOLDEN AGE 1965-1985
A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF MOTORCYCLE SPORTS • THE GOLDEN AGE 1965-1985
Take a step back in time to 1965– 1985. A golden age of motorcycle sport. A4 Size. 132 Pages. £10.98 inc. P&P
05 SAVE YOUR COLLECTION WITH A CLASSIC TRIAL MAGAZINE PROTECTIVE BINDER
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ISSUE 01: 2018 • UK: £8.99
ENDURO
Motorcycle Retro Replay Issue 1.indd
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MOTOCROSS
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ROAD
RACING
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TRIALS
1 31/10/2018 09:52
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06 CLASSIC TRIAL MAGAZINE GYM BAG
Whether it’s going to the gym or carrying that waterproof riding kit this drawstring bag is ideal for the trials rider. £9.99 inc. P&P
07 LOCHABER SCOTTISH SIX DAYS TRIAL 1909 2011
Yoomee produced this superb collection of over 200 images with over half in full colour. The book is A4 size and comes in the semi hardback landscape format. £19.99 inc. P&P
08 DVD THE 2019 PRE-65 SCOTTISH
Enjoy the atmosphere of this iconic event in your own home on this excellant CJB production. £19.99 inc. P&P
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Summer 2020 • Classic Trial Magazine
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TO ORDER
Order securly at www.trialmaguk.com/shopfront/ or fill the form below and return to: Trial Magazine, 48 Albion Road, New Mills, High Peak, Derbyshire, SK22 3EX. Tel: 01663 74476 or email england@trialmag.com 01 n DVD: 2019 Classic Review 02 n Motorcycle Retro Replay Magazine 03 n A Complete Guide to Motorcycle Trials 04 n Motorcycle Competition Scotland 1975–2010 05 n Classic Trial Magazine Protective Binder 06 n Classic Trial Magazine Drawstring Gym Bag 07 n Lochaber Scottish Six Days Trial 1909–2011 08 n DVD: The 2019 Pre-65 Scottish For Europe and Worldwide P&P, please place your order at: www.trialmaguk.com/shopfront/
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