Innehållsförteckning för Issue 122 från Old Bike Australasia

Towards the end of the ‘fifties, experimentation was rife amongst the top riders, swapping engines and frames from different marques in an effort to gain the competitive edge. One that certainly worked was the converted AJS 7R road racer (entered as a Crescent) raced to World titles by Swede Bill Nilsson. There were also numerous Triumph twin-engined specials, using whatever components were available. Just who built the first Tribsa – a Triumph-engined BSA, for either fast road-burning, cafe racing, scrambles (later motocross) or even road racing is moot, and over the years, there have been many claimants to the feat. But the maxim that “Singles rule” was deeply entrenched, particularly in Britain, so it was quite a break in tradition when the Rickman brothers and their loyal mechanic “Tiny” Camfield…

The backstory begins in two places around the turn of the twentieth century. Neckarsulm Strickmachen United – NSU – had been established in the West German town of Neckarsulm, so named because it’s located where two rivers (Neckar and Sulm) meet. Initially it was for manufacture and repair of sewing and knitting machines (Strickmachen = knitting machines), which was soon phased out. The company’s founder, Christian Smitt, had dreamed of manufacturing bicycles but died before he could realise it. However, he’d handed over the business to his brother-in-law Gottlob Banzhaf, an innovative man who not only realised Smitt’s dream, but was fascinated by the prospect of fitting the new internal combustion engines into two-wheelers. In 1900 a prototype was produced, with commercial production of Germany’s first motorcycle “in the accepted…

This was a billy kart/trolley/soapbox racer (take your pick) lovingly crafted out of assorted timber, rope, odd wheels and nuts and bolts by Dad. This downhill weapon was emblazoned on the side with a rendering (again by Dad’s hand) of a Flash Gordon-style rocket ship and the aforementioned name Supersonic. It was a source of great pride for Dad, an ultimate thrill for me and of constant worry for Mum. Propelled down the sloping footpath outside our home in Spring Hill (the name is a clue) at something approaching terminal velocity, it would prove necessary at some point to arrest or at least slow the onward rush of Supersonic before a 90 degree turn at the end of the street. This is where brakes and braking came into play. The…

Shannons Classic Bike Broadford • 18-20 April, 2025 – State Motorcycling Complex Broadford, Vic Run over three days of the Easter weekend, Shannons Classic Bike Broadford followed much the same format as the previous Broadford Bonanza, catering for several disciplines across the circuits within the complex. 2025 marked the third year of the event which is promoted by Rachelle and Mick Pettifer. Star name this year was former World Superbike Champion Troy Corser, who took to the track and made appearances around the circuits and in the road race pits. A swap meet also took place on Easter Monday. Colin Rosewarne was there to capture some of the highlights.…

Superbike Masters 2025 Round One • 128-29 March, 2025 – Sydney Motor Sport Park NSW For the third year in succession, the Superbike Masters series is playing a major supporting role to the Australian Superbike Championship. The first of three rounds was staged at Sydney Motor Sport Park, with the added attraction of being held under lights. As in previous years, Superbike Masters contains sub categories for Period 5 and 6 models from 1973 to 1990, featuring two stroke and four stroke machines. The 2024 overall winner Ryan Taylor from Victoria was there to defend his title, but he found the combination of Beau Beaton and his 851 Ducati too hot to handle. Winner of the Period 5 F1 category in 2024, Michael Berti Mendez was also on the grid,…

Inverell Motorcycle Restorers Club 30th Annual Rally • 4-6 April, 2025 – Pioneer Village, Inverell, NSW Inverell’s 30th annual rally once again defied the odds. Ten days of widespread rain over eastern Australia all but missed the region, but three days out, Hughey delivered 80mm, closing roads and flooding causeways. The Club had to abandon its Wednesday and Thursday early-bird ride days and kept hoping for skies to clear. And clear it did, though numbers were understandably down as some riders in flood-affected regions decided against risking it. But in the Sapphire City the sun reappeared on Friday morning as riders rode into Pioneer Village to register, grab a bite to eat, check out other arrivals and prepare for the weekend’s activities. First up was a 60km loop ride joined…

The Indian Harley Club of Bunbury Two-Day Rally • 3-4 March, 2025 – Bunbury, WA This is one of the most anticipated events on the West Australian historic bike calendar, which continues to grow in popularity amongst old bike enthusiasts in the state. This was the 51st running of the event, with some 234 bikes registered for the rally, with some participants coming from as far afield as Geraldton in the north and Albany in the south. All historic classes were well represented with a mix of bikes rarely seen together. In particular, a good number of veteran bikes were out, and it was especially pleasing that several were ridden by younger riders. The oldest bike to complete the rally was Peter (Macca) MacDonald’s 1912 Norton. Other veteran machines included…

Basically, if it had two or three wheels, Joe would ride it and ride it competitively, resulting in many wins and podiums. Joe competed at all the venues: Bardon, Southport, Kingston, Heit Park, Lowood, Strathpine and Lakeside. Sadly, of these only the Lakeside track still exists, albeit with very limited racing opportunity. The remainder have disappeared due to urban expansion. Joe was also a renowned motorcycle mechanic and race engine tuner. Recently our motorcycle club, Queensland Early Motorcycle Sports Club (QEMSC), was contacted by Joe’s daughter-in-law, Sharon Costin. Sharon was looking for a home for Joe’s racing memorabilia consisting of trophies, sashes and photographs. The enquiry was forwarded to me, being the oldest active member of our club and the only one likely to have known Joe Costin. Now back…

What became Yamaha’s iconic TRX 850 began with the XTZ750 Super Ténéré of 1989, featuring an all-new parallel twin engine which went on to win in the deserts of Dakar, where Stephane Peterhansel took victory in the legendary Paris-Dakar in 1995 on the works Super Ténéré. Yamaha plucked that engine, stretched from 750ss to 850cc, from the Ténéré to create a multi-purpose model – the TDM 850. When it was released in 1991, Yamaha’s TDM 850 defied categorisation. Just what was it? Certainly not an enduro bike, nor an out-and-out sports machine, despite an impressive top speed of almost 210km/h. No, the TDM had a foot in several camps, and its styling meant more than a little chin scratching for potential customers. The proof, in the case of the TDM…

The latest episode happened when I was turning into my street and three kids around 13-15 years old – two riding two-up and one solo – came ripping down the footpath (the footpath, not the road) at around 35 km/h, made eye contact with me as I was halfway through turning across a two-lane road, and proceeded to get on the gas and miss my car by inches. They also flipped me off after I yelled at them to learn how to ride. God, I feel like a raging old man. The main culprits are, dare I say it, teenage girls. Almost always riding two-up, with unstrapped helmets and the one on the back is usually on her phone while the rider in charge hits the bike’s top speed. Guess…

Carnell Classic • 12-13 April, 2025 – Carnell Raceway, Stanthorpe Qld Hosted by Queensland Early Motorcycle Sports Club Inc (QEMSC) Record entries for the annual Carnell Classic in Stanthorpe kicked off QEMSC’s 2025 race season. The program introduced two new classes plus a reinvigorated 125cc class, contributing to a strong turnout of some 120 riders and 140 bikes. The meeting was also Round One of the Warley Consultancy South East Queensland Cup, now in its third year and growing. The series was originally for two classes – pre-1991 250cc four-strokes, and bikes up to 500cc including two-strokes. One of the two new classes at the Carnell Classic, the MDG MiniTwins, is now incorporated into the series for the first time. The introduction of the MiniTwins and P4 Formula Twins Sidecar…

50th Bathurst Easter Tour • 13–20 April, 2025 – Bathurst, NSW Back in 1975, forty keen riders (and one sidecar passenger) assembled in Bathurst for the first Easter Tour, conducted by the Vintage Motorcycle Club of Australia (NSW) Inc. With an enforced hiatus for Covid, the event has been held every year since, and for 2025 drew a bumper entry of around 170 riders and 230 motorcycles. This year’s late Easter raised concerns that winter may have set in, but far from it – the entire week was held in fine sunny weather. Entries came from as far afield as West Australia, along with South Australia Queensland, Victoria, ACT and of course NSW, with a pleasing number of veteran motorcycles in keeping with the ethos of the event. In this…

Moto Guzzi had introduced its lovely V7 Sport the previous year; an exercise in weight reduction from the standard but portly V7 Special. The Special had come from the original 703cc V7 which had been designed by former race shop director Giulio Carcano, resulting in a much more spirited and sporty machine. The engine was 757.4cc with a four-speed gearbox. Ever since the successful World record attempts at Monza in 1969, there had been high-level discussions at the factory about the possibility of creating a model that would be suitable for Production racing (as in the booming segment in Australia), and modified Production racing, which was catching on in Europe, UK and USA. Moto Guzzi managing director Romolo de Stefani was a fan of the concept, but stressed that the…

Initially, the six Benelli brothers, guided and assisted by their mother, set up in business to repair cars and motorcycles, but within three years they had begun manufacturing their own components on a limited basis. The onset of WW1 provided an outlet for their aircraft and car parts production, but when that conflict reached its conclusion there were more pressing issues if the Benelli concern was to remain in business. Like many others, they turned to motorcycles, producing their own 98cc two-stroke engine, for attachment to bicycles. The engine was mounted in front of the steering head, with drive to the front wheel by chain – a system which proved unsatisfactory as the feeble chassis could not cope with the power of the engine. The only solution was to produce their…

Stateside visitor Lining up at the recent PCRA Bridgestone Festival of Speed was Steve Wasserman, who hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA. With assistance from local Hand-Shift veteran Charlie Palmer, Steve lined up for the new-year meeting at McNamara Park, Mount Gambier, then travelled on to Sydney for the BFoS. At both meetings he rode a WLA H-D built by Charlie. Steve is no stranger to these parts. From the 1980s to 1999 he was the Harley-Davidson sales rep for Australia and visited frequently. Back home, he races in Dirt Track and Ice racing events. Photos by Darin Fitzgerald. Dry Swap THE FESTIVAL OF MOTORCYCLING is holding their popular Undercover Winter Swap meet again on Sunday June 22nd 2025. The swap meet will be held in a 5,000sqm shed adjacent to…

Victoria Historic Road Racing Championships (HMRAV) • 12-13 April, 2025 – Broadford, Victoria A sunny but warm weekend saw bikes and outfits from the Vintage, Classic, Post Classic and Forgotten Eras along with Class C – a class that eventuated in the States in 1933 as a result of the Great Depression (1929-1939) to make racing more affordable by using street legal bikes straight from the showroom floor. There was also the Harley versus Indian Handshift battle and the David Large Classic Sidecar Handicap. There were nineteen outfits and ninety six solos in the program, although quite a few late entries were not on the list. Historic racing is as much about having fun as about winning and as such, most riders will love having someone to battle with, be…

2025 Festival of Italian Motorcycles • 18 April, 2025 – Scoresby, Victoria The 2025 Festival of Italian Motorcycles was held at the Steam Traction Engine Club, the same venue as the 2024 event. The numbers were slightly down on 2024, even so, there were still a good collection of Italian bikes on display. The standout bike was the 1972 750 Sport MV Agusta which had been restored by the owner. Along with this MV was another from the same year, a 350B with a F4 completing the MVs on display. Laverdas were also well represented with quite a few SFs from the ‘seventies along with a good collection of 1000cc models, including Jota, SFC 1000, RGS1000 an RGS1000 Corsa. There was also the relatively rare and highly desirable 750S from…

Spanish Motorcycle Rally • 11-14 April, 2025 – Captain’s Flat, Queanbeyan NSW Our 2025 Club Bultaco Australia Spanish motorbike rally was held on the weekend before Easter at Russell Beckett’s lovely property near Captain’s Flat, in the Queanbeyan district of NSW. It was a great long weekend. Most people turned up on Friday and left on Monday, and we enjoyed great weather (for once!), with warm days and cool nights, no rain and as the bush fire season was over, we could have bonfires. Russell provided all the wood plus he cleared the camping ground and laid out two grass scrambles tracks, an enduro loop and trials areas. There were 67 bikes; 10 Metrallas, seven Alpinas, seven Pursangs, 15 Fronteras, one Matador, two Lobitos, one El Tiron, 11 Sherpa T, one…