Innehållsförteckning för Issue 126 från Old Bike Australasia

Entries for the 2026 Bathurst Easter Tour, which is the first to be organised under the auspices of the Bathurst Motor Cycle Enthusiasts Club, are now open. After difficulties in 2024 when the starting point for each day was moved to Ashgrove Drive, the rally HQ has been moved to Bathurst Showground. This will allow safer egress for each of the rides. The Showground will also be the base for the Debriefing session each afternoon from 4.30. Camping is available and can be booked by calling Bathurst Showground on 0458 636 989. The Tour begins on Sunday 29th March with a ride to Trunkey Creek, and concludes on Sunday 5th April after a ride to the O’Connell Hotel. This is an optional ride and will not be supported with a…

One of the big surprises at the recent EICMA Show in Milan was the unveiling of the Manx R, the flagship of a projected six-strong range of new Norton models by the parent company TVS* Motor which has invested almost AU$400 million in the iconic brand. TVS is an Indian multinational manufacturer based in Chennai, which purchased Norton Motorcycles in 2020. The Manx R is powered by an all-new 1200cc 72-degree V4 engine producing 153kW (206 hp) at 11,500 rpm and 13oNm of torque at 9,000 rpm. Dry weight is 204kg. Finished in Norton’s traditional silver, the Manx has been deliberately styled without the wings and other protrubances that are common on modern superbikes. The chassis features semi-active suspension developed by Marzocchi, which continuously adjust front and rear compression and…

For a company that produced motorcycles for only thirty years, Rudge carved out an enviable reputation. Innovation, quality, finish, performance and racing success were terms that well described the company’s products. In motorcycling terms, Rudge-Whitworth has often been referred to as “probably the saddest casualty of World War II”. The war delivered the final blow for the company that began back in 1868 in Wolverhampton, where Dan Rudge had begun building Velocipedes, the forerunner of the bicycle. Dan was a clever bloke, and had soon patented a number of features including axles running on ball bearings, and by the time he passed away in 1880 he had built up a successful business behind the Tiger’s Head Inn, where he was the licensee. The Velocipede business was sold by Dan’s widow…

However, one badge of honour that had always interested him was the Australian Land Speed Record for motorcycles, which fell to the Brian Collins Yamaha squad in February 1973 when Bryan Hindle piloted the Collins-owned TR3 to 241.88 km/h (150.3 mph) on Lake Lefroy in WA. If a fairly standard 350 Yamaha could do that speed, Bert surmised, one of his stove-hot Bultacos should be able to do better. His 350cc aircooled single, the 1968 ex-works 350cc 5-speed model formerly ridden by Ginger Molloy that Bert had acquired in 1969, and which Bert’s son Gary had raced successfully in a Hagon frame at the Romsey Grass Track, was fitted into a low-slung rigid-frame dragster built by Bert, enclosed in a cigar shaped shell, and devoid of any component that…

The fifth annual Walcha Motorcycle Rally was held on 14 – 15 November in the showgrounds at Walcha in NSW. The event was very well attended by hundreds of motorcyclists, some for the first time but with many making the pilgrimage every year. Many of the riders camped at the venue whilst the remainder filled every hotel and motel in Walcha; no doubt a well-appreciated boost to the town’s economy. As always, there were a number of interesting stalls promoting the motorcycle industry and a variety of food trucks and a bar. Entertainment included a ‘show and shine’, trials bike demonstrations, postie bike soccer, and live bands each night. No doubt the highlight of the rally for many, were the organized Saturday rides, around Waterfall Way and Thunderbolt’s Way, where…

The Melbourne forecast for the weekend was cold, wet and windy. Fortunately, the Broadford racetrack is located in the Tallarook Ranges and the Melbourne forecast doesn’t always prevail. This was the case with the Southern Classic which didn’t have the rain although it was definitely cold and the wind was such that riders couldn’t get into top gear down the long back straight. Care was also needed when cornering, especially if another rider was close, as there was a reasonable chance the bike would be pushed by the wind and end up a half metre or so from the intended line. The number of entrants was akin to the pre-COVID days with strong fields in most classes. The Harley versus Indian Handshift battle had 20+ starters (Harley-Davidsons came out on…

After a 6-year break the Isle of Man authorities decided to reinstate the Classic TT and run it alongside the Manx Grand Prix. After last year’s MGP weather-related near disaster, the MGP and Classic TT were allocated some extra days to cover possible problems, but even with the extra days the Classic TT ran out of time and could only run a limited race programme on the last day. A full race report is well outside the scope of this article but a brief description of the machines competing in the Historic Classes would not go amiss. Historic Junior The bulk of the entries for the Historic Junior class were Honda CB350 K4s with thirty six of them making up the forty five machine entries. Out of the 30 finishers…

This year the annual week-long Velocette Rally was centred right in the Barossa Valley at the BIG 4 Tourist Park in Nuriootpa. Once again, an amazing number of entries totalled 115 people with 79 Velos along with 16 other makes of bikes. Members travelled from all over Australia along with internationals from Germany, New Zealand and the USA. Some rallyists rode to the event and it’s worth noting we have an award for this. Many others trailered because of the distance and the WA members loaded their Velos in a container for a trip on the train and back. The rally routes took us through the vineyards past stone cottages and over rolling hills to places like Mannum, Swan Reach, Eudunda and into the Clare Valley. One ride headed down…

104 riders assembled at the Bottletree Hotel, Glamorgan Vale, 60km west of Brisbane for this year’s Centurion Run, where the combined age of rider and machine must be at least 100 years (hence the name). HMCCQ riders came from the Brisbane, Childers, Mt. Tamborine, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Pine Rivers, Warwick, Lockyer Valley and Gold Coast areas. There were two routes; a 60km route for the older machines and 100km for the newer machines. Both rides converged to a rest stop at Aitkinson’s Dam before heading back to the Hotel which was inundated as it was also the lunch stop for the Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive. While we were riding the organisers were busy going through the sign-on sheets to accumulate data for the awards and certificates. Ride organiser, Chas MacDonald took the…

Leslie Jones was a long serving member and Life Member of The Veteran and Vintage Motorcycle Club of South Australia (VVMCCSA) since 1972. Leslie never rode a motorcycle but was pillion passenger on the back of her husband Bob Jones’ motorcycles, or would drive the family car with trailer following Bob and members of many rallies and adventures. But it was Leslie’s organising skills and driving force behind many of the clubs in anniversary rallies and anything involving women in the Club. many who put as much into the club as she did.…

The Classic Riders Club of Goulburn swap meet is pretty much an institution and attracts sellers and visitors from all over the country. The 2026 event will be held at Goulburn Recreation Centre on Sunday 22nd March 2026, with set-up from 12.30pm on Saturday 21st march. Following the last Swap Meet the club surveyed exhibitors to decide how they could make future Swap Meets bigger and better for both exhibitors and visitors. One of the main changes is the date of the event, as Goulburn can be very hot and rain prone in February, as it was this year. On the other hand, Autumn in Goulburn is the very best time of the year, it’s not windy, has moderate temperatures and a very low chance of rain. Additionally the Australian…

The Shannon’s Brisbane showroom was again chosen for the regular One Addiction Bike Show. Thankfully this is indoors as storms were predicted, and yes some of us got wet getting there and going home. A DJ provided music and swirling coloured lights, adding some ‘bling’ to the bikes which were all lined up in rows. The regular trade stands, food and drink trucks were on hand as well as the free raffle of some very generous prizes to be drawn by the 8.00 pm finish time. Riders of special motorcycles had the opportunity to forward a photo of their bikes to the One Addiction team for inclusion in their VIP display. These machines were displayed in a white seamless corner of the showroom. They were mostly newer bikes but there…

This popular event is run by the Bendigo Car Club with the HMRAV looking after the motorbike side of the event. It comprises a couple of timed runs up the hill on Saturday to familiarise the competitors with the road and three runs on Sunday to determine the King of the Mountain. Each year the course sees changes with this year a bump on a long right hand sweeper being something to take note of. Many buttoned off for the sweeper with the fast riders keeping the throttle pinned. Unfortunately, due to issues with communications resulting in a number of delays, the bikes only did one run on the Saturday and two on Sunday. Whilst perhaps a bit frustrating for the competitors, the hill climb is as much a social…

16 motorcycles, one better than 2024, lined up for this year’s event; a Period 2 350, 13 Period 3 bikes that included 5 British 350/500 singles, 4 vertical twins of 500 to 750cc, a lone sidecar with a Matchless 600 twin which was ridden with verve by Matthew Hundertmark and acrobatic passenger Shane Edwards, and 2 Period 4 solos. NSW visitor Peter Fagan brought his 1927 AJS 350 and 1962 650 Triton, whilst extending the cutoff date for cars and bikes to 1972 brought in Robin Williams’ Honda CB500-4 and Mat Kennedy’s 200 Yamaha. The weather gods were kind to us, and fastest bike was again Bruce Davis’ 500 Matchless with 40.62 seconds, beating his own 41.55. He was followed by Robin Williams’ Honda at 41.19, Ben Versteegh’s 500 Velocette…

Spring weather and classic motorcycling went hand-in-hand to ensure Barossa Valley Classic Motor Cycle Club’s 39th annual one-day rally progressed in style. After a warm welcome from Peter Rosser (Rally Organiser/Coordinator) and Club President Lorraine Tucker, then a community spirited send-off from local State MP The Hon. Ashton Hurn, a procession of classic motorcycles set off from Angaston’s recreation park. This year’s rally committee revamped the long and shorter ride options, with “longer legged” motorcycles led by inimitable club Ride Captain Graeme Hardwick via Rosedale to morning tea at the new Barossa Park AFL standard oval and sports complex at Lyndoch. The “short run” motorcycled in gentlemanly style via Nuriootpa, Marananga and Gomersal to refreshments just ahead of Graeme’s contingent, winning first bite of locally-made German streusel cake and homemade…

Beautiful weather and the manicured St. Joseph’s College sports fields brought the British enthusiasts out in droves to the 44th year of All British Day. There were over 600 displayed cars, motorbikes, 4-wheel drives and trucks of amazing quality and the $20 per vehicle entry fee means that a sizable bundle of cash will be donated to the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. The motorcycle exhibit was small but nice with five high quality machines on display. Rick Thurgood’s amazing 1923 BSA 770cc V-twin was fitted with Mills Fulford sidecar complete with a forward-mounted baby seat. This is a second-owner bike, would you believe. Rick told me that this was probably originally a dealer display machine as it has every available accessory from the period and was first registered a…

It took mere moments for the pre-digital grapevine to spring into action. Generally, announcements from the Spagforth board of directors focussed on product recalls, public apologies, denials of scandals and the like. This one was different, stating that the company would make a significant statement regarding its star rider Edgar Jessop, to be broadcast by BBC Radio, and via Tannoys set up in major public arenas. Naturally, conjecture was rampant and the rumour mill went into overdrive as the appointed hour drew ever nearer. Surely, not another concupiscent encounter with a member of the Royal Family? A particularly strident rumour involved the supposed pregnancy of the juvenile niece of the Medici family in Florence. Then there was the mysteriously suppressed gerbil outcry in Iceland. As disturbing as these fanciful notions…

Classic Motorcycle Racing Club (CMRC) has announced that parade laps will be conducted over the lunch period each day over the weekend of the Australian Classic Motorcycle TT at One Raceway Goulburn, NSW, 20-22 March 2026. Parades are a means of riding on track in a non-competitive way. Parades will be run in two groups: Group 1 Historic Race bikes and Group 2 Historic Road bikes up to and including 1990, for road bikes only, not MX, dirt or enduro. Bikes do not need to be log-booked but will be scrutineered for safety reasons. Scrutineers will be looking at tyres, brakes, levers and fluids. Brake master cylinders, oil and coolant should all be sealed and leak proof. Older bikes with total-loss oil systems are not eligible. Riders will attend a…

One of the greats of the fabulous ‘sixties Sidecar era, ALEC CORNER passed away in Melbourne on 18th November, aged 93. Alec was born in North Kensington, London, in 1932, and upon leaving school was apprenticed as a carpenter. In 1959 Alec and his wife boarded a ship at Tilbury and sailed for Australia, taking with them Alec’s Vincent Rapide. The Corners found lodgings at a hostel adjacent to Fishermans Bend, the former car and aircraft manufacturing centre that now has the West Gate Bridge above it. The site had first been used for motor racing in 1948. A chance meeting with Frank Sinclair at Fishermans Bend paid off when Sinclair decided to stop riding and offered his Vincent outfit to Alec. His first ride, with Ian McDonald in the…

Don and wife Marie owned and operated motorcycle dealerships during the heyday of motorcycles, with “Don Newell Motorcycles’’ on Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley, being an icon of the late ‘60s and ‘70s Brisbane motorcycle scene. This was followed by the Moto Mart store at Oxley in the late ‘70s before the later move to Woollongabba where son Tom now runs his Moto Guzzi dealership. While the bike shops created a profile, Don will be mostly remembered for his racing exploits and as the Queensland Bultaco importer. Those who met Don either through his racing or his shop would just as likely have met his wife, Marie. Not surprisingly, Marie Puddle and Don first met at a race meeting. Marie was the Secretary for the Nambour Motor Cycle Club and Don…

Enter character one: Herbert J. King (aka Herb or HJ) Herb’s dad John King, his wife and two sons (William and George) migrated to Tasmania from England in 1890. Herb was born on May 31, 1892 in Hobart. The family moved to Launceston and purchased Champion Cycles in 1901. The business had extensive workshop facilities which included plating, baked enamelling, lathes and milling machines, and brazing to make bicycles. John King saw the future, bought a (Melbourne-made) Beauchamp motor bicycle that same year and soon began building his own ‘Champion’ motor bicycles using Minerva, Peugeot and then JAP engines, making them the first motor bicycle business in Tasmania. The ‘Champion’ was manufactured to meet Tasmanian conditions, strongly-framed with a very low seat position, increased engine clearance and large, heavy tyres.…

In post-WW2 Italy, it was a matter of making a lire any way you could. In the case of Laverda S.p.A., at least they had a rich background in manufacturing agricultural machinery, so adding another branch wasn’t that great a leap. The company had been started by Pietro Laverda in 1873 to make agricultural engines, and his grandson Francesco founded Moto Laverda S.A.S. in 1949, with the assistance of engineer Luciano Zen. A prototype of what would become Laverda’s first motorcycle appeared in late 1949, and from the very beginning, Laverda motorcycles were different from others. Laverda acquired a unique distinction by making its own engine for its first complete motorcycle, rather than following the usual practice of start-up operations in using a proprietary power plant. The 1949 Motoleggera (lightweight…

When Yamaha officially came into being on 1st July 1955, the home market had about 150 separate players, almost all of them concerned with local sales with hardly a thought of the export market. It was an extremely tough ring into which the musical instruments company (Nippon Gakki) chose to throw its hat. But the market was booming, thanks to recently-introduced laws that permitted riders as young as 14 to obtain a licence without taking a test. It wasn’t exactly a fairy tale start, but Yamaha, under president Genichi Kawagami, immediately showed the opposition that it meant business. Then, as now, Yamaha placed serious importance on success in motorcycle racing, and it began with a bang, taking victory in the two most important races in Japan – the Mount Fuji…

The Veteran Vintage and Classic Motorcycle Club of the ACT recently held its 35th annual swap meet at the Hall showgrounds, and it was a resounding success. This was our third year at Hall, and the event continues to grow in size and popularity. The venue offers ample parking, shade, and a variety of food and drinks for sale, making it an ideal location. Despite a less-than-promising weather forecast, we were fortunate to enjoy sunshine and a pleasantly cool day, with rain holding off until lunchtime. The event featured over 250 sites and welcomed more than 1,200 visitors. Our swap meet caters to a wide range of interests, including motorcycle and car parts, automobilia, antiques, collectables, and bric-a-brac, ensuring there is something for everyone. A heartfelt thank you goes out…

It seems that historic motorcycle racing has returned if the attendance to both the Southern Classic and the Australian Historic Road Racing Championship is any indication with both events getting back to pre-Covid numbers. The AHRRC had over 200 riders with 300 plus bikes and outfits. Competitors came from every state for the four-day race meet. The numbers were such that there were 15 groups, each containing various Periods and engine capacities. The weather was close to perfect albeit with a few sprinkles of moisture on Sunday which didn’t affect the racing. The solo bikes featured Period 2 through to Period 7 Superbikes. The sidecars were from Period 3 with Triumphs, Nortons and a 1200cc Vincent through to Period 6 with engine capacities approaching 1300cc. In all classes there was…

The weather was good for racing for the 6th round at the Collie Motorplex Long Track, but unfortunately an incident during the third P7 600, P7 1000 & Thunderbikes saw that race and the remaining three races cancelled due to time restraints. In the Juniors & Heritage 150 Brother and Sister – Rossi & Lexie McAdam dominated the three races. In the Junior class Rossi McAdam (BPR Statewide Oil Yamaha R15) took three wins from three starts. His fastest time was just shy of half a second from the lap record for the class set by Lauchy Williams. Lexie McAdam (Australind Mobile Mechanic YZF V2) took all three wins in the Heritage 150 Division and was never troubled. Father and son team Dwayne and Damon Owen took first place in…

Two-stroke machines and tiny ‘tiddlers’ came together on the King’s Birthday public holiday for the annual Fun Day. Hosted by the Pine Rivers Area, Historical Motorcycle Club of Qld Inc. the event, held just north of Brisbane, continues to grow in popularity since it was introduced as the Stinkwheel Rally about 30 years ago. It was originally exclusively for two-stroke bikes, but was expanded some years ago to include any small capacity machine. This year, the limit was up to 200cc. More than 60 bikes, which included those ridden by event marshals, made an impressive line-up. Among the interesting mix of twostroke and tiddler machines were BSA, Ducati, Francis Barnett, Yamaha, Bultaco, MZ, Honda, Suzuki and Adler. The split ride catered for the two groups. A combined ride took everyone…