A brief chat with... Dave Curtis

Scrambling in the 1950s meant big bikes being used on open tracks, and the riders who used them to their full potential going down in history as their exploits filled the weekly press.

One such a rider is Dave Curtis, whose name is synonymous with the Matchless make, not that he started on the Plumstead machine and nor did his early scrambling successes come on one either – those honours go to machines from Selly Oak’s Ariel concern.

The Matchless connection came after Hugh Viney had taken on the role of AMC’s competition manager. Viney was a top off-road rider, winner of the SSDT and ISDT team man, who knew a good