Issue 111

Old Bike Australasia

For motorcycle enthusiasts, young and old.

Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Old Bike Australasia
Jim Scaysbrook OAM Email: scaysbrook34@bigpond.com Tel: (02) 9672 6899 (bh) Mbl: 0411 443 444 PO Box 95, Kellyville NSW 2155 Uli Cloesen, Gaven Dall’Osto, Peter Drakeford, Bryan Fowler, Peter Laverty, Craig McPherson, Des Molloy, Russ Murray, Rennie
Old Bike Australasia3 min read
Editor’s Letter
Over the past century or so, Speedway has endured more than its share of scandals. Currently while one group prepares to celebrate 100 years of speedway, others point out that the oval sport has been around a lot longer than that. The World Champions
Old Bike Australasia9 min read
Letters To The Editor
I enjoyed reading the article in OBA 109 on the Yamaha RT-1 and JT-1 maxi and Mini Enduro bikes. Fifty years ago when I was 12, I had a JT-1 Mini Enduro and when my mates had either a Honda Mini Trail or QA50 or a “TruTest” with a Briggs and Stratton
Old Bike Australasia4 min read
Out In The Shed
Saturday 2nd September this year saw the Dubbo Motofest conducted at the Dubbo Showground, organised by Dubbo Motorcycle and Drivers Club. Over 6,500 people attended which resulted in excess of $50,000 being raised which went to various charity organ
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Bridgestone backs Festival
Bridgestone, in association with White’s Racing Products, will present a full weekend of Classic and Historic racing at Sydney Motor Sport Park on the weekend of 17th and 18th February, 2024. The Bridgestone Festival of Speed, promoted by the Post Cl
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
VJMC Rally heads to South Australia
It is ten years since the last VJMC Rally in South Australia, and Nuriootpa was chosen as the location as it is easily accessible from the northern and southern access routes to Adelaide, along with its combination of accommodation, proximity of the
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Kiwi Classic’s New Home
The dates are 2-4 February, 2024. President of the NZCMRR Ken McGeady said, “The completion of our final events for 2023 will allow us to move into a new Register era of Manfeild as our Festival home. There is still a lot of work to do to establish a
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Bert Munro 2024 Gets Set
Five days of non-stop action kicks off with the Southland Honda Track Day at Teretonga Park, with free entry for spectators. The Rally Site to accommodate the largest rally in the Southern Hemisphere at Oreti Park will be open from Wednesday 7th Febr
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
Herb Jefferson
Herb was the superstar of Short Circuit racing in the early ‘sixties, riding an increasingly ratty-looking 350 BSA owned by his brother-in-law. He graduated from C to A Grade in one year, and took his first Australian title, the 350cc Championship, a
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Longford Motorama 2024
This event will take away a large slice of the officials, exhibitors and spectators, and because of Tassie’s unique position of drawing so many different fans from such a small pool it is a major problem. Most of the enthusiastic committee that saved
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Back To The Future
The XSR900 GP will be part of the Sport Heritage line up and will echo the dominant 500 Grand Prix bikes of the 1980s, with riders like Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey. Basis of the XSR900 GP is the proven MT-09/Tracer, with its CP3 890cc triple cylind
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Mal Byrne
However he didn’t stay with the trade, instead working in spare parts at Sydney motorcycle institutions like Omodeis, Hazell & Moore, London Trading and Ateco Suzuki. He also joined Manly Warringah MCC and later The Sidecar Racing Club and Annandale
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
Fraser McMillan
Fraser was a lifelong motorcyclist starting with a 50cc Itom that he rode to school in Scotland. On his 18th birthday he graduated to a 650cc Triumph which was his only transport during his University days and during Scottish winters. In 1972, after
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
Frank Rogers
Frank developed an interest in all forms of motorsport from his father and became very active in the then relatively new classic road racing scene in the mid-1970s. He acquired a 350 Manx and raced it successfully with various riders in the saddle. L
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Phil Aynsley
Phil’s interest in photography began at age eleven when he was able to borrow his father’s Zeiss camera. What began as a hobby soon turned into a profession, with most assignments coming from the home and lifestyle magazines. At age seventeen, he acq
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
Mike Trimby
A former racer in the ‘seventies, Trimby founded and headed IRTA (International Road Race Teams’ Association) in 1986 with strong support from Kenny Roberts, Barry Sheene, Franco Uncini and others, to champion the interests of riders against the gree
Old Bike Australasia8 min read
The Birth Of The Blade
But before we examine the CBR900RR, or the FireBlade by which it is better known (later the capital B was dropped to become simply Fireblade), we need to address the man responsible for this milestone machine. Despite consuming two packets of cigaret
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
A Pair Of Blades
Eric and Merilyne Leah like to do almost everything as a pair. They frequent club displays, rallies and social events together, and they buy motorcycles together, like this pair of 2004 model Fireblades. It must have been a jolly day for Pro Honda in
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
The Aussie scene
As Peter says, there is some confusion over just how many Jawa Scramblers made it to the Antipodes. Post-war, the Jawa brand itself flitted about various importers and distributors, especially in NSW. By the end of the ‘fifties decade, it had landed
Old Bike Australasia6 min read
Rugged & Reliable Racer
So I got my friend to visit him and get some photos of the bike and probe for some more info. Meanwhile, a frantic internet search for images/info of early model JAWA scramblers was on. I discovered the first ever off road (“Terrini”) JAWAs were the
Old Bike Australasia5 min read
Plain Sailing
Not to be confused with the American motorcycle of the same name, the British Excelsior had its origins in the factory in Coventry, English Mid lands, occupied by Messrs Bayliss, Thomas and Slaughter, or B.T.S, who were, like so many others occupied
Old Bike Australasia6 min read
MOTOBI Or Not To Be
Sepp Neumeier was born in the 1950s and his heydays were from the age of 18-25, when he regularly rode to the Salzburgring in Austria on weekends with his mates. All of them had several idols to look up to in their days. Sepp: “We didn’t just adore o
Old Bike Australasia11 min read
A difficult birth Phillip Island, Victoria 1956-1962
None of this deterred the motor sport fraternity, who had a long history of racing on the island pre-war, including the staging of many Australian Grands Prix and TTs. Bernard Denham, the owner of a small transport business on the island, fondly reme
Old Bike Australasia7 min read
Who’s The Cutest At The Café?
In the mid 1980s, 250 single cylinder road bikes weren’t exactly hot property. So why would Yamaha decide to build one? Of course, it was quite a different story in the off-road world, and the four strokes from all the Japanese manufacturers had even
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
SUBSCRIBE To Old Bike Australasia For Your Chance To WIN!
WIN $14,500 WORTH OF OUTDOOR FURNITURE COTSWOLD FURNITURE was founded in 1981 and has been a leader in the furniture business ever since. With their industry knowledge and design expertise, the company has brought high quality, durable and unique fur
Old Bike Australasia6 min read
Right Idea… Right Time
As I rode the two hours across from Golden Bay to the Nelson manufacturing facility of TT Industries on a frosty Friday at the end of July, I reflected on what I knew about Bruce Verdon and his operation. I had to admit that it was scant. I knew that
Old Bike Australasia3 min read
2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ A smarter Tracer
There was very little wrong with its predecessor’s package of excellent handling, comfort and styling, so what makes the new ‘Plus’ different is the ‘electronics suite’. The same superb 890cc three-cylinder engine provides the urge, along with the sa
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Missing An Issue
BACK ISSUES AVAILABLE NOW! Protect your prized issues of OBA with these rugged binders, now back in stock. Priced at $39.00. If you’ve missed an issue, spotted an article on our website or social media posts that you would like to read, or you just w
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Ipswich Galvanised Bikes, Beards and BBQs
The HMCCQ’s first Father’s Day display in Ipswich, Queensland coincided with our 50+1 celebration when the club made its mark in no uncertain terms. Three years on and the festival committee was keen to see us back again which we did in style. Our di
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
Gas Power
There are very few left who experienced the difficulties of petrol rationing, which in Australia lasted from October 1940 to February 1950. It effectively meant that anything but essential use was out of the question, but there were some enterprising
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Gary’s FLASH BACK
Reader Barry Patterson sent an email recently, highlighting a short-lived but very interesting period in local road racing, which said, “As a kid, I was often taken to Oran Park by the people across the road from me in Sans Souci, 10 years my senior.
Old Bike Australasia4 min read
“9 Million Bicycles…”
Having had the good fortune of recently travelling to Beijing, I can attest that there are at least the same, if not more, scooters, motorcycles, micro cars and 3-wheelers in Beijing as there are bicycles. In short, as I have an abiding respect and a
Old Bike Australasia4 min read
One man’s Inter.
The Inter engine designed by Arthur Carroll is robust and even when not in top condition would still deliver sporting performance. It’s little wonder they became a basis for bikes of the special builder. With plunger frame and iron top end engine a M
Old Bike Australasia4 min read
Two Parties, One Purpose.
Its origins began in Milton (a suburb of Brisbane) in the early 1900s. The history of David Spencer and the motorcycles he built is extensive, so this report focuses on the recreation of the second (and likely the only other in existence) Spencer mot
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
A Mid-week Whopper
• 20-21 September, 2023 – Morgan Park Raceway, Warwick, Qld Hosted by Queensland Early Motorcycle Sports Club Inc (QEMSC) at Morgan Park Raceway in Warwick, the QHRRC was, as always, another fantastic event. Regular competitors including Tim and Karl
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
The Good Old Days
• 9-10 September 2023 – Pheasant Wood, NSW Age shall not weary them. The bikes that is. For these days, while some of the surnames may be familiar, a new generation of offspring occupies many of the seats. Such it was at the meeting that celebrates H
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
Titles Decided In The West
• 23-25 September, 2023 – Collie MotorPlex, WA Sponsored by ‘Tribodyn Lubricants, the ‘King’s Long Weekend’ over the Collie Motorplex ‘Long Track saw perfect weather with good numbers in the majority of classes and a good spectator turnout. Saturday
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
Close Racing At Collie
• 13 August, 2023 – Collie Short Track, WA Like round four, this round was run on the Collie short track, in perfect conditions. Brother and sister racers Lauchy Williams and Kate Thompson had weekends to remember, albeit for different reasons. Lauch
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
Four Days Of Fun
• 8-11 September, 2023 – Woodford, Qld The Ducati Owners Club of Queensland hosted the thirteenth annual Moto Giro Australia, generously supported by local motorcycle dealers; Dave Oliver’s Motorcycle Tyres, Moto Arena Gold Coast and Motorcycles “R”
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
Another fine Festival
• 1-7 October, 2023 – Adelaide, SA After a year’s planning and hard work, the annual FOMSA took place in and around Adelaide in early October. FOMSA aims to bring together motorcyclists of all ages, persuasions and interests which was manifest at thi
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Show Time In The Hawkesbury
• 10 September, 2023 – Windsor, NSW Perfect spring weather graced the Show day on its traditional date on the second Sunday in September, held on the banks of the Hawkesbury River. Jason Stone and his small team of helpers had worked hard in the lead
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
Deutschland uber Thunderdrome
• 27 August, 2023 – Calder Park, Melbourne, Vic. It was a rather surprising invitation for the BMW Motorcycle Club of Victoria to attend the German Auto Show at the Calder Thunderdome by the BMW Drivers Club of Victoria. We don’t have too many crosso
Old Bike Australasia3 min read
A Jacaranda Country Jaunt
• 25-27 August, 2023 – Grafton, NSW There was a great turnout of 25 entrants, along with partners, for 12th annual Sunbeams In Oz rally held at Grafton NSW from the 25th – 27th August 2023. Our host for this year’s rally was Bruce Palme, who has work
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
Cruising the Clarence
• 25-27 August 2023 – Grafton, NSW The CVHEMCC welcomed riders and just over 100 post-war bikes for the annual 3-day rally. Late winter on the North Coast of NSW usually offers mild nights and sunny days, and the weather for this year’s event could n
Old Bike Australasia3 min read
Veterans invade Bundaberg
• 20-25 August, 2023 – Bundaberg, Qld The rally was hosted by the Childers Area of the Historical Motorcycle Club of Queensland Inc – the result of 2 full years of planning by the sub committee. At the start of the rally, there were 106 entrants, 43
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
Triple Treat
• 18-20 August 2023 – Evans Head, NSW The bikes entered are all Pommy Three Cylinder Bikes built from 1968-1975. Triumph Tridents, BSA Rocket 3’s, Hurricanes and Triple Cylinder Specials. The 12th running of the Rally attracted 61 entrants from all S
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
CIRCA Gear Bags
Circa Gear Bags are as tough as nails. Made from robust 840D nylon double layer TPU, (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) which is much stronger than PVC or Tarpaulin vinyl, in the same weight. These bags hold 45 litres of your stuff, are quick to pack and e
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Boost for Bandits
The Mikuni RS38 carburettor kit is for direct fitment to most larger Suzuki GSFS Bandit engines, providing up to 25% increase in power, with no hesitations or flat spots. These are not suited for downdraft engines. For complete specifications and fit
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
Hand Held Dyno
Models available include Honda CB750K, Kawasaki Z1 900/1000 and Ducati Bevel and Belts to 1989. Michael says the new product is not just an ignition, but also a powerful engine tuning and diagnostic tool. “During our 24 months of testing to prove the
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
A Workshop On Wheels
For ease and convenience when you’re working on your bike, the SDC-2L Steel Service Cart can be rolled into position right where you need it, saving time walking back and forth to your workshop bench. Featuring two drawers and a sliding table top tha
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Eyes Right Reading And Watching
A History of Road Racing Milestones and memories from 100 years of drama DVD/88 minutes • Price: AU $14.96 (was $19.95) Available from Pitstop Online www.pitstop.net.au Code: 23713 This DVD is a journey through the ages to uncover the foundations and
Old Bike Australasia2 min read
What’s On
CLUB SECRETARIES: Because of our lead time for printing, please ensure your listing is received at least four months prior to the event. Email your event details to… scaysbrook34@bigpond.com 3-9 November 2023 – Discovery Hahndorf Resort, SA Hosted by
Old Bike Australasia1 min read
Next Issue Preview
French fillies Rare racer in NZ The Norfolk Island Ajay Old Bike Australasia No.112 available on newsstands from 4th January, 2024 www.oldbikemag.com.au ■
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Edgar Jessop The Caribbean caper
In December 1954, the not-always-enterprising government of Cuba, under the iron-fisted control of Fulgencio Batista, decided to lure back overseas tourists who had largely avoided the republic since the Great Depression. Prior to this, visitors had

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