Classic Dirt Bike - Summer 21 - Preview

CLASSIC SCRAMBLES SERIES 2021  FIRST ROUND! ISSUE Fif ty-n ine

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#59

Yearsago... ...JACKSON’S ‘SCOTTISH ’

Top Class

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Built to compete

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Revealing the potential

Top Twin

Triumph of perfection

ORIGINAL GOLDIE MARVELLOUS MECATECNO SSDT MEMORIES WORKSHOP

MOTO IN BALANCE MEMORIES

Focussing attention

Fewer bikes in the garage means they can receive more attention.

I

n the days when I was still riding modern trials and changing my bike on a regular basis, there was little sentiment involved as last year’s model was replaced by the latest from Spain.

As the proprietor of our local trials shop was a regular competitor in the events I was riding in, it would be a simple thing to ask what he had in the showroom and possibly do a deal there and then at the event before heading into the shop the following week. Once there the old bike was pushed into the dealer’s workshop and forgotten as all attention was on the spangly new machine and its forthcoming weekend debut.

These days in the classic world, bikes are held onto for a little longer, and often rebuilt rather than traded in; there is also a school of thought which allows for a bike for every type of event to be in the garage/shed/workshop and it was the arrival at this point which prompted a look at what was in my own workshop.

This was shortly followed by the realisation several bikes haven’t been ridden for a while – and not just because there’s a pandemic causing havoc around the world. There is quite a jump from realising a reduction in the number of machines in the workshop would be a reasonable idea to actually doing something about it, and excuses not to can always be found. Some of these excuses may be flimsy but teeth were gritted and my BSA B40 Pre-65 trials bike went on the market.

When this happens it needs to happen quickly and so it did, within a

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❝ …in the late Seventies, I had a

number of road bikes which stayed with me briefly and to be honest which I was glad to see the back of… ❞ few hours there were several interested parties and a reserve list, so the BSA has a new home.

This caused a bit of reflection on past dealings, as I said earlier when changing my trials bike each year there was little sentiment connected to the sale, when the classic scene attracted my attention in the late Seventies, I had a number of road bikes which stayed with me briefly and to be honest which I was glad to see the back of.

Most were in the £200-£300 category and included some abused twins in café racer form. There was, what on reflection, was a nice Triumph T100A which was a ‘should have held on to it’ machine and knowing what I do now it would have been worth holding on to.

The rest were terrible examples of once proud machines which illustrated all the reasons why British bikes gained an unfair reputation for unreliability.

Still, time moves on and the BSA was with me for a long time. It had had work done to it, I’d ridden it in events up and down the country and abroad too and only once hit bother, preventing it finishing a trial when an alloy spindle seized in the rear wheel.

There’s some trepidation in parting with a machine, especially when you’re the editor of a motorcycle magazine, and all sorts of thoughts were buzzing around in my head as the day arrived to actually hand it over.

However, the new owner was happy the bike was as described and the deal happened smoothly.

It is an added advantage I don’t have

a collection of bits to remind me of the machine as spares were pretty much used hand to mouth and things such as replacement wheel bearings went with the deal.

In the way nature will fill a vacuum with something, it has been suggested garage space too is soon filled, though this is less of a problem as the sport we ride in has changed quite a bit. After dropping off the new bike scene and riding trials only occasionally, for a while I wobbled round modern courses on my Bultaco. This was increasingly difficult as it was before the twinshock scene came along and I would be on the novice course of a modern trial with sections aimed at using clutches rather than throttle control… not the easiest of things on Bultacos.

These days there are more appropriate trials for twinshocks and there is, or will be, time to spend on the other machines still around in the workshop.

There is also the sidecar project to attend to and thanks to Hagon fitting a new rim to the sidecar wheel it is likely I can embrace this sport too.

A few other bits and pieces will be purchased in order to make remaining bikes work better, and the prospect of maybe painting the frame of my CanAm and sorting out a rear light too are all things which will be looked at over the next few months, now it looks like sport will be returning to some form of normality.

SUMMER 2021 |

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Regulars 03 In Balance

Parting is such sweet sorrow, or is it?

Bikes we’ve sold, bikes we shouldn’t have sold and so on...

06 News and views

Lots of ‘will it, won’t it?’ news about shows, events and gatherings in the pandemic beset off-road world.

44 Subscribe

Find out how to have your copy of CDB drop on your doormat on a regular basis.

58 Dicko’s view

Across the Channel things are done differently – not better, not worse, just differently. Wonder if this event still happens?

72

Dirt Talk

The dirt bike world has a lot of views, this where you can air them, not as instant as social media but worthier.

74 65

82 Moto Memories

Jim Pomeroy achieved a lot of ‘firsts’ when he took the chequered flag at the 1973 Spanish 250 MX GP.

Events 60 Classic British MX series

Lockdown eased, a scramble organised, Andy Withers was there for us to see what the first round of the Classic British MX series was like.

On the cover It is 60 years since Gordon Jackson won the Scottish Six Days Trial for the fourth time, a notable achievement on its own, but to do it on one mark lost elevates the result to legendary status.

4 | SUMMER 2021

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Features 11

18

Pure Gold

Tried to make clever journalistic references to ‘unrefined gold’ and ‘golden days’, but failed – an ‘as raced Goldie’ works…

SkyWalker

Mecatecno’s last model was a brilliant attempt to create excellence.

26 From the archive

In this 60th anniversary year of ‘The Dab’ we have a look at the 1961 SSDT and a few others too.

38 Bergada’s beauty

Take one talented engineer, add the best bits in the Pre-65 world, assemble with care and maybe you could come close to this Triumph.

56 A glance at…

… Jackson’s Ajay in the Miller Museum.

11 65 Something special

Yamaha produced thousands of TY models – good as they were, they could be even better.

74

Choices made

In MX, sometimes what you ride is dictated by where and in what class you want to participate… such was the case with this CZ.

Technical 46 In the workshop

With a bike gone there’s room to spread out and take stock of what needs to be done. Bulto to clean up, Can-Am to look at and IT to ponder.

54 Dirt Products

Got something to enhance the off-road experience? Let us know and we’ll tell the world… Yes, we will… you can’t stop us!

SUMMER 2021 | 5

Full steam ahead for OUR show... with a difference Well, what a year and a bit it has been! This pandemic has certainly made its mark on the sporting and show world but, thankfully there are signs of normality returning and as events start to happen so do shows.

The big news for CDB is the Classic Dirt Bike Show, backed by Hagon Shocks, WILL happen in 2021.

The pandemic continues to influence things so, for one year only, the Classic Dirt Bike Show is at a different venue and at a different time of year – namely Stafford County Showground and on September 18-19. It combines the International Dirt Bike Show too, so expect a mix of classic and modern dirt bike delights.

Our shows team is working flat out to make sure 2021’s event is as spectacular as it can be before it returns to Telford International Centre in February 2022. So as well as the best in classic restorations and loads of traders with all the bits and pieces needed to keep your bike in prime condition, there’s a massive autojumble and guests too.

Yes it wouldn’t be a show without a guest or two and we have two guests likely to have the stage area packed… both legends in the dirt bike world, both multi-discipline experts and likely to have a tale or two from their vast careers… Arthur Browning and Derrick Edmondson.

Both have an enviable record in enduros with an ISDE gold medal or two between them – Derrick has won the individual class at the ISDE, is still heavily involved in the sport and is no slouch on an MXer and trials bike too. Arthur, well... his CV says Greeves works MXer, speedway racer, trials rider, road racer, television stunt man… he's certainly a determined character.

For showgoers there will be massive amounts of camping available (in this way Stafford is different to Telford), there will be no change to the show ticket prices or stand space for traders, so if you need a trade stand call Andy Catton on 01507 529 430 and for show tickets contact our customer services team on 01507 529529.

Expect to see bikes like this Sprite...

...and SWM... as well as guest Arthur Browning, pictured here at Red Marley Hill Climb

6 | SUMMER 2021

Come to our non-traditional classic In our world so much is about tradition... and 'usually' the International Classic MotorCycle Show is held at Stafford in April.

But like so many other events the Covid pandemic altered this, so instead of April (when the country was in lockdown) the date is now July 3-4.

Latest government guidelines suggest most

lockdown and social distancing restrictions will be clear – though personal hygiene is still a good idea.

So 'Stafford Show', with bikes, clubs, people, autojumbles and the like will be held in dry, warm and sunny weather…but don’t quote me on this. There is a precedent for a July Stafford, as 20 years ago a different virus caused the show date to be moved

to later than April when the country was in the grip of a foot and mouth epidemic.

There’s always some offroad interest at this show, and as usual CDB has a hall with lots of dirt bike interest in it.

But for 2021 there’s a bit of extra special interest too.

Multi world trials champion Dougie Lampkin is a regular attendee at the event, but

Kosmospolitan mix Literally right on the deadline for the mag, at 10pm the evening before press day, came this pic of an ultra rare Kosmos MXer from Dave CameronTrevail.

It’s taken Dave 10 years to get it to this stage and he’s looking to finish it, but info is rare. By a coincidence we used a pic of a Kosmos at the Racing and Sporting show at London at least 30 years ago (I can’t remember the exact magazine I put it in). Dave would love to hear any more information about Kosmos, I would too as Dave has promised us a feature on the bike. If anyone knows anything, get in touch and we’ll pass it on to Dave.

Fancy a dirty weekend?

Galloway club is certainly embracing the removal of restrictions by hosting as many events as possible, and on a fabulous piece of ground near Lockerbie members are planning a weekend of offroad sport with a scramble, trial and grass track – with camping available on site.

The format will take in a trial on the Saturday afternoon, a grass track on the Saturday evening, while Sunday will be for the scrambles enthusiasts.

When is all this happening?

It’s on June 19-20 and this is likely to become a regular event. Keep an eye on our pages and the club website www.gallowaymcc.com for more info.

CCM stars come out

Information needed on this ultra rare Italian

Power without crazy

Leaping into engine tuning isn’t a good idea, it’s okay the bloke down the pub saying ‘what you want is…’ He may be correct, but when we spoke to Norrie Pattie – engine builder on quite a number of rapid MXers featured in these pages recently – he placed more faith in Lewis Shand’s dyno at 2 Wheel Developments near his base in Fife.

Norrie stressed the importance of knowing what an engine is actually doing before carrying out work on it, and a dyno reading will provide this. Lewis Shand has been involved in this sort of work form most of his life, not just his working life, and the 30-year-old told us he started 2 Wheel Developments about three years ago. “We’re happy

for 2021 he’s been asked as a guest... and even better there’s a chance to join Dougie and fellow guest TT racer Phil McAllen for lunch on the Saturday of the show.

Tickets for the event are on sale now at an early bird price of £13 until June 28.

Visit www. classicbikeshows.com for further information on the show and the competition.

to do all sorts of work on all sorts of motorcycles, though it seems Norrie fetches us MX bikes a lot,” he says. Putting an MXer with a chunky rear tyre on the dyno’s rollers isn’t a great idea and Lewis said: “We’d expect a roadster tyre on the rear wheel so it will work on the rollers.” Fancy finding hidden power? Contact Lewis at 2 Wheel Developments on facebook, email him at 2wheeldevelopments@gmail. com or call 07914 617352.

The Westmorland Motor Club is pulling out the stops in efforts to make the CCM Jubilee Scramble on June 26-27 a truly great spectacle.

Austin Clews is using all his contacts to try and entice the nation's favourite riders, and alongside the club members they are hoping to have former British four-stroke champion Perry Leask and former 125 British champion Greg Hanson, who was also part of the CCM works team. The club has even persuaded Arthur Browning to make a guest appearance, so that should be great to see him there after a few years.

The names just keep coming and Covid permitting there will be Mike Barnes, Bob Wright, Jimmy Aird, Vic Allan, Andy Ainsworth, Billy Edwards, Wayne Le Marquand, Ken Nurden, Andy Nurden, Andy Scott, Tony Barrow, Andy Dykes and Steve Shuttleworth.

Other guests will be added to the list soon, and the format of the meeting will be a Classic Scramble on the Saturday for up to Pre-78 machines, plus the Classic British Championship races, followed by a concours, bar and band on Saturday night.

Sunday will see a full day’s racing with age related Classic races, and 125, 250, Over 250 Twinshocks, plus the CCM races for Pre-74 and Pre-79 in one race, then all other CCMs including monos in the other, all scored separately. See the club's Facebook page and website for further details.

SUMMER 2021 | 7

The road to Drumlanrig One of the biggest gatherings of the MX world to suffer the effects of Covid is the superb Drumlanrig Grand National scramble at Drumlanrig Castle in Galloway.

Since the inaugural event by the newly reformed Galloway MCC in 2017, this brilliant scramble in the stunning grounds of the Scottish castle has rocketed its way to the top of the ‘must do’ list.

In 2020 the event was one of the earliest cancelled as the UK entered the restrictions imposed to halt Covid, and there were glimmers of hope for 2021... but that proved too soon. However, look out 2022 as the country returns to normal.

Forget any references to the brilliant but cheesy ‘Road to…’ films with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, and concentrate instead on the official event title of ‘Drumlanrig Festival of OffRoad Motor Sport 2022’ which suggests something pretty spectacular. From tentative beginnings this stately

With social distancing soon to be over, close racing can happen again

scramble is about to bounce back from the enforced hiatus and be bigger, better, more fabulous than ever.

News from the enthusiastic team behind the event is the Scramble will be back, two

days of it, but there will be a trial too and a road run for classic enthusiasts who want to see the local area. There will be guests galore and loads of other happenings, which at this stage are still being worked

out, so watch this space. For updates more regular than a quarterly magazine provides, visit Galloway MCC’s website www.gallowaymcc.com or its facebook page The Galloway Motorcycle Club Ltd.

First turn fun at Drumlanrig in what looks like the Twinshock Race: They'll be spread out a bit later.

A taste of the hardstuff Galloway MCC is teaming up with armed forces charity Poppy Scotland to prove members don’t just do it in the dirt but on tarmac as well!

A series of superb road runs for classic and modern bikes is being held to raise money for the charity.

To ride through some spectacular scenery and all for a good cause, visit www.gallowaymcc.com for details.

8 | SUMMER 2021

More from Galloway Since relaunching what was once one of the largest and all-encompassing motorclubs in Scotland, the dedicated team has made bigger and better plans for the club to grow in both the scene and its local area.

Now the Covid

pandemic is abating and a return to something like normality is closer to happening, Galloway MCC is planning a series of 10 Open to Scotland trials of one-, two- and three-day lengths. Some will be part of other events, some will be afternoon or evening

trials, while others will be part of the Scottish Championship. Sections will include twinshock friendly sections too.

Visit Galloway MCC’s website www. gallowaymcc.com or the club's Facebook page The Galloway Motorcycle Club Ltd.

Highland Classic ON! Thanks to relaxation of Scottish Government regulations, the Highland Classic planned for the weekend June 12/13 has received the green light at the IDMCC committee and board meeting.

There may be some noticeable changes to the signing on and start procedures to maintain social distancing, details have been sent to riders by email, so please make sure you tell the club if you have changed your email address.

We are sure you will be looking forward to riding the Highland Classic – Fantic Edition in June.

Highland Classic regular Gary Younghusband will be heading to Alvie

Championship entry time e Latest news from the Rockshocks-sponsored Classic Trials Series is thanks to Covid restrictions being relaxed, entries for Rounds two and three, organised

by Devonport and West of England clubs, went live on the ACU website on May 3 at 8pm.

Online entry only via ACU website – entries will not be accepted any other way, so if you haven’t used the system before you have time to have a look beforehand.

You'll need your ACU membership number and password to navigate to the events page using the Events Entry menu option.

Observers are most welcome too if anybody would like to offer their services.

The ACU website is www.ride-acu.uk

King of the Castle

Cumbria Twinshock will be hosting the annual King of the Castle MX at the world-famous Farleigh Castle track on July 10/11 and its already a sell out event, with nearly 400 riders from all corners of the UK. It is a week later than normal due to a village wedding. The club will advise at a later date on whether spectators will be allowed, once government guidance has changed for the better.

Sealey's biggest ever tool catalogue Sealey has just announced its biggest ever tool catalogue and it is available from May 1.

The new edition includes over 11,900 products designed for use in the trade.

Inside you will find improved and extended ranges with over 2800 new products, all complemented by the company’s vast range of spare parts. Covering everything from hand tools to larger workshop equipment, storage and consumables, if the trade needs it, chances are Sealey has it.

You can order Sealey’s biggest ever Tool Catalogue from your local stockist or request one in the post via www.sealey.co.uk/literaturerequest.

Bultaco club

"what you want son is to ride our sponsored series.." is that what Gary Fleckney is saying to Bernie Schreiber?

Toughsheet national Twinshock Series Round two of the shortened six round Toughsheet National Twinshock MX Championships takes place on Sunday, May 30, at the popular Bevercotes circuit hosted by the Nottingham Twinshock Club.

Entries are still available in all Twinshock, Evo, Super Evo and Vets Modern classes.

The remaining rounds are as follows: • June 13 The Grange, Tern Hill, Shropshire.

• July 31/August 1 Pontrilas, Hereford.

• Aug 29/30 Hawkstone Park.

• Sept 18/19 Culham, Oxon.

Got a soft spot for Bultaco?

Well how about a poster made up from the covers of owners' manuals or riders' handbooks of Bultaco models? Interested?

I bet you are, and this poster is available from the UK Bultaco Club and will cost you £13.85 including P&P. Fancy one? Then email info@bultacoclub.co.uk Other news from the club is that the dedicated website should be up and running now.

SUMMER 2021 | 9

1960 BSA Gold Star

As raced

A shiny bike is okay but sometimes there’s more kudos in leaving one as it was last raced, with its hard-earned scars there for all to see.

Words and pics: Tim Britton Media Ltd

A

battle-scared veteran of the comp scene always attracts my attention – we’re talking bikes here rather than their riders – and I’m always intrigued to learn how each scrape, bash or ding appeared on what would once have been a pristine machine. It is a fact of our sport the bikes we ride have a hard life and while every rider wants to keep their machine in tip-top order, if time or funds are limited then it’s the mechanical side which receives the attention.

This isn’t to say a bike is neglected, far from it as a neglected bike will soon fail in its purpose, rather it means a tank which has a slight dent but doesn’t leak, or a mudguard which has been twisted back into place and shows evidence of this but still keeps the mud off the rider may well be acceptable, whereas the expense of a new tank or guard just to look good, but which may be easily damaged in the next event, is not always an option.

Above: As nice as a shiny bike is, sometimes ‘as raced’ is better.

The BSA Gold Star in this photoshoot will have been pristine at one time, certainly around 1960 when it left the factory – unfortunately for the purposes of this feature the owner Peter Lockwood doesn’t have much more information than the barest of details on the bike’s past. It was bought around 30 years ago from a friend of the lad who last raced the bike.

“I heard about it,” says Peter, “and when I contacted the chap he told me he was selling it for the estate of a friend who’d been killed in a work accident.” The bike had been in a shed at the chap’s house in Kielder for a long time after his accident, so long in fact the roof had collapsed in and made a mess of the alloy petrol tank.

On getting the bike home, Peter’s initial thoughts were to pull the thing apart and make it look nice, but decided against this as he began inspecting what he’d bought. “It was just as it had last been raced,”  he says, “and once up on the bench it was clear why

SUMMER 2021 | 11

it had been wheeled into the shed in the first place.”

There’d been some sort of on-track incident resulting in the frame downtubes being damaged and the fork yokes twisted. “The brakes were well worn and maybe this was the cause of the damage,” Peter muses as I take pics, “who knows for certain in a scramble when sometimes the enthusiasm takes over.”

Whatever happened to cause the problem in its past the Goldie certainly needed fixing and if a frame is damaged whoever is entrusted to repair it should know what they’re doing. It isn’t very far into any story where scrambling and frames are talked about before Eric Cheney’s name comes up. Eric was a top line scrambler, or motocrosser if you prefer, who combined his racing ability with an engineering talent too. Quite simply the lad knew what a racer needed and produced it… this statement glosses over the sheer talent and quality of work Eric produced which would be a feature, or a book probably, in itself.

When the bike was shown to Eric he identified several features on it as peculiar to Cheney Racing.

These being the handlebars, an American pattern and possibly sourced through Bud Ekins, a frequent visitor to Cheney’s Hampshire workshops and the tucked in exhaust pipe routed behind the footrest.

BSA supplied the Gold Star scrambler with a straight pipe going under the massive footrest which was prone to being flattened.

The work which was needed involved repairing the front downtubes of the Goldie frame and replacing them entirely where they go under the engine, work which suggests a serious incident. As the fork yokes too were badly damaged, Eric found correct replacements rather than pull the old ones back into shape. Arguably the yokes could be heated and bent and pulled as they’re made from decent steel but Peter can remember exactly how damaged they were and replacements were available.

The two-gallon petrol tank had to be cut open and reshaped to cure the damage inflicted by the roof. On an alloy tank this isn’t too difficult a job, or perhaps I should say it’s a lot easier than cutting out a steel tank would be. Of course had the tank damage been through racing Peter may have left it, as surely a pint-and-a-half capacity is enough for a scramble?

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