The Sporting
T S I L C Y C R O T MO
..published monthly
January 2018
Enduro, Grasstrack, Motocross, Road Racing, Speedway, Sprinting and Trials news
CONTAINS OFFICIAL EVENT Price ENTRY £1.80 FORMS
2018TXTGP
125 / 250 / 280 / 300
NEW COMPONENTS: • Tech gold colour frmrt stmpension witlil new sr,fing5 and acfju�ters • 01'1Ens shock a.'bsOfber with adjusters �pecially clevelo�d for the TXT 1GP
New + Used Bikes In Stock
E1nduro GP 2018
• Ckirtch spr1lng wllh variable preload
• Boyesen carbon fibre re, ed valves • Double spark COi a:nd closed core Hidria ,cols.
• Carbon fibr, e filter box • C1lnder head and iris-ert system • Rernh.al handlebar and 1i:uotectors
• High s1rength reo siicone co�ing hoses a1
fian '
::: .w:
:a� ·=
• FIM regulation dlsc b ake • Titanium header • Carbon libr,e e,xhaust [Protector • Ughteood suspension clamps.
Stiles, Garage Battle Ltd 2/3, Upper Lake !Battle East Suss.ex TN33,0AN
Demo B ·1 kes In Stock
s.tiles,garage@hotmail. corn
eKIDS E12
eKIDS T12,
The Sporting
MOTORCYCLIST
is published monthly and is available through your Clubs or by direct subscription
Editor
(Southern Centre) John Bramall
16 Gifford Close, Fareham, Hampshire, PO15 6PJ T: 01329 823282 E: johnbramall246@btinternet.com
Editor
(South Midland Centre) Bob Twigg
2 Harwood Close, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, AL8 7SN E: bobtwigg@ntlworld.com
Advertising and Distribution Andy Wood
30 Westways, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6AA Tel/Fax 01732 865380
E: anmarprintingservices@gmail.com
Printed by
Anmar Printing Services, Edenbridge, Kent
JANUARY 2018 VOL. 18 ISSUE 1 PUBLISHED ON THE 1ST OF EACH MONTH
All material for TSM should reach the editor by the tenth day of the month preceding publication.
Cover Photo: Alice Minta at the Southern Experts Photo by: Andy Withers Awsportsphoto
FROM THE EDITOR'S CHAIR n By Bob Twigg
I hope that the seasons festivities have not ruined your power to weight ratio too much, so a very Happy New Year to you all. With Christmas over thoughts invariably turn to the new season and maybe to new bikes. Years ago the trials season ran from the Autumn to Easter or thereabouts. The trials "champions" were not crowned until the last of the trials in the Spring. Today trials continue all through the Summer which is I think a good thing. Are there too many events? The calendar can sometimes be a trifle overcrowded which leads to clashes and a touch of "animosity" at dates meetings! When the old trials permits were "open to centre, regional restricted, closed to club " or just "restricted" the rules on clashes seemed much stricter. Today agreement can often be reached if the club's venues are far enough apart, thus avoiding the situation of a lack of entries for one or more of the clubs concerned. It is heartening to see that the KIA series is so well supported, most centre clubs nowadays can only dream of an entry of over one hundred riders. Though last years Meteor Group 70th anniversary trial attracted an entry of ninety odd riders. Maybe because everyone, riders and officials alike were offered free food and drink from Sizzlers catering! Reading John Bramall's "Sunny Side" article in the October issue about Simson mopeds brought back memories of two school friends of mine who went to a "scramble" in Suffolk back in the fifties. At the event there was an early Maico entered and an Adler twin, can anyone shed some light on the Adler? I also remember riding a Maicoletta scooter some years ago when scooters were "all the rage", with Lambrettas and Vespas everywhere. To say the Maico was a tad faster would be an understatement, I think the engine was a detuned motocross motor. Another rare scooter animal was the TWN Cornet with a forked con rod operating two pistons, I'm sure Mike Vangucci could tell us about these now defunct breeds! An interesting Facebook comment from South Eastern enduro fans recently questioning the ACU's decision to advise a sighting lap in hare and hounds events. Probably not a bad idea if the marshal leading the entry can stay ahead of the pack! I would hope that the sighting lap would not be an excuse for riders to "stretch the throttle wire"! The old time card enduros seem to be shrinking, of course the possibility of having a sighting lap at those events is impossible to imagine, riders in the long lap events have to judge for themselves where the hazards lie, a considerable task at the speeds they achieve. In the report on Mick Clarkson's classic trial there were two nice pictures courtesy of Gary Dowzall, unfortunately the photo of Kevin Plummer was in fact the hard route winner Clive Dopson on his James, sorry Clive and Kevin! Continued overleaf 3
C
O N T E NTS
Centres Officials
Chairmen South Eastern: Roger Brown Tel: 01273 563931
Official News
Rights of Way 12 Southern Centre Meeting Minutes 24 SE Trials Schedule 2018 34 Southern Centre ACU AGM 43 Main Officers SM Centre 45
Enduro
Witley British Enduro Eastern Adventure - Part 2
Motocross
92nd Wild & Woolly Scramble South Midland Events 2018
31 52 38 48
Trials
Jack Thompson Trial 5, 6 Southern Experts Trial 10 Ray Thomas Sidecar Trial 14 S Centre Trials Championship 18 SE Star Group Championship 19 SE Thames Valley Trials Combine 20 Surrey Family Trial 28 Jack’s The Lad 29 Thames Club Championship 30 SM Meteor Group Trials Champs 56 SM Trials Championships 57
South Midland: John Coles Tel: 01865 361735 Southern: Bob Hewson Tel: 023 9259 2919
Secretaries South Eastern: Peter Burrell Tel: 020 8300 5572 40 Annandale Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA15 8EL email: pj.burrell@btintternet.com South Midland: Terry Golds Tel: 01582 455714 Mobile: 07747 855264 21 Buckingham Drive, Stopsley, Luton, Beds, LU2 9RA email: terrylgolds@ntlworld.com Southern: Chris Fletcher Tel/Fax: 01256 242214 Mobile: 07443048362 1 Fairclose, Whitchurch, Hampshire, RG28 7AN email: chris-fletcher@tiscali.co.uk
Permit Secretaries South Eastern: Stephen Westley Tel: 01959 575732 4 Kembleside Road, Biggin Hill, Kent, TN16 3NL NEW email: stephenwestley@outlook.com South Midland: Ian Reynolds Tel: 0208 9079856 Mobile: 07803766314 186 Regal Way, Harrow Middlesex, HA3 0SQ email: reynolds.russell@virgin.net Southern: Claire Ballard Tel/Fax: 0118 981 2595 26 Droxford Crescent, Tadley, Hampshire, RG26 3BA email: ballardclaire@hotmail.com
Benevolent Fund Representatives South Midland: Dave Porter Tel: 01582 651189 22 Belper Road, Luton, Beds, LU4 8RG Southern: Stan Earle Tel: 01489 785482 Flat 10, Laburnum House, Hedge End, Southampton, Hants, SO30 0QC South Eastern: Hazel Collins Tel: 01189 421534 14 Brookside, Calcot, West Berks, RG31 7PJ
Regulations Trials
Nene Valley, 7th January South Reading, 7th January Bexleyheath, 14th January Normandy, 14th January Cambridge Matchless, 21st Jan Hayes & Southall, 21st January Ashford, 28th January Ringwood, 28th January Sittingbourne, 4th February Wycombe & Berko, 11th Feb Barnet, 18th February Southampton, 18th February Normandy, 25th February Isle of Wight, 21st-22nd April Entry Forms
8 8 22 22 27 27 46 46 50 50 54 54 59 59
9, 23, 26, 47, 51, 55
Rights of Way Officers South Eastern (Sussex): Bevis Billingham Tel: 01243 585128 182 Elmer Road, Middleton on Sea, Bognor Regis, PO22 6JA South Eastern (Kent): Steve Neville 40 The Sandpipers, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 5QB South Midland: Chris Hurworth Tel: 01494 446198 23 Cambridge Crescent, Totteridge, High Wycombe, HP13 7NE Southern: Mike Fisher Tel: 01256 771168 Northdown Orchard, South Litchfield, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG25 3BP email: northdownorchard@ukonline.co.uk
FROM THE EDITOR’S CHAIR (Continued) Hopefully in this issue or the next we will have enduro news, another article about Nigel
Cooper's travels in Eastern Europe on his BMW and some more news of what Steven
Rees is doing in Australia. Once again, a very Happy new Year to you all!
Contributions in this issue from: Alan Turner, Bob Twigg, John Bramall, Bob Brown, Chris Fletcher, Mick Auger, John Sapsard, Dave Blanchard, Nigel Cooper, Jim Connor, Shaun Fowler, Steve Neville, Mike Wiseman, Stephen Westley, Fraser Law, Ian Reynolds, Dave Jenkinson, John Eckhart, Karen Southwood Would you like to contribute? Please send to the editor, contact details on page 3.
The Jack Thompson Trial and the continuing Saga of the 'Fork Angles'
QQ By Dave Blanchard
Sunday 3rd of December dawned overcast, looking like any threatening rain would behave itself and stay firmly up there in the heavens. Us riders didn't want it, nobody did, but the almighty himself decided that Canada Heights could do with a fine sprinkling of the wet stuff during the day... just to spice up a few sections here and there. Obviously he is a keen follower of trials with a weird sense of humour, unlike myself. Temperatures were unexpectedly warmer than for previous Jack Thompson's, so the stalwart and very welcome observers were unsuitably over dressed for the occasion. Some of the men observers were seen to be perspiring almost as much as the riders. The attractive lady observers didn't perspire one iota... they just glowed beautifully! Fresh from riding in the Dick Dickenson Trial a few weeks previous I was looking forward to the Jack Thompson sections... I wasn't disappointed and thoroughly enjoyed the whole day! Nothing new there then.
If you have read my previous scribbling about that Dick Dickenson Combine trial you may remember I was experimenting with different length top links on the Tiger 70 Girder forks. In true 'Back to the Future' style I had previously manufactured a top secret fourth set, put aside for a rainy day... remaining enthusiastically poised for a miraculous difference in steerability... assuming I hadn't overdone the suck it and see technical calculations, that is. So the untried and untested fourth set of girder fork top links were fitted without any chance of a trials try out before the Jack Thompson event. My middle name should have been dangerous but my Mum preferred William. A short test did transpire though, up and down my private drive, much to the annoyance of my near enough neighbours. I have lived here for 37 years but will be moving in a few months time, so giving grief to the local residents wasn't an issue for me at this point in time. I am pleased to say that the bits of scrap metal of the 'fourth
incarnation', although sounding a bit like a Star Wars fantasy, managed to change the steering of my old bike yet again! I honestly cannot say it steered any better than the previous set but they certainly weren't any worse. All this effort allowed me to have quite a successful ride, so soon after my coming out return from retirement, back into proper trials just a few months ago. Probably after retiring for a few years then returning... cajoled my brain and arthritic joints to conjure up a new lease of life in my twilight years. Sue's cooking was a big help also... not forgetting the extra large one a day Cod Liver oil capsules she makes me take. Just one medium sized pot full guaranteed to amaze any hardened observers. Just ask Sue. The two Ronnie's sketch about the misinterpretation of 'Fork Handles' was what inspired me to change my 'Fork Angles'. But once again using mispronunciation, I conclude that the final outcome wasn't 'Necess-Celery' any better. Thank you Sidcup boys and Girls!.
Spectated at a motorsport event recently? Post a report for publication.
facebook.com/thesportingmotorcyclist 5
The Sporting
MOTORCYCLIST
A monthly publication written by enthusiasts for enthusiasts
Subscription Form
Would you like to receive The Sporting Motorcyclist? Please complete your relevant details below or we can email you a subs form, address below. Simply fill in this form and return by post with either a cheque (made payable to “The Sporting Motorcyclist”) or pay via bank transfer, using the payment reference of "your name TSM" (HSBC Bank Sort code: 40-20-35 Account Number: 91051687):
Andy Wood, 30 Westways, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6AA Choose your subscription (rates for 2018) : 2nd class post
Please tick
12 issues - £22 • • • •
1st class post
Please tick
12 issues - £24
The Sporting Motorcyclist Contains: Entry forms and regulations for Motocross, Trials, Enduro, Grasstrack events Information on the management of the sport in your centre Previews and reports on events Action photos
• • • •
Official news from the ACU and over 160 clubs in the Southern, South Eastern and South Midland Centres Fixture lists / championship tables Social events Your contributions?
Name: .......................................................................................................... Address: ...................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... ..................................................... Postcode: .............................................. Tel. No.......................................... Email:.................................................... Please contact us immediately if your details change.
Please complete the following for our records (Delete non-applicable) 1) Are you a competitor / non competitor ? 2) Motorcycle Club: _______________________________ 3) Interest(s): Trials / Motocross / Grasstrack / Speedway / Enduro / Roadracing / Sprint / Hillclimb / Roadriding Your details are only used by The Sporting Motorcyclist for administration purposes, they are not shared with any third party and are held securely in line with the Data Protection Act 1998. This form is valid from January to December 2018
Form generated for January 2018 issue
Send membership queries to: anmarprintingservices@gmail.com