The Sporting
T S I L C Y C R O T MO
..published monthly
February 2018
Enduro, Grasstrack, Motocross, Road Racing, Speedway, Sprinting and Trials news
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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
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FEBRUARY 2018 VOL. 18 ISSUE 2 PUBLISHED ON THE 1ST OF EACH MONTH
All material for TSM should reach the editor by the tenth day of the month preceding publication.
FROM THE EDITOR'S CHAIR n By Bob Twigg
It was sad to read in a recent issue of TMX that the Bradford club will be suspending their trials activities in 2018. They stated that though there was no shortage of folk who were willing to plan sections and put out flags but no one has come forward to do the job of trial secretary. Of course this means that long established events like the Alan Jeffries trial will disappear. I think this has been happening more and more in most areas of the country, not only in trials but also in motocross and other disciplines. Us "old codgers" are getting older. Laying out the sections on a trials course can be a really satisfying and rewarding task, unlike the secretary's job. Trying to "decipher" riders entry forms, taking late phone calls for entries and on the day standing behind a table dealing with enquiries like.."what route should I ride" and riders entering on the day usually offering a £20 note for a £18 entry! I remember some years ago attending an enduro in Cambridgeshire where riders had to help clear up the course before the sec; would return their licences that had to be handed over at signing on, that worked well! Perhaps we are lucky in the South Midland centre in that clubs quite often share duties and I think there is a future in that practice. Very often the task of finding and organising enough observers will fall to the sec; though on the day there is usually someone who is willing to hand out the boards and direct the volunteers to their section. I like the idea of rewarding observers with a food and drink voucher, or at the very least a "goody bag" and here in the centre we are very lucky in having several mobile caterers who regularly turn up at trials and motocross, and I know that is much appreciated by the riders. It was sad to read in TMX of the passing of the man who brought us the On any Sunday films, the final part of the film where Steve McQueen, Malcolm Smith and others are messing around on their bikes always made me want to jump on my bike immediately, even when it was dark! Restrictions on where we can ride these days seem to have increased and I remember on my first visit to the USA to ride there my old American friend Dick Brass saying that there were quite strict restrictions on riding in a lot of California. When we were in Oregon we spotted quite a few vehicles with dirt bikes on board bearing Californian number plates. On the same subject, during a trip to Donegal a few years ago my mate Eric Clarke and some English and Irish riders were admonished by walkers for riding to the top of Mount Errigal, the daft thing was the "complainer" was a German woman! (Good all this "name dropping" innit)!
Cover Photo: Neil Bowker Photo by: Geoff Maunder
Finally, if you see me at a trial do please come and say hello, if there is some subject you would like aired in TSM even a "grumble", I will be pleased to talk to you. All the best and happy riding in 2018, enjoy our sport, the best sport there is with the nicest folk! 3
C
O N T E NTS
Centres Officials
Chairmen South Eastern: Roger Brown Tel: 01273 563931
Official News
Southern Centre Calendar 14 Regional Technical Training Seminar 24th February 19
Enduro
Boxing Day Enduro 6 Witley British Enduro - Preview! 7 Western Europe and Bikes - Part 3 24
Motocross
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
Road Racing
South Midland: Terry Golds Tel: 01582 455714 Mobile: 07747 855264 21 Buckingham Drive, Stopsley, Luton, Beds, LU2 9RA email: terrylgolds@ntlworld.com
Trials
Southern: Chris Fletcher Tel/Fax: 01256 242214 Mobile: 07443048362 1 Fairclose, Whitchurch, Hampshire, RG28 7AN email: chris-fletcher@tiscali.co.uk
Girls Nationals
40
Remarkable Revivals of the Sporting Tricyclist! 20 Trials News From "Down Under" 5 Waltham Chase Dates 2018 22 He's Too Old! 30 Joe Cashes In 34 Non-Expert & British Bike Trial 36 RT Keeedwell British Solo Trials Championship 37 Trials Academy 40 WMA a Family Connection (Part 2) 44 No Bull! 45 Brendan's Oxford Ixion "archives" 47
Permit Secretaries South Eastern: Stephen Westley Tel: 01959 575732 4 Kembleside Road, Biggin Hill, Kent, TN16 3NL NEW email: stephenwestley58@gmail.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
Rights of Way Officers
Nene Valley, 4th February Sunbeam, 11th February Southampton, 18th February Cambridge Matchless, 25th Feb Normandy, 25th February Gravesend Eagles, 4th March Haslemere, 11th March Wickham, 11th March Barham, 25th March Ringwood, 25th March Isle of Wight, 21st-22nd April Entry Forms
8 8 12 12 32 32 38 38 42 48 48
9, 13, 33, 39, 43, 49
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
More Trials News From "Down Under"
were decided. This is often done when the state is running the "Aussie" titles as some of the riders have a three or four day journey to get there. The year before it took us two days to travel to Queensland, driving both days for twelve hours! So we started the trials week with the state titles at stake. My passenger Mel Rogers was very keen for QQ By Steve Rees us to win this as we haven't A happy new year to all in the won a state title. Chris Schultz UK! There are no trials at the and Stuart Gerhardy always moment here. The season runs seemed to have the edge on us, from March to October. With but having won the Aussie title 40 degree Summers it's too hot the year before our confidence to ride and a lot of landowners was growing. We started quite don't want you riding on their well and after a couple of land due to the fire risk. It sections we were going really only takes a spark from the well. It's funny how you get bash plate hitting a rock, or the feeling that you are going a hot exhaust falling into dry to have a good ride and that grass and you have got a bush you can take chances knowing fire on your hands! Here in you can't do anything wrong. South Australia at the end of However, on the last section of September we had trials week. The first weekend saw the South the first lap we got a rear wheel puncture after hitting a large Australian titles, then midweek rock step halfway through the on Wednesday the Peter Spark sidecar trophy and the Vanitone section with a turn and a long steep climb out of the section classic trial. Finishing off the still to come. We managed to trials week the following get to the top with the loss weekend the Australian titles
Surrey Cup Trial
QQ By Jim Connor
Surrey Cup Trial Hookwood Trials Club will run their Surrey Cup Trial on Sunday 11th February at Frensham Vale, 10.30 am start. Please support Sams Caterer in attendance. This will be TVTC group Trial and you
may enter on the day to count for awards. We are running in conjunction with Sunbeam MCC and this will be two laps of 18 sections, four routes, yellow, red, blue and white, for Youth and Adult, solos and sidecars. Those entering the Star Trial
of just three dabs, but with a puncture we were happy to get out without a five as fives add up quickly! We rushed back to the car and thanks to my SSDT experience "flashed a tube". We changed our punch card and checked the scores, Schultz/ Gerhardy were on 12 marks lost whilst we were on 9! Lap two saw us on 1 and Schultz was still trying hard on 2, at the end he was on 10 with us on 9 which gave us an overnight lead of 5. Starting the second day the sun was out but gale force winds were picking up. I have never ridden in winds so strong, strong enough to tip us over causing me to dab. However it was the same for everyone and even with the wind we had a good day posting laps of 6, 2. And 7. Schultz/Gerhardy started well on 8 but then had a bad lap losing 18. They then bounced back with a good last lap of 3. We waited patiently for the scores to go up and finally found we had won our first state title, beating Schultz/Gerhardy by 19 marks. The final scores were. Rees/ Rogers 34, Schultz Gerhardy 53 and Ursino/Reynolds on 193. A good result.Â
with Sunbeam MCC should do so before closing date, see regs in this issue If anyone can help by observing please ring Jim Connor on 01483 285727 or email jimconnor1045@yahoo. com Frensham Vale, Gardners Hill Rd, Farnham, GU7 1AS. 5
The Sporting
MOTORCYCLIST
A monthly publication written by enthusiasts for enthusiasts
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