one for the oldies!

Hi All and thank you Dan for the post,

Top left is Brands 1963. Top right, Bantam, Brands 1963. Bottom left Mole Benn on his little red racer Brands 1963 and bottom right Andy Aldridge on his own Bantam, Snetterton 1970.
No 97 is Mike Bridges on my bike showing the Honda the way home, Debden mid 70s. No74 Andy Aldridge on my first bantam winning the novice class in the handicap race at Snetterton 1969ish. And last but not least Bob Sheppey with my engine, a long stroke by the way, on his way to his one and only win at Lydden.
It's good for us oldies to look back, I hope the young Bantamits of today, when they write their memoir's, remember as I do.

Les 2012.

here are the four smaller photos a little larger though,

this ones my favorite , looking fast , tucked in flat out,

Courtesy Of Trevor Amos.

What a marvellous clutch of historic photos have been posted up on here, and judging from the response it has also proved to be very popular.

This latest few, again show some variety. The first is a fine example of wind cheating, chin on the tank, knees under the arm pits and toes up on the foot pegs. No idea as to the identity of this rider but he looks pretty big for a Bantam?

I just can`t think of anything adequate enough to describe this second image that could possibly do it justice????

These riders, in the third pic at Snet. show determination as they prepare to dive under the bridge, lots of ghostly chasing competitors. Again, no identities I`m afraid.

We`ve had his brother Dave so to balance things out, here is a snap of the cheeky chap him-self, tricky, Dick Hunter.

Obviously the colour photo is of Mole Benn`s fire engine. This is a fairly contemporary picture and the engine is different from the one he raced back in the late 60s. The barrel has changed, the carb is wrong and the ignition cover is original, unlike Mole`s set up. All else seems ok though, the tallest point, at the headstock, was just 31-1/2" high.

Thank you Ed for all your hard work on here.

Trevor

Somewhere I have some (not very good) photos of Rod Gooch with his expansion chamber trailing coming UP Paddock hill bend at Hutchinson 100 in the late 60’s. I have still got to find some photos for Spider if I come across them I will try to work out how to post them.

Ned & Ted, I remember both Peter & George (The Admiral) Nelson well. Peter didn´t have a nickname unless it was `Slim´. Both tall and as if needing a bowl of porridge with Peter quiet and almost shy whereas George was often quiet outspoken. Like all Eastern Centre Bantam racers -- lovely people.  

George & I were corresponding regularly up to a few years ago (Xmas cards -- that sort of thing) and then The Admiral went and got hitched to a German lady in Hamburg:  they sold up what they had in Germany and went off to Spain to live in a boat. Seemed The Admiral had found his niche at last, his last letter was about the work he had put into that boat....

I still owe George a pair of MC gloves and you Ned, an apology. I put big holes in the gloves when I fell over  during the Snetterton Anniversary´s  21st Parade .... and I was unconscious when I should have been apologising for damaging your lovely Bantam. So I am saying it now:    S O R R Y Ned!

Nuff said, Bill lawrence, The Admiral and son Slick spent a cold night in Niffy´s van (which Bill borrowed whilst Niff was on his Hols...) and I was being woken every twenty minutes in Norwich Dock by a nurse flashing a light in my eyes -- I think she was looking for my brain --  and I was telling her I was supposed to be in the beer tent at Snetterton with my buddies I´d not seen for 8-9 years. I should have told her to look in my feet -- daft to wreck Ned´s bike like that.  

There´s no doubt about it:  the Easstern Centre was the best.

Cheers!

Ted,
Looking forward to the photo of Rod at Brands, sounds intriguing and outrageous! Dig out all you can, this whole nostalgia thing is infectious.

Trevor

Mole Benn's bike is still being raced by David Brasier on the Welsh circuits now. Still original and unchanged, last time I spoke to Brasier he was getting 18/19hp at the rear wheel circa to an exchange of phone calls/texts around 2010.

Tim

Tim, thank you for that update.

Its good to learn that Mole`s old racer is still being used. If you are still able to contact David Brasier could you persuade him to provide us with some current photos of the bike and any other information he cares to share with us? As this must be just about the only 60s era Bantam in original trim and race worthy still in existence, its therefore is an important machine.
Its quite nostalgic for me personally for I used to compete against Mole back then on this very Formula Bantam, a tangible link to a previous Bantam racing period!

Dare I say it, but that claimed power level did force a raised, somewhat sceptical, eyebrow?

Trevor

I´m beginning to think it´s, "... one to many for this Oldy..." In reliving some of those times its almost too much.... and I am almost persuaded to look for some of my old snapshots but since they´d be mostly of me I think it better to leave them among the moulding-yellowing junk in the cellar.

Particularly the one where I made a stupid mistake at Lydden and the front brake cable is about to wrap itself around the front wheel, which meant the next picture -- had it have been taken -- would show me sliding along on my back.

In the race (before the one above) the front brake cable´s nipple***pulled off... In the haste of fitting a new cable -- which was too long for the job -- and getting out for the next race I did not secure this too-long-a-cable which worked its way around the tyre... The photo shows clearly what is about to happen. That is the cable is almost to half way around the front wheel....

*** was a shop-bought cable with nipple already soldered on!

Cheers!

John,
You absolutely MUST find that photo and post it (another job for Ed) could be a classic?
Best get down into the dank, dark, stygian depths of that forbidding cellar and liberate that evidence!

Trevor

Hi Trevor!

I found eight. One of which is that avatar, here. That was at Mansfield, my favourite corner which I took quite quickly because Icarus-One´s brakes were none too good and in any case I cannot remember using them there ...

There´s a problem that since having had my PC grotted by some hacker last year I cannot send pics even to Edward as I did earlier. I could take copies and post them onto you or young Edward direct by letter mail if you would like that....?

I´ve consulted my local computer dealer as to why I have had so many problems -- not only sending pics by e-Mail but having strange females wanting to show me things indescribable on here (on this site!!) and he wants me to bring it in for him to check over which I suppose I eventually will have to do....

Cheers!

John,
I have sent you a PM hope you get it alright. If not we must try something else.

Trevor

Hi Trevor!
Thanks Trevor!
No,  the PM  didn´t work. I tried everything ... and opening my In-Box had three messages from yonks ago which also didn´t open... There was also one from Peter Tibbitts from 2012 which I never answered and could not open now. If Peter reads this, -- SORRY, Peter!
Try EJ-Bass@t-online.de if you fancy it...

I´ve got a couple of snapshots of Bantam races at Thruxton -- somewhere??. In one I appear to have jumped the start ... didn´t get punished though.  Cannot remember the year in which we had Thruxton twice. What a circuit that was:   there´s a long curve that felt like sitting on the edge of a 78 record forever... Leaning at a fantastic angle with the twist-grip nearly wound off the clip-on  bar, feeling it was never-ending and with two fingers of the left hand on the clutch lever. In one race I had a fellow named French up my exhaust pipe with the number 7 on his front plate with a horizontal dash across it,   seeming there for the whole 6 laps. Never got to speak to him-- and wish I had because sportingly he didn´t complain when I lost it on the last chicane on the last lap -- cut across the grass to miss out 60yards of track -- and still finished  in front of him....

Did you know him?  `French,´ I mean? I wonder if he put the stroke across the 7 just because of his name -- or was he a real continental?    

Must stop this sickly nostalgia -- it might have me so heated-up I´ll be stealing a local Hell´s Angel bike and getting into real bovver.

Cheers!

I have made copies of the photos I mentioned -- but copies of copies. is it really worth it when the latest pics are so clear and in colour?

Hi Trevor!

I am going nuts ...

No, take that back I already was.

Its this PC . Your PM would not open and I wrote and said so -- above -- then when I tried again -- much later there was your message to which i attemted to reply and puff! it all disappeared and I could not get your PM back....

I´ll do what you said -- having taken copies of the aforesaid today -- and send to your address ... You then pick out those -- or the one -- you think worth showing on the site.

I shall now go to Avgas subject and send y bit that Julius Mackerle wrote about Octane relazive performance.

Cheers!

John, glad you persevered despite all of your trials and got there in the end. look forward to the pics and suspect they will all be posted.

Ha, I did just the same as you at Thruxton, took to the grass for a short cut and missed the chicane altogether. Happy Days of ignorant bliss!

Cheers, Trevor

What year would that be Trevor? I cannot remember whether the BRC had Thruxton in `68 or `69 -- must have been either of those two.... Only one year in my time of the Bantam -- could have been used by BRC earlier than my start, of course. I loved it -- although Icarus-1 was too slow -- it was a  matter of holding the twist-grip in maximum open for so long with the Bnatam cranked over as if for ever´and ever --it really gave the impression of speed.

The Bantam club had Thruxton twice in that year and both times were good rides with Icarus-1 absolutely reliaböle even in a thunderstorm during practice -- Continential Sports tyres an´ all!

Sent the pics yesterday ....

Cheers!

1968 John,
The BRC meeting in August of that year featured invitations to a couple of "celebrity" riders. Dave Croxford and Pat Mahoney accepted, and mine and brother David`s Bantams were offered as machines. According to the subsequent MCN report the two of them put on quite a show taking a win apiece! They also competed in the 175-1000 races on their 500s, Seeley and Matchless G50 respectively.

You mention a rain storm, this same meeting had rain so perhaps you and the stars were there at the same time?

I shall be eagerly looking out for the postman, thanks John.

Trevor

John,
Just received the photos, and have contacted Ed, as to the best way to post them up!
"About to evacuate" is a great snap, the right place at the right time.

Cheers Trevor

Courtesy Of John Bass

Thank you Trevor and Edward....

Amazing! I cannot believe the letter post to be so quick - a day after posting pics to Trevor they got all the way there and now Edward has posted on here -- less than 30 hours, in all, all the way from the Boonies of Deutches rural sticks to wonderful west-country of GB.

The pic looks good after being a copy of a copy... It was Lydden on the last bend before start-finish line. Must have been in the early `70's because Icraus-1 is sporting a skirt!!

Explanation for the look of panic in the eyes of JayBee: the front brake-cable-nipple pulled off (proprietary cable bought from a MC shop!) in the previous race. In great haste I fitted what must have been a clutch cable which was far too long. I stuck it in several places with sticky tape which was obviously not strong enough attachment because the cable come out enough to rub on the tyre ... I kept feeling a jerky movement on the front and the very-observant camerman must have seen it or was just lucky... The cable wrapped around the tyre to lock the wheel and then fix everything just before being completely across the diameter -- both nipples having stayed on ....

There was a following pic to this which my kids must have nicked when we were in Canada....

Thanks again you two,


Cheers!

JayBee....

John,
I emailed Ed with just the one image to see if there was any degradation in definition with the electronic transfer. We have to have you looking your best at this moment of public scrutiny! In the event it isn`t too bad. Ed felt he could clean up the photos with some tinkering with more sophisticated kit at work. So, I have posted them, he may receive them tomorrow and will post the remainder for you.
It`s a pleasure to help, but the hard work at this end is all Ed`s, I`m just the go between, hope every one enjoys them?

Cheers, Trevor

Hello & Thanks, Trevor!

I think we shall have to promise Edward a pint...

I am having difficulty getting over to Blighty at the moment ... So ....

I am sure Ned will say something there because I still owe him a pint from the 1981 Snetterton bash -- and 2005 Lydden get-together....

During the visit to the cellar (damp and rodent-ridden) I got most upset at not finding the two pics of JayBee doing Thruxton... You and I could have been there at the time of the celebrated Pros being there -- maybe even ridden against each other...?? One of the pics was of the grid and we´d have been able to spot each other in the crowd. Must have another look but some of the stuff has been down there since Canada and that´s 31 years ago now. To think some of the stuff was never unpacked -- had been to Germany, Canada and back to Germany....

Small world ain´t it?

I say that because whilst I was searching the Thruxton 1968 pics  I came across a BRC club mag for June-Jiuly 1973 (#133) which has a lot of important stuff in it:   like the worry about losing the 125 TT and ACU being stupid of thinking to do away with the 125 TT Class ... , road-race clutch-starts instead of run-&-bump, Mick Scutt writing about the 125TT, Tony (Cliff) Jones,  and Chris Gregory bits  and an article  by your brother David ... etc ...  David goes on about his being grateful to George Todd for success with 186 Bantam in 250 races and I read somewhere David was third in the 250 Championship. He also mentioned you had just retired (1973) and that you´d had a bad one in 1958. Was the latter on  a Bantam or something larger?? .

I am sure you must have that Club Mag but if not -- and you want it --I´ll make a copy and send to you. Last page (or pages are) missing  but (last surviving...)  page 30 has some of  Llandow, May 19th  results  which reminder of that day always make me feel warm inside -- although it rained and rained [and Sticky Mick fell of Bill Lawrence´s Bantam which (I just found out) had 4 year old tyres -- but -- in those days didn´t we all?]
   
Thanks again, go well and keep well....

Cheers!

JayBee.

Courtesy Of John Bass.

Thank you Eddie!
OMG! all those pics of me -- `scuse me a moment I have been asked to go down to the greengrocer to get a half-hunderweight of potatoes -- in my hat!

See that pic #5? -- where I was alongside Max Ridge?
Max is really tucked in and I look as if I´m going to tea at Grand Ma´s of a Sunday....!?

Point here is Icarus-1 must have been much better than how I have presented my (poor) first Bantam on here, so far.

Fact is Llandow was only 0.9 mile circuit with its only real straight slighty uphill so I reckon it was a good torque curve that got us up there alongside Max -- he looks in the pic as if he is really trying....
The good torque curve versus the high revving, high horse-power curve means better acceleration which also helps when accelerating out of bends.

I assume with the Brands pic (# it was the last lap and you can see Dave Coombes knew he could do me on the clearways run into the start-finish straight: he´d passed me there 4-5 times already in the race and I´d got it back on the Druids side of Brands Club circuit which, I think backs up my theory that Icarus-1 had a better torque and acceleration -- but, of course, no real top speed.

The last pic (#1) is of Lydden where the photographer either got lucky or guessed what was going to happen: he´d seen the long front brake cable attaching itself endearingly to the front tyre. The cable can just be seen lying across the front tyre.
Some instinct had me `Knowing´something was wrong and when the front wheel locked, the plot -- surprisingly -- slid away and I rolled onto my back and slid ....

I feel a bit embarrassed about making such a mistake (too long a cable being not secured properly....) but I am still going to get the 1/2cwt of spuds in my hat.

I really must find a way of buying Edward a pint -- maybe Cadwell after all....

Fantastic pics Edward -- they look better than the originals.... Thank-you again!

Brought back memories again. Max did the Island and when I was over there on my road-going 350 AjS (rigid back-end) I frightened myself to death on the circuit at about 55mph....

There were quite a number of Bantam Club lads doing the Island on their Bantams and bigger bikes in those days and I reckon they were all very brave. Braver than me -- anyway....

Go well and keep well,

Cheers.

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