Good stuff

Hello everybody.

I'm an occasional visitor to this site because of my passion for two-smokes. And as I sprint with the Torque fraternity I know Tony Davis, Brian White and Tom Miller (the latter two known as 'Tom 'n' Brian' or collectively as 'The Bantams').

I think you have a fantastic formula and a wealth of knowledge between you, but it is a shame you have such small grids. I vaguely remember reading about the days when it was a club in its own right, over-subscribed and with a waiting list. Nowadays it seems that one must be a competent engineer/machinist or be lucky enough to happen upon one of the current machines that is up for sale. I guess it is not easy for the average joe to build a machine from scratch, especially in the case of the 125s?

Would an entry level class help to boost numbers, I wonder, up to 175, unfaired with standard (and admittedly hopeless) 3 or fours speed wide ratio clusters, no all steel clutches, drum brakes, steel fuel tanks, and a carburettor limited to, say, 30mm? Something roughly along those lines might generate interest and then once the bug has bitten...

Anyway, good luck for the season, and we would always be very pleased indeed to see you at one of our sprints, if you've got a gap in your calendar. Speak to Tony or look at www.TORQUEEVENTS.com or the Youtube promotional video.

Regards to you all

Howard Smith

I have already suggested a flip back to the past, Howard: Roy Bacon´s book "Racing On The Cheap" described the building of a racing Bantam -- and race-bikes could not have been any cheaper than they were in those days.
...
I repeat, the two I built cost 80 & 40 quid respectively. I had my own welding equipment and avialability of machining which must be a big drain on those without those facilities.
I objected to fairings and was of course outvoted.
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Now, if there were a class called, "Original Racing Bantam Class..." where all the expensive stuff, like fairings, reed valves, modern attachments and fancy carburettors were banned I am sure the formula would result in a low-cost Bantam racer many youngsters could afford and the class might well attract some more newcomers because they´d be racing at a level where they´d be able to learn whilst mixing it with the faster lads ....
...
I can hear the thunderous scorn already -- and --
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duck John Boy! -- here the brickbats come....

A Class banning fairings indeed?

What did I see at Lydden 2005 -- weren´t the racing Lambrettas less frilly-skirts?

Cheers!
JayBee.

PS. Sound bit of reasoning heard recently. When I dropped a screwdriver I uttered, "Damn & Blast! Bloody gravity creates gravel rash..." I was told that,
" ... if it weren´t for the force of gravity I´d be trying to jump up to snatch my screwdriver off the celing... And we´d have to tie everything down to prevent it getting nicked."

Thanks for your input Howard.. Did you do the Thundersprint? If you did you would of been beaten
by Robin Brown on his road race spec 3speeder 175 which features a 'Tom' motor...

The days of 150 bantams at a meeting will never be again! but we hope to get 30plus and I think
this is possible.... I don't consider our grids low compared to most classes at club meetings or
even MotoGP come to that! Its just times have changed!?

The class you talked about we are doing this year 'Supersport175' no takers as yet? We need bout 3
to warrant a trophy?

How many enteries do you get in the 125racing class at Torque sport? and is there a under 200cc
class? May be good for testing runs

Regards Mike

mjpowell wrote:

Thanks for your input Howard.. Did you do the Thundersprint? If you did you would of been beaten
by Robin Brown on his road race spec 3speeder 175 which features a 'Tom' motor...

The days of 150 bantams at a meeting will never be again! but we hope to get 30plus and I think
this is possible.... I don't consider our grids low compared to most classes at club meetings or
even MotoGP come to that! Its just times have changed!?

The class you talked about we are doing this year 'Supersport175' no takers as yet? We need bout 3
to warrant a trophy?

How many enteries do you get in the 125racing class at Torque sport? and is there a under 200cc
class? May be good for testing runs

Regards Mike

On reflection I suppose you are correct in what you say, Mike, in that John and I are harping back to days never to be seen again (makes good reading, though). So are you saying Bantam forks, a sls drum on the front, a Todd head and a 7/8" Amal no longer cut the mustard? I'm kidding.

And I didn't know about the Supersport 175 class, which sounds good! Be interesting to see the uptake.

We don't get enough entries in the Torque 125 racing class. It mostly comprises Tom, Brian, and yours truly on my Yamaha 100 - and we're quite well matched. - I jump off the line better but their bikes really come on the pipe further down the course and they fly through the boards. Occasionally we may see five entries on a good day. Now then, as well as 'Tom 'n' Brian, Bantams have made some impressive showings at our meetings. Ian Scutt recorded an astounding 14.75 on Tom's bike at one meeting and Michael and Robbie Brown did a 1-2, both in the mid-sixteens, riding into the teeth of a gale at Honington in 2009. Tony Davis also rides Tom's machine (and was sprinting his pretty 175 racer back in 2005, as I remember.

There isn't a 200cc class, but the organisers are pretty accommodating and if a few of you turned up I'm cetain one would be created.

Hi all


"UREKA" - I also agree with Mike,!

Feel we have the capacity to average 30 at the moment, thats if we get them all out," this is the once's we know about"
I'm re-building a Bantam from old, just like the one on e-bay, actually ours was not as pretty or good as that one.

my current engine project started some / over two years ago, returned to me after many years and in a very sorry state, now its thrashing round mallory again, with help from the famous few, for my son edward will be doing the same and soon. I feel many more look in as you do we are trying to help them complete their bikes and and encourage new boys, sound like we are starting to get the correct people posting, but still long way to go and lots more to do, before we achieve our aim. "A Mike"-

Now recon I will be able to count more than 150+ bantams attending the festival of 1000 bikes, in fact I will put money on it, including road bantams too of course. let me give you my insight, I have just joined the Moseley Scamble club I've been going a while, its in-undated with 175 trails and scramble bantams three and four speeds they always attend the wednesday meeting once per month its great. at the vernon arms all bikers welcome, anyway we talk bikes all night once per month, its great its only at the end of my road, so less than staggering distance and ideal.

anyway each year we have a scramble just over the field its called the Hanbury classic scramble, you should all see what turns up, "ITS" two strokes galore, this year I am down to help, and give some support, so where am i going with this, at the recent Red Marlley hill climb (scramble) there were more bantams than we had on the grid attending mallory and they all sound just as sweet, I feel we are slowly seeing a resurgence of the Bantam as a racer, be it sprinter / trials /scramble of Formula Bantam Racer, do you think Bantams are making a come back? No they are already here.

so just make sure you have plenty of spare's because they going to get even more popular "WHY"

The reason is that word "CLASSIC" and potentially a big growth industry, WHY' because we have less work so more time, for our hobbies and leisure, I really don't feel we all know what we have currently, so bikes are not likely to be available for much longer. you got to get hold of what you can or build them out of the spares available.

regards Derek