Classic Bike April 2021

BACK IN 1971, Motorcycle News heralded the Match Races – and I was one of many thousands of fans totally engrossed by the prospect of the top Americans coming to the UK to take on our top guys. It was obvious it was going to be a one-sided contest – the Brits had home advantage and were some of the best short-circuit racers in the world. The Americans were only just embracing the hard stuff – they had no chance. But it didn’t seem to matter. MCN had been focusing on the colourful American scene for a while – and the picture they painted was of riders who were larger-than-life characters. Well, the Brits got a bit of a surprise. Dick Mann, the only rider on the US team with real experience…

Welcome PLAYING WITH MATCHES BACK IN 1971, Motorcycle News heralded the Match Races – and I was one of many thousands of fans totally engrossed by the prospect of the top Americans coming to the UK to take on our top guys. It was obvious it was going to be a one-sided contest – the Brits had home advantage and were some of the best short-circuit racers in the world. The Americans were only just embracing the hard stuff – they had no chance. But it didn’t seem to matter. MCN had been focusing on the colourful American scene for a while – and the picture they painted was of riders who were larger-than-life characters. Well, the Brits got a bit of a surprise. Dick Mann, the only rider on…

Classic World SPORT WAY WE WERE OBITUARY YOUR CLASSICS LETTERS BURT MUNRO CHALLENGE FEB 10–14 Burt Munro Challenge An impressive bike museum and some wild racing events combine to deliver an antipodean event dedicated to ‘The God of Speed’ PHOTOGRAPHY: VANESSA ADCOCK PHOTOGRAPHY Taking place down on the southern extremity of New Zealand, the Burt Munro Challenge is a five-day festival dedicated to local legend Burt Munro, aka ‘The God of Speed’, with the 2021 event celebrating its 15th year. It has become one of New Zealand’s major motorsport events and featured six thrilling racing events, including two road races – one on the challenging Invercargill street circuit and the other at Teretonga Park short circuit – plus drag races, speedway and the unique beach racing championship. Sadly, the traditional…

Taking place down on the southern extremity of New Zealand, the Burt Munro Challenge is a five-day festival dedicated to local legend Burt Munro, aka ‘The God of Speed’, with the 2021 event celebrating its 15th year. It has become one of New Zealand’s major motorsport events and featured six thrilling racing events, including two road races – one on the challenging Invercargill street circuit and the other at Teretonga Park short circuit – plus drag races, speedway and the unique beach racing championship. Sadly, the traditional spectacular hillclimb was cancelled this year due to high winds. For the uninitiated, Burt Munro is one of the most celebrated motorcycle sporting heroes in New Zealand, thanks to his determination in chasing land speed records on a home-build Indian motorcycle, with his achievements immortalised…

FIFTY YEARS AGO, in the Easter of 1971, Motor Circuit Developments collaborated with the BSA Triumph Motorcycle Division to launch the first-ever Anglo American Match Races. Primarily a publicity stunt to promote the BSA and Triumph three cylinder superbikes, it featured ten of their works-backed riders – five from Great Britain and five from the USA – on the Rob North-framed BSA Rocket 3 and Triumph Trident machines built to the new Formula 750 rules. A rip-roaring success, the Anglo-American Match Races – later to become the Transatlantic Challenge – would become one of the major attractions in the racing calendar, with races held over an Easter weekend at Brands Hatch, Mallory Park and Oulton Park before moving to Donington Park in 1984 and then returning to Brands and Mallory for…

No one before or since could control a sidecar outfit like Chris Vincent. Crowned ‘The King of Drift’, Mike Hailwood knew him simply as Chrissie Vin and they moved in similar circles. In the ’60s sidecars weren’t the paddock Cinderellas they would ultimately become and huge crowds flocked to see the Continental stars come over for the big money International meetings. More often than not, Vincent would humble them on his far less sophisticated BSA. It could all have been very different, though, as it’s often forgotten that Vincent was also a hugely talented solo rider. On his Honda CR93 he regularly beat Bill Ivy during their season-long struggle for the 1964 British 125 title and he memorably defeated world champion Luigi Taveri at Mallory Park in 1965 on the same…