How did this Happen

[olley]

Hi Jock, the first year was spent in Reavells training centre, which didn't have any heating except in Mr Rowes little office, it was freezing in the winter. We had a bench grinder, pillar drill and and surface table, it wasn't till the second year they let you out in the factory on any machinery.
We were given a hacksaw, smooth, medium and bastard files, plus a file card and hammer. We had to make three test pieces, once they were done to the foremans (Mr Cyril Rowe) satisfaction you started making your tools, cantilever tool box, hacksaw, punches, inside and outside calipers, scrapers, scriber block etc. Everything had to have a smooth finish without using emery paper, just your file, chalk and file card. Initially everything had to be made with just the tools you had, it was only later that some things had a little bit of machining done to them before you were give the metal. Happy days.

 

[PhilG]

Sidecar racers are engineers who aren't too pussified to race what they make..

One of my earliest memories is of sitting in a Thames van with the back doors open, towstarting an Outfit.

 

[tonyidle]

ADM / BRM / Krauser / Swissauto / Stredor are all 500cc 2T engine's from a golden age of innovation & engineering in the world sidecar class

And sounded very nice too. Love strokers.

 

[Enword]

What an interesting thread!!
Great work and a pleasure to see.I have been following racing for ever and the way sidecars have been pushed aside in recent years saddens me.
Not wishing to hijack the thread but my godson used to be the IT boss at Goodridge,travelled the world sorting their stuff.I always used to go to Silverstone for GP with him but one year he was giving VIP entry for two and we spent the day with Steve Webster,multi champion.
Unforgettable day,nice guy,spent probably more time with us than he could really afford and an amazing insight to the engineering side.
Total respect to you guys.

Kevin & Steve Webster having a yarn with some old Racer from the shire's

 

[Hawkstone]

I'm not picking on Honda the Suzuki 250 4 stroke's were just as bad. 250 / 350 LC there's a classic

We should never have sold our LC ......foolish transaction.

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[PhilG]

Last year's bike.

 

[Enword]

View attachment 133916

Last year's bike.

How'd you like the TM ?

 

[PhilG]

How'd you like the TM ?

Its a good bike, this one was a 330, but for 2016 we went back to a 300 , with a more aggressive tune , better pipe and a choice of heads , depending on track. Not short of speed anywhere, even won in the wet , thanks to the wet map and linear delivery, its not like a road race delivery.

 

[Enword]

@PhilG you season over now? where are the on track photo's then come on

 

[PhilG]

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[DBK]

Couple of pictures of machines I used as an apprentice. The scruffy state of it, it could even be the one.
View attachment 132565
And the lovely little Myford grinder I used in the tool room, with this I was expected to get to 10ths of a thou, and at weekends I got half a crown (two shillings and 6 pence) for sharpening up cylinder lawn mower blades for the guys.
View attachment 132566

Those names take me back: Herbert, Myford (always coveted one of their little lathes) and I seem to remember Colchester as well.
These days they have names like Xingping or whatever.

 

[Enword]

View attachment 134071 View attachment 134074

Spot on, love seeing competition bikes in action

 

[Enword]

Those names take me back: Herbert, Myford (always coveted one of their little lathes) and I seem to remember Colchester as well.
These days they have names like Xingping or whatever.

Still got a Colchester Student MK 1.5 still had the factory wax on it when I got it & a tin of touch up paint in the unused drawer

 

[PhilG]

Spot on, love seeing competition bikes in action

We have some great snappers at the races, so many pictures it takes hours to go through them all.

 

[Enword]

They tend to take over your FB page dont they

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[PhilG]

some older ones from 2013, muddy one is from St Wendel in Germany, im the guy in the background, getting sat up by a former world champion.. he didnt like the wet, i love it.

 

[PhilG]

They tend to take over your FB page dont they

Yes, im sure you get the same. I can remember when a picture of any description was a bonus.

 

[Enword]

Would you know Jimmy Hodges ?

 

[PhilG]

Would you know Jimmy Hodges ?

Yes and No... he is a hillclimb guy isnt he, i have him on FB, but never raced against him, or met him.

Dont think he started racing here till after i went to Germany, think he is in Norway or somewhere else cold now.

 

[Enword]

Yep gone to a cold climate, Bloody good Hillclimber, but then I thought he went to supermoto, Just wounder'd if you'd bumped into him! Hillclimb where I cut my teeth many moon's ago.

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[PhilG]

Yep gone to a cold climate, Bloody good Hillclimber, but then I thought he went to supermoto, Just wounder'd if you'd bumped into him! Hillclimb where I cut my teeth many moon's ago.

Yeah ,he was British Champ i think, i think he did a season , then went over there.
I havent raced here since 2011, just In Germany and Belgium now, and a round in Czech.

 

[Enword]

,he was British Champ i think,

I think you were as well

 

[PhilG]

I think you were as well

Shhhhhh.....

 

[Enword]

Sam Chapman had a go as well I think, Cornish Lad. @PhilG

 

[PhilG]

Sam Chapman had a go as well I think, Cornish Lad. @PhilG

He was my team mate briefly back in 2005 i think, just a kid back then, (him not me) .. we rode for different guys on the same bikes and team, think he went back to MX though, or maybe went road racing (as quite a few do) . He was travelling miles , all the tracks bar 2 were north of birmingham, and they wernt getting home till way after midnight every week.. think thats what did for them.

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[Enword]

He was my team mate briefly back in 2005 i think, just a kid back then, (him not me) .. we rode for different guys on the same bikes and team, think he went back to MX though, or maybe went road racing (as quite a few do) . He was travelling miles , all the tracks bar 2 were north of birmingham, and they wernt getting home till way after midnight every week.. think thats what did for them.

I know what thats like, Think our neighbours love us when we rockup at 2 (sometimes 4) in the morning & get every thing off the road, they are as good as gold, always ask how we got on, their spoilt at the moment we us not racing

 

[PhilG]

So where are your action shots ? We get home usually between 3 and 4am , flights back from Germany are usually 10pm ish, we have to book the flights based on possibly not having our last race till 4pm. twice this year we have been done by 11am, so get away and do some sight seeing, done the Avus Ring in Berlin, and the Norisring, in Nuremberg , as you do. When we fly out on a thursday, i can leave work , and be back there on monday and spend less than 3 hours at home... they dont get it at all.

 

[tonyidle]

Those names take me back: Herbert, Myford (always coveted one of their little lathes) and I seem to remember Colchester as well.
These days they have names like Xingping or whatever.

Not mine - I have a Colchester Bantam (ex-school) lathe and an Adcock & Shipley mill. If you're into engineering stuff an excellent site is lathes.co.uk.

 

[Enword]

@tonyidle That site lathes.co.uk is very useful & helpful, I got a Bridgeport mill as well as the Student

 

[Enword]

So where are your action shots ? We get home usually between 3 and 4am , flights back from Germany are usually 10pm ish, we have to book the flights based on possibly not having our last race till 4pm. twice this year we have been done by 11am, so get away and do some sight seeing, done the Avus Ring in Berlin, and the Norisring, in Nuremberg , as you do. When we fly out on a thursday, i can leave work , and be back there on monday and spend less than 3 hours at home... they dont get it at all.

Donington is one of the easy run's home for us but in 2013 Last race of the day 6 something & when we come back in they pick us for an engine strip dont expect a late one from Donny, There was only one other van there when we left, time you'v packed every thing away, took the awning down etc.
Mrs D & I went to watch at Thruxton this year & over heard a spectator say "dont know why the bloke going around at the back bothers to come" The bloke would be in the top 3 at a club round, Plus they dont see the sacrifices & commitment you all have to put in

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