Ivan Mauger's speedway bike

[Two on Tour]

Anyone used to watch or remember Ivan Mauger ?
When visiting a museum in Christchurch, New Zealand where he was born, we came across his gold plated speedway bike that he won his third individual world championship on in 1970.
Apparently two American speedway fans offered to gold plate his bike for him, so his bike was shipped to California where it took 18 months to gold plate it inside and outside at a cost of US$ 500,000

 

[David and Sally]

Wow!

 

[PB2019]

Anyone used to watch or remember Ivan Mauger ?
When lvisiting a museum in Christchurch, New Zealand where he was born, we came across his gold plated speedway bike that he won his third individual world championship on in 1970.
Apparently two American speedway fans offered to gold plate his bike for him, so his bike was shipped to California where it took 18 months to gold plate it inside and outside at a cost of US$ 500,000
View attachment 1018027

He used to ride for the Exeter Falcons.

 

[Two on Tour]

He used to ride for the Exeter Falcons.

When I was in my early teens, I used to go to the local grass track racing. The Wigg brothers were the local star riders back then.
At one of the meetings, Ivan Mauger turned up to race out of the blue, I think that he just took any opportunity to ride a bike and race.

 

[Hawkstone]

I live in Poole and was a great fan in my childhood. What a fab find

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[Chasnam]

Big fan in the 60s as a family we went to Halifax Dukes at the Shay saw him there regularly.
Chasnam

 

[ChrisSue]

Was it him who lost two fingers in a crash at meeting? Or was that Briggs?

 

[bobnick]

Did he not also ride for The Aces at Bellve Vue?
I seem to remember the name from the 60s when i used to go.
What a bike.

 

[ChrisSue]

Did he not also ride for The Aces at Bellve Vue?
I seem to remember the name from the 60s when i used to go.
What a bike.

A very large part of his career was at Belle Vue

 

[tacr2man]

This is interesting if your into Speedway

RESULTS & HEAT DETAILS (1960-1984) - British Speedway Archive Website

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[MisterB]

we used to watch him at Belle Vue aswell, then onto the amusements .....

with todays thirst for theme parks etc, Belle Vue was obviously well ahead of the game, with its amusement park, zoo, entertainment centres, speedway/stock car track/dog racing etc. Shame there is very little of it left, though i think The Bobs did get a temporary lease of life in the USA ...??

i wonder just how much money it might have brought into the community if it was still open ..... i still remember attending the Christmas parties in one of the halls, paid for by our local working mans club ....

 

[Silverman]

Yeah, used to go to the speedway and stock cars at Belle Vue and then free entry to the fair after. Also used to go to the wrestling.

 

[TheTwoOfUs]

He used to ride for the Exeter Falcons.

And also Hull Vikings. Saw him many times at Owlerton against the Tigers along with Barry Briggs, Peter Craven and Ove Fundin to name just a few.

 

[Barryh]

On a Saturday my mum used to go to watch Bolton Wanderers, then after off to the speedway with her mum and dad, in her dads motorbike and sidecar. My main memory of Belle Vue is the guaranteed hangover after a night at the Bavaria Bier Halle. As a child I do remember visiting on the Labour Club children’s outing and watching the bikes on the Wall of Death.

 

[bobnick]

And also Hull Vikings. Saw him many times at Owlerton against the Tigers along with Barry Briggs, Peter Craven and Ove Fundin to name just a few.

Jesus, some names there from the past i am now reminded of.

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[bobnick]

On a Saturday my mum used to go to watch Bolton Wanderers, then after off to the speedway with her mum and dad, in her dads motorbike and sidecar. My main memory of Belle Vue is the guaranteed hangover after a night at the Bavaria Bier Halle. As a child I do remember visiting on the Labour Club children’s outing and watching the bikes on the Wall of Death.

If you climed onto the roof of our house you could see The Reebok (as it was then) i know as i did to replace some tiles

 

[Gaston aires]

A great speedway legend. My hero was John Louis of Ipswich witches. They would have been friends and rivals.

 

[The Coops]

Used to watch him, Barry Briggs, Ove Fundin , Tommy Roper, Eric Broadbelt, Chris Pusey to name a few at Belle Vue, always remember if Briggs was not in the first two his bike always had a problem him pulling over. Had a try out for the junior Aces but told was too big!

 

[Dorwyn]

My first girlfriend's father had a box at Wimbledon, we used to go every week to watch the Dons. We used to all pile in the back of his Austin Princess limo, it'd carry 8 or 9, girlfriend on my lap. I was always so glad to get there, and would walk around with a bent back when we did, trying to hide something. I was 12 to 15 I guess, with Joan.
The only rider I remember was somebody Waterman?

 

[bobnick]

Oh the names keep coming.

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