sparks2

Looks like an ordinary mild steel, (with the cheap tubing) electrically welded frame strangely enough.

Can't see Peter Howdle but I can see Bill Martin top left. I think Peter is running a slightly larger tank for the Scottish.

Hi Deryck Sorry to hear of Max King's passing, I have 4 of the 5 editions of 'Trials Riding', only one of the later editions missing. You're right about Aquaba, it was a lonely outpost of the then Turkish Empire and a southerly port. The line was vulnerable due to it's length, the terrain and, as you say, single track working. But, I suspect the strategic reason for Lawrence's guerrilla warfare was to keep thousands of Turkish troops occupied in defending and repairing the line and away from Allenby's push towards Damascus in the North. When Aquaba eventually fell it was because Lawrence and the Arabs were able to attack from the North and the desert. and the defending Turkish guns all faced the sea to the South, rather like the Japanese capture of Singapore in 1942. I'm not a Lawence expert but I have read somewhat extensively in the past, it's a fascinating tale, not just for his years in the desert but for what happened afterwards. (TE's Brough ownership was long after his desert campaign). But Lawrence tends to be his own worst enemy in that his accounts of the campaign -- 'The Seven Pillars' and 'Revolt in the Desert' have been shown to be rather exaggerated and not wholly accurate. The film was great as a piece of Hollywood, but does not even begin to do the real story justice. Kind Regards Sparks

It's Nigel Birkett - he won't mind being named --- It's a well known photograph

Hi Deryck Many years ago I asked Scott about that bent front down tube, he said it was a Brian Martin / Scott Ellis mod. Regards Sparks

Thanks for your reply Deryk As far as I knew, or can remember, the line was derelict and locomotive wreckage still littered the desert. But he surely disrupted more than one line?? Regards Sparks

Deryk TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) owned several Broughs, over a period of time of course. Is Max King still with us??

Note the bent front down tube. And the Dunlop alloy rims Has the swinging arm been shortened??

Hi Are you sure they are one and the same Hitchcock, I don't think so. Some confusion here, Gordon Farley's sponsor was J.A. 'Jock' Hitchcock, a Triumph dealer from Folkstone Kent. Surely not the same Hitchcock. Can anyone confirm ?? The bike is an earlier TFS (1964) that has been 'modernised' with later TGS (banana) forks and exhaust. Some would say the best combination that Greeves never made. But I would say that.

Correct about the crankcases - Alpha The barrel is a Parkinson

Yes, but name the rider

It's not a Sprite. More likely had it's origins in a Cotton Although I can see some very unCotton aspects as well Cotton GF tank Greeves barrel Honda front hub Still unsure - might it be a Dot

From the initials on the tank - try Ray Russell

This is 250 RE, Johnny Brittain's bike, now owned and ridden by Barrie Rodgers Sorry my mistake not JB's - normally Peter Fletcher's bike

Thanks for your reply Deryk, there is quite a story attached to Derek Adsett's Greeves Anglian, a photo of which you posted in the Greeves forum

Sorry to have to correct you Deryk, but this is the McLaren monocoque Suzuki produced by the car people some time after Peter Gaunt's involvement, and indeed after the Alta Suzuki. Great photo just the same. Spot the Villiers air filter !! It is my belief that the Gaunt Suzukis were assembled in Yorkshire, but the 1967 ISDT Suzukis were developed and assembled in Greet. Up to present no one has challenged or augmented this information. Regards Sparks

Thanks Deryk Great photo, only Eric Adcock with us now of course. Thank heaven for battery drills

sorry Deryk, I think the section is Craig-en-Elain (or celtic to that effect) near Aveimore.

Thanks Charlie On the subject of Barbour / Belstaff suits, if you rode at a certain level could you get a Barbour / Belstaff suit made to measure? Mine never seemed long enough in the leg (even worse than the trousers in the Jon Bliss picture). Whereas the trousers on Jonah are good and he was/is a tall chap. Regards Sparks

Lower Hollinsclough definitely, also Malcolm Rathmell on the left. Also maybe Dave Langston extreme right. Also maybe Dave Thorpe behind Bill Wilk. The year ?? my money's on the Bemrose March 1969. Re -- the Gordon Jackson photo, Gordon always had a good relationship with the Greeves factory (and perhaps Bert Greeves in particular). I think he 'borrowed' the Anglian for the experts

Get your Horlicks Deryk First picture looks like Jon Bliss on the Saracen Second picture is Jonah on the Sprite Goldfinger circa 1970/71 very probably late 1970.

Hi It is my belief the production (1968/1969) Gaunt Suzukis were a 'parts bin special' Peter and Ray Dell basically ordered, collected and paid for all the Suzuki parts they required to put the bike together from Suzuki GB in Birmingham ie Suzuki Sports 50 chrome tank. Suzuki 200 Invader forks. Trailcat (or Bearcat ??) frame and engine. All this happened with the blessing and encouragement of Alan Kimber, a senior manager at Suzuki GB. Alan Kimber (a former trials rider himself) was keen that Suzuki should have a presence in one day trials. I think Alan Kimber must have pulled some strings to have the American only Bearcat or Trailcat spares imported into Britain. The production GSs were therefore an all new build and sold as such in kit form to avoid purchase tax by the trials dealers of the day. Peter's early (1967) development one day bikes were modified Suzuki 120 road bikes but these were never sold to the public. Don't forget that Peter G had prepared the Suzuki ISDT bikes that Suzuki GB donated to the British effort when the British factories had pulled out of the 1967 ISDT. Don't forget Peter was a James factory rider when Suzuki GB was resurrected from the ashes of the AMC crash (of which James were a part). GS 'Works' supported riders at the time included Denis Jones, Blackie Holden, the Lampkins and no doubt others. The conversion from 118 to 128 using the Super Six (250 twin) piston was popular at the time with the 'works' bikes and private owners. As to whether it was ever a standard fitment, I don't know. So any surviving GSs could be either capacity. GS colours I remember were red, green, blue, a yellow/amber (all metallic colours). A parts bin special but a very, very good parts bin special. Now, if anyone would care to disagree or add to the story?? Regards Sparks

I have never objected to modified bikes, indeed all mine are modified to a greater or lesser extent. I never object to the modern ways of life (except perhaps rude and abusive people). I have never objected to calling these trials 'British Bike' , 'Classic' , call them what you will. My previous post was meant as a statement of fact not personal opinion. I was merely trying to offer an answer to 'The Laird's' original question 'Where we are going with Pre-65 Trials' i.e. why we are where we are with (British) (Classic) (Pre-65) trials. i.e. why a set of universal rules is never going to work or be implemented. In fact, in an early post I said the topic had really been done to death i.e.nothing useful is going to come out of it. So I am not going to skulk away and form my own club, nor am I going to go away to leave the rest of 'you' to enjoy riding your bikes and take exception to the suggestion that I should do so. (Could 'The Laird' now comment Please)

'Where are Pre-65 Trials Going' Thank you OTF --- Thank you To quote OTF:- 'The future is a Drayton Bantam' 'Almost that good it was like cheating compared to my James. Just so damn easy to ride I don't know how anybody doesn't ride clean on one.' Probably unwittingly you have given the game away I would venture to speculate that a good proportion or even perhaps a majority of 'pre-65' riders have little or no interest in old trials bikes or trials as they were before the Bultaco era, they just want to ride the easier sections on the most easy to ride, barely eligible machine. Therein lies the problem, sections get harder to test the improved machines, other riders feel obliged to follow suit, costs go up and the whole thing spirels out of control. Of course it's not limited to one particular club or area, it's nationwide and has been gathering pace for a long time, as long as pre-65 has existed. There would seem to be little point in trying to enforce a set of regulations as any rule brings forth it's own clever countermeasures to circumvent the said rule - tubes under the engine, MK1.5 Amal, lookylikey replica frames we've seen them all. Wermacht uniforms or rose tinted spectacles are just not going to turn the clock back. As JonV8 has suggested, perhaps the only answer is to restrict the severity of classic and pre-65 trials thereby risking boring the better riders on the better machines but gaining good entries from the wobblers - sort out a compromise from that.

You must be joking