Just a couple of pictures of the maestro's works machine being prepared for battle by Derrick Eddy.

Edited May 21, 200521 yr by 2fargone

The other side

Where was the pic taken?

It was either the Swiss or french world round in 1987, if I remember correctly it was Switzerland.

What a difference in 20 years, a factory bike being prepared by a factory mechanic on a simple bike stand in a field !! compared to the pictures of the Honda setup out in Japan this weekend.

I'm pretty sure it was Eddy's bike, did Steve ever ride a pink Rtl ?

I'm 99.9% sure Steve was riding for Fantic when this photo was taken. so it has to be Eddies bike, but I can't explain the UK registration.

Is that a tubeless rim?

Yes, also check out the forks, yokes and swinging arm not too disimilar to the current factory Montesa/Hondas 4RT's if you look closely.

Must be Lejenes bike as Steve had gone to Fantic by 87, is weird that it has a UK reg though. All the late double disc RTLs had tubeless back rims, not just the works machines.

Only a thought but could the UK Registration be anything to do with the first round of the world championship being in the UK that year, combined with the Derrick Eddy connection??

That could also be the bike that Derek persuaded Honda to loan to John Shirt. Don't remember Lejeune riding standard colour bike in 1987, only Rothman's but could easily be wrong on that.

Is this the missing link when Steve went to Fantic?

Edited May 22, 200521 yr by spout

If it wasnt deffo that those pics are from a world round, then I would have said they are of the ex works RTL and were taken, when it was being ridden by JS jnr.

The pictures were taken in 'Lac Lun' in Switzerland at the world round in 87.

Derrick had just fit some new clutch plates and was replacing the practice mudguards, tank-unit and wheels ready for the event.

Incidentally it was the same event where Jordi became world champion for the first time.

Edited May 22, 200521 yr by 2fargone

I saw Eddy ride a bike very much like this one, if not the same one at the '87 WR in Bodines Pa. where I finished ahead of him on the list. (He broke his thumb and dnf'd) I finished 23rd. The oil cooler hanging off the side was unique to Eddy's bike as the standard issue bikes were smaller displacement and had no oil cooler. The muffler was different too. Swede Johnny Anderson rode a more standard version of this bike. Man, those guys would rev the nuts off these things to get up some of the larger rock faces etc. The bike Johnny Anderson rode was prepped by Sven Bley who is known as a very good machinist. All sorts of parts on the bike were custom made out of billet and machined/drilled for light weight. If you had to pay for the labor it would cost at least double the price of a good Beta at the time. These pics are really neat!! Thanks for posting them. JL

Right, 1987 was Eddy's final year on Honda before moving to Merlin for the '88 season, saw him at the Irish World Round in Kilbroney, can't remember where he finished but just magic to watch!! A few pics, quality is pretty crap though......