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Classic Sidecars


laird387
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Hi,

Another of Barry Robinson's 'lost' images - obviously it's Arthur Lampkin and Colin Pinder of the Bultaco outfit and the first thought is that it is from an Allan Jefferies trial, but look how wet they are and how wrapped up the spectators are - and the Jefferies is usually favoured with fine weather and shirt sleeves - so any clues anyone.

In the meantime, enjoy.

Hi Deryk

Image #29:-

I think you're correct, I think it's the 1973 Allan Jefferies. It was a very wet day in July.

The rain made the limestone as slippery as wet soap.

And on the Dunlop Trials Universals of the day - quite a challenge even to stay upright.

Regards

Sparks

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Hi Deryk

Image #29:-

I think you're correct, I think it's the 1973 Allan Jefferies. It was a very wet day in July.

The rain made the limestone as slippery as wet soap.

And on the Dunlop Trials Universals of the day - quite a challenge even to stay upright.

Regards

Sparks

Hi, sparks,

That's where you have the advantage of local knowledge, 'cos in 1973 I was living in Wiltshire - but I can confirm the slippery Dunlop rubber on wet limestone!

1973 could also fit in with Barry's schedule - I'll check next time we're having a natter!

Thanks,

Deryk

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi,

I apologise sincerely for the quality of the image but sadly, on a Sunday in 1965 to the west of Paris, buying film was out of the question! I had been busy all week preparing sections, route marking, arranging accommodation for the Royal Air Force team of riders, in readiness for the St Cucufa trial - then as we got ready to go to the trial we realised Mary only had a Kodachrome slide film - excellent film but disastrously slow - so action shots on a grey November day were going to be fuzzy. The result speaks for itself but, for all that it is an historic image - why? Because it shows a sidecar in action in a trial in France - and, as far as we know, for the very first time anywhere in continental Europe.

I had arranged a sidecar demonstration for my club, the A. M. St Cloud, organisers of the St Cucufa, and persuaded six crews across to try their hand, I rode with them on my DOT alloy works replica to show them diversions on the one or two places on the route that were just too narrow - we had a hilarious day!

The image shows Ginger Budd and Janet with their 650 Metisse outfit (that had arrived in Paris packed in an Austin Mini traveller) on the section which I think we called 'Echelle' in a sunken lane north of Marly-le-Roi on the way to St Germain. When we were prospecting the section the owner was nearby and running up the side of the sunken lane was a dry-stone wall, we asked if we could borrow some stones from the wall to improve the section, he was perfectly happy - take the whole wall, he said - we did just that and filled the sunken lane with boulders.......then the leaves fell off all the trees and you couldn't see the boulders!

Alec Wright and John Gazely tried it first with his works Greeves outfit, he got through with a struggling three. Arthur Pulman and Lyn were next on their BSA, they fared no better, Ginger and Janet ran out of grip towards the top and spun to a halt.

Then we heard the noise. Ron Langston and Doug Cooper had watched all the struggles so had ridden back down the hill from the Start cards, then turned to face the hill. wound the big Ariel up in bottom, then second, then third - accelerating all the way - I swear he went up the section at over forty miles an hour and the wheels only touched the ground every second bounce - a magnificent clean that nobody else could emulate. That was Ron and Doug in their heyday.

Enjoy.

post-19290-0-20445000-1399372622_thumb.jpg

Edited by laird387
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hi deryk a bit late but here goes ,jack mathews is exiting stage left after throwing his victor outfit over is head for about the fith time that day the lads all jumped in to clear the section,his language was quite colorful, alan browns passenger was martin bracey , who rode with me in the year that i was without a passenger keep up the great s/car pics make me feel young again. will hawkes

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deryk a bit more about the jack mathews picture, its not one of the fairbrothers ,the passenger who;s name i cant remember (john) later bought the victor after the sad loss of jack an old friend who taught me a lot about s/cars when i first. started, and continued riding it with andy hay as passenger, you should reconise the guy starting up the bike to ride it out of the section ,i believe the caption you used in orr at the time was you were amazed at the service the aa could provide , i used to ride in a bright yellow aa waterproof suit , mary always complained that the reflective material played havoc with her camers settings , cheers,, will.

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Hi, will,

Thought you might like to feel young again, as you said, so here's a shot of you with Martin in the chair in the sadly missed Tour of Islwyn - did you know even the club was disbanded.........

Jack also took Mary and I on one side and spent an hour or two showing us how to get into adverse camber dips with the chair when I had that awful B40 outfit, our first attempt!

Enjoy.

deryk

post-19290-0-61492400-1399972876_thumb.jpg

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great deryk low handlebars a race tuned triumph engine and welsh rocks you cant beat it , keep ;looking at the picture of the greeves outfit and i am sure it was brian letheridge, who bought a lighter outfit toward the end of his riding days ,met mossman at the beamish trial last year who passed on the news that brian and his cigarettes has passed away, keep up the good work , will.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi,

Another blast from the past, Barry Robinson spotted Mark Reynolds and Andy Eastman lining up their outfit ready for one of the drops in the 1988 Simpson Memorial trial.

Enjoy.

post-19290-0-93271100-1403452531_thumb.jpg

Edited by laird387
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Hi,

Spotted by Barry Robinson in the 1983 Richmond Two-day, Mike Rapley with passenger Mannix Devlin in the Beamish Suzuki outfit.

By 1983 Mike had gone freelance but Mannix was still holding T+MX together as Production Editor and Barry Robinson was a regularly contributing photographer, a pool of talent, some may say.

Happily the friendships built up over the years remain intact as Mike has now joined Barry and myself, supporting the new magazine ORRe.

Enjoy.

post-19290-0-79955600-1403938051_thumb.jpg

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Hi,

Some while back I posted an image of Barry de Burgh who, riding in the West Riding trial, managed to lay the bike and himself down in Cowling Beck.

Laughing about it, Barry suggested a likely cure could be to fit a sidecar on the side as extra support...........

But riding in the Frank Jones trial four years later, in the Llanfechan section it appears the solution was not ideal - next move, a sidecar on each side, perhaps............

Enjoy.

post-19290-0-18432500-1403961994_thumb.jpg

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Hi,

Another greasy slot for the sidecar crews to negotiate in the 1988 Simpson Memorial trial, Stuart and Paula Duncan photographed by Barry Robinson.

Enjoy.

post-19290-0-34811100-1404033246_thumb.jpg

Edited by laird387
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Hi,

Spotted in the 1988 Gerald Simpson Memorial trial by Barry Robinson, Messrs Busfield and Sunderland with their Fantic outfit.

(Oops!

Corrected to the Cuckows - sorry, and thanks.)

Enjoy.

post-19290-0-96937200-1404466633_thumb.jpg

Edited by laird387
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