February 13, 201511 yr http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Motor-Cycle-News-13-2-74-Bultaco-May-Sue-Rathmell-Front-Cover-/351309700538?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item51cbb09dba Anyone remember what the above was about? His move to Montesa? Bit ironic as he is now importer for Sherco
February 14, 201511 yr As far as I recall, he was under contract to Bultaco and tried to sign for Ossa following a disagreement. Bultaco stopped it. He finished the year on the Bultaco and won the world championship for them, or European, whatever you want to call it, same difference. He never rode the Ossa in competition. He moved to Montesa the following season
February 14, 201511 yr He did in fact ride the Ossa in one trial, a local Yorkshire Centre one. This caused some raised eyebrows at the time as the move was a surprise, and he didn't actually do very well, not being used to the Ossa's shorter wheelbase etc. He soon patched things up with Bulto and was back on one the next week.
February 14, 201511 yr Ah, ok, I thought he'd only ever tested one, didn't realise he'd ridden a trial on one. Interesting though as I thought the Ossa would have suited his riding style as from what Martin Lampkin has said, Rathmell preferred to ride a more measure style and pick his way up sections which the Ossa was better suited to than a Bultaco
February 14, 201511 yr Didn't his long flowing golden locks cause more controversy? Hard to believe now!
February 15, 201511 yr Never forget him in a trial in Devon on a 349 i'm sure, waiting to go into the section, into first into second into first then nuetral then second, letting the clutch in and out whilst doing it, gear change on the "wrong side of course, and repeating the process, I assume to make sure the mont didnt jump out of gear?.
February 15, 201511 yr Lots of the top guys of that era used to do exactly that, sometimes four or five times, before launching themselves into a section. Didn't mean they distrusted their gearboxes, just part of their mental prep: being 110% sure they were in the right gear meant they could focus completely on their attempt. Doesn't seem to happen so much these days. Another trick was for a rider to prod his bike into bottom gear about a dozen times, advertising to his watching rivals that he was going to use first gear for the section, then sneakily brush the lever into second just before letting the clutch out.
February 16, 201511 yr Not with a mont they used to jump out, and with rathmells bike having the gearchange on the other side didnt help im sure.
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