Old Bike Australasia

Old Bike magazine is a must for those who ride as well as the dedicated enthusiast and rebuilder, covering everything from Vintage to early 1980s bikes - marvel at the restoration of machines that could still sit proudly on the showroom floor. Each issue brings you the latest news and results from recent events, race reports and Rally Roundup, along with new and old bike news and reviews, readers letters, Club Directory, What’s On and much, much more.

Old Bike Australasia

EDITOR’S LETTER

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Ignorance is bliss? Hardly.

OUT IN THE SHED

Mac Park titles forging ahead

TVS buys Norton • The next chapter in the long-running saga of Norton motorcycles began in March with the announcement that Indian firm TVR Motor had purchased ‘certain assets’ of Norton Motorcycles and Norton Motorcycles Holdings, two of the four Stuart Garner-run businesses that went into administration at the end of January this year. The others are Donington Hall Estates and the Priest House Hotel. The deal has been reported as being worth GBP16 million.

Classic TT off • Not unexpectedly, the Classic TT, set down for 22 August – 4 September in conjunction with the Manx Grand Prix, has been cancelled.

Vincent Rally shifts to 2021 • The Vincent Clubs of Australia National Rally set down for McLaren Vale, South Australia in September has been deferred to 2021.

A worthwhile website • The Oz Vincent Review (OVR) is an independent, non-profit digital magazine produced by Martin Goodwin in Melbourne.

Good Companions Rally cancelled • The annual Velocette Good Companions Rally set down for Busselton, Western Australia, has been cancelled due to the corona virus pandemic.

Bulli goes on-line • The 4th Annual Bulli Antique Motorcycle Weekend scheduled for the 29th and 30th of August has not been cancelled, but is going online and virtual for 2020 only.

VJMC Virtual Show and Shine • Disappointing as the cancellation of the 2020 VJMC Rally undoubtedly was, the club has been proactive in recognising just what the Toowoomba rally could have been.

Under the Chequered Flag

A CONSUMMATE ACHIEVER • Legendary builder of title-winning Grand Prix road racers bearing his name, Giancarlo Morbidelli sadly passed away on February 10 after a long illness, aged 86.

A Flexi-Flyer flies again • In the brutal days when the world was discovering the spectacle of Formula 750 racing, bravery was needed in big doses.

GENTLEMAN TUNER • In the annals of motorcycle sport, there are some famous names behind the names. Bathurst supremo Ron Toombs and spannerman Tony Henderson, Kenny Roberts and his wrench and mentor Kel Caruthers took three consecutive World 500cc titles, Charlie Ogden tuning Lionel Van Praag’s JAP to take the very first World Speedway title in 1936. Add to that list Neville Doyle, who not only guided Gregg Hansford to Grand Prix success, but had a hand in the latter part of the extensive career of Ken Rumble, one of Australia’s most versatile riders.

Typhoon warning! • It would be reasonable to assume that during the ‘thirties, Germany had quite enough motorcycle manufacturers; not just the big ones like NSU, DKW, BMW and Zundapp, but countless smaller makers all vying for a slice of the sales pie. And it’s fair to say that unlike the British companies, which by and large stuck to a time-honoured formula of either small capacity two strokes or four stroke singles, the German designs were extremely varied.

Londonderry Short Circuit NSW • In the early ‘sixties motorcycle sport in New South Wales was undergoing an ascent that was long overdue. When the Speedway Control Bill became law on April 2nd, 1959, it had an immediate and crippling effect on all forms of racing, with all circuits now required to be licenced and to conform to...