Bikes Page 6

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JAP Magazine Advert 1951

Courtesy of Tony Webb

Alan Morris' Photographs

Alan Morris says: I have some of my own photos taken at the Speedway section In the National Motor Cycle Museum, Birmingham (before the fire) as it was being set up by Barry Briggs. These include Ivan Mauger’s gold plated bike and the Wembley Tractor!

John says:  Alan's photos appear below: -

Courtesy of Alan Morris - Ivan Mauger's Gold Bike

Courtesy of Alan Morris - Weslake

Courtesy of Alan Morris - Wembley's Tractor

Courtesy of Alan Morris - Jawa Ice Speedway Bike

Courtesy of Alan Morris - Bikes 1

Courtesy of Alan Morris - Bikes 2

Courtesy of Alan Morris - Bikes 3

Courtesy of Alan Morris - Bikes 4

Courtesy of Alan Morris - Bikes 5

Hi John, For some unknown reason these bikes were on display at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry - Aero Space Hall.  Alan

Graham Warren-Huck Fynn JAP

Courtesy of Tony Webb

Tony Webb to Colin Tucker re the Veteran Speedway Riders Associationof New Zealand News letters: Hi Colin another great read, well done.Huck Fynn.  I have my Graham Warren Huck Fynn JAP on display in the Art of Motorcycle design at the GOMA art gallery in Brisbane from November 28 to May 2020. There are 100 bikes on display 3 speedway bikes. This is organised by Guggenheim museum in New York in conjunction with the Queensland government. It is done every 5 years. www.eventbrite.com.au  The Tony Webb Micro museum. 15 Tranquil Street, Sunnybank Hills, Queensland 0481 990 364. binbooks@inet.net.au  Features the complete Nigel Boocock collection, all his trophys, bike, boots, photos etc ... plus working JAP workshop with 5 JAP motors under restoration. By appointment.Only 30 meters, smallest museum in the world !!!Like everyone I am chasing small JAP spares to complete display engines, parts do not have to be perfect. God bless Tony

Engine Size

John says: Sometimes I am asked questions that I cannot answer like this one: -

Colin Jewes says: When did a universal engine size limit of 500cc for speedway come into effect?  Some early national championships I've looked at recently, including Oz and Poland have different classes including 250cc,350cc, >350cc, 500cc and Unlimited, so what size were those Douglas's, Scotts, Rudges, Harleys etc.?

John says: email me please if you can shine a light on this grey area: John

Jawa Ice Bike

Brian Erickson has sent me these pictures of his Ice Racer

John says: An incredible looking machine.  You can feel proud of this machine Brian. Do you get enough ice to put it through its paces?

The Dutch Speedway Museum

Koos Meijer says: Hello John. I send you a few pictures of my museum in Holland. There is a lot of speedway-grasstrack history to see at the museum. There are bikes from Ivan Mauger, Hofmeister and others.  It is not only speedway but also grasstrack and longtrack.  I hope to contact other collectors or people with interest of this history.

John says: Thank you Koos.  I am showing your pictures below and including your email address for interested parties to contact you meijerwinschoten@xs4all.nl

Graeme Smith's Hagon Springer JAP

Courtesy of Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith says: This was the first machine manufactured by Alf Hagon to overcome the rough Speedway tracks of division 2.  I raced this machine on two occasions in the British league, once at Hackney and once at West Ham. This machine was very successful on the larger tracks and went on to become the riders first choice on grass tracks like Lydden Hill Kindest regards Graeme Smith

Hi Graeme, The Kiwi emblem on the rear mudguard of your JAP means Ivan Mauger to me.  Did Ivan once own the bike?

A Pair of Wallis Japs

Courtesy of Tony Webb

A pair immaculately turned out.  I am talking about the bikes but the riders are too

Nigel Boocock's Yamaha

Courtesy of Tony Webb

The Yamaha appears to be quite capable of keeping up with pukka speedway machines

Ernst Bøgh's Bikes Pics

Weslake

ESO/JAWA

The JAP Restoration Is Now Finished

Ernst says: Hi John Finally I finished the work on my JAP, and yesterday I had it on a exhibition in Denmark and it was catching a lot of interest and I talked to a lot of people, nice when you have spent so much time making a bike like this.  Best regards from Ernst in Denmark

John says: Ernst's  bike is displayed in all its glittering glory by the 4 photo's shown below:-

John says: I have seen many restoration projects but really this JAP is head and shoulders above most projects.  The chrome plating etc is so good you would not want to risk riding it.  A brilliant job Ernst

Ernst Bøgh's Replica JAP Frames

Beautiful replica JAP frames.  Ernst is obviously a highly skilled guy

Ernst Boegh says: Hello John,  Just a little news here from me in Denmark, I have just finished 2 more JAP rolling chassis (see above) with every thing that goes with it, one I swapped with the JAP engine I fitted in my own JAP bike and the other I build on order from a former top rider in Denmark, Bent Norregard, he still has his cpl. JAP long track bike and a spare engine, so when he heard I was building speedway replica frames he asked me to build him one too. I could use the money for my own bike collection and at the end of this year my wife and I are planning to go to Australia and New Zealand on holiday for around 6 weeks, and that isn't cheap too. Best regards from Ernst Boegh in Denmark

John says: At the heart of every restoration centre is a well equipped workshop here is Ernsts.

Ernst's Workshop

Ernst's workshop looks like it would be the envy of any rider

Ernst says: Hello John, Happy new year, today I saw your website page, very nice work, I have been involved in speedway nearly all my life ( 55 years ) and I rode for 21 years here in Denmark and have been involved in the winning team Holsted Speedway as a rider for 7 champions ships and back in 1976 I had a short spell with Leicester Lions and still have contact with some friends in Leicester, fantastic after all these years. Now I restore some old speedway bikes in my spare time and build bikes right from scratch. I also had a daughter, Sabrina, who was the first and only female rider ever to win the Danish junior championship in 500 cc speedway against the boys, she also was no. 4 in the Scandinavian U21 final in Sweden that year and rode in the U21 European Junior Final in Pardubice in Tjekkiet, after 3 years she choose to stop and today she runs her own motorbike workshop, she is a skilled motor bike mechanic.  Best regards from Ernst Bøgh, Denmark ( Former Leicester rider under Ron Wilson )   By the way you maybe know my brother Kurt Bøgh ( Boegh) better, he rode many test matches in England together with Norway and Ole Olsen, he also finished second together with Ole Olsen in the World Best Pairs in Sweden in the beginning of the 1970s.

John says: Thank you Ernst, many English fans will know the Bøegh name either you or your brother.  Thank you for sharing the pictures and your comments John

Ernst's GM Engined Off Road Bike

Ernst says: I build this bike with a speedway GM engine, running on petrol and built into a Yamaha XT 600 frame with a Norton 4 speed gear box and a NEB belt drive clutch and some Enduro guards and lights.

Ernst's upright GM off roader

John says: Strange to see a GM engine with a gearbox (from a Norton) and the bike with brakes etc.  I have asked Ernst for his bikes' 0-60 time, top speed etc

Ernst says: The top speed I don't know, at the moment the gear ratio on the old Norton gear box is quit low but it runs very smooth at around 80-90 km/h and it does that at around 1/4 to 1/2 throttle, her the engine runs nice without vibrations and can last very long without over heating, I have lowered the compression ratio to around 1:10,7 and ignition advancing 12 degree and runs it on plain petrol, it is very hard to find a filling station that does methanol, :-) , I have made a oil tank with a capacity of around 2 litre, so the total oil circulation amount is 2 1/2 litre, this also helps cooling the engine, at the moment I only have a battery for the light, but I have made a new side cover with a ignition/charging system from a small motorbike, so the bike can charge the battery it self, but I have not found time to fit it yet.

t is a very nice bike to ride, its not for high speed racing with the big handle bar, but on a sunny day I love to go cruising in a nice up right position and the sound is very nice, almost like a speedway bike, just cut the top level away.

The engine is made out of I guess 5 scrapped speedway engines, for many years I repaired and tuned a lot of engines for myself and other Danish riders and kept all the old bits and pieces, and then one day I decided to build myself a off road bike of the left overs, even the crankcase is made out of two different halves, all together the bike is made on a very low budget, I have found and swapped most of the parts, only the wheels is brand new from Talon, but my daughter who has a motorbike workshop and is Talon dealer, made me the wheels at cost price, I believe that the bike cost me below £1250 and that makes it extra fun.

Well I think that is almost the story about the GM off roader. Next week end I have been invited to a show in Denmark, that happens in between and it is nice to get a opportunity to show the bike and talk to interested people.

Best regards from Ernst in Denmark

John says: Ernst has an incredible talent at restorations.  There are more of his immaculate machines to follow

Re two bikes pictured above:

Ernst Bøgh says, I have finished 2 more bikes this year, 1 is a Weslake DOHC speedway bike and the other is a Weslake/Hagon longtrack bike that belonged to my friend, the late Kristian Praestbro who was a very good long track and speedway rider, he rode for Belle Vue and Cradley Heath in the late 70´ties.

John Says: Hi Ernst,  Great bikes,  The big engine mounting plate is very different.  Why did you need to do that? Most bikes I have seen have had a much smaller mounting plate

Ernst says: Hi John,  I think it was a special model Hagon made for Mr. Kristian Praestbro, it was a very stiff longtrack bike, made for big 1000 meter sand tracks and horse race tracks, I have been told that Kristian had it made for the World Longtrack final in Aaalborg in Denmark in 1978. Regards Ernst

John says: Thank you Ernst my website is good with your bike pictures

UTEK Speedway/Grasstrack Engine

Courtesy of Tony Webb

The UTEK engine is a very neat short stroke design.  Only 2 were made.  If anyone owned/rode one please tell us how it went and were the makers intending fitting rear brakes to their speedway bikes!

Dave Gifford's Latest Bike Restoration

Ex Newcastle rider "Giffy" has been restoring bikes for a long time now.  I have seen photos of them (Giffy lives in NZ so I am unlikely to see his work in the flesh).  His restored bikes are fantastic

John says: Giffy's restored 1975 Rotrax JAP.  The bike is probably in better nick now than when it came out of the factory in Tottenham some 40 years ago.  Dave has done an excellent job on the JAP you will agree.

Giffy says: Hi John mate, hope all is well with you. A couple of pics are attached that may be OK for the Bikes Pages; The bike is a Mk 2 Rotrax JAP circa 1975. The motor is the short stroke Type 84S JAP 500. I don’t know of anyone who rode one of these, perhaps your readers might be able to help? Oops! I forgot the air cleaner!!! giffy

John says:  If you owned/rode a bike like this one can I put you in touch by email with giffy? John

Lee Dunton says: Hi John, In answer to Giffy's question, Dag Lovaas rode one at Oxford in 1975 and White City 1976 and even rode it at Wembley at the Intercontinental Final.. before moving on to a Weslake engine when riding for White City Rebels at Kings Lynn Easter 1976, loaned to him by Brian Clark of Peterborough, he scored a 15 point maximum and never went back to the JAP. Cheers Lee

John says: JAP lost their way as did all the British road bike manufacturers they were challenged by newer companies most of them foreign and simply didn't rise to the challenge and so went out of business.  At least Weslake were British but alas they didn't last long either  Jawa took over and are still doing the business now in 2013

Giffy's Latest Project (In 2013)

Giffy has a current (2013) bike restoration that he is just about to start on, another JAP but much earlier than the above Rotrax machine, he sent me a picture of the battered old bike which follows below :-

This is an Excelsior JAP from 1936-1938 some 77yrs old and Dave would like to hear from anyone whom rode one/owned one and whom might have photos or a manual-type-thing to help him with the work he is undertaking to restore the sorry old bike.  If you can help send me an email John

Tatum/TNT/Trava

Courtesy of Tony Webb

Brian Winch's Pics Some Are Hillclimb Bikes

AJS at a VMCC Charlfont St Giles Hill Climb. (Photo Brian Winch)

Brooklands Dirt Track Douglas

Another example of a Douglas Dirt Track, VMCC Event at Brooklands. (Photo Brian Winch)

411 New Imperial at a VMCC Charlfont St Giles Hill Climb. (Photo Brian Winch)

Rotrax Jap at Classic Car and Bike Show at Tetbury. (Photo: Brian Winch): John says: The Rotrax Jap, the most beautiful speedway bike of all time

A 1928 Dirt Track BSA an early contender as the vogue machine. Ridden by the great Jack Parker. Under restoration and owned by George Thompson. Photo taken at the Classic Car and Bike Show at Tetbury. (Photo: Brian Winch)

Two Rotrax Japs at the 1997 Beaulieu Motor Cycle World event. (Photo: Brian Winch)

13 Rudge Dirt Track at a VMCC Charlfont St Giles Hill Climb. (Photo Brian Winch): John says: My thanks goes to Brian Winch for the 8 bike pics shown above

Various Bikes Over The Years

Courtesy of Tony Webb

Steve Rackett's Bikes

2 Valve Jawa Speedway Bike owned and Ridden by Steve Rackett. (Photo Steve Rackett) pics with the yellow tank - >> 1969 Jawa 2valve (Engine Number 4343)

Steve Rackett's Jawa 2 Valves pics with silver tank ->> >> 1969 Jawa 2valve photo 2010 - ridden by Steve Rackett >> >> or remove the pics with the yellow tank - as I prefer the aluminum look. John Says:  I like both sets of photos Steve so I have left the yellow tank pics on the webpage

Rudge Dirt Track

Douglas DT

On each Bikes page I tend to be reminded of the main machine when speedway was introduced to the UK.  So here at the end of page 6 is another example of the Douglas DT a beautiful old bike

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The contents of this website are © and should not be produced elsewhere for financial gain.  The contributors to this website gave the pictures and information on that understanding.  If anyone has any issue or objections to any items on my website please email me and I will amend or remove the item.  Where possible credit has been given to the owner of each item.