An Eye for Beauty.

At the same bike show that had those 3 wheel scooters, someone local had built an MV race rep using a modern MV engine with a homemade frame and livery including a stunning jelly roll style tank and curved mufflers, which I could find a pic. It was a jaw-dropper. I think that the Canadian bloke who had a hand in the Laverda Kawasaki side stand kit was building a similar MV. So much talent. Hope someone can find pics of those 2 bikes.
 
I found this article about a display ride over Sydney's Spit Bridge, I went for one year as insane an experience as I remember. Hard to believe it legally happened.
www.ozbike.com.au

Ozbike Digital Magazine: MV Agusta vs Manx Norton

I’VE GOT a racing buddy named Rod; he is custodian of his late father’s impressive collection of classic bikes. One of those bikes is a lusty MV Agusta. This is no ordinary MV — if there’s such a t…
www.ozbike.com.au www.ozbike.com.au
 
Looked great being wheel-stood by Graham Crosby. Back in the day when Bike Racing was barely seen on OZ TV I accidentally tuned in late one night to an ABC TV broadcast of some racing event where some bloke was ripping around mid-race pulling vertical wheel stands out of every corner and passing everybody while doing that. Crosby on a similar coloured Kawaski like that. He was a great racer.
amcn.com.au

BOL D'OR 1977

“If we’d had the bike ready from the start, we could have won it”. Bol d'Or 1977 The day when Graeme Crosby and Tony Hatton should have...
amcn.com.au
 
Had this (rigid/brakeless) HD KR750 -and the wrong wife- a couple of decades ago. Thought at the time, that the choice was binary.... Keep both or let go of both. Chose the latter.
 

Attachments

  • bright right.jpg
    bright right.jpg
    108.6 KB · Views: 14
Vince said:
Looked great being wheel-stood by Graham Crosby. Back in the day when Bike Racing was barely seen on OZ TV I accidentally tuned in late one night to an ABC TV broadcast of some racing event where some bloke was ripping around mid-race pulling vertical wheel stands out of every corner and passing everybody while doing that. Crosby on a similar coloured Kawaski like that. He was a great racer.
amcn.com.au

BOL D'OR 1977

“If we’d had the bike ready from the start, we could have won it”. Bol d'Or 1977 The day when Graeme Crosby and Tony Hatton should have...
amcn.com.au
Click to expand...
My old Honda rep was at a posh hotel in London for some big do Honda organised, loads of famous bike racers & dignitaries were there.
Highlight of the evening, a very pissed Graham Crosby riding a Honda monkey bike on top of the tables- don’t get nights like that any more!
 
I wince a bit when folks ‘abuse’ their bikes like that. Sure, racers know what they’re doing but when I’m the one who gets to fix the thing I have a bit more mechanical sympathy.
 
Difference between monstering a bike to get it onto the back wheel and ones that loft it without a lot of input. Back when we fitted out Kwaka 9s with Yoshi/Miri kits the result was a bike that made wheelstanding pretty run of the mill. Cros wouldn't have had to try too hard ...

As for modern ultrasports ... no need to go there other than to say that without the electronic aids they'd be hard to keep both wheels sulla terra.
 
Last edited:
The Montesa I once rode couldn't keep its front wheel down most of the time, it was fun but not fast. Easily loopable.
 
And here's the man famous for the front on pics of a wheelie on an RG500 that went bad with a stuck throttle.
Many years later and all healed up. Had him as a guest rider on a GS I was looking after. Dennis Ireland.
Wanted to change the front end but once it was explained to him it was like that to keep the engine off the ground, we were good.
He generally kept it down. The owner the next day didn't. Second coming of Croz, lol. The crowd loved it.
 

Attachments

  • Dennis Ireland with GS.jpg
    Dennis Ireland with GS.jpg
    97.7 KB · Views: 32
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top