21 Saturday Sep 2013
Whilst we are still struggling to pull together a full report on the proceedings of this event now over 40 years ago I am as ever grateful to STB and the FIM for providing me with a scanned copy of the official results of the event held by the FIM
Image of scanned cover page of official results for ISDT 1972
Summary of performance of entrants to the ISDT 1972
21 Saturday Sep 2013
Posted in Enduro, International Six Day Trial, ISDT, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Places, Trials, UK, Wales
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The British Army’s presence has been one of prominence in the UK enduro scene since as long as I (new editor) became involved in it since in the late 70’s. At that time Service teams were both prominent with a long legacy of support for the sport including help for non service participants, certainly since the 1930’s. Not only did the service teams take part in events but without access to the British Army’s greatest training areas in the Brecon Beacons National Park it may have been difficult for anyone to have organised the several ISDT events that took place in Wales. The British Army Motoring Association has overseen motorsport within the army since 1960.
I even recall being told that when British Parliament introduced legislation limiting participants in road going motorsport events to 180. As a result of British Army interventions to government, both the ISDT and the Welsh Two Day Trial were given exemptions because of their importance in the Service training regimes so that they were able to get sufficient entries for service teams without it being at the expense of civilian competitors.
Photo – British Military Two Day Motorcycle Trials Championship 1960 – The timed section near the Horseshoe Pass, Llangollen, first in the waiting queue is individual winner W.O II A. Timms (BSA) (Speedtracktales Archive)
16 Monday Sep 2013
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The ISDT 1960 ended in much controversy after extremely hard ground conditions created a controversial result which then changed on appeal to become even more controversial. The going was considered hard for many with many hills so steep they were full of stranded riders. On the other hand it was the event which saw the introduction of the daily special test based on off road going which now is a main feature in the event to decide who the daily winners will be.
“ISDT Seen from the Saddle”
In an article for Motor Cycling 6 October 1960 Ken Heanes provided a insight into the event from a British Trophy team riders point of view that is of great interest to anyone with a deep interest into the event and politics of racing.
From the pen of Ken Heanes…
Photo – Ken Heanes plus ISDT Triumph outside his extended premises at Fleet, Hants. The attractive facade like all the other building work, was done by Ken and his Uncle.
PLENTY of printers’ ink has already flowed through the presses, fed by on the- spot reporters from the I.S.D.T., and plenty more will probably be needed to cope with the criticisms of spectators and armchair strategists. But how did the-man-in-the-saddle see it? Last week Norman Sharpe went down to Fleet, Hants., to talk to Ken Heanes, the most experienced of all this year’s British teamsters, who has amassed three “golds” and a near-miss .. sliver” since he took part in his first International exactly 10 years ago when he was just 16. This is his report:
15 Sunday Sep 2013
It’s always extra special when an email brings in some news of bygone ISDT events that took place in Wales and today our European correspondent sent the official ACU results and stewards report for the 24th ISDT which was held in Llandrindod Wells, the first event to be held in Britain after the break forced by the war. Thanks to the FIM for scanning this set for us from their own ISDT archive collection.
You can get to see a copy of the report in full on our page dedicated to the ISDT 1949 and below you will find a summary of some of the event stats
13 Friday Sep 2013
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I was intending in this post to cover an article by the British ISDT Ace the late Ken Heanes covering his experience as a rider in an ISDT in Austria. However a surprise gift by email from our Euro correspondent of the final results of the ISDT of 1970 in Spain meant I bumped that story on for another post.
Photo of bewhiskered big brother David Catt assisting Ken Heanes, those Triumphs were superbly set up, I’m jealous (Courtesy of Brian Catt) ISDT 1970
A summary of the results shows that
Of 323 starters only 186 won awards of which;
“Oro” – Gold 86, “Plata” – Silver 61, “Bronce” – Bronze 39.
29 Thursday Aug 2013
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PPPP = preparation prevents pisspoor performance
In the 20th January 1966 issue of the popular motorcycling magazine ‘the Motor Cycle‘ is an article written by Peter Fraser and covering the plans of the newly appointed British Team Manager and ISDT medal and trophy winning Stalwart Jack Stocker and his deputy Eric Davey.
Photo – Jack Stoker
Age 49, first rode in the ISDT 1937 on a sidecar outfit; member of British teams from seven years from 1948 to 1954, won a gold medal on every occaision. Was factory supported by Ariels from 1935 to 1948 and Royal Enfields from 1948 to 1954. Rode three-fifty singles, five hundred singles and twins and seven-fifty twins in the isdt. Following illness in 1955 assisted with organization until 1961. Well known as a successful one-day trials rider and scrambler on both solos and sidecars.
Photo – Eric Davey
Age 42, joined the Royal Artillery in 1937, transferred to REME in 1943, became manager of Army motorcycle team for 1961 for the ISDT in Wales, has become well known to riders at ISDTs since. Noted for his capabilities in the organizing sphere, knows the terrain in Sweden, scene of this year’s trial. Eric is a regular soldier with the rank of Major, at the Army MT school, Bordon, Hants.
27 Tuesday Aug 2013
Always proving very popular with readers are any course maps that exist for the old events. Our latest discovery comes from our European correspondent who has provided a full colour scan of the original official event map. Check out the full map for the six days of competition over on our ISDT 1960 page
Image – scanned route map days 1-3 ISDT 1960 (Courtesy Harro Esmarch Collection)
31 Friday May 2013
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Delighted by the regular email from Bonham’s announcing their next classic bike Auction in Oxford on 15 June 1913 in association with the VMCC Banbury Run. I was pleased to see Brian Nash’s almost works 1953 Royal Enfield 700c Meteor Trials Outfit ridden in the 1955 ISDT in Czechoslovakia is available to a caring home.
Photo – 1953 Royal Enfield 700cc Meteor Trials Combination Brian Nash rode in the ISDT 1955
More information is available on this speedtracktale page alas we do not appear to have any original images of it in action, or much on the 1955 ISDT for that matter s oif anybody can help out please do.
Apologies for the brevity of posts recently its a busy time of the year at Speedtracktales Towers at the moment with the annual peak of the cycle and enduro calendar causing me much distraction.
11 Saturday May 2013
Image – scanned cover of Official Programme for the ISDT 1958 at Garmisch Parternkirchen (Courtesy of the collection of the late Mr Harro Esmarch)
This copy of the event programme is from a collection of documents that were gathered by the late Mr Harro Esmarch a German Motorsport Journalist and historian and have now been passed to our reliable european correspondent ‘STB’. As ever we are endebted to the many generous readers of this web blog about the ISDT for the gift of copies of the important documents and reports on the events which help many to recall past times as well as those like myself who were not there but want to know more or may be researching a project related to their family or the restoration of an old classic bike once ridden in the event. Without our contributors like ‘STB’ who has donated large amounts of often exclusive content to us much of the history the site protects would remain lost. Here we have a copy of the official programme of the ISDT 1958 event. In addition this copy has been annotated by hand to list corrections to rider machines and teams where they changed between the date of publication and event registration. Using our issuu.com library we can let those on devices that support ‘flash’ software the ability to read the original copy. If the below embedded image cant be accessed you can find a direct link to the file here.
10 Friday May 2013
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I am really grateful to reader M Ryan who has been generous in taking the time to scan and send us his own copy of the ISDT 1938 Official Programme which can now be read on this post thanks to our library of documents at issuu.com
Cover of ISDT 1938 Programme
You can read the entire programme cover to cover here.
We always welcome the generosity of readers wishing to share their collection of old ISDT programmes or other printed matter
Speed Track Tales 