09 Sunday Sep 2012
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I was recently browsing links to ISDT BMW pages when I stumbled upon a perfect example of an old BMW ISDT bike,
Customised BMW R100 from the 1979 rebuilt to have the ISDT look
28 Tuesday Aug 2012
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As the century of ISDT approaches I would like to launch an appeal to gather as much of the lost information, photos and stories as we can gather to be exhibited in the public domain to help the riders, the families of riders, the industry and social historians to see how the technology changed as new influences impacted on the motorcycle industry and associated sport. Back in 1913 a group of British Motorcycle enthusiasts backed by the British Motorcycle Industry set otu an event over 6 days in which riders had to navigate around a series of day long courses in a test not only about the abilities of the Rider to ride a motorbike but also for maintenance and to test the bikes reliability. This Blog / Website keenly follows the history of that event from this beginning…
Photo of riders and motorcycle typical of the times , and just 1 year before the outbreak of World War 1
to this Continue reading
05 Sunday Aug 2012
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With so many of the British hosted ISDT’s being based in Wales, it’s no coincidence the landscape of Wales offers perfect terrain for the event. Associated to this little Principality of the United Kingdom with only 2.5 million is the sport is popular with its residents and often punches above it’s weight in national standing for its sports men. With great Trophy Team riders like Dai Jeremiah in the 70’s was the introduction of ‘national’ club teams in the ISDT by the MCC of Wales. Three of the great managers in this period were Arthur Brick, Elwyn Price and Kenny Williams. For more details check out the web site dedicated to recovering the details of the Welsh national team by former manager in the ISDE era Jeff Edwards
08 Sunday Jul 2012
Posted in Enduro, Europe, ISDT, Manufacturers, Motorcycling, Motorsport, restoration
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Now there’s a mixed bag title but rest assured each of these 3 bikes we have just added to the ISDT History web site at Speedtracktales is exactly that two heavy weights post war one British and one German and of course the lightweight Eastern European classic that ultimately led to the demise of the heavyweight enduro bike and also saw mass produced competitive bikes coming straight out of the delivery crate rather than the preserve of the favoured works supported rider. Here are the pictures and links
Arthur Merrett’s works 1948 ISDT Vincent HRD
Georg Meier’s works 1953 ISDT BMW
Photo in a studio of the Jawa 250cc of 1961
02 Saturday Jun 2012
Posted in Enduro, ISDT, Motorcycling, Motorsport, restoration, UK
The MZ in its original pre restoration state
Whilst googling today looking for fresh ISDT related material to add to the site I stumbled on this online article of the restoration of an ISDT MZ VTW26L by restoration genius and MZ enthusiast Peter Feilding. I do not know if this bike actually rode in the ISDT or is one of the popular replica models MZ sold that were a popular clubmans bike in the early mid 1970’s enduro scene in the UK. This bike first registered in 1972 has been with the same owner since 1975 until Peter acquired it. If anyone knows anything about this bike please tell us. Continue reading
25 Wednesday Apr 2012
Posted in Enduro, England, Photography, Trials, Wales
Firstly I really have to add 6 photographs I found recently and share, not of the ISDT, but from the same era, they are too good to be let slide by un-noticed. They fill me with the spirit of hope and optimism that surrounded the British Motorcycle scene in the early to mid 20th Century when motorbikes and motorcycle sport were part of the nations psyche and to be a motorcyclist made you fairly mainstream rather then an extrovert alien on the fringes of civilisation. Motorcyclists went to war and died saving this country and the nation was grateful to those who served its needs.
Bill Martin, Flat Cap, Goggles and Barbour International Jacket blazing the trail in the Welsh Two Day Trial 1954
If there was ever a picture would be the caption for my joy for riding a motorbike, this is it, taken at the Welsh 2 Day back in 1954. Featuring the young Bill Martin, who was a great rider of the South West Centre, and here he is a a young man on the same bike he is later seen riding the Scottish Six Day Trial on, doing what is needed. No matter what else is said, this is the image that draws the line for me when I face the often crass uninformed prejudice of self appointed busybodies, nobodies and over zealous council clerks who feel obliged to classify off road motor sport as being an anti social activity and aim to wipe it off the hills and valleys of mid Wales along with the people that are associated with it. Continue reading
07 Saturday Apr 2012
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This blog is re-instating the lost www home of speedtracktales.co.uk to bring it back to the internet in a permanent home with updates and improvements to the original archive. One of these benefits is that you can now again make contact with the site created by Lynn ‘Taff’ Isaacs.
Speed Track Tales 