ISDT 1952 – The Beezer Bantam that came in from the cold.

18 Tuesday Sep 2018

Posted by speedtracktales in Austria, Enduro, Gelände Sport, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Mezinárodní Šestidenní Soutěž, Międzynarodowa Motocyklowa Sześciodniówka, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Photography, Regolarità, restoration, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux, Wales

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ISDT 1952

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Fitzroy Allen’s original BSA Bantam from the ISDT 1952 has been recovered recently from a garage by reader of our facebook page. After put into storage in 1953 this immaculate original ISDT bike was recently brought from the Fitzroys’s family and now resides in comfort in South West Wales. The new owner is keen to share it’s history and would welcome any advice or guidance from any ISDT fans about how best to restore this bygone classic….. am I envious.. you better bet.

The bike was shown at the recent Swansea Classic Motorbike show and attracted a lot of interest including a number of people familiar with its history as a unique one off bike built by the BSA Works factory race shop to be campaigned by Fitzroy Allen. All images are copyright Steven Beavis the lucky owner of this rare gem from this history of British Motorcycle manufacturing.

Photo – Fitzroy Allen’s Works BSA Bantam at Swansea Classic Bike Show Oct 2018

Bike detail images

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam – Quick release front wheel axles

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam – front brake lever

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam Twin cable clutch lever

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam handlebar mount and steering damper

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam clock with 10,431 miles recorded

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam – Fuel Tank

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam – Tool bag and map / check card holder

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam Spark plug and decompressor

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam – Engine

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam – Compressed air bottle

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam Quick release rear wheel axles and suspension

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam – rear number plate

Fitzroy in the ISDT

Image: Clipping from US ‘Cycle’ Mag from 1951 featuring gold medal winning Fitzroy Allen on his BSA Bantam

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam #30 ISDT 1952

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA BantamWelsh Three Day Trial 1952

Photo – Fitzroy Allen BSA Bantam #31 ISDT 1954

ISDT 1939: the movie

23 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by Highwayman in Austria, Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, Germany, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Mezinárodní Šestidenní Soutěž, Międzynarodowa Motocyklowa Sześciodniówka, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux, Video

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ISDT 1939, Salzburg, video

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, come inside come inside.

The ‘Great Escape’ as it was known amongst UK ISDT fans, possibly the ‘Great Escape 2’ to those who are most familiar also with the events around the ISDT 1914, is one of the iconic events in the international off-road motorcycle reliability series dedicated to testing motorcyclist and motorcycle endurance where they did not expect machines to excel for a mere continuous 24 hours but a full 6 days to test their mechanical stamina and that of the riders mounted on them. You will find an embedded copy of the video down underneath the below photo of a British Norton.

image- frame clipped from the NSU promotional movie of a British team Norton ISDT 1939

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ISDT 1939:Recently rediscovered images from the internet

04 Friday Nov 2016

Posted by Highwayman in Austria, Germany, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Mezinárodní Šestidenní Soutěž, Międzynarodowa Motocyklowa Sześciodniówka, Photography, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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ISDT 1939

More images from the Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe – National Digital Archive of Poland this set featuring moments from the ISDT 1939.

photo – two riders at checkpoint #35 Ofeldw Forstner BMW 494cc of Germany #30 Fred C Perks BSA 496cc ISDT 1939 Germany (Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe)

The ISDT 1939 was put on by the German Government with a view to demonstrating its army motorcyclists supremacy. The organisers encouraged many other European nations to send military teams. However, before the event came to an end the British withdrew their teams as the declaration that commenced WW2 was being made and the government wanted al its military personnel home before they could be detained. More images from the event from this collection are provided below. Continue reading →

ISDT 1952: Artur Fenzlau Part 1 – pix of the Brits!

29 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by Highwayman in Austria, Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, International Six Day Trial, International Six Days Enduro, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Mezinárodní Šestidenní Soutěž, Motorcycling, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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These images are part of a 1000 image library of ISDT images from the 1952 ISDT held in Austria taken by Artur Fenzlau and were the photos featuring the British entrants both Factory, Military and privateer teams. Please enjoy….

#57 Olga V Kevelos, Birmingham. Parilla 150 (entered as Italian) abandoned day 2

photo - #57 Olga V Kevelos Barilla 100 at the start venue ISDT 1952 (© Technisches Museum Wien - Erwin Jelinek)

photo – #57 Olga V Kevelos Barilla 100 at the start venue ISDT 1952 (© Artur Fenzlau/Technisches Museum Wien)

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Mapping the ISDT: 11th ISDT – 1929 Munich to Genéve

12 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by Highwayman in Austria, Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, Germany, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Italy, Map, Motorcycling, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux, Switzerland

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ISDT 1929

STT editor recently had a trip out to Valasian Alps on the Southern Swiss border with Italy. Arriving at Genéve was followed by a train ride along the northern shore of Lake Genéve through Lausanne, Montreaux, Aigle and at Martigny I realised this was more or less the reverse of the final closing stages of the ISDT 1929 which had begun in Munich and finished in Genéve.

image – scanned copy of route map ISDT 1929

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Restored ISDT classic – ex works Puch MC 175 ex ISDT 1973 appears on eBay

17 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by Highwayman in Austria, Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Regolarità, restoration, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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ISDT, Johann Sommerauer, Puch 175

I am pleased to be able to say another of the classic 1970’s European works two strokes has survived through into modern times. There were 15 of these bikes entered in the ISDT 1973, although in 1973 #89 Johann Sommerauer did not ride a 175 but is listed as being on a Puch 125cc, there were however 4 works Puch MC 175s on the Austrian Trophy Team although they did not enter a Vase team. The Puch Factory did not enter a team in 1973 although the Dutch and Belgians both had Puch teams in the Manufacturers award.

There was no Austrian Trophy team in the Camerino, Italy ISDT 1974 although there was a Vase, however the result sheet only names Trophy and Vase Team entrants with #100 D Pochlatko, #115 S Pacjernegg and #121 J Zotzek all rode Puch 175’s in 1974. This bike just has appeared on an eBay auction in Austria although listed as an ISDT bike of 1973, its registration document seems to indicate it may have been first registered on the road in 1974.

Johann Sommerauer was the only Austrian winner of a Gold Medal in the ISDT 1975 results entry number #278 in this event he is credited as riding a KTM 350.

Hopefully one of our readers will be able to throw some clarification on which bike this was and who rode it?

Photo – Johann Sommerauer’s Works Puch MC 175 restored ex ISDT 1973

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ISDT 1939: event report in ‘the Motor Cycle’ 31st August 1939

24 Saturday May 2014

Posted by Highwayman in Austria, Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, Germany, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Magazine, Media, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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Innsbruck, ISDT 1939, Salzburg, Switzerland

The 31 August issue of ‘the Motor Cycle’ carried a 12 page article on the ISDT that never was. Possibly heralded as being the best ISDT of all time, on paper the potential obsessive stage management by the German Nazi regime looking to impress foreign powers of its greatness could well have put on the best event ever. The grant finale of the event rather than a speed test was to be a scramble and surviving vide owe have seen shows it to be a quite remarkable event in its severity of technicl difficulty for the tie. However from arrival at the venue the event was beset with problems, firstly to all it appeared the Germans had been expecting the event not to happen at all, so preparations had been rushed and not complete. Despite a lot of man power being committed there were at times fuel shortages and the German officials tried modifying the traditional rules as the event progressed. The going on the other hand was not far off the most extreme the riders had ever seen, not just because of the Alpine setting in North Austria but also the extensive use of unmade tracks across pine forests that had in cases been cleared just for the event. The event withered for many competitors to a dead stop before the final day after Germany declared a pact with Russia that resulted in the division of Poland and was going to lead to the beginning of the second world war. Even though the Germans finished the six days it was a result devoid of competition and so after the end of the war the FIM annulled the results so the Trophies were never awarded.

photo – top left Miss Marjorie Cottle (249 Triumph) follows K Pogner (248 Puch) through a village typical of the area. Bottom left- Fuscher Törl, a check amid the summer snows high up the Grossglockner pass. Right – A loose narrow winding track where time is easily lost: Sgt JT Dalby (490 Norton) kust behind Forstner (490 BMW) ISDT 1939 ( Speedtracktales Archive)

read the full event report in ‘the Motor Cycle’ at our issuu.com library here

The greatest of all International Six Days Trials, that held in Germany last week, was virtually brought to an end last Friday. The cause, needless to state, was the European situation. In Salzburg information as to what was really happening was scrappy in the extreme. The German papers revealed little; those British papers available were two days old; wireless reception of the English news bulletins was next to hopeless.

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ISDT 1939: Closing report and the final sprint for the Border

21 Wednesday May 2014

Posted by Highwayman in Austria, Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, Germany, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Magazine, Motorcycling, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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Berlin, Bregenz, British Army, Germany, ISDT 1939, marjorie cottle, Munich, Salzburg

In the 7th September 1939 issue of the Motor Cycle, the editor of the magazine A. B. Bourne who had been in Germany covering the ISDT 1939 event published an article titles ‘My Week in Germany’ giving his impressions of the events that occurred shaping the history of this notorious sporting occaision.

See the original article in our issuu.com library here

My Week in Germany – A.B. Bourne – Editor the Motor Cycle

To review the International Six Days after all that was written in last Thursday’s issue would be superfluous. Everyone knows what happened and how on Friday, the fifth day, the British contingent withdrew from the trial, left Salzburg and hurried to the Swiss frontier and home.

Photo – Miss Marjorie Cottle (249 Triumph), chatting with Obergruppenfuhrer Kraus, president of the International Jury, at the check at the top of the Grossglockner. Miss Cottle made a magnificent performance in the trial ISDT 1939 (Speedtracktales Collection)

It is probably difficult for anyone not among the party to realise how cut off the British contingent was from knowledge of what was going on between the capitals of Europe. All at Salzburg sensed that there was a crisis, but how grave it was none knew. As we said in our description of the trial, the German papers revealed little, those British papers available were two days old, and wireless reception of the English news bulletins was next to hopeless.

Of course, there were many who started in the trial with little idea of what a modern International means. Somehow or other the impression that these trials are merely high-speed tours in glorious country still seems to exist. The facts are, as we have tried to convey in describing the event, that the modern trial as held in Germany is an Alpine Grand Prix with sections just about as bad as any included in British sporting trials.

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Mapping the ISDT: 1952 Austria

22 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by Highwayman in Austria, Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Map, Media, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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ISDT 1952, map, mapping

We now have a map … not sure when I will have time to start making a digital version. Let me know if anyone has any better information please.

Image – The routes followed in each of the six days of the trial. The numerals indicate the particular sections used on individual days. ISDT 1952 (Speedtracktales Collection)

ISDT 1952: Bad News from Bad Aussee for Great Britain

22 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by Highwayman in Austria, Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Magazine, Media, Motorcycling, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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ISDT 1952

So read the title of the editorial in ‘Motor Cycling‘ in the issue of 25 September 1952 in a report covering the ISDT 1952 that had recently taken place at Bad Aussee in Austria. You can read a copy of the Cyril Quantrills report on the event at our issuu.com library of old ISDT magazine reports and programmes here.

“Bad News From Bad Aussee:

THOUGH these words are being written while we still await the final confirmed results of the International Six Days Trial it seems evident that things have by no means gone as planned by Great Britain. Until our representatives return home it will not be possible to establish a clear picture of what went wrong and, In any case, this is not the moment to conduct a post-mortem. Rather is it one to congratulate the winners on their success, to compliment the organisers on what seems to have been a difficult yet fair trial and to commiserate with those who found that their luck was Out.”

Photo – Conditions at the start of Saturday’s run are depicted above. Reflected in the waterlogged ground, spectators and officials see the riders off on their third day’s journey ISDT 1952 (Speedtracktales Collection)

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