24 Thursday Jul 2014
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It gives me much sadness to announce to the ISDT family of the loss of a popular member of the legion of six days riders.
Sid Wicken – Dad and Grandad – passed away 23/07/2014 in his sleep yesterday – may his Soul rest in peace.
Funeral at St Mary’s Kennardington Kent 12 noon with Crem at 1.20 after service at Charing Asford at 1.20pm
He is at peace now – aged 85 yrs – he had a wonderfull life and will be sadly missed by us all and those that knew him.
WE ARE THINKING OF YOU DAD.
Stephen
09 Wednesday Apr 2014
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Maybe you or some of your readers can help me, re the 1939 ISDT please?
I’ve read that Bert Perrigo, BSA Competition Manager, travelled over to Austria in his BSA saloon car with the Army convoy. (This was in addition to Tom Davies accompanying the BSA Team.)
However, when did Perrigo return to England?
Was it early Friday morning, together with the great majority of the competitors, support crews, spectators, with Vic Brittain in the passenger seat of his BSA car, leaving his Norton behind? (as his son, Johnny Brittain says today, and who also says that Allan Jefferies told him he’d seen Vic’s Norton in Austria after the war…..
or
Was it late Friday evening, after the day’s competitive riding, when “…Perrigo waited for the riders to return, filled their tanks and sign off for good, while Lt.Col.Bennett dealt with the administration.” from p46, Walker & Carrick’s ISDT history Col.Grimm & Col.Bennett then led the three Army teams, together with Cottle, Edge, Sim, Sanders and TSRs and spectators, to the Swiss Border.
Any hard facts re this would be much appreciated, as I’d hate to promulgate false ‘facts’ in my forthcoming book.
John Bradshaw
http://www.jrbpub.net
01 Saturday Feb 2014
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Back again is Alan Wright’s fantastic bike show dedicated to the old days with a strong representation not only by Off-road but also Enduro and ISDT. A popular feature of the show is not only the access to old bikes but presentations and talks from soem of the past celebrities of the industry both as riders or in the development of bikes and events.
The main themes for 2014 are:
23 Saturday Nov 2013
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#2 in a never ending series will take a look at how we mapped the route, where did it go and possibly eventually feature points of interest along the way as they exist. As this is an ongoing project and requires an element of local knowledge. In #1 we looked at 1938 and the almost now completed task would not have happened without the help of Colin Jones of the West Glos and Forest of Dean Motorcycle Club. Any further offers of help are welcome please drop us a note, especially for non-Wales route maps
The map so far ( this image will be updated as the work is completed)
image – route of event with checkpoints days 4 and 5 ISDT 1933
In order to prepare the map I am using Google Earth although dedicated packages such as GPS orientated applications like Memory Map, Anquet Map or GIS packages like Q GIS will be helpful.
05 Tuesday Nov 2013
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Bidno Bridge, Bwlch y Groes, Carno, Cemmaes Road, Denbighshire, Dolywern, Hirnant, ISDT 1938, Llandyrnog, Loggerheads, Minera, Pont Ysgadan, Wales
I can recall whilst out trail riding in the Clwydian Hills in my teens during the late 70’s when one of the old blokes pointed into a hedge (they said it was a track, but you could not get into it to stand and look.. it was a hedge) and that once the ISDT had gone up there…. I knew the event and it filled my head with images of far off exotic trails in wild forests. I had never even heard of the ISDT in Wales although I knew that once the Tour of Wales Enduro had come these ways it had not done so for years, the only active local off road competition were the Scrambles at Bodfari, the Fosters Cup an observed trial run by the South Liverpool Club and local observed trials organised by the Denbigh and Mold MCC. Even so that story stuck in my head and everytime i drive past this hedge I think the ISDT went there once.
Image – Scanned copy of course map as published in either Motor Cycle or Motor Cycling for the ISDT 1938
03 Thursday Oct 2013
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Thanks again to the FIM for releasing a copy of the results for the ISDT 1978.
Unfortunately the results do not list the medal winners but give detailed breakdown of individual and team scores. The ISDT of 1978 is one of the few events we are badly struggling to find any material for despite it being so recent in the timescale of the event. Hopefully somebody will pop by with a trunk full of programmes, memorabilia and photos.. never giving up hope….
The results can be found and read on our page dedicated to the ISDT 1978
Photo of Souvenir Pin Badge of the ISDT 1978 Sweden
01 Tuesday Oct 2013
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We are getting to the end of the ISDT years and by now the ISDT has become a specialist event aimed at off-road specific designed motorcycles often featuring the suspension, engine and frame technology in use in motocross only modified by slightly less travel, slightly longer wheelbases to make them more stable at speed for which bikes had wider ratio gear boxes. This was about the last year Bikes closer to the traditional big bore single and twin British Bikes that had been dominant for man years made a significant showing in the hands of a Police team although they had specialist off road frames from Dick Cheney.
Photo of #377 David Randall on Cheney Triumph 650 [PJD 18L] in Speed Test in ISDT 1976
Speedtracktales wishes to thank Marc Pétrier of FIM Information Resources who has facilitated the scanning of the FIM archive of ISDT results material and is allowing us to make it available here as a public service. Read a copy of the original Results and Stewards Report at the link below.
View the Stewards Report for the 1976 ISDT here
01 Tuesday Oct 2013
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Thanks again go to the FIM for delivering another scanned copy of the Official results for the 50th ISDT held in the Isle of Man 1975
Photo of #157 Tony Downes #149 of the RAF team
Speedtracktales wishes to thank Marc Pétrier of FIM Information Resources who has facilitated the scanning of the FIM archive of ISDT results material and is allowing us to make it available here as a public service. Read a copy of the original Start Sheet and Results at the link below.
View the Stewards Report for the 1975 ISDT here
14 Saturday Sep 2013
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The 46th ISDT in the Isle of Man have at last turned up thanks to a bit of overtime action on the FIM photocopier recently. Thanks to Marc and STB for fixing this up, so for those who lost their copy or never saw one you can now find it on the 1971 ISDT page.
Photo of #145 Tony Down passing #136 ISDT 1971
18 Sunday Aug 2013
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It is truly fantastic that in a world where so quickly established technologies come and go. The old becomes lost in a haze of moribund redundancy for a while before it may again be cherished. Not only has an off road reliability trial motorcycling event of six days duration continued for 100 years despite the changes of fortune of the hardware as well as the impact of the world around it with increased legislative pressure and environmental protocols. It survives in a form that those original pioneers will not be that bewildered at what it looks like today. Also its history is cherished by enthusiastic followers and many of the early examples of machines are still treasured and the details of what happened are being recorded and saved to ensure the legends and stories are not lost to generations to come.
I was lucky to be pottering around the Lake District this weekend. This is the place the event started and where Jim and Dot Jones organised a splendid event incorporating the best of new and old to ensure the 100th anniversary of the first holding of the event was marked and commemorated with respect.
Below are a few photos I took when encountering many of the old bikes which looked splendid to all as they popped and chugged along the old lake road at Thirlmere as they approached the lunchtime stop in Keswick.
Here an old British classic chugs through a rock cutting as the old road that was created by Victorian Civil Engineers in order to establish Thirlmere to provide a clean water supply for the growing population of Manchester. A work that made a lasting mark on the landscape of the Lake District and later to provide much pleasure and joy to the public seeking recreation in the fresh air just as the historic road builders making the Mountain Tracks would do.
The following images come from the Thirlmere dam check point and any help identifying the persons involved would be welcome. Any images other people have taken will be linked to as we become aware of them.
Speed Track Tales 