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Introduction
The FIM’s 40th International Six Days Trial took place over the week of the 20th to 25th of September 1965 and took place in one of the worlds greatest meccas for Motorcycle sport the Isle of Man, part of the United Kingdom.
Image – cover of official event programme of the 40th ISDT 1965
Photo of 49cc Hercules Rider #3 N Gobler on the way to a Gold ISDT 1965
Arthur Williams found some bits for this page so, here we go!, ISDT? rumbles came from Manufacturers, Eastern Bloc galloped ahead in reliability plus marketing plus HARD effort, here goes 49cc Hercules Rider N Gobler on the way to a Gold.
Photo of Glen Mona bend, the first day #65 L Specht & #70 V Cramer both on 123cc Zundapps en route to Cornaa, Specht took Gold. ISDT 1965
Photo At Glen Maye even on the 5th Day a Russian rider’s mealtime, with effort from team & rider. ISDT 1965
Photo of Greeba Hill checked out by Radio Team for 250cc Maico rider M Studemann German Rider ISDT 1965
Photo of Greeba Hill, #249 Russian Trophy team rider A Egorov 350cc IZH finished with Bronze. ISDT 1965
Photo of #170 Reshetniks of the USSR Vase Team ISDT 1965
Photo of British Privateer #263 MR Wood and Russian team rider #281 G Tchashipov at ISDT 1965
Photo of USA Vase Team rider #298 Cliff Coleman ISDT 1965
Photo of USA Vase Team rider C Coleman ISDT 1965
Photo of #246 Richard Sayer, British Vase Team Gold Medalist ISDT 1965
Photo of Trophy Team rider #37 R Witthoft leads #42 S Gienger’s 97cc Zundapp on 1st Day at Laxey, both West Germans took Golds ISDT 1965
Photo of Triss Sharp on the Greeves Challenger, ISDT 1965
All seems well until you gather how little support these skilled lads had, a warm drink, dry clothing, spares etc were lacking when competitors were supported grandly, Triss was wrongly maligned, after a brief Husqvarna spell Triss left the non helpers at the end of season, disappointment to all.
Photo of Vase Team rider #294 M Sensburg of West Germany on a 600cc BMW near the Gooseneck followed by #276 R A Jones on his 500cc Velocette. ISDT 1965
Photo of Vase Team rider #246 Ray Sayer on 350cc Triumph twin leads #193 H Wendelgalst of Holland on a Greeves 250cc into the water ISDT 1965
Photo of Skyhill Section! D Richardson 650 Triumph #292, Trophy Rider Ken Heanes #299, E Dunnicliffe 350 Matchless #259, Director of Industries Assoc.. H M Palin looks as if he did not really wish to be there! ISDT 1965
Photo of Brian Martin of BSA watches Alan Lampkin with another BSA as expected needing fettling! at Cornaa on 2nd Day. ISDT 1965.
Check out our feature on Arthur Lampkin’s 500 TriBSA
Photo of #299 Ken Heanes Triumph with right USA Teamster #300 M Green on a 500 Matchless ISDT 1965
Photo of Trophy rider #150 Triss Sharp, 246 Greeves was described to be controversial! ISDT 1965
TRISS WAS A DETERMINED CHAP UNAFRAID TO VOICE HIS OPINION, WHEN NEEDING TRADE SUPPORT HE MORE THAN DESERVED. BRITISH OPPOSITION RECEIVED A TERRIFIC AMOUNT OF SUPPORT. ACU & Brit TRADE BARONS & MANUFACTURERS HOWEVER buried their heads in convenient sandhills whilst talented Riders on British machinery were simply not supported.
Reliability along with performance plus earlier market dominance was allowed to drift into the mists, Britain’s Motorcycle Industry directed by top level manufacturers was run by people who could have done better. British Motorcycle Marketing could not even notice Honda & serious foreign engineering efforts, reliability plus performance advances, only challenged as usual by antique machinery, brave men plus Italian flair and design underlined how Britain was determined to lag behind. ‘British always needed guidance, investment plus effort from the top, hardly ever present compared to the rest of the world. (My opinion plus that of Arthur Williams is to follow)
My old friend RTM ‘Big Roger’ Maughling actually took the risk of publishing info much known after Triss was in my opinion cruelly plus unjustifiably termed “the man who stayed in bed”. RTM spoke out to suggest that the Industry Association was initially felt to be responsible for applying too much pressure. Roger then clarified his account. Selection Committees appointing Ken Heanes at the last minute only if certain machinery was to be used. Actually the likes of Jack Stocker, Johnny Giles, Dick Mann, & Jim Alves would have conducted things far better had they been appointed to relate Ombudsman style with Allan Jefferies. (ie No Manufacturers representatives) Triss plus his younger brother Bryan were riding for Greeves using 250’s but on the 5th Day in 1965 Triss decided to stay in bed, quickly Greeves then stopped support to them. HOWEVER, Bryan had actually retired with concussion after a heavy Friday spill, Triss had lost the front mudguard & all goggles he could locate became eventually too caked for use and a long hard riding period into continually sprayed dust grit plus mud had Triss’s eyes too sore to continue especially with no mudguard on his front wheel at a stage when the Team members had only 2 left, both well out of the contest. Promised support for British Teams was not even in existance & seeing East German Entrants with 40 or so support people cleaning or providing fresh goggles, spares ,food, tools etc. to support their Teamsters. Friday arrived, spirited British efforts came to an end, virtually no support for the British Teams even on British soil had been received!, a few sweets etc from spectators was all Bryan Triss & Co had been able to partake of, no Lunch Checks, , snacks or much needed liquids, breaks etc. & things reached a head when a spectator trying to supply Bryan Sharp with just a cup of tea was rudely told to “***** off” by a British Team Official. Auto Cycle Union (ACU) had selected people plus machinery, where now were those Team Managers & officials when the chips were down? few know & those who did seemed not to care, expectedly unreliable BSA machinery had all packed up, as expected & privateers plus Teamsters found a chaotic spares situation using cannibalized bits from dead machinery along the course. BSA Manager Brian Martin, with Greeves Manager Bill Brooker had their hands very full much due to their products too, however their jobs were perhaps dependant on their comments & attitude to media. Somehow arranging spares, cups of tea, snacks & clean goggles would seem to have been beyond the organisations. Personally Arthur Williams, the late Roger Maughling & myself are disgusted. Triss & Bryan have our sincere sympathies for being neglected by a British System, much as an old Soldiers or Hero still is in UK. We still see it & no wonder British motorcycle Market machinery is treated as ‘Vintage’ only.
Photo of East German Trophy Rider #177 K Wagner 250cc MZ of East Germany on 5th day negotiating ‘the Slabs’ ISDT 1965
Photo of #299 Ken Heanes & #278 Roy Peplow both riding 650cc Triumphs Heanes took a Silver Medal on the special Test. ISDT 1965
Photo of #260 Bill Faulkner on his BSA [343 TFC] ISDT 1965
Photo of Ray Sayer’s 350cc Triumph as it finished for Gold.
Photo dressed in full Barbour International suits, the victorious East German MZ Trophy Team IoM ISDT 1965.
Photo of Ray Sayer’s Gold Medal winning 350cc Triumph machine.
On the Map!
Image – scanned copy of map of event route ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales archive)
Keep an eye on our project to map the ISDT in 1965 here
What the Papers said!
Speedtracktales has obtained a copy of ‘the Motor Cycle‘ issue of 30 September 1965 which provides a report on the whole week of the ISDT and can be read here
Image of scanned cover of the Motor Cycle 30 Sept 1965 with report ISDT 1965
Photo the final act in a gruelling drama is staged in the vilest of weather. The survivors of the Trophy and Vase Teams set off on the Speed Test. They are turning out of the Glencrutchery Road after leaving the start at the TT Grandstand. Leading (from left to right) are East German Gunter Baumann (292cc MZ), Czech Arnost Zeman (173cc Jawa) and M Vytlacil (248cc Jawa) ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo Peel Castle is just visible through the driving rain , Czech Vase A rider #110 Arnost Zemen (174cc CZ) leads Peter Uhlig (173 MZ) of the winning East German Trophy Team ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo – American #39 Leroy Winters (89cc Honda) washes his bike – after retiring! ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo of East German Trophy rider Karl Wagner (247cc MZ) displaying plenty of confidence at the watersplash at East Baldwin ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo Welshman John Lewis (348cc AJS). He was one of the three competitors from Britain to win a Gold medal and must be assured of a team place next year. He is seen here negotiating a dry-stone wall at Spanish Head ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo not far from the water works at Ramsey, Belgian Vase teamster Marcel Vervier retrieves his 173cc CZ from a ditch after a spill ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo of a happy Triumph line up at the finish, left to right are #276 Roy Peplow [106 CPD], team manager Henry Vale, #246 Ray Sayer [105 CPD] and #299 Ken Heanes ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo Top left West German Rupert Beppler (74cc Zundapp) struggles as he tries to overcome wheelspin on slimy rock slab in a gateway into a field by running alongside his machine. Waiting to go through is Lorenz Schunemann (73cc Simpson) ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo of Bryan Sharp (246cc Greeves) succesfully broadsides to a halt at the Glenduff acceleration and brake test ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo if West German Hans Schilte (17cc Hercules) puts his back into it as he descends a steep grassy slope at Spanish Head. He finished and won a Bronze medal. ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo in the working area Siegfried Rauhut (49cc Simpson) of the East German Vase ‘B’ team changes a cush drive rubber at the finish of Wednesday’s run. ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo of best British performer, Trophy teamster #278 Roy Peplow (490cc Triumph) hurries towards Injerbreck control on Thursday ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo of Swedish Trophy Team rider Carl Oberg (248cc Husqvarna) aviates off the beach at GLen Wyllin ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo – seeing the ISDT for himself is Denis Howell MP, Minister of Sport ( in light raincoat) with behind him Hugh Palin IA Director and Peter Fraser. Mr Howell recommends Government grants for sport…. Rider is John Lewis (AJS) [BCG 980 B] of the British Vase ‘B’ team ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
Photo Private owner #260 Bill Faulkner (343cc BSA) at the finish control on Friday. He pressed on doggedly to collect a well deserved Bronze Medal on the same machine he uses for one day trials. ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Collection)
the Advert Break!
Time for a cuppa…
Image of scanned advert for ISDT 1965 success by Castrol
Image of scanned advert for ISDT 1965 success by Lucas
Image of scanned advert for ISDT 1965 success by Triumph
Image of scanned advert for ISDT 1965 success by Dunlop
Artefacts and Collectibles
Photo of 1965 ISDT Isle of Man Timekeeper Armband (courtesy of eBay!!)
Photo – Special ISDT franking mark by the IoM Post Office ISDT 1965 (Speedtracktales Archive)
The Final Score: Results
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. Download a copy of the original Results and Stewards Report at the link below.
Download Stewards Report for the 1965 ISDT here
We are currently creating content for this section. In order to be able to keep up with our high standards of service, we need a little more time. Please stop by again. Thank you for your interest!
At the Movies
I note in the British Film Industry ‘s website, a film is listed called ‘International Six Day Trial‘ made by a reputable producer of the time ‘Peter Mills’ and is about this ISDT in the Isle of Man if anyone can tell us more about about it or even locate a copy we would be most grateful. You can also check out some enjoyable videos of this and other events on our video gallery.
If you have any more memories , photos or memorabilia connected to this event please do not hesitate contacting us if you are able to share with us.
Speed Track Tales 
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There is a film of Shell Oil Company about the Isle of Man ISDT.
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5KhFlGlJZc
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FUPoi2qorc
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK2DwNIWelg
Thanks Liesel, you will find the above videos and others listed on this page https://speedtracktales.wordpress.com/isdt-tube/ . If you find anymore please let us know
The full DVD version of this Shell Oil Company film of the 1965 ISDT is available from http://www.DukeVideo.com see Enduro Classic Volume 3.
Thanks for this pointer Paul. What else old ISDT stuff do Duke handle at the moment?
We’ve got a copy of the 1964 Motor Cycle report on the 1964 Isle of Man ISDT which will be posted on a blog with a link to issuu later…
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Adrian, you have a pic of Ken H on a Cheney in the ’65 report which is a 1971 shot and the reg is WGC 101H. I’m downloading results at full speed!!!! Many thanks.
Thanks for the tip off I shall check and fix later.
#299 Now moved to it’s rightful place in 1971 thanks Brian
As most ACU ISDTs only list rider’s names, not machines, it’s s bit difficult doing some project work without knowing machines. I will have both 61 and 65 programmes by this weekend (12/5/13), so will be able to answer any queries on that score. I will eventually scan for the site.
Brian I may have a copy of the 1958 programme making its way fairly slowly once the owner has the time to scan it for us. I am still hunting down illusive texts that illuminate the participants, machines and locations of all the events.
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