90 years of Motorcycle Production at Bayerische Motoren Werke 2013

14 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by Highwayman in Gelände Sport, Manufacturers, Motorcycling, Photography

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Hot on the heels of the 100th anniversary of the first ever holding of the ISDT sees the 90th anniversary of the making by Bayerische Motoren Werke of it’s first Motorcycle. By the 1930’s they had become one of the most successful of the ISDT manufacturers with credible action in the hands of some of the best motorcyclists of the time such as Georg Meier.

Photo – Beaten by a narrow margin of ten seconds – the German Trophy team consisting (Left to right) of L Kraus, G Meier, and J Stelzer ISDT 1937 (Speedtracktales Collection)

Photo – #114 BMW 500 Kompressor ISDT 1935

Needless to say BMW have announced they will not be taking note of any of the requests from this blog that they reintroduce an updated retro styled version of these old boxer airhead twins but will instead be producing a tastefully blinded up version of its well received but hardly ISDT capable R 1200 GS Adventure, the R 1200 R and the R 1200 RT, each with the name affix „90 Jahre BMW Motorrad“.(90 years of BMW motorcycles)

All three models will present themselves in a special, subtly-reserved dark design. Only the fork stanchion and the calipers, which are anodised in gold, and a brass plate in the cockpit allude the significant birthday. BMW has not announced the prices for these three models….. I’ll take one on test if BMW are reading this!

Photo – 90th anniversary BMW R 1200 GS… no doubt suitably expensive

ISDT 1959: by letter of appointment

08 Tuesday Oct 2013

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

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ISDT 1959

We have been provided with a scanned copy of Colin Moran’s appointment letter to the ACU’s British Trophy Team for the ISDT 1959 held in Czechoslovakia.

Image – scanned copy of Colin Moram’s appointment letter to the British Trophy team ISDT 1959 (Colin Moram collection)

also appearing in tonights swag are these images from the various ISDT

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ISDT 1978: Official event programme now available

07 Monday Oct 2013

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

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High Chapparal, ISDT 1978

Thanks to our ever reliable Euro correspondent STB who has provided us with a copy of the Official programme for the ISDT 1978 held at the High Chapparal in Sweden. The programme is not complete and pages are missing although these are likely to be adverts aimed at local service providers who helped support the event. We have uploaded the programme to our library at issuu.com

image – cover of official programme for the 53rd Edition of the ISDT being held in Sweden in 1978

Unfortunately due to changes made by both WordPress and Issuu we cannot at present get the document to embed in a page so for now to read the article you will need to read it by following this link

ISDT 1937: The Spring Classics – motorcycles of the time

06 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by Highwayman in Europe, Gelände Sport, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Manufacturers, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Photography, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux, Wales

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BMW, ISDT 1937, Jawa, R5

“Spring~Framed Foreigners” proclaimed the main title of an article written by the famous writer of ‘The Motor Cycle’ in an article he wrote in the issue of the 29th July 1937 in a series called ‘Workshop and Open Road Part 162’

The article proclaims the arrival of rear wheel suspension, we now can enjoy nearly a full foot of rear suspension travel and if you are under 30 may not remember less than that unless you rode trials. Here we read about the introduction of rear suspension in the ISDT 1937 and the experience that was made of this ingenious development in motorcycle racing. It also provides another genuine excuse to post a picture of an original BMW R5, still in the writers opinion one of the most visually appealing of all the historic ISDT mounts.

“Torrens” Tries Out Two Interesting “International” Mounts- the BMW and the Jawa.

Photo – One of the Special Spring Frame BMW’s ISDT 1937

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ISDT 1978: Official Results for ISDT Sweden

03 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by Highwayman in Uncategorized

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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

ISDT 1976: Official results for the 51st ISDT held in Austria

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

As of yet we are still waiting for the 1977 results and if anybody has a copy please send a copy of them our way please.

ISDT 1975: Official Start sheet and final results

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

View the Stewards Report for the 1975 ISDT here

Bonhams Auction at Stafford 20th October 2013

01 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by Highwayman in Motorcycling, Motorsport, restoration, UK

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Auction, Bonhams

Bonhams have announced an Auction of Important Collectors’ Motorcycles and Related Memorabilia The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show, Stafford,

Sunday 20 October at 10am

Staffordshire County Showground

Catalogue cover

A quick scan through the catalogue leaves nothing of any significant ISDT interest on sale other than a 1971 250cc Greeves Griffon Enduro

image – catalogue entry of Greeves Enduro 1971

linky thing to Auction page at Bonhams. .always a good read all the same

ISDT 1937: Editorial and report ‘the Motor Cycle’ 22 July 1937

30 Monday Sep 2013

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

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ISDT 1937, the Motor Cycle

The Speedtracktales Archive has seen the arrival of two original issues of ‘the Motor Cycle‘ from 22nd and 29th ISDT which will be covered by two separate reports. This one covers the full report issue of the 22 July 1937.

Photo – The Britain v Germany race begins. On the right is the smoke from the maroon. Note how No 193 J Stelzer (BMW) has been caught with both hands in the air, adjusting his goggles while the remainder are in the act of starting up and getting under way. The Trophy team men (left to right are Stelzer, VN Brittain (Norton) G meier (BMW) GE Rowley (AJS) L Kraus (BMW sc) and WS Waycott (Velocette sc) ISDT 1937 (Speedtracktales Collection)

In the issue editorial the merits of the organisation of the event , the location and requirements for such events are raised by the Magazine’s editor. This discussion was not new nor did it stop about the ability of Britain to deliver an ISDT event that met the increasing demand for more technical courses better suited to the modern lightweight motorbikes that the British Motorcycle Industry were….. not yet producing!!

Image – scanned cover from the Motor Cycle 22 July 1937

“EDITORIAL OPINION
A fine Achievement

Britain’s Success in the International Six Days Trial: The A.C.U. ‘s Handling of a Very Difficult Task

Once again a thrilling road race has decided the destiny of the International Trophy. In the high-speed test at Donington that concluded last week’s lnternational Six Days Trial two Trophy team started level with not a point lost – those of Germany and Great Britain – and the question was which team would gain the larger number of seconds over its set schedule. As will be seen from the description of the event on pages 112-122 Britain won by the narrow margin of ten seconds and thus retain the International Trophy.

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ISDE 2013: Sardinia, Italy – Official programme

28 Saturday Sep 2013

Posted by Highwayman in Enduro, Europe, International Six Days Enduro, Italy

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ISDE 2013, Programme

We will not be forgetting that as in 2013 we are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first ISDT held in Carlisle, England that this year Italy will be the host nation for the ISDE this year in Sardinia starting 30 September.

The organisers have kindly posted on line via issuu.com the official programme as a full colour electronic document which not only provides helpful route maps, lists of entrants and teams but a lot of background to past ISDT events with it being the 100th year as well as a complete list up to date of International Trophy / World Trophy winners for every year the event was held.

view the programme here

http://issuu.com/federmoto.2011/docs/official_program_isde_web

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