ISDT 1933: The Official Programme of the first ISDT to be based in Wales

28 Thursday Feb 2013

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

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1933, Llandrindod Wells, Programme

With much thanks to reader Michael Wryan we now have a scanned copy of his original programme for the ISDT of 1933. This event which has it’s 80th anniversary this year was held on the 20th anniversary of the first ISDT in Carlisle in 1913. The event founded in Britain had not taken place on English Soil for 5 years despite the British team being often victorious and earning the right as winning nation to hold the event the awarding of the event was passed to other nations. An explanation of this is provided in the introduction to the programme feature in this Blog post. You can also read (if you are using a flash supporting browser) a copy of the programme online at our issuu.com library. We have added the images of the maps to the ISDT 1933 page

Image of scanned cover of the 1933 ISDT Official Programme

The introduction of the Programme contains a useful resume of the history of the ISDT since 1913 and the previous years conclusion and provides an interesting insite into the background social conditions impacting on traffic and landuse that even then impacted on the organisers ability to hold this event to provide a credible event.

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ISDT 1930: Event report in ‘The Motor Cycle’ 7 August 1930

23 Saturday Feb 2013

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

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1930

We have been lucky to uncover a copy of the 7 August 1930 edition of ‘the Motor Cycle‘ that now resides in our growing ISDT collection of original archive material. Such copies of the magazines for the inter war years are getting increasingly difficult to find and when they turn up their owners normally expect substantial amounts of cash before they part with them.

The magazine has been scanned and the images are now placed in the ISDT 1930 page and is the first substantial find of material on that event was based in Grenoble then moved across Southern Central Europe criss crossing wild Alpine passes.

If you are on a device that supports Flash’ you can view the pages here at our issuu.com powered library:

We are always grateful for any offers of scanned articles from original copies of the old magazines which not only inform visitors to the site but assist in historical research into the sport of motorcycling and the ISDT

What year did Steve McQueen start the International Six Days Trial (ISDT)

21 Thursday Feb 2013

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

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Barbour, Competition, Steve McQueen

Stange title for this blog .. surely we all must know by now, but I have noticed in my site stats, the search engine query list keeps showing ‘What year did Steve McQueen Race the ISDT’ is a common search and is bringing a lot of visitors to the site and the Steve McQueen pages are getting a lot of action so I decided to google the search phrase to see what’s up?

it was then I discovered this year Barbour are running a promotion on the back of it’s Steve McQueen Limited Edition collection to win a trip to this years ISDE in Sardinia, this year is the 100th anniversary of the first ISDT. So not to let anyone else miss the chance to have a go at this wonderful opportunity to experience and ISDE wearing one of Barbour’s iconic ‘International’ motorcycle off road jackets here is the competition. If you don’t win and want to know a bit more about the ISDE and ISDT why not catch up with the Anniversary event being held to celebrate the centenary of the holding of the first ISDT in Carlisle in the English Lake District in August 2013

If you came here looking for the answer it is here ISDT East Germany and here is a page covering more about Steve’s exploits at the ISDT of that year

Barbour competition to visit the ISDE Sardinia 2013

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Reginald and Denise Wagger – ISDT regulars 1949-53

20 Wednesday Feb 2013

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

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There is little doubt that the ISDT is far far, in its reality of a motorcycle event, more than a picnic with a club motorcycle run thrown in for good measure. It has proven serious training for Britain and Germany’s Regular Army. The event did not earn the nickname in the 1930’s of Motorcycling’s Olympics without good reason, it broke bikes and men. It has always been hard and expensive to compete. But for all the great works riders with full factory support the event has maintained a healthy number of keen sporting motorcyclists willing to pay the price of taking part in such an arduous event on man and machine.

A few weeks ago we had a post from a reader who saw his parents photo on our 1952 event page. They were racing their outfit and were regular competitors. After an offer of a selection of family photos from the event I was pleased in this mornings e-mails to get a note and a link to download a treasure trove of an archive of photos from not only the ISDT but also the Welsh Two Day and many of the still classic long distance trials from the time. I will feature some of these in future blogs, especially those of the Welsh Two Day but for now I am happy to share the photos of Reg who rode both as a solo and then on a sidecar which for a few years was passengered by his wife Denise.

Photo – Reg Wagger on his BSA Bantam 125cc [KPX 970] ISDT 1949 (Images STT Archive / Geoff Wagger)

We do not yet have a results sheet for the 1949 event but Geoff, his son, tells us he thinks he won a Gold Medal.

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ISDT 1937 Wales: Route description

19 Tuesday Feb 2013

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

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ISDT, ISDT 1937, Programme

The route description below is the one provided in the official programme accompanying the event which can now be viewed on this site in its full booklet form via our issuu.com library. More information can be found on the 1937 ISDT event page including detailed mapping from the programme of the actual route taken.

THE ROUTE OF THE 1937 INTERNATIONAL SIX DAYS’ TRIAL

COMPETITORS in the International Six Days’ Trial who took part when the Trial was previously held in Wales in 1933, will find the course this year fairly reminiscent of the earlier event, as a great many of the sections used in 1933 are again included. Indeed, it would have been impossible for the organisers to do otherwise in such an area, which, to those used to the space available on the Continent, must appear somewhat prescribed. Main roads with heavy traffic such as one encounters to the north and south, and in the coastal parts of Wales must be avoided, and, as far as possible, those small towns and villages, where” thirty mile per hour” limits exist have also been left severely alone. Briefly, the plan which appeared best to fit the conditions involves a series of five overlapping loops.

image of pictorial diagram of the route of the ISDT 1937

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ISDT 1928: Official ACU event Programme rediscovered.

17 Sunday Feb 2013

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

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1928, Harrogate, Yorkshire

The 1928 ISDT was the last time the British event was held in England. A Speedtracktales reader told us he had a copy of the programme and agreed to scan it to let us share it with those interested in the events history.

Image of scanned programme cover ISDT 1928

You can now read a full copy of the programme by visiting our issue.com library or reading the below embedded view which will work if you are able to access Flash.

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Video Clip: Eric Wilson 1950’s ISDT Gold Medalist from Liverpool

16 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by Highwayman in England, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux, UK

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1955, Liverpool, Merseyside, Road Safety film, Victor Horsmans

One of the great pleasures working on this site is the occaisional random searches that turn up an ISDT hero when least expected. Following a hunch looking for a BMW video i stumbled on a Motorcycle Road Safety Film created by the Liverpool motorcycle dealers ‘Victor Horsmans’ being familiar with the streets of Liverpool but far too young to recall what they looked like in 1955, my curiosity got the better of me. After seeing a few very familiar landmarks the film introduced the characters taking part including the early 50’s ISDT hero Eric Wilson, who’s son recently found his way to our pages. Eric won a gold in the 1951 Italian ISDT on a 500 Norton staying clean all week, his name does not appear in our results of 1947, 1952 or 1955 so we will dig through our other records to find where the second ISDT Gold, that the film mentions, was won. Early on there is also an interesting footage of typical ISDT type going in one of the atmosphere clips the film uses to establish to the viewer the diversity of motorcycling. Feel free to add your own recollections or thoughts on this video by adding comments below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUxRmDHeE44]

Sato’s collection of photographs of ISDE Wales 1983

12 Tuesday Feb 2013

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

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1983, ISDE, Japan, Toshimitsu Sato, Wales

I was checking my daily stats to see a visit from a Japanese site link. I followed the link back to find a site by a Japanese Motorsport photographer Toshimitsu Sato, who worked in Europe and has produced a book of his images from the 1983 ISDE in Wales. Unfortunately much of the site is in Japanese and there are not too many images to be seen but those that are are worth the visit. You will find the web site here, as well as a link to buy the book:

http://sixdays.jp

1954 and 1955 ex works ISDT AJS spend retirement on warm dusty trails in Oz

05 Tuesday Feb 2013

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

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AJS, Australia, Twin

Photo of Les Sheehan’s 1954 AJS Twin and Hugh Viney’s works 1955 AJS Twin intended for the ISDT 1955 both alive and well in Australia (P Horton/Speedtracktales)

I was very pleased when Australian reader Patrick Horton, who has provided the most delightful photo we have above, made contact to say

“I own Hugh Viney’s 1955 ISDT AJS. He never got to compete in the 1955 event as he was knocked off the bike in Earls Court on the way to a selection meeting. It left him with a broken leg and a vacancy in the British team that was taken up by Gordon Jackson.”

Never resisting the opportunity to be cheeky I encouraged him for photographic proof and was even more surprised to get this reply

“Last weekend I went to visit the current owner of Les Sheehan’s 1954 AJS ISDT twin which is still in near-original condition. I had my 1955 machine with me and I have a photograph of both which I’d put up here but I can’t see a way to attach a photo to this comment. After seeing the owner I also went to visit Les Sheehan who lives nearby. There can’t be many ISDT riders of the ’50s left.

When Viney got knocked off his bike it was returned to the factory and sold to someone Jock West knew. The special bits were taken off and presumably put on the replacement bike ridden by Gordon Jackson. So bits of the bike photographed above originally belonged on my bike. Could I ask for them back??!!!!”

This amazing unexpected coincidence has not only revealed two of the ex ISDT AJS bikes from the mid fifties finally gave up the damp cold and emigrated to enjoy a happy retirement riding on the warm dusty trails of the outback of Australia but one of their riders, Les Sheehan, remains alive and well and living nearby… a heart warming tale for what is today a snowy day in North Wales. I for one must say to be able to wake up then start up either of those bikes and go out on a ride sans rain, cold, or barbour jacket under blue skies must make Patrick one of the luckiest persons I have ever come across. Here’s to hundreds of more miles of good riding to come Partick.

As we do not have any pictures of Les on the site, having looked him up on Google there was not much available but a request on an Australian Motorcycle site by his daughter Marilyn Quirk indicates he was the Western Australia Scrambles champ in 1956 so he must have emigrated shortly after the time of his ISDT appearance. I would be grateful for any offers of images of him and especially on this AJS.

ISDT 1953: British Team rides to win the Trophy Again… but was it by the skin of their teeth?

02 Saturday Feb 2013

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

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event report, Gottwaldov

The British Team won the Trophy in ISDT 1953 in Czechoslovakia and by now followers of the sport are aware of the following drought. We almost snatched victory in ISDT 1954 at the home rematch in Wales where victory was handed back to Czechoslovakia only by a Jury decision. In the subsequent years Britain has hardly lacked riders of the calibre required to pick up a basket full of gold medals. But the question is asked ‘why has it fallen short of winning the trophy?’ The problem lay in the British origin of the event as a testing ground for the reliability of the kind of bikes the average British man could walk into a Motorcycle dealer and the British Manufacturers loved it. They got good results it helped their global dominance and they threw a lot of resource at the event to ensure their bikes were adequately prepared and had the right riders to win Trophy’s and Medals.