| Author |
 Topic  |
|
| |
Current Topic Rating:  | Join the Forum to Rate this Topic at: Classic Motorcycling Australia Forums
|
|
|
Former Member
deleted
![]()
4 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Dec 2003 : 11:37:52 PM
|
Hi, i just found this site after a long search for a forum based on classic motorcycles.
As i'm new, i just want to ask a few questions about the site, and the general mood around here so i can get up to speed
First of all, is this site purely to do with racing classic motorcycles? Or just classic bikes in general?
Secondly, is this site affiliated (spelling?) with any particular club or group? Or is it it's own organisation?
I've been looking around at some older posts, and i've got bit of a feeling that MA isn't really doing much to support the classic bike racing scene. Is this the case in your experiences?
I don't have any experience with MA as i haven't raced anything yet, but it seems they aren't that popular around here amongst some people.
Also, what is anybody else doing to promote classic bikes in Australia. All the magazines and info i get on it are from the U.K, and it seems to be thriving over there.
What is it that we can do to promote it here? I'm only 21 (maybe i'm too young to be into classic bikes), so i don't really know if things have been tried in the past to promote the scene.
I have some ideas but i don't know if they've been used and failed in the past.
But, i'm happy i found this site, it looks great. I belong to a few other forums (car forums), and have seen them start off very small, but in the space of a year grow to 10 times as many members as when i joined. They can be a great source of information and ideas.
But, i thought i'd just say hi! 
Cyaz
|
|
|
acotrel
Advanced Member
Victoria
2147 Posts |
Posted - 18 Dec 2003 : 06:54:40 AM
|
G'day Cyaz,
Welcome to the forum. We need young guys like yourself coming into historic racing. Most of the discussion on this forum in the past, has been about racing, however the restorers are welcome here too!
MA is effectively what the old Auto Cycle Union used to be to motorcycling, and it has been quite a conservative organisation. They are now under a bit of pressure to change.
Historic racing has been, simply a lot of guys having fun racing old bikes. I believe that due to lack of 'mission and vision', issues such as eligibility of machines, have reached a situation where the bikes often don't have much semblance of authenticity relevant to what was actually raced in the old days, and this is unfortunate. However there is an ever present pressure to get the bikes to perform better, and compete. This means that some of the modifications are quite modern.
Getting a young guy like yourself into the sport, in a way that is competitive, is quite difficult. However there is one thing to know - (in Victoria at least) in period 3, the guy to beat is Keith Campbell, in period 4 it is Rex Wolfenden. |
Is your machine authentic or merely eligible? |
 |
|
|
keith campbell
Level 3 Member
Victoria
248 Posts |
Posted - 18 Dec 2003 : 09:42:33 AM
|
G.day again Salerno,no body needs to be any age to race a Bike provided you hold a Senior race licence=16Y.O.
What sort of bikes have you looked at?
Are you thinking of going racing?
How did your interest in Classics come about?
About clubs etc I suggested HRRNSW but also go to MA NSW and they will also have other info about racing etc.
Cheers Keith
|
|
|
|
Former Member
deleted
![]()
4 Posts |
Posted - 18 Dec 2003 : 3:02:26 PM
|
hey guys...thanks for the info :)
I've always been into bikes since i was pretty little, but somehow along the line i started liking the look and sound of older bikes more than new ones...I think they have bit of a charm to them, and many weren't just mass produced like the bikes now i guess..
I'm mainly into restoration at the moment, however i eventually want to race historic bikes (at the moment im racing go karts, but there's alot of psycho's who don't have any regard for the safety of people around them. I race hard, but not recklessley)..
So have there been problems trying to classify classic bikes for racing has there because of different levels of modifications? I thought there would of just been a class for original bikes and modified bikes??
Are there any regular race meetings or invitational events? |
|
|
|
john
Forum Moderator
Victoria
3130 Posts |
Posted - 18 Dec 2003 : 5:32:06 PM
|
Salerno, theres been no problems, with classification, there,s sidecars and they are real exciting run by gentlemen. And then there are storage frames for sidecar engines masqurading as solo's. Its easy.
Thers plenty of events, look at You must be logged in to see this link. and the MV site along with the You must be logged in to see this link. and future meetings on this site. the PCRA and HRR in NSW run events. |
John Daley Sidecar #68
' there are those who do, those who dont do and those who undo. We must lampoon the latter." |
|
|
|
acotrel
Advanced Member
Victoria
2147 Posts |
Posted - 19 Dec 2003 : 05:37:41 AM
|
Salerno, I agree with you, I too 'would have thought there would be separate events both for original and modified bikes'. Trouble is the matter wasn't addressed early enough, and many people have been 'burned off' by their beautiful authentic machines getting blasted to the weeds by 'hot rods'. There is no big problem we had in the olden days which cannot be fixed these days.
As I said in another posting, we need to develop 'mission and vision' for our special interest group. We need to agree on where we're going and how we are going to get there, with this historic racing thing! |
Is your machine authentic or merely eligible? |
|
|
|
Former Member
deleted
174 Posts |
Posted - 19 Dec 2003 : 9:05:50 PM
|
Gday Salerno,
Welcome to the Classic forums,this is the site if you need info on classics all you have to do is post ya question and wait for a reply.
There are quite a few very smart cookies in this forum,or if they dont know they probably know someone who does.
what type of kart are you running and what class,as i manage a Go Kart centre in Vic.
i reckon you should give a sidecar a go as they are as as much fun as you can have with ya pants on.
Junk the kart and buy a sidecar youll never look back!Im speaking from experience.
What classic racing needs are young blokes to keep this sport going well into the future,and lets face it the current crop of riders arnt going to be around for ever.
So i think its up to all of us to promote this sport and keep it going.
Anyway we hope to see you on the race track real soon.
Regards
Neill
|
Its not what you ride,Its how fast you ride it!!! |
|
|
|
acotrel
Advanced Member
Victoria
2147 Posts |
Posted - 20 Dec 2003 : 12:46:57 PM
|
| Salerno, I suggest the best thing you can do, in the first place, is collect information. Old motorcycle books are a good place to start. If you can get anything published in the 70s, it's usually full of good info about the preceding years. Old magazines are worthwhile, and an ad in Just Bikes could get you some. I believe a lot of guys go into historic racing, not really knowing what was about, years ago. |
Is your machine authentic or merely eligible? |
|
|
|
steve
Level 2 Member
Queensland
86 Posts |
Posted - 21 Dec 2003 : 9:25:44 PM
|
Hi All
When I was younger!! I went & watch the old race bikes go around the local track!! I throught to myself that looks like fun & surely I could go faster than the "old buggers" which should be in the local nursing home than banging themselfs up racing there bikes. So I went home turned the handle bars upside down took the Muffs off put some numbers around & went racing. The old blokes flogged me around the track bloody lapped me!! tapped me on the shoulder going passed & gave me the thumbs up " taught me a good lesson!!" but went home & changed a few things that the fellows told me about & came back a bit faster than last time. It took me 5 years to beat this older gent fair & square one day & feeling pretty happy with myself went up & gave him a dig!! all he said was they won't let me race at the IOMann because he was over the 60 age limit for some time, I still can catch him on a good day or when he had a bi-pass not long ago. So Salerno just do it!! grab a old bike & go racing there are plenty of fellows & ladies "ALL Agers" having fun & they are all look after you on the learning curve,
Steve Harney Queensland |
|
|
|
keith campbell
Level 3 Member
Victoria
248 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2003 : 10:25:36 AM
|
I couldnt agree with your comments more about the learning curve Steve and admit that the pleasure of getting up there with the "names" from "yesteryears" has taught me.The 'Classic" scene has the potential to become far more widely viewed and attractive as an alternative perhaps to some of the more "die hard" classes.Racing room is always given (not necessarily easily but cleanly)in our class i believe which beats coming off at the end of P/Isle Straight at 280kph with your teammate.Yes the Nikon crash was unfortunate but I feel the stakes in all modern classes are much higher(contracts,$$$$,world stage opportunities etc)
Racing should be fun and is in Classics with a huge span of experiences not just racing but "youngies" learn from "oldies" don't they?
I reckon its the best- so cheers to you all and lets hope that even more "youngies" may enter the fray ......
|
|
|
|
acotrel
Advanced Member
Victoria
2147 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2003 : 8:01:44 PM
|
There's two sides to historic racing - building the bike, and riding it. In particular period 3 has all the old problems in it. Pre 62, you had to have two things - a forged piston, and a decent front brake, These days you need the five speed box as well.
The technology isn't easy to learn, but if you are really interested I suggest you should go to the motor museum at the Bathurst Circuit, and have a look at the Henderson Matchless. It's actually built 'right'!
Half the fun is building something like the bike Ron rode, the rest is riding like Ron. |
Is your machine authentic or merely eligible? |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Topic Locked
