The World Twinshock Championships

I have been invited to attend the World Twinshocks Championships, June 24th and 25th at Hawkstone in Shropshire county, England.

I've bought the tickets for Susie and I to make the trip, which will include two weeks of sightseeing in the UK.

Also, I've been in contact with some of my UK friends and hope to secure a bike to ride in the event, it may not be an XL derivative, but then I've got a lot of experience on Euro vintage bikes, CZs, Maicos, etc., so the brand doesn't really matter, just a chance to race against some of the famous "old-timers" across the pond (cute huh?)

So, to any of you UK readers, and there are more than just a few that visit the Xlint site, please contact me and let's ride hard, swap stories, and "hoist a few".

Rick

From David Smith, Trelawnyd, Flintshire, N Wales, United Kingdom

I can advise that Hawkstone Park is approximately 30 miles north of Ludlow, roughly midway between Shrewsbury and Whitchurch on the A49. Shropshire is a beautiful place, with nice scenery and much history, being in an area called the Welch Marches, much fought over between the Welsh and the English in ancient times.

Rick

Rick:

Hey, your website is really looking good. I note that you are off to England for the twin shock championships. If you check out my website www.vintagex.net you see that I rave about a book entitled the Golden age of MX. The attached picture is from that book and I was going to put it on the site but had second thoughts. The publishers are pretty Bill Gates like in regard to copyright infringement so I backed off on the idea. Anyway, it's a pic of former AHRMA prez and two time World Champ Jeff Smith blowing out of the Hawkstone sandpit in 1960.

What's amazing about this particular race is that they had 60,000 spectator's. It was a memorial event for a rider named Brian Stonebridge who was the chief Greeves test rider. He'd finished a close second in the 1959 250 championship and then was killed in a car accident. In 60 and 61, my boyhood hero, Dave Bickers (Stonebridge's protege) took the championship.

I interviewed Rick Doughty at our race last Saturday and we got to discussing the banquet he put on in conjunction with the first Vintage Iron World's Championships. Rick was saying that Bickers and the Rickman brothers (Derek and Don) are just the nicest people in the world.

The other pic is of (guessing the year) 1955 500cc champ John Draper aboard a Norton circa 1952. This guy was only 5' 3" and not at all a burly dude. How he managed on those heavy thumpers back then is mind boggling.

As I mention in my intro page, I went to Hawkstone for 3-4 big events but the 1964 MX des Nations is the only one that my parents will confirm as being one we went to. Supposedly the track isn't changed much from what was used in the 60's and it was a brute back then. There's a big hill that has a chalky soil that gets slicker than snot when it rains (and it never rains in England HA HA). The downhill was hairball that sort of stairstepped down and looked completely nuts to a 7 or 8 year old that I was at the time.

The book states that Hawkstone fell out of favor as the site for the British GP because dust was a problem. I don't ever remember a dusty MX in England but I was having too good a time. So take lots of pictures!

I've tried to find websites with stuff about Hawkstone but my homeboys are slow on the Internet uptake. Too busy sucking down tea! I've started using my old Canon 35mm for internet shots. You can get one week turn around from Kodak for pics on CD and they are soooo much better than what you get from a digital, and I've got a very nice digital at my disposal.

I just moved so a lot of my junk is still boxed. I'll take some more digi photos from the book (there's a couple of good ones showing the hill). It would be way cool if you could get then and now perspective shots.

I'm trying to think off other touristy things you should check out whilst over there. Absolutely do the Tower of London tour. What a bloodthirsty bunch of butchers we were! A lot of people do the Stratford thing (Shakespeare's birthplace - yawn). I've got an Aunt that lives near Hawkstone in a place called Telford. She's a total witch so steer a wide course! Warwick Castle is in the same general vicinity and is good tourist activity. The Potteries (more towards Stoke) are a place to drop some coinage. Lots of fancy china. The wifey will love it!

Best Regards

Rod Simmons

vintagex@xoommail.com

Rick,

I've spoken to Brian Hayes and he now tells me he has 490, 440, 400 and 250 Maicos, all twin shockers.

But, he seems to be favoring the 440 as the hot one and says you could ride it in the over 50s and he'd have it for the under 50s (not by much!).

Alternatively you ride Brian's bike and Brian will borrow one off Bill Brown. Unfortunately he isn't on e-mail (Brit twin shock men tend to be old fashioned, maybe?).

Phone or Fax is UK 01942 887755 (shop hours, but he's there most night until 8pm or later) or write him at B & D Motorcycles, 8 High Street, Atherton, Gtr Manchester, M46 9DJ, England.

Brian Gomm
briangom@Voyager

I phoned Brian Hayes this morning and had a nice chat. Brian is certainly a super guy, he is offering to let me ride one of his Maicos for both days, and will even deliver it to the track. I've got to visit his shop when in the UK.

Rick

I attended round 6 of the AHRMA National Vintage MX series at Lake Sugartree in Axton VA, USA. The track is owned by David Bailey's dad, David grew up in the area, and the facility is, in my opinion, the finest MX park of the many I have visited, EVER.

Anyway, I talked with Jeff Smith, former ('65 and '66, I think) GP Champion, of course all you Brits know that. Jeff is our past AHRMA Director and a heck of a nice gent, he and I have a friendship based on mutual respect, we both know that "each other is full of it."

Jeff "warned" me about Hawkstone, not one of his favorite tracks, sand and talc, and the Brits like to humiliate the Yanks.

Oh boy, this is going to be fun.

Rick

P.S. on a side note, Susie and I are still uncommitted on lodging in or around London. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Rick & Susie,

Nice to hear of your chat with Jeff Smith - like Dick Mann a hero to anyone who rode BSAs. Smithy was born in Colne, a mill town in Lancashire, hence the Red Rose county emblem on his helmet. But as you will know he spent most of his life in the Midlands while engaged at BSA where he spent many hours on the test track on the sprawling factory site in the Birmingham suburb of Small Heath.

I appreciate you wanting to spend some time in London but don't overlook the possibility of a day or two in Shrewsbury or picturesque Ludlow (not far from Hawkstone and on the A49 highway which runs north to the circuit). The A49 also passes through Hereford (further south from Ludlow) which is the HQ of the SAS which may be an attraction considering your military interest. But a hire car would be essential for these locations unless you want to borrow my CB500 Honda twin road bike?

Regards

Brian

Rick

Sounds like a good day out at Lake Sugartree, Jeff Smith is certainly 
remembered with awe over here, and has genuine hero status amongst all the BSA unit single racers and crossers.

Hawkstone is definitely not the race round the field sort of place, and has 
a big hill, and plenty to get excited about, should be great.

I was out racing at Aintree, near Liverpool on saturday, practice was dry, 
but it rained all through the races. I played around with the main jet a 
little, started off with a 190 jet (32mm Amal Mk2 Carb), and NGK B9EV plug, the bike was fast, but Ithought I heard "tinkling) at max revs(9000rpm), and a plug chop revealed a very bleached looking plug. I went up to a 200 main jet, lost revs, and had a plug that was half bleached, and half carboned, very peculiar, I guess it must be sitting in a gas wash of some kind. Finally I put the 190 main jet back, and put a harder B10 plug in, and restored the revs, and lost the tinkling noise, deep happyness! Aintree has humongous straights with fast entries, so engines get some real stress! 

I had no luck with the CB77, as the carb linkage broke, and the emergency 
repair turned the bike into a popping and banging horror story, so I put it 
in the van.

I am racing next monday, which is a national holiday over here, at Tye Croes on the Island of Anglesey, so will have to sort the CB77 out this week. 

I have an old Heenan and Froude water brake dynamometer in the garage, that I have never got operational, I suppose I should get that working, not sure the neighbours appreciate the sound of flat out engines in the way I do though!

I don,t know too much about accomodation around London, but will ask Jean to do some enquiring tomorrow, and get back to you.

Looking forward to seeing yourself and Susie when you are over, I will 
definitely be at Hawkstone, and hopefully will see you both there at least.

Best Regards

Dave Smith

Howdy folks,

Just a short update on our UK trip.

Susie and I will arrive Gatwick on the 12th of June and travel by train into London.

I have tentatively booked three nights at the Elysee in Bayswater, then two nights at the Grand Plaza but we only have to stay the first night. If accommodations prove unsatisfactory we may move to other properties for our stay in London.

Never having visited London, I am unsure of "all" the accommodation possibilities, however the Net has proved invaluable, searching thru the hundreds (thousands) of listings for hotels, inns, B&Bs, etc. Not to mention previewing all the attractions and touristy sites.

Other properties around the London suburbs have been in contact, many B&Bs in the SE district, Greenwich, Sussex near Gatwick, wow, I've been at this computer too much recently.

Anyway, I've also corresponded with Eric Cheney, who's shop we plan to visit, Sammy Miller, and others.

Also of interest is the 18.06.00 Triumph Day at the Ace Cafe

http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/f1.htm

so we may do that.

For the race weekend I have booked Friday, Sat and Sun nights at the Upper Brompton Farm B&B, 1/2 hour from Hawkstone and 5 minutes from the historic town of Shrewsbury. It's a little pricey for a B&B in that area but it's 5 star, gold award, and I'm giving it as a treat to Susie.

Generally, the week between Sunday the 17th and Friday the 23rd are open for whatever suits our fancy, and I'm going to "risk our lives and sanity" by renting a car at Gatwick for some left-side-road driving.

I'm open to any suggestions.

The World Twinshock Championship, Hawkstone, Shropshire, England.

Rick

June 24/25, 2000

Looking back, it was certainly folly to think that I could "race" at Hawkstone. So let’s just get the excuses out of the way, right now. Since 1967, I’ve raced almost every form of motorcycle competition. At 52 years of age, with 20 years of marathon running, bad knees and back, carrying 15 lbs. of "excess baggage", two days of "Montizuma’s Revenge", etc., etc., enough said.

Just a month prior to Hawkstone, at an AHRMA National MX event, England’s own Jeff Smith warned me about the track. "Not one of my favorites", Jeff said, "sand, silt, and loam surface, and then there’s The Hill." A "stand-up" track it certainly is, applying the slang usage of the phrase, to race these long-shock bikes at speed one must "stand-up". The description also accurately describes the circuit as one tough ride.

It’s just not what I’m used to. AHRMA’s vintage MX circuits are sometimes wonderfully smooth grass tracks, or at worst modern day MX sites, without the doubles and triples, plenty of opportunities to park the butt for a short breather. The closest I’ve found to Hawkstone might be Ocala, with it’s ups and downs, but no comparison at all to the difficulty of the Shropshire County circuit.

Friday evening, after two weeks of sightseeing, Susie and I rented a car (yikes) and carefully, if somewhat unskillfully, I drove from Shrewsbury to the track, about 10 miles through the beautiful English countryside. At the entrance we were greeted by a friendly sort, turned out to be none other than Bernie Andrews, the one gent that Jeff had said to say hello. Bernie raced against Jeff in the 60’s, and according to Bernie, he was competitive until breaking his leg. All during the weekend, Bernie and I would talk about this and that, he’s a fine sort, always smiling, always helpful.

Prior to leaving the US, I had numerous email and telephone conversations with a number of my British friends, the fine folks that invited me to "participate" in the WTC, the same folks that had offered to provide me with a bike. Brian Gomm was my primary contact and he had put me in touch with Manchester motorcycle shop owner Brian Hayes. Hayes was to bring two bikes, both twin shock, drum brake Maicos. I thought they would be pre-74 mounts, they turned out to be long-shock, 80’s vintage mounts, well prepared, fast, reliable.

Pulling into the track Saturday morning, Susie and I must have been quickly noticed as "foreigners". Walking toward us was Dave Ashton, friend of Brian Hayes. Dave, his wife Dreena, his two school-age girls, Sarah and Alicia came to be our hosts for the weekend. "The Crew" had driven down in a caravan (motor home), brought the two bikes, and we were provided with food, drink, companionship, and "wrenching" for the entire weekend. Wow, the life of a "factory" rider.

My schedule for the 50 Plus class indicated practice and the first of three motos on Saturday, with a short practice session and the other two motos on Sunday. Though I currently compete in AHRMA vintage motocross, (pre-1974, 4 inch rear suspension bikes) I was unprepared for riding the Maico. Only this year has AHRMA instituted what we call the "Historic" class, twin shock, long travel suspension, drum brake bikes. I hadn’t ridden an 80’s era bike since… the 80’s. In fact, I quit riding those bikes when my feet would no longer touch the ground. With a 29" inseam, I have to straddle the bike at the start, one foot on the ground, the other suspended in the air, yeah, just another excuse.

As Susie and I usually do, we walked the track early Saturday morning. Our first impression, damn, that’s one big hill. Now I don’t know the exact elevation change, I’m guessing maybe 10 stories. Even walking the hill is a challenge, one mis-step and you’re without footing, sliding down on your bum.

Finally, making our way to the top, walking along the trail towards the downhill portion, there’s that famous dead tree seen in the televised World GP races. Then turn right, roll the bike over the lip (no air for these vintage bikes), it’s a 50 feet run-out, then the down-hill portion, no throttle, then on the throttle, brake, set-up for the left hand turn…

The groomed track works its way through the woods, the soft, sandy, loamy soil quickly cuts-up into 18" high berms, long travel bikes pushing around the dirt, whoops aplenty, and then, "The Bomb Hole". Now maybe for an 18 year old kid on a modern day MX bike, the hole is not much of an obstacle. But, on a vintage bike, with this old tub aboard, its roll over the edge, whack the throttle just before hitting the soft, sandy bottom, and then power out. Be tentative, let the front end wallow, it digs into the sand, all travel stops, that is the bike, not the rider. Yep, I did just that, looking like a kid rolling around in a backyard sand pile.

My first practice session was a humiliating disaster. Almost at the top of "The Hill" the bike sputter, sputter, dies. Great, I killed it, what a wimp. Jump off, roll it back, push it out of the way, it won’t start. Ten minutes of trying to start an unfamiliar bike, one that I’d had to bump start in the pits, resulted in rivers of sweat, but no results. Finally, looking for a mechanical problem, there it is, I forgot to turn on the fuel. Me, the "factory" racer.

The second practice session was much better. I climbed "The Hill", negotiated "The Bomb Hole", several falls, not much style. I was tired when the session was flagged. Motoring into the pits I noticed riders staging for the start, didn’t give it much thought until someone mentioned, "isn’t that your race?" Dang.

Sunday was much of the same. Missed the first practice, made the practice for the International Riders, missed the first race, but, did get a chance to finally show my racing skill. In fact, I did OK. Didn’t win, hung back on the start to let the faster blokes fight it out, did pass a few, did finish mid-pack. Not a Brad Lackey moment, but then the nine hour flight back was sans white plaster.

So, I have nothing to brag about with my first attempt at international competition. But, I did have fun. I mean loads of fun, great gobs of fun. I don’t remember when I’ve ever had more fun, on two wheels.

Why, the people are Wonderful. In the two and one-half weeks that Susie and I were in England we didn’t meet the first Brit with an objectionable demeanor. The trip went so well that I was waiting for something catastrophic to happen, just too smooth. Our hosts, Brian Gomm, Brian Hayes, Dave and Jean Smith, Darren Hudson, and the Ashtons, could not seem to do enough to insure a pleasurable time. My thanks to all of them, and especially to Brian Hayes for the loan of the bike. And, kudos to Bill Brown, Wulfsport International, for the friendly conversation and fine words of encouragement. Finally, if I’ve failed to mention anyone, sorry, I met so many great folks, all the names escapes me. But, not the faces.

Am I going again? You bet. Though next year will be a little different – two weekends of racing, Hawkstone and Farleigh Castle. Susie and I are just hoping the two events will be scheduled on successive weekends. They were this year.

27 July 2000

From the Lancashire County newspaper "The Leigh"

Brian Gomm, Journalist

Happy memory for motorcyclist