2014/08 - August - The Classic Motorcycle Club of Johannesburg
Transcription
2014/08 - August - The Classic Motorcycle Club of Johannesburg
The Classic Motorcycle Club P.O. Box 7709, Albermarle, 1410 The Master Link Vol.49 - No. 8 – August 2014 www.classicmotorcycleclub.co.za Contents Page: 02 Page: 04 Page: 05 Page: 06 Page: 07 Page: 14 Page: 15 Page: 20 Page: 23 Page: 28 Page: 29 Page: 33 Page: 37 Page: 38 Page: 40 Calendar of Events/ New Members/ Notice Board From the Chair Editorial BOTM Upcoming Events Letters Past Event – The 1000 Bike Show Past Event – Global ASP Two Stroke Challenge Feature – Over The Wall: The Sachsenring’s Storied Past Guess The Bike Marketplace Humour Faces CMC Committee Riding Shotgun [1] Calendar of Events August 2014 02 03 10 17 20 31 Work Party at CMC – Starts at 09h00 Club Sunday – Containers open at 09h30 Bike of the Month: Triumph Club Ride Piston Ring Club Meeting Club Night – Talk to be confirmed VMX – Walkerville Flat Track September 2014 Work Party at CMC – Starts at 09h00 Club Sunday – Containers open at 09h30 Bike of the Month: BSA 13 VMX – Terra Topia 14 Club Ride 17 Club Night – Talk to be confirmed 21 Piston Ring – Swap Meeting 26-28 CMC Convention 06 07 October 2014 04 05 12 15 19 Work Party at CMC – Starts at 09h00 Club Sunday – Containers to open at 09h30 Bike of the Month: All Japanese except Honda CMC Winter Rally – Contact Pierre for more info (072) 513 9432 Club Night – Talk to be confirmed Piston Ring Club Meeting November 2014 01 02 09 16 19 Work Party at CMC – Starts at 09h00 Club Sunday – Containers to open at 09h30 Bike of the Month: American Day; Indian, Harley Davidson etc. Club Ride Piston Ring Club Meeting AGM [2] December 2014 06 07 07 14 19 21 Work Party at CMC – Starts at 09h00 Club Sunday – Containers open at 09h30 Bike of the Month: Scooter Day Children’s Christmas Party Club Ride in aid of Charity Chairman’s Braai Piston Ring Club Meeting Please note that all CMC rides meet at the Clubhouse at 08:00 and depart at 08:30 unless otherwise stated. Welcome New Members Richard Hussey - BMW Garth Fletcher - Triumph Pete Wood - Honda Brandon Stovold - Yamaha and BSA Wynand du Plooy - Honda Mike May - Ducati and Kawasaki Greg Parton - Royal Enfield, Triumph, Ariel and Harley Davidson Notice Board NB: Bank Transfers and/or Direct Deposits - Please note that when paying any amount into the Club’s account, use your name as a reference. Without this information we cannot reconcile who paid what for which. It would help tremendously if your transfer/deposit confirmation could be faxed to the Treasurer on 086 672 8941 with full details! [3] From The Chair Well folks the biggest and best classic motorcycle show in Africa has been and gone. Over the weekend we had 10000 people attending our show and the quality of machines on display just gets better and better. Someone said they reckon they saw a guy from UK called “Sammy Miller” who rode ARIEL thumpers in the hills and glens of Scotland. He was looking for bargains. Apparently he has a bike shop in England similar to our CMC clubhouse (ho, ho, ho). Big thanks to the CMC team who managed the event, we did have some problems but kept them to ourselves. Most of the feedback I have had so far was very complementary. The problems will be sorted out before 2015. I recall a statement by an English prime minister who smoked cigars, saying “Never have so few done so much for so many” or something like that. We have never had as many commercial stands on site doing brisk business. The band gave great renditions of many old favourites and the refreshment tent was kept busy as always. One major concern was that some thieving $@#%!!!! stole crates of spirits from our tent on Sunday night. Any info on the theft would be appreciated. The media coverage was fantastic; I was interviewed by various radio channels and live on TV (IGN TV). Press coverage in most of the national and local tabloids was greatly appreciated. Thanks to all the press gang that supported us. Plenty great pictures on our website and more reports to follow. Big thanks to all who helped to organise the show and to those who supported us, not only by exhibiting their bikes but just for being there. Our next major event will be our convention in Sabie on September 26th - 28th, not to be missed, great roads great rides, great company. The next VMX event is at Sierra Ranch in KZN on August 9th & 10th. Get those classics fired up Hamish [4] Editorial There’s no business like show business... Well, that was epic! The 1000 Bike Show was, once again, better than ever. We got off to a bit of a late start on Friday and had quite a few trips to do to get bikes to the show. Yours truly had 12 bikes to cart through; fortunately my dad very generously lent me his newly acquired bakkie so I had a fair bit more room to load bikes than in previous years. Each time I arrived at the school the tent got more and more packed, which was a really great sight. All through the afternoon the tent was a hive of activity as people brought in bike after bike. Outside, the boerie stand appeared to be doing a fair trade, feeding all the hungry and thirsty workers. Thanks to Grant Rae for treating us lowly Honda slaves for chow, it was really lekker. By the time we left on Friday night the tent was full of incredible machinery. Saturday morning started out nicely, with the weather playing along. Slowly the crowds began to grow and by 10:00 the place was pumping. There was a really lekker vibe going on and the punters seemed to be really enjoying themselves. The judging was very well handled; a special word of thanks must go to Rusty Thorns and ‘Lord’ John Wakeling for doing such a sterling job. The machinery on offer was of an incredibly high standard, which made choosing a winner all that more difficult. Dust was again kept to a minimum thanks to the brilliant fans supplied by Tony Dardis. This made the inside of the tent a much nicer place to be. The trade stalls did a roaring trade; and there was a great selection of graze on offer. There was an ever increasing presence of custom machinery on display, with a great number of builders showing off their wares to the public. Who says there isn’t a market for customs in SA? Sunday was just as lekker, with the crowds turning up even earlier than the day before. The Scouts were kept on their toes handling the full fairings in the parking lot; and the crew on the gate did a fantastic job of getting the punters in. Once again, a special word of thanks to all those who gave of their time to man the gate. Prize giving soon dawned on us and a crowd quickly gathered to hear the results. Congratulations to Kevin Robertson, who was awarded the trophy for the best bike on show. Congratulations also go to all the people who won awards; your efforts certainly paid off. On a personal note, thank you to everyone who brought bikes and helped out on the Honda stand; as always, your help is greatly appreciated. In this month’s mag you can read Roger Houghton’s report on the show, as well as some great feedback from Gareth Ireland on the VMX scene and their participation in the show. Bob Harpin has submitted a great story titled ‘Over the Wall’, which gives some insight into motorcycle racing behind the Iron Curtain and how Walter Kaaden got screwed. There’s also tons of upcoming events to look out for, including the CMC’s annual Convention. See you at the club. Till then, Keep it upright! T!M [5] Bike of the Month There’s no disputing the Bike of the Month for July. It could only be one machine: the stunning 1957 Velocette Valiant belonging to Kevin Robertson, who took home the award for the Best Bike on Show at the 1000 Bike Show. This pretty little machine took Kevin 10 years to build from bits and pieces and is believed to be one of three known examples left in South Africa. It certainly was a very deserving winner. Congratulations Kevin, thank you for sharing this rare beauty with us. [6] Upcoming Events 28th CMC CONVENTION 2014 26 TO 28 SEPTEMBER 2014 Due to popular demand, this year’s Convention takes us back to Jock Sabie. As it is not a long weekend, the venue has only been booked for the above dates. As usual the Hotel will be informed about accommodation for the stayers earlier and/or later. For those who arrive on Friday, a braai will be arranged, with you supplying your own meat and the Hotel will supply pap, rolls and salads for the cost of the CMC. Saturday will be enjoyed in the form of a run up north with either a “Poker Run” or “Mystery Run”. Your input on the choice will be highly appreciated, in that which is the easier for the guys on motorcycles. We are currently waiting for feedback from our local members on this issue. Saturday night will be our Gala Evening, which will be the draw of a “Lucky Number” for a prize and the awarding of the Hippo Trophy to the best bike of the event by the Hotel Management’s choice. The rest of the evening is for you to enjoy in the presence of your co-members. Sunday we will say farewell and a good ride home to the members who have to be back at work on Monday. For those staying over for extra days, another braai evening will be arranged on Sunday night or a free choice of restaurants in the near vicinity. Again your choice. [7] Bookings will close at the end of July 2014 to give ample time for the administration side of things to be concluded. Final monetary figures are: Accommodation: R300.00 per person per night Hotel Rooms (Accommodates 2 persons) will be R600.00 per night irrespective of number of persons occupied. Gala Evening Dinner: Golf Shirt: Cap: Badge: R200.00 per person R195.00 each R50.00 each R45.00 each ALL PAYMENTS TO BE DONE BY MID AUGUST 2014 FOR ONWARD TRANSMISSION To avoid disappointment of no accommodation, please contact Rita on 083 774 6798, 011 764 3798 or e-mail: [email protected] to obtain a Booking Form for completion. Brian Neethling (082 546 7155) 35th Magnum Rally – 14 August to 16 August 2014 ENQUIRIES: Leo Middelberg : Tel: 083 677 2334 or Tom Linley : Cell: 083 391 6226 E-mail: [email protected] and [email protected] DATE OF EVENT: Thursday, 14th August to Saturday, 16th August 2014. Pre-Event scrutiny will be performed before the event on 27th July 2014 and 3rd August 2014 to facilitate late departure to the event on Wednesday 13th August 2014. Final pre-event scrutiny will be done at Greenway Woods, White River, the centre of the “spider” event on Wednesday 13th and early morning Thursday 14th August 2014. [8] [9] Gauteng VMX Series Date 31-Aug 13-Sep Venue Walkerville Flat track Terra Topia Other dates to note: Date 9-Aug 4-Oct 25-Oct 1-Nov Venue Sierra Ranch 2 Day Vinduro Wakkerstroom vinduro Cape Town - 2014 VMX Round 3 Syndicate Day Walkerville Flatrack. VMX GP Year end Every month First Tuesday gathering @ Ridgeway Racebar, Stoneridge Gareth Ireland 082-928-3363 [10] [11] [12] Media Release AMiD Motorcycle Lifestyle Show 8 - 10 August 2014 Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec Telephone: +27 11 494 4287 / 5004 EMail: [email protected] www.amidexpo.co.za AMiD Motorcycle Expo Press Release 13th June 2014 The AMID Motorcycle Expo at NASREC is the annual showcase for the South African motorcycle industry and will take place on the 8th – 10th August. Bigger and better than ever, all major motorcycle and accessory importers will have a presence at the show, displaying current and new models and the latest in accessories, making it a must-see event for every motorcycle enthusiast. Keeping things entertaining in the hall will be Mat Durrans and Harry Fisher from Ignition Channel's The Bike Show, who will be manning the stage area with interviews, presentations, giveaways and the announcement of the winner of the 2014 South African Pirelli Bike of the Year. But the action isn't confined to the exhibition hall; there will be plenty to see in the NASREC grounds. The WOMZA motorcycle racing organisation will be holding circuit races on the Saturday and Sunday on a track laid out in the NASREC car parks, while the NASREC 4X4 track will be converted to an enduro track. On Saturday there will be a concourse and Show and Shine competition open to all owners of classic, stock and custom motorcycles. Contact Meg Houghton on 083 401 5320 for details of how to enter. Once again, Harley Davidson will be offering free demo rides from outside the motorcycle hall. This annual Motorcycle showcase is co located with the Johannesburg Boat Show as well as the Outdoor Lifestyle show which offers visitors a variety of outdoor lifestyle options including diving and fishing. This annual amid motorcycle event is a show that can't be missed if you love anything to do with two wheels. AMID Motorcycle & Quad Lifestyle Show WHEN: Friday 8 - Sunday 10 August 2014 SHOW HOURS: 09:00 – 18:00, ticket sales and gates close at 17:00. Tickets are available at the gate. WHERE: Johannesburg Expo Centre, Rand Show Road, Nasrec. (GPS – S26° 14.810' E27° 58.695') CONTACT: 011 494 5003 or [email protected] [13] Letters Hi Tim More musings of an old petrol head. My first “bike” was a Mars Monza. Do any of our members have one? This was a true ‘Help-my-trap’ 49cc bought for seventeen Rand ‘as is’; two new rings, a dekoke, new stoplight switch and I was roadworthy and registered. As an appy motor mechanic, twenty miles per day to work and back was too much to ask of the Monza and new rings were soon needed. A visit to Helmut at Helmut Motors in V-Town and I was the proud owner of a new Itom Supersport. Twenty five Rand trade in for the Monza, one hundred and three Rand for the Itom, paid off weekly. Four working days for the PD and license. This time was necessary for steel number plates to be cut, painted black and for the sign writer to do the lettering. No fast drying paint back then. Enamel paint was en vogue back then; Duco was for body and panels. The Itom was a moped and not regarded as a motorbike back then; your driver’s license stated 49cc if I recall. The Itom was a pretty machine; silver frame, red mudguards, red and white tank, drop handlebars, small fairing around the headlight; and gears that could be changed without the clutch, thanks to constant mesh gears and a sliding pin on the mainshaft. This gave the Itom a distinct sound. I can still remember the sound (yes, I am losing it). First order of business was to cut the tailpipe and piece of the silencer tip for more ‘krag’ and ‘beat’. Rode the Itom for eleven thousand miles. Repairs needed were rings and dekoke once, tyres and the front drive sprocket. This arrived from Jack’s Motors with an extra tooth and reduced the revs somewhat and this was an improvement. The best sparkplug was a Magneti Marelli; which never got that little fragment of carbon between the electrodes. A pin came in from the thread side and exposed the centre electrode to the combustion heat. Since then any two stroke in my life gets the earth electrode cut. From mower or outboard, all get cut, even my Vaaljapie tractor (yes, yes, I know). Pity I don’t have a photo of my Itom. Regards Greg Erasmus P.S. The Master Link is great, keep up the great work. [14] Past Event STRONG SUPPORT FOR 1000 BIKE SHOW IN GERMISTON By Roger Houghton Photos by Ian Groat Kevin Robertson’s 1957 Velocette Valiant was judged Best on Show among the classic motorcycles. The Classic Motorcycle Club’s annual 1000 Bike Show at Germiston High School on the weekend of July 5-6 once again attracted large crowds of motorcyclists and other visitors, while there were more than 400 classic and modern motorcycles on display. The chief organiser of the show and chairman of the CMC, Hamish Ireland, says total attendance was in the region of 10 000 people, which was aided by the favourable weather on the two show days. The sports field outside the display marquee was packed with motorcycles and trikes ridden to the venue by the visitors and this was an amazing motorcycle show in its own right, particularly as regards the many customised machines and so-called cafe racers, which is a fast growing development locally and internationally. Many of the machines on display were evaluated in concours d’elegance competitions on the Saturday (customised and street bikes) and Sunday (classics) and once again the standards were exceptionally high. [15] A number of former SA champions made the trip to this year’s 1000 Bike Show in Germiston. Revelling in the past glories of road racing on the Team Incomplete stand are (from left) Keith Zeeman, Peter Labuschagne and Les van Breda. Overall winner - Best Bike on Show - among the classics was Kevin Robertson’s immaculate 1957 Velocette Valiant, which has taken 10 years to build from parts obtained from three sources in South Africa, many of them in very poor condition. Robertson, an internationally renowned Velocette enthusiast, says he believes his Valiant is one of only three left in SA. He also won Best Bike on Show with his 1935 Excelsior Manxman at the 2012 1000 Bike Show. Best on Show in the Customised and Street categories was the immaculate BMW Cafe Racer of Eric Repsold. The Itom Competizione was many a schoolboy’s dream in the 1960’s. Julian Shaw brought his immaculate yellow 1964 bike to the show from Kimberley. [16] The 1000 Bike Show has a long history, dating back to the first concours d’elegance organised by the CMC in Springs in 1970, only two years after the founding of this popular club, which is based in Germiston. The annual event has grown in both the number of motorcycles on display and in stature over the years, having been housed in places such as the East Rand Mall, Avril Elizabeth Children’s Home and the Carlton Centre before ending up at its current venue at the Germiston High School. It is an important fund-raising event and among the charities and organisations that benefitted from the 1000 Bike Show this year were the SPCA, Germiston High School, Think Bike, Toy Run, Rotary and the Scouts. All those who attended this year’s show and paid the R60 admission fee were able to enter a giveaway competition where the prize was a Puzey scooter valued at more than R10 000. The winner was Mr M. Evans, of Mondeor. Team Incomplete owner Ian Groat won the Best Racer award for his 1959 AJS production racer. CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE AWARDS: Best on show: Kevin Robertson (Velocette Valiant); Best Vintage: Fritz Kramer (1920 Excelsior); Best Classic: Kevin Robertson (Velocette Valiant); Best Post Classic: Neville Nicolam (BMW R69S); Best New Era: J. Norris (Yamaha RZ 50); Best Racing: Ian Groat (7R AJS); Best combination: Bart Eva (BMW R50/2); Best Durban-Johannesburg (DJ) motorcycle: Fritz Kramer (1920 Excelsior); Ladies’ Choice: Peter Vlietstra (BSA Sloper); Historic Motorcycle Group (HMG): Robbie Ralph (Suzuki GT550); [17] Best Italian: J.Kraehmer (Moto Guzzi Daytona 1000); VMX Offroad: Gray Dick (Yamaha YZ100); VMX Racing: Paulo do Couto (Suzuki RM400); Speedway: Brad Devine; Best Stand: Honda. BEST STREET AND CUSTOM AWARDS: Best Cruiser: Anthony Singleton (Suzuki Boulevard); Best Bobber: Bobber Bros. (Triumph Spitfire); Best Custom: Dyno by Quint (Kawasaki 1300); Best Harley Davidson: Stefan Myburg (1948 Harley Davidson; Best Street Fighter: Deon du Toit (Suzuki GT750); Best Street Modified: Dyno by Quint (Hayabusa Supercharged); Café Racer: Eric Repsold (BMW); Best Rat Bike: Kallie Ludick; Best Trike: Allan Casy (Honda Goldwing); Best Standard Motorcycle: Sean McGlead (Kawasaki Z1300); Best Engineered: Eric Repsold (BMW Café Racer); Best on Show: Eric Repsold (BMW Café Racer). Some custom bike owners break all the rules to make one-off machines like these. Eric Repsold’s BMW Cafe Racer was judged Best on Show among the customised and street machines on show. [18] Rob Godwin is the first local specialist fabricator to remake the famous Norton Featherbed frame and custom handmade aluminium fuel tanks for a growing market interested in making cafe racers and other special machines. Motocross vintage style showed an assortment of popular off-roaders of yesteryear. Retro rockers flocked to the 1000 Bike Show to take in the two-day festival and relive a few memories. [19] Past Event Global ASP Two Stroke Challenge & 1000 Bike Show On the weekend of the 14th and 15th July the much anticipated Global ASP 2 Stroke Challenge took place at Terra Topia just outside Fourways, Gauteng. A magnificently prepared track greeted 73 riders on the morning of the 14th for this, the inaugural 2 Day Global ASP 2 Stroke Challenge. Not only would the typical VMX weapons be taking part to contest round 2 of the VMXSA National Challenge but also post ‘90 2 stroke bikes would be offered a platform to join in the fun and strut their stuff. With Roger McCleery on the mic and the VMX and Terra Topia team running a complex schedule to absolute perfection, over 20 heats of bar to bar racing was enjoyed each day. Racing was closer than ever with many a tussle happening throughout the field of each race. The new Twin Shock class proved to be extremely competitive with [20] tight racing upfront and a different top 5 coming home in each of the 3 heats. Similarly the modern 2 stroke, Vets and Masters Classes saw entertaining racing with season racers Riddell, Casanova, Hunt and Flanagan heading the pack. Sunday saw some tired bodies return to Terra Topia but the enthusiasm was soon back with the first smell of 2 stroke fumes in the air and elbow to elbow racing soon resumed. A great time was had by all and once the results were in a jovial prize giving finished off an incredible weekend. A huge thank you to Global ASP, Terra Topia and all involved for a great event. Next was the annual Classic Motorcycle Club 1000 Bike Show that took place this past weekend at the Germiston High school. As has become the norm the show was a huge success and the VMX stand stood out and delivered an awesome stand pack with no less than 45 pristinely built dirt racers from the 70's, 80's and 90. The standard and quality of VMX builds has become simply outstanding with minute details separating the contenders for Best Classic Offroad and Best VMX Race bike. In the end our “celebrity” judge, Russell Campbell, decided that Gray Dick’s magnificent 1984 Yamaha YZ 100 deserved the best show bike award and Paulo du Couto’s 1978 Suzuki RM 400 the best VMX Race bike award. A big thank you to Russell for his time and indepth knowledge and well done to all that put bikes on the stand. The quality and versatility of the bikes in the VMXSA family is something we can all be extremely proud off. [21] That’s it for now but don’t forget we have Gauteng regional VMX coming up on the 26th July at Syringa and then the big one happening in August is the Sierra Ranch 2 Day Vintage Enduro. If you haven’t been to this one before you are missing out on the most enjoyable vintage dirt bike event on the calendar. To enter for the event, complete the entry form at the following address: https://creator.zoho.com/2013womza/vintage-motocross-and-enduroclub-gauteng# To view the Regs for the event, please enter this address in your browser, page down and you will see the link under the poster to download the Rules & Regs: http://www.womzasa.co.za/womza_004.htm Regards Gareth Ireland (VMXSA) [22] Feature Over The Wall: The Sachsenring's Storied Past Genius! Racing success! Betrayal! Written by Dean Adams Submitted by Bob Harpin Sachsenring—today that name signifies the German round of the MotoGP championship and the true mid-point of the MotoGP season. But there was a time when the Sachsenring meant a rare peek behind the iron curtain, passionate fans and in passing a too-real betrayal that unhinged a world championship, upset the scales of racing and ended in suicide. Or murder. Walter Kaaden (far right) and the MZ team. A true East German engineering genius, Kaaden died in obscurity. The MotoGP race scheduled for this weekend at the Sachsenring was once one of the most highly attended spectator events in the world, dwarfing the modern Super Bowl and even the Indy 500. And before the fall of communism in Germany, the race was a rare peek for racers and enthusiasts into life in the Commie-ruled east. There was a time when the communist-run East German GP and their race team were nearly a force in GP racing. Copious press reports from the 1960s peg the race attendance between 300,000 and 500,000—with one notable printed report stating crowds were "down" to 360,000 in 1966. There seemed to be plenty of room. Sachsenring was a street-based circuit nearly five a half miles long and due to minimal developments in the hinterland of East Germany there were numerous places to park your reeking hulk of a Red-built car or bike and enjoy the event. Add in the no fun allowed East German government—no television then of course thus vodka was the main form of entertainment—it's clear that a big motorcycle race with riders from the world over was a huge draw for the captive (in many ways) crowd. The site of the old Sachsenring featured bike racing before the start of WWII and the 'ring—a street-based circuit—attracted huge numbers of fervent German fans; their elaborate scaffolding was amazing, many of them little more than a folding chair attached to a twenty or thirty foot tall poll. The enthusiasm of the locals did not stop there. Between practice sessions the crowds were allowed to cross the track but only at specific points, these points were covered in carpet so the spectators would not dirty the track surface. And if you walked down to [23] the local post office you could send a letter out adorned with an East German stamp featuring Mike Hailwood (winner of three classes at the Sachsenring in 1963) or Jim Redman. By the early 1960s the world was swept up in cold war politics and the Sachsenring was a track on the wrong side of the cold war for some—it lay within 150 miles of Berlin and within miles of Dresden, an important industrial centre in the Socialist-run East Germany. For westerners, just getting to the track was problematic. Period accounts from the riders of the era who crossed the border between east and west Germany are both colourful and at the same time disturbing. On the lighter side, riders were treated like deities by the East German crowd, who at the same time could not help themselves from attempting to steal, literally, anything from the west, including laundry drying on the line and food from the table. On the darker side, border crossings were nasty, with many riders and crew being taken away at machine gun point when they applied in person to cross into the East. Paul Carruthers toured Europe with his father, 1969 250 world champion, Kel Carruthers, and endured many border crossings into Communist-controlled East Germany in the sixties. "The biggest memory I have is getting out of the van and having to wash the west off your feet before they let you in," he recalls. 1960s greats Mike Hailwood and Jim Redman wrote of racing in the East, being awarded prize money and being instructed that none of the prize money could leave the country and their visa expired at midnight—forcing them to buy anything and everything in order to avoid the money becoming worthless. They spent their prize money in-country and would then (hopefully) later sell the lumbering East German drill press or case of itchy bloomers once they hit free ground. Early 1970s riders report that as they left the Sachsenring event they'd throw printed race results or press kits out the window of the car as souvenirs for the fans, inadvertently causing fist-fights as the locals clamoured for anything, no matter how trivial, as a memento from the race. The East German GP was part of a larger racing effort by the Socialist German government. There wasn't just an East German GP—there was indeed a Communist GP team during that period with East German manufacturer MZ racing several classes in the 1960s, and in doing so spearheading a massive engineering change in racing motorcycles. Believe it or not, Communist East Germany heralded a new age in racing as we know it. [24] Loyal Communist Walter Kaaden worked under Nazi V-series rocket engineer Werner von Braun during WWII, but elected to stay with Germany after the Allies beat the living tar out of the Fatherland. Whereas von Braun was headhunted by the Allies and (probably) given the choice of joining America's own burgeoning rocket program or maybe doing the gallows jig for his use of slave labour in Hitler's rocket program. He joined the Yanks and later became the head of NASA, and is today known as a point person among those who engineered America's successful 1960s space program. Kaaden, one of von Braun's many lieutenants, designed and built one of the world's first cruise missiles in the dying days of WWII, but decided to stay in Germany after the war. Whereas von Braun would go on to head NASA in the 1960s and spearhead America's entry into the space race, post-war Kaaden actually worked as a carpenter in what would become East Germany. His love of motorcycles drew him to racing and through a complicated process, he became the head of DKW's race team, and later, MZ. The MZ race team, backed by the German government, was stretched just as thin as those standing in bread lines in Berlin; the team's resources would seemingly be made moot by a simple modern privateer supersport effort. Case in point: pre-war DKW rider Wil Herz bought a helmet in the late 1930s and raced with it for years. It was then handed down to Kaaden, who in turn used it when he test rode his own machines. Incredibly, he then handed it down to rider Ernst Degner when Deg' joined MZ—nearly 15 years after the helmet was first constructed. Degner was still using this helmet in the late 1950s. Moreover, riders for the MZ team were rarely paid and Kaaden was forced to become very resourceful when buying fuel and tires at the races. Kaaden is mis-credited as the "father of the two-stroke engine" however he's clearly not that, although his role in motorcycle race history may actually be of more importance than the person who first designed the two-stroke. Kaaden was in fact the man who tamed the pressure waves from the two-stroke, used them to make power and at the same time made the two-stroke semi-reliable and fast. The two-stroke was—in the late 1950s—being written off as a clap-trap race power plant, but Kaaden and his crew applied actual science to the engine whereas previously two-stroke tuning was black art at best. It wasn't by choice that MZ used the two-stroke: like most of the struggling GP manufacturers of the era they used the two stroke engine because it was cheap to manufacture and very simple. As time passed and Kaaden's ground-breaking work in two stroke tuning paid off the MZ made a gradual ascent up the finishing order in the smaller GP classes of the day. After years of toil by Kaaden, on a shoestring [25] budget, MZ were on the cusp of an actual championship when the unimaginable—or from a Western standpoint—inevitable, happened. Kaaden groomed East German rider Ernst Degner into a champion and together they sat one race finish away from the 1961 125cc world championship. A Socialist win in any world championship during this period would have created headlines and had the Communist overlords mapping out a parade route and heaping awards and respect on the man most responsible—Kaaden. All Degner had to do in the race was finish in the points and MZ were world champions. Yet, in what history may judge as the ultimate act of racing betrayal, as the series came to a close—and East Germany had the Berlin Wall erected to keep their citizens from easily moving to the West—MZ rider Degner defected in spectacular fashion at the Swedish round after intentionally destroying the engine in his MZ125 racer, an event which left Kaaden reeling. Afterwards Degner secretly left the track and took many of Kaaden's secrets— and even some hard parts—to Suzuki, and reportedly, later Yamaha. With Degner's help, Suzuki's two-stoke GP bikes were born again and so with it the two-stroke revolution in GP. Whereas previously four-strokes dominated GP racing in all classes, within little more than a decade four-strokes would be vanquished to the edge of the GP paddock. One year after his defection and betrayal, Degner and Suzuki won the first ever world championship with a twostroke machine in 1962—the 50cc title. On one hand it's hard to find fault in Degner's defection. A world championship rider since the 1950s, he had seen much in his travels outside the constraints of life in a communist-controlled country. After getting a taste of freedom and the west it's only natural that a man would want more than the grey and grainy East Germany for himself and his family. Leaving is one thing, but stabbing your mentor in the back is another. The betrayal of Kaaden can only be judged harshly. Degner was later fined by the FIM for breaking his MZ contract and quite justifiably feared for his life for years after he defected. He didn't race in the East German GP at Sachsenring the next season for obvious reasons. Degner's defection and betrayal were of a huge cost to Kaaden, who saw his race team and stature eviscerated by his communist overlords. MZ were on the brink of winning a world championship but post-Degner they are mere obscure footnotes in racing history, mis-credited in the rare instances Kaaden is mentioned. And any thoughts that Degner didn't give all of his secrets to Suzuki later perished when Kaaden used a set of Suzuki special tools and found them to be replicas of the ones he made to work on his MZs. [26] Rider Alan Shepard was teamed with Degner when he defected and pulled no punches when he later described what Degner's defection had cost Kaaden. "Degner was very much in love with himself and did not hesitate to hurt other people. I feel what he did was very, very cruel." Kaaden and MZ continued to race in the same hardscrabble fashion until the 1970s when they drifted further from the podium and then from view. There were race triumphs after Degner's defection and betrayal, including, of course, Alan Shepard's amazing come from nowhere win on the MZ125 at the 1964 USGP at Daytona. Degner, in fact, won at Daytona in 1965. While they weren't really peers, Werner von Braun and Walter Kaaden certainly were colleagues and the way their post-WWII lives ended is interesting to note. Von Braun—an actual former officer in the Nazi SS—made a jump to the US and used his passion and force of personality to push America into the space race and an American walking on the moon. Today he is the subject of many books, is listed in every encyclopaedia worth owning and was even the subject of a lecture by Arthur C. Clarke. For Kaaden, one can only wonder if the racing genius ever found fulfilment in his loyalty to Germany. After fading from the world's race paddocks, Walter Kaaden died of cancer in March of 1996 in near complete obscurity, shortly after telling Jan Leeks, author of MZ: Birth of the Modern Two-Stroke Racer that he was amazed anyone remembered him or his deeds at all. He lived to see the Berlin Wall and the whole of communism collapse in Germany. Degner actually repatriated himself back into East Germany after retiring from racing (there's a corner at Suzuka named after him). He killed himself, allegedly by slitting his own throat, in Berlin in the 1990s. It's been a matter of speculation for years that his death wasn't suicide at all. [27] Guess the Bike In 1910 this French company brought out a light V- twin motorcycle that was to become an enormous success. It was equipped with a 333 cc 45 degree V-twin engine with automatic inlet valves, direct belt transmission, Bosch magneto, single lever Claudel carburettor and Truffault front forks. The little machine proved easy to start, easy to handle and was very reliable. Moreover, it weighed only 40kg and was able to sustain a practical running speed of 60km/h. For model year 1913 the bore was enlarged from 70 to 80 mm which resulted in a capacity of 380 cc and a speed of 70 km/h. This machine was catalogued as “MD2”. In 4 years some 10,000 machines were sold and this motorcycle was the most popular French motorcycle of pre-WW1 days. The machine has 2 brakes on the rear wheel which are applied by levers on the handlebars. The Claudel carburettor is operated by a single lever on the right side of the handlebars; on that side we also find the valve lifter. Close to the left hand side grip we find the magneto cutout. Can you guess what it is? The answer is on the last page. [28] Library The CMC library now holds a copy of most of the CMC magazines from the inception of the club but a couple of editions are missing. Can anybody assist in completing the full set? The magazines missing are: Number 1 to number 7 which was from May 1970 to November 1970. January 1981, January 1990 (although these might have been incorporated in the December editions but were not stated as such) and August 2007. I do not have the following, recent copies (in hard copy): 2010 May, July, August, September and December plus January to July 2011. If anybody has any motorcycle related books or magazines that they would be prepared to donate to the CMC library please contact the librarian or one of the committee members. Humour The Blonde Phys Ed Teacher A blonde gets a job as a physical education teacher of 16 year olds. She notices a boy at the end of the field standing alone, while all the other kids are running around having fun kicking a football. She takes pity on him and decides to speak to him. “You ok?” she says. “Yes.” he says. “You can go and play with the other kids you know” she says. “It's best I stay here.” he says. “Why's that sweetie?” says the blonde. The boy looks at her incredulously and says: “Because I'm the goal keeper!!!” From Tony Woods [29] Die Spietkop Spietkop stop 'n ou oom wat te vinnig gery het. Hy se: "Ek sal oom 'n kans gee. Ek sal nie 'n kaartjie uitskryf nie as oom vir my kan se wat kom daar ver in die pad afgery". Die oom se: "Dis 'n kar." Die spietkop se: "Nee, oom LUISTER nie. Is dit 'n Merc of 'n BM of 'n Volksie? Kom ons probeer weer. Wat kom NOU daar aan?". Die oom se: "Dis 'n motorfiets." Spietkop se: "Nee, oom LUISTER nie vir my nie. Is dit 'n Kawasaki of 'n Honda of n Yamaha? Spietkop skryf die ticket uit en gee dit vir die ou oompie. Voordat die Spietkop terug stap na sy voertuig, skree die oompie: "Wag meneer kom luister gou-gou hier.". "Ja oom?" "Se vir my, as jy daar in Brakpan voor die hotel staan en doer op die anner hoek van die straat staan daar 'n ding met 'n mini-rokkie en boots aan, met so 'n klein toppie en 'n sigaret in die hand. Wat is dit?" Spietkop: "Oom, dis 'n prostituut." Oompie: "Nee seun, jy LUISTER nie mooi nie. Is dit jou SUSSIE, jou OUMA, of jou MA?? From Rita Grove [30] Faces You’d swear these guys are famous or something… This photograph was taken in July of 1945, when a certain British engineer turned MD realised a personal dream of visiting the United States of America. While on this visit he took in many sights and visited many interesting people, including notable industrialists and Hollywood stars. This photo shows him flanked by one such Hollywood star, as well as the gentleman in charge of the US distributorship of Triumph motorcycles at the time. Do you know who they are? Answer on the last page. [31] CMC Committee 2014 Chairman Hamish Ireland H: 011 827 1670 Fax: 011 827 1670 [email protected] 082-772-0141 Vice Chairman Brian Roulstone [email protected] 082 950 3766 Secretary Tony Dardis [email protected] 082 963 8113 Treasurer Rita Grové H: 011 764 3798 Fax: 086 672 8941 [email protected] [email protected] 083-774-6798 Banking Details: Charity Organizers: Spares: Event Organisers Account Name: Classic Motorcycle Club Standard Bank – Benoni Bank Code No: 013042 Account No: 420 188 738 Marlene Hooper 083-256-6262 H: 011 452 6070 [email protected] Bob Hooper 083-381-0695 W: 011 452 4737 Fax: 011 452 4738 H: 011 452 6070 [email protected] Brian Roulstone W: 011 828 0716 [email protected] Brian Neethling Fax: 011 768 6829 Bob Linell [email protected] 082-950-3766 Timothy Romans 082-629-2961 Colin Blackburn [email protected] Graham Kendall [email protected] 073-145-5863 [32] 082-546-7155 082-756-7776 083-468-1753 Racing Section Gary Hunter H: 011 475 2179 W: 011 882 8030 [email protected] 082-773-0018 Trials Organiser Bruce Watts H: 011 450 3089 W: 011 409 1300 [email protected] 082 443 8800 Off-Road Rides Trials Dave Haines W: 011 803 1159 H: 011 465 1306 Fax: 011 803 0970 [email protected] 082-895-5259 SAVVA Reps Freddie Viljoen 082-336-5590 Liaison Officers Terry Hack – Members [email protected] 082-697-6058 Webmaster JAWS [email protected] 083 459-7802 Museum Custodian Brian Neethling Fax: 011 768 6829 Barry Allan 082 546 7155 Trophy Officer Rusty Thorns [email protected] 082 411 1687 Hall & Bookings Alan Bayley [email protected] 078 137 5609 Editor Timothy Romans [email protected] 082-629-2961 076-801-2365 [33] Riding Shotgun AFTER THE MOVIE, GHOST RIDER TRIED HIS HAND AT CLASSIC RACING... Answer for Guess the Bike: 1913 Peugeot Légère 2½ PK Type “MD2” 380cc 2 cyl Answer for Faces: L-R: Rita Hayworth, Edward Turner & W.E. Johnson, Jr. [34]