Knowing, personally, the management of Dot and Greeves, I know that Burnard Wade was just as keen as Bert Greeves - but didn't have the resource essential to develop everything he would have liked........
DOT did have some interesting scramblers, as you would find in our digital magazine, ORRe, and here is a taster. The Rickman brothers had DOT scramblers for some lightweight races before they liaised with Bultaco, including this novelty with a Villiers twin motor................
DOT motorcycles were a small family firm manufacturing motorcycles in Salford, Manchester.
They were well made using square section tubing and mainly Villiers power units. The range included trials and scrambles models, as well as a 'Mancunian' road bike.
Here are a couple of examples of the trials models in use.
An extensive feature on the various DOT models over the years is planned for forthcoming issues of our digital magazine, ORRe.
There is a very active Owners Club which can offer all the advice you may need.
acu is front spindle front spindle not front and back.
Hi
And sensible section plotters NEVER put the ends cards just at the top of a climb, or other hazard, but well clear so that there is never the risk of an argumentative type throwing his bike towards the ends then claiming the front spindle was out. In the early Sammy Miller series that turned the tide and gained floods of riders who suddenly felt they were riding against FAIR rules.
Might I politely suggest that the Ilkley Grand National is the second least sensible event for anybody not knowing the area to ride in, the first being the Scott Trial itself............
Well prepared works riders on immaculately prepared bikes have been known to be almost permanently knackered after the first half lap, there are bogs that can be ridden over at speed and bogs that will swallow a bike and rider in minutes...............
But if you plan to ride the Scott - then the Ilkley Grand National is a good potential practice..............
About six travelling marshals,in the youth age group. Roughly sixteen years old are required. It would give would be Scott Trial entrants a taste of what bleak moors and ditches are all about. They must obey instructions from the C of C.
Would also stress that no youth riders may compete.
A condition of permissions from the landowner- The Duke of Devonshire – is that machinesmust be fully roadworthy, taxed and tested, etc. and drivers must hold a current driving licence, hence no youths.
I am informed that Mick Grant may compete and probably some other very notable racing personalities..........
My understanding was that the land was sequestered from the Harrisons by the Ministry of Defence, in order to use it for the AA batteries - we used to use part of the foundations of one of the batteries during club practice sessions. After the war the land would be 'made good' by the Ministry of Works and then returned to the owners.
I am not sure whether the POW camp was a reality, much more likely it would have been quarters for the gun crews, as was the case in many other parts of the country.
I can assure you the lease to the club definitely started pre-war.
In my day Tommy Wortley was the Club President and Stan Pitts the Chairman, his wife Mary did most of the clerical work associated with the many sporting events that we ran.
Not many people are aware that a TV scramble that was never broadcast took place at Post Hill long before any other was screened, merely for the production editors to look at it to decide whether it was a new sport that would be suitable for a TV audience!
The whole area was criss-crossed with public footpaths, so when we ran scrambles very frequently potential spectators turned up at the gate where we took the entry money and claimed to be ramblers merely wanting to use the footpaths. I used to hire six policemen to stand by the entrance, and when we had the 'ramblers' story, we used to say: "Well, all motor racing is dangerous, so we have a police constable who will accompany you on your walk to ensure your safety on the footpath..........." The answer would often come, "But we might want to stop and watch some of the racing...." to which we responded, "Then buy a ticket......."
None of the six constables ever had to walk through over all the years that I was Treasurer - but we had to provide them with gallons of tea.........
Sorry to be the bearer of fact - but the piece entered at post 4 by telecat includes the following statement:
"Somehow, during or just after the Second World War, the ownership of the land was altered and the 40-acre site became part of the estate of a quarrying company called Harrisons.
It was transferred to Leeds City Council in the 1990s but members of the club are still official tenants and use the infamous hill regularly for motorcycle trials event"
Sadly the piece by the Farnley Local History Group is not entirely complete. The hill was discovered by the Langton brothers, Eric and Oliver, who were both keen motorcyclists. They no doubt told their father Fred, who I do not recall having similar interests.
I suspect the comment that "the Yorkshire Evening Post arranged to purchase the land" would more correctly be stated as "the Yorkshire Evening Post assisted the club to negotiate a tenancy agreement with the quarry owners............" I have no doubt that there was a public ceremony on 24th July 1926 where copies of the agreement could be handed to the club officials.
I'm sorry but the information from telecat is not entirely correct. The piece of land known as Post Hill and used by the West Leeds club for many years was never bought and paid for by the Yorkshire Post!
It belonged to the quarry owners who had extracted the stone used in the construction of many of the major buildings in the area and when they ceased the active quarrying it was leased to the West Leeds club for a peppercorn annual rental in order to use it as a motorsport venue.
I know this to be correct because I was Treasurer of the West Leeds club and part of my duties included the payment of that rent............
The Yorkshire Post contributed trophies and prize money for the series of Freak Hill Climb knockout events in the 1930s onwards.
I have no idea what the current ownership status is.
The A.M.C.A affiliated Darlington and District Motor Club will run their opening 2016 trial
At Hags Gill, Grinton, Reeth on March 6 starting at 11.00 am. The trial is open to all solo classes.
Entries will be taken at the start. The event is open to A.C.U. licence holders.
MARCH 6th at HAGS GILL, GRINTON, REETH, N. YORKS. NOTE VENUE CHANGE BELOW DUE TO GROUND CONDITIONS
Start time is 11;00am. All classes.
See You There?
Due to the ground conditions at Hag Gill, Grinton, the Darlington D.M.C. trial scheduled for SundayMarch 6 has been changed to the Woodyard, Reeth. The Clerk of Course will be Neil Metcalfe assisted by Trevor Willans.
You didn't touch any of my nerves - I respect copyright - but just wanted to clear up a common misunderstanding that copyright is extinguished when a holder ceases trading, etc.
The ballot for the Scottish was always 'an issue' with some people, but for years there was a quiet understanding that if you were not lucky in the ballot, then immediately get in touch and volunteer to help as an observer, marshal, tea-maker or whatever and go and take part in the event anyway.
That wouldn't get you any Brownie points in the ballot next year, but it often seemed that those who had volunteered and subsequently helped were not treated any differently in the next ballot - the ballot is a ballot - but might well find themselves on the reserve list if anyone succesfull in the ballot was unable to take up their entry when the day arrived.........
In any case, it is a win, win situation - because just being part of it all is an experience.
I have an original parts book (Series 2) that I scanned and saved as a pdf. A few years ago I did post this on another site so is available on the web but I can send you a copy. Please PM me your email address if you would like this.
and#160;
I think it is out of copyright!
and#160;
Stuart
Hi Stuart,
There is a common misunderstanding of the basic copyright laws. Firstly copyright extends until seventy years AFTER the death of the copyright holder. Secondly copyright law only protects the original owner from people profiting by copying original work. Since you appear to be giving a copy away and not making any financial gain, it would cost more to try to take the issue to litigation than you would be likely to gain........
The difference comes if you make copies then offer them for sale, or copy photographs and include them in books or magazines that are offered for sale...............or use them to sponsor a reputation that gains you employment,
Earlier in this post there was mention of Mick Andrews and the early MAR Ossa models, well readers of our digital magazine may recall this fine Alan Lines image of Mick winning the 1972 Inter-centre team trial on his Spanish registered development Ossa, which was known at the time as the new whispering bike.
Enjoy - and to see many more images from the 1970s and 1980s just join in..........
As no doubt you have read, Guy Martin will be riding in the Kinlochleven event this year. He will be using an Ariel HT5 loaned by Simon Sharp one of the partners in Hope Engineering, Barnoldswick, the specialist precision engineers already involved in other of the Martin TV activities such as the buggy.
To give you some idea of the preparation of Simon's bikes, here is a photograph taken by Barry Robinson, at a trial in Yorkshire recently, of Simon on another of his bikes.
Heard this last week of an absolutely superb idea being used very successfully by one group - obviously out to enjoy themselves and have sport.
They have a class, could be called 'Beginners', with distinctive riding numbers. That means they can be easily identified and probably results in friendly 'natter' from the other riders.
But the genius of the idea is that the 'Beginners' route in every section is ride in between the 'Begins' cards and out through the 'Ends' cards - and anywhere you like in between........
If I were setting a trial that had one very tricky hazard that couldn't be avoided it would have a 'Beginners No Entry' sign at the start in order to ensure no damage or injury.
Then again, every trial I ever organised had a very straightforward first section that I intended every rider to get through easily, that way they set off around the course in a positive mood, looking forward to enjoying themselves..........
Model 10 For Sale At Telford
in Bultaco
Posted
Hi,
Just take a look at what Morton's want exhibitors to pay and I suspect it would be better described as the Horncastle Home Run...........