Dave Atherton Norton flat Tracker

I can see value in that. Speedway has never been very big in Oz, but it always paid start money. If you were half-good you could afford a new Jawa each season. It takes a different mindset to become good at it. I wasn't so taken with the lead he pulled out, more that he is so super-smooth - a delight to see.
 
Dave is a wily vet rider and a top-notch engine builder/tuner. His son Kevin was well on his way to a Grand National Championship when he was severely injured in a racing crash. Dave will be fettling Kenny Coolbeth's Indian FTR's this season.

At the Daytona 200 last year, Kevin rode up and parked next to my spot in the infield. He was on a streetified XR-750 Harley with no kicker and no electric leg. Thought we might have to help him bump it off due to his injured leg. But he walked up, pulled a small motor out of his back pack, plugged it into the chaincase and it fired immediately. Some of Dave's trickery, no doubt.
 
Another motorcycle video overburdened by superfluous and irritating music. Much rather hear those motors. Dave's bike is about as pretty as one can get, and Kevin's street bike sounds very cool. Good story, any pictures?
 
Dave Atherton Norton flat Tracker
Dave Atherton Norton flat Tracker
This beauty I saw in June 2016 at “ Donelsons cycles “ in St. Louis , takes up a space in Carl Donelsons mini museum at his multi franchise dealership , well worth a visit .
 
Yes Carl Donelson is old school cool. 35 or so years ago, I took him the rear wheel that's on the SS clone and an 18" shouldered alloy rim and requested he cut 1/2" off each spoke, cut new threads and lace up the 18" rim. He warned me that spoke threads were cold-rolled and not cut and that he could not guarantee the work so I would have to pay cash, which I gladly did. His work is still in service and can be seen by looking closely at the picture on the left.
 
Also on display at Donelson's Museum, along with the Aldana Norton tracker, the last Briitsh bike to win a Grand National Mile, Gene Romero's #3 Trackmaster Triumph. Not pictured; Jim Rice's Rocket 3 tracker.

Dave Atherton Norton flat Tracker
 
In Australia, most bike speedway was always about 500cc Jawas and JAPs. But in the 60s , bigger bikes with gearboxes were raced at Mildura. I never saw it, but apparently it was very spectacular. The problem has always been our relatively small population and these days motorcycle sport has to compete with kid's computers. So it is pretty much all over but for the shouting. I have come to realise that I am a total anachronism. But the last time I raced was a real hoot, the kids were pointing and saying 'old racer' and looking all over my bike. I did not disgrace myself, I was up with the lead - so all was good.
 
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My younger brother still rides historic speedway on sidecars, but there is really no way that the kids can get into the sport. The bikes are either all original or permitted copies of original bikes.

 
GNC singles racers are converted 450 motocrossers. Shorten the suspension, lace up some 19" wheels and spoon on some Dunlop flat track tires and go racing.
 
The trouble with motorcycle racing in any form is, the riders are not the organisers and the organisers are not the riders. It builds inertia into the system, so long before a new idea is up and running, the opportunity is long gone. Theoretically, the kids in our local club could turn their bikes into Super-Motards and ride on the bitumen instead of MX, - it is never going to happen. As soon as you get enough entries to make a race, the next fad arrives - soon it will be Enduro.
 
Flat Track has been making a resurgence over here, partly fueled by the fact that it's no longer a one or two-brand show. Lots of other brands have challenged Harley dominance of this type of racing. A Kawasaki won the championship year before last and an Indian last year.

As a fan since the '70's, I, for one, am happy to see it. Flat Track had a rep as a dirty, dangerous game not to be played by those less than deadly serious. That scared off most of the youth participation, who all went bonkers for motocross. Although a motorcycle is a motorcycle, not much translates from MX to FT. TT and Scrambles are getting more popular at the club level, though still not having the financial clout or fan base of MX. My homeboy Jeff Carver came from this type of background, racing MX, Scrambles and TT at the local club track, which is about 5 miles from here. In 2017, he was one of the top privateers, earning the title "People's Champion" and finishing 5th in Grand National Flat Track points. He races Ron Wood's bikes in non-points races on the West Coast. I think this is a BMW 800 twin-based machine.

Dave Atherton Norton flat Tracker


23, incidentally is Kevin Atherton's old National number.
 
Whenever I watch road-racing or motorcycle speedway, I usually get an adrenalin rush. I never get that while watching motocross - to me it is deadly boring. The same with car drag racing and drifting, they do nothing for me. Some kids seem to get excited when they see tyre smoke. All I think about is the tyres I cannot afford.
 
I don't think flat track or speedway are boring. Like road racing, they a real racing. The guys who do those things have real skills. ( I can't ride a motocross bike for nuts. I used to tune a mate's two Bultacos - downhill jumps passing big trees make me apprehensive. )
 
Are there many modern big four- stroke bikes which could be converted into the same style of flat-tracker ? The problem with much of this stuff is you have to go back in time to have fun.
 

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