Racing in Australia with an ES2

One of my favorite photos for 40+years of building and racing with ES2 Nortons here in Australia.

This is one of my two current riders - Bob Rosenthal (Rosie) pulling off a points score count back to narowly win the Classic 500 class from the USA team of Tim Joyce on the Maurice Candy Manx at Phillip Island 2019. Rosie turned 71 years old in 2019, and has lost nothing from when he was racing and winning with TZ 750's in the '70's. This photo is running up to Lukey Heights. I asked why he was only pulling 6,000 rpm through there, and he assured me he had his hands pretty full after just hitting 8,000 rpm in top through the "Hayshed" section! The oil pressure looks good at 70 p.s.i (a one piece crank and a plain/slipper B.E. in "ES4").

Excellent, I always think Steve Baker looks just as fast as ever when I see him on track, many a good tune played on an old fiddle .

You seem to have a lot of offset on the yolks, or is that just the photo angle?

storm42 said:

Excellent, I always think Steve Baker looks just as fast as ever when I see him on track, many a good tune played on an old fiddle .

You seem to have a lot of offset on the yolks, or is that just the photo angle?

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It is the due to the overhead nature of the photo. The top yoke is "dropped" resulting the the offset to possibly appear a little greater than it is in reality.

Great pic.

Rosie must have super man genes. I'm 70 and darn sure I'm not as fast as I was when I was in my late 20's early 30's.

So it got me to thinking that when a bunch of old guys are racing similar expensive beautiful vintage race bikes like the ES4 pictured they probably do all look fast. Stick a 30 something fearless kid with some serious talent into the mix and those old guys might look like they have slowed down some in 50 years when they get lapped. Just projecting. There's always a faster gun.

Schwany said:

Great pic.

Rosie must have super man genes. I'm 70 and darn sure I'm not as fast as I was when I was in my late 20's early 30's.

So it got me to thinking that when a bunch of old guys are racing similar expensive beautiful vintage race bikes like the ES4 pictured they probably do all look fast. Stick a 30 something fearless kid with some serious talent into the mix and those old guys might look like they have slowed down some in 50 years when they get lapped. Just projecting. There's always a faster gun.

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Not necessarily. If a rider who has years of top level experience and is still fit and agile as is Bob (Rosie), they cans still take it up to a younger rider. As young Tim Joyce (Phiilip Island 2019), or young Cam Donald (Winton 2+4 May 2021) can attest with the same number of wins to Bob at each event. BTW, my "other" rider is Kane Burns who is 50 years younger, and with significant Australian and European 600 Super Sport experience and success is not much quicker (Last of the three photos). You've only got to be the fastest gun at the shoot out.