Worlds First SUPERBIKE CHAMPION .

Just For YOU , seeing it's Christmas . We wont mention they run methanol & it saw off the Z1s .







The Checque is dated . 1973 . BELOW is the stock Castrol Six Hour Entrant . Disc Pad Trouble maybe couldve might won , otherwise . Or if everyone else had the same problem .
SURELY someone makes disc pads for the stock caliper that actually GRIP & work , these days . Metalic and all the other trics . Or our aces could machine doun fancy car ones .

If using a disc grinder wear a face mask . Or youll never know what you might catch . That & a file'd do on any hotshit ones , if youvegot thepatiance .

Hokay 1972 theysay .

I'm enjoying this thread and good to see a Norton doing so well.

The definition of 'superbike' varies. Those bikes raced in Aus look like what would be called 'production' bikes in the UK but which would only use fuel pump petrol (gas).

However, the MCN Superbike series in the UK ran from 1971. Some results from the series:

1971
Brands - Percy Tait, Triumph 750
Mallory - Percy Tait, Triumph 750
Snetterton - Percy Tait, Triumph 750
Oulton - Ray Pickrell, BSA 750
Mallory - Ray Pickrell, BSA 750
Brands - John H Cooper, BSA 750

1972
Brands - Ray Pickrell, Triumph 750
Cadwell - John H Cooper, Triumph 750
Brands - Ray Pickrell, Triumph 750
Mallory - John H Cooper, Triumph 750
Oulton - Paul Smart, Seeley Kawasaki
Scarborough - Mick Grant, Norton
Mallory - Paul Smart, Triumph
Brands - John H Cooper, Triumph 750

1973
Brands - Paul Smart, Suzuki 750
Cadwell - Peter Williams, John Player Norton
Brands - Stan Woods, Suzuki 750
Mallory - Stan Woods, Suzuki 750
Oulton - Paul Smart, Suzuki 750
Scarborough - Mick Grant, John Player Norton
Mallory - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750
Brands - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750

There may have been superbike races even earlier in the USA. I'm sure someone will chime in.

Andy

In about 1971, I watched racing at Phillip Island. Jim Eade was there with a Laverda 750 SFC. HIs rider beat all the fast guys on their 900cc Z! Kawasakis. All that had been done to the Laverda, was it was straight out of the crate, but put on methanol. As the bikes were coming around that very fast turn into the main straight, the Kawasakis were weaving. The Laverda 750 just went straight around super-smooth. The Kawasakis were probably also using methanol. The fast guys were Mick Hone and Alan Decker - very fast in a straight line. Phillip Island keeps everyone honest.. I cannot remember the name of the guy who rode the Laverda. He was still around many years later.

Vic Vasella !

Back in those days, I only ever saw one Commando in a road race. It was ridden by Jeff Curley who was an A grade racer and it was sponsored by S.R.Evans who sold them in Melbourne. It won, but you would not buy one. Most of us cannot ride like Jeff. The way the Commando went surprised me.. I never believed in Commandos , and when I built ny own bike with the 850 motor, I never believed in it. My mate used to do pre-delivery for S.R.Evans on H1, H2 and Z1 Kawasakis. They used to take the bikes to the Richmond Boulevard to test them. He said the Commandos were right up there with the Japanese bikes. That surprised me - a Z1 Kawasaki is extremely fast.
A 750 SFC Laverda is a much better thing. Even a 750 SF can be made to go. I once saw a 750 SF at a swap meet , in the back of a ute. I waited around for a while for the owner, but he did not turn up. The 750 SF are quite rare, but worth having. My Seeley frame was originally fitted with one of those motors, but when I tried to buy the bike , I could not get the motor.

My immediate reaction to the thread title was Reg Pridmore, R-90s.
That was the result of the First SB champion in the USA.
That was 1976 however, looks like we were behind.

acotrel said:

Back in those days, I only ever saw one Commando in a road race.

Click to expand...

Precious few wins for Norton Commandos in Australia, acotrel, but I can tell you that in May of 1970 the combined Lightweight and Unlimited Production race at the Queensland TT meeting at Surfers Paradise was won by L.Coleman on a Norton Commando.

I have to hand a copy of Motorcycle Sports magazine dated May 19th 1971, which has a thrilling report of the race, written by the Queensland Editor Mr. Barry Marshall. Barry appears to have barracking for a rider named Graeme Allen, who was mounted on a 350 R5 Yamaha. He gives an account of Graeme’s slow start and progress through the field until his plans of victory are thwarted by said L.Coleman, who was riding the wheels off his Norton “which was using up most of the track as it drifted from side to side through the “S“ bends”. Sadly Graeme did not overcome the Norton, but fell on lap 5, letting Graeme Gates through on his Bultaco to take second overall, and first place in the Lightweight class (possibly on the same El Bandido that I saw him riding 5 months earlier at Catalina Park). Graeme Allen remounted to finish second in the Unlimited class.

I believe the Norton was a metalflake blue Commando “S”

I recall seeing Vic Vasella on that SFC at Oran Park.
A local here had an SF, and then traded it for a Jota. I towelled the Jota up once on my old yellow Commando, but I think that it was mainly a matter of the Laverda being V. expensive and the Norton being basically disposable.

I heard at the weekend that if you stand near a running methanol bike, it makes your eyes water... useful for detection of illegal runners....

When methanol burns rich, it makes formic acid. Properly leaned-off, it does not smell much. There are currently two historic race classes in Australia in which methanol is legal. In the old days, the Jesser Triumph 730 which Ken Blake rode, used a blend of methanol, toluene and nitromethane. It spread its motor at Mallala and brought four riders down. I never knew why I could not get near it in a race.

I recall some weird and tear-inducing fumes blowing in my face on clutch start Historic grids in the '70s. Being at the back of the grid (my usual position) I was in the perfect position to experience them. Some of the Triumph motors had external throughbolts to hold the top end together and they seemed to work . The bottom ends were another matter ......
Methanol seemed to have a sweet smell. If I was any sort of a rider it would have been worthwhile to change over to alcohol, but I wasn't so I didn't.

I'll take this post with a pinch of salt, look at the date on the cheque, 29th 11 , 1973 -
Paul Smart won the Imola 200 on the 750 Ducati in 1972, the annual Motorcycle 500 miler started sometime before that, plus Vincent won a few production races going back yonks ...........