motorcycles

SOO22D – this factory Greeves is still around

Words: Trials Guru; Roy Kerr; John Pearson.

Photos: Derek Soden; Terry Heath; Ken Haydon; Barry Robinson’s Estate; Eric Kitchen; Roy Kerr; Barbara Kerr.

Read Time: 20 minutes approx.

In the 1960s, every major trial motorcycle manufacturer relied upon its factory riders to demonstrate the capabilities of its machines in competition. Week after week, these highly skilled competitors carried the hopes of their respective marques, riding specially prepared “works” machines that often differed considerably from their production counterparts. Once superseded, a fortunate few found their way into private ownership, but many more disappeared forever, broken for spares or dismantled within the competition department. As a result, genuine factory trials machines from the 1960s are today among the rarest survivors of the sport. When they are discovered, it is usually very challenging to confirm their provenance due to the passage of time.

Preserving history:

We like history to be preserved and came across one such ‘works’ bike that has survived, having been sold into private hands by 1969.

The machine in question is a 1966 Greeves Anglian, registered by ‘Invacar Limited’ the company name of the brand ‘Greeves’ built in the village of Thundersley in southeast Essex. It was registered as SOO22D in November 1966 but with some confusion as to its engine capacity, originally with 252cc then altered to 247cc. The prefix ‘OO’ relates to Chelmsford, the county town of Essex, and the main registration authority at that time. The company registered a brace of Greeves machines at this time all bearing ‘SOO’ numbers and allocated these to their supported riders. This included Bill Wilkinson, Don Smith, Derek Adsett and of course Jim Sandiford.

Jim Sandiford aboard SOO22D at the 1967 Kickham National Trial – Photo: Terry Heath

SOO22D was issued to Lancashire based Greeves rider, none other than James Albert Sandiford who would later import Montesa Motorcycles at his Bury premises, but at this time he was a contracted Greeves trials and ISDT qualifier and team member. Jim had his business, registered as James Sandiford (Motor Cycles) Ltd at 30-36a Walmersley Road, Bury from where he ran his dealership and a mail order spares and accessories service. Sandiford was known to be a serious competitor with a desire to win whether that be at a one-day trial or as a British team member in the ISDT, be that as a Vase or Trophy member.

Jim Sandiford’s mail order catalogue featuring SOO22D on the cover.

Part of the frame number of SOO22D identifies it as a ‘THSB’ which usually relates to the later 1967 Greeves Anglian model but remember this is a factory machine and more likely to be a pre-production version, dare we suggest – prototype.

For historians and enthusiasts alike, the old buff-coloured logbooks remain invaluable, often providing the only surviving record of a machine’s early life. In the case of SOO22D, however, the documentary trail ends surprisingly soon after the machine left factory ownership. The evidence suggests that Jim Sandiford acquired the Anglian from Greeves before selling it through his dealership into private hands in 1969 to James Stephen Taylor of Bamford, Rochdale. After this owner the trail went cold for some years and of course details of subsequent owners are unknown.

However, the trail of the Greeves ownership was re-established by the machine’s V5C issued by Swansea which revealed that it had been owned by Stanley Robinson of Rossendale, Lancashire in February 1986 and then Edward Banks of Knutsford, Cheshire in May 1990 around the time of the Pre65 Scottish trial.

Journalist, John Pearson had been loaned SOO22D for the 1990 Pre65 Scottish Trial at Kinlochleven and did a short article for Classic Bike Weekly, a section within Motor Cycle News. Stan Robinson had willingly loaned the machine and from that article we can deduce that the Anglian sported a nineteen-inch rear wheel when new. Robinson replaced the rim with an eighteen inch version, due to the scarcity of nineteen-inch tyres by then.

John Pearson, a former The Classic Motor Cycle and Classic Bike editor commented: “I had actually forgotten about riding SOO22D back in 1990. Stan Robinson had such a fabulous collection of motorcycles. I rode several of Stan’s bikes in the pre-65, all original. He kept his bikes in a massive loft over his premises, with the only way to get them in and out was in a highly secure lift. He had numerous road racing and scrambles machines as well as the trials bikes. A real treat to walk round them with him.”

Sadly, the ex-factory Greeves didn’t carry rider Pearson very far as the ignition packed in after attempting just three groups of sections. Possibly due to elderly electrics having given up at twenty-four years of age. Jim Sandiford at that time was still riding the Pre65 Scottish on his BSA B40 and was on hand at the start for a short photo shoot with John Pearson at the start together with the factory Greeves.

For a motorcycle that began life as a factory competition machine, a type of motorcycle so often used hard and discarded, its survival is remarkable. Equally remarkable is the fact that enough documentary evidence has survived to allow much of its history to be reconstructed, linking one of Greeves’ genuine works Anglians with one of the company’s and Britain’s most respected riders.

Provenance:

With the help of contemporary Motor Cycle News reports, a previous owner was able to document Jim Sandiford’s weekly results on SOO 22D between November 1966 and January 1967.

On 13 November 1966, Jim took the new Greeves to France to compete in the International St. Cucufa Trial, organised by the Amicale Motocycliste de Saint-Cloud held in woodlands called Bois de Saint-Cucufa, to the west of Paris. A popular event with British riders, it formed a round of the Challenge Henri Goutars, the forerunner of the European Championship. Sandiford finished a very creditable fourth overall losing twenty marks, with team-mate Don Smith (Greeves) taking the victory on eleven marks and Sammy Miller runner-up two marks adrift. French champion Christian Rayer also on a Greeves was third on nineteen marks. As the new Anglian had not yet been registered, it competed using the registration number from Jim’s previous works Greeves. [1]

The following weekend, on 20 November, Sandiford rode the Anglian to victory in the Pennine Trial, beating Northern Centre rider Stan Cordingley by a single mark. The Greeves was officially registered as SOO22D two days later, meaning it had yet again competed under another machine’s registration number.

Having qualified for the 32nd British Experts Trial at Llandrindod Wells on Saturday, 26 November, Sandiford entered the Greeves as a 249cc machine. Riding number 26, he finished thirteenth overall and earned a coveted First-Class Award. The following day, he was back in action at the St. Helens Club Traders Trial, where Stan Cordingley reversed the previous week’s result, taking victory with Sandiford finishing runner-up.

Championship Success:

The Cotswold Cup followed on 4 December, where Sandiford and the Greeves again secured a First-Class Award. A week later, on 11 December, losing fourteen marks they finished runners-up in the Northern Experts Trial, won by Derbyshire rider Norman Eyre on six marks riding a Bultaco Sherpa. Third place was taken by Malcolm Rathmell on fifteen marks on his Triumph Cub.

These consistent performances throughout the closing weeks of the season secured Jim Sandiford the 1966 ACU North Western Centre Championship aboard the new Greeves Anglian, marking an impressive debut campaign for the machine.

Watched by photographer, Gordon Francis with camera, Jim Sandiford on the works Greeves Anglian, SOO22D competing in the Bristol Motor Club’s Kickham Trial on March 18th 1967 – Photo: Terry Heath

Scottish Six Days:

In the 1967 Scottish Six Days, Jim came home in seventh position on fifty marks on SOO22D which was listed as a 254cc, in fact he equalled teammate Don Smith’s score. The eventual winner being Sammy Miller on his 252cc Bultaco who also took the 251-350cc award. The following year, Sandiford would be similarly Bultaco mounted at the SSDT and Don Smith would also defect from Greeves to ride a Montesa.

Jim Sandiford tackles ‘Foyers’ on the south of Loch Ness in the 1967 Scottish Six Days Trial – Photo: Ken Hayden Collection

SOO22D didn’t ‘retire’ after Jim Sandiford moved away from riding for Greeves, evidenced by the significant wear and tear to the underside of the chassis, this machine had been well used. It also didn’t show signs of being modified from its original 1966 specification either. The frame number corresponded with the original registration booklet as did the engine. The Anglian used the tried and trusted Villiers 37A engine with Greeves own aluminium alloy cylinder barrel and head. These were supplied as complete units from Villiers with cast iron barrels which Greeves removed and fitted their own components. The standard Anglian was a 66mm x 72mm configuration which gave 246cc cylinder capacity. However, as stated when registered, SOO22D’s records indicated a 252cc engine. To give this capacity, the engine would have required a piston of 66.8mm diameter. Cylinder lubrication at that time would be achieved by using two stroke oil at a ratio of 16:1 and no doubt using Shell Lubricants as Greeves had an agreement with the petrol giant at that time.

Carburation is taken care of by an AMAL concentric instrument however it is assumed that a Villiers instrument was used when Jim Sandiford rode the machine. Period photographs don’t reveal very much as the Greeves had a fabric cover over the inlet area stretched back to the rear subframe. Greeves riders also used AMAL monobloc carburetors at this time.

The front suspension is taken care of by a set of Ceriani forks, by 1966 the preferred component by the factory riders, all of whom removed the signature ‘banana’ forks. However, this modification did not ensure the correct steering result due to the alloy beam front frame. In fact, factory rider Bill Wilkinson deployed the yokes from the Greeves Challenger scrambles model which he said made his Anglian ‘steer like it should have’. Wilkinson had been issued with SOO23D in 1966, the sister bike to Jim Sandiford’s Anglian.

Bill Wilkinson was issued with SOO23D in 1966 – Photo: Barry Robinson’s Estate

Why the Anglian?

The Anglian model was Thundersley’s response to the growing Spanish Armada of the sport, with Bultaco having established its dominance with Sammy Miller and others in the British and European Championship hence the Greeves supported riders were all issued with an Anglian. This didn’t really impress their number one rider, Don ‘D.R.’ Smith who would eventually have a falling out with Bert Greeves and subsequently change his alliance to the Spanish Montesa manufacturer in 1968. Part of this was brought on by the sheer stubbornness of Mr. Greeves to retain the cast aluminium front frame beam which was regarded as part of Greeves competition heritage. The front frame made this way did not allow for any experimentation with steering angles, when compared to a fully tubular chassis design. This reluctance to change, or even experiment, frustrated Smith who voted with his feet, first of all riding a private Bultaco before signing for Montesa.

Don Smith’s works Greeves Anglian at the 1967 SSDT, almost identical to SOO22D – Photo: Ken Haydon Coillection.

It is possible that Jim Sandiford had similar thoughts, given that he left Greeves around the same time as Smith to ride the Bultaco.

Yorkshireman, Bill Wilkinson on the other hand was comfortable riding the Anglian and indeed took his 1968 model (WWC169F) to victory in the 1969 Scottish Six Days Trial, beating Sammy Miller in the process.

1969 SSDT lunch stop with Alec Hayton; Sammy Miller MBE; Paul Dunkley and Jim Sandiford – Photo: Ken Haydon Collection.

The Greeves Anglian was to become a last-ditch attempt to stem the Spanish invasion of trials, history records that it failed to do so. Their efforts were noble as they wanted to uphold British industry honour, but the Spanish were more innovative and were producing machinery that gave even mediocre riders results!

SOO22D today:

Current owner, Roy Kerr takes up the story: “Living in Savannah, Georgia and working for JCB, I was in the middle of a full strip down and rebuild of a very early 1968 Bultaco Sherpa M49 and was on eBay looking for some parts, when in the search results appeared a Greeves Anglian trials bike.

On looking at the details of the auction there was mention that the bike was an ex-factory bike ridden by Jim Sandiford. On further investigation, there were some very clear images of the bike. These images showed clearly the serial and registration information of the bike and an image of some of the bike’s history.

SOO22D as advertised for sale on ebay caught the eye of Roy Kerr in 2019.

The bike was listed at offers over $545, so I added it to my watch list whilst I did a bit more research on this interesting Greeves.

I was able to find images of Jim Sandiford riding the bike in a few events and it was clearly the bike with the registration of SOO22D. I also had a chat over the internet with my friend of fifty years John Moffat, who did a bit of digging as well for me.

In contacting the owner, Steven Lawrence in Alamo, I established he purchased the bike in 1999 in the UK and shipped it over to California, where the bike was kept with a number of other Greeves motorcycles, the guy was indeed a Greeves fanatic.

The bike had been ridden by him in Californian classic trials up until quite recently, but he was not a serious trials rider purely social and for fun.

As luck would have it, I ended up the winner of the bike, which was the result I was after and I paid the ‘right money’ for the Greeves. I really wanted this bike, as I had known Jim Sandiford from the days when my family were Montesa dealers, and I won my Scottish Trials championship in 1980 riding the Sandiford 349 Montesa.

Roy Kerr was the 1980 Scottish Trials Champion, seen here with the number 1 plate for the 1981 SSDT on a Sandiford Montesa 349.

I obviously knew Caroline and Martin Sandiford from my time with Trail Tech Products. I just thought it would be right to purchase the bike and bring it home.

After winning the bike and money changing hands, I had to find a reliable shipper to get it from California to Georgia, a real Coast to Coast trip. Fortunately, I found a reputable motorcycle shipper and soon after the bike was in my garage.

As part of the sale in November 2019, the owner sent me by UPS a folder containing all the history he had collected on the bike. This is good evidence of the providence of the ex-works Greeves.

To my amazement, the green logbook was in the folder which has been laminated due to the age and state of the document. This shows the bike was first registered to Invacar Ltd, Church Rd, Thundersley, thus confirming it as a factory machine. On first registration, the logbook had been signed by Derry Preston-Cobb, Bert Greeves’ cousin, and a company director.

1966 registration booklet shows Derry Preston-Cobb’s signature on behalf of Invacar Limited – Photo: Roy Kerr

The date of first registration was November 22nd, 1966, which is very spooky indeed because November 22nd is my birthday and that was my sixth birthday! In the folder there was also a full list of the history of Jim Sandford’s time with the Greeves.

It shows that Jim had ridden the Anglian unregistered on November 13th in a trial in France, his first ride on it when it was legally registered was on November 26th.

There were some images of the bike with Jim on it in the Welsh 3 Day and the Mitchell trial and numerous press articles of Jim and the bike.

Riding SOO22D, Jim Sandiford presses on at the 1967 Welsh Three Day Trial, a precursor for the ISDT – Photo: Derek Soden

I shipped the Greeves back to the UK in April 2022 as I was coming back to England continuing my work with JCB having fulfilled my stint in the United States.

Trials Guru’s John Moffat gave me a helping hand to ensure the DVLA at Swansea reallocated the original SOO22D registration number to the bike and John did this on my behalf when I was still in America.”

What then?

Kerr: “My intention was not going to go full tilt on the restoration of the bike I intended to tidy it up and was to keep it as it was and as it would have been ridden by Jim.

What is ironic about the purchase of the bike is that I found it looking for parts for the first model M49 Bultaco built, its serial number was M4900028 and it was registered as a 1967 model year bike and sold to its first owner in Los Angeles in 1968. Jim stopped riding for Greeves and went to Bultaco to ride a Model 49 in November 1967! So, I’ve one bike Jim competed on, and the other is the make and model he went onto ride from the Greeves.

What was I doing in North America? I transferred over to North America in September of 2017 into the position of Vice President, Product Support responsible for parts and warehouse operations, technical and field service support and technical training. This kept me fairly busy and a motorcycle is a way for me to switch off.”

Scott Ellis:

“After inspecting the frame and cycle parts closely and shipping the Greeves back to the UK, I enlisted the help of my friend and former colleague at JCB, Scott Ellis to assess the state of play. To be honest it didn’t look too good at all, the lower frame had been poorly repaired by brazing, broken and repaired again, this would have to be addressed. Scott stripped the bike and fully rebuilt the engine and gearbox.

The Greeves chassis under the engine had seen much action and would need rectified.

I purchased another frame with the intention of riding the bike. Scott assembled the bike using the new frame and made it a runner. The original frame was painted and stored safely with the intention to rebuild the bike in the original frame in the future. The frame was repaired properly by Steve Gagg who removed a section of the lower area, to replace the tubing and make it strong again.”

Fabricator Steve Gagg removed this section of the chassis to replace it with the correct tubing – Photo Scott Ellis.

Greeves Motorsport:

“Time marches on of course and my stay in North America ended up being seven years. By the time I returned to the UK in 2024, my thoughts and intentions of competing the Greeves turned to that I should really restore the bike back into the original chassis.

That idea sat in my head until late 2025 when I contacted Gary Bamford at Greeves Motorsport Ltd at Moreton Valance in Gloucestershire, to see if he was interested in rebuilding the bike to a high standard, using the original chassis and to fit a new engine cradle and repair the rear mudguard loop.

Gary Bamford replaced the engine cradle with a new item from stock.

Gary gladly took on the task, and he and his team did a top job in building the bike back into the original chassis.

A new alloy fuel tank was sourced from Tony Holt at Holtworks from Mayland in Essex and painted by the late Ally Grant’s ‘Bike Paints’ at Cupar Muir, Fife and I carefully stored it for the time I was going to one day rebuild the bike.”

Attention to detail was important when renovating this historic trials machine – Photo: Barbara Kerr.

Roy admits that because of restoration and repair work which was necessary it could be argued that the Greeves is not totally original, but which former ‘works’ trials machine is ‘original’? The factories habitually replaced all components week by week as necessary and that included complete chassis, cycle parts and of course, engines. It has often been muted that the items between the front and rear registration numbers changed regularly.

SOO22D as it is today, a historic machine – Photo: Barbara Kerr

Having said that, SOO22D is as close to the specification when Jim Sandiford received it in November 1966 and to have a machine like that is good enough for most enthusiasts of the marque.

Roy Kerr is a canny Scottish border’s lad, a former Scottish Youth Senior (1977) and Adult (1980) trials champion and being an enthusiast, has collected such a wealth of information on his Greeves, something that is usually lacking when competition machinery comes up for auction at Pugh’s or Bonhams. Not that Roy has any desire to move this particular Greeves on, but when he does, the new owner will inherit a wealth of knowledge and the providence of this historic machine.

Old Scottish born friends: Graham Smith (1981 Scottish Champion); Trials Guru’s John Moffat; the late Peter Valente and Roy Kerr (1980 Scottish Champion) All members of Hawick and Border MC at one time – Photo: Eric Kitchen

What became of Greeves Motorcycles?

Originally, ‘Greeves’ was the brand name for motorcycles made by the company Invacar Limited, founded by Bert Greeves and his cousin, Derry Preston-Cobb, the company also produced three-wheeled motorised vehicles using Villiers two-stroke engines for disabled drivers from 1952 under the funding from the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance.

Greeves became a force to be reckoned with in competiton in the late 1950s and early 1960s, winning the 1961 European Motocross Championship with Dave Bickers. They also had European Trials honours with Don Smith twice, 1964 and 1967.

The rights to the name Greeves were purchased by Richard Deal in 1999 with the intention of producing exact replicas of previous Greeves models and to produce a new trials model, which was launched in January 2009.

Richard Deal ran the company as Greeves Motorcycles Ltd in Chelmsford, but rising costs and lack of development of the British made 280cc trials machine put paid to the enterprise.

Most recently, the rights to use the Greeves name and stylised logo have been secured by Gary Bamford through his company Brithubs Limited in 2025, trading as British Bikes 1970. Greeves Motorcycles Ltd sold all its interests, goodwill, and intellectual property rights in classic Villiers and Greeves motorcycles, parts, components and spares to Brithubs Limited. Greeves is now a registered trademark of Brithubs Limited with the Intellectual Property Office of the UK Government.

Bibliography and references:

Motor Cycle News – Various reports 1966-1967

[1] Cycle World USA – ‘Continental Report’ by B.R. Nicholls – February 1st 1967.

Classic Bike Weekly/ Motor Cycle News – May 9, 1990.

Greeves Motorsport Ltd/Brithubs Limited – www.britishbikes1970.com

Special Thanks to John Pearson, formerly of Motor Cycle News/Classic Bike Weekly, The Classic Motor Cycle and Classic Bike.

‘SOO22D – this factory Greeves is still around’ is the copyright of Trials Guru.

Apart from ‘Fair Dealing’ for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this article may be copied, reproduced, stored in any form of retrieval system, electronic or otherwise or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, mechanical, optical, chemical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author as stated above. This article is not being published for any monetary reward or monetisation, be that online or in print.

Trials Guru Info

VIP red caps continue

The now world-famous Trials Guru VIP Red Cap continues to be awarded to dedicated individuals who have devoted countless hours of their own time to promoting and developing the sport of motorcycle trials.

No other organisation or media outlet has undertaken such a long-running, free initiative to recognise and celebrate the people who keep the sport thriving.

The VIP Red Cap was introduced in 2024 to mark the tenth anniversary of the Trials Guru website. Since then, it has evolved into a genuine ‘badge of honour’, recognising club officials, volunteers, organisers, and industry figures who have made an outstanding contribution to motorcycle trials over many years.

The caps have now been distributed across 23 countries, with recipients spanning every level of the sport.

Recent nominations include, Peter Race of Scarborough & District MC; Elwyn Williams of Llanfyllin; Mike Wiseman of Waltham Chase MCTC; Robin Hoare of the West of England MC; Colin Moram of the A-CU and industry captain, George Sartin, formerly of Talon Engineering.

Elwyn Williams proudly displays his new headwear. He’s approaching 87 in August.
The Jean Williams memorial trial (in memory of his late wife and the Llanfyllin club secretary). He still directs the marking out team, and this was just before he jumped on his quad to go round the trial checking for problems and eventually observing all day. He’s been a powerhouse in trials in Mid Wales, and still going strong! Elwyn is of course a Trials Guru VIP.

There will no doubt be many more worthy recipients in the future. Nominations can be submitted by contacting Trials Guru via Facebook or by email, helping ensure that the unsung heroes of motorcycle trials receive the recognition they deserve.

Contact Trials Guru: HERE

  • Elwyn Williams proudly displays his new headwear. He’s approaching 87 in August. The Jean Williams memorial trial (in memory of his late wife and the Llanfyllin club secretary). He still directs the marking out team, and this was just before he jumped on his quad to go round the trial checking for problems and eventually observing all day. He’s been a powerhouse in trials in Mid Wales, and still going strong! Elwyn is of course a Trials Guru VIP.
  • Peter Race of the Scarborough & District Motor Club who organise the Oliver’s Mount races and many trials, is a stalwart of the club and is of course a Trials Guru VIP – Dedicated To Trial.
  • Robin is one of 4 brothers who were living and working in South Devon, three of which were Trials riders. The eldest Bryan, emigrated to New Zealand and carried on Riding and organising in North Island, Robin carried on farming beef cattle in the Newton Abbot area of South Devon. Robin with other members of the West of England committee organises and marks out about 17 trials a year from Youth events to Nationals and Classic Trials including the Dartmoor 2 day trial. You can find him out weeks before the event with his close friend Pete Meeson plotting both the road Trials with his knowledge of the area and close friendship with his fellow farmers in the farming community, as well as marking sensible sections in the abundant rocks on Dartmoor. Robin is well known by many riders who appreciate his knowledge of what is required for both modern and classic events which has made the club so successful over the years. With his team of helpers, they come up to Kinlochleven every year to partake in the Moidart run and have observed a day of the pre-65 after. In fact I am aware that he picked you up one year in the Moidart run when you broke down. It was the year he had his hip operation and did not ride but drove the back up van for the Devon riders. Robin is the God Father of Kailee Coffin who so richly deserved her red hat and was brought into the club by Robin. (Photo: Mike Naish)
  • Colin Moram, the well known ACU and FIM official and former owner of the Windsor Comp Shop, is a Trials Guru VIP.
  • Ulsterman Russell Houston is a Trials enthusiast who runs ‘Trials Talk’ on the internet: “Thank you for sending me one of your VIP caps, I’m a little overwhelmed to be honest. I genuinely enjoy putting on a trial, regardless of the level. Looking for sections, clearing them, marking them out and then watching riders trying to clean them, is a very satisfying process and to be recognised for that is really quite humbling. You know yourself, you don’t do it for the recognition, but it is nice for the time and effort to be acknowledged every so often.” Welcome to the VIP Club Russell.
  • Trials Guru VIP is Mike Hann, nominated by several like-minded enthusiasts in the south of England. Mike is somebody who encouraged young riders to take up the sport; an organiser, co-ordinator and course plotter. A rider who at sixty-six was the oldest rider in the South West Centre, and performing well at that – Dedicated To Trial.
  • Ivan Rose is a Trials Guru VIP – Dedicated To Trial
People

Archie du Feu

Archie Graham du Feu
18 June 1939 – 29 March 2016

Archie Graham du Feu was one of Jersey’s most accomplished and respected motorcycle trials riders.

A grower by profession, his passion for motorcycle sport spanned decades and left a lasting legacy within the Channel island of Jersey’s motorsport community.

Archie first made his mark competing in hill climbs, sprints and beach racing before discovering his true passion—motorcycle trials. He initially rode an HT5 Ariel before moving on to a Greeves Scottish. In 1966, he acquired one of the first two Bultacos ever imported into Jersey, a machine that would help define his competitive career.

Archie du Feu with his Bultaco Sherpa, one of the very first to be imported onto Jersey in 1966.

Riding for the Jersey Motorcycle and Light Car Club, Archie established himself as the island’s leading trials rider, winning an incredible ten consecutive Jersey Trials Championships. His success was not confined to Jersey, as he also competed in prestigious UK events, including the Hoad Trial and the Percy Simon Trial, earning several First Class Awards.

From 2000 onwards, Archie rode with the Jersey Classic and Modern Trials Club, founded by his son, Graham. Even in the later years of his career he continued to enjoy championship success, competing in the Pre-65 class on a BSA B40 before later riding a Triumph Cub. His beloved 500cc Ariel also remains closely associated with the family, with Graham enjoying considerable success on the machine in UK competition.

1979 World Champion, Bernie Schreiber was guest of the Jersey C&MT club in 2020, seen here with Graham du Feu.

Motorsport became a true family tradition. Archie rode alongside his two sons, Graham and Mac, and later with Graham’s three sons, making them the first three-generation family to compete together in Jersey motorsport. Collectively, the du Feu family has won more than 50 championships across various disciplines.

The family’s success has continued through the generations. Graham and his son Ollie are both highly accomplished hill climb and sprint competitors and have each held competition records, further cementing the du Feu family’s place in Jersey motorsport history.

Archie’s contribution to the sport is remembered each year through the Archie du Feu Memorial Trial, the final trials event of the Jersey season. The event celebrates his passion for the sport, with the Archie du Feu Memorial Trophy awarded to the rider on the Novice Route who loses the fewest marks—a fitting tribute to a competitor whose skill, sportsmanship and dedication inspired generations of riders.

Archie Graham du Feu’s achievements, sportsmanship and lifelong commitment to motorcycle trials continue to be remembered by family, friends and the wider motorsport community. His legacy lives on through the riders he inspired and the generations of the du Feu family who continue to compete with distinction.

Obituaries

Paul Sadler 1964 – 2026

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Paul Sadler aged 61 years from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, owner of Acklams Beta Limited and Harrogate Van Centre Ltd.

Paul had been a large part of the trials scene for many years, being a rider and dealer, latterly specialising in the Beta brand imported by John Lampkin.

Paul was a great supporter of the sport and the Acklams van could be seen with bikes on display at many major events in the UK.

Paul built up a customer base spread throughout the country.

Trials Guru sends sincere condolences to the Sadler family at this difficult time.

For anyone wishing to pay their respects, Paul’s funeral will take place on Friday 31st July at 11:00am, Stonefall Cemetery & Crematorium, Harrogate.

People

Mary Driver

Words: Trials Guru

Photos: Ron Aitchie; Mike Davies; Ray Foulds; Mike Rapley; Speedtracktales; J. Moffat/Trials Guru; Sharon Bumpsteed/Sammy Miller Museum Trust.

Main Photo: Mike Davies

Watched closely by ACU man, Edward Damadian, third left, Mary Driver (Comerfords Greeves) on Grey Mare’s Ridge in the 1963 SSDT – Photo: Mike Davies

Quite a few people will remember the name, Mary Driver in the world of motorcycle trials, but given that the lady was heavily involved in the sport of motorcycling from 1954 until 1975, some of our younger readers might be excused by not knowing of Mary.

She was to inspire a generation of young female trials riders in the 1960s, much like Emma Bristow has done in the current day.

Mary Buxton as she was then known, was born in North London in 1935 and was introduced into motorcycling through her husband to be, Dennis Driver and was a member of the Wood Green & District Motorcycle Club.

The Wood Green and District Motorcycle Club was established in 1924 in North London, this historic club was well-known for hosting local time trials, road rallies, and women-only motorcycling events in the 1920s. It was affiliated to the South Midland Centre of the Auto-Cycle Union.

In 1954, Mary passed her motorcycle test through the RAC/ACU Training Scheme at the London Borough of Haringey on her 197cc James, she also joined the secretarial staff at the ACU in London’s Pall Mall.

Her motorcycle interest really began when she travelled pillion on boyfriend Dennis’s BSA A10 Gold Flash in 1953.

After three years gaining valuable experience riding her motorcycle on the road, Mary Driver became involved in organising the Paley Cup, Beggar’s Roost and Clayton Trophy national trial events. She then began entering trials on her husband Dennis’s James.

In those years, Mary simply rode her bike to the events, competed and rode back home again, this was the way many riders transported their competition machine to events. She also assisted husband Dennis as Clerk of the Course for the national Clayton Trophy Trial near Buxton in Derbyshire.

In 1958. she took part in the Silverstone circuit High Speed trials on a 500cc AJS, the following year on a 197cc DKW. Rather than a wheel-to-wheel race, the high-speed trials required riders to maintain a specific average lap speed over a set distance (typically one hour) to earn an award. In the same year, Mary and Dennis married.

In 1959, when BSA launched their 249cc C15T model specifically for trials, Dennis bought her one and Mary started riding in national trials. She won an award at the Hoad Trophy trial and qualified for expert status and rode in the Southern Experts in 1963.

The 1961 SSDT – Mary Driver on Loch Eild Path on her Bill Slocombe sponsored BSA C15T – Photo: Ray Foulds, Glasgow.

Sponsorship became available to Mary firstly from London dealer, Bill Slocombe, whose dealership was based in Neasden, North West London, from 1961 until 1963. Mary’s bikes were prepared there by Alec Wright who later became Kawasaki’s off road manager in the 1980s. She continued to ride the Slocombe supplied BSA C15T before moving over to ride Greeves for Comerford’s of Thames Ditton, Surrey.

Mary Driver on her 250cc Comerford’s Greeves tackles ‘Grey Mare’s Ridge’ in the 1965 SSDT – Photo: Ron Aitchie Collection

Mary entered and finished in no less than seven Scottish Six Days Trials from 1961 until 1966. Four times BSA mounted and three on Greeves machinery. In the 1961 SSDT, Mary won the award for the Best Performance by a Lady Competitor, which was a Travelling Clock presented by The Grand Hotel, Fort William, she finished in 111th position losing 249 marks that year. She was best lady competitor the following year and again in 1963 and in 1964 was presented with a minature cup presented by the Edinburgh & District club in 1965 and then a silver cup in 1966 by the motor club.

Mary Driver (Greeves) waves a precautionary foot in the 1964 SSDT on ‘Tyndrum’ – Photo: Mike Rapley.

In 1961 Mary decided to have a go at the International Six Days Trial at Llandrindod Wells in Wales on a 250cc BSA C15 (9051MF) prepared and supplied by Bill Slocombe. This machine was prepared in their workshops by Alec Wright. Mary finished the event with a Silver Medal. She competed in the ISDT a further five times, West Germany in 1962, when she retired, 1963 in Czechoslovakia with a Bronze Medal, the only female to compete in the ISDT that year when only 60% of the entry actually finished. She failed to finish in East Germany in 1964 at Erfurt; the Isle of Man in 1965 and finally in 1968 at San Pellegrino, Italy riding the 1966 factory Greeves (SOO56D). But she gave the event her all at the time and these were the toughest motorcycle events on the planet.

Mary Driver makes an adjustment to her factory supplied Greeves (SOO56D) at the ISDT at San Pellegrino, Italy – Photo: Speedtracktales ISDT website.

Mary’s Greeves Challenger ISDT (DOO94B) that she rode in the 1964 ISDT at Erfurt still exists, in fact it is safely on display at Sammy Miller’s wonderful museum at Bashley, New Milton, Hampshire, still showing the official dabs of paint on the frame. The engine is a 246cc Challenger unit and the bike was prepared and supplied by Comerford’s specially for the 1964 event with a little help from the Greeves factory. The machine was first registered on 13th May 1964 by Invacar Limited, Church Road, Thundersley, the company name for the Greeves marque, it was described as a ’24IN’ basically a Challenger International.

Sammy Miller MBE with Mary Driver’s 1964 ISDT Greeves at his museum at New Milton, Hampshire – Photo: Sharon Bumpsteed/Sammy Miller Museum Trust.

Sammy Miller MBE: “Mary Driver competed in the 1964 ISDT in East Germany on the factory supported Greeves. I also rode for Great Britain in that event on a 505cc Triumph, over-bored so that I was in competing in the 650cc class. It was a delight to find Mary’s Greeves in July 2021, after all those years and have it restored to it’s original specification in my workshops at Bashley.”

Mary also took part in the Twickenham Club’s 100 mile scramble at Pirbright which formed her training for the 1964 ISDT. She also took part in the National Hawkstone Park scramble the following year, both times Greeves mounted,

Mary also took part in the International Trial de Forteresse at Namur in Belgium in 1964 on the Comerford’s Greeves. She finished in twentieth position from ninety-eight competitors. She also took part in the International St Cucufa Trial near Paris, France in 1965 on her Greeves.

In 1962, Mary rode a 246cc Greeves TES which was registered by the factory at Thundersley, Essex as HWC24 and then supplied to Mary through Comerford’s. This particular machine eventually ended up at Drumnadrochit in Inverness-shire, having been sold through Comerford’s second-hand department and was in the MacLean family for many years before being sold to a collector in 2013.

In 1966, having worked for the Auto-Cycle Union for twelve years, a position became available as their Competitions Manager, Mary applied for the job and was appointed to the post. Without doubt, the knowledge and experience of being a trials rider must have helped with the job interview. This appointment meant that Mary was to swap her Barbour suit for a business suit, but was in constant communications with all ACU centres and clubs and of course the many competitors who raced overseas and in International events. Mary became a very well-known face at the ACU until 1975. She had also been assistant Secretary of the Meeting for the annual Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races.

After her departure from the ACU, Mary became interested in boats and sailing with husband Dennis, which became their main past-time. However, she did maintain an interest in motorcycling, having purchased an Ex-Roger Davy 325cc Comerford’s Bultaco Sherpa in 1975, because she liked the look of the bike, which she eventually sold in 2013.

In 2011, in recognition for her services to the sport, Mary was invited to be Guest of Honour at the Pre65 Scottish Trial at Kinlochleven by the Edinburgh & District Motor Club Ltd, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, chatting to riders of yesteryear.

It is without doubt that Mary Driver was a lady who not only promoted the sport at high level, but was a worthy competitor, and proved that the girls can do everything the boys can do!

2011 – Trials Guru’s John Moffat with former Competitions Manager of the ACU, Mary Driver and her husband Dennis – Photo: Trials Guru/J. Moffat

‘Mary Driver’ is the copyright of Trials Guru

With special thanks to Sammy Miller MBE & Sharon Bumpsteed of the Sammy Miller Museum, Bashley, New Milton, Hampshire.

For more features of women in trials, see Trials Guru’s Trials Ladies HERE

Apart from ‘Fair Dealing’ for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this article may be copied, reproduced, stored in any form of retrieval system, electronic or otherwise or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, mechanical, optical, chemical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author as stated above. This article is not being published for any monetary reward or monetisation, be that online or in print.

Book Launch

The Official Autobiography – Bernie Schreiber

2027 – Not just the story of a World Champion, but a true trailblazer of our sport. The Official Autobiography – Bernie Schreiber, only on Trials Guru – Dedicated To Trial.

TRIALS GURU EXCLUSIVE

COMING IN 2027

“MY TRIALS STORY –
Fifty Years of Competition, Adventure and Friendship”

Trials Guru is proud to announce an exciting new project celebrating one of the most influential careers in the history of motorcycle trials.

In 2027, it will be fifty years since Bernie Schreiber first arrived in Europe to pursue his dream of competing in the FIM World Trials Championship. That journey would ultimately lead to Bernie becoming the first American rider to win the World Championship and establish himself as one of the sport’s true pioneers.

To mark this remarkable milestone, Trials Guru has been working closely with Bernie on a special digital autobiography that tells the story behind the results, the championships, and the headlines.

Schreiber’s Trials Story – Fifty Years of Competition, Adventure and Friendship will take readers behind the scenes of an extraordinary career, revealing personal memories, untold stories, and reflections from five decades at the heart of the sport.

From the challenges of arriving in Europe as a young American rider, to factory teams, world championship battles, and the unique atmosphere of the Scottish Six Days Trial, this book captures a golden era of observed trials through the eyes of one of its most iconic competitors.

The Scottish Six Days Trial occupies a special place in Bernie’s story. Like generations of riders before and after him, he experienced the challenge, camaraderie, triumphs, and disappointments that make the SSDT one of the most respected and cherished events in motorcycle sport. Readers will enjoy personal recollections and behind-the-scenes stories from the Scottish Highlands, where legends were made and lifelong friendships forged.

The book also explores the people who shaped the sport, the motorcycles that defined an era, and the adventures that took Bernie around the world in pursuit of excellence.

Many of the stories featured have never been published before.

This exclusive digital edition will be available as a free download through Trials Guru and will include photographs, personal recollections, and historical perspectives spanning half a century of observed trials.

Schreiber: “Since returning to the sport, I have spent a great deal of time with trials enthusiasts around the world—people who give so much of themselves to observed trials without expecting anything in return. They organise events, observe sections, maintain clubs, preserve our history, support young riders, and simply keep the spirit of our sport alive. They do it because they love trials. – Their dedication made me stop and think. This autobiography is my way of giving something back. Just as so many people freely give their time, knowledge, and passion to our sport, I wanted to share my story in the same spirit. There will be no price to pay—only memories, experiences, and hopefully a few stories that will make you smile, laugh, and perhaps even see our sport from a different perspective.”

As work continues throughout 2026 and into 2027, Trials Guru will be sharing occasional previews, photographs, and extracts from the book.

We are honoured to collaborate with Bernie on preserving these memories for future generations of trials enthusiasts around the world.

The story of a champion.

The story of an era.

The story behind the journey.

Coming in 2027 exclusively through Trials Guru.

Obituaries

Walther Luft 1944 – 2026

It is with great sadness that we report the unexpected passing of former Austrian National Trials Champion and International trials rider, Walther Luft, aged 81 years.

Walther Luft in 1966

Walther will be best known not just for his success as a rider, but also as a skilled craftsman and engineer, making most of the bikes he rode himself or heavily modified production models to his exact specifications, this included Aprilia and Bultaco.

Walther Luft gets his special 169cc Puch refuelled during the 1970 Scottish Six Days Trial. (Photo: Trials.AT)

His first Scottish Six Days Trial was in 1970, riding his self made 169cc Puch with support by the Graz factory. He won the Edinburgh Trophy for the best performance by an overseas competitor.

Walther tasted victory at the Three Dias di Santigosa (Santigosa Three Day Trial) in Spain in 1973 and was also best performance on the final day of the Scottish Six Day Trial in 1974, these were among his greatest international achievements and cherished accordingly.

1976 SSDT – Photo credit: Eric Kitchen

He was National Trials Champion of Austria 1969 – 1974 in his class the then highest-ranking series in Austria the OSTG Trial Cup, Austrian Shell Trial Cup and OSK Cup. In 1981 he won the state championship title.

Walther Luft (Puch) on Muirshearlich (Trotter’s Burn) in the 1981 SSDT – Photo: Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven

As well as riding Puch for many years, he also helped develop a trials machine for the Austrian KTM factory along with German champion, Felix Krahnstover, He campaigned KTM in 250 and 325cc specification.

1976 – SSDT on ‘Laggan Locks’ – Photo credit: Rainer Heise

John Moffat of Trials Guru added a personal tribute: “I first met Walther Luft in 1970 when he, along with Peter Bous and Herr. Hans Maiditz from the Puch factory, stayed at my family home in Bathgate, courtesy of my parents. He used our house as a base before and after the event and used our garage to prepare his factory Puch. I was amazed at the innovative features he created on his trials machine. Over the years he returned to ride the SSDT and always made a point of stopping off at our house with bottles of Austrian wine on route to catch a ferry when he headed homeward. Just last August (2025), while on holiday, I visited the European Trials Museum at Ohlsdorf and presented Walther and Joe Wallmann with their special Trials Guru ‘Trial Legend’ light grey caps. Both these enthusiasts were very pleased to accept them.”

Trial Friends at Ohlsdorf, Austria in August 2025. Hartwig Kamarad; Walther Luft; John Moffat and Joe Wallmann. Photo: Alfred Wagner

Our sincere condolences are conveyed to the trials community in Walther Luft’s native Austria, where his name lives on in their own awards, by the Austrian Trial Sport Federation (ÖTSV), the ‘Trial Walther‘.

Walther Luft (250 Puch) on ‘Witches’ Burn’ in the 1985 SSDT – Photo: Iain Lawrie

WALTHER LUFT 1944 – 2026

Link: Feature on Walther Luft on Trials Guru.

(Main photo: Eric Kitchen)

“Very sad to hear of Walther’s passing. He was a great help to me when I rode for the Puch factory. Happy memories testing all sorts of bikes at Graz. A great loss.” – Scott Ellis

“Most people follow others. Walter didn’t. He didn’t need to and didn’t want to. He followed his own ethos and created his own bike. He built a Puch like no other. It was the lightest trials bike in the world. It was an engineering marvel, a piece of art built by a genius, who believed in the work of his own hands. He was a generation ahead of his time. It was only in the mid to late eighties that the manufacturers started to make their bikes lighter! Walter was always very friendly, but at the same time he was a private man. I had a lot of respect for him. Like Walter, I had learnt to know how hard it was to represent a small country, driven by a passion, heading for the unknown. What a journey. Walter, thank you so much sharing part of that journey with me.” – Yrjö Vesterinen

“Very sad news. Walter was a great rider, person and product developer. I was fortunate to ride with him at several world championships including the Austria round where he was a legend and loved by the locals. R.I.P. Champion.” – Bernie Schreiber

SLIDESHOW – Life of Walther Luft

  • 1979 and Walther Luft was on a private Bultaco 325cc Sherpa, seen here at the Trials De Sant Llorenc – Photo copyright: Juan Luis Gaillard Archive.
  • 1975 SSDT – Walther Luft (250 Puch) on ‘Laggan Locks’ (Photo: Walker Brothers Archive).
  • Trial Friends at Ohlsdorf, Austria in August 2025. Hartwig Kamarad; Walther Luft; John Moffat and Joe Wallmann. Photo: Alfred Wagner
  • Peter Bous helps get Walther Luft’s 169cc Puch scrutineered at the 1970 Scottish Six Days. The official on the left is David Miller, holding the machine is Austrian Peter Bous and on the right the official is Ian Baird, son of the SSDT Clerk of the Course, George Baird. (Photo: Trial.AT)
  • Walther Luft (169 Puch) tackles ‘Pipeline’ in the 1970 SSDT watched by F.X. Bulto (in deerstalker hat); Malcolm Rathmell on the far right and Jock Wilson of Comerfords top right. (Photo: Trial.AT)
  • Austrian, Walther Luft collects his time card from an official after his 1.5 hour lunch stop in the 1970 SSDT (Photo: Trial.AT)
  • Walther Luft gets on with a spot of maintenance during the 1970 Scottish Six Days Trial (Photo: Trials.AT)
  • Walther Luft gets his special 169cc Puch refuelled during the 1970 Scottish Six Days Trial. (Photo: Trials.AT)
  • Walther Luft (250 Puch) on ‘Witches’ Burn’ in the 1985 SSDT – Photo: Iain Lawrie
  • 1978 SSDT – Blackwater – Photo: Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven
  • 1976 SSDT – Laggan Locks – Photo: Rainer Heise
  • Photo: Eric Kitchen
  • 1976 – Callart Falls, SSDT- Photo: Eric Kitchen
  • Walther Luft in 1966 on his self-built Puch.
  • SSDT 2000 – Walter Luft – Aprilia
  • Walther Luft (Puch) on Muirshearlich in the 1981 SSDT – Photo: Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven
  • SSDT photo from 1970, Gorgie Cattle Market, Edinburgh. Walther Luft (kneeling) is inspecting the 175cc Walwin BSA of Ross Winwood. The person to the right looking down is Austrian Peter Bous. the gent with the trilby hat is SACU Secretary and former rider, T. Arnott Moffat. On the far left is John Graham, SSDT Clerk of the Course that year. Walking away to right is Bob Paterson, former SACU President.
  • 1981 SSDT – Photo: Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven.
  • SSDT 1970 – Group photo at the ‘weigh-in’ From Left: Walther Luft; Peter Bous, Tommy Ritchie; John Graham; Trevor Hay; Bob Paterson; Jackie Williamson; Unknown; John Moffat; Unknown; T.Arnott Moffat – Photo: Hans Maiditz, Graz
  • Walther Luft prepared Bultaco for Yrjo Vesterinen – Detail of the lower frame area and motor mount duly lightened
  • Walther Luft Bultaco preparation for Yrjo Vesterinen – Detail of the lightened cyllinder and head of the 325cc Bultaco motor
  • Walther Luft’s 250cc Puch, captured at the Scottish Six Days Trial – Photo: Jimmy Young, Armadale
  • Walther Luft at the finish of the SSDT in 1973 with SACU Secretary, T. Arnott Moffat – Photo: John Moffat/Trials Guru
  • 1970 – SSDT – Gorgie Market. Bob Paterson (SACU) examines Walther Luft’s 169cc Puch. (W-30823 Vienna registration)
  • Photo: Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven.
motorcycles

Building a Works Replica Honda

The Honda RTL300 (305)

Rob Shepherd on the long-stroke Honda RTL300 – Photo: Rainer Heise

Most trials riders hold a dream to own a factory trials machine, but of course few are sold on by the factories after use. But sometimes components come your way and it’s just possible with a lot of effort, skill and time you could just construct one very close to what the factories made for selected riders. Here is the story of one man’s passion that turned a dream into a reality – RTL300.

Words: Alan Taylor

Photos: John Moffat; Alan Taylor; Jean Caillou; Heath Brindley; Sammy Miller Museum; Mervyn Smith; Rainer Heise.

Main photo: Heath Brindley

It was late summer 2019. Myself and my son Cameron were watching the comings and goings at our local car and bike Mecca, ‘Caffeine and Machine’. My friend and Cotswold legend Dave Moy arrived. ‘I’ve got something on the back of the pickup that you might want to look at. Shall I drop it off at yours on the way home?’ It was clearly a quite special Honda engine in a slightly strange home made frame. Also present were some ex-works hubs, brake plates and a large capacity aluminium ‘Scottish’ tank from an RTL360. The forks and wheels appeared to be of Motocross origin. ‘It’ll need a frame’ said Dave. ‘I’ll make one’ said I, little knowing what I’d let myself in for!

Sketches were made to determine what was required. Photo: Alan Taylor.

After corresponding with Jean Caillou in France, who is simply a mine of information regarding the Honda trials history. The engine was identified as being one of the works ‘long-stroke’ 305cc engines that were built in a batch of probably less than twenty in December 1974. The engines were sent to both the American Honda trials effort and of course to Sammy Miller MBE, who was running the UK team at that time.

One of the engines used by Sammy Miller during his time with Honda – Image credit: Sammy Miller Museum.

I asked Sammy how many long-stroke engines he was allocated. ‘Five or six’ was the reply. Interestingly, all the engines have the same engine number, which is cast into the top of the crankcase, RTL300E1204. ‘E’ denotes engine. The date configuration is the old Japanese way of doing things. For further identification it appears that the UK engines had a hand engraved number on the rear of each crankcase half. This one is marked ‘3’. The engine in Sammy’s bike at his excellent museum is marked ‘1’.

The first step was to see if the engine would start and run. It would start but not run for any length of time. After some investigation, I concluded that the ignition coil was breaking down when it got hot. An initial big fat spark when cold was reduced to nothing when hot, although just to confuse things, sometimes even when cold there was no spark! The coil was sent away for re-winding but got lost in the post and never reached its destination, turning up nearly a year later having been to the lost parcels office in Belfast! In the meantime I decided to fit an electronic ignition from a well known provider, an XL350 version seemed to fit the bill. This was not the easiest of fitments, new mounting holes had to be drilled in the stator base plate due to the works engine being of different configuration to standard. Once fitted and a healthy spark was confirmed as being present, the engine was started, only to fail again when hot, same symptoms – no spark! A lot of head scratching followed. Could it be that the flywheel needed re-magnetising, what with heat not being a magnets best friend? Interestingly, the flywheel has a welded on ring around its circumference. Villiers Services re-magnetised it with the warning that there was a danger that all magnetism could be lost during the process. Luckily this proved not to be the case. With the flywheel re-fitted the engine was started, frustratingly with the same symptoms! Speaking to the ignition providers technical department, I was given various parameters to check, which all proved to be within tolerance. After walking away from the problem for a week or so, I had a eureka moment, deciding that there could be a dry joint inside the encapsulation on the ignition system. This was proven to be the case! After I repaired and refitted it the engine ran like a sewing machine, very mechanically quiet. A first ride on a factory Honda was taken around the garden and all the gears where there, so a result!

The Susans’ frame jig:

It seemed that the best approach to the frame issue was to gather as much information as possible from as many people as I could think of that may have been associated with the Honda trials effort, social media making things slightly easier than it might have been. It’s surprising how one conversation can provide just a snippet of information that can be very useful down the line. One such conversation led to Jim Susans, of Bikecraft fame, the builder of many Pre65 frames who is sadly no longer with us and whose story can be read on Charlie Prescott’s excellent ‘BSA Otter’ website.

Jim Susans’ Bikecraft company fabricated a small number of frames to house Honda TL250 engines, based on the works frame of Rob Shepherd. There are several ‘Replica’ machines worldwide.

I knew that some years ago a works Honda and parts had passed through his hands and that Jim had taken the opportunity to copy the frame geometry into his rather rudimentary jig. I phoned him, mainly to ask if he still had any works bits left. Luckily he had been friendly with my dad Gilbert when they both rode Pre65 trials, so I wasn’t a complete stranger to him. Unfortunately all the works bits had been moved on. I explained my dilemma with the frame. His reply was that he was unlikely to build another bike on his jig and would I like to come and see it? Yes please! I took a trailer with me down the M40 – just in case! After a long and interesting conversation talking about bikes, his jazz band and his younger days in France working as a war graves mason, he said he’d like me to have his jig, on the strict proviso that I didn’t pass it on to anyone else. We came to a financial agreement and onto the trailer it went! He also supplied some very useful photo’s of a replica works Honda frame plus some T45 tubing. Now work could start in earnest!

The first version of the RTL300 frame which was later modified to have a full loop rear mudguard bridge fitted – Photo: Alan Taylor

I also made contact with John Moffat of Trials Guru website who also has a Jim Susan’s built Honda ‘Works Replica’ machine and he kindly let me have some photographs as a guide. His machine has a 305cc engine, but that is a TL250 engine bored out.

Trials Guru’s John Moffat owns this Jim Susans’ Bikecraft framed RTL replica, bought from England speedway star, Malcolm Simmons, fitted with a bored TL250 Honda engine to 305cc – Photo: John Moffat/Trials Guru

In the background things had been progressing, with the acquisition of a set of ex-works forks, yokes and fibreglass tank/seat unit which were swapped for the big aluminium tank.

Alan Taylor’s Honda RTL300 WR is a fine looking machine – Photo: Alan Taylor

After repairing the fibreglass tank, which had split down one of the seams, I lined the interior to protect it from ethanol, although Aspen 4 is the fuel of choice and appears to be safe with fibreglass. The fork stanchions needed a re-chrome and were duly dispatched to a well known company but took far longer than expected, due, I’m told, to the taper in the uppermost part of the tubes. Two or three attempts were made at this with the final result not as good as was hoped. The yokes needed only a clean. The top yoke being magnesium and the lower aluminium, which was missing the steering stem, so I had to turn one up.

The tank finish was inspired by Marland Whaley and Rob Shepherd’s factory Hondas – Photo: Alan Taylor

The fork sliders were a different story and needed a fair bit of work because the brake plate retaining lug had been removed and the spindle thread had been bored out to take a through spindle. Also, one of the mudguard mounting lugs had been drilled out to accept a bigger bolt for the mounting of a torque arm. The sliders were originally machined from solid stock.

Detail of the front fork slider, a factory component which had to be re-instated after being modified to fit an SWM front end – Photo: Alan Taylor

As pointed out by Martin Matthews there’s a pretty good chance that the forks are the ones pictured on page 117 of Don Morley’s Spanish Trials Bikes book, fitted to Sammy’s SWM, having been modified to accept the Grimeca hub. The picture also shows the valves in the fork tops which were a later addition. A new lug was welded on and a threaded bush was fitted to replace the missing thread for the spindle. I made a new spindle.

Close up of the clutch side of the RTL300 WR – Photo: Alan Taylor

With the forks finally assembled it was time to start the frame. Ultimately, I wanted to re-create a bike that had the appearance of Rob Shepherd’s mid 1977 machine with black engine, red and white tank, unpainted fork sliders, red mudguards and with the big “one off” exhaust tail pipe. The engine was already black and although showing signs of ‘patina’ was left as it was. I’m told that the black finish was applied in the UK, the engines having come from Honda finished in silver. Once you re-paint something you lose the history.

‘Works Trials Bikes’ is now an international club on social media.

At the 2020 Classic Off Road show, Jean kindly allowed me to take lots of detail photo’s of his ex-Marland Whaley long-stroke machine, so armed with Jim’s jig, lots of photo’s and lots of guesswork, I started frame building, posting progress on the ‘Works Trials Bikes’ facebook group.

The inspiration for Alan Taylor’s Works Replica, the long-stroke Honda of the late Marland Whaley. (Photo: Jean Caillou)

Happily, some of the important dimensions were dictated by the jig and the tank-seat unit, namely the head angle, the top triangle, the swinging arm pivot point and the rear shock absorbers top mount. Using known measurements from the engine and blown up photo’s, it was possible to deduce other critical dimensions but this was difficult. To be as authentic as possible, the frame needed to have the tapered square section front down-tube and the flat side oval side tubes. The down tube wasn’t too difficult to fabricate but the side tubes were tricky, being a size that cannot be bought. I’m told that Honda started with round tube then squashed it, ending up with a non standard size.

After posting lots of facebook photo’s showing my progress or otherwise, Jean started to whole-heartedly support the project. I couldn’t have achieved the final result without this support.

French Honda enthusiast, Jean Caillou is a Trials Guru VIP.

There was a huge amount of fabrication to do, all of which took more than four hundred hours. Apart from the obvious, other items made from scratch were the airbox and exhaust tailpipe.

The airbox was made to accept a Yamaha TY air filter – Photo: Alan Taylor

The airbox is pretty much the correct size and shape but I made it to accept a TY mono airfilter. The exhaust system is not entirely correct because the tailpipe should be welded to the exhaust middlebox with a detachable front pipe. Swinging arm bearings and spindle are TLR 250. The works bikes used a few standard TL250 parts, some of which I sourced from the USA. Thanks go to Olivier Barjon for his support also and for providing the correct footrests and a decent TL250 middle box and carburettor.

This magnesium carburetor has been located recently – Photo: Alan Taylor

I’ve since obtained an ex works magnesium carburetor. TL250 kick-start levers are hard to find, luckily Jean had a spare.

Progress was being made with attention to detail of primary importance – Photo: Alan Taylor

Jean also supplied a set of correctly proportioned period replica Izumi and Duckhams stickers, plus the ‘Sammy Miller’ stickers to fit underneath the Honda wing. The rear shocks were sourced via Facebook, as were a pair of DID rims, which look correct for the period but were originally on a later Seeley Honda.

Detail of the magnesium top yoke and the gold anodised Renthal handlebars, two decals indicate a pair issued to a factory rider! – Photo: Alan Taylor

A set of gold Renthals was a lucky find at an autojumble. Shedworks supplied a red front mudguard. The rims and magnesium hubs were sent away to be laced together and on return were re-united with the brake plates.

The front brake plate made in Magnesium, a work of art – Photo: Alan Taylor

I replaced the magnesium brake shoes with standard TL type. The attention to detail is amazing, with the brake plate bushes being titanium and with a phosphor bronze cam which is mated to a hand made alloy lever. The action is silky smooth. Titanium fasteners are used extensively in the engine.

Mervyn Smith of Honda UK discovered this historic Honda RTL305 resting against a wall – Photo: Mervyn Smith Archive.

With the frame fabrication eventually complete, it was time for paint. After undercoat, three or four coats of Citroen Geranium Red were applied, this matches the red on the tank perfectly.

Detail of the exhaust rear section – Photo: Alan Taylor

Final assembly could now be pretty much completed, after which I turned my attention to the big rear silencer. I’d managed to buy a rotten TL250 triangular box from ebay which I cut open to examine the internal configuration so that I could replicate it on a slightly smaller scale. The works silencer dimensions were scaled from photo’s. It took a couple of attempts to end up with something that looks pretty close to the one off original and I’m told sounds as it should.

The offside view of the Honda RTL300 Works Replica – Photo: Heath Brindley.

Throughout the project I’ve tried to determine the history of engine number 3 but there is little recollection by the major players as to who used what and when. It would be nice to think that it was used by Rob Shepherd in his British Championship winning year, a year in which he won my local National, the Colmore Cup and also the Finnish round of the World Championship. I was aware that during his racing days at Honda, Mick Grant was loaned Rob’s old championship winning bike by Gerald Davison, with Rob having moved onto the 360. I phoned Mick to ask what he knew and of course whether he had any works parts left over! He told me that during his use the engine developed a cylinder head issue which was rectified by someone local to him and will of course still bear evidence of this repair. Further to this, I phoned Rob and asked what he could recall. During a very interesting conversation one of the things he told me was that one of the 305 engines that he used performed better than the others, it had bigger valves, so, if ever the cylinder head needs to come off!

Alan Taylor’s Honda RTL300 Replica at the 2026 Stafford show – Photo: Alan Taylor

The culmination of the project was displaying the bike on the ‘Works Trials Bike Owners Group’ stand at the Telford Dirt Bike show, where it attracted a lot of attention and positive comments with an invite to join the group ‘Works Trials Bikes’.

Cameron Taylor sits astride Alan’s Honda RTL300 works replica – Photo: Alan Taylor

Thanks are in order to those who helped out with either information or parts, or both, particularly Jean Caillou, Olivier Barjon, Rob Shepherd, Mick Grant, John Lampkin, Mervyn Smith, John Moffat, the late Jim Susans, Sammy Miller MBE, plus of course Tommy Sandham’s ‘Four Stroke Finale?’

Who is Alan Taylor? “I’m a Midland Centre chap from near to Shipston on Stour, Warwickshire – Colmore country. I actually rode in the Midland Centre team in their Pre65 team trial a couple of times when Wrighty (Alan Wright) was manager. I won the Sammy Miller series unit construction class in 1999. I’ve been riding modern and classic bikes constantly since 1977 apart from nine months after a car accident. I qualified as expert in South Midland Centre in 1980. My Dad competed during National Service in the 1950s so I had an interest that was passed on to me. In the early to mid 1970s we’d spectate at various Open to Centre and National trials, so I got to see the top riders on works machinery and later on ride in the same events. The atmosphere around the Colmore back in the day was amazing with huge numbers of spectators. As a kid I liked Malcolm Rathmell, but my favourite was Rob Shepherd and the Honda – wishing I could have one! He won the first Colmore I witnessed in 1977. The Hondas were almost mystical to me, hence my interest!”

A proper endorsement by 11 times British Champion and Honda Trials Team Manager, Sammy Miller MBE – Photo: Alan Taylor

‘Building a Works Replica Honda’ is the copyright of Trials Guru and Alan Taylor.

Alan Taylor is of course a Trials Guru VIP.

Photographs are the copyright of the photographers named in the captions.

Slideshow of the RTL300 WR:

  • Close up of the clutch side of the RTL300 WR – Photo: Alan Taylor
  • Detail of the front fork slider, a factory component – Photo: Alan Taylor

Apart from ‘Fair Dealing’ for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this article may be copied, reproduced, stored in any form of retrieval system, electronic or otherwise or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, mechanical, optical, chemical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author as stated above. This article is not being published for any monetary reward or monetisation, be that online or in print.

motorcycles

Walwin – the alloy wonders

Words: Ross Winwood

Photos: Ross Winwood Collection; Terry Maynard; Eric Kitchen; Hans Maiditz; Walker Brothers Archive; Ian T. Robertson; Olivier Barjon.

Many motorcycling enthusiasts will no doubt remember two incredibly special machines being scrutineered for the Scottish Six Days Trial when it started and finished in Edinburgh in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Two brothers had entered on machines described in the official programmes as ‘Walwin BSA’. These were no ordinary BSAs either, they attracted quite a bit of attention, and comment, as their frames were not made from the usual steel tubing, but flat Dural plates. But there was much more to the Winwoods’ creations than trials machines.

Who is Ross Winwood?

Ross Winwood, one of the creators of the famous Walwin BSAs is a ‘Trials Guru VIP’ and rightly so. The bikes were made using Dural plate for the frame and other innovative ideas. Dedicated To Trial.

Born on 15th July 1945 when the Second World War was about to cease, Ross and his older brother Michael, born 1941, were the sons of Ray and Gwen Winwood from the village of Wythall, Worcestershire, near Birmingham.

Gwen and Ray Winwood

Ross became a Technical Illustrator at the mighty BSA factory in Birmingham, the author responsible for illustrating and writing the BSA Rocket 3 manuals and anything between 1966 through to the firm’s closure in 1972.

The 1969 BSA Rocket 3 – Photo: BSA Motorcycles Ltd.

After BSA’s demise, Ross Winwood worked as the Publications Manager at W.E. Wassell and did some development work with Pete Edmondson on their trials and scrambles machines. After leaving Wassell’s, he worked as a test driver for Lucas petrol injection, before going back to print and design until 1996 when he bought a Post Office and convenience store until his retirement in 2010. His wife Paula was the Post Mistress; they married in June 1976.

How it all began:

Ross Winwood: “After the first world war, money was scarce. My father, Ray Winwood and most sporting motorcyclists could not afford to buy complete motorcycles, so they cobbled together parts from a variety of manufacturers. In my father’s case, this became the norm.

Moving on to the 1950s, my Dad was running my late Grandfather’s business called Walwin Engineering Ltd, Grandfather’s first name was Walter, hence the name WalWin.”

“My older brother Mike and I became interested in motorcycles when a friend of our Dad, asked if he could try out his scrambler in the field next to our house, which he did and then he let us have a go on it. From then on, the building of motorcycles became an obsessive hobby.”

Ross and Mike Winwood – Photo: Ross Winwood Collection.

“My Mum was very active in organising events and observing in any weather. My father Ray apart from bike building, was clerk of the course for many big trials, scrambles, and grass track events. My brother and I were born in Castle Bromwich. When I was five, we had moved to Wythall and then to Hollywood a few miles away.”

“One of the events Dad organised was the King’s Norton boxing day trial, which meant marking out on Christmas Day. Our long-suffering mother would wait patiently for us to come home in the dark for our Christmas dinner.”

Ross Winwood on the 150cc Villiers Bantam – Photo: Ross Winwood Collection.

“In 1957, Dad built a bike for Mike, a ‘Bitsa’ using a New Imperial frame, an Ariel engine and rear wheel, BSA front end, plus other parts obtained from Vale-Onslow’s in Birmingham. Then my Dad built a bike for myself, which was a BSA Bantam fitted with a 150cc Villiers engine as I was only twelve at the time. My first trials bike was a BSA C15T when I was sixteen years of age.”

Ross Winwood on his first ‘proper’ trials machine, the 249cc BSA C15T.

“My Dad got involved in designing a tubular trials chassis for car trials for his good friend, Ron Kemp, from which they had remarkable success. This was a sport in which Gordon Jackson also became successful when he retired from motorcycle trials.”

Ray Winwood developed a chassis for car trials – Photo: Ross Winwood Collection

“From the late 1950s and early 1960s, apart from the Ariel frame, we used frames, engines, and ancillaries from other makes to make ‘Bitsas’. My brother Mike’s first scrambler was a 500cc Ariel engine in a BSA Gold Star chassis. I had an underpowered 250cc Velocette engine in a Gold Star chassis for my first foray into scrambling, bringing us up to the end of 1962.”

The first true Walwin scramblers:

The Walwin Velocette scrambler used by Mike Winwood.

“In 1963 using experience of building frames using 531 tubing for trials, we designed a duplex frame to house a 500cc Velocette engine for Mike to ride. This frame housed the oil tank, which became the norm for all four-stroke Walwins thereafter. There needed to be fancy engineering with the Velocette to achieve the correct chain line, without offsetting the engine. A Norton gearbox was married up by using an outrigger bearing on the engine crankshaft and a Royal Enfield chaincase.“

“During 1964 and taking note of the handling characteristics and some other improvements, we built a second Velocette engined Walwin for me. As a decent front fork was not readily available at this time, so we used the standard BSA legs, but fitted a Girling damper between the fork legs. This gave much better damping and control.“

“After a couple of successful seasons and the emerging success of the BSA Victor 440cc engine, combined with the problems of the crankpin breakages on the Velocette engines, we decided to retire the machines and my best friend Ian Turner continued to race one until Velocette parts were no longer readily available.”

The BSA Walwin scramblers:

The Walwin BSA 441cc Victor engined scrambles machines – Photo: Ross Winwood Collection.

“In 1966 we designed and built a frame kit for the BSA 440cc engine for me as Mike was racing a standard BSA Victor at this time, but he was unhappy with the handling. We did make six frame kits to order but due to some manufacturing problems, we decided to shelve the project. These bikes were ridden to some success before we packed in scrambling in the early 1970s.”

The first true Walwin trials bikes:

Ross Winwood at the start of the 1966 SSDT at Gorgie Market in Edinburgh on the duplex framed BSA C15T.

“In 1962 we designed completely new duplex frames to house the BSA C15 engines. These were a vast improvement on the standard C15 frame, being much lighter and so more suitable for trials. We both had satisfactory results from them. We developed these frames over the next few years, building new bikes for the SSDT every year we rode.”

The Alloy Walwins:

The Dural Walwin BSA with 175cc Bantam engine, the registration number borrowed from Ross’s BSA C15T. (Photo: Ross Winwood Collection)

“In late 1968, I along with my father Ray, developed an idea we had for a completely new trials frame to house a 175cc BSA Bantam engine, and in 1969 the alloy plate frame was born.

The Bantam engined, Dural framed Walwin in 1969. Photo: Ross Winwood Collection.

This radical design, which was cut out by hand, from aircraft quality Dural, was extremely light and very stiff. The bolt on steering head was turned from a solid billet and was bolted to the frame plates, thus enabling different head angles to be achieved, without manufacturing a completely new frame.”

Detail of the steering head on the Dural Walwin – Photo: Ross Winwood Collection.

“The engine was a fairly standard 175, built with some support from the BSA factory in the way of parts, including a trials gear cluster used in the factory trials bikes. The whole bike with a gallon of fuel weighed in at 160 pounds (73 kgs). This bike was by far the most successful Walwin trials machine. I had many great rides on it.”

The Motor Cycle of 26th February 1969 reported on Ross’s machine:

“Most unusual machine at Sunday’s Victory Trial is likely to be Hollywood, Worcs engineer Ross Winwood’s 175 BSA special. The machine’s engine is near standard Bantam but its frame is made up from ¼ inch thick duralumin plate and has a steering head turned from solid dural. Except on the steel-tubing rear fork there is no welding anywhere, the plot being held together by countersunk socket headed bolts and nuts. It was designed and built by Ross’ father, Ray, who admits that it could not be a commercial proposition. “In material cost there is not a lot of difference between duralumin and conventional tubing, but the handwork is much more. Building this frame has taken up somewhere about 100 hours,” he said. “We have certainly saved weight over a tubular frame – our unit weighs 14 lb excluding the rear fork. It is structurally quite stiff, comparable with a tubular frame of equal weight,” he added. The finished machine will have a Ceriani front fork and a Honda fifty front hub. A sheet-duralumin undertray will form part of the frame by completing the stressed assembly and relieving the power unit of any frame loading.” [1]

At the Inter-Centre Team trial in April 1969, the Suzuki works rider Dennis Jones borrowed Ross Winwood’s 175 Walwin and came home a creditable third best individual performance on 16 marks on the machine. Jones’s Suzuki was on display at the Brighton motorcycle show. Jones reported that the Walwin handled exceptionally well in comparison to tubular framed machines that he had ridden.

Ross Winwood on his 250 B25 BSA powered Walwin in the 1971 SSDT – Photo: Ian T. Robertson

Winwood: “In late 1970, we designed a frame to take the BSA B25 ‘Starfire’ engine unit, this would be my 1971 Walwin 250cc four-stroke bike for the Scottish was again a special machine.“

Detail of the BSA B25 ‘Starfire’ engined Walwin in 1971. The flat Dural plates had to be annealed to allow them to be bent to the correct profile. – Photo: Ross Winwood Collection.

“Registered as a Walwin carrying the number AUY23H, it had a BSA four-stud front end, BSA conical hubs, the B25 engine was fitted with B40 flywheels and C15 gear cluster. Some of the cylinder fins had been removed like the BSA scramblers of the period. It was fitted with a 24mm carburettor and a B50 motocross fuel tank. It weighed in at 200 pounds (91 kgs). It was robust enough for the SSDT, my only claim to fame was cleaning ‘Pipeline’ on the last day. It was a particularly good bike in a straight line.”

SSDT photo from 1970, Gorgie Cattle Market, Edinburgh. Walther Luft (kneeling) is inspecting the 175cc Walwin BSA of Mike Winwood (BAB6H). The person to the right looking down is Austrian Peter Bous. the gent with the trilby hat is SACU Secretary and former rider, T. Arnott Moffat. On the far left is John Graham, SSDT Clerk of the Course that year. Walking away to right is Bob Paterson, former SACU President. (Photo Hans Maiditz, Graz)

The Walwin-Mickmar:

The 1973 Walwin Mickmar – Photo: Olivier Barjon

“In 1972 we became involved with designing a frame to house the prototype MickMar engine designed by Michael Martin. We built a complete machine with some advanced features. This included a detachable rear subframe assembly which housed the air-cleaner, silencer, and seat in one monocoque unit. We were by this time recognised by the DVLA as a manufacturer and we decided to enter a Walwin team in the 1972 SSDT. My bike was to house the new Mickmar, Mike was to ride a 250cc Bultaco engined version and Ian Turner was to compete on the alloy 250cc BSA engined bike.

1973 SSDT – Mike Winwood – 250cc Walwin, in fact a 250cc Bultaco Sherpa on ‘Altnafeadh’ (Photo: Walker Brothers Archive)

“Unfortunately, the Mickmar needed much more development for it to become a viable trials engine and with very little time available before the Scottish, we were then faced with the problem of what engine to use with a similar exhaust outlet and engine dimensions.“

“The only unit available was the very good 250cc Ossa. I purchased an ex-works Ossa and we installed the engine along with some of the running gear. This bike turned out to be quite successful and probably influenced another manufacturer with their subsequent designs.“

“We did consider producing this bike as a production trials machine, but the lack of an available proprietary engine at the time scuppered this plan. We rode these Walwins until we retired from solo trials riding in the late 1970s. The whole bike with the Ossa engine weighed in at 165 pounds (kgs).“

Ross and Paula Winwood competing on the Walwin Ossa – Photo: Ross Winwood Collection.

“I had ridden the Walwin Ossa and retired on the second day with mechanical problems, it was the last time I rode in the Scottish Six Days in 1973. I did buy a 325cc Bultaco in 1974 but hated it and wished that I had never sold the Bantam. I packed up riding in1976 and then bought the Ossa Walwin back and put a sidecar on it and did a couple of seasons with Paula as passenger, until on a ridiculously steep section in the Colmore, I turned the plot over landing on Paula’s back, she ended up in intensive care with four broken ribs and a punctured lung, and that put paid to our sidecar partnership.”

The Walwin Grass machines:

Midland Centre ACU 500cc grass track champion, Ross Winwood and the Walwin BSA grass track machine – Photo: Ross Winwood Collection.

“In 1973, I fancied a go at grass track racing, so I started out on an ElStar fitted with a BSA B50 engine. The first thing I realised was that the standard rubber-band type forks were not for me. Later that season I designed and built a new frame with MP front forks and an alloy plate subframe, with oil carried in the top tube.”

The 500cc Walwin BSA built by Ross Winwood for grass track racing in 1975.

“The standard B50 engine tweaked by my Dad who was a wizard on cylinder head shaping, so along with an unbelievable 19:1 compression ratio and a squish head design, we achieved probably the fastest BSA in the country, and I was proud to win the Midland Centre 500cc championship in 1975, I also met my wife.”

Ross Winwood in action on the Walwin BSA.

The Walwin machines today:

It is quite interesting to note that some, but not all, Walwin machines have survived. This is not in any way surprising as they were well designed and built. However, there is even a ‘replica’ Walwin BSA C15, created by Steven Pritchett out there in trials world.

Ross Winwood was lucky enough to be offered one of his machines from trials enthusiast Paul Ray from Bagshot in Surrey in 2024. Paul at first didn’t know what the machine was, as he only wanted the engine, a four-stroke BSA C15 for a build project of his own. Happily, Paul found out in time and Ross quickly snapped up the rolling chassis with the intention of giving it to his son for posterity.

Paul Ray: “I can’t tell you much I’m afraid, I bought the bike off Mark ‘Watty’ Watmore as a donor for the Drayton C15 project I was building. I sold the rolling chassis back to Ross Winwood but kept the engine and the registration number, I thought I had a bad deal as I actually wanted a B40, but it turned out that the engine is a competition department experimental engine, and after a top end rebuild it pulls like a train, so happy days.”

Mark Quinn from Carnforth, Lancs aboard the Walwin BSA Bantam when it was owned by his father Keith – Photo: Eric Kitchen.

Keith Quinn and Terry Maynard have both owned Walwin machines, Quinn owned Ross’s Bantam powered version and the 250 four-stroke version from 1971. It was on the 250 that Keith Quinn from Carnforth won the Sammy Miller championship in the ‘Specials’ class. Terry’s is a BSA Bantam engined Walwin (BAB6H) the one used by Mike Winwood in the SSDT of 1970.

Terry Maynard with ‘BAB6H’ the ex-Mike Winwood BSA Bantam engined Walwin from 1970.

Ross Winwood: “Paula and my son Adam very kindly bought my Walwin Bantam from Keith Quinn, so we have both my Alloy Walwins back in the family. Of the other Walwins, the Walwin Ossa is now owned by Olivier Barjon in France who has installed a later much more developed Mickmar engine, bringing it back to its original design. Mike’s 250 Walwin was last seen in Derbyshire.”

Happy to have his Walwin Bantam in his possession, Ross Winwood at home with one of the ‘alloy wonders’.

With special thanks to Ross Winwood for his co-operation and assistance in preparing this article.

Bibliography:

The Motor Cycle – 26th February 1969 [1]

‘Walwin – the alloy wonders’ is the copyright of Trials Guru and Ross Winwood.

Photographic Copyright: The photographers named in captions to the images.

  • The Bantam engined Dural framed Walwin in 1969. Photo: Ross Winwood Collection.
  • Ross and Paula Winwood competing on the Walwin Ossa – Photo: Ross Winwood Collection.
  • Detail of the steering head on the Dural Walwin – Photo: Ross Winwood Collection.
  • The Walwin BSA scrambles machines – Photo: Ross Winwood Collection.
  • Ross and Mike Winwood – Photo: Ross Winwood Collection.
  • The Walwin Velocette scrambler used by Mike Winwood.
  • Ross Winwood at the start of the 1966 SSDT at Gorgie Market in Edinburgh.
  • The Walwin BSA with Bantam engine, using the C15T registration number. (Photo: Ross Winwood Collection)
  • Ross Winwood on his first ‘proper’ trials machine, the 249cc BSA C15T.
  • Ross Winwood on the 150cc Villiers Bantam – Photo: Ross Winwwod Collection.
  • Ross Winwood in action on the Walwin BSA.
  • Midland 500cc grass track champion, Ross Winwood and the Walwin BSA grass track machine – Photo: Ross Winwood Collection.
  • The 1973 Walwin Mickmar – Photo: Olivier Barjon

Apart from ‘Fair Dealing’ for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this article may be copied, reproduced, stored in any form of retrieval system, electronic or otherwise or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, mechanical, optical, chemical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author as stated above. This article is not being published for any monetary reward or monetisation, be that online or in print.

People

Ed Stott – The SSDT Historian

Ed Stott (left) observing B. Checklin (Greeves) at the 1959 SSDT at ‘Loch End’, near Drumnadrochit – Photo: Ed Stott Collection.

Ed Stott was a true motorcycling enthusiast who earned his living as a graphic designer. He became a wealth of knowledge on trials and the Scottish Six Days Trial in particular and was highly respected by the committee of the SSDT.

Ed Stott in the 1947 SSDT on a Triumph twin. (Photo: Ed Stott Collection)

Ed Stott lived at 44 Rodney Gardens, Pinner, Middlesex and was well known in the local motorcycling circles. In the 1970s, his vast collection of photographs were made into slides for his around the country talks on the Scottish Six Days Trial. Ed gave these talks with slide shows to various motorcycle clubs and associations over the years.

Ed Stott (350cc Royal Enfield) with friends Mike Vangucci (998cc Moto Guzzi) and Tom Mooney (175cc Honda) at the Onich Hotel with Loch Linnhe in the background – Photo: Ed Stott Collection.

Stott was a ‘superenthusiast’ of the SSDT and trials in general, he was a rider, official and spectator at the SSDT. Stott earned the respect of the SSDT committee of the Edinburgh & District Motor Club Ltd and it’s clerk of courses over the years.

Blackie Holden (Cotton) on ‘Creag An Eilein’ in the 1964 SSDT – Photo: Ray Biddle.

Ed wrote a number of articles for the Classic Motor Cycle, one of which he wrote in 1984, detailing the discovery and use of the SSDT section named firstly in 1953 as ‘Inchriach’, then ‘Creag An Eilein’ just south of Aviemore on the Rothiemurchus Estate, owned by the Grant family. The name in Scottish gaelic means ‘Hill of the Island’. Stott had observed this group of sections as ‘Team Leader’ during the SSDT and had a good knowledge of the area surrounding the hill.

Ed Stott on his 348cc BSA on ‘Bay Hill’ during the 1949 SSDT – Photo: Ed Stott Collection.

Shortly before his death, Ed entrusted his motorcycling archive collection and notes to Deryk Wylde prior to his death. Deryk Wylde then passed this collection on to John Moffat of Trials Guru, gifted on 19th May 2025 and delivered in early October 2025.

Ed Stott (Centre of photo) was the doyen of SSDT history, seen here with his friends, John Barnes, Derek Murdoch and Geoff Murdoch and Tom Mooney on the right. (Photo: Ed Stott Collection)

Ed Stott had collected a significant amount of information on the SSDT, his first attendance as a rider was in 1947 and he rode until 1953. He attended every SSDT from then until 1995. Ed had been a competitor, an official and a spectator at the annual event.

Ed Stott on his 348cc BSA, tackles ‘Town Hall Brae’ in Fort William during the 1950 Scottish Six Days Trial – Photo : Ray Biddle.

Ed compiled information and photographs for a book detailing his time as a competitor, observer and spectator at the Scottish Six Days Trial. Entitled ‘Lochaber Rich Mixture’ it was published by Ariel Publishing and is a fascinating account of the life and times of the SSDT.

Ed Stott compiled information for this book which was published by Deryk Wylde’s Ariel Publishing.

Ed Stott had struck up a friendship with Charlie Rogers of Royal Enfield and this was to be a very useful relationship over the years. This gave Ed access to information and advice when he owned and rode Royal Enfield motorcycles.

But it was the SSDT records that Ed Stott compiled and maintained that are of great historical value and significance. He kept many of the old reports and results of the SSDT, dating back to the very first Scottish Trial, a five day event in 1909. These were stored in lever arch files and have been hidden away for many years. Now they are in the public domain on this website, Trials Guru available free of charge for all to read and study.

Ed Stott recorded a vast amount of history on the Scottish Six Days Trial, our aim at Trials Guru is to share it with a wider audience.

Here are the links to the Ed Stott SSDT Results Archives:

Volume 1 – 1909-1932

Volume 2 – 1933-1969

‘Ed Stott – The SSDT Historian’ is the copyright of Trials Guru.

Photographic Copyright: The photographers named in captions to the images.

Apart from ‘Fair Dealing’ for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this article may be copied, reproduced, stored in any form of retrieval system, electronic or otherwise or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, mechanical, optical, chemical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author as stated above. This article is not being published for any monetary reward or monetisation, be that online or in print.

The Premier Trial Website – Recording the History of the Sport 'Established 2014'