On 25th September 2024, the trials legend that is Samuel Hamilton Miller MBE, is to be granted the freedom of the town of New Milton in Hampshire.
1968 SSDT winner, Sammy Miller waits patiently for his route card at the start in Edinburgh’s Gorgie Market. Photo- Bob May, Edinburgh
There is to be a presentation at the town hall followed by a reception at Sammy’s world famous museum at Bashley.
Sammy Miller (Ariel) on Grey Mares Ridge, high above the village of Kinlochleven – 1963 SSDT – Photo: Mike Davies
Sammy moved to New Milton in 1964, to be nearer the Rickman Brothers who were the then importers of Bultaco and of course he made history by developing the Sherpa T for the Spanish manufacturer.
Sammy outside his first shop in New Milton (Photo: Sammy Miller Museum Archive)
By sheer coincedence, Sammy has also been recently awarded one of only ten white, special edition Trials Guru ‘VIP Winners’ caps.
Sammy Miller MBE outside his world famous museum at Bashley, New Milton, Hampshire with his Trials Guru ‘VIP Winners’ special edition cap. (Photo: Sammy Miller Museum)
Sammy Miller MBE and his wife, Rosemary. (Photo Courtesy of Sammy Miller MBE)
We wish Sammy our best wishes to enjoy his special day at New Milton.
Rick Land with one of his ‘Brand X’ Yamahas at the 2024 Quarry Cup Two-Day Trial, proudly displays his Trials Guru VIP cap and decals.
Why am I writing this story? – Let me tell you what happened!
The Trials Guru asked me what is Brand X? How to answer that? It’s simple, yet complicated.
So here you go…
I was recently greatly honored to have been the recipient of one of the Trials Guru VIP caps and decals from John Moffat at Trials Guru. I had also received some decals from another guy, Bernie Schreiber, so I thought I would dress up the nameplates on the front of my bikes with these new graphics.
Rick Land shows his Trials Guru VIp cap and decal along with Bernie Schreiber’s decal.
Upon completing the project, I sent a picture to both John and Bernie to thank them, and also so they could see what I had done with the decals they had shared with me. I really didn’t think much more about it, but something caught John’s interest when he saw the name on the plate, ‘Brand X’. He sent me a message inquiring who or what is Brand X? When I told him he said it sounds like there’s a story there, and wanted to know if I’d share it? So I thought sure, why not? I’d be happy to.
I had explained to John that I’m ‘Brand X’, it’s a nickname given to me by some friends long ago in the sport. As I started typing this, I realized that Brand X is much more to me than just a nickname, a graphic, or a motorcycle. To me, it’s something special that takes me and hopefully others that were around northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri during the years of 1974-76, back to a special time of Observed Trials in the USA when we witnessed participation in the sport like we haven’t seen since.
How to start all this? I suppose a little information about me is in order. My name is Rick Land, and I’ve been around the trials scene here in the USA for fifty years now. I started riding in 1969 at age 9 on a little 65cc street bike. When I was around twelve or thirteen, my Dad purchased a Yamaha 125 enduro for me, and that got me started in off road riding. Sometime the next year my Dad and I went to watch a local trials event, out of curiosity, just to see what Observed Trials involved? After watching the event, there was no doubt I had caught trials fever, and shortly thereafter the Yamaha was traded in for a Honda TL125. I bet there’s a few of you out there that have cut their trials teeth on a TL125, isn’t there?
I spent every day of the summer of ‘74 riding the Honda in my backyard or in a wooded lot about a half mile from our house. One day, to my surprise, I encountered a couple of other kids in those woods, and they also had trials motorcycles. One had a TL125, the other a Montesa Cota 247. But the best part was that besides finally having someone to ride with in the woods, they both could drive, and one had a three rail motorcycle trailer; which meant I could go along with them to practice at the rock quarry where the local trials club held monthly events.
During this time the little Honda served its purpose and was a great bike to learn on. That September my buddies asked me if I wanted to go to a two day trials event in Kansas City? The event was the First Annual Quarry Cup Trials, hosted by the Mid America Trials Team or M.A.T.T. This event has now become the longest consecutive running two day Trials event in North America. It was my very first Novice Class ride; back then we only had three classes, Novice, Amature and Expert. This inaugural event was won by the National Champion at the time, Lane Leavitt. I watched him and the other top riders that weekend, and it inspired me to improve. I kept riding Novice though the rest of the year, and my skills were improving but my Dad was seeing something that I wasn’t; the Honda was already holding me back, I was improving that quickly.
In early 1975, February I believe, we were getting ready to go to a trials but my Dad had a surprise for me. I wouldn’t be riding the Honda at this event; he had brought home a brand new Yamaha TY250 from the dealer, for me to ride in the event. Here’s the hook, I wasn’t sponsored and no, he hadn’t purchased the bike, and no it wasn’t stolen either. My Dad had purchased a few bikes from this dealer over the years, and had a good relationship with them; and he had noticed the TY had been on the showroom floor for quite some time. The TY was a new Trials bike designed by Mick Andrews, and just released by Yamaha but everyone at that time, that knew anything about trials, knew the Spanish bikes were the bikes to have for trials, so the Yamaha sat, as it seemed nobody was interested in it.
I still to this day have no idea what my Dad told the dealer or how he convinced them, to let his kid ride a brand new bike, in an off road event but he did. My Dad also stressed to me not to scratch it because it wasn’t ours, sure no problem!
We arrived at the event, I was anxious to sign in and ride the new bike. I had plans now that my Dad didn’t know about. When I signed in I moved up a class to Amateur, why not right? Even though I had never won the Novice class, my thinking was that with this new better bike I could compete in Amateur with no problem. My Dad had his doubts but agreed to let me ride the higher class. Those doubts were quickly erased at the end of the day when the scores were tallied. My first ride in the Amateur class, on a bike I had never ridden before, I had won by over 20 points. Hmmm, lucky kid is what everyone was thinking I’m sure. How could this be? The next day, we washed the bike, cleaned it up, and back to the Yamaha dealer’s showroom it went, along with my first place trophy – they wanted to display in the window by the TY.
This went on for a couple of months, pick up the TY on Friday, ride the trials on Sunday, clean it and back to the dealer on Monday with the trophy. Out of probably eight rides total in Amateur, I won every event except two I believe, all on the stock TY.
Rick Land on the TY250 Yamaha – Photo: Land Family Archive.
Now we’re in the summer of 1975, it’s only been a year since I witnessed my first trials event. My Dad had now purchased the TY250 for me, the TY and I were meant for each other; it fit me well and enhanced my riding style. I learned how to use its faster revving motor, tighter turning radius and its penchant for one of my favorite techniques, the floating turn. About this time, I was approached by the two top riders in the area, both of whom I watched riding the expert class at that first Quarry Cup the previous year. They told me I should move up and ride Expert with them, they had talked it over and they thought I was ready for the move. I had serious doubts about their judgment, remember I had only been in trials for not quite a year, and had only been on the Yamaha for maybe six months. But I thought what the heck? I did it, moved up to Expert, the top class at the time, all within a year of starting to ride trials.
These two guys were the top riders in the club that hosts the Quarry Cup 2 Day Trials, the Mid America Trials Team, or MATT for short. A little background on these two characters, one of the riders was John Miller, everyone called him JB. He is the founder of the MATT club. The other guy was Dale Malasek, he is the guy that did the Action Videos of World championship Trials Rounds back in the 80s and 90s, and later became the GasGas importer for Trials motorcycles for a couple of decades here in the USA.
Dale and JB became my riding partners, and we spent many weekends in the Expert, and later on in the Master Class riding together in every trial we could get to around this part of the country. It was a blast and I learned a lot from both of them. Dale was the one that took me to my first National Trials Competition in Colorado in 1975. The Mid America Trials Team became my home club back in the 70s, I spent so much time with them they became like family; even though I was from Topeka Kansas they always, and still do welcome me with open arms. They were and are quite the group of people, they were always doing something innovative with the sport. But they also had another fun little thing going; almost everyone seemed to have a nickname of some sorts. Everyone knew each other by these names, the scorecards had the names on them, and even the scoreboard had the nicknames on it. Everyone knew who was who by their nickname.
Dale was known as the ‘Rubber Duck’ or just ‘Ducky’ back then, and JB – never one to be out done, he had quite the nickname that showed up on the scoreboard one day, ‘Wil E. Everdab’! And no he didn’t dab very often, so it was a fitting name! But one day, and I can’t remember the exact specifics, if someone called me this, or if it just showed up on the scoreboard, I was now called ‘Brand X’.
‘Ducky’ – Dale Malasek on his Bultaco, watched by ‘Wild Bill Milliken’
It was JB that gave me this name, and when I asked why or what it meant they said it was because I rode a ‘Brand X’ or a generic motorcycle, in other words my Yamaha. You see at that time; I was the only top rider in this part of the country on a Japanese manufactured Trials motorcycle. Most were on Bultacos, a few others on Ossa and Montesa, but no Yamahas. The Yamaha really stood out among all the Spanish bikes so the name stuck, and I was proud of it. It was even printed in articles in the trials paper of the time here in the USA called The Plonkers Press.
‘Wil E. Everdab’ or if you prefer John B. Miller
That was the beginning of Brand X, but I will say that no real disrespect was meant, it was all in the name of good fun and camaraderie. Just for fun, while typing this, I actually looked up to see if there was a definition of Brand X? What I found is funny, and I’m sure it’s what JB and Dale meant when comparing my Yamaha to their Bultacos. Here’s what popped up with the search: “A competing brand or product not referred to by name but implied to be of inferior quality.” I love it, yep that was my Yamaha back then, but many superior Bultacos would fall prey to the inferior ‘Brand X’ Yamaha.
Rick Land styling it on a 348 Montesa Cota – Photo: Land Family Archive.
From 1976 through 1977 my Dad took me to some National Trials events. Riding with the caliber of riders that were present at those events helped me improve. In 1977 I finished in the top ten in the Championship class at the final round in Colorado. I’m still very proud of that finish, as at that time I had only been riding trials for a little over three years.
Not Debbie Evans, this is ‘Brand X’ on the TY250 Yamaha. (Photo: Land Family Archive)
I didn’t compete in another National event for seven years. Then in 1985 I was able to attend some of the events, and within a few years, I had managed to achieve another top ten event finish in the Championship Class. Trials had changed, and events were much different from when I had last competed at the National level during the 70s. From the 70s though the 2000s I competed in many Local, State, and Regional events, as well as winning two Class National Championships in the 2000s.
Lets fast forward now from 1976 to 2013. My son had purchased a very well used 1974 TY250 at a yard sale. After having it for a while he decided it should be with Dad, since I had ridden one back in my younger days, I was thrilled to receive the TY. The thought of getting to experience riding a TY again lit a fire in me. I had been reading about how the vintage trials events were taking off across the pond, and now having a vintage bike I was even more inspired to get the TY running again.
I wanted to get going with the project. I tore the TY down, and went through it bringing everything back up to standards. I did some basic modifications I read about to update the old bike a little, like changing the footpeg position, and updating the rear shocks. Other than that the bike was basically in stock form right down to the paint job that I did myself. While prepping the tank for paint, I came up with the idea to bring back the ‘Brand X’ name. I had some Brand X graphics made, and I put one on top of the tank and sealed it with clear coat…Brand X was back.
Photo: Rick Land
As I began riding and competing on the TY, I started thinking about things I could do to improve the performance. I contacted my very good friend Jon Stoodley and asked for his assistance in this area. Jon is a tuning Guru, check out his Gearhead Alerts on the Trials Guru website and facebook.
Jon Stoodley with Kirk Mayfield display their Trials Guru VIP caps in Oklahoma, USA. (Photo: Kirk Mayfield)
Jon instructed me to do some basic measurements in the motor, and send the cylinder, head, piston, and intake to him; and he would work it over for me. When I received everything back from Jon, and after careful studying of the work done, I assembled the motor. The reason I was looking over Jon’s work with the motor was so I could try and understand what had been done, and why the work had the effect it did on how the motor now ran?
Rick Land and Jon Stoodley in the ‘JSE Headquarters’ at Muskogee.
I bombarded Jon with questions about what was done and why. As Jon found out, I’m a very curious person about all things mechanical. This all kicked off what has been a great friendship between Jon and I with lots of whys, how comes and what ifs through the years. Jon even sent me literally boxes of books covering everything from basic engine function, to advanced motor modification, carburetion, frame building, design and modification. I read them all and had even more questions…good thing Jon enjoys teaching!
Jon Stoodley talking trials with Mick Andrews when he was last in Oklahoma – Photo: JSE Trials, Muskogee
As I was now fully committed to all things vintage in trials and with Jon’s careful tutoring, the A Model TY started progressing getting better and better. I then began to watch for what had been my second TY250, the dark Blue 1976 model, and in 2015 I hit the jackpot! I found one for sale in Denver Colorado, the gentleman that had it was only the second owner and the bike was original. We met halfway between Denver and Wichita in western Kansas and the deal was made, I had my second Brand X Yamaha!
The second TY was quickly brought up to speed to match the work that had been done on the first bike. I enjoyed riding both bikes in local events, but as we all know in the vintage world there’s always that desire for something better, I always wanted a Yamaha Majesty! Who doesn’t right? Try and find one of those for sale in the USA! Only one option, build my own.
Around 2017 after many long hours of research on everything I could find, Majesty related, that may give me a clue as to what was done to transform a regular TY, into a Majesty. I felt I had a fair understanding of what frame modifications had to be done. So I set off into building a frame jig to hold everything in alignment, and go about the work of cutting the frame apart, and putting it back together again all the while maintaining proper alignment of the frame. But before cutting apart one of my precious TY’s frames, I purchased a frame off eBay as the victim of my wild idea. After completing the Majesty modifications to the extra frame, it was time to take a bike apart, and transfer everything to the experimental frame, the Yellow bike was chosen.
Upon assembling everything in the experimental frame it was time for a test ride. The difference was quite noticeable, and the bike handled phenomenally! I liked it! Now I have no way to know exactly what was done to the first generation Majesty frames but from my research, and what I felt while riding the bike, I had to be very close! The Yellow Bikes frame was now modified to my new specifications, and the first of what I now call the ‘JSE Brand X Majesty’ was born. I included Jon Stoodley’s ‘JSE’ logo which stands for Jon Stoodley Engineering which I thought was fitting as he was instrumental in helping with the engine work, and also in answering my endless barrage of questions. After completing the Yellow TY, the Blue 76 model was to follow closely behind, with the same modifications.
I stamped the ‘74 frame Brand X 01, and the ‘76 frame is stamped Brand X 02. After completing the frame work, the Yellow ‘74 went through one more change. I always wanted a bike with the factory Yellow frame and a tank with the black speed block pattern, reminiscent of the factory racing Yamahas of the 1970s.
The ‘74 was once again stripped down, frame and tank painted, with the speed block pattern on the tank, no decal. The Blue ‘76 retains the original paint scheme as it was my favorite of all the twinshock TY’s. The Brand X Majestys continue to evolve, although at a much slower pace now than in the beginning. There’s very little that’s been untouched as I continue to experiment and try different ideas. They are true one off special bikes, even if they don’t appear so. I wish I would have had them back in the 70s, wouldn’t that have been grand?
Jon Stoodley / JSE Trials
Jon Stoodley, while a man of many talents and skills in all things mechanical has one other great talent, he’s an artist. Jon has gifted me with copies of some of his pen and ink drawings which are very good.
Jon Stooley created the Brand X logo for use on Rick Land’s transporter. (Photo: Rick Land/Bill Milliken)
When I purchased a trailer to haul my special Brand X bikes, I thought – I need something ‘Brand X’ on the side of the trailer. Back in 1975 I helped do a trials demonstration with the MATT club over in Kansas City Missouri, it was called Yamaha Dirt Days, hosted by Yamaha and naturally featuring their bikes. A member of the MATT club ’Wild Bill Milliken’ (there’s a nickname again) was there taking photos of us, and took one of me doing a big floater turn. Jon was able to do an outstanding pen and ink drawing of that picture, the graphic company was then able to transfer that into their program and the Brand X logo was formed. That drawing is now what is on my trailer.
The ‘Brand X’ trailer complete with graphics designed by Jon Stoodley. (Photo: Rick Land)
So, now you see how Brand X has evolved through the years – from a teenage kid back in the mid 70s, to a tank decal, a trailer graphic, to very special vintage bikes, and to now – let’s just say a sixty-plus year old guy – on his old bikes. To me, ‘Brand X’ is much more than all those things; I hope Brand X is a representation of what observed trials was like back in the 1970s, and that era of the sport. And for the folks that were around when The Ducky, Wil E. Everdab and Brand X, battled weekly for top bragging rights, and be a reminder to people of those special times back in the heyday of trials during the 1970s. I hope that seeing the trailer, the bikes or hearing the name, brings back great memories of trials long ago.
Since entering the Vintage world of trials eleven years ago, I’ve strived to promote the vintage side of the sport. Something I’ve had the pleasure of doing was hosting some local vintage trials events to try and share with other riders what the experience of trials was like back in the 70s. Seeing the smiles on the faces of those riders at my vintage events, as they worked their way through some vintage Brand X sections is a memory I will treasure for my lifetime – That Ladies and Gentlemen is ‘Brand X’!
TRIALS GURU: Many thanks to Rick Land in the USA for putting together this very interesting article. Rick is the father of Dustin Land and grandfather of USA Vertigo rider, Ryon Land and his older brother Dalton. Jon Stoodley refers to the Lands as the “Lampkin family of the Mid West”!
Ryon Land samples Rick Land’s Yamaha TY250R (Photo: Rick Land)
Copyright: Trials Guru and Rick Land – 2024
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 any 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 and below. All articles are not published for any monetary reward or monetisation, be that online or in print.
Former World Champion, SSDT winner and American Champion, Bernie Schreiber shares his opinions with Trials Guru about the sport’s rules and regulations in the next ‘Gloves Off’ feature. Schreiber competed himself in local, national and international Trials during his professional career. He also worked with Swiss watch brands Tissot and Omega for decades within their role as Official Timekeepers for many sports including MotoGP and the Olympic Games.
Schreiber spent over a decade in World Championship Trials competition and he knows first hand that rules and regulations aren’t just part of sport, they are the sport. We had the opportunity to explore his opinions about sports regulations, Trials today and his observations going forward, as he looks back on the sport’s history and heritage.
The 1933 Scottish Six Days Trial – Photo courtesy: OffRoad Archive
It is with pleasure that we announce that an agreement has been reached between Mr. Deryk Wylde of Off Road Archive and John Moffat of Trials Guru website, that will allow accessibility and continuity for the information collected by Deryk over the years on the Scottish Six Days Trial. This will eventually be entrusted to the Trials Guru website so that generations of trials enthusiasts may continue to enjoy seeing the information, completely free of charge.
John N. Clarkson from Skirling, Biggar, seen here on his Matchless on Devil’s Staircase in the 1953 SSDT – Photo: Ray Biddle, Birmingham
John Moffat said: “I have known Deryk Wylde since the 1990s when I wrote some Scottish based articles for his magazine, Off Road Review. I then wrote the book ‘Scotland’s Rich Mixture – Motor Cycle Sport in Scotland 1945-1975’, which Deryk published under Nostalgia Publications in 2005. It is primarily a custodianship exercise as Deryk is now well into his eighties, and we are all faced with mortality at some stage. It was only proper that contingencies be made, so that the material is freely available and when the time is right, the passing on of the baton. Other aspects of Deryk’s work will be similarly attended to. Deryk Wylde has amassed a massive collection of SSDT information over the years and it is important that this is preserved and made available in accordance with Deryk’s wishes.”
We will announce when material has been transferred and how it will be displayed so that readers can access it.
As has been said previously, Trials Guru is a free to use facility and is not for profit and never will be.
Trials Guru believes that the best way to record the history of the sport is by a dedicated free facility, worldwide.
Hartwig Kamarad checks over the neat lines of historic machines in the Trial Museum (Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat)
In August 2024, Trials Guru’s John Moffat was holidaying in Austria and had arranged to visit the 1. Europäisches Motorrad Trial Museum at Ohlsdorf 75kms North East from Salzburg in the Gmunden area of Upper Austria. This is very much KTM territory as the factory was situated at nearby Mattighofen and at Mondsee, this was the base of the famous gear specialist, Michael Schafleitner who made gear clusters for many racing machines in the 1960s and 70s and was a local supplier to KTM before he retired.
The museum was the brain-child of curator and trials super-fan, Hartwig Kamarad who rode trials from the 1960s until the 1980s before taking up car racing with a March, Porsche and BMW.
Hartwig Kamarad on a Jawa rides ‘Pipeline’ in the 2010 Pre65 Scottish Trial.
The museum is not easy to find without the benefit of a GPS system as it is tucked away up a small, narrow one-way street and from the outside looks like a house and garage, but behind it becomes clear that there is much more to this residential set-up.
Hartwig Kamarad is well known in the Austrian trial scene, having been a rider, promoter and organiser for many years. He is a good friend of Joe Wallmann whom he shared travel arrangements with when Joe rode Bultaco for Horst Leitner, the Bultaco importer for Austria and Germany.
Horst Leitner, former Bultaco importer, Germany and Austria.
In 1970, Hartwig Kamarad, was approached by Motor Sport Club Rutzenmoos, the most successful motorsport club in Austria at that time, with a package deal. The MSC Rutzenmoos tasked Kamarad with forming a trials team, with Castrol Austria providing start-up assistance and also financed the purchase of a Ford FK 1000 transport bus for Joe Wallmann and Hartwig. Autoladen Vöcklabruck paid for insurance and taxes and took care of tyres and spare parts. This enabled Wallmann and Kamarad finance the expensive trips to international trials in Italy, France, Finland, Sweden, the three remaining seats in the bus were made available to other Austrian competitors and could thus travel cheaply all over Europe. Castrol was to become a major sponsor in the Austrian trials scene for many years.
1976 TT Leathers International ‘Superstars’ Trial at Pately Bridge, England – Austrian champion, Joe Wallmann on the 325 Bultaco – Photo: Malcolm Carling/Nick Haskell
Austria has produced many fine trials riders, some rode on the International stage and included Franz Wolfgang Trummer; Joe Wallmann; Walther Luft; Walther Wolf; Gottfried Engstler; Huberl Erbler; Max Hengl to name but a few.
Walther Luft, a multiple Austrial National Trials champion on the prototype KTM in the Scottish Six Days Trial in 1976 – Photo: Rainer Heise
Luft was himself a multiple Austrial Trials Champion, as was Wallman, with Luft being factory supported by Steyr-Dailmer Puch, Graz from 1970 until 1975 when Luft made the decision to ride for KTM who were developing a trials machine. Luft was paired with former Montesa rider, Felix Krahnstover of Celle, Germany.
Museum:
Trials Guru’s John Moffat is greeted by museum curator, Hartwig Kamarad – Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat
We are greeted by our host, Hartwig Kamarad who is dressed in a black tee-shirt, chinos and sandals as this is mid-summer in Austria and the temperatures have been in the high twenties and although an over-cast day, it is still rather warm. We are made welcome and feel at ease with the relaxed meeting. He knew we were coming, as arrangements were made prior to the trip and he has not only arranged to show us the museum, but also to partake of some lunch, ‘mittagessen’ at a local inn just a mile or two up the road, when we can also visit the Trialgarten Ohlsdorf ‘Trial Garden’. More on this later.
Mick Andrews, the 1971/72 European Trials Champion visited the museum some years ago (Photo: Trial Museum Archiv)
The museum is quite small in comparison to other motorcycle museums, but it is packed with interesting machines, memorabilia and exhibits from trials acros the globe. Dead centre is a Fantic 200 (Alpen Scooter) which is a trials machine converted to a tracked rear drive for use on ski-slopes. There were several of these made, some based on Bultaco Sherpa chassis with chain driven tracks.
Yrjo Vesterinen tries a 340 Bultaco Sherpa based ‘Alpen Scooter’ around 1984.
As you approach the museum door, you spot a blue mark inscribed with a felt-tipped pen on the white entrance door with a date in 2015, this was a record of the height of the mud and water that swept down on the museum building from a maize field immediately behind, causing devastation within the museum itself. Fortunately the exhits were all saved but the dampness affected the paper based exhibits. There is now an earth embankment behind the museum, being an attempt to stem any further water and mud run off which could occur in the future.
The front window declares that you are at Europe’s first Motorcycle Trial Museum and there are some exhibits in the window. The interior is not lush, it is deliberately spartan so that the exhibits are totally visible and your eye is not drawn away by expensive decor. It’s all about the bikes and memorabilia of which there is plenty to look at and occupy your time all afternoon.
KTM:
KTM T325 from 1978, chassis number 4. Photo: Trials Guru
The eye is drawn first to a very rare machine just inside the doorway. It is a 1978 KTM T325, one of four machines built at Mattighofen by the Trials Department. The trials program created 250 and 325cc versions and was with the blessing of Hans Trunkenpolz, whose father was the ‘T’ of KTM which stands for ‘Kronreif und Trunkenpolz Mattighofen’. In charge of the engineering for the trials project was Heinrich Weiditz at the KTM factory.
Taken from the museum’s history book, Walther Luft on the 325cc KTM in CSSR in 1977.
The bike on display is number 4 and was the personal machine of Trunkenpolz which has been gifted to the museum. The trials project was eventually abandoned in 1978, as KTM decided to concentrate on their enduro and motocross effort, the trials market already saturated by Spanish, Italian and Japanese built machines. After KTM pulled out of trials, Luft continued to ride and further develop his Puch and Krahnstover returned to Montesa and went on to edit the German magazine, Trialsport. Other examples of these KTM prototype machines exist in Italy. KTM T325 number 4 is probably the most prize exhibit of the museum, given it’s local connections and being an Austrian built machine.
Description of the T325 KTM – Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat
Hartwig explains all the technical points of the KTM, it has magnesium crankcases, six-speed transmission, Bing carburettor, Marzocchi forks and has a unusual bolted-on weight on the offside front fork leg, just above the spindle housing!
The 1978 KTM T325, notice the bolted on special weight on the right fork leg – (Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat)
Wather Luft has looked at this feature and cannot imagine why it was fitted, however Yrjo Vesterinen had a similar attachment on his 1984 Bultaco to add a little weight to keep the front end down under accelaration up steep sections.
Walther Luft in 1976 on the 250cc KTM on Callart Falls in the Scottish Six Days Trial – Photo: Eric Kitchen.
Presentation:
The machines in the museum have not been messed about with or restored to concours condition, they are exactly as purchased by or entrusted to the museum. This is true ‘patina’ and many prefer this state of presentation.
The 200 Fantic Alpen Scooter with rear tracks and front ski for snow operations. Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat
Probably the most unusual trial exhibit is the quirky trials-half-track, Fantic Alpen Scooter 200 as used in the Italian Tyrol on ski-slopes.
Hartwig Kamarad on the Fantic Alpen 200 (Photo: Trial Museum Archiv)
The front wheel is removed and fitted by a nose ski and the drive is modified to turn a set of tracks for the snow. These machines were popular in the 1970s and 1980s. There has been Fantic and Bultaco powered variants.
In the furthest away corner, almost out of sight are these ‘Bultaco’ skis made by Atomic – Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat
Still on the snow subject, sitting in a corner is a pair of skis, made by Austrian ski manufacturer, Atomic. But these don’t carry the usual Atomic logo but that of Spanish motorcycle manufacturer, Bultaco! This was done as a venture by Horst Leitner of Bruck an der Mur, the Bultaco importer and involved an association with Franz Klammer ‘The Kaiser’ the Austrian 1976 Olympic ski champion and Alpine ski racer. Not many of these Bultaco skis were made and very much a special order.
Exhibits:
Period trials riding clothing, topped with the famous crash helmet of Joe Wallmann from the 1970s (Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat)
The museum is dotted with interesting exhibits and artifacts and takes quite some time to take them all in. There are old trial posters from events gone by, the sort of thing that would usually adorn a ‘Man Cave’ if you could find them for sale. One such poster was from a National trial at St Koloman in Austria in August 1977, which was sponsored by Afri Cola which is a cola soft drink produced in Germany. The trademark Afri–Cola was registered in 1931 by the company F. Blumhoffer Nachfolger GmbH. The printer has used an image of the then World Champion Yrjo Vesterinen.
The 1977 trial poster one of which is on display at the Trial Museum in Ohlsdorf and another is in Yrjo Vesterinen’s private collection in England. (Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat)
John Moffat takes up the story of this poster: “When my parents house was sold, there were two posters I had on the garage wall, these were obtained when on holiday in Austria in 1977. I contacted my friend Yrjo Vesterinen and he hadn’t seen these, so because I had two, I sent him one which is now in his own private collection”.
More artifacts emerge from a variety of sources, but up in the eaves is fixed a yellow tee-shirt.
Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat
Moffat: “I recognised the logo straight away, it was the same as a large sticker that I had seen on the back door of Joe Wallmann’s van in 1976 when attending the ISDT at Zeltweg. It was a bulldog giving the thumbs up with the slogan ‘Bultaco Bull’. I haven’t seen this since in 48 years”.
Photo: Trials Guru/ Moffat
Having taken in only part of the exhibits, Hartwig says that it is time for lunch, so we drive to a local inn which is serving a special lunch only a few kilometers away in his VW T5 Kombi-van. We indulge in a nice lunch and then on the way back to the museum we call in at the Trialgarten Ohlsdorf, a training facility with man-made sections for local riders to practice and train for trials. The sections are varied and have a good following with a photo-montage on display with riders aged from 6 to 86! This again was developed by Hartwig and proves a popular attraction with small trials being held there regularly. The local council are 100% behind the venture and local firms sponsor events and prizes.
The hall of fame at the Trialgarten Ohlsdorf, Austria (Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat)
Hartwig Kamarad is proud of the Trialgarten development at Ohlsdorf (Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat)
The bikes on display are many and varied, with some quite rare machines, which include: Kawasaki KT250 (the model developed by Don Smith); Honda TL250; Wassell Antelope; Zundapp 250; Greeves Pathfinder; Puch Yeti and probably the only 1962 Greeves 250 TES in Austria which was obtained from Peter Remington of Kendal, England. A machine that Hartwig travelled to collect in person some years ago.
Puch Yeti, a rare machine (Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat)
Puch Yeti:
Austrian motorcycle manufacturer, Puch were based in Graz.
On display is the bright yellow, Puch Yeti 300 (277cc) with the Austrian built Rotax engine and beside it, a photo of Spanish rider Francisco Paya on board. Paya helped develop the first 348 engined Montesa back in 1975. The Puch was discovered in a pretty poor state and had to be rebuilt. When complete it was finished in yellow with red detail, similar to the prototype used by Francisco Paya.
Franz Wolfgang Trummer on his factory prototype Puch Yeti 300 on ‘Blackwater’ in the 1978 Scottish Six Days Trial (Photo: Iain Lawrie)
Photo-album:
Hartwig is keen to show us his own photograph album which has many unpublished photographs from Austrian and International trials and results. It is great to look back on such photographs which record the history of trials in Austria. Hartwig’s wife, Heidi comes in with some coffee and cake, made that morning which was very nice indeed.
The visitor book at the museum – Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat
If you are in the Salzburg area at any time, why not take a visit to the Trial Museum at Ohlsdorf? The admission fee is very reasonable and you get to meet Hartwig Kamarad, who is now the proud owner of a Trials Guru VIP cap! And remember to sign the ‘Gaste-buch’.
Hartwig Kamarad is a Trials Guru VIP! Here is Hartwig with his cap and the booklet which details the history of trial, available from the museum at Ohlsdorf. (Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat)
The Trials Guru VIP cap is now on permanent display in the museum, shown here by ‘Hans’ the museum controller! (Photo: Hartwig Kamarad)
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It is with sadness that we intimate the passing of Scottish trials and scrambles rider, Robert ‘Bob’ Ashenhurst.
Bob was a well known rider in the late 1950s and through the 1960s who rode a variety of machines which included BSA Gold Star, Greeves in scrambles and an Ariel HT5 in trials. The Ariel was registered NWS405 and had belonged to multiple Scottish scrambles champion, George Hodge from Abington when new and ridden by Hodge in the 1955 SSDT.
Bob’s first scrambles event was at Crichton Castle, Gorebridge in the late 1950s.
Scottish scrambling in the 1960s with 297 Jimmy Stuart; 11 George Hodge and 22 Ernie Page. All these riders raced with Bob Ashenhurst over a number of years.
Ashenhurst was a member of the Edinburgh Southern MC which ran many scrambles and trials events in Scotland. Bob usually wore his ‘Southern’ crash helmet which was a mid blue colour with white wings, many riders of the club used these helmets in the early to mid 1960s.
One of Bob’s contemporaries was double British Motocross Champion, Vic Allan seen here on his factory Greeves in 1970 – Photo: Justyn Norek
Ashenhurst’s scrambling contemporaries were: The Sandercombe brothers, Cliff and Robin; Ernie Page; Melville Hume; the Allan brothers, Jim, Robbie and Vic; George Hodge; Jimmy Stuart; Jackie Campbell; Johnny Davies; Bert Jamieson; Willie Edwards; Bob Eyers; George and Iain Shearer, to name but a few.
Jimmy Stuart was just one of the Scottish scrambles riders who raced and knew Bob Ashenhurst, seen here at Brighton in 1973 on his CCM.
Bob worked for many years at Edinburgh Airport, known then as ‘Turnhouse’ and also had a small holding croft at Mannerston, near Linlithgow. His local track was ‘Hillhouse’ just outside the town of Linlithgow in West Lothian.
The Edinburgh Southern MC, the club which Bob Ashenhurst raced under and had his competition licence through his racing career.
For many years, Bob was usually accompanied by his younger sister, June who acted as his ‘mechanic’ at scrambles across Scotland. June married John Malcolm who rode in trials and scrambles with the Lanarkshire MCC and had two trials riding sons, Graham and Sandy, both encouraged at a very early age to take up trials. In later years, Bob would be seen at the SSDT and the Pre65 Scottish trials spectating, maintaining a close interest in the sport long after he stopped competing himself. He was also a guiding influence when his nephew Graham’s son took up motocross and Graham took up Supermoto.
Bob took part in the 2021 T. Arnott Moffat Memorial road run at Inverness on his Honda WR400, having known SACU Secretary, Arnott Moffat all his racing career.
Bob Ashenhurst on his 500cc Ariel HT5 – NWS405 taken around 1960
Bob Ashenhurst died on Friday, 23rd August 2024, aged 87 years and was a life-long motorcycle enthusiast who competed against the best in Scotland and occasionally beat them all. Some of the riders called him ‘Bert’, but he was universally liked and more to the point highly respected as a competitive motorcyclist by all who knew him.
Bob Ashenhurst’s funeral will take place on Wednesday, 11th September at Falkirk Crematorium at 10.45am.
Gordon L. Jackson, the AJS factory rider who won the 1961 Scottish Six Days Trial on one solitary mark, has died aged 92 years of age, on Sunday 7th July 2024.
Gordon had endured a period of bad health and passed away in the South Charente area of France, where he had lived for many years.
Gordon Jackson. 347cc AJS – Newcastle Motor Club, Allan trial, Alston. 1953 – Photo courtesy of Tommy Reynolds, Ashington
A ‘Kentish Man’, born on the north side of the River Medway, he was a farmer by profession and became a full factory AJS supported rider in 1953.
He won the SSDT four times (1956, 58, 60 & 61) and the ACU British Trials Star twice, in 1955 and 1958, the equivalent of the British Trials Championship.
When Jackson won the 1961 SSDT on 187BLF, Bert Thorn of Comerfords, Thames Ditton, immediately ordered 100 replicas of Jackson’s AJS, a factory order that remained unfulfilled, much to the disappointment of Gordon and AJS customers.
Gordon lost his single dab in 1961 on the top sub-section of Grey Mare’s Ridge, in more recent years the section became known as ‘Jacksons’ in his honour. Mortons Media own the image taken by Peter Howdle which is one of the most famous trials photographs in the history of the sport.
Gordon presenting trophies at John Luckett’s trial in Devon.
His wife Peggy pre-deceased him some years ago, Gordon leaves two sons, Drew and Ross and grandchildren, Lynn and Catherine. He was highly respected by his peers which included, Sammy Miller; Roy Peplow; Johnny Brittain; Gordon Blakeway; Gordon McLaughlan; Peter Fletcher; Geoff Ward; John Giles and Jeff Smith, to name but a few.
In his days with AJS, Gordon also competing in scrambles both in Britain and in France, as well as representing Britain at the International Six Days Trial.
Gordon Jackson with his famous AJS 187BLF on which he won the 1961 SSDT on one solitary mark! (Photo: Trials Guru)
Gordon Jackson on his factory AJS (TLP686) on Kinlochrannoch in the 1957 Scottish Six Days Trial.
John Moffat of Trials Guru said: ” I feel that this is the end of an era, Gordon Jackson was one of my heroes and was truly a legend in the history of motorcycle trials. G.L. Jackson excelled at motorcycle trials and when he retired from the sport, he took up car trialing and became British Champion in that sport also. I got to know Gordon in the late 1990s and we used to speak to each other by telephone over the years. I spoke very little during our chats, as he was such a wealth of knowledge, I enjoyed listening to him. I was truly saddened when I took the phone call from Drew Jackson to inform me of his father’s passing this morning. Gordon Jackson was a gentleman and a highly respected one at that.”
SSDT Centenary 2011 – Two of the most famous trials machines, of all time – 187BLF (350 AJS) which won the 1961 SSDT ridden by Gordon Jackson losing only one mark. GOV132 (500 Ariel) Sammy Miller’s famous machine that won the SSDT (1962 & 1964) – Photo: Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven
Gordon Jackson’s famous AJS (187BLF) now fully restored is displayed in Sammy Miller’s museum at New Milton.
Five giants of off-road motorcycle sport: Left to right – Jeff Smith OBE; Peter Fletcher; Gordon Jackson; Alan ‘Sid’ Lampkin & Arthur ‘Ping’ Lampkin – Photo courtesy of Colin Bullock/CJB Photographic
Gordon Leonard Jackson 28 December 1931 – 7 July 2024
Tributes to Gordon Jackson:
Nick Jefferies: “Very sad news. You couldn’t wish to meet a more decent bloke. One of the true greats of motorcycling.”
Tony Davis: “Very sad news indeed. I had the pleasure of riding around the SSDT when he famously lost just one dab, what a brilliant ride that was. The sport has lost another great ambassador.”
Bernie Schreiber: “Trials Legend. R.I.P.”
Jeff Smith: “Very sorry to hear this. Gordon was a great rider and a gentleman.we had wonderful battles In 1950s .Rest In Peace old friend. See you soon!”
George Greenland: “So sorry to hear about Gordon he was a very pleasant and friendly person.”
Gordon McLaughlan: “Sorry to see my old team mate passing, he was a colossus in our time together. We will not forget his riding style.”
Tommy Sandham: “An all time great. He wrote a Foreword to my first book about the SSDT and made me feel like a millionaire! Condolences to the family.”
Back in 2011, Trials Guru’s John Moffat was attending the Scott Trial Reunion dinner organised by Alan Lampkin at the Ripon Spa Hotel. He was very fortunate to be sitting at a table which consisted of many great trials riders, one of which was Tony Davis.
During the dinner, Moffat said to Tony Davis: “Believe it or not, my father knew your father through ACU connections”. This started a long conversation about the Davis family and the sport of trials and motocross. It also kindled a new friendship for both these gentlemen!
Fast forward thirteen years to June 2024 and Tony Davis arrived at Aviemore in Scotland as a guest of the Inverness & District MCC for the annual Highland Classic – BSA/Triumph Edition on Alvie Estate along with Mike ‘Bonkey’ Bowers and Alan Lampkin. This was arranged by John Moffat in his capacity as Event Co-ordinator.
John Moffat with Tony Davis (centre) and Alan Lampkin at the 2024 Highland Classic Two Day Trial at Aviemore – Photo: Gordon Bain Photography, Inverness
Moffat had asked Tony previously if he was happy to do an article on the Davis family for the benefit of Trials Guru readers, Tony was only too happy to oblige and sent Moffat a well written synopsis in note form, which detailed the Davis family involvement in the sport over the years. Tony had put this together himself quite a few years ago.
The following was written by Tony Davis as a record, and we reproduce this with his express permission.
Words and copyright: Tony Davis
Photos: Gordon Bain; Smith Family Collection; OffRoad Archive;Hugh Hunter Collection; Mike Davies;Jimmy Young;Eric Kitchen; Google Maps
“My Father was Les Davis, the landlord of the ‘Air Balloon Inn’ at Birdlip, which became famous for the National Cotswold Cups Trial during the late 1950s. He also went on to become Chairman of the Auto-Cycle Union Trials Committee. It was inevitable that both my brother, Malcolm and I would become heavily involved in trials and scrambling.“
The Air Balloon at Birdlip a 230 year old pub – Photo: Google Maps
“From the age of six, horses were my love. I had my own pony and rode every day, and by the time I was ten, I was hunting twice a week.
When I was fourteen. the motorcycling bug took over and the horses began to take a back seat. My father bought two cheap motorbikes for us and I remember Malcolm and myself racing around the back paddock on a 197cc Francis Barnett with a hand gear change and also a BSA Bantam. We even dug out a ditch, so that we could jump across it at speed. We also walked the bikes across the main road and into the woods and quarry to practice trials riding. We would ride every section until we cleaned them twice, then we would move on to harder sections. These were fabulous times together and we had formed a very special bond.
I was two years older than Malcolm. so I rode my first trial in 1957 on a 197cc Greeves in the Minety Vale Boxing Day Trial. That was just a few days after my sixteenth birthday. It was a real old fashioned ‘mud plug’ and I recall John Draper, who taught me a lot over the years, on his 500cc works BSA. It was at the bottom of a famous section known as ‘Flithridge’, he turned his cap around, went back as far as he could down the track, selected third gear and hit the section, flat out. It was three long sub-sections, by the time he got to the end, he was nearly stood still, but he just got out of the ends cards to claim the only clean of the day.
Gordon Jackson on his works AJS, footed out the last sub-section straight afterwards. All I had was a 197cc Greeves, needless to say, I selected second gear and footed very hard all the three sub-sections, but I did win the Novice Award for my efforts.
Malcolm was at school in Stroud at this time, his headmaster was a keen scrambles rider and would take Malcolm with him to events on a DOT and that is where the bug really bit my brother.
The last trial of the 1957 season in the Western Centre was at Stroud and I finished up as runner-up to Roger Kearsey on his 350cc BSA. When I got home, I washed off my bike as I was going to ride in a local scramble at Draper’s farm the following day. My father couldn’t take me to the event because he was short of bar staff, but would come along after the pub shut. I rode the bike to Draper’s Farm and my Uncle and Malcolm followed in a car with petrol and spares. When I arrived at the pits, I changed the rear wheel with a well worn scrambles tyre fitted, a short exhaust pipe, number plates and went out to practice. What an experience that was, firstly John Draper came flying passed me on a section of the course that was wide enough for one, or so I thought, then John Avery overtook me in mid-air, but those BSAs sounded so good. I rode in three races and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Malcolm worked feverishly each lap with a board, showing me my position. A job which I did for him so many years later!
At the end of the meeting, I reversed the procedure and rode the bike home. It never missed a beat, but in my mind I was set on getting a four stroke for the next trials season.
I rode the Greeves in a number of scrambles including the Cotswold Scramble, which was about four miles around in those days. I joined the Gloucestershire Constabulary and was very lucky to have a Chief Constable who was very sports minded. He granted me most weekends off. It wasn’t long before the Greeves gave way to a 350cc Ariel, this bike gave me my first open to centre win and a class award in the national Knut Trial. I went on to win many open to centre trials on this bike and even obtained some works parts from Sammy Miller. This included an upswept pipe, small oil tank and a few other mods.“
BSA:
“During 1960, I was offered a 250cc BSA as a semi-works supported rider, my first ride was at the national Colmore Trial and I finished runner-up to Sammy Miller. The following week, the factory had the BSA back and fettled it to a full works standard and I never looked back.
My first Scott Trial was on the BSA and I travelled to the event with John Draper. Half way up the old A1 on a dual carriageway, we found ourselves in thick fog. ‘Drapes’ said: “don’t worry, I know the way blindfolded”. After some time I said to ‘Drapes’ that occasionally I could see headlights to my left, he immediately braked and drove onto the grass centre reservation. There were no centre barriers in those days and slowly joined the correct side of the dual carriageway.
The real breakthrough came when Brian Martin (competitions manager at BSA) rang and offered me the prototype 343cc BSA B40 which Jeff Smith was going to ride in the Scottish Six Days that year, but he had injured his hand in a scramble, so I was offered his entry in the Scottish.“
BSA competitions manager, Brian Martin offered Tony Davis a factory prototype – Photo: Mike Davies
“I took to the bike, like a ‘duck to water’. I remember driving with close neighbour and good friend, John Draper to the BSA factory, picking the bikes up, riding them from the comp shop to New Street railway station.“
John Draper redies his BSA Gold Star to tackle ‘Town Hill Brae’ or ‘Rocky Brae’ as the locals call it at the Scottish Six Days – Photo: Hugh Hunter Collection
“That was my first ride on the bike, then loading them into the rear carriage, getting into the sleeper carriage and arriving in Edinburgh the following morning. Then a ride to the hotel with our kit strapped to the rear mudguard.“
Tony Davis with the 343cc BSA, 776BOP; Alan Lampkin with BSA C15, 748MOE and Mike Bowers with his special BSA Bantam – Photo: Gordon Bain Photography, Inverness
“We completed the week and returned the same way. We had won the manufacturer’s team award that week and I probably had my best Scottish ride ever!“
Tony Davis aboard 776BOP at Gorgie Market, Edinburgh on the first day of the 1963 Scottish Six Days Trial – Photo: Jimmy Young
“I won many national and class awards on that machine, 776BOP, including the trade supported national West of England Trial.“
Tony Davis trying hard on the works BSA B40 – 776BOP (Photo: OffRoad Archive
“My “brother Malcolm was now on the scene riding a 250cc Greeves, our father was now running a motorcycle business in the stables behind the pub and was negotiating buying another shop in Gloucester, which he and Malcolm would run. Mother would continue to run the pub during the day. Malcolm would travel with me to all centre trials and also some nationals. Malcolm was a brilliant trials rider, how I remember the times we would disagree on what gear to pull up sections and the times that he proved me wrong, by getting on his bike and cleaning the hazard. But his heart was in scrambling.
Back then, trials were held in the winter months and scrambles in the summer, except for the dreaded television series and I supported Malcolm at most of the scrambles events. Malcolm secured Greeves factory support and the shop became a main Greeves agency for the area and the rest is history.“
Greeves:
Tony Davis on his factory Greeves in 1964 (Photo: OffRoad Archive)
“I stayed with BSA until 1964 when I signed to ride for Greeves. My first national ride on the Greeves was in the wettest Scottish Six Days Trial. It was an achievement to finish that year. I remember getting to Rannoch Moor and what was usually a gentle stream crossing was a raging torrent. Sammy Miller rode his Ariel over the wooden bridge which collapsed as he got to the other side. An official appeared and recommended that we take the very long way around the moor on the main road. Malcolm, along with a lot of other riders decided to go the long way around ion the hope that the fuel tanker would meet them with petrol. Four of us including David Clegg, Jim Sandiford and Dave Langston deceided to carry a bike at a time through the ever deeping river. We would start at one point and the current would carry us down river some distance.
Unfortunately my bike was the last to be carried across, we were all pretty tired by now and the current was much stronger. Somebody stumbled and my bike went under with him. Somehow we rescued the bike and fought our way to the other side, some 300 yards further down stream, there was no way back now.
We dried the bikes out the best we could and surprisingly they all eventually started. We took our boots off and the water poured out. We set off across the moor, totally soaked to the skin, but unfortunately a few miles further on, my bike spluttered to a halt. We worked on it for some time but it refused to start. I then noticed a railway line and what looked like a deserted building in the distance. I told the lads to carry on as I would make my way to the railway, but they wouldn’t have any of that. We took our Barbour jacket belts off and made a two rope. They towed and pushed me to the railway line and reluctantly left me there.
Jim Sandiford smiled and took a box of dry matches out of his top pocket and said: “You might be able to light a fire if nobody finds you”. I took the drive chain off and pushed the bike towards the building. After an hour of pushing, I finally reached the building, and low and behold it was Rannoch Railway Station. There was one man on duty and he asked me where in the hell I had come from. I told him, but I wasn’t sure if he believed me! He told me that there would be a train coming along soon and it was heading for Fort William. I purchased a ticket with very wet bank notes and waited for the train to arrive. There was nobody else at the station, just a few parcels and milk churns.
When the train finally arrived, we loaded the bike into the last carriage along with the milk churns and bags of potatoes. I travelled with the bike and it seemed a long time before we reached Fort William. We unloaded the bike and I pushed it to the garage where all the bikes were kept overnight and it was nearly empty! I was met by Bill Brooker, Greeves competitions manager who told me that all the sections after Rannoch Moor had been scrubbed because of the rain and that all competitors were being allowed extra time to fettle their bikes ready for the following day. At that moment, Malcolm and dozens of riders arrived, luckily for them the Shell petrol tanker had heard of the problems and met them half way.
I changed the complete electrical system and she fired into life, I also took the opportunity to drain and refill the gearbox with fresh oil and fitted a new chain. It rained the rest of the week and I gained a first class award. This was slightly spoiled by Malcolm beating me by two marks and taking the class award!“
“There “was always a lot of competition between my brother and I and that drove us on! One season, I travelled with Don Smith, ‘D.R’ as we all called him, on the European trials circuit.“
Greeves were a force to be reckoned with in off road motorcycle sport in the early 1960s, here is Malcolm Davis, Peter Stirland and Don Smith getting ready to travel to an event in Europe in 1963 – Photo: Smith Family Collection
“Don was a character and a brilliant rider, we spent many, many happy hours together. I would always drive down to Don’s shop on the North Circular road and we would load up and drive to Dover for the ferry. Don was the worst time keeper in the world and on one occasion, we were over an hour late leaving the shop. Don only knew one speed and that was ‘fast’. He would take the straightest line through corners and roundabouts, but on this occasion the inevitable happened. We overtook a Police car in Kent on the inside and the Police car wasn’t hanging around either. It took the Police two miles to catch us up and pull us over. I will never forget the look of innocence on Don’s face when the officer asked him if he knew what speed and manouvres he had been doing. Don got out of the car, lit the inevitable cigarette and walked to the back of the trailer with the officers. Five minutes later, one of the officers asked me to step out of the vehicle. He then gave me a good lecture on navigating and time keeping! Finally he told me I should know better as a Police Officer to allow Don to drive so fast, but as this event in Germany was very important to the Greeves factory, they would overlook this incident! Don had told them that he would not listen to me in future and would drive more carefully. That was Don and needless to say, he won the trial and I finished third that weekend!
My best achievement on the Greeves was winning the National Trade supported Hoad Trial on the Saturday and then winning the Perce Simon trial on the Sunday, the same year I won the British Experts Trial, only to be disqualified the following day because I changed bikes and that was after the officials clearing me to ride the spare bike, which I had practised on the previous day. I was within sight of the start area and the engine had never started, only Sammy Miller protested.
Greeves were a very good factory to ride for, more like a big family. They supplied me with bikes to scramble in the summer months, but only if there were no national trials on and Malcolm didn’t need me with him.“
Malcolm Davis on the factory Greeves in 1964 at the Trophee Des Nations – Photo courtesy: OffRoad Archive.
Tony and Malcolm switched to ride for the Andover based AJS concern when it was owned by Manganese Bronze Holdings, in 1968. In short it was a bit of a flag waving exercise for Tony, but Malcolm won the 1968 British 250cc Scrambles Championship on the prototype Y4 Stormer AJS. Tony and Malcolm both rode the two-stroke AJS 37A-T in trials at this time, but as Tony said in an article we wrote on the machine: “It was just too little, too late”. The machine lacked development and AJS concentrated on their motocross range.
“I had stayed loyal to Greeves up until the Villiers engine supply dried up and they started to use the Puch engined ‘Pathfinder’, a bike I never really took too. Comerfords offered me a Bultaco trials bike, on which I spent many happy and successful years on. Malcolm was racing Bultaco Pursangs for the factory and I used to travel with him to the Bultaco factory to pick up bikes for him to ride all over the continent. It was my job to do most of the driving, some of the spanner work and do all the signalling. I think it was at the Spanish world 250cc round when Malcolm had a fabulous ride in the first leg and finished second to Joel Robert. When they went to the line for the second leg, Malcolm’s bike stopped, he put his hand up and pulled back. I ran over to him with a plug and plug spanner and our mechanic followed. I looked over to Joel and pointed at his back wheel, his hand then went up and the starter stepped down. Joel’s mechanic ran over, shook the back wheel and said all was in order. By this time, we had fitted a new plug and the Bultaco fired up. Joel looked at me with a cheecky smile and put his thumb up and away they went. Joel won and Malcolm finished fourth, giving him third overall. Needless to say, I bought Joel a few drinks that night and boy could he drink and ride the following day! Joel once commented that Malcolm was the fastest rider ever going downhill, what a compliment.“
Tony Davis in the 1973 SSDT on the Bultaco Sherpa – Photo: Eric Kitchen
“When we were not abroad, I would ride as many scrambles and support races in the summer as possible and actually beat Malcolm at Farleigh Castle, only because he and Vic Allan collided and took him some time to fire his bike up. Vic had to untangle himself from the chestnut fencing. Malcolm was not a happy bunny on the drive home, he made sure I ended up buying the meal and drinks at our regular pub stop when we were in that part of the country. Just because I had won more money than he did in the main race that day.
I got great satisfaction from travelling on the continent with Malcolm and with so many other brilliant riders who were all incredible characters. It is very difficult to explain to anyone how strong a friendship there was in those days. I was a member of the winning Western Centre scrambles team one year, not surprising as the team consisted of Malcolm, Andy Roberton, Bryan Wade, Randy Owen and myself.“
Montesa and Suzuki:
“I was offered a 250cc Montesa by the importer with semi-works support and had a reasonably successful year, but when the offer of a full works contract came along from Graham Beamish to develop the Suzuki, I jumped at it.
The hours of work that we put into the Suzuki was enormous, but we made the bike into a competitive machine. I achieved two national runner-up awards and national class awards on this bike, then Suzuki brought the 325cc trials bike out, which again needed lots of fettling, but again proved to be a winning machine. I rode my last Scottish on this bike.“
International:
“I always enjoyed the long distance trials like the Welsh Three Day, the International Six Days and especially on a four-stroke bike. In the early sixties, I remember spending many hours with Harry Baughan at ghis factory in Stroud. He was the British Team Manager for the ISDT team. I could ride my bike from the Air Balloon to his factory and practice taking wheels out, changing a tube and putting the wheels back in against the clock. When he was satisfied with my time, he would get me to change a magneto or points. Then and only then, he would send me on my way home.
The Welsh Three Day Trial was very much the event to do well in to get a possible selection for one of the Vase teams for the ISDT. I remember being in some of the remotest parts of Wales and an official would flag you down and tell you to change a tube, take your points out and replace them, change a throttle cable and very often this would be in the thick mist or driving rain and you still had to be at the next check on time!
Looking back at it now, it’s what drove you on to try and be the best. Over the years Malcolm and I played at county level squash for different clubs and I just had the edge on him, but he was also a very good golfer, he played off a two handicap and I played off six, so he had to give me four strokes, but he would never let me pick which holes I could take my strokes at! He would generally win anyhow.
That special bonding we had to succeed was always there and took us through our careers whether we were together or apart.“
Tribute:
“The saddest time in motorcycling for me was when Malcolm was killed, he was waiting to turn into a group of sections in a country lane at the President’s Trial in Devon. I still kick myself today that I didn’t enter and ride in that trial with him as it might have never happened. There are so many stories one could tell, but the final story is dedicated to Malcolm.
We were riding in the West of England trial which in those days was a very long figure of eight event. We were at the notorious section called ‘Diamond Lane’, which was a long rocky section with a big step towards the end. It was my turn to go first as we usually took turns to be first. I had a very good ride and cleaned the section. Ralph Venables said ‘Well done, that was a good ride and how many marks are you on?” This was his normal question. Then Malcolm reached the big step, he hit it just right, but the bike jumped out of gear and he had a five. he was not happy. Malcolm flew by me and vanished in teh distance. I set boff down the lanes in pursuit and after a few miles, there was a very tight corner with a low hedge and a duck pond on the other side. There was a hole in the hedge and there was Malcolm, sat in the pond with the bike. How I laughed as I helped him back to the lane. We fettled the bike and off we went to the next section. He did see the funny side eventually!
So many times, Malcolm found plastic ducks on his bike or in the back of the van at scrambles meetings at home and abroad!
After twenty-five years in the saddle and at a high level, and sadly Malcolm was no longer alive, I felt it was time to call it a day and concentrate on my career at the Home Office. I still had my B40 BSA trials bike and I rode this and a 500cc Ariel in Pre65 trials with great success. Deryk Wylde was running a British Championship series and I won the first series on the BSA and the 500cc championship the following year on the Ariel.
I took over the chairmanship of the Victory Re-Union from John Avery for a number of years and still help organise and observe at local trials today.
I am proud to have spannered and signaled for Malcolm when he won three British 250cc Scrambles Championships.
When I look back over my motorcycling years, I realise how fortunate I have been to be part of a spoirt that has given me so much pleasure. However hard it’s been at times, and to have made so many really true friends through motorcycling. Without any doubt, these were the best years to have been in the sport!” – Tony Davis
Acknowledgement:
Trials Guru wishes to thank Tony Davis for supplying his own words for this article and for continuing to support the sport of trials to this day. This is not only a fitting tribute to Tony Davis, such a great competitor and gentleman, but also to his late brother Malcolm, a true champion in all senses of the word. Malcolm was British Motocross champion on three occasions, 1968, 1970 and again in 1973. Tragically killed while competing in 5th October 1980 on his Bultaco Sherpa in the President’s Trophy Trial, a British championship event near Honiton, Devon.
Malcolm Davis, three times British 250cc Scrambles Champion
Footnote:
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Text Copyright: Tony Davis & Trials Guru 2024
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