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SOO22D – this factory Greeves is still around

Words: Trials Guru; Roy Kerr; John Pearson & Don Morley.

Photos: Derek Soden; Terry Heath; Ken Haydon; Barry Robinson’s Estate; Eric Kitchen; Roy Kerr; Barbara Kerr; Gary Bamford; Pat Trafford & Don Morley.

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 Once superseded, a fortunate few found their way into private ownership, but many more disappeared forever, broken for spares or dismantled within the competition department.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

On Saturday October 28th 1967, Sandiford took the Greeves to runner-up spot in the grueling Scott Trial, Sammy Miller was the eventual winner and Bill Wilkinson, riding SOO23D was best on time. The Best one-make team went to Greeves with members Sandiford (SOO22D); Wilkinson (SOO23D) and Derek Adsett (SOO57D). [2]

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 26mm model 626 concentric instrument, however it is assumed that perhaps 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 and only two digits difference between frame numbers.

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:

Former BSA, Triumph, Puch and Dalesman factory rider and JCB engineer, Scott Ellis astride SOO22D when he built it into a new chassis – Photo: Pat Trafford

“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.

SOO22D as it appeared at the Telford Classic Dirt Bike show in February 2026 on the Greeves stand – Photo: Gary Bamford.

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.

Post-script!

Don Morley was the trials machine technical specialist for the Greeves Rider’s Association and contacted Trials Guru as soon as this article was published! Having previously owned SOO22D, he was eager to point out some very interesting points and clear up some omissions. Don’s stature and knowledge is without question, so we listened and noted what he had to say:

“Firstly, so much of this particular ex-works Greeves is about where the sport was at that time. For instance, until around 1964, virtually all major trials wins had been by factory riders and factory four-strokes, though I know both George Fisher (Francis-Barnett) and Bill Lomas (James) had come close to breaking that mould.

But within a year, virtually all of the big four-stroke factory teams were either shrinking or finished for ever, Sammy Miller was able to develop GOV132 with complete freedom as in trials terms, Ariel no longer existed. BSA were about to follow AMC who folded altogether by 1966 and a literal plethora of ex-works team big four-stroke riders were left with nothing to ride trials on.

History now, but riders such as Tony Davis even had to hand back his ex-works B40 to BSA, as did Jim Sandiford with ‘776BOP’ and so on -including the Lampkins and so many others. Royal Enfield gave their riders the chance to buy whichever factory bike they had been competing on, but neither Pat Brittain nor Peter Fletcher did so. For instance, I bought ‘RE250’ and although the factory did give ‘HNP331’ to Johnny Brittain, I later bought it from him, whereas Royal Enfield’s Peter Striland did go over very successfully to ride for Greeves.

This was a period of massive change in our sport, for instance it was at the very height of its popularity by the mid-1960, when most events in the UK were so oversubscribed that in my own case, I would fill in my entry forms the moment the ‘ACU Gazette’ arrived, then jump on my bike and deliver my entry and cheque to wherever, and even then often find the trial was oversubscribed.

Three hundred being the average number of any SE Centre event in those days and perhaps more tellingly approximately two-hundred and fifty of them would be on Greeves, then a few DOTs maybe a Butler or two, just a tiny handful of big four-strokes and the balance made up by such as Tiger Cubs as Sprites had not appeared yet.

In short, it was a period of great change also one where more than a few top star professional four-stroke riders were left without a Pro-ride not able either to adapt well enough to continue making a name riding two-strokes, indeed I am sure you will remember the parallel at AMC where those not able to adapt to the short-strokes.

Anyway, to get nearer to the point, Greeves in manufacturing and sales terms were benefiting and doing really well, as even the previous rival likes of James and Francis-Barnett fell by the wayside after AMC collapsed and the trials bikes Greeves were selling to the public really were strong, ready to ride without the need for any alterations, and at least externally virtually identical year on year to the factory team bikes. Better still, Greeves also had their own engine test bed and knew how to use it.

The 1963/4 TES as developed most specifically by Don Smith during the mostly 1962/3 ‘works’ machine period and which for the first time also featured Greeves very own manufactured square barrel and cylinder head was the first really major step away from the then ordinary Villiers 9E and 32A engines most others had to use, and very soon after that Greeves adopted ever more non-Villiers components for several of the by then increasingly VERY special ‘Works’ engines, and also differing leading link front fork options.

Yes, I am leading up to SOO22D in case you might think I had forgotten! -but within a year Greeves had done more and more engine research and dyno testing which resulted in them manufacturing and incorporating the vastly better still ‘Challenger’ top end, which incidentally had even larger fins and was no longer square. More importantly though for this story and the likes of SOO22D and so many others, was the fact this top end was called the ‘Challenger TYPE’ top end.

Why was that important you might ask? – Well because Greeves had had in fact developed numerous versions, so for instance although they all looked the same to the casual observer, the internal porting and such as the carburettor downdraft angles varied quite massively if, for instance, for road racing, motocross or trials, yet to most not in the know sadly. All nowadays are often regarded as just being Challenger barrels.  

So, come 1965, Greeves unveiled the short lived but by then superb TFS Trials Model with numerous mainly Don Smith derived detailed lightening mods over the previous TES and now with the trials type Challenger top end on the standard Villiers bottom end and also with a Villiers S25 carburettor.

However for the works team bikes they were also experimenting with using Alpha Full Circle Crankshafts and polished con rods to considerably increase crankcase compression, and also coupling it to the actual scrambler type Challenger barrel and high comp cylinder head rather than the trails one plus using special pistons fitted with a ‘L’ shaped Dykes type top piston ring which was less likely to snag or break within the by then wildly enlarged cylinder barrels cast in transfer ports.

Just three such ‘works’ TFS machines were built with all three also being fitted with what would soon be known on the still to come Anglian, as ‘Banana’ front forks, though these prototype forks were in fact quite a lot shorter than the eventual Anglians, and all three prototypes proved highly successful, with the one used by Malcolm Davis even eventually being re-painted from being Geeves traditional Moorland Blue to the soon to come Anglians’ Battleship Grey with red fuel tank, a machine I later owned.

The ex-Malcolm Davis prototype Greeves Anglian when owned by Don Morley – Photo: Don Morley copyright

Next, Bert Greeves himself turned up at the annual Press Trial to compete on the first production Anglian in the November of 1965 at which time I was riding my own ex-Works TFS and Bert offered to swap bikes with me for a while. It’s not significant but I personally hated the bikes looks and colour scheme, but loved riding it, so later I also bought Mick Wilkinson’s first factory Anglian.

Trying to get to the point, Don Smith by then was falling out with Bert Greeves on a regular basis and was demanding Ceriani forks rather than Banana type, but Bert would not change the cast alloy front frame fork angle which was needed for Cerianis to be a success, and not all of the rest of the by then very large factory supported Greeves team riders liked or got on with the numerous top end engine tuning developments either, so some used such as the Alpha crank and con rod and some didn’t. Likewise, the Challenger motocross top end, and some preferred the Villiers lead-weighted trials flywheel, and others the standard and lighter roadster version.

The Greeves Anglian Villiers 37A engine – Photo: Don Morley Copyright.

In short, some of the factory engines were far more modified than others. So, when Jim Sandiford lost his ride with BSA and was offered a contract with Greeves he was issued with SOO22D in virtually standard over the counter form. It came with the Villiers 37A bottom end, Amal 26mm Concentric carb, and very well put together with just mildly opened out porting and so on. Remember, this was well into the Spanish bike era, Jim soon found out he did not like it, in short to him as also a top scrambles and ISDT, it was gutless!

He thus tried several other of his new teammate’s machines and decided to opt for the highest state of tune, but by then this was a problem for Greeves as they liked their riders to be seen to be riding same as we could buy, and if modifications were done to a 37A Villiers engine bottom end, some of these quite massive porting and carb angle mods could not be hidden!

Fortunately, Villiers stamped their engine numbers on the primary chain case and not as most other bike or engine manufacturers on the crank cases, so Jim’s soon to be highly modified engine was able to keep its 37A designation and number, but from then onwards very little was made by Villiers or was 37A. Hence SOO22D gains a pair of older 36A scrambles crank cases with external webbing, which could not be hidden.

Some things just can’t be hidden! Don Morley’s photo of the works Greeves 37A engine.

This allowed for the crankcase transfer porting to be opened out quite massively whereas the 37A cases did not have enough meat or strength to allow for this to be done, and then in turn Greeves likewise cast in much larger and very differently place cylinder barrel porting and inlet downdraft angle, which can be spotted if you know where to look! Whereas the changed crank cases cannot be hidden, witnessed by the gap between them and the primary chain cases.

It was impossible for Greeves to make the necessary modifications to what should have been 37A crank cases, as Villiers had slimmed them right down and streamlined them and this in turn meant they did not have enough meat or metal left on them to be able to enlarge the transfer ports enough, hence reverting to a pair of older 36A scrambles cases which they could modify.

This was all done in time for the SSDT and such as the very obviously different crank cases were passed off by Greeves personnel to the likes of myself as being ‘Oh that – we just thought they would cool better as they have the webbing’. Other than Malcolm Davis’s TFS/Anglian prototype and Don Smith’s final version TFS, I cannot recall any other such highly modified ‘Works’ engines, or one which owed so little internally to Villiers.

So SOO22D had Alpha full circle crank and polished elliptical con rod, totally different cylinder porting to standard, also higher compression ratio cylinder head, different carb porting angle inside of the cylinder barrel, and may have also had a lighter magneto flywheel (Am not sure on that as it could have been changed before I bought it) but standard 37A gearbox, but Greeves cutaway magneto cover etc, and yes still an Amal 26mm Concentric two stroke carb.

As to the alloy tank. Kindly note it was NOT longer, think of it more like a ballon being blown up a bit more, in short, it was very slightly wider, perhaps 3/8 either side and also top and bottom meaning it sat a little closer to the engine, and that was enough to add half a gallon capacity for the SSDT. But it was nice to look at, but not as comfortable to brace yourself against when standing up on the footpegs.

But what is important at least is to drive home the fact SOO22D was very much a ‘one off’, and quite different to the other ‘SOO’ registered Greeves of that time.” – DON MORLEY

Bibliography and references:

Motor Cycle News – Various reports 1966-1967

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

[2] Motor Cycle – November 1, 1967

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

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

Don Morley – Marque expert, retired photojournalist and author.

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.

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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.

motorcycles

The Mysterious STAG

Researched and written by Trials Guru’s John Moffat in 2021, we discover the story of Don Smith’s contract breaking STAG MK1.

Words: John Moffat/Trials Guru

Photos: Mike Watts; Bob May; OffRoad Archive; Don Smith Family Collection

Additional Information on Don Smith: Amanda Lazenby

Don Smith with his creation The STAG MK1 at Edinburgh’s Gorgie Market on 3rd May 1970 – Photo courtesy of Don Smith Family Collection.

As an enthusiastic schoolboy, John Moffat attended the Scottish Six Days Trial 1970 for the first time. There was always a buzz of excitement at the opening ‘weigh-in’ at Edinburgh’s Gorgie Market, with the flurry of activity with riders and mechanics making last minute changes and adjustments to their machines. There was one such machine that was unveiled to the trial’s community on 3rd May, it captivated many people that day.

The Monarch of the Glen is an oil-on-canvas painting of a red deer stag completed in 1851 by the English painter, Sir Edwin Landseer.

The stag in the painting is classed as a ‘royal stag’ due to having twelve points or ‘tines’ to its antlers, to be a ‘monarch stag’ it would have had to sport sixteen points, so, in reality, is flawed.

That did not stop copies being sold and advertising budgets spent on the copyright to use the image on shortbread tins, the world over.

The stag we are going to describe is somewhat different to the famous piece of art revered since the 1800s, one which was never copied nor produced in numbers for sale. In fact, only one such example ever existed, the STAG MK1 – and it still does!

Greeves, Great Britain:

Don Smith (252 Greeves) negotiates ‘Glen Ogle’ on the first day of the Scottish Six Days Trial – Photo: OffRoad Archive.

Donald Roland Smith, or ‘D.R.’ to his many friends, was a development rider who came to the notice of Thundersley based Greeves motorcycles in 1960 and who switched camps in late 1967 to join the Spanish Montesa trials effort to front the development of their new Cota trials mount.

Don Smith had an uneasy relationship with Bert Greeves, and it is safe to say he did not agree with the Greeves strategy to remain faithful to the alloy beam frame design that made the Thundersley products unique.

With Greeves, Smith won the European Trials Championship in 1964 and 1967. Smith won ten consecutive internationals and British national trials, which included the Hoad Trophies, Perce Simon, Cotswold Cup, John Douglas, Mitchell, and Beggar’s Roost.

Don had however tried his best to convince the directors at Greeves to create a new and up-to-date machine; he even offered to do it himself.

To his delight they eventually gave him the go ahead, but they pulled their permissions at the very last minute.

Feeling rejected, that was the last straw for Smith, so he handed in his resignation. After leaving Greeves he bought a production 250cc Bultaco in September 1967, registered as SGH4F and rode it privately in ten events.

He gained seven firsts, one second and a hard-fought third.

Permanyer S.A. :

Don Smith at the final machine examination of the SSDT at Blackford Hill, Edinburgh in 1969 – Photo: Bob May, Edinburgh

The motorcycling press had a ‘field day’ reporting on Smith’s solid results on the model 27 Bultaco Sherpa and when they commented that he was not linked to any factory, this probably spurred on the Montesa management to invite him to join them to assist in the design and development of their new Cota model.

Don decided that he would contact the then British Montesa importer, John Brise at Montala Motors Ltd, based at Crayford in Kent, but he was not just going to give the benefit of his fifteen years of challenging work and experience for free, he wanted a proper contract.

It was a case of no fee, no opinion, no advice.

He had a test ride on the machine and Brise asked for Don’s feedback, but before Smith had even finished his first sentence, Brise had his pen and paper ready for notetaking.

Smith told him that he must be kidding and until they had discussed a contract, he was not speaking another word, so a contract was drawn up and signed by both parties.

The Montesa Cota, designed to challenge the well-established Bultaco Sherpa, was to be a more traditional frame design than the Greeves models that Smith had campaigned for years, but had many modern innovative features such as the one-piece tank/seat unit in glass reinforced plastic, a single downtube tubular cradle frame and novel features such as a chain lubricator built into the swinging arm. The Cota engine had a softer power delivery than its main rival, the Sherpa.

Defection beckons:

Don Smith was to campaign the Montesa Cota for three seasons, starting with his UK registered Cota MK1 ‘UMV10F’ from 1968, securing a third place at the Scottish Six Days and winning the European Trials Championship for them in 1969, but he was concerned that he would eventually become frustrated if his ideas were ignored by the Esplugues, Barcelona factory.

Don Smith was known the world over, evidenced by this North American Montesa advert from 1969. The advert refers to World Champion, whereas the title was actually European Champion.

He had also recognised that the mighty Japanese factories were taking a keen interest in trials as a new sales market. Understanding the politics of the sport and the manufacturers, this caused Smith to think carefully about his future in the game, given that a new dawn in trials was emerging.

Smith’s decision to wriggle free of his Montesa factory contract was ensured by Don building his own machine, the STAG MK1 in late 1969. This would enable him to keep riding and develop his own ideas on his own machine without any factory involvement, he was a free agent. Unfortunately, his retail business Don Smith Motorcycles Ltd in Winchester Road, Highams Park, Chingford, North East London which he founded in 1960, was faltering and his fortunes were understandably at a low ebb.

The STAG MK1 is born:

Photo: Mike Watts

Built as a development machine to evaluate and promote Smith’s ideas on machine design, the STAG MK1 was registered AYN15H, taxed in January 1970 at Greater London licencing office as a ‘STAG’, colour blue, and engine size of 247cc.

The STAG’s wide spaced twin downtube cradle frame, necessary to accommodate the Montesa motor, which had an offset exhaust port, was plated in matt finish nickel for a durable finish and looked resplendent when Smith weighed the machine in for the 1970 Scottish Six Days Trial, which was its first public appearance on the 3rd of May.

The knowledgeable enthusiasts who surrounded Smith’s machine at Edinburgh’s Gorgie Market noted that the engine was in fact a standard Montesa Cota 247cc unit with the large ‘M’ symbol having been machined off the outer clutch and ignition casings.

The Montesa Cota 247 engine of the type used to power Don Smith’s STAG MK1.

The talk of Gorgie Market that day was: “Looks like Don Smith has fallen out with Montesa.”

Full Specification:

But it was not a Montesa they were looking at, far from it. The ever extrovert Smith was keen to show off his handiwork.

Front suspension was taken care of by a set of Robin Humphries manufactured REH forks, yokes, and front hub, with a matching rear hub of conical design. The Ron Goodfellow built ‘Saracen’ of the period also used this same set up, as did the motocross version of Pete Edmondson’s ‘Dalesman’ which used the same front-end arrangement but used a Puch rear hub assembly.

Photo: Mike Watts

Wheel rims were ‘Dunlop’ chrome plated steel components front and rear, shod with Dunlop Trials Universal tyres, 4.00×18 rear and 2.75×21 front, the standard fitment of that time.

Don Smith’s signature on the tank of the STAG MK1 – Photo: Mike Watts

It is believed that the fuel tank was a heavily modified and disguised steel Japanese component, possibly from a Honda, which was re-shaped at the rear with fibreglass to allow it to match up with the pressed alloy side panels, thus creating a one-piece unit ‘look’ but retaining three separate components, this was complimented by a W.E. Wassell style single padded seat up top and light alloy mudguards finished the machine off.

The tank and side panels were finished in a dark blue with white infill panels and a gold lining using vinyl lining tape, between the blue and the white, it had four tank badges with a gold stag’s head against a dark blue background fixed each side of the tank and both the side panels.

Photo: Mike Watts

On closer inspection, the stag’s head is sporting ten ‘tines’, which is biologically incorrect, as they should have either twelve or sixteen tines as mentioned earlier! This would not have bothered D.R., after all, it was a name and logo used to disassociate him from the Montesa brand.

Drive chain adjustment was taken care of by simple snail cams on the end of the rear spindle and the Girling four-point adjustable shock absorbers were attached to the swinging arm close to the rear wheel spindle.

Photo: Mike Watts

Smith had fitted a ‘Sammy Miller’ alloy chain oiler, hidden behind the nearside panel and a trailing slipper chain tensioner took care of chain tension.

The rear brake was cable operated as the Montesa had a right-hand gear change with offside drive. The Montesa Cota 247 of the era had a full width hub which allowed for a rod-operated nearside brake.

A quickly detachable light alloy sump shield was fitted to protect the crankcases, the crafty Smith made use of the cavity between the engine and shield to store a spare drive chain in a sealed polythene bag for the 1970 Scottish. This innovation ensured that the heavy spare chain was carried on the bike in a low position, a sensible idea. A spring-loaded prop stand was fixed onto the nearside of the lower frame, being a requirement of the SSDT regulations. Sadly, the side stand has been lost over the years, but the bracketry remains. The footrests were of the folding type and spring-loaded, a feature Smith claimed was his innovation on the Montesa Cota having ridden for West Ham and Hackney speedway teams where folding footrests had already been in use before they became standard trials equipment. It is believed that Smith was the first to deploy a folding type footrest in speedway racing for safety, and by fitting a spring for trials use ensured that it returned to its original position after flicking up.

The unbraced handlebars had the brake and clutch perches welded to the bars, reminiscent of what Sammy Miller had on his own Bultacos. This saved weight and ensured that the set-up never altered in a fall. Docherty steel ball-ended control levers were fitted.

The whole package was neat and functional.

John Moffat: “I remember standing on the cobbled alleyways of Edinburgh’s Gorgie Market in early May 1970, my eyes were feasting on the machines of my then heroes, men who in my later years would become personal friends and aquantances, although I didn’t know that back then. I walked along to see this white and blue bike standing proud on it’s side stand with it’s rider to be, Don Smith. He moved away towards the Renolds chain van, staffed by Vic Doyle and I stood in wonderment of the bike that people were calling ‘The Stag’. I was captivated with the machine. Then suddenly a man appeared at the other side of the bike, towering over the machine, it was Don Smith in person, he smiled at me, but didn’t speak, and being a twelve-year-old I stood back to let him carry on preparing his machine. I never spoke to him, which I regret now, as I now know he was quite approachable. But the STAG was etched in my mind. I asked my father, T. Arnott Moffat, at that time General Secretary and Treasurer of the Scottish ACU about the bike. He simply informed me that Don Smith wanted to get out of riding for Montesa and he reckoned this was Smith’s method. I never forgot the Don Smith STAG.”

Power source:

The engine was standard 247cc Montesa Cota issue, retaining the exceptionally long inlet manifold and breathed through a type 626 Spanish AMAL carburettor. Having ridden for the factory, Smith would have had access to spare motors during his time with the company, so it made sense to use an already proven power unit for the STAG venture. The engine in the STAG Mk1 has been number stamped when the bike was constructed. It could have been a spare un-numbered engine as factories tended to do that with crankcases that were supplied new to replaced damaged components, certainly the motor does not have the usual Montesa numbering protocol. The original registration book and the current DVLA documents confirm this.

Hugh McDonald of Fort William in the 1959 SSDT on his Royal Enfield.

As mentioned, Don Smith used his STAG MK1 to signal the end of his three-year contract with Montesa, however it is believed that he may have been financially supported with the STAG venture in the 1970 Scottish by Fort William businessman, Hugh McDonald who owned a gents outfitter shop, trading as ‘Alister McDonald’ at 64-66 High Street.

It has been confirmed that Smith stayed at McDonald’s house, ‘Failte’, Achintore Road on many occasions and during the 1970 event in particular, he was also transported to the trial start in Hugh’s car that year. The SSDT started and finished in Edinburgh and was centred in Fort William during the bulk of the week.

To go a stage further, it may be this Scottish highland connection that could have spawned the naming of the STAG itself, but no-one knows for sure, not even the McDonald family who still live in Fort William.

Current owner Mike Watts dispelled that myth: “When I spoke with Don Smith shortly after buying the STAG, he told me that the STAG idea came from the badge of the West Essex MCC of which he was a member.”

West Essex MCC badge – Photo: Don Smith Family Collection

The 1970 Scottish:

Having been entered by Montesa Motor Cycles on a 247 Cota, Don Smith was allocated riding number 101 for the 1970 Scottish Six Days, which was the trial secretary Jim McColm’s first event in charge. Smith was his usual flamboyant self at both the weigh-in and the start on the Monday morning, 4th May at Gorgie Market. He was no stranger to the Scottish, having ridden in the annual event since 1960. The appearance of the 247 STAG MK1 instead of a Montesa, generated a lot of interest and excitement, but the proof of the pudding would be in the eating, the SSDT being the ultimate test of rider and machine.

Having caused a veritable ‘stir’ at the weigh-in of the event on the Sunday, the tongues were wagging, and trials fans were keen to see how the STAG performed.

Smith was an extrovert and very much a fun-loving rider, he rode to win, but enjoyed winding other riders up. Mid-week, he decided to have a bit of a dice on the road with a fellow competitor and during this high-speed encounter, the STAG’s gearbox cried enough! The Montesa Cota was known for having gearbox issues and the motor used in the STAG MK1 was no different, the gearbox was fragile and that ended Smith’s 1970 Scottish.

Repairs were made post event and Smith campaigned the STAG in national trials for the remainder of the season.

The STAG today:

Happily, the 1970 STAG MK1 has survived intact with very few components being changed over the years.

Middlewich gift shop owner and motorcycle enthusiast, Mike Watts brings the story up to date:

“I spotted a classified advert in Trials & Motocross News in 2004 which offered a 250 Montesa Cota Special for sale, I was intrigued, so went to a village near Norwich to have a look at the bike. The seller rode speedway and his race bike had suffered a major engine failure and he was funding the repairs by selling the old trials bike that had been languishing in a corner.

When I saw it, I knew exactly what it was, and I was keen to have it. The owner clearly did not know that he was selling a unique piece of British trials history, so I did the deal, paid the price, and took the STAG home.

Many of my friends have since told me to do a comprehensive restoration to put the bike back to as new condition, but to be honest I do not want to touch it. The STAG is now fifty-one years old, it is in one piece and apart from a replacement ignition casing, it is pretty much as Don Smith rode it, so I plan to leave it exactly as it is. It maybe did not survive the 1970 Scottish Six Days, but it has survived the test of time. I also have the original registration documents, which is another component of the bike’s history.”

Watts met Essex born Smith, who was guest of honour that same year at the British Bike Bonanza and he was reunited with his STAG. This turned out to be a once only reunion as Don died in the October, having suffered a stroke at home and a fatal one in Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge. He died on 6th October 2004 aged 66 years.

Watts: “Don was delighted to see his old STAG and we talked for well over an hour, at which time he pointed out all the features he had designed, including the tank and side panel badges which he made himself.

Don could not remember which tank he modified to fit the STAG, nor why he used a steel tank and not an alloy component.

I was delighted when Don signed the fuel tank as a memento of the reunion.

He told me the most challenging components were the side panels which took ages to fabricate. My only regret is that I wasn’t able to record our conversation that day, he was so forthcoming with information and happy to talk about his creation.”

What it was and what it is:

The STAG MK1 was primarily a prototype machine for Smith, a test bed to evaluate innovative ideas in trials bike design. It was also a statement that Smith was available for hire in the trials job market. The STAG was like a mobile CV, and it was also a stop-gap machine until something else came along. This happened when Don Smith signed with Kawasaki to develop their ‘KT’ machines in 1972, but that is another story.

Whilst it did not win any major events or set the trials world alight, the STAG fulfilled its purpose and fortunately for trials enthusiasts, it has survived in an unmolested form for over half a century.

The bike is in good condition considering that it has been left unused in storage for many years, the REH forks are now badly pitted and would require hard chrome plating before they could be functional, and the whole machine would need to be carefully recommissioned before being used in anger.

Some would say that it is a shame that it is not ridden anymore, but for the current owner of the STAG, Mike Betts, it is an interesting part of British trials history that has been preserved, a machine he is proud to be the custodian of.

The STAG MK1 is a survivor, it is a part of trial history, let us be thankful of that at least.

Resource for private study: Ride It! The Complete Book of Motorcycle Trials – Don Smith 1975; 1976; 1977 & 1978 – Haynes Publishing. ISBN 0854291652 (Out of Print)

With thanks to: Mike Watts, the current owner of Don Smith’s STAG; Amanda Lazenby, Don’s youngest daughter, for information received for the writing of this article.

Article Copyright: John Moffat/Trials Guru 2023

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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.

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DON MORLEY – The ‘Godfather’ of Action Sports Photography

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Don Morley 1995
Don Morley riding his ex-works 250cc Greeves Anglian in the 1995 Pre’65 Scottish Trial. Photo Copyright: Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven, Scotland. When Don Morley was made aware of this very image, he was keen to obtain a copy and willing to pay for it. Iain Lawrie immediately provided Don with a copy with his compliments!

 

Words: Trials Guru

Photos: Don Morley; Iain Lawrie & John Knight

Trials Guru recognises the talents of a man from Redhill, Reigate in Surrey who has brought literally thousands of wonderful and exciting colour sporting images into magazines, periodicals and books the world over. His name is Don Morley and what’s more he’s a trials rider! Well actually, Don is a frustrated road racer at heart as he didn’t have the funds available to race when he was a young man, so took up trials riding instead, being the less expensive motorcycle sport option!

dm on his 1949 ex works 350 re. reg_ hwp 731 - red
Don Morley aboard his 1949 ex-factory Royal Enfield (HWP731) – Morley is an acknowledged expert on the marque. (Photo supplied by Don Morley for this article from his personal collection)

Described as the ‘Godfather’ of sports photography by Fast Bikes Magazine in the article they ran on Don in their September 2010 edition, Morley is respected the world over by riders, athletes and team managers because of his uncanny ability to press the button just at the right moment.

Raised in Derby, Don started taking photographs for a living in the 1950’s when it was all glass negatives, progressing to processed roll film. He began his motorcycle photography as a staff photographer with Motor Cycle News in 1957.

Morley is a 100% professional sports photographer, joining forces with Tony Duffy’s “All-Sport International Photographic Agency/Don Morley” in the 1970’s, his images of sporting events and competitors are highly sought after around the globe.

CBTSTB
Puiblished by Osprey, Don Morley’s book on Classic British Two-Stroke Trials Bikes is a much sought after publication. Truly a collectors item now.

Don is also an accomplished author, writing several books which include: Classic British Trials Bikes & Classic British Two-Stroke Trials Bikes; Spanish Trials Bikes and Trials: – A Riders Guide, to name but four!

CBTB 1984 - Don Morley
Published by Osprey in 1984, Don Morley’s Classic British Trials Bikes book was a top seller. Original copies fetch high prices to this day.
TT In camera
“TT – In Camera”, One of the many titles written by Don Morley over the years, with foreword by Geoff Duke.

Morley has photographed many events, not just sporting events, witnessed the Munich Olympic Games terrorism atrocity to name but one major international incident and much, much more. He has had a varied and interesting life as a sports photographer.

Don has owned several ex-factory trials machines in his time as a rider, including the Johnny Brittain Royal Enfield 500 Bullet HNP331 and another ex-factory Enfield, LUY86. He appeared in the BBC TV series, ‘Perpetual Motion’ in an edition which covered the Royal Enfield and Enfield of India story in 1992. Morley is an acknowledged expert on the Royal Enfield marque. He built a few special trials machines including a BSA B40 and also wrote a series of articles on the development of four-stroke trials machines for the ‘Classic Motor Cycle’.

Don Morley New APMC Hon President. 1402
Don Morley (right) recieves his chain of office from Chairman, Ken Brady – Photo: John Knight (former British Trophy team member ISDT)

Don was one of the first to take up Pre’65 trials competition back in the early 1980’s on an ex-Brian ‘Tiger’ Payne AJS.

The one thing you notice about Don is his serious nature, he is a professional after all, he took photographs to make a living, but he does have a good sense of humour as well.

Trials Guru’s John Moffat met Don Morley many years ago at the Pre’65 Scottish at Kinlochleven, initially it was a frosty meeting as ‘The Guru’ intimated that Don had made a “slight mistake with a factory registration number” in one of his books! After a good frank chat, it was all ended very amicably, as this was merely an amateur enthusiast correcting a professional. Let’s face it EVERYONE can make a mistake. Happily, from that day on ‘Trials Guru’ and Don Morley have been good friends, their paths crossing occasionally and they are always happy to meet each other.

Don saw the funny side of the argument and said jokingly: “John, that’s OK, as long as you don’t want Osprey to reprint my book to make a correction!”

Morley once took a photo of ‘The Guru’ on his G3C Matchless with the great Gordon Jackson standing alongside, at Kinlochleven, the machine which was loaned to Jackson for the 2000 parade at the Scottish Six Days. The image has been a prized possession of ‘The Guru’ ever since.

GL Jackson & JO Moffat Red
Photo copyright: Don Morley (All Rights Reserved)

So, the next time you see a photo credit as “All-Sport/Don Morley” under an image of a racing bike at speed, you can say that this image was taken by a true enthusiast and … a trials rider!

Don Morley, Reigate, Surrey, England. – Trials Guru salutes you, because you are an enthusiast as well as a photographic professional. – Thank you also for the kind permission to use one of your wonderful photographs on this website.

Dennis Ireland RG500 Suzuki
Beyond the call of duty! – Don Morley was lying on his side taking this shot of racer Dennis Ireland on his RG500 Suzuki. Unfortunately the throttles stuck wide open, the machine went out of control just a split second after Morley clicked the button. Don suffered a broken leg, Ireland more serious injuries, spending five months in hospital, having eleven operations on leg, ankle foot and tendons. A truly evocative image taken by a true professional. – Photo: strictly not for reproduction without permission of Don Morley – All Rights Reserved. Worldwide copyright.

© – Trials Guru/Moffat Racing, John Moffat – 2014 (All Rights reserved)

© – Image World-wide copyright: All Sport/Don Morley, Reigate, Surrey UK. All Rights reserved.

© – Image World-wide copyright: Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven. All Rights reserved.

References:

The Classic Motor Cycle magazine

Fast Bikes Magazine

Motor Cycle News

The intellectual property formerly of ‘All-Sport’ photograph agency is now owned by Getty Images UK.

Please remember, all Don Morley’s photographs and those of his company ‘All-Sport’ are world-wide copyright and must not be used without prior express permission.

Photographic Copyright – Don Morley:

Please note that from 19th September 2024, all of Don Morley’s motorcycling photographic collection, the ownership, custody and copyright belong to Hitchcock Motorcycles, Rosemary Court, Oldwich Lane West, Chadwick End, Solihull, England. We wish to thank Allan Hitchcock for the continued permission to display Don Morley’s photographs on Trials Guru.

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Rob Edwards – Part Four – The late 1960’s

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Cotton - Rob
Rob testing the Cotton Minarelli 170cc trials machine in 1968. Italian Minarelli motors replaced the 37A Villiers powerplant.

Hi Reader and thanks for your support.
I am enjoying it and I hope you are too?
Having ridden a 250 Bultaco in the 1966 Scottish, I moved on to ride Cottons and rode a 250 Villiers powered bike in the 1967 & 1968 events.

1968 SSDT on Foyers with the 37A Villiers powered Cotton. Rob was fourth in the event.
1968 SSDT on Foyers with the 37A Villiers powered Cotton. Rob was fourth in the event.

In the late sixties Cotton changed from the 250cc Villiers 37A motor to the Italian made 170cc Minarelli engine. I was given a large gearbox sprocket to carry in my pocket.
The idea was to fit it when we were due to do long stretches of road work.
The problem was, I was always so late on time I didn’t have the time to swap it!
On the final days’ lunch check, the thought of doing 30 miles an hour back to Edinburgh was very daunting indeed. It wasn’t helped by seeing the works Greeves fitted with minute rear sprockets.
Their cruising speed was around 70mph. Bill Brooker was the Greeves competition manager and he really had his finger on the pulse.
On more than one occasion he went out of his way to help me. My idea of a true sportsman and excellent competition manager.
It was short on ‘flywheel effect’ inertia and dreadfully low geared. Thanks to my pals at Head Wrightsons, a brass band was machined to fit onto the flywheel.
This made a big improvement to the engine characteristics, wheel grip and so on.
Entered by Norman Crooks Motorcycles, I rode with this modification in the 1969 Scottish and won the best up to 200cc class.

Rob Edwards in 1969 on the Cotton at Coalasnacoan in the SSDT on his way to win the 200cc Cup.
Rob Edwards in 1969 on the Cotton at Coalasnacoan in the SSDT on his way to win the 200cc Cup.

To solve the low top speed problem, I had sent Cotton a drawing of my flywheel modification but had heard nothing back. I wasn’t surprised when one week after the SSDT there was a half page advert in the Motor Cycle News, telling riders how good the modification was and how much they would sell you one for. I was gobsmacked!
However, I didn’t receive any thanks for the 200cc cup win or flywheel modification!
After winning the Alan Jefferies Trial, I decided to treat the Minarelli to a set of piston rings. I rang the Cotton factory up and in due course they posted them to me.
Unfortunately you’ve guessed it – I broke one when fitting them.
I rang Cottons for another set. Two weeks later they still hadn’t arrived.
When I phoned them, the top man answered the phone. ‘Mr. D’ said that he wasn’t going to send me anymore rings until I explained exactly what I had done with the others.
It was then I decided it was time to move on.
When Pat Onions was in charge of the competition shop there was never a problem.
Things were changing and it was time to abandon ship.
But where to? – Rob

Rob Cotton - Workshop
1968 – Rob Edwards (centre) discusses the Cotton Minarelli with Cotton’s competition manager, Pat Onions (left) and frame builder Eric Lee. The photo was a factory publicity shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rob Cotton - Wheelie
Rob testing the Cotton Minarelli 170 a bike which he made some modifications to make it more competitive.

 

To Be continued …

 

 

 

 

 

Trials Guru: The factory Cotton Minarelli that Rob Edwards rode was to become the production Cotton ‘Cavalier’ which was produced at around five machines per week. Supplied to customers in ‘kit’ form to avoid purchase tax. The 1969 Scottish – Rob Edwards came home in a creditable tenth position and another Special First Class award on 59 marks on his 170cc Cotton. The eventual winner was Yorkshireman, Bill Wilkinson who was to be the last British rider to win on a British built machine, a 250cc Greeves (WWC169F).

1969 - SSDT - Prog - R Edwards - Cotton
1969 SSDT Programme with a 1968 photo of Rob Edwards on the 250cc Cotton on Glenogle section on the first day.

 

 

Rob remembers! : Isn’t it always the way? You start writing about one thing and another one pops into your head! Anyway, here is something I remembered about my Cotton days.

I traveled a lot with Brian Hutchinson. The problem was that Brian worked on the family farm. I would be at the farm at 4.30pm but it would be 6.30 pm before we started our journey.

One time in particular we set off for South Wales with light snow falling.When we reached the M1 motorway, the traffic was almost at a standstill. This didn’t bother ‘Hutch’ – he went straight across into the fast lane that nobody was using because the snow was too deep.

No problem! he had the Austin A55 pick-up to 80mph in no time and we had the fast lane to ourselves all the way to Sheffield!

 We finally arrived at Merthyr Tydfil at 1.30am. No bed and breakfast or anywhere was open. It was freezing cold – you know its cold when your breath freezes on the windscreen. Close to death, we drove to the railway station and as luck would have it there was a gas heater on the wall.
You had to reset it every minute but this was the Ritz compared with the pickup. We took turns pressing the start button.
Unfortunately one time it didn’t ignite. I was woken up by the smell of gas and a hissing sound. The next second, there was a tremendous bang and the heater left the wall it was on and splattered against the opposite one.
We were last seen running flat out along the platform with the station master in hot pursuit shouting: “I’ve rung the police boyo you’ll not get away”.
It was back to the “pickup hotel” after that! – Great memories – Rob

1969 programme front
The 1969 SSDT Official programme front cover, the year Rob Edwards came home 10th and won the up to 200cc cup on the Cotton Minarelli.

 

Copyright:

Words: Rob Edwards/Trials Guru, John Moffat 2014.

To read all of Rob Edward’s story of his life in trials, click… here

People

Profile: CHRISTIAN RAYER (France)

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Words: Trials Guru

Photos: Jean Caillou; Eduardo Gomez de Salazar; Yamaha Motor Co.

Christian Rayer is a name not universally known in the UK, but is very well-known in his native France. Born in 1945, riding Greeves and Motobecane machinery in his early years as a rider, he was instrumental in the development of the first Montesa Cota 247 series trials machine which emerged in 1967, based and developed from the Spanish factory’s Impala engine design.

Montesa Trial prototype n1( 67)
Prior to the Cota, this was the Montesa Trial 247 (11M), this model was launched at the Barcelona motor show and had a production run of only 44 units. Developed by Rayer/Pi in 1967. (Information provided by: Luis Munoz-Aycuens Ribas).

This was done in association with both Pedro Pi and England’s Don (D.R.) Smith feeding information back to the Barcelona factory, owned by the Catalan Permanyer family, based then at Esplugas de Llobregat.

Pere Pi - Montesa Proto
Pere Pi was one of the Montesa factory development riders with Christian Rayer in 1967, seen here with another Cota Prototype.

Montesa Cota Prototype
One of the few remaining early model Montesa Trial 11M limited series production machines (B-577564). Developed from the prototypes from the Rayer/Pi/Smith era now in a private museum near Madrid, Spain (Photo: Eduardo Gomez de Salazar).

Première MONTESA 1967 -
Christian Rayer on B-576140 the first prototype of the Montesa Cota in 1967

1971 Cota 247
The 1971 production Montesa Cota which was a direct descendant from Rayer’s prototype machinery.

Rayer was six times French trials champion and rode the Scottish Six Days Trial three times on the Spanish marque. His main rivals of that era on the European trials scene were Sammy Miller, Gordon Farley and Don Smith (England) and Gustav Franke (Germany) who were all professional riders. Thereafter, in 1971 he was contracted by Yamaha to develop a trials machine. This he did with a 360cc prototype, using a mix of mainly Yamaha but also Saracen, Montesa and Ossa components.

Presentation essaie prototype TY Yamaha (71)
Rayer with the prototype Yamaha TY (1971) in a company publicity brochure.

The trials model eventually became known as the ‘TY’ which stood for ‘Trial Yamaha’, Rayer again feeding back useful information to the Japanese engineers at the Yamaha factory.

Rayer Yamaha - JC Photo
Christian Rayer’s 1971 prototype built for Sonauto-Yamaha. Front hub is Yamaha 125, rear is Ossa, as is the swinging arm, front forks are modified Montesa. The first frame used was actually built by Saracen. This version used an Ossa frame. Originally had a 360 RT1 stock engine, then in 1972 received this works magnesium engine, also 360. – Photo: Jean Caillou

Rayer’s efforts paved the way for a full-on attack by the Dutch based competition arm of Yamaha Motor Co in trials, but now with Mick Andrews as their main factory rider in 1973. Andrews had been with Spanish rivals, Ossa from 1967, switching to Yamaha in a blaze of publicity.

The first Factory Trial motorcycle in 1972
Progression in 1972 with changes to the TY Yamaha already visible.

Rayer’s business acumen resulted in the creation of his dealership called ‘Moto 92’ at Chaville, a suburb of Paris, where he went on to develop up-rated motors for the Yamaha TY250; XT600 and other trail models. He was also the founder of the first riding school for off road riders near Paris and competed in the first edition of the famous Paris-Dakar Rally on the Japanese marque as an official team member, winning many of the individual stages in the process. Rayer also rode in the Enduro de Touquet, also as part of Team Yamaha and finished second overall from a start field of 1000 riders.

In later life, Christian took up para-gliding, diving, hunting and microlight aircraft piloting.

Nowadays Christian runs a business in Valbonne Cedex called ‘IP Moteurs‘ supplying after-market upgrade kits for Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda.

The Trials Guru salutes – Christian Rayer.

Rayer - JC Photo

Christian Rayer of France is a Trials Guru – ‘Trial Legend’

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.

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People

Tribute: Allie ‘Beag’ Cameron – the quiet man from Fort William

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2014-02-15_26
Allie ‘Beag’ Cameron 1940 – 1998 – Photo: Jimmy Young, Armadale

Alexander John Cameron, known to the townsfolk of his native Fort William as ‘Allie Beag’ or just ‘The Beag’, this Gaelic nickname means ‘Wee Allie’.

At the Parade Garage in Fort William, where he served his apprenticeship as a mechanic, there were two ‘Allies’ so there had to be a distinction and it stuck with him for the rest of his life. Allie was originally inspired by watching the Scottish Six Days and ventured into trials at eighteen years of age, when he could afford a James Commando in 1958. This beginner bike soon made way for a brand new 20TA Greeves, purchased from Duncan’s of Brechin a year later.

Allie progressed to a 250 DOT in 1961, which, he rode for only one year.

A J Cameron - Triumph
Allie Cameron on the 150cc Triumph Cub in the 1962 SSDT on Tyndrum – Photo: Ian T. Robertson

Next season, Allie bought the ex- Jimmy Hutchings Triumph Tiger Cub and had it reduced in capacity by the factory at Meriden, near Coventry with the intention of winning the 150cc cup at the Scottish, which he did. Henry Vale, the competitions manager at Triumphs had a Terrier 150cc barrel fitted to reduce the capacity accordingly. That particular Cub had a twenty-one inch front wheel and a widened swinging arm to accommodate a full four-inch section trials tyre at the rear.

Allie Beag1
A smiling Allie gets ready for an event at Todholes Farm, Fintry in 1963 – Photo: Jack Williamson, Rosewell.

His Scottish 150cc capacity win on the Triumph soon attracted the attention of the Greeves factory at Thundersley, Essex and Allie received factory support in the shape of a 149cc bike (XWC 264) for the 1963 Scottish.

Cameron lifted the cup a second time for the loss of 120 marks with his closest rival being Gordon Farley, on a Triumph supported by Jock Hitchcock, who dropped 174 marks. Greeves were happy with the result and used it to best effect in their adverts in the motorcycle press for many months later.

1963 Allie Cameron Achintee
On his special Greeves 149 (XWC264) winning the 150cc cup at the Scottish for his employers, Greeves Motorcycles of Thundersley, Essex; seen here on Achintee in the 1963 Scottish Six Days Trial. Photo: Mrs Florence Cameron, Fort William.

The same year Allie was runner up in the Scottish Trials championship, two points behind Jackie Williamson. By 1967,  ‘Beag’ had two special firsts, four first class and four capacity class wins to his credit in six rides in the Scottish Six Days Trial.

Allie was offered a job as mechanic in the competitions department at Thundersley, preparing the factory trials and scrambles machinery for the works riders. He also prepared many of the special ISDT machines including those supplied to Thames Ditton dealers Comerfords. Allie worked in company with John Pease on the ISDT bikes.

1965 Allie Cameron
An accomplished mechanic, Allie fettles his 150cc Greeves factory machine at Gorgie Market in May 1965 (NEV5C). He won the 150cc cup on 169 marks. Photo: Mrs Florence Cameron, Fort William.

Pease who as well as working at the factory was selected on many occasions as a British Trophy team member. The duo fabricated the special engine cradles to carry centre stands, rock guards and the various brackets to carry headlamps, number plates and compressed air bottles for tyre inflation.

Allie became friends with Don ‘D.R.’ Smith who came up to the factory once a week for testing and development discussions. ‘Beag’ would go practising at Kelvedon Hatch near Brentwood with Smith who was one of Britain’s top trials riders, by then, European Champion.

1968 LEP Allie Cameron
Allie Cameron on Loch Eild Path in the 1968 Scottish on his factory Greeves (XHK14F). Allie won the Henderson Challenge Trophy for the best performance by a member of the promoting club. – Photo: Alistair MacMillan / West Highland News Agency, Fort William (with permission of current copyright holder: Anthony MacMillan, Fort William – All rights reserved)

‘Beag’ knew all the ‘works boys’ and was highly regarded as not only an excellent spanner-man but as a handy rider in the Wessex Centre ACU. He spannered for Bryan Goss and many of the other factory motocross riders.

In 1971, Allie decided to return home to Fort William and took up a position with the area’s largest employer, The British Aluminium Company (‘BA’ for short). He wasn’t home long when he received a call from Jim Sandiford offering him a job at Sandiford’s Montesa import business. Allie thought long and hard but decided to stay at the BA.

767-red
1971 SSDT – Allie ‘Beag’ Cameron (247 Montesa Cota) on Loch Eild Path. Allie took home the ‘Henderson Challenge Trophy’ for the second best performance by a member of the promoting club, and was 24th position in the trial with a special first class award on 126 marks. – Photo: Ian Robertson, Midlothian

Having been diagnosed as having Hodgkin’s disease, the Beag had to restrict his trials riding but never lost his enthusiasm for motorcycling. He rode up until the late 1970’s and was a willing observer at both the annual Ian Pollock Memorial Trial and Pre-65 Scottish.

Sadly, Allie died in the November of 1998. His funeral at the Duncansburgh Church, Fort William was filled to overflowing, such was the popularity of the little man known affectionately as ‘The Beag’ to the towns-folk.  Many modern day competitors and “old hands” converged on the Fort to pay their last respects.

Allie Beag
Allie Beag at home in Fort William in 1996 with the trophies he won during an accomplished career in trials. Photo: John Moffat

Article: Copyright – John Moffat -2005

Photos:

  • Jimmy Young, Armadale
  • Alistair MacMillan / West Highland News Agency, Fort William (with permission of current copyright holder: Anthony MacMillan, Fort William – All rights reserved)
  • Mrs. Florence Cameron, Fort William
  • John Moffat / Trials Guru
  • Jack Williamson, Rosewell

For more on Scottish Six Days Trial click: Here