Sammy Miller developed the Sherpa N 200cc into the world beating 244cc Sherpa T in 1965, helped by his win at the Scottish Six Days Trial that year. (Photo: Rickman Brothers, New Milton, Hants.)
You may be forgiven if you haven’t realised that in May this year it will be fifty years since Samuel Hamilton Miller won the Scottish Six Days Open Reliability Trial on his 244cc Bultaco Sherpa registered as 669NHO.
Miller had left Ariels to ride for the Catalunian manufacturer based at San Adrien De Besos, part of Barcelona in late 1964 to develop the Bultaco Sherpa into a machine that was to change the face of motorcycle trials forever.
The defection to the lightweight Bultaco signalled the end of the big four-stroke single as the bike to win at trials.
There is a celebration of the marque in July this year at the Circuit De Barcelona.
Sammy went on to further develop the machine and many British born riders followed him to ride for the Spanish factory, riders such as Malcolm Rathmell and the first winner of the world championship, Martin Lampkin with Frenchman Charles Coutard and Finland’s Yrjo Vesterinen who was to win three world Championships for Bultaco.
The Bultaco Sherpa was a revelation as it weighed much less than its competitors with a 52 inch wheelbase it handled and steered much better than its rivals and pulled well from low revs. It turned novice riders into award winners.
Well restored examples of the four-speed Model 10 Sherpa still command high prices, if you can find one for sale as these are very much collector’s items.
Miller had written into his contract with Senor Bulto, that if he didn’t win more than 50% of all events he entered, then Bulto was not obliged to pay Miller’s salary! Of course, Sammy did win more than 50% of the events and was so confident of doing so.
Miller told Trials Guru: “If I didn’t win all those events on the Bultaco, it wasn’t worth my time competing in the first place”.
However, Sammy Miller wasn’t the first to compete in the famous Scottish Six Days Trial on a Barcelona-built Bultaco, it was a Lancastrian rider called Tommy Ollerton who rode a 200cc Bultaco Sherpa N in the 1962 event. Ollerton’s machine was registered in the UK as PDV700. Tommy Ollerton rode in company with Oriol Puig Bulto, nephew of Senor Bulto, having travelled all the way from the factory to Edinburgh in a Fiat 500 car with a two bike trailer attached, carrying two Sherpa N models, one for himself and the other for Ollerton, who was supported by Anellays of Blackburn, Lancashire.
Having said that, it was Miller who gave the factory it’s first Scottish Six Days win and that is a major part of both the event and motorcycle trial history.
In deepest Argyll, nestling among stunning scenery and mountains, lies the town of Kinlochleven. Many books have been written about the area, one of which is ‘Children of the Dead End – The Autobiography of a Navvy’ – By Patrick McGill – this book is exactly what the title says, it’s the story of an immigrant manual worker or ‘navvy’ as they were called. This book which is rated as one of the best 100 best Scottish books of all time, describes the times when the Aluminium smelter and factory was being constructed at the end of the 1800’s. Kinlochleven flourished as a direct result of the creation of the Aluminium factory which employed around 1,000 workers and produced high quality aluminium for the world. These employees came from far afield and settled in the town, one such settler was Ian Murray Pollock, who was originally from Falkirk, Stirlingshire. Pollock had been through the second world war, having served in the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders regiment in Palestine. When he was effectively demobbed from the British Army, Pollock was fortunate to secure employment with the British Aluminium Company Ltd at their Kinlochleven smelter. The ‘BA’ as it was universally known, was a major employer both there and at their Fort William operation, which exists to this day.
Pollock started his career as a ‘fitter’ but quickly progressed through the ranks to become a shift foreman at the plant.
1950 – Jack Williamson from Newtongrange, Midlothian (347 AJS) on Mamore, watched by Ian Pollock (white paper in pocket) – Photo: W.S. Thomson, Fort William
Being an active young man who had forged many friendships in the locality, Pollock took an interest in the annual Scottish Six Days Trial which made use of the hills near to Kinlochleven during the ‘Sporting Holiday in the Highlands’. Pollock had amassed quite a knowledge of the local paths, bridleways and rough country high above the town. This was to eventually forge a strong bond between him and members of the Edinburgh & District Motor Club, who promoted the Scottish Six Days Trial.
Ian also became involved in local events, eventually becoming a central character in the Kinlochleven Motor Cycle Club, which he helped form.
Pollock in association with his good friend, Lithuanian refugee, Paul Kilbauskas discovered there was more land available to the SSDT than perhaps the organisers were aware of!
1959 Scottish Six Days Trial – Paul Kilbauskas with his 500 Royal Enfield – Photo: John Davies
The SSDT up until the late 1960’s, made extensive use of main and secondary roads, proper foot and bridle paths, sheep paths but very little open moorland. It wasn’t until Jimmy Mulvie became Clerk of Course that the SSDT made use of open moorland stretches.
It was Pollock and Kilbauskas that investigated the possibility of going out over the hills from Kinlochleven back over to the Fort William area other than by the original Mamore Road, which is the water bound surface that is still used by the SSDT and Pre’65 trials to this day. It stretches from Mamore Lodge across to Blarmafoldach, just outside Fort William and links into the Achintore Road.
Pollock and Kilbauskas were both energetic men, they liked the outdoors and they both jointly and severally, explored the many trails, paths and rocky burns and outcrops that littered the hills high above Kinlochleven. They also knew all the local keepers, shepherds and landowners, so permission was never a problem. Many of the hills surrounding the town had been purchased from estates at the end of the 19th century primarily for the water rights. This enabled the factory to operate and ensure plentiful supply of water via the Blackwater area, high above Kinlochleven. Pollock and Kilbauskas were trusted individuals and it helped the SSDT greatly by having reliable people such as Pollock and Kilbauskas on hand.
These explorations bore fruit aplenty, for the Pollock/Kilbauskas venture yielded many new sections in the form of ‘Loch Eild Path’; ‘Mamore’; ‘German Camp’; ‘Leitir Bo Fionn’; ‘Grey Mare’s Ridge’ and of course ‘Brump Brae’, later to be renamed ‘Pollock Hill’.
The ‘German Camp’, a first World War prisoner of war encampment on the banking of the River Leven high above Kinlochleven. Photo courtesy of Peter Anderson, Clackmannan
In the period 1955 through to 1959, Ian was listed in the official programmes of the SSDT as an observer, but Pollock was much more than that, he was the journeyman who discovered many of the iconic hills that would eventually unearth the most famous of them all, ‘Pipeline’ probably the most famous motorcycle trial section of all time! Alex Smith, from Bathgate, a former assistant Clerk of Course confirms that ‘Pipeline’ was first used as an observed section in the 1967 SSDT.
Jack Williamson (250cc Greeves) awaits the signal to start in the 1963 Spring Trial at Kinlochleven. Ian Pollock was a driving force in this event which was re-named in his honour after his death.
‘Pipeline’ is just a couple of miles out of the town and is the subject of many of the most stunning motorcycle trials photos to come from the cameras of Nick Nichols, Eric Kitchen and photographers of their age.
The Pipeline under construction, photo taken from an original glass negative, courtesy of Peter Anderson, Clackmannan
Pollock was an enthusiastic observer at the SSDT and when Johnny Brittain won the 1957 Scottish, his photo adorned the cover of the following year’s programme, the observer in the background watching intently being Ian Pollock. The original photo used on the 1958 SSDT programme front cover was a ‘Motor Cycling’ print which is now the property of Mortons Motorcycle Media, Hornchurch, but a personal copy still hangs in Pollock’s daughter Pamela’s home in Glencoe.
The 1958 SSDT Official Programme, with 1957 winner Johnny Brittain (Royal Enfield) being watched by Ian Pollock. The section is at the top of Loch Eild Path, one of the hills discovered by Pollock himself.
By 1962, Pollock was now listed as an Assistant Clerk of the Course and was held in high esteem by his peers and by the ‘Clerk’ himself, the late George Baird who described Ian as ‘our man on the spot’ in the official programme.
Paul Kilbauskas:
Paul Kilbauskas was also a ‘Tunnel Tiger’ who worked on the many hydro-electric schemes in the Scottish Highlands, he was an explosives handler during his time on these massive projects. He concentrated more on riding the Six Days on Matchless, Royal Enfield and BSA machinery, always a 500cc machine. He helped find a sizeable part of the route was in effect a ‘displaced person’ who had to flee his native Lithuania in 1947. His first port of call was Market Harborough in Leicestershire. Paul eventually settled in Kinlochleven, worked at the Aluminium factory for a period where he met and eventually married his sweetheart, Rose who also worked at the BA factory and was originally from the Orkney Islands. They had two daughters, Marina and Rachel. There is now a Paul Kilbauskas award in the SSDT in remembrance of the one-time course plotter and explorer for the event.
The late Paul Kilbauskas, a native of Lithuania who made the Scottish Highlands his home. A life member of Inverness & District Motorcycle Club.
‘Mambrec’ was yet another of the sections discovered by Ian Pollock, a section that has been used in the Pre’65 Scottish Trial many times. Pollock was fortunate to strike up a good friendship with Johnny Graham who also became Clerk of Course SSDT. Graham would leave a trials motorcycle at Ian’s home to give him something to explore with. One such machine was the ex-works 350cc Matchless registered ‘OLH722’ of Ted Usher and another was the ex-factory BSA of Brian Martin registered ‘BSA350’.
The Lochaber Spring Trial in 1959. Taken at Kinlochleven near the war memorial. From Left: Bobby Macleod (Francis Barnett); Ali McDonald (Ariel); Hugh McDonald (Royal Enfield); Ian Pollock (standing); Paul Kilbauskas (Royal Enfield); Tommy McNab (BSA – ex-works BSA 350) and Billy MacLeod (Ariel). The trial in modern times is known as The Ian Pollock Memorial Trial.
Pollock would regularly fire these ‘loan bikes’ up and take them up onto the Dam Road and into the hills to see what he could find.
In 1963 the SSDT committee honoured Ian by calling one of the sections ‘Pollock Way’, this was just off one of the many paths near the River Leven, that Ian and Paul Kilbauskas discovered on their explorations.
When the Lochaber and District Club was founded, they enlisted Ian’s help to organise their ‘Spring Trial’. This particular event was eventually re-named as The Ian Pollock Trial in his honour and is regarded as one of the best one-day trials in the Scottish trial calendar to this day.
Ian Pollock is survived by his only daughter, Pamela who married local man and trials rider, John MacGregor, they live in Glencoe and regularly watch the Pre’65 Scottish Two-Day Trial.
Pamela MacGregor (nee Pollock) presents the Ian Pollock Memorial trophy to local rider, ten times Scottish trials champion, Gary Macdonald in 2008. – Photo copyright and courtesy of: Iain Ferguson, The Write Image, Fort William.
John MacGregor was at one time himself an Assistant Clerk of Course SSDT and Pre’65 Scottish in its formative years.
So next time you climb up the ‘Dam Road’ to watch riders in either the SSDT or Pre’65 Scottish trials, spare a thought for the man who discovered many of these sections – Ian Murray Pollock.
More on Kinlochleven:
Kinlochleven in Scots Gaelic is Ceann Loch Liobhann, it was the first village in Scotland to have electric street lighting because of the electric power generated by the British Aluminium Company smelter. It used hydro or water power which was pioneered at Foyers in 1895 on the south side of Loch Ness, not far from Inverness. Kinlochleven was actually formed from two small villages, Kinlochmore (Large head of the loch) and Kinlochbeg (Small head of the loch). Kinlochmore on the north and Kinlochbeg on the south of the River Leven that runs into Loch Leven of which Kinlochleven sits at the head of.
The British Aluminium Company became part of Alcan, the Canadian based aluminium producer which laterly became Rio Tinto Alcan, part of the multi-national Rio Tinto company, which employs local personnel at their Fort William smelter operation. Rio Tinto (Alcan) is the world’s leading aluminium mining and producer. Rio Tinto Alcan can trace its roots back to Alcoa founded in 1928.
High quality, pure Aluminium was first produced at Kinlochleven at the ‘wee factory’ which was a temporary establishment high up in the hills on the Blackwater path. The ‘wee or temporary factory’ opened in 1907 with the main factory opening in Kinlochleven in 1909. The Blackwater dam or reservoir was formed purely to hold water reserves for the British Aluminium Company by flooding a sparsely populated valley high above the town, effectively trapping many of the River Leven’s tributaries and led down to the power house by six pipes, which are of course visible and beside the famous ‘Pipeline’ SSDT section group.
Trials Guru is indebted to Pamela and John MacGregor of Glencoe, Argyll for information supplied which made this article possible.
Text Copyright: Trials Guru / Moffat Racing, John Moffat – 2015
Photo Copyright: Iain Ferguson – ‘The Write Image’, Fort William – All Rights Reserved.
Photo of Paul Kilbauskas, by kind permission of Ms. Marina Kilbauskas.
Special thanks to: Alex Smith, former SSDT Assistant Clerk of Course and former Chairman, Pre’65 Scottish Trial.
Thanks to the Edinburgh & District Motor Club Ltd – For use of the cover of the 1958 SSDT official programme.
Wheels from an early age! – Tommy Milton with a tricycle around 1919
Tommy Milton was born in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland in March, 1916. Sadly, his mother died a few days later, so he was raised in the home of his mother’s aunt. He attended Yardheads Primary School and Leith Academy, but left when he was fourteen to begin work. From his early teenage years, he had enjoyed cycling and ‘tinkering’ with his bicycle, a necessity since he did not have the means to buy a new one. His circle of friends were into motorcycles and he duly acquired a 1936 New Imperial, on which he competed in a few reliability trials prior to 1939. He joined the recently formed Melville Motor Club around this time.
1947 – Bo’Ness Hillclimb at Snake Bend at Kineill on the Ariel.
With the advent of war, he enlisted early, without waiting for his ‘call-up papers’, so that he had a good chance of becoming a dispatch rider, and this he did.
He was selected to attend a three week course in basic maintenance which, in the confusion of the early war years, turned out to be a three month course to train Army fitters, and he was allowed to remain, passing out with flying colours.
After the war, the trade unions recognised this qualification as equivalent to an apprenticeship, thus enabling Tommy to become a Navy fitter at Port Edgar in South Queensferry, his job for the rest of his working life.
Tommy’s faithful Ariel DFS122 used here as a hill-climber machine. Harry Darling an Edinburgh Monarchs speedway rider is on the right.
While Tommy was in the Army, he was sent to the Gold Coast (now Ghana) and his particular friend there, also from Leith, had left his new Ariel Red Hunter at home. Sadly, his friend was drowned in an accident and so, after the war, Tommy acquired DFS 122 from his friend’s mother, the bike on which he was to compete in trials, grass tracks and, especially, hill climbs in the forties and fifties. He won the Scottish Hill-Climb Championship (Standard Class) in 1949.
In the early fifties, as his riding career was winding down, he became a committee member of the Melville Motor Club, going on to become Secretary and Treasurer, and generally the main pillar of the Melville for the next fifteen years or so, eventually handing over to the next generation to Trevor Hay (see article: Great Scots – Trevor Hay).
Tommy Milton with his Ariel DFS122 at a Melville Gymkhana event in 1946 riding the plank!
Tommy married Margaret (Peggy) Wood, also from Leith, in 1942, while on leave. The couple were separated by the war, meeting for a few days over Christmas, 1944 in Sheffield, before Tommy was de-mobbed in mid-1945.
Tommy and Peggy had two children – son, Tommy Junior and daughter Maureen.
In addition to his Melville duties, Tommy was also a member of the Scottish Auto-Cycle Union Management Committee, serving as an SACU Steward at many events, especially scrambles. He was also one of the founding group of the popular ‘Scottish Clubman’ magazine, under editor Fred Stephens of Stonehaven. Tommy undertook distribution of the magazine to all the Edinburgh motorcycle shops each month, as well as roping in son Tommy and daughter, Maureen to sell them at each Sunday’s events. He also contributed a regular monthly column on whatever took his fancy, under the pen name ‘NOTLIM’ – simply his surname reversed!
With his outgoing nature and willingness to help others, Tommy had become a mentor to a legion of younger riders. These included Scotland’s celebrated racer, Bob McIntyre who began his illustrious career competing with Tommy in hill climbs. In recognition of his many years of service to the Club and the sport, the Melville made him an honorary life member, an honour the SACU also made him later as an honorary vice-president.
Tommy Milton receives an award at an presentation night, these were big affairs back in the day! Peggy Milton is the young lady just to the left of the presenter.
In addition to his Melville Club activities and his day job, Tommy also had a dance band, which specialised in ‘old time dance’ music and had regular ‘gigs’ in various clubs in and around Edinburgh and the surrounding townships. Members of Tommy’s band included pianist Tommy Merrilees, the brother of Edinburgh’s celebrated Police Chief Constable Willie Merrilees, and drummer Sammy Marks, whose brother Bob was captain of the Edinburgh Monarchs speedway team. The band would play at the Melville’s frequent social evenings at the Edinburgh Southern Harriers’ sports club at Fernieside in Edinburgh.
Tommy Milton in his band days with The Harmony Players at a night in Leith, he is the musician with the button accordion third on the right.
With the closure of the Port Edgar in the mid-seventies, Tommy transferred to Rosyth. In the Queen’s 1977 Birthday Honours he was awarded the Imperial Service Medal, recognising his 30 years of meritorious service.
The first Karting try out at Meadowbank in 1960 – Tommy Milton leads Bill Landells the well-known speedway rider and Stan Sproat who was to become part of the great Ecuire Ecosse car racing organisation and a director of Lothian Sports Cars in Edinburgh.
Tommy decided to take early retirement in 1978 as he did not enjoy being a regular user of the Forth Road Bridge, having famously led a vigorous campaign against tolls prior to its opening in 1965! He had also started to take a back seat in Melville activities but continued to be involved in motorcycle sport and, especially, the Clubman magazine. In the mid-eighties he suffered a stroke from which he recovered but with some vision impairment which meant he could no longer drive.
With Scottish Clubman editor, Fred Stevens on the left, Tommy Milton on the right as many of our more mature readers will remember him!
For the first time in his life, he became a regular bus user, still getting around Scotland’s capital city. Although a non-smoker since his mid-thirties, Tommy sadly contracted lung cancer in 1993 and succumbed to this the following year, at 78 years of age.
Trials Guru: Tommy Milton was a 100% died in the wool motorcyclist of the old school. A respected member of the Scottish ACU, Melville MC (Scotland) and the Scottish motorcycle sporting community. He was a true enthusiast who was a stickler for fair play and sticking to the rules.
On one occasion, Tommy decided to prove a point. He inserted a clause to the standard rider’s declaration of the entry form at a Melville scramble which read: “I promise to pay the sum of five-pounds sterling to Thomas Milton on signing on at the start”.
When Tommy was signing the riders into the event he asked them for the five-pounds! Many asked what the extra five-pounds was for? Tommy had proved the point – many riders had simply signed the entry form without reading it!
Tommy Milton decided to encourage his son Tommy junior to stick in at school. He gave Milton junior a challenge, get good results at school and he would be bought a new trials bike of his choice. Young Tommy not only stuck in at school he became ‘dux’ at his school, the top performer. True to his word Tommy senior bought his son a brand new Greeves in 1962 straight from the Thundersley factory.
The article about Tom Milton Junior’s first Greeves TE250 is HERE
Tommy junior was one of only three Scot’s born people to have ever won the Sunbeam MCC Pinhard Prize in 1967 for his services to trials. The other two Scot’s born winners are: Gordon W. Phillip (Enduro) in 1978 and Paul Chatham (Enduro) in 2005.
ALL GAS GAS RIDERS MUST REGISTER WITH GGUK BEFORE THE EVENT. Please phone Andy Hipwell on 01298 766814 or email him .. andy@gasgasuk.com
Andy will need all your details…..name, address, riding number and credit card details.
1. Check spokes in both front & rear wheels for tightness as they may have worked loose since first being checked.
If you have the normal type rear wheel (pre 2011) with the sealing band make sure the sealing band is sealed properly BEFORE the event. Please don’t come to our mechanics on ‘way-in’ day with a leaking rim-tape. GET IT SORTED beforehand.
The latest type rear wheels fitted to 2010 RAGA, and all 2011-2015 bikes have the new band-less rear wheel which prevents the tyre leaking air. You must make sure that the spokes are also in good condition on these wheels.
2. Fit new MICHELIN tyres on the front and back. The heat generated on the road destroys tyres and only Michelins stand the abuse. It’s probably better to use the ‘normal’ X11 rear tyres because the new X-light is very thin on the carcass (crown) so there’s more risk of a puncture.
You can get the whole week out of one rear tyre but we recommend using two.
We also recommend using a thicker Enduro inner tube in the front.
We also recommend fitting new wheel bearings…..particularly the front.
3. Repack your silencer with some good quality packing wool. (We recommend SILENTSPORT). It’s a messy job but is well worth doing.
Even if your bike is relatively new we still recommend repacking it before the SSDT. Make sure you re-fit the plastic end can with silicone sealer. And use loctite on the 5mm screws.
Try and not sit on the rear mudguard / silencer because this can make the plastic end can come away from the silencer. You can strengthen this by adding rivets…see pic.
Also a GOOD idea is to add a rivet to the very end of the silencer to help strengthen the fixing of the small stainless outlet.
Fit both front pipe & silencer with new o-rings and silicone sealer.
Also check that the middle-box brackets have no cracks….re-weld / repair if necessary.
1. Check suspension linkage for excessive play & damaged seals, replace as necessary.
Check your ‘bump-stop’ rubber is intact.
2. Clean air filter box & make sure it is completely water tight, clean filter & refit after applying some (decent) filter oil.
On the Pros, it’s a good idea to split the two halves of the air box and seat and re-apply some decent silicone sealant before re-fixing the screws. We use WURTH RTV silicone.
3. Also a good idea (but not a must) is to drill a small 4mm drain hole in the bottom of the plastic flywheel cover & put PVC tape around where wires go into casing. Things can be very wet in Scotland and this will help drain any water that may enter your ignition/stator.Whilst the case is off check the flywheel nut.
4. Make sure all wiring connections are free from dirt & fitted together properly with silicone grease. If your thermostat switch is working fine then leave it alone. Its a good idea to make yourself a small link wire to bypass the switch and wire the fan direct if the switch fails. Only do this in an emergency because having the fan running all the time eventually destroys the small bearings in the fan motor.
5. It’s a good idea also to renew your head o-rings, especially on the two piece S3 cylinder heads. Its also a good idea to carry some head orings in case you cook your bike. If u empty the rad the next thing that fries are the head orings so because they weigh and cost very little, it’s a good idea to carry some.
6. Fit new front & rear brake pads.
Tighten ALL the brake banjo bolts especially the rear brake one because they tend to work loose sometimes. Also check the clutch banjo bolt on top of the cover.
9. Fit new chain & sprockets and the chain is correctly adjusted & it’s not too low-geared. The standard Pro gearing of 11×41/42 is ok but you may want to gear the bike up a little to help on the road sections. (check those sprocket bolts!)
DO NOT FIT A 12T front sprox on a GG PRO!
Remember —- one tooth on the front is the equivalent to four on the back.
When changing the front sprocket make sure the cir-clip is fitted properly.
10. The standard IRIS chains are no good for Scotland. Spend your money on a good quality heavy duty chain like Regina or Renthal for example. (there’s a lot of road work in Scotland). DO NOT USE AN O-RING CHAIN! Also renew the chain tensioner pad.
11. Check the coolant is topped up, condition of the hoses & clips are O.K.
12. Remove carburettor & the float bowl, blow all jets out with airline & refit. Usually, the standard jetting is fine for Scotland. A good idea is to change the ‘float jet’ from the std. 200 to say a 300 to allow more fuel when you’re abusing the bike on the road. Sometimes the bigger float jet can affect the performance in the sections running rich and sometimes a smaller pilot jet (33) is needed. Also keep your filter clean and try and stay away from deep water because you’re engine wont like it.
13. If you use a Keihin Carb (standard on Racing models) we recommend using the richer slide #3 to make the jetting richer mid range and safter on the road. The #3.5 makes the bike nice and clean in the sections but makes it very weak on the road.
14. If you want piece of mine regarding fuel tanks then we do the large capacity ones which all the Team use. http://www.trialendurodirect.com/products/BIG_TANKS_FOR_PROS_53.html This is not just so we can make money either! Its peace of mind for you. You may get stuck on the moors, get lost or your bike might fall over whilst viewing a section. If you use a Keihin carb then these use even more petrol on the road.
If you have a 2013 PRO RACING/REPLICA FACTORY/STD or RACING 2014 model then you must ask for the tank that fits that model because the coil is mounted in a different place and so needs a modified tank.
If you can’t afford a tank then Id advise carrying at least half a litre in your rucksack….which is not actually allowed….oops.
The petrol stops are perfectly situated nowadays thanks to the army and many GG riders manage on the standard tanks.
15. YOU MUST USE THE CHOKE ON THE ROAD. Keep easing off to the ‘rich’ spot is the best technique. Tip; vary your speed and throttle when you are on the road. Holding the throttle in a constant place on any 2 stroke is fatal. The engine will run very weak, detonate and easily seize up.
Always ride a long with a finger hovering the clutch lever. If you feel the engine tighten or if the piston ‘nips’, pull that clutch lever fast ! If you seize the piston, don’t panic. Let the engine cool down a little and try and push the kickstart down. If the kickstart is absolutely solid, you are in trouble ! The cylinder needs to be removed and renewed with a new piston. If the kickstart will push down, you’ve been lucky. Start the bike and carry on, steadily for a while. The engine will rattle but usually quietens down after a few miles.
16. Fit new handlebar grips with glue and also wire them on.
There are many grips on the market and we love both the Renthal and S3 Brands.
I would use either Renthal mediums or the new S3 ‘6 Days’ grips
From 2011 model onwards we fit a larger rubber ring around the rear shock absorber to help stop water entering the airbox, we have these in stock at GGUK.
DON’T forget a front mudguard flap and wider the mudguard with Duct-tape !
19. If you normally use a cylinder head spacer kit, then we recommend you remove it for the Scottish. Sometimes these can leak when the cylinder reaches high temperatures for along time (road/moors)
If you are used to riding with a head spacer and want that nice soft power for the Scottish we HIGHLY recommend the new S3 ‘low compression’ head inserts.
YOU MUST PREPARE YOUR BIKE FULLY BEFORE YOU GO UP TO THE TRIAL
EACH YEAR WE EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS FROM RIDERS WHO DO NOT BOTHER TO DO THE JOBS LISTED ABOVE.
SOME THINGS MAY SEEM UN-IMPORTANT BUT THEY ARE ALL THERE FOR A REASON.
The SSDT committee are quite strict in the paddock regards to anyone else working on your bike so make sure you are able to carry out the work yourself.
Our SSDT service that you register to enables you to use our facilities, buy spare parts and get advice. It does not get you your own personal mechanic for the week.
GGUK services / shop in the paddock open at 9am on Sunday May 3rd.
Our staff will not be there and no parts/service is available on Saturday May 2nd.
The GGUK squad March 2015 – here to look after you!
Many thanks to John Shirt Jnr and his team at GasGasUK for providing Trials Guru with this information.
Born in Edinburgh in 1943, Trevor Hay attended Leith Academy, thereafter Edinburgh College of Art. He started working in 1958 as a commercial artist in a small advertising agency in Scotland’s capital.
He moved to a larger agency in 1972 as Accounts Executive and formed ‘Hay Smith Advertising’ in 1977. Many motorcycling accounts were handled including Kangol Helmets, J. Barbour and Sons, South Shields; Feridax and Hein Gericke, as well as many automotive accounts. The business ran until 2013.
Motorcycling began for Trevor in the early 50’s when taken by his father to the Old Meadowbank in Edinburgh to watch the Speedway.
Later in the 1950’s, the Edgar family took him to see Road Racing at Errol Airfield in Perthshire. At that time, Norman and Derek Edgar and Tommy Milton Jnr all became friends with Trevor and went scrambling on pedal-cycles before getting to the licence age to ride competition motorcycles. Hay was the last of the four to get a trials machine but Tommy Milton Senior used to drop his son Tommy Junior and Trevor at Standburn scrambles course on Sundays where they shared a 1937 Ariel 350 Trials machine for many happy apprenticeship hours until Tommy Junior got a new Greeves for being best academical at his school.
Hay couldn’t afford his first trials bike until 1963 when he bought an ex Willie Pitblado 250 Greeves (WWS415) and he campaigned that until 1965 when it was replaced with a new TFS Greeves 250. The Pitblado bike is still in existence, now owned by Willie Robertson, Clerk of Course Pre’65 Scottish. Over those years Trevor made progress in the sport and gained a number of respectable results.
He rode only once in the SSDT in 1965 and didn’t enjoy it too much, as he listened to every rattle for the entire week thinking it was going to pack up and lose his investment in the entry fee! Hay did finish with a first class award.
Trevor Hay on the ex-Willie Pitblado Greeves 250.
Trevor then vowed to enjoy himself as an SSDT back-marker for many years with so many great adventures. In 1968, the E & D organisers gave him an ex-Mick Andrew Suzuki Super Six 250cc twin which was a real flying machine, claiming that Hay was the only one ‘daft enough’ to ride it!
That prompted him to ask Edinburgh dealer Tommy Hughson who was the Suzuki dealer in Edinburgh as he wanted one of those to ride in the ISDT that year.
After a few meetings with dealer Graeme Chatham, who had acquired the four Suzuki team machines from the 1967 Welsh Three Day Trial. They were 125cc rotary valves which were very fast, but wide and heavy so they moved to a switch-gear six speed P100P which turned out to be much slower than needed for climbing the Italian Alps. Hay’s first ISDT in 1968 ended on Wednesday when he collided with an Italian spectator head on on a big Moto Guzzi V-twin on a narrow mountain path. Fortunately, the president of the jury had explicitly forbidden him to ride down that path and Hay was exonerated of the blame.
The liason with Graeme Chatham developed into building JOV198E the Chatham Suzuki 125 trials bike which Trevor competed upon for a number of years until 1971.
JOV198E, the ex-ISDT Suzuki converted to trials use by Graeme Chatham.
The frame and engine came from the ISDT machine with new trials wheels fitted. He did manage a number of respectable wins on the little Suzuki.
Hay was also a director, committee member of the Scottish Clubman magazine.
Trevor Hay samples a 125 Puch-engined Dalesman for the Scottish Clubman magazine in 1972. The bike was suppied by Atholl Motors. Photo by the late Fred Stevens – Scottish Clubman copyright.
In 1971, as Melville secretary, Trevor, in the company of Kenny Birch, negotiated permission with landowner, Tom Pate and opened the East Fortune Circuit near Haddington and Trevor ran the first race meeting as Secretary and Clerk of Course.
Hay rode in several further ISDT events, 1970, 71, 72, each a rather sore retirement, but in 1974 he returned to ride a very standard Suzuki 250 Trail model and managed a bronze finish and was awarded ‘The Arthur Prince trophy’ as the best British privateer. The following year he was given a 250 Beamish Suzuki which split its exhaust, hence another retirement.
For 1976 Hay switched to the popular 250cc KTM GS at Zeltweg in Austria and the 400 KTM for 1979 in Germany, both netted him silver medals. The 1979 ISDT was his final attempt. His last enduro was in 1981 at Newton Stewart, finishing second to Nigel Finnigan, but Hay had fallen heavily and broke six ribs in the process!
1976 ISDT in Austria, Hay on the 250 KTM on his way to win a silver medal.
While all this was going on, Trevor was deeply involved in promoting and organising enduro and other events.
In 1972, he was joint promoter with Graeme Chatham of a four month series of Indoor Ice Racing or as some called it, Ice Speedway. Hay stopped riding trials in 1973.
In the mid 1970s, Hay plus others of the Melville MC ran the Melville Two-Day enduros which gained British Championship status for many years.
Trevor also continued to develop the event into the World Championship Two-Day Enduro in 1998.
From the mid 1960’s to the 2000’s as the Melville MC Secretary and later President, countless scrambles, motocross, trials and one day enduros all helped the years to fly by.
Text Copyright: Trials Guru / Moffat Racing, John Moffat 2015
Peter ‘Jock’ Wilson … a great friend … a great man ~ By Renee Bennett.
Jock Wilson on ‘Cheeks’ at the Clayton Trial in 1962 on his specially built ultra-short-stroke AJS 350. (Photo supplied by Patricia Wilson)
When I think of Jock Wilson, it reminds me of the fantastic Thames Ditton motorcycle dealers, Comerfords, AJS trials machines, Bultaco, the Scottish Six Days and a top Home Counties based trials rider who went on to take charge of the British International Six Days Trial Trophy Team for nearly 20 years.
Peter Cameron ‘Jock’ Wilson was born in Scotland on 12th January 1934 at Oakbank, Bridge of Balgie, Glen Lyon, Perthshire. The Scottish Six Days was practically on his doorstep as the ‘Meall Glas’ section was only ¾ mile from his front door.
Jock on his short-stroke AJS in a Sidcup 60 Trial. Comerfords Sales manager Bert Thorn is following in the background.
There is the main reason he was such a good trials rider ~ with all that practice ground, he just had to be good!
‘Jock’ as I’ve always known him, started his working life as a lumberjack, then a spell in the British Army doing his national service at Aldershot, then marrying his wife Pat and moving to London to live permanently.
At Aldershot, Jock was in the Royal Army Service Corps or RASC for short, his commanding officer was Captain Eddie Dow, but he also met many of the factory trials and scrambles stars of the era who were also doing their national service. Riders such as Roy Peplow, John Giles and many more.
He took up employment at Arthur Cook Motors in Kingston-Upon-Thames and then the well-known motorcycle dealership, Comerfords based in Portsmouth Road, Thames Ditton, Surrey which he joined in 1957.
Jock started at Comerfords as a motorcycle mechanic in the workshops, soon progressing to workshop manager. When he became bored with that, he moved into sales under Sales Director, Bert Thorn.
1965 Scottish Six Days on Callert, riding the ex-Sammy Miller Ariel 786GON, which Wilson owned and rode for several years. The machine is now in Italy.
Jock’s specialty was modifying AJS trials bikes, cleverly making them lighter and more powerful. Gordon Jackson, Gordon Blakeway and Gordon McLaughlan rode AJS machines as a team in those days and Jock even named one of his sons after the trio.
Gordon Jackson of course won the 1961 SSDT on his factory AJS (187 BLF) with just one ‘dab’ ~ Amazing!
Jock went on to manage the British International Six Days Junior Trophy and Trophy teams. His knowledge gained by riding in the ISDT many times himself on AJS and Triumph machinery gave him a valuable insight into this part of off-road sport and was a very highly thought of manager by the riders and the ACU. He actually cut his teeth initially by managing the Scottish ACU squad in Sweden in 1978.
A Scottish ACU presentation of awards ceremony at Perth in 1980. From left: Margaret Allan (SACU Chairperson); Ron Wright (SACU Trials); Alex Phillip (Clubman TT winner 1948); Robbie Allan; Charlie Bruce (former Scottish racing champion); Tommy Milton (SACU official); Anne Allan (wife of Vic Allan) and Jock Wilson, ISDT Team Manager.
When Comerfords eventually took over the importership from Rickman Brothers of the Bultaco brand, Jock was soon in charge … supplying dealers and operating a first class spares service.
When Jock left Comerfords, some many years later, he started his own business importing the Italian SWM trials and enduro macinery in partnership with Mick ‘Bonkey’ Bowers, which became equally as good as the Bultaco brand and very popular.
Jock and Bonkey set up a countrywide dealer network which included former World Trials Champion, Martin Lampkin.
After SWM stopped producing motorcycles, Jock went self-employed working from his home in Tolworth, fixing and tuning bikes and repairing damaged wheels, as he is an ace wheel-builder.
Nowadays, Jock is retired but still works a little on classic bikes in his spare time. I speak to him regularly and it’s always a pleasure.
Jock has always been a friend to me, to my late father Wag Bennett, and to my children Charles (who runs a busy London motorcycle shop) and my daughter, Julie.
I owe Jock a debt of gratitude for the support and help he gave me over twenty five years of trials riding.
Thank you Jock Wilson … Renee Bennett, Plaistow, East London.
Trials Guru: Jock Wilson, so named because this was common place for a Scotsman living and working in Southern England at the time, became one of off-road motorcycle sports’ most respected characters. Jock was a very competent mechanic and a serious trials competitor. When he was with Bultaco UK, he was responsible for setting up the contracts with the Comerfords supported riders in both motocross and trials. Wilson was mentor to Greeves rider and fellow Scotsman, Vic Allan when he moved from Aberdeenshire to Thames Ditton to ride for Comerfords in 1967. Allan then went on to ride for BSA briefly, during which time he crashed heavily at the Italian GP on his factory BSA breaking his hip and was sidelined for several months, during which time BSA closed the Small Heath competitions department. Allan then reverted to race for Comerfords on the Spanish Bultaco and became British 250cc and 500 cc Motocross champion in 1974, riding the Pursang models in both classes.
Words: John Hulme and Pictures: John Hulme + Iain Lawrie.
In 1996 Sammy Miller MBE took over the run-down premises of an old farm and converted the barns into a modern, prestigious building with picturesque surroundings. It is now accepted as housing one of the finest collections of fully restored motorcycles in the world, including factory racers and exotic prototypes. At the end of 2004 permission was granted for an extension to the museum which now allows it to house over 400 exhibits.
In autumn 2010 Trial Magazine called in to view this tribute to one man’s love of motorcycles.
Sammy Miller MBE and his wife, Rosemary.
Welcomed by the warm hand of Sammy Miller himself the moment you walk inside the fabulous buildings, he immediately breaks into a documented history of the museum and its contents, the enthusiasm bouncing out from this motorcycle legend. Sammy’s life has always been dedicated to motorcycles. As a boy he followed motorcycle racing in Ulster and then went on to compete and win his first race in 1953. After a well documented period on the Road Racing Grand Prix circuits he moved into trials and went on to develop the world famous Ariel trials machine GOV 132 before moving on to Bultaco and creating the modern trials scene in 1965, and then on to Honda in 1970 to design the world championship winning trials machine. He is still active today and still competes when possible as well as demonstrating some of his prize collection.
Sammy on his ‘GOV Replica’ Ariel HT5 on Grey Mare’s Ridge in the Pre’65 Scottish Trial. Photo: Copyright Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven.
Unlike most other museums this is more than a static collection to be dusted and polished at regular intervals and displayed like butterflies with pins through them. This is a live museum, for whenever the opportunity presents itself these machines are run in classic bike events of one kind or another. Many of the racing machines are still fully competitive and capable of giving a good account of themselves in high-speed parades. Like any good museum the contents are changing constantly. Virtually every new acquisition represents a full-scale renovation with the attendant difficulty in finding missing parts or replacements to exchange for those that are badly worn. Apart from the motorcycles on display you will also see many interesting artefacts, all of which represent a link with motorcycling of a bygone era.
The Off-Road section, for me, was incredible as one of the machines in the collection was something that has been on my mind many times in the past. George Sartin of Talon products’ fame many years ago started to develop his own trials machine; he made a prototype which then just disappeared off the face of the earth and there it was, immaculately restored in the museum. There are the awesome Jawa ISDT machines from the mid-seventies, and another particular machine which caught my eye was the long track championship winning machine of the late Simon Wigg, current trials star Alexz Wigg’s uncle.
Renovation
Always one to bring something new to the museum, Sammy had just acquired the famous 1961 SSDT-winning AJS ridden by Gordon Jackson when he recorded the famous single mark victory.
Gordon Jackson’s factory AJS 187BLF in ‘as found’ condition, seen here at Sammy Miller’s ready for restoration.
The machine was in a sad state of affairs but Miller restored it, quite rightly, to its original condition.
The Gordon Jackson AJS 187BLF rebuilt and ready to go!
The museum houses the finest collection of fully restored motorcycles in Europe, including factory racers and exotic prototypes, plus memorabilia spanning seven decades of motorcycling for sport and for pleasure. There are over 400 rare and classic motorcycles on display in four galleries.
Sammy with the AJS Porcupine racer
During all this he has still found the time to restore many rare and exotic machines to concourse condition and perfect working order. These he kept as a private collection until 1980 when he opened up a museum so that the public could have a chance to see and hear them. He even took some abroad to many locations, including Australia and New Zealand, so that they could be seen by as many people as possible.
The Talon Mick Mar Trials Machine at Sammy Miller’s Museum at New Milton.
He has now placed the entire collection into a Trust to enable it to be kept together for future generations to experience and admire. There is no one more dedicated to motorcycling than Sam. He spends ten hours a day seven days a week working, promoting or restoring motorcycles and still finds time to compete (and win) races today.
Sammy with GOV132 Ariel HT5 developed from 1958 – 1964, the world’s most famous trials machine.
Sammy Miller was awarded an MBE for Services to Motorcycle Heritage in the 2009 New Year’s Honours List. The museum is open pretty much all year round and for me is a must to visit if you have not done so already. For more information please visit: Tel: 01425 620 777 – Web: www.sammymiller.co.uk – Mail: museum@sammymiller.co.uk
Sammy Miller MBE – Achievements
11 times successive British Champion.
Twice European Trials Champion – the forerunner to the World Championship.
13 times successive Hurst Cup winner.
18 times successive Walter Rusk Trial winner.
5 times winner of the famous Scottish Six Day Trial.
7 times winner of the World’s most arduous trial the Scott Trial on the harsh and unforgiving Yorkshire moors.
Winner of over 1482 Trials events.
9 Gold medals at International Six Day Trials.
Irish Motocross Champion.
Irish Sand Racing Champion.
Winner of most Irish Road races, including winning the North West 200 and the Leinster 200 three years in succession.
Third in the World Grand Prix Championships on a works Mondial
Sponsor of the British Classic Trial Championships.
Still rides today at retirement age and wins Trials and competes in classic road race events throughout Europe and as far away as New Zealand.
Trials Guru, John Moffat has interviewed 11 times British Trials Champion, Sammy Miller on many occasions.
MOTORCYCLE COMPETITION SCOTLAND 1975 – 2005 by John Moffat
– Foreword by 8 times TT winner, JIM MOODIE –
Yoomee Ltd is proud to present this superb semi-hardback book which covers the history of Motorcycle Competition in Scotland from 1975 – 2005 by John Moffat. With foreword written by eight times TT winner, Jim Moodie, it is presented with a mixture of exciting, and in many cases un-seen, colour and black and white images, this book is in A4 size format with over 100 pages of informative and interesting text.
This is a book which explores and describes in words and photographs, competitors and enthusiasts from motorcycle sport in Scotland and more! It’s about people, places and events from this era, the endeavours and performances by motorcycle sports most respected riders, who were either born or brought up in Scotland.
A book which will convey you back to a time-period when Scotland produced not only British, but World championship contenders. Riders who endeavoured to create performances, which proved they were serious competitors in racing, trials, enduro, and motocross.
This is a publication aimed at the motorcycle enthusiast.
Payment can be made securely by ‘Paypal’, debit or credit card
Full details of price, how and where to buy Motorcycle Competition Scotland 1975-2005is available … Here
UPDATE: Initial reports indicate that there has been healthy demand for this publication. Many thanks to all in the UK who have ‘pre-ordered’ and therefore saved on UK postage! However there are also a number of readers who have already placed an overseas order, thank you very much for your support!
Scorpa Motorcycles is very pleased to have reached an agreement with the Spanish Trials rider Sandra Gómez, she will compete for Scorpa in the 2015 sports program and help develop the new Twenty series.
The young Spanish rider is a Grand Prix champion in the women’s division and is an accomplished competitor in the most important races on the trials calendar. Sandra Gomez at age 22 has accumulated an impressive record, with several world team titles to her credit, in addition she has won several national titles and she is credited as one of the world’s best female specialist’s in trials competition.
Scorpa Motorcycles, after developing the new Scorpa Twenty will therefore squarely enter into the sport, betting on the skills of the young Spanish rider the 2015 season. Sandra is considered to be one of the top players in the world of women’s trial.
TRIALS GURU - DEDICATED TO TRIAL 