My motorcycling began when my late cousin Allan Bailey came up to the farm at Bellthorpe on his 197 Ambassador one weekend . We were both about 16 years old. I had to try it out and went for a ride along the Range Road. After this I wanted a motorbike for my birthday so for 2 years work on the farm my pay was a £70 motorbike. It was a 250cc sprung heel Jawa. In the time up to the middle of my 17th year, I wore out the clutch corks and learned how to replace them. It was also necessary to have a 6 volt car battery strapped to the carrier over the rear wheel although it was a bit heavy but worked ok. So after a visit to the Police station in Woodford where the constable added "Motorcycle" to my recently obtained licence. He also arranged Insurance and road tax. My first long ride was to Gladstone to visit my brother who worked in Laver Bros. Sports Store.
While travelling north on the unpaved Bruce Highway, I rode over a wooden cattle grid that had been destroyed by heavy trucks and ended up in the bushes at the side. Had to take a strand of plain wire from the farmers fence to try and attach the silencers. One of the other occupants of the boarding house was a welder and repaired the brackets while I spent days watching wharfies load frozen meat. The ride back to Petrie after a week was uneventful.
While travelling north on the unpaved Bruce Highway, I rode over a wooden cattle grid that had been destroyed by heavy trucks and ended up in the bushes at the side. Had to take a strand of plain wire from the farmers fence to try and attach the silencers. One of the other occupants of the boarding house was a welder and repaired the brackets while I spent days watching wharfies load frozen meat. The ride back to Petrie after a week was uneventful.
While working for Fred Ammerman at Power Manufacturing, a marine engineering and small ship repair yard, I had a need for a new bike and finally bought a D7 BSA. Soon learned to carry a spare clean sparkplug and spanner as the fuel and oils of the day did not burn well at full bore on the Bruce Highway out to Petrie.
Kedron Motor Cycle Club
Xmas Trial at Archerfield.
1962
My interest in motorsport started with Dad taking us to the Speedway on Saturday nights when we lived at Hendra. I remember the noisy bikes would cause me to hide behind Dad but when the Midget cars were on loved it. The likes of Ray Revell in his Offy. and Len Brock with his V twin J.A.P. The Gurtner brothers on J.A.P. bikes. All being run be Empire Speedways with Frank Arthur, Lionel Van Pragg and Vic Huxley and others.
When we moved back to the city about 1959 I again went to the Speedway to watch my cousin Allan Bailey being a sidecar passenger. This led to joining Kedron club, going to weekly meetings at Kangaroo Point Hall where all members had a say in the running of the monthly grass-track at Archerfield and the bike part of Lowood road races.
Xmas Trial at Archerfield.
1962
My interest in motorsport started with Dad taking us to the Speedway on Saturday nights when we lived at Hendra. I remember the noisy bikes would cause me to hide behind Dad but when the Midget cars were on loved it. The likes of Ray Revell in his Offy. and Len Brock with his V twin J.A.P. The Gurtner brothers on J.A.P. bikes. All being run be Empire Speedways with Frank Arthur, Lionel Van Pragg and Vic Huxley and others.
When we moved back to the city about 1959 I again went to the Speedway to watch my cousin Allan Bailey being a sidecar passenger. This led to joining Kedron club, going to weekly meetings at Kangaroo Point Hall where all members had a say in the running of the monthly grass-track at Archerfield and the bike part of Lowood road races.
An early Highlight Of My Competition In G. B.
Scottish Six Day Trial 1967.
Built a new engine and used John Wright's garage to prepare the bike. More later.
Built a new engine and used John Wright's garage to prepare the bike. More later.