Theo's
Pit Bay - Theo
Jonkhart's (from Enkhuizen in the Netherlands)
tribute
to classic racing
The pilot on the Ceccato is me, some 5 years ago
when I still took part in what we call here historic demo racing. Some
3 seasons I took part. Instead of doing regularity runs it more and more
boiled down to real roadracing. With inexperienced riders who tried to
elbow one another in the scrubs. That did it. I thought it to be too risky
for that irreplaceble material to continue racing around the church and
quit racing. I now ride it just on the streets. I bought the bike 10 yrs
ago and 2 yrs later it had been completely rebuilt and was
as new again. Its very rare with its semi double cradle frame. All other
125 ohv Ceccatos I've spotted rarely, have a single downward tube in front.
The engine is 7,5 hp thats why it is a S type instead of the regular 6,3
hp bikes. Yes, 1,2 hp more meant a lot in a 1957 125! See
also Ceccato in the A-Z of Motorcycling.
The first Kreidler
racers were early souped up street mopeds from around 1961-62
The Suzy 50 , even by todays standards that 35 year old kind of technique
is still mindblowing.
Ever wondered why Yamaha did not take part in the 50cc GP events during
the late sixties while they were succesfull in other classes. Did they
ever make a 50cc GP racer roadrace lovers asked themselves for the last
30 years...
YES, they did indeed1 In 1997/98 Dutchman Ferry Brouwer, once Phil Reads
mechanic and organiser of the Centennial TT-races in 1998 at the Assen
track, accidently discovered a Yamaha tiddler hidden under a blanket in
the Yamaha factory. Despite the reluctancy of the Yamaha people to show
the bike and give information they finally let loose that 2 were made
in 1967/68 and were tested in secret but never raced, because Yamaha felt
competition was to stiff against the Suzuki, Jamathi and Kreidler racers.
1960 350
Bianchi
Pagani on an Aermacchi
1966 Jim Redman and the 500 Honda in 1966
The Norton pic I built up was taken in 1967 at the Zandvoort GP track.
One sees I'm too tall with my 1.95 m but the fun is not less than a regular
jockey would have. The engine is a Manx 350 from presumably 1948-49 which
I bought in 1966 in England and was still competitive in those days in
national class Dutch roadracing. Note: front brake drum is from a 1966
Suzuki 125 GP machine. It's a magnesium reardrum which came from the Suzuki
European GP headquarters in Holland. It had a small crack and after welding
I had the best frontbrake I've ever experienced.
Parilla 250 1949
Start of the 250cc International races at Tubbergen street-circuit in
Holland in 1967. These annual (until 1970) Whitsunday races were second
in line to the Dutch TT races held at Assen. Tubbergen drew a mass of
spectators and a lot of riders from various countries as well. The end
of the sixties marqued also the end of the continental circus era. Nr.2
is Australian Eric Hinton who also was a circus member for a while and
the first to race an 125 mph -over the counter- Kawasaki A1-R in Europe
that year. The insert shows Dutch multiple champion Cees van Dongen who
won the 125cc class that day.
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