Isle of Man Practice

Former MV factory rider John Hartle has been recalled to assist Giacomo Agostini in the 350and 500-cc classes. Pictured on an MV Three, Hartle demonstrates that he retains his smooth style.

Isle of Man Practice

B. R. NICHOLLS

IVAN J. WAGAR

WITH PRACTICE for the 1968 Isle of Man TT races starting over Whitsun holiday weekend, many stars were absent for the initial four training sessions, all of which were devoted to solo classes, omitting the 50-cc machines. The Monday of Whitsun weekend is a holiday in England, with major motorcycle race meetings scheduled throughout the country. Thus no sidecar practice was scheduled at the Island until the third day. One negative result of mainland racing was that Dan Shorey will miss the TT. A crash at Brands Hatch sidelined him with a broken collarbone.

With Honda and Suzuki withdrawal from racing, and in view of Mike Hailwood's contract not to race other than Honda machinery, first thoughts were that the famous TT would lose its glamour and spectator appeal. This certainly is so in the 125 and 250 classes, in which the works machinery of Read and Ivy will rule the roost if they overcome the unreliability that has tended to upset them so far this year. From the point of view of other competitors, the early retirement of the two works Yamahas would leave the race wide open for Heinz Rosner (MZ) and Renzo Pasolini (Benelli) to do battle -with a race speed much below that if Yamaha were to attain victory. This could give the private owner an opportunity to gain a coveted silver replica, as the qualification for this award is based on aggregate time of the first six finishers. In fact, all riders who finish within 18.75 percent of this time receive silver replicas, and all those between 18.75 and 20 percent receive bronze replicas.

In the 125 class, it will be a straight battle between MZ and Yamaha. The excitement will come with the 350 battle between the rival Italian camps of MV and Benelli, as MV has Giacomo Agostini, reigning world 500-cc champion, backed up by the very experienced John Hartle. Benelli is entering the dashing and rapidly improving Renzo Pasolini. At the Island to watch the battle is 71-year-old Mimo Benelli, together with his design engineer Count Nardi Dei, who has designed the 250-cc Benelli V8, which should be ready to race next season.

The early practice sessions have shown the 350 class is the one where the chips are down, because in this bracket lap speeds show Agostini the leader with 104.89 mph. Hartle follows with 104.26 mph. Pasolini is third fastest with 103.58 mph. However, to show what might have happened if Phil Read had been allowed to race a 251-cc Yamaha, he toured the course on the 250 at 103.45 mph.

Publication of the first six in each class as leaderboard times during practice can lead to some amusement, as happened when Harry Woods did a strife-torn lap at 28.78 mph.

Stateside interest in the races is provided by John Weed of New York who already has qualified his Honda in the 125 class. American Lance Weil will ride the one-off Keeler Twin in the Senior race, and an AJS in the Junior. The Keeler Twin is the brainchild of Arthur Keeler, who worked for 30 years at AMC. It was some 10 years ago that the idea came to him to build a Twin based on the 7R engine. Three years ago he started work and the machine was ready to race a year ago, but was crashed during a Brands test session. So, to Lance goes the opportunity to prove the machine. It uses the G45 barrels with standard 650 Twin heads with the ports opened up. Bore and stroke are 66.5 by 72, respectively. Cams of 1954 vintage are used with 7R valves, both inlet and exhaust, controlled by Chevrolet valve springs. Amal Monobloc carburetors of 1.125-in. diameter have proved both cheaper and more efficient, especially at low rpm, than GP models. A standard AMC four-speed gearbox is used, though a Schafleitner can be fitted. A Ceriani front brake is employed to curb an estimated 60 bhp. The early joint in the exhaust pipes is to prevent the head from being disturbed when the engine is worked on. It is a utility model all-around, as the capacity can easily be changed to 650 or 750 with different crankshafts. Removal of the engine from the frame and the fitting of a pair of spacers prepares the machine to accept a 7R engine, which is exactly what will be done for the Junior race.

Not quite so radical in concept is the Jim Lee frame that Brian Ball uses for his 250 Yamaha. The unit must have proved satisfactory because he has improved his lap times with each outing. The best is over 92 mph. He also has mechanical Campagnola disc brakes, similar to those used by MV last year. (MV now has switched to a hydraulically operated type on Agostini's 350 Three.)

With four days to go before the end of practice, and with riders just arriving from Whitsun holiday meetings, the practice sessions will unfold more drama as the week progresses. The sidecars will create TT history by having both 500 and 750 classes, though only the former will qualify for the world championship.

Right now, the men who are favorites for the solo races are Bill Ivy and Phil Read in the

125 and 250 classes with works Yamaha Fours, and John Hartle and Giacomo Agostini in the 350 and 500 classes with factory MVs. Renzo Pasolini offers the serious challenge to the MV pair in the 350 racing.

For the first time ever, a 125-cc machine hurtled round the mountain circuit at over 100 mph. In a vicious display of who is boss of the ultra lightweights, Yamaha's world champion Bill Ivy proved there is nothing wrong with the 125's crankshaft, which has caused some retirements this year. He hurtled the little four-cylinder machine around the course at the incredible speed of 100.14 mph. Then he hopped aboard the 250 to record another ton-up lap at 102.37 mph.

Heinz Rosner showed the power of the 250 MZ by turning in a lap at 98.06 mph. He could be another 100-mph man on race day.

Getting away from the works men, the limelight falls on Tom Kirby and his riders. The 500-cc leaderboard was topped by Alan Barnett on the Kirby Metisse at 97.99 mph; on the 654-cc Kirby BSA outfit, Terry Vinicombe headed the 750 sidecar class with his speed of 81.39 mph, well down on 500 leader George Auerbacher (BMW) who turned in 84.41 mph.

So now, at the halfway stage of practice, all riders are on the Island. The pace is increasingly intense. Next month a complete TT report will appear in CYCLE WORLD. Readers will learn whether Ivy, Read and Agostini fulfill the promise they now show.

At this writing, Ivy, as stated previously, heads the 125 class at 100.14, Read the 250 with 103.45, and Agostini is tops in 350 and 500 classes with 104.89 and 102.39, respectively.

That's right, the 350 times are faster than 500 marks. What a pity that the new 250 Benelli V8 will not be ready until next season, but that is something to look forward to for it will take from Guzzi the title of the world's most sophisticated racing motorcycle. It will make obsolete the present four-cylinder mount that Pasolini is racing and outdo all the exotic designs from the Japanese factories. It will be an air-cooled model with a vertical cylinder bank and the other set facing forward. The most impressive feature will be the weight, which, it is estimated, will be down to about 220 lb. or three-quarters that of the present Four. Although the first model will carry two valves per cylinder, four-valve heads are a logical development. And there are plans for a transistor type ignition system.