Round Up
ROUND UP
JOE PARKHURST
A DULL TT
Just prior to this month’s deadline, I returned from Europe where I took in the Isle of Man TT races again. They have lost much of their luster since Honda and Suzuki have withdrawn from international racing. The Senior TT, the 500-cc race, that is, was the dullest I have ever seen. It was simply a demonstration by Agostini on the MV with a whole passel of British Singles and Twins stringing along behind. Stanley Schofield’s men were there as usual, making in-the-field recordings of the sounds, and interviewing riders and other personalities. The young, dark and handsome Agostini, (the guy in the cap in the nearby photograph), recorded his views for posterity. Peter Arnold is the chap with the microphone. Wearing earphones is Gordon Pitt. Arnold narrates all the CYCLE WORLD/Schofield Sound Story records, Gordon Pitt is the chief recording engineer. The CYCLE WORLD 1968 TT album will be ready in the fall.
Shortly a new record will be offered. It’s called “Sidecar Stars,” and was produced during the 1967 Sidecar TT when 84 entries showed up, an all-time record. The sounds of the Fath Four and the remarkable BMW Rennsport Twins, gobs of BSAs and Nortons, Owen Greenwood’s “Mini,” and all the others are captured in the now common-to-Schofield realism. Several interesting driver/passenger interviews also are included. Yet another new volume, due in a few months, is a full album describing Mike Hailwood’s 12 TTs with sounds from every one of them, plus a fascinating candid conversation with the international star. Followers of European grands prix will really enjoy his feelings and attitudes toward various courses, other riders, officials, life in general, and, naturally, girls.
TO MEET PROVINI
From the TT, BJ and I wended our way to Bologna, Italy, to meet the one and only Tarquinio Provini, recently retired international road racing star and now the manufacturer of CYCLE WORLD models under the brand name of “Protar.” Provini basks in an aura of fame and adoration in Italy, and has turned his full attention to design and manufacture of new kits for the Protar series. He zaps around Bologna in his sexy, dark green Iso Grifo, hustling from his elegant apartment to his warehouse, or the pattern shop, then to one of the small casting companies which produce the finished product, waving at people and beeping his horn at almost every corner. A new factory with all of the various manufacturing processes under one roof soon will be finished. Provini plans to increase production dramatically when the new factory opens.
(Continued on page 6)
Another addition to the line of finely detailed Protar models, the Yamaha 250 RD-56, started coming off the assembly line at deadline for this issue. This is the first model of a Japanese machine that Provini has created. I expect it to be a very popular addition. Although not used now, the full scale machine was very successful in European grand prix racing. It was reputed to develop 54 blip at 11,000 rpm, had seven gears and was capable of 150 mph. The Protar model is an exact replica, and features working suspension, as do several others in the line, treaded tires, tiny control cables and fuel lines, and even a minute chain. It is hard to tell the model in the photo from the real thing.
I met the highly skilled man who now makes the patterns from which the reduced molds are made. They are fully hand crafted in wood three times up from the size the final model will appear. A very special German made pantograph apparatus reduces the patterns one-third at a time, from positive to negative and to positive again in the final steel mold size. Provini, in the accompanying photo, is holding the original wood model of the MV Four. I am holding the final casting of the next model, the Honda 250 Six. Shortly after the Honda Six, the 125 Suzuki, a 250 MZ, a 250 Greeves with Cerinai forks, and the 1954 BMW Rennsport will be produced. More are on the drawing board, or are in varying stages of pattern or model making. All models are exclusive to Protar, and, of course, CYCLE WORLD models. I won’t spill the beans on the others in the works. It would just make trouble for my staff, having to tell people the models aren’t available yet.
YANKEE GOES WEST
A news release just came in telling me something I already knew-that I had lost the best builder of special motorcycles on the coast. Kenny Clark, builder of my Ducati Metisse and the Metisse road racer last year, has been appointed west coast sales manager for Yankee Motor Corp. Maybe I haven’t really lost him. It’s just that I think he will be too busy with the ambitious Yankee project to build specials for me.
Kenny, former senior sales engineer for Air Reduction Co., has been in motorcycling for 18 years. He has held high ranking spots in Southern California’s AMA District 37, and as a Class C Expert earned National No. 37. He competed at Daytona in 1967, riding for my neighbor Norm Lee of Long Beach Triumph. He was 3rd in Amateur standings at Ascot in 1966, started racing in 1950, and won his first event in 1952. He’s a motorcyclists’ motorcyclist.
DUCATI LOVERS AND THINGS
I’ve received quite a response to the pictures in this column a short time back of my special Ducati 350 engined Metisse. Lots of people want to know how it was put together and what the problems were, and, always, how it is working. It’s working beautifully! Had a heck of a chain problem because the engine develops quite a bit more power now, and the chain actually was too small to begin with. Other than that, and getting used to a slight “cammyness” in the engine, it is a great pleasure to ride, and for me a perfect motorcycle.
(Continued on page 8)
When in England, I spent a fun day with Derek Rickman of the brothers Rickman, and Ron Baines, sales executive for the firm. We visited Weslake Engineering Co., in Rye, England, designer and builder of the Weslake/ Gurney/Ford engines. And, this is the firm that’s building a 500-cc Twin version of the slave unit used to develop racing car engines. I had a long look at this beautiful Twin. It has eight valves (four intake, four exhaust, naturally), double overhead camshafts, and is expected to produce 65-70 bhp at around 10,000-11,000 rpm. It also features an integral five-speed gear box and weighs about 110 lb. The project is being sponsored by Read’s of Leytonstone, England, a motorcycle dealer, and has nothing to do with the Weslake/Rickman alliance. I promised not to reveal the nature of the Rickman project and to abide by the release date established by the Rickman’s U.S. distributor, Steens, in Alhambra, Calif.
Through tightly clenched teeth, I can say, though, that British motorcycling is due to receive one hell of a boost very soon. It’ll be a boost that will continue to grow for some time, and one that will give motocross racing the biggest push since the Husqvarnas and CZs were put into regular production. Enough said. For now.
But, to return to Ducatis. 1 received a news release not long ago, which described several other happy Ducati owners, namely U.S. Stock Car Racing champion, Richard Petty; USAC Champion and Indy winner A.J. Foyt;
Chris Economaki, editor of National Speed Sport News; racer Joe Leonard, former Grand National AMA champion and an ex-motorcycle racer, who is really showing some of them the way around; racer Mario Andretti, (being Italian he could hardly resist the Ducati, I think); and last but not least, World Champion Grand Prix driver Dennis Hulme.
