Continental Report
CONTINENTAL REPORT
B.R. NICHOLLS
END OF BSA COMPANY
The big news from England this month is not on the sporting side but on finances. It’s the end of the road for the BSA company, which for so long has been bordering on bankruptcy and trying to live on past reputation.
The fate of BSA and Triumph motorcycles has not yet been finalized, but all is not lost. “Doctor” Dennis Poore, who has done such a remarkable job for Norton from the smoldering ruins of the AMC empire, has indicated that his company, Manganese Bronze Holdings, is willing to step in and help save the motorcycle side of the BSA company.
That is the only part of the group he is interested in and one of his conditions is that the government help with the provision of something like $12.5 million financial aid.
General opinion is that the failure all comes down to poor management and divided loyalties between BSA and Triumph personnel. For every success the group had there seemed to be an equally resounding failure. It is almost impossible to establish just when the slide started, but one thing is certain, and that is that the good quality of Japanese machines and their advanced design accelerated the slide. The Japanese also anticipated the market well, which BSA did not.
They missed the scooter market, missed the moped market, missed the motocross machine market just when Jeff Smith was winning two world titles for them in consecutive years in the mid-’óOs, announced the revolutionary three-wheeler 50cc machine with automatic transmission at a time when the national press was all in the Isle of Man for the TT races and as recently as 1970 proudly announced the 350cc overhead camshaft models, which never reached the market.
Can Dennis Poore rescue the marque? It will not be an overnight transformation, but rather a 5-year plan which cannot even start until BSA shareholders have voted in its favor, but there should be no problem there as it is the only hope shareholders have of getting anything back for their money.
The company would initially be called Norton Villiers Triumph and Poore is already on record as saying they have exciting new designs well advanced on the drawing board and that the superbike and off-road machine is the market that they are interested in. If anyone can rescue the BSA motorcycle side and make it a viable proposition, it is Dennis Poore.
Meanwhile, production of the best selling machinery, like the Bonneville, Trophy Trail, Trident and motocross machines, still continues. Although it is a traumatic situation, there is every reason to believe that from it will arise a first class, viable British motorcycle industry.
MOTOCROSS ACTION
In a pre-championship meeting in Holland Ake Jonsson had his first taste of victory on the motocross Yamaha when he won the first leg of the two race event and, with a 5th place in the second, beat ex-teammate Adolf Weil (Maico) on time. Winner of the second race was Dutchman Gerrit Wolsink on his works Maico.
Two weeks later came the first round of the world 500cc motocross title held in France. For 1973 a new points scoring system has been introduced, with riders gaining points in both races instead of on the overall result. The really big difference between the old and new method is that previously a breakdown in either race made it impossible for a rider to score at the meeting—now there are points for both races. Racing should be harder, as there are now 30 points to be won instead of 15.
The system gave American Brad Lackey (Kawasaki) his first world championship points when he finished 8th in the second race in France. Brad is no stranger to world motocross, having ridden in the American Motocross des Nations team and several grand prix meets. His bike is the same black 450 Kawasaki that he rode back in the States and is being maintained by Steve Johnson, who was Phil Read’s road racing mechanic in 1971. “Just two spills and a bit more experience under the old belt,” was the laconic way that 19-year-old Brad described the French meeting. It was held down near Lyon on a rough and tough course in dry conditions with plenty of stones flying around to make it all very dicey.
Four-stroke lovers got a treat at the start of the first race when John Banks shot into the lead on the Cheney BSA but lost it on the 4th lap to Christer Hammargren (Yamaha). Any chance of a fight back disappeared later when the contact breaker seized; it led to oil pump failure. Jaak van Velthoven (Yamaha) fought through the field from a bad start to take 2nd place on the last lap with the Czech Oldrich Hamerschmid (CZ) 3rd.
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Roger DeCoster (Suzuki) had retired from the first race with throttle trouble but had a start-to-finish victory in the second, so ensuring 15 points in the defense of his title. He was chased hard by Wolsink (Maico) who had taken 6th in the first race and 3rd place was Ake Jonsson (Yamaha). Willi Bauer (Maico) was Mr. Consistency with 4th in each race.
There is no point in attaching any importance to the championship table after one meeting which Wolsink leads with 17 points from Hamerschmid and Bauer, both on 16. But the interesting thing is that under the old system those three would have ended the meeting level, all with eight points from finishing positions in the two races. Time would have decided the tie.
The other point is that such names as Hammargren, DeCoster, Velthoven and Jonsson would have failed to score. The fact that they did retrieve something after retiring in one race will leave them in a happier frame of mind, as the meeting will not have been entirely worthless—that, in turn, will mean better racing next time out.
The ignition problem that Banks had now has Yankee know-how looking for the solution in transistorized ignition as the itinerant American Gene Anderson of Future Techmatics is making a system specially for the Cheney BSA.
Banks at present leads the British 500cc motocross title, but probably because of the stupidity of running 125 and 500 championship rounds at the same meeting and when that happens at Hawkstone only a superman could hope to last the four race distances.
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Bryan Wade (Husqvarna) won both the 125 events to lead the title with maximum 16 points from Malcolm Davis (Bultaco) 12. What really took the toll of Wade was a titanic struggle in the first 500 race with Banks after Wade got a rear wheel puncture at the halfway stage. Banks, too, was handicapped—his problem being retarded ignition. Wade won the duel, but had to retire from the second from exhaustion, leaving Banks at the top of the table with Andy Roberton (Husqvarna) 2nd and Wade 3rd—the scores being 14-10-18 respectively.
VINTAGE RUN
On the quieter side, the Vintage run to Brighton from Epsom this year had an international flavor, with riders from Holland and Germany taking part. It is part of a plan to make the run better in the future with more overseas riders to give even greater interest. Of this year’s visitors, the 1909 NSU of Heinz Metzmaier was a real eye-catcher, while the 1908 Adler of Heinz Kindler created a link with the past of names that are but history now—Dart, Rex, Phoenix Trimo, LMC, Frera, Swift, Anglian and Lincoln Elk, to name but a few.
NEW LOOK FOR ’73
The John Player backed Norton racing team has a new look for 1973. The all blue fairings are gone, in favor of white as seen at Daytona and the machines with the monocoque frame have shed a lot of weight, almost 30 lb. is claimed, and cut the height by some 3 in., which should help a little.
They gained far more in experience than prize money at Daytona and set off with high hopes for the big money, big bike, two leg race in France at Rouen. Cooper was riding the works Norton. His main opposition came from Jack Findlay on the three-cylinder Suzuki that he raced at Daytona. Barry Sheene was also Suzuki Three mounted. After a slow start in the first leg Sheene fought through to take the lead after five laps, but was later sidelined with ignition trouble, letting in Boyer Triumph mounted Dave Nixon. At this stage John Cooper challenged on the JP Norton and seemed set for victory when the rear wheel locked up due to lack of oil in the primary chaincase.
From that point it was Tridents all the way with Ron Chandler winning the first race from Tony Jefferies, both on the Meriden Threes with the order reversed in the second leg. But the verdict went to Chandler on time, with Frenchman Christian Leon (Kawasaki) 3rd.
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While the prize money in no way compares with Daytona, it was considerably in excess of what is normally paid in Europe. The winner took home well over $4500, which is nearly double the prize at the Race of the Year meeting held at Mallory, which will drop to third in the European money league after the big F750 race at Imola.
MICK ANDREWS FINDS FORM
It has not taken Mick Andrews long to find form with the Yamaha trials machine that he is developing for the Japanese factory this year. Following his disastrous first international ride on the bike in Spain, reported last month, when he was booed by the Spanish crowd and humiliated with jeering, he came back with a scintillating performance in France to win with a loss of 47 marks. That sounds severe, but then so was the course, laid out in the mountains around Mountbeliard. At one part where the sections were alongside a fast flowing river, frogmen stood by in case anyone fell in!
Just as surprising as Andrews’ win was the performance of Sweden’s Thore Evertsson (Ossa), who lost 15 more to take runner-up position with his best ever championship ride. His 62 mark loss was just one less than Martin Lampkin (325 Bultaco), who beat Jack Galloway (Montesa) by the 0.8 deficit Galloway incurred for finishing late. With Rob Edwards finishing 5th at 64 it shows how close the battle for 2nd place was and just how supreme Andrews must have been. It puts him equal 2nd in the championship at 28 points with Malcolm Rathmell. Martin Lampkin leads with 52.
His success immediately leads to the question of whether Mick can win the Scottish Six Days Trial again this year to make it a record-breaking four in a row? Before the French event few would have given him a chance, but now it is a distinct possibility as it will have demoralized the opposition and boosted his own morale. It is amazing the way Andrews seems to produce top form in the really big events like the Scottish or the European championship rounds but never quite makes it in the British Championship.
After the first three rounds of the home event he lies in 5th place, all rides being on the Yamaha. The reigning champion, Rathmell, is not in the first six.
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KICKHAM AND SHROPSHIRE
The leader at present is Rob Edwards (Montesa), who won both the opening rounds to open up a lead now with 35 points to the 30 of teammate Rob Shepherd. The first event was the Kickham, where Andrews was out for the first time on the Yamaha, but it was not to be a dream debut, though 3rd place could hardly be called a failure!
Edwards lost 11 marks to finish 4th in front of Martin Lampkin (Bultaco) with Andrews 3rd on 17. From the hills of Somerset riders moved north for the Vic Brittain trial in Shropshire the following day, where Edwards main tained his form to win by eight marks from teammate Rob Shepherd with Rathmell 3rd on 27. Martin Lampkin and Andrews could not maintain the previous day’s form and finished in 8th and 7th places respectively.
Any hopes that Edwards may have had of three wins in a row went in the third round when he could do no better than 6th with Alan Lampkin (Bultaco) putting in the best performance with 22 marks lost to the 23 of Rob Shepherd. Martin Lampkin was 3rd on 28. It is early yet, but with three of the ten rounds held Andrews lies in 5th place for the British title, which he has never won. With less globe-trotting to do than in recent years, can Andrews put the Yamaha trials machine at the top of the tree in its first season?
BRITISH SIDECAR ROUND
The sidecars had their first British championship round a short time ago at Newbury, where Nick Thompson and Dave Beavis (750 Norton Wasp) were the winners. The 750 Norton engine still seems to be the one that will rule the roost in 1973. But to try and break its stranglehold, Ken Heanes built up a beautiful Trident Three powered outfit for Brian Maynard which could challenge for top honors. The supporting solo race at Newbury had a top class entry and was run over three races. Bryan Wade, with two wins and a 3rd place, was easily the best, but it only served to underline just how good he is on home ground and how rarely he can find form when racing abroad in a world championship meeting. He rode in France, but just did not figure in the standings. This year will show just how good he is when up against the world’s best, particularly when things are not going his way.
