Continental Report
CONTINENTAL REPORT
B. R. NICHOLLS
THE JAPANESE GRAND PRIX will have been reported in full elsewhere in this issue but it will not be out of place to pass comment on some aspects of this, the last classic of the 1963 season. The valiant lone wolf attempts of the German Kreidler and Italian Morini concerns failed to snatch the world titles of Suzuki, and Honda in the 50 and 250cc classes but showed that the Japanese superiority is not as invincible as some of us thought. But it looks as if 1964 will be a case of Japanese versus Japanese, especially in the 250 class. As anticipated in last month's column, Phil Read has signed for the Yamaha team and will be riding with Fumio Ito, whose brief journey into this year's classics was so rewarding with a win and two second places out of three rides. Another interesting fact about Fumio is that he has just had a recording issued in Japan that the boys who heard it when at Suzuka reckon should hit the charts. Boy, if we could produce a top line international pop singer from our ranks then people would start to notice the sport.
Suzuki have re-signed their 1963 team and the 250 model should not be dismissed because of its showing at Suzuka. Not one of the three entered had mechanical trouble. When Degner's machine was stripped, every indication was that he had given it too big a fistful at the first corner when cranked over in second gear. Perris, who stopped to help Degner, packed in after a couple of laps as he was naturally detuned by the nasty burns about the face that the German had suffered. Anderson had to drop the model to avoid a rider who had fallen in front of him. Frank Perris, who won the 125 race after such a grand scrap with Redman, tells me that the result of marrying two 125s for the 250 four has made a more efficient unit as it produces 56 bhp as opposed to the 27 bhp of the 125 on its own. Another factor is that the riders have got to start to learn to ride again, faced with such a powerful device after two seasons of 50 and 125cc machinery. Incidentally,
Frank is the rider featured on a Rollei camera advertisement that is to be seen all over the world. Reverting to the Suzuki 250, the main faults at the moment are the brakes and suspension but these points should be ironed out before the start of the 1964 season.
World champion Mike Hailwood finished off his season with a tumble at the Casablanca Grand Prix meeting but was unhurt. Having won the 350 class earlier in the day riding an AJS, his fall came in the 500 race which was won by Paddy Driver (Matchless). Hailwood's bikes and Driver's were provided by Tom Kirby, a dealer whose plans for a very special 350 single have already been mentioned in this column. Just to recapitulate, it will still bear the AJS mark on the tank but will be higher revving by virtue of more square dimensions, 81 x 68 as against 75.5 x 78. Titanium will be used for con rods and other parts, providing, with these and other modifications, a bhp figure around the fifty mark. If successful, then a 500cc effort will follow. One disappointment for Tom, though, is that Alan Shepherd, who finished second in the world championship of 1963 on a Kirby Matchless, hopes to have a works bike for 1964 but what that will be remains to be seen.
Gilera have announced their intention of contesting the Italian championships but have been reported as stating they will make no decision about the world series until next March. This is difficult to understand as the first meeting of the 1964 series will have been run by then — at Daytona in February. Recent handling tests at Monza proved inconclusive due to inclement weather and were marred by an accident when a chain broke and Gilberto Milani suffered leg injuries. Point of most significance is that Gilera are trying out a Reynolds leading link fork in pursuit of better handling and following early encouraging results, a Gilera is being sent to England to continue tests at the difficult Mallory Park circuit.
Ray Petty, the ace tuner of Derek Minter's Nortons, is now experimenting with a theory whereby the carburetor is at the front of the engine. It has many difficulties but Petty is convinced they can be overcome and that the result will be an improved bhp figure. The theory is that, protected by streamlining, the carburetor will always remain cool and the exhaust gases will be easier dispersed by a virtually straight high level exhaust system. First tests at Brands Hatch seem to indicate that Petty is on to something good. For Minter the Bianchi rumors have been scotched as they feel that Remo Venturi, the exM.V. teamster, is good enough for them so it looks as if Minter will be needing his Petty-tuned Nortons next year plus any extra power that can be gained from them. So the pattern for 1964 takes shape.
It is fascinating the way fashions in the sporting world change. For a number of years now the Triumph works team has been mounted on 199cc machines but then early in the year John Giles suddenly started riding a 500cc unit construction twin and being an avowed big bike man was immediately at home on it. Now Roy Peplow is alternating between his small machine and a 500cc twin Triumph. On the smaller model he won the St. Cucufa trial held on the outskirts of Paris and then a couple of weeks later rode the big twin into sixth place in the British Experts trial held at Llandrindod Wells in Wales. This is the blue riband event of the oneday trials rider's world and this year produced the closest finishes ever in both solo and sidecar classes.
The solo title was won by Jeff Smith on his 250 works BSA. He and Sammy Miller tied for first place but the award went to Smith as he lost his marks on fewer sections. One mark behind came Arthur Lampkin, another BSA works runner, and it is a tribute to the all-round ability of these two great BSA riders that, having travelled over thirty thousand miles during the moto cross season, they can revert to the skills of trials riding so easily where finesse of throttle control and fine sense of balance is so essential. After a tie in the sidecar class Ron Langston and Doug Cooper lost their title to Alan and Merle Morewood who rode an Ariel outfit.
But British manufacturers are now turning away from supporting these one-day observed trials and want more events run on the basis of the International Six Days Trial in preparation for the 1964 event. It has even been suggested that the Scottish Six Days should be changed in style to meet their demands but I do not think for one moment that the Edinburgh club will agree to such a move. It would certainly be against the wishes of the majority of those who now ride and ensure that the entry lists are full almost as soon as they open.
In addition to the British Experts title, two other major titles are due to be decided soon, that of Northern and Southern expert. This year Mary Driver, who caused so much favourable comment at the I.S.D.T., is happy as a cricket as she has qualified for the Southern event. No mean feat this and just another indication that she is top girl in British sport.
