NZ built racing specials

[F5 Dave]

How many bikes have the hillbillies built? Probably six odd?

[Grumph]

How many bikes have the hillbillies built? Probably six odd?

I'd guess more than that - and some very odd...
Scott deserves his own listing, done by someone who knows more about his output. I know of at least one NZ title ?
Most of those listed are no longer active and it's hard to know just what to put about a current builder.

[husaberg]

I'd guess more than that - and some very odd...
Scott deserves his own listing, done by someone who knows more about his output. I know of at least one NZ title ?
Most of those listed are no longer active and it's hard to know just what to put about a current builder.

Well I would start with the only person on KB with worse spelling than me

[husaberg]

[HenryDorsetCase]

If you're putting a name forward for the list, please give some idea of what they did....
as in

Alister Sabiston - ChCh based, built under the "Elsab" label. Took over Russell motors in ChCh. Dirt bikes. Frequently Villiers powered. Landed a batch of I believe 6 Starmaker engines and framed at least 4 of them. I know where one of the most successful is sitting at present.

dont forget the sidecars! (admittedly the road going ones) or is it like not mentioning the War?

[F5 Dave]

Never seen that article before. Probably in some sort of cashed up ponsy private collectors hands now.

[husaberg]

If you're putting a name forward for the list, please give some idea of what they did....
as in

Alister Sabiston - ChCh based, built under the "Elsab" label. Took over Russell motors in ChCh. Dirt bikes. Frequently Villiers powered. Landed a batch of I believe 6 Starmaker engines and framed at least 4 of them. I know where one of the most successful is sitting at present.

http://amsracing.com/product/1970-0-...mx#prettyPhoto


I am pretty sure this is a one of Alister Sabistons
That i remember my father having it when i was a kid
I asked him the other day he thinks he sold the frame to a guy in Kaikoura.
He's pretty sure the engine out of it ended up in Barry Keehans Villers special.
Here is a fuzzy pic or two out of a photo Album.
It had BSA forks and rickman copy fibreglass anyway

Also a bonus pic of Ruatapu complete with "timber" haybales

[roogazza]

Cheers mate , really enjoyed reading that old stuff. Dave was always the 'Thinker' !
Whenever out for a ride we'd stop for a breather and often, he'd be thinking of ways to go faster.
Recently caught up with him when he was on holiday here. Spent 4 hours yakking about old times, as we'd gone in different directions and countries thirty years ago. Top bloke.

[husaberg]

Cheers mate , really enjoyed reading that old stuff. Dave was always the 'Thinker' !
Whenever out for a ride we'd stop for a breather and often, he'd be thinking of ways to go faster.
Recently caught up with him when he was on holiday here. Spent 4 hours yakking about old times, as we'd gone in different directions and countries thirty years ago. Top bloke.

He is a very talented bloke.

[jellywrestler]

He is a very talented bloke.

have a read on the roberts rear suspension idea bit, it says the next move is to put the shock in front of the engine, that's exactly what john Britten did, i'm just reading guy martins book who is a huge Britten fan, he details a visit to Steve Roberts workshop and says it is very clear where Britten got ideas from.

[husaberg]

have a read on the roberts rear suspension idea bit, it says the next move is to put the shock in front of the engine, that's exactly what john Britten did, i'm just reading guy martins book who is a huge Britten fan, he details a visit to Steve Roberts workshop and says it is very clear where Britten got ideas from.

John pretty much admitted so himself, same as the CF composites. He also credited Hossack for the front. But like Mike Sinclear thought it looked ungainly.
It needs to be remebered how much input mike had into the suspension and frame geometry etc.
Yamaha also had a shock funny postitioned but mounted crossways arround that time.
https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/a...7&d=1329124408

ow61 then refined two years later into the RZ500 underneath.

THe KR250 also had it under the engine as well as the first buell XR1000s
https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/a...hmentid=330716

[jellywrestler]

THe KR250 also had it under the engine as well as the first buell XR1000s

yeah but that's under compression, roberts and britten were under tension

[husaberg]

yeah but that's under compression, roberts and britten were under tension

As were the OW61 and the RZ500 and the 1930s Moto guzzi
which brings me on Shaun AKA Nardo ( I did know his last name but i have forgotten it.)

[jellywrestler]

As were the OW61 and the RZ500 and the 1930s Moto guzzi
which brings me on Shaun AKA Nardo ( did know his last name but i have forgotten it.

sean kitchen, a good mate for years, he offered me his bevel frame more than once but i don't have the time...
the OW01 was vertical and the rz solid mount at the front and compressed the shock from the rear of the bike, roberts was mounted at the back and the front of the shock was pulled to comression buy a rod to the back, hence the name tension suspension, location the same but completely differnt actian

[husaberg]

sean kitchen, a good mate for years, he offered me his bevel frame more than once but i don't have the time...

Thats it, re above that frame was a work of art, as were the aesthetics.
Its nothing remarkable in the ideas but how they were all put together into a clever cohesive design
It was a sum of all its parts that worked together in unison form something profound, both beautiful, elegant and cured the origonal weakness of the Ducati long bus chassis.
The pictures show he also had a great grasp of asthetic proportions as it still looks great 25+ years later

the OW01 was vertical and the rz solid mount at the front and compressed the shock from the rear of the bike, roberts was mounted at the back and the front of the shock was pulled to comression buy a rod to the back, hence the name tension suspension, location the same but completely differnt actian

Yes i am aware of the differences i think were are crossing what each is refering to, i was refering to two different things both the location and the principle, as the article says nothing much origional is ever really that new or novel.
John and the team moved the shock to the front on the redesigned Girder forked britten because he had moved te radiator. They filled the space in order to both keep the weight forward and to better cool the shock.

The next home built special which i do rember racing against is the John Eyles special
Pretty sure he looked at both the britten and the Robert bikes.
The chassis was destroyed i think in the last Wigram bucket race in about 91.
It was a BIG 130cc bike

Kbs own Speedpro won that race.