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1974 Jawa 890


Pictures of this Jawa, courtesy of Geir Overby

Norwegian Geir has restored this Jawa 890 the engine dates from 1974 and the frame 1968-74 it is beautiful to look at.  Well done Geir.

 

Weslake Land Speed Record

I moved home to California and started racing my converted speedway weslake at El Mirage dry lake.  I run it on race gas (petrol) VP C12.  It holds the record there at 129.817mph.  Which brings me to a question.  I don't know the year of the motor.  Its not really important but I'm curious.  Is there anywhere that I could find records of Weslake motors?
 Many thanks for setting up such a wonderful site.
Bill Anderson

If anyone can help Bill send me an email John

Bike Auction

Dear Sir,

I thought you may be interested to learn that Cheffins Auctioneers have consigned a number of machines and spares from the estate of the late Sid King and amongst other things will be auctioning on the 18th October 2008 a 1928 Dirt Track Douglas plus another dismantled (restored parts ready for re-assembly), a c1930Rudge 4 valve speedway machine, c1932 Commerford JAP speedway machine and a c1935 Martin JAP speedway machine, there are also a qty of JAP engines.
Sid King was not a rider but seems to have been fairly well known in the VMCC and restoration circles, he restored a number of Brooklands machines as well as early Dirt Track and Speedway. I understand he worked for Vic Martin (as per the bike) in 1949-50 which is where the passion for all things JAP came from
 
Jeremy V P Curzon MNAVA
Cheffins Auctioneers
Clifton House
1 & 2 Clifton Road
Cambridge CB1 7EA
01223 213777
www.cheffins.co.uk
There are 5 bikes for sale as at 5th September 2008 pictures follow below:
 
1932 Comerford Jap
 

 

1928 Douglas DT

 

Douglas in Pieces

 

1935 Martin Jap

 

1930 Rudge

 

 

Jap

Eso

1966 Eso Speedway. Czechoslovakian built.  The bike that signalled the end for the British Jap.  The Eso (Czech word meaning Ace) wasn't any faster than the Jap but it needed less work to maintain and could do more meetings between rebuilds.  The Eso firm later amalgamated with Jawa and the Eso name was lost in favour of Jawa.  The early Jawa /Eso 890 continued to dominate for most of the 1970's.  Engine conversions such as Neil Streets 4 valve head became well known amongst riders wanting extra power.

A trademark of the Eso was the clip on handlebars

1967 Eso Ice Racer

Godden

1981 Godden Mk2 

If you have any photographs of a Godden please scan and email to me John

Weslake

Ivan Mauger with the highly successful British Weslake.

1976 Weslake

Weslake took on Jawa in the mid 1970's and for a few years vied successfully with the Czech's although by approx 1983 it had had it's day.

 

Jawa

Her is an resturatoinobjekt from Norway. It is an 1968 Jawa 890, 2 valves.

Regards Geir Øverby, Kongsvinger

The 1979 Jawa 894 4 valve
 

The "poor mans speedway bike" James Carnie aboard a dirt track BSA complete with back stand and what appears to be the rear brake drum.  The rules of the day said brakes must be made inoperative, so if it was a brake drum it would have been disconnected.

A different BSA model with a shorter stroke engine and a lower frame

1929 BSA Sloper John Lloyd is said to have used one of these.

BSA's Last effort as far as speedway was concerned.  We think this bike was c1970.  Did you own one?  Do you know of anyone who raced one?  Send me an email if you can help John
Update: Jim Henry says: Alan Graham raced a BSA in the 70s. His machine, fully restored with a North frame is in Scotland.
If anyone can take a picture of it I will put it on this webpage John
Update: Terry Stone says: This bike may have been ridden by Bill Landells who rode for Edinburgh or Berwick.

Matchless

Nigel Boocock experimented with the Matchless in 1965.  Has anyone any photographs or do you know why it wasn't a success  John

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