martinmauger

Continuing with engines, could someone please explain what the term 'off-set engine or crank' means again please. I had a link to a website which listed many such interesting technical details but don't seem to be able to find it. Thanks in advance....

Me too, well I intended to. I partly assembled it and left the bits drying in the box which somehow, whilst I was out, had other heavier boxes piled on top of it, completely crushing the model (aarrgghh!). Spoiler alert: I liked the dinky crank, conrod and piston inside the engine, presumably one left the head unglued for easy viewing. It also featured plastic chains, rubber / plastic tyres and I believe sprung front forks. I recall it cost me £6.40 in about 1980, so around £25 or so nowadays though a pal keeping a look out for me saw one at a sci-fi / fantasy / toyfair priced at £130 (!). I told him thanks, but I'd leave it....

'A little bird' (nameless speedway promoter) once told me 800 give or take would represent a break-even ish figure (depending on individual circumstancs) for a 2nd division track; former Premier now Championship League....

In the voice of a paraphrased Yoda: "they will be, heh heh, they willl be". Fascinating, though maybe this is what is intended the idea with all bikes to carry telemetry, material for discussion with Kelv & Nige on the box. He loses a lot of MPHs locking up on the bends, if he let it run a little he'd carry more speed over the lap, but you never know with speedway riders, sometimes they 'just' ride round, really go for it or just enjoy themselves and have fun ....

I'm interested. Saw this before, wanted to show it to non-speedway peeps, but was either taken down or I couldn't find it. Thanx....

BSI / FIM events defo are (SGP, SWC / SON), as are existing clubs / team names & logos - I believe. As always, best to enquire oficially and get written permission for whatever you plan to do....

That's ^^ one of the suits I'm talking about, well one if them. Great rider Siggy, one of too many who didn't fulfill his potential. Bad ankle injury in 1985ish did for him....

Ah, clears that up then thought of different brands after posting. The one I have in my wardrobe (don't ask, nothing wrong with a speedway tyre in one's wardrobe) think is a Mitas, cost around 30 notes about 6 years ago....

I happily accept both that David Howe and Chris Harris know way more about the costs of riding speedway than many on here, including me, but I'd query David's price of tyres: £45 each. I'm happy to be proved wrong but I thought tyres were circa £30 a pop ?...

Agreed. Which was why I bought a set of ex-Leigh Adams bike covers, which just happened to come off the last speedway bike I rode , from his Oxford days. I didn't ride it very quickly, only got it ever so slightly sideways , I may and may not ride again but hey, I can say I rode Leigh Adams' bike ....

Still on Bristol Bulldogs, but going back a little, in the last issue of the excellent Backtrack magazine the section 'That Was the Year - 1981, Bristol Backing' says that "campaigners in Bristol were celebrating in July when the planning committee of the local council unanimously approved an application to revive speedway at Eastville". Sadly we know it didn't happen and while is doesn't say 'full planning permission was granted' it appeared to give hope of a huge step forward, anyone know what happened next and why speedway wasn't reserrected in Bristol, Eastville at that time ?...

Thanks, so it's as you were then....

Copied and pasted my own post from the Swindon 2019 thread as they are busy arguing about asset ownership: any sign of the big Lego trucks yet ? Not being sarcy by the way, failing that anyone nearby able to take some pics of the pegged-out new track shape. When Hull returend in 1995 I bunked off college several times to have a look, watched the marking out of the track shape, removing turf, etc and <<family forum mode: on>> forgot my flipping, blinking camera each and every single blooming time. Still passed my City & Guilds and enjoyed 11 years of speedway so it was (mostly) ok....

Any sign of the big Lego trucks yet ? Not being sarcy by the way, failing that anyone nearby able to take some pics of the pegged-out new track shape. When Hull returend in 1995 I bunked off college several times to have a look, watched the marking out of the track shape, removing turf, etc and <<family forum mode: on>> forgot my flipping, blinking camera each and every blooming time. Still passed my City & Guilds and enjoyed 11 years of speedway so it was (mostly) ok....

I remember him, came to Hull with Oxford in 1995 and maybe also in 1996 with the Cradley/Stoke venture, a tall-ish rider with a fairly upright style, bit like Per Jonsson as mentioned. Seem to recall he was highly rated but had some kind of accident and was never the same afterwards. Bit of a sense of humour too, unless I'm mistaking him for someone else....

Thanks for the info, confirms I didn't imagine it long time ago and all that, though I think the guy who tried speedway on Magpie was Mick Robertson....

There was a kids TV quiz programme in the 1970's when I was still a kid, age-wize at least (!), called Runaround presented by the late Mike Reid, once 3 speedway riders appeared with their bikes but don't recall who they were. And Jim Fixed It for a young lad to ride at Reading with Dave Jessup, the kid already had his own bike and gear so Jim actually didn't need to 'fix' that much. On Magpie, ITV's Blue Peter, Mick Somebody (the Marc Bolan lookalike) tried speedway at King's Lynn, I believe it was, he complained "I can ride the straights ok but I can't do thw corners"; a lot of beginners have trouble with the corners in speedway. The memories are flooding back now: I also saw the This Is Your Life Barry Briggs episode (I know!), don't recall a lot about it I'd only just discovered speedway, just Briggo riding round then the late Eamon Andrews dressed in immaculate overalls presenting him with the big red book and an 'old man in speedway' (Johnny Hoskins !) said something that had everyone rolling about laughing, such a blooming shame the tape was wiped which was common in those days a lot of valuable stuff wasn't archived....

Congrats again to Worky, coincedentally Hull (another ex-Ian Thomas club) also won the treble in 2004, good for the Comets riders fans & management. Not sure best place to comment so posted in both threads...

Congrats again to Worky, coincedentally Hull (another ex-Ian Thomas club) also won the treble in 2004, good for the Comets riders fans & management. Not sure best place to comment so posted in both threads...

Congratulations Worky on the KOC win and now the Champs League, best of luck in the Shield.....

And me: big event, huge crowd , but the wrong result (Cov v Hull) wish it was available; on DVD. Leicester were on 2nd but many in the crowd had left by then, or retired to the bars, not me I watched the 2nd match while crying into champagne I shared with Bees fans - I was 'no but a lad' and too young to drink . What I'll always remember though is the sporting nature of Bees fans that nite, Hull had realistically already chucked the league away mid-season due to the infamous no-shows at Wimbledon (3) and Swindon (1) and were unsurprisingly spanked that nite. But Bees' fans were great, no idiotic jeering, where I was anyway on the back straight, just "hard luck lads, want some champagne ?! Here, have some more" . Flippin' brilliant nite. But the wrong result for the 1st match....

Forgot to include: or a puncture. Either way, stop the messing about and get on with it. At Hull, Craven Park, there was very strict 10pm curfew, literally NIMBY people would stand outside straining to hear the speedway from afare poised and ready to make a complaint at dead-on 10PM, yet we got through double headers in good time. Friends living 2 streets away often never heard the bikes but one man complained he'd been hit by stone from speedway, despite living 2 miles away. Don't recall, and am unable to check at the mo, whether it meant an earlier 7PM start, but double headers were completed, but these days it may be a struggle. I miss Hull Speedway....

Think Eriksen was sponsored by some energy / health product at that time, he certainly did have a memorable design on his van at that time though. I recall Hans Nielsen had a set of (none more) black leathers with the Danish flag across the shoulders and back that were stolen and at the practice of one World Champs meet at White City (1980?) he was seen wearing a set borrowed from Bruce Penhall...

" I really would like the agm to ban the opening of the pit gates after a false start and the riders should go straight back to the start unless a rider is being replaced or being put back 15 mtrs. It is the delays between races and the time wasting at the start that need looking into and reducing. " Ths should be top of the list at the AGM, I for one detest the waiting around while the riders in turn stand around chatting at the pit gate, they wouldn't lke it if they were kept waiting while members of the public returned to their viewing postition after having visited the loo, track shop, food outlet, etc. After an unsatisfactory start, no tape breaking, no falls, all four back, riders should be given one minute ((you have one minute)) to line up again at the tapes once more or be put on 15m handicap or excluded. A speedway bike can easily do 30m + 4 laps on a tank of fuel so the only exceptions should be, after consulting with the clerk of the course or machine examiner, if something is dangerously wrong with a bike e.g. loose or too tight chains or if a component has worked loose then, and only then, mechanics allowed onto the track to retify the fault, if a rider realises he has the wrong set up or is on the wrong bike, too bad....

If not team kevlars then at least 'wear what you like but in team colours'. e.g. blue / white for Poole, gold / black for Wolves, etc....