The Last Jap Engined Machine?

[FAST GATER]

Pete Jarman rode a Jap for most if not all his career and that ended in the 80's I think with East/b.

[Gresham]

http://speedwaybikes.fortunecity.net/stjap.htm.

[c'mon_jonesy]

Graham "Jonesy" Jones.

He was a Master of the JAP engine.

 

He rode forever on a JAP.

Edited May 19, 2006 by c'mon_jonesy

[BobC]

Scott Robson won the meeting...  can't remember who else was in the top three..

 

but each rider had a 1928 rudge in their first rides, a 1930/40 's bike (???) in their second rides..

a 1960's jap/eso in their third rides, a 1970/80's jawa in their fourth, and on their own up to date laydowns in their fifth..

although a few did skip onto their own bikes during the meeting due to non starting bikes.

 

Scott Robson and  Joe Screen were the only two, i can remember, that managed to look good leg trailing on the rudges, and japs..and went through the programme riding all the machines.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dont forget Andre Compton,he was the best rider on the night.He was the ONLY one to obey the rules that night.He rode the machines to the designated style of the times.Very impressively too.Best of all though was the sound.Pure magic.

 

Back to topic,what about Colin Goody at Crayford in the late 70's?

[Ray Rocket]

Hi,

 

Terry Stone of Rayleigh, always rode JAPs. They packed up in 1973 and I think Terry was still riding occasionally until they closed.

 

JAPs were regularly used in grasstrack throughout the 70's. A friend of mine had a brand new one in 1975, Terry Birkumshaw, a very good grasser.

 

 

Regards.

 

 

Ray Rocket

[FAST GATER]

Hi,

 

Terry Stone of Rayleigh, always rode JAPs. They packed up in 1973 and I think Terry was still riding occasionally until they closed.

 

JAPs were regularly used in grasstrack throughout the 70's. A friend of mine had a brand new one in 1975, Terry Birkumshaw, a very good grasser.

Regards.

Ray Rocket   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I still think Pete Jarman may have been the last on shale to win a race although Chris Mort used one of the very last made and blew it to pieces I believe!!!

[marcusthepom]

I know I'm going back over a year but I just stumbled across this thread.

 

At Coventrys thank you meeting at the end of last season, a few of the rider did come out on the JAPs and some of them were very good.  Chris Harris and Martin Smolinski were great and raced side by side for 4 laps in a long track sort fo way (leg back, arse up superman pose.  I'd love to see a few more riders try riding the older bikes!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

dag lovaas i think may have riden jap to its last div 1 race win,but im not 100% sure.

[miro]

Dont forget Andre Compton,he was the best rider on the night.He was the ONLY one to obey the rules that night.He rode the machines to the designated style of the times.Very impressively too.Best of all though was the sound.Pure magic.

 

Back to topic,what about Colin Goody at Crayford in the late 70's?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Bob the last time I saw Joe Gooddy riding for Crayford he was on a Weslake, and it wasn't falling apart either.

[Fourentee]

I believe, unless memory tricks me, that the last JAP I saw being raced in a league match was ridden by Terry Kelly of Workington at Oxford as late as 1981, he scored 1, Oxford winning 62-15

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

At risk of a slight digression, Terry Kelly – what a character! Remember him going out four times in five heats for Workington at Paisley to turn a match.

And also recall him at home for Workington against Glasgow, when flags of all nations were displayed on the centre green. At the pre-match introductions, after much deliberation, selecting and rejecting flags, he eventually removed the saltire from its socket and wiped his boots on it. The visiting fans went wild but it was all good knockabout stuff.

[Guest Steve Dixon]

I watch some of the vetrans races they put on at Newport, and I 'd love to see some of todays stars riding those old JAPS,  I wonder if some of them could cope !

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Scotty on a JAP

 

 

Edited September 2, 2006 by Steve Dixon

[Celticman]

What were the advantages of the newer engines over the JAPs?

[Dave Jones]

21 minutes ago, Celticman said:

What were the advantages of the newer engines over the JAPs?

From the riders point of view I would say the fact that the ESO/Jawa unit was so much more reliable and would do many more races between services.

From a fans point of view, they could be pretty certain that when the riders came out of the pits to start a race that all 4 would reach the startline.