COFFS HARBOUR Old bike and rider days

[Greg Harding]

Hi Everyone,

This is Chris's first ride on a Trials bike and he did not know that Kawasaki ever made any!

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Certainly has the right idea for riding one, that is never give up!

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[Greg Harding]

Hi Everyone,

Chris giving the "T" Saw a work out on another 40 ish bike!

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This is Reece's first ride on a Trials bike:

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Just like his Dad, Reece has tenacity to burn!

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[Mark K]

..... Mark K, Obviously your "A" model left lasting impressions, it is possible I have your old bike or parts there of? Or maybe Tat TY has it? ......

I suppose almost anything is possible. I sold the bike in late 1974. I know for sure that there was some company that had both a second hand car yard and a motorcycle dealership about 50 yards apart in a little side street to the left off the main road heading down from the Valley and nearly at Breakfast Creek. It was from that car yard that I bought my first car, a Torana GTR XU-1. The car yard wouldn't do a direct trade for the bike, but arranged for the bike shop up the road to take it off my hands for what I thought at the time was a good price. From memory I got nearly as much as I'd paid for it new.

I've been racking my brain while I've been typing this, and I'm not sure if my memory is playing tricks on me or not, but I seem to recall that both the car yard and bike shop were both branches of the Annand and Thompson company.

I have no paperwork remaining from that era, but from memory if you're serious about checking, the engine and frame numbers of that pretty little A model were matching and were something like 434-000103. Back when I sold it, it was registered and had all the lights, blinkers, and mirrors. It didn't have an electric horn, but had one of those primitive things with the rubber bulb that you squeezed.

Mark, I've heard that it is only the things that made a big impression on us that we remember, so I am now wondering why you are not riding one of those amazing TY250As just like you saw Dave Pinkerton riding, instead of your unstoppable TY175. Is there a story about the TY175 from your youth? .......

Not really David. I did have a ride on one way back when they first came out, and was impressed with the lightness and good turning and ease of handling compared to my 250, but overall I still preferred the 250.

A few years back when I got the urge and started looking around for a bike I didn't want to spend much, particularly since I hadn't owned or ridden any bike for over 30 years and had no idea whether it would be just a passing phase or something I'd really like again. I searched the bikes for sale ads here, and on evil-bay and a couple of its cheap imitators, and for a few months nothing showed up that seemed to be what I'd like. There was one particular A model that looked really good, but it was seriously expensive. Then one day I stumbled across the little orange beasty I have now. It was very cheap, and with not a lot to be done to make it reasonable to ride. It isn't pretty, but I have to say it has served me very well since I've had it.

[Moon Dog]

Hi Greg,
Well I must say that I wish i had have taken up your offer for a ride three years ago! It was a completely different experience to the years I have spent dirt bike riding. It surpassed my expectations so much that apparently I did not shut up about the first ride I came on at home that week & I just had to bring Reece (my son) out last weekend for a taste he loved it so much that think I now have to purchase not one but two bikes!! (mum has even approved it!)

Has anybody got anything to offer? We are definitely in the market for at least one bike possibly two. Check out my "Wanted" post for contact details.

Cheers & happy riding to all.

Chris (Moon Dog)

[Trango]

Old bike and rider day

Hey Greg did I leave my walking stick at your place
Great day as usual, good to see the Spaniards well represented
Cheers Ross

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Hey Ross,

Sorry about the delay, but I think that we found it! This would have to be yours, come over and pick it up at our next Old bike and rider day in a couple of weeks.

Having a quick look through this forum and noticed this post and it reminded me of something I saw a long time ago that still amuses me. When I started out as a young teenager mum took out a subscription to an English magazine called dirt bike rider which featured a lot of trials content. One of the articles was of a young up and coming Spanish hotshot by the name of Jordi Tarres and it included a photo of Jordi sitting in his trophy room wearing a beret and holding a walking stick. The caption under the photo said " The beret and walking stick were presented to Jordi after winning a round of the Spanish championship. The engraving on the stick reads "To better beat your opponents with". They takes their trials seriously over in Spain.

[Greg Harding]

..... Mark K, Obviously your "A" model left lasting impressions, it is possible I have your old bike or parts there of? Or maybe Tat TY has it? ......

I suppose almost anything is possible. I sold the bike in late 1974.

I have no paperwork remaining from that era, but from memory if you're serious about checking, the engine and frame numbers of that pretty little A model were matching and were something like 434-000103.

Hi Everyone,

Mark, I have had a look at all of my "A" model motors and there isn't any 434-000 XXX numbers , only 434-001 XXX !

Chris, thankyou, it is great to see you are both enjoying the riding!

Trango,

Old bike and rider day

Hey Greg did I leave my walking stick at your place
Great day as usual, good to see the Spaniards well represented
Cheers Ross

Having a quick look through this forum and noticed this post and it reminded me of something I saw a long time ago that still amuses me. " The beret and walking stick were presented to Jordi after winning a round of the Spanish championship. The engraving on the stick reads "To better beat your opponents with". They takes their trials seriously over in Spain.

Yes the Spaniards are very serious about their Motorcycle sport!

[Greg Harding]

Hi Everyone,

Wondering if anyone wants to share some input here as I have been asked again about riding modern bikes on our ride days?

Sometimes I see things a little differently to others, as you all probably know I really enjoy riding bikes no matter how old they are and it does not matter at all what bike anyone rides! High Decibel bikes are less desirable off course!

Too me it is very simple:

How long is anything New ? If it is a day old, then is it still new ????

Hence the Title:

Coffs Harbour Old bike and rider days or CHOBARD for short.

This is Evan's first ride on a Trials bike, trusty 40ish year old RL250

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LOOK RHONDA! IT"S TRENT TOOGOOD !!!!

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And he has more riding gear than Ketut !

[Mark K]

..... Wondering if anyone wants to share some input here .....

Never having been on a CHOBARD I don't feel qualified to comment, but because I'm me I will anyway.

Pretty much everyone has a different story to tell, but a common theme amongst the riders of old bikes seems to be that the type of bike that takes their fancy now is what they admired, or rode, or owned when they first started to ride, or get interested in trials. Naturally the youngsters see them as prehistoric relics because they've grown up with modern bikes and all that modern bikes can do, whereas the old twinshocks or in some cases, classics, were the modern bikes for us.

I think that its fair enough that in a competition classics should compete against classics etc. But when it comes to a ride for the fun of it, surely what counts most is that you're having fun, and probably a fairly big part of that is being on a bike you enjoy, no matter what type of bike it is. After all, isn't that why some of us choose to ride the old things we do?

[Kombivan]

Guess you just about put your finger on it I rode for FUN not competition my old twinshockers are more comfortable for a full days riding but I just couldn't imagine getting comfortable on a sherco or a beta but I can see the advantage in competition with the ability to get the body weight a lower centre of gravity. My favourite bike when I was young was my 360/370 pursang then my 247 cota these were the two bikes I talk about the most and that explains why I rebuild two 247's a few years back sold one cause I needed the money the second is too embarrassing what happened to it it was a 10,000 bike all new old stock parts.The only competition I was ever interested in was with my mate if he did somthing I had to do it and vice versa. I have unfinished buisness with a 1974 montesa king scorpian green in colour if you know of one I would like to hear about it.

[Greg Harding]

Hi Everyone,

Mark K and Kombivan, we will have to get together for a ride, sounds like fun and the bikes will be diverse!

This is Dylan's first ride on a trials bike

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Don't let the grass grow under your feet Young Fella!