Sa'git
Racing
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My first competitive outing was grass track racing on
a borrowed Triumph Cub. After only one Then in the late '60's a number of enthusiasts in the Dundee area initiated the setting up of a club for vintage racing - the Scottish Vintage Racing Club. Prominent among them were Dave Harris, Bob Andrews and Jack Gow. I was a student at the time but became enthusiastically involved. We tried to get races at all the meetings in Scotland and even held our own sprints at Errol aerodrome. The bikes were all pre war but most dated from 1930 -1940, although Bob Andrew did campaign a quick CS1 Norton and Jim Campbell of Banchory used a 680 Brough Superior, both true Vintage. For a couple of years I was Secretary and Treasurer of the SVRC and got involved in organising some of the events - enough to realise what a thankless task it is. I needed a bike to join in and being a student it had to be seriously cheap. Dave Harris had saved an old army G3WO from scrap just for the magneto. He sold me the whole bike for £2.50 - oh happy days! This bike became my racer, with the name "Cateran" - a hill warrior - on the tank. I bought Jack Gow's old leathers, as usual, probably for a lot less than they were worth. These had been round the IoM faster than I dared think and, with scuff marks, they looked the part.
During the next 10 years I raced the Matchless whenever I could afford it at Beveridge Park (Kirkcaldy), Errol, Ingliston, Rest and Be Thankful, St Andrews, East Fortune, Knockhill and even Kirkistown in Ireland - without any great success other than having enormous fun. It seldom broke - the gear change jammed at Errol, the engine sprocket fell off at East Fortune and the original grease-filled gearbox seized at Kirkistown. In the early days I had it licensed and rode it to meetings or blagged a lift. Then we bought a Saab 95 estate and crammed it in that and finally I made a trailer from an Invacar chassis and we hauled that behind our Citroen 2CV. For the last few years I have used one of Dave Cooper's excellent bike racks across the back of a Discovery. Now that has been sold on I am looking to going back to using a trailer but I will buy one, not build one this time!
The quiet years I had kept racing sporadically through my student and postgrad periods and years of moving jobs and house but, with the arrival of family, I realised that racing was unfair to them and I could not concentrate on being a father and race. Your family don't like heading off at 6 o'clock on a Sunday morning to race meetings and I wasn't going alone. I had got too well used to my wife organising me. Then, following the loss of my father and stresses at work, I fell victim to Myalegic Encephalomialytis (ME). At its worst I could not push start a bike and certainly lost the co-ordination to drive quickly. I even went for a while without a road bike although I tided myself over with a pre war Velo MAC. Recovering, I rebuilt an AJS for the road and dug out the G3 for a few parades - it was all a bit tentative but as I improved my long time friend, dating back to college days, Ian Whitehead persuaded me to try the G3 out at the Saltburn hillclimb. Suddenly things started to click back into place. Whatever ability I had was coming back and I have now had 2 of my busiest seasons.
Originally from WD contract 5247 placed on 25/10/39 and delivered from 25/11/39 this is a G3WO, not the later, and more common, G3L. (This information courtesy of John Tinley of the VMCC and AJS & Matchless Owners Club, thanks). These early G3's had girder forks, 7" brakes, civilian gear ratios and 1" carburetor, all the better as a basis for a racer. Mine had been road licensed in 1956 after being demobbed but did not seem to have covered any great distance. I replaced the cast iron mag chain cover with an alloy one, fitted higher lift cams and polished the ports, chamfering the inlet valve guide. The compression plate was removed. I removed all the surplus tin ware and fitted alloy mudguards and an alloy LE Velo saddle. Wheels were rebuilt using Akront flanged alloy rims. It usually runs on an open 48" pipe but I have a small custom style muffler for the road or aywhere noise is a problem. For sprints I use trials gearing (16T engine sprocket) On the quicker circuits it pulls an 18T. I used Michelin M38 tyres up till last year When I returned the bike to action I started tidying up all the jobs I should have done. The brakes received modern linings, tyres have now been changed to Avon race rubber, a TT carb has recently been fitted (courtesy of my pal Ian) and I run on 50/50 unleaded/Avgas. A tank originally intended for a late export Norton Commando engined machine has been modified to fit - its profile matches the Matchless comp tank. I also managed to fit a mechanical rev counter which has been very beneficial and had some extra sprockets made up to give a greater variety of gearing.
The Tay Peril
My G3 has for years been called, the "Cateran" - a lightly
armed and fast hill Wheels have been built again using Akront alloy rims and I am having alloy engine plates made up. I am saving up to buy an alloy tank as well. Is this all in interest of performance? No, it's to make it easier to load up!
I managed the following events during 2000 (Click on
button
All the competitive stuff is in England as it is essentially Classics that are racing now in Scotland under the auspices of the Scottish Classic Motorcycle Racing Club and the poor old G3 would just get in the road of 7Rs and Manxes.
The programme was much the same as before.
(Click on button
Again I intend to do the same sort of events but with a slowish start as my wife has a college course to complete first. Unfortunately the Thundersprint has now spread over 2 days and Elvington is a mixed car/bike event. I hate standing about. I go racing to ride! I think I am also going to miss Saltburn, my favourite event but a young lady has asked me to take her away. OK, it's my daughter and she wants me to take her to the Hebrides on the cycles. Some things are more important than motorcycles (although not many!)
Preparation concentrated on tidying up. The rear wheel bearings started to rumble. Only 60 years old, they just don't make stuff the way they used to! These were replaced with modern stock bearings and special spacers. I have been wiring on the bits that the rust has not held and have bought a trailer again as I have sold my Disco. This year I have been plagued by bits falling off. I can only assume with the rev counter I am revving it harder. Drilling and wiring has been in order. That brings us to the end of another enjoyable season. As ever my hope is to get more poke from the motor over the winter. I doubt I will have the second bike ready but it should be well on the way. I hanker still to return to circuit racing, maybe first at the tighter circuits, 3 Sisters or Cadwell Woodlands at first. We'll see - at least I am getting in quite a few events.
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Trade marks of products used by the Cateran Click on them to go to company or supplier web-sites
This page updated 1/10/2002
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meeting at Forfar, my mother witnessed a bad accident at a scramble.
Although the rider later made a full recovery, my racing off - road
worried Mum and I gave up.
warrior.
I have started work on a second racer. I had to name it so, although
it is a little bit more convoluted it is the "Tay Peril".
The basis is what was to be a trials bike. It is actually a G3WO from
the same batch as the original. It was not as well preserved. The
engine was solid and the frame pitted. I felt less guilty about
fitting a set of '48 tele's and delugging the frame. A BSA oil tank
is to be fitted to the LHS to allow a longer inlet tract and the
engine is being worked on. I want to use a small case WD bottom end
but fit a BSA crankpin and scramble cams. At the moment a later short
con-rod is being prepared and a Triumph Daytona piston should give us
some compression. I have an Amal RN carb and I hope I may run this
one on methanol.
for details)
I
had hoped to build a quicker motor over the winter but it was not
ready for this season and I really wish I could build a gearbox which
does not need notice in writing when I want to change up!
