As forecast – The snow hit the Valley yesterday – and it looks like it’s here for a while!! Glad I got my deliveries up and down the Valley done Thursday & Friday.
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Answer to the Friday Quiz #1 the Yamaha is a 1963 model – only Bob Clark got that one – I was surprised that nobody guessed who the two riders were – a few got Malcolm Smith – but nobody guessed Blair Sharpless
QUIZ TODAY – Who is this and what year is the Gasser?
Below is a neat memory – a copy of Motorcycling from 1953
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I saw a post on FB about the top speed of a Yamaha TY 250, which brought back a few memories !!! Yes we raced our 1974 Yamaha Canada TY 250 in a few Cross Countries that first year for the new bike. – Before that ,we entered a few on our Bultaco Sherpa T in Alberta and even managed a 3rd Open place on one, in the 1973 Moose Mountain – Of course back then these races were Super tough with events around 100 miles and really challenging terrain, so the good Trials guys did OK. – Moving on to the first ever Cross Country race held in Elkford BC and I was on the TY 250, – After the usual Shot gun start – I found myself out front as I had seen a sneaky line after the mass start. – the course was routed along an old rail road track – dead straight so I wound the TY up as fast as it would go – ( I couldn’t hear anybody behind me) – I figured the bike would go over 60mph in top gear – but then disaster – when they decommissioned the line – they removed a bridge across a wide gully – and being unable to stop – I sailed off into the air before crashing into the bank on the other side. (trying to lift the front wheel in high gear did not work anyway) – That was the last I remembered until I woke up with all my buddies gathered around who thought I was hurt bad!! – Luckily I was OK except for a couple of cracked ribs and concussion ( found out later) – so I told the guys “Get going- I’m OK” – so now with everything quiet – I went to start the TY which somebody had leaned against a big rock – It fired up no problem – but when I let the clutch out – it just kind of lurched forward. !! Not good – so I then checked it over for damage!!
– The following week – I phoned our Parts Manager at the Richmond BC Yamaha Canada Office and told him I needed a few parts for the TY !! – I started reading the list – Front wheel – rear wheel – one front fork – rear swing arm – it was at that point Dean the really nice Parts guy and a good friend said “Hold it” – What the hell did you hit a train???? – – I then explained that while I had been on an old train track – etc etc . – The moral of the story is that I never raced a Trials bike in a Cross Country ever again.
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