Racing outfit

[Dirt Track]

G'day all
Who is it?
Where is it?
Is it still with us?
Howard.

[roger h]

A different sidecar outfit, sold at last weekends' Classic Bike Show auction.



Larger view

[roger h]

I presume all you Australian Douggie boys have seen this?
Any comments please?
Roger

[Dirt Track]

G'day all
This bike came out of the woodwork way back in 1982 after the Colac Parker Auction when they got $11000 for a flat twin Harley. Monty Moore a Sydney collector owned Paul Worth M/C Wreckers at the time in Parramatta and placed half a dozen old bikes in the front window to gage reaction, they included this RA, a very nice 29 KTT Velo with a Cross Rotary Valve conversion (I wonder where that is nowadays) a 38 BMW R51, 30's Rudge and a little 350 flat twin Indian which was sold to a young chap from Bogan Gate.
The RA was in lovely "just raced" condition and has suffered from bad storage since.
I do know there is considerable interest in it already but don't let that deter you from bidding.....it is only money and RA's are not that thick on the ground!
Howard.

[roger h]

Howard,
I thought there would be a lot of interest in this bike! Its been advertised widely on the auctioneers web site, and there was a mention of it in last months "Classic Motor Cycle".
I won't be bidding from UK, it will be too expensive for me, but I hope one of your Australian buddies will buy it and that it won't end up in a museum.
It is an interesting bike - did it have a UK racing history before being exported to Australia - used early on in Australia for dirt track/speedway racing? , (I see that the forks don't have any lugs for the Research Association brake, does that mean the forks have been changed, or was it produced like that?). This would be before the sport took off in the UK in 1928/9?  and Douglas produced the DT model? So did Australians buy new RA bikes for speedway in 1925-8, or buy up existing road racers?
I like the extra strengthening  frame tube and bracket from the gearbox to rear frame lug  -  a "home made" modification to keep the chain on?
You can also see the lovely "spider" fretted sprocket, which I would have thought may have been ditched as too fragile, but see it has a reinforcing plate over it.
All in all, a lovely bike, hope it gets used again. Do you know its racing history?
Cheers, Roger

[Alan Cun]

Yes well, I for one know this bike having seen the bike in a private museum in  a Brisbane suburb mid 70s. The owner at that time stripped the motor and repacked in grease because he considered the motor too bad to repair. On the death of the owner  most of the collection was sold and Monty Moore bought and resold to Bill for a price I know but will not say. During 74 Bris floods it and other bikes were immersed in floodwater and never flushed or treated. As for the advertised good condition buyer beware.My mate Bob can confirm Jack F with the stripped motor out on the footpath cleaning the motor internals with kerosene.

And yes I intend to bid if my bank manager will advance some dollars, and sorry riding purists if I am successful it will become a museum piece for the hundreds of riders and sticky beaks that visit my collection.

regards Alan

[Alan Cun]

Text above modified 20 May.

Alan

[RA23]

Hi all joined in '07 and have yet to do a post ( Doug Kephart will be impressed ) now for the Submarine R A,  Allan pretty much told the story, the machine came from Milton ( Brisbane inner western suburb ) ( Howard, Colac I here you say, mate you will haye to stop smoking those dried apple leaves, and say hello to the lovely Lorna old mate )  near the XXXX brewery and was completley submerged in the January 1974 flood some years passed before the bike changed hands and the motor was stripped I was at the owners home when he had it out on his driveway at the gutter giving it a kerosine overhaul, his words were, Bob the motor is f....d( maybe the gearbox and tank ) as well, I am just going to pack it all with grease and put it back together, sometime later after the owner passed away it was one of a dozen or so machines that were bought by Monty Moore in Sydney, when Bill Parker bought the bike he was not aware of it's condition, caveat emptor as they say, it' a pity this is not mentioned in the auction blurb ( GOOD condition )  especially for out of town or maybe overseas bidders. no sour grapes I have  had my DT5 since 1976 and am building a DT6 with some trick bits,  and an R A. I'll be at the auction to get some photo;s and hope Allan is the sucessful bidder, roll on Friday, must give you a bell some time Howard, kind regards Bob Barlow.

[Alan Cun]

The RA went to the Nabiac Museum and I came up about 10 k short but had made up my mind to have a win win situation. Go home broke with a bike or money in my pocket. Unfortunately I think many of the buyers thought they were in the 2040 s as the prices paid were ridiculous. eg Indian rear  wheels for $4500 and a Harley single for 36 k. All plus 11% buyers premium. The EW went for around 5 plus 11 % I think and the SW for 9 plus 11%. Went home with an empty trailer but a mate said I can buy a DT from him for a third the price of the RA so my time wasn't wasted. Can't remember what the 8 valve Indian went for around 160 k plus and the 11%. You can buy a house in my town for that and have change.

regards Alan