Author Topic: Douglas on dirt track  (Read 4064 times)

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Offline binbooks

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Douglas on dirt track
« on: 25 Aug 2017 at 08:48 »
Can anyone identify this photo and state what model it is. I think it was taken at Toowoomba QLD around 1924

« Last Edit: 25 Aug 2017 at 19:07 by Dave »

Offline cardan

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Re: Douglas on dirt track
« Reply #1 on: 25 Aug 2017 at 11:50 »

The bike is just the standard 2 3/4-hp 2-speed roadster of the day, with mudguards etc. removed for a spin on the track. Pretty typical of a lot of club racng in Australia.

Leon


Offline GlennMckenzie

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Re: Douglas on dirt track
« Reply #2 on: 25 Aug 2017 at 12:19 »
Looks like 1923 or 1924 TS, I think I can just make out the front seat mount on top of the frame.

Offline binbooks

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Re: Douglas on dirt track
« Reply #3 on: 25 Aug 2017 at 22:15 »
Thanks for up dates, not a clear image but the only one i have seen of a road douglas on the dirt track.

Offline cardan

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Re: Douglas on dirt track
« Reply #4 on: 25 Aug 2017 at 23:01 »

It's a really atmospheric photo.

Keep in mind that the event may not have been "dirt track" in the sense that we usually think of it. Road races in the 1920s were held on unsealed public roads, as were reliability trials, hill climbs, fuel consumption competitions and so on. Here in South Australia beach racing was very popular in the 1920s - the course was a stretch of beach with a 44 gallon drum at each end as a turning marker! Then there were flag races and gymkhanas of all kinds. 

As Eddie has often told us, a 2 3/4 was a pretty quick little bike.

Cheers

Leon

Offline binbooks

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Re: Douglas on dirt track
« Reply #5 on: 25 Aug 2017 at 23:07 »
The picket fence suggested to me it was a trotting track or similar

Offline cardan

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Re: Douglas on dirt track
« Reply #6 on: 25 Aug 2017 at 23:28 »

Maybe. Perhaps you could find out what happened at the Indian MCC / Towoomba MCC joint meeting held over the weekend of May 2-4, 1925.

Leon