OB studio racer

[Doug]

Max Loftus of Penrith, NSW, AU sent in the following image and question:

Hi Guys
I came across this photo in my mum's photo album and am looking for some info on it. It looks like a studio photo and given his dress and the lack of guards, I'm thinking it maybe a racer on a race bike, so it maybe a promotional photo. Lot of guesses but no evidence. Lol

What year and model Douglas is it?
Do you think it is a race bike?

Any info would be good.

Kind Regards
Max

To me it appears to be a 1924-25 OB model, stripped of mudguard and road accessories for racing.

-Doug

[Hutch]

Hi Max and Doug,

Nice picture!

Yes a road going OB stripped of guards, footboards and the standard muffler/exhausts changed to two straight out pipes etc and used for racing.

A few pictures of another similar OB. Edit:- from http://thevintagent2011.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-you-find-them-1-douglas-ob-racer.html

Cheers

Hutch

[EW-Ron]

Hmmm, that (top) picture looks familiar, will have a hunt.
Rider is named, I think,
One of the Williams, Douglas agents in Sydney ?
Stuart ??

[Hutch]

EW-Ron,

Yes the pictures are from the web, same bike different riders, This bike still exists and the story can be found on the internet here;

http://thevintagent2011.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-you-find-them-1-douglas-ob-racer.html


Here is the view of the other side of the road going OB from the Douglas sales literature for 1925.

cheers

Hutch

[EW-Ron]

I was referring to the original pic posted at top here.
https://www.douglasmotorcycles.net/index.php?PHPSESSID=dd16vhpp4vscgf2u922di8ohi2&action=dlattach;topic=8407.0;attach=10038;image

I think that is seen someplace and the rider is named as Stuart Williams. (??)
Clearly a different actual bike.

Douglas really had a foot in the door of the racing scene in that era.
Cheers.

[Hutch]

Apologies! Wrong picture

[Hutch]

I just remembered something that was posted before in Leon's great thread on RA, TW and RW racer's in Australia with regard to Stuart Williams;

https://www.douglasmotorcycles.net/index.php?topic=5077.msg18598#msg18598

-H