1950 FB Mondial 200 – An exclusive club
Story and photos: Jim Scaysbrook To own an FB Mondial in 1950 would be akin to having Jack Miller’s 2014 Moto 3 KTM in your garage today. Because this relatively tiny Italian marque totally dominated […]
Articles by Old Bike
Tom Phillis: A bridge too far
Story: Jim Scaysbrook • Photos: Charles Rice, Keith Ward, Tom Perry The feeling of disbelief that followed the death of Tom Phillis on the Isle of Man in 1962 was palpable. How could Tom, fast […]
Honda CBX 1000: The wide one
Story and photos: Jim Scaysbrook • Technical assistance: Jim Merrick, Tom Battison. Faced with stiffening opposition from all fronts for the title of King of the Road, Honda went for the coup d’état. December 1977. […]
Nanae Okamoto – Cinder lady
Story: Jim Scaysbrook • Photos: Peter White, Brian Darby and OBA archives. Solo speedway is one of the few forms of motorcycling that has always been traditionally male dominated. This is the story of Japanese lady […]
Ron Robinson: Never a dull moment
Story: Jim Scaysbrook • Photos: Keith Ward, Charles Rice, Ron Robinson, FoTTofinders. At the end of 1962, Ron Robinson was at the crossroads. He’d been racing in Australia since 1955, and had honed his skills to […]
The Temple of Ducati
Story and photographs: Jim Scaysbrook Age and veneration do not necessarily go hand in hand, especially in a mechanical sense. Some brands never reach iconic status, no matter how enduring they may be. Ducati is […]
Brough Superior 11-50: Honourably discharged
Words and photos: Jim Scaysbrook • Original Photos: John Rettig Between them, the three 11-50 Brough Superiors featured here clocked up many thousands of miles in their duties with the Victorian Police Force. Up to 100 […]
Terry Dennehy and the Drixton Honda – The first of many
Story: Alan Cathcart • Photos: Kyoichi Nakamura, Ross Hannan, Dick Darby, Chris Sim, OBA Archives It’s highly unlikely that any other Classic era road racer has been replicated as frequently around the world as the twin-cylinder […]
Matchless Silver Hawk – Right idea, wrong time
Story: Jim Scaysbrook • Photos: Brendon Thorne Many regard the ‘thirties as the most fruitful era in terms of motorcycle innovation. Brilliant designs flowed from almost every major British factory. But the events in Wall Street […]
Tracks in Time: Salty Creek – Hotbed of the Hunter
Story: Jim Scaysbrook • Photos: Stan Shephard, Gary Reid, Ray Smith 9th December, 1957 was a grim day for motor sport in NSW. An amendment to the Metropolitan Traffic Act, 1900, and the Motor Traffic Act, […]
