From our Old Bike Archives – Issue 89 – first published in 2020.
Story: Bob McGlinchy and Jim Scaysbrook • Photos: Paul Arnott and Aldridge archives.
Some, perhaps most, motorcyclists make their reputations for going very fast. Norm Aldridge was a more-than-handy scrambles rider, but it was his uncanny ability to ride at little more than walking pace, where balance and throttle control really counted, that gained him a string of championships in the ‘Feet-up” scene.
In today’s world, ‘Trials’ is applied to a form of motorcycle acrobatics that defies many rules, gravity being one of them. The feats performed by a select breed on ultra-specialised machinery are simply awesome, as are the obstacle strewn courses set to separate the great from the merely good.
This form of the sport used to be known as ‘Sporting Trials’ or ‘Observed Trials’, and was immensely popular, especially in Britain, and in Australasia. The reason for its popularity is simple; speed, and thus performance-tuning of one’s machine is not an issue. Of course, careful preparation is still vital, as in any branch of motorcycle competition, but the deciding facts in Observed Trials were balance, throttle control, and an innate talent to pick the ideal line through a wide variety of natural, or occasionally man-made, impediments to forward motion.
In Britain, Trials was, and still is, the winter sport. When everything else, including roads, were under a blanket of snow or slush, the ‘Feet Up’ game was in full swing. Manufacturers heavily supported the sport, producing special versions of their roadsters that were modified to become dual-purpose machines, thereby enabling the one motorcycle to double as daily transport and weekend fun.
Out in the Antipodes, the mantra was much the same, except the weather was generally more benign. Competitors tended to remain in their own state, at least prior to the advent of a national championship, and each state had its stars. To the importers of the staple British bikes, Observed Trials were an outlet for machines such as the AJS/Matchless ‘Compy’ models, the BSA Gold Star, Ariel HT, Norton 500T, the Enfield Bullet, and many others. That was, until the two strokes came along. It was inconceivable to many, if not most trials exponents, that a humble two-stroke single, usually of less than 250cc, could mix it with the big thumpers, but by the mid ‘fifties, mix it they did. Within a few years the old bangers were dead, replaced by a new breed of highly specialised models that grew leaner and more radical year by year.
In New South Wales, a state that warmly embraced the discipline, that paradigm shift was slammed home in 1954. Although clubs ran numerous Sporting trials, there were few open events, and the premier of those, the NSW Championships, was generally run in August each year. Promoted by Western Suburbs club, the State title had found what seemed to be a permanent home in the rugged hills of Deadmans Creek, just off the main Heathcote Road in Southern Sydney. In the 1954 event, defending champion Frank Mayes brought his 500 Matchless home first with a loss of 9 points, but close behind were Jack Stewart’s Francis Barnett and Norm on his 197cc James, at that stage a B Grader. He was still classified B Grade the following year, but this time he took home the Outright award, defeating Mayes by 2 points. It marked the end of the reign of the big four-strokes, because although classes were still held for 350cc and 500cc solos, they couldn’t live with the two-strokes, and entries fell away sharply in all but the smaller classes.
In 1956, the State Championship had a new venue, at Terry’s Green in the northern Sydney suburb of Belrose, and a new promoting club, East Parramatta. It made no difference to Norm, who took his second title on the trot, this time by just 1 point from 18 year old Kel Carruthers, future Isle of Man TT winner and 1969 World 250cc Champion. Norm was gunning for three in a row in 1957, when the event was held again at Terry’s Green, but he had to settle for second place behind Bob Hughes, who, with cigarette dangling from his lips, calmly rode his 125cc BSA to victory.
The title was on the move again in 1958, landing at Model Farms, a small suburb that is today bisected by the M2 Motorway near Parramatta. Winner Keith Shrimpton had five points in hand over Norm’s trusty James in fourth place overall. This turned out to be a one-off venue, for the title was back at Heathcote for 1958 where Hughes and Norm once again finished 1-2. However for the next five years there was not a rider who could challenge Norm and the old James – the 1963 title was his fifth consecutive win. It was 1965 before Norm finally decided to call it a day, signing off with yet another win in the NSW Championship. In 1970, he was awarded Life Membership of Bankstown-Wiley Park Club, which he joined in 1953. As BW-P president Bob McGlinchy said, “Normally Life membership was only awarded to members who had won Australian Championships, but as there was no such title in Sporting Trials while Norm was riding, it was felt that, had there been, Norm would have won that too.”
Although the State Championship Sporting trial was Norm’s primary effort, he also excelled at the Reliability Trials such as the annual Goodwin Shield, a teams event where he represented his club Bankstown-Wiley Park. He was also a more than handy scrambles rider, always in the Lightweight class, initially on a Francis Barnett supplied by the NSW Distributor A.P. North. Later in his career he briefly rode one of the few genuine scrambles model Triumph Tiger Cubs, winning several times at Moorebank, however the motorcycle that will always be synonymous with Norm Aldridge is the James, a model catalogued as the Commando, long before Norton thought of it.
That James is still in existence, and is now in the possession of Bob McGlinchy, a man whose personal efforts have steered the Bankstown-Wiley Park club for many years. Bob has just completed a restoration of the motorcycle, and recently took it to Norm’s home for him to see his old machine once more.
Says Bob, “Obviously I have known Norm and his wife Judy for a long time,” says Bob. “Norm was born in Crookwell, near Goulburn, in 1930, and educated in Canberra and later in Sydney. He left school at 15 and commenced work at Coldspot as an apprentice toolmaker. In 1962 he started his own toolmaking and engineering business in 1962 called Technical Industries and then later Superior Metals at Mortdale.
“The bike I now have is the bike Norm rode. The frame number designates it as a Competition model and it originally had a special motor and 4-speed gearbox fitted. Apparently this motor and gearbox was fitted into another frame which was stolen from Norm’s factory never to be seen again. Another motor and 3-speed gearbox was installed into the bike and Norm retained the bike for many years. About 12 years ago Norm decided he had no further interest in the bike which was in need of repair and no longer a runner. He gifted the bike to Velocette enthusiast Peter Wolfenden who was able to do the required repairs and he retained the bike until 2019 when I acquired it.
“I have rebuilt the Villiers motor with new crankcases and it is now back together and running again. Peter Wolfenden told me that Norm was competing on a BSA Bantam and was approached by Hazel and Moore and offered sponsorship with the James Commando, the deal being that he could keep the bike once he retired from riding. The bike is a J9 James Commando manufactured between 1953 and 1955. The motor is a 197cc Villiers 2 stroke and the frame number MO 8591 D which designates it is a competition model.
“Norm is almost 90 and it was wonderful to be able to take the bike out to Norm and Judy’s home when it was completed. Norm still has a garage full of trophies and memorabilia from his amazing career.
Postscript
On the 23rd March 2023, Norm lost a long battle with dementia. His life and achievements were celebrated at his funeral held in Sutherland, NSW on the 3rd April 2023.
