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TOPIC: ISDT 1968 Day 1 & 2 ...

ISDT 1968 Day 1 & 2 ... 08 Aug 2018 08:45 #27092

  • simonj
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For anyone interested...
Amazing how mechanicals were so common - we're spoiled with modern bikes.... Cheers, Simon J.





Last Edit: 08 Aug 2018 08:46 by simonj.
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ISDT 1968 Day 1 & 2 ... 08 Aug 2018 21:43 #27099

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Simon,
great read. Amazing what those guys did and could do  on those 'old' bikes...and on 50, 75, 100 and 125cc Zundapps!!!  (and they fixed up those East German Commies at last!!!) Those guys could RIDE!
Thanks.
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ISDT 1968 Day 1 & 2 ... 09 Aug 2018 17:31 #27104

  • Ken R
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Some good reading there Simon, thanks.

When we heard that the first 6 day ISDE to go out of Europe was going to be in Australia in 1992 Peter Ellard, Willy and myself decided we had better get to Cessnock for a look see.

The grand parade thru Cessnock was attended by all participating nations with close to 20,000 spectators. The biggest cheer was for the New Zealanders who had 4 sheep for company being wheeled along in super market trolleys. :D

It was a very interesting 6 days even though viewing the event was not easy getting out on to the course.

Watching from the Parc ferme I noticed quiet a few bikes riding out from the pits with bulging back packs and obvious things like handlebars and exhaust systems hanging out of them. "Whats all that about" I asked. "They are the ghost riders" I was told. WTF - so everybody knows about them as they meet their riders out on the course to do quick repairs as required. Back then the challenge for the organisers was to catch them in the act and penalise as required.

So when the 6 day ISDE came back in 1998 to Traralgon I decided to volunteer to help with the running to hopefully see a bit more.

My first job was on the timing check for the cold start out of the parc ferme in the mornings.

3 cold bikes lined up to be timed with 60 seconds to start the bike and then ride it 20 metres under power to receive no 10 second penalty.

It was funny watching guys and a few girls really putting themselves under pressure watching the big clock counting down 60 seconds. There was furious kicking from the start, way too much throttle turning, chokes going off and back on etc etc.

The cool dudes just turned the petrol and choke on, a couple of gentle kicks to get them primed (no buttons back then) and then a couple of hard kicks to fire up, a few seconds for warming and then gently across the 20 meters gap. Joel Smets was one of these cool dudes riding for fun in his first ISDE with a big "L" plate on his back for a laugh. (Joel Smets was a multiple MX world champion)

I felt really sorry for the lady from Sweden on an XR400, even outside of the area her big male friends could not get it to start. Eventually it did fire up after the carb was stripped and fettled. I can't remember her name but she rode like a demon to make up the time and went home with a medal.

I was sitting at the table with another guy and we both started our stop watches when the bell went to start the big clock.
Sitting alongside 2 other competitors was the current Italian ISDE champion Giovanni Sala. Poor young Giovanni struggled to get going and was timed out by 2 seconds and notified by us raising our hands. Well you should have heard the watching Italians go off, shit a brick we thought, WTF. Luckily Ted Goddard who was running the event got over to our table quick smart and headed the Italians off after confirming Giovanni was timed out by both of us by 2 seconds. T'was a bit scary for a while.

The ghost riders were getting out foxed a bit too with lots of parts on the bikes now being given spray on ID's that could only be read under ultra violet lights in a dark room container, all very high tech and I was glad Giovanni's bike was OK.

One day got rained out "in sunny Australia" they laughed at that, but it was a fun 6 days with the iceing on the cake being Wattsy's fabulous win in the sunny final day moto X on his 125 KTM. :shock:
It's just more time to be flat out!
Last Edit: 09 Aug 2018 17:32 by Ken R.
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ISDT 1968 Day 1 & 2 ... 09 Aug 2018 22:18 #27113

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Terrific Ken! At the four day at Cessnock earlier this year there was a vintage class, they left after we'd all gone ... but my wife said it was the most entertaining part of the day ...lots of kicking, spanners flying, drama, swearing and cursing! I'll post the rest of the ISDT article shortly, hope you enjoy it... cheers, Simon J.
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