Friday 13th Lucky for Some
by David Crawford
April 2006 at the time of writing I am looking forward to my 65th birthday
Like most boys I was always interested in anything with wings or wheels.
Motorcycles have been my passion for most of that time, motorcycle sport; it's history and particularly the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy.
I never realised until this year why that should be - well I was born on 13th June 1941 and but for the war that would have been T.T. Friday - the day of the Senior, the Blue Ribbon of motorcycling - that day of anticipation without compare for the motorcycling enthusiast.
Thousand of fortunate people would have chosen their holidays to coincide with TT week.
They would already have watched the Junior and Lightweight races.
Thousands more would be arriving on 'Motor Cycling' T.T. excursions, whilst thousands at home would be looking forward to the radio broadcast commentary on the greatest of all motorcycling events.
Since 1907 this would only be the 7th occasion that the races would not have been held (1915-1919 & 1940-1941), since it's inception the T.T. event had followed a set formula based on improvements of the touring machines.
In 1924 the ACU introduced the Ultra Lightweight class for 175cc machines to continue the tourist tradition and encourage machines that were used by the public. By the 1920's factory riders were left to their own devices as far as speed was concerned, the crafty ones such as Alec Bennett knew to save their engines in the early stages of such a demanding race.
Those who went for the lead at the start seldom finished, a manufacturer could sometimes end up with a whole team of wrecked machines!!!This was something that was prone to happen if the engines were given absolutely maximum revs from the word go rather than being allowed gradually to reach working temperature before being hammered.
With only one signal each lap, no signals were possible from points remote from the pits, a better way had to be found.
It was not until 1932 that a workable signalling system 'In conditions of great secrecy' was evolved by T.T. legend Stanley Woods, from a public phone box at Sulby crossroads interconnected through the telephone exchange to a house on the Glencrutchery Road, within sight of the start & finish. Norton's had their own system by 1935, the first year that engines could be warmed up before the start.
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Stanley Woods beside |
By the 1930's with the arrival of Pukka works overhead camshaft costly to produce works machines speed had been developed to such a point that the value of the races to the genuine touring or sports machines had largely ceased to exist. The event, having become spectacles of skill rather than a means of research.
By the late thirties the only machines capable of winning the T.T., Ulster Grand Prix and the important Continental races were a hand full of state supported supercharges projectiles with their top speed of 140mph, there were very few riders capable of riding them. These are problems that the FIM would have had to envisage when racing resumed in June 1947.
People will tell you it's best days have gone - the TT and all that it meant will have no place in the modern racing calendar. There have, of course, been occasions in the recent past when it seemed that the T.T. was doomed. Black as these periods have been the 'Prophets of Gloom' have been confounded, the races have been held and what is more they have more often than not turned out to be a huge success.
Certainly they have been popular with the public, media and with television coverage of this the greatest of all motorcycling events. I also believe that manufacturers will continue to support what is without doubt the finest race meeting in the world.
What of my bus pass? I am all for public transport as a means of cutting congestion and of course for those who don't drive. I will continue to use the motorcycle as a means of daily transport and pleasure as I have done for the last 40+ years I have endeavoured in the article to recapture something of the atmosphere of the time.
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April 2006 David Crawford |
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David Crawford's oldest Moto Guzzi 500c.c.c Tipo Sport |
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Dating Certificate from Moto Guzzi Built on 13th June 1928, exactly 13 years before he was born, & dispatched to Bologna on 18th June 1928 |
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A Certifcate of Originality will only be supplied by Moto Guzzi if the Engine & Frame numbers submitted match their records |
