Yamaha Two-Stroke Threesome

This collection of Yamaha two stroke production racing motorcycles includes a 1969 Yamaha TR2 350, a 1979 Yamaha TZ125 and TZ750. The TR2 was the first production racer to take on the factory bikes at the Grand Prix level. 1969 was the year the 150 mph 350cc was launched and this machine is number 19 made. It still has matching frame and engine numbers, in fact, all three of the these bikes do. Owned by Jacques DuPont, aka Jack, it was lasted raced by Timmy Sussman in the 1972 Daytona 200 and was sent to the Isle of Man for the T.T races at some point, but no confirmation of results has been located thus far. It was recently sold from the original owner's family after being laid up since 1973.

 

In 1973, 500cc FIM World Champion Giacomo Agostini famously left Italian manufacturer MV Agusta for Yamaha. He took a stunning victory on the Yamaha TZ750 in the Daytona 200 race in 1974. Yamaha domination had began in earnest then and lasted for more than a decade at the speedway.

 

The TZ125 is a single cylinder, water-cooled 125cc two stroke with monoshock rear suspension. Weight is a mere 165 pounds and top speed in the range of 120 mph.

 

 

The TZ750 is one of the last mono shock ' OW31' replica's made by the factory. The TZ750 was made from 1974-1980, about 500 in total. Initially, they had twin shock rear suspension before getting upgraded in 1975 to the monoshock. Besides revised exhaust pipe routing that became a signature of the incredibly fast racer, numerous other changes, it was now capable of speeds in excess of  180 mph.

 

Dick Klamfoth's 1956 BSA Goldstar B34 Gold Star

Dick Klamfoth's 1956 BSA 500cc B34 Gold Star " Ultra Short Circuit Racer"

Dick Klamfoth had already won the America's most important race, the Daytona 200 in 1949, 1951 and 1952 on a Francis Beart tuned Factory backed Norton. This was the 'Garden Gate' Manx which was quick but not a particularly good handler. When the AMA banned its replacement, the paradigm shifting 'Feather Bed' Manx, with it's ground breaking duplex cradle frame because they feared it would dominate the series, Klamfoth decided it was time to make a change.

He took three Norton Manx double overhead cam motors with him when he sailed to England to sell them to raise funds to buy a 1956 BSA Gold Star he would campaign until 1962 in the American AMA Grand National Championship series. It sported a BB32R USA short Circuit Rigid Frame with RRT2 four speed. Dick took back-to back wins in 1958 and 1958 Charity Newsies races on this bike. The Gold Star was continuously modified by Klamfoth.

In 1962, Dick was involved in a horrible crash with this bike at the Lincoln, Illinois National. RIders were killed in the melee and Dick and Carroll Resweber spent months in the hospital recuperating. That was the last time this bike was used in anger. Dick came out of retirement in 1964 to run the high banks of the new Daytona Speedway on a Matchless and finished fifth. It was only fitting that his final race would be at Daytona, where he conquered the beaches at such a young age.

Over the years Dick and his wife Beverly raised their three daughters, opened a motorcycle shop in Groveport, Ohio, became the first Honda dealer east of the Mississippi, survived a brain aneurism, ran two moto cross tracks, hosted trans -am and inter- am races and created the Daytona 200 Monument on Daytona Beach, Daytona, Florida. In the Winter of 2014, Dick and Bev were the victims of a house fire and were lucky to escape alive. They lost several dogs in the tragedy as well.
Despite this, the 85 year old AMA Hall of Fame inductee keeps looking towards the future and not back on his illustrious past. He's won the Daytona 200 three times, won 12 AMA GNC races and was voted most popular rider in 1961. He's a true living legend in my book.

 

Radnor Hunt Concours d'Elegance 2013

Dick Klamfoth, Winner of the Daytona 200 Race in 1949, 1951  and 1952 was the Special Guest this year at the 17th Annual Radnor Hunt Concours d'Elegance which featured Norton Motorcycles, Flat Track Racers and Art Deco inspired Motorcycles. Mr. Klamfoth is a true American icon of the Class C period of  AMA racing, having put his stamp on the legendary rough and tumble motorcycle race on the famed Daytona Beach three times. He won 12 AMA National races and many other events primarily on Nortons, but also threw a leg over BSA and Honda machines as well.


In addition to the fifty motorcycles, the show featured a top shelf collection of 100 Automobiles including Aston Marton, Porsche, Rally Cars and Art Deco period vehicles. Radnor Hunt is a unique venue in that it is also America's oldest Fox Hunt Club and where the annual RH Steeplechase races take place too. In addition  to the cars and bikes, antique carriages and sleighs were also shown. Here's some of the highlights of the weekend.


                                    

 

 

A long line on Manx Nortons  blended well with Porsches of the same period on the terrace. 

 

 

That's Dick Klamfoth's BSA Gold Star racer, recently retrieved from the family barn in which it lay hidden for nearly fifty years in 'as last raced' trim.

 

An Art Deco period French drop top with picture perfect picnic kit.

 

1938 Talbot Lago 150SS Teardrop coupe

 

Kenny Cummings brought  his NYC built Seeley G50, a superb blend of modern engineering skills  and classic components that just may be the ultimate weapons grade race tackle available these days for historic racing.

 

That's a 1928 Norton CS1 being judged in the Historic Preservation Class

 

Flat Trackers included this alloy head Harley-Davidson XR-750

and #87 an Aermacchi built Harley-Davidson CRTT

 

 

Dick Klamfoth and Dick Miles share a laugh on the stage during trophy presentation

 

 

Judges Michael Lawless and AMA Hall of Fame member Nobby Clark scrutinized the 1948 Manx and other classic racing Nortons. Having someone with first hand knowledge of how the machines were built is a tremendous asset when judging.

 

 

Carin Beam strikes a pose with the colorful Norton Manxman.

 

 

The man who first put Triumph motorcycles on the map in America with a win at the AMA 100 mile National at Laconia in 1953, AMA Hall of Fame member, Ed Fisher, rode his 1929 Indian both on and off the showfield.

 

 

 Tony Karas, owner of the JPN Norton takes a well deserved trophy and a handshake

from Special Guest Dick Klamfoth

Radnor Hunt motorcycle judge Michael 'Tex' Mawby checks out  #44, a 1963 Norton Manx model 30m, built on the last day of production. # 309 is another Norton Manx, the AHRMA 500 Premiere class eight-time championship machine of builder Maurice Candy and rider Tim Joyce, the fastest Manx in the USA.

 

Winner of the Art Deco class, the 1948 Indian Chief owned by David Markel

 

Horses, Hounds and Carriages, a way of life at Radnor Hunt Club

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ex-Stirling Moss 1958 Aston Martin DBR1, the sexiest car ever made in the U. K.?

 

RHC Executive Board Member and Motorcycle Chairman,

 John Lawless and wife Dawn Lawless with the

1923 Norton with sidecar of owner Mustfa Terhani.

 

 

 

Harley-Davidson VR1000 at Daytona

Not since the late 1960's had we seen such a resurgence in Harley-Davidson factory racers at the famed Birthplace of Speed, Daytona, USA. A lot of time and effort went in to the design and build of the new VR1000. Mark Tuttle and HD engineer Mark Miller contracted Roush Racing to complete the concept and they brought along Steve Schiebe to run the project. From 1994-2001, The Milwaukee-based manufacturer tried it's hand at a return to AMA Pro Roadracing. Miguel Duhamel, Fritz Kling, Tom Wilson, Doug Chandler were among the pilots who threw a leg over the Harley. In the end, they came very close to succeeding with the fuel-injected DOHC V-Twin  racer. Sadly, Tom Wilson suffered a career ending injury at Loudon on the machine just as he was coming to grips with the bike.

Canadian Pascal Picotte on the factory Harley-Davidson VR-1000 at Daytona gave it his best after a stint on the Suzuki GSXR. He managed to grab a podium in 1996. In fact, he led the Daytona 200 for a few laps before a bad pit stop put paid to his chances.

                      A quiet moment during Qualifying at the Speedway. (time-date info incorrect)

                                                                   
                  In the later days of the VR, it was decided that Scott Russel should give it a try, but Russell couldn't get the VR-1000 to add another Rolex to his collection despite his determined efforts.

Chris Carr took to the VR quickly, his flat track skills prepared him well for the job. Amazingly, Carr returned to flat track racing and won a number of Championships before heading to the Bonneville Salt Flats to add his name to the record books. His best ride came at Pomona where he put the Harley on the pole.

A frequent view of the ill-fated VR-1000 in the pits. They suffered their share of DNF's during the AMA pro racing days due to the complexity of design. Handling was sweet, but horsepower was not on par with the increasingly faster competition.

One rider who did enjoy considerable success on his privately sponsored VR was

Pennsylvania based roadracer, Ron McGill. It was too little too late. HD pulled the plug in 2001 and the dream was over.

Will Harley-Davidson ever return to professional roadracing with factory built specials? Not in the foreseeable future, with a spec series filling the need by keeping the H-D name in front of race fans. But someday, they'll return. It's in their DNA. Until then, we can look back on the mid 1990's as the last time they dared take on the might of the Japanese. It won't be the last. Any company with the racing heritage of one hundred years behind it is bound to be back.