History says Andy finished fifth in the race and winning the title on the most wins system. Everything hinged on the last race after the unlucky Adrian Cox had mechanical problems in the first race and Andy needed to finish in the top six were turned on their heads when the brake arm broke and he had to ride with the forks stuck at the bottom of their stroke. Fatalism is a belief held by most motorcycle racers and fate certainly played its part in the last meeting of the Championship run by the Mortimer MCC. It is still a mystery why the torque arm broke as the material spec was correct. Apart from cleaning and a general once over where a torque arm broke – nearly costing the title and could have caused a serious accident – this was the case. What is a fact, the cost of building a competitive classic scrambles bike is much more than a modern motocross bike.Īndy brought both his 500 and 350 along on the day of the test, for comparison, though the main purpose of the day was to ride his 500 in the condition it finished the last championship round. Maybe now the whispering brigade will realise the success of the bike is down to the dedication of the rider to achieve a speed and consistency and meticulous preparation. This is sheer nonsense as the list of parts used in creating the bike indicates a lot of readily available stuff has been used. In Andy’s case the more races won, the more the bike must have cost. The old tale, of the older I get the quicker I was, must have applied itself to the modern classic bike scene.
It therefore saddened me that a myth emerged that Andy was riding a bike so exotic it cost between £15,000 and £20,000 depending on who was telling the tale. Ken and Andy are both engineers and share bike preparation, a daunting task for the two seasons and 160 races the pair have been together. The Bayliss/Roberton partnership could never be accused of over-the-top presentation at race meetings, with a low key approach to their presence in the paddock. Rather quiet with a genuine warm welcome when encountered at meetings, the Bayliss approach is of a man enjoying being involved but in a pleasingly introverted way. Bike owner Ken Bayliss I’ve only met since watching Andy compete at a few meetings but he comes across as the perfect sponsor.
#Bsa b50 racr professional#
Having competed with Andy Roberton most of my life as a professional motocross rider it would be difficult to find a more stylish or fair rider to compete against. The myth surrounding this machine was not bestowed on the bike by owner Ken Bayliss, or rider 20 British Classic Scrambles Champion Andy Roberton but by its outstanding results on the track. Exploring the torque of the 500cc BSA, Allan hangs the rear end out.
0 kommentar(er)
