In the 1969 Belgian Grand Prix, on the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in the Ardennes, Tait was riding Triumph’s entry for the 500cc race – a version of the Triumph Daytona developed by Doug Hele. Percy travelled with the mechanics Arthur Jakeman and Jack Shemans in an old Ford Transit van, in which the three of them also had to sleep.
Percy led the world champion Giacomo Agostini for three laps to finish second to the MV Agusta at an average speed of 116 mph.
Triumph racing team member, chief test rider and all-round motorcycle guru: Percy Tait. Riding twins and triples at Grand Prix, The TT, Bol d’Or, NW200 and a million miles of road testing in between. This photo is taken during a one thousand mile endurance race in the sixties on s production bike.
In latter years he has become a show winning sheep breeder.
March 14th is celebrated as pi day in the US. π
One of my favorite pies is pumpkin pie. Topped with a dollop of cream. Today I enjoyed a slice of cherry pie a la mode.
Upon reflection this is a good idea. I acquired a near side mirror to attach to the handlebar end offering a little more all-round visibility. I still always to a head check on both sides before moving across anyways- this just adds to the sense of awareness. Both mirrors are by California based CRG the left is a 3″ dia. Model Hindsight. The right is the smaller 2″ dia. Blindsight.
Joe Lemke Chimps: On a Harley Davidson Hummer motorcycle are Sammy and Susie, and in the back ground are Marvin (L) and Joe (R). Photo from the Mary Gray Frasier collection.
The 2-Stroke 125 wasn’t truly an American bike; though built in Milwaukee WI, it was actually based on the German DKW as WW2 war reparations. The BSA Bantam and Soviets MMZ Moskva were other 125cc ‘cousins’.
Weekend here again! Let’s hope that some improved weather allows the wheels to roll underneath. A bobber dirt tracker through the woods or dunes would be just fine thank you very much…
Another movie Tim Robbins (Andy Dufresne) was in about the same time as the mighty Shawshank Redemption is this Walther Matthau vehicle who plays Albert Einstein in his fictional latter years at Princeton. Tim stars with Meg Ryan and hoofs around campus on a Harley Davidson Sporty.
” I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don’t want to know. Some things are best left unsaid. I’d like to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can’t be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it. I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free.”
Ellis Boy “Red” Redding
Race Day. Pack the car we’re off to the track. Well if your car is a classic mini you’d better make sure your Moto is a lightweight one: here they’re toting a Triumph Cub in the boot door. As needs demand!
Did I ever tell you I passed my driving test in a Mini?
March 8th is International Women’s Day, and what no better way to celebrate it on GeordieBiker than to have a 3×3 grid of Triumph totin’ gals. Stemming from early 20th C socialist ideals it was a big highlighting of working women’s rights as well as voting rights in the suffrage movement. One century on and we’re still discussing equality in wages.
Alec Baldwin takes pilot role whilst Jason Schwartzman rides pillion. Amazon has a new interactive device for information and media: called Alexa (the other Siri). Like some quirky scene from a Wes Anderson movie these two look intent on adventure and shenanigans.
Dusted the cobwebs off, wiped down the old gal and took ‘er out for a quick spin. Well, to get a gas top up. Looking spiffy in front of this Evanston coach house. Looking forward to spring rides into the North Illinois and Wisconsin hinterland.
Play was so much simpler in days past: you wound your toys up and watched ’em fly around the floor. No batteries, no motor; just nicely pressed metal parts and a character sitting astride.
The Great Jim Clark would have been 80 today. Borders farmer from Chirnside he went on to become one of the most likable and naturally talented driver behind the wheel of any car. Sadly we lost him in ’68 at the Hockenheimring track in Germany.
Just look at those dapper driving brogues.
When I first started to learn to ride in London 20 years ago I purchased a small bike to get to grips with two wheeled motoring around the Capital. Advertised in Loot for £1,000 was a Cagiva Roadster 125. I took the train and my money to somewhere in West London, rod this around a loading bay and with a naive grin handed over my cash and sped off back into town to start my riding life.
The two-stroke was great for zipping around town without getting into trouble, though the Italian make had its fare share of electrical and mechanical issues that with hindsight seem simple issues to overcome, back then seemed like huge obstacles to overcome. An education commenced that continues to this day!
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