Briggo and Mauger in the U.S.A.

[Hot Shoe 58]

Anyone remember when Barry Briggs and Ivan Mauger rode in some 250cc(?) Short Track events in the U.S. - I think it was at the end of the 1960s and Briggo rode a Yamaha with Mauger riding a Kawasaki both bikes having a more Speedway appearance than the usual Short Track machines ridden at the time in the U.S.

[sandman 0]

i remember something from my childhood. Briggo rode a Yamaha TD2 in a special frame, speedway style, at Santa Fe ? shorttrack, did very well and Mauger rode a Kawasaki single at the Astrodome in Houston. Very quick and impressive, but the amount of laps required 30? made it near physically impossible to last that long compared to the sitting down technigue the americans used. They did prove speedway style was much faster through the corners. I believe Scott Autrey rode Briggs bike in a few short track events with some success..

[Hot Shoe 58]

i remember something from my childhood. Briggo rode a Yamaha TD2 in a special frame, speedway style, at Santa Fe ? shorttrack, did very well and Mauger rode a Kawasaki single at the Astrodome in Houston. Very quick and impressive, but the amount of laps required 30? made it near physically impossible to last that long compared to the sitting down technigue the americans used. They did prove speedway style was much faster through the corners. I believe Scott Autrey rode Briggs bike in a few short track events with some success..

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Thanks for that Sandman - I was sure i didn't dream it!

 

Seem to remember Briggo's bike was a Yamaha engined "Grasshopper" (presumably the frame maker).

 

I wonder if either of those Briggs or Mauger machines survived?

 

Oh well, off to dream about Astro Bultacos now!!!

[sandman 0]

I dont have much recollection of the particulars of the bikes. I had seen some photos from the meets, but remember Briggo really gave the top boys a scare, he was extremely fast. His bike had the Yamaha 250 twin road race engine which certainly would have been a handful on a short track. Just the sound of that bike with two unsilenced expansion chambers at full song, 14000 rpm would have been worth the price of admission. Mauger rode one time at the Houston Astro Dome on a factory Kawasaki two stroke single. For some reason I remember his bike looking more like a 250 cc grass tracker. If memory serves me correct, Ivan wore the famous factory green leathers. Dont really know how he finished but he too put a big scare to the top dogs. I would bet the bikes no longer exist. I remember the photo of Briggs from that long ago, and Barry had the number 70t on his number plate..Hope this helps..

[David Croucher 0]

I would bet the bikes no longer exist

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The subject of Barry's Bikes came up when he visited Wimbledon about 18 months ago.

 

We had lunch in a Pub over the road from the Stadium and he told me that he has NEVER sold any of his OWN bikes.

 

These are some of the machines that are used from time to time in the Golden Greats.

 

Barry has kept the lot over his entire racing career, so if the bike you are referring to was one of Briggo's own, then there's a fair chance he will still have it.

 

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[sandman 0]

I would bet the bikes no longer exist

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The subject of Barry's Bikes came up when he visited Wimbledon about 18 months ago.

 

We had lunch in a Pub over the road from the Stadium and he told me that he has NEVER sold any of his OWN bikes.

 

These are some of the machines that are used from time to time in the Golden Greats.

 

Barry has kept the lot over his entire racing career, so if the bike you are referring to was one of Briggo's own, then there's a fair chance he will still have it.

 

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Very interesting. For some reason I think he was sponsored for those couple of meets, quite possibly by K&N Engineering. My knowledge is a bit limited as I only read about those meetings. Wish I could have been there! It was the stuff heros are made of..

[Hot Shoe 58]

Barry has kept the lot over his entire racing career, so if the bike you are referring to was one of Briggo's own, then there's a fair chance he will still have it.

 

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Thanks for the info David. I agree with sandman that Briggo's Yamaha was probably supplied by a sponsor but he must have had some input into the design of it (as must Ivan Mauger with the Kawasaki he rode).

Both bikes were very different to the normal U.S. Short Track bikes at the time and caused a bit of a stir. As sandman said Mauger's Kawasaki looked more like a Grass track bike than a conventional Short Tracker.

 

Another Briggo/Yamaha connection i have read about was that in the 1960s Briggo brought over from the U.S. a Yamaha TR2 Road Racer for U.K. Road Racer John Cooper.

[iris123 20,977]

A couple of photo's in Briggo's World of Speedway,from these events.One is captioned as a 650cc Yamaha with the 70t number plate

[Malcolm 0]

A couple of photo's in Briggo's World of Speedway,from these events.One is captioned as a 650cc Yamaha with the 70t number plate

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There are pictures in a couple of Briggo's books and and Brad Oxley told me that he does have the bike at home in Southern California. It was a Jawa grasstrack chassis with Yamaha 2 stroke twin.

I have some great footage of Briggo riding it at Daytona in about 1971 against a young 19 year old kenny Roberts. Great racing with Briggo stood up speedway style around the boards and Roberts sat down flattrack style hugging the inside.

Briggo won when the bike kept going.

I have been riding some flattrack events here in California on grassers and the style of riding is different.

Del Mar in practice after which I was banned for sliding too much! Never really got a good answer why.

http://www.xtremesport.org/del1.jpg

Fast banked track of Willow Springs

http://www.xtremesport.org/willow-suzuki3.jpg

Ventura

http://www.xtremesport.org/ventura-tribsa.jpg

California practice track. Dry and dusty!

http://www.xtremesport.org/m3w.jpg

[Hot Shoe 58]

Thanks for the info on the Briggo bike Malcolm - It must have been great to see the contrasts in style of Grasser/Flattracker in the same race.

 

The links to your photos reminded me of some photos i had (long lost i'm afraid) of me riding my 250 Husqvarna motocrosser in some Grasstrack races here in the U.K. in the early 1970s - The contrast in styles is similar - the difference being i am the one with the wheels in line!

 

Also reminded of going to a Speedway school with some other Moto X riders where the instructor said "oh blimey, you're the lot that always wanna stick your foot in the front wheel!".

Different styles indeed.

[Malcolm 0]

Below is a Hagon one of six that ran in A.M.A. Dist 37 Northern California Flattrack competition in the late '60s to early '70s.

The bike was restored by the owners son as a class project and hit the track again this year.

http://www.xtremesport.org/hagon.jpg

A Hagon Triumph won the '68 and '69 West Coast Amatuer National Championships.

Edited December 24, 2004 by Malcolm

[Malcolm 0]

Click here for pictures of Briggo riding flattrack on a converted grasser with a 250 Yamaha twin. Ist page go to pic 48 and on the 2nd page go down to the late 20s and 2nd from last.

http://www.flattrack.com/dc/dcboard.php?az...mode=full&page=

[Hot Shoe 58]

Belated thanks Malcolm for the link to those excellent photos - The current speedway "Laydowns" don't look half as revolutionary after seeing pics of those HD/Aermacchis of 30 plus years ago!