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Jap And Jawa For Sale

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I don't think the frame is a mk2 rotrax, as that was similar to a Jawa frame with the backend being one piece and curved instead of being built up from 3 seperate parts.

 

Both of your bikes look fantastic, but Just to be pedantic, as the JAP is 1953 shouldn't it have a 22" back wheel? :P:wink:

 

Glad you like the website, as we only had 2 practice sessions last year, most of it is a load of old tosh, but it keeps us ammused!!! :blink:

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I think you may be wrong there Bucket, the MK2 Rotrax had sloping rear forks, I don't ever remember Rotrax producing curved rear forks.

 

The MK1 took a 2.75x22 rear tyre and the MK2 took a 350x19 tyre, the rear exhaust bracket on the MK1 was about 11/2" from the end of the forks and the MK2 about 3" from the end.

 

 

PS

Looking at the photo's again it looks like it is a MK1 frame but the exhaust pipe looks like its off the MK2, if you look at the picture of the old unrestored JAP, that has the MK1 exhaust pipe.

 

I've got Alec Jackson's pamphlets in front of me, its easy when you sit here comparing them.

Edited by Team Man

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Fair play Team Man, I based my mk2 frame on a leaflet 4 or 5 years old for Barber replica frames, they advertise a Rotrax mk1 frame that has a 22" rear wheel and a mk2 with a 19" wheel and a frame that looks similar to a Jawa one.

 

So when they changed to a 19" wheel did they alter the frame dimensions as surely the footrest and bottom of bike would have dropped closer to the track? I have to ask as being a young chap of 39 this was all before my time and I'm ignorant of these things! :(

 

 

Looking through Jeff Clews book- JAP: the end of an era, he features a picture of one of his JAPS housed in an Erskine frame that also looks like the Barber mk2 Rotrax, so now i'm confused! :unsure:

 

One thing is for sure if it is a 1953 Rotrax frame then it must be one of early ones as according to the book 'The Stadium' Southampton by C.R. Bradley Rotrax made speedway frames between 1953 and 1960.

 

Here ends my book review!!!! :lol:

 

Do I take it you're the same Team Man that's put a couple of posts on the vintage speedway forum? I'll try to get along to Beaulieu in June, I went about 5 years ago and had a great day. The men in black put on a great display, do they not have a website to show off their machines and exhibition races?

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Sorry Bucket, I wasn't Trying to be high handed or pedantic, its just that I had never come across curved back ends on the Rotrax, certainly not on the bikes I have owned.

 

I thought the curved rear end was ESO later Jawa.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v173/Tho...trax-Mark-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v173/Tho...trax-Mark-2.jpg

 

These Pictures are from the Rotrax pamphlet, not pictures of ones I have owned

 

PS

I won't be at Bealieu but I will be at the BMF next weekend, and yes I am the same Team Man.

Edited by Team Man

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No problems Team Man, like I said I based my assumptions of a MK2 frame on this leaflet here,

 

Maybe Barber's own the name Rotrax and the mk2 is their own design.

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Hi Bucket, very interesting on the ownership of the name Rotrax, maybe I can find out more this weekend, Certainly Rotrax were making there frames long before Barber started there frame service.

 

At the end of the day its not going to alter the price of fish, but it is interesting.

 

Cheers.

Edited by Team Man

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Hi Bucket, It looks like you were right about the MK2.

 

Alec Jackson designed and marketed the frame, it appears Rotrax was the manufacturer, at the start of the seventies the MK2 was designed, and it looks like the curved rear end was used, whether that was copying ESO's frame I don't know.

 

The picture you showed was the same picture from the Rotrax pamphlet that I saw at the weekend.

 

So I was wrong and you were right........by the way the Men in black were good, as usual, The leg trailing on the 1928 Duggie by Johnathan Clarke burning around the outside to overtake the rest brought cheers and whistles from the packed stand and terraces

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Well Team Man it looks like we are both now more knowledgeable about Rotrax frame production!

 

The JAP I have came with a North frame and apart from the oil going into a dual fuel/oil tank and not in the frame, it's also much the same as a Jawa frame.

 

I guess the Jawa frame must have been a good design, although I remember once reading that the grade of tubing they were made from, wouldn't have even been suitable for pushchairs in this country. :shock:

 

Good to hear the M.I.B put on a good show, I haven't seen them for along time. unfortunately Swindon seem to have no interest in the vintage scene, unless you put the Mad Welly in this category. :lol:

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