Britain's Greatest Motorcyclist?

[OveFundinFan 4,137]

For the 3 disciplines identified in Steve’s original post I would put Simon Wigg no 1, with Kelvin Tatum 2, and Peter Collins 3.  If Peter had won  long track world championship he would have been more of a contender for the top two.

Missing from the list is Chris Morton and Chris Harris. Neither top 3 material but worthy of a mention..

[Sings4Speedway 3,246]

16 minutes ago, OveFundinFan said:

For the 3 disciplines identified in Steve’s original post I would put Simon Wigg no 1, with Kelvin Tatum 2, and Peter Collins 3.  If Peter had won  long track world championship he would have been more of a contender for the top two.

Missing from the list is Chris Morton and Chris Harris. Neither top 3 material but worthy of a mention..

Whilst not troubling the top 3 but pushing hard for a place must be Paul Hurry? Multiple Grasstrack Masters Titles, a Euro Title i believe but never really made a major impact at World Longtack level. Got a few points on the shale too

[E I Addio 15,843]

17 hours ago, steve roberts said:

When I had a go at speedway I found it very difficult as It went against all my instincts having ridden road bikes. I tentatively included scrambling as a discipline because John Louis has often been quoted on how it helped him cope on rough tracks and didn't see it as a hindrance altough one couldn't class that form of motorcycling as oval based in the true sense.

Half the Ipswich team were ex- scramblers at one point, as were Arthur Browning , Tom Leadbiter  and a few others ,  including today, riders like Richard Lawson and the Worralls. I can’t think of any that started in Speedway and then moved over to an average standard I scrambling. They are totally different techniques. 

As a side point though, I remember about 6/7 years ago Peter Karlsson rode in a grass track in Kent , on a bike he borrowed from Paul Hurry. He had never sat on a grass track bike before but proved unbeatable in the heats but unfortunately the meeting was rained off before the Finals. Similarly I once saw Anders Michanek in an end of season grass track at Lydden. He absolutely whopped everybody.

I don’t think anybody has mentioned Joe Screen yet. He didn’t particularly concentrate on grass track but used to ride in big money continental meetings , which were not always ovals but some included sweeping right hand bends and jumps . By all accounts he was pretty hot stuff.

One thing I forgot to mention about Alf Hagon was that he was also winner of the famous Red Marley Hill Climb which adds to his claim to be top all rounder.

[czechhero 32]

Big Arthur Browning (there was actually a small one, his Dad) has to be a contender simply because of the amount of disciplines he’s ridden over the years.

Speedway

Scrambling/Motocross 

Trials

ISDT

Manx GP/Classic TT

Red Marley Hill Climb

Cadbury’s Milk Tray Advert

 

That’s some list. 

[Ghosty 500]

34 minutes ago, czechhero said:

Big Arthur Browning (there was actually a small one, his Dad) has to be a contender simply because of the amount of disciplines he’s ridden over the years.

Speedway

Scrambling/Motocross 

Trials

ISDT

Manx GP/Classic TT

Red Marley Hill Climb

Cadbury’s Milk Tray Advert

 

That’s some list. 

You have missed Grasstrack. Next to AKB would be Jersey's very own Marcus Bisson & as well as his motorcycling exploits you can add Karting & Rallying!

[czechhero 32]

20 hours ago, Ghosty said:

You have missed Grasstrack. Next to AKB would be Jersey's very own Marcus Bisson & as well as his motorcycling exploits you can add Karting & Rallying!

There’s grass track yes, but you can add indoor speedway to the list too. 

[OveFundinFan 4,137]

Indoor speedway - Micky mouse type racing, only done to stimulate interest during winter months IMO. Seems to have died a death thankfully. Small amount I watched when televised it was woeful.

[czechhero 32]

Mickey Mouse it maybe. But after 2nd halving in 71 and not really doing all that well, he rode Indoors during the winter and then scored a maximum on his debut for Brum in 72. Must have done him some good. The machines had BSA Bantam motors so were more suited to a glazed concrete surface. A lot better than using normal speedway engines which is plain silly. 

[steve roberts 9,242]

13 minutes ago, OveFundinFan said:

Indoor speedway - Micky mouse type racing, only done to stimulate interest during winter months IMO. Seems to have died a death thankfully. Small amount I watched when televised it was woeful.

Yes I went to the first two Wembley events plus the Birmingham Event and were nothing more than novelty meetings and a chance to meet up with fans during the Winter  season. I never went to Telford but what I saw on TV didn't do anything for me.

[steve roberts 9,242]

9 minutes ago, czechhero said:

Mickey Mouse it maybe. But after 2nd halving in 71 and not really doing all that well, he rode Indoors during the winter and then scored a maximum on his debut for Brum in 72. Must have done him some good. The machines had BSA Bantam motors so were more suited to a glazed concrete surface. A lot better than using normal speedway engines which is plain silly. 

Was that at Leicester (Granby Hall?)? I visited that site when I attended an entomological show during the nineties before it was demolished.

[HGould 2,213]

NEC Event late 70's from memory drew massive crowd but surface was rubber with slick tyres (again from memory).

There may have been a chance at that time (golden era big crowds especially in Midlands - Brummies / Wolves / Heathens / Bees / Lions etc) to have created a shale track but technology at the time was not there. Doubt it would make money now unless they could try to tag on to one of the big MX shows at NEC.

Telford was novelty as you say.

Wasn't there one in Brighton for a few years?

New Years actual meeting at Newport was far better idea!

 

 

[czechhero 32]

1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

Was that at Leicester (Granby Hall?)? I visited that site when I attended an entomological show during the nineties before it was demolished.

Think it was there yes, also at the Whispering Wheels Roller Rink in Wolverhampton and one in Brum. There was an article in a one off speedway magazine, Broadslide, a couple of years ago. 

[steve roberts 9,242]

14 minutes ago, czechhero said:

Think it was there yes, also at the Whispering Wheels Roller Rink in Wolverhampton and one in Brum. There was an article in a one off speedway magazine, Broadslide, a couple of years ago. 

Yes I have that magazine...must check it out again.

[FAST GATER 852]

I was once told that the easiest way to learn to slide a s/way bike was in fact on concrete as it allowed the rider to control the slide on a consistent surface which makes quite a lot of sense really .

[iris123 20,939]

45 minutes ago, FAST GATER said:

I was once told that the easiest way to learn to slide a s/way bike was in fact on concrete as it allowed the rider to control the slide on a consistent surface which makes quite a lot of sense really .

I was at an indoor meeting on concrete and it was absolute chaos. Think Tobi Kroner broke a leg....in one heat it ended up with only one rider and then he was excluded for poodling around and not RACING !!! As it was a two day event, by the second day there were so many gaps in the programme, because of injured riders it ended up a farce.