It's still Friday..... How 'bout a pinup?

Agostini!!!!!

Friday Pin-up

Surprise Guest- My Interview with Dane Rowe!!!

Every now and then you get lucky enough to meet someone very cool and famous at the same time. We have all seen her and admired her but like many I wanted to know more about Dane Rowe. She was a star or the sidecar racing circuit in the 60's and 70's and recently found fame as a style icon in Men's File Magazine. Today, she promotes rock concerts and authenticates ancient roman coins. I was very intrigued by her but I couldn't find any real information on any of the sites I normally use for some of my research. I did some cyber sleuthing and was able to make contact with Dane (Rowe) Kurth. She graciously agreed to an interview. We exchanged several e-mails and I am pleased to share with you our conversation.

Where did you grow up and were there any motorcycle influences in your childhood?
"I grew up in NW England, on the Lancashire coast. The home-life of myself and my three brothers and sisters was a sad one, with a brutal mother (father had already left us) who used every opportunity to hit us with whatever instrument was closest at hand, be it a steel vacuum cleaner pipe, an iron poker from the fireplace or a ladle in the kitchen. The three saving features of our lives was our grandmother who came to look after us when our mother went out at night, the Girl Guides for myself, and later, when I was about 11, a motorcycle shop on the road where our grandmother lived. I had passed it once and was immediately intrigued by the smell of oil and engine bits and when the mechanic, whom I could see through the open workshop doors, lying beneath a motorcycle doing some work, called out and asked me - a small girl of 11 or so - to please pass him a spanner which was just out of his reach, I managed to discover which tool he needed and continued to "help" in fascination. He was extremely kind and his kindness and respect was a huge influence on my life."


I noticed you were a student of photography in Paris.
"No not Paris."


Which school did you attend?
"The London School of Journalism."

How did you go from photography student to sidecar racer?
"I had moved from home to West London to study and seeing as I had by then been a motorcyclist (with a 350cc Triumph 3TA) and a member of the 64 club, I wasn't able to join the famous 59 club. Before I moved to London I had visited a couple of races with a neighbour's daugter, Marie, whose boyfriend raced a 350cc Manx Norton in club and national  level races, and I had watched a sidecar race. Passengering looked like fun, so I bought some second-hand leathers and boxing boots (much favoured by passengers at the time) and used to take them to races with Marie and her boyfriend, waiting for a chance. And the chance came when someone's passenger didn't turn up at a club race. So that's how it started."


You raced in the TT with C.C. Bird in 1968. Was that your first major race entry or had you been involved in racing for some time?
"That was my second year of racing and yes, the TT with Colin Bird was my first TT. And do you know what? I STILL remember how I felt when Colin said he had chosen me amongst the "applicants" following his advert in Motor Cycle News, and how I felt when I was on the Island just before the first practise session."

Christian Lacombe took a wonderful picture of you and Bill Copson catching air aboard your BMW at the 1969 TT. Do you remember what was going through your mind at that instant?

"Yes, hoping we wouldn't lose the sidecar nose entirely. The plexiglass screen of the sidecar nose had cracked and the vibration had started to spread so much, that it split the sidecar nose floor (the "pan") as well, so that started to dangle off. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but that's where the battery was, so the last one and a half laps of the race was spent with me holding the battery in place, as half of the floor beneath the battery was broken off and held in place only by about 2" of fibreglass.. Oh, the fun of it all.. :-)"

Rudi Kurth and Dane Rowe-1976 Assen TT

How did you meet Rudi and how involved were you with his innovative designs?

"Bill Copson and I had, as one of our first races together, taken part (and won) Bourg en Bresse in France. We needed some hydraulic oil and with Bill knowing my love of languages (though not as extensive or as fluent as today), he asked me to find some. I asked him whom I should ask and he said, "Ask Rudi Kurth, he has everything hydraulic." So, in school we had learned (very incorrectly) that all the Swiss speak French (actually Switzerland has four official languages, with Swiss-German being in the majority), so I walked over to where Rudi, with his back to the paddock, was working on his Cat outfit and asked, in my (at the time) atrocious Anglo-French, whether he had any hydraulic oil. Rudi turned round and looked up at me, and asked in English, "you what ?". As I write this, I am shaking, because when I saw his face, something flashed like lightning inside my head. I KNEW that this was the man for me, that he had been put on this earth for ME. "Love at first sight" may sound corny but it happened for both of us.  He felt exactly the same. It's strange when you think that he was born 11 years before me. When I was born, he was a schoolboy at an age (he told me later) when young boys worry that by the time they get older, there will be nobody left for them. And at that precise time, 2,000 miles away in a different country, a baby girl was born who was meant for HIM.
As far as being involved in his numerous ideas and designs, no, they are all in his head. Very rarely I think of a *useful* solution to a little problem he has, but I think that has happened less than three times in all the years we have been together. All his ideas are his own. I did help him build the Vari-Eze plane of course, and I used to do fibreglass work, making fairings etc. And now, seeing as I have been using computers since 1977, I am the PC specialist at home, because Rudi is not very PC-experienced. It's about the only thing he's not brilliant at!"

Both you and Rudi raced during a dynamic and exciting period in motorcycle history. What was it like to be a part of the "Continental Circus" especially as a woman in a very macho sport?

"Some great friendships were formed and we usually had a lot of fun, especially with people like Barry Sheene, Phil Read, Chas Mortimer, Paul Smart (called in spoonerism-fashion "Small Part"). Sidecar teams and solo teams used to mingle a lot, not like today, since the Moto GP management has practically banned sidecar races from their own precious GP events.
I never asked, or expected to be treated differently, just because I was a woman. The riders never acted in a disrespectful manner towards  me, probably because I had never done anything to merit disrespect. I was not and never had been a paddock groupie, I was there as a GP licence holder and was always willing to act on their behalf if they needed someone to represent them with a grievance, or they needed an interpreter (my language skills had improved, haha) when dealing with a sponsor, race promoter, potential buyer of material they had for sale etc."

Were there other women racing at the time?

"Aga Neumann of Germany stopped racing about 2 years after I stated racing in GP and internationals. Later a couple more English women started racing at club and national level with their husbands but I can't for the life of me remember their names."

What is the most memorable moment in your racing career?

"Apart from meeting Rudi ... :-)
The thing that makes me smile when I think about it, is the Great Toilet Blaze Mystery of Imola, Finland. OK, it went like this. The paddock at Imola was in a clearing of a forest (!). There were no permanent building, so of course no proper loos (Loo: commonly accepted English-English word, used by all classes, for a lavatory). The only loo available was a three sided construction of planks of wood with no front, so no door (I donated a large bath towel which could be drawn across the door hole and fixed to a nail), and a hole in the ground. No proper installation, just a hole of about 15" diameter, in the ground. And that was used by everybody. Of course the ground around the hole became very soggy and quite disgusting, so everyone started putting down newspapers etc. to walk on. We had tried small branches from trees in the forest, but they became smelly, wet and slippery, so we used newspapers and bits of cardboard - everyone who went into town was asked to bring back cardboard boxes, newspapers, anything.
We had asked the organisers on the Friday (practise day) whether they couldn't organise a Porta-Potty (i.e. a mobile WC trailer) but they shrugged their shoulders and did nothing about it. People parked near the loos moved to aromatically safer ground further away.
So on the Sunday afternoon before the races started, we'd had enough. Barry Sheene went round from one racer to another asking for a drop of petrol (=gasoline). None of us were well-off back then and it often happened that we had to chip in because some poor bugger had wrecked his only engine in practise so didn't have any money to get home. Usually, a couple of Francs or Pounds from everyone more or less covered the rider's lost start money. So it was not unusual that someone would go round asking for a cupful of petrol.
Well, about an hour later, there was a whooshing sound and in the clearing, the loo was well and truly ablaze. We all stood around cheering. I bet we must have killed billions of germs and bacteria..
The police were called to investigate this case of blatant pyromania. And I remember Barry explaining po-faced to the police, "well, there were police in the paddock and I remember that one went in to the loo smoking a cigarette. There was a lot of newspaper on the floor. When he came out, he did not have his cigarette any more and a minute later the loo was on fire....." And the policeman looked at Barry and wiggled his index finger left and right and said, "Nooooooo!"
I have some newspaper cuttings about the fire somewhere."

As a child, I remember sidecar racing being very popular in France. What happened and why the schism with MotoGP?

"It was Mike Trimby who, although he used to be a sidecar passenger, seemed to have had a deep dislike for the sidecar class. He formed the IRA or something (International Riders Association or something or other), then they became official with the FIM, and I presume (cynically) in order to get more $$ for the solos (i.e. a bigger portion of the gate money, TV rights etc), they started by getting rid of the 50cc/80cc class, then the sidecars and the 125cc class, then the 350cc class, so now you practically only have what used to be the 250cc and the 500cc class, although, depending on whether you're on a 2-stroke or a 4-stroke, the classes no longer have fixed capacities. They call themselves GP 1 and GP 2 (or Moto 1 and Moto 2)."

Is that why you stopped racing?

"No, not at all, we just thought it was a good time to stop, for no particular reason. Sidecar GP racing continued for several years after we stopped. I worked as interpreter at the British Grand Prix for about 7 years afterwards."

Other than Rudi of course, who was your favorite racer of the era?

"Phil Read, I think (and if he ever reads this, "yes Phil, I still fancy you") (that was a joke of his, he used to ask all the girls in the paddock, "do you still fancy me?") and Barry Sheene, who was a lovely lad with a very gracious and beautiful wife, Stephanie. (I remember when our cat Kuro (the Yamaha manager's gift), who used to come to races with us, made himself comfortable in Barry's caravan once, at the German GP in Hockenheim. He didn't know Kuro was ours and it wasn't until there was a paddock announcement after the race (when Kuro always used to come back) that Rudi and Dane were missing a black cat, that he brought Kuro to us and said, "he won't be hungry, we shared our dinner with him"."

Do you still ride motorcycles now?

"No, I just stand and admire them and, when I'm driving, move over so they can overtake me safely and warn them if they are approaching a radar trap."

from this

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Where does the strong feline influence in your life including your team team name, your Citroen DS based Catvan, and the Cheetah bicycle come from?

"Rudi used the name CAT for his very first racing car and the first outfits he built for Fritz Scheidegger because a CAT is light and slinky. But he had never had a cat (four-legged kind). We got our first cat (wee beastie), Kuro, as a gift from the Yamaha Race Manager, Tanaka-san and since then all our cats have had Japanese names. (Kuro means "black") - that first Kuro lived until he was 12, our lady cat Inki died last year at the age of 17 (!) and our current cat, also black and who has grown to an enormous size in less than 3 years, is also called Kuro."

As if racing wasn't avant garde enough for the time, you were involved with heavy metal bands. How did you get into that work and which bands were you involved with?

"I think it has something to do with the rocker philosophy which is closely related to that of heavy metal. I just happened to watch a TV program one night which showed excerpts of the first ever heavy metal festival in Germany with Def Leppard, Kiss, Motorhead (I had first met Lemmy in my 59 club days), and some others, and it just hit me. I started covering heavy metal concerts and bands for a couple of local newspapers and international (German-language) magazines, then decided to organise a couple of concerts myself, then got involved with the Z7, Switzerland's most popular concert venue (www.z-7.ch). I worked in the Z7 office for 13 years, I am still vice-president but now do my work from home, though I do go up to the venue to help out at multi-day festivals."

Any favorites?

"Motorhead, WASP, Accept, but also some unusual stuff such as the Andrews Sisters (I heard them once in a WWII movie and love their harmonies)."

Roman Numismatics. How did you become an expert in ancient coins?

"When I was at school I wanted to be either a police detective or an archaeologist. I was half an inch too small to join the police, although I had been a police cadet (a voluntary organisation at the time for teenagers) and there was nowhere in my area where I could study archaeology, although one far-sighted locum teacher once took some of us on a field trip to Lancaster (NW England) and we visited an archaeological dig. Later, with the advent of metal detectors and the internet I was able to buy a small group of Roman coins from a German dealer and my old love of history and archaeology was re-awakened. I started collecting coins and numismatic books and fortunately I am a quick learner and it all went from there. I used to send images and information with the correct references to my friend Dave Surber from California, who founded the wildwinds.com website and he would add them to the wildwinds database. Some dealers started sending me images for wildwinds. Then Dave tragically died in February 2009 and although some people thought I was the right person to continue, I didn't have the money for the server costs. Fortunately at that time, an experienced English antiquities and coin company, Timeline Originals, for whom I had been identifying ancient coins for several years, stepped in and offered to buy wildwinds from Dave's widow and have me look after the job of adding coins etc. And that is what happened."

What are your impressions of your role as a fashion icon subsequent to your appearance in Men's File Magazine?

"Dane, the fashion icon, LOL. I never thought of it as fashion, it was utilitarian and just personalized, that's all. Almost all the badges on that Barbour jacket were gifts (some voluntary, others begged from the owners, haha) from 59 club members or from out-of-towner visitors to the 59 club."

In my research, I find you engaged in multiple online forums hinting at a certain level of accessibility which contradicts the paucity of information available for both you and Rudi on Wikipedia or the Manx TT database as examples. Is that by design?

"I'm not quite sure what you mean by accessibility. If someone writes to us I reply. We don't keep ourselves hidden away and I am on loads of forums, from SatDudez (satellite TV) to the Nokia owners forum, to Forum Ancient Coins (where I am fairly active) and now and again on Steve's Place etc. when someone has a specific question. Most people just google the name Helvetica and find me eventually.
But I have so much to do with the upkeep of wildwinds (www.wildwinds.com), identifying coins for people, adding them to wildwinds with the correct references etc, tidying up and correcting old errors etc, that the Forum Ancient Coins is the place which gets most of my attention. Beside that there is work such as doing the tax forms (need to finish them this week), work for the Z7, fixing friends'  laptops, doing translations - voluntary unpaid (useful old French, German and Italian numismatic works from the 1800s) as well as paid translation for record companies.
What we do not do, is visit re-unions. We like to look forwards, not backwards. Our racing time was a lot of fun and it brought us together but that time is past. There is enough to do today and to look forward to tomorrow, without having to look back and sigh with nostalgia. Hope that doesn't sound snotty or arrogant !"

Being forward thinking as you are, what do you see in your future?

"Crikey, no idea ! Continue what I'm doing now, I suppose."

All I can say is that this was a very special opportunity affording all of us a glimpse into a dynamic period of motorcycle history and one of its most interesting participants. Dane Kurth embodies all the attributes of a true sportsman. Her generosity and sincerity were refreshing.

Thanks a million, Dane!

Obscure Heroes of Motorcycling- #3 Ken Kavanagh

For me racing a Norton makes Ken Kavanagh a hero, his real claim to fame rests in being Australia's first winner of a motorcycle Grand Prix. A feat accomplished at the 350cc UGP in 1952. Another of his notable wins was the Junior Manx TT in 1956. His career started with Norton but his highest international ranking of 3rd was with Moto Guzzi in 1954.

Ken Kavanagh came from a rare breed of racer that raced automobiles as well. He attempted to race in Formula 1 aboard his personal Maserati 250F. Unfortunately, he was unable to complete either of the two races he entered.

Happy Birthday Burt

Right on the heels of McQueen's birthday comes the birthday of another inspirational motorcycle legend- Herbert James "Burt" Munro.

Happy Birthday Burt!

Happy 82nd Birthday Steve McQueen

For some he was a convenient style icon but for me and many others Steve McQueen represents much more. I consider him to be a true man. He was a man of conviction. McQueen was a true patriot, sportsman, philanthropist, and gentleman. Traits I consider to be in short supply with many famous people these days. For a short biography go here.

Happy Birthday Steve McQueen and thanks for the inspiration!

Remembering a Godfather Of Motorcycling

Sadly, motorcycling lost one of its greats- Claudio Castiglioni. Mr. Castiglioni did for Italian motorcycles what Enzo Ferrari did for Italian cars. He was responsible for iconic bikes such as the Ducati 916 and Monster as well as the MV Augusta F4 and Brutale. His last coup was the purchase and return to to Italy of MV Augusta from H-D for 3 euros or $4.50. His passion and vision will be missed.

A Little Bit More Familiar.....Mystery Unraveling

I wrote a post the other day titled "Something Familiar" discussing a motorcycle that I had seen via the Norton Model 7 forum on Yahoo. The bike is gorgeous and upon close inspection I noticed familiar Norton bits such as the Model 7 tank and laydown gearbox.

Imagine my surprise when 24 hours later I came across the bike up for auction on Ebay USA. It's listed as a 1931 James V Twin currently residing in Cognac, France and associated in some way with Tony Smith Racing. The bike itself comes with a pre-war class racing pedigree.

It is clear that not all the bits on this bike are pre-war or anywhere close to 1931. I did a few searches and was unable to find anything on a V-twin James. I had always associated James with lightweights and the engine reminded more of a JAP despite the advertisement to the contrary. I will admit that I am no expert. The gearbox is definitely a Laydown type with the kickstart blanked off. The frame has a double downtube and the centertube appears cut. Affixed to the centertube lug is a bolted rear section reminiscent of rigid ones bolted onto Triumph bobbers. It looks like a Garden Gate Frame save the front downtubes which could have been modified. Top the whole thing off with conical hubs and an early Model 7 tank and you have one hell of a bike especially with the girder forks.

The "nortoness" of this bike might be explained if the Tony Smith Racing associated with the advertisement is the same Tony Smith that campaigned a Gus Kuhn Norton Commando at the 1970 Bol d'Or. Tony Smith was an engineer and works rider for BSA in the sixties as well as winner of  the production class at Brands Hatch in 1974 aboard a Gus Kuhn Commando. The possible "French Connection" is that Tony Smith ran a motorcycle racing school in France during the 70's. He was also a competitive TT rider.

Tony Smith

All I know is that if I had the cash I definitely would buy it. It's a special that mixes modern and vintage in a seamless and functional manner. It's a rider which makes the bike that much more appealing to me. I also love the backround of the photos. The Cognac region is gorgeous. If I really had the money, I'd buy the bike and it's garage if you know what I mean!

Happy Birthday Steve Mcqueen!!!!!!!

You are 81 today and you look better than ever!!!!!!!!!

Rupert Hollaus-- Austria's Motorcycle Champion

I started posting videos of old racing movies a few weeks back and have enjoyed researching the back story on some of them. I hope you all have enjoyed the last one because the story behind it is both heroic and tragic. Rupert Hollaus was born in Traisen, Austria amidst a vibrant road racing community. Known for his modest physical presence and demeanor, Hollaus impressed NSU team managers with his natural motorcycling talent and started his second Grand Prix year in 1954  aboard a 125cc NSU Rennfox and a 250cc Rennmax.  The NSU team was strong and included the double World Champion Werner Haas but no one could have predicted Hollaus' freshman success at NSU.

Hollaus quickly dominated the 125cc class by winning the first four Grand Prix races, namely the IOM, Ulster, Dutch, and German.

At the Italian Grand Prix, Hollaus appeared to be putting together another win. He quickly posted a new record lap speed of 149.9 km/h during the final practice at the Monza track when tragedy struck. His team mates Muller and Haas witness Hollaus crashing in the perilous Lesmo curves. Despite immediate assistance, Rupert Hollaus passes away tragically becoming the first posthumous Grand Prix motorcycle champion and Austria's only motorcycle road racing champion.

4 September 1931-11 September 1954

The Fortnight Feature

For the readers in Germany, this little movie will be a treat since the narration is in German. I love 125cc bikes even in its modern MotoGP incarnation. This movie features the dolphin-nosed fairings that are the coolest

Rocinante Mecanico Boxing Day Double Feature

If you're like me and recovering from some Christmas merriment then sit down a while and enjoy these wonderful films. The first offers a bit of education about the race and all the heroes of the TT are present. Makes you wish you were there!!!!

Friday's Pin-up

MERRY

CHRISTMAS

Handley on an Early Gold Star

Courtesy of the VMCC

Friday's Pin-up

John Surtees and Vincent Grey Flash 1951

Friday's Pinup

Sammy Miller in 1957 riding a Mondial 125cc

Do you like adventure?

Dumb question. Motorcycling is all about adventure! Who hasn't thought of riding the Panamerican Highway or some equivalent? But some actually do it and do it in a big way.We are all familiar with McGregor and Boorman taking the "Long Way Round". Definitely a series I enjoyed watching. But what if you and your buddy decided to quit your jobs and circumnavigate the globe on 70 year old Nimbus motorcycles and document the whole journey from rebuilding the bikes to the travels over the next 2 years. Well, you would get this:

The reference to Croesus  in King Croesus' Contempt for Death or KCCD is a complicated one which required some research on my part. The best explanation that I could draw from the Wikipedia refers to the fickle nature of one's fortune which is a natural and essential component to any good adventure. Their itinerary is an ambitious one that does a bit more than circumnavigate the globe:

I haven't read through the whole adventure yet but the blog is fantastic. It offers great technical detail, fabulous photography, and superb humor from two of the ballsiest Norsemen around. Check them out here and support their adventure!

Curiouser and curiouser.......

If you haven't read the previous post you will be lost. I thought I had made a cool discovery of the obituary of Artie Bell in the "The Story of the Ulster" by G. S. Davison that I had received in the mail yesterday. After writing the previous blog post, I started reading passages in the book looking for references to Artie Bell. Fascinating literature to be sure. I was once again surprised by two more clippings located behind the dustjacket! The most notable of the two was an  article dated February 21, 1968 in the Sunday Express detailing the crash that ended Artie Bell's career as a motorcycle racer.

Amongst the fantastic details of the accident which involved the great Geoff Duke, the article indicates that Bell broke every bone in his body but was nearly killed during surgery by being transfused the wrong blood type because he was not wearing the customary medical information necklace. Bell's play-by-play description of the incident is a scene from the movies. Thanks to the dealer from whom most of my collection has been puchased for this little treasure.

Do you believe in ghosts?

In previous posts I have mentioned the importance of history to the classic motorcyclist. That nostalgia is both a necessity in order to keep your bike on the road and a pleasurable aspect of the hobby to know the context in which the bike came into being. I owe a great deal to my Norton Model 7 in terms of expanding my horizons. I have made new friends, learned new skills, and have started collecting period literature. My little collection is very narrow and is centered around the author G. S. Davison. (I'll write more about him in a later post).

Yesterday, I received the second to last book required to complete the whole collection of first editions. I was leafing through the book while watching Formula 1 qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix held on the Spa-Francorchamps race track when this piece of paper fell out. It turns out it was the obituary for Artie Bell who had passed away August 11th 1972.

Artie Bell is an Irish motorcycle roadracer known for his short, brilliant, yet tragic racing career. He stunned the racing community by placing 2nd at the 1947 Isle of Man TT and winning the 1947 Ulster Grand Prix aboard his personal second-hand 500cc Norton. His association with Norton is an important one. During his brief career as a Norton team rider, Artie Bell worked with fellow Irishman Rex McCandless to develop the famous Norton Featherbed Frame. Artie Bell's racing career ended July 2nd 1950 in a terrible accident at the Spa-Francorchamps race track! His Grand Prix career only lasted one month.

Artie Bell at speed

Friday's Pin-up

Gary Hocking

A New Little Buddy

Picked up this cast figure the other day out of pure nostalgia rather than necessity. Bibendum as he is called because of the noise made by thumping inner tubes is the mascot of Michelin Tires. I have a certain fondness for Bibendum as the garage around the corner from my grandparents' house in Tours, France had a huge Bibendum fixed to the roof of their tow truck. I remember the owner who was a friend of my grandfather giving me a small foam rubber version of the tire maker's mascot. I loved walking around that garage with its tools, greasy mechanics, and the smell of fuel mixed with oil.

As one of the two largest tire manufacturers in the world, Michelin based in Clermont-Ferrand, France is normally associated with motorsport with its participation in Formula 1 and MotoGP. It is fitting though to mention on the last day of the Tour de France that Michelin gained fame in 1891 by patenting a removable pneumatic bicycle tire that allowed Charles Terront to win the first long distance bicycle race- Paris-Brest-Paris.

Bibendum has been a wonderful mascot with his instant recognizability and sympathetic character. More importantly, Bibendum unifies a world of  enthusiasts regardless of the number of wheels or the powertrain that drives them.