Crescent powered sidecar, 1967? What do you know?

[powerhouse]

Twin engines photos photos photos I beg of you

[steve-e]

I'll try to get him onto Steve's Place but that depends how quickly Steve authorises new contributors

As soon as we receive an email that there is a new user, if the username doesn't look suspiciously 'spammy' we activate as soon as any of the admin can log in. I quite often get beaten by the other admin

[petercaughlin]

So if my real name was Herbert Spam I could`nt be on here? Seems very unfair to decent members of the Spam family.

[PETE ODELL]

I remember passengering for Roy Pike at the October International in 1966or1967 and dicing with Eric Parkinson
who was passengered by Derek Bailey on a crescent outfit.
Bill Hodgkins and John Parkins did the GP'S for a season on a really well turned out [as are all Bills machines] crescent
but it lacked reliability and performance.
John Carpenter of Mistral Engineering built three solos for Crescent motors,one for Peter Humber,one for Willy Ryan
the hydroplane sponsor, and one for himself. They failed to perform despite a special transmision and other mods.
John then used the rolling chassis to house his own crankcased yamaha engine which he campaigned with good
results including the MGP. He was looking for an ignition system and contacted Lucas who supplied a set of RITA
electronic componants. John liased with Lucas and ended up the manufacturer of RITA kits for many models.
He is still selling various m/c systems.
I owe him a lot. When I was preparing with Jim Mann for our first TT in 1966 we had a last minute change or rear wheel
to effect. John stood on one leg for days,following a crash at clearways and a broken ankle making spindles,spacers etc.
Dick Hawes

John Vines of the 6 cylinder crescent outfit (now owns kawasaki centre at rayleigh wier) did a lot of work on willy ryans bikes and got them going reasonably well, one is running with the classic club regularly, John carpenters mentioned yam with own cases and td2b top end etc was sold to John Wilson dunno what happened to it though.

[PETE ODELL]

The Cresent outfit that was built by John Vines Ltd (Now the Leigh-on-Sea Kawasaki Center) was a Six cylinder outfit. it had Two 3 cylinder Cresent engines, driving the power to the wheel through a Honda CB750 gearbox with John's own famous "Brass Clutch" fitted.

I rode it at Snetterton in the 80's it was faster than any TZ750, but it suffered with water pump trouble.

Would love to know where it is now, is it still around and in running order?

I had Johns "6" and was going to restore it and run at classic meetings but the arses said no, this was in the late eighties and they knew we would have laced everyone with it lol, because they would not allow it and work commitments it sat in the workshop for years until I gave it back to John, who started to restore it himself but other projects took over, If we can get the ok from CRMC I will badger john to finish it or do it myself again.

ps,Malcolm, I think JV still has your book of excuses lol

[malcolm aldrick]

Hi Peter
Nice to hear back, I lost touch with all the Essex crowd some years ago when moved abroad. I'll try and contact John and chat over old times.

I think not keeping in touch is excuse 43b if I recall?

Cheers Mate

[tonybsa2008]

If its faster than a 750 tz,then why not come and race it in the post classics?No eligibility worries for you there.

[PETER ODELL]

Hi Tony, basically time really, I have spoken to JV about resurecting it, hence asking Ian about eligibility, but I run a tuning and classic solo building business, JV has various projects on the go that need finishing first, but if we get the nod it will happen, the other consideration is we are both in our sixties now and cant do the hours we used to do, I am sure others will nod sagely at that

I started to restore the outfit about 89, half way through CRMC flatly refused it, (I was having rows about a TR350 at the time too) so it got put to one side and about 94 needed the space so it went back to JV, we had a beer driven conversation about 9 yrs ago to rebuild it and run it for fun, started it again but as it was just a fun and excuse to get together project (johns in southend & I in peterborough) it was constantly being put to one side for business and paying projects (and beer).

If we are told YES we can run it, then I will chase JV up and we will get it done, but it would still probably be a year before it see's rubber on tarmac because I still have to earn a living and JV has a couple of old arrows F1 cars to restore.

If memory serves correctly Malcolm got to ride the outfit at Snett as Johns leathers were too tight, due to JV expanding and could not move properly, I am sure Malcolm will correct if my memory is hazy

[malcolm aldrick]

Yes Peter

I did indeed ride it on time at Snetterton with Steve China in the chair back in the 80's.

As I said it was so much faster than any TZ750 (then), we'd have won it by miles, but as was it's want it suffered with water pump troubles that day.

Cheers

MA

[PETER ODELL]

Steve still pops along to the odd CRMC meeting and see's JV regularly, I spoke to JV yesterday and will pass your contacts on to him malc

[malcolm aldrick]

Thanks Peter, it would be really nice to hear from the Southend guys again