The Place

It started at CRMC funnily enough with our Dad. He was running an NSU with a wider tyre than that. Pete Krokowski and Chris McGahan (mods correct the spelling ) - their sponsor (Team Manager in modern speak) put in an idea that there should be a tyre width limit. Our Bob 'Oiseau' was CRMC sidecar bloke at the time and it went through, so Dad, rather than change the tyre or rim (couldn't afford to do either) took a tyre cutter and shaved the tyre on both sides to bring it down to the new regulation size.
He kept the same size wheel on, and let's face it Dad was racing with the same wheels (I think, I don't remember him buying any and at that time he wasn't in a position to make his own from scratch) as the first home build he drove when he started with the NSU in about 72/73 so it was definitely contemporary. That was around 82/83.

Probably still had the same tyres on

Well if there the rules thats that cleared up, i definately remember at one point tho i think when andy evans was in charge some tyre and rim guages were brought in.

Bob will correct if l'm wrong, but Bob with Alan Cathcart, did the sidecar regulations , for the CRMC club. and the NSU dad had the rules were based on that , so the tyres width and tread were right. l think dad beat someone else and they didnt like it. so thats how the the rules for tyres got changed, poor old fat bloke , he didn' often win, but he did enjoy a challenge. He also said its the way you can interpretate the rules . so that why he got the tyre cutter out.

Alan had no input with the regs, he freely admitted that "I don't know one end of a sidecar from another and, frankly, they terrify me!".

The regs as introduced were formulated with no specific machine in mind but from many of that period, from memory, photos and good old fashioned talking to people. As for tyres and wheel sizes there were obviously 16" and larger and the only permissible other sizes was either 12" for the sidecar wheel which used a Dunlop 12" Sidecar Racing Tyre or 10" (mini) wheels with a maximum rim size of 4 1/2 J. Most common rubber was either Dunlop Green Spots or Avon Grand Prix. Slicks were banned as were cut slicks.

Ray was using correct rim sizes, his outfit had a valid Eeligibility Certificate, but he had inadvertently fitted a marginally oversized rear tyre, to correct this about one eight of an inch was removed from either shoulder.

There are invariably problems of one kind or another with ultra competitve drivers/passengers and occasionally a protest may have been lodgeds, s ometimes successful, sometimes not. I am not going any further on this tack as much of it is water under the bridge and will benefit nobody.!

In retrospect one reg that could/should have been included is that "gentlemanly conduct is expected at all times

Should the unlikelihood happen that the odd forum member or two wishes to discuss this topic privately then please PM me.

My apologies Bob,looks like l got it wrong, it was a long time ago.oops sorry.

No apologies necessary Eve It's probably by coincidence that Ray's NSU happened to fit the regs as designed Ray was also one of a number of riders, engineers and builders that I spoke to at that time when recreating the classic sidecar!