Historic Racing Bikes
1974-1975 Factory Yamaha US 250cc
This bike was built by Kel Carruthers and the Factory Yamaha US team specifically for Kenny Roberts. Kenny rode this bike throughout the 1974 and 1975 seasons almost unbeaten, to become the AMA 250cc Grand Prix Champion both years. Amongst these victories, KR achieved his first Daytona win in 1975 upon this bike. It is also strongly believed and suggested by Kel Carruthers, that this is the bike on which Kenny rode his 1st GP on at the Assen TT in 1974, where he started in Pole and finished in 3rd place after a crash.
The machine was continually uprated almost race by race. Apart from Kel's engine and pipe development which made the bike probably the fastest 250cc in the World at the time, the bike went through several visual changes these included:- Vesco swinging arm and seat unit, OW17 Front forks, OW17 Front Wheel and brakes, single or double disks, OW17 Front Guard, OW17 Rear Wheel, Flat sided Fairings, then for Laguna Seca in 1975 the rear end of the frame was kicked up and a modified swinging arm was fitted to allow longer, laid down motocross type shock absorbers to be fitted. This allowed more suspension travel before the mono-shock design was available.
Kel Carruthers authenticates the bike and signed the tank of his creation at Assen Classic TT 2010, where Chas Mortimer and Richard Tracy competed on it. Chas managed an average 99.74 mph on this bike compared to 99.28mph on a TZ350G !
Kenny himself reunited withthe bike at hte VMCC Festival of 1000 Bikes, Mallory Park 2011. Kenny remembered the bike as being "the good one" and not the "piece of sh*t" which was the 1976 machine!
Dean Want riding at the CRMC's Silverstone Classic 2010. Great Pic by Bryan Lancaster.
Niall Mackenzie tries out the KR TZ at VMCC 1000 Bikes Festival. Great Pic by Jim Blanchard.
Some video clips of the bike running and in action.
Assen Centennial Classic TT 2010
1966 Factory Husqvarna 250cc
This machine is one of only 2 Road Racing bikes made by Husqvarna for 1966. This example was Husqvarna's No 1 bike built for (and with the help of) future World Champion, Kent Andersson. Andersson became 1966 Swedish Champion on this bike and competed in his 1st Grand Prix championship races, scoring points at every race he entered. 5th Montjuic Park, Spanish GP, 6th Imatra, Finnish GP and 6th Suzuka, Japanese 250cc GP. It was also ran in the 350cc Grand Prix at Suzuka, also coming in 6th place and picking up a GP point. Pretty good considering the opposition : Phil Read & Bill Ivy 1-2 Yamaha, 3rd Alberto Pagani, 4-5 Honda, 6th Husqvarna !
Kent also won an International race at Mouscron in Belgium on the bike, with Team mate Anders Bengtsson coming in 2nd, giving Husqvarna a 1-2.
This machine has some unique features, making it a very easily recognisable machine. The frame is unique (1 of only 2 specially made by the Husqvarna factory) It's is roughly based upon the motocross bike with many major differences, special short forks with magnesium fork sliders (and non valved top nuts), modified Honda CB92 magnesium wheels. It still has it's original clip ons, Magura lever assemblies and throttle twist grip!
At the end of 1966 The bike was sold to finance a new 1967 Yamaha TD1C for Andersson, (on which he won a GP !) and the bike went to the UK Husqvarna importer, Brian Leask who sponsored Percy Tait on it. Tait won a race at Mallory Park on it and had some success, proving the potential of the Husky.
The claimed power of the 250cc Husqvarna in 1966 was 33hp, but the weight was shaved down to 75 kg, making for a very nippy & light, wheelie prone machine capable of mixing it with the best in the World, in the right hands.
This bike is now undergoing a full restoration to race spec. To date the engine has been fully rebuilt from a box of rusty and literally destroyed parts !
Whilst stripping the frame, it's frame number has been found...stamped on the upper left rear frame tube. This is unusual in itself as usually Husqvarna stamped the frame number on a band welded around the headstock, but these bikes did not have the welded band, and no trace of numbers were found on the headstock. It appears to be stamped BA 660247 K. K for Kent's bike !.
1983 Factory Armstrong 250cc
ex-Svend Andersson, and more recently Donnie McLeod & Mark Parratt.
Donnie McLeod in action on the Team Armstrong (Rave Motorsport) 250cc at Assen Centennial Classic TT 2010
Mark Parratt in action during the Manx GP 2011.
Restored & race prepared by Rave Motorsport in the Spring/Summer of 2010. More on this bike on the Armstrong website.
2011 Factory Armstrong 250cc Prototype
Our 1st bike built by us from original drawings and tooling. Features Armstrongs own works engine (not Rotax !!!) as used by McLeod & Mackenzie circa 1983 - 1984
First publicly displayed and run at the Festival of Jurby IOM Manx GP 2011 by Paul Owen
1977 Cotton 250cc LCRS Clubmans Racer
LCRS - Liquid Cooled Racing Special ! Terry Wilson relaunched the Cotton brand in 1976 with this model bike. It was the really first production racer to utilise a ROTAX engine for racing, a 247cc single in this case. A special V-twin Rotax - Cotton was developed after this model, in conjunction with Rotax, which then led to the ubiquitous Tandem Twin 256, which went into the EM34 Cotton.
Cotton was soon afterwards one of the companies bought out by ARMSTRONG, which led to the CM35 model. The similarilties in the frame can clearly be seen.
This example was actually the last one built, being number 20 of 20. It has only only 4 owners from new, including ourselves.... The bike originally went to Ireland when it was new and according to the second owner, Mr Bill Howarth, it won some major races. It has a QUB exhaust system. We are still trying to find out it's Irish history, so if you remember a Cotton in the 1976 - 1978 period, please let us know !
