My Dad rode speedway in the 50s early 60s. Had his JAP powered bike nicked from his pub in Tottenham in about 1974. It was copper colour framed with a white seat.
Great bike - Weslake's and Jawa's were great too but listen....if you're EVER starting, inspecting, listening to, diagnosing or putting yourself in any sort of proximity to rotary driven, moving parts (fans, wheels, pullies, belt-drives, axles, etc) please, please, please don't do as the guy does in this video, which is to be wearing a necklace & drawstrings & getting frustrated at around the 1:13 mark, he leans in to try again to start the bike & the stuff round his neck swings within about 2 inches of the spokes. Had the bike of fired at that moment & the necklace caught in the wheel we'd have all been watching one of those horrific accident, decapitiation type videos that do so well on line!
Love those James A. Prestwich 500 singles and have ridden speedway in my youth. Did fairly well but was 6'4" and 240 lbs--too big for being really competitive. Had the wrong bike also--a 500cc Vincent, with a sprung rear end. Loads of punch, bad handling. Not enough coin nor the desire to ruin a precious vintage scooter.
Here is our 30 minute film about driving a JAP engine on small Eifel roads near Nürburgring: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kQP1vsdFOik.html
