1960's classic scramble / motocross event. murry walker comentry. jeff smith dave bickers lampkin and rickman racing greeves bsa triumph 500 250 and 440 machines
Just heard the news of Murray Walker’s passing at age 97 but motorcycling was always his passion and commentating in these BBC Grandstand winter Scrambles is a memory I’ll always remember RIP Murray you were and still are a legend.
Hi Chris, most people don't realise Murray Walker had a passion for bikes as well as F1. I'm looking forward to seeing more on your channel this year 👍👍
I remember jumping up and down with excitement when I knew the scrambling was coming on when I was around five or six years old. Ahhhh can still smell the Castrol R.
It's really great to see these old films! Very early 70's I raced a 380 Greeves in the USA. Lots of grunt from that engine and very few people had ever heard of a Greeves. I had the pleasure of meeting Jeff Smith at Corduroy in Canada and competing with him.
I've never been a motorcyclist but as a young man I never missed this on Saturday afternoons, loved it. Big pity we don't get on TV now instead of the garbage they shove out. I might even buy a TV licence if they did.
I love the sound of those old engines, especially the BSA 441 Victor four strokes. Those bikes are getting harder and harder to find, but are in great demand everywhere.
I used to love watching this, especially enjoying the deep rumble of the four stroke engines and the spectacular race action. This features two of my favourite riders and I remember so many of the names even though I was well under 10 years old at the time.
Great to see all of top boys from the 80s once again, great game for everyone that loves moto cross? Dennis Tyler ex British school boy acu finerlist 1980
I have seen this before but what a great race it is. In those days bikes had about 4 inch suspension movement, hence no massive leaps like today. I started racing with similar machines. Then I got a 1974 Bultaco (which I still have) with 8 inch suspension. It felt like I had been riding with square wheels before. I then moved onto 1980's machines with 12 inch suspension. My last race was 1988 at the age of 42. I am still riding dirt bikes off road at the age of 70. My son rides enduro in the US and my three grandchildren race in the junior classes. Great sport.
Fantastic! Those were the days and l was there! Great to see my hero Jerry Scott who died shortly after. Smithy was a real hardman, used to train in his dinner break at BSA by jogging in steel capped boots. Dave Bickers left Greeves and raced a Jawa along with Chris Horsfield after Joel Robert dominated on it.
What a fab video, although I'm a bit young to actually remember this I'd have loved it on a Saturday afternoon. I was lucky enough to have raced back in the 70's in my teens. I wasn't very good but enjoyed it tremendously. I started on a twin shock KX125, swapped that for a CCM 580 then swapped to my favourite bike, my ex works FB AJS 360. Happy, happy days.
Wonderful. Bickers, Smith, Eastwood, Horsfield, Lampkin... I remember those BBC broadcasts with great affection. And, those bikes sound like motor bikes should sound.
Saturday afternoons watching Grandstand for the scrambles was my TV highlight of week. I had a 50cc Gillera stripped to the bone for the pitheaps. I lived on that bike from sun up to sunset and dreamed one day I'd have a bike like these bikes. I did eventually and still have.
I used to watch scrambling on grandstand at my grandmas! I was fascinated by the Greeves bikes, and later raced a Qub griffon along with several friends from Holmfirth!
Bickers was my hero as a child i never got to see him live i did see vic eastwood Arther browing,lamkin and a few more at Bamber bridge. i loved watching grandstand, scranbling, speedway rallly cross etc
as a kid of 5-6 years old I lived for grandstand Saturday afternoons, scrambles, bickers and Co with Murry Walker doing the commentary, RIP Murry, motorcycle empitness (manics) and the F1 tune by fleetwood mac are his top 2 favourite songs
My this brings back memories if it rained badly on Saturday cancelling football etc the world of sport turned to all kinds of scrambler racing bikes and cars usually in the mud!it was a real treat
Great video. Didn't get interested in off-road racing until the mid '70s, so I remember Jeff Smith as an older guy on Can-Ams. It's great to see him here in his prime.
When I was a kid, the first time I heard the name of the legend that is big Arthur Browning, was on Grandstand. When I found out he was from the same part of Birmingham, I was chuffed. When he rode speedway for the Brummies, I was double chuffed! Don't ask about the Milk Tray advert! What a guy.
The speeds were fantastic considering many of the bikes were basically stripped down roadsters. A popular special was the Tribsa, a 500 alloy Triumph engine in a BSA duplex frame. lt was only into the 60s that the big four strokes got purpose made frames such as Rickman and Cheney. Greeves always had their lightweight frame that gave their 250s such speed . BSA dropped the Gold Star, powerful but very heavy in favour of Smithy's 440 which was developed from their non descript 250 C15 roadster. l was luck enough to be around to see them at it, the noise and smells were amazing. Cheers.
enjoyed watching the scrambling..had 3 uncles that used to ride around Tarporley and Chester areas, Beeston castle was a favorite..included a hill climb...
When I was a teenager I lived between Hadleigh Essex and the Greeves factory in Thundersley and spent a lot of time at scramble meetings in Essex/Suffolk area spoilt for choice in those days with the Rayleigh rockets speedway track also close by there was always a bike “fix” to be had Hadleigh was a regular grandstand featured circuit This was a great time in motorcycle sport before the gods of money and commercial enterprise sanitised it
Must have been great back then getting your dirtbike outta your car and having a great time at scramble clubs with your family, its not like this anymore.
Nice coverage. Not easy with all those trees in the way. I remember this on Saturdays in the 60s and couldn't believe the racket and the black and white mud.
Hi Rob,I raced in the early sixties in New England the east coast of the USA,I rode a 250 Dot with the Villiers motor and Alpha racing bottom end,It was a tough bike and not that light which was good frame strength was very important then and being in shape came from constantly riding in scrambles and practice sessions,I also rode BSA,Triumph Cub ,The mighty 250 Bultaco Pursang Mettisse,I started racing when I was 13 on the 250 Dot
This takes me back to watching this with my dad on Grandstand...and those guys in macks, trilbys and wellies jumping up and down on the cars to get traction during hill climbs 😂
Outstanding photo coverage for this race considering the era. Having owned 2 441 Victors, I can feel for what a beating Dave Smith must have taken manhandling that heavy BSA. Loved this video - thanks for posting!.......
Jeff Smith. . He and Dave Bickers. All time greats. Always will be. The machines were basic compared to today's hi tech nonsense. They were the best of their era.. and any era I say.
According to Frank Melling in his article "'The $40 Million Motocrosser:' " To appreciate this story, the reader must understand that at one time, spectators used to cheer Chris Horsfield riding a CZ, simply because he broke up the monotony of the factory BSAs filling the first six places in an international motocross; the Birmingham factory's grip really was that tight." 'Memorable Motorcyles: BSA Titanium.' 1/3/2006.
Proper MENS motorcycle racing ; no silencers ,crap suspension,lots of mud and dirt and noise and the smell of Castrol R aahhh those were the days.No poncing around in lycra!
@pmay222 You are fine. Todays bikes suck. 4 strokes w/a 20 hour lifespan? $3000+ for a rebuild? Jumping 20 feet in the air? Quadruple jumps? Why? My bike is "new" It's a '77 Yamaha TT500 w/a 540 kit. Good enough for me and the Mojave Desert. You are not "old and miserable" You got class!
My dad came home with one of those Greeves when I was 15yrs old in 1976. It was a proper useable little rocket ship. It was road registered but no lights. AAU 280B. Where is it now? I loved it.
@@imnew2nm324 ...... I went to watch some races in the late 80 ' s where ( near Rugby ) ., the first corner first ups just carried straight on to kick the crap out of each other as they ., they eventually got back to it about a 1/3 from the back ..
@@robertwoodliff5622 I started in the very early 70's. We'd all arrive at the track Friday night where everyone shared in a BBQ, lots of families would all be there together. Saturday nights were usually big pot luck dinners, especially with the smaller clubs and groups. Sunday mornings, a nice breakfast was often hosted by the sponsoring club. My how times changed
