A look into some other racing photos from Keith Bryen's photo album....

Keith included another folder with the CD-R he gave me of his racing history in photos and it was titled...." Photos of other riders and bikes of the past".
What a little treasure trove of interesting pics which I just have to share with you over a few more blogs on and off in the next few months......
Left click on images to enlarge.....
Ken Kavenagh at Silverstone, late 1953














A G45 at Silverstone, late 1953















Silverstone, late 1953















The Norton team, Silverstone, late 1953















125cc works Mondial, Silverstone, late 1953















125cc works MV Augustas, Silverstone , late 1953
















Silverstone, late 1953- Ken Kavenagh, Jack Brett and Ray Amm














125cc racing Tilbrook, circa 1952, made in South Australia.

Keith Bryen, an Australian privateer racing in Europe 1953....

As I mentioned in my last blog, Keith Bryen,left Sydney, Australia around April 1953 and sailed to England, collected racing motorcycles and became one of the
enthusiastic group of privateers who formed the "Continental Circus" with an old van purchased somewhere in the UK they camped at, and raced in the various motorcycle GPs throughout Europe with the pinnacle being the Isle of Man TT races, to which most young men who raced motorcycles aspired to.
This series of photographs were taken by Keith, his wife Gwen and perhaps friends or a professional photographic company who I regretably don't know and so can't credit the photos to.
This is your opportunity to view the racing from the eyes of a privateer who as I mentioned in the last blog eventually was offered a factory Moto Guzzi ride, only to have it withdrawn after Moto Guzzi withdrew from motorcycle racing at the end of the 1957 season.
Keith continues in a note to me.....
"..I soon realised after speaking with Eric McPherson ( another well known Aussie privateer who spent time in the UK and Europe on the Continental Circus from the late 1940's ) and reading "The MotorCycle" and "MotorCycling" that it would take about five years to get as much race experience in Australia as you could get in one season overseas, so in 1953 I ordered a brace of Nortons and set sail. Being a complete unknown, it was not easy to get a start at some meetings but as I became known it was a bit easier ..."
Left click on images to enlarge.....
At machine examination with his 350 Norton...IOM TT.























Ready for practice in the Senior IOM TT....this is an S.R.Keig Ltd photo to whom I acknowledge use.




















During practice on the 500 Norton, IOM TT.

















During practice on the 500 Norton, Ken Kavenagh about to pass him, IOM TT.



















A happy bunch of privateers in Douglas, IOM













Keith and Ken Kavenagh ready for the start of the Senior TT.



















The Bryen's van and Nortons in the pits of the Dutch TT at Assen.















The pit area the day after the Dutch TT.















A roadside foodstop on the Hannover to Berlin Autobahn.















Fellow privateers on the road in Europe...Rob Fitton, B.Mathews, H.Clarke,B.Hall.















Keith lapping Tommy Wood during the German GP at Schotten. The star riders of the Norton, Gilera, AJS and Guzzi teams refused to start in the 350 and 500 classes on the grounds of the excessive danger of the course.



















The Avis Ring at Berlin.

Keith Bryen, the last rider to get a Moto Guzzi works ride....

Keith Bryen, member of the enthusiastic group of privateers who formed the "Continental Circus" each year as they camped at, and raced in the various motorcycle GPs throughout Europe from pre WW2 up until the early 1970's after which the professional aspect took over and the age of innocence was gone, is likely the last rider to be offered a factory Moto Guzzi ride before they pulled out of racing at the end of the 1957 season.
I know Keith and his lovely wife Gwen, who was his constant companion during their oddessy and he's passed over copies of his photographic collection taken during this time....
I'll share them with you over subsequent blogs....many never seen before, a brief look into his motorcycle racing career.
As Keith put is so succinctly in a letter to me...
"...1956 was a good year for me as I gradually improved and gained a lot of confidence. Never at any stage did I harbour any thoughts of becoming a factory rider, I was just enjoying the racing and being able to see other parts of the world and having Gwen with me made it all so much more enjoyable.
When the Dutch TT was over in 1957, I was approached by Moto Guzzi in the paddock and asked if I would try one of their 350cc machines at the Belgium GP the following week. "How much do you want to ride it" they asked.
I felt like saying "How much do I pay for the priviledge?"
In all there were only three GPs that I rode for them before the season was finished.
Then the news that they had withdrawn from racing and no longer required my services. We had of course returned to Australia so that our first child ( our daughter Stephanie) could be born there, and that was when I got their letter.
How did I feel?
Well I felt that I had just climbed to near the top of the ladder and then it had been pulled from under me."
Gut wrenching stuff I'd say.....
So we'll start this blog with Keith's start with racing motorcycles in Australia from 1947 to 1952.....
Left click on the images to enlarge......
His first racer, a modified 1946 Triumph 500ss Speed Twin


















A 1939 BSA Gold Star fitted now with rear suspension.















1949 Bathurst TT races ( in western NSW), the 1939 BSA Gold Star.























On the 1939 BSA Gold Star at Bungaribbee,near Blacktown on the ourskirts of Sydney, NSW.















1937 International Norton















1949 7R AJS at the 1950 Bathurst races with Tommy Han.






















Winning the 350cc Hill climb Championships on a 350 Mk.8 KTT.


















On the ex Frank Mussett ( ex Ted Mellors ) 500cc factory Velocette racer















The ex Frank Mussett ( ex Ted Mellors ) 500cc factory Velocette racer

The North American Velocette shop....aka Ed Gilkison's "Toy shop"....

The main Velocette distributor for the West Coast of the USA from around just post WW2 up into the perhaps 1970's was Lou Branch Motorcycles of 2019 West Pico Boulevard, in Los Angeles, California.........

Below is one of the invoices Branch Motorcycles received for the receipt of three 350cc Velo Scramblers in August 1957.....I'll do a future blog on these invoices, as I have a large quantity from the early 1950's to 1960. It will "set a cat amongst the pidgeons" as they say over Velocette paint colours and specifications........

On his closure of the business, Ellie Taylor purchased the stock inventory, which included Moto Guzzi stuff ( this was sold off) and he ran a mail order parts business for a time.

Then Bob Stroud purchased the stock of Ellie amd finally Ed Gilkison from Lakebay in Washington State on the far NW of the USA took the lot.

Ed has expanded this with further used stock purchases over the years, purchases of some of the Canadian distributor...Bateman's final new old stock from Win Muehling and injections of used stock via Geoff Blanthorn from the UK.

Ed purchases new stock from the UK from the main suppliers, plus has stuff made or sources other car parts that could be used...for example the copper cylinder head gasket for the 86mm bore engines comes from a US car.

When I visit Ed, he always says to me.....

Come lets visit the "toy shop"....

I was there again in mid may this year, which is just a week or so ago and I want to take you on a visual photographic tour of Ed's business, which is mail order and you can contact him via post at Ed Gilkison, P.O. Box 226, Lakebay, WA 98349, USA, or email veloguru1@yahoo.com ( correct email address at August 2012)

Use Velocette parts numbers where possible and of course a good description.

Be patient....Ed has lots of customers and a reply may take time.....

Left click on images to enlarge......

The usual method Ed uses to satisfy customers....US Postal Service, Lakebay Post Office....

Ed with some of his parts inventory...still in the original Lou Branch parts drawers and racks....

Upstairs in some of the used parts inventory....

A Velocette Viceroy scooter engine on a display plinth....

Some of Ed's machine tools.....

Downstairs workbench areas....

Ed with a proprietry magneto re-magnetiser....

Ed had special long shafted adjustable reamers with pilots made in various sizes to enable accurate reaming of renewed Webb girder fork bushes....

Not everyones "cup of tea"...a customer requested a special paint job on what looks like an American bobber bike....

Ed's place is a bit hard to find if you travel down to Lakebay....pass the Post Office on the right, quickly onto a bridge over an inlet of Puget Sound, but hang on...turn right just before the bridge onto Herron Road then the first dirt road on the left some 100 yards/metres later- unsignposted- and follow this to the end, arriving at the "toy factory"... you won't find it on Google maps....

Actually this is wrong according to Ed's cousin Bert Giebels, who lives in Holland and has visited this blog and left comment.

Bert tells me the co-ordinates for Google Maps is....

47.262729,-122.770025 (+47 15' 45.82",- 122 46' 12 09")

I've checked and remember thats exactly where I went....

Thanks Bert!!

Incidently Ed no longer takes in complete restoration, but apart from selling parts, he does engine and gearbox, front fork etc overhauls......