A new DVD boxset on the history of the Sheffield Tigers. Interviews with Doug Wyer, Reg Wilson, Eric Boocock, Shawn Moran and Sean Wilson are amongst the highlights.
"Great article Tony. Like you, I knew Noel Clarke well, I fixed him up with two bikes in his collection, the S45 ESO with the leading link forks and the 2 speed gearbox and an Erskine Staride. I got the ESO from Antonin Kasper, a great rider in his day and Tony Kasper the GP riders dad.
I also had a Kerman. IIRC Phil Kerman built his stuff at the Peamore Garage just outside Exeter. Bob Jones needed a new tank one night at Exeter and he got one from Phil Kerman, with a little badge on the right side, Peamore Garage Exeter. I eventually found the correct tank for my Kerman. Alec Gooch at Ipswich now has it when I retired from riding and sold everything up.
My Kerman was mis-identified by Ernie Lessiter, as a Hynes. Ernie had one and when he saw mine he took a look at the repair on the right side chainstay, just in front of the wheel fixing and said " you 'ave an 'ines there boy - mine broke in the same place! "
The Hynes and Kerman forks were, AFAIK, identical. The spring bolts came out through the top crown as they went up and down over the bumps and had no diagonal bracing on the front. Both had only two bolt front engine plates, both were made out of very lightweight tubing. I broke a fork slider during a Vintage Grass Track final in Sussex, bloody lucky I felt it wobble and could pull off the track. I had my Kerman for thirty years and won many, many races with it. I built a Vintage GT bike from a wartime 350 Triumph. I modified the frame using the fork/head angle from the Kerman. Again, very successful.
"In reply to Jeff Gayle. The riders named did ride in the UK in the pioneer days. Dab was Boston's initials d stood for David. There are some records of Murch, Boston and Remington in the Speedway Researcher records. They did not become star men and their stay appears to have been relatively short lived. The best Amaricans were Sprouts Elder and Ray Tauser. There is an excellent short documentary onTauser. Re Bill Bragg - he rode for a short spell in the pioneer days. Not seen any references I can recall about him being a promoter. I think there were promoters with the family name Bragg But I don't know if they had any connection to Bill Bragg."
