VOL. 50 ISSUE 48 DECEMBER 3, 2013
the F1 success of James Hunt
and the Hesketh Racing team,"
says Sleeman. "We've tried to incorporate this in subtle touches,
such as the small Scottish and
English flags on the tail as seen
on the original Formula 1 car carrying number 24, and the outline
of the Zandvoort circuit that offered James Hunt the Hesketh
team's famous 1975 victory. The
limited edition Hesketh 24, of
which only 24 will be made, is
available from next February, and
we intend to develop and release
a two-seater version of this model
shortly after."
Price? "It'll be sickeningly expensive!" says Sleeman with a
smile, "but who wants a cheap
Hesketh?"
Hesketh Motorcycles will also
P33
shortly be moving to a new larger
factory in Redhill, Surrey, near
Gatwick Airport, which will provide the company with sufficient
space to concentrate on the
manufacture of the Hesketh 24,
with more models to come, according to Sleeman.
For more information about
Hesketh Motorcycles visit www.
heskethmotorcycles.co.uk
REVIEWED: "ALONG FOR THE RIDE"
J
ack of all trades, master of
none. That's the dismissive
cliché too often thrown at a truly
versatile individual by those who
can't even do one thing well, let
alone excel at several contrasting
pursuits or professions. Australian
motorcycle icon Jim Scaysbrook's
name isn't Jack, but even if it were,
he'd still be stamped as a true Renaissance man, an individual who
can turn his hand to almost anything, and do it well, as recounted
in his fascinating autobiography
Along For The Ride.
During a long and productive
life lived to the full, Scaysbrook
has variously excelled at being
an advertising agency copywriter, a motorcycle dealer, a mechanic and nowadays a capable
vintage bike restorer, as well as
a gifted racer who's been prepared to put something back into
the sport by organizing races for
the enjoyment of many, and ultimately the profit of others. But as
well as all that, Jim has been and
still is a magazine journalist and
bike tester, as well as the defini-
tive historian of Australia's rich
motorcycling heritage.
That's come through the magazine he founded himself and
still edits today, Old Bike Australasia, and the series of eight
books he's written chronicling so
many key aspects of the country's two-wheeled heritage. As
a prime product of the mythical
Australian rider factory that fabricates a succession of gifted
and self-sufficient two-wheeled
future champions, Jim's subse-
quent success in the grueling,
physically demanding world of
off-road motorcycle competition
has been hard earned. After first
becoming a multiple Australian
dirt bike champion (who went on
to be the first rider from Down
Under to race in the AMA National Motocross Series), Scaysbrook then began road racing
practically as an afterthought,
and proved almost as successful
on the hard stuff as on the dirt.
Scaysbrook is best known
outside Australia as the person
largely responsible for enticing
Mike Hailwood back to bike racing, after competing with him
successfully in Down Under production races on the Moreparts
Ducati V-twin. How he did it is
just one of the many great tales
in this fascinating book.
Signed copies of this book
are available directly from Jim
Scaysbrook at scaysbrook34@
bigpond.com and overseas shipment at economical rates can be
arranged.
Alan Cathcart
