Theo's Pit Bay

Theo Jonkhart's tribute to classic racing. Theo is from Enkhuizen in the
Netherlands

The pilot on the Ceccato is me, some 5 years ago when I still took part in what we call here historic demo racing. Some 3 seasons I took part. Instead of doing regularity runs it more and more boiled down to real roadracing. With inexperienced riders who tried to elbow one another in the scrubs. That did it. I thought it to be too risky  for that irreplaceble material to continue racing around the church and quit racing. I now ride it just on the streets. I bought the bike 10 yrs ago and  2 yrs later  it had been completely rebuilt and was as new again. Its very rare with its semi double cradle frame. All other 125 ohv Ceccatos I've spotted rarely, have a single downward tube in front. The engine is 7,5 hp thats why it is a S type instead of the regular 6,3 hp bikes. Yes, 1,2 hp more meant a lot in a 1957 125! See also Ceccato in the A-Z of Motorcycling.

The first Kreidler racers were early souped up street mopeds from around
1961-62

The Suzy 50 , even by todays standards that 35 year old kind of technique is
still mindblowing.

Ever wondered why Yamaha did not take part in the 50cc GP events during the late sixties while they were succesfull in other classes. Did they ever make a 50cc GP racer roadrace lovers asked themselves for the last 30 years...
YES, they did indeed1 In 1997/98 Dutchman Ferry Brouwer, once Phil Reads mechanic and organiser of the Centennial TT-races in 1998 at the Assen track, accidently discovered a Yamaha tiddler hidden under a blanket in the Yamaha factory. Despite the reluctancy of the Yamaha people to show the bike and give information they finally let loose that 2 were made in 1967/68 and were tested in secret but never raced, because Yamaha felt competition was to stiff against the Suzuki, Jamathi and Kreidler racers.

1960 350 Bianchi

Pagani on an Aermacchi

1966 Jim Redman and the 500 Honda in 1966

The Norton pic I built up was taken in 1967 at the Zandvoort GP track. One sees I m too tall with my 1.95 m but the fun is not less than a regular jockey would have. The engine is a Manx 350 from presumably 1948-49 which I bought in 1966 in England and was still competitive in those days in national class Dutch roadracing. Note: front brake drum is from a 1966 Suzuki 125 GP machine. It's a magnesium reardrum which came from the Suzuki European GP headquarters in Holland. It had a small crack and after welding I had the best frontbrake I've ever experienced.

Parilla 250 1949

Start of the 250cc International races at Tubbergen street-circuit in Holland in 1967. These annual (until 1970) Whitsunday races were second in line to the Dutch TT races held at Assen. Tubbergen drew a mass of spectators and a lot of riders from various countries as well. The end of the sixties marqued also the end of the continental circus era. Nr.2 is Australian Eric Hinton who also was a circus member for a while and the first to race an 125 mph -over the counter- Kawasaki A1-R in Europe that year. The insert shows Dutch multiple champion Cees van Dongen who won the 125cc class that day.

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