The FIM ISDE (International six day enduro) - The Kiwi Connection

ISDE Taupo 2006

In November 2006 the 81st FIM International Six Day Enduro was held in Taupo New Zealand . The event was attended by 600 riders representing 31 Nations from around the world. Including of course New Zealand. Making it a very major sporting event in this country. Finland won the Team trophy event from France and Spain with New Zealand taking seventh (Shayne King , Paul Whibley, Chris Birch, Cameron  Negus, Lachlan Columb , and Darryl King) and also the Junior trophy team took tenth overall.(Adrian Smith , Karl Power , Michael Phillips and Jason Davies.) New Zealand riders won four Gold Medals (Shayne King , Paul Whibley , Cameron Negus and Chris Birch) along with several more Silvers and Bronzes.

The Kiwi connection to the ISDE goes back to the 1950's . Australian Born adopted Kiwi Tim Gibbes rode in the ISDT (International six day trial in those days). Between 1955 and 1963 he won six gold medals and one bronze. 

In 1979 Tim Gibbes entered a private team. 

However it was not till 1982 in Czechoslavakia that a New Zealand team competed be it with help from the Australian Team . The team was Darryl August , Graham Harris and Mark McDonald with Tim Gibbes as the team manager of Australia and New Zealand . The team riders had an successful debut  with all riders bringing home a bronze medal. It is important to note that New Zealand wasn't affiliated to the FIM so could not compete for the overall Team trophy prize , only individual honours and club team honours .

Tim Gibbes 1957 .www.vinduronz.com

In 1983 , still not affiliated to the FIM  .The New Zealand team that went to Wales comprised of Paul Swift , Shaun Stanbridge , Graham Harris , Jock McLaughlan , Tjebbe Bruin and Terry Cameron. The team finished 4th in the Club team results with six of the seven earning Bronze medals. Once again Tim Gibbes was the manager.

Pic: www.motorcyclesport.co.nz

Finally in 1984 New Zealand became affiliated to the FIM and thus was allowed to enter official teams and riders in World Championship events such as the ISDE. In 1984 the team (Graeme and Chris Harris , Tony Cooksley , Dave Owen , Darryl August ,Rob Snep , Grant Oliver , Mark Haines and Jonathan Guy.) also competed in the Moto-cross of Nations which was another first for Kiwis . 

In those days the 500cc (Moto des Nations) and 250cc (Trophee des Nations) were held in separate countries. In this case Finland and Sweden . This was seen as valuable practice on the rented machines leading up to the main event the six days in Holland.   On the sandy ground the team found the going tough as did the bikes. In the end Graeme and Chris Harris won Silver medals. Tim Gibbes was once again Team Manager.

In 1985 the ISDE moved to Spain , there working alongside the Australians again Graeme Harris won a Gold Medal while Darryl August took a silver and Rob Snep a Bronze. All amazing efforts considering August rode two days injured and Snep having to fill his bike frequently with water after a radiator was damaged.

In 1988 John McKee travelled to France as an individual and won a Silver medal.

Watling Trophy

New Zealand did not compete officially again until Cessnock in Australia in 1992 where the the New Zealand Trophy Team finished seventh and the Junior Trophy team finished fifth . In recognition the FIM awarded both New Zealand teams the Watling Trophy which is usually awarded to just one team for outstanding performance. Sean Clarke won an individual gold medal.

The years that followed individuals contested the ISDE , such as Australian based Kiwi Stefan Merriman riding for Australia.

In Greece in 2008 The Kiwi teams took 10th in the Junior Teams Trophy and 16th in the World Teams Trophy. Chris Birch took out individual gold medal.

Enduro racing in New Zealand is still a major part of Motorcycle Sport , starting in the mid 1970's it still continues today and hopefully in to the future.

One day in July - World Speed Records Broken

Russell Wright and Robert "Bob" Burns on the 20th Anniversary of their achievement. 1975

Located just 50km Northwest of Christchurch is the district of Swannanoa . Tram road is a dead straight 16km long public road which was used for many years for speed record attempts . 

In 1955 history would be made again . There would be another attempt , but this would be no ordinary attempt on the world solo record and sidecar record. This attempt would be on the same motorcycle a Vincent Black Lightning .

The story actually starts a year or two before the attempt . Russell Wright became friends with Burt Munro . Burt held the New Zealand solo speed record of 139mph. Russell decided in 1952 to order a brand new Vincent Black Lightning motorcycle from a local shop with the plan to tackle Munro's record. Russell placed the order and went back to building houses.

Around a year later after handing over £600 (approx $32,000 in modern money) the bike arrived. The bike was the same bike Vincent had shown at the Earls court show in London. It was stock and ran 13:1 pistons to burn 80/10/10 premixed  fuel of the day 80% Methanol , 10%  Petrol and 10% Benzole .

After preparing the bike using only the owners handbook , Russell made two runs and took the record to 140mph . As it happen on the same day Bob Burns was running his converted Vincent Rapide as a sidecar machine , running homemade full streamlining that he had modelled of the world record holding German NSU machine . Wright and Burns struck up a friendship and partnership to attempt to take two world records.

From the beginning, it was all about the world records . The solo record stood at 180mph and sidecar at 154 mph .  Burns saw a way of fitting the sidecar streamlining to the lightning which would mean they could attempt the records on one machine  .  The two riders agreed on a deal , they would use Wright's machine , Burns would supply the streamling and any prizemoney would be split down the middle . As Burns was a precision engineer , he would prepare the machine . Big port racing cylinder  heads and special Amal TT carburettors were fitted . The first outing for the machine was in December 1954 . Bob broke the FIM world record for sidecars and took it to 157mph.

An early attempt at the solo record in February 1955 failed when a mistake in gearing robbed the machine of the speed needed . The next attempt was sheduled for July 2nd.