Jim Budd Motorcycle Racer

Just having a think about days gone by.  We went to Oran Park to race for the first time.  I had converted the bike run Alky with 34mm Mikuni’s.  It ran a lot cooler and had plenty of grunt.

It was a 20 lap race where Jim got a good start, and in no time was the length of the straight in front.  18 laps later it started to miss.  I saw Stan Bayliss waving a gallon can over the pit wall.  On the last corner it ran out of fuel.  Someone towed him home and we were disqualified.

Those were the days.  The next meeting was Calder Park, and it was raining.  Running still on alky.  How the hell Jim kept it upright I will never know, but he won just the same.  The Vic boys were pissed off.  They knew who Jim Budd was but had no idea who the Banana Bender was the bright yellow Kawasaki.  Jim was grinning so much I told him he needed to suck on some lemons to get the smile off his face.  Better still that race meeting was televised,  don’t I wish I had those tapes?

That was the first time I met Gavin Cosway from the Elizabeth Street Kawasaki dealership.  He gave us a lot of good tips on the track.  Pommie Pete was there and really did a great job changing tyres for us – slicks to street back to slicks.  A different time when people jumped in and gave you a hand.  It was 10* and I looked a real pratt in shorts topping up the tank on the start line.

Ah memories.