How it used to be in’t olden days of racing... 🏍️ 🚗 💨

Percy Tait

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Jaarno Saarinen (who would have been 80 this month) from Turku in Finland, was one of the most talented motorcycle racers of his generation. In 1972, his first year as a Yamaha rider, Saarinen took four race wins aboard the two-stroke Yamaha TD-3 on his way to being crowned 250cc World Champion.

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The Finn finished second in the 350cc World Championship the same season, with three wins to his name aboard Yamaha's TR-3 machine.
In 1973 Saarinen was leading both the 250cc and 500cc World Championships when he was tragically killed in an accident at the Nations Grand Prix in Monza, Italy.

Saarinen, who was inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2009, remains the only Finn to have won a motorcycle road racing World Championship, winning 15 Grand Prix races during his career.
 
Hans-Georg Anscheidt in June 1966. Having just transitioned from Kreidler to the Suzuki factory team, Anscheidt is pictured in the suburban setting of Gerlingen, Germany, with a piece of engineering magic: the Suzuki RK66.

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The story behind the photo is as remarkable as the bike itself. To ensure Anscheidt could maintain his dominance in the German Championship while the primary factory crew was busy on the World Grand Prix circuit, Suzuki shipped this full-works machine directly from Hamamatsu to his doorstep. It was a winning strategy; Anscheidt utilized this "home-delivered" racer to secure three consecutive German titles from 1966 to 1968, adding to his earlier successes.
Technical Masterpiece: The RK66

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The RK66 was the pinnacle of 50cc racing technology. In an era of intense mechanical innovation, this "tiny" bike featured:
Engine: A liquid-cooled, 50cc two-stroke twin-cylinder engine.
Power: It produced a staggering 17.5 hp, which equates to an incredible 350 hp per liter.
Performance: The engine screamed at a redline of 17,500 RPM.
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Transmission: Because the power band was razor-thin (often less than 1,000 RPM wide), the bike required a 12-speed gearbox to keep the engine in its "sweet spot."
Top Speed: Despite its diminutive size, it could reach speeds exceeding 170 km/h (105 mph).
 
wroughtironron said:
The RK66 was the pinnacle of 50cc racing technology. In an era of intense mechanical innovation, this "tiny" bike featured:
Engine: A liquid-cooled, 50cc two-stroke twin-cylinder engine.
Power: It produced a staggering 17.5 hp, which equates to an incredible 350 hp per liter.
Performance: The engine screamed at a redline of 17,500 RPM.
Click to expand...
For 30 seconds and then went bang.
I got my AP50 to do 50 mph but it had to be rebuilt every Sunday morning if i wanted to get to the pub on it to impress the chicks.
 
Something about that which makes it look so much more exiting than the latest offerings. Perhaps because it was just about brute power and rider ability? No launch control, no wheelie control, no anti lock braking quite basic suspension then just put it on the stop and go for it.
 
Hughdg said:
Something about that which makes it look so much more exiting than the latest offerings. Perhaps because it was just about brute power and rider ability? No launch control, no wheelie control, no anti lock braking quite basic suspension then just put it on the stop and go for it.
Click to expand...
How skinny and square do those tyres look too? Those boys back then were plugged into the tarmac, not telemetry screens.
 
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