ISDT 1968 – Italy

Page under construction always…

Introduction

The 43rd edition of the ISDT took place 30 September to 5th October in San Pellegrino in Italy, today still a popular round of the 2 day World Enduro Championship events

Image – scanned cover Official Programme of ISDT 1968 (Greenwood Family Collection)

Image of scanned Medal Results per Country in Trophy  Vase ISDT 1968.

Photo of Press room sign of ISDT 1968

Press as always there, this souvenir was liberated by Brian Catt & stored as treasure in his loft, along with the badge below, many thanks to Brian.

ISDT Trophy 1968 in Italy, not a single Gold Medal for Britain.

Trophy: West Germany with no marks lost!.

Vase, Italy “A” with just one mark lost.

Starters 298, Finishers 172, Gold 46, Silver 67, Bronze 59.

GB Riders, Eight Silver. 

Roy Peplow 2, M Rothmell 2, J Harris 7, Mick Abdrews 8, J Pease 15, Arthur Browning 15, B Cowshall 19, M Soames 25. Eleven took Bronze.

The worst event for Britain since 1953, 2 Trophy Team members went out on the very first day, mechanical trouble on an albeit punishing 152 miles run.   Well turned out W German Zundapp machinery were to be conquerors of that East German MZ’s largely 5 yrs stranglehold.    British manufacturers seemed to relish opting out of support whilst the types & parts causing retirements glaringly listed Britain’s Product standard.  All was left to Army “B” team of Mick Noyce, Mick Soames plus Brian Cowshall on BSA 441 with Jon Tye of RAF on 360 AJS. All fought hard to finish fourth behing E Germans & Czechs.

Alan Kimber of Suzuki GB to help support & Fund the participation of Brits Trophy & Vase teams & the British Govt. helped with a small input, Cheney Metisse Ossa Husqvarna makes rose in prominence & stayed there!.

Photo of Mary Driver, working on her Greeves Anglian in ISDT 1968

Mary Driver seen here handling a spanner far more delicately than some of the wild & untidy lot I rode with!, a machine she rode in 1968 ISDT is now owned by Lawrence W Hampton who has been in contact with Mary. For information the machine was owned by Bill Brooker (a Greeves dept manager) prepared by Commerfords of Thames Ditton Surrey, shortly we may have more info plus even pictures to swell this section.

Photo of Greeves in preparation at Bordon Hants for the ISDT 1968

Greeves Owner & afficionado Laurie Hampton came up with why a Royal Enfield Steel tank went on a Greeves, after his chat with Bill Brooker, simply there was no maps & card data holder on the alloy one!! This image comes from Brian Catt who has estiamted its date to 1968.

Photo of Mary Driver on that machine [SOO56D] she rode.

A fine pic of Mary on that machine she rode.

Photo of Mary Driver on the Greeves Anglian [SOO56D] in action. ISDT 1968

Photo of Ken Heanes in the Breaking test of the ISDT selection trials at Bordon

From Brian Catt’s superb collection, here is practice at Bordon prior to the ISDT event, however look at that upmarket set-up frame, believed to be a Metisse from the Don & Derek Rickman outfit which  rider here Ken Heanes actually competed upon as per Entry List, a braking to a halt test. Eagle eyed follower of this site Chris Goodfelow points out the two standing characters are 1970’s ISDT trophy team veteran Arthur Browning and John Pease. Billy Gwynne produced his own Ariel powered special a while before this, a 500 MICHOU  German I think for mongrel bitch?!

Photo of Equipe Zundapp with Trophy

Photo #112 John Tye 250 AJS, [SUK 879F] #106 CJ Stebbings 250 AJS [SUK 881F] #19 Sgt E J Thompson 250 AJS [SUK 878F] #147 Wirdnam 360 Matchless [SUK 880F]

In late 1967, a special project was undertaken by AJS with the Stormer. Four bikes were built at Marston Road, all equipped with spark arrestors on the end of the tailpipe and with a rudimentary lighting system. Three of them had 250 cc engines and were badged as AJS machines. The fourth one had the “360” engine (actually only 334 cc) and was badged as a Matchless. This bike was probably the last one built with a Matchless badge and the only 2-stroke Matchless. The four bikes were taken on by members of the Royal Air Force Motor Sports Association who had a team entered in the 1968 International Six-Days Trial.

Photo of #284 L Specht

Photo of V Kramer

Photo of H Brinkmann

The photo’s below are provided by a friend via our Facebook page and are of the Italian rider Paolo Cozzi on a Laverda 125 5 Speed 4 Stroke which is currently under restoration.

Photo #210 Paolo Cozzi 125cc Laverda ISDT 1968 (Juan Solo collection)

Photo #210 Paolo Cozzi 125cc Laverda ISDT 1968 (Juan Solo collection)

Photo #210 Paolo Cozzi 125cc Laverda ISDT 1968 (Juan Solo collection)

Photo #210 Paolo Cozzi 125cc Laverda ISDT 1968 (Juan Solo collection)

Photo #210 Paolo Cozzi 125cc Laverda ISDT 1968 (Juan Solo collection)

Photo of Italian Vase team at ISDT 1968 (Courtesy Metzeler)

Above image from the Metzeler 2013 Calendar- Captioned: “After winning the Trophy, for the best team, in the 1968 ISDT held in San Pellegrino in Italy, it was the Germans turn to stage the event the following year. All the Italian competitors were on machines built by Morini. On this occasion neither the Italians nor the Germans were a match for the riders from East Germany who won the team event”

What the Papers Said!

image – cover of Das Motorrad 18 Oct 1968 with a report of the ISDT 1968

If any readers can help us by providing copies of the Das Motorrad report or other copies. The British magazines Motor Cycling and Motor Cycle, like the British Motorcycle industry, were coming to the end of the track and British articles for this period are difficult to find. Thanks.

The Final Score: Results

Speedtracktales wishes to thank Marc Pétrier of FIM Information Resources who has facilitated the scanning of the FIM archive of ISDT results material and is allowing us to make it available here as a public service. Download a copy of the original Results and Stewards Report at the link below.

Download Stewards Report for the 1968 ISDT here

Arifacts and Collectibles

Photo of enamel lapel badge ISDT 1968

An ‘I was there badge’, ISDT 1968 (courtesy of Brian Catt.)

Where are they now?

Photo of #185 Jan Schenk of the Nederlands and his 250cc 8 speed Husqvarna ISDT 1968

Photo of the Husqvarna which Jan later refound then restored

More images of this restore can be found at the classic Enduro Belgium web site

We are currently creating content for this section. In order to be able to keep up with our high standards of service, we need a little more time. Please stop by again. Thank you for your interest!