Kwaka Mach 111 racing pics from 1970

[nudemetalz]

Hiya,

After recently reading the excellent thread about Mach 3's I thought I would share some pics of my Dad (R.I.P.) racing his (then new) Mach 3 around Ruapuna in 1970.
He won a lot of races in his time, taming the beast to go around corners.

If anyone is interested, I can post more.

Cheers
Chris

[TonyB]

Nice pics ..... scary helmets!

Hey your dad didn't happen to know a fella by the name of Julian Clothier did he?

[nudemetalz]

I'm not sure, sorry. Dad (Clint Cattermole) died in 1991., so I really treasure these pics.
He raced against Owen Galbraith and Warren Guy (who also died a couple of weeks ago).

Cheers
Chris

[Sniper]

Post as many as you can mate. Thanks.

[nudemetalz]

Sweet as..!!

More...

[nudemetalz]

A pic of a new YDS-3 and when he raced a YR-5 (forerunner to the RD-350) and a T-500

[zadok]

He won a lot of races in his time, taming the beast to go around corners.
If anyone is interested, I can post more.
Cheers
Chris
Nice one Chris. I imagine he would win a lot of races on one of those tamed beasts. I'd be happy to see more pics. :niceone:

[nudemetalz]

Couple more..


Hope you all enjoyed.
I'll scan some still pics of the Mach111 I have as well, when I get a chance.

Cheers
Chris

[TonyB]

Simpler times eh? Ride whatever you have. Gear not so important. I reckon these guys would find the modern sprots bike rider kind of strange- dunno.
Wicked lean angles in that last pic in post #5 considering what they were on and the tyres they had. Definitely some skilled riders in there!

[nudemetalz]

For sure, I think in one or 2 pics he's even racing with his goggles up !!!!

That very first pic of the Mach 3 (the best IMO) I posted is the big sweeper going onto the main straight at Ruapuna. I highsided an RS-125 there and broke my wrist !!

He spoke of fondness regarding the Mach111. He later had a GT-750 Waterbus but said it was only a shadow of the Mach111 as far as excitement went. Like trying to change lanes with Mum on the back and the front wheel in the air !!!

In 1982 when working for Mike Vinsen Suzuki, he raced a wire-wheel Katana at Pukekohe. There was only a few brought into NZ and they had a few more hp's over the std model. He loved that bike too.


Cheers
Chris

[nudemetalz]

oops...found one more.....check out the full-faired bike behind him....!!!!!!!

Cheers
Chris

[Motu]

Fantastic photo's there! love em.He's having a ding dong battle with a fastback Commando there,wonder who won?.Le Mans starts,push starts,there was so much more to racing back then.You're lucky to have this memory of him...

[pyrocam]

awesome pics thanks for sharing.

dont suppose you have this one:
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=16958

at some rediculously high resolution so I can set it to my new backround

[nudemetalz]

Thanks Motu, I remember him telling me that the fastback Commando kept him honest through the corners but then disappeared into three lots of kawaskai two-stroke exhaust smoke !!

It's ironic then that having raced these bikes, he died from getting hit by a dickhead in a car while bicycling to work.

Always the way (look at Mike Hailwood).

I appreciate your comment Motu, I certainly do.

[nudemetalz]

awesome pics thanks for sharing.

dont suppose you have this one:
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=16958

at some rediculously high resolution so I can set it to my new backround

I can rescan them at a higher resolution and email to you if you like.
Is there a kb limit for posting pics here ?

[nudemetalz]

Here's a newspaper clipping from when he won a race.
Great things to keep,

[Biff]

Brilliant photos mate. You're old man must have been one brave/skilled rider to tame one of those beasties.

[nudemetalz]

Cheers, Im reckon so !!

One of my ambitions is to restore a Mach111 in the same red/white colour schemes as his.


I'll scan and post more pics when I get home tonight.
I have more YR-5 pics too.

Cheers
Chris

[Sniper]

Those are FANTASTIC pics Chris. And as Motu said, those are great memories to have of your dad.

[nudemetalz]

Cheers, Sniper.

I'm just happy I can share these priceless pics with my fellow forumites, to those who really appreciate the rarity of these.

[pyrocam]

I can rescan them at a higher resolution and email to you if you like.
Is there a kb limit for posting pics here ?
its a size limit. 800x600 I think.

im running 1280x1024 so anything nearabouts that I can always doctor up.
ill pm you my email cos I dont want spams. cheers.

(fake edit: or you can zip it and post up to 4mb I think)

[nudemetalz]

Done deal !!

If anyone else here wants copies at higher res I'd be glad to share.

Cheers
Chris

[Kickaha]

Cheers
Chris

Chris? you used to work at Wormalds was it? raced a RS125 crashed it at the sweeper and did a bit of damge to yourself?

[Rhino]

I'm not sure, sorry. Dad (Clint Cattermole) died in 1991., so I really treasure these pics.
He raced against Owen Galbraith and Warren Guy (who also died a couple of weeks ago).

Cheers
Chris

Hi Chris,

I raced at Ruapuna over the period 1969-1972 in the 125, 250 and 350 production bike classes. When I saw the first photo, I thoght that was Clint. From memory, he was the first to race a Mach 111 at Ruapuna.

When i first started, Owen was racing an Ariel Arrow 250cc two stroke twin. It didn't have much straight line speed, but he was very smooth and quick around corners. I also remember him racing an H1 later.

Very sad to hear that Warren has passed away. I knew him very well in the 70's.

If you have any photos with bike 97 (probably in the background) that was me.

[nudemetalz]

Hey Terry, (oops, I mean Warwick !!)

Nearly right, used to work at Fuelquip Services in Woolston. Was semi-sponsored by them and yes, I smashed my wrist up big-time (had to have one of those external braces) after doing a nasty high-side trying to stay ahead of a CBR and FZR 400 !!!!.
That sort of ended my racing as my wrist is basically not as good now.

Cheers
Chris

[nudemetalz]

Hi Chris,

I raced at Ruapuna over the period 1969-1972 in the 125, 250 and 350 production bike classes. When I saw the first photo, I thoght that was Clint. From memory, he was the first to race a Mach 111 at Ruapuna.

When i first started, Owen was racing an Ariel Arrow 250cc two stroke twin. It didn't have much straight line speed, but he was very smooth and quick around corners. I also remember him racing an H1 later.

Very sad to hear that Warren has passed away. I knew him very well in the 70's.

If you have any photos with bike 97 (probably in the background) that was me.

Thats really cool, Rhino, glad to meet people who knew him. He used to race his Mach111 against other bikes around the Cathedral Square in the old days when you could go all the way around and they used to see who could do it the fastest until someone fell off. Then they left it for 10 minutes and started up all over again !!!!

Yes Warren was great. He did a lot for organising racing at Ruapuna. I never got to his funeral unfortunately as my Grandad died the same day as him.
Ah, such is life.

I'll have to dig out more albums and check out any more racing pics.

Cheers
Chris

[riffer]

Hi Chris.

Thanks for posting these great pictures. I could almost smell the Castrol R.

Some of my favourite early memories are of my dad dragging me around the races at Gracefield. He wasn't a racer, but was an avid rider.

It's funny - now I drag my boy along to the buckets and watch the racing with him on the telly, and while he's definitely heading the motocross way - Ben Townley has now replaced Valentino Rossi as his hero - he's definitely getting hooked on the two wheels way of life.

Memories like these are so precious - thanks for sharing with us. :niceone:

[nudemetalz]

You're welcome, Riffer.

When I started out riding at 12, I learnt on a CR-80 (talk about being chucked in the deep end !!) and Dad came out and watched me race.
It was great having that support.

Here's me at 12 years old in 1982, never ridden a motorcycle before being taught what lever does what, while the neighbours are learning how noisy a motocross bike is !!!

Cheers
Chris

[diesel pig]

Great photos, Seeing Ruapuna old school style is interesting and the riding gear one of those jokers is wearing what looks like cotton overalls! The newspaper cutting is cool too gives a sense of history to the pics, your dad must of been a good rider beating the likes of Dale Wylie a riders name I have herd bandy about before when people have talked of really good local riders from back when :not:

[nudemetalz]

Thanks, yes he was quite good in his day, pity he never followed through with it.

Hey, tell me,...your avatar is mighty familiar....I remember making that for the bucket-racing back in ChCh in the early 90's. Perhaps we know each other..??!!

[Indoo]

Awesome photos, makes you appreciate how good the riders were.

[LB]

.
.
Thanks for sharing these with us nudemetalz. Great photos. Like Riffer, I too can smell the Castrol R!!! I also recall a few names from the clipping. I remember Paul McLachlan (sp?) in particular - rode #68 and was sponsored by Tyre Pando. I think he went overseas - to Canada? (or am I getting him confused with Gary Goodfellow? or did they both go to Canada??)
.
.

[nudemetalz]

I'm happy to share !!
:)

[nudemetalz]

Hi Chris,

I raced at Ruapuna over the period 1969-1972 in the 125, 250 and 350 production bike classes. When I saw the first photo, I thoght that was Clint. From memory, he was the first to race a Mach 111 at Ruapuna.

When i first started, Owen was racing an Ariel Arrow 250cc two stroke twin. It didn't have much straight line speed, but he was very smooth and quick around corners. I also remember him racing an H1 later.

Very sad to hear that Warren has passed away. I knew him very well in the 70's.

If you have any photos with bike 97 (probably in the background) that was me.

In the Le Mans pic there's a Yamaha with 97 on it just to the right of the pic.
Is that you, Rhino ?

[Rhino]

In the Le Mans pic there's a Yamaha with 97 on it just to the right of the pic.
Is that you, Rhino ?

That was me as a young lad. Both the DS7 and R5 were great for Le Mans starts. Leave them in first gear with the key on, jump on the bike and push forward with the knees while dropping the clutch. If the ignition timing was correct, it would burst into life.

Just trying to picture me doing that on the ''Wing :whistle:

[k14]

Man those pics are awesome. Don't know about the cobble stones sticking up the inside of the curbing on the corner in some of those pics (think its the final corner). Definately puts things in perspective.

Yeah I ride a 125 too, that last corner scares me. That wall is way too close. High side there would be a bad bad thing. Think I'm safe though, cause I'm a pussy.

[nudemetalz]

Man those pics are awesome. Don't know about the cobble stones sticking up the inside of the curbing on the corner in some of those pics (think its the final corner). Definately puts things in perspective.

Yeah I ride a 125 too, that last corner scares me. That wall is way too close. High side there would be a bad bad thing. Think I'm safe though, cause I'm a pussy.

I tell you what, don't apply the power too hard on a 125 coming out of that sweeper onto the front straight. I don't recommend a high-side on an RS !!
Wrecked my wrist and more importantly, my John Kocinski-Replica Shoei !!! :(

[nudemetalz]

That was me as a young lad. Both the DS7 and R5 were great for Le Mans starts. Leave them in first gear with the key on, jump on the bike and push forward with the knees while dropping the clutch. If the ignition timing was correct, it would burst into life.

Just trying to picture me doing that on the ''Wing :whistle:

I bet ya the YDS-3's were great fun for Le-Mans starts !!
Crank mounted clutch which ran at engine-speed. Apparently they were like a light-switch - just on or off !!!
Plus when you pulled the clutch in, it disengaged the oil-pump. Which meant if you sat at the lights revving the bike in gear, you were asking for trouble (or the next oversize pistons at the local Yamaha shop !!)...

ah,... technology !!!

[gamgee]

You're welcome, Riffer.

When I started out riding at 12, I learnt on a CR-80 (talk about being chucked in the deep end !!) and Dad came out and watched me race.
It was great having that support.

Here's me at 12 years old in 1982, never ridden a motorcycle before being taught what lever does what, while the neighbours are learning how noisy a motocross bike is !!!

Cheers
Chris
haha thats funny i was caning it round on a cr125 a few weeks ago, they're bloody fun wee bikes, good for doing wheelies and stuff on, awesome!! thats the bike that got me hooked on motocross, now i'm just saving furiously for a motocross bike (and a new roadbike, and, and...)

[GDNZ]

Y

When I started out riding at 12, I learnt on a CR-80 (talk about being chucked in the deep end !!) and Dad came out and watched me race.
It was great having that support.

Here's me at 12 years old in 1982, never ridden a motorcycle before being taught what lever does what, while the neighbours are learning how noisy a motocross bike is !!!

Cheers
Chris

Hi Chris, I joined the RNZAF in 1966 with a Clint Cattermole. Would that have been your father by chance?
garydanvers@gmail.com