Holden vs Holden

[Katman]

Can anyone fill me in on the details of Robert Holdens close encounter with the Holden sign at Pukekohe(?).

[roadracingoldfart]

Yupp ... from memory he went over it and his bike went through the "H "of it.(it was ages ago so dont quote me)
We all thought he would be dead but he was just being Rob the aviator lol.

[Jantar]

I saw it at the time, and thought "how ironic". Although it is still implanted in my memory I have no idea just why it happened.

No serious injury and I think the sign cost more to repair than the bike did.

[JimO]

i also saw it so i must be old

[merv]

Wasn't it back it the old 16" front wheel days and he just lost it low siding it with a big front wheel slide then the bike dug in at or near the edge of the track and flipped over the high side. Robert had new leathers on at time too made by his chick of the day Joanne wasn't it. Sorry (yep you caught me this time) I don't have any pics but that's what I recall but I may have too many events jumbled in my old mind.

[HenryDorsetCase]

I'm sure I have seen a photo somewhere of the sign with a hole in it.... an old Kiwi Rider or something?

[bistard]

Can anyone fill me in on the details of Robert Holdens close encounter with the Holden sign at Pukekohe(?).

It was actually Manfeild,at the sweeper,he threw away a GSX1100,it went through the Holden sign,he walked back to the pits,had a chat with Joanne,who went on to be his wife,brushed himself off & went out in the next race on a GSX550,Now thats tough!!
Or when he came off the BMS Ducati special at Paeroa,was brought back to the pits,his team looked him over,suggested taking his boot off to have a look,he replied,no its broken,if you take it off,youll never get it backon,just fix the bike & then competed for the rest of the day with a broken ankle
"LEGEND"

[roogazza]

Beat me to it Barry ! His record wasn't as bad as "Near Miss Nev" though, was it ? Gaz.

[Masterchop]

It was actually Manfeild,at the sweeper,he threw away a GSX1100,it went through the Holden sign,he walked back to the pits,had a chat with Joanne,who went on to be his wife,brushed himself off & went out in the next race on a GSX550,Now thats tough!!
Or when he came off the BMS Ducati special at Paeroa,was brought back to the pits,his team looked him over,suggested taking his boot off to have a look,he replied,no its broken,if you take it off,youll never get it backon,just fix the bike & then competed for the rest of the day with a broken ankle
"LEGEND"

You Bistard are quite right, It was Manfield.

[bistard]

You Bistard are quite right, It was Manfield.

Cant actually remember the last time I was wrong!! hahaha
Speaking of broken ankles,I dont recall you carrying on that time at Pukekohe,
what are you soft??

[Masterchop]

There ya go your aging mind has finally let you down,

My ankle was broken but also dislocated, so when I tried to continue riding my foot was pointing the wrong way to keep changing gear.

[nudemetalz]

GSX550 ?
That would have to be 1983. My old man raced a 750ESD and 550E at Puke back then.

[bistard]

There ya go your aging mind has finally let you down,

My ankle was broken but also dislocated, so when I tried to continue riding my foot was pointing the wrong way to keep changing gear.

YUP,Soft!!!,Robert would have found a way to get back on it

[Masterchop]

YUP,Soft!!!,Robert would have found a way to get back on it

As you said earlier Robert was a Legend, or should that be IS a Legend.

[nudemetalz]

They were good times back then, watching Roger Freeth on the McIntosh and Paul Pavletich on the VF1000F's in his Superman suit racing at Pukekohe.

[BIGBOSSMAN]

I enjoyed the Roger Freeth/Norris Farrow/Robert Holden battles - at that stage I was a track marshall at Pukekohe. Fantastic watching those guys blast around bumpy old Puke (minus the 'kink' on the back straight).
As for RH's crash on the GSX1100 at Manfield, it took out the 'H' in the Holden sign so beautifully, it almost looked choreographed! Who would race one of those things now, eh?:gob:

[Katman]

Thanks for the replys guys. I thought that perhaps it was my bike that he did it on, but he tossed mine down the track at the '82 Pukekohe 3 Hour.

[What?]

GSX550 ?
That would have to be 1983. My old man raced a 750ESD and 550E at Puke back then.

I can't remember exactly what year it was, but it was later than '83. Probably more like '86.
Robert's bike hit the "H", and he cart-wheeled along the rest of the sign, demolishing it in the process. I couldn't believe what I was seeing when he got up and walked, err, hobled away from it.

[roadracingoldfart]

The same year he got me into racing i was supposed to be "mentored " by him at Gracefield in the Brut 33 series. He was so busy riding an RG 250 Gamma, GSX550 es, GSX1100, and others i cant remember, he had some sort of F1 bike as well . The only class he didnt ride in was F3 and sidecars.
And another currant racer at that same event was Glenn Williams on a Nasty Mean GPZ1100 who had his seat threatening to fall off so he stopped, smacked it back on and carried on but no longer at the front spent the rest of the race doing corner to corner wheelies for the crowd. (i came so close to buying that same bike but some asshole binned it on a test ride the day before i was to pay for it ) .

[roadracingoldfart]

[QUOTE=BIGBOSSMAN;1138036]I enjoyed the Roger Freeth/Norris Farrow/Robert Holden battles - at that stage I was a track marshall at Pukekohe. Fantastic watching those guys blast around bumpy old Puke


So many great names from the early days..... Mike Pero and Ian Pero, The Rammage's, Allan De Latour, Paul Pavletich, Brent Jones, Bob Toomey, Woodley and i remember the import guests, EG; Randy Mamala at age 16, Yatsishira on a Moriwaki Honda that was anything but fast, Great racing and huge enormous crowds. All held before OSH was invented and Resource consent was required.

[F5 Dave]

My Chiropractor still tells the story if he knows you ride bikes, said Robert came in a day or so later & he asks if he had a bit of an off. Robert said "nah nothing major" & the response was "You bleeding Liar I saw it on the TV"