English Riders Top Men In Class

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31236, 7 December 1966, Page 23

English Riders Top Men In Class

ißy Our Motor-Cycling Reporter 1

The two English motor-cyclists, Keith Hickman and John Burton, who arrive in Christchurch tomorrow to prepare for the opening meeting of the Wills international moto-cross series at Findlay’s Farm on Sunday, are the greatest scrambles riders to visit New Zealand.

Any local rider who succeeds in leading either of them to the chequered flag in any of the seven internationals will be able to feel that he has arrived at the top of his chosen sport Now only 21 and the youngest international to visit the Dominion, Hickman is one of the most promising competitors in England. In the season just completed he was runner-up in the newly formed F.I.M. 501-750 c.c. moto-cross world championship.

He has had a meteoric rise from the obscurity of novice scrambling. His career started at the age of 13, when he practised in a disused stone

quarry near his home at Gumnor, Oxford. Less than 12 months later, still only 14, he competed in his first scramble on a 250 c.c. Greeves. To do so he had to tell the organisers that he was 16. Competition licences are not available to anyone under 16. Before his fifteenth birthday Hickman had made a mockery of the rules by graduating to expert status. By the time he was 18 he had earned his international motocross, licence, enabling him to ride in international events throughout Europe. Hickman is a particularly tenacious rider. In the German round of the 750 c.c. world championship he fell

when he collided with a slower rider in the first race but remounted to finish in second place. In the final race he again finished second—and he had a broken bone in his foot. He Is the number one works rider for the specials builder, Mr Eric Cheney, and will be riding one of his latest 500 c.c. 8.5.A.-Cheney specials. The machine is constructed of aircraft tubing with needle roller bearings in the swinging arm. The oil supply for the engine is contained in the frame tubes. In an effort to reduce weight, the engine crankcases, gearbox casing and wheel hubs have been made of magnesium electron castings and many of the engine components have been made of light alloy in place of steel. The front forks and steering head are of Italian Ceriani manufacture with an extremely long movement of about 7in.

Burton is now 30 and approaching the twilight ct a

career that has always been impressive, often brilliant. Known as “Big John” because of his size—he is 17st—he finished fourth in the 1961 world moto-cross championship and was fifth the following year.

In his career he has scored 50 first places in international moto-cross events in France, Belgium, Holland, Italy, and Austria. He has also been a member of Moto-Cross des Nations teams four times 1959. 1960, 1962 and 1963. In New Zealand Burton will be riding a 500 c.c. twin Triumph Metisse. Until recently he was a member of the B.S.A. works team but was forced to leave the team when the factory switched its attention to light-weight machinery. His size was not compatible with the smaller machines and he has since been competing privately. His father, “Squib” Burton, was well known to New Zealanders many years ago. He captained the English speedway team to New Zealand in 1930-31.