NEW B.S.A. SCRAMBLER

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32701, 2 September 1971, Page 11

NEW B.S.A. SCRAMBLER

'THE sound of a four-stroke motor in scrambles competition has become a rarity, but in the season about to begin the joint holder of the New Zealand open championship, A. Sabiston, of Christchurch, hopes to prove that the day of the “big banger” is by no means at an end.

Sabiston will ride a new 499 c.c. B.S.A. four-stroke single (see below) this year and has already shown the potential ’of his new mount with several race victories at club level. His first major event.will be the New Zealand 500 c.c. scramble championship, to be held by the New Brighton club on October 10 at Clarkville. Early indications are that he could give the two-stroke brigade something to think about.

The machine has been brought to New Zealand by Don McNeill Motors, Ltd, a firm which has sponsored a rider for some years. In recent seasons it has provided Sabiston with Greeves two-stroke mounts and the decision to obtain a fourstroke for the coming season

came as something of a surprise.

The principal of the firm, Mr D. McNeill, who was a prominent competitor on the road and in the rough some years ago, explained that he wanted something with outstanding reliability as well as performance and the B.S.A. seemed to fit the requirements. “We had a good run with the 441 Victor a few years ago—it won the first Gold Star series—and thought we could do worse than get another fourstroke. Sabiston is, after all, essentially a four-stroke man,” Mr McNeill said.

Since its arrival, the B.S.A. has only had one competitive outing but it has exceeded Mr McNeill’s wildest dreams. Sabiston felt at home on it immediately and the combination looks to be a good one.

Mr N. Currie, who Was sponsored by McNeill Motors before a series of crashes forced him into retirenient, helped run the new B.S.A. in. "I had a flog round on it at Ruapuna Park and it certainly felt a lot more punchy than the

old Victor. It sounds the same but it handles better and it has got a lot more power.

“It bolts off the line in first gear and in second the front wheel lifts and waffles over the ground about Bin clear in effortless fashion. Even coming off jumps all screwed up, it was easy to control. On the old Victor I would have been in all sorts of trouble. It is a marvellous machine," Currie, who raced a Victor to first place in the inaugural Gold Star series, said.

“It made me feel like getting out my riding gear again.”

The B.S.A. has only four gears but such a wide power band that even fourth gear is not often used. It develdps 39 brake horsepower at 6200 r.p.m. and is a replica of th works machines raced by B.S.A. until the factory withdrew from world championship events a short time ago. It weighs only 2401 b, carries the oil in the frame and has conical alloy hubs. The cost in New Zealand was $1599.