Road Rocket memorabilia

[orabanda]

Hi all,
People from Perth WA (not the cold place in Scotland!) might know of John Berkshire.

When I first met him thirty years ago, he owned Vintage & Modern Motorcycles.

His father Jack Berkshire is also a well known motorcyclist.

John is particularly skilled as a restorer of tanks, and has done all of my bikes.

he has just refinished my Road rocket tank, and showed me the following pics and documentation re his Rocket.

John bought a Road Rocket new.

This is it when purchased.



This is it after a lady driver turned her Oldsmobile infront of him!





This is the original factory dyno test sheet for his bike:





Does anyone know where engine CA10RR 3977 is now?

Richard

[Brian]

What a shame, break your heart.

Richard do you happen to know how old the bike was in the top photo ? It doesnt appear to have any transfers on the toolbox or oil tank. The performance sheet also states "special mufflers", they appear to have some sort of band around the tailpipe, could they have had some sort of removable baffle. I've never seen anything like them.

Did he repair the bike or was it scrapped ? If he repaired it maybe just maybe it is still around.

[orabanda]

Brian,

The bike was a 1956 build, registered in 1957 in WA.

It never had the transfers on it.

The bands were simply red reflective tape (John was a bit of a Bodgie!).

Cowies Motorcycles in Como / Canning Highway repaired the bike, but John eventually sold it after 6 months because his mum was a nervous wreck!

He got 100 mph up on it two up, on Manning Road. His dad, the local cop, was riding it!


Richard

[Josh Cox]

Notice "Mineral Oil", on the paperwork ?.

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,
Faacinating !!
The most important information on the test sheet (for me anyway)
Is
Max safe RPM 6500

I have never seen this figure published before

Cheers
John O R