New Zealand Motorcycle Road Racing Circuits, New book on the market

[jellywrestler]

Spydas guide to New Zealand Motorcycle Road Racing Circuits, from past to present is a book I've been putting together for two and a half years. It covers 160 Circuits, on just over 400km's of roads in our country.
Two versions available, Softcover 250 page book $54 and a wire bound 'Touring Edition' at $59. Frieght is $8 for as many books to one address as you like. I am retailing them myself at this stage, so not available in bookshops sorry.
Pick up an option in Lowe Hutt. If you want a copy private message me please.

[Steve Holmes]

Wow, outstanding work! That is truly impressive.

I wrote a book called Kiwi Bike Culture many years ago, and Spyda was featured in it. He has an amazing collection of bikes and memorabilia and an incredible knowledge on the racing history.

[jellywrestler]

thank you Steve,
I have followed your work and brought some of it, appreciate the support from someone in the game.

[jellywrestler]

We have sold just short of 300 books in six weeks. There are two versions, wirebound touring edition and softcover. We got them at differnt times and the majority of the time has been spent filling orders from people who expressed interest over time, and managing all that as they are numbered and as we can supply a specific number needed to keep an eye on each book. I have just ordered anothe 250 odd books and will start advertising mainstream once they arrive. My printer is back on deck and have asked him to concentrate on work needed for business customers first as lockdown has affected business's along the way. Many of these Circuits were used by cars too, hence me posting on this forum. Milan Fistonic has a copy, He may be able to chime on and let others here know what he thinks of it. Appreciate all the positve feedback about this, haven't had any negative as yet, the new print runs will get rid of the half dozen spelling mistakes that slipped through. It's tough reading it through the eyes of the author, although we had several other people check too but life is not always perfect.

[jellywrestler]

Ticked over my 350th book out of the door yesterday, we've been out of stock of wire bound books for a month, picked another hundred of those up this afternoon so on our way to the next 350 sales.....

[jellywrestler]

Grab you copy in the next couple of days folks to ensure delivery before christmas....

[jellywrestler]

550 out the door now, grab your copy for some winter reading folks

[GregT]

This is well worth buying. Reference material that I doubt is collated anywhere else.

And a good read too.

[jellywrestler]

Not too long till Fathers day, sick of getting socks? point this book out to your offspring and we'll get one sent pronto. Softcover $54 Wire bound touring edition great for on the road hunting down the circuits and doing a lap. $8 freight. Many of these Circuits ran cars as well as motorcycles

[jellywrestler]

over 600 copies sold now, so far this month I've sold 46 copies, 42 myself and four through a shop, not too bad considering it's been out for 14 months.

[Roger Dowding]

Good work with the sales " Spyda " ..
. Was at a place of interest in the world of Motor Cycle racing and mentioned in your book -
.. a small Island in the Hauraki Gulf where a local company has produced a series of T shirts ... in several different colours and either Triumph or Velocette names on them.

I got this one.

" 1081 " is the Post Code for Waiheke Island ..

As the Author of " New Zealand Motorcycle Road Racing Circuits " knows ..
The Track looked like this, And we drove the roads on our visit, now all sealed but still very narrow in places..

Copy from your archives " jellywrestler ".

I also noted that in a new Book out called " Kiwi Bikers " a certain gentleman appears beside his bike..

More a car than a Motorcycle Guy, but good to see your book selling well and the new book out too !!.
There is a six page article in the "Waiheke Weekender " about the new book by Ken and Greg Downie ..

[jellywrestler]

one of the catalyst for doing the book was when i went to waiheke island the first thing i did at the tourist centre was enquire about the circuit, of which they knew nothing. That didn't sit well with me so had it in my head for a number of years to do something about it.

[Roger Dowding]

one of the catalyst for doing the book was when i went to waiheke island the first thing i did at the tourist centre was enquire about the circuit, of which they knew nothing. That didn't sit well with me so had it in my head for a number of years to do something about it.

Pleased you did that.
When buying the T shirt I had a chat to the Sales Guy, he was not the owner / maker of the Tshirts or the shop but was into Motorcycles and came from Invercargill, he knew Burt Monroe and went to the Races at Oreti Beach.
He also said there is some of the Race History at the Settlers Museum on the Onetangi Straight [ shown as Fast Straight on the Map, was part of the track ], The Museum is beside the Golf Club, opposite the wineries and brewery / restaurant places along the road.
Have not been to the Museum, but now have a reason to, next time on the Island.

Read your PM and have replied,

Cheers

Roger

[jellywrestler]

The Classic Register recently asked me if they could hand my stuff over to someone on the island as they wanted to make it known it was part of the islands history, it doesn't take much at all to grab something like that and put it in peoples faces. I recently printed some t shirts with an old mc shop logo on from chch, in 6 weeks i've sold 55 of them, one guy yesterday ordered ten. People have filled the walls in their mancave so the nanas race art moves quite slowly, but everybody has a chest that needs window dressing daily so they've flown off the shelves. As with mnost of my stuff for sale the best part are the stories that come out.

[Roger Dowding]

Posted the Photos of the T - Shirt.
Sold by the Waiheke - Central Supply Co. largely a clothing company - mainly items for " Blokes "

The owner of the business has posted this film from the 1932 event..

" https://www.centralsupply.co.nz/the-waiheke-tt-races ".

Worth a look and knowing the roads since the 1950's - it has changed !!.

" jellywrestler " no doubt you have seen the film !!!.

[GregT]

Great film. Amazing conditions. Cust when I first went there mid 50's was wider and with the oiled dirt much less dust. But still really not much improved over those times
I had Sam Moses IOM KTT Velo head through the workshop a few years back for valves and guides. The Rudge and his Ktt still exist.

[jellywrestler]

Sid Moses, I met him in the 1990's, he was bed ridden and the family looked down their noses at me as I was interested in motorcycles. In his room he had three photos, two were of him at the Isle of Man, I think they were jealous or didn't understand. He showed me the scar on his arm he had got in a practice crash, and then won the Nesbit Sheild for keeping on competing. They never awarded it again as they thought it might encourage people to compete when they maybe shouldn't do.

[jellywrestler]

Did a lap around cust a few weeks ago, and had been to one of the reunion meetings in the 90's, the passing opportunites are vastly superior to Waiheke Island

[GregT]

The roadside furniture got moved back as the roads got widened at Cust. I have a vivid memory of watching at the top of the esses and seeing Tommy McC hit the fencepost on the apex of the corner onto the top straight. On a 7R, hit it with his shoulder and just kept going.
Tough, hard men then.

[Roger Dowding]

New Zealand Tourist Trophy- Motorcycles Races 1931 - 1950 [ a break from 1941 - 1946, there was a War on. ]

From a website link by " Barnstormers ".
The writer of the Article thanks the " New Zealand Motorcyclist " and the " Auckland Motor CycleClub.
The 1934 Programme cover was a scan from a photo that had been copied a few times - hence the poor quality.

Maybe a thread on the History of the NZ TT is required - a bit out of my area of expertise but certainly of interest..

" jellywrestler " - what do you think ?.

Cheers

Roger