Three generations of Sherlocks
Many sports frequently see family members, fathers and or mothers, who are followed in their career path by their sons and/or daughters. Motorcycling is no exception with the likes of Chris Watson following his father George Watson’s footsteps and Robert Madden following his father Keo. However some instances go further with the likes of the Hinton Clan; Harry Senior with his sons Harry Jnr. Robert and Eric and then the latter’s two sons. The Hintons of course became a household name both here and overseas. This, and perhaps others, was not the only instance where there have been three generations participating in motorcycling.
In this instance I would like to draw readers’ attention to the three generations of the Sherlock family, Llewellyn, Wayne, Doug and his son David. Lou – Wayne and Doug’s father – passed away in 1996, and was as a Fitter and Turner by trade. He commenced riding in Club Events in the late 1940s on an AJS before he switched to a Royal Enfield which apparently he was not fond of. He later acquired a 500 Matchless, the first of the swinging arm models. He rode this in scrambles meetings and Wayne tells me that with a wet meeting everything seem to just rust up.
Wayne is an Industrial Electric Mechanic by trade. In 1972 at just 18 he rode his father’s 500 alloy AJS at Phillip Island. He recalls it well as in the two starts he finished last and second last. He usually rode in road racing events with an occasional dirt track meeting. Later with classic racing he rode a rigid 350 AJS as well as a 125 Honda. Probably one of his best rides was a machine built and owned by Brian Scanlon; a Manx chassis with a pushrod 500 AJS engine. At Mallala in South Australia he caught John Maher ‘napping’ on his 640cc Manx and managed to slip past for a well-remembered win. A friend, Brian Dodds, was building up a Manx for classic racing but had no front wheel. John Maher provided drawings of the brake system and Wayne was able to have patterns made. He spent time refining these products to be able to have the casting made locally. Altogether he had undertaken about a dozen or so of these completed front and rear brake assemblies of Manx replica brakes. He now has no further use for these patterns which are available for sale. If any reader is interested Wayne can be contacted on (03) 9725 0196. Doug got his road licence on a 500 twin AJS. He started racing on his father’s 1950 single Matchless, but when a conrod broke he acquired a 1949 7R AJS which he rode for many years at Mt Gambier, Hume Weir, Mallala and Bathurst. About 1958 he acquired a 1936 250 L2-1 Triumph which he worked on and fitted with telescopic forks. That machine is now ridden by his son David in classic outings. He was a member of the East Malvern MCC when about 1961 he was a member of that club’s team which won the Bob Brown Trophy at Bathurst. Later when classic racing arrived he rode a 350 and 500 Manx owned by Frank Rogers. He suffered a broken collarbone on a Triumph at Hume Weir when the primary chain broke and caused the rear wheel to lock solid. Doug’s son David has had a host of assistance and experience passed down to him. He commenced riding in 1982 at a Post Classic Race Meeting at Winton on his uncle Wayne’s 1972 CB125. David has had a variety of machines to race. These include a 1952 Matchless G80S given to him by his grandfather, a 125 Bantam, a 1984 Yamaha RZ 250L, a Production 1988 Yamaha TZR 25OU, a 1988 Yamaha TZ 250U belonging to Geoff Schutt, a 1989 Honda RS 125R, 1972 125 Bultaco Pursang and the 1936 L2/1 250 Triumph. He rates his highlights as 1st place 1988 Victorian Post Classic Championship, and beating Bob Jolly’s 1000cc JAP riding the 500 Matchless in 1988 at Mac Park, where he also swung passenger for Graeme Wagland on his 750 Honda Four sidecar. The Sherlocks are an example that, although they have not risen to international status, they have still each participated at their own desired level. They have contributed to the sport and obtained a level of satisfaction as a result. It is people such as these that make this a competitive but worthwhile fun sport.