DKW racers in South Australia

I was very impressed with the comprehensive article detailing some of the history of the DKW bikes that were first raced in Australia at Lobethal on 27th December 1937. My father attended the event and often recalled their ear shattering noise that could be heard for almost a whole circuit of the eight and three quarter mile course, as well as their speed that saw Kluge win the combined Lightweight and Junior events ahead of top South Australian rider Clem Foster on the latest 350 International Norton. Kluge’s fastest laps were three at 6 minutes 24 seconds while Foster’s fastest was 6 minutes 24 seconds. The other DKW ridden by Les Fredericks also of S.A. came in third overall with a fastest lap of 6 minutes 43 seconds. For comparison Foster won the Senior race on his 500 Norton with a fastest lap of 6 minutes 10 seconds but the fastest lap of the race was by George Hannaford of Victoria at 6mins. My first sight of a racing DKW was at the first road race meeting in South Australia after World War 2 at Woodside in October 1946 when Bill Day of Victoria rode what I now presume was the repainted SS model imported by Frank Pratt of Geelong. He rode it again at the December 1946 event but it was no match for the 250cc Velocettes. Its next appearance was when it was ridden by Jack French of Victoria at Woodside in October 1947, but again the Velocettes were much quicker. In October 1949 two DKWs were at the Woodside event but this time they were ridden by Laurie Jamieson and Bert O’Hara of South Australia and from memory Laurie was on the swing arm /plunger model that was prepared to perfection as were all Laurie’s bikes. Almost three months later on December 26th 1949 Laurie Jamieson came second in the Lightweight class of the Australian T.T. at Nuriootpa while the other DKW was ridden by S.A. rider Tom Colbert but a year later on October 9th 1950 the DKW’s were ridden by Laurie and his brother Bill at Woodside and again at the same circuit in October 1951. This was the last road race held on public roads in S.A. due to a government ban that has only been repealed by a special Act of Parliament to conduct the F1 car races and V8 Supercars around the streets of Adelaide. When the first road race circuit on privately owned land at Port Wakefield was opened in January 1953 Laurie Jamieson rode the plunger/swing arm machine but four months later in April he and his brother Bill again competed at this circuit with both models and that was the last time I can recall seeing Laurie’s bike. The rigid frame machine was bought by Tony Young of South Australia and raced at Port Wakefield in October and December in 1953 and Sellicks Beach in 1954 and 1955 by which time it had been repainted an unusual purple or blue colour and after this it was reportedly sidelined by a broken conrod. There were rumors of it being sold in this condition to an overseas buyer for a vast sum until it reappeared in pristine showroom condition at the hands of Eric Williams who is a member of the Veteran Motorcyclists Association of South Australia. Rex Tilbrook always referred to the plunger/swing arm model as a “Renn Sport” and said that the rigid machine was a proper race bike and much faster.

Unfortunately the reported sale of the ex Eric Williams machine to an overseas buyer is an all too familiar story as the number of genuine historic touring and race machines once owned by Australians diminish as their value increases with the passing of time and the sentiment of Australian collectors is outweighed by economic reality. Alan Wallis OAM. Adelaide, SA