Eyes Right Reviews

Compiled by Colin Rosewarne Published by Peter and Toni Birthisel Hardcover, pages un-numbered Available from: Peter Birthisel Ph: 0418 690 065. Email: peter@becyarrawonga.com.au Price: $120 (Aust) including GST Postage $16 in Australia. EFT and Credit card payment available. Eric Tyler was known as ‘Longy’, and with good reason. He towered over his contemporaries and was a devotee of motorcycles and motorcycling from the very early days, becoming Australia’s leading rider and record breaker. In 1913, he broke the Sydney to Melbourne motorcycle record, covering the 572 miles in 24 hours 39 minutes and 30 seconds on a Rover. After retiring from racing, he opened at petrol station, but fortunately kept excellent records of his racing days that included photographs, newspaper cuttings and articles. In 2016, Peter Birthisel, who is a key figure in the Indian movement in Australia, met with Tyler’s son Owen and was shown the collection. He came away determined to see that the material, by now in a fragile state, was preserved in some way for the benefit of future generations. Peter and his wife Toni enlisted the assistance of ace action photographer Colin Rosewarne to scan the collection, a process made exceedingly difficult by the brittle paper, but after a marathon effort, it is done. The result is a fascinating pictorial book that captures a period of our motorcycling history that is now all-but lost. A great effort by all concerned.