Warren Hicks
Dave ‘TC’ Morris
: OLD BIKE AUSTRALASIA
One of the stalwarts of the Newcastle motorcycle scene, DAVE MORRIS, passed away after a long illness on 6th August, 2020, aged 87.
Known to everyone as ‘TC’, Dave got his nickname from the television cartoon character Top Cat. An enthusiastic Life member of the Newcastle Vintage Motorcycle Club which he joined in 1994, he held positions as club captain, vice presidents and wrote regular articles for the club’s monthly magazine. He also contributed several technical articles to OBA over the years. TC was a knowledgeable and always helpful member, was very well known in the motorcycle movement, and a friend to everyone. With wife Anita, Dave was a regular at classic rallies and rarely missed the annual Bathurst Tour until his health began to deteriorate. He worked in the motorcycle industry in his early years, notably at the large Newcastle dealer Gordon Grieg, along with Norm Fraser. He later worked in earth moving until he retired. He rode in Motocross, Short Circuit and Road Racing, and finally Historic Road Racing. His passion was Jawa motorcycles and two strokes in general, and he was always tinkering in his well set up garage. With his bubbling personality and eagerness to help others, Dave was a tremendously popular member of the Historic motorcycling community.
WARREN HICKS, an early member of the VVMCCSA died in Melbourne on Friday 21st August 2020, aged 95 years.
Warren was an early and very significant factor in the survival of pre-1930 motorcycles in this country – and particularly in South Australia. He was a major provider of complete and project machines for restoration and many of his machines appeared on rallies in the hands of other riders. Warren was a teenager in pre-WW2 Adelaide and a keen observer of the old motorcycling scene even at that time. He had a prodigious memory and enduring interest in the unusual and technically interesting. This attention to detail was part of Warren’s life. He obtained a Science degree from Adelaide University in the early 1940s and upon completing his studies the University sought to retain him for essential wartime research work as a cadet in the physiology Department. In the early 1960s Warren moved to Melbourne where he enjoyed a long stint as the chief chemist at an oil refinery on the Yarra River.
Warren was instrumental in the formation of the Vintage Motorcycle Club of Victoria in 1964, and later joined the Antique Motorcycle Club, as both of these Clubs catered principally for early machines. Warren still retained a strong interest in the VVMCCSA and participated in the 30th Anniversary Rally. At the time of his death, Warren still had his 1914 Big X 1000cc and surprisingly, in complete contrast, there was also his 1925, Villiers-engined Diamond. Last of the chain-cum-belt bikes built, it is a 147cc Villiers powered Ultra-Lightweight model, with no front brake, clutch or kickstart.
The bikes Warren retained at his death are to be sold by Shannons at Auction in November 2020. These are just the bikes that Warren retained, and they are all interesting, however, there were literally hundreds more that Warren assembled as projects for others to restore. Speculating, it is hard to estimate, but not impossible, that Warren saved 500 veteran and vintage bikes. The “really-old-bike” movement in this country owes him a very great debt.