Burt’s bikes for Shannons auction
Four motorcycles from the estate of the late Allen Burt will feature in Shannons on-line Auction, running from 23rd – 30th November.
Burt passed away in January 2009, having never recovered from the trauma of the theft of three of his prized racing stable, a Matchless G50, AJS 7R and Matchless G45. Despite intensive police investigations, no charges have ever been laid, nor have the motorcycles been found. Allen moved into a nursing home in 2006. His racing career included several stints in Europe, the first in 1955 when he crashed in the Isle of Man and was seriously injured. After he recovered he raced again at the TT in 1958 and was a stalwart of Historic Racing from its inception in Australia.
The four bikes on offer in November have been on display since 2006 in the National Motor Racing Museum, Bathurst, adjacent to Allen’s favourite circuit, Mount Panorama. Executor of Allen’s estate and his close friend Dennis Quinlan, believes the bikes were assembled by Allen but probably not used. There are two Velocettes, a 350 MAC in race trim and a replica Mk8 KTT of unknown provenance, but apparently with a genuine Mk8 cylinder head and cam box and possibly KSS crankcases. The AJS 7R also has an unknown history, but appears to have post1958 engine and gearbox, Norton front forks and an Oldani front brake. The other bike is an AS1 Yamaha fitted with a Yamaha race kit, as ridden by Allen at Bathurst from 1970 to 1976.