ALPINE PRE-65 MX
Swiss motorsport? Oh yes, they love off-roading on Old-timers
Switzerland banned motorsport on permanent circuits in the wake of the Le Mans car racing tragedy of 1955, but the country has a rich history of motocross, having hosted a World Championship Grand Prix as long ago as 1957.
The Swiss have strict legislation governing trail riding or enduros, but there’s a healthy motocross scene, with local village organisations putting on at least two motocross events each per year on private farms.
There are very few permanent tracks in the country. Instead, most tracks are laid out on natural terrain; probably not the greatest for modern bikes, which are designed for the technical jumps and rhythm sections of man-made courses, but perfect for classics! Swiss motocross meetings are a mix of modern and classic machines, with the latter coming under the auspices of the OMC (Oldtimer Motocross Club; omcschweiz.ch). The OMC has 175 members, 80 of whom are regular racers with an age range of 20-70+, with 36 meetings per year – plus an opportunity to compete in the Race of Nations, a European championship for vintage bikes, held three times a year in different countries. Classic classes include Pre-68, Pre-75, Twinshock and Evo. Invited by a friend, I got to ride a Triumph at Motocross Ichertswil, a local race held on a farm an hour’s drive from Zurich. The track offers good hillclimbs and plenty of jumps but is on typical Pre-65 terrain – grassy slopes where normally the cows would be grazing. I rode the practice laps, then couldn’t resist photographing the races to get closer to some of the event’s coolest riders and bikes.
Rene Walter BSA Victor 441 Special
Rene Walter is a retired 64-year-old from Switzerland. He raced enduro for 24 years before switching to motocross at the age of 59. “I race for fun and have had this BSA Victor 441 Special for four years now. It has a 560cc motor built by the British Bike Doktor.” Rene also competes in European competitions.
Hans Joerg 1965 CZ twin-port 360
Swiss Hans Joerg (64) is a metal construction worker in the building trade. He raced sidecar MX from 1977 until 1986. “I stopped racing when we started a family, then I came back to the sport through quads, motocross and supermoto in 2004, then got into vintage MX four years ago.” His ride today is this 1965 CZ twin-port 360 – all original with special edition triple clamps and footpegs, plus Reiger twin shock rear suspension.
Werner Mohr 1964 CZ 380
Werner Mohr (73) has retired, which has given him more time to devote to his bikes. “I’ve been riding classics since 2000, but originally I began with modern bikes in international motocross championships. I don’t miss a single OMC race now,“he says. “My bike is a 1964 CZ 380, which is the first pure motocross race bike the company made. I’ve owned it for 10 years and have won the European Veteran Motocross Championship twice on it (the last time being in 2019). Other than a replacement exhaust, the bike is completely original.”
Max Meier KTM MC 250
Max Meier is from Switzerland and was born in 1956. He’s been a truck driver for 37 years and has one year left before retiring to concentrate solely on his bikes. He’s been racing motocross ever since he was 12, and in 1974 began adult racing. “I’ve been racing old-timer bikes for 20 years now,” he says. “My bike, which I bought six years ago, is a 1981 KTM MC 250cc in a 125 frame, so it’s very light. The chassis is all original and has never been restored.”
Lars Peyer 1974 Kawasaki KX250 A3
Lars Peyer (32) was once a downhill mountain biker, but is now in his second season of classic motocross, having joined his father and brother in the sport. “My bike is a 1974 Kawasaki KX250 A3, which I bought from England two years ago,” he says. “I rebuilt everything, using mainly original parts, with the exception of the controls and footpegs. Original conrods are also impossible to find, so I just adapted a longer one from another bike and used a thicker cylinder gasket.” Lars finished second in his very first motocross race.
Gary Peyer 1974 Bultaco Pursang
Gary Peyer (63) is originally from New York but now lives in Bern. He worked for Fox Suspension for 14 years and now runs his own company making suspension for motorcycles, bicycles and specialist applications. He raced enduro from the age of 10 in New England but, when he arrived in Switzerland to find no enduro competition, took up international motocross instead. These days he races for fun with the OMC on a 1974 Bultaco Pursang. “I chose this bike because when I was in high school I always wanted a Bultaco but never had one. It’s a really fast bike and has an incredible motor. The only thing I’ve done is fit my own suspension equipment, but otherwise it’s stock.” Gary’s sons Lars (see left) and Denis (who has a near-identical Kawasaki to Lars) also race with the OMC.
Verner Ete Pair of Husqvarna 240WRS
Verner Eten is a 63-year-old car mechanic from the outskirts of Zurich. From the age of 18, he raced motocross for eight years then picked up the sport again when he reached 40, racing in the national four-stroke series. In 2011, he moved over to the twin-shock vintage bikes, riding a 500cc Husqvarna that he has owned since 1983. He won back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. His bikes he races today are an all-original Husqvarna 240WR, bought in 2013, and his original Husqvarna 240WR from the early ’80s. “Two weeks ago, I gave the 500 a new piston for the first time since I bought the bike in 1983,” he laughs.
‘THE TRACK IS TYPICAL PRE-65 TERRAIN, ON GRASSY SLOPES WHERE NORMALLY THE COWS WOULD BE GRAZING’
Anthony Krähenmann 1989 Moto Villa 410 MX 80
Anthony Krähenmann is only 21 years old, but has been riding bikes since he was five. He chooses to ride classic bikes, “because they are more fun and have more soul”. His bike is a very rare 1989 Moto Villa 410 MX 80. The marque was the brainchild of Francesco Villa, a former Ducati, Mondial and Montesa engineer who also raced motocross and decided to develop his own brand in the late 1960s. Anthony’s bike is all stock except the exhaust and Race Tech shocks
Mike Federer 1971 BSA B50 MX
Mike Federer has been riding vintage bikes since he was 18, but got into classic motocross only two years ago. “Classics are more challenging to ride – and to maintain. I do all the regular maintenance work on my bikes, although the engines are done by Hans, who is better known as The British Bike Doktor.” Mike’s daily car is the perfect bike hauler, a classic 2.5-litre petrol VW, and transports his 1971 BSA B50 MX 1971 which is standard apart from Ceriani forks and upgraded twin shocks. For this race he also bought along his 1973 TRIBSA – a TR5T 500 twin housed in a modified B50 frame.
Patrick Suter 1979 Maico 440
Patrick Suter (31) has been riding old-timers since 2017 and is now a regular competitor with the OMC and in Europe. His bike is a rather rare 1979 Maico 440 he’s had since 2017. He has replaced the rear twin shocks with Reiger and refurbished the original forks.
Dany Nüssli 1975 CCM 635cc
Dany Nüssli is one of the leading riders in the OMC and rides a 1975 CCM 635cc prepared by The British Bike Doktor. The three-speed motor breathes through a Mikuni 34mm carb and features a 100mm-stroke crankshaft made by Swiss Marcel Gerhard (ex-speedway and longtrack champion who now makes GTR speedway engines) and a gearbox and clutch from English company NEB (who also make speedway equipment). The bike has a replica frame from Holl, Öhlins shocks, English REH forks, drum front brake, Grimeca wheels from Haan Wheels in Holland, Swiss-made Phonos exhaust, and a replica tank. Dany (54) started motocross in 1985 on modern bikes, did several years of sidecar MX, and switched to classics in 2003.
‘CLASSIC MOTOCROSS BIKES ARE MORE CHALLENGING TO RIDE, AND TO MAINTAIN’