MICK’S VIEW
The name Michael John Andrews has been inextricably linked to the off-road motorcycling world ever since he was innocently watching a section at a trial which seemed to defeat the entry. The observer, a friend of his father, said: “Go on Mick, let's see what you can do.” What he could do was clean the section and Mick Andrews was set on the path to a life of motorcycling which would see him travel the world over and carve his name on trophies including the SSDT, innumerable national trials and ISDT gold medals. After his initial ‘section' success a trials bike was acquired and the lad started doing well; just how well was demonstrated one evening when he came home from work to find a works-prepared AJS trials bike in the workshop. “I knew I'd been riding well locally but Hugh Viney had been tipped a wink by Ralph – please pronounce it ‘Rafe' – Venables, the well-known commentator on the trials world. Venables reckoned I was a lad to watch, Viney agreed and at 17 I was in the works team, heading for my first SSDT.” It wasn't just trials Mick was expected to ride either as a Matchless scrambler was available to him too. Which makes it fitting he was offered the use of this Matchless by the owner Peter Lockwood. It was two-way traffic too, as Peter got the benefit of Mick's experience to make the bike work during the time he rode it. Mick retired gracefully from riding the big four-stroke as complications from a shoulder injury caused in the Seventies meant he couldn't get the best from the bike.
and carburettor have been reduced in size since the original build. Using a total-loss Interspan ignition helps in the bike firing up and also saves a bit of weight over the magneto it would originally wear as even the racing magnetos, while lighter than the road units, are still quite heavy. “I had to have the engine rebuilt when I got the bike as it had been well used,” Peter tells me. “A new liner went in the barrel, new piston and all new bearings and bushes finished the job.” Connecting the engine and gearbox, tucked inside the BSA primary cases, is a chain primary drive and an NEB clutch which stands up to the punishment in a scramble very well, being as it's derived from a speedway unit.
During the rebuild Peter had the frame painted a light grey, almost like the dove grey BSA used on their oil-in-frame twins. It sets the bike off nicely and is matched to the red touches on the tank and footrests. Standard scramblers, from British factories, would have massive forged footrests mounted a little too far forward for the likes of modern thinking but moving them back requires a bit of thought. The usual answer is to either make a plate which bolts to the primary case on the drive side and another which bolts on to extended studs in the gearbox cover and fit spring-loaded rests or fabricate more brackets to bolt to the frame or engine plates. The first option is used on this bike and has been slightly modified with a strengthener plate welded on at an angle after the rests wilted slightly.
Once Peter had the bike in a decent condition to race it went up to Mick Andrews who made a few detail modifications, one of which puzzled Peter, the others Mick did are more obvious or personal preference. Mick had the original line of the exhaust altered slightly so it tucked in at the footrest and now the pipe is protected a little more and keeps it out of the way of the kickstart too. Mick also fitted Renthal trials handlebars which is his preferred bend but the puzzling bit for Peter was when Mick increased the seat height. “I couldn't understand why he would want to do such a thing,” says the bike's owner. “Turns out it's a suggestion from Hugh Viney – AMC'S comp manager – he always had the seat higher on his bikes which made it easier to go from sitting to standing during an event.” Peter went on to add Mick also had the tank signwritten with his name.
“It was a very successful racing partnership but you know Mick had a serious shoulder injury in the Seventies, didn't you?” I did. “He was finding it harder to get the best out of the bike and reluctantly had to stop riding it as even with the lightening work done to it, it's still a big machine.” Naturally I wanted to know if Peter rode it in a scramble or two? “Yes, I have, I used to joke the bike had three great riders on it… and then me,” he laughs.