DEREK J EDGAR
Derek J. Edgar, one of Scotland’s foremost Trials and Enduro competitors from the 1960s and 1970s, passed away on Tuesday 28th March 2017. He was born in Edinburgh, the younger son of Norman Edgar senior who with his brothers ran the motorcycle sales and repairs business of Edgar Brothers in the city.
Derek developed his mechanical aptitude from his very skilful uncles at the family business before going to work for Steyr-Daimler Puch at their factory at Graz in Austria in 1970 as a development rider/engineer, followed by a term with Montesa USA when he was based in California in the USA. He subsequently returned to his homeland Scotland and set up his own property development company called Derek Edgar Developments.
Edgar Bros were agents for the innovative DMW range of motorcycles, and both Derek and older brother Norman campaigned the firm’s trials models in Scottish and National events. This was followed by a spell on Bultaco when the family business was the first Scottish agent for the brand in 1965.
In 1968 Edgar’s became agents for the Andover built AJS two-stroke scrambles machines, and it was Derek who helped develop the AT-37A trials model when the factory sent up a consignment of parts to the Edinburgh dealers. As a private entrant, Derek rode the 1968 and 1969 International Six Days Trials on a 125 Puch GS, a machine he later converted into a one-day trials machine.
In 1970 Derek rode for the Scottish ACU Vase team on a factory prepared 250cc Ossa before moving to live in the USA. Derek’s older brother Norman was three-times Scottish Trials Champion and former Clerk of Course of the Scottish Six Days Trial, an event in which Derek competed riding Puch, Bultaco and Honda machinery.
His last ride was in 1977 on an imported Honda TL250. Derek Edgar never lost his enthusiasm for the sport but had been ill for some time having been diagnosed with inoperable cancer. He had been undergoing specialist treatment at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital for several months prior to his death.