INTERNATIONAL

1980 FIM WTC GBR

My life in motorcycle trials has spanned some superb times, including the definitive ‘David and Goliath’ moment with both man and machines. Starting out as a motor vehicle mechanics apprenticeship at a local car dealership, John Shirt Snr would move into a world of self-employment in 1970. On Saturday the 16th February 1980 his rider Mick Andrews would win the FIM World Trials Championship round in Great Britain on his own creation, the Majesty Yamaha; it was the ‘Majesty Moment’.

The path to the ‘Majesty Moment’ had not been an easy one for John. On leaving school, John Shirt Snr served his apprenticeship with the Kennings Motor Group based in the Peak District area. Cars were now a passion, and applying his ideas, he started to modify them; with it came the experience of learning all the time. Wanting to increase his income, he moved to the local mushroom farm where he was involved in the servicing and maintenance of the large forklift truck fleet.

Following in the footsteps of his father, who was a local self-employed builder, John moved into some property on Stable Lane in 1970 where his father was based. As a motor mechanic, he would offer his services and would soon be putting in many working hours to provide for his wife Margaret and young family; he would always be on hand taking on a multitude of mechanical and bodywork, with no job ever too big, or too small.

MOTORCYCLES

It was as a teenager with a love for motorcycles that John first became introduced to Ron Hulme, the father of the editor of this publication, who helped him to prepare a BSA Bantam for trials use. He then enjoyed both trials and scrambling on DOT machinery before work took over. The workshop at Stable Lane, Buxton, would always be lit up in the early ’70s with John burning much midnight oil as the reputation for his high standard of work soon became well known.

During this period he also started to polish aluminium handlebars for the newly formed Renthal Company based nearby at Bollington. John’s wife, Margaret, would collect boxes of the handlebars, John would polish them, and she would return them, all for six pence per product!

After a brief period racing a speedway motorcycle, (the less said of this, the better), he returned to his first love of riding a second-hand Ossa MAR 250cc in trials in 1975. During his days scrambling on the DOT, he had come into contact with Mick Andrews and his father Tom during his early days, and they had always kept in touch. He followed Mick’s move to Yamaha in 1973 with much interest, and he would call into Stable Lane to show John his progress with the TY models he was developing. When Mick won the 1976 Bemrose Trial on the 360cc, he convinced Shirt to swop the ageing Ossa for a production Yamaha TY 250cc.

MAJESTY: MICK ANDREWS JOHN EDWARD SHIRT TRIALS YAMAHA

The new machine was purchased in January 1977, and the Yamaha adventure had begun. During the year ‘Shirty’ started to modify the production TY model and make the parts available to the buying public. He started with the removal of the oil tank, feed and pump setup for the two-stroke oil, which in turn allowed the new slimline cover to be fitted, which he had manufactured and supplied. A heavyweight chain conversion kit came next, which was soon followed by the repositioning of the rear suspension dampers to improve the handling.

In April 1978, Andrews moved from Holland to live permanently in the UK to return to his first love, Ossa. The Yamaha-modified parts began to sell well, and soon the press revealed that Mick Andrews would start to build ‘Works Replica’ machines with a 320cc conversion on them. That work would be carried out in Buxton, with John Shirt instrumental in the project. Andrews gave Shirt his modified 320cc cylinder barrel that had not worked as expected and, using his mechanical knowledge and engineering expertise, he fitted it to his own modified TY 250cc with very encouraging results. Soon the full-frame modifications would begin, and the Majesty as a motorcycle would arrive. Yamaha was taking note of John’s work and in early 1979, encouraged by Mick, he was allowed to display the new Majesty on the official Yamaha importer’s stand, Mitsui, at the annual Racing and Sporting Show in London.

“Mick Andrews would start to build ‘Works Replica’ machines with a 320cc conversion on them”

YAMAHA – MITSUI

With both himself and Mick Andrews on the stand, the interest in the Majesty was incredible; this new machine was the talk of the trials world.

In December it was showtime once again, and Yamaha Competition Manager, Robert Jackson, invited John to display both the new 200cc and 320cc Majesty models on the official Yamaha –Mitsui stand. In a conversation between Robert with John, he also hinted that Yamaha/Mitsui would have a top trials rider in action on the Majesty in 1980. The project design engineer from Yamaha Amsterdam, Mr Tanaka, also talked of the possibility of a new machine at a later stage. Little did they know at the time that this would arrive in 1983 with the mono-shock Yamaha!

With the Spanish trials industry in financial trouble, Mick Andrews was dropped by Ossa so devoted all his time to the Majesty project. On the eve of the British World round in Devon in February, Mick Andrews signed a contract to ride in selected World rounds, the Scottish Six Days, the Scott and British Championship with Mitsui, the UK Yamaha importers. John had built Mick a new Majesty machine using the converted TY frame as a base point, which featured the footrests positioned ½” further back and an aluminium Fresco silencer which Shirt had for offered for sale as a replacement Majesty part for the production silencer. The ‘Majesty Moment’ was about to arrive just 24 hours later.

1980 FIM WORLD TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP

It was very much a year of upheaval in the trials world as the well-documented downfall of the once-mighty manufacturer of trials motorcycles in Spain was, sadly, in free-fall. The years of the once-dominant Bultaco team was over as many riders had not received financial rewards that were owed from 1979 and had moved to other manufacturers.

The first FIM World Trials Champion from 1975, Martin Lampkin, remained with Bultaco before making the move to SWM in May at the Scottish Six Days Trial. Finland’s Yrjo Vesterinen, the three-time winner of the World Series for Bultaco from 1976–1978 and runner-up in 1979, had moved to Montesa. By the close of the year, the 1979 World Champion from America, Bernie Schreiber, had departed Bultaco for Italian manufacturer Italjet, and Spain’s first-ever FIM World round winner in 1979, Manuel Soler, would also move from Bultaco to Montesa.It’s also interesting to note that Spanish rider Jaime Subira had moved from Montesa to Fantic.

At round one in Ireland, the Hurst Cup, it was ‘Super Swede’, Ulf Karlson, who had taken the Montesa to the win followed home by Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR) and Yrjo Vesterinen (Bultaco-FIN). The majority of the fancied top ten riders for the championship had finished in the points as Cumbrianbased Chris Myers caused the biggest upset, coming home in seventh position.

DEVON CREAM

When you think of Devon, in the south of the country, you think of cream, but when the 1980 FIM World Trials Championship arrived there on the 16th February, there was no cream.

Sponsored by Honda, the start field at Bickington, Newton Abbot, was a mud bath after heavy overnight rain made for challenging conditions for the organising West of England Motor Club. The sun came out on the day, but a cloud was cast over the event as it closed, with 26 of the 80-rider entry excluded for finishing outside of the time allowance. The road-based course would take in 49 hazards over a 30-mile course, taking in some popular hazards such as Ruby Rocks, a group of sections still used today. Soon it was obvious that the riders were in for a hard day’s riding as the opening hazards proved very difficult, and the riders started to queue up.

It was quite early in the day that eventual winner, Mick Andrews, made his intentions clear as he was the best rider through the Ruby Rocks hazards.

At the finish, the championship leader Ulf Karlson had finished second but he, along with many, complained about the severity of the hazards consisting mainly of slippery rocks and mud. The day belonged to Mick Andrews though and the ‘Majesty Moment’; he had done John Shirt Snr proud and he returned home to his Buxton base a very happy man. The success was very short-lived, though.

“It was quite early in the day that eventual winner, Mick Andrews, made his intentions clear as he was the best rider through Ruby Rocks…”

STOLEN

On the Monday, Mick Andrews called in at Stable Lane in Buxton, the home of the Majesty Yamaha project. The 320cc Majesty was washed and worked on to prepare it for the next World round in Belgium on the Sunday. Mick had a quick practice session on the machine with some of his French friends, including Charles Coutard, and Spain’s Ossa rider, Joaquin Abad and deemed himself very happy with it. Shirty once again washed it and ran his spanners over it, and a new pair of tyres were fitted. He also gave a hand to Coutard and

Abad to prepare their machines in his workshop. Mick usually carried his machine on the rack across the back of his Citroen BX but on this occasion he borrowed a three-machine trailer from John Shirt.

Along with Joaquin Abad’s Ossa, and Mick’s Majesty Yamaha, the third place on the trailer would be taken up by Mike Skinner’s Sandifordsponsored Montesa for the road trip to Belgium. They travelled to Belgium on Friday, arriving at Verviers and the Grand Hotel on Saturday afternoon. At some point, during the early hours of

Sunday morning, all the machines were stolen. The thieves had unhitched the trailer and simply driven off with the machines! Mick’s Majesty was unique in the fact that he was testing some new parts, and the Ossa of Abad’s was a factory special; both these machines would have been very difficult to dispose of, although Skinner’s Montesa was a standard Cota 349.

Despite help from the European Police authorities, the machines disappeared forever; had they been stolen to order by a rival manufacturer? We will never know.

FIM WORLD TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIPS 1980 ROUND 2, GREAT BRITAIN

RESULTS: 1: Mick Andrews (Majesty Yamaha-GBR) 115.8; 2: Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE) 119.2; 3: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) 121.0; 4: Manuel Soler (Bultaco-ESP) 123.0; 5: Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR) 123.0; 6: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 123.8; 7: John Reynolds (Beamish Suzuki-GBR) 125.2; 8: Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) 125.6; 9: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 126.4; 10: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 133.2; 11: Peter Cartwright (BultacoGBR) 145.0; 12: Jean Marie Lejeune (Montesa-BEL) 151.0; 13: Martin Lampkin (Bultaco-GBR) 155.6; 14: Mike Skinner (Montesa-GBR) 157.0; 15: Nigel Birkett (Montesa-GBR) 159.6; 16: Jean Luc Colson (Montesa-BEL) 160.2; 17: Charles Coutard (SWM-FRA) 161.0; 18: Danilo Galaezzi (SWM-ITA) 162.0; 19: Bernard Cordonnier (Bultaco-BEL) 162; 20: Joaquin Abad (Ossa-ESP) 162.2; 21: Timo Ryysy (Bultaco-FIN) 162.2; 22: Chris Sutton (Montesa-GBR) 163.0; 23: Josep Jo (Montesa-ESP) 166.0; 24: H Claesson (Montesa-SWE) 166.8; 25: B Geebelan (Montesa-ESP) 168.4; 27: Norman Shepherd (Ossa-GBR) 28: Nick Jefferies (Montesa-GBR) 29: Colin Boniface (Bultaco-GBR) 173.4; 31: Chris Clarke (Montesa-GBR) 173.6; 32: Nibs Kellet (Fantic-GBR) 178.0; 33: Mike Leddy (Beamish Suzuki-GBR) 179.4; 34: Ray Haslam (Bultaco-GBR) 180.0; 40: Roger Johns (Ossa-GBR) 186.0; 41: Dave Clinkard (Beamish Suzuki) 189.8; 43: Andy Wright (Montesa-GBR) 195.0; 44: David Hooke (Moto Gori-GBR) 196.4; 45: Howard Jackman (Montesa-GBR) 197.0; 46: Len Hutty (Montesa-GBR) 201.0; 47: Stuart Thompson (Bultaco-GBR) 201.0; 48: Rob Doney (BultacoGBR) 203.4; 51: Barry Roads (Yamaha-GBR) 214.0; 52: John Metcalfe (MillerGBR) 413.8.

MACHINES TOP 25

RESULTS: Montesa: 11; Bultaco: 6; Honda: 2; SWM: 2; Beamish Suzuki: 1; Fantic: 1; Majesty Yamaha 1; Ossa: 1.

NATIONALITIES TOP 25

RESULTS: GBR: 9; ESP: 5; BEL: 4; FIN: 2; SWE: 2; FRA: 1; ITA: 1; USA: 1.

1980 FIM WORLD TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS

AFTER TWO ROUNDS: 1: Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE) 27;

2: Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR) 18; 3: Mick Andrews (Majesty Yamaha-GBR) 15; 4: Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR) 15; 5: Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN) 15; 6: Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA) 11; 7: Manuel Soler (Bultaco-ESP) 10;

8: Martin Lampkin (Bultaco-GBR) 6; 9: Chris Myers (Bultaco-GBR) 4;

10: John Reynolds (Beamish Suzuki-GBR) 4; 11: Charles Coutard (SWM-FRA) 3;

12: Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP) 2; 13: Nigel Birkett (Montesa-GBR) 1;

14: Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL) 1.

Rob Shepherd (Honda-GBR): In this Honda sponsored event ‘Shep’ had a good strong ride to support his second position in the opening round in Ireland to maintain his championship challenge on the four-stroke machine.

Ulf Karlson (Montesa-SWE): Having won the opening FIM World round, the Hurst Cup, in Ireland and with his second place in Great Britain Ulf was at the head of the points table. Boasting 27 points from the two rounds, he held a nine-point advantage over Rob Shepherd. He and some of the foreign riders had contested selected UK Championship rounds to adjust to the climate in the early part of the year.

Manuel Soler (Bultaco-ESP): Looking very calm and in control, he would be one of a few victims to the closure of the gates at Bultaco as production of the machines became difficult. By mid-season he would be Montesa mounted.

Malcolm Rathmell (Montesa-GBR): The Spanish competition department at Montesa had built a small number of special machines for its factory supported riders including Rathmell. They featured flat-plate footrest mounting areas and a lower top-tube to reduce the seat height, amongst other modifications to make the machine narrower and slimmer.

Yrjo Vesterinen (Montesa-FIN): There was just one thing on the mind of ‘Vesty’, and that was winning back the FIM World title Bernie Schreiber had denied him in 1979. The move to the Montesa brand in anticipation of expected problems at the Bultaco factory had proved correct. He had travelled early to England with his Bedford van towing a caravan to take in some practice to familiarise himself with the early-season riding conditions.

John Reynolds (Beamish Suzuki-GBR): It was a tough day for ‘JR’. Prior to the event he had his arm in a plaster cast, having suffered a heavy fall at the opening round in Ireland one week earlier causing tendon damage. The cast was cut off on Friday and he was happy with his points-scoring seventh position.

Bernie Schreiber (Bultaco-USA): Looking very uncomfortable with his foot down, the defending FIM World Champion was another rider who had arrived earlier in the UK to acclimatise to the early-season cold, wet, weather conditions.

Jaime Subira (Fantic-ESP): Proving that the smaller-capacity machines could be competitive in the world championship hazards ‘Suby’ scored Italian manufacturer Fantic their first ever FIM World Championship points on the 156cc two-stroke model.

Mike Skinner (Montesa-GBR): A strong 14th position was just reward for his efforts. Keen to impress in the world championship series he would have his Sandiford-supported Montesa Cota 349 stolen one week later in Belgium.

Eddy Lejeune (Honda-BEL): This single point was very rewarding for the young spectacle-wearing Lejeune. Practising mid-week in Belgium before the UK world round the gearbox had broken on the four-stroke Honda. A hectic trip across the English Channel to Yorkshire and Rob Shepherd’s home for the replacement parts was needed to repair the Honda.

Martin Lampkin (Bultaco-GBR): Another rider uncertain of his future with Bultaco, he was disappointed to finish outside of the points in 13th position.

Timo Ryysy (Bultaco-FIN): Wanting to follow in the footsteps of his hero Yrjo Vesterinen, this young Finnish rider started his career in the world championship on SWM where he had scored a shock third-place finish riding in his ‘home’ round in 1978. He moved to Bultaco for 1980.

Charles Coutard (SWM-FRA): Despite a stron g financial investment in the development of the Italian machines, they had only been rewarded with one World round win in Italy in 1979 from Coutard. Yellow was the new SWM colour after its early years in red and white.

Danilio Galeazzi (SWM-ITA): Italy and SWM had a new trials-riding star with Danilio, he would win the Italian championship from 1980 to 1983.

Jean Nic Culson (Montesa-BEL): A strong contingent of more than ten riders had travelled over from Belgium for the World round.

Bernard Cordonnier (Bultaco-BEL): One of the tallest trials riders in the world championship.

David Hooke (Moto Gori-GBR): A green clone of the SWM machines this Italian manufacturer had come onto the trials scene in early 1980. They were imported into the UK by Jim Jones, based at Holmes Chapel in Cheshire.

Ray Haslam (Bultaco-GBR): Many of the younger English riders would take in the first three world rounds in Ireland, Great Britain and Belgium for the experience; Ray was one of them in 1980.

Josep Jo (Montesa-ESP): As many riders fell foul to the time limit and were ultimately excluded, this young Spanish rider finished with 46 minutes in hand.

Mike Leddy (Beamish Suzuki-GBR): Many times the Welsh Trials Champion, his highlight of a tough day at the event was the single-mark loss on the slippery rock hazard at ‘North End’, which was only equalled by the eventual winner Mick Andrews.

Marland Whaley (Montesa-USA): Along with Bernie Schreiber, the tall blond American had made the move to be based in Europe to further his trials career. After running out of fuel he was classed as the last official finisher. He had moved to Europe riding the four-stroke Honda in 1977 before moving to Montesa in 1978. After finishing the world championship in ninth position in 1979 he would return home to the USA before the season closed in 1980.

Rob Edwards (Ossa-GBR): After many years being associated and riding for Montesa, this very popular rider had moved to Ossa with support from Cliff and Roger Holden, the UK importers in 1980. After suffering with poor health for many years Rob sadly passed away in late 2019.

John Metcalfe (Miller-GBR): In an ambitious project Sammy Miller had started work on producing his own Miller trials model using the Italian Hiro engine. John was his contracted rider to help to develop the machine in the tough environment of the World rounds.

Gilles Burgat (SWM-FRA): This young French rider was totally dedicated to the sport and was slowly making his way into the FIM World Championship points. He was one of the many riders excluded for exceeding the time limit in the event.

John Shirt Snr had tried the sport of Speedway at one point in his early days. He is seen here with his father after testing the Jawa in the early ’70s.

Joan Girbau (Ossa-ESP): Knowing that the new yellow-coloured Ossa ‘Gripper’ model would soon be available, the factory supported riders continued with the ageing green model in the world championship. On the very early Majesty with the converted frame: John Shirt Snr puts his pride and joy, the 320cc Majesty, through its paces in a local centre trial in early 1979.

Dave Thorpe (Bultaco-GBR): Having to take a break from the sport mid-season 1979 to have back surgery, Dave moved back onto a Bultaco for 1980. He made a move to CCM in 1979 but returned the four-stroke machine after the SSDT in May.