The Queensland Early Motorcycle Sports Club, promotes road racing for all types of motorcycles up to 1980. This includes classes for pre 1946, pre 1963 and pre 1973 solos and sidecars.

Each of these classes include 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, 500cc and Unlimited capacity classes. Categories exist for sidecars in Classic and Post-Classic eras.

To be eligible for racing, machines must be visually compatible with those manufactured in the period. i.e. they can  be modified internally but must look period. This means the bikes are fast - rules allow for them to be internally modified using modern materials and also allowing to run modern race compound tyres. A lot are running modern crankshafts, pistons, valves etc allowing  compression ratios of up to 15:1 and engines capable of up to 13,000 RPM.

This makes for exciting racing that is attracting more and more competitors and spectators, partly because the bikes can be developed and worked on by the enthusiasts, unlike most modern racing categories.

What sort of bike do you need? A Manx Norton would be nice, but many of us have a huge amount of fun getting the best we can out of pretty standard road bikes. Or you can prove your mechanical prowess with internal modifications to get the most out of an old engine and spruce up handling and braking. It’s all about being where you want to be and fitting into a class of racing that suits you. This is the beauty of historic racing.

If you’re interested in getting involved, the best way to get started is to talk to people already involved. Find out what types of machines are most suited to historic racing in terms of availability of parts, cost, available modifications for racing, expected longevity, etc. It may seem that the old bike in the back shed is the best way to go, but it may be that you’re better of using it to fund something more appropriate.

Come along to a QEMSC meeting and talk about the options. We meet at the Motorcycle Sportsmen Clubrooms at 35 Crosby Road, Albion at 7:30 pm on the second Tuesday of every month.

For more information call Brian Fleming (President) on (07) 3367 1690  or Bill Stephens (Secretary) on (07) 3202 7404