Photo of the Day Harry Lindsay and Gunga Din

[Graham Smith]

Following on from the photographs posted two days ago, here we see Harry Lindsay (on the right), who sadly passed away at the age of 92. A real gentleman, Harry set the Irish motorcycle speed record of 143mph on Gunga Din in 1953 - which remained unbeaten until the 1970s. Left to right: Philip Vincent, Mrs Vincent, Dennis O'Neill (of Dunmanway, Co. Cork), Harry Lindsay.

 

[Speedtwin]

Fantastic,
Cork has proper land speed history having a recognised 2.5 mile straight with a neg gradient a concrete public road out near Carrigaline from memory, many records were set here back in the day and in more recent years.
I believe the club had a revival few years back and the record was again pushed up.
Manufacturers such as Jaguar used to send over cars to attempt land speed records in Cork. I think Pat Moss Stirling's sister who married Paddy Hopkirk was among the record holders in the Jag.
Be nice to see another straight line event in Ireland.
Al

 

[Gerry Clarke]

It's the Carrigrohane straight, just west of Cork City, partially within the city limits and currently designated the N22. There is enough room for a flying kilometer and the current Irish motorcycle record here is just over 184 mph. This is also where Joe Wright set the 150 mph world record in 1930.

Gerry

 

[Speedtwin]

Was that most recent 180 or so record set by Mr Mellor in the eighties on a turbo suzuki?

 

[Gerry Clarke]

Mel Nolan from Cork on a self-tuned Honda.

Gerry

 

[vibrac]

Fantastic,
Cork has proper land speed history having a recognised 2.5 mile straight with a neg gradient a concrete public road out near Carrigaline from memory, many records were set here back in the day and in more recent years.
I believe the club had a revival few years back and the record was again pushed up.
Manufacturers such as Jaguar used to send over cars to attempt land speed records in Cork. I think Pat Moss Stirling's sister who married Paddy Hopkirk was among the record holders in the Jag.
Be nice to see another straight line event in Ireland.
Al

Pat Moss lived for some time near or with Stirling in Tring she would often come up through Chesham and up into the Chilterns along Chesham Vale she Drove a white Sarb two stroke car. Steve and I would wait on our bikes at the Nashleigh arms late after dark because we knew the twisty Vale road like the back of our hand since it was our way home. When she passed by we would try and catch her we never quite could, she sure could drive. Luckily we soon started racing with BEMSEE et al that was a lot safer

 

[erik]

The bike of the day today has very different pushrod tubes . What is about this design? Erik

 

[Peter Holmes]

They were fitted to some tuned or racing engines, the set up copes better with sealing, Marcus Bowden has been known to manufacture and fit them, I do not know what the component parts are.