While cleaning out a cupboard in my garage on the weekend, I found a postage roll with half a dozen old posters in it. I knew I HAD them but I’ve had no idea for a long time as to where they were. Back in the day, posters were printed and given away at an enormous rate (remember, this was prior-Internet) so I was very glad to find this handful that I had somehow kept.
The first one is an Arai one, produced to celebrate Andrew Johnson’s win at Bathurst in 1983 on the V4 Honda. It features a classic Bathurst bike shot, an inset picture of AJ holding up the Arai trophy and another inset of the famous Freddie Spencer replica Arai helmet that nearly everyone wore back then, heck, even I did.
The next one is another commemorative poster produced to celebrate Graeme Crosby’s win in the 1980 World Formula One Championship. The photo, however, is a local one since that is the late Steve Trinder on the Total Hunter Suzuki RG500 in the background. Again, produced locally, the poster also features an ad for Mick Hone Motorcycles in Melbourne, long time Suzuki dealer and sponsor of Mr Superbike, Robbie Phillis. (that’s Mick himself on the #11 bike in the bottom right hand corner)
This one is a real curiosity. In early 1978, as a means of publicising the upcoming inaugural road closure meeting at Macarthur, CRRC staged a huge motorcycle show in the industrial suburb of Fyshwick. We took over the whole bottom floor of J B Young’s warehouse and had displays sponsored by all the local motorcycle trade plus numerous road racing groups and companies. Dick Hunter had a huge stand all of his own with a couple of his RG500 Suzukis as well as a Castrol Six Hour bike in Total colours. He also set up a mini theatre and had movie films of racing running continuously while the show was in progress. As a publicity effort it was, as its name implies, a spectacular success and I am sure that it did a great deal towards not only giving the club a lot of “cred” but also encouraged many thousands of people to attend the races that were held in October of the same year.
The next one is even more arcane. CRRC held and annual Christmas party in a restaurant in Braddon, blowed if I can remember the name of it. As President of the club, I ran a pretty tight ship, probably too tight, I think, but people were too polite to point this out, happier, rather, that I put my heart and soul into the job and was quite the “mover and shaker”. Nevertheless, the more “rowdy” element of the club, notably Tony Annand, John Small, Theo Barth and a few of the others took the opportunity at the party to have a gentle “dig” at my somewhat straight-laced approach by having this poster displayed above the main table. At the time I remember feeling pretty miffed about it, but, time heals, etc.
Finally a real gem, I wonder how many of these precious ones remain? This was the poster advertising the Macarthur Park Finale in November 1981 (next year it will have been 40 years ago). Prescience, indeed that Mr Superbike, Robbie Phillis, featured on the poster as it was he who totally dominated the event, winning every race he entered. Note the bike shop sponsorship. We ran every meeting at a profit thanks to the generosity of the local motoring trade. Also note the names listed to appear, pretty star-studded lineup, it was.
Interestingly, this was AJ’s first appearance on a Honda and that deal was organised by CRRC when AJ called us very late in the peace saying that he wanted to come and race but didn’t have a bike. We put out some feelers and AJ appeared on a CB1100R Honda. As a one-off it wasn’t a great success as AJ tangled with Craig Trinder and both of them were out of the event with injuries as a result. However, it was the very beginning of a long and fruitful association between AJ and Honda that went on till the end of his racing career and continued past that as AJ took on various administrative roles with Honda.
Occasionally it’s a good idea to have a clean-out, you just never know what you might find!