Does anyone know any history about this 1970s Gannett Racing BSA A50 ex racer

[RGSJon]

Back in 2012 I bought the ex-race machine shown in the pictures.







I am a bit of a BSA nut, especially where their twins are concerned. The vendor, a guy in Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK told me it was built as a one-off racer by one Matthew Mason of Gannet Racing in the 1970s, starting off as a 750 and later on becoming a 500. The machine spent most of its life as a racer and was reportedly raced on quite a few UK circuits. It has some IoM history: 1986 MGP newcomers, rider Chris J Smith, 83.89mph; 1988 MGP, same rider, 85.33mph; 1989 MGP, same rider, DNF.

Some details on the bike:
•   It has a hand built double loop frame, a la Manx, built by Mason.
•   Weight with fuel and oil is 80Kg, 352lbs
•   Box section swinging arm,
•   Modified Armstrong front forks,
•   One off all alloy fuel and oil tanks.
•   Modified TZ front wheel and TZ disc
•   Modified Rickman rear wheel and disc.
•   The gearbox has a 5 speed Quaife cluster.
•   The engine has end fed crank, rebalanced crank, 32mm inlet ports, electronic ignition.
•   Now road registered.

The bike came to me with quite a collection of racing spares, such as a range of sprockets, paddock stands etc.

Although I am very used to bikes with clip-ons (e.g. Goldies), this machine has the most stretched out riding position I have ever encountered.

When I bought the bike, I met Matthew Mason briefly. He was then clearly an ill man.

I have discovered that in their day the Gannet team raced a succession of bikes, including a B50, and that Mat Mason had a name as a very competent motorcycle engineer, but at about that point my knowledge ends. A Gannet Racing sticker that I have gives their phone number as Didcot 814406 and their address as 43 The Broadway, Didcot. 

A 1984 CRMC Brands Hatch race programme I possess shows that Gannett was a sponsor of the meeting.

Does anyone recognise this bike and can they tell me anything of its history?

Can anyone recollect any history on Gannet Racing?   I have tried asking several times on the britbike forum but not heard a squeak!

Is there anyone, possibly close to the team, who are still around that I could contact?

Is their TT rider, Chris Smith, still around?

All and any snippets of information will be gratefully received with thanks,

Jon

[chaz]

cant say I remember seeing it around North Glos meetings , but I was only marshalling for about a year in 1984. We had a lot of members from Berkshire and Oxfordshire, Reading, Oxford, Newbury etc.
you could ask around the CRMC https://www.crmc.co.uk/

[Loudoun]

fantastic looking machine 

[RGSJon]

Hi Chaz, thanks for your message.  I had a look at the crmc site but they don't seem to have a forum or messages page.  Are there any other places I could look at?

[chaz]

Jon
first stop I would say is to contact the club either through the chairman or club secretery, maybe even the commentator, some comms are pretty well up on past members and results . Failing that a visit to a club meeting. The CRMC race at various tracks around the country. In our area South West, the NGMCC used to run on airfields and had classic classes, Years ago the classic class contained Brit, Italian and Japanese and a few exotics, even a copper radiatored Scott Squirrel 2 stroke. They  picked up a sponsor who would only sponsor the class if it was restricted to Brit only so a lot of classic Jap Honda CB riders got left and then the class fizzled out.
I even think Bemsee ran classic classes. Iknow Jim Parker, the late ACU chairman loved the classic parades when added to the dinnertime breaks at New Era club events.

Finally, drop a line to Classic Bike or The Classic Motorcycle magazine.

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi,

If you google 'Chris Smith, TT rider' you will see that there is Chris Smith still racing.  Perhaps a bit young but maybe worth trying to make contact.

Dave.

[RGSJon]

Dave,

Thanks ever so much.  I will follow that up,

Jon

[beesa71]

I sent Jon a 'pm', nothing heard so far.

Regards to all BSAOC'ers..

Paul.