Book Review: Where BSAs Dare! BSA’s 1952 ISDT Golds and Maudes Trophy

by

Author: Norman Vanhouse – with updates by Graham Vanhouse C.Eng., F.I.Mech.E.
Foreword by: Jeff Smith MBE.
Published by: Panther Publishing Ltd, 10 Limes Avenue, High Wycombe, Bucks HP11 1DP
Tel.: 01494 534778.
E-mail: [email protected]
www.panther-publishing.com
Softbound, 170mm x 235mm, 188 pages,
over 70 photographs and illustrations
ISBN 978-1-909213-21-0   £14.95.

The Maudes Trophy, a very substantial silver cup, was donated to the ACU
(Auto-Cycle Union) in 1923 to encourage manufacturers to show how reliable its machines were by submitting teams to ride marathon distances in limited time under official ACU observation.

To win this prestigious award required great confidence in the machines and riders’ abilities – to fail would generate disastrous publicity. The Maudes Trophy was a tempting peak to conquer and BSA wanted to be the first postwar winners to promote its new
plunger-framed 500cc Star Twin. The ISDT (International Six Days Trial) was to take place in Austria in 1952 and was considered to be the Olympics of endurance motorcycle sport at the time – and that provided the inspiration.

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