Brands Hatch Superbike Final 1977

[@glennsharkie4882]

I was there!!!! Brings back memories

[@stevebark6829]

and me on clearways !

[@Pizzpott]

As was I, it was the second year I'd been, we'd ran a trip to Brands from the South Wales Valleys in a large minibus since 1976. We used to do the Transatlantic Trophy on our own bikes from 1979 as by then every one of the boys had passed their tests and goy over the 250cc limit bikes....

[@TheWizardOfTheFens]

I remember this race vividly! Takes me back and makes me realise how much time has passed me by…….terrifically well fought right to the end. Sadly Dave Potter crashed badly at Oulton park in 1981 and died of his injuries a while late.

[@shirleygirling8390]

Used to go to Brands Hatch with my late husband ,Raymond, I rode pillion on a Vincent 1,000 Rapide Motorbike ::: It was GREAT I’m now 79 yrs old and would love to do the tonne again on the same motorbike 😃💖🏍💖🏍💖👍

[@珈琲大好-u7t]

Vincent 1,000 Rapide ! very good ! I'm excited if it's a black lightning

[@velobob4299]

@Tobytronic Cat did it ever happen?

[@alanrodriguez7341]

Is your husband Raymond Roche. Al

[@timcolder2789]

No expert on British bikes but that bike would be worth a fortune now. Doubt you will see one on the roads anyway.

[@martiniv8924]

You have a famous name Mrs Girling 👍🏻😎

[@S3dINS]

2 strokes. The only things that smoked more than Barry Sheene. What a hero.

[@robdickie9215]

This was racing at its best,Barry coming from last place,the leader coming off after leading for 11 laps, numerous overtaking,tiny prize fund and engineers and riders from around the globe. Never to be seen again. Amazing 😁

[@richardfox2865]

Barry was always the professional. Even on the grid before the warm up lap, there he was...organising a post race, in depth, analysis.

[@Paul-bx3ey]

😂😂 Exactly what I thought 👍

[@richardfox2865]

Yep, old beaver chops himself! Hehehe 😅

[@williamrae9954]

Was going to be a long night 😂😂😂

[@wheelie63]

ha ! yeah, in depth analysis.........times 2....lol

[@StreetMotoZ]

Excellent camera work for 1977! First class team! Kawasaki and Yamaha looking strong! Mick Grant and Dave Potter were flying!

[@parisgreen13]

Lucky enough to have met Barry Sheene at Brands once. I was in the pits and he stopped next to me after practice and took a swig from my can of coke. Saw him race first at Mallory Park in 1973 in the race of the year. Amazing times

[@johnny5stickswilliams696]

I was there behind the fence at the begging on the final straightaway. Brilliant weekend

[@gobowin6568]

Yeah me too at Clearways. Dave Potter really should have had a works ride !

[@readerj01]

I love the grid. Three rows each comprising eight or so bikes, all piling into Paddock bend. Fantastic stuff.

[@jonathangandy9271]

Amazing how quick they rode on those machines, fine fine racin'

[@BN1960]

i reckon Dave Potter actually won that.

[@birdshenanigans8506]

Well i don't!

[@jonmassey5619]

I'm with you on that... It was close

[@larrybasinski8596]

The 2 stroke cloud at the start brought me here!

[@djrichylaurence8991]

I remember watching this when I was a kid. Great stuff! 😊

[@artmchugh5644]

Can't believe how many guys are on the line side - side !!!!!😎😎😎

[@flybywir1]

Grant had no idea who had won that....after a few seconds thought he realised it couldn't do any harm to wave in victory...the timekeepers probably had no idea either...so Grant's crafty wave did the trick lol....

[@impalaSS65]

Kawasaki was my favorite as a kid, and by default Mick Grant was my hero. Barry Sheene was cool, but I never felt the quite the same for any Suzuki as Ì did for the Z1 900 and the 750 H2. Ironically I own two Bandits and an extra engine for them now. No knee scraping Kawasaki.

[@SteeeveO]

"look at Ditchburn's acrobatics, hanging off the bike"...........if only they had known nowadays elbow down is commonplace in bike racing - proof of tyre & suspension development. Balls were bigger in the 70's though!

[@MrLuigiFercotti]

Tires, frame and suspension so much better now. Oh yeah, carburetors, peaky power and no electronic intervention.

[@timcolder2789]

Agree. It was down to rider skill not the best bike.

[@TheWizardOfTheFens]

Proper gutsy racing. I remember Barry Sheen once commenting on a Yamaha LC350 GP and he said they made his riders look like Sunday drivers the way the threw their bike on road tyres 😂

[@SteeeveO]

@@TheWizardOfTheFens they were a bit mad those LC boys.

[@theroadsnearyou...5088]

Shoulder sliders are now becoming commonplace! Amazing what tyres are allowing riders to achieve! I agree you had to have bigger balls back then, because the repercussions of things not ending “sunny side up” were usually terminal!

[@MrWilko58]

These tyres are totally smooth.....Camera then focuses on tyre with tread.

[@martinwardle6695]

😂

[@peregrinemccauley5010]

Shame Gregg Hansford wasn't there .

[@pd1648]

Mick Grant - Legend

[@35Baronhardup]

These were the days when motorcycle racing was entertaining, superb stuff.

[@tyroniousyrownshoolacez2347]

"....and Potter's caught in a Kawasaki sandwich...." Classic commentary. Love it. 👊😁

[@SteeeveO]

Pottered meat paste ....bless him he was a great rider.

[@timcolder2789]

A great rider who would have gone to bigger and better things if it had not been for his fatal accident at Oulton Park in 1981.

[@williamrae9954]

Bazza was lining up a different sandwich for that evening 😂

[@johnnyrvf]

Twin rear shocks, spoked wheels and two stroke engines. A far cry from 2021 racing!

[@peregrinemccauley5010]

Shame there was no Gregg Hansford and or Warren Willing there that day .

[@theroadsnearyou...5088]

Warren Willing was saving himself to create future world champions!🤪👍

[@subaruwrx3381]

I was watching a production bike race at Adelaide international raceway in the 80 's and a bloke came and stood next to me for the final laps of the race . After the race finished we both strolled off, it was only then that I realised it was Mr Barry Sheene himself .....WTF

[@timcolder2789]

The days when racing was all about the rider's class and not just the quickest bike.

[@Excel144]

Potter won the race!!!!!!!!!!!

[@alienxyt]

Man, lappers changed the entire complexion of that race.

[@kevinthomas7554]

Love the videos, so many memories of being at Brands Hatch in the 1970s. Can I buy these on DVD from the VHS as would love to sit down and watch them without the net Thank you for posting

[@timcolder2789]

I think your best bet is either Duke Video or try ebay. There are some sellers that copy some races from vhs tapes or have old tv footage and copy them onto DVR discs.

[@mbingham10]

wow bikes have come a long way in a short space of time.

[@seanmcgee5762]

Potter won IMO.

[@maverickstclare3756]

I agree

[@rockypup1968]

I agree to , you can see he's just in front , even at that angle .

[@Pwilli-hs6yi]

Took me right back to my youth. Riding a cbr600f3-t now, these OLD grand Prix machines on their OLD Rubber tyres, They look so slow. Maybe I could have been a Grand PRIX Contender. 🤔

[@alanoffer]

Only five seconds roughly has been knocked off the lap record since those days , shows just how quick those bikes were

[@williamrae9954]

Huge difference at the TT,from 112mph to 136 average

[@marco-58]

Great entertainment, wish it had been more clear cut. Two months after this race I was manning a ‘Green goddess’ covering for the fireman’s strike of Christmas 1977.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

I wonder what Barry said to the grid girl??

[@williamrae9954]

Get it lubed 😂

[@ianglover940]

I was flag marshal at Paddock Hill bend. Remember it well

[@peregrinemccauley7819]

I could smell 'em from here . There's only one ' Green Meanie ' , Gregg Hansford , the man Kenny Roberts and all and sundry , struggled to beat .

[@alainfougeres9604]

L’évolution impressionnante

[@therealslimshady4555]

Smokey and they banned it 😥

[@moriwaki1105]

Sheene's bike is very smokey at times...Great times .

[@pjclark8624]

Great to see again, the commentary though leaves you wondering why they use ex-racers now, when they just need a meeting programme in front of two rugby lads!

[@darrengoldfinch7383]

I was 14 when this race took place and watched from the druids corner

[@yallaimshi8091]

I was there, camped the night, cheering for Mick!

[@michaelsteven1090]

"What Mr. Sheene?..I would never do......!"

[@mperhaps]

Hang on, nobody watching that finish can tell me they saw who won. I've tried to pause it at the line, it's too blurry. Does anyone know what fraction of a second there was between first & second?

[@Vk-ir6if]

Real men on real bikes.

[@williamrae9954]

You can smell the Castrol R....and Brut!

[@donaldwainwright]

I was there hell of an event also at oulton park

[@johnhodge1263]

What time of year ? Looks like September dull light.

[@marco-58]

October

[@richardhebden5603]

10 abreast on the start line!. You should have been at the North Gloucester meetings at the old airfields in the 80s & 90s. We were 20+ abreast. First corner mayhem, bring it on.

[@vonsauerkraut]

back in the days of two stroke mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[@roberthill7335]

+von sauerkraut Absolutely. Kawasaki H-2 air-cooled two smokers and Suzuki GT-750 water buffalo liquid-cooled two smokes ruled the roost. ;-)

[@ianmangham4570]

@@roberthill7335 Nope,the Kawasakis are KR 750 watercooled machines

[@keithdawson4804]

@@ianmangham4570 Maybe the comment meant, on the street.

[@r6simonelf]

Not a lot of "social distancing" on that grid! Scary.

[@SteffanoDucati]

TODAYS GP champs would have a HELL of a time on these machines .. no 'riders aid' tech ...

[@pabloperez4063]

Stefano, Today,s riders are not responsible for having been born in their years. It IS as if John Surtess or Hailwood would say : "I would like to see these guys riding my MV from 1966 with drum brakes, dangerous tyres, breaking engines...they would learn what,s good!" You cant compare Riders of different generations. I am sure Marquéz Quartararo And co. would do It wonderfully

[@g7usl]

Fiddle. Potter won that!

[@Alien937]

Your absolutely right! Potter won!

[@pasgas12safe58]

@@Alien937 Potter did not win that race, did you watch the video until the very end???

[@andyb.1026]

Dave Potter, a real nice quiet spoken Gent. He was on a Private Yamaha, vs Factory Kwacks & Suzies

[@normanyates6735]

The great Peter Kneale , commentator with Phil Read.

[@lindz1817]

I’ll be sure never to mention this one to Barry...

[@PatFarrellKTM]

Cool race. What class is this? Looks like all two strokes. 750cc Kawi, are the Suzuki's RG500? What Yamaha are they running, I'd expect TZ750 but they don't look quite right.

[@tooyoungtobeold8756]

I see they are using the club circuit, strange for a major race. The good old days with a flimsy one metre fence between spectators and the action. And lots of lovely screaming two strokes.

[@thomas-hy4bt]

bring back 2T racing

[@vonsauerkraut]

back in the days of man and bike and not like today man and computer

[@stevedriver1476]

are they all 2 strokes.

[@lycian123]

I was there. Don't remember the bikes being called 'Superbikes', it was usually just 500s and Sheene's bike looks like the RG500.

[@pmay222]

I was at this meeting aged 12.. you could see somebody shunt sheen up the ass on the start...possibly knocking one of the exhausts off one of the cylinders making it smoke like it was and run underpowered..? or jus ran on 3 cyl..?

[@Coltnz1]

mistermodified1 Whiskered plug?

[@georgejacob3162]

Sheene sensed a problem as lined up on the grid. You can see him looking at the back of the bike as he lined up.

[@splodge57]

What did he say to her on the grid!

[@HeavyMetalGamer45]

Knowing Barry it will be something rude.

[@andyb.1026]

One can but wonder!!!

[@peterkwakman7440]

LATERS

[@therealslimshady4555]

As long as I've got a face baby u'll always have a seat 😋

[@pabloperez4063]

"i am searching for a telemetric technician for My team...you look perfect for ThE job! Can we have AN interview?

[@scottlochans4180]

BANDITS ARE THE BEST, BUT 750 2 STROKES, WOULD BE QUITE WILD!!

[@andyb.1026]

8 abreast on the front row !!!! Now days it's 3 abreast

[@pabloperez4063]

AnD Nobody complained massive jump START!!!

[@jamesauld5145]

Was this the late season Gauloises Powerbike International?

[@Balafoutre]

Talking about front row!!!

[@ianwomack4198]

commentators favorite saying, 80 to 90 mph

[@Conii-vc8ef]

24 bikes over 4 rows and 25m? Unreal.

[@trxwrftrk1219]

2st、4st レーサーRGからZ1まで。 今ならmoto gpとWSBK混走だな。 スタートも曖昧です。 見てて楽しいレースです。👍 しかしバリーはアイドル級にモテたんだろうなと...

[@daveworthing2294]

Potter was robbed!

[@boybuyo83]

750cc 2 stroke isnt it?? Insane

[@timcolder2789]

Yes that's right mainly Yamaha TZ 750's and Kawasaki 750 H2R's. I think the Suzuki's were RG680's (bored out RG500's) or TR750's. Powerful but the frames, tyres and suspension were not able to handle the power very well, it was more down to how good the rider was.

[@boybuyo83]

@@timcolder2789 wild ride. Spectacular. Lightweight and powerful. What a legend

[@arielsaeth]

I wonder what Barry said to that girl,probably something to do with finding a camels toe.

[@Steve-c4s]

Great to see two strokes in action shame Barry had start line probs

[@davidwainwright2816]

Definitely

[@hansmartingrotefend8202]

THE BIKES WERE SUPER , BUT NO SUPERBIKES ; SUPERBIKES CAME LATER IN THE EARLY 80

[@AJ-qn6gd]

So few spectators there !

[@obijj09]

What lap times are they running?

[@christopherth]

Time the video ?

[@mavrik11964]

The Indy lap record was 49.8 back then... I reckon they were averaging sub 51's ??

[@galvestonvegan405]

The circuit is a bit slower now as they changed the left hander after Druids hairpin to make it slower. You used to change up a gear before powering through it.

[@user-sy9qd1ms6f]

カワサキ、凄い❗👍️

[@alecjefferson6993]

Yes Potter won 🏍️🏍️

[@jjstewart2120]

The smell of castrol-R!:) mineral oil .intoxicating while watching the action! The planet isn't any healthier since two strokes demise. More toxic if anything !

[@manofknowledge1000]

I just love the smell of 2 stroke oil though in the morning 👃👃👃👃👃👃👃👃👃👃👃👃👃👃👨‍🦰👨‍🦲👨‍🦲👨‍🦲👨‍🦲👨‍🦲👨‍🦲👨‍🦲👨‍🦲👨‍🦲👨‍🦲

[@gregguerra8509]

manofknowledge1000 I luv the smell of marijuana in the morning....

[@jeffreysearch]

The Grid girls would have smelt nice after standing next to the start .. lol

[@gregguerra8509]

jeffrey bright the winner of the race should have his choice of grid girl!!

[@lameduck3630]

Dave Potter

[@luisanamillan4437]

BARRY SHEENE 11 MARCH 1951

[@nicholasmartin297]

I used to have a 2005 GSXR 1000. I can’t help wondering how it would have done in this race. Any ideas anyone? On a dyno it hit 162 bhp and a top speed of 202 mph.

[@Namsomnia]

wasnt this the evening news powerbike international?

[@richardhughes8968]

Was Dave Potter in this race ? .....and people moan about Keith Huewen

[@markrs59]

They all jumped the start 😂😂😂

[@daleskidmore1685]

It was around 1999 before they introduced the blue flag into motorcycle racing, could have been used here. I wonder who invented knee sliders..... Great footage of Brands too.

[@stephenmcqueen4029]

Dale Skidmore kenny Roberts 1st to use them

[@A-FrameWedge]

@@stephenmcqueen4029 Duct tape was the first knee sliders, Kenny Roberts was the first to use duct tape.

[@stewthorne]

l dropped my bike on Clearways broke my right arm ,came off in the same place the next season

[@g7usl]

Potter one that!

[@pabloperez4063]

Amazing race he did

[@gs1100ed]

Potter TWO that

[@terracub]

I thought the guy you finished second won the race. That's what it looked like to me.

[@44sebring]

Did he fuck win that. At best it was a dead heat.

[@galvestonvegan405]

The World Champ racing at Brands in a Superbike race. (Yeah I know it's not the same as today's racing format) but still, can you imagine Rossi or Marquez turning up at Brands for something like this today? The riders then would get paid huge start and prize money. I don't think there is much prize money today. The riders just get paid wages from their teams.

[@CaptainScarlet1961]

What utter bollocks, they got paid peanuts if they got paid at all & yes they just get paid by their teams now but if they get paid so poorly now - please explain how come Rossi is a multi millionaire!

[@oldbatwit5102]

Both appearance and prize money were often paid in cash, in Britain and on the continent, and the better riders often made good money. A lot of riders got caught later by the taxman and there were some quite large settlements.

[@CaptainScarlet1961]

@@oldbatwit5102: Absolutely agreed & that's a more sensible explanation for how it was back then, but for the op to say " The riders then would get paid huge start and prize money " is absolute fantasy because it wasn't like that at all from what I remember. Those were proper bespoke factory Kawasaki's that Mick Grant & Barry Ditchburn rode & the factory didn't pay them at all, they wouldn't have had any wages if they didn't get appearance & start money & the lesser known riders would have had to win the race to get anything at all but the grids were still packed regardless. If it wasn't for Barry Sheene & Kenny Roberts fighting for riders to get a better deal things might be very different now & those two riders were the first to sell their skills to equipment manufacturers such as Bell (Helmets) Bates (Leathers) etc etc & also Barry Sheene is responsible for the very first back protector made from an aluminium tank & Kenny Roberts I believe was the first rider to ever wear knee sliders as he perfected the knee down style everyone & their dog uses today :-)

[@oldbatwit5102]

@@CaptainScarlet1961 Another thing we tend to forget is that Sheene absolutely loved racing and saw the whole 'game' as great fun. I actually remember him losing a race because he was larking about so much that the second place man was able to overtake him right near the end.

[@CaptainScarlet1961]

@@oldbatwit5102: Back in the day when it was about the racing & not the money, now it's all about the money & tv rights & advertising & like a lot of other things money has ruined it to a large extent :(

[@miguelmoreno3709]

Nice

[@bluehazeboy]

I was there

[@katchakillamurdermystery8557]

So was I. Great times. Rode a Kawasaki 250 Triple back the.

[@Crust2013]

I was racing my chain bike about the farm tracks

[@Lappenheini]

mit meiner R1 hätt ich die nass gemacht, nass gemacht hätt ich die😂😁😇 geil wie die früher gefahren sind, mit was für einer Technik, sagenhaft... keine gelochten Scheibenbremsen, nix... 1982 habe ich mit einer Honda 750 Boldor angefangen, bremste nicht, fuhr nicht geradeaus, nix konnte die🤮 aber, lebe noch👻

[@Fireblade918]

Back when racers raced and it didn't matter who the relations were to get a ride.

[@bryanduncan1640]

Compare these guys with Jorge Martin in 2024 - they look like they are scared of falling off!

[@wheelie63]

hilariously chaotic grid !