John Hobbs and the Hobbit

[@teterouge1472]

Headlines in MCN every week in the '70's....him and Barry.... Glory days... 🙂

[@nellafslegna]

From Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. That is one amazing bike; I so wish I had been lucky enough to actually watch you run. It just reminds me of an old saying, "With enough love, passion and intestinal fortitude, you can do anything."

[@northlandrider5396]

By crikey he got small real quick. Clean starter too. Thanks for sharing.👍👍

[@johnedwards1685]

I only went to Santa Pod once. It was in the mid seventies, my mate’s dad took us there for the springnationals. I can’t remember much about it now other than a couple of bike names. I think this one was there, one called Pegasus, one called Hogslayer. Bear in mind I haven’t seen the program in more than forty years and I was only a kid.

[@michaelcarmean4906]

💥Yes ✅ Big John is Still The Man @ 76💥

[@michaeldraper60]

Remember seeing him at north weald you can feel it through your whole body.

[@seanbradley7086]

I remember him well back in the day

[@OneRoomSchoolHouse]

some explanation please, duel super charged engines but we want details

[@kimfielding8010]

Westlake tuned Norton engines if I remember right

[@jeffrykopis5468]

What kinda motors were those? And were those centrifugal blowers behind and ahead of the cylinders?

[@johnhaydon4055]

A couple of Triumph based Weslakes I believe.

[@musicmike22]

Where and when was this taken, please?

[@Smzxe]

it that a good beginner bike? I'm buying one

[@ralphcantrell3214]

"John Hobbs and the Hobbit" ...That's it?? That sure doesn't tell us much.

[@gertnood]

You'll find plenty on the internet. Twin Weslake 1700cc, one event it ran 8.57 at 160mph.

[@jeffrykopis5468]

@@gertnood Weslake? The only thing I'd known from them were the Gurney/Weslake cylinder heads of the early 70s. Never knew they made bikes.

[@izom]

...those intakes !? ;- ()

[@quartusbuys6831]

This guy must be ancient. Didn't he race a supercharged Truimph many many years back.

[@dennislane100]

Olympus-he built it when he was still a young student,and took the sprint record at Elvington;-21 years old,and built it in his shed!! Started as a T100 Triumph(500 ccs),but I suspect he may have altered that somewhat,and it also ran on nitro methanol. He was still racing both bikes in 2019,in his mid-seventies!

[@quartusbuys6831]

@@dennislane100 I remember as a youngster my elder brother was building a Triton. Wide line Norton frame, T110 motor and Norton gear box. We lived in Pietermaritsburg. He bought magazines Motor Cycle Sport and Motorcycle Sport Illustrated if I am correct which featured John Hobbs. My brothers hero for obvious reasons. I am 63 now.

[@subjectivepersp1937]

what is that thing

[@dennislane100]

A legend,that’s what!Twin engines,twin super chargers,1700 ccs of sheer terrifying power!Seen and heard it up close,a few times way back.The sound could make your ears bleed at close quarters!

[@Dodger0103]

@@dennislane100 Your right Dennis 👍 Two 850 cc Weslake’s , blown and running on Nitro. John is a great engineer And a bloody good rider and he could make handle beautifully And the best part of it is, it’s British 🇬🇧

[@gabekillian18_K518]

ITS A NO BAR?! how does it not loop out?

[@michaelcarmean4906]

Traction… Tire Slipping

[@Roger.Whittingtonuk9441]

its due to a clutch that feeds in the power gradually thats why it was never launched hard and many bikes back then ran without wheelie bars this was from the late 70s early 80s as i raced myself back then

[@michaelcarmean4906]

@@Roger.Whittingtonuk9441 Yes ✅ Centrifugal Clutch

[@Roger.Whittingtonuk9441]

@@michaelcarmean4906 very much the same thing back in the day we called them a progressive clutch if you dumped all the BHP in at once it destroys the drive train and believe me it was never cheap lol

[@bargeman100]

No burn out?

[@Dodger0103]

Not on that surface