Fred Rist

[limeyrob]

I've been searching the web to see if there is any footage of Fred Rist racing his A10 on sand.  It appears he rode US flat track style with the A10 on alcohol.  I'm hoping some has been found and uploaded somewhere.  To quote Vanhouse  - "to have seen Fred Rist sliding that mighty A10 on dope was one of the rare spectacles of life".  Well its certainly rare, surely someone must have had a cine camera?

[BSARGS650]

In the 1960's, I regularly visited his motorcycle shop in Windsor Road, Neath, West Glamorgan.  Close by was another motorcycle dealer/repairer called Jim Morgan.  Both were of the old school type shops, with that distinctive oil smell that must have permeated every bit of wood from the counters to the floor boards!  Saturdays was the Mecca for the local bikers......

Unfortunately no pictures to help you with your quest.  Good luck.

[Greybeard]

Nothing came up on YouTube 🤔

[muskrat]

G'day Rob.
This was posted in the forum by DD
Fred Rist was one of BSA's star riders in the immediate post war period,
competing in every event the factory contested and was one of the team who
won the 1952 Maudes Trophy winning team. Fred only ever raced BSA
machinery. In the late 1940's Fred also competed in sand racing events at
Pendine and St. Andrews in Scotland and swept the board. Fred's impact on the
sport was due not just to his successes but also his dramatic riding style.
Laying the bike down on a footrest in a way similar to that of US dirt track racers
Fred would drive through corners in a controlled power slide at speeds of
140mph.One of the bikes Fred rode was an iron engined A10 fitted with twin TT
carburettors, high compression pistons and running on alcohol fuel and it's this
bike that was used as the blueprint for Gene's bike. I don't know which
mechanics actually built the bike but it's likely that it used a one-off camshaft
made by Jack Amott. Gene told me that he thinks that other than bigger valves,
a different cam, a bigger TT carburettor and dope fuel, everything else was
standard components built well.
Here https://www.a7a10.net/forum/index.php?topic=8593.0
JulianM may have pictures but hasn't surfaced here for nearly 2 years.
Cheers

[limeyrob]

What I'm after is some film of him at Pendine Sands, it seems he was doing well over !00mph.  The report quoted for the 1949 Pendine Sands races says "he swept the board".
There are still photos in the BSA Competition History and a good write up but I'm holding out for some film.
Posting this has made the me think I would do better to search for news reel of the Pendine Sands races rather than rider's names.  Never thought of that until now (doh!)
Who wouldn't want to see an A10 on alcohol, on sand, at over 100mph.  Someone must have filmed it.

[muskrat]

G'day Rob.
I wish I had film of me & my 1957 A7SS on methanol doing 240KPH at Eastern Creek. Going into turn 2 with standard Ariel brakes was fun 
Cheers

[limeyrob]

Respect!!

[Beeza]

240 K Musky, you must have hit the 2 instead of 1, that’s 150 MPH, not even Gene got there on the salt, I’m up to 180K and chasing 200K on the 650 road rocket on the salt.
Anyway, sounds impressive, cheers Thomas

[muskrat]

G'day Beeza.
Yep, red line 7500 rpm in top at back off time for turn 1 just to get some weight on the front wheel. The straight at the Creek is 1Km down hill!
14:1 on methanol, twin 32mm carbs (10 MPG), can't remember the gearing (lost all info in the fire), think it was 23 engine and 38 rear wheel.
9 years racing and that's the only pic I've got! Think it was 96 & 97 the first B grader at the State Champs Eastern Creek.
Cheers