In 1989/1990, Paul Pinfold from Coventry designed a revolutionary speedway frame, the first to challenge the traditional "diamond" for over 40 years. In Pinfold's design, the top 2 tubes of the frame go from the headstock, widening out past the centrally mounted card to be fixed to the rear arm.
Hinged on top is a glass fibre moulding incorporating seat, rear mudguard and air box. On top of the frame tubes sits a separate fuel tank.
The photographs (kindly sent to me by Bennie Ludolphy) show the prototype which was completely restored by Ian Patersson and housing the PPT engine. The original glass fibre seat/mudguard was missing when Ian bought the machine, therefore he made a new seat/mudguard from aluminium.
On the first prototype you find a telescopic front fork but on this one you see the special Pinfold designed leading front fork.
In 1992, Paul Pinfold designed and built another special speedway machine, this time with a horizontal mounted Godden engine in it. ( See Picture Below)
This prototype features an all adjustable aluminium leading link front fork with single side damper and radical front fork angle. There is no fuel tank, Methanol is housed in the top frame tube.
Paul Pinfold lifted the countershaft with means allthough it is a laid down frame it is exactly the same length as an ordinary speedway bike.
** Note **
Steve Magro in Australia recently spoke with Paul Pinfold about his machines and informs me:
Paul wants to look
up some things on points he can't remember about the bikes (who rode them, where, when, etc), but he has promised to get back to me, soon I hope. He plans
to be on line himself soon, but doesn't know how to as yet.
He did confirm some points: The frames - both of them - were designed to fit and accept any speedway engine. As for the fuel tank in the lay down frame, Paul said he did that to save weight. Also the frame was cheaper and easier to make that way. There were less parts to the frame, so it was also easier to work on.
As far as 'normal' speedway frames as concerned, Paul said his customers included Tommy Knudsen (Pinfold frame for his 3rd place at Wembley in 1981), Penhall, Gunderson, Schwartz, Jan O.Pederson and Kristian Preastbro(check spelling) and Mitch Shirra. He made frames in batches of 50, also made silencers and steel shoes. Shirra and Pederson definitely tested his prototype frames but as yet Paul can't remember which ones (ie: lay down or not). Also, a Frenchman named Thierry Hilare apparently raced one (to be confirmed).
My thanks to Steve for passing on that information and any further updates will appear here.
