Elstar

Elstar Motor Cycles were based in the Midlands and the sporting equipment they produced was mainly grass track but there were several speedway machines about during the 1960’s powered by Cole or JAPs. They are notable because the bottom tube ran up to join the head stock. The company was founded by Alf Ellis at the start of the 1960’s and taken over in 1969 by Andy Ross when Alf Ellis was sadly killed in a car accident.

Emmott Matchless

Jack Emmott was involved in developing a Matchless engine for speedway and also the Matchless frame. Unusually Jack was involved in the development of machines for both road racing and speedway although the requirement of the two machines is totally different.

When a opportunity arose at the Associated Motorcycles Company in Woolwich Jack took the opportunity offered and whilst with the company he developed the Matchless G85 CS, a speedway machine, this development done with the help of Nigel Boocock and Malcolm Simmons. Moving from AMC after a few years to work for Swan Vesta seems to have given him an idea for a name for his frames and engineers “Matchmaker”

He was considered an excellent tuner and the builder of innovative frames, his work was seen on speedway tracks world wide.  

Endfor Sweden

This was an engine used in the 1974 world final by Christer Loftquist, no further information is available to me at the moment.

ESO

First built in 1947 by Josef Linhart a copy of the JAP the production was taken over by Jaroslav Simandi in 1950. Becoming available outside the Iron Curtain countries at the beginning of 1960’s and imported by Fred Jolley to Australia in 1961. By the latter part of the 1960’s they were being sold in the UK although there were not at first welcome, Alec Jacksons took over the dealership having sole rights for a while before it passed to Barry Briggs around 1967.

The basic ESO required many modifications if it was to be competitive on the UK tracks and Barry Briggs was the person to deal with this followed by the marketing prowess that Barry is known for and the ESO’s success was all but assured.

A number of items needed replacement or modification but the Briggo brand had the replacements available and a number of small concerns started up in business to produce parts and modifications for the ESO and some became well known in their own right, amongst these are Renthall, GTS, Hunt, Shaleway, Scorpio and Trackstar.

The ESO was taken over by a government company called Jawa CZ and the ESO name was dropped.

Erskine Engine

This was a Jawa (ESO) conversion

ERM Sweden

Engines produced for Speedway and Longtrack designed by Johnny Lundberger in 1976. A 4 valve over head cam Jawa conversion.

Excelsior

Calling themselves British Excelsior they began producing speedway frames in their Birmingham factory in 1934 they had been asked by J A Prestwich to produce a frame to take the JAP engine.

Mark I - this could not be missed being bright red it became known as the Fire Engine, perhaps not elegant but certainly noticeable, there were twin tubes running under the fuel tank, there was only a moderate angle to the seat tube, The fuel tank was squared off fitting neatly on the frame tubes and the oil tank recessed to accommodate the upper chain case stay, and the front forks were without braces.

Mark II produced in 1947 had a design developed with the input of ideas of Max Grosskreutz, the forks were telescopic, the frame resembling that of the cycle and the seat tube became upright. Sockets at the seat and head accepted the tubes, the fuel tank was embossed. On the mechanical side the clutch was a design of Excelsior with Feroda plates.

There was also a Mark III which was only available to order it had an extra lightweight frame and was finished in chrome.