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Vic Huxley, Dick Smythe, Frank Pearce, Arch
Pritchard and Syd Bayley were all on the Davies Park programme on Saturday
September 24, 1927. But it wasn’t the performances on the night of these riders
that the 8,000 or so spectators present at the meeting wanted to talk about
during the ensuing days.
The mechanical problems suffered by a number of the riders on the night,
together with the large number of falls (13) which occurred, had resulted in the
evening becoming somewhat tedious for the spectators. However, something out of
the ordinary did cause considerable mirth and comment. During a break in the
racing, the pits gates opened and out came a man riding a miniature motorcycle.
To the delight of those present, Jack Cloake, who was well known in motorcycling
circles in South East Queensland, commenced to ride around the track on the
small machine. He had gone half a lap when he stopped. It appeared the bike had
broken down. He signalled to the pits, and a call was made for a mechanic. Out
of the pits came some assistance. Jack’s Indian Scout sidecar outfit came onto
the track and headed towards the stranded mini bike. When the spectators saw who
was riding the outfit, they broke into an uproar – it was a young boy. His name
was Teddy Cloake, Jack’s five year-old son. Young Teddy could barely reach the
Indian’s handlebars, but he toured around to his father. To the amusement of the
crowd, he soon had the little bike mobile. Dressed in proper speedway attire,
including crash helmet, young Teddy, astride the small machine, rode around the
track, imitating his older heroes. He even trailed his inside foot in the
prescribed fashion.
Jack Cloake knew motorcycles inside out. He was employed as a motorcycle
mechanic by the Canada Cycle and Motor Agency, and was a leading competitor in
road events and hill climbing. Jack had built the little bike for his son. The
seat was just 19 inches from the ground. The machine had a wheelbase of 37
inches and a speed capacity of around 25 m.p.h. On that September evening, young
Teddy lapped Davies Park at 23 m.p.h. to the delight of the onlookers. Even Jack
was astounded by his son’s performance.
Jack commented the following week, “ I only put him (Teddy) astride the machine
on Thursday night, and again on Saturday at dinner time, and he was able to ride
on Saturday night. And with only two practice rides, I guess he did well.”
The construction of the bike, which was a replica of an Indian Chief model, took
Jack about 40 working hours spread over a period of nearly two months. The task
was completed the previous week. Both Cloake machines went on display in the
showroom window of Canada Cycle & Motor Agency, Creek & Adelaide Streets,
Brisbane.
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The Cloakes,
father and son, on their motorcycles.
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| Some details of the
miniature motorcycle: - |
The engine was taken from an old Smith motor
wheel, and the carburettor once belonged to an outboard motor for a rowboat. The
frame was of 8-gauge tubing. The fuel tank, having a minimum of seams, was
designed by Jack Cloake. It was built out of a piece of discarded galvanised
iron. The counter-shaft was a combination of an Indian Prince front fork clamp,
and a bicycle centre bracket shell, cut out and fitted in, and then welded into
place. Bicycle sprockets were used, and arranged so as to give a gear ratio of 5
¼ to 1. The controls were simple- an exhaust valve lifter and a throttle.
During November, Teddy also appeared on his miniature motorcycle at the
Southport Show and at the Ipswich speedway.
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Following is a section of
my report on the Ipswich meeting:-
“Little Teddy Cloake, the five year old son of Jack Cloake, gave a clever
exhibition of riding a motor cycle. The plucky child was loudly applauded. Jack
Cloake later rode the machine with his son on his shoulders.”
On the afternoon of Friday December 30, 1927, the Cloakes took the miniature
bike to a Davies Park practice session. Lanky American visitor Sprouts Elder,
who was competing at the track at the time, was also present.
The reason the Cloakes and Elder were at Davies Park that day was to enable
Teddy and Elder to get in some practice for an event advertised to take place at
the track the following evening. Following his practice ride that day on the
small motorcycle, Elder commented, “It surely could mote.”
Following is section of my Saturday, December 31st, Davies
Park meeting report:-
“The novelty event was billed as an ‘International match race.’ It was a race
between Sprouts Elders (U.S.A.) at the wheel of a powerful car and Teddy Cloake,
the five-year-old motor cyclist, who rode his own little Indian machine. They
then changed over, and it was hilariously funny to see the little mite driving
the huge car, while Elders, who derives his nickname from his tall stature, cut
a ludicrous figure on the miniature motor cycle.”
I must point out that “Elders” and not “Elder” was used as the American rider’s
name in most of the publicity and meeting reports which appeared during his stay
in Australia.
Following requests from young Teddy, Jack planned the construction of a
miniature sidecar to attach to the small motorcycle. After several months of
designing and experimentation, the project was completed in February of 1928.
The body of the sidecar was of polished aluminium. As for the sidecar's comfort
and strength, that was tested at Davies Park. With Jack driving the outfit and
Billy Lamont taking the role of passenger, there were some comical scenes at the
track as the pair tried to distribute their bodies over the small outfit as it
lapped the track. The stout little motorcycle and sidecar passed this gruelling
test with flying colours.
Possibly the biggest thrill of all for young Teddy occurred on Saturday evening
February 25, 1928. He rode his pride and joy on the Sydney Showground. My
meeting report contains the following: -
“Two motor cyclists of tender years, Teddy Cloake, of Queensland, aged five, and
Jack Baker, aged eight, gave exhibitions, Teddy Cloake riding a miniature motor
cycle, both solo and with sidecar, while Jack Baker had a 174 cc two stroke
B.S.A.”
As Frank Arthur commented during an interview in England during 1928: -
“We start them young in Queensland.”
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| Thanks to Ross Garrigan for the
above story |
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