From the
New York Times, which is becoming increasingly relevant in the world of Old Motorcycles, comes this charming portrait of Stan Dibben, the 'monkey' on
Eric Oliver's World Sidecar Championship winning Manx Norton in 1953 (Cabell Hopkins made the film). For whatever reason, Oliver isn't really mentioned, which is perhaps fitting given its slant ... praising the unsung heroes of sidecar racing, without whose skill and bravery in throwing their weight, nobody wins a race. There's an instructive moment in the film, vintage footage which shows a 'monkey' hesitating before throwing his/her weight into a curve, with dramatic results!
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Multiple Sidecar World Champion Eric Oliver with Stan Dibben in 1953 with their pioneering streamlined Norton outfit. Photo courtesy Stan Dibben
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'No Ordinary Passenger' is 7:33 long, and worth the time, especially for Stan's elfin disposition. Stick around for the credits sequence at the end - fantastic! Anyone wanting to know more about Stan and his days racing and passengering on the 'Continental Circus' of the 1950s should buy his book,
'Hold On! Stan Dibben World Champion Sidecar Rider', from
Panther Publishing (currently available only in e-book, but deserving another print run!).
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| Stan Dibben with his book, 'Hold On!' |
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