LOT 433
The property of the late John Renwick 1972 Renwick-Konig 500cc Wedge Sidecar Racing Motorcycle Registration no. unregistered Frame no. none visible Engine no. MD10
Sold for £9,200 inc. premium
Lot 433
The property of the late John Renwick, 1972 Renwick-Konig 500cc Wedge Sidecar Racing MotorcycleRegistration no. unregistered Frame no. none visible Engine no. MD10
The Autumn Sale - The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show, Stafford|9 October 2021, 12:00 BST|Stafford, Staffordshire County Showground
The property of the late John Renwick
1972 Renwick-Konig 500cc Wedge Sidecar Racing Motorcycle
Registration no. unregistered
Frame no. none visible
Engine no. MD10
1972 Renwick-Konig 500cc Wedge Sidecar Racing Motorcycle
Registration no. unregistered
Frame no. none visible
Engine no. MD10
• Revolutionary racing outfit
• The 2nd Wedge of 15 made
• Used and maintained by John Renwick
In the late sixties John Renwick designed a radically different racing outfit. It was revolutionary, being the first successful unit construction outfit incorporating hub-centre steering. The prototype was Vincent powered, but in an age when sidecar racing was dominated by BMWs, John switched to Konig's much lighter horizontally opposed four cylinder water cooled two stroke engine which had started life powering a hydroplane. The resulting machine was the Renwick-Konig Wedge. John Renwick and Gerry Boret had known each other for many years through their mutual participation in sidecar competition. Perhaps the Wedge's finest hour was when Gerry and his brother Nick rode the very first machine to 3rd place in the 1972 500cc Sidecar TT. The Borets went on to win the British Championship and contested many continental GPs. A total of 15 Wedges were manufactured in the early seventies, including one for future World Champion George O'Dell. At one point these machines held most of the British circuit lap records, and the Renwick Konig Wedge became the first sidecar outfit to lap the original Silverstone circuit at over 100 mph.
The claimed output of the Konig 500cc engine was 84 bhp at 9,500 rpm, but Konig engines weren't the only power units used. According to an article in the August 1974 issue of Motorcyclist Illustrated, Renwick Wedges in preparation at that time were also destined to be powered by Honda CB750, Kawasaki 3 cylinder, and Yamaha TZ750 engines. In contrast to normal sidecar practice of the time, John Renwick's design featured a car type solution for the front end, and a fat low profile front tyre was employed. The wheels were 12" Minilites. The chassis was made from cold drawn seamless tube. A four inch diameter main tube ran front to rear, with a three inch diameter tube running across to carry the sidecar wheel, and if a four stroke engine was used, this was designed to double up as the oil tank. The complete outfit's dry weight, complete with Konig engine, was only 390 lbs.
This machine is no. 2 of the production run. It was sold in the mid-1970s but was bought back by John some years later. It then remained in his ownership until his death. John rode it at the 2004 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and in 2006 at the Sidecar Festival at Pukekohe, New Zealand. Following the FIM's 1976 ban on hub-centre steering and various other innovations, John Renwick took a step away from modern sidecar racing, only to return to classic sidecar racing with Prometheus in the following decade. After a period of inactivity re-commissioning will be required before further use. Prospective bidders should satisfy themselves as to the motorcycle's completeness and mechanical condition.
• The 2nd Wedge of 15 made
• Used and maintained by John Renwick
In the late sixties John Renwick designed a radically different racing outfit. It was revolutionary, being the first successful unit construction outfit incorporating hub-centre steering. The prototype was Vincent powered, but in an age when sidecar racing was dominated by BMWs, John switched to Konig's much lighter horizontally opposed four cylinder water cooled two stroke engine which had started life powering a hydroplane. The resulting machine was the Renwick-Konig Wedge. John Renwick and Gerry Boret had known each other for many years through their mutual participation in sidecar competition. Perhaps the Wedge's finest hour was when Gerry and his brother Nick rode the very first machine to 3rd place in the 1972 500cc Sidecar TT. The Borets went on to win the British Championship and contested many continental GPs. A total of 15 Wedges were manufactured in the early seventies, including one for future World Champion George O'Dell. At one point these machines held most of the British circuit lap records, and the Renwick Konig Wedge became the first sidecar outfit to lap the original Silverstone circuit at over 100 mph.
The claimed output of the Konig 500cc engine was 84 bhp at 9,500 rpm, but Konig engines weren't the only power units used. According to an article in the August 1974 issue of Motorcyclist Illustrated, Renwick Wedges in preparation at that time were also destined to be powered by Honda CB750, Kawasaki 3 cylinder, and Yamaha TZ750 engines. In contrast to normal sidecar practice of the time, John Renwick's design featured a car type solution for the front end, and a fat low profile front tyre was employed. The wheels were 12" Minilites. The chassis was made from cold drawn seamless tube. A four inch diameter main tube ran front to rear, with a three inch diameter tube running across to carry the sidecar wheel, and if a four stroke engine was used, this was designed to double up as the oil tank. The complete outfit's dry weight, complete with Konig engine, was only 390 lbs.
This machine is no. 2 of the production run. It was sold in the mid-1970s but was bought back by John some years later. It then remained in his ownership until his death. John rode it at the 2004 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and in 2006 at the Sidecar Festival at Pukekohe, New Zealand. Following the FIM's 1976 ban on hub-centre steering and various other innovations, John Renwick took a step away from modern sidecar racing, only to return to classic sidecar racing with Prometheus in the following decade. After a period of inactivity re-commissioning will be required before further use. Prospective bidders should satisfy themselves as to the motorcycle's completeness and mechanical condition.
Footnotes
As with all Lots in the Sale, this Lot is sold 'as is/where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness, and originality prior to bidding.
John Renwick & the Renwick Konig Wedge, Pukekohe NZ 2006
Additional information
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