Eric Cheney had well and truly paid his dues by the dawn of the 1974 motocross season. The Hampshireman had been there, seen it and done it as a rider, mechanic, innovative frame builder, all-round engineer and even race team principal and sponsor. And make no mistake, Eric was very good in all these roles.

He raced between 1946 and 1961 and was good enough to pick up a works Ariel ride and selection for the British Motocross des Nations for two years running. Ten years on the lucrative Continental circuit honed Eric’s riding – and machine development – skills but, in the end, a blood infection (and subsequent prolonged illness) picked up while racing in Algeria of all places, stopped Eric’s riding career and launched him full time into engine preparation and frame building.

More success followed and – such was the regard in which Cheney was held at the BSA factory – in 1965 they supplied him with one of the unit-construction 420cc works engines that had been used by former world champion Jeff Smith. It was a new departure for Eric, who had previously built frames for traditional heavyweight engines like BSA’s Gold Star and Matchless’s 500.

With a Cheney frame housing the potent BSA single, Keith Hickman carried the Cheney standard into the 1965 GP season – recording an impressive fourth place in the opening round in Austria. Cheney had arrived – but despite Hickman’s best efforts, there would be no GP win for the team. The rest of the decade followed the same pattern – almost, but not quite, for the Cheney concern. But with the closure of BSA’s competition shop in 1972, would Eric’s luck change?

In 1973, it looked like it just might. John Banks – twice runner-up in the world series – agreed to ride a Cheney in the GPs. Banks gave his all that year and did everything bar win a GP – including finishing a magnificent second to de Coster and his works Suzuki in the US GP – and clinched the British 500cc title. Close – but no cigar.

What Banks’ exploits did do for Eric Cheney’s firm, was put it firmly on the map and the John Banks Replica – or JBR as it became known – was the result. Initially, there was a steady demand for the ‘production’ versions of the Banks bike and the money coming in from the sale of them tempted Eric Cheney to take one last roll of the GP dice. But first, he would have to find a rider as Banks had switched his allegiance to CCM.

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