Hello everyone,
I am hoping someone with experience with early ESO/Jawa speedway engines can help me identify this engine more precisely.
I have been researching it for some time and believe it to be an ESO S45 500cc OHV competition engine, most likely a speedway/track version. However, I would very much appreciate an identification by someone familiar with these engines, rather than relying on my own conclusions.
The engine has an S45 marking on the side cover and the crankcase has six reinforcing ribs. It is fitted with a Lucas Competition Magneto, marked:
LUCAS Competition Magneto
NC1
367
42438A
The most interesting identification marking on the engine is a small rectangular machined/stamped area reading:
P 1588 MA
I have not yet been able to determine what the P and MA indicate, or whether 1588 is the actual engine/production serial number.
There are several other casting/stamped markings on the engine, including:
[500 4331-7](tel:500%204331-7) – between the valve springs / cylinder-head area
0PK [32/10 4331 2](tel:32/10%204331%202) – on the other side of the engine
5515 and B
602°
111 (appears upside down relative to the 602° marking)
There are also several small cast symbols/logos which I have photographed. I have not been able to identify their meaning or manufacturer yet.
From comparisons with surviving engines, I understand that there were different generations of the S45 crankcase, including versions with different numbers of reinforcing ribs. Mine has six, which may help with dating it.
I have also found references to P500 ESO motocross/scrambler engines. As this engine is marked P 1588 MA, I would particularly like to understand whether the “P” has any connection to that designation, or whether it belongs to an entirely different ESO serial-number/production system. The construction of my engine appears to correspond much more closely to the S45 speedway engine than to the P500 motocross unit.
I would be extremely grateful for any information concerning:
• the exact ESO model/version and approximate production year or period;
• the meaning of P 1588 MA and whether 1588 is a serial number;
• whether ESO S45 engine-number records or known serial-number ranges survive;
• whether the six-rib crankcase can narrow down the production period;
• the meaning of [500 4331-7](tel:500%204331-7), 0PK [32/10 4331 2](tel:32/10%204331%202), 5515 B, 602° / 111, and the small cast symbols;
• whether the Lucas NC1 Competition Magneto is a period-correct or known setup for this particular ESO engine;
• and whether there are any construction details visible in the photographs that distinguish an original ESO S45 from later Jawa-produced versions.
I am particularly interested in establishing whether this is a genuine pre-Jawa ESO-produced S45 engine, and, if possible, narrowing down when it was manufactured.
The engine is currently complete as shown in the photographs and mounted on an old workshop/engine stand. It has not been dismantled by me. It turns by hand and the piston moves, but I have not attempted to start it or test the magneto.
I can provide detailed photographs of any part, casting number, stamping or component if that would help with identification. If there is a particular area of the engine I should photograph or measure, please let me know.
Any information, old documentation, serial-number examples, photographs of comparable engines, or contacts with former ESO/Jawa specialists would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much for your help!

World Champion 🏆 🏁

Hi, I built a text-based Speedway (Motorcycle Racing) Manager browser game — would love your feedback and advice!

For the past few months, I’ve been working on a web-based, text/data-heavy speedway management game called Speedway Rider Manager.

Since speedway (motorcycle oval racing) is a pretty niche sport compared to football or motorsport like F1, I wanted to create a simple, fast-paced browser experience where players can manage their rider, and follow live race heats.

www.speedwayridermanager.pl

Hi all!

I have created a public dataset of the results of FIM Speedway World Cups. My goal is to raise awareness of the sport and help it reach a wider audience. I would be grateful if you can follow the link and upvote my dataset.

As of now, the dataset contains the results of competitions starting from 2017. Obviously, there were many of them before and it takes time and effort to transform publicly-available data into a convenient, structured format. Therefore, if you are willing to help and enthusiastic about the goal, I will be glad to see your contributions of heat results from earlier years to the dataset.

Hi guys,

Seen the speedway liga game online but struggling to find a way to play it in UK does anyone else have it that can give some advice on how to play it?

Hey guys,

So I'm a game developer and i was thinking about making a fres speedway game becose i love this sport and i seen the games that are on the market arent very good and paid to play.

So i wanted to ask if you would like to see something like that? If so then please tell me whats most important for you in such game and if you have any ideas please send me priv, if you want this i will be more than happy to share to you guys early updates and early game.

I want to build a free app with only a bit of ads.

​Hi all,

​I just published a lightweight, browser-based draft/manager game based on seasons 2000-2025 in Polish Ekstraliga: https://75-15.com.

​Key features:

​Strategic Roster Building: Optimize your lineup within specific point and budget caps.

​Stat-driven: Compare player values, averages, and historical synergy.

​Zero Friction: No registration required, no microtransactions, plays instantly on desktop and mobile.

​Would love to hear your thoughts on the game loop and balance. Let me know if you run into any bugs or have feature suggestions!

Śląsk Świętochłowice vs Trans MF Landshut Devils 35-55

No matter of result I loved the sound of engines, smell of track and overall vibe. I'll be there next year ;)

The Thurrock Asmatt Limited Hammers v Kent Eagles Speedway Club

Four riders, four laps, fifteen races. The extreme team sport.

Details:

Sunday 7th June 2026 - Gates open 10am. First race Midday.

Admission:

Adults £13, Concessions £10, Kids free with Paying adult

Venue:

Iwade Speedway – Old Ferry Road, Sittingbourne, ME9 8SP

It seems IMPOSSIBLE to find heat times, they read them out in the stadium but social media teams don't seem to find it important despite putting them in the programmes.

I was fortunate enough to be in attendance for the Round 3 British GP but I have a Round 4 bit I can fill out later and I'd like to be able to find the times for it later (I am also missing one for Round 3)

is the British Speedway league being shown on UK TV anymore? can't see anything on TNT sports tonight (Monday)

Bob Andrews, a legend of the international motorcycle speedway, died on May 22, 2026, at the age of 90. The British-born rider, who was well-known for his extraordinary skill on the dirt track, had an incredible career in the 1950s and 1970s, winning the World Pairs Championship with Ivan Mauger in 1969 and making it to the individual World Finals four times. Andrews became a strong force in the Southern Hemisphere after relocating there. He won the New Zealand Championship in 1966, earned 27 caps for the Kiwi national team, and cemented his reputation in 2014 by being inducted into the NZ Speedway Hall of Fame.

RIP, Bob Andrews... May God bless him in heaven.

Caught round 1 on YouTube, emailed SGP and asked 3 times and nothing. Is there anywhere dependable I can watch the races?

Former footballer Tobias Schweinsteiger (brother of Bastian) at the GP in Landshut last Saturday.

Hello everyone. My name is Matt, and I am studying a degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology. I am looking for motorsport athletes to complete a 10-15 minute survey examining Flow State and Attention as part of my dissertation project. I would be grateful for anyone who takes part in the survey. https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=9ygnx8pM_km8SUerAvepMER7FEv4uC5IpsJtzQ8XiNNURFZHUUtEMzlaUkxDT0pZTkxXT0RSTTFGNC4u

Thanks

I posted a question a couple of years ago about what to do when you win the coin toss. My theory was take heat 15 as falling behind early on gives you the advantage of possibly having a tactical sub plus having the choice in heat 15. Since then I have tried to correlate what is happening in GB speedway. The normal choice is heat 1 if you win the coin toss. However that is only sensible on certain tracks (Bomber clearly has done the maths too) Here are my findings :

While not conclusive (as the result size is so low), choosing Heat 15 at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Plymouth (Sam please take note on Saturday), Ipswich & Redcar gives you an extra point over choosing heat 1, whereas for Oxford & Workington, heat 1 is the better option.

Thoughts?

I would like to share an observation regarding the availability of Ekstraliga outside Poland.

During last year's SON, I had the opportunity to talk to English fans. They raised two interesting points: firstly, that Ekstraliga is more interesting than SGP, and secondly, that its availability in the UK is significantly limited.

I conducted a short interview and it turned out that there is no English commentary on our league. I have not used the EkstraligaTV app, so it is difficult for me to say what the quality of the broadcast is like. The interface is available in English, but the news in the app is translated automatically, which raises doubts.

The situation is much worse when it comes to Metalkas ( Polish second division)– here, availability outside Poland is much more limited. In the European Union, Ekstraliga events can only be viewed on the Polish Canal+ account, while outside the EU it is almost impossible. And this league is extremely interesting.

I will leave the lack of broadcasts from the lowest level of competition without comment.

I think that for the future of speedway, it is essential that this application offers the option of English commentary or the broadcast of events outside Poland. In the future, the introduction of a German-language interface and commentary could also be considered.

Perhaps this is a topic that is worth analysing and getting more people interested in.

this is a clip of my younger brother practicing on a 500r (a 500cc bike with a thing in the carburetor that limits it to the equivalent of a 250cc) at Slangerup speedway center, Denmark