The classic bad ass motorcycle racer thread

[Map8]

I'm guessing we can include tuners in this thread. Nobby Clark passed away over the weekend.

Farewell Nobby Clark, king of mechanics

Nobby Clark has passed away. The Rhodesian - legendary chief mechanic to Gary Hocking, Mike Hailwood, Jim Redman, Luigi Taveri, Ralph Bryans, Rodney Gould, Kent Andersson, Kenny Roberts, Hydeo Kanaya and Giacomo Agostini - has ended his race in a rehabilitation centre in Pawling. He was 81 years old.

He contributed to the winning of 17 world titles, across all classes from 50 to 500, three Daytona 200s, one Daytona 100, four Imola 200 miles and eight Italian championships.

 

[budman]

Nobbie

Quite notable success!

I was just thinking about adding Pops Yoshimura actually.

Bad ass racers need bad asses wrenching for them to be successful for sure.

 

[budman]

Bart Markel and Joe Leonard

Bart Markel
Bart Markel won the AMA Grand National Championship three times during the 1960s. His final national win in Columbus, Ohio, on June 27, 1971, marked his 28th career AMA national victory. That victory broke the record for most wins, previously held by Joe Leonard at 27. Markel's record of 28 Grand National wins held until 1982, when Jay Springsteen earned his 29th victory at the Houston Astrodome.

From 1958 until he retired from racing in 1972, Markel competed in more than 140 AMA Grand National Series races. When inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998, Markel's 28 wins placed him seventh on the all-time win list. He is still considered one of the best riders in the history of AMA racing.

I only saw Bad Bart a couple times, but his legacy made him a standout to be noted.

Before him there was the famous Joe Leonard
AMA Champ/ Indy 500 competitor/ USAC Champ/ San Jose resident

Joe Leonard was the first champion of the AMA Grand National Series which was initiated in 1954. For many years the national championship was decided on the basis of a single race, the Springfield (IL) Mile. Beginning in 1954, riders had to compete in a variety of racing disciplines at race tracks around the country. Leonard, then a second year expert, won eight of the 18 Grand National races on his Tom Sifton-tuned Harley-Davidson, dominating the inaugural championship series. Leonard would go on to win two more AMA national titles before moving to a successful automobile racing career in the mid-1960s.

The 19 yo San Diego native came to SF and raced Triumph's and soon Leonard's raw talent had him racing for Harley-Davidson dealership based in San Jose where he moved and lived for the balance of his life. Leonard won four AMA nationals in his rookie expert season in 1953, collecting more victories than any other rider that year.

In ’54 Leonard burned up tracks across the country on his Sifton-tuned Harley winning eight nationals and the first full season championship. That included a road race win, wins on Mile traccks and both races at the Peoria TT . The Eight Grand National victories in one season stood until 1986. Leonard also tallied a four-race Grand National winning streak, a record that would not be broken until 1993 when Ricky Graham won six.

After being ranked 3rd in 1955, he came back to win the title again in 1956 and 1957 Leonard won the Daytona 200 twice, the Laconia Classic three times and the Peoria TT a remarkable seven times amassing 27 National wins.

Although still regularly winning motorcycle races the middle 60’s took Joe to 4 wheels eventually making a full transition to auto racing and becoming a top-level Indy racer. He should have won the Indianapolis 500 in 1968, but a mechanical with only nine laps to go ended his dream. Leonard won two United States Auto Club championships (USAC) in the early 1970s appearing in the 500 9 times (he finished 3rd twice).

He lived in San Jose for most of his life and had a lot of friends across the country. Being a motorsports legend that is expected.
Here is a great story done in ’11 from Motorcyclist

And one more in the Legends of San Jose Speedway

Godspeed Guys

 

[budman]

Elmer Trett - Sometime bad asses just go straight and fast.

Elmer Trett’s name became synonymous with Top Fuel motorcycle drag racing during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. For the better part of 30 years, he showed incredible innovation and ability in making fuel-burning motorcycles perform. During his career, Trett was the driving force behind Top Fuel motorcycle racing, both as a racer and a builder of popular performance parts. He was the first motorcycle drag racer to break the 200 mph barrier in sanctioned competition.

So significant was Trett’s contribution to the sport that the NHRA named Trett one of its 50 Top Drivers of All Time. While Trett's racing career spanned three times that of most racers, he died tragically at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on September 1, 1996, while making an exhibition run, one of his numerous endeavors to bring more attention to motorcycle drag racing. He was 53.

An interview with the fast OG
[youtube]qkOq5F1rDDI[/youtube]

And a classic from ‘82

[youtube]4cmFvHZzSCM[/youtube]

And an article from National Motorcycle Museum

When Elmer became the first motorcycle drag racer to eclipse 200 mph after being clocked at 201.43 at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis in 1983 he became a Nationally known motorcycle star and was featured on the covers of nearly all the top motorcycle magazines. At the time of his death Trett held the 10 fastest speeds ever on a Top Fuel bike. He was the first to pass the 200, 210, 220 and 230 mph marks, and he held the record for three of the fastest elapsed times in Top Fuel. His longevity proved his passion. He likely would have done a sub 6 second run with a little more time.

Trett’s family were his crew and I have to believe they have some great memories about the man.

 

[Johndicezx9]

I'm guessing we can include tuners in this thread. Nobby Clark passed away over the weekend.

Farewell Nobby Clark, king of mechanics

He wasn't very nice to me.... http://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1642864&postcount=65

Godspeed Nobby.

 

[budman]

Bad ass engine builder and Racer - Russ Collins

Russ Collins was one of the leading motorcycle drag racers and drag bike builders of the 1960s and ‘70s. His dual- and even triple-engine monster motorcycles, such as the Assassin, the Sorcerer and others, marked the apex of the outrageous drag racing motorcycle designs of the era. Collins rode these incredibly powerful machines to the fastest quarter-mile times turned on motorcycles during that time. He was the first motorcyclist to break the seven-second barrier and a run he made in 1977 set a record that would stand for 11 years.

After coming to California he got into the Southern California drag racing scene and when Honda came out with its CB750, Collins got one. He started making modifications and started setting records on the bike. In ’70 Collins built the bike a four-into-one exhaust system that a lot of Honda owners wanted and that launched his business RC Engineering.

Collins was not the standard drag racer chasing glory on the new Japanese machines and instead of wearing the standard time period all-black leathers he wore colorful red, white and blue leathers. Collins pushed the boundaries of motorcycle drag racing design. His talents as a builder He built a supercharged, fuel-injected Honda 750 he named the “Assassin” in 1971. The 400-horsepower Assassin dominated the smaller class so completely that Collins began racing it in Top Fuel with some success. After experimenting with some double-engine designs, Collins decided to attempt to build the most radical drag-racing motorcycle ever, the revolutionary, three-engine, Honda-based drag bike he dubbed “Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe”. The three-engine Honda was soon featured in motorcycle and drag racing publications making it one of most famous drag bike of the 1970s. Collins rode it to a number of records and the first seven-second quarter-mile turned on a motorcycle in 1973. It even became the first motorcycle to win NHRA’s coveted "Best Engineered Car" award at the Springnationals in 1973. The bike was destroyed in a crash that left Collins in the hospital, but he was not done.

He followed up the triple engine with a duel Honda 1000cc machine name” Sorcerer”. Collins ran a record-setting 7.30 second/199.55 mph run that record stood for 11 years and proved to be the fastest motorcycle ever built by the company.

Russ Collins and RC Engineering history

[youtube]TTk6msl2Nu4[/youtube]

Collins also happened to find some of the most talented builders and riders to work for his company. Terry Vance and Byron Hines both worked and raced under the RC Engineering banner before branching out and forming their own company.

He went on to Top Fuel drag racing and had one of the worst looking flip overs ever!! Watch the left lane.

[youtube]59WtrQaXmn4[/youtube]

 

[budman]

Terry Vance --- Racer - Team Owner - CEO

Terry Vance became the most popular rider in the sport of motorcycle drag racing during the late 1970s and 1980s. He earned a total of 14 national drag racing championships before retiring as a rider in 1988. Vance, along with engine builder Byron Hines, parlayed their drag racing fame into a highly successful aftermarket business called Vance & Hines.

Vance & Hines also became involved in road racing in the 1980s, becoming one of the top AMA Superbike teams and winning championships and numerous prestigious races, including the Daytona 200 and the U.S. round of the World Superbike Series.

Vance began going to the local drag strips to race his Honda winning right away. In 1972 R.C. Engineering signed Vance to race one of the company's new bikes. Byron Hines, who was building Vance's race bikes became best friends with Vance and the two would become the most famous pairing in motorcycle drag racing.

Suzuki approached him about racing its new GS 750 in 1977. Vance, with Hines tuning won a lot with Suzuki and both Vance and Hines were featured in numerous national print and television ads. In 1980 the friends formed Vance & Hines. At first, the company built customer motors and by 1983 started to produce exhaust systems for drag racing and street bikes. Vances drag racing kept the name on the move towards success.

[youtube]_pNMEuVpiVw[/youtube]

Vance and Hines went on to form Superbike racing team with Factory backing from Yamaha winning the Daytona 200 in their first race with David Sadowski. Thomas Stevens rode a Vance & Hines Yamaha to the AMA Superbike championship in 1991. Vance & Hines continued winning in the ‘90s, including SuperSport titles and another Daytona 200 victory with Eddie Lawson in 1993. In 1999 the team (now on Ducati’s) swept the USA Round of the World Superbike races at Laguna Seca. Vance and Hines continues to be a successful company and sponsor many racers.

 

[Map8]

He wasn't very nice to me.... http://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1642864&postcount=65

Godspeed Nobby.

Thats a whole lotta stinkeye.

 

[budman]

Thats a whole lotta stinkeye.

It is...

 

[Johndicezx9]

Yup.

 

[bikeama]

Sammy Miller

Used to wait for the Cycle News in the mail to see what Sammy Miller won that week.

Nine-time ISDT gold medal winner; British trials champion 11 consecutive years; designer of trials motorcycles; founder of Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum. Many consider Miller to be the most successful trials rider of all time. It is estimated that he won more than 1,300 trials events during his long and successful career. His style was described as cerebral and precise, in contrast to the more showy, athletic approach used by some top riders.


Until I did a little research I did not know he was a world class road racer:
Miller became involved in road racing and in 1954 won his first road race, the Cookstown 100, on an AJS 7R. After a short time, he earned his first sponsored ride aboard an NSU Sportmax 250. That set in motion a chain of events that led Miller to a career on the World Championship circuit. He scored a slew of podium finishes in both the 125cc and 250cc World Championships. He finished third in the 250cc World Championships in 1957, his career-best ranking.

AMA HOF information here.
More infomation here.

Wrote a couple of books.

Opened a Museum.

Helped develop trials machines for Honda in 1974 and Bultaco, the bike that changed trials.

 

[bikeama]

I looked through 14 pages to make sure no one had done Sammy Miller. Noticed no one has done Kenny Roberts Maybe the GOAT bad ass. But to much work to find all that is out there on Kenny. I do remember him riding a 125 at the Lodi Cyclebowl. He was handicapped 1/2 a lap on the start and still won

 

[Johndicezx9]

 

[bikeama]

ONE picture* for a GOAT




*No wonder I missed it, not even a name in the title.

 

[Johndicezx9]

Some are so GOATy you don’t need anything else.

... but feel free to “bring it”!

 

[budman]

I looked through 14 pages to make sure no one had done Sammy Miller. Noticed no one has done Kenny Roberts Maybe the GOAT bad ass. But to much work to find all that is out there on Kenny. I do remember him riding a 125 at the Lodi Cyclebowl. He was handicapped 1/2 a lap on the start and still won

I have been waiting a bit to get to some bad asses. Like Kenny.

Great post in Miller Bill.

Part of the fun for me has been finding cool stuff that I had not known before. All hail the internet.

With the HOF and internet vids and such giving these guys a little Glory in this thread has become a bit of a mission for me.

More to come.

 

[budman]

All hail the King - Kenny Roberts

Kenny Roberts will certainly go down in history as one of the all-time racing greats in motorcycling -- not just in America, but the world over.

Roberts was born in Modesto, Calif., on December 31, 1951, and made his name racing on the dirt ovals and road racing circuits of the United States during the 1970s. He won the AMA Grand National Championship in 1973 and 1974 riding for Yamaha. He accomplished that feat despite the fact that his Yamaha was down on power on the half mile and mile dirt tracks to the mighty Harley-Davidsons. Roberts made up for the power difference with some of the most spectacular riding ever seen on the dirt ovals of America.

As an AMA expert rookie in 1972, Roberts became one of the select few riders to win their first pro race by riding to victory at the AMA Grand National short-track race in the Houston Astrodome on January 29. Roberts went on to win 47 AMA Nationals in all of the major disciplines of the time -- tourist trophy, short track, half mile, mile and road race. His most notable wins in this country came at the Daytona 200, which he won three times.

What can you say really about the King. From his early years racing for A & A he took motorcycle racing to another level and took America to GP glory with him. Those years and the decade that followed really were the glory years for me. I first saw Roberts racing in ’71 at the Cow Palace when he still had a red number plate #80y, but was a pro. He was awesome. Mert Lawill was there with his new #1 plate, but the movie On Any Sunday had not come out yet. I was in 7th grade and thanks to a friend’s Dad we went to the local flat track races often. I went on to see Kenny many more times, both at the San Jose Mile and Laguna Seca. Some of you guys no doubt remember the wheelie fests that were called racing thanks to Randy Mamola and Kenny. Here is a vid of that is an example. It is in Japanese, but a wheelie is a wheelie is a wheelie and a bad ass is a bad ass is a bad ass in any language.

Note how different and dangerous Laguna looks in this video.

[youtube]J7_WAeCe8oE[/youtube]

Before Kenny launched full time in to Road Racing he had Yamaha stuff a TZ750 into a flat tracker and told him to give it a go. That go turned in to history… and I got to see him ride the bike at the San Jose mile a bit later with a couple of Kawi 750 triples in the field as well. That bike shredded and had twice as much HP of the Harelys and weighed less. The two strokes were ruled out not to long after that and those of us that loved them were bummed! Kenny was featured in the movie “Take it Too the Limit” when surprisingly he took the win at the Indy Mile in 1975 on the bikes first outing! Dealing with the Harley Wrecking Crew AKA: Michigan Mafia Roberts rode the high line and took the lead for the first time on the last lap coming out of the last turn. Check this out!

[youtube]kNFHN2IOnAI[/youtube]

After Robert became the top road racer in the country he went on a march of dominance. In 1977 he won six of the seven AMA Formula One races and the title. Then the American went to the World 500cc Grand Prix Championship Series becoming the first American to win a World 500 Grand Prix title. Roberts dominated the World Grand Prix circuit captured three consecutive World 500 Grand Prix titles. Roberts won the AMA Pro Athlete of the Year in 1973, 1974 and 1979.

Roberts won the Daytona 200 the first time it was aired on live TV in ‘83.

Here is the full race.

[youtube]p7hhh0ZoJm8[/youtube]

Later in the Year Freddie Spencer edged out Kenny for the 1983 Championship.
Spencer in just his second year of GP racing became the youngest ever GP Champ at 21.
Roberts is featured in the British GP below with Spencer and Mamola. Fun stuff!!!
Once again note how close hail bales and such are to the track compared to the tracks of today. And the push starts were pretty crazy too.

Part 1
[youtube]cGrT0aiXGKc[/youtube]

[youtube]CYBoix2mTPk[/youtube]

Roberts then retired from full-time racing and formed his own World 500 Grand Prix team. In 1990, Team Roberts' rider Wayne Rainey won the World 500 Grand Prix title and teammate John Kocinski took the World 250 Championship. Rainey went on to win three successive World 500 crowns for Marlboro Team Roberts continuing the dominance.

Robert ventured into building his own bike, but that never proved to be a big winner.
Kenny Jr. had some success and took a GP Championship in 2000.

Kenny’s return to the Indy Mile in 2009. Epic.
At the end you can catch Jim Doyle his manager and barf member over his left shoulder.

[youtube]nPCE2axVuGI[/youtube]

All Hail the KING!

 

[Johndicezx9]

That '85 race weekend at Laguna was Roberts' last race.... I had a cast and crutches and I still made it out there.

 

[budman]

I updated the OP with who we have so far... both for easy reference and so I know who to look for as we continue to honor the bad asses of the two wheel world.

 

[Blankpage]

Roberts likely would have been the 83 champ had they had not been using the push starts with that Yamaha being such a bitch to start