Great Names in Motorcycle Racing

[okow]

Years have passed and looks like the Americans and the Aussies have yet to churn out a World Champion in the top category of Motorcycling.From the 70's thru to the 80's and the 90s they were there until the unlikely Kenny Roberts Jr winning the title in 2000.......then Rossi came along and has made 5 in a row!Remembering the Greats! Several names come to mind:Of course when we talk motorbike racing and an American, 3 time consecutive 500cc World Champion Kenny Roberts (senior) comes to mind.Racing for Yamaha, I remember his yellow and black Bates leather suit very well.Then they had the Great Freddie Spencer....why great?...because he raced and won the 250cc and 500cc World Championships in the same year - 1985! A feat no one has followed until today. Just imagine, after racing your heart out in a grueling 30 or so laps on a 250 to jump on a bike again and race in the 500s after a few minutes rest....and it was like that for every race for the whole season. He didnt win 1 race or both classes....he won the Wolrd Chgampionships in both those classes in a single year.The came Eddie Lawson (1986, 88, 89). Lawson, with a background of dirt riding had stiff competition from Spencer, Wayne Gardner - Australian, Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz. Gardner broke Lawson's reign for 1 year in 1987 and Lawson took it back for the next 2 years before being dethroned by Wayne Rainey(1990, 91, 92). Sadly, while racing and what looked like a "mild" crash left Rainey paralysed for good from the waist down in 1993. That crash opened the door for Schwantz to grab the title.Then came Aussie Mick Doohan's unbeatable record of 5 straight World Championships - 1994, 95, 96, 97, 98. Doohan came in with his own style of riding techniques that is tha mainstay for today's champions - Power sliding or drifting out of corners and laying darkies as you exited. What an awesome sight, imagine your rear end sliding out on a bend while you exit at speeds of 200 to 230 kph. Doohan once said, "Iam turning in and out of corners the fastest the bike can take......guess I'd have to slide it thru..dirt style" "What's the point going round a bend if you can straighten it" That style is being abdopted to a lesser degree by Rossi today.Alex Crivlle (Spain), Doohan's Repsol Honda team mate made it to the top spot in 1999 for just 1 year. ...and the last one like I mentioned earlier was Kenny Roberts Jr.Well, Rossi (Italy) has equaled Doohan's record for a straight 5 year victory and he still looks very unstoppable.For the record, all the riders mentioned above have raced in Malaysia before.

 

[OSFlanker]

How about this bloke Randy Mamola? (correct spelling?) His name seems to ring a bell but I am not sure if he won anything. Aside from circuit bike racing, are there any greats from the Isle of Man TT bike race, endurance races, etc? I seem to recall another name, Joey Dunlop?

 

[535i]

Originally posted by OSFlanker@Dec 6 2005, 04:55 AM
How about this bloke Randy Mamola? (correct spelling?) His name seems to ring a bell but I am not sure if he won anything. Aside from circuit bike racing, are there any greats from the Isle of Man TT bike race, endurance races, etc? I seem to recall another name, Joey Dunlop?

Yup .. Mamola ...

The guy that takes corner with more than 45 deg angle ...
Big wheelies and the 1st one who did the back-end tilt (dunno what they call it lah ..)

He never won any major championship but damn good rider ..

Freddie Spencer - won 250 n 500 in the same Year !!
use to won 250 race - jump onto the 500 cc and still won !! damn ... !!
Barros - towards the end of 90's

use to paint my helmet King Kenny style - yellow, black and white - eagle's head with 'PJ 1' on my forehead ...

My SHOEI full face is Wayne Gardner's coloring.

 

[saat]

Go back further and the name Giacomo Agostini will appear or not so far back - Barry Sheene, or Malaysian Bulldog Kuan

 

[535i]

Originally posted by saat@Dec 6 2005, 12:28 PM
Go back further and the name Giacomo Agostini will appear or not so far back - Barry Sheene, or Malaysian Bulldog Kuan

Alamak .. bang Saat ..
Zaman tu ,, saya masih lagi naik basikal Chopper ... :yes:

 

[three28]

My favorite Pepsi Suzuki no 34 ..Kevin Schwantz..

But this guy loves to fall over the handle bars ... braking maut.

Won one season ... change no no 1 then kaput ..

cheers

 

[okow]

Yes, Im glad to see a few "bikers" here and even some who remember the Great Agostini. Agostini still holds the record for the most straight wins - 7 times in a row. In those days we had names like Mike Hailwood and of course the great great John Surtees. Many of you might remember him as a F1 World Champion racing for Ferrari but did you know that he was also a 4 time GP500 World Champion before switching to race cars.
This is where the plan is for Ross's future...being multiple World Champion in every class in GP motorcycle racing, there very little left for him to prove. Fr

 

[Fireblade]

My two all time favourite GP riders - Freddie Spencer & Mick Doohan.

In 1985 whenever Spencer takes the lead, he just leaves behind the rest, far, far away. The most dedicated rider to win both the 250 & 500 championship at the same time. He was so tired after being crowned the world champion that he spent most of the 2 weeks afterwards just sleeping!

Doohan another super dedicated rider. Even with severe leg injuries (at one time doctors had to operate & join both legs together as one leg was dying) and several other injuries, he continued winning. I still have an Arai Doohan helmet which I used during my biking days.

 

[okow]

Oops, accidently sent:

Yes, Im glad to see a few "bikers" here and even some who remember the Great Agostini. Agostini still holds the record for the most straight wins - 7 times in a row. In those days we had names like Mike Hailwood and of course the great great John Surtees. Many of you might remember him as a F1 World Champion racing for Ferrari but did you know that he was also a 4 time GP500 World Champion before switching to race cars.

This is where the plan is for Ross's future...being multiple World Champion in every class in GP motorcycle racing, there very little left for him to prove. From 125 to 250 to 500 and now Motor GP. Being World Champ with Honda to switch camps to Yamaha and win the World crown in his 1st year, speaks leaps and bounds for the rider.

Then came Agostini with 7 straight World Championshipsand the 8th one after a 2 year break and switching to Yamaha.

Of course the late Barry Sheene stepped in immediately after and had many fond battles with Kenny Roberts Sr.

 

[okow]

Originally posted by OSFlanker@Dec 6 2005, 09:55 AM
, are there any greats from the Isle of Man TT bike race, endurance races, etc? I seem to recall another name, Joey Dunlop?

Yes, many many famous names raced at The Isle Of Man TT, however the late Joey Dunlop was King having won it 26 times in different categories.
Other notable winners are, John Surtees, Agostini, Mike Hailwood, Carl Fogarty, Ron Haslam, the late Steve Hislop, the late David Jefferies and many more who competed but didnt win....

 

[saat]

Wonder what happened to Ron Haslam.

I still remember the Barry Sheene accident video.

 

[okow]

Originally posted by saat@Dec 7 2005, 07:15 AM
Wonder what happened to Ron Haslam.

I still remember the Barry Sheene accident video.

Barry Sheene retired and settled down in Australia and was a sports commentator. He died of cancer in 2003. I still remember his horrific accident and I had a poster of him pointing out the various bolts, screws and metal plates implanted into his body.
I remember him explaining that immediately after he crashed (something like a 160-170MPH crash) and stopped sliding on the track, he examined himself and could not turn his neck, feeling a sharp pain - his collar bone was protruding and poking into his neck, then he looked at his hands and saw his wrist bending 4 inches below where it should bend....At one point in his career, Sheene was racing with metal plates in both knees, 28 screws in his legs and a bolt in his left wrist.T he Silverstone crash was different," he said. "That was major - I could have ended up legless. My left leg was hanging on by the femoral artery." ....what do you call these breed of people?

Both Rocket Ron Haslam and Fast Freddie Spencer are running race schools for track riding. Haslam in Donnington Park and Freddie in Las Vegas.

I almost signed up with Freddie's school several years ago but unfortunately my trip to Vegas got cancelled. Darn!

I met him however, when he was in KL at the Jaya Puri Hotel (now PJ Hilton) with his manager the legandary Erv Kanemoto! He called off a last minute duel with Lawson which was supposed to be scheduled at the Batu Tiga track.

 

[saat]

Erv must be included as one of the legendary names in motobike racing. Much like Jean Toad (sic), Flavio et al. Not racer but movers.

 

[fabianyee]

I used to follow the World 500cc Championship. The very first time I ever watch a race was the live telecast of the race in Batu 3 I think it was 1991. Jon Kosinci won the race as Wayne Rainey was out of action due to a crash. Loris Caparossi won the 125cc championship. The excitement kept me there for a few more years before I started to find it boring and F1 came along.

It was good while it last. The rivalry then was quite exciting with Wayne Rainey, Wayne Gardner, Kevin Schwantz and Mick Doohan.
Eddie Lawson made a comeback with the Cagiva but didn't do well. So did Freddie Spencer, but he was a bit rusty aledi. I remember he crashed in one of the races and actually lost consciousness - he was lying motionless for a while.

Alex Barros was the brake maestro as he seem to be braking later than most.

The 250cc races were also equally exciting then. Harada won his first race with the slimmest of margin. Max Biaggi was there too. Loris Capirossi moved up didn't really shine through in the 250cc.

Anyway, those were the highlights that I can recall from the early 90's motoracing scene... I hope I didn't mix up the names and facts...

 

[ICEMAN 68]

my idol ... EDDIE LAWSON

kona baring lentok habis

 

[okow]

Originally posted by saat@Dec 7 2005, 09:51 AM
Erv must be included as one of the legendary names in motobike racing. Much like Jean Toad (sic), Flavio et al. Not racer but movers.

Evr has accomplised so much more than the Toad! Evr was the master tuner supremo and the one with the magic touch.

Erv Kanemoto Jr.: Tuner for many top U.S. road-racers. With Freddie Spencer aboard, his machines won the 1985 250cc and 500cc World Road Racing Championships.

Kanemoto’s Technical and Management pedigree is unrivalled, having clinched seven world championship titles and a staggering 64 grand prix victories, in a 21-year career in the most demanding of world sporting arenas.

Kanemoto built up his reputation as a top tuner in the United States before
coming to Europe to work for former world champion Barry Sheene in 1981.
Since then he has masterminded world championship titles for; Freddie
Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Luca Cadalora and Max Biaggi and also worked with world champions Wayne Gardner and John Kocinski.

 

[saat]

Okow, any info on Bulldog? IAs a kid, I used watch him race in his black leathers, goggles and helmet, every year around the main palace grounds in JB during the Sultans Birthday Celebrations.

 

[okow]

Originally posted by saat@Dec 8 2005, 01:19 PM
Okow, any info on Bulldog? IAs a kid, I used watch him race in his black leathers, goggles and helmet, every year around the main palace grounds in JB during the Sultans Birthday Celebrations.

Hmmm....good question. last i heard after he retired from racing he was back at his bike shop in Penang. However, his son Meng Heng was racing until recently. Meng Heng and Sharul Yuzy were the first 2 Malaysians to race under Petronas TVK Motorsports racing team, based in Barcelona....that ended too.
Remember the Singapore racing brothers Fabian and Gary Looi from that era? Then came Foreman Oh (Kar Beng) and Tai Seng Kooi....

 

[Jules]

Yes, I recall the local racers too......poor Gary Looi..heard his forks collapsed at Lucas Sweeper. Tai Seng Kooi, Fabian - yes what happen to all this fellas?

I learnt about racing bikes during the 80s and the was one epic duel between Sheene and Roberts at Silverstone......Kenny won by half a bike length.....yes, I have it on video and at this year, 1982, Randy came on board as a youngfaced 18 or 19 years old and there was even one rider with the name Virgino Ferrari...or something like that.

My fav riders......Kenny Snr, Freddie, Eddie, Randy, Kevin! From this era, I dream of owning a RD500LC or the RG500.....2 strokes!

 

[zagato]

The greatest of them all, Mick Hailwood, the only guy who have won both motorcycle gp and motorracing