Motorcycle Champions

[Mike Redfern]

Chevin, you hit the nail right on the head. That was the guy, he did indeed hit the wall/banking on the hairpin. I may be wrong on the year but I think that it was in the late 60s.

I remember it was a BMW powered outfit,but then again most of them at that time where, bright red in colour. The emblem on his helmet (the old fashioned pudding basin shape) was the Swiss flag. He used to be doing work on the outfit, nearly up to the point of being too late to compete in the race, he was so keen to get every thing right.

 

Can anyone remember how the passengers very often used to wear a jumper on the outside of their leathers if it was really cold? I can't bring his name to mind but one guy always wore a bright yellow jumper over his leathers.

 

Does any one remember a solo rider by the name of Ken Redfern? He was a privateer riding a Norton. He competed in the race of the year one year, and beat Ago who was on the MV.

The interesting part about it was that he rode the bike to Mallory from somewhere in Yorkshire, I believe, his mechanic rode down on a chair outfit with the spares and tools etc sprockets tyres, chains and all the rest of the gubbins. They then changed every thing over to the race spec, raced for the day, changed everything back to the road spec, and he rode it back home again.

Now thats dedication to the sport, or just a lack of works finance

 

 

 

<small>[ 16. June 2005, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: bushwacker ]</small>

 

Hello Bushwacker

 

I know it is 5 years since you put that question in about Ken but it has only been brought to my notice

 

Ken was my brother and was killed in 1973 on his bike.

 

He did indeed race at the Mallory Park Race of the Year in 1969 on his Norton but finished second to Agostini as he had done at Cadwell Park the previous weekend. These results were fairy tale as he beat all the top riders of the day including Mike Hailwood and the following season got sponsorship from Paul Dunstall.

 

Just to clarify a few things Kens' bike was indeed his converted road bike which he had been racing all year as a race bike. but he took the bike down to Mallory with his mechanic Kieth in his Transit van. It would have been fantastic if it had happened as you remember it but alas no.

 

As a matter of interest there is going to a large article on Ken in the June issue of Classic Racer.

[Colin Brett]

Hello Bushwacker

 

I know it is 5 years since you put that question in about Ken but it has only been brought to my notice

 

Ken was my brother and was killed in 1973 on his bike.

 

He did indeed race at the Mallory Park Race of the Year in 1969 on his Norton but finished second to Agostini as he had done at Cadwell Park the previous weekend. These results were fairy tale as he beat all the top riders of the day including Mike Hailwood and the following season got sponsorship from Paul Dunstall.

 

Just to clarify a few things Kens' bike was indeed his converted road bike which he had been racing all year as a race bike. but he took the bike down to Mallory with his mechanic Kieth in his Transit van. It would have been fantastic if it had happened as you remember it but alas no.

 

As a matter of interest there is going to a large article on Ken in the June issue of Classic Racer.

 

Hi Mike and welcome to AN. Sorry to hear of your brothers death all those years ago! You say he died on his bike, was this during a race or a road accident?

Ironic if it was the latter.

 

Following on 5 years after starting the original thread, I have to say that although Mike Hailwood is still my all time motorcycle champion, Rossi, I think, must now be known as the greatest of all time. He is without doubt the most remarkable rider, a different style to Hailwood who was so smooth and polished and almost part of his bike, but none less amazing!!

 

Colin

[Rusty]

Pleased to see this thread resurrected but sorry it’s under such sad circumstances. Welcome to Anglers net Mike.

 

I agree that Rossi has proved that he is probably the most talented motorcycle racer there has ever been but I find the sport so sterile and corporate driven these days that I suspect he could offer a lot more if allowed.

 

In my view charisma has always been an essential ingredient of any successful sportsman (particularly in motorsports) and the greats of today are simply not allowed to be charismatic. It’s what spectators want, they (we) need to know that there is a real person under the crash helmet.

 

For that reason my vote goes to Sheene. Roberts, in my opinion, was a faster rider but he was never able to convey that he was racing because he enjoyed it, it was a job. Sheene, on the other hand, always gave the impression that shoving one up the Yanks at the Transatlantic meetings was the prime objective and it just happened to be that riding the legs off his Suzuki was the best way to do it.

 

I was lucky enough to be at Brands during the mid seventies for one of the Easter Bank Holiday races, we pulled off the hide in the boot trick. I will never forget Sheene’s bad start (as usual) and then his relentless progress through the field. Every lap he would gain places and the crowds expectations were met time and time again, the atmosphere was electric. Watching it on the TV would never have been the same as waiting for them to come round again.

 

Whatever happened to Fred Merkel? My memory might be suspect but I’m pretty sure he came over with Mamola in the seventies and competed in a support race on basically road bikes, maybe a bit later??

[bluezulu]

how about John Surtees a champion on two and four wheels!

[poledark]

You just beat me Blue, I checked through the posts to see if he was mentioned, and wondered why not?

 

Den

[corydoras]

Not to forget Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini