Robert Holden 16 years on...

[jellywrestler]

31 may 1996 Robert Holden met his maker at the TT.
How about a few photos of him doing what he did best?

[Clivoris]

Great idea JW. I loved the "H in Whanganui" Teeshirts too. Any left?

[quickbuck]

JW, it is only 14 years.... But all the same.... I will never forget the site of one Ducati that got a little scortched at Ruapuna early 90's.

[jellywrestler]

JW, it is only 14 years.... But all the same.... I will never forget the site of one Ducati that got a little scortched at Ruapuna early 90's.
Yeah I went up to Robert and told him he had it all wrong it's supposed to be 'put another HOG on the fire' not a Ducati. Grant Vinten, the bikes owner didn't quite see the funny side though, had that look on his face' you know the one you get when you put your finger through your toilet paper...
I was at Roberts mothers place earlier this month and she had a photo of the cooked Duke on the wall!

[riffer]

I thought I recognised you JW. Cheers for the fairing blades - the RF's looking a lot happier today now! I wish I could find some of the old pics I've taken but no idea where they are now. I know some of Robert's family well and he sure is missed. Thanks for the memories.

[jellywrestler]

Great idea JW. I loved the "H in Whanganui" Teeshirts too. Any left? I have a small number left $30 had to get a reprint done when the Holden family found out about them!

[Peter Smith]

He's a true legend. I remember at one of the early Paeroa meetings watching him crash at least twice, I was on an 851 Duke. I thought if he is having trouble on the circuit, what the hell am I doing here.
I never raced there again, until this year.
It's hard to believe his crash was 14 years ago.

[roadracingoldfart]

R.I.P. Rob , thanks for the start you gave me.

Paul.

[gsxr&crf450]

I remember him doing wheelstands the length of Manfield back staright with a passenger on the back. I remember him riding in just about every class and every race at Whanganui Cemetary curcuit. He was amazing.What a loss. I remember him riding around with us begginer riders in 1981 before the VMCC winter series days teaching us the correct racing lines.

[RON SOAK]

How about a few photos of him doing what he did best? What. Crashing!

[Kiwi Graham]

I remember him riding for Phase 1 Endurance, a Kawasaki 750K. Bol d'Or & Le Mans. RIP Rob

[BIG DOUG]

Being a harley owner , I get a knock on the door one day open door robert's there ,hey doug you have a harley can I borrow it what for I enquire? ahh I have this lady friend who wants a ride on one hell who am I not to help a man get his leg over lol give him the keys and he comes back the next day with a big smile on his face so it must have worked.

[roadracingoldfart]

Here are a couple of pics of the bike anyhow .
One taken at Wanganui and the other at the Taupo old farts reunion this year.

Paul.

[bistard]

Thanks for all the memories Robert!!
Barry

[Shaun]

My 1 and Only NZ racing hero!

[codgyoleracer]

Thanks Robert for helping out a snotty nosed teenager (me) who you didnt know from a bar of soap in a Fielding bakery early one morning. I was screwed up at the time on how to get around a couple of turns at Manfield, - but RH took / made the time to make a difference...... RIP

[Mark Pav]

A sad loss of a great competitor and rival. He is missed. No one tried harder than Robert and he was always a serious competitor even on uncompetitive machines. On competitive ones he was very fast, and perhaps even more importantly he knew WHY he was fast.....

[jamiey]

Taking a veryyyyyy tight line..................................

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj5tE8n7ZoI

[ttelp15]

As someone involved in the Cemetery Circuit meeting, we at the Wanganui Motorcycle Club are very honored to be the place where the Robert Holden Memorial trophy is fought for and handed out. We only wish, like all of the NZ Road Racing family I'm sure, that this Memorial trophy didn't exist in the first place.

[malcy25]

IIRC he was the man riding the Harley up the beach in about 1989 in the first adverts for TV3......!

[roadracingoldfart]

My 1 and Only NZ racing hero!


And that sir summs him up , a hero to some and an idol to others , but known to all for what he did best . He raced bikes well and was such a good bastard.

[merv]

I already posted you a few Robert pics here http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/1464-R.I.P.? but I'll add a few more 1984 Lyall Bay ones for you.


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[jellywrestler]

I already posted you a few Robert pics here http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/1464-R.I.P.? but I'll add a few more 1984 Lyall Bay ones for you.


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pic one and two note the safety barriers etc!

[brads]

My 1 and Only NZ racing hero!

What about me Shaun?.......man that hurts......... Seriously thou, a true champion,went out of his way to help me during my first Nats meeting,top bloke.

[quickbuck]

Yeah I went up to Robert and told him he had it all wrong it's supposed to be 'put another HOG on the fire' not a Ducati. Grant Vinten, the bikes owner didn't quite see the funny side though, had that look on his face' you know the one you get when you put your finger through your toilet paper...
I was at Roberts mothers place earlier this month and she had a photo of the cooked Duke on the wall!
WOW!

I found an old VHS-c tape in a box of stuff... went on a little hunt for the adapter, put it in the VHS, and what do you know! It was video footage of that very meeting!
Even got a snip of the Burnt Duc!

Now, how do I get VHS on to You-Tube!

In the mean time I will take a photo... when I find the camera!

[gixerracer]

My 1 and Only NZ racing hero!

fuk u 2 then shaun:innocent:

[gixerracer]

I remember getting some coaching from him and rodney occonor in 94 at manfeild and it was the 1st time someone made me do laps with out being allowed to use brakes, thought it was pretty crazy but turned out to be very helpfull.
He was the peoples hero and 1 of my heros when I first started road racing

[quickbuck]

Okay,
Here it is..... The year was 1995, Scrivy took out the NZ Sidecar GP, Aaron Slight took a Brand new Blade for a few demo laps of Ruapuna, and then took a lucky pax out for a spin.

Robert Holden had a big off at Turn 1, and the pic shows the result.
209574

Sorry it isn't so clear.... I had to take a photo of my Television!