Your ultimate racing hero

[martybabe]

Easy for me, Kenny Roberts snr, I remember being fiercely brand loyal at the time ( Yamaha) and sheene was in a class of one on his Suzuki. Much as I admired sheene I always like an underdog so I had a bet with my mates that the first decent rider on a Yam would end Sheene and Suzukis dominance.

I cleaned up and so did Yamaha, when the rookie from yankland appeared. I think he won 3 world titles in the end but for me the best thing was that it was a Yamaha, it was really eye catching in the Yellow colour scheme amongst so many ordinary bikes.

The best race was the Brit gp at Silverstone 1979 an epic battle with Roberts out gunning Sheene and winning by half a wheel.

enjoy this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70FPdFMMgLk#

[Brian d marge]

Craig Shirriff ( sp ) , nailed coming onto the straight at Paeroa , an inch more and it would have been interesting ...

Should be in Moto gp

Stephen

[svr]

Easy for me, Kenny Roberts snr, I remember being fiercely brand loyal at the time ( Yamaha) and sheene was in a class of one on his Suzuki. Much as I admired sheene I always like an underdog so I had a bet with my mates that the first decent rider on a Yam would end Sheene and Suzukis dominance.

I cleaned up and so did Yamaha, when the rookie from yankland appeared. I think he won 3 world titles in the end but for me the best thing was that it was a Yamaha, it was really eye catching in the Yellow colour scheme amongst so many ordinary bikes.

The best race was the Brit gp at Silverstone 197? an epic battle with Roberts out gunning Sheene and winning by half a wheel.

Beating Sheene made him famous - beating Spencer proved he was God.

[forkoil]

Jarno Saarinen, more or less pioneered modern hanging off riding style, tragically killed in crash with Pasolini Monza 1973...
extract from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarno_Saarinen
Early in Saarinen's career he won the Finnish ice track racing championship. Saarinen was also an accomplished motorcycle speedway racer. He had studied mechanical engineering and thus could modify his bike in addition to riding it. For example, in order for him to ride using his "hang-off" style, he lowered the handle bars and angled them downwards at an extreme angle. He learned this from his previous experience as an ice racer which allowed him to develop a new riding style. Saarinen was the first to ride corners with his body hanging off the bike and with his knee on the ground. Kenny Roberts would later perfect the style after watching Saarinen race. The style is predominantly still in use today.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Beating Sheene made him famous - beating Spencer proved he was God.

I'd have to say Spencer winning both the 250 and 500 titles in the same year was an amazing (and never again repeated) feat!!

[martybabe]

Beating Sheene made him famous - beating Spencer proved he was God.

True true, not the biggest in personality, stature, or popularity but he always rode like every race was the most important race of all time. Big ups King Kenny.

[forkoil]

True true, not the biggest in personality, stature, or popularity but he always rode like every race was the most important race of all time. Big ups King Kenny.

Pioneered steering with back wheel, from his flat tracking background

[HenryDorsetCase]

I'd have to say Spencer winning both the 250 and 500 titles in the same year was an amazing (and never again repeated) feat!!

1985.

although a few people had done the 250/350 double before (Geoff Duke, Hailwood of course). But props to Spencer: he was the first and probably only able to do it in the modern era.

Mine is Hailwood. Stylish, fast, reced everything and won everything then retired and came back and won. twice.

or Spencer, particularly his first championship in 1983 (on a V3 vs the V4's) and pioneering pushing the front. (though all the dirt trackers did that).

absolutely sublime.

[firefighter]

Burt Munroe and Aaron Slight

[robnz]

mine is Will Hartog, one of only 2 dutch riders to win the Dutch TT. Second is Barry Sheene, the man liked his crumpet

[enigma51]

I must say i do like reading each persons heros.
I dont agree with all the selections but as soon as you read why its "yip thats is cool"

I never liked Roberts snr for example but you have to take your hat off to the guy and go yip his a legend.

Its funny but neither Mamola or Kazinsky has appeared

[enigma51]

mine is Will Hartog, one of only 2 dutch riders to win the Dutch TT. Second is Barry Sheene, the man liked his crumpet

Thats a name i havent heard in years he was one of my uncles favourites. According to him its was one of those riders that just needed a better machine to be number1

Sheen was one of those riders who said it like it was!



PIC
GP racer Will Hartog at the 1979 Le Mans 500 GP.

[Kornholio]

Im surprised no-one has mentioned Graeme Crosby.... remember watching him on tele when I was a kid and then used to go out and ride my bike til it was broken or I was...always remember him doing massive wheelies on the old GSX1100 and Z900's he also races against Kenny R snr and co.... also not a racer but Evel Kneivel, that accounted for a few doctors trips and broken frames on my BMX and later the farm bike

[slofox]

I have two - one from NZ other a Brit

NZ - Hugh Anderson - simply for the fact of the elegance he displayed when riding - no knees sticking out all over for him - totally at one with the machine.

Brit - Mike Hailwood - could race anything from bikes to cars and probably sky rockets as well if he had wanted to. Read his book - "The Art of Motorcycle Racing" - learned lots from that.

[White trash]

Scott Russel.

Far from the most winning rider of all time although he enjoyed awesome success at Daytona. For me it was when he signed with Harley Davidson to race the horrible VR1000. After particularly shitty practice and qualifying times at Daytona on the mutt, he headed into town the night before the race, found a rough sort of bar and started a full on pub brawl. Spent the Daytona 200 in hospital having his face reconstructed.

Seem to remember him coming from about the fourth row in a WSBK race (one of his last) to lead the race. When black flagged for a jump start, he just went nuts in terms of speed, ignoring the black flag till he biffed it in spectacular texan style.

Yup, he's one cool mutha.