PEOPLE
There are people in life you meet that have an effect on you, even if in just a small way. After many years of being picked out of the gravel by Barry Owen, when he marshalled trackside, he would always come and find me at the end of the day for a catch-up chat to see if I was okay, whether I’d been racing or coaching…
Barry’s ambition was to spend a day on track with me, so back in October 2013 he borrowed his son Rick’s track Honda CB500, and we had a day together at Cadwell Park. It was great. For those not quite in the know, I’m talking not about the Honda CB500 Four, which was a stalwart of Honda’s range from 1971 through to 1978 – but rather the parallel twin commuter bike which Honda made from 1994 through to 2003. Humble it may have been, but this machine was the basis of the bikes which took part in the CB500 Cup, the first of which was won by a very, very young James Toseland. You’ll still see CB500s buzzing round at racetracks today…
In fact, fast forward 10 years to 2023 and I was coaching Jon Billing on his immaculate, trick and very tidy track CB500. Jon and his mates seemed to simply have fun; and I
