Blessed with movie-star looks, toughness and miles of talent, American Gene Romero was one of the most colourful and respected riders of his era. The dirt-tracker turned road racer had a very early introduction to competition. Born in 1947, Romero was just 10 years old when he first mixed it in a quarter-midget Speedway car powered by a Continental Read Seal side-valve engine that his dad Gene Snr had set up. Running at the front, Gene started racing go-karts with the same success.
He turned to two-wheel racing first on a pushbike, and eventually to a Triumph Tiger