Classic Racer

Bertie Simmonds bsimmonds@mortons.co.uk Tim Hartley thartley@mortons.co.uk Neil Morris, Stuart Barker, Gary D Chapman, Alan Cathcart, Phil Aynsley, Jeff Ware, James Robinson, Mick Ofield, Fred Pidcock, Pete Morris Sarah Wilkinson Michael Baumber, Cha

// DATE: JUNE 10, 1963 // LOCATION: ISLE OF MAN Mitsuo Ito, still the only Japanese rider to win an Isle of ManTT victory, was something of an industry legend and – according to the many Suzuki employees past and present – a real character… Ito-san

// DATE: JUNE 8, 2003 // LOCATION: MUGELLO The Aprilia RS3 or ‘RS Cube’ was a problem child, at best. Launched at the Bologna Show at the end of 2001, ready for the new four-stroke MotoGP season the following year, it was to be ridden by former 500c

Dear CR Really enjoyed the Niall Mackenzie article in the latest issue of Classic Racer – it reminds me very much of my times following Grand Prix racing in the 1980s and 90s and latterly the British Superbike championship, of which Niall was champio

Remember to keep sending in your letters. Now, more than ever, as we deal with the coronavirus situation, we want to hear your stories and find out what you think of the magazine. Each issue we’ll pick a star letter, the writer of which will win a su

Dear CR Just a quick note… I’ve been a reader for many years so may I make a suggestion? Why not actually answer the good readers who take the time to write, type or email in their various missives? Would be a bit more courteous don’t you think? Jus

Buoyed by the success of the CRMC’s Cadwell Park and Darley Moor meetings, everything was set for a brilliant weekend of racing at the Pembrey circuit in South Wales, over the weekend of September 26/27 – but it was not to be. Despite all the challen

After a shortened classic racing season, Richard Molnar decided to take his Molnar Manx to NG’s Cadwell Park meeting and entered the Open 500 race, just to get some track time. The Open 500 attracts an eclectic field of bikes, including Yamaha and Ka

Classic racing enthusiasts will be pleased to hear that replica Rickman forks will once more be available soon. Originally introduced for the Rickman Metisse in the mid-1960s, these forks were popular on both race and road machines. With 41.3mm stanc

It’s nice to be able to recall two amazing double championship wins in this issue of Classic Racer. For many of a certain age, Freddie Spencer was their favourite 500cc champion ever: I know of three biker friends who named their children after the g

The Dan Kneen Charitable Fund has handed over two sizeable cheques to organisations closely associated with motorsport. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on fund-raising globally, and the Isle of Man is no exception. The Rob Vine Fund,

Youngster William Grant, pictured with dad Mick, took his first win with the CRMC at the recent Darley meeting. The 17-year-old followed up a couple of 3rd places with a masterclass in the rain in the final race, winning by over three seconds. Willia

Valentino Rossi – the definitive biography By Stuart Barker Price: £18.99 The latest biography by noted bikesport author Stuart Barker, this looks at the life and career of arguably the greatest motorcycle racer of all time – Valentino Rossi. Rossi

The Sunbeam Motor Cycle Club is once more seeking nominations for one of the UK’s most prestigious awards – The Pinhard Trophy. This award has been presented since 1950 to the best Under-21-yearold sporting motorcyclist competing under ACU or SACU ju

The NSR500 brought Honda to a period of total domination of the 500cc World Road Race Championship by the mid-1990s. In 1984, Honda wheeled out their first four-cylinder two-stroke race bike. Like the NR500, some radical ideas were incorporated – the

‘The paddock was our social life’, my mum used to say. After all, we were more likely to indulge in beans on toast in the pit garage than cordon bleu at the à la carte restaurant. Weekends away generally involved standing in the pouring rain, fingers

Such is the love for Mike Hailwood now, almost 40 years after his untimely death, it’s easy to forget things weren’t always that way. Hailwood had to earn that love the hard way, by his skills on a motorcycle and by the humility of his character beca