When we first met each other at the 1960 TT, whilst sharing the same hotel, I was riding as a member of the Geoff MontyTeam. His name (unknown way back then) was Mitsuo Itoh, a 22-year-old employee of the Suzuki Motorcycle Company in Japan.
His lifelong career was spent with Suzuki, working up through the ranks as an engineer and then joining the factory racing team to ride alongside his world champion team-mate Hugh Anderson. He supported him in the 50cc, 125cc and occasionally the 250 class onboard the rather frightening 250 four, which in those days was prone to rapid engine seizures and christened ‘Whispering Death’ by short time Suzuki Team rider, Australian Jack Ahearn.
Denne historien er fra September/October 2019-utgaven av Classic Racer.
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Denne historien er fra September/October 2019-utgaven av Classic Racer.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Whatever Happened To? Michael O'rourke
Michael was born on April 11, 1931, in Plumstead London and the family later moved to Camberwell.
Webster Stars At Stafford
Steve Webster, the most successful sidecar racer of all time, will be guest of honor at the Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show this October.
The Early Years Of Fausto Gresini
Before Gresini Racing became a world championship-winning team, Fausto Gresini was a fixture in the 125cc world championships as a rider. He won two 125cc world championships, finished runnerup three times, and third once, with 25 Grands Prix wins.
The Bob Mac
The SCRMC recently served up a full card of classic racing at the East Fortune circuit, for the traditional Bob Mac meeting. Against the backdrop of the former First and Second World War airfield, there was some real-life flying action around Scotland’s fastest road race venue, which has been in existence since the very early Seventies.
Record Breaking Weekend Of Classic Action
British Historic Racing’s third racing weekend of the year was held at the lovely one-mile-long Kent circuit of Lydden, just a few miles outside of Dover.
Specialist Spotlight Louigi Moto
We're shining a light on some of the biggest and best players In the Classic Racing world and this time we've been speaking to Louigi Moto's Richard Llewellin.
John Williams A Private Matter
Despite the interest fromYamaha and Honda, it was Suzuki who John lined up with in 1976 and it saw John and wife Margaret give up the life of the privateer, replacing it with the more luxurious comforts of a factory-backed rider. He also had an eye on his future though and included a gents’ boutique amongst his business interests.
Goodbye Gene
Gene Romero excelled in every aspect of motorcycle racing across a long and successful career. And he was known as ‘Burrito’.
Farewell Itoh-San
It is with great sadness that I write this tribute to a long-time Japanese Suzuki Team icon who was one of Suzuki’s flagship riders and my friend of 59 years.
Boxing Clever
Last September, after more than 10 years of trying, BMW finally scored a victory at the UK's annual Goodwood Revival. The top step of the podium came courtesy of double World Superbike champion Troy Corser and his Austrian teammate Herbert Schwab on a supercharged 1929 R57 Kompressor. Now the German manufacturer's BMW Group Classic historic vehicle division will be trying to make it two in a row in 2019, when the race reverts to its later format for bikes built before 1967 And they will be trying to do it on this — the RS500 OL Special.
