Motorcycling heroes
From the beginning of motorcycling racing to the present day, there have been some amazing motorcyclists on the track. Here are a few of the greats, past and present:
Barry Sheene
Barry Sheene is one of the most loved riders of motorcycling history. His racing career started in 1969 and he had a fantastic decade through the 70s when he won the World 500cc Motorcycle Championships in both 1976 and 1977. In 1978 he was awarded an MBE.
He was not only famous for fantastic riding, but for overcoming devastating crashes. He bounced back 5 weeks after his 1975 accident to carry on riding, with pins and plates supporting his injuries.
He sadly died in 2003 from cancer, and is remembered as one of the greatest British motorcyclists of all time.
Joey Dunlop
Joey Dunlop was an Irishman who dominated TT Formula 1 racing. He won it 6 times in a row, from 1983 to 1988 and was the Formula 1 World Champion 5 times. He was a versatile rider, riding motorcycles from 125cc to 1000cc.
Not only did he enjoy many wins whilst he was travelling the world, he also helped the people living in the countries he was visiting. He was awarded an OBE for his charity work which included taking aid to Romania and Albania.
His career spanned from 1969 to 2000, and was still winning races when he unfortunately had a motorcycle accident in Estonia and died instantly. He was universally known as “Yer Maun” and was the inspiration for thousands of motorcyclists.
Mick Doohan
Mick Doohan’s career started in 1984, but from 1990 to 1998 were the years where he shone on the track. He competed successfully from 1990 to 1992, but suffered severe damage to one of his legs in a motorcycle accident in the latter year, which prevented him from continuing his winning streak that season.
However, he recovered, and the next season won the 500cc World Championship. He then won it every year up until 1998, an amazing achievement.
He injured his leg again in 1999, forcing his retirement from the sport. He is a much respected rider for his obvious talent and love of the sport.
Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi won his first World Championship title in 1997, when he was the youngest 125cc Champion aged just 18. He has since been runner up and winner of the 250cc World Championship, and runner up once and winner 5 times of the 500cc World Championship.
He has amazed fans with his fantastic podium winning record – he stood on the podium at the end of every race for 23 races between the beginning of September 2002 and April 2004.
He is known for keeping the number 46, the racing number of his father, instead of wearing the number 1 that he is entitled to. Keeping the same number was a habit started by Barry Sheene.
Valentino is continuing to impress the motorcycling world, leaving everyone eagerly awaiting his performance in 2006.
Making a motorcycle accident claim
You probably aren’t as familiar with the racetrack as some of these motorcycling heroes, and prefer to ride the roads instead. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident that wasn’t your fault, we can help you make a successful compensation claim.
We guarantee that our service is absolutely free for you from start to finish, and you will not be asked to take out any loans. For free legal advice on making a motorcycle accident claim, simply call us on 0800 10 757 95 .
