Friday

RIP MAD BILL



Really sad news today. One of my motorcycling hero's lost his battle to make it to the start line in the 2010 season.
I loved Bill, and have known him since i first started riding. I was speaking to him when he came to watch the shorttrack at Kings Lynn earlier this year, he was saying he hadnt down as much riding as he had wanted to cos he stuggled bumping the JAP on his own. I asked him how is hip was and he just laughed.

Anyway for those who didnt now him here is a recent story about him

RIP Bill............................................

Visor Down Article on Bill

‘MAD’ Bill Barley is looking to become the oldest motorbike racer in the country after renewing his racing licence, aged 76.

Moving into his 60th year of competitive racing ‘Mad’ Bill, who competes in grass-track, got his nickname through a reputation for a fearless riding style during his prime, with instances which include landing his bike in a tree.

Bill races vintage grass-track bikes across the country and his greatest success came in 1988 when he won the Vintage Speedway Championship at the age of 56 on a 1934 Rudge, but he ranks his proudest moment of his racing career as winning at the Teterow circuit in the former East Germany, the year after the Berlin Wall came down.

In 1998, Bill had a hip replacement operation after coming off his bike. Within eight weeks he was racing a sidecar again. Speaking of his addiction to racing he said: "It's just the adrenaline off the start that keeps bringing me back every year, there's nothing like that feeling. Every year I think it'll be my last, then the forms drop through the door, and I think: well, one more year then.

1 comment:

ktmmitch said...

A real biker,one of our locals.When I started out,Bill,along with the likes of Dougie Desborough(Popeye) and Colin Mitchell(Columbo) from Rushden where always ready for a chat and a laugh.All sadly gone now,and we're all the poorer for it,but richer for their friendship.Will have to get out my "On Any Sunday" CD again,so we're all riding along that beach,drifting and wheeling!!