The race tuners, bike builders and team owners, the men who make it possible for the best riders in the world to truly be the best. There have been many truly talented riders who didn’t win races, simply because their bikes weren’t the fastest or most reliable on a given day. In fact how many times have you read about a really stellar rider who didn’t start winning until he changed to a different team and brand.
So in no particular order, here are some of the most influential tuners of the 70’s to 90’s ( in my opinion of course!
)
This man should certainly need no introduction,
Pops Yoshimura, a member of the AMA hall of fame. He got his first formal training as an aircraft engine mechanic in WW2. He was a world class engine builder , tuner and race team owner. His bikes have won the 8 hour Suzuka endurance race, AMA Superbike championships, Daytona champions, and his race team was chosen to be the official Suzuki factory Superbike team. Racers that have ridden for Yoshimura include, Wes Cooley, Mike Baldwin , Dave Emde, Yvon Duhamel and Steve McLaughlin. His son has continued the family business. Also Yoshimura created a very successful line of aftermarket performance products.
You might not recognize this guy but you sure ought to be familiar with his work.
Bill Werner,
Bill Werner is a legendary racing mechanic for Harley-Davidson who tuned motorcycles that carried Gary Scott, Jay Springsteen and Scott Parker to a total of 13 AMA Grand National Championships. When Springsteen set the record for all-time AMA national wins, it was Werner turning the wrenches. It was Werner who built Parker’s motorcycles when he later broke Springsteen’s mark. Werner is easily the winningest tuner in AMA Grand National racing history.
Another AMA Hall Of Fame tuner, builder, crew chief and race team owner.
Erv Kanemoto,
Erv gained international recognition as Gary Nixon‘s tuner. His bikes have won two National championships, Superbike Championships, and six World Grand Prix Championships. Barry Sheene, Freddie Spencer and Eddie Lawson all rode Kanemotos bikes. The guy is legendary.
Everybody should know this guy!
Kel Carruthers,
Kel was born in Australia and was a successful racer in his own right. Carruthers, as the son of a motorcycle shop owner, learned how to work on bikes from a young age, started riding at 10, and entered his first race at 12. By the early 1960s he had won the Australian 125 cc, 250 cc, 350 cc and 500 cc National Championships. He was a factory rider for Aermacci and Benelli. He raced in the 250cc class and won races at the Isle of Mann and in the 250 class in European Grand Prix. In 1970 Yamaha hired him to mentor a young dirt track racer named Kenny Roberts. By 1973 Carruthers became manager of Yamaha‘s American racing team. Under Carruthers’ guidance, Roberts would win the 1973 and 1974 Grand National Championship for Yamaha. When it became apparent that Yamaha didn't have a bike able to compete with the dominant Harley Davidson dirt track team, they decided to send Carruthers and Roberts to Europe to compete in the road racing world championships. With Carruthers tuning the bikes and offering guidance, Roberts went on to win three consecutive world championships in 1978, 1979, and 1980.
Carruthers also managed Eddie Lawson to a 500cc World Championship in 1984.
This guy…….talk about unsung heroes. I’ll be willing to bet none of you ever heard his name. But he is arguably one of the most successful Grand Prix mechanics of all time.
Alex Briggs,
Another Australian, he was a factory Moto GP mechanic for 28 years and 465 races. He was Mick Doohans mechanic for his five World Moto GP championship seasons , when he was riding for Honda.
Then he became synonymous with Valentino Rossi. Rossi has won races and World Championships on everything from a 125cc, 250cc, 500cc two-stroke, to 990cc, 800cc & 1000cc four-stroke – plus the Suzuka eight-hour endurance race. For the last 20 years of his carreer Briggs was with Rossi as his chief mechanic. He followed Rossi from Honda to Yamaha and later via the Ducati station back to Yamaha as Rossi picked up another seven World Champinships.
The racers get all the glory ( and they absolutely deserve it ) but they stood on the shoulders of their behind the scenes crews.
So in no particular order, here are some of the most influential tuners of the 70’s to 90’s ( in my opinion of course!
)This man should certainly need no introduction,
Pops Yoshimura, a member of the AMA hall of fame. He got his first formal training as an aircraft engine mechanic in WW2. He was a world class engine builder , tuner and race team owner. His bikes have won the 8 hour Suzuka endurance race, AMA Superbike championships, Daytona champions, and his race team was chosen to be the official Suzuki factory Superbike team. Racers that have ridden for Yoshimura include, Wes Cooley, Mike Baldwin , Dave Emde, Yvon Duhamel and Steve McLaughlin. His son has continued the family business. Also Yoshimura created a very successful line of aftermarket performance products.
You might not recognize this guy but you sure ought to be familiar with his work.
Bill Werner,
Bill Werner is a legendary racing mechanic for Harley-Davidson who tuned motorcycles that carried Gary Scott, Jay Springsteen and Scott Parker to a total of 13 AMA Grand National Championships. When Springsteen set the record for all-time AMA national wins, it was Werner turning the wrenches. It was Werner who built Parker’s motorcycles when he later broke Springsteen’s mark. Werner is easily the winningest tuner in AMA Grand National racing history.
Another AMA Hall Of Fame tuner, builder, crew chief and race team owner.
Erv Kanemoto,
Erv gained international recognition as Gary Nixon‘s tuner. His bikes have won two National championships, Superbike Championships, and six World Grand Prix Championships. Barry Sheene, Freddie Spencer and Eddie Lawson all rode Kanemotos bikes. The guy is legendary.
Everybody should know this guy!
Kel Carruthers,
Kel was born in Australia and was a successful racer in his own right. Carruthers, as the son of a motorcycle shop owner, learned how to work on bikes from a young age, started riding at 10, and entered his first race at 12. By the early 1960s he had won the Australian 125 cc, 250 cc, 350 cc and 500 cc National Championships. He was a factory rider for Aermacci and Benelli. He raced in the 250cc class and won races at the Isle of Mann and in the 250 class in European Grand Prix. In 1970 Yamaha hired him to mentor a young dirt track racer named Kenny Roberts. By 1973 Carruthers became manager of Yamaha‘s American racing team. Under Carruthers’ guidance, Roberts would win the 1973 and 1974 Grand National Championship for Yamaha. When it became apparent that Yamaha didn't have a bike able to compete with the dominant Harley Davidson dirt track team, they decided to send Carruthers and Roberts to Europe to compete in the road racing world championships. With Carruthers tuning the bikes and offering guidance, Roberts went on to win three consecutive world championships in 1978, 1979, and 1980.
Carruthers also managed Eddie Lawson to a 500cc World Championship in 1984.
This guy…….talk about unsung heroes. I’ll be willing to bet none of you ever heard his name. But he is arguably one of the most successful Grand Prix mechanics of all time.
Alex Briggs,
Another Australian, he was a factory Moto GP mechanic for 28 years and 465 races. He was Mick Doohans mechanic for his five World Moto GP championship seasons , when he was riding for Honda.
Then he became synonymous with Valentino Rossi. Rossi has won races and World Championships on everything from a 125cc, 250cc, 500cc two-stroke, to 990cc, 800cc & 1000cc four-stroke – plus the Suzuka eight-hour endurance race. For the last 20 years of his carreer Briggs was with Rossi as his chief mechanic. He followed Rossi from Honda to Yamaha and later via the Ducati station back to Yamaha as Rossi picked up another seven World Champinships.
The racers get all the glory ( and they absolutely deserve it ) but they stood on the shoulders of their behind the scenes crews.
