Barry Sheene's Star Power

Lore & Background

Sheene was the first motorcycle racer to gain commercial endorsements from outside the sport, including television advertisements for Brut cologne. He was a strong proponent of race track safety and one of the first competitors to object to racing at the Isle of Man TT street circuit. He used his influence as a gate attraction to force race promoters to increase rider safety. After retiring from racing in 1984, he relocated to Australia, working as a motorsport commentator and property developer. In 2011, the FIM inducted Sheene into the MotoGP Hall of Fame.

Reader's Guide

Sheene's racing career stretched from 1968 to 1984. He won two consecutive FIM World Championships in the premier class as a member of the Suzuki factory racing team. He scored his maiden Grand Prix victory at the 125cc Belgian Grand Prix. He also won the 50cc Czechoslovakian Grand Prix in 1971. His total career Grand Prix wins across all classes is 29, with 23 wins in the 500cc class and 6 wins in the 125cc class. His career-threatening crash at Silverstone occurred in 1981.

Did You Know?

• Sheene learned to ride a motorcycle at age 5 on a homemade minibike built by his father.
• He wore a crash helmet with a Donald Duck image and drilled a hole in the chin piece to smoke cigarettes on the starting grid.
• He favored Gitanes cigarettes, which later contributed to his death from cancer in 2003.
• He first met American champion Gary Nixon in 1971 and wore a Gary Nixon t-shirt as a good luck charm.