Who's this Norton rider?

[Sir Limpsalot]

An early shot of someone who would become very highly regarded here..


http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee298/thruxton120/420_reg_norton627.jpg

Cheers,
Si.

[DJ Down Under]

Would it be Barry Sheene?

DJ

[DarthRider]

Simon...I don't have a clue!
Betty tells me that a lot...

[vintagemxr]

I think it must be Joe DePinto who now runs a prominent business (http://www.7-eleven.com/Default.aspx) originally started in Texas.

the other Doug

[Sir Limpsalot]

When I said "highly regarded here" I meant here at the Cafe rather than here in the UK.
My mistake. If you don't say what you mean, how can you mean what you say?

DJ, you're bang on with the era (late seventies) but the wrong side of the Atlantic. Our subject became famous for racing a different sort of twin. He later proved he could win on fours as well.

Dave, still clueless? You'll kick yourself!

Si.

[DarthRider]

Hmmm...Reg Pridmore? I don't recall him riding fours, but that doesn't mean anything.
If that's wrong (and probably is), hit us with another clue.

Clueless in Texas,

[Sir Limpsalot]

Bang on! It is, indeed, Reg Pridmore.

I never knew he raced a Commando and was suprised to find a photo of him doing so, which is why I thought it would make a good question.
Of course, he had to learn his craft somewhere..

I am sure I remember him riding Kawasaki KZ1000's after his stint on the Beemers. Sponsored by Vetter. Would that be right? You have me doubting myself now, after all it was a long time ago and a long way away!

Maybe Dean remembers?

Si.

[Sir Limpsalot]

Reg on the #163 BMW..

http://www.mcmototech.com/R90S/Pridmore.jpg

http://www.mcmototech.com/R90S/rego76.JPG

http://www.mcmototech.com/R90S/retronext4.JPG

And again the #163 but this time on a KZ1000.

http://www.classrides.com/Scrapbook05/images/freightrain600.jpg

He won the AMA Superbike title in 1976 on the Butler & Smith R90S. The following he year won it again on a Racecrafters sponsored KZ1000. He got the hat trick in 1978 on the Vetter KZ1000.

I was introduced to Reg in London at the dealer launch of the Honda CBX in the autumn of '77. All I remember is that he seemed a nice chap :icon_redface:

Si.

[DarthRider]

I was most fortunate to have taken his CLASS school on a spanking new Ducati 900 Supersport, when I had been riding & racing over 30 years. That was the day I learned how to ride a motorcycle.
He seemed like a genuinely nice guy and had BMW sponsorship for his track school then, the instructors all had K100RS's, stock except sticky tires and no center stands.
Racing & winning on Nortons, BMWs & Kawasakis...not bad!

[kocook]

Reg complained that he scuffed up the bottom of his R100RS fairing while following me around Sears Point during his early teaching career. I was quite proud since I was on a R90/6. He is one of the Good Guys. Met a very young reporter for Cycle News that day. He too has become quite famous in racing circles.