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| Keywords: geoff duke norton racing manx tt races vehicle motorcycle bike outdoor On the 1st May 2015, a Legend passed on. A man that I had the pleasure to know and had done work for. He made his racing debut in 1948 in the Junior Isle of Man Grand Prix on a 350cc Norton borrowed from the works. His engine failed with a split oil tank but his performance – he led the race at the end of lap three – impressed observers and he was marked as a star of the future. His first road-racing victory was when he beat Les Graham in the 350cc final at Haddenham in 1949. He won the senior Manx Grand Prix later that year as well as the Senior Clubman’s TT. Around this time Geoff had the idea for a lightweight, close-fitting suit with minimal pockets and padding. He approached Frank Barker, a tailor in St Helens, to design the aerodynamic leather outfit, and Barker measured his client crouching over a chair as if riding a motorcycle. The finished suit weighed less than 5lb and was ready for the 1950 Senior TT. Geoff won that race against tough opposition – wearing his one-piece leathers for the first time – on a Norton 500cc, equipped with the new, softly sprung “featherbed” chassis designed by Rex McCandless. Duke was world champion three times for Norton, winning two 350cc titles in 1951 and 1952 and the 500cc title in 1951. As a boy of 10, Geoff was lured to motorcycles by the smell of Castol-R emanating from the exhausts of two motorcycle engines parked outside his parents house. This had obviously made an impact on his life, to become a rider with 10 years at the highest level of motorcycle racing, winning six World Championships and six Isle of Man TT races during the 1950s. Geoff Duke 1923-2015 On the 1st May 2015, a Legend passed on. A man that I had the pleasure to know and had done work for. He made his racing debut in 1948 in the Junior Isle of Man Grand Prix on a 350cc Norton borrowed from the works. His engine failed with a split oil tank but his performance – he led the race at the end of lap three – impressed observers and he was marked as a star of the future. His first road-racing victory was when he beat Les Graham in the 350cc final at Haddenham in 1949. He won the senior Manx Grand Prix later that year as well as the Senior Clubman’s TT. Around this time Geoff had the idea for a lightweight, close-fitting suit with minimal pockets and padding. He approached Frank Barker, a tailor in St Helens, to design the aerodynamic leather outfit, and Barker measured his client crouching over a chair as if riding a motorcycle. The finished suit weighed less than 5lb and was ready for the 1950 Senior TT. Geoff won that race against tough opposition – wearing his one-piece leathers for the first time – on a Norton 500cc, equipped with the new, softly sprung “featherbed” chassis designed by Rex McCandless. Duke was world champion three times for Norton, winning two 350cc titles in 1951 and 1952 and the 500cc title in 1951. As a boy of 10, Geoff was lured to motorcycles by the smell of Castol-R emanating from the exhausts of two motorcycle engines parked outside his parents house. This had obviously made an impact on his life, to become a rider with 10 years at the highest level of motorcycle racing, winning six World Championships and six Isle of Man TT races during the 1950s. Geoff Duke 1923-2015 | ||||
