111 Facts About Barry Sheene

Barry Steven Frank Sheene was a British professional motorcycle racer and television sports presenter.

Barry Sheene competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing between 1971 and 1984, most prominently as a member of the Suzuki factory racing team where he won two consecutive FIM World Championships in 1976 and 1977.

Good looking, articulate and charismatic, Barry Sheene was able to harness the power of mass media to transcend the sport and become the best-known face of British motorcycle racing during the 1970s.

Barry Sheene was the first motorcycle racer to gain commercial endorsements from outside the sport, including television advertisements for Brut cologne.

Barry Sheene was a strong proponent of race track safety, and was one of the first competitors to object to racing at the notoriously dangerous Isle of Man TT street circuit.

Barry Sheene recognized his value to race promoters as a gate attraction and used his influence to force race promoters to increase rider safety.

Barry Steven Frank Sheene was born on September 11,1950, off the Gray's Inn Road, Bloomsbury, London, where his father, Frank Sheene, worked as the resident engineer at the Royal College of Surgeons.

Barry Sheene's father was a former competitive motorcyclist and an experienced motorcycle mechanic.

Barry Sheene grew up in Queen Square, Holborn, London, where he learned to ride a motorcycle at the age of 5 aboard a homemade minibike built by his father.

Barry Sheene's father had developed a close, personal relationship with Don Paco Bulto, the owner of Bultaco motorcycles, after meeting him in 1959 while attending the Montjuic 24 Hour endurance race in Barcelona.

Frank Barry Sheene was one of the first proponents of the two-stroke engine that began to dominate the smaller engine classes of motorcycle racing in the mid-1960s.

Barry Sheene had no plans to become a motorcycle racer, instead he focused on learning the art of tuning two-stroke engines, which were difficult to master unless a person was prepared to dedicate considerable time in a workshop learning the intricacies of the engines.

Barry Sheene then stopped racing to become the race mechanic for British privateer Lewis Young, who had entered his Bultacos in several European Grands Prix races.

Barry Sheene was not a keen school student and had an aversion to authority figures, so he began to see motorcycle racing as a possible career path.

In 1969, Barry Sheene began wearing a crash helmet with an image of Donald Duck on the front of his helmet to stand out from the crowd.

Barry Sheene drilled a hole in the chin piece of his crash helmet so he could smoke a cigarette while waiting on the starting grid for a race to begin.

Barry Sheene made a big impression as an eighteen-year-old in 1969 when he rode a Bultaco to place second behind Chas Mortimer in the 1969 125cc British Championship, and then dominated the 1970 125cc British Championship.

Barry Sheene placed third in the 1970 250cc Championship aboard a Bultaco.

Barry Sheene first met two-time American champion, Gary Nixon, in 1971 when Nixon was a member of the American team competing in that year's Transatlantic Trophy match races.

Barry Sheene began wearing his Gary Nixon t-shirt beneath his leather riding suit as a good luck charm every time he raced.

In 1971 Barry Sheene entered the 125cc World Championship aboard the same Suzuki.

Barry Sheene loudly announced that it would be the last time he ever competed at the Isle of Man TT at a time when the race was considered the most prestigious event on the world championship calendar.

Barry Sheene scored his maiden Grand Prix victory with a win at the 125cc Belgian Grand Prix held at the challenging Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

The 125cc championship then moved to the Scandinavian countries where Barry Sheene won the Swedish and Finnish Grands Prix races to take the lead in the 125cc World Championship going into the final round at the Spanish Grand Prix held at the Jarama Circuit.

At the prestigious, non-championship Mallory Park Race of the Year, Barry Sheene won the Lightweight Support Class ahead of Saarinen and Rod Gould, however he suffered a broken rib while competing in the Race of the Year.

Barry Sheene had immense respect for Nieto, calling him one of his greatest rivals.

Barry Sheene began the 1973 season as a member of the British team riding a Suzuki TR750 in the 1973 Transatlantic Trophy match races where his best result came at the third round at Oulton Park, placing third behind Peter Williams on a John Player Norton and Yvon Duhamel on a Kawasaki H2R.

Barry Sheene then contested the British 500cc Championships riding a Suzuki TR500, but when he found that the motorcycle handled poorly, he replaced Suzuki's chassis with a frame designed by British constructor Colin Seeley.

Barry Sheene rode the TR750 to contest the British 750cc Championship and won the newly formed Formula 750 European championship in 1973.

Barry Sheene was the first as well as the only non-Yamaha rider to win a Formula 750 championship.

Barry Sheene was again named to the British team for the 1974 Transatlantic Trophy match races where he first encountered American racer, Kenny Roberts, who would become his arch-rival.

Suzuki introduced the new RG500 motorcycle for the 1974 season and Barry Sheene secured its first podium results when he rode the raw, unrefined machine to a second place in France and a third place in Austria to start the season.

However, Barry Sheene suffered a broken leg in a crash at the Nations Grand Prix held at the Imola Circuit forcing him to miss the next six rounds of the World Championship.

However, Barry Sheene had become vested in the project and took pride in seeing his suggested modifications being implemented and improving the motorcycle's performance.

Barry Sheene urged the factory to continue their efforts, offering to stay in Japan to help them develop the motorcycle until it performed to his satisfaction.

Barry Sheene arrived for the 1975 Daytona 200 with a BBC documentary team following him to record his experiences.

The motorcycle pitched sideways, sending Barry Sheene tumbling down the track.

Barry Sheene suffered severe injuries including; a broken left femur, right arm, collarbone and two ribs.

Barry Sheene enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, driving a Rolls-Royce and buying a helicopter which he learned to fly.

Barry Sheene was often seen in the company of fashion models and musicians and was personal friends with James Hunt, Ringo Starr and George Harrison.

In 1975 while on crutches from his Daytona accident, Barry Sheene met fashion-model-turned-glamour-model Stephanie McLean, who was Penthouse Pet of the Month for April 1970 and Pet of the Year in 1971, while they were working together on a photoshoot for Chrysler.

Barry Sheene made tabloid news in Britain when McLean left her first husband for Sheene.

Barry Sheene became the motorcycling racing's first multi-millionaire, purchasing homes in Putney, in south-west London, and in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, and in 1977 he purchased a 700-year-old manor house in Charlwood, Surrey once owned by the actress Gladys Cooper.

Barry Sheene was contracted by Faberge to promote their Brut aftershave lotion alongside boxer Henry Cooper.

Agostini was nearing the end of his career while the twenty-five-year-old Barry Sheene was approaching his prime.

Barry Sheene then claimed a dramatic victory in the race with a well-planned, last corner pass around the outside of Agostini.

At the 1975 Swedish Grand Prix, Barry Sheene set the lap record while winning the Formula 750 round on Saturday, then set the 500cc lap record while winning the 500cc Grand Prix race on Sunday.

Barry Sheene started the 500cc race slowly, but worked his way through the field to catch and pass both Agostini and Phil Read, who were the championship points leaders.

Barry Sheene took the victory ahead of Read while Agostini crashed out of the race.

Barry Sheene placed sixth in the 1975 500cc World Championship, but his late season victory showed that Suzuki was becoming a serious challenger.

Barry Sheene won three rounds of the 1975 Formula 750 championship, but finished one point behind the eventual champion, Jack Findlay aboard a Yamaha TZ750, who was able to score consistently in six rounds.

Barry Sheene won the Mallory Park Race of the Year.

Barry Sheene returned to Daytona in 1976, where he flamboyantly drove around the town in a Rolls-Royce on loan to him from the local dealer.

Barry Sheene circulated as high as third place on his under-powered Suzuki until he was forced to retire with engine problems.

Back in Europe, Barry Sheene was the top British points scorer and the only British rider to score a win with a victory at Mallory Park, as Great Britain defeated the United States in the 1976 Transatlantic Trophy match races.

Barry Sheene then discovered that one brake pad had been inserted backwards, a potentially fatal error.

Barry Sheene experienced more drama during qualifying for the Swedish Grand Prix when his teammate, John Williams was knocked unconscious after a hard crash.

Barry Sheene stopped his motorcycle on the racetrack and rushed to Williams' aide, removing his teammate's helmet and clearing his airway after he had swallowed his tongue, thus preventing further injury.

Barry Sheene then clinched the World Championship by winning the Swedish Grand Prix with three races left in the championship.

Barry Sheene claimed the title with an impressive 136 points, 81 points more than second-placed Lansivuori.

Barry Sheene was the first 500cc champion from the Japanese marque, and remains the only person to win more than one World Championship on a Suzuki motorcycle.

Barry Sheene liked to win races off the track as well as on the track, often using psychological games to distract or upset his rivals.

Barry Sheene used his status with the Suzuki factory to ensure that he received the best RG500 engines over his teammates.

Barry Sheene's elevated status within the team eventually led to the departure of John Williams after the 1976 season, feeling that Barry Sheene was receiving preferential treatment.

Barry Sheene was the top British points scorer at the 1977 Transatlantic Match races, however Suzuki lacked a 750cc motorcycle to compete with the dominant Yamaha TZ750 and Roberts won the first four races of the series before his motorcycle failed during the first race at Oulton Park allowing Barry Sheene to claim the victory.

Barry Sheene was even more dominant in the 1977 facing off against a revived Yamaha factory effort supporting Giacomo Agostini, Johnny Cecotto and Steve Baker.

Barry Sheene claimed the World Championship with six Grand Prix victories, finishing well clear of second placed Baker.

Baker was determined to stay and compete in Europe, and with the help of Barry Sheene, he was able to secure a motorcycle and sponsorship from the Suzuki of Italy racing team operated by former Grand Prix competitor, Roberto Gallina.

Barry Sheene's popularity had injected some much-needed interest back into the sport along with the arrival of American champion Kenny Roberts.

Barry Sheene had only transferred to competing in the World Championships because Yamaha lacked a competitive dirt track motorcycle to challenge the dominant Harley-Davidson dirt track team.

Barry Sheene's riding style was reminiscent of dirt track riding, where sliding the rear tire to one side is used as a method to steer the motorcycle around a corner.

Barry Sheene was the last exponent of the smooth, European riding style which emphasized maintaining as much corner speed as possible without sliding the rear tire.

At the pre-season 1978 Transatlantic Trophy match races, Barry Sheene won the first of two races at Brands Hatch, but in the second race, Hennen was able to pass Barry Sheene on the inside of the final corner to win the race.

Barry Sheene was angered by what he perceived as a dangerous pass and publicly berated his Suzuki teammate.

Later in the week, Barry Sheene continued the psychological warfare on his teammate when he repeated the accusation of dangerous riding in his guest column in Motor-Cycle News.

Suzuki produced a new version of the RG500 with a shortened frame for the 1978 season, and although Barry Sheene began the year on a positive note with a victory at the 1978 Venezuelan Grand Prix, the new version proved to be a setback for the RG500's development.

Barry Sheene fought back with a string of podium finishes and with a victory at the Swedish Grand Prix, he had cut Roberts' points lead to three points with three rounds left in the championship.

At the Finnish Grand Prix, Barry Sheene had an opportunity to overtake Roberts in the points lead when the Yamaha rider failed to finish the race due to a mechanical failure, however Barry Sheene's Suzuki failed allowing his teammate Hartog to win his second race of the year.

Barry Sheene requested that it be replaced, but his Suzuki mechanics disagreed with his assessment and refused his request.

The 1978 British Grand Prix ended in controversy when torrential rains during the race, along with pit stops for tyre changes by both Roberts and Barry Sheene, created confusion among official scorers.

Barry Sheene took to the public address system during the confusion to declare that he had won the race however, an FIM Jury eventually declared that Roberts was the winner with Barry Sheene being awarded third place behind privateer Steve Manship, who did not stop for a tyre change.

Barry Sheene blamed the loss of the 1978 World Championship on his team's sluggish response to his request in Finland.

Barry Sheene won his third Mallory Park Race of the Year in 1978.

Barry Sheene, used to receiving preferential treatment from Suzuki, was outvoted when Ferrari and Hartog chose the motorcycle that he had rejected and, he was forced to ride their choice rather than his preferred choice.

Barry Sheene's motorcycle suffered engine problems at Oulton Park allowing Gene Romero to win the final two races of the series.

Barry Sheene began the 1979 season with a victory over teammate Ferrari at the Venezuelan Grand Prix, while Roberts was recovering from career-threatening back injuries suffered during a pre-season testing crash in Japan.

Roberts returned to win the second round in Austria despite still recovering from his injuries, while Barry Sheene suffered from a mechanic's mistake when installing his brake pads, causing him to finish in 12th place.

Barry Sheene then failed to finish in three of the next four races as Roberts won three consecutive races in Italy, Spain and Yugoslavia to take the championship points lead.

Barry Sheene placed second to Ferrari at the Dutch TT before all the factory teams boycotted the Belgian Grand Prix due to the dangerous track conditions.

Barry Sheene then won the Swedish Grand Prix followed by a third place in Finland.

Hartog eventually fell behind as Roberts and Barry Sheene continued to battle for the lead.

Roberts was unhindered as he passed the slower riders however, Barry Sheene was momentarily held up, allowing Roberts to increase his lead.

An undeterred Barry Sheene put in an impressive lap time to catch Roberts as they entered the final corner.

Barry Sheene recovered to win the final race of the season at the French Grand Prix, but Roberts placed third to secure his second consecutive 500cc World Championship.

Barry Sheene campaigned on a privateer Yamaha YZR500, but Yamaha remembered his outspoken criticism of their motorcycle in 1972 and withheld their best machinery for Kenny Roberts who captured his third consecutive 500cc World Championship in 1980.

In 1981, Barry Sheene retained the services of the recently retired Gary Nixon's former mechanic, Erv Kanemoto, who helped Barry Sheene score two podium results before winning the final round of the series at the Anderstorp Raceway in Sweden, taking fourth overall in the 1981 500cc World Championship.

Barry Sheene received the latest Yamaha OW60 TZ500 motorcycle before the 1982 season, on par with Roberts machinery and showed he was back on form by claiming five out of six races at the 1982 Transatlantic Trophy match races, although the American team had been depleted by the absence of Roberts and Randy Mamola due to testing commitments.

Barry Sheene's injured legs were saved by orthopaedic surgeon Mr Nigel John Cobb FRCS at the nearby Northampton General Hospital.

The final major victory of Barry Sheene's motorcycle racing career came at the 1984 Scarborough Gold Cup held at the Oliver's Mount circuit, one of his favorite venues.

Barry Sheene took the victory over his old foe, Mick Grant marking the fourth time he had won the Scarborough Gold Cup race.

Barry Sheene was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1978 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at a motor racing cycle exhibition in London's Victoria.

The Barry Sheene family moved to Australia in the late 1980s, in the hope that the warmer climate would help relieve some of the pain of Barry Sheene's injury-induced arthritis, settling in a property near the Gold Coast.

Barry Sheene combined a property development business with a role as a commentator on motor sport.

Barry Sheene began on SBS TV then moved to the Nine Network with Darrell Eastlake, and finally followed the TV broadcast rights of the Grand Prix motorcycle series to Network Ten.

In later years, Barry Sheene became involved in historic motorcycle racing, often returning to England to race at Donington Park.

Barry Sheene competed in his last race in Britain at the Goodwood Revival in 2002.

Barry Sheene was chosen to run with the Queen's Baton in the run-up to the 2002 Commonwealth Games held in Manchester, England.

In July 2002, at the age of 51, Barry Sheene was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus and stomach.

Barry Sheene died at a hospital on Queensland's Gold Coast in March 2003, aged 52, having suffered from the condition for eight months.

In 1978, Barry Sheene was appointed MBE for services to motorcycle sport.

Barry Sheene was a two-time Segrave Trophy recipient in 1977 and 1984 for his career in motorcycle Grand Prix racing.