Rip Phil Read

RIP Phil Read. Our thoughts are with your family and friends.

 

RIP

 

About 25 years ago, mebbe a little longer, I went to a summer evening talk by Phil and Steve Wynne from Sports Motorcycles. The venue was the air museum at Elvington airfield nr York. The subject of the talk was another racing legend, the great SMB Hailwood. It was a balmy summer evening and I recall being stood outside with my brother before the talk kicked off. A brand new BMW boxer twin turned up and it was clear from the sponsor ship decals plastered all over it that this was the great man himself. He took his helmet off and generously signed autographs, I have mine carefully stored away with those of a few other biking celebs of the era. When the talk started, Phil spoke first and related his times racing against Mike in the 60's and 70's and the fun they had (unofficially) racing their cars between GP venues in Eastern Europe back then. He was an eloquent speaker and I think it's fair to say all those present really enjoyed his presentation. After a break Steve Wynne spoke about meeting Mike at the TT and then of course providing him with the Ducati that he went on to win on in his comeback at the TT. It was a brilliant evening, I'm assuming the pair did similar talks at other venues around the same time, but as I lived just a few miles away from the site it was great to see and hear these guys talking about racing more or less in my back yard. Was anyone else on this forum there that evening or perhaps at a similar event elsewhere? RIP Phil, it was an honour to meet you all those years ago.

 

Sad news.
We bought our Premier helmets from him (the bright blue flame ones, from the great man himself (so he actually touched them!!!) at the London bike show way back in the 70’s.
Also remember him riding the MV at the Brands 1000 Bikes festival around the same time. Best sounding bike ever - a mate has a upgraded Magni 900 America four that runs it close in the sound department.

 

Sad news indeed RIP. My brother and I had a set of Phil Read Black Knight lits, back then they were the bees knees lol.