Mick Walker (motorcycling)
| Mick Walker | |
|---|---|
Walker in 1976 on a Moto Guzzi 850T3, in front of his then-newly acquired larger retail motorcycle premises at Norwich Road, Wisbech
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|
| Born |
Michael John Gilbert Walker 30 November 1942 Wretton, Norfolk |
| Died | 8 March 2012 (aged 69) |
| Cause of death | Cancer |
| Residence | Wisbech |
| Nationality | UK |
| Known for | Author, motorcycle dealer, motorcycle racer |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 UK
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1958–1968 |
Michael John Gilbert Walker (30 November 1942 – 8 March 2012), commonly known as Mick Walker, was acknowledged as one of the world's leading motorcycle authorities. Walker was a British former motorcycle dealer and racer with a particular interest in Italian motorcycles, who played a key role in popularising the Ducati marque in Britain, but was also an expert on numerous other models of motorcycle dating from the 1950s to the present. He was the writer of over 130 published books about motorcycles and motorcycle racing, and an autobiography.
Walker was born 30 November 1942 in Wretton, Norfolk, England and was educated at Downham Market Secondary Modern School. After leaving full-time education at the age of 15, he joined the Royal Air Force in 1958, serving in the UK, Aden and Cyprus. Walker's first powered two-wheeler was a Lambretta Li150 scooter purchased in 1960 to access his home from the RAF base, and he bought his first motorcycle, the second Ducati 250 Daytona to arrive in the UK (known as a Diana in most markets) in 1961.
Walker began racing competitively in 1963, while serving with the RAF and continued riding in club and international events until 1972 with considerable success at circuits such as Snetterton, Cadwell Park (where he made headlines in Motor Cycle News by winning three club races at one meeting in October 1968) and Silverstone and also competed in the Manx Grand Prix. He was a personal friend of many motorcycle stars of the era including Mike Hailwood, Barry Sheene, and Arthur Wheeler. Later, after he became a motorcycle dealer, Walker sponsored other riders. Following the death of his son Gary in a start line incident at Brands Hatch in 1994, he set up the Mick Walker Racing team to mentor young British talent. Among its pupils were Darren North, Ollie Bridewell, Dijon Compton, Steven Neate, James Toseland, Tom Tunstall and Dean Johnson who won the 1995 Superteen Championship.
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