VOLUME 58 ISSUE 45 NOVEMBER 9, 2021 P113
the coming years: His brother-
in-law. In the same way that
Valentino Rossi's shadow would
feel overbearing to a genera-
tion of Italian riders (ask Marco
Melandri, Max Biaggi, Andrea
Dovizioso…) Sheene had the
knack of stealing the sunlight
from his rivals. And the best
contracts.
Smart managed to shine
nonetheless, racing at home
and in the USA. Short circuits,
Daytona, Isle of Man—the task
of a professional racer in those
days was wide-angle. You had to
do it all.
The list of motorcycles that
he rode spans the continents
as well as an era when the
old-world marques were under
attack from Japan. Smart raced
and won on Nortons and
Yamahas, BSAs and Kawasakis,
Triumphs and Suzukis. He did so
all over the world.
With Barry and Cliff Carr,
he tested the first prototype of
Suzuki's RG500 square-four—an
overpowered wobbler with a spin-
dly frame that didn't even have a
full loop. Scary and exciting.
He also raced it in GPs and
elsewhere in its faltering maiden
years. His bike always seized,
he told me; Sheene's never did.
Suzuki blamed his riding style,
until one day the pair swapped
bikes. This time Sheene seized,
Paul didn't. "He did me a favor
that day."
GP success eluded him; he
did better racing 750s in the
U.S., in the new class which was
significant in bringing European
and American racers together.
He was successful on both Ka-
wasaki's and Suzuki's hair-raising
triples. Looking for ways to cope
with wayward handling, Smart
pioneered the knee-out riding
style, shifting his weight inboard
to reduce the lean angle. It
looked crazy at first, but soon
everyone was doing it.
Smart is best known for a
pivotal role in establishing Ducati
as a pre-eminent sporting manu-
facturer. The Bologna firm had
developed its unique 90-degree
desmodromic twin in 1970, first
as a 500-class racer. In 1972 the
engine was enlarged to 750cc,
in time for the inaugural Imola
200, Europe's first major race
for the new F750 class.
It was a classic debut. Smart,
still jet-lagged after flying in
straight from a race in the USA,
took the bike to victory, with
teammate Bruno Spaggiari sec-
ond. With its distinctive glass-
fiber fuel tank with a transparent
sighting strip down the side, the
bike became iconic, and the
basis for every Ducati V-twin
ever since.
I recall Paul telling me years
ago how on first acquaintance
the bike felt so slow he tried
to blow it up. And failed. It was
bulletproof. Or am I imagining it?
I've lost that notebook, too.
I wrote two biographies of
Sheene. Paul and Maggie were
hugely helpful for both. In his
shadow again, but always gener-
ous and humorous with it.
It's been a cruel year for bike
racing but losing a past master on
the road somehow compounds
it. And closes a happy chapter of
racing for fun as well as to win.
Sincere condolences.
CN
Looking for
ways to cope with
wayward handling,
Smart pioneered
the knee-out riding
style, shifting his
weight inboard to
reduce the lean
angle. It looked
crazy at first, but
soon everyone was
doing it.
Smart raced and
won on Nortons
and Yamahas, BSAs
and Kawasakis,
Triumphs and
Suzukis. He did so
all over the world.
