Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1530089
P60 FEATURE I his employees, some of whom worked for him for over 40 years. No gimmicks or hucksterism, no trading simply off the name, but instead working hard, being fair and honest, and remaining humble no matter how much success he enjoyed. He treated everyone who walked through his front door like an old friend. You always knew where you stood with Malcolm—he made you feel good to be around. When my African rally racing career started in the late '80s, Malcolm joined me, Danny LaPorte and Dan Smith in his Class 1 Baja race buggy as part of Team Foltene at the Rally de Atlas in Morocco. Although I was stoked to win several stages in the motorcycle division, the best part was seeing Malcolm take the overall car victory in his first rally effort. Much to the dismay of the top European drivers and press, I might add. The promoters and sponsors brought him over to be beaten by Europe's best. As an American off-road hero, get- ting shellacked by the Europeans would prove their dominance in the desert. In the end, it backfired—something only Malcolm could do. One year later, when he was well into his 40s, we competed against each other at the Incas Rallye in Peru, finishing third and fourth overall. I rode my ass off; Malcolm was mainly there on vacation. He was an amazing motorcycle rider. In 1998, Microsoft invited Malcolm, Lyle Lovett and me to ride to the end of the Pan American Highway in Chile on dual sport bikes for a National Geographic documentary. It was one of the best trips of my life. Being around Malcolm and Lyle was humbling— two very similar souls, two men who had accomplished so much in life but not an ounce of ego between them. Malcolm was an adventure junkie. He lived to explore new places, ride over terrain he had never seen, and experience new cultures and people in their backyards. Truly a citizen of the planet at large. I'm so glad I got to share just a small part of this side of him. Malcolm Smith had many sides, but it was his role as a family man I admired most. Maybe because his father was 80 years old when he was born, or maybe because he had learned some tough life lessons about relationships, his marriage to Joyce was a defining moment. Together, they challenged each other and built a life centered around family. My wife and I were fortunate to spend some time with them and their kids when they were early in their marriage at their home in Colorado. Ashley was a small child, and Alexander was just learning to walk. You could see their love for each other and the importance of this new chapter of their life together. Forty years later, the Smith family includes his wife, Joyce; daughters Louise and Ashley; sons Joel and Alexander; sons/daughters- in-law; and eight grandchildren, including Everyone will tell you that Smith was a shrewd businessman.