"The man with the JL helmet" – Mick Grant
Ask any fan of Kawasaki bikes from 1970’s era which rider
he remembers as standing out and most will say Yorkshireman, Mick Grant. He and
Suzuki’s Barry Sheene virtually dominated top flight racing in the UK for a
number of years in the heady days of flares, three day weeks, power cuts and
glam rock.
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| A friendly no-nonsense rider, Mick Grant |
Having just published his well received and engaging biography,
Takin’ the Mick, Kawasaki News UK caught up with Mick Grant and asked him about
his classic lime green racing days as well as getting the low down on his
thoughts about contemporary racing.
Kawasaki News UK (KNUK): Mick, many poeple will remember the heyday of you
on the Kawasaki triples, but how did you actually start out with the big K ?
That was way back in 1973 and via John Durrance who was
the main man at Agrati Sales, the Nottingham company that imported Kawasaki
bikes before Kawasaki UK was even formed.
I was asked to ride for Padgetts of Batley at the TT. It
started out that I would ride a Yamaha TZ350, but Padgett’s wanted me to ride
an H1R, an air-cooled, three cylinder Kawasaki race bike. To be honest, I was
in two minds, agreed to ride the Kawasaki as I got a feeling there would be
more opportunities but the Kawasaki than being among the hoard of Yamaha
riders. It turned out better than me or anyone else could hope for with a third
place podium behind Agostini and Pegani
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| On his way to Isle of Man victory on the H1R 500 |
KNUK: The biking
scene in the 1970’s was huge in the UK, what do you put that down to?
Bikes in general were more accepted, there were simply
more of them about. Remember, there was still a big commuter market then and it
was not unusual for many households to have some kind of bike, moped or
scooter.
The 1970’s was still a time when cars were expensive compared
to bikes and for many people they were the only easily accessible, affordable
transport. It kind of fed off itself, the publicity bikes got, the more that
sold. Certainly that was why Kawasaki went racing, not just to establish itself
as a performance brand, but to create awareness of the whole range as it
expanded.
KNUK: Obvious question then, did you have a Kawasaki road
bike?
Yes I had a 900cc Z1B which was presented to me in light
of the success I was having on the tracks – especially wins at the TT and North
West 200. It was not a showpiece though, I had it registered and used it all
over the place.
KNUK: And Kawasaki as a company, what were they like to
work with as well as the race team and the fledgling dealer network.
Well, from 1975 I had a formal racing contract which
lasted four years which gave tremendous security. Of course it was always my
ambition to make a living out of racing, but there were so many people vying
for rides a contract with a factory team was like gold dust, just like it is
now in fact. I have to say it was the best time in my racing career, the bikes,
the competition with other riders and playing a part in establishing Kawasaki
as a name in the UK bike market were all equally stimulating and important.
It has to be said that there were some people at Kawasaki
in the very early days that did not fully understand the need to go racing, but
that soon changed when we not only won MCN bike of the year several times in a
row, but also sold lots of race bikes as well. Remember, this was a time when
manufacturers would produce runs of bespoke racing bikes to sell as there was
less emphasis on production based racing back then.
I was in Yorkshire and the bikes were prepared and stored
in Bromley, Kent at Boyers run by Team Manager, Stan Shenton. There were few
gentlemen riders like Hailwood, but mostly it were lads who had some knowledge
of fixing up bikes themselves and so working on the bikes or making suggestions
for changes and upgrades was sort of second nature. As Kawasaki Motors UK
became established after taking over from Agrati, I tried to do as much as I
could racing and promotional wise, I had a great relationship with the UK
Kawasaki MD, Mr Ashida. In fact he still stands out as one of the most
memorable and impressive figures during my Kawasaki career.
Then, as now, Grand Prix’s were worthy of special attention
– the Japanese from the factory gave any Grand Prix entry all their support
which was simply amazing to be at the centre of.
KNUK: So that means you got out into the dealer network
too presumably?
Yes – I did a lot of road safety work – especially at
schools and with young people at dealerships. I used to start the talk by
saying “riding on the road is just the same as racing a motorcycle”.. that
would really get the kids going, and the teachers too!.. I’d go on to say that
you had to look ahead, anticipate and match your speed to the conditions. It
was nice to relate to the youngsters and make motorcycles acceptable to the next
generation just like the GetOn campaign now being run by the motorcycle
industry.
In fact I actually took and passed my advanced motorcycle
test at the time on my Z1B 900 which I am proud of. It certainly makes a
difference to today when so many racers don’t even have a motorcycle licence to
ride on the road.
KNUK: You rode with some of the greats Mick. Who
impressed you the most, Sheene, Roberts, Agostini or someone else?
I had a great respect for both Barry and Kenny as riders
and businessmen, they were smooth operators on and off the track. Barry especially
elevated bike racing to a new status in the UK which all of us owe him a debt
for. On balance, I would say that Roberts edged Sheene on riding ability but it
was a really fine line between ‘em. Of all the riders that I competed against though,
one stands out above the rest, Jarno Saarinen.
He passed away far too young at Imola in 1973, and certainly
too young to be more widely recognised for his amazing talent.
Why did I rate him so highly? Well I personally saw him
arrive at a track he had never seen before and get on lap record pace within
three laps, only a true great could do something like that and man he was fast,
really, really fast.
KNUK: As far as your race bikes went, were you hands on or
hands off? How much were you allowed to do with the KR750
Well, for the start, there were no electronics or data
logging and the like. We had the bike and that was it. In their day the
air-cooled 750cc H2R and the later water-cooled KR750’s were really competitive.
We had three engine specs from what you might call mild to wild. They were
never much trouble and despite being simple piston ported two strokes they
never “nipped up” like some of the small ‘strokers I’d ridden. That said the
cranks did have a short life and you had to make sure they were changed according
to their service limits. For short races we never had any issues, but long
races on the stage three motor were more of a gamble as you might say. The bike
went like a rocket, but remember rockets also go bang, so we did live on the
edge a bit when we used the most powerful motors.
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| Brands Hatch late 70's with the MCN "Girls" |
In an uncanny repeat of my Kawasaki TT debut on the H1R,
I rode an early KR250 at Ontario in 1975 and finished on the podium in third,
this time behind Kenny Roberts and Yvonne Du Hammel and ahead of the then World
Champion, Walter Villa.
I said to Mick Uchida the Kawasaki UK Managing Director
of the time, “We have to have these 250’s, we can win a World Championship with
these I am sure”.
The first bikes
vibrated a lot but that was because they were a tandem twin design like two
single cylinder engines one behind the other but with the cranks joined by
gears. Those early examples had both cranks spinning in the same direction – as
soon as the cranks were geared to counter-rotate, the vibration disappeared and
we had a sure fire race winner on our hands.
When you think of it, there was me, Kork Ballington of
course and the likes of Toni Mang, Jean François Balde and even Eddie Lawson among
many others who achieved success on the 250 and its bigger 350cc brother.
In fact I rode the first ever KR350 as soon as it was
built by the factory race shop in Akashi, Japan. The race facility was part of the factory
complex so we just chimed the KR up in the service road and I whizzed it up and
down a few times. It was just like a scene from a slapstick comedy when a guy walked
across the road with a ladder over his shoulder as I shot past on a Grand Prix
bike…he must have got the shock of his life!
KNUK: For all riders, injury is a dark thought at the
back of their mind. What was the worst that you sustained?
I can recall it straight away. It was in 1979 when I was
at the NW200 which, although a more simple track than the TT, is just as unforgiving.
I slid off and hit what police call “road furniture” or to a layman, a
telephone box. For my troubles I broke a number of ribs and, more painfully, my
pelvis which was an agonising and long winded recovery.
When people ask me how you avoid injury as a bike racer,
my answer is always the same, “try and fall off on the slower corners and you
will be alright”. If you can keep a straight face while you’re saying it, the
effect is always much better!
KNUK: Given that were are talking about the NW200, how
easy was it for you to adapt to road racing?
You have to remember, when I started racing in earnest
some of the Grand Prix venues like Spa and Imatra were still genuine road
circuits. If you consider the fact that, in Yorkshire, we had an ingrained tradition
of riding at circuits like Oliver’s Mount, which is little more than a race
round some lanes in a public park, you’ll understand that the TT course almost seemed
like a motorway in comparison.
In the 1970’s we would often finish a race at Brands Hatch
on a Sunday in June and have a light aircraft waiting at a local airfield and
fly straight to the Isle of Man . I actually
remember one occasion where I landed at Ronaldsway still wearing my leathers
and, with my helmet under my arm, caught a taxi to the Glencrutchery
Road where Nigel Everett was standing warming the bike up. I got
out of the taxi, put my lid on and shot down Bray Hill just in time for my
first lap of that year’s TT practice - memorable times indeed!
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| This was the 1977 TT where the KR750 was clocked at 191mph |
I think it was Sterling Moss who said that in his day it
was 50% the car and 50% the driver and that now in Grand Pirx it was 90% the
car and only 10% the driver. Well I think there has been a similar effect in
bike racing – although not to the same degree. A bike still has to be balanced
and the power managed more than a car, but the so-called “rider aids” on modern
race bikes – and the degree of adjustability – is something we never had in the
70’s and 80’s.
People say Rossi would shine on whatever he rode, but I don’t
think so. Put him on an average bike and he would do better than average but
not excel; it’s simply not possible in the modern environment of multi million
pound teams
One thing Rossi has got though is the vital element that
bonds current and past great riders, a good supporting team.
Someone like Jerry Burgess makes a huge difference for Rossi, the sort of difference
Erv
Kanemoto made to Roberts making the rider and team a complete,
cohesive and unbeatable racing package. Tom needs to feel that support on and
off the bike. Now he is in a fully supported factory team he will have the
confidence and support to allow him to concentrate fully on the job in hand.
There’s no doubt he has the talent and the latest ZX-10R
is already looking formidable. I think he is a race winner and, with my Kawasaki
hat on, I’d like nothing better than see him win on a lime green Ninja.
KNUK: You are obviously still immersed in the current world
of racing, but how do you actually fill your days.
Yes, I keep in touch and, thankfully, my advice is sought
by today’s crop of riders which is really flattering, but there’s nothing
formal, just one ex racer talking to a current one most of the time.
At home I have built up a workshop over the years and I disappear
in there for hours on end restoring bikes and generally fettling stuff like the
KR750 that was presented to me by Kawasaki and which I still ride at parade
laps in the UK and Europe.
I’ve also just finished building a Greeves Silverstone
and planning my next visit to South Africa to soak up some winter sun and ride
a few bikes, so I can’t complain. Of course there’s the TT and the Manx to look
forward to as well and a few other projects on the go including promoting my biography.
In truth I don’t have much time on my hands, in fact the days are just not long
enough to pack it all in.
KNUK: Ok, we’ll end on the clincher! Tell us if there is anything
you would change if you could from your long and eventful career?
In a word,No. Perhaps I could have got into the Grand Prix
scene sooner, but that is hardly a major regret. I had 19 successful years
doing what I wanted to do which was racing motorcycles. Honestly speaking, I would
have done it for nothing if I didn’t have mountains of bills to pay. I am not a
millionaire but I haven’t been silly either. And, to paraphrase my book, I’ve
never “taken the Mick” and truthfully enjoyed every minute of it.
Note: This article originally appeared in a shorter form in GO Magazine, the twice yearly publication of the Kawasaki Riders Club. For more information go to: Kawasaki Riders Club web site
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