By Clive Horton

My first ride on a motorcycle was at Mallory Park in 1968. I loved it and thought I was Mike Hailwood! I started racing in March 1969 at a snow covered Snetterton on a home built 125cc BSA. Then I built an improved version in 1970 and started to win races. That is when you become a real race fanatic/addict!

I built another, home designed machine powered by Yamaha, in 1971. Things were not all that successful but it looked good! In 1972 I put together a real hot tool - a frame by Jack Machine, engine by Yamaha, all assembled and tuned by myself. We started to compete in Europe, winning one race in Belgium and heaps of races in England. 1974 saw an IOM TT win the 125cc class, impressive by itself but when you consider the only sponsorship we had was free oil from Duckhams it seems to me even more remarkable. We were a very small, self financed  team.

For 1975, a 250cc Yamaha was loaned by Robin Mayne. In 1976 we were British 125cc Champions in 1977, 125cc Honda Champion - a series where all bikes were standard and equal to open riders including many international stars and factory rides. We ‘whooped’ them all and turned professional in for the 1978 season to compete in the World Championships.Several races were won in Holland: a 4th at our first GP in Spain and a 2nd in in the British GP. A week later I was hospitalised after a crash on a street circuit in Belgium. We finished 10th in the World Championships at the end of the year. Just one race remained at Donington Park that year and, relatively fresh (but stiff), from a broken back and ankle in Belgium, our fabulous crew of my wife Sue and worlds best mechanic: Trevor Smedley, lifted me on and off the bike, only to come 2nd from the back row of the grid. But such was the aggressive ride, the lap record fell to us.

1979 saw us back to building our own machine. Encouraged by test piloting Dunlop slicks, I wanted a bike that would use them to the best effect. Result - disaster!! Only one race win all year and many crashes due to a design fault. When corrected in August, it was too late to prevent financial hardship. A sad end to a year that began with so much promise.

By 1980 I was picked up by the finest sponsor I ever had - Dave Orton of Appleby Glade. He is also regarded as something of a human being.  Jon Ekrold thought this the finest compliment one could ever pay to a sponsor (quite an acerbic wit had Jon, the 350cc World Champ that year). That was a great year. We did not become British Champion but had lap records all over the country including breaking Mike Hailwoods long standing 250cc one at Oulton Park. Not to mention a couple of good GP rides - 9th in Holland after remounting following a crash and 6th in Belgium.

The following year the position of factory rider for Armstrong Motorcycles materialised, inadequately paid but a factory ride nevertheless. During the development time, I realised just how critical the correct suspension set up was and, once corrected, I broke the lap record at Donington Park which in turn led to race wins and lap records in the internationals. But GP successes never materialised. Improved machine designs in 1982 helped make things easier and the emergence of a hazardous 350cc Armstrong, saw us take 1st, 2nd or break down altogether with either a seized gearbox or broken crank pin. Every outing made for an eventful year! All this construction and development experience leads me to the position we have occupied for the years since retiring in 1983.

During the GPs in 1988, a Hollywood production company were making a film about an American racing team. I ended up as a stunt man and on-board camera man, although the original brief was as chief mechanic for the race team that was actually part in the race!

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