Crosby, Merkel and Phillis

[gs58]

Photos from the Barry Sheene Oceanic Challenge with the GSR mascot "Stator" doing the rounds of the pits. Phillis was the only one of these three racing but Croz and Fred rode some laps during the lunch hour.

More of Stator's travels can be found at http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...d.php?t=210943

[Kiwi Canuck]

Very sweet, that's awesome.

Cheers,

David

[sharpy]

Maybe we mite have to educate some (not all) of our GS friends in the states who Phillis is. Ex kat rider, Ex World superbike rider and current living legend.

[gs58]

Maybe we mite have to educate some (not all) of our GS friends in the states who Phillis is. Ex kat rider, Ex World superbike rider and current living legend.

That's a great shot sharpy. I can tell you that he has lost none of his skill, and very little of his speed. Was great to watch a living legend in action.

It would be great to see Aaron Slight back on a race bike and competing with the likes of Phillis and co.

[gs58]

In hindsight I should have added that the TR750 model that Phillis was racing was first raced in New Zealand by Ron Grant, and later by Pat Hennan before he went on to the RG500's. Do many people know who Ron Grant is and the impact that he made for Suzuki racing? I'm not sure that many are aware that the RG (as in RG500) is in recognition and honour of Ron. He was quite a guy and raced here for a few of the Marlboro Series. I think that he was also responsible for bringing Pat out here to race when it is rumoured he was about 14 years old.

[gs58]

Just watched the clip below sharpy. Awesome racing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6i_GPO4lMY

I sat next to Peter Goddard's (ex)wife at a wedding a little while ago. Funnily enough she seemed to be over talking about motorcycles.

And then is a brief summary of Robbie's career.

Robbie Phillis is one of Australia’s most enduring motorcycle riders. He started racing in the early 1970s and amazingly he is still racing now.
Phillis was a pioneer of the World Superbike Championship, he was a six time Australian Champion and rode exclusively with Kawasaki in the international series.
One of the greatest names in Australian motorcycle history, Phillis initially grew up wanting to be a pilot. His father worked at various rural airports, which is where he made his ‘racing’ debut.
“My dad was a caretaker at three airports – Wagga Wagga, Corowa and the Albury so I grew up on airports and wanted to be a pilot,” Robbie Phillis told Speedcafe.com.au.
“My sister’s husband was a farmer and had a little Honda, which I used to roar around the airport on, it went from there really.”
The Wagga Wagga born rider made his racing debut in 1974, he started riding on dirt-tracks, honing his motocross skills and eventually crossed over to road racing. He fondly remembers his first couple of years of racing.
“I raced for the first time at Hume Weir in Albury/Wodonga, there was an interclub meeting and I got two firsts, two seconds and two thirds and went away thinking ‘that was a bit of fun’,” said Phillis.
“I ended up buying a new bike soon after which I crashed twice before even racing it I didn’t realise I’d broken two vertebrae in the first crash until 18 months later when I’d broken another two.
“The doctor asked when I had broken the first two, so I’d raced with two broken vertebrae and won all these races, which was pretty pleasing. I never looked back after that.”
Having won several domestic series (he ended up winning six Australian Superbike Championships, several endurance races and the Australian 1000cc title) Phillis started to make a name for himself, which eventually lead to an international ride.
“In 1988 I did four World Superbike rounds, I did New Zealand, Japan, Austria and Australia,” said Phillis.
“I just rode what was basically a road touring bike against all these trick bikes, but I beat (Michael) Doohan in Australia.
“I ended up finished sixth in the world championship having only done four rounds, the next year I did three rounds and finished in equal 10th.
“Then the factory said we’d do the full world championship in 1990, so we packed up, bought a caravan and I lived out the back of Kawasaki with the wife and the kids.”
Phillis finished the 1990 World Superbike season fourth and backed it up with a third place the year after, enjoying podium success on many occasions as Kawasaki’s sole rider.
His contract to ride for Kawasaki in the championship wasn’t renewed, despite his successful season. He had the opportunity to ride for Ducati, but decided to stay loyal to Kawasaki, a decision that still haunts him to this day.
“It was hard racing the Kawasaki, I led the championships in both years for a bit but the bikes were so different, the bigger more powerful bikes always beat you down the line,” said Phillis.
“I had the opportunity to ride for Ducati in 1993, but I stayed loyal.
“Ducati asked me if I wanted to ride for them but I couldn’t so they gave the ride to Carl Fogarty, who then went on to win four world championships.
“I did bleed a little bit, that’s one of my biggest regrets, not taking that deal.”
After so much on-track success Phillis doesn’t consider any one victory, whether race or title, to be his stand out achievement, he more enjoys the memory of competing against Malcolm Campbell.
“One championship is as good as another,” said Phillis.
“I raced with Malcolm Campbell a lot and have more respect for him than anyone in the world, he was the best I ever rode against and he’s still racing at 56 years old, he’s awesome.
“Racing with him was good; we raced in Queensland last year for the Australian title.
“We had so much fun, we diced the whole way, it was like the olden days. We did the same at Phillip Island in the support race at the MotoGP.
“It was raining and he won a race, I won a race, then he won the last one to beat me by a couple of points. It was really exciting; this is what I remember the most.”
Phillis also remembers back to the harrowing days of racing bikes at Bathurst.
“Bathurst was really, really dangerous,” said Phillis.
“I raced there eight years in a row; I was young and stupid so accidents didn’t fuss me.
“It’s an awesome track it’s just friggen dangerous, it’s not safe for bikes; we need more run-off.
“They are talking about trying to rebuild the track for bikes, to go around the base of the mountain. I hope it happens it’d be good ‘cause we’re losing tracks fast. If they do it and do it safely, so there is plenty of run-off, it would be cool.”
While Phillis has raced extensively over the last 35 years, he has suffered a lot of physical and mental hardship thanks to his love of racing bikes.
“I finished racing in 1998,” said Phyllis.
“I had two big accidents in 1993 and 1994; I had brain damage which knocked me around.
“I tried to race in 1996 and 1997 in the German series, just trying to make a few dollars but I didn’t know if I was coming or going, I didn’t know what day it was, head injuries are never good.
“All the aches and pains and broken bones from all the accidents and a couple of head injuries, they tend to knock you around a bit.
“I’m 54 years old, it takes time to heal, but I went through a lot.”
These days Phillis spends his time as a home career to one of his sons, who has suffered with health problems since birth, but still gets the opportunity to race bikes and still enjoys considerable success.
“We have a son who has had a brain injury since he was three months old,” said Phillis.
“He stopped breathing and was blind as a kid. He can see partially now, but I look after him full time, and he looks after me.
“I get to go riding because of my old friendships, they make sure I’m not moping around and get out to have some fun.
“I did the Moto GP in the support race, which I won.
“The month before that we had the Australian Classic Championships where I finished second to Malcolm Campbell.
“I also raced at the Barry Sheene memorial at Eastern Creek, coming second and won all three races in the support race at the World Superbike round at Phillip Island.
“I’ve enjoyed my career, and I’m still having fun. It’s all good.”

[sharpy]

That's a great shot sharpy. I can tell you that he has lost none of his skill, and very little of his speed. Was great to watch a living legend in action.

It would be great to see Aaron Slight back on a race bike and competing with the likes of Phillis and co.

Um yes it is but was pinched from the web then enlarged. Oran park it said. That bike must have been fast as it has same exhaust, swing-arm, carbs and shocks as my bike. Oh wait i have same as his. hehe. Around our neck of the woods we called a on the throttle wheelie a rob phillis wheelie.

[gs58]

What kind of swingarm are you running? It is hard to see from this shot. The headers being welded together at the start of the primaries is not something that is seen every day. Is this to make the fitting a bit easier? Or maybe to protect them from fracturing due to vibration if they were a very thin wall tubing.

[sharpy]

What kind of swingarm are you running? It is hard to see from this shot. The headers being welded together at the start of the primaries is not something that is seen every day. Is this to make the fitting a bit easier? Or maybe to protect them from fracturing due to vibration if they were a very thin wall tubing.

Have a look. Tingate pipe, McKintosh arm, Kayaba upside down shocks and 29 smoothies. Soon to be 33's

http://s125.photobucket.com/user/sharpywheelie/library/My%20Bikes%20and%20stuff/1980%20Gs1000st#/user/sharpywheelie/library/My%20Bikes%20and%20stuff/1980%20Gs1000st?sort=4&page=1&_suid=13842476054780030191886988758576

[gs58]

Very Nice!! Great paint job. Ken McIntosh was making a few more of those swingarms recently. How did you come across yours? I think that he was charging about $1500 each and they nearly all went to Australia. He has also made five frames of which one is still for sale. The other four have also gone to Australia. He has a strong reputation for quality fabrications.

[recycled64]

In hindsight I should have added that the TR750 model that Phillis was racing was first raced in New Zealand by Ron Grant, and later by Pat Hennan before he went on to the RG500's. Do many people know who Ron Grant is and the impact that he made for Suzuki racing? I'm not sure that many are aware that the RG (as in RG500) is in recognition and honour of Ron. He was quite a guy and raced here for a few of the Marlboro Series. I think that he was also responsible for bringing Pat out here to race when it is rumoured he was about 14 years old.

I knew Ron's teammate Art Baumann pretty well, in fact worked with him for a year in a San Francisco Suzuki shop, visited his house a couple of times, and he brought me over to Grants' to socialize a bit. Ron gave me one of his 6-page T500 hop-up parts catalogues. When he passed a number of years ago, his wishes to have his ashes scattered in the International Horseshoe turn at Daytona were honored by family and friends. Both of them were pretty 'eccentric', kind of guys Croz would have enjoyed spending time with, to say the least!

[GregT]

i met Ron Grant on his first trip to NZ when he was racing the TR500.
Many years later I was standing next to him talking while Cathcart tested the Britten at Ruapuna. We'd decided that Alan had lost a gear judging by the strange antics he was doing on it, when he proceeded to fall off.
He wasn't a happy camper on the stretcher...
Anyway, Ron offered me a job at Honda Britain. All I could do was laugh and say it was 20 years too late...too old and several heart attacks too late...

Phillis...or Syph as he's known in NZ...I saw him at both the WSB rounds where he rode Kawasakis in NZ. First the GPX then the ZX7. He and Slight had a Japanese rider with them the second year. He didn't speak english...They'd taught him a short introduction..."I am Sowah,I am ******* Japanese works rider" It went down well with the crowd at Manfield...Typical of those two.

[gs58]

Seems like an appropriate time to post a picture of an RG500 that was racing at the BSOC meeting. This is one of two RG500's that this racer has in his stable. One was raced by a NZ rider, Stu Avant. The other was raced by Pat Hennan. I think that the bike in the picture was Pat's one.

I love the pipes on these bikes.

[sharpy]

Very Nice!! Great paint job. Ken McIntosh was making a few more of those swingarms recently. How did you come across yours? I think that he was charging about $1500 each and they nearly all went to Australia. He has also made five frames of which one is still for sale. The other four have also gone to Australia. He has a strong reputation for quality fabrications.

Great paint job? Dam hope so its original. Was working to the owner of a bike shop. he brought the bike brand new, rode it to bathurst and back and we built it up then. Most things for 400 bucks. Arm. shocks, carbs and pipe. 105HP at back wheel and willl loft the front wheel at 60 mph in 2nd using the clutch.(15/41 gearing at 6,500 rpm)

[jellywrestler]

In hindsight I should have added that the TR750 model that Phillis was racing was first raced in New Zealand by Ron Grant, and later by Pat Hennan before he went on to the RG500's. Do many people know who Ron Grant is and the impact that he made for Suzuki racing? I'm not sure that many are aware that the RG (as in RG500) is in recognition and honour of Ron. He was quite a guy and raced here for a few of the Marlboro Series. I think that he was also responsible for bringing Pat out here to race when it is rumoured he was about 14 years old.

it was rangy mamola that was 14 not hennen, yip RG was a legend, i lived in wanganui home of the cemetery circuit when i was younger, he ran among other things shakeys pizza, more than once i saw him making a pizza with ash falling off his rollyour own ciggies