MICK WALKER

Writer, racer, dealer, and sponsor Mick Walker

If you own a book about motorcycles, there's a good chance it was written by Mick Walker.  Author of 130 books on racing, marque history, biography, and an autobiography, Walker was an institution of the motorcycling press, and truly, a global authority on postwar motorcycling.

An advertisement for Mick Walker Motorcycles, the UK Ducati importer

 Mick Walker began riding at 17 - a Lambretta scooter - and purchased his first proper motorcycle in 1960, a 250cc Ducati Daytona, the hottest lightweight bike in the world at the time, and the first of many Ducatis he would own, race, and sell as a pioneering dealer for the marque.   Ownership of the Daytona must have inspired a competition career, as two years later he began racing motorcycles on the club and national level, and even the Manx Grand Prix, with some success for 11 years, until two-strokes began to overwhelm the lightweight racing series, in 1972.  He retired from racing and opened a dealership, Mick Walker Motorcycles, which specialized in Italian machines, especially Ducati, to whom he gave a great boost in England.

Mick Walker-sponsored rider Dave Cartwright at the Isle of Man Formula 1 TT, lapping at over 100mph on a standard 900SS Ducati in 1978

In his position as principal importer of several marques, he had access to factory racing specials, one-offs, and limited edition machines, and began sponsoring younger racers of considerable talent.  He also ran a motorcycle racing school for many years.

Mick Walker in 1976, flanked by Speedway star Terry Betts and Norton team racer Dave Croxford

After the closure of his dealerships in 1982, Walker turned to writing, first for Motorcycle Enthusiast magazine, where he was named Assistant Editor in 1983, and shortly focused on writing books, the first of which, naturally, was Ducati Singles (Osprey, 1985).  His prose was clear and always readable, and he did his homework to ensure the accuracy of the published information.  From the success of that first book, a stream of work on postwar motorcycles, restoration guides, and biographies flowed from his desk (writing his manuscripts longhand), 130 in all, ending appropriately with his autobiography, 'The Ride of My Life' (Redline, 2012), which was published two days after his death on Mar.8, 2012.

Mick Walker's autobiography, 'The Ride of My Life', published two days after his death from cancer

For those of us well-steeped in Motorcycling, Mick Walker was a force of nature, his books the wooden framework on which to build a library of knowledge.  We will be forever grateful for his work.

Mick Walker receiving a Lifetime Achievement award from the Ducati Owner's Club UK, with Vice Chairman Mick White, in 1999

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