Ralph Bryans

Ralph Bryans (7 March 1941^[1] – 6 August 2014) was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Northern Ireland. Bryans was Ireland's only Grand Prix world champion, winning the 50 cc title in 1965.^[2][3]

Ralph Bryans
Ralph Bryans demonstrating a Honda in 2008
Nationality	British
Born	(1941-03-07)7 March 1941 Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died	6 August 2014(2014-08-06) (aged 73) Scotland
Motorcycle racing career statistics Grand Prix motorcycle racing Active years 1962 - 1967 First race 1962 50cc Isle of Man TT Last race 1967 350cc Japanese Grand Prix First win 1964 50cc Dutch TT Last win 1967 250cc Japanese Grand Prix Team(s) Honda Championships 50cc - 1965 Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 62 10 40 0 7

Racing career

Bryans started road-riding on a BSA Bantam when working as a sixteen-year-old apprentice fitter. He entered his first race, the 1959 Tandragee 100, on a borrowed Ambassador 199 cc. For the 1960 season, he fitted a Triumph Terrier 150 cc engine to his Bantam frame, winning the 1960 Irish 200 cc Championship.

For the 1961 season Bryans then progressed to a 1958 350 cc Manx Norton provided by sponsor James Wilson, an insurance broker, further-learning his skills in company of established racers Tommy Robb, Dick Creith and George Purvis. In 1962, Bryans first entered the Isle of Man TT and later in the Ulster Grand Prix was placed ninth in 350 cc class riding his Wilson-Norton and tenth in the 500 cc class on a Reg Dearden Manx Norton.

In December 1962, Bryans arranged to ride Joe Ryan Nortons during 1963, when he was first noticed by Jim Redman at the Ulster Grand Prix. Bultaco signed Bryans after 'guest riding' their machines in Spain, but allowed Bryans to take advantage of a later offer from Honda to ride works machines in 1964, during which he was placed second in the 50 cc class and third in the 125 cc TT races.^[4] In 1965, Bryans won three races along with two second-place finishes to win the 50cc world championship for the Honda factory racing team.^[3]

After a short illness Bryans died at his home in Scotland at age 72 on 6 August 2014.^[2][5]

Motorcycle Grand Prix results

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6
Points	8	6	4	3	2	1

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Class	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Points	Rank	Wins
1962	50cc	Benelli	ESP -	FRA -	IOM 15	NED -	BEL -	GER -		DDR -	NAT -	FIN -	ARG -			0	-	0
	350cc	Wilson Norton			IOM NC	NED -			ULS 10	DDR -	NAT -	FIN -				0	-	0
1963	125cc	Honda	ESP -	GER -	FRA -	IOM 9	NED -	BEL -	ULS -	DDR -	FIN -	NAT -	ARG -	JPN -		0	-	0
	250cc	Benelli	ESP -	GER -		IOM NC	NED -	BEL -	ULS -	DDR -		NAT -	ARG -	JPN -		0	-	0
	500cc	Norton				IOM -	NED -	BEL -	ULS 5	DDR -	FIN -	NAT -	ARG -			2	14th	0
1964	50cc	Honda	USA -	ESP NC	FRA NC	IOM 2	NED 1	BEL 1	GER 1			FIN -		JPN -		30	2nd	3
	125cc	Honda	USA -	ESP -	FRA -	IOM 3	NED 3		GER NC	DDR 8	ULS 3	FIN 2	NAT 4	JPN -		21	5th	0
	250cc	Honda	USA -	ESP -	FRA -	IOM -	NED -	BEL -	GER -	DDR -	ULS 3		NAT -	JPN -		4	14th	0
1965	50cc	Honda	USA -	GER 1	ESP 2	FRA 1	IOM NC	NED 1	BEL 5						JPN 2	36	1st	3
	125cc	Honda	USA -	GER NC	ESP NC	FRA NC	IOM 6	NED -		DDR -	CZE -	ULS 4	FIN 4	NAT -	JPN 3	11	8th	0
	250cc	Honda	USA -	GER -	ESP -	FRA -	IOM -	NED -	BEL -	DDR -	CZE -	ULS 5	FIN 3	NAT -	JPN -	6	13th	0
1966	50cc	Honda	ESP 3	GER 2	NED 2					IOM 1	NAT 2	JPN -				26	2nd	1
	125cc	Honda	ESP 3	GER 2	NED NC	DDR 6	CZE 2	FIN 3	ULS 2	IOM 7	NAT 2	JPN -				32	3rd	0
1967	250cc	Honda	ESP 2	GER 1	FRA 4	IOM 3	NED 3	BEL 3	DDR 3	CZE 4	FIN NC	ULS 2	NAT 3	CAN 3	JPN 1	40	4th	2
	350cc	Honda		GER -		IOM -	NED -		DDR -	CZE -		ULS 2	NAT 1		JPN 2	20	3rd	1

References

1. Letter from Ralph Bryans to Rolf Eggersdorfer Archived 21 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2014-08-21
2. "Tributes To Ralph Bryans". ulstergrandprix.net. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
3. "Ralph Bryans career statistics". motogp.com. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
4. Motor Cycle, 25 June 1964. Meet Ralph Bryans by David Dixon. p.128/129. Accessed 2014-01-24
5. "Belfast biking world champ Ralph Bryans dies at 72" Belfast Telegraph, 8 August 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-08