Ralph Bryans
Ralph Bryans demonstrating a Honda in 2008
NationalityBritish
Born(1941-03-07)7 March 1941
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died6 August 2014(2014-08-06) (aged 73)
Scotland
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1962 - 1967
First race1962 50cc Isle of Man TT
Last race1967 350cc Japanese Grand Prix
First win1964 50cc Dutch TT
Last win1967 250cc Japanese Grand Prix
Team(s)Honda
Championships50cc - 1965
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
62 10 40 0 7

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]

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. 1 2 "Tributes To Ralph Bryans". ulstergrandprix.net. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 "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
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