Nearly two decades since his death, the\nhigh-speed daredevil Barry Sheene still remains an icon to many\u2014especially to\nthe protagonist of this success story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since his hero\u2019s rise to racing fame in\nthe 1970s, one US motorcycle fanatic has spent years celebrating the many wins\nof the people\u2019s beloved \u201cBazza\u201d. After years of searching, he has miraculously\nmanaged to acquire the legend\u2019s replica bike. The challenge? The coveted\nmotorbike was in the UK – thousands of miles away! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best known for his charisma, charm and\ncheeky nature, famous motorcycle racer Barry\nSheene stole hearts globally as he whizzed to fame on two wheels in 1972. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Born and raised into a motorcycle racing\nfamily in London, Sheene quickly caught the racing bug and became obsessed with\nthe two-wheeled thrill rides. After leaving school aged 15, declaring with a\nwink that his top subject was \u201cabsenteeism\u201d, he had tunnel vision for one thing\nand one thing only \u2014 becoming a motorcycle racing champion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To fund his passion, Sheene worked\nseveral jobs, including delivery driver (praised for his speedy deliveries!),\nlabourer and car park attendant. In 1970, supported by his father, he managed to get his hands on a 125cc\nex-works Suzuki. This was the moment Sheene\u2019s life would change forever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The year 1970 saw Barry breakthrough,\ngoing from zero to hero on the racing scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1972 he caught the eye of Suzuki GB, and his racing career hit top speed as\nhe raced their fragile but fast, air-cooled TR500.\nIn 1973, he crossed the finish line hot and fast winning the 750 world\nchampionship. However, this was but a low-level run around for Sheene as he\naimed to conquer the world\u2019s top motorcycle racing competition \u2015 the\nillustrious 500cc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheene was now firmly in the limelight,\nand everyone wanted their moment with the most\nfamous motorcycle racer. The nation quickly jumped on the \u2018Sheene team\u2019,\nroaring and chanting for their favourite motorcycle racer, wooed not only by his racing ability, but also his\nstriking character and star quality. The Cheshire cat grin caught behind the\nvisor of his helmet melted the hearts of his female fans and his unforgiving\n\u201cJack the Lad\u201d image earned his golden spot in the media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although he may not have been the best of\nthe best in terms of racing, Sheene\u2019s personality and charisma drove his\nsuccess. He made an impression to last, as fans still reminisce over his glory\ndays. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On a quest to find his own Barry Sheene bike, this motorcycle fanatic had his\nsights set on the original 1967 Bultaco TSS 250 Type 41, previously ridden by\nSheene in the 1967 season. Imported by Barry\u2019s father Frank in the same year,\nit was in the hands of legendary Sheene for three years, blasting around the\nracetracks before he sold it in 1970. Still in good factory condition, the bike\nwas on the market for above this anonymous buyer\u2019s budget, so had to bow out of\nthe auction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The quest continued as our motorcycle enthusiast carried on his endless search for his very own piece of Sheene history. Much to his sheer delight, he came face to face with the answer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
An equally impressive piece of racing\nequipment, the Suzuki GT750 \u201cSheene Replica\u201d was up for auction in the National Motorcycle Museum<\/a> in\nDecember 2020, catching the eye of this anonymous buyer. The racing replica\nwent for \u00a38,050, a price worth paying for this top Sheene fan. A slick ride in\nTexaco Heron Suzuki colours and fully road registered, this small but mighty\nmachine was there for the taking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It may not be an original Barry Sheene motorbike, but rumour has it that the\nmain man himself had once sat on it, proving enough for this motorcycle\nfanatic. He\u2019d met his match and claimed his prize. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Without a second thought, our keen motorcycle racing fanatic jumped on the opportunity and won the auction. It was a momentous occasion for this committed racing fan, finally that step closer to getting his very own Sheene racing machine. Victorious, our protagonist wanted to hop on the high-speed racer immediately, but how would he get it over to the US? That\u2019s where Autoshippers<\/a> came in to make his dream a reality. With speedy delivery, the replica was raced over to the buyer so he could continue onto the track and beyond. The client, based in Richmond, Virginia, USA, stated that he \u201ccouldn\u2019t wait to receive it and ride it\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can watch a video of our team crating the Suzuki here:<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe future with his ma-sheene<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n