Phil Read - The Four Stroke Years

The Four Stroke Years

In 1972 he was given a ride with the MV Agusta team and in 1973, he took the 500cc world championship. He successfully defended his crown in 1974 in what would be the last world championship for the legendary Italian marque. It would also be the last time a four-stroke machine would win a title until the advent of the MotoGP class in 2002.

Read also had 'guest' rides on the innovative but fated JPS Norton Monocoque Commando-engined machine designed and developed by Norton factory rider Peter Williams before the collapse of Norton in 1974

He would give Agostini's Yamaha a strong fight for the 1975 500cc championship but finished in second place. Realizing the writing was on the wall for four-stroke machinery, he left the Italian company to campaign a privateer Suzuki in the 1976 season after which, he retired from Grand Prix racing.

Read entered TT events from 1977, winning the F1 (Formula 1) race on the works Honda CB750 SOHC and Senior race on a Suzuki. Again on the Honda for 1978 F1, he recorded a DNF but was placed 4th in the Classic.

These races led to Honda producing a limited-production of 150 'Phil Read Replica' Formula 1 race-styled roadsters based on the CB750F2 with styling accessories by Seeley in Honda Britain colours of blue and red

During the same late-1970s period, Read gave his name to a range of motorcycle clothing and helmets, including a 'Phil Read Replica' full-face helmet with the familiar design and colour scheme of black with three white flashes and chequer strip

His last race was at the Isle of Man TT in 1982 at the age of 43. The FIM named him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2002.

A less well-known aspect of Read's career was his involvement in endurance racing. He rode a Honda in the 24-hour Bol d'Or endurance race at Le Mans; and he was a two-time winner of the Thruxton 500 endurance race in 1962 and 1963