Riding Career
Williams was a UK short-circuit rider who raced in selected Grand Prix races from 1966. He scored a third place in 1965 Manx Grand Prix and regularly entered TT races from 1966, scoring one 1st place and seven 2nd places. He won the 1966 North West 200 500cc race in Northern Ireland on a Matchless, and placed 2nd in the 250cc class on a Greeves Silverstone
His best Grand Prix season was in 1967 when he finished in fourth place in the 500cc world championship on a Matchless motorcycle.
He had a long-standing relationship with sponsor Tom Arter, riding his Arter-AJS (350cc) and Arter-Matchless (500cc) machines which were later developed with special lightweight frames, disc brakes and solid (non wire-spoked) Elektron wheels dubbed artillery wheels by the UK press.
In 1969 Williams and Arter started a new project with a prototype Weslake twin cylinder 500cc engine to replace the 1950s Matchless G50 which was abandoned as the engine project failed
As a Norton employee, Williams entered larger-capacity races on Norton Commando twins. He teamed with Charley Sanby to win the Thruxton 500 endurance race in 1970, and was placed in the Production class of the TT races
Williams won his only world championship race in 1971 in the 350cc Ulster Grand Prix, and also won the 1973 Isle of Man F750 TT on a monocoque-framed John Player Norton Special, in the role of team designer/rider. His racing career was cut short by injuries received in an accident at Oulton Park on August Bank Holiday 1974.
In the 1970s, Williams presented the intelligent face of bikers at public appearances giving open lectures at universities. He provided insight into the engineering issues of racing the restricted budget Works Norton against multi-cylinder bikes from Japan, highlighting the pros and cons of using the 1940s designed Norton engine. The crank shaft of the 360 degree parallel twin was supported on only two main bearings and as more power was developed from the engine a noticeable flex could be measured using a dial gauge placed on the end of the shaft.
More recently he has been involved in the development of a carbon-fibre monocoque designed superbike at Lotus Cars and an electric powered racing bike, the EV-0 RR, planned for an outing at the TTXGP Zero Emissions race at the Isle of Man TT in June 2009. He has a number of patents relating to frame and engine design.
Read more about this topic: Peter Williams (motorcyclist)
Famous quotes containing the words riding and/or career:
“Eunuchs ran through Hell and met
On every crowded street to stare
Upon great Juan riding by:
Even like these to rail and sweat
Staring upon his sinewy thigh.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“Each of the professions means a prejudice. The necessity for a career forces every one to take sides. We live in the age of the overworked, and the under-educated; the age in which people are so industrious that they become absolutely stupid.”
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)