John Bacon (Ducati 175 Sport) Pictures
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John Bacon aboard his Ducati at Brands Hatch a circuit which, in that era, had a lightweight class of up to 200cc thus putting my own 125cc Ducati at a disadvantage straight away. John later rode a 250cc Norton (reduced from a 350cc Manx engine by Ray Petty). On that Norton he finished 12th in the Lightweight TT a year or so later. Sadly, after retiring and then returning to the sport again, he was killed on one of the continental circuits while riding a Beart-tuned Greeves. He was a friend sorely missed.
John Bacon was my Father.He was killed when I was only two.My Mother was expecting my brother at the time of his death.She was widowed at the age of 27.She met him at 14.They married when she was 18.So sad that we never really knew our Father.Is there anybody out there who knew him?Tragically we lost our Mother in 1984.She never really came to terms with his death.
Hello Linda,
From early school days to racing together in cycle speedway for the Old Woking Jets before eventually taking up club, national and international motor cycle racing, your father and I were the very best of friends.
The last time we met you were only two years of age ! – I have today e-mailed your “other John” and hope we will be in contact very soon.
Richard M
Dear Linda, I remember you well as a tiny baby and your mother always made me welcome when I visited your dad in their (then) bed-sit down in the Woking area. John and I raced regularly at Brands Hatch (and other Circuits) back in the late 1950′s. In 1959 I followed your dad’s advice and bought a Ducati Monza 125cc which gave me some moderate success and eventually led to me meeting a girl in the IOM who later became my wife so I have a lot to thank him for! I have often spoken about him to my wife and although I am now a very old ex-racer, (80), I still speak of him with fondness and a deep sense of loss. There was a time when I thought he had retired from racing as he found work in Switzerland as a dental technician but he returned to the UK and I remember visiting him at his uncle’s house in Woking where he proudly showed me a Francis Beart tuned Greeves racing bike on which he made his return to the sport. The photo I placed on this web-page was given to me by John and is one of the ‘treasures’ in my collection of personal memorabilia.My very best wishes to yourself and your family. Arthur (A.J.) West.
Hello Authur,
It has been a such long time since I last heard of you and I am so pleased for Linda and David that you put your photo of John on the web. Please contact me through http://www.motoparilla.co.uk when you can find time.
best regards
Richard Morley
Dear Richard, I finally got round to returning to this classic bike website and was delighted to see the responses from John’s daughter and son. If you would like to contact me directly, please use my email address —– jomanton19c@hotmail.co.uk I would also be pleased to hear from Linda and her brother if there is anything I may remember that would help fill any gaps in their family history. I may be able to find some of John’s entries in our short-circuit races of the 50s/60s which I could photocopy and post if required as I still have all my old racing programmes and results sheets. Please note there may be a time-delay in my resposes as I am not able to access my computer on a regular basis. Best Wishes, Arthur.
Since re establishing contact with Linda and her brother David and with their agreement, Mike McGarry and I are in the process of compiling a ‘Dedication” to my long time friend John Bacon. We would appreciate recieving any material including photographs and memories readers may have of John which we may include in the dedication.
Many thanks,
Richard M
I am John Bacon’s son David. My dad died 3 months before I was born. I am so pleased that my sister and I have managed to find some information about my father (thanks to Auntie Babs and cousin Bonnie-Jean for that). What has been even more wonderful is that we have found my mother (Jean) and father’s best friend Richard Morley. Through Richard and Vintagebike website we found other friends of my father, and have been invited to Tubbergen in Holland. They are unvailing a memorial monument to the 5 motorcycle racers who were killed at the circuit their 40 years of racing. Sadly my father being one of the racers. Heartfelt thank you to Richard and Michael Morley, Gerhard Sauer and Theo Bult (Tubbergen), Nigel Wynne, Audrey Smith and Arthur West for your great help in “filling in the pieces of jigsaw of my father and mother’s lives”. I look forward to telling the stories to my wife Emma, son Joshua (6) and daughter Keira (3).
I would like to echo the comments that my brother,David has made.We are so thrilled to have made contact with Richard Morley(our Father’s best friend)It is all down to Richard that we have made so many contacts and has led us to being invited to Tubbergen,Holland (where our Father was killed racing)to a special Memorial service.
hello My Friends.Linda,David Bacon,and Richard Morley.
we are very happy that Nigel Wynne has found you and you are all welcome at Tubbergen
Holland.
kr.Gerhard Sauer.Tubbergen.