John Surtees an Appreciation

The first time I saw John Surtees was at Montlhery where he had come to demonstrate his old 1959 World Championship winning MV Agusta 500 and 350 machines. This was sometime in the mid-1990s and while I couldn’t get to speak with him then, his smooth clean and effortless riding style on the bumpy banking and through the notorious infield made me marvel at his imperious style.

- Adil Jal Darukhanawala

Fast forward then to the Isle of Man for the centenary TT in 2007 and this time I managed to meet and speak with him on racing and his historic machines even though I only saw him fleetingly on the grid for the Classic TT. The last time I caught up with him was at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2012 and there he was with his pair of Norton Manx motorcycles and this time he had just come out of hospital and it is said that the lure to fire up and get aboard his bikes was the best medicine to have hastened his recovery! Also the sight and sound of Big Jon on the silver-hued Norton charging down the main straight and hurtling out of the chicane in impeccable style and with a purity of line left me dumbfounded.