Coolest motorcyclist ever!

[Ralf]

Please add your own choice if applicable

[Orson]

When I wuz a kid, I would say it was Brad Lackey.

He rode with long hair and a peace dove clipped on to his handlebars  

He also traveled behind the iron curtain to learn and train at the CZ factory, which was almost unheard of from anyone let alone a young motocrosser in the 1970s.

and then to have the perseverance to campaign on the GP circuit for 10 years before finally winning the 500cc world championship.

he kept plugging away and finally did it  

[jfusaro]

Evel hands down. My childhood vision's of him jumping over Caesar's Palace, car's and buses with a Harley Davidson with little travel in the suspension by todays standards. He was the quintessential American daredevil motorcyclist and lived one hell of a life.

[Prubert]

I voted for Orson.

[black hills]

I voted for evel. not that he was that great, but he had the biggest impact on me as a child.

[bomber]

I never got the whole Evel thing -- not so much with the motorcycling, more with the showmanship, I thought . . . . .

McQueen, for simply chill factor, or Jay Springsteen, for stubborness in the face of adversity.

[black hills]

I never got the whole Evel thing -- not so much with the motorcycling, more with the showmanship, I thought . . . . .

McQueen, for simply chill factor, or Jay Springsteen, for stubborness in the face of adversity.

 I think Evel will be the choice of a specific age group. If you were 10 when he was at his prime he made a huge impression! he also led me to a lot of crashes on my bicycle  I did make it over 6 nieghbor kids, the 7th didn't take it very well.....

[miles]

King Kenny.

[Kneescrubber]

Dave Aldana - loved the suit.  

[photomd]

I would have to say Valentino Rossi.  Not only does he hold numerous world tittles, but was directly involved in development for both Honda as well as Yamaha.  I think that he is the top development rider currently. The fact that he carries enough clout (along with Mr Burgess)  to get development headed in a positive direction as well as his ability to ride at the top level make him the "coolest". I can't wait to see what direction he and Jeremy Burgess take Ducati.

[Doug Just Doug]

This guy: http://bit.ly/uZ0HO5

[Papa Lazarou]

Geoff Duke

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoff_Duke

[Stripes]

Burt Munro.

[sammyseaman]

Burt Munro.

Mr. Black gets my vote

[mugwump58]

Geoff Duke

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoff_Duke

Good choice. I'm going thru a phase, I hope, right now; Did they race the IOM, the Ulster, the Northwestern ect.....

[The Shepherd]

[Mr.Black]

Mr. Black gets my vote

It's because of the banana, innit?

[scott19]

I voted Rossi, but wanna give a shout out to John Surtees, the only man to win both the two wheel and four wheel world championships.


I revoked my membership in the McQueen Cult a few months back.

[black hills]

What about Malcolm Smith???

[JReazor]

Joey Dunlop

[Thunderbox]

Anthony Hopkins.

[Bad-Dog]

Barry Sheene

[sammyseaman]

It's because of the banana, innit?

You can't buy my vote.....yes, yes it was because of the nanner

[jay547]

i just watched "bullitt" again last night.

[Mike-H]

McQueen because of what the movie "On any Sunday" actually did for motorcycling......in a very positive way

[scubadoguk]

Barry Sheene

The guy was super cool

[Papa Lazarou]

I voted Rossi, but wanna give a shout out to John Surtees, the only man to win both the two wheel and four wheel world championships.

Forgot Surtees. One of the greats and still riding.

[Orson]

Surtees had a bit of a pass.

In 1956, the FIM banned Gilera's Geoff Duke for six months because he threatened to lead a rider's strike for more pay, effectively ending his title defense.

In 1957, Gilera wuz back and mopped the floor with the competition, finishing 1-2 in the 500cc class.

Then the Italian factories pulled out of GP racing, save for MV Agusta, which led to Surtees' three consecutive world championships versus a field that comprised mostly of privateers on single-cylinder British machines.

Not that Surtees wasn't a good rider, but had other factory teams been around, things might have been different.

[stevent]

Joel Robert, drank beer, smoked cigarettes, never exercised  and still managed to beat everyone..

[phaze5]

EVEL, watching it on a fuzzy tv while you had your sis on the roof moving the antenna priceless

[et]

Barry Sheene

Burt Munro.

  to both of them.

And may I add Dave Barr and any other disabled motorcyclist.
Like those guys with paralysed legs and landing gear on their bikes doing track days.  

[Snowdog]

Joey Dunlop

+1

[CanadianBird]

Burt Munro.

Plus one. I also don't know who two of those riders are.

[Papa Lazarou]

  to both of them.

And may I add Dave Barr and any other disabled motorcyclist.
Like those guys with paralysed legs and landing gear on their bikes doing track days.  

Add eddie Kidd.

[ANZAC]

That is a tough call but the coolest has to be Steve McQueen  

Others like Joey, Mike the Bike and Evel all left their mark on motorcycling.

[beachy]

Bob Hannah, he loved the fans,rode his butt off,didn't mind speaking his mind,and was a riot to hang at his van after the race.

[stromgal]

Mike the Bike, because he was such a fierce competitor and brilliant rider no matter what marque or course he was riding.   Followed by

King Kenny, because he was such a fierce competitor and triumphed in road racing, mile, half-mile, short track and tt, and was the first American to win the Grand Prix championship. I thought (still do) the bumblebee livery was the coolest ever, and I rode a lot of Yammies because of Ken.

[stew71]

For me, it's a toss up between Burt Munro, Steve McQueen, and Guy Martin.

[Orson]

King Kenny...

I woulda said King Kenny...if for nuthin else but his ride at the Indy Mile on a TZ750

but Kenny wuz into Merle Haggard back in those days which wuz hardly cool, while Lackey hung out with the likes of John Bonham  

[mugwump58]

Guy Martin, sucking rabbits.... I've got the shirt

[bubba zanetti]

Barry Sheene

 

Honorable mention to Randy Mamola

[blkhrt81]

   I vote for Ago, a guy that could ride with Mike the Bike on the Island, Valentinos inspiration and can still pull chicks I am fairly sure he still holds the record for most GP championships.Lets face it, how do you top having a landmark named after you on the Isle of Man?
   If it was greatest rider I'd be thinking it would be between him and Hailwood with maybe a slight edge to Mike but Ago was always cool!

[black hills]

Ted Simon must have been pretty cool

[MidLifeMike]

The choice was "the coolest"; not the best or the most inspiring or the most audacious - - - so McQueen.

[black hills]

Bronson? he was cool wasn't he??

[JonS]

I chose Hailwood, mainly because he and Phil Read were my heros, when I first became aware of GP racing. They were battling for the world championship. I know Read was riding a Yamaha, and Mike Hailwood a Honda. It was tough being a fan, back them. I'd read about their exploits in Cycle World and have the latest news, from 3 months ago. Later, everything I have read about Mike Hailwood was good stuff.

[Flying W]

My Dad.....He's the one that got my lifelong bike obsession started... doesnt get much cooler than that.

[D-Mac]

Hmmmm....Ewen or Charlie? KIDDING!

Malcolm Smith comes off as pretty cool in "On Any Sunday."

[PatM]

Agostini, Hailwood or Rossi  and a bunch of others are better racers but the coolest is undeniably Steve McQueen.

[Mr.Black]

 

[Ralf]

 

Egad! I wish I could ban you.

[Mr.Black]

Egad! I wish I could ban you.

Be patient.

I will eventually do something to upset the supreme overlord and be cast off to rot in limbo.

[Spectre]

Indian Larry (RiP)

[Tombstone]

Agostini, Hailwood or Rossi  and a bunch of others are better racers but the coolest is undeniably Steve McQueen.

Yeppers!

[KC0514]

Agostini, Hailwood or Rossi  and a bunch of others are better racers but the coolest is undeniably Steve McQueen.

Yeppers X2

[mjrfd99]

My grandfather,  Newark PD motor officer who first sat me on his patrol bike when I was to young to remember.
When I was old enough to remember I would run to the front of the house when he came by with his PD HD and he would take me around the block sitting on the tank.  
What I would give to do that again.   RIP Pop-Pop

[bomber]

My grandfather,  Newark PD motor officer who first sat me on his patrol bike when I was to young to remember.
When I was old enough to remember I would run to the front of the house when he came by with his PD HD and he would take me around the block sitting on the tank.  
What I would give to do that again.   RIP Pop-Pop

A priceless memory, for certain!

[black hills]

my maternal grandfather was pretty cool. I didn't get to know him very well as he died when I was 10. he was a motocop in the late 40's early 50's



and my father who got me into riding in teh first place. not sure how cool he actually was, but he must have thought he was cool.

[hugerider]

Joey Dunlop

Yup. 26 TT wins. There's nothing cooler than that, imo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joey_Dunlop

[Ralf]

I can't believe NOBODY voted Peterhansel







http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/yamaha-r1-sand-dunes/