Ralph Bryans

Ralph Bryans (born 7 March 1942 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. In 1965, he won the 50 cc World Championship aboard a factory-sponsored Honda.^[1]

Racing Career

Bryans started road-riding on a BSA Bantam when working as a sixteen year old apprentice fitter. He entered his first race, the 1959 Tandragee 100, on a borrowed Ambassador 199 cc. For the 1960 season, he fitted a Triumph Terrier 150 cc engine to his Bantam frame, winning the 1960 Irish 200 cc Championship.

For the 1961 season Bryans then progressed to a 1958 350 cc Manx Norton provided by sponsor James Wilson, an insurance broker, further-learning his skills in company of established racers Tommy Robb, Dick Creith and George Purvis.

In 1962, Bryans first entered the Isle of Man TT and later in the Ulster GP was placed ninth in 350 cc class riding his Wilson-Norton and tenth in the 500 cc class on a Reg Dearden Manx Norton.

In December of 1962, Bryan arranged to ride Joe Ryan Nortons during 1963, when he was first noticed by Jim Redman at the Ulster GP. Bultaco signed Bryans after 'guest riding' their machines in Spain, but allowed Bryans to take advantage of a later offer from Honda to ride works machines in 1964, during which he was placed second in the 50 cc class and third in the 125 cc TT races.^[2]

Motorcycle Grand Prix results

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6
Points	8	6	4	3	2	1

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Class	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Points	Rank	Wins
1962	50cc	Benelli	ESP -	FRA -	IOM 15	NED -	BEL -	GER -		DDR -	NAT -	FIN -	ARG -			0	-	0
1962	350cc	Wilson Norton			IOM NC	NED -			ULS 10	DDR -	NAT -	FIN -				0	-	0
1963	125cc	Honda	ESP -	GER -	FRA -	IOM 9	NED -	BEL -	ULS -	DDR -	FIN -	NAT -	ARG -	JPN -		0	-	0
	250cc	Benelli	ESP -	GER -		IOM NC	NED -	BEL -	ULS -	DDR -		NAT -	ARG -	JPN -		0	-	0
	500cc	Norton				IOM -	NED -	BEL -	ULS 5	DDR -	FIN -	NAT -	ARG -			2	14th	0
1964	50cc	Honda	USA -	ESP NC	FRA NC	IOM 2	NED 1	BEL 1	GER 1			FIN -		JPN -		30	2nd	3
	125cc	Honda	USA -	ESP -	FRA -	IOM 3	NED 3		GER NC	DDR 8	ULS 3	FIN 2	NAT 4	JPN -		21	5th	0
	250cc	Honda	USA -	ESP -	FRA -	IOM -	NED -	BEL -	GER -	DDR -	ULS 3		NAT -	JPN -		4	14th	0
1965	50cc	Honda	USA -	GER 1	ESP 2	FRA 1	IOM NC	NED 1	BEL 5						JPN 2	36	1st	3
	125cc	Honda	USA -	GER NC	ESP NC	FRA NC	IOM 6	NED -		DDR -	CZE -	ULS 4	FIN 4	NAT -	JPN 3	11	8th	0
	250cc	Honda	USA -	GER -	ESP -	FRA -	IOM -	NED -	BEL -	DDR -	CZE -	ULS 5	FIN 3	NAT -	JPN -	6	13th	0
1966	50cc	Honda	ESP 3	GER 2	NED 2					IOM 1	NAT 2	JPN -				26	3nd	1
1966	125cc	Honda	ESP 3	GER 2	NED NC	DDR 6	CZE 2	FIN 3	ULS 2	IOM 7	NAT 2	JPN -				32	3rd	0
1967	250cc	Honda	ESP 2	GER 1	FRA 4	IOM 3	NED 3	BEL 3	DDR 3	CZE 4	FIN NC	ULS 2	NAT 3	CAN 3	JPN 1	40	4th	2
1967	350cc	Honda		GER -		IOM -	NED -		DDR -	CZE -		ULS 2	NAT 1		JPN 2	20	3rd	1

References

↑ Ralph Bryans career statistics at MotoGP.com
↑ Motor Cycle, 25 June 1964. Meet Ralph Bryans by David Dixon. p.128/129. Accessed 2014-01-24

50cc Motorcycle World Champions

1962 - E. Degner
1963 - H. Anderson
1964 - H. Anderson
1965 - R. Bryans
1966 - H. Anscheidt
1967 - H. Anscheidt
1968 - H. Anscheidt
1969 - Á. Nieto

1970 - Á. Nieto
1971 - J. de Vries
1972 - Á. Nieto
1973 - J. de Vries
1974 - H. v. Kessel
1975 - Á. Nieto
1976 - Á. Nieto
1977 - Á. Nieto
1978 - R. Tormo
1979 - E. Lazzarini

1980 - E. Lazzarini
1981 - R. Tormo
1982 - S. Dörflinger
1983 - S. Dörflinger

Persondata
Name	Bryans, Ralph
Alternative names
Short description	British motorcycle racer
Date of birth	7 March 1942
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death

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