Seventy years ago today, the world of motorcycle racing lost Robert Leslie Graham, the first 500cc 'King' of World Champions, and the day after finally winning a Tourist Trophy race, the 125cc Lightweight ('Ultra Lightweight") race. Favourite to win the concluding Senior TT, having won the last two 500cc world championship events at the end of the previous year, he lost control of his MV Agusta four over the rise after Bray Hill (now called "Ago's Leap") on lap two of the race, which he led at the time of the accident after having overtaken all but three of the sixteen riders who had started before him (later, his time was beaten by Geoff Duke on the Gilera four, but since 'the Duke' had started more than eight minutes after Graham he was still on the outskirts of Ramsey at that time).
A comparative late starter in road racing, and quite possibly deprived of his best years by the war, he took on the task of restoring glory to the name of the famous AJS company, now owned by Matchless/AMC, and made a winner of the glorious "Porcupine" twin as well as the "Boy racer" single before initiating the trend of British riders on Italian bikes, the 'best of both worlds' approach, by signing to ride for MV Agusta in 1951, and taking the first of more than 100 wins for the red bikes in the premier category. A charismatic figure by all accounts, he was well liked by all and sundry, and the father of a future TT winner, the first family to spawn two generations of Isle of Man winners.
A true giant.
