Arthur Lampkin (born circa 1938) is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

former professional

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

racer. The oldest son in a Yorkshire motorcycling dynasty, he competed in a variety of off-road motorcycle events such as

observed trials Motorcycle trials, also known as observed trials, often called simply trial/s (with or without the plural "s"), is a non-speed event on specialized motorcycles. The sport is most popular in the United Kingdom and Spain, though there are participan ...

motocross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom. History Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competiti ...

and

enduro Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on extended cross-country, off-road courses. Enduro consists of many different obstacles and challenges. The main type of enduro event, and the format to which the World Enduro Championship is run, is ...

Motorcycling career

Born in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, England, Lampkin's father moved the family to

Silsden Silsden is a town and civil parish in the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England, on the River Aire and Leeds and Liverpool Canal between Keighley and Skipton, which had a population of 8,268 at the 2011 Census. The parish includes the haml ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

in 1941. He began riding his father's BSA motorcycle even before he was old enough to have a licence. Lampkin purchased his first motorcycle from money he had earned from his paper route, and by the age of 18 he had won the British trials national championship. In the 1960s, he became a member of the BSA factory racing team along with his brother Alan. Lampkin, along with

Dave Bickers David Geoffrey Bickers (17 January 1938 – 6 July 2014) was an English professional motocross racer from Coddenham, Suffolk. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1959 to 1969. Bickers won two European motocross championships, ...

and Jeff Smith, were part of a group British motorcyclists that dominated the sport of motocross in the early 1960s. In the 1961 European motocross championships, he finished the season in second place behind Bickers. The following year, the championship was upgraded to world championship status and Lampkin finished the year in third place behind

Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman (born 17 October 1939) is a Swedish former professional motocross racer and business entrepreneur. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1959 to 1971. A four-time world champion, Hallman led a contingent of Swedish ...

and Jeff Smith. He was also a member of British motocross teams that won the 250cc Trophée des Nations events in 1961 and 1962, as well as the 1965 500cc

Motocross des Nations The Motocross des Nations (in French) is an annual team motocross race, where riders representing their country meet at what is billed as the "Olympics of Motocross". The event has been staged since 1947, where the team of Bill Nicholson, Fred Rist ...

event. Lampkin continued to compete in other off-road motorcycle competitions, winning prestigious events such as the 1963

Scottish Six Days Trial The Scottish Six Days Trial is an internationally recognised Motorcycle trials competition, which has been running since 1909 (with breaks for the two world wars) making it the oldest motorcycle trials event in the world. Motorcycle riders from al ...

, and the

Scott Trial The Scott Trial is a British motorcycle trials competition dating from 1914 run over an off-road course of approximately 70 miles. One of the most challenging trials events in the UK, its appeal is to clubman riders as well as international profe ...

in 1960, 1961 and 1965. He also competed internationally in enduro events, representing Great Britain and earning a gold medal in the 1966 International Six Days Trial held in Sweden. Lampkin's younger brothers, Alan and Martin Lampkin also experienced success in motorcycle competitions. Alan won the British trials championship while Martin became a British trials champion as well as winning the 1975

FIM Trial World Championship The FIM Trial World Championship and FIM X-Trial World Championship are the most prestigious motorcycle trials tournaments of the world, organised by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. The outdoor championship is held since 1964 and ...

Later life

After retiring from competition, Lampkin took over his father's engineering business. Lampkin's nephew, the son of Martin Lampkin, is twelve-time trials world champion,

Dougie Lampkin Douglas Martin Lampkin MBE (born 23 March 1976) is an English former professional motorcycle trials and endurocross rider. He competed in the FIM Trial World Championships from 1994 to 2006. Lampkin is notable for being a seven-time motorcyc ...

References

External links

Article on Lampkin Engineering
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lampkin, Arthur Living people 1938 births People from Silsden People from Kent British motocross riders Enduro riders Motorcycle trials riders Sportspeople from Yorkshire