Richard Burleson (born in 1948) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

former

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 ...

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 a ...

racer. He is considered one of the top competitors in AMA history, winning a record eight consecutive Enduro National Championships. His domination of the national enduro series earned him the nickname ''King Richard''. Burleson was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and was named an AMA Legend in 2016.

Motorcycle racing career

Born in

Johnson City, Tennessee Johnson City is a city in Washington, Carter, and Sullivan counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, mostly in Washington County. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 71,046, making it the eighth largest city in Tennessee. John ...

, Burleson began his competitive career riding in

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 competi ...

events in the late 1960s. He joined the professional ranks in 1970 entering the 1970 Trans-AMA motocross series which featured visiting European riders who dominated the sport at the time. Burleson finished fourth overall and was the highest placed American rider, garnering the title of motocross national champion in the days before the AMA had a dedicated national championship series. Burleson also began competing in enduro events and found that he enjoyed that form of competition. He would go on to win a record setting eight consecutive enduro national championships as well as earning eight consecutive gold medals representing the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in the International Six Days Trial. The International Six Days Trial is a form of off-road motorcycle Olympics that is the oldest annual competition sanctioned by the

FIM FIM may refer to: Organizations and companies * Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the International Motorcycling Federation * Flint Institute of Music, in Michigan, United States * Fox Interactive Media, now News Corp. Digital Media * ...

, dating back to 1913. In all, Burleson won 60 AMA National Enduro events during his career. After retiring from racing in 1982, Burleson remained active in the sport, starting a mail order motorcycle accessory business and helped design a line of off-road riding apparel. He was inducted into the AMA

Motorcycle Hall of Fame The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is an offshoot of the American Motorcyclist Association, recognizing individuals who have contributed to motorcycle sport, motorcycle construction, or motorcycling in general. It also displays motorcycles ...

in 1999.

Personal life

Burleson is married to Jill Burleson and they reside in Traverse City, Michigan. They have two children, a son Jon-Erik and daughter Lindsay Kate. Jon-Erik Burleson was president of KTM North America from 2005-2016.

References

External links

Dick Burleson at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame

''Northern Express Weekly'' article on the life of Dick Burleson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burleson, Dick Living people American motocross riders 1948 births People from Johnson City, Tennessee People from Traverse City, Michigan Enduro riders