Frank Perris (May 28, 1931 – March 17, 2015) was a Canadian Grand Prix

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 ...

road racer and TT rider from

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. Perris was noticed by the Suzuki team after his third-place in the 1961 500 cc World Championship, becoming a contracted-rider from 1962 until 1966. His best season was in 1965 when he won two 125cc Grand Prix races aboard a Suzuki two-stroke, and finished the year in second place in the 125cc world championship behind Hugh Anderson. He later became Competitions Manager for

Norton-Villiers Norton-Villiers was a British motorcycle manufacturer formed in the 1960s following the collapse of AMC. With the general decline of the British motorcycle industry, under a British Government initiative it was later combined with the remnants ...

, running the reformed works Norton road-race team. ''Motorcycle Mechanics'', March 1972, p.26. ''Frank Perris interview'' Accessed 2014-02-09

Early race years

Perris moved to England with his parents in 1938 and started road-riding during 1948 in the Chester area, firstly on a 1914

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then buying a 1934 BSA Blue Star when joining the Chester Motor Club. After visiting the

Isle of Man TT races The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...

in 1949, Perris was inspired to race and for 1950 sold his BSA Blue Star, instead buying a 1934 250 cc Velocette MOV and a 1931

Norton International The Norton International or Cammy Norton is a Norton Motorcycle Company, Norton Motors Ltd Overhead camshaft, overhead cam (OHC) motorcycle built between 1931 and 1957. More than a ''TT replica'' sports roadster, the OHC Model 30, was 500 ...

. After converting these for road-racing, at

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he entered his first race held at Antelope race track, Rhydymwyn, near

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, crashing the Velo in the 250 race but, luckily uninjured, he completed the 500 race on the Inter. For the 1951 season Perris sold the MOV, buying a

Velocette KTT The Velocette KTT is a racing British motorcycle made by Velocette. The most significant variant of the Model K series of overhead camshaft Velocette motorcycles, the ''TT'' designation indicated the machine was intended for racing, and was an ...

, riding at different circuits for experience and entering his first TT race. He also benefited by a sponsored bike, an OK Supreme provided by Bill Smith's father. He also was entered in the Clubman's TT by Chester Motor Club, riding a Triumph T100 for Hector Dugdale finishing in 32nd position. After the 1952 TT when he finished 18th, to complement his growing home short-circuit experience, Perris spent five weeks riding his KTT Velocette around Europe with some tools and a tent, competing in four races and riding from race to race. In 1953 Perris sold both his old bikes to buy a new Triumph Grand Prix, winning his first race at Brands Hatch, with his growing experience enabling access to better machinery from established tuners-entrants John Viccars, Geoff Monty, Allen Dudley-Ward and Tom Kirby. Perris was picked for the 1955 works AJS team at

Ulster Grand Prix The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internatio ...

with a contract for 1956 but all British manufacturers discontinued their activities. John Viccars provided for 1957 a pair of Ray Petty tuned

Manx Norton The Norton Manx or Manx Norton is a British racing motorcycle that was made from 1947 to 1962 by Norton Motors Ltd. Norton had contested every Isle of Man TT race from the inaugural 1907 event through into the 1970s, a feat unrivalled by any ...

's which Perris rode for five years throughout Europe until finishing third in the 1961 500 cc World Championship.

The middle years

In 1962, after being noticed due to his 1961 third-place, his big break came riding works Suzukis for five years until the Japanese manufacturers discontinued their racing after 1966. Perris then retired to

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running a business for two years but, with a hankering to race, returned to England entering the 1968 TT riding Suzukis for Eddie Crooks and again for half a season in 1969. For 1971 Perris was provided with a new Yamaha TD2 by Lord Denbigh Rollo Fielding, with Suzuki GB providing a Suzuki Daytona 500 on which Perris claimed third place at the 1971 TT. When planning his riding for 1972, after a chance meeting with Norton Chairman

Dennis Poore Roger Dennistoun "Dennis" Poore (19 August 1916, Paddington, London – 12 February 1987, Kensington) was a British entrepreneur, financier and sometime racing driver. He became chairman of NVT during the dying days of the old British motorcy ...

, Perris was offered a position as Competitions Manager for

, running a newly formed works Norton road race team – for the first time in ten years – based on

Norton Commando The Norton Commando is a British Norton-Villiers motorcycle with an OHV pre-unit parallel-twin engine, produced by the Norton Motorcycle company from 1967 until 1977. Initially having a nominal ''750 cc'' displacement, actually , in 19 ...

road-engines in the Production and then-new F750 classes. Contracted in December 1971, Perris had to build a team from scratch using riders Peter Williams,

Phil Read Phillip William Read, (1 January 1939 – 6 October 2022) was an English professional motorcycle racer. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1961 to 1976. Read is notable for being the first competitor to win world championships ...

Mick Grant Mick Grant (born 10 July 1944) is an English former professional motorcycle road racer and TT rider. A works-supported rider for Norton, Kawasaki, Honda and Suzuki, he is a seven-time winner of the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race on various m ...

and Dave Croxford. The team enjoyed some successes until 1974 when Norton-Villiers financially crashed.

Death

Perris died on March 17, 2015, from a lengthy undisclosed illness, according to his daughter, with a funeral on April 1, 2015 at the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...

crematorium. He was 83.Frank Perris
/ref>

References

'The Grand Prix Winners: 1949-2001'. Wittemburg, Büla, 2001. SIACA Arti Grafiche

External links

Frank Perris career statistics at MotoGP.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perris, Frank 1931 births 2015 deaths Canadian motorcycle racers British motorcycle racers English motorcycle racers 125cc World Championship riders 250cc World Championship riders 350cc World Championship riders 500cc World Championship riders Isle of Man TT riders