LONDON.- George Beale, who is a legend in motorcycle racing circles, has just been appointed a full Board Director of H&H Classics one of the UK’s leading classic car and motorcycle auction houses which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

George’s career spans over 50 years in the motorcycle industry. He is a world-renowned specialist in classic bikes who now puts his skills towards providing buying, selling and valuation services to the public along with his activities directing Motorcycle Sales at H&H Classic Auctions Ltd.

His career touches on almost every aspect of motorcycle culture. He has been a competitor in trials and scrambles in the 1960s, a Yamaha dealer, a bike restorer, owner of the biggest private European Gran Prix racing team, and British team manager for the AGV Nations cup series in 1979-80.

Small of stature but with a very big personality he has made friends for himself and for British biking wherever he has travelled. And he has contributed to the quality of motorcycle race competition in Europe by sponsoring many New Zealand and Australian racers.

Looking back at his career George says: ”I’m extremely grateful and happy with what I’ve done. I would not change any of it. I’ve learned that its not the money or the accolades that matter but the people you meet along the way and I have been truly fortunate to make many real and true friends on my journey.”

Some highlights of his career include organising the 350 Riders Championship in 1980. A decade later he was manufacturing the first replica G50 Matchless – which went on to win the Daytona Classic 60’s and Premier 500 races in 1993.

Among his many satisfactions is the fact that he co-owned one of the only three Honda 6s ever built and then went on to build eight replicas which today command a price of around £400,000 each. There is not much about bikes that he does not know or has turned his hand to making.

He was also much involved in the sale of ‘Old Bill’ George Brough’s own racing motorcycle which went for £291,200. Below, George Beale is seen on ‘Old Bill’ wearing the type of gear that George Brough would have worn.

And if all this were not enough, he founded the International Classic Association and organised its championship in Europe, Australia and New Zealand between 1998 and 2007. He followed this up with organising the F.I.M World Classic Series in 2003.

In 2005 he changed course slightly to set up the motorcycle department at H&H Classics auctions which is chaired by his friend, Simon Hope.

Simon says of him: “If you have George on your side who can be against you? He is one of the best people in the world of classic motorcycle collecting, restoring and racing. An absolute gent and hugely knowledgeable. His international network is second to none. We are delighted to have him serve on our board as a director.”

When George decides to do something to do with motorcycle racing it’s all about winning. That philosophy was on view once again at Goodwood recently when the George Beale-Eddie Roberts race team crushed all opposition with a win that made the record books. Their 1979 Yamaha TZ 350 ridden by Mike Edwards left all opposition floundering in their wake, crossing the line in solitary splendour half a minute ahead of the rest of the pack who were not in view at the time.

This astonishing performance set a new race record, a new lap record, and an outright Goodwood lap record in the time of 1.25.155 at a speed of 101.46mph. Only one car has lapped the circuit quicker than this, a Lexus powered rocket.