Peter Williams (motorcyclist)

Peter Williams

Peter Williams on the 1974 Norton with Space Triangulation frame[1]
Nationality British
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1966 - 1973
First race1966 350cc Dutch TT
Last race1973 500cc Isle of Man TT
First win1971 350cc Ulster Grand Prix
Last win1971 350cc Ulster Grand Prix
Team(s)MZ
Championships0
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
18 1 11 1 1 119

Peter Williams (born 29 September 1945 in Nottingham England) is a former motorcycle road racer who enjoyed success when competing at many levels on home short-circuits, International and Grand Prix races.[2] He raced many times on the Isle of Man TT course from 1966 to 1973. His father was Jack Williams who ran the Associated Motor Cycles (AMC) race department. Peter trained in mechanical engineering and introduced via racing an innovation which is commonplace on today's road bikes, alloy wheels, and was an early pioneer of disc brakes. He raced in the era of Giacomo Agostini, Barry Sheene, Mick Grant, Percy Tait, Tony Jefferies, Paul Smart, Dave Potter and John Cooper.

Riding career

Williams started his racing on UK short-circuits in 1964 and won the 250 cc class of the 1964 Thruxton 500 race on an AJS model 14 CSR partnered by Tony Wood.[3]

He first entered the Isle of Man Manx Grand Prix in 1964 on a Norton[4] In 1965 he entered the Senior race on his Dunstall Norton Dominator 500cc twin suffering con-rod breakage of the left cylinder when lying 3rd but scored a third place in Lightweight 250cc[5][6] category riding an Orpin Greeves Silverstone.[7]

Williams entered selected Grand Prix races from 1966. He also regularly competed in TT races from 1966, scoring one 1st place and seven 2nd places.[8] He won the 1966 North West 200 500cc race in Northern Ireland on a Matchless, and placed 2nd in the 250cc class on a Greeves Silverstone[9]

His best Grand Prix season was in 1967 when he finished in fourth place in the 500cc world championship on a Matchless motorcycle.[2]

He had a long-standing relationship with sponsor Tom Arter,[3][10] riding his Arter-AJS (350cc) and Arter-Matchless (500cc) machines which were later developed with special lightweight frames, disc brakes and six-spoke, solid-cast (non wire-spoked) Elektron wheels[11] dubbed "cart wheels"[11] and artillery wheels by the UK press.[12]

In 1969 Williams and Arter started a new project with a prototype Weslake twin cylinder 500cc engine to replace the 1950s Matchless G50 which was abandoned as the engine project failed[13]

Peter Williams' 1973 John Player Norton 750 with sheet stainless steel semi-monocoque frame, exhibited at Castletown, Isle of Man in 1999

As a Norton employee from 1969,[14] Williams entered larger-capacity races on Norton Commando twins. He teamed with Charley Sanby to win the 1969 Thruxton 500 endurance race[15] and was placed second in the 750 cc class Production TT race in 1970.[16]

Williams won his only world championship race in 1971 in the 350cc Ulster Grand Prix,[2] and also won the 1973 Isle of Man F750 TT on a John Player Norton Special with a semi-monocoque frame, in the role of team designer/rider. The machine was designed as an integrated package with a Peel-type fairing incorporating handlebar blisters which helped to reduce the drag coefficient to 0.39.[17][18] His racing career was cut short by injuries received in an accident at Oulton Park on August Bank Holiday 1974.

Career after racing

In the 1970s, Williams presented the intelligent face of bikers at public appearances giving open lectures at universities. He provided insight into the engineering issues of racing the restricted budget Works Norton against multi-cylinder bikes from Japan, highlighting the pros and cons of using the 1940s designed Norton engine. The crank shaft of the 360 degree parallel twin was supported on only two main bearings and as more power was developed from the engine a noticeable flex could be measured using a dial gauge placed on the end of the shaft.

In the later 1970s Williams operated a Kawasaki motorcycle dealership in Southampton.[19]

More recently he has been involved in the development of a carbon-fibre monocoque designed superbike at Lotus Cars and an electric powered racing bike, the EV-0 RR, planned for an outing at the TTXGP Zero Emissions race at the Isle of Man TT in June 2009. He has a number of patents relating to frame and engine design.

For 2013, Williams established a new business Peter Williams Motorcycles to recreate a limited number of his 1973 Norton Monocoque race bikes[20]

Motorcycle Grand Prix results[2][21]

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6
Points 8 6 4 3 2 1

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points Rank Wins
1966 125cc EMC ESP
-		 GER
-		 NED
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
-		 IOM
-		 NAT
5		 JPN
-		 2 - 0
350cc AJS GER
-		 FRA
-		 NED
-		 BEL
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
-		 IOM
2		 NAT
-		 JPN
-		 6 11th 0
500cc Matchless GER
-		 NED
-		 BEL
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
6		 IOM
7		 NAT
2		 7 9th 0
1967 350cc AJS GER
-		 IOM
NC		 NED
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 JPN
-		 0 - 0
500cc Matchless GER
2		 IOM
2		 NED
3		 BEL
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 CAN
-		 6 4th 0
1968 350cc AJS GER
-		 IOM
21		 NED
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 0 - 0
500cc Matchless GER
3		 ESP
-		 IOM
-		 NED
4		 BEL
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
5		 FIN
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 9 6th 0
1969 500cc Matchless ESP
-		 GER
-		 FRA
-		 IOM
-		 NED
2		 BEL
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 YUG
-		 12 18th 0
1970 350cc AJS GER
-		 YUG
-		 IOM
NC		 NED
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 ESP
-		 0 - 0
500cc Matchless GER
-		 FRA
-		 YUG
-		 IOM
2		 NED
7		 BEL
-		 DDR
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
5		 NAT
-		 ESP
-		 22 10th 0
1971 250cc MZ AUT
-		 GER
-		 IOM
NC		 NED
-		 BEL
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 SWE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
4		 NAT
-		 ESP
-		 8 22nd 0
350cc MZ AUT
-		 GER
-		 IOM
-		 NED
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 SWE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
1		 NAT
-		 ESP
-		 15 15th 1
500cc Matchless AUT
-		 GER
-		 IOM
2		 NED
-		 BEL
-		 DDR
-		 SWE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 ESP
-		 12 13th 0
1972 500cc Matchless GER
-		 FRA
-		 AUT
-		 NAT
-		 IOM
NC		 YUG
-		 NED
-		 BEL
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 SWE
-		 FIN
-		 ESP
-		 0 - 0
1973 500cc Matchless FRA
-		 AUT
-		 GER
-		 IOM
2		 YUG
-		 NED
-		 BEL
-		 CZE
-		 SWE
-		 FIN
-		 ESP
-		 12 15th 0

References

  1. ↑ Motorcyclist Illustrated, June 1974. Rear page John Player Norton colour advertisement. "A new look, a new bike, and a new season." Accessed 2014-01-26
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Peter Williams career statistics". motogp.com. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  3. 1 2 Motor Cycle, 25 June 1964. p.122 Thruxton 500 race report and result and p.7a Associated Motor Cycles full page factory advertisement "250cc class. 1st AJS 14 CSR. Riders: Peter Williams and Tony Wood. Entered by: Arter Bros Ltd." Accessed 2014-01-21
  4. ↑ Motor Cycle, 27 August 1964. Manx Grand Prix Entry List Accessed 2013-06-28
  5. ↑ Motor Cycle, 16 September 1965. Manx Grand Prix, Senior Race report and Lightweight Results Accessed 2013-06-28
  6. ↑ Motor Cycle, 23 September 1965. Scarborough road race report. "500 cc Race results, Second, P.J.Williams (Dunstall Dominator)". Accessed and added 2014-10-22
  7. ↑ Motor Cycle, 9 September 1965. Manx grand Prix Practising Accessed 2013-06-28
  8. ↑ Official TT Results Competitor Profile: Peter Williams Retrieved 2013-06-02
  9. ↑ Official NW200 Results 1966 Results Retrieved 2013-06-02
  10. ↑ Motorcyclist Illustrated, April 1968, p.48 Arter Bros advert Arter Bros. Ltd. AJS - Francis Barnett - Matchless - Greeves Dover Road, Barham, Kent Tel. Barham 356. Accessed and added 2015-03-11
  11. 1 2 Motorcycle Mechanics, February 1968, Full Chat by John Day: "On Tom Arter's AJS and Matchless specials, he will set a new style, for one of his machines will be fitted with wheels built with only six spokes. They will be one-piece cast magnesium units similar to those fitted to racing cars. One might imagine that such bulky looking "cart" wheels would be heavy... Peter will fit them to his 500, which will also have disc brakes front and rear." Accessed 2013-07-20
  12. ↑ Motorcycle Sport, July 1979, p.350 Wheels and Wheels by Ted Davis (ex-Vincent Chief Tester) "After 100 years we are back to 'artillery' wheels". Accessed and added 2014-06-23
  13. ↑ www.sintich.com Four valves per cylinder Retrieved 2013-06-01
  14. ↑ Motorcycle Mechanics, October 1969, p.22 Full Chat by John Day. "The cast-magnesium wheels which Peter Williams is developing and which he tested for the first time at the Hutchinson 100, suggest that he will have any number of new and revolutionary ideas to impart in his new job as project engineer with Norton Villiers" Accessed 2014-02-09
  15. ↑ Southampton & District Motor Cycle Club. Official Site. Race result 1969. Retrieved 2013-08-15
  16. ↑ Official TT Results 1970 750cc Production race results. Retrieved 2014-01-21
  17. ↑ Motor Cyclist Illustrated, September 1973, p.2 full page colour advert, From John Player Norton: The Norton Twins. "The unique semi-monococque construction gives the Norton the advantage of less weight, improved ground clearance and better banking angles than other, ordinary bikes. Even the blunt fairing was designed to reduce the drag coefficient to a remarkable 0.39". Accessed and added 2015-01-20
  18. ↑ "Motorcycle Technology - Future Perfect - Up To Speed". motorcyclistonline.com. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  19. ↑ Motor Cycle News 15 August 1979 p.67 Advert "Peter Williams 76-78 London Road, Southampton. Wall to wall Kawasaki". Accessed and added 2014-10-01
  20. ↑ Peter Williams John Player Norton - First Look Cycle World, June 2013. Peter Williams' John Player Norton Replicas. Retrieved 2013-06-28
  21. ↑ "Peter Williams Isle of Man TT results". iomtt.com. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
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