First Race Bike Owned by British Double Motorcycle World Champion Barry Sheene For Sale With H&H Classics

This 1968 Barry Sheene Bultaco TSS 250 race bike which Barry Sheene campaigned in the 1960s is for sale with H&H Classics on November 14th at the National Motorcycle Museum for an estimate of £25,000 to £35,000. This great 1970s icon used the bike in his first season racing as a novice, so this Bultaco was in at the start of the Sheene legend that saw him win two World Champion titles in 1976 and 1977.

THE LEGENDARY BARRY SHEENE WITH THE BULTACO

Mark Bryan of H&H Motorcycle Department says: “Given its provenance and racing history with Barry Sheene this is a very collectable motorbike. He is much loved and still vividly remembered everywhere in the motorcycle community and beyond.”

James Hewing Director at The National Motorcycle Museum says “A very important piece of bike racing history and will be amazing to see it sell at the November sale”.

The current owner adds: “This is the original and largely unrestored but well maintained machine ridden by Barry in 1968. His father, Frank Sheene, identified the bike when I was riding it at Scarborough in the mid 90s and brought Barry along to view it. It was last used for the BBC “Legends of Speed” film based on Barry Sheene. Frank Sheene was a Bultaco dealer and confirmed this bike was his bike and imported in 1967.”

BARRY’S FATHER, FRANK SHEENE, WITH THE BULTACO

The seller has owned the bike since the 1985 and is only selling as he won’t be riding the bike again. He has all the original parts, spares pack and also the consecutive numbered spare engine is open to a separate sale.

Barry Steven Frank Sheene MBE (1950 –2003) was the consummate British professional motorcycle racer and was twice World Champion, winning consecutive 500cc titles in 1976 and 1977.

After a racing career stretching from 1968 to 1984 he retired from competition and relocated to Australia where he worked as a motorsport commentator and property developer.

Sheene began competitive motorcycle racing in 1968, winning his first races at Brands Hatch riding his father Frank's 125cc and 250cc Bultacos.

By 1970 Sheene had become the British 125c champion at age 20, riding a former Suzuki factory racing team motorcycle that he purchased for £2,000.

Sheene was signed by Suzuki during the off season 1972–1973 and won the newly formed Formula 750 European championship for them in 1973. As a works Suzuki rider

In the 1976 season, he won five 500cc Grands Prix, bringing him the World Championship. He took the Championship again in the 1977 season with six victories. 

In a crash at Silverstone, Sheene, riding his Yamaha, hit the unsighted machine of fallen Frenchman Patrick Igoa during practice for the 1982 British Grand Prix. His injured legs were saved by orthopaedic surgeon Mr Nigel John Cobb FRCS at the nearby Northampton General Hospital. This largely ended his potential as a title threat, and he retired in 1984. He remains the only rider to win Grand Prix races in the 50cc and 500cc categories.

Sheene was known for being outspoken in his criticism of what he considered to be dangerous racetracks, most notably the Isle of Man TT course, which he considered too dangerous for world championship competition. He was a colourful, exuberant character and was one of the first riders to make a lot of money from endorsements.

Barry Sheene died in 2003 after losing his battle with throat cancer in an Australian Gold Coast hospital at the age of 52. He was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus and stomach in July 2002.