JIM LINDSAY

1954-2021

Classic Motorcycle Mechanics is sad to announce the passing of Jim Lindsay, one of our most valued contributors.

Editor Bertie Simmonds writes: Jim had only been a friend for the last decade or so, but he’d been a good one. Getting him on board CMM as a contributor was one of my better ideas and, of course, it was an idea I hatched with him over a drink.

Jim was the perfect fit for CMM: a former editor of Motor Cycle News no less, as well as editor of Mechanics which later became Performance Bikes magazine. Jim would be part of the management merry-go-round of parent company EMAP until he saw the future of publishing was in the Apple Mac machine. He then formed a successful consultancy called Macmasters as a result, which continues to this day. Thankfully for us at CMM, he also continued to dabble in the odd bit of journalism.

Jim was a keen home mechanic. This passion was born from his early years on bikes – he started riding aged 12 – even if some of his early forays into spannering would see these early motorcycles light of the odd nut or bolt, post rebuild! He’d improve, was largely self-taught and would later build a Caterham Super 7 and restore a cottage on the Isle of Skye with his wife and best friend Margaret. We’ve been privileged in CMM to feature some of Jim’s later work, as well as two road tests – even in his 60s Jim (who once raced) was quick!

There are many things to take from Jim’s life and his outlook on it: be positive; humour works (even in the darkest times); love as much as you can; spend your time making yourself and others happy; throw yourself into everything you do; but if I had to take just one thing from Jim, it would be this: humility. In our profession, I’d heard of Jim way before I met him. When we finally did meet, I was struck by just how humble he was. He was never the showy type (many journalists disappear up their own backsides) but this wasn’t Jim. An example was when I got him to pop along to an ex- Motor Cycle News journalists and racers luncheon society. “It’s great fun mate,” I told him. “You’ll fit right in!” He never told me he was one of the founding members from the original meeting in 1987…

Always funny, always caring, that was Jim. Professionally I will miss the brilliant, spot-on copy, but more importantly, from a personal point of view, I will miss the chats, the amazing stories, the advice and the big hugs when we would say our goodbyes. Our thoughts are with wife Margaret and Jim’s loving family and step-family.