RON HASLAM
Racer, engineer and teacher – Rocket Ron is more than just a very rapid rider
Ron Haslam’s record of six British titles, three world titles, six Macau GP wins and nine GP podiums in a career that spanned over 30 years is nothing short of remarkable – yet that is just one side of this amazing man. As well as having helped thousands at his race school, Ron is father and mentor to World Superbike rider Leon and a talented engineer and development rider. “I was the youngest of 10 siblings and with no father around had quite a challenging upbringing,” says Ron. “School was never a priority and I left at 15 with no qualifications. I was good with my hands having spent my youth tinkering with bikes, so I went into being a labourer. But work soon played second fiddle to racing. “My brother Terry started racing after getting banned and I would borrow his 750 Norton. I did well and Mal Carter picked me to ride for Pharaoh Racing. After domestic success, Mal sent me to America to work with Yamaha and learn how to build and maintain my race bikes. “I loved the technical aspect of creating a precision race bike, which is why I enjoyed helping Honda with the oval-piston NR500.
I was employed because I was young and fast but soon the engineers saw I had an aptitude for development and could clearly communicate what I wanted to improve. A lot of the engineers didn’t speak English so that sometimes involved drawing things on paper, hand gestures and revving noises!
“Honda liked the way I worked and I was kept on for 1983 to partner Freddie Spencer on the new NS500 triple. I did huge amounts of chassis development alongside Freddie, testing frames, wheels, suspension, everything. That bike was fantastic – Freddie won the title first time out, and I stayed with the team in 1984 before switching to Honda Britain’s Rothmans team for 1985. “I loved the Britain team. As they were a satellite squad they allowed me to use my development skills
‘I love passing on my knowledge and experience’
‘It involved drawing things, gestures and revving noises’
to alter the bike more than HRC would, which worked as I finished fifth overall and took two more podiums. Honda then asked if I could help develop a new project. “The Elf bike was a Honda development machine but at that point I didn’t want to be a development rider as I felt I was still a racer, so I argued the case to have a factory NSR500 in Elf colours until the Elf was competitive. It was crazy, I’d ride the development bike with its front and rear singlesided swing arms in all bar the last practice session, when I’d swap to the ‘conventional’ bike! Despite
this I took two more podiums and was on course for a potential title until Honda insisted I run the development bike in the last four rounds... I finished fourth overall. “The Elf was such a fun project. We could change so much on it instantly – rake, trail, offset. It was futuristic, if ultimately destined for failure as forks are still the benchmark.
“After riding for Suzuki in 1989, I switched to Cagiva in 1990 but the chassis wasn’t right. I told the team it needed to have its head angle changed but they ignored me. After I left they hired Eddie Lawson, who did one session and told them the same thing – they listened to him, which really pissed me off! “Back in the UK I helped develop the rotary Norton and took second in the 1991 BSB championship but with Leon’s career gathering pace I decided to ease off.
“I’ve always been in Leon’s garage as a helping hand and I now do spotting for him as I can see what rival riders and their bikes are doing and help him improve. Back home I engineer parts for Leon’s race team, which helps up and coming young British riders, and I set up their bikes on my own dyno, guide the riders with set-up, you name it. I love passing on my knowledge and experience and I’m as passionate about riding and racing as ever.”