Dale Wylie: “A motorbike is freedom”
Former New Zealand champion DALE WYLIE died at his home in Christchurch on March 21, after a long illness. He was 72 and had an inoperable brain tumour.
In his youth Dale raced as passenger on a speedway sidecar and made a decent enough impression in road racing to earn a ride on a Lyster G50 Matchless owned by Christchurch furniture store owner Bob Harris. His results earned him a ride on Suzukis provided by the then New Zealand importer Percy Coleman Wholesale through enthusiastic Christchurch dealer Tommy McCleary. In addition to racing a T500 Titan in Production events, Dale had TR500s prepared by famed Wellington tuner Dick Lawton. This saw him win the 1970-’71 New Zealand 500cc Road Racing Championship on an air-cooled TR500 before he was supplied watercooled TR500s. He was also supplied an FIM Norton 750 Commando for Production races, and later a Triumph Bonneville T140V, alongside a young Dave Hiscock. There were more than a few entrants on Kawasaki’s then blazingly fast H2 750cc triple who were embarrassed by these two men on the out-ofdate push-rod OHV British twins.
Wylie was a regular entrant in the then highly lucrative South-East Asian races — Indonesia’s Grand Prix and the Singapore, Selangor and Penang GPs. He also raced at Bathurst on the air-cooled Suzuki in 1971 and Sydney’s Amaroo Park in 1973 on his way to England. In England, during the southern winter he had Rob North build a chassis for the new watercooled Suzuki TR500 engine. He campaigned the Suzuki in England before returning to New Zealand to win the New Zealand Open TT. He went on to win the inaugural Marlboro International Series in the summer of 1973-’74, leading home the Yamahas of Trevor Discombe (TZ350A) and John Boote (Yamaha TZ750A). He was the only New Zealander to win this series over the five consecutive summers it was run. In 1974 he and fellow Christchurch man Mike Sinclair went to the USA where Dale brought a Yamaha TZ750 to race in AMA Nationals and as many other events he could afford on his legendary $1-aday budget, paying particular attention to the handful of big money events where a top 10 finish was still a lucrative payday. In so doing he managed to get enough budget to contest the Singapore GP midseason, a race he had won in 1973 on the Suzuki
TR500. That win was reputed to be worth more than $5000. The trip to Singapore became legendary. From Montreal in Canada, to London, and then around the world to Singapore — with the engine, brakes and as many other parts that would fit squeezed into their carry-on luggage, with the frame and exhaust pipes boxed up and sent as check-in luggage. He finished second to John Boote, then returned to the USA, the same way he had gone out. “Dale was frugal and his motto was ‘get it for free and never pay to get in’, recalls Mike Sinclair. “He became this way as a result of being a pro rider as early as 1970 — in New Zealand! That was quite an achievement. When racing is the only form of income, frugality is essential — and he was a master.”
After the US season was over, Wylie and Sinclair returned to New Zealand and Dale raced the
Yamaha 750 in the second Marlboro International Series. After the North Island rounds he was leading on points but crashed a TZ250 in practice at Timaru’s Levels circuit, badly damaging his right arm. His racing days were over, so he took up wind-surfing, which was to remain a passion the rest of his life. He gained his pilots licence and then trained on helicopters before working in the venison recovery industry on the West Coast of the South Island. In 1981 he started a freight tie-down manufacturing operation, Aero Fast Tie Downs. The name was related to the next phase of his life — aviation. He wanted to get his commercial pilot’s licence as fast as possible. When he did, he and his then girlfriend, (later wife) Maxine, travelled. He flew for small airlines in Vanuatu, Fiji, the Caribbean, and Kenya. Many adventures ensued. He had sold Aero Fast Tie Downs by then. Returning to New Zealand with Maxine to raise a family, he started another tie-down business, continuing until recently, when it too was sold to Aero Fast.
Dale has sailed yachts, but his passion has always been windsurfing, and in the last couple of years he discovered a new challenge, foil-boarding on Lyttelton Harbour. He was a devoted family man and raised his sons with the same passion and 100 per cent focus he gave to everything he did, teaching them to sail and then supporting them in competitive sailing for many years. “Although Dale no longer followed competitive motorcycling after his accident, he always rode bikes for transport and leisure,” says Maxine. “His priority on arrival at any new country would be to buy/hire a motorbike to go exploring — ‘a motorbike is freedom’ he would say. Dale was a clever, determined, passionate individual, very generous and always helping people. He had a good life.”
Former New Zealand 350 Champion Mike Vinsen also shared some memories: “When I started racing I thought he was so fast that it would be impossible to emulate him. He was also willing to talk, give advice, and his riding spoke for itself. He was a can-do guy – nothing he believed he couldn’t do.” Sister Patricia adds, “even as a little boy he achieved whatever he set out to do. Nothing would hold him back. A life well lived.”
Dale is survived by Maxine, his wife of 35 years, children Daniel (27) and Mathew (23), sisters Patricia (Taupo), Kathy (Coromandel) and brothers Barry (Australia) and Brent (Woodend). ■