R.I.P. Dick Mann

MyBobbym
Profile picture for user MyBobbym
Posts
725
Joined
11/23/2020
Location
Apache Junction, AZ, USA
MyBobbym 4/27/2021 11:28am
4/27/2021 11:28am
Sully wrote:
RIP, Dick. Arguably the greatest all around motorcycle racer ever (along with Steve Wise).
Flat track, road race, Enduro, cross country desert, trials and probably more. Wise was a versatile racer, Dick Mann was THE versatile racer. Not even close IMHO.
6
Moto Nomad
Profile picture for user Moto Nomad
Posts
1196
Joined
1/19/2021
Location
Grass Valley, CA, USA
Moto Nomad 4/27/2021 11:34am
4/27/2021 11:34am
You don't get more legendary than Dick Mann- RIP, champ.
3
MyBobbym
Profile picture for user MyBobbym
Posts
725
Joined
11/23/2020
Location
Apache Junction, AZ, USA
MyBobbym 4/27/2021 11:37am
4/27/2021 11:37am
sumdood wrote:
RIP. Anyone know the story of how he got the name Bugsy ? I googled it, lots of info about him but nothing about why Bugsy...
RIP. Anyone know the story of how he got the name Bugsy ? I googled it, lots of info about him but nothing about why Bugsy. Just curious, anyone know ?
Probably from smiling all the time while holding it WFO. Collected a lot of bugs on his grill. Sounds about right.
6
philG
Profile picture for user philG
Posts
11133
Joined
5/12/2012
Location
GB
philG 4/27/2021 12:58pm
4/27/2021 12:58pm
Got to see him ride here in the UK, at the Transatlantic Match Races in the 70's

Was a 7 year old kid at Mallory Park, 5 miles from my house, seeing him, Gene Romero (who i actually met at his track in NorCal in 2002) Gary Nixon, Cal Rayborn and all the others , in front of a huge crowd,

One of the epic times of racing, all the giants on BSA and Triumph, and the odd Harley thrown in for good measure.

RIP to a legend.
7

The Shop

See All »
jbonemalone
Profile picture for user jbonemalone
Posts
301
Joined
12/4/2016
Location
Otis, LA, USA
jbonemalone 4/27/2021 1:25pm
4/27/2021 1:25pm
My father , before I was a moto head, sat me in the shop and showed me pics of this old guy on a thinly framed boomer of a motorcycle.
It must have been hell to ride as the suspension was short and the machine looked heavy and cumbersome.
He showed me some flicker reel movies of flat track and some proto era motocross, no sound but the men piloting these machines were smooth, fast and visibly tough.
The best of the best would finish the races lf they could somehow keep the bike together, transmission complete in all its spinning glory and hopefully if everything went right not crash in a mangled twisting of stew. Mechanical steeds covered in muck and filth, as were their faces. Their faces were a mix of exhaustion, age and pure joy.
He would say, and I remember this line clearly, there’s racers, and there’s Dick Mann.
Rest In Peace, true legend.
5
Bigfoot
Profile picture for user Bigfoot
Posts
1197
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
USA
Bigfoot 4/27/2021 4:44pm
4/27/2021 4:44pm
A HOLESHOT FOR BUGSY

Dick Mann pulls the holeshot in the Open Expert Masters class at the 1977 4-Stroke Nationals at Carlsbad. In third is Marshall Jennings (Jeff's dad).



6
mag250
Profile picture for user mag250
Posts
266
Joined
2/3/2009
Location
The Moon, TX, USA
mag250 4/27/2021 6:03pm
4/27/2021 6:03pm
R.I.P. Dick Mann
I'm glad you were able to live your life with Motorcycles they are one of the BEST things ever invented.

Met him at Diamond Don's AHMRA race one year what a joy to speak with. Godspeed
.
3
Ted722
Profile picture for user Ted722
Posts
4575
Joined
9/21/2011
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
Ted722 4/27/2021 7:47pm
4/27/2021 7:47pm
Dick Mann doing what he loved on his BSA. Vintage motocross race in NorCal 1990 Sandhill MX
5
backinthesaddleagain 4/27/2021 8:18pm
4/27/2021 8:18pm
Friend of mine has a picture of his parents and Dick Mann in his shop from when his parents sold BSA’s.
2
Darrin Willis
Profile picture for user Darrin Willis
Posts
1105
Joined
11/16/2020
Location
Red Deer County, AB, CA
Darrin Willis 4/27/2021 9:09pm
4/27/2021 9:09pm
Always new the name but not the story. Thank you all for sharing your stories.
2
TG130
Profile picture for user TG130
Posts
1274
Joined
4/13/2008
Location
USA
TG130 4/27/2021 10:15pm
4/27/2021 10:15pm
RIP. Very sad news. I have always idolized Dick Mann ever since I first saw him race the TT 500 with his self made frame back in the late 1970's. He was lightning fast on that bike. In addition to his legendary skills as a rider he was also a master mechanic, fabricator and innovator. He was definitely the Mann of his day.


4
mumbles
Profile picture for user mumbles
Posts
881
Joined
11/15/2006
Location
Perry, GA, USA
Fantasy
1827th
mumbles 4/28/2021 8:13am
4/28/2021 8:13am
KurtJ99 wrote:
I was racing amateur in the 80’s and watched him race Old Timer Expert. He was as fast as the 500 experts riding his own Dick...
I was racing amateur in the 80’s and watched him race Old Timer Expert. He was as fast as the 500 experts riding his own Dick Mann framed TT500 with 10” travel on the roughest E street sand tracks. RIP.
I also remember him showing up at E street during the early 80s. I remember going to to talk to him as he was my idol in the 60s. He was in a old Ford Falcon p/u. Just him and his bike. I got to see him several times at the Sacramento mile in the late 60s. A true legend.
3
anniebertmojo
Profile picture for user anniebertmojo
Posts
727
Joined
10/12/2008
Location
California, CA, USA
anniebertmojo 4/28/2021 8:27am
4/28/2021 8:27am
Mx4life320 wrote:
I remember him from the On Any Sunday movie. Raced flat track with a broken leg or foot if i remember correctly.

RIP
2
MontesaMan
Profile picture for user MontesaMan
Posts
28
Joined
7/25/2020
Location
Costa Mesa, CA, USA
MontesaMan 4/28/2021 1:15pm
4/28/2021 1:15pm
Daytona winner. AMA Dirt Track #1. Six Days rider. MX Pioneer. Trials rider. Motorcycle designer and builder. Like another great Dan Gurney, he could build them and win on them. RIP Bugsy.


9
rdrurypi
Profile picture for user rdrurypi
Posts
160
Joined
1/9/2017
Location
Windermere, FL, USA
rdrurypi 4/28/2021 3:00pm
4/28/2021 3:00pm
RIP Dick Mann, I use to see him frequently racing at Saddleback and particularly an Anaheim Highsiders GP race that was so fun. That guy rode so friggen fast, I only wish I would have known more about him at the time.
3
Sondy132001
Profile picture for user Sondy132001
Posts
4042
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Mission Viejo, CA, USA
Sondy132001 4/28/2021 3:09pm
4/28/2021 3:09pm
KurtJ99 wrote:
I was racing amateur in the 80’s and watched him race Old Timer Expert. He was as fast as the 500 experts riding his own Dick...
I was racing amateur in the 80’s and watched him race Old Timer Expert. He was as fast as the 500 experts riding his own Dick Mann framed TT500 with 10” travel on the roughest E street sand tracks. RIP.
mumbles wrote:
I also remember him showing up at E street during the early 80s. I remember going to to talk to him as he was my idol...
I also remember him showing up at E street during the early 80s. I remember going to to talk to him as he was my idol in the 60s. He was in a old Ford Falcon p/u. Just him and his bike. I got to see him several times at the Sacramento mile in the late 60s. A true legend.
Dick was a good friend of my father, Stu and every race we personally ran up North, CMC Golden State or CMC Trans-Cal, Dick would make a showing and as always my pops would sponsor his racing Wink
6
Ted722
Profile picture for user Ted722
Posts
4575
Joined
9/21/2011
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
Ted722 4/29/2021 12:43pm
4/29/2021 12:43pm
American Honda press release on the passing of Dick Mann.

American Flat Track to honor Dick Mann during opening ceremonies at this Saturday's Atlanta TT.
2

Pit Row

See All »
motoarmageddon 4/29/2021 8:20pm
4/29/2021 8:20pm
My dad respected and admired Dick Mann so much. He said he wanted to introduce me to a legend and he told me to have Dick Mann sign my trophy at Hollister one time. I didnt really know who Mann was but if Dad respected him then he was legit. i got to know Mr Mann and his wife and she even raced! The world has lost a great one.
2
Dirty Points 5/5/2021 2:26pm
5/5/2021 2:26pm
1968 introduction to flattrack article by Mann for Cycle Racing Annual, complete with tech section on bike setup



3
FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13316
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd 5/5/2021 6:15pm
5/5/2021 6:15pm
Tonynz wrote:
Bought the book just after it came out close to 20 years ago. Got it out to read again.o[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/04/27/489794/s1200_2C0DE083_AE37_4D48_9D91_5C9381132BD8.jpg[/img]
Bought the book just after it came out close to 20 years ago.
Got it out to read again.o
I believe there is an even earlier biography and I recall it being really good, but that may have been to me as a kid and how well it described the evolution of the motorcycle experience in my local area. Short of it was that a lot of people moved to Richmond during the war to work the Kaiser shipyards, and a lot of those people brought bikes, and there were clubs all over the Bay Area, including Bugs's hometown club the Richmond Ramblers. That earlier book described riding the east bay ridge from San Pablo to Fremont in the 50's. There was a ton of open riding g across the Bay Area until the mid 70's.

The bay area was huge class c and enduro, Moto had a hard push at late 60's early 70's with that background in the AMA clubs, and it opened the door to CMC and other promoters in NorCal. I did not race a lot of AMA local races throughout the 70's. Bug's though did it all. Remember seeing him race the 73 Trans Ama support class on a 250 thumper, and then by the late 70's he'd tool out one of his DMS TT500 and run Bobby M and the open experts ragged.


3
FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13316
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd 5/5/2021 6:25pm
5/5/2021 6:25pm


From 1972; Joe Scalzo was a pretty prolific motorsports writer of that era. Would love to find a copy of this one.
3
B Lenny
Profile picture for user B Lenny
Posts
883
Joined
9/20/2020
Location
Inglewood, CA, USA
B Lenny 8/1/2021 11:03pm
8/1/2021 11:03pm
RIP Dick Mann...
Sprew
Profile picture for user Sprew
Posts
436
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
USA
Sprew 8/2/2021 12:32am
8/2/2021 12:32am
That was great. Thanks Reese.
2
Dirt_Dawg 8/2/2021 6:25am
8/2/2021 6:25am
R I P Dick mann damn his parents played a cruel joke giving him that name.
FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13316
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd 8/2/2021 7:28am
8/2/2021 7:28am
I saw somewhere a picture of the urn for his remains . . . a BSA top end.
1
FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13316
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd 8/2/2021 10:42am
8/2/2021 10:42am



I wish I could have made it down to that, Ramblers clubhouse at Point Richmond was where I spent most of my kid days riding.
4
FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13316
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd 8/2/2021 10:46am
8/2/2021 10:46am
Ramblers have been around for a long time. Kaiser building ships in Richmond during the war brought a lot of bike people to the east bay during the war, and they stayed.



2

Post a reply to: R.I.P. Dick Mann