Jeff Leisk Podcast

felpro
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felpro
Edited Date/Time 1/27/2012 7:19pm
Have you ever met a guy in the motorcycle industry that holds his job due to expertise from another field and has little interest in bikes and racing ? I had a lot to do with a guy that came from the white goods industry to be a manager at Kawasaki. Knew zip about bikes, jet skis or racing, kinda knew some names and details but zero passion for the sport.


Jeff Leisk sounded like that. The guy came across as detached from his amazing history in the sport. He admitted to having no MX memorabilia around his house. I would have loved to hear some stories & details about his exploits ...but the dude has moved on, even though he is still at the helm of KTM ....


There are a lot of stories to be told about what he did. He came and went from racing in a very short time.


I knew nothing much about Ezra Lusk before his interview. After the podcast I felt I knew him well. It uncovered a family drama that shadowed his career.


Other way around with Jeff Leisk ...


Ok Steve .... Craig Dack and Stephen Gall one day please !!!
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googs
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googs 9/16/2009 6:19pm
9/16/2009 6:19pm
our most talented MXer maybe? only chad has surpassed his achievements..

loved watching him ride and he did race with the best in the states (i know he beat hannah once at a socal race once when jeff was 16 or something) so he was bloody fast.
Dropbear
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Dropbear 9/16/2009 6:30pm
9/16/2009 6:30pm
I had my first race against Leisky in 1975 at Wonthaggi. We were in the 8-10 80cc class or something like that. I followed his career really closely, he was cut above anyone else in Australia.

He raced for a bloody long time, and acheived a lot - Oz Minicycle Champs, World Mini GP Class Winner, Multiple MR MX, Aussie Champ in just about every class, Factory rider in the US and much more.

Odds on to win the 1990 World 500cc class but had bad luck and injuries and that is when he basically gave it away.
swizcore
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swizcore 9/16/2009 7:38pm
9/16/2009 7:38pm
Wow, 36 minutes? Guess Matthes could tell he wasnt really into it?
I'll be listening to it at work tomorrow.
Motodude
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Motodude 9/16/2009 7:40pm
9/16/2009 7:40pm Edited Date/Time 9/16/2009 7:41pm
Remember he's a laid back humble guy, he remembers lots still Felpro. Its annoying Matthes persists on the money stuff. We first raced in '79 at Amaroo Prk where even though I got the holeshot he just blew us all away, I finnished second 3/4 lap behind Jeff by the end. His dad was a driving force with both him and his brother, sold his plumbing biz in Perth to support Jeff full time.

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Dropbear
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Dropbear 9/16/2009 7:45pm
9/16/2009 7:45pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 2:12am
Motodude wrote:
Remember he's a laid back humble guy, he remembers lots still Felpro. Its annoying Matthes persists on the money stuff. We first raced in '79 at...
Remember he's a laid back humble guy, he remembers lots still Felpro. Its annoying Matthes persists on the money stuff. We first raced in '79 at Amaroo Prk where even though I got the holeshot he just blew us all away, I finnished second 3/4 lap behind Jeff by the end. His dad was a driving force with both him and his brother, sold his plumbing biz in Perth to support Jeff full time.
So you were a Junior (or RLH) in 1979 too?

Did you go to the Oz Champs at Waneroo in 1979? I think Jeff on a 23 inch front wheel CR125 lapped most of us and was faster than most anyone on that day. So fast in the sand.
felpro
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felpro 9/16/2009 7:46pm
9/16/2009 7:46pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 2:12am
swizcore wrote:
Wow, 36 minutes? Guess Matthes could tell he wasnt really into it?
I'll be listening to it at work tomorrow.
At the end, Steve said " I kept you longer than I said I would ..."


I think there may have been a time constraint .... Perhaps that says something about the guy anyway.


No-one owes us anything. I am glad we got to hear something.
Motodude
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Motodude 9/16/2009 7:55pm
9/16/2009 7:55pm Edited Date/Time 9/16/2009 7:57pm
Motodude wrote:
Remember he's a laid back humble guy, he remembers lots still Felpro. Its annoying Matthes persists on the money stuff. We first raced in '79 at...
Remember he's a laid back humble guy, he remembers lots still Felpro. Its annoying Matthes persists on the money stuff. We first raced in '79 at Amaroo Prk where even though I got the holeshot he just blew us all away, I finnished second 3/4 lap behind Jeff by the end. His dad was a driving force with both him and his brother, sold his plumbing biz in Perth to support Jeff full time.
Dropbear wrote:
So you were a Junior (or RLH) in 1979 too? Did you go to the Oz Champs at Waneroo in 1979? I think Jeff on a...
So you were a Junior (or RLH) in 1979 too?

Did you go to the Oz Champs at Waneroo in 1979? I think Jeff on a 23 inch front wheel CR125 lapped most of us and was faster than most anyone on that day. So fast in the sand.
Do you remember Karl Beuhler? No I didnt go, I pestered Suzuki to bring over a factory 125 like they had that 420 for Gunter and Nunn.
Dropbear
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Dropbear 9/16/2009 7:57pm
9/16/2009 7:57pm
Sure do!

I lived in SA as a kid and used to go to Vic. all the time.

What ever happened to Karl?
Motodude
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Motodude 9/16/2009 8:05pm
9/16/2009 8:05pm Edited Date/Time 9/16/2009 8:06pm
Dropbear wrote:
Sure do!

I lived in SA as a kid and used to go to Vic. all the time.

What ever happened to Karl?
His family moved up your way from Vic in '80, like so many juniors he had limited success in seniors then vanished. Bloody fast and smooth rider, was Jeff's only threat at Wanaroo. How about Steve Foster?...and of course Andy Caldecott..Juniors back then was 5 times deeper than it was compared to the Moss boys time.
Dropbear
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Dropbear 9/16/2009 8:13pm
9/16/2009 8:13pm

My Avatar is from an event that I went back to SA for last year. It was the Andy Caldecott (RIP) Memorial VMX.

I rode an '81 RM465. Guys like Darryl Willoughby and Gregg Toyama rode that day to pay their respects.
FLmxer
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FLmxer 9/16/2009 10:23pm
9/16/2009 10:23pm
I have Jeffs jersey somewhere from the Miami sx or maybe Daytoner. Great rider from down under.
Whitey
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Whitey 9/17/2009 2:21am
9/17/2009 2:21am
Jeff is a cool cat.

I went to a MX school he held with local hotshot Peter Benson at the Noble Falls (BSA) track in about 79. I then had a couple one on one lessons with him in 81. Gaston Rahier actually rode at that track in about 76/77 i think it was.

Jeff used to be fairly involved with coaching Jamie Brockman before Jamie went to the states. After he got injured there was a huge fundraiser for him at a local horse racing track where Jeff MC'd for the night.

Jeff's father Bob used to help promote the basicly annual SX we would have in Perth where Jeff would always ride and bring some US guys back Some of the guys that made it there when Jeff was riding was RJ, Glover, Brooks, Carlqvist, Laporte, Ron Sun, Rollerball.
bigfella1963 9/17/2009 5:47am
9/17/2009 5:47am
I have been lucky enough to have been working with Jeff in a number of ways over the years and can tell you he is one class act.

I have some good storys but the statute of limitations isnt quite up yet.......
and he is still my boss right now !

swizcore
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swizcore 9/17/2009 7:54am
9/17/2009 7:54am
felpro you had my expectations for this podcast pretty low but I really enjoyed it. Jeff had slot to say in a comparatively short podcast. Another great listen.

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