RIP Paul Denis.

UpTiTe
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UpTiTe
Edited Date/Time 9/6/2022 2:12pm
Early 80s minibike star Paul Denis who posted here as NMACHAMP has passed away from heart failure, sad news.
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AZ35
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AZ35 5/3/2019 4:10pm
5/3/2019 4:10pm
RIP moto brother

I still have the Cycle News where he was on the cover riding the brand new 83 KX80 at Ponca City. Mini Cycle legend.
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Sierra Ranger
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Sierra Ranger 5/3/2019 4:23pm
5/3/2019 4:23pm
Damn! I remember when he was a star in the magazines, always wanted to be like him. RIP.
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BR8ES
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BR8ES 5/3/2019 4:33pm
5/3/2019 4:33pm
Man... bummer. I remember him as a favourite of mine during the mini days, a memorable picture was on his 83 KX125 when he moved up to the big bikes.

RIP CHAMP.

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AHRMA361
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AHRMA361 5/3/2019 5:01pm
5/3/2019 5:01pm
Legendary mini racer. Gone way too soon.

RIP PD
RACERX69
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RACERX69 5/3/2019 5:01pm
5/3/2019 5:01pm
Not many people could beat PD on his 83' KX-80. RIP


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Falcon
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Falcon 5/3/2019 5:10pm
5/3/2019 5:10pm
I was just about to mention that MiniCycle Rider/Racer mag. When I first started getting into the sport in 1983 or so, I got a subscription to it and of course, Paul Denis was all over it. He became a de-Facto hero, because I only knew about him and the other mini stars: Bobby Moore, Eddie Hicks, Mike Healey, Mouse McCoy, etc.
Sad to hear.
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dadofagun
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dadofagun 5/3/2019 5:35pm
5/3/2019 5:35pm Edited Date/Time 5/3/2019 5:36pm
Sad news to hear. Had a good conversation with him not too long ago about how the Italjet PR 50 was actually named after him, being he was their elite rider at the time. PR stood for "Paul's Replica", as he worked with them for over a year developing it. I hate to hear this......
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fullfloater
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fullfloater 5/3/2019 6:42pm
5/3/2019 6:42pm
Dammit! Terrible news. I saw him borrow/ride Wardy’s factory KX125 at Saddleback way back in 83.
SCR
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SCR 5/3/2019 7:03pm
5/3/2019 7:03pm
Didn't know him but remember him just flying around the indian dunes international track at some night races on that italjet in the 60 class.
RIP
Sully
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Sully 5/3/2019 8:29pm
5/3/2019 8:29pm
That’s a damn shame. Definitely too young to pass like that. Was he even 50?
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theprizefighter 5/3/2019 8:38pm
5/3/2019 8:38pm
UpTiTe wrote:
Early 80s minibike star Paul Denis who posted here as NMACHAMP has passed away from heart failure, sad news.
Sad to hear, RIP. Phenomenal mini rider.
Fox88
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Fox88 5/3/2019 9:11pm
5/3/2019 9:11pm
sad.. would have been around my age, too young..

I've posted this Ponca photo I took a few times previously. RIP!


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daemon616
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daemon616 5/3/2019 9:41pm
5/3/2019 9:41pm Edited Date/Time 8/28/2020 1:03am
Rest In Power.
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Boomslang
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Boomslang 5/3/2019 9:49pm
5/3/2019 9:49pm
Falcon wrote:
I was just about to mention that MiniCycle Rider/Racer mag. When I first started getting into the sport in 1983 or so, I got a subscription...
I was just about to mention that MiniCycle Rider/Racer mag. When I first started getting into the sport in 1983 or so, I got a subscription to it and of course, Paul Denis was all over it. He became a de-Facto hero, because I only knew about him and the other mini stars: Bobby Moore, Eddie Hicks, Mike Healey, Mouse McCoy, etc.
Sad to hear.
My story is pretty much the same, the only thing we knew about the USA was magazines and imported SX vids. As kids we idolised Dennis, and the rest.

Sad to hear, gone way too young.

Condolences to all his family and friends. Rip Paul.
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daemon616
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daemon616 5/3/2019 9:58pm
5/3/2019 9:58pm
daemon616 wrote:
Rest In Power.
RexEasely wrote:
Not a nice thing to say
I didn't say it just heard.

Come on it's a joke get over it. Nothing is going to bring this amazing person back. It's better to laugh and exalt and to cry OK?
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philG
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philG 5/4/2019 12:56am
5/4/2019 12:56am
I saw him race in the UK in 83... insanely fast, went Bar to Bar with Mark Banks for 2 days. Never really made it as a pro though
RIP minibike legend
fullfloater
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fullfloater 5/4/2019 3:44am
5/4/2019 3:44am
daemon616 wrote:
Rest In Power.
RexEasely wrote:
Not a nice thing to say
daemon616 wrote:
I didn't say it just heard. Come on it's a joke get over it. Nothing is going to bring this amazing person back. It's better to...
I didn't say it just heard.

Come on it's a joke get over it. Nothing is going to bring this amazing person back. It's better to laugh and exalt and to cry OK?
If so you have a lot in common daemon616
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daemon616
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daemon616 5/4/2019 3:54am
5/4/2019 3:54am
RexEasely wrote:
Not a nice thing to say
daemon616 wrote:
I didn't say it just heard. Come on it's a joke get over it. Nothing is going to bring this amazing person back. It's better to...
I didn't say it just heard.

Come on it's a joke get over it. Nothing is going to bring this amazing person back. It's better to laugh and exalt and to cry OK?
fullfloater wrote:
If so you have a lot in common daemon616
Gutes Riddance
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a22
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a22 5/10/2019 1:42pm
5/10/2019 1:42pm
dadofagun wrote:
Sad news to hear. Had a good conversation with him not too long ago about how the Italjet PR 50 was actually named after him, being...
Sad news to hear. Had a good conversation with him not too long ago about how the Italjet PR 50 was actually named after him, being he was their elite rider at the time. PR stood for "Paul's Replica", as he worked with them for over a year developing it. I hate to hear this......
Gutted to hear of Paul's passing. What an incredible rider- and what great times those years of motocross were... very special times- probably not to be repeated. Bruch Bunch, Paul Denis, Rick Hemme and Kyle Fleming.... and loads of others gladly still with us.

So cool the story of Paul riding the tricked out Italjet PR50 in those years and how it was actually named after him- 'PR'.... meant 'Paul Replica'. as Dado has explained. I think some of the pics he(Paul Denis) posted on Vital there is a pic of one of his PR50's from the Italjet race of Champions in '79 I think.

Also are some pics of Paul I saw landing his KX80 right on the front wheel- flat out- love that picture- what times and Paul was so fast then.
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CalRMX
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CalRMX 5/10/2019 2:03pm
5/10/2019 2:03pm
daemon616 wrote:
Rest In Power.
This is a quote from Harry Klemm on FB

I was fortunate enough to work on Paul's KX80s during his very successful mini expert days. He was a very soft spoken kid (for an MX racer), and both he and his Dad Jack were very easy to hang out with. Gone far too soon ... Godspeed Paul.
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daemon616
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daemon616 5/10/2019 2:14pm
5/10/2019 2:14pm
daemon616 wrote:
Rest In Power.
CalRMX wrote:
This is a quote from Harry Klemm on FB [i] [b]I was fortunate enough to work on Paul's KX80s during his very successful mini expert days...
This is a quote from Harry Klemm on FB

I was fortunate enough to work on Paul's KX80s during his very successful mini expert days. He was a very soft spoken kid (for an MX racer), and both he and his Dad Jack were very easy to hang out with. Gone far too soon ... Godspeed Paul.
Oh I was thinking of someone else.
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a22
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a22 5/10/2019 2:25pm
5/10/2019 2:25pm Edited Date/Time 5/10/2019 3:01pm
I guess you could say that winning what Paul did- he was like an actual mini cycle 'World Champion' of the time, not just National. Reason I say this a s been posted- there was a very interesting race- maybe one of the first events organised. Was an 'International Race' in UK- Trentham Gardens I think- 1983-1984.
U.S sent Paul Denis and a bundle of other amazing riders, think Larry Brooks also may have been there- cannot remember all the US riders but they were some of the very best of the time. 'Hammering Hank Moree' may also have been there- abit younger- there were alot of the top US lads- wish I could remember the names
Paul won the event- against many top International riders of the day and seriously quick riders who did good in GP's later. Pretty damn cool to also have a seriously good bike named after you (the Paul Replica- PR50)- probably one of the quickest 50's to have ever existed!

It always makes me really wonder how Paul never did so good as a pro- he was surely as fast as pretty much anyone you would have thought at that time... Would have thought he could have run with Wardy and O' Mara even.

RIP and GODSPEED the NMAchamp!
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500guy
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500guy 5/10/2019 5:18pm
5/10/2019 5:18pm
daemon616 wrote:
Rest In Power.
Paul333 wrote:
Asshole

You should be banned
Although kind of poor taste, I think He was just joking.

RIP Paul Denis
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Hamster 75 6/27/2019 4:32pm
6/27/2019 4:32pm
a22 wrote:
I guess you could say that winning what Paul did- he was like an actual mini cycle 'World Champion' of the time, not just National. Reason...
I guess you could say that winning what Paul did- he was like an actual mini cycle 'World Champion' of the time, not just National. Reason I say this a s been posted- there was a very interesting race- maybe one of the first events organised. Was an 'International Race' in UK- Trentham Gardens I think- 1983-1984.
U.S sent Paul Denis and a bundle of other amazing riders, think Larry Brooks also may have been there- cannot remember all the US riders but they were some of the very best of the time. 'Hammering Hank Moree' may also have been there- abit younger- there were alot of the top US lads- wish I could remember the names
Paul won the event- against many top International riders of the day and seriously quick riders who did good in GP's later. Pretty damn cool to also have a seriously good bike named after you (the Paul Replica- PR50)- probably one of the quickest 50's to have ever existed!

It always makes me really wonder how Paul never did so good as a pro- he was surely as fast as pretty much anyone you would have thought at that time... Would have thought he could have run with Wardy and O' Mara even.

RIP and GODSPEED the NMAchamp!
I remember racing in that Trentham Gardens race with Paul in 1983 & we chatted quite a bit over the weekend, was a nice lad, what an amazing rider he was, most of us hadn't seen anyone that fast at the time.

My pal still has Pauls, Griffin race pants from that meeting, sad to say, quite worrying really as I am the same age born in 1966 & I knew a few riders in that race that are no longer with us today.

RIP Paul Denis
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