Mike Hailwood
MIKE HAILWOOD
INTERVIEW
IT CAN BE ARGUED that there are degrees of greatness. Some men have had the honor accorded them because of brilliant maximum-effort performance during brief, exciting careers. Such a man was Gary Hocking. Others have been cherished by their public because they have prevailed as number one in their endeavors year after year. Such a man is Stanley Woods. And then, maybe once in a lifetime, a man emerges who is sensationally brilliant in his accomplishments, year after year after year — a man not content with one type of greatness, but who is predestined or predisposed, consciously or not, to enjoy greatness that becomes legend. Such a man is Mike Hailwood.
Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood — Mike the Bike — began his road racing career at Oulton Park, at age 17, on the Saturday following the 1956 Scottish Six
Days Trials. On a 125cc MV single provided by the late Bill Webster (a close friend of Mike's dad, Stan), the youngster displayed form, skill and drive — despite the bike being overgeared and overjetted to save its engine and the boy's hide — to cause Webster to comment "Stan, you have a future world champion there. You can buy him a machine."
To which the senior Hailwood replied, "Oh rubbish!"
Prophetic words? Yes, but a bit conservative in light of all that has since transpired, for Mike is now a past and current world champion many times over and in several displacement classes. He is a "works" rider who has campaigned for one factory, then another, and then come back again — not because he has had to scrounge rides, but because he has enjoyed the enviable position of being able, through
his brilliance, to select the machinery that he wanted to ride.
It's understandable that a man who counts his professional race wins in the hundreds and his GPs by the dozens, is hard pressed to relate a singularly thrilling experience. When a rider charges as hard and fast as Mike does, thrilling experiences must assuredly become the rule rather than the exception. The experience and drama of racing for Mike could fill a book — and have; two books, in fact, have been written regarding Mike's career, one authored by himself and the other by his father.
ïf Mike Hailwood were to enter retirement right now he could do so with the knowledge that he is, without qualification, the greatest road racer of all time. After all, who can dispute the worth of a man who has won 12 TTs — and with six of them in two three-in-a-week hat tricks, in 1961 and 1967.
We talked with Mike after the final practice session for the Dutch GP at Assen, in his trailer in the paddock, less than a week after Agostini's retribution at Mallory Park, during the post-TT circus, in which the handsome young Italian restated his position as a man who is out to steal some of Mike's thunder. CW: Which single race meeting was your best-ever?
HAILWOOD: I think that the Isle of Man '61 TT was the one I was most happv with, because that was the first time I'd ever won a TT and I got the most satisfaction out of that, because now I regard it more as a job than anything else. And anything I win now is more or less incidental.
CW: How did Stanley Woods take your wins this year and your beating his ten TT win record?
HAILWOOD: Pretty good, I thought. Stanley has been a rather close friend for some years, and while I don't think anyone likes to lose a record, he seemed rather pleased, as a matter of fact.
CW: How did the Honda 500 handle in the Island?
HAILWOOD: Not very good, really. It felt like a combination of oil on the rear tire and a hinge in the middle.
CW: It looked pretty bad at the bottom of Bray Hill, sort of curb-to-curb. HAILWOOD: Yes, in fact it felt like I was running over the curbs.
CW : How does Honda feel about you talking about the bikes?
HAILWOOD: I don't know much about them, really, just the bare essentials. I trust the mechanics completely for the mechanical preparation. The engines are so complex I'd rather not know. CW: We noticed the unusual front wheel spindle for changing the trail. Are they still experimenting with it?
HAILWOOD: No, not really. We found that the original position was the best anyway, but they thought they'd try it. CW: The rear adjusters, with the two jam nuts, don't look as though they would hold the spindle where they wanted it to. But it probably does the job. Maybe it bends somewhere else?
HAILWOOD: It does! It bends everywhere. CW: What about the Italian frame you had built?
HAILWOOD: We haven't had time to do anything with it. The last time I rode, it was worse than the Honda. There's never time to do anything. For instance, we finished the TT on Friday, then over to Mallory for Sunday, and first practice here in Holland was Wednesday. After the race tomorrow, we head straight to Belgium and do it all over again next week. And we've no spares to work with. CW: Because you went so quickly on the Island with the 500, do you think that Honda will have you continue with this current frame?
HAILWOOD: Yes, unfortunately. I told them what's the matter, but they'll say, "Look, it's gone quickly in the Isle of Man and it's gone quickly here. What the hell's the matter with you — it can't be that bad." CW: Of course, they are faced with some problems, because it has more actual horsepower than any other road race machine ever built.
HAILWOOD: Does it? I guess that that might be so. Quite possible the MVs go as fast because they're lighter.
CW : What is the horsepower of the Hondas?
HAILWOOD: Who knows? They've quoted figures, and I don't know who to believe or what to believe. But I should say it's a bit over 80.
CW: What is the weight of your 500? HAILWOOD: Oh, I believe it's around 150 kilos — about 330 pounds.
CW: Do you know the weight of the 500 MV three?
HAILWOOD: I'm certain it's under 300 pounds.
CW: The 350-six on the Island was actually a 297, but is there really a 350-six? HAILWOOD: No. I read about that in the motorcycle papers this week. It doesn't exist as far as I know.
CW : We watched the 350 race at the bottom of Baaregarroo and felt that your Honda was about the fastest thing ever. HAILWOOD: I think it's the noise actually, which gives you the impression of so much speed.
CW: From the vantage points where we were watching the TT, we noticed that Agostini was shutting off in places where you were leaving it on. But how would you account for his lap times being so close to yours?
HAILWOOD: He was probably going through the corners quicker than I was, particularly on the 500 and, consequently, having to shut it off more.
CW: /s the MV quicker than your Honda? HAILWOOD: It's about the same. Mine's probably about a mile an hour quicker, but I think the MV probably has better acceleration because it's a lot lighter. CW: What about physical fitness and training? How do you approach this? HAILWOOD: Unfortunately, I don't do any, actually, although I suppose I should. I reckon I race enough each weekend to keep reasonably fit.
CW: Just how many miles do you figure you race each season?
HAILWOOD: Oh, Jeesuz! I should hate to think. I've never really totaled it up, but I should think that it would be about 10.000. But it's difficult to say, really. I should say it's about 10,000 miles in a year, with practice and racing.
CW: Will this be your last season?
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HAILWOOD: No! I'll play around for another — it depends on what they'll pay me, of course.
CW: What about car racing — are you more serious about it?
HAILWOOD: No. I might go GT racing, but only because it's something to do. CW: We understand you have started a new company with former Suzuki factory
rider Frank Perris?
HAILWOOD: Yes, a real estate development company in South Africa. Frank is living there now, and I plan to spend most of the winter there. The weather is much better there than in England.
And then, a knock on the door of Mike's trailer, and in walked a pair of scrumptious young blondes. Rumor has it that Mike
struck up a waving acquaintance with the prettier of the pair during practice — while he was traveling through the esses at around 120 mph.
There's a message here: If you're as good as Mike Hailwood you can rest assured that the lovely has had her eye on you for quite some time. To the victor . . . the spoils. ■
