Dick Bugsy Mann will go down in history as one of the most versatile racers ever to throw a leg over a motorcycle. A two-time AMA Grand National Champion, Mann was one of the very few riders to compete on the national level in dirt track, road racing and motocross. When he retired from professional racing in 1974, Mann was second on the all-time AMA Grand National Series wins list with 24 national victories and had one of the longest careers of competing successfully on the pro circuit spanning the early 1950s to the mid-70s. His first exposure to motorcycling came in his teenage years when he rode a Cushman scooter on his paper route in Richmond, California. Mann and his fellow Richmond motorcycle paper boys, terrorized the Richmond streets in the early morning hours. His dirt-track riding skills were learned on cinder running tracks behind the area schools. On the weekends, Mann would ride in the hills near Richmond on old cow trails (thus cowtrailing, the name he gave that style of riding). This gave him the off-road experience he would later use in motocross. After high school, Mann went to work as a mechanic at fellow Hall of Fame member Hap Alzinas BSA shop in Oakland. There, Mann learned motorcycles inside and out and became a top-notch mechanic. Even after all his accomplishments in professional racing, Mann wasnt quite finished. In 1975, Mann returned to his trail riding roots and qualified for the United States International Six Days Trial team (now known as the International Six Days Enduro) and competed for his country on the Isle of Man earning a bronze medal. Mann was given the prestigious AMA Dud Perkins Award for his contributions to the sport in 1995.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Nov 2014 19:43:33 +0000
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