Barry Sheene dead

my husband has been gutted all day...his boy-hood hero

very sad indeed !
what a great guy ... a real character !

Bombshell: Barry Sheene Dead At 52
former world champion succumbs to cancer
by dean adams
Monday, March 10, 2003
Former two time 500cc world champion Barry Sheene died today in an Australian hospital, report several Australian news sites.

Sheene died from throat and stomach cancer. He leaves behind a wife and two children. He was 52.

Sheene changed motorcycle racing for the better when he raced GPs in the 1970s; he increased the awareness of the sport a hundred fold in the UK with his brash talk, hard riding and ability to land big name sponsors to back his efforts. In the UK, Sheene is still a household name with the older generation; he is the last British rider to win the 500cc world championship.

In his prime, Sheene lived the wild, rock star life one might expect of a flamboyant 70s racing superstar. As chronicled in several of his books, Sheene loved women, loved racing and loved to partake in both as often as possible. He was filled to the brim with bawdy stories from the 1970s and 1980s, all in near medical detail, none that can be repeated in the politically correct third millennium.

Sheene was known for his honest and brash opinions, sardonic wit and undying confidence in himself. He met cancer head on and fought to the end.

It was very characteristic of Sheene, when he learned he had cancer, to bypass conventional treatment and try natural remedies to combat the disease.

To try alternative therapies against quickly spreading throat and stomach cancer seemed like suicide, but that was, honestly, typical of Sheene. If something was going to try and kill him, Sheene was the kind of guy who felt he didn't need any help from anybody. Even if a layman might feel fighting cancer alone insurmountable. The one thing you can say about Sheene was that he never backed down from a fight, ever. Cancer was just another in a fairly long line of beings and entities that Sheene had absolutley no problem with going toe to toe with to see who'd win.

Best known as a Suzuki GP rider in the 1970s, Sheene rode a variety of machines during his career, finishing his GP career with Yamaha. He won the 500cc world title in 1976-1977, and fought a losing battle against Kenny Roberts and others as the decade ended.

Sheene's life wove itself through the racing community. He made many good friends, including Gary Nixon, Erv Kanemoto, Dave Aldana, Steve Parrish and others. Sheene could frequently be seen wearing a Gary Nixon t-shirt while at the track.

It is slightly ironic that the news of "Sheeney's" death reaches the racing world as we prepare to race the Daytona 200. Sheene was infamous for his Daytona crash on the front banking where he broke his leg in the 1970s. Footage of the horrible crash and Sheene's remarkable recovery are still frequently seen on enthusiast television programs.

Born in England, Sheene was a television broadcaster in the end. Reporting on races from his adopted home, Australia,

RIP

i'm all for alternative medicine but if I ever (god forbid) have cancer I am not going for them.

Barry Sheene was one of the greatest personalities in motor sport. Shame to see him go.

bugger.. thats a shame..

Channel 10's coverage in Oz wont be the same without him

Nurgle