Jeff Smith

Jeffrey Vincent Smith (14 October 1934 – 21 March 2026) was an English professional motorcycle racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1954 to 1969 as a member of the BSA factory racing team.

Smith's achievements in motorcycle racing included two FIM 500cc Motocross World Championships (1964, 1965), two British Trials Championships, four individual race wins in the Motocross des Nations, one Scottish Six Days Trial win and eight ISDT Gold Medals. In 1970, Smith was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and in 2000 he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Career Early career Smith was born in Colne, Lancashire, England, on 14 October 1934. His father was an avid motorcyclist and gave Smith his first motorcycle at the age of nine.

When Smith was hired by the BSA factory as a general engineering apprentice in 1952, BSA was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. His first job at the BSA factory was to disassemble, clean and rebuild engines, which taught him excellent mechanical skills. He rode a BSA to win the 1953 and 1954 British Trials Championship. He ended the season ranked seventh in the European championship, as his BSA teammate John Draper claimed the title. He also won his first 500cc British Motocross Championship and was the top individual points scorer at the 1955 Motocross des Nations event held in Randers, Denmark. He won his second consecutive 500cc British Motocross Championship in 1956 and led the British team to a victory as the top individual points scorer at the 1956 Motocross des Nations event held in Namur, Belgium.

The FIM upgraded the 500cc European Motocross Championship to World Championship status for the 1957 season. Smith won his second 500cc British Motocross Grand Prix in 1957 at Hawkstone Park and ended the inaugural 500cc World Championship in fourth-place.

Smith won the 500cc British Motocross Grand Prix for a third time in 1959 and was a member of the victorious British team at 1959 Motocross des Nations event held in Namur, Belgium.

In 1960 Smith rode a four-stroke BSA C15 to compete in the 250cc European Motocross Championship, winning the Luxembourg and British Grand Prix races to finish the season ranked second to Dave Bickers (Greeves).

Smith won another two Grand Prix events in the 1961 250cc European Motocross Championship, but dropped to third in the season final standings behind his BSA teammate Arthur Lampkin as Dave Bickers successfully defended his title.

The FIM upgraded the European Motocross Championship to World Championship status for the 1962 season. The Greeves factory chose not to compete in the new championship, keeping two-time European motocross champion, Dave Bickers, at home to compete in the British championship.

In 1962, the BSA factory began development on motorcycle to compete for the 500cc Motocross World Championship. A 343cc BSA B40 four-stroke engine was employed using the race-developed chassis of the BSA B15 model. After the engine was painted black, the new motorcycle was dubbed "Black Bess" by British motorsports journalists after the horse ridden by Highwayman, Dick Turpin. In a year that had been dominated by Swedish riders, Smith rode the new motorcycle to victory at the season-ending 1962 500cc Swedish Grand Prix ahead of Sten Lundin (Lito). The victory marked a turning point in motocross history as, it was the first win by a two-stroke powered motorcycle in the premier division of the Motocross World Championships. The championship wasn't decided until the final race of the season in Spain, where Smith took the victory to claim the World Championship by only two points over Tibblin. His accomplishments earned him the Motorcycle News 1964 'Man of the Year' award.

By the mid 1960s the heavier four-stroke motorcycles were being rendered obsolete by advances in two-stroke engine technology which made apparent the importance of lightness and agility in motocross racing. Smith successfully defended his crown in the 1965 500cc World Championship with six Grand Prix victories however, his victory would mark the last time that a motorcycle powered by a four-stroke engine would win a 500cc Motocross World Championship. Paul Friedrichs riding a two-stroke ČZ motorcycle won three Grand Prix races and finished second to Smith in the championship.

Later career Smith in action at the 500cc Dutch Grand Prix on 25 July 1965 in Bergharen, Holland. In an effort to keep pace with the rapid developments in two-stroke engine technology, the BSA factory racing team constructed a new BSA Victor motorcycle for the 1966 season which utilised a four-stroke engine cradled in an ultra-lightweight, titanium motorcycle frame. Unfortunately, the titanium frame was too brittle for the rigors of motocross racing and broke regularly during competitions. Smith won the first round in La Rue, Ohio to become the first rider in history to win an AMA-sanctioned professional motocross event. At the age of 37, Smith announced his retirement in January 1972.

Career overview Smith won 53 individual heat races and 30 Grand Prix victories during his world championship racing career.

After racing After Smith stopped racing professionally, he was hired by the Bombardier Corporation (manufacturer of Ski-Doo snowmobiles), as a special projects manager to oversee the development of off-road motorcycles for their recently formed Can-Am motorcycle division based in Valcourt, Quebec, Canada. He continued to compete in enduro events in his role as a Can-Am development rider, winning three more ISDT Gold Medals. Smith's development work helped the Can-Am racing team claim the first three places in the 1974 AMA 250cc motocross national championship. As a result, investments in product development were reduced substantially and, Can-Am was unable to keep pace with Japanese manufacturers as motocross technology began to develop rapidly during the 1970s and 1980s. Bombardier then shifted its priority from recreational products towards the transit equipment industry and then, several years later, into aircraft manufacturing. In 1983, Bombardier licensed the brand and outsourced development and production of the Can-Am motorcycles to Armstrong-CCM of Lancashire, England. A series of disputes over Smith's leadership of the organisation led Iannucci to file a lawsuit against Smith and the AHRMA on 12 March 2001. The legal expenses in fighting the lawsuit forced the AHMRA to file for bankruptcy in November 2006. Smith resigned from the AMA on 15 February 2008, followed by his resignation from the AHRMA, as a result of irregular expense-account claims submitted by the then AMA Chairman.

Death After a brief illness, Smith died at the Marshfield Clinic in Weston, Wisconsin on 21 March 2026, at the age of 91.

Awards and honours In 1964, Smith was the recipient of the Motorcycle News 'Man of the Year' award.