John Draper (motorcyclist)

John Draper (1929 – 24 December 2002) was an English professional motorcycle racer. He was a versatile rider competing in many diverse motorcycle competitions, most notably motocross in which he became the first British rider to win the European Motocross Championship in 1955.

Motorcycling career Born in Bishop's Cleeve, Gloucestershire, England, Draper first learned to ride motorcycles on his father's farm. In 1948, he signed a contract to ride for the BSA factory racing team joining his teammate and brother-in-law, Jeff Smith.

In 1950, Draper led a British team to victory in the Motocross des Nations event in Sweden, which was considered the Olympics of motorcycling. Draper's impressive results could have presented the opportunity for a career in road racing which was potentially more lucrative however, he stated that work on his father's farm did not allow him to take the time to pursue a serious career. With the Norton factory focusing their activities on road racing, Draper returned to BSA in 1953. In the 1956 500cc European Motocross Championships, he finished second to countryman, Les Archer, Jr.

Draper won five Grand Prix victories during his international racing career and was a member of seven victorious British Motocross des Nations teams (1949, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1959).

Draper's motorcycle competition career extended into the 1960s; he also represented the United Kingdom in the International Six Days Trial. He continued to ride BSA after his factory contract had lapsed and never admitted to having retired from competition. Draper died at the age of 73.