Ralph Bryans

Ralph Bryans (7 March 1941 – 6 August 2014) was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Northern Ireland. Bryans was Ireland's only Grand Prix world champion, winning the 50 cc title in 1965.

Racing career Bryans started road-riding on a BSA Bantam when working as a sixteen-year-old apprentice fitter. He entered his first race, the 1959 Tandragee 100, on a borrowed Ambassador 199 cc. For the 1960 season, he fitted a Triumph Terrier 150 cc engine to his Bantam frame, winning the 1960 Irish 200 cc Championship.

For the 1961 season, Bryans then progressed to a 1958 350 cc Manx Norton provided by sponsor James Wilson, an insurance broker, further-learning his skills in company of established racers Tommy Robb, Dick Creith and George Purvis. In 1962, Bryans first entered the Isle of Man TT and later in the Ulster Grand Prix was placed ninth in 350 cc class riding his Wilson-Norton and tenth in the 500 cc class on a Reg Dearden Manx Norton.

In December 1962, Bryans arranged to ride Joe Ryan Nortons during 1963, when he was first noticed by Jim Redman at the Ulster Grand Prix. Bultaco signed Bryans after 'guest riding' their machines in Spain, but allowed Bryans to take advantage of a later offer from Honda to ride works machines in 1964, during which he was placed second in the 50 cc class and third in the 125 cc TT races. In 1965, Bryans won three races along with two second-place finishes to win the 50cc world championship for the Honda factory racing team.

Motorcycle Grand Prix results Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 Points 8 6 4 3 2 1 (key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points Rank Wins1962 50cc Benelli ESP- FRA- IOM15 NED- BEL- GER- DDR- NAT- FIN- ARG- 0 - 0 350cc Wilson Norton IOMNC NED- ULS10 DDR- NAT- FIN- 0 - 01963 125cc Honda ESP- GER- FRA- IOM9 NED- BEL- ULS- DDR- FIN- NAT- ARG- JPN- 0 - 0 250cc Benelli ESP- GER- IOMNC NED- BEL- ULS- DDR- NAT- ARG- JPN- 0 - 0 500cc Norton IOM- NED- BEL- ULS5 DDR- FIN- NAT- ARG- 2 14th 01964 50cc Honda USA- ESPNC FRANC IOM2 NED1 BEL1 GER1 FIN- JPN- 30 2nd 3 125cc Honda USA- ESP- FRA- IOM3 NED3 GERNC DDR8 ULS3 FIN2 NAT4 JPN- 21 5th 0 250cc Honda USA- ESP- FRA- IOM- NED- BEL- GER- DDR- ULS3 NAT- JPN- 4 14th 0 1965 50cc Honda USA- GER1 ESP2 FRA1 IOMNC NED1 BEL5 JPN2 36 1st 3 125cc Honda USA- GERNC ESPNC FRANC IOM6 NED- DDR- CZE- ULS4 FIN4 NAT- JPN3 11 8th 0 250cc Honda USA- GER- ESP- FRA- IOM- NED- BEL- DDR- CZE- ULS5 FIN3 NAT- JPN- 6 13th 0 1966 50cc Honda ESP3 GER2 NED2 IOM1 NAT2 JPN- 26 2nd 1 125cc Honda ESP3 GER2 NEDNC DDR6 CZE2 FIN3 ULS2 IOM7 NAT2 JPN- 32 3rd 01967 250cc Honda ESP2 GER1 FRA4 IOM3 NED3 BEL3 DDR3 CZE4 FINNC ULS2 NAT3 CAN3 JPN1 40 4th 2 350cc Honda GER- IOM- NED- DDR- CZE- ULS2 NAT1 JPN2 20 3rd 1