The following press release is from the American Motorcyclist Association:
AMA Extends Condolences to Family and Friends of AMA Hall of Fame Legend Mert Lawwill
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association is saddened by the passing of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legend Mert Lawwill and offers its condolences to his family and friends at this time. He was 85.
One of the most defining racers of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Lawwill left an undeniable mark on the motorcycling community. The 1969 AMA Grand National champion and star of the classic moto-film On Any Sunday, Lawwill became one of the most recognizable figures in motorcycling throughout his journey aboard two wheels.
Born in Boise, Idaho, in 1940, Lawwill was introduced to riding by his older brother, Roy, despite apprehension from his parents. Not long after, Lawwill began racing at the local TT track in Boise before expanding his racing efforts throughout the Northwest region, mainly finding his home in hare scrambles.
Capturing the attention of famed Harley-Davidson dealer Dudley Perkins, Lawwill moved to California to begin his professional racing career in 1963. Ultimately, Lawwill signed a factory contract with the brand in 1964 and would remain with Harley for the rest of his racing career.
Lawwill earned his first AMA Grand National victory at the Sacramento Mile in 1965, after registering a collection of podium finishes across his first two seasons of professional competition.
Four years later, Lawwill raced his way to the 1969 AMA Grand National championship and was voted AMA “Most Popular Rider of the Year” for his efforts that season.
Two years after his championship-winning season, Lawwill appeared in Bruce Brown’s legendary moto-documentary On Any Sunday, where his AMA Grand National title defense during the 1970 campaign was put on display for a national audience.
In 1977, an inner-ear disorder that affected his balance caused Lawwill to retire from racing. Across his iconic racing career, he captured 15 AMA Grand National victories and amassed 161 AMA Grand National finishes. In this time, Lawwill completed the prestigious dirt track grand slam, winning at least one race in all four disciplines of dirt track racing — including the Mile, TT, Half-Mile and Short Track.
Following his racing career, Lawwill shifted his attention to designing and building frames for motorcycle race bikes. In 1997, he was inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, largely thanks to his work with Yeti Cycles. During this time, Lawwill also began production on his famed Mert Lawwill Street Tracker motorcycles, which were street-legal versions of the factory Harley-Davidson XR-750 flat track racers that he excelled on.
Inspired by his former teammate Chris Draayer, who lost his arm in a racing accident, Lawwill also used his engineering talents on the production of human prosthetics, developing a system that would help amputees ride motorcycles and bicycles again. Dubbed “Mert’s Hands,” this device was built around a ball-and-socket attachment that snapped onto the rider’s handlebar to allow them to steer easily.
For all his contributions to the motorcycling community, Lawwill was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2012, Lawwill was granted AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legend status, which is reserved for those whose accomplishments transcend their induction category in impactful ways throughout the motorcycle community.
Image courtesy of AMA Archives
