Jim Allen (on right with arm in a sling after a recent shoulder repair surgery) was inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Standing with Allen is fellow Canadian Hall of Famer George Morin.
Photo & Story by Colin Fraser
Veteran North American motorcycle racer insider Jim Allen was inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame during the 10th annual Banquet and Ceremonies at the Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel on Saturday evening, November 7. Allen was one of nine inductees honored during the event, sponsored by Husqvarna Motorcycles and presented by the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada.
The presentation portion for Allen started with an introduction from M.C. Pat Gonsalves, before a video covering some of the highlights of the career of a rider who started on two wheels with a 90cc Honda borrowed from his brother.
By 1969, Allen had solid support from Suzuki, racing two-stroke TR250 and TR500 twins in Canada and the U.S.A, ranking second overall north of the border at home. By 1973, he got the number one plate for Yamaha riding for Distributor Trev Deeley, winning titles in the 125cc, 250 and 500 Expert classes, as well as the White’s Trophy.
Allen viewed long time tuner Ken Rosevear, on hand for the Presentations, as his “secret reliability weapon.”
In the mid-1970s, Allen spent time working in Quebec for Bombardier, developing their little known and eventually mothballed 500cc two-stroke street bike project.
By 1977 Allen was focused on the now near-standard Yamaha TZ250 and TZ750 machinery, getting a perfect score in the Canadian Nationals and taking the number one plate for the second time. Allen also received famous praise from now-King Kenny Roberts for his efforts on the brutish two-stroke TZ750 on the AMA Pro circuit.
Allen retired during the 1978 season, and after a brief construction career, moved to Buffalo with Dunlop in a career that would steadily build until his retirement in 2010. Eventually Manager of Dunlop’s very successful Road Race program, Allen lead the swing to DOT race equipment with the advent of the Supersports categories.
Allen was busy with tire design and development, liaison with the racers and teams and especially manufacturers , tech support for other countries and other series including World Superbike and Grand Prix, as well as keeping an eye on the Canadian scene. After 31 years in various versions of road race management at Dunlop, Allen had co-ordinated 125 AMA Championship successes, including 26 Superbike titles.
“It’s really hard for me to believe that this is happening,” said Allen from the Hall of Fame Podium, nursing a strapped shoulder after recent repair surgery. “This really does mean an awful lot to me. It really makes me thing about luck, not really racing luck, but the kind of luck I have enjoyed in my personal life. In many ways I really do feel like a lucky guy.
“You really can’t find a more self-centred group than racers; it’s about the focus on success, the fame eventually-maybe, some money. But really it’s our friends, our supporters, the people who put up with us, listen to us and maybe give us a kick in the ass at the right time.
“Ken (Rosevear) and my time at Deeley is the reason I am up here tonight. That experience lead to my test rider work with Bombardier, where I learned so many things, and that eventually lead to the job with Dunlop. ”
Allen went on to thank wife Anne, the “reason I get up in the morning and the reason I remembered to come here tonight!”
“There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think about motorcycles and motorcycle racing,” explained Allen, in summation. “More than anything, I think about the friends I made through motorcycles and motorcycle racing.”