Tuesday, 22nd April 2008

"There's nothing like it in mechanical sport for excitement and drama, motorcycle racing is very much number one as far as I'm concerned" - Murray Walker.

Turning back to the present day, Rizla Suzuki has signed reigning Japanese Superbike champion Atsushi Watanabe to ride alongside Tom Sykes this season. Watanabe is still in the early stages of learning English; something Walker had considerable sympathy for - and some words of warning.

"I congratulate Atsu on his mastery of English so far. It's very difficult for somebody to come from Japan and try to learn English," he said. "My father used to race motorcycles professionally, very well, and they had a hot-shot Italian come over and join the team.

"He didn't speak a word of English so they said to him - in the way that the British do - when you meet anybody in this country you should say 'hello you old bastard!'

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"The first race he was taking part in was the Isle of Man TT and the first person they introduced him to was the governor of the Isle of Man… So he said 'hello you old bastard!' "

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