Leslie Graham

Robert Leslie Graham (14 September 1911 – 12 June 1953) was a British motorcycle road racer who competed in the 1930s and 1940s.

In 1929 he entered a race on the Oswestry Park Hall circuit, riding a second hand Dot-JAP, and came second to Henry Pinnington on an AJS.

For the next few years he raced a succession of Rudge hybrids with varying success.

In 1936 he managed to purchase a near new 250 cc OHC OK-Supreme cheaply, because it had dropped a valve.

He rebuilt it, and entered it in the 1936 Ulster Grand Prix.

After completing a lap of the Clady Circuit, the big end seized.

He rebuilt it for 1937, and entered Northern Ireland's North West 200, and lead the Lightweights for a while until he came off.

He remounted, joined the field, and was running third behind a couple of Excelsiors, when the valve gear broke.

He rebuilt the engine again, and won his next race at Donington Park.

He then entered the Ulster Grand Prix, and came fourth.

After this he was approached by John Humphries (the son of OK-Supreme's founder) to join the firm, and was given a job assembling the OHC engines.

OK-Supreme produced short track racers with JAP engines.

Les Graham, Andy McKay, and John Humphries soon became known as the Midlands trio of OK-JAP riders.

In summer of 1938 they raced in the South Eastern Championships on Layhams Farm "mountain mile" grass track.

Les took the 20 lap Matchless Trophy, setting a record in the process, despite never having competed on that track before.

He came 12th in the 1938 Isle of Man TT Lightweight on an OK-Supreme.

In 1939 he entered the IOM TT riding a Rudge engine Chris Tattersal St. Annes (CTS), and was running fourth on the second last lap, when the gearbox broke.

Jock West was watching the race, and signed Les up to ride a Velo in 1940, but the War intervened, and that did not happen.

Graham served as a pilot in the RAF during World War II.

He was assigned to the 166 Squadron from 1940, flying Lancaster bombers over Germany.

Afterwards, he returned to racing in the late 1940s as a member of the AJS factory racing team.

He competed privately at the first post war Cadwell Park meeting, on a Norton 350, and won.

He attained the rank of Flight Lieutenant and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in December 1944 for bravery.

Afterwards, he flew with Transport Command, until he was demobilised in 1946.

He had an invitation from Wing Commander J.M. ("Jock") West, OBE, to join sales and competition at Associated Motorcycles (AMC).

In 1947, on an AJS Porcupine, he managed 9th place in the Senior Isle of Man TT In 1948 he managed a seventh in the Junior, but did not finish in the Senior.

That year at Montlhery, Jock West, Les Graham, and French rider Georges Monneret broke 18 world records at speeds between 107 and 111 mph.

He won the inaugural Grand Prix motorcycle racing 500 cc World Championship in 1949.

Les Graham started racing at Liverpool's Stanley Speedway on dirt.

The Motorcycle World Championships were first held in 1949, a year before the beginning of the four-wheeler Formula One World Championship.

Les was the first winner of the prestigious 500 cc class, riding an AJS Porcupine.

The Championship began with Graham leading by 90 seconds in the 1st round, at the 1949 Isle of Man TT.

With only a few miles to go, the magneto drive sheared and he pushed home to finish 9th.

He won round 2 at Bremgarten in Switzerland and set fastest lap (in year 1 fastest laps counted for 1 point).

Round 3 was the Dutch TT where he finished 2nd to Nello Pagani.

He failed to finish in round 4 at Spa in Belgium.

Round 5 was the Ulster Grand Prix in which he was victorious and collected the fastest lap.

The final round was held at Monza in Italy where local hero Nello Pagani on a Gilera won.

A rider's best three finishes counted.

Graham had 2 wins & a second, Pagani had 2 wins & a 3rd.