Posted by I met John Reynolds at this year’s Bike Show @ the Excel and he very kindly answered some questions for me.
John is a former 1992, 2001 and 2004 British Superbike Champion and is an all time great of BSB. With 202 starts, John had 37 career wins and 117 podiums which makes him one of a select few riders to finish on the podium in over half of his career wins.
What is the best feeling about being on a motorbike?
The freedom.
What is the one thing people would never know about you just by looking at you?
That I used to ride motorbikes!
What was your most embarrassing moment on a motorbike?
Scott Spar beating me in the Irish round of the BSB. I had a 1.9 second lead when on turn 3 I lost the front end and on the last corner I got overtaken. When I got back to the pits, I threw my spanners across the garage.
What is the worst thing your mum caught you doing as a kid?
Smoking. She wasn’t very happy about it, I can tell you!
Do you have a lucky thing/ritual before the start of a race?
Ooo, I had a few – I had to put my right leg in my leathers first; then my right boot on first; when I put my helmet on I had to be looking in the direction of the circuit; I also used to have to use the urinal that I used first at the circuit for all of the weekend.
What was the first motorbike you owned?
A Honda 50 when I was 7 years old.
What is your favourite stretch of road to ride on (not including a race track)
Oh that would be the road from Nottingham to Matlock.
If you hadn’t been a racer, what would you have been?
I trained as a sign writer before racing full time.
Would you ride pillion? If so, who with?
Yes, but only with my brother-in-law. I went pillion on the back of a 350 Yamaha when I was 17 and it was the worst ride I’ve ever had and it put me off.
If you got arrested, what would your friends and family assume you had done?
They would just be flabbergasted if I got arrested!
BK