Farewell Peter Smith

It's with great sadness that we announce the death of legendary Australian motorcycle writer Peter Smith.

Mr Smith died at his house in Quirindi (NSW) in mid-December last year.

Peter worked in a number of mechanical trades in the Sydney area until he started writing a food and wine column for BIKE Australia in the early ´80s. He immediately set new standards regarding what kinds of issues could be covered by motorcycle journalists. His distinctive style was immediately popular and many of Australia's outback pubs still have a 'Mr Smith' award proudly displayed behind the bar.

He is probably best remembered for his columns in Two Wheels magazine which ran almost uninterrupted from January 1985 until his December 2009 finale but he also spent a year as a full-time staff member for AMCN during which everyone, including himself, discovered he was better at colour and opinion than cut-and-thrust motorcycle news reporting.

His life was regularly punctuated by health problems related to a near-death crash he had on a Triumph 650 when he was 19. The crater left by the burning bike was a feature of Parramatta Road for many years afterwards.

Mr Smith's lack of physical mobility never stopped him from riding and he ticked all the classic Australia motorcycle boxes: Bathurst, Castrol 6-Hour, TTT rallies, GPs, Isle of Man, and hundreds of other events.

Best of all, he wrote about them in a way that just didn't describe but helped readers to understand.

He was fittingly included in AMCN's recent Legends magazine. His talent was unique and his death closes a significant chapter in the history of motorcycle wring in Australia.

-- Grant Roff