Isn’t life strange? You never know what awaits you around the next corner. Here is a little story about a chance meeting I had the other day, while pursuing my favorite pastime… motorcycles.

 

A few weeks ago I went to a little known race track called Morgan Park Raceway, which is located in south east Queensland Australia, to watch a few classic motorcycle races, and take a few photos for the site, and who do I meet? None other than 4 times World Motorcycle GP champion Kork Ballington

 

At first I was not sure what to say to him. I mean, what do you say to somebody who has reached the pinnacle of their chosen sport, when you are a mere mortal? So I took a few photos of the bike he was riding for the day, which was a Kawasaki H1R triple 500cc two stroke, which was the same bike that Kork had won the South African Unlimited Championship on in 1972.

 

Then I saw somebody purchasing a book aptly titled “Ballington Unkorked”, how did I not know about this book? I mean, I am probably the world’s most die-hard Kawasaki fan, and well aware of the history of Kork Ballington and Kawasaki, but this one had snuck right by me in absolute stealth mode.

 

I had to get a story, so I casually approached the man with the books, and made some small talk about a web site called MotoStar, and oh yes, could I please have a book too, after all its father’s day today you know, and I am Kawasaki’s most loyal fan, and I have owned almost every Kawasaki road bike made in the last 10 years, and, and, and.

 

What a pleasant fellow, unassuming, humble, helpful, informative… maybe it was a bit to do with my South African accent in a foreign land that broke the ice a bit, but a nicer person you could not ever wish to meet, and I have met a few of the stars of the WSB grid in the last ten years, and the only person who comes to mind, is Troy Bayliss, who had a very similar character, nothing to prove. Maybe that’s because they have both proved everything they needed to on two wheels without the need for attitude and self importance. Let the results speak for themselves.

 

So I was invited to have an informal chat about Kork Ballington the man his racing, his move to Australia, and life in general. This is what I found out:

 

Kork Ballington was born Hugh Neville Ballington in 1951 in Salisbury Rhodesia, and oddly enough his parents were not even Rhodesian, his father was actually only on contract in Rhodesia when he was born, and they moved back to South Africa in about 1954. His racing career started at age 16, and he had a Maserati 50cc, I never even knew that Maserati made motorcycles, but apparently they were hand-made delicacies of the day.

 

Kork told me that he had learned to race on his brother’s bike, and had been riding seriously from the age of 14 at the Westmead go-cart track close to Durban. He had grown up in Cowies Hill, and started racing at the age of 16 in 1967 on a Honda 50 which they had basically made their own custom frame for. From there he progressed to a Honda C110, with another custom, home built frame.

 

Strangely enough there was no family influence in his desire to go racing, and he says he was inspired by himself and people like Jim Redman. His parents had no racing interest and initially gave him little support. Unlike Valentino Rossi whose father was a past GP winner. Kork's father quickly realised though, that his son had potential and started paying attention when Kork started winning races!

 

From those humble beginnings to winning four world championships, and the only world championships in the premier road racing class ever for Kawasaki, is some achievement. Some speculate that if Kawasaki had not withdrawn from racing in 1983, that Kork might have won a few more world championship titles.

He has done more for the public image of Kawasaki, than any other rider in any other championship, and it all might not have happened if he had not won a certain race in South Africa, for which the prize was a shot at racing in Europe.

 

As is well noted by many motivational speakers, luck is when preparation meets opportunity, and we are lucky indeed to have seen such a great racer in action.

 

 

1978 – 250cc world champion – Kawasaki KR250

1978 – 350cc world champion – Kawasaki KR350

1979 – 250cc world champion – Kawasaki KR250

1979 – 350cc world champion – Kawasaki KR350

1981 – Competed in 500cc class on Kawasaki KR500

1982 – Competed in 500cc class on Kawasaki KR500

 

 

If you would like the full story, then you must read his autobiography “Ballington Unkorked”, which is available for purchase right here from our online store.