Triples Who's Who

Triples Who's Who
Honorary Members & Famous Faces

Tommy Robb

Ex factory rider for Bultaco, MZ, Bridgestone, Yamaha, Honda, with 20 Silver TT replicas, and 8 Bronze TT replicas. Tommy has competed in over 400 road races between 1955 and 1973…

Born in Belfast in 1934, Tommy started out in Engineering as an apprentice at Short Bros & Harland (Belfast) in 1949, later a Draughtsman and Technical Illustrator until he took up professional racing in 1960.

Started racing in grass tracks on a 197cc James in 1951, plus took part in trials in same year. He was Irish grass track champion until 1955(200cc), and Irish Sand Champion in 1955 (200cc). Tommy started Road Racing in 1955 on a 197 Sun, and finished 3rd 200cc Class (Kirkiston Short Circuit). His first pure road race was at Dundrod on 197 HJH (Villiers) in 1956 (5th 250 class). His first sponsorship was in April 1956 (by Toby Hurst) on his 175 MV Agusta at Lurgan Park, winning the 250 handicap from Sammy Miller (250 NSU). He won again in July 1956 and September 1956. He broke into the international scene by getting sponsorship from Terry Hill on his NSU who entered him for the Ulster Grand Prix where he finished 3rd behind the Works Mondial of Cecil Sandford and the Works MV of Dave Chadwick.

In 1957, Tommy rode in first English Short Circuit (Aintree) on the 250 NSU and won the Aintree Century Handicap from John Surtees on the 500 MV Agusta. 1958 Rode for first time at Oulton Park on 250 NSU and won from Fron Pursiow (NSU). 1958 Rode in first IOM TT race on his NSU, finishing 8th.
Tommy became Irish Champion in the 250cc classes and later 500cc class. 1959 signed for English sponsor Geoff Monty and started English Short Circuit Racing on Ducati, GMS, Nortons, AJS, Matchless. Wins at Blandford, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Aintree, Cadwell, Mallory Park, Brands Hatch, Snetterton. Finished 4th in the 1959 IOM TT on the 250cc GMS and 4th in the Ulster Grand Prix on the GMS.

1960-61 became first works rider for Spanish Bultaco Factory.
1962 became works Honda Rider and finished 2nd 350 World Championship, 3rd 125cc World Championship, 6th in the 250cc W/Championship and 6th in the 50cc Championship.
1962 won the first ever Japanese GP at the Suzuka circuit - both 50cc and 125cc classes.
1962 won the British 250cc Championship (250 Honda 4)
1962 won Brands Hatch Championship.(Honda)
1963 and part of 1964 still works Honda Rider with Jim Redman, Luigi Taveri and Kunumitsu Takahashi.
1964 Became works Rider for Yamaha with Phil Read and Mike (now Michelle) Duff. Carried on road racing in all classes up to 1970 and in that year on Toby Hurst's 500 Seeley. Finished 4th in the 500cc World Championship (1st British Rider and 1st British Machine.)
1971 retired from professional road racing and carried on racing for fun on 250cc and 350cc Yamahas, winning many Irish events road races and short circuits until full retirement in 1973.
In 1973 Tommy won the IOM. TT on a 125cc Yamaha Twin belonging to Danny Keaney, the Ireland Yamaha importer from Dublin. Raced all 1973 season and finally retired at final race at Kirkiston and won 500 cc Class on Billy Guthries' Yamaha - the place where he had his first ever road race 18 years before.

Tommy took sales manager job with Holt Lloyd Company and moved to England to live in 1972, and opened his motorcycle business with wife Irene in Warrington in 1978 and built this up with franchises for Honda, Yamaha ,Triumph, Kawasaki and Piaggio up until March 1999 (21 Years). He then sold the business and did actually retire, eventually becoming a pensioner on 14th October 1999!

Tommy also demonstrates the Honda Factory Bikes and went to Japan in 1998 to ride the 1964 125cc Four cylinder machine at the factory's 50th Anniversary, and in 1999 rode their 250 cc Honda Six Cylinder in their 40th TT Birthday celebration on the TT Circuit.

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Ron Barrett