About Dave Simmonds
Dave Simmonds (25 October 1939 – 23 October 1972) was a British professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He competed in the Grand Prix world championships from 1963 to 1972. Simmonds is notable for winning the 1969 125 cc FIM road racing world championship. == Motorcycle racing career == Born in London, Simmonds began his motorcycle racing career riding a 50cc Itom motorcycle in 1960. By 1963 he had won the 125cc British road racing national championship on a Tohatsu which he kept racing with his brother Mike in the following seasons. His impressive results earned him an invitation from the Kawasaki factory to race one of their new 125cc motorcycles in the 1966 Japanese Grand Prix. Simmonds convinced Kawasaki management to loan him a motorcycle to compete in the 125cc Grand Prix world championships in 1967. In an era of unrestricted rules, the Kawasaki KA-1 125cc twin cylinder was outclassed by the expensive, RA31 V4 engines used by the Yamaha racing team and even the RT67 twins used by Suzuki and he finished 7th of the world championship. Without any financial or mechanical support from the Kawasaki factory, and just spare parts sent from time to time, Simmonds spent the 1967 and 1968 Grand Prix seasons sorting out the motorcycle's reliability issues. End of 1967, the FIM announced a change in its regulations, applicable as from 1969 onwards, in an effort to reduce spiraling costs in motorcycle racing.
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