All Time Best Wrench?

Motodave15
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Motodave15
Edited Date/Time 4/4/2020 8:19pm
Being alot of downtime for everyone got me thinking.

Who were/are the best all-time mechanics from the 60s/70s/80s/90s/00s?

I can only think of Tony Berlutti(spelling), lee mocolum(spelling),Chad Watts, Skip Norfolk, Jeremy albrect(spelling), Mike Gosselar (Goose) (spelling).

Any insight to unsung heroes, or even better mechanics feel free to throw a story out there. Im only a fan and never got to personally meet any of the guys. But the bikes they put out there spoke volumes with the riders aboard.
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Sprew
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Sprew 4/3/2020 8:27pm
4/3/2020 8:27pm
No contest. 2 perfect seasons. Done.
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Rawly
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Rawly 4/3/2020 8:34pm
4/3/2020 8:34pm
Mike Gosselaar was definitely up there , but I’d add Keith McCarty Bob Hannah’s mechanic at Yamaha. Bikes were much tougher to keep running and making it through a moto back then.
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FWYT
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FWYT 4/3/2020 8:40pm
4/3/2020 8:40pm
Goose.
Jim Felt. (Partially for all the stuff he did after his moto career.)

BTW, I know there is a full vid of Goose swapping out the electrics on Dungey's bike that time.
Talk about pressure!!! Holy crap! Anyone have a link to that?
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SLAPAHO
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SLAPAHO 4/3/2020 8:43pm
4/3/2020 8:43pm
idk about all time, but ask Damon Bradshaw and i'd bet he'd say Mike Chavez... worth a mention at the very least... dude could make a 125 sing like a mofo...
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Ryan625
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Ryan625 4/3/2020 8:44pm
4/3/2020 8:44pm
Jeremy Albriecht and Mike Gosselar are the only two that really come to mind.

J-Bone because he kept Stew's 125 running almost flawlessly. I think one mechanical DNF at most?
Goose - Kept RC's bikes running through multiple perfect seasons.
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TeeJay54
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TeeJay54 4/3/2020 9:17pm
4/3/2020 9:17pm
Harry Klemm. What he did with Rex Staten's CZ for the '75 Carlsbad USGP astonished everyone. Took a 250lb anvil of a bike and made it into a rocketship. If not for a busted motor mount, Staten would have won that race, which for an American privateer on a production bike would have been thought impossible. Here's a link to the story:

http://www.klemmvintage.com/usgp1975.htm

It was different back in the late 60's to mid 70's. We were in unknown territory. Bikes and moto-technology were changing almost weekly. Innovation along with good old Yankee ingenuity was essential. Those of you that were there know what I'm saying here. Not to take anything away from those that came later, they were all incredible. But my vote goes to all the guys that blazed the trail when there was no roadmap.
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brocster
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brocster 4/3/2020 9:26pm
4/3/2020 9:26pm
Throw Randy Lawrence into the mix
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Zesiger 112
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Zesiger 112 4/3/2020 9:43pm
4/3/2020 9:43pm
How is Carlos Rivera not mentioned yet? All those KTM wins with Dungey and now Cooper. also Mike Williamson with Villopoto.
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profeshenal125 4/3/2020 10:13pm
4/3/2020 10:13pm
Brian Lunis easily 1st, Goose, Emigs 91 125 wrench. That YZ was so slow, at wide open throttle bees would fly in threw the silencer and make Honey inside the pipe.Smile
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hubbardmx50
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hubbardmx50 4/3/2020 10:21pm
4/3/2020 10:21pm Edited Date/Time 4/3/2020 10:24pm
Ian Harrison, Eric Gass, Jordan Troxel, Brent Presnell, Kyle Bentley
Money
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Money 4/3/2020 10:54pm
4/3/2020 10:54pm
chad watts
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captmoto
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captmoto 4/3/2020 10:54pm
4/3/2020 10:54pm
Rawly wrote:
Mike Gosselaar was definitely up there , but I’d add Keith McCarty Bob Hannah’s mechanic at Yamaha. Bikes were much tougher to keep running and making...
Mike Gosselaar was definitely up there , but I’d add Keith McCarty Bob Hannah’s mechanic at Yamaha. Bikes were much tougher to keep running and making it through a moto back then.
They were all around mechanics working on suspension, motors, graphics, laced wheels and mounted their own tires, and modding their bikes all the time. Now days the bikes are more technical so there is a motor guy, suspension guy, electronics guy and so on.
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Boomslang
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Boomslang 4/3/2020 11:12pm
4/3/2020 11:12pm
Rawly wrote:
Mike Gosselaar was definitely up there , but I’d add Keith McCarty Bob Hannah’s mechanic at Yamaha. Bikes were much tougher to keep running and making...
Mike Gosselaar was definitely up there , but I’d add Keith McCarty Bob Hannah’s mechanic at Yamaha. Bikes were much tougher to keep running and making it through a moto back then.
captmoto wrote:
They were all around mechanics working on suspension, motors, graphics, laced wheels and mounted their own tires, and modding their bikes all the time. Now days...
They were all around mechanics working on suspension, motors, graphics, laced wheels and mounted their own tires, and modding their bikes all the time. Now days the bikes are more technical so there is a motor guy, suspension guy, electronics guy and so on.
Yup, back in the day we did everything ourselves from lacing wheels, porting, blowing pipes out, boring carbs....you name it.

The modern (factory) mechanic has it a lot easier but one thing remains the same.....long hours. It takes a special person to survive the travel and long hours season after season.

I take my hat off to guys like Goose for hanging in so long. He deserves to be in a green pasture somewhere.

Very few move up the ladder. Ian Harrison for example left South Africa with Greg, they were just kids. Look where he is now. Happy for him.





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BobbyM
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BobbyM 4/4/2020 12:04am
4/4/2020 12:04am
Motodave15 wrote:
Being alot of downtime for everyone got me thinking. Who were/are the best all-time mechanics from the 60s/70s/80s/90s/00s? I can only think of Tony Berlutti(spelling), lee...
Being alot of downtime for everyone got me thinking.

Who were/are the best all-time mechanics from the 60s/70s/80s/90s/00s?

I can only think of Tony Berlutti(spelling), lee mocolum(spelling),Chad Watts, Skip Norfolk, Jeremy albrect(spelling), Mike Gosselar (Goose) (spelling).

Any insight to unsung heroes, or even better mechanics feel free to throw a story out there. Im only a fan and never got to personally meet any of the guys. But the bikes they put out there spoke volumes with the riders aboard.

I
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Crush
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Crush 4/4/2020 12:56am
4/4/2020 12:56am Edited Date/Time 4/4/2020 12:57am
Conflating winningest and best seems problematic when it comes to a wrench. I’m sure lots of Mechs have had machines go 48 motos without an issue, or at least not an issue that was down to them. It’s not like RC crashed a lot those years.

I’d say you would have to ask riders and the mechs themselves.
Henk_Zanting 4/4/2020 1:45am
4/4/2020 1:45am
Don't forget Cliff White guys. legendary mechanic in the glory days of Honda, worked for Bailey, JMB and many more. Think he retired around 5 years ago.

In Europe:
Harry Nolte
Herman Gevers
Fabio Santoni
Frank Grolleman
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CPR
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CPR 4/4/2020 2:13am
4/4/2020 2:13am
Goose full stop
With an endless list of honourable mentions.
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TDeath21
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TDeath21 4/4/2020 2:17am
4/4/2020 2:17am
Back in the day they’d always interview the mechanics and they got a lot more screen time. Never see that now.
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Bearuno
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Bearuno 4/4/2020 2:25am
4/4/2020 2:25am Edited Date/Time 4/4/2020 4:13am
I'd say it would be a few, totally unknown Mechanics / Engineers, from a number of Japanese (especially them) and European, and American - well, Worldwide, race efforts. Not just the 'names' as we know them.

To make myself clear, before the inevitable pissing and moaning - a whole bunch of those 'names', mentioned previously in this thread, and still to come, are / have been fantastic Mechanics and Engineers - but there are blokes most never know of, that have really done the hard yards, and, been incredibly creative and influential, behind the scene(s). With little, to no, public cachet.
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RDT
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RDT 4/4/2020 2:37am
4/4/2020 2:37am
Don Jones.
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TeeJay54
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TeeJay54 4/4/2020 3:50am
4/4/2020 3:50am
RDT wrote:
Don Jones.
Yep. After thinking about this and seeing all the names mentioned so far, every one of them great, gotta go with Don Jones. GOAT. The opportunity does not exist anymore to do all that he did. Any of you young guys out there that don't know the story, check it out. A moto pioneer if there ever was one.

I'm surprised that Mitch Payton hasn't been
mentioned yet. Might be a solid second GOAT, right behind Jones.
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rileymx
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rileymx 4/4/2020 4:36am
4/4/2020 4:36am Edited Date/Time 4/4/2020 4:37am
i guess since the big teams came along, with engine rooms, suspension rooms, test team, practice mecs and all that, plus the production rule on the bikes, it all started to be a team effort and the "superhero" status so much loved over here, was a thing of the past.....today i would say the "superheros" are the unknown private mecs that travel all around the country to put a bike on the gate each week on the thinnest of budgets as we see on every race, we dont know their names, nor exactly what they have been through to have the bike on the gate, out of a box van, under a 3by3 simple awning and with a box of tools....those for me are the real GOAT !!!!!
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Crossup
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Crossup 4/4/2020 6:43am
4/4/2020 6:43am
FWYT wrote:
Goose. Jim Felt. (Partially for all the stuff he did [i]after[/i] his moto career.) BTW, I know there is a full vid of Goose swapping out...
Goose.
Jim Felt. (Partially for all the stuff he did after his moto career.)

BTW, I know there is a full vid of Goose swapping out the electrics on Dungey's bike that time.
Talk about pressure!!! Holy crap! Anyone have a link to that?
Yep, I was there. 2011 Southwick. Dungey was off the starting line freaking out when Goose came over the hill with his bike. Dungey got out JUST in front of the lead riders which allowed him to legally enter the race. Awesome!

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