Robert Leslie Graham was born in Cheshire in 1911. During the 1930s he was keen to participate in motorcycle racing. But like so many budding aces his slender resources did not permit anything beyond an entry at the occasional short-circuit or grass track event. In 1937 he began an involvement with OK Supreme, supervising the preparation of their race bikes and as an official works rider. It saw R.L. Graham make his Isle of Man debut in 1938 and the securing of 12th place in the Lightweight 250 race.
The Porcupine
World War II halted all racing activities; and as a Lancaster captain with Bomber Command Les rose to the rank of Flight Lieutenant and was awarded the DFC. Following demobilisation Les was eager to resume racing and through the influence of ex-Wing Commander Jock West, who was a director of AJS, Les joined the firm as one of their official works riders. During the war years AJS had created a 500cc parallel twin to contest the post-war championships. The engine was designed to be supercharged in the pre-war fashion but a feature of the new FIM rulings was the banning of superchargers. It was a bitter decision for AJS, and the ‘Porcupine’, as the new model was named was always at a handicap in its unblown format.
500cc World Champion
During 1947 and 1948 the AJS team was repeatedly dogged by ill fortune; and none more so than in the 1949 TT series. In the Junior TT Les took an early lead on the works 7R, only to retire with clutch problems, but it was the Senior TT that was particularly galling for Graham. On the seventh and final lap he held a comfortable lead, only to be halted with magneto failure just miles from the finish. Undaunted, Les pushed the lifeless Porcupine to the finish to claim 10th place.There was compensation though for AJS in the continental GP rounds; firstly at the Swiss GP where Les scored an emphatic win over the factory Gileras. At the Dutch TT Les finished second behind Artesiani's Gilera, but still gained valuable points in the inaugural World Championship. At the Ulster GP Les won a hard-fought race, this time against the works Nortons of Bell and Lockett. During the final event in the classic rounds, the Italian GP at Monza, Les was brought down in the 500cc event by a wayward Gilera rider; but by that stage he had amassed sufficient points to become 500cc World Champion. It was a good result for British riders, with Freddie Frith gaining the 350cc crown and Eric Oliver the sidecar.
The MV Years
It was a satisfying outcome for Les Graham and also AJS who gained the Manufacturers Championship. During 1950, the Porcupine was generally outpaced by its opposition; namely Gilera and the combination of new star Geoff Duke and the ‘Featherbed’ Norton. But at the Swiss GP Les demonstrated his skills with an impressive 350 and 500cc double in the wet and miserable conditions that prevailed. It was his final year with AJS, and in 1951 he began an association with the fledgling MV Agusta firm as number one development and work’s rider. Despite the inevitable setbacks with a new design; during 1951 and more decisively in 1952 Les took the cumbersome MV to the brink of World Championship fame; with positive wins at the end of season 1952 Spanish and Italian Grands Prix.
An IOM Victory Followed by Tragedy
His focus for 1953 was that elusive Senior TT victory; his main opposition would again be Geoff Duke, who had moved to Gilera and was riding magnificently; Norton could not be discounted either, with their number one, Ray Amm another strong possibility. Earlier during TT week Les Graham won the 125 Ultra-Lightweight TT at record speed; it was his first IOM victory and a Senior win on the Friday would be compensation for those frustrating MV years.
Friday was blessed with ideal weather, and as expected Duke put in an opening lap at record speed, with Graham 22 seconds in arrears. Graham had barely flashed past the pit area to begin his second lap when there was stark, hideous tragedy. The unwieldy MV had gone out of control at the foot of Bray Hill and Les Graham was killed. Nothing could restore the vanished joy of a day which began with such promise.
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