British motocross loses a legend
By Team TMX on 9th Jul 14
British off-road sport lost one of its first heroes on Sunday with the death of Dave Bickers. He was 76.
Dave, who had been seriously ill following a stroke the Monday before his death, won back-to-back European titles – the precursor to the world championship – in 1960 and '61 for the Greeves factory.
A member of British teams that won the Trophee des Nations in 1961 and '62 and the Motocross des Nations in 1966 and '67, he also won six British 250cc crowns between 1960 and '66 and was fifth in the 1966 world 500cc championship, improving to third the following year.
Along with contemporaries including Torsten Hallman, Joel Robert and Roger DeCoster, Dave – who hailed from Coddenham in Suffolk – helped introduce motocross to an American audience when he was a regular competitor in early USA events.
Away from the track he was just as successful in the world of business through his aftermarket company Bickers Anglia and, later, his stunt firm Bickers Action. He was stunt double for Roger Moore in the Bond film Octopussy among other high-profile roles and the company has provided equipment and expertise for blockbusters including Skyfall and the Harry Potter series.
"He was a fantastic bloke,” says four-time world speedway champion Barry Briggs who had been his friend since the '60s. "He was a hero – he jumped higher and further than anyone. He was a tremendous example. What a man!”
