Les Archer Jr.

Leslie Archer, best known as Les Archer Jr. (27 February 1929 – 18 December 2019), was an English former leading motorcycle racer of the 1950s, competing in long-distance speed trials, road racing and scrambles, now known as motocross.[3]

This article is about the British motorcycle racer (1929-2019). For the British motorcycle racer (1907-2001), his father, see Les Archer.

Les Archer
Archer in 1956.
NationalityBritish
Born27 February 1929[1]
Farnham, Surrey
Died18 December 2019(2019-12-18) (aged 90)[2]
Calp, Spain[2]
Motocross career
Years active1946-1967
TeamsNorton
Championships500cc – 1956 (European)
Wins10

He was the son of Les Archer, also a top motorcycle racer from the 1920s.[3] Archer is notable for winning the 1956 F.I.M. 500cc European Motocross Championship on a highly modified Manx Norton.[4][5][6]

Biography

Archer rode for the New Imperial factory at the 1947 Isle of Man TT,[7] and competed in the 1950 International Six Days Trial as a member of the British Army team.[8] He competed alongside his traveling companion Eric Cheney, who went on to become one of the top British motorcycle designers.[3][9] Archer was also a member of the victorious British teams at the 1952 and 1953 Motocross des Nations events. Archer competed in the FIM European motocross championship with a 10th-place finish in 1954 then, improving to a 5th place in the 1955 championship.[10][11] In 1956, he succeeded in winning the 500cc European motocross championship over the defending champion and countryman John Draper.[6] Archer further developed the Manx Norton into the 1960s with engine preparation by famed tuner Ray Petty.[3][12][13][14]

He died aged 90 in Spain in December 2019 where he had been living since his retirement.

References
  1. England and Wales births Retrieved 21 January 2015
  2. "Sad news - RIP Les Archer". nortonownersclub.org. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2021. I have just learnt that Les Archer passed away today at his home in Calpe, Spain.
  3. "Les Archer Bio". mxworksbike.com. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  4. 1953 Archer Manx Norton Scrambler Retrieved 21 January 2015
  5. Ryan, Ray (2003). Motocross racers: 30 years of legendary dirt bikes. MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0760312391.
  6. "1956 500cc European motocross championship results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  7. "Les Archer Isle of Man TT statistics". iomtt.com. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  8. "1950 International Six Days Trial". speedtracktales.co.uk. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  9. Eric Cheney. Daily Telegraph (23 February 2002). Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  10. "1954 500cc European motocross championship results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  11. "1955 500cc European motocross championship results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  12. Motor Cycle 21 February 1963, p.252 more potent single-knocker for Archer Accessed and added 21 January 2015
  13. Motor Cycle 28 February 1963, p.220 Bang on Tune - Part One by David Dixon. Accessed and added 21 January 2015
  14. Les Archer Manx Norton at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Archived 11 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
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