20 Questions: Stan Stephens
Two-stroke tuning legend talks about his love of bikes and doing 150mph in a 30 limit
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1.If you were a bike, what would you be?
A 1965, 250cc, square-four, disc valve Yamaha GP bike
2.Describe yourself in one word?
Determined
3.What's the most embarrassing bike you lusted over in your youth?
I always wanted a 500 BSA Gold Star. I still think they're beautiful now
4. What were you riding when you first topped 100mph?
Triumph Bonneville
5. What should the speed limit be on a clear and empty motorway?
There should be minimum speed limits!
6.What's the fastest you've ever ridden on a public highway?
150mph, but it was in a 30mph limit
7.What's your favourite road?
M25. Who wants to go into London?
8.What's the most you would spend on a bike?
A road bike, £2000. A race bike, there's no limit
9. Who do you admire in the biking world?
Everyone who road races from the guy who comes second to last in a club race up to Rossi
10. What would you do with your last gallon of fuel?
Drive very, very slowly
11. What bikes would you own if money were no object?
All the race bikes that Phil Read ever rode
12. What's the maddest thing you've done on a bike?
Going out to race at Lydden knowing I had a broken front brake pipe from a previous crash! Hence the limp...
13. Ever spent a night in jail?
No
14. What's on the horizon in your field of work?
In two-stroke tuning? Not a lot!
15.What are you reading at the moment?
John Reynolds' autobiography
16. What's your proudest achievement?
Many. Seeing riders we have sponsored getting to the top
17. Do motorcycles inform your work, and if so in what way?
They are my work. They are my life
18. If you could switch careers what would you do?
Race team manager
19. Are you paid enough?
Yes
20. What would you like your epitaph to be?
"He was famous for more than 15 minutes"
