BY MITCH BOEHM P H O T O S B Y M A R Y G R O T H E , G A R Y YA S A K I
t is a sad but unavoidable truth that motorcycling is beginning to lose its legends from the 1960s and ’70s, as we’ve had to say goodbye to the likes of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers Dick Mann, Gene Romero, Joel Robert, Yvon DuHamel and too many others over the past few years. Losing two-time AMA Superbike
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champ — and two-time Suzuka 8-Hour winner — Hall of Famer Wes Cooley in mid-October at just 65 years of age just adds to the pain, for families and fans alike. For that you can blame the effects of Type 1 diabetes, which hounded Wes most of his life. What’s particularly depressing about Cooley’s passing, aside from his relative youth, is that he’d
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST • JANUARY 2022
been enjoying a bit of a resurgence of late, an emotional upswing in a life and racing career filled with a whole lot of ups and downs. As most know, Cooley rose to prominence in the mid 1970s in the fledgling AMA Superbike division, earning titles in ’79 and ’80 and becoming one of the top road racers in the world, a reputation that two victories at the prestigious Suzuka 8-hour helped buttress.
