Kevin Ash, motorcycle writer, who remembers him?
Discussion
I was a motorcycle courier at the same firm as Kevin before he became a journalist and bike tester and some of you will know that he died 5 years ago on a BMW R1200GS in Eastern Cape, South Africa, testing the then new model at speed on dirt roads.
I still think of Kevin often and wondered if any of you either knew him or even of him.
I still think of Kevin often and wondered if any of you either knew him or even of him.
Sorely missed in a world of fairly dreadful motorbike journalism (Michael Neeves and a few others excepted). I always thought his writing was considerably better than it needed to be, with a real flair for language and a huge amount of knowledge.
Whether it was down to the bike or not, I think I recall that BMW fitted steering dampeners fairly soon after.
A massive shame, and it’s quite sad when you’re researching a prospective bike purchase and his old review comes up.
Whether it was down to the bike or not, I think I recall that BMW fitted steering dampeners fairly soon after.
A massive shame, and it’s quite sad when you’re researching a prospective bike purchase and his old review comes up.
Yes, I remember him and used to read his articles...also remember it in MCN when he died. Very sad.
His archive is still live: http://www.ashonbikes.com/content/bike-test-archiv...
His archive is still live: http://www.ashonbikes.com/content/bike-test-archiv...
There was a ton of conjecture at the time as to whether it was rider error or mechanical failure.
Seeing as the event was BMW’s model launch we’ll never know what really happened but it’s maybe more than a coincidence that the bikes were fitted with steering dampers and I think there followed a recall regarding the fork tops potentially failing.
Regardless, Kevin was a standout in an otherwise poor journalistic field.
5 years however.... frightening how time goes by......
Seeing as the event was BMW’s model launch we’ll never know what really happened but it’s maybe more than a coincidence that the bikes were fitted with steering dampers and I think there followed a recall regarding the fork tops potentially failing.
Regardless, Kevin was a standout in an otherwise poor journalistic field.
5 years however.... frightening how time goes by......
I met Kevin at the TT one year and for a tall guy who didn't fit too well on a bike, he was quick to say the least. I was on my Suzuki GSXR 1000 and he was on an MV Agusta 1000 and our ride out to the north of the island was, shall we say, rather rapid!
He was great to get advice from and once when i was looking at tuning my GSXR he said ''WHY? Why on earth would you spend maybe £2,000 to get extra performance your'e never really going to use''. He was right the 180 bhp was enough in a bike weighing 190 kgs.
He was great to get advice from and once when i was looking at tuning my GSXR he said ''WHY? Why on earth would you spend maybe £2,000 to get extra performance your'e never really going to use''. He was right the 180 bhp was enough in a bike weighing 190 kgs.
I remember Kevin. I was thinking of him this evening, searched up his Ashonbikes website and also got this thread returned. I met him very soon after starting at Imperial College in 1980. He was acting Captain of TheBikeClub, the only university society I ever joined, and I took the post the following year. He owned a 900 Darmah at that time and that inspired me to switch from a Honda to a LeMans II, my former poster pin up as a school boy. The pair of us took our bikes on a trip to Bologna in the summer of 81, turned up on spec at the Ducati factory and they gave us a tour. I remember that as we arrived there the entrance gates were blocked by a throng of workers crowded round the first Countach any of us had seen in the flesh. Outstanding!
We shared a student house in Wembley when I got to my third year, along with two other Italian bike owning friends from college. At that time Kev had already considerable writing experience, contributing and sometimes editing the club newsletter, Oilleaks. I accompanied him a couple of times on trips out to visit riders to interview and take pictures of their machinery. He contributed a couple of those reviews to Superbike magazine, possibly the first time he got into print, but I can’t be sure because I vaguely remember him talking about writing articles when he was at school. That was the thing about Kevin, he always had an interesting tale to tell.
Our group from college still meet up every year. We raise a glass to Kev, and to Jules Harris (brother of Fastbikes publisher Dan) who we lost to a microlight accident a couple of years before Kevin.
A privilege to know these people. RIP.
We shared a student house in Wembley when I got to my third year, along with two other Italian bike owning friends from college. At that time Kev had already considerable writing experience, contributing and sometimes editing the club newsletter, Oilleaks. I accompanied him a couple of times on trips out to visit riders to interview and take pictures of their machinery. He contributed a couple of those reviews to Superbike magazine, possibly the first time he got into print, but I can’t be sure because I vaguely remember him talking about writing articles when he was at school. That was the thing about Kevin, he always had an interesting tale to tell.
Our group from college still meet up every year. We raise a glass to Kev, and to Jules Harris (brother of Fastbikes publisher Dan) who we lost to a microlight accident a couple of years before Kevin.
A privilege to know these people. RIP.
Edited by Barney1234 on Sunday 21st February 12:36
Barney1234 said:
I remember Kevin. I was thinking of him this evening, searched up his Ashonbikes website and also got this thread returned. I met him very soon after starting at Imperial College in 1980. He was acting Captain of TheBikeClub, the only university society I ever joined, and I took the post the following year. He owned a 900 Darmah at that time and that inspired me to switch from a Honda to a LeMans II, my former poster pin up as a school boy. The pair of us took our bikes on a trip to Bologna in the summer of 81, turned up on spec at the Ducati factory and they gave us a tour. I remember that as we arrived there the entrance gates were blocked by a throng of workers crowded round the first Countach any of us had seen in the flesh. Outstanding!
We shared a student house in Wembley when I got to my third year, along with two other Italian bike owning friends from college. At that time Kev had already considerable writing experience, contributing and sometimes editing the club newsletter, Oilleaks. I accompanied him a couple of times on trips out to visit riders to interview and take pictures of their machinery. He contributed a couple of those reviews to Superbike magazine, possibly the first time he got into print, but I can’t be sure because I vaguely remember him talking about writing articles when he was at school. That was the thing about Kevin, he always had an interesting tale to tell.
Our group from college still meet up every year. We raise a glass to Kev, and to Jules Harris (brother of Fastbikes publisher Dan) who we lost to a microlight accident a couple of years after Kevin.
A privilege to know these people. RIP.
Thanks for this. I remember reading Kevin Ash's stuff in Fast Bikes in the early 90s - was there ever a better time than then to be into bikes?We shared a student house in Wembley when I got to my third year, along with two other Italian bike owning friends from college. At that time Kev had already considerable writing experience, contributing and sometimes editing the club newsletter, Oilleaks. I accompanied him a couple of times on trips out to visit riders to interview and take pictures of their machinery. He contributed a couple of those reviews to Superbike magazine, possibly the first time he got into print, but I can’t be sure because I vaguely remember him talking about writing articles when he was at school. That was the thing about Kevin, he always had an interesting tale to tell.
Our group from college still meet up every year. We raise a glass to Kev, and to Jules Harris (brother of Fastbikes publisher Dan) who we lost to a microlight accident a couple of years after Kevin.
A privilege to know these people. RIP.
It's all to easy to fall into the trap of thinking things were so much better back in the day but there's surely no factory anywhere in the world now that would let you through the gate never mind let you have a look round - oh, unless you'd paid up front for the half-hearted guided tour.
I used to enjoy his weekly spot on MCN as his writing definitely made biking more interesting.
I remember he slated the BMW K1200RS excessively. He detested it and didn’t hold back.
I had to disagree with him on that point as I had one at the time and liked it a lot. To me it looked great but to be fair shortly after I needed glasses. He is definitely missed.
I remember he slated the BMW K1200RS excessively. He detested it and didn’t hold back.
I had to disagree with him on that point as I had one at the time and liked it a lot. To me it looked great but to be fair shortly after I needed glasses. He is definitely missed.
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