Eric Hinton....the Velobanjogent remembers a friend and a great rider from the "Continental Circus" and Australian motorcycle racing.....

Last December was a sad day for motorcycle racing with the passing of Eric Hinton after a long illness.....The day of his funeral was a cool wet day in early summer in Sydney, but many of his  friends, acquaintances and people who respected him for the man and great motorcycle racer that he was joined his family to say their farewells......

This remembrance from me is long overdue so lets follow Eric photographically through some of his motorcycle racing life.....
Many of the photos following are a result of the diligent work by motorcycle journalist Don Cox in the preparation of his "essential reading book"...
"Circus Life"  published in 2012 and reviewed by me the other year....
And I thank Don for his permission to use them

Eric was borne into what became the Hinton dynasty of motorcycle racers....his father Harry Hinton, elder brother Harry Hinton Jnr and younger brother Robert Hinton.....
He and Harry Jnr rapidly made a name for themselves in the world of European motorcycle racing in the period 1956 to 1965 over several period during this time. Sadly Harry Jnr died of pneumonia in hospital following a crash at Imola, Italy in April 1958 when the big end of his Norton broke and seized with the bike hitting a fence and cannoned back onto the track hitting Harry in the chest.....

 

L to R... Eric, Harry snr, Harry jnr.

Eric, #2, pushes off his 350 Norton in the 1956 IOM Junior TT

 Eric and fellow Aussie Dick Thomson's Ford V8 van, transport for 1956.
Following a conversation with Keith Campbell, Eric made the decision not to ride in GPs but to enter the lesser international race meetings where start money and prize money was better but the chance of being overlooked for a factory ride was the downside.

 Pierre Monnerett, factory 350 Gilera-4 harassed by Eric at Villefranche-de-Rouergue in 1956.

#80 Eric, 350 Norton....St Wendel, West Germany.

Eric with a new 350 Manx at St.Wendel, 1956. 

 Eric #4, full bin streamlined Norton follows #8 Hans Baltisberger likely 1956 in Czechoslovakia.

 In the Chemnitz Hotel, Chemnitz Germany August 1956...Eric centre, Keith Bryen by the gramophone, Bob Brown down to Eric's right, Alan Burt to the front of Bob.

 Team Hinton 1957, Eric and Harry jnr...

Eric at the IOM TT races, 1957. He finished 5th in the Junior TT.

Eric Hinton, the toast of St.Wendel after he won the 350 and 500 races on Nortons....

Eric wins the 500 class at St.Wendel 1957

 The Hinton brothers at St.Wendel 1957

 21-7-57 the German 350 GP at Noris-ring, Nuremberg. Keith Bryen 1st, Eric Hinton 2nd and Vally Lunberg 3rd.

Harry jnr, Keith Bryen, Eric , Vally Lundberg German GP 1957.

The Hinton "camp" at the 1958 IOM TT...Harry jnr had acquired the ex Geoff Duke Velocette with an ex works 350 DOHC engine. Later on the continent at the German GP when he entered it in the 350 class he was sniggered at...but the smiles soon vanished when he finished 5th on it....When Eric was in aged care several years ago I asked him why the Velocette and he said Harry jnr felt it was a better all round ride....

Eric with the 350 DOHC  Velocette at a friends house in the Birmingham area, 1958.

Eric with Ken Kavanagh at Brno, Czechoslovakia in 1958.

Eric on his 250 NSU Sportsmax at Schleiz, East Germany 1958.

On the road in 1966 during his final tour...Eric with Jack Ahearn.

 Eric in later years......