Mert Lawwill, Motorcycle and Mountain Bike Pioneer, Has Passed Away

"Lawwill, the 1969 Motorcycle Grand National Champion, was a leading industry voice bridging the gap between moto and and what would become mountain biking. He was a longtime racer for the Harley-Davidson program, competing during one of the sport's most competitive eras. Lawwill's smooth style and sound mechanical intuition made him the perfect racer, developing his own racing chassis that would set a new standard for dirt-track racing in the 70s and 80s."

"This same enginuity would follow him after his moto career into the mountain biking sector, especially in suspension design. Lawwill designed and patented a four-bar suspension system found on early Yeti and Schwinn bikes. He also created the Lawwill Leader, a leading-link suspension fork that was ahead of its time."

"But even before the "transition" to bikes, Lawwill is credited with producing one of the world's first production mountain bikes. In 1977, the PRO CRUISER was born. There is no doubt that Lawwill pushed both the moto and bike industries forward. Yet, the work he found the most joy in had a deeper connection."

"A fellow moto racer, Chris Draayer, lost his arm in a racing accident, and Lawwill was determined to see his friend back on a motorcycle. The result was "Mert's Hands," a prosthetic that connected a rider who lost an arm or hand to the handlebars, but released in the event of a crash. This type of forward thinking opened the door for adaptive riders to pursue the sport they loved and, according to Lawwill, was his most meaningful contribution."

Mert Lawwill, who died in Boise, Idaho at age 85, was inducted into both the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. He won the 1969 Motorcycle Grand National Championship and raced for the Harley-Davidson program during a highly competitive era. His mechanical intuition led him to develop a racing chassis that set a standard for dirt-track racing in the 1970s and 1980s. He gained wider recognition through a Hollywood appearance in “On Any Sunday.” After his motorcycle career, he designed and patented a four-bar suspension system used on early Yeti and Schwinn bikes and created the Lawwill Leader leading-link fork. He also produced an early production mountain bike, the 1977 PRO CRUISER. He later created “Mert’s Hands,” a prosthetic that helped riders regain control while releasing during crashes, enabling adaptive participation.

Read at Bikerumor