Canada’s first National Superbike Champion George Morin was inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame during the 10th annual Banquet and Ceremonies at the Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel on Saturday evening, November 7. Morin was one of nine inductees honoured during the event, sponsored by Husqvarna Motorcycles and presented by the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada.
Morin won the first-ever Expert National Superbike Championship in 1980, after controversial rules changes allowed the new street-based class to potentially award the number one plate. While racers in the 250cc and 500cc categories, for pure bread two-stroke racers, were expected to take the crown, Morin won the opener in Edmonton and then scored a second in the National debut at Shannonville Motorsport Park, giving him both the Superbike title and the coveted number one plate for 1981.
In a preview of how roadracing would grow in status, stature and political intrigue, Mississauga Post Man Morin left long-time supporters Kawasaki to run the number one plate on a Suzuki GS1000S in 1981. Morin finished his career with Suzuki, scoring his final win in his final race at the 1983 Shannonville Endurance season-ender, sharing a Suzuki Katana 750 with the late Rob Cooper.
From there, Morin got into team management, initially with soon-to-be-Superbike hero Michel Mercier. “Mercier had the stuff, but he wasn’t organized,” stated Morin. “So we started a race team, and it was a very good thing.” Mercier, Morin and builder Mike Crompton had considerable international success with Suzuki equipment in the 1980s, especially GSX-R750 Superbikes.
“Later, I worked with Steve Crevier, and that is something you don’t forget,” quipped Morin to the near 300 strong crowd. Now I’m retired from all that, but I still Manage the Hurst’s R.O. Race Team in Vintage, and I was the Grand Marshal at the return of Edmonton to the Superbike Schedule last July.”
A 16 year old Morin got his start riding a brand new Honda S90 (“The sports model!) at his family home in New Brunswick. Eventually moving to Toronto and after living in the U.K. for a year, Morin eventually made his roadracing debut at St. Jovite, QC on a Triumph 500 twin. At that event Morin showed well, made a little money and met the Hurst brothers as well as Crompton.
He soon moved to Japanese production machinery, showing well in a wide range of classes, taking National crowns at St-Felicien, QC in 1977 in Open Production, Lightweight Production and 125cc Grand Prix. The smallest class success happened through a last minute deal with an injured rider, not the only time Morin joined a class at the last minute.
At Edmonton in 1979, Morin had a last minute emergency: a major engine problem with his Kawasaki KZ1000. So Morin borrowed a parked bike belonging to another racer, the local Amateur unaware of the arrangement! Eventually a deal was struck, and in typical fashion that rider stills chats to Morin when the new Hall of Famer travels out west.
Morin went on tell a small portion of the wild story of his trip to Cuba for a winter series in early 1979, where he won the 125 title and received his award from Raul Castro, brother of a legend and now leader of the country. “They gave me a special passport, so I had Diplomatic Immunity. Basically, I guess I could have killed someone and they could only ship me out of the country!”
“I really want to say how human all this makes me feel, how humble and how grateful,” continued Morin, briefly switching from comic mode. “There were so many people who helped me, some I never knew and some I will never meet, and I always appreciate the unknown and unexpected.”
