GENE THIESSEN

Gene will be remembered as one of BSA's stalwarts in the USA. In his whole racing career, he only ever rode BSA.

This career started in 1948 when Gene got ‘connected’ with Alf Childs, who had taken-on BSA distributorship for the USA.

Racing started again at Daytona in 1949. He went to Daytona as an amateur riding an iron head B34 provided by Childs.

Subsequently, Gene did well in the East against flat head Harleys, especially in 10 mile races.  

In 1950 Alf Childs sold out the Western dealership to Hap Alzina. As Gene lived in Oregon, Hap took him on and he became BSA’s ‘Mr. West Coast’.  It was that status the got Gene involved in the Bonneville speed attempt. 

In 1951 Bert Hopwood was the chief designer at BSA and started developing the Star Twins in earnest, with wins in the USA.  To further promote the twins in the US, an attempt at the spped records for AMA class 'A‘ and ‘C’ bikes was arranged by Alzina with Gene as the rider.

Two bikes were used – Gene’s own competition A7 Star Twin in class ‘C’ and a 650 in class ‘A’ running on alcohol.  Although BSA supplied this bike with a rear fender and seat, Gene removed both for the speed attempt and wore only tights, tennis shoes and an aviator’s helmet. 

The speed attempt required two runs, the average of both being used. In addition, both runs must have been completed within 30 minutes. On the first run, Gene recorded 151mph but cracked the oil feed pipe to the rockers.  This was repaired between runs.

They also put some more nitro in the tank but without any time to adjust the carburation as there was only a minute left before the 30 minute interval had elapsed and they had to get the bike back on the timed track. On the second run the bike was going very well when at 150mph plus the bike seized. Gene pulled in the clutch and the bike coasted over the finish line but still fast enough to beat the record!  Alzina gave the 650 to Gene as a present – it is now on display in the Deeley museum in Vancouver.

The following year Gene got his number 4 and started competing in National events.

He came 9th at Daytona in both 52 and 53. Later in 53 he gained 6th place at the Dodge City mile.

Living in Oregon, Gene was quite far from most of the national events which made contesting them all difficult. For example in 1952 Gene was up until 03.00 changing tyres in preparation for the Dodge City 200 miler.  Gene didn’t do much riding on the East coast, since he wasn’t riding full time, had a job to hold down and would have had to travel huge distances and back from his home in Oregon. For example, it was a 500 mile trip to California for a race at the weekend, then back in time for work again on Monday.

Nevertheless, Gene always got to Daytona and competed there every year between 1950 and 1957.

Thiessen Beside Gold Star

In the Daytona 200 in 1954, Cycle magazine reckoned that Gene’s 17^th place was actually the best ride of the race.  An accident with his bike during practice had bent the frame, but the evil handling that resulted didn’t become apparent until the race. “It couldn’t be kept in a straight line … (but) he rode it the full distance like a man riding a rattlesnake” reported Cycle and nominated him for a medal.

Winning the Portland mile later in the year provided some compensation.

Gene hung-up his racing leathers in 1957. He’d finished 9^th in the National that year and with the constant travelling of thousands of miles to attend events he was getting older, was tired of fitting managing all the travelling with a full-time job and family and quit. Ironically, he was offered his plane fare to ride at LA immediately after, but this didn’t change his mind. 

Gene went on to open a couple of bike shops. Though he eventually sold these off still rides bikes and attends old-timer meetings. He still has a 1964 Honda Benly and a Honda CR still in the crate as mementoes.