Lloyd Chapman passes away at 81

Western Australia lost one of its most well known and respected motorcycling identities with the passing of Lloyd Chapman this week.

His name of course is known by most due to Lloyd Chapman Motorcycles, a business he built from scratch nearly fifty years ago.

Originally from New South Wales, Lloyd came to Western Australia in the late forties after serving a stint in the army. Here he married Doreen and raised three children, Ross, Diane and Rodney. Ross took over the reigns at the motorcycle dealership in the late eighties, while his father retired to travel much of the world and restore vintage motorcycles and cars in his spare time.

Those of us who are reasonably young in years may not know of the wide and varied racing successes Lloyd had enjoyed.

He first broke the Australian land speed record in 1954 (125cc) and again broke the 125cc land speed record in 1961 onboard a Honda. That same year Lloyd lifted the Australian Motocross Sidecar Championship with Charlie Thomas in the chair. Charlie has worked at Lloyd Chapman Motorcycles since 1960 and remains an employee at the store today.

In 1964 Lloyd and Charlie teamed up again to win the Junior and Senior Australian Short Circuit Sidecar Championships. They were second in the 1967 Australian Junior Sidecar Championships but lifted the Junior title in 1968 at Albany. From 1962 through to 1968 Lloyd and Charlie won every junior state sidecar championship and numerous other titles in various disciplines.

Lloyd started importing BMW motorcycles to the shop on the corner of Harold and Beaufort Streets in 1964 and added Ducati to his inventory in 1966. In 1968 the shop moved to Guildford Road in Maylands and Bultacos were added to the range. The shop moved to its present location in Lord Street, East Perth, in 1974.

Lloyd’s passing early this week at 81 years of age sees the departure of a legend, one that will be missed by many.