Eddie Lawson: Still Revving

Eddie Lawson conducts interviews the same way he raced—straightforward, a tad cold, and very much to the point—but he is still as passionate about two wheels as he was as a kid.

“When I was seven and jumped on a motorcycle,” the four-time 500cc world champion said, “I told my grandfather and dad this was the greatest thing I have ever done. I couldn’t wait to wake up in the morning and get back on that bike. I’ve never lost that. At 56, I’m still there.”

Honored as a “Legend of the Sport” earlier this month at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering, the AMA Hall of Famer admitted he doesn’t miss racing a Grand Prix bike. “I’ve been there and done that, but I really enjoy being on a bike—street or dirt.”

In fact, Lawson rode nearly 150 miles on his Yamaha YZF-R1 on the roads that surround the event. His preference, however, is dirt. “Right now, I’m doing a lot of motocross,” he said. “I ride a two-stroke YZ250. I’m not sure why I like it. Maybe I’m just old-school.”

Lawson also enjoys maintaining his own machines. “My wife, Julie, will say, ‘Are you going to come in and eat?’ and I’ll say, ‘Yeah, in just a minute.’ I’ll look up and an hour has gone by, and I’m still cleaning my bike. I love working on motorcycles. I’ve never grown tired of it.”

Current MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez, 34 years Lawson’s junior, won the pole and first five races of the 2014 season. That’s one more victory than Lawson earned in 1984, the year of his first world title. In 1986, his second championship season, he won four races in a row.

“I really like watching that kid,” Lawson said. “There’s no difference today than in the past. It’s a combination of all the things you put together. It’s his time, and he has the bike. There’s no single magic thing he does.”