Page 19 - LHR Sept 25.

ED WRIGHT Profile

affle designs, and small frame changes aimed at keeping bikes stable on long, straight
keeping bikes stable on long, straight highways. highways. On one project, he spent weeks
On one project, he spent weeks with engineers with engineers chasing a resonance that
chasing a resonance that made a fairing buzz at made a fairing buzz at 50 mph. The fix—a
50 mph. The fix—a subtle change in a hidden subtle change in a hidden bracket—would
bracket—would never be advertised, but it never be advertised, but it transformed the
transformed the rider's experience. rider's experience.
For Ed, these moments reinforced a truth: good For Ed, these moments reinforced a truth:
design is invisible when it works. good design is invisible when it works.

Becoming More Than an Apprentice
By the mid-1960s, Ed had matured into a full-
fledged designer, though he still carried the
humility of an apprentice. He mentored
newcomers, teaching them to start every
drawing from the centreline and to always
consider how a mechanic would get a spanner
onto a bolt.
He also learned the politics of British
industry—budget cuts, management reshuffles,
and the looming threat of Japanese competition.
But he never let frustration diminish his care for
the work. A motorcycle, he believed, deserved
honesty, even in an era of corporate uncertainty
affle designs, and small frame changes aimed at

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