AMA Hall of Famer Gilles “Gil” Vaillancourt died Monday, June 2, after suffering a heart attack on May 29.
Vaillancourt, a lifelong motorcyclist and racer, was on the leading edge of off-road motorcycle suspension development, and in 1973 he founded Works Performance Products, a.k.a. Works Shocks.
Vaillancourt raced a Norton Manx with AHRMA until recent years, and he was an accomplished violinist.
He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2009.
More, from a press release issued by American Motorcyclist Association (AMA):
American Motorcyclist Association offers condolences to friends and family of Gilles Vaillancourt
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association offers its condolences to the friends and family of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Gilles Vaillancourt. Mr. Vaillancourt passed away on June 2.
A pioneer in the development of modern-day motorcycle suspension systems, Mr. Vaillancourt’s revolutionary work led to leaps in performance, quality, customization and style. His company, Works Performance Products, is one of the oldest and largest custom suspension companies in motorcycling and has served AMA racers and riders for nearly four decades.
Mr. Vaillancourt was a racer turned tuner and inventor, developing his own shock pistons, relief valves and solutions for multi-stage damping. His designs and innovations continued to push the envelope throughout his long career, which included providing the best suspension in the world to some of the world’s best racers, including Kenny Roberts, Bubba Shobert, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Chris Carr, Scott Parker, Dick Mann, Brad Lackey, Jim Pomeroy, Eddie Mulder and Gary Nixon.
To learn more about Gilles Vaillancourt, a member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2009, see his biography at www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=430.
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
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