Written by:
AMA Communications
American Motorcyclist Association
05/22/2009
Pickerington, OH
The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is pleased to announce another member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2009: Gilles Vaillancourt, a pioneer in modern motorcycle suspension development. Vaillancourt will be among the motorcycling heroes honored at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas this Dec. 5.
"There are key periods in the history of motorcycling where major leaps forward helped bring us to where we are today, and in the off-road world the suspension revolution of the 1970s certainly qualifies as one of those eras," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. "Gilles Vaillancourt and his company, Works Performance, were not just along for the ride during that period. They were among the few in the rider's seat, pushing the technology and the sport of motorcycling forward."
Don Rosene, chairman of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Committee, added: "Like so many of our Hall of Fame Inductees, Gil has been involved with some aspect of motorcycling most of his life. He might have started his suspension company in the 1970s, but his ideas for a better-handling motorcycle started a long time before that. To this day, if you have a question about suspension you can call Gil at work -- he's there every day. And he's a pretty good rider as well."
In the early 1970s, Vaillancourt began developing off-road motorcycle shocks that featured a revolutionary multi-stage damping system. Motocross and desert racers began using his shocks with great results, and soon racers in all disciplines of motorcycling started adopting them. Works Performance now makes custom shocks for dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles, street bikes and cruisers. The company also has expanded into other areas and builds suspension for airplane, photographic and military applications, among others.
Vaillancourt started in motorcycling at a young age, working at a local motorcycle shop in Quebec after school.
