Bob Geeson

Record type: Motorsport Biographies

Biography: Lightweight - R.E.G.

Age 37, Robert Geeson, a mechanical engineer from Croydon, had successes at Brooklands and Donnington pre-war – two firsts and three seconds at Brooklands and also sixth in the Senior Road Championship on a 250 machine, and a third, fourth and fifth at Donington.

In the 1938 Lightweight Manx Grand Prix he rode an Excelsior, but retired in the fourth lap, and then ten years later he did the same again. Later in 1948 he won the Comerford Cup at Dunholme on his well-known R.E.G. He finished twelfth in the 1950 Lightweight T.T., at 63.24 m.p.h., just outside replica time. After a mix-up at the pits in last year’s Lightweight T.T., in which he was given the wrong type of oil, he retired on the third lap.

In 1951, riding his 250 R.E.G. twin, he was also 14th at the April Goodwood meeting; sixth at the July Boreham, and second in the September meeting; eighth in the August Thruxton race: seventh in the Silverstone five lap event in October, and fourth in the Hutchinson “100”. In the Ulster Grand Prix he was second in 250 c.c. handicap.

Detailed improvements have been made to his machine for this year’s T.T. They include Dudley-Ward and Monty suspension and Matchless forks.
(TT Special, 9 June 1952, pp.11-12.)

Mount: Lightweight – R.E.G.

Age 36, a mechanical engineer, of Harlesden, London, N.W.10.
Robert Geeson had various successes at Brooklands and Donington before the war. In 1938 he rode an Excelsior in the Lightweight Manx Grand Prix, but retired in the fourth lap. Ten years later he did the same again, but on that occasion he was riding his present machine with a 1932 Rudge engine. Later in the season with this machine he won the Comerford Cup at Dunholme.

In the 1950 Lightweight T.T. he just missed a second-class replica, finishing twelfth at a speed of 63.24 m.p.h. His R.E.G. for this race was a very interesting model. The prototype twin engine was taken to the Island in June 1949, but early development troubles prevented it starting in the race. The power unit was a twin overhead camshaft twin-cylinder, built and designed by Geeson himself. The overhead camshafts were driven by spur gears on the off side, the cams acting direct on to piston type tappets. The connecting rods were of light alloy and the crankshaft was a one-piece job: an outside flywheel was used.

He is riding the same machine this year, but certain modifications and improvements have been carried out during the winter.
(TT Special, 6 June 1951, p.6.)

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