Nick Beamish dies

Nick Beamish 

27 March 1950 – 3 June 2016

It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of Nick Beamish at St Barnabas Hospice, Worthing, West Sussex on 3 June after a mercifully short struggle with cancer. Nick, as many of our older readers will know, was the younger brother of Graham, founder of Sussex-based Beamish Motors which transformed the off-road fortunes of Suzuki in the UK. Nick’s involvement was with the development of the trials bikes, in particular the RL250, which ended up having only the motor from Suzuki and even that was heavily modified.

You could say that if Graham was the company front man then Nick was its heart. He knew the motors inside out and was a talented technician. For the Suzuki riders in the Scottish Six Days Trials of the mid-70s, including Malcolm Rathmell, it was reassuring to have Nick in the factory support vehicle as no one knew more about the motors than he did. Nick visited the Suzuki factory in Japan on more than one occasion to discuss the competition machines. This resulted in 1979 in the factory-sanctioned Beamish Suzuki RL 325 being officially launched in the UK and the company moving its assembly facility from the family home at Golding Barn Farm, Small Dole to new factory premises in Portslade, Brighton. 

Unfortunately, economic events surrounding Heron Suzuki, the then UK Suzuki importer, led to the closure of the Beamish Suzuki works in 1981. However, by this time there were enough bikes in use for Nick’s mechanical expertise to be in demand. Also this left a bit more time for his trials and enduro exploits.

Nick and wife Linda’s hospitality was extended to many now well-known national and international riders who visited Golding Barn to test ride or collect new models or to have their existing bikes rebuilt.

Eventually, by 2001, Linda persuaded Nick that leaving Sussex for Spain was a good idea. Nick took some convincing and they returned to the UK on frequent visits. It wasn’t all sun and Sangria, Nick had something to keep him busy – building Suzuki RL motors.

Nick will be greatly missed, not least by his extended family and all the young riders that he helped and encouraged over the years. He leaves wife Linda, son Sean, daughter Sally and three grandchildren.

Funeral details

Friday 17 June at Worthing Crematorium, Findon, West Sussex BN14 0RQ at 9.40 am