Padgett’s Motorcycles Wins Royal Automobile Club Torrens Trophy

The Royal Automobile Club has awarded its prestigious Torrens Trophy to Padgett’s Motorcycles, a Batley, West Yorkshire-based dealership and race team that has supported British riders for over 60 years.

The trophy recognizes outstanding contributions to safe and skillful motorcycling in the United Kingdom.

Padgett’s has been one of the most successful privateer teams in road racing, with wins at the Isle of Man TT with riders like Bruce Anstey, John McGuinness, and Ian Hutchinson.

The team has also competed in Irish road racing, British Superbikes, and Grand Prix racing, and has ties to legendary riders like Mike Hailwood and Phil Read.

The Royal Automobile Club praised Padgett’s for its commitment to performance, safety, and developing generations of world-class riders.

Clive Padgett, who runs the family team, accepted the award, saying it recognizes decades of hard work, passion, and commitment to doing things the right way.

The award is especially poignant, as it comes in the same year that the team’s co-founder, Peter Padgett, passed away at the age of 94.

Peter Padgett and his brother, Don, founded the business in 1958 and invested in Japanese brands, including Yamaha, Honda, and Suzuki.

The team has a long history of innovation, including being named Honda’s first HRC race shop outside Japan in 1993.

Today, the team remains a leading force in British motorcycle racing, with a new 10,000-square-foot Honda showroom set to open this year.