About Paul Dedman
Where did it all start?
Paul started riding School Boy MX from the age of nine, culminating in 14 years of competition which finished winning the Isle of Man Centre Motorcross Championships in 1994 and 1994. In 1995 Paul turned his hand to Road Racing entering the Manx Grand Prix finishing in 5th place in the Senior class starting from a starting number of 103 and finnishing within the top 30 on the road and gaining the fasted last lap of the race at just over 112mph. The following year Paul entered the TT Production race finnishing 17th.
1997 saw Paul finish 8th in his very first full attempt at the TT races in the Junior races on his Kawasaki ZX6R. In 1998 Paul gained the backing of Honda with a CBR600 and a RS250 from Paul Birds Vimto backed race team. The Junior race was the best finish that year with 3rd place making it a 123 for Honda with Micheal Rutter and Ian Simpson 1st and 2nd respectively, the lighweight class on the 250 was great throughout practice being as fast as 2nd upto midweek but it ended on the very first very wet lap with a cold seizure. The Production race on the Pidcock Motorcycles backed Honda Fireblade ended with 13th place finish.
At the Southern 100 the same year Paul rode the Vimto 250 Paul Bird Honda to a win in the second 250 race setting a new race and lap recond over taking Ian Lougher at Castletown Corner on the final lap. Paul also led the first 250 race by four seconds but retired with a slipping clutch.
In 1999 a Ducati 996 ex John Reynolds Factory bike was bought for the season by a personal sponser, the team was run by Steve Wynne (who ran Mike Hailwood and Rob Holden) and competing at Oulton Park British Superbike meeting saw some strong lap times. In the first free practice Paul ended 7th fastest, quicker than some factory teams and in the second free practice he managed 11th fastest. The Qualifying sessons did not finish so well with the Ducati breaking down and putting an end to the weekend.
The Northwest 200 was the first Road Race of the 99 season, Paul qualified on the second row on the grid along side the late great Joey Dunlop. The first Superbike race ended with a serious crash on the first lap with Paul sustaining career enending injuries..
Once over the injuries sustained road racing, Paul opened up Paul Dedman Performance in December 2001 where customers from across the Isle of Man can benefit from the vast experience Paul has to share and where Paul now enjoys motorcycles in a totaly different way, for relaxing and enjoyment!