The American Motorcyclist Association offers its condolences to the friends and family of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Gilles Vaillancourt. Mr. Vaillancourt passed away on June 2.
A pioneer in the development of modern-day motorcycle suspension systems, Vaillancourt’s revolutionary work led to leaps in performance, quality, customization and style. His company, Works Performance Products, is one of the oldest and largest custom suspension companies in motorcycling and has served AMA racers and riders for nearly four decades.
Vaillancourt was a racer turned tuner and inventor, developing his own shock pistons, relief valves and solutions for multi-stage damping. His designs and innovations continued to push the envelope throughout his long career, which included providing the best suspension in the world to some of the world’s best racers, including Kenny Roberts, Bubba Shobert, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Chris Carr, Scott Parker, Dick Mann, Brad Lackey, Jim Pomeroy, Eddie Mulder and Gary Nixon.
To learn more about Gilles Vaillancourt, a member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2009, see his biography at www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=430.
