| Silvo Habat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Slovenian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Trzin, Slovenia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Silvo Habat is a Slovenian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.
Grand Prix motorcycle racing refers to the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by FIM. Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start of the twentieth century and large national events were often given the title Grand Prix, The foundation of a recognised international governing body for motorcycle sport, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme in 1949 provided the opportunity to coordinate rules and regulations in order that selected events could count towards official World Championships as FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix. It is the oldest established motorsport world championship.
Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surfaces. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on public roads however, public safety concerns eventually led to most races being held on purpose built racing circuits.
Between 1984 and 1986, Habat won three 250cc national championships in the former Yugoslavia and, became the first Yugoslavian rider to win the highest award of the Yugoslavia in the 250cc class - "Gold helmet". In 1987, he became the only Slovenian or ex-Yugoslavian rider to compete in the 500cc world championships. Motor was bought by the Dutch competitor Boet van Dulmen. His best result was a 14th place in the World Championship race at Le Mans. That year he performed well in the European Championships in Donnington and finished 11th place. In 1988, he bought a brand new Honda RS500, and raced in world and European Championships. At the Grand Prix of Yugoslavia in Grobnik, Silvo Habat put Yugoslavian race track record, which amounted to 1.36.0 min. In the race for the European Championship in Misano, he finished in 6th place. In August 1988, he participated in an international race in Schleiz (DDR), where he defeated almost all the competition for more than one lap and set an absolute race track record. His name is still engraved on the memorial stone that stands in the middle of the city Schleiz. In 1988, Silvo Habat retired from competition but, came out of retirement in 1991 when he bought an old Yamaha 250cc and began again to compete in the Slovenian national championships and international championships. He again conquered the highest places, and was twice vice-champion of Slovenia. He also had top three finishes in races in Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany. In 1993, he bought a Kawasaki ZXR750 and raced for two seasons in the Slovenian Superbike championship, finishing in second place in both seasons. Habat retired for good after the 1994 season.
Boet van Dulmen is a Dutch former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Together with Wil Hartog and Jack Middelburg, he was part of a contingent of Dutch riders who competed at the highest levels of Grand Prix racing in the late 1970s. Van Dulmen was known for his skill of riding in wet weather. In 1979, he won his only 500cc race at the Finnish Grand Prix.
Yamaha Motor Company Limited is a Japanese manufacturer of motorcycles, marine products such as boats and outboard motors, and other motorized products. The company was established in 1955 upon separation from Yamaha Corporation, and is headquartered in Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan. The company conducts development, production and marketing operations through 109 consolidated subsidiaries as of 2012.
