[2] Good looking, articulate and charismatic, Sheene was able to harness the power of mass media to transcend the sport and become the best-known face of British motorcycle racing during the 1970s.

[7][9][8] He grew up in Queen Square, Holborn, London, where he learned to ride a motorcycle at the age of 5 aboard a homemade minibike built by his father.

[3][5] Sheene's father had developed a close, personal relationship with Don Paco Bultó, the owner of Bultaco motorcycles, after meeting him in 1959 while attending the Montjuïc 24 Hour endurance race in Barcelona.

In 1970, Sheene and his father borrowed £2,000 (£36,720 in 2023), to purchase a twin-cylinder 125cc Suzuki RT67, a former factory racing team motorcycle campaigned by Stuart Graham in the 1968 World Championships and in selected 1969 events.

[17] The Transatlantic Trophy match races pitted the best British riders against the top American road racers on 750cc motorcycles in a six-race series during Easter weekend in England.

[18] Sheene began wearing his Gary Nixon t-shirt beneath his leather riding suit as a good luck charm every time he raced.

[21] After de Vries retired with engine problems, Sheene went on to win the 50cc Czechoslovakian Grand Prix held at the Masaryk Circuit, where he finished over two and a half minutes ahead of the competition.

[28] However, at the third round in Austria, after losing a sprint to the finish line to the Australian John Dodds for third place, he voiced his displeasure to team management about the performance of the motorcycle.

He began the 1973 season as a member of the British team riding a Suzuki TR750 in the 1973 Transatlantic Trophy match races where his best result came at the third round at Oulton Park, placing third behind Peter Williams on a John Player Norton and Yvon Duhamel on a Kawasaki H2R.

However, Sheene suffered a broken leg in a crash at the Nations Grand Prix held at the Imola Circuit forcing him to miss the next six rounds of the World Championship.

Sheene surprised observers who may have expected a gradual return to health by claiming the pole position over second-placed, Giacomo Agostini, now riding for the Yamaha factory racing team.

[52][42] The customer version of the RG500 was immediately competitive and became the motorcycle of choice for privateer racers including; Phil Read, Teuvo Länsivuori and newcomers Marco Lucchinelli and Pat Hennen.

Sheene stopped his motorcycle on the racetrack and rushed to Williams' aide, removing his teammate's helmet and clearing his airway after he had swallowed his tongue, thus preventing further injury.

[57] The top American points scorer at the Match races was Sheene's Suzuki teammate, Hennen, serving notice that he would be a contender in the coming 500cc World Championship.

[58] Sheene's campaign for increased rider safety was galvanized at the second round of the 1977 season held at the Salzburgring circuit, when a significant accident during the 350cc race killed Hans Stadelmann and left Johnny Cecotto, Dieter Braun and Patrick Fernandez with serious injuries.

Baker was determined to stay and compete in Europe, and with the help of Sheene, he was able to secure a motorcycle and sponsorship from the Suzuki of Italy racing team operated by former Grand Prix competitor, Roberto Gallina.

[59] Roberts considered himself primarily a dirt track racer and only participated in American road racing events because they were on the AMA Grand National Championship schedule.

[21] The 1978 British Grand Prix ended in controversy when torrential rains during the race, along with pit stops for tire changes by both Roberts and Sheene, created confusion among official scorers.

[71] Sheene began the 1979 season with a victory over teammate Ferrari at the Venezuelan Grand Prix, while Roberts was recovering from career-threatening back injuries suffered during a pre-season testing crash in Japan.

[21] Roberts returned to win the second round in Austria despite still recovering from his injuries, while Sheene suffered from a mechanic's mistake when installing his brake pads, causing him to finish in 12th place.

[1] Sheene placed second to Ferrari at the Dutch TT before all the factory teams boycotted the Belgian Grand Prix due to the dangerous track conditions.

[61][62] Sheene recovered to win the final race of the season at the French Grand Prix, but Roberts placed third to secure his second consecutive 500cc World Championship.

The Belgian circuit had been paved just days before the race, creating a track that many of the racers felt was unsafe due to diesel fuel seeping to the surface.

[21][79] Although the competing series was not successful due to difficulties in securing enough venues, it forced the FIM to take the riders' demands seriously and make changes regarding their safety.

[21][59] During the 1979 FIM Congress, new rules were passed substantially increasing prize money and in subsequent years, stricter safety regulations were imposed on race organizers.

[1][24] Gallina-Suzuki's Marco Lucchinelli took command of the season with four victories in five races to claim the world championship ahead of Sheene's replacement on the Heron-Suzuki team, Randy Mamola.

[80] Only a low-speed crash on the last lap at the Mallory Park hairpin turn allowed Roger Marshall to pass and deprive Sheene of a $40,000 bonus for being the first competitor to win all six races in one year.

[3][11] During unofficial practice on Thursday at the Silverstone Circuit, Sheene came over a blind rise and collided with Patrick Igoa's motorcycle at over 160 mph, shattering both legs and breaking an arm.

[82] The final major victory of Sheene's motorcycle racing career came at the 1984 Scarborough Gold Cup held at the Oliver's Mount circuit, one of his favorite venues.

[9] In the UK television series Queer as Folk, the main characters Stuart and Vince reminisce about their teenage attraction to a photo of Sheene "On his motorbike!