Walker's first powered two-wheeler was a Lambretta Li150 scooter purchased in 1960 to access his home from the RAF base, and he bought his first motorcycle, the second Ducati 250 Daytona to arrive in the UK (known as a Diana in most markets) in 1961.

Following the death of his son Gary in a start line incident at Brands Hatch in 1994, he set up the Mick Walker Racing team to mentor young British talent.

Among its pupils were Darren North, Ollie Bridewell, Dijon Compton, Steven Neate, James Toseland, Tom Tunstall and Dean Johnson who won the 1995 Superteen Championship.

After moving to shop premises, and acquiring some of the stock diverted from the US market by the Berliner Motor Corporation, the business – which was based in Wisbech, Cambridge – expanded steadily and Walker became the official UK importer for Ducati spares in the mid-1970s.

[5] Mick Walker retained strong links with the Italian motorcycle industry, and in 1998 was one of the 50 VIPs invited to Italy to celebrate Ducati's half-century in production.

[1] Many of Walker's books were motorcycle marque histories, although he also wrote restoration guides and biographies of a number of racing stars, including Giacomo Agostini, Geoff Duke, Bob McIntyre, Sammy Miller and John Surtees.