03/11/2026
JAMES DEAKIN: QUEENSLAND’S BIG-RACE PERFORMER IN AUSTRALIA'S GOLDEN ERA OF MOTOCROSS AND SUPERCROSS
AMXHistory pays tribute to top national motocross and supercross rider from the 1980s James Deakin who celebrates his birthday today.
In the Golden Era of Mr. Motocross, the popular Queenslander was a household name. For three years in a row (1985 to 1987) Deakin finished third in the prestigious National Mr. MX Series in an era dominated by Jeff Leisk (WA) and Craig Dack (NSW).
During that era, he also won three Queensland State Championships, including the premiere 500cc class in 1984 and 1987 and 125cc class in 1986.
In 1987, riding for the Marlboro Yamaha Team, Deakin won the Australian Supercross Masters event at the Sydney Entertainment Centre (the biggest prize purse in Australia).
He had a knack for winning the events with big prizemoney up for grabs, the following year also winning the Adelaide Grand Prix Supercross, which was the precursor to the 1988 Adelaide Formula 1 Grand Prix.
At age 21, Deakin podiumed for the first time in the 1985 Australian Motocross Championships at Noble Falls (WA) – finishing second in the 500cc class behind Victorian Trevor Williams.
In 1987 he was third in the Australian 250cc Championship at Smithon (TAS), then the following year came third in the 500cc class in Mackay (QLD) behind Jeff Leisk and Glen Bell, with Leisk returning to Australia before his assault on the 1989 World 500cc Motocross Championship.
At an international level, Deakin was the 1987 Runner-up New Zealand 125cc Champion, winning the Malaysian Motocross Championship the following year. In 1988 he won the Finke Desert Race in the 250 Class.
Two shoulder reconstructions forced his retirement from racing in 1993, at age 26. But Deakin would later return to racing in the VMX class for veterans and enduros, where he took out the Australian (A4DE) Enduro Masters on 7-10 July 2011 in Mackay, Queensland.
In 2017, he was third outright in the Veterans MXdN’s (Over 50 Pre-90/500 class) at Farleigh Castle in the United Kingdom.
Cont…
Click here to see James’ full story: https://amxhistory.com.au/motocross-champion-deakin
AMX HISTORY in assoc. with HOLDEN ON TIGHT, preserving Australian motocross history - www.amxhistory.com.au
Photo: Queensland motocross rider James Deakin – riding for the Marlboro Yamaha Team in 1987 at the Manjimup 15000 in Western Australia – By Peter Kitchingman.