RIP the Go show

From Wikipedia:

In June 2019, Gobert was reported to have been involved in an altercation at a restaurant. Afterwards, he was followed home by a number of individuals whom he had earlier fought with. They forced their way into Gobert's home, robbed him, and beat him with baseball bats. He was beaten beyond recognition. Hospital staff were only able to identify him after he had regained consciousness.

This could not have helped him at all. It was never reported in America to the best of my knowledge. Any idea what the drugs were that he lost so many rides over? I was under the impression at the time that it was just weed, which in those days was a bigger deal than today.
 
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A wasted talent - in more than one way.
The people who could tell you what he was on are Stu Avant - who I'm told washed his hands of him a while back. And Dr Jim Cashman who did the drug testing for the Roberts team - and he's now dead too
Let it rest.
 
Heard that Wes Cooley who came out to ride in the Castrol 6 Hour back in the 70s would be partaking of a spliff in the pits and heading out to ride like a rocket. No idea if it's bullshit or not. Can't imagine how - I decided early in my musical career that trying to play drums stoned at a live gig was simply not fun. Same with being pissed. Partaking had to wait until after the gig.
 
It will be a true tragedy if his career was derailed by his use of a plant that is now fully legal in more than half of the American states and is prescribed by doctors for the treatment of many ailments. Of course there is no way to know if he ever rode while under the influence since the most common drug testing of the time only was able to identify usage within a 7 day timeframe.
 
Sad news ...... but a flawed talent ........ I remember the reports of him pissing in Neil Hodgson`s helmet during his WSB days ........ and more recently robbing a pensioner , and taking a woman`s purse ........ Also a shock to see recent photos of him with that gun tattoo on his left cheek .......

It`s a shame , but in the end it`s the individual themselves that have to start to take responsibility for their own actions ...... no one else can ......
 
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I wrote a little blurb on my experiences with the counterculture back in the day but I expect it's a pretty common experience for those of a certain age. Happily, my only connection now is I still love riding bikes. That does it for me.
 
rocketonarail said:
Sad news ...... but a flawed talent ........ I remember the reports of him pissing in Neil Hodgson`s helmet during his WSB days ........ and more recently robbing a pensioner , and taking a woman`s purse ........ Also a shock to see recent photos of him with that gun tattoo on his left cheek .......

It`s a shame , but in the end it`s the individual themselves that have to start to take responsibility for their own actions ...... no one else can ......
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I well remember riding 1600kms down to Laguna Seca to watch the WSB show during the days of Gobert. Astonishing talent, but his antics in the paddocks and during autograph nights down Monterey Saturday nights left a lot looking at each other with raised eye brows, adult mood enhancing was a thing in Monterey shall we say. We can blame society for the ease of damaging pharmaceutical agents available today, but I ultimately blame each person by starting off with “harmless “ THC products and moving on to bigger and better. My buddy is a firefighter in the most notorious neighborhood in the entire country of Canada, where he regularly administers life saving 4-5 Narcan hits to a person in one day, only to be found laying dead under a garbage can in the morning. 7-8 per day. Multiple agencies offering a way out, they almost always choose the alternative.
 
I was at the funeral of Jack Wood today, former IOM TT Clerk of the Course and a top rider back in the 1950’s, and Gobert’s demise came up in conversation. Most agreed a flawed, and possibly wasted talent, but certainly he could ride a bike, backing into corners on bikes pre slipper clutches. Apparently he was asked by one team what it would take for him to ride their bike, to which he allegedly answered: a go-go girl in a cage in the back of the motor and a crate of beer. I guess that sort of summed up his attitude to life.
 
Andy J said:
I was at the funeral of Jack Wood today, former IOM TT Clerk of the Course and a top rider back in the 1950’s, and Gobert’s demise came up in conversation. Most agreed a flawed, and possibly wasted talent, but certainly he could ride a bike, backing into corners on bikes pre slipper clutches. Apparently he was asked by one team what it would take for him to ride their bike, to which he allegedly answered: a go-go girl in a cage in the back of the motor and a crate of beer. I guess that sort of summed up his attitude to life.
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Definitely a wasted talent. I witnessed two of his possibly best rides, Phillip Island 1994 on debut for Kawasaki, and years later the incredible win on the POS Bimota. It's hard to stand out among a field of other world championship riders but AG certainly did. Out of MG and into turn 11 was shocking to watch and particularly in '94 he made the rest (ie Foggy, Russell, Slight, Polen, Crafar...and so on !!) look like track day numpties. Addiction is a complex topic, and the really gifted seem to be particularly susceptible - look at the train-wreck lives of many great musicians from Winehouse to Beethoven. I certainly would not have wanted to cross paths with AG in his later life, but I sure feel honoured to have seen him at his best. RIP.

For some perspective and positivity on the flawed genius who was Anthony Gobert, some further reading:

Dean Adams is an often critical writer and I was really surprised with this one. Proves that there was a lot more to AG than a narrow minded view of his later life.
superbikeplanet.com

GodSpeed Tony G

superbikeplanet.com superbikeplanet.com

The 'dancing girl in a cage' anecdote is in this one, it is related by Stu Shenton and was delivered to none other than the factory Suzuki engineers after his first RGV500 test! Oh to be a fly on the wall...
www.motorsportmagazine.com

Anthony Gobert: 1975-2024

'The Go Show' was more talented than Schwantz and Spencer and a “genuinely nice kid” but he was unable to defeat his addictions
www.motorsportmagazine.com www.motorsportmagazine.com

Part of a Rob Muzzy interview found by someone on motomatters.com:
Q. You were quoted recently stating that you feel Anthony Gobert is the most talented rider you ever worked with. Is that true?
A. Yes, well, in that I mean he's the most talented young rider I have ever worked with early in his career. He was that by quite a margin. I don't know that he is more talented than Wayne Rainey or Eddie Lawson in their prime but I would say that he is at the very least their equal if you compare them all in their first seasons of racing. I can say that strictly by what Gobert was able to get away with on the motorcycle. I have never seen a younger rider do the things that he did on a motorcycle. He did things on the motorcycle that guys like Eddie Lawson and Doug Chandler can't, or probably won't. He has abilities that it usually takes riders years and years to acquire.
However, talent is one thing. Ambition and discipline are another. The most talented? Yes. Will he win you a championship? No.
 
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