On The Pegs VOL . 4 ISSUE 10 - OCTOBER 2020 139
Reigning European champ Rolf Tibblin was riding the second big-bore factory machine , backing up the passionate Bill for the title . The Nilsson family lived on Rörvägen ‘ Tube Road ’, in Hallstavik and there were few tubes that couldn ’ t be bent by super mechanic Bill . Up until now , he had built and tuned his own machines , which lead to his first world championship title in 1957 .
“ But now , I devote more time to riding and practicing around my home grounds in Roslagen , north of Stockholm ,” Bill told me in the 60s . “ The fact that I received my Husqvarna from the factory a full month ahead of the start of the season , made things a lot easier . I got used to its performance and could adjust minor details to suit my riding style . After 10 years in the saddle I had never been so well prepared .”
Being just 1.70 metres tall , Bill possessed a stocky and robust body . He looked even smaller when he wore his large leather pants , and the helmet hanging on one side made him look even funnier . But once straddling his machine , there was little to joke about . Where the lack of experience penalised him , his determination and