Michelle Duff (1939-2025)

Michelle Duff passed away on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Liverpool, NS, at the age of 85.

Michelle had a very interesting but difficult life. She was born Michael Alan Duff on December 13, 1939. Michael became fascinated by motorcycles and motorcycle racing at a very young age, and he had an impressive natural talent on the race track. In 1960, at the age of 20, he left for England to live his dream of racing on the British short circuits, the Isle of Man and in the GPs. He quickly made a reputation for himself and in 1964 Phil Read recommended him as his teammate on the first official Yamaha factory team in the GPs. He won one GP in 1964 in the 250cc class, and then in 1965 one more in the 250cc class and one in the 125cc class. Unfortunately, at the end of the 1965 season he was badly hurt while testing a new prototype in Japan, and his injuries caused him major problems for the rest of his career. His return to racing the following year was the subject of a National Film Board of Canada documentary by Robin Spry, titled Ride For Your Life.

In the early '80s, after years of self doubt and frustration, she changed her name to Michelle Ann Duff and went through gender reassignment surgery. She left her 'motorcycling life' behind and led a quiet life with her pet dogs. I had met Michelle several times when she did her slide show/talks on her racing career. Some time later she mentioned that she had thoughts about putting a book together about her racing career. With encouragement and some editing from Jean Landry and I, it was 'honed' into a manuscript that definitely deserved to be published.

In the end she decided to self publish the book, titled Make Haste Slowly, and it was very well received by the racing community and fans alike. A second edition of the book included her transition into Michelle. After retiring from her job as an Ontario civil servant, Michelle decided to leave the Toronto area and set up in Nova Scotia where she had been living a quiet life with her beloved pets.

Godspeed Michelle!

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Michelle Duff

Dec 13,1939 - July 23, 2025, REST IN PEACE

From the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame

As the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame, it is very important for us to mark the passing of inductees, in particular one as important as Michelle Duff. However, I find it very difficult to find the words. You will find all over the internet the stories and accomplishments of Mike's racing endeavors, always recognizable by the "maple leaf" on his helmet. I once made the comment that Mike was Canada's top competitor. Not everyone agreed but I still think this is right. I remember when Mike first made an appearance at the Kitchener CVMG meeting and told his story with photos. The room was packed and he was quiet spoken and shared stories of his racing career. Many years later, after being invited to Assen's 100th Anniversary, Michelle again attended with pictures but this was a different person. Now we got to hear all the stories from behind the scenes and how things really worked. I was also at AMCA's Davenport meet where Michelle was the guest speaker and a number of Canadians sadly did not go to the dinner but she received a standing ovation.

Things are different now than they were 40 years ago but we need to show our love for one another and not judge as has happened.

Life has been very difficult for Michelle and she has put on a very brave front but has been hurt in many ways both by family and friends. I was pleased to see the obituary posted by her family and copy it here -

"Michelle has passed away peacefully on July 23, 2025 at Queens Manor in Nova Scotia. She is loving remembered by her 2 sons, daughter and their respective families.

Michelle led a remarkable life best known for her illustrious career racing on the European Grand Prix motorcycle circuit throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s. A trailblazer in her sport, she earned enduring respect and admiration, including the honour of being inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2007.

In her later years, Michelle turned her creativity towards children's literature, drawing inspiration from vivid personalities of her beloved pets. Michelle developed a deep passion for wildlife photography, capturing nature's beauty through her lens.

Michelle’s adventurous spirit, creativity and compassion touched the lives of many and will be dearly missed.

Love your children. Anthony, Jacqueline and Christopher."