Godspeed: Danny ‘Magoo’ Chandler

Danny “Magoo” Chandler, considered to be the originator of the whipped one-hander and a long-time friend of Dirt Bike Magazine has passed away.

Born in 1959, Chandler was a Northern California dirt-bike prodigy who erupted on the AMA circuit in the late seventies. Seemingly fearless, the wild-riding Chandler was known as much for his spectacular crashes as for his speed. He raced a variety of motorcycles — Penton, Maico, Suzuki, Honda, KTM and more — all over the world. His dominant rides for Team USA in the 1982 Motorcross and Trophee des Nations, where he swept all four motos over a two-week period in West Germany and Switzerland, marked the only time in the history of the sport that a single rider captured every moto win in the two races. Chandler eventually moved to Europe, where he added a 500cc Grand Prix win to his four AMA 500cc National wins. Tragically, Chandler crashed at a Supercross race in Europe in the mid-eighties and broke his neck, ending his career and leaving him wheelchair bound for the rest of his life.

Danny ‘Magoo’ Chandler was 50 years old.

Magoo, sans goggs and mounted on a Factory Honda was always a threat.

Danny and Johnny O celebrating a des Nations win

In his wild child days racing Maico’s. Magoo was on the cover of Dirt Bike in February 1980