Famed race tuner and racing manager Robert “Bob” William Work died August 25, according to the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame. He was 82.

A native of East Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada, Work became the Canadian National Service Manager for Yamaha’s Canadian distributor Pacific Seaboard Ltd. in 1962. Soon after, Trev Deeley Ltd. took over the Yamaha distributorship and Work also took on the additional role of Race Director for Yamaha in Canada.

Work hired rider Yvon Duhamel in 1967, and the duo went on to win many races and titles in Canada and the United States. Work later added Steve Baker to his stable of riders, and together they racked up nine Canadian Road Race Championships and the 1977 Formula 750 World Championship, according to the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Work also had a hand in the creation of the Yamaha TZ750-powered dirt tracker that King Kenny Roberts used to win the Indy Mile AMA Grand National flat track race in 1975.

Work is survived by wife Irene; daughters Cori, Lisa, and Vicki; stepchildren Kim and Jason; 14 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

He was inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2014.