One of the most well-liked and respected people in the UK motocross industry, Stuart Miller, has lost his battle with cancer. He had spent many months battling with the disease and put up a brave fight, but sadly he passed away at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford yesterday aged 68.

As the boss of CI Sport, Stuart was the UK importer and key distributor for many top brands including Alpinestars, Oakley, Troy Lee Designs, Renthal, DEP and Rekluse and sponsored many of the top riders this country has produced.

He totally dedicated his life to the sport of motocross, and spent his week building up his dirt bike parts business and weekends travelling around the UK and Europe riding.

He was never happier than when he was riding his beloved twin-shock Maicos which he maintained to perfection. And he was a tough competitor right to the end.

As a well-known supporter of the sport, its riders and the UK dirt bike industry in general, Stuart was the first backer to step up and give his support to MotoHead when it was launched in October 2016.

And when MotoHead’s Dave Willet wanted to race a twin-shock for a feature in the magazine, Stuart was the first to offer with a fully prepped bike to race. He was on hand to give Dave advice, and was a long-time friend and sponsor of Dave’s racing activities. And he didn’t mind when Dave blew the bike up while challenging for the lead! It was typical of the man who always wanted to give his support to people who shared his passion for dirt bikes.

Dave said: “Stuart was a man I respected on so many levels. He was a character due to his own quirky ways which he’d openly admit were kind of an obsession. It drove the people close to him mad at times! But that’s what made Stuart the man he was. I’ll always remember him as a passionate MX fan who would do so much for the sport and the individuals in it.

“He loved life and he loved getting together on the track and he’ll always remember those days we sent traveling to France to going skiing or snow boarding at his place. I’ll also remember our road to trip to the 2015 MX of Nations. CI Sport supported my racing for many years. To me he was more than just a personal sponsor, he was a good businessman, passionate motocrosser. He lived his live to the fullest but more importantly he was a friend who will truly be missed by all. My thoughts go out to his many friends and most importantly his family. Rest in Peace.”

Stuart formed CI Sport in the mid 1980s, starting life as a direct descendent of the renowned importers Comerfords, a leading motorcycle outlet at the time that focused largely on trials. After Stuart took charge, the business was changed to suit the ever-evolving world of motocross, becoming one of the UK’s leading importers for the sport.

Over the years Stuart worked tirelessly to form strong relationships with industry leading brands. Combined with building a comprehensive dealer network across the UK and Europe, this has led to CI Sport becoming a household name in motocross. It’s all down to the hard work and dedication that Stuart put into the business over the years.

Stuart is survived by his wife Linda, their daughter Carly and two grand-daughters. He will be sorely missed as a husband, father and grandfather. The family has asked to be given time and respect during this extremely difficult period, and are to hold a private funeral.

Any cards or special messages to the family, can be sent to CI Sport at Unit 7, Leatherhead Industrial Estate, Leatherhead Trade Park, Station Rd, Leatherhead KT22 7AG.

It was Stuart’s wish that CI Sport continue to operate with the same values and a loyalty that he had imprinted into the company philosophy. The company will remain under the ownership of Stuart’s wife Linda and their daughter Carly will now step in and continue drive the company forward into its next chapter, ensuring that the business grows and develops in a way that would make Stuart proud.

There will be a celebration of Stuart’s life organised, as well as a one-off memorial race meeting, that will be open to all. The details of these will be announced at a later date.

MotoHead sends its sincere condolences to the family and all the friends and riders who knew Stuart well, at this very sad time. He will be sorely missed by all and remembered as one of the UK’s greatest supporters of the sport at all levels.