Perris moved to England with his parents in 1938. He began road riding in 1948 in the Chester area, first on a 1914 Douglas and then on a 1934 BSA Blue Star after joining the Chester Motor Club. Inspired by a visit to the Isle of Man TT in 1949, he decided to race and for 1950 purchased a 1934 250cc Velocette MOV and a 1931 Norton International, converting both for road racing. His first race was at Easter at the Antelope circuit near Mold, North Wales, where he crashed the Velocette but completed the 500cc race on the Norton.
Through the early 1950s Perris worked his way up through British club racing, entering his first TT in 1951 and gaining experience across circuits in Britain and Europe. He sold his motorcycle and spent five weeks after the 1952 TT competing in four races across the continent, travelling between venues by road with tools and a tent. In 1953 he purchased a new Triumph Grand Prix and won his first race at Brands Hatch.
Perris was selected for the 1955 works AJS team at the Ulster Grand Prix with a contract for 1956, but all British manufacturers withdrew from competition before that season began. He then rode a pair of Ray Petty-tuned Manx Nortons provided by John Viccars for five years across European circuits.
In 1961, riding as a privateer, Perris finished third in the 500cc World Championship, a result that brought him to Suzuki's notice. From 1962, he rode as a contracted Suzuki factory rider for five seasons. His best year was 1965, when he won two 125cc Grand Prix races aboard Suzuki's two-stroke machinery and finished second in the 125cc world championship behind Hugh Anderson.
When the Japanese manufacturers withdrew their factory teams from Grand Prix racing after 1966, Perris' factory career ended. He retired briefly to South Africa to run a business but returned to racing and entered the 1968 TT on Suzukis for Eddie Crooks, and raced again for half a season in 1969. For 1971 he received a new Yamaha TD2 from Lord Denbigh Rollo Fielding and a Suzuki Daytona 500 from Suzuki GB, claiming third place at the 1971 TT on the latter machine.
After a chance meeting with Norton Chairman Dennis Poore in late 1971, Perris was offered the role of Competitions Manager for Norton-Villiers and accepted, tasked with building a newly reformed works Norton road-race team — the first in ten years — based on Norton Commando road engines competing in the Production and F750 classes. Starting from scratch, he assembled a team that included riders Peter Williams, Phil Read, Mick Grant, and Dave Croxford. The team achieved notable results before Norton-Villiers collapsed financially in 1974.
Frank Perris died on 17 March 2015 from a lengthy illness at the age of 83, with a funeral held on 1 April 2015 at the Isle of Wight crematorium. His career encompassed the full sweep of the 1950s and 1960s Grand Prix era, from determined privateer to factory Suzuki rider to administrator, making him one of the sport's more complete figures of that generation.