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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Motor sports > Motorcycle racing
This is a paperback reprint - back due to popular demand. It includes analysis of his greatest races and the changing technology of his bikes. It is an in-depth, richly illustrated biography of one of motorcycling's best-loved characters. Fourth in a series intended to cover the careers of the world's greatest motorcycle racing champions, "Bob McIntyre - The Flying Scot" tells the story of the man who never actually won a world championship - but certainly deserved to. In many ways he was the two-wheel equivalent of car racing driver Stirling Moss, who is seen as one of the greats in his sport although he never won an official world title. Well over four decades since his untimely death, following an accident that occurred while racing his 500cc Manx Norton at Oulton Park, Cheshire in August 1962, Bob McIntyre's memory lives on. An annual Bob McIntyre Memorial race meeting held at East Fortune attracts racing enthusiasts from as far afield as Australia. Not only was 'Bob Mac' a brilliantly gifted rider and self-taught mechanic, he was also a man of the people, someone who would always help a fellow competitor or take the time to sign an autograph or chat to a fan. He was also honest, loyal and modest; his word was his bond. Unlike the three riders already covered in this series, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood and Giacomo Agostini, Bob Mac was very much a self-made man; someone who started from the very bottom and reached the very top in his chosen profession. He was the first man to lap the Isle of Man TT circuit, the most fearsome in the world, at over 100 mph; and this was just one of his great achievements. This in-depth account of his career focusses on the bikes and the races but also provides an insight in Bob's life away from the track. Lavishly illustrated with many previously unpublished photographs, it is a must-read for any motorcycling fan.
In the late 1950's John Surtees was the dominate rider in top-level British and European motorcycle racing. A precocious talent, he began riding competitively on Vincents in the early 1950's, then REGs and NSUs and Nortons A precocious talent, he began riding competitively on Vincents in the early 1950's, then REGs and NSUs and Nortons. The technical side of Surtees's career - the bikes he rode and his considerable skills as a mechanic and engineer - is covered in detail. The book gives a fascinating insight into the intense motivation that often gave Surtees the edge over his rivals and laid the foundation for the success that followed. In many ways Surtees is the precursor of later generations of fiercely dedicated, perfectionist riders like Kenny Roberts Snr and Mick Doohan, and the time is right for a reassessment of his contribution to the sport.
Motorcycle racing in Great Britain began in 1907 with the opening of Brooklands near Weybridge in Surrey, the first purpose-built circuit in Europe and the inaugural staging of the Isle of Man TT. Then, during the interwar period came venues such as Cadwell Park, Crystal Palace, Syston and Donington Park. However, it was after the end of World War Two in 1945 that circuit racing really established itself. There was an influx of former wartime airfields including Boreham, Haddonham, Ibsley, Thruxton, Silverstone, and Snetterton but also Brands Hatch, Alton Towers, Scarborough, and Outton Park to name but a few. North of the border came Beveridge Park, Errol and Charterholl, while across the Irish Sea, the Ulster Grand Prix and the North West 200 were bolstered by a myriad of new road courses.
It is a subject that Mick Walker had wanted to cover for many, many years, because he had always thought that the sidecar boys (and a few girls!) seemed to get a raw deal, both with the organisers and the press. In actual fact the sidecar event was often the highlight of a days racing and were generally loved by spectators. Once the motorcycle had become firmly established, the next question was how could it carry more people? The earliest examples of the 'sidecar' arrived just after the turn of the 20th century, and by 1903 a couple of firms were already offering them for sale. The first sidecar world records were established in 1922 by Cyril Pullin at Brooklands Learn all about the history of sidecars racing and its competitors from the beginning in Mick Walkers latest book.
Derek Minter is one of the gretest-ever motorcycle racing stars. After becoming double British Champion in 1958, he became the first man to lap the Isle of Man TT circuit at over 100mph on a single-cylinder bike. During 1962 he not only became triple British Champion, but he also won the 250cc TT on a privately entered Honda - beating the might of the Honda works team in the process. By 1965 he held the lap record for virtually every British short circuit, and by the time he retired at the end of 1967 he had ridden for many manufacturers, including MZ, Moto Morini, Bianchi, REG, EMC, Honda and Norton. Derek Minter: King of Brands is a fitting tribute to one of racing's heroes.
Bill Ivy had a steely determination to succeed, an almost fearless courage, which meant he never backed away from a challenge, and a love of fashion and fast cars. In this fascinating biography of Ivy, Mick Walker highlights that Ivy was certainly not only a great rider, but also a unique personality. Walker documents a fitting tribute to Ivy's life that will interest any motorcycle enthusiast. When Bill Ivy was fatally injured while practising for the East German Grand Prix in July 1969, motorcycle racing lost one of its greatest-ever competitors. As a tribute to Bill, leading motorcycle historian Mick Walker has written "Bill Ivy: The Will to Win". Bill Ivy was certainly not only a great rider, but also a unique personality. He had a steely determination to succeed, an almost fearless courage, which meant he never backed away from a challenge, and a love of fashion and fast cars. Although only 5ft 2in tall, he more than made up for his lack of stature by his immense upper body strength, which meant he could cope with any size of motorcycle from a 50cc Itom to a 750cc Norton-engined Matchless G15 CSR. It was as a member of the Yamaha factory team that he not only became World Champion, but also set the first 100mph TT lap record on a 125cc machine - only a decade after Bob McIntyre had first achieved this feat on a machine with an engine size four times larger! "Bill Ivy: The Will to Win" is a fitting tribute to one of the world's greatest-ever motorcycle racing stars.
This book covers the present-day motorcyclist subculture in America in a serious and scholarly fashion. It combines more than 45 years of the author's riding experiences with data collected over five years of systematic observation and extensive ethnographic interviews with over 200 male and female riders. Much has been written about hardcore bikers, the one-percenters, but there has been little scholarly research on the much larger segment of the population more aptly called motorcycle enthusiasts, or simply motorcyclists, than bikers. This book focuses on them--the hard working plumbers, construction workers, truck drivers, and other blue collar workers as well as the white collar executives, teachers, doctors, lawyers and other professionals who are mostly married, have mortgages, pay their bills, obey the law, and on weekends and holidays participate in a favorite pastime, riding motorcycles.
Run over the every-day roads of the Isle of Man for over 100 years, the world-famous Tourist Trophy races have gripped the imaginations of successive generations of motorcyclists. From the earliest days of single-speed, belt-driven machines delivering 5 bhp, to the highly developed projectiles of today offering a fearsome 200 bhp, race fans have thronged the roadside banks and watched in awe as the best racing motorcyclists in the world rode the fastest machines of their day around the twists, turns and climbs of the 374 mile Mountain Course, all in pursuit of a coveted Tourist Trophy. This new updated edition covering the 2007 - 2012 races, reveals the event's colourful history through the high-speed activities of great riders such as the Collier brothers, Geoff Duke, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Steve Hislop, Joey Dunlop, John McGuinness and many others. It also looks at the machines and mechanical developments and race organisation, plus the financial rewards and commercial interests; setting them all in the context of the triumphs and tragedies of a great sporting event that has seen average lap speeds rise from 40 mph to over 130 mph.
No Breaks: A Lost Season in British Speedway is a story of survival. Once the country's second most popular sport, filling Wembley Stadium for meetings, speedway now gets by on crowds numbered in the hundreds. It's been banished to industrial estates in towns like Redcar and Scunthorpe and generally forgotten by the mainstream media. And yet, going into 2020, things were looking up: several star riders were returning to race in Britain for the first time in years and a new, long-term TV contract was in place. Then the coronavirus lockdown happened, cancelling the league season and threatening the sport's very existence. Starting in September 2019, No Breaks hears from those who earn a living from speedway - the riders - and those who continue to keep it alive against the odds: the promoters and fans. Month by month, the book explores British speedway's current health - itself a reflection of wider society - while shining a much-needed light on many compelling and positive stories.
One Man’s Mountain’ is a powerful and energetic memoir describing how what seem to be distant and unachievable dreams can become real and develop into a life’s experience that is way beyond what was thought possible. The book depicts life’s experiences leading from war-time to normal peacetime living. An ordinary suburban lifestyle enables the writer to explore and adventure on two wheels and brings to life a competitive spirit, which causes the writer to see and develop an ambition. The goal to be achieved centres upon an island in the Irish Sea, yet seems beyond reach. The difficulty is that it combined the need to ride and earn a living! Yet strangely, work and play relate.
For over 100 years the world's best motorcycle racers have pitted themselves against the gruelling 373/4 -mile Isle of Man Mountain Course at the annual event known worldwide simply as 'the TT'. The Tourist Trophy meeting - to give its proper name - represents perhaps the greatest challenge that the sport of motorcycle racing can offer. The top names in road racing - Collier, Wood, Duke, Hailwood, Agostini, Hislop, Jefferies, McGuinness, Hutchinson and the Dunlop dynasty - have all considered the pursuit of a Tourist Trophy to be the ultimate goal. From riding the earliest single-cylinder, belt-driven machines with outputs of under 10bhp, to coping with today's sophisticated four-cylinder machines giving well over 200bhp, generations of riders have risked their lives to satisfy the desire to go faster than the next man and to win a TT. In the process they have lifted lap speeds by almost 100mph. Exactly how that huge increase has been achieved is told within these pages, set against the background of the triumphs and the tragedies of the TT history.
Historic, wildly dangerous, nerve-wracking, heroic and uniquely thrilling, the Isle of Man TT is one of the greatest sporting events in the world. Featuring input from past and present riders, TT teams, manufacturers and fans alike, James Driver-Fisher reveals why the Isle of Man's greatest ever races mean so much to so many TT devotees. The entire history of the races, from the first battle in 1907 through to the summer of 2019, is covered, focusing on an expert selection of the most memorable events of all. Famous road racers relive the closest of victories and heart-breaking defeats. Unbelievable comebacks from legendary riders sit alongside race weeks when records have tumbled, and events when the biggest names have first burst on to the scene. As well as the inside view from those directly involved in the thrills and spills, Memorable Isle of Man TT Races also draws on the memories and expertise of diehard fans who have grown up with TT in their blood - vividly bringing to life the iconic races' atmosphere through the years.
This second volume uncovers and traces the direct links between man and machine. Keith's unique ability to unravel complexities and establish simple, essential principles, provide both street and race riders with real tools to think about, and understand for themselves the problems of riding. The author says: "The ten years since the publication of TWIST OF THE WRIST have been exciting ones for motorcyclists. That volume was my first attempt to create a 'technology' of riding: I knew there was one, it was simply a question of finding it. But TWIST OF THE WRIST II contains more real riding technology and addresses the source of our classic rider problems."
"Hey mom, I think I might be good at writing. One day, I think I'll write a book." --John Marshall Foster, 2015 In her second book Inside His locked Box: The Marshall Racing Project 33, Susan E Foster gives voice to her late son, John Marshall Foster, who committed suicide following a miraculous recovery from a harrowing motorcycle accident. It was not the accident that led him to end his life. It goes much deeper. Marshall was battling thoughts of suicide long before the crash. Now through a series of revealing conversations, text messages and essays written by her son, Susan shares an in-depth and profound look inside his life. From his own written words, readers will learn what triggered Marshall's journey while also highlighting what his mother and siblings endured during a very difficult and tumultuous time in their lives. What followed piloted the launch of The Marshall Racing Project 33 (MRP33), a special event created in Marshall's honor benefitting Mental Health Awareness. The special event involved the surprise unveiling of Marshall's wrecked motorcycle completely refurbished by the founder of Marshall Racing Project 33, Ever Gomez, who played an important role in Marshall's life. Painted in Marshall's favorite color green and numbered 33 for Marshall's birthday (March 3rd), Ever continues to race Marshall's bike delivering the important message that when you feel most hopeless, you are positioned for your coming breakthrough, there is always a reason for hope and life matters. Your life matters. *A portion of sale net proceeds go to: The Marshall Racing Project 33 (MRP33) benefiting Mental Health Awareness
"Hey mom, I think I might be good at writing. One day, I think I'll write a book." --John Marshall Foster, 2015 In her second book Inside His locked Box: The Marshall Racing Project 33, Susan E Foster gives voice to her late son, John Marshall Foster, who committed suicide following a miraculous recovery from a harrowing motorcycle accident. It was not the accident that led him to end his life. It goes much deeper. Marshall was battling thoughts of suicide long before the crash. Now through a series of revealing conversations, text messages and essays written by her son, Susan shares an in-depth and profound look inside his life. From his own written words, readers will learn what triggered Marshall's journey while also highlighting what his mother and siblings endured during a very difficult and tumultuous time in their lives. What followed piloted the launch of The Marshall Racing Project 33 (MRP33), a special event created in Marshall's honor benefitting Mental Health Awareness. The special event involved the surprise unveiling of Marshall's wrecked motorcycle completely refurbished by the founder of Marshall Racing Project 33, Ever Gomez, who played an important role in Marshall's life. Painted in Marshall's favorite color green and numbered 33 for Marshall's birthday (March 3rd), Ever continues to race Marshall's bike delivering the important message that when you feel most hopeless, you are positioned for your coming breakthrough, there is always a reason for hope and life matters. Your life matters. *A portion of sale net proceeds go to: The Marshall Racing Project 33 (MRP33) benefiting Mental Health Awareness
At 10 o'clock on the twenty-eighth of May 1907 the first Isle of Man Tourist Trophy motorcycle road race began. The riders pushed off on their 500cc single cylinder bikes and ten laps and 158 miles later, Charlie Collier aboard a Matchless would be declared the victor. This book is a history and celebration of the bikes of those early years of the TT races. It covers the events and personalities that led to the creation of the race and its challenging course; the early success of the British motorcycle manufacturers: Norton, Velocette, AJS and Matchless and their riders. The origins of the Italian Fours: Gilera and MV Agusta Quattro are covered and the influence and reign of the Japanese manufacturers too are covered: Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki. There are also details of the technical developments that enabled the bikes to conquer the mountain course with world-record beating times.
For nearly two decades 'A Twist of the Wrist' has been the high performance rider's bible of cornering. Enthusiasts worldwide have used Keith Code's unique perspective on the cornering art to improve there own skills and enjoyment. When Keith began his investigations into cornering in 1976 he left no stone unturned. Code translated his research into the world's number one rider training organisation, The California Superbike School. In addition, his private tutoring work with dozens of roadracers who later became champions is part of the sport's history. This studio recorded, 4 CD audio set is read by the author and contains dozens of new notes and comments that enhance the original work and includes four time World Champion Eddie Lawson's comments on the text.
Barry Sheene is arguably the greatest British motorcycle racing rider of all time. A chancer, lovable rogue and the leading sports star of his era, adored by the public and press alike, he won two world motorcycle championships - in 1976 and 1977. He achieved iconic status by being involved in some horrifc crashes and was dubbed 'the bionic man' on account of the amount of metal used to reconstruct his legs after a particularly bad accident. He emigrated to Australia in 1987 where he became a celebrated motorsport commentator. His premature passing in 2003 robbed motorsport of one of its greatest characters. For the first time, Barry's family have agreed to open up their personal archive to give an unprecedented insight into the two- time 500cc world champion. Through more than 120 previously unpublished personal photographs, Times journalist and award-winning author Rick Broadbent tells the story of a remarkable sports star. Published to mark the 40th anniversary of his second world championship win, this is a unique pictorial account of a life lived at full throttle and is an intensely personal look at a racer, legend, husband and father.
The Spanish rider Carlos Checa triumphed in the 2011 World Superbike Championship aboard the Italian Ducati. Second and third places in the standings went to the excellent Marco Melandri, in his first year in the SBK series, and to Max Biaggi, winner of the 2010 edition. The 2012 season opened at Philip Island in Australia, inaugurating a championship that will also see a race in Russia at the brand-new Moscow Raceway. Once again, this edition of the Superbike World Championship Official Book is intended as the reference volume for the world of production-derived" racers, the bikes that have for many years now represented the beating heart of motorcycle sport, combining fierce competition with high technology, without neglecting the close ties with road-going machinery. Race by race, the book describes the 2012 season, above all through the spectacular photos taken by Fabrizio Porrozzi, complemented by the ever-pertinent texts of his brother Claudio. As well as reporting on the major championship, the book also features chapters devoted to the other categories (Supersport, Superstock 1000, Superstock 600) completing the packed World Championship programme.
From the 1950s through to the 1970s, Hughie Hancox worked at the Triumph Meriden factory in various capacites - a fitter, a member of the famous Royal Corps of Signals Motorcycle Display Team, in the experimental department (where he actually worked on the prototype Bonneville), and eventually as one of the legendary Triumph testers.This latter role provided countless unique experiences with some of the most iconic British motorcycles ever manufactured. The story of production testing at Meriden has never before been published, and this intimate and pragmatic account comes straight from a man who was at the heart of it. With many previously unpublished pictures and service bulletins, plus helpful advice on problems that still exist with the bikes today, this is a unique book about a fascinating time and place in British industry.
‘You don’t get to be six-time British Superbike Champion without having talent and desire’ – Wayne Rainey, three-time 500cc World Champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne knows what it is like to live on the edge. The most successful rider in British Superbike history, he is the only person to have won the championship six times. Shakey is a living motorbike legend, with legions of fans across the country. For the first time Shakey tells his life story, from being abandoned as a newborn baby in a London hospital, to multiple brushes with the law and working night shifts on the London Underground to fund his early racing career. Whether it was on his BMX or joyriding through Kent, the only thing Shakey ever wanted to do was race motorbikes. Once he had got his break, Shakey quickly developed a reputation as one of the most exciting riders of his generation, and the thrill of every victory, every chicane and every overtake, as well as the hospital visits and painstaking recovery, is relived in heart-pumping detail. Unshakeable is an incredible story of winning and risk-taking, of horrendous crashes in which he nearly lost his life, of Ducatis and monster motorhomes, and of hard-fought glory in one of the most exciting and dangerous sports on the planet. Told with breathless exhilaration, Shakey’s story is one of inspiration, break-neck speed and a life lived truly on, and over, the limit. |
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