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For the first half of the twentieth century, Great Britain led the
world in motorcycle design and production, exporting its products
to countries all over the globe. However, by 1960 this once-great
industry had fallen into what was to be a terminal decline. During
the 1960s and '70s Britain still manufactured a wide range of
machines, but a combination of poor management, lack of investment,
foreign competition (notably from Japan), and the arrival of the
small, affordable car conspired to sound the death knell for most
British motorcycles by the end of the 1970s. Mick Walker uses a
host of colourful illustrations to explore the models produced by
British companies and their foreign competitors, and explains what
the industry did to fight its ultimate demise.
The firm of Royal Enfield was one of the best-known names of the
British motorcycle industry, but curiously its products have never
received the adulation bestowed on the products of Triumph, BSA and
others. In this complete history, top motorcycle authority Mick
Walker shows that there was, in fact, much for the Redditch-based
firm to be proud of, in the shape of good-looking, innovative
machines that inspired a generation. And what other company can
boast a model still in popular production sixty years after its
launch?Topics covered include: , Complete history of Royal Enfield,
including Enfield India, Numerous specifications, Royal Enfields in
competitionAbout the Author: Mick Walker started his own business,
Mick Walker Motorcycles, in 1969 and was a leading race sponsor
during the 1970s. In 1994 he formed Mick Walker Racing, following
the death of his son Gary at Brands Hatch that year. The team has
achieved no fewer than five British Championship wins.
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.
Reg Everett was an unknown club racer with just two years
experience when he marched into the Greeves factory and asked for
works' backing. Greeves, then top of the moto cross tree, laughed
at him, but Reg managed to persuade them to give him an engine. He
bought a frame and built a bike - and it resulted in the birth of
the famous Greeves Silverstone. But the Greeves saga was only one
of many in his racing career - he also rode BSA, Velocette, Ducati
and Yamaha bikes. And it was on the Japanese two-stroke that Reg
Everett really set the racing world alight. Besides the British
short circuits, Reg also rode in the Isle of Man TT, Thruxton 500
Miller and the legendary Barcelona 24 Hours marathon.
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.
After VE Day in 1945 the British population returned
enthusiastically to the road. But the cost and availability of both
vehicles and fuel led to the post-war scene being dominated by
motorcycles, most of them ex-military machines, eagerly snapped up
for everyday use in an age when a family car remained just a dream
for many. The British industry, meanwhile, was exhorted to 'export
or die', and until well into the 1950s the majority of new British
bikes were sold abroad. During this period, the industry - the
largest and most important in the world - continued to develop new
and exciting machines. Mick Walker tells the story of the British
post-war motorcycle during this golden age of the industry. With
the help of archive photographs and advertising material, this book
conjures up a lost age of the British bike, of journeys to work by
popping two-strokes, and trips to the seaside in the family
motorcycle combination.
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.
Various events contrived to bring about the cafe racer era,
together with the advent of the rocker - and subsequently mod -
cults. New motorcycles such as the BSA Gold Star singles and star
twins, Norton Dominator, Royal Enfield Meteor and Constellation,
Triumph Tiger 110 and Thunderbird and Velocette Venom created a new
breed of enthusiast. Films such as Marlon Brando's The Wild One
expressed, albeit in somewhat extreme form, the biker-as-rebel
philosophy. Add to this the potency of that biggest of all pop
music phenomena, rock'n'roll, and the ingredients were all in
place.
This title is reprinted for 2011 - back due to popular demand. Mick
Walker - leading authority on all forms of motorcycle sport -
examines the long career of the quickest and most determined
competitors of all time in this enthralling biography. In the late
1950's John Surtees was the dominant 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. He swiftly established himself as one of the quickest
and most determined competitors. He confirmed his outstanding
qualities as a rider when he won his first 500cc title for MV
Agusta in 1956, and this triumph was followed by six more titles,
three at 350cc and three at 500cc. From 1958 to 1960, he won by a
huge margin. In this fully illustrated and in-depth new study, Mick
Walker reassesses Surtees' remarkable record and explores the
background to his achievement. He recalls Surtee's early
introduction to the sport, his rapid development as a rider and his
years of dominance. The technical side of Surtees' 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. As a rider Surtees was not only exceptionally fast, safe
and consistent, but he was also technically adept and innovative.
His race preparation was meticulous and single-minded, and this
professional attitude to the sport marked him out from his
contemporaries.
Geoff Duke was the first man to win three 500cc world titles in
succession, the first motorcyclist to win the coveted Sportsman of
the Year award, and only the second motorcyclist to be honoured
with an OBE. Additionally, he set new standards of smoothness,
which remain unsurpassed to the present day, and pioneered the use
of a one-piece leather racing suit. Upon his retirement from racing
at the end of 1959, he was to remain closely involved in the sport
and at various times carried out the tasks of consultant, team
manager, clerk of the course - he was a true ambassador. Geoff
Duke: The Stylish Champion is lavishly illustrated with many
previously unpublished photographs, making it a must-read for any
motorcycling fan.
Never in the history of motorcycle racing has there been a more
popular champion than 'Mike-the-Bike' Hailwood. In this new study,
which comes almost 30 years after Mike's untimely death, Mick
Walker examines his long career. From his first race, aged 17, at
Oulton Park in April 1957, to his final race at Mallory Park in
June 1979, Mike rode in more races than any other rider, and he
could ride any bike. In his time he straddled everything from a
49cc Itom single-cylinder two-stroke to a 1000cc Dunstall-Suzuki
GS1000 four-cylinder superbike. He could switch capacity sizes and
makes at the same meeting on the same day. His many achievements he
could count 12 TT victories, 10 World titles and 76 Grand Prix
victories. Mick Walker's book describes Mike's long and varied
career, concentrating on the racing years and the motorcycles.
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