Motorcycle & Bikers Blog
Speedway: 500 cm³, no brakes, four riders on the cinders
Born on the Australian ovals in 1923, imported into England in 1928, the most stripped-down discipline in motorcycle sport: 500 cm³ on methanol, one gear, no brakes, four riders and four laps of cinders.
The 1972 Imola 200 Miles: the race that gave birth to the Ducati legend
On 23 April 1972, an Italian factory known for its singles lined up eight brand-new desmodromic twins against MV Agusta, Honda and Triumph. At the finish: a one-two, a legend, and the birth of the Ducati 750 SS.
Baggers and dark custom: the two faces of modern American custom
On one side the bagger, the American saddlebag tourer turned style object and race machine with the King of the Baggers. On the other, Harley-Davidson's Dark Custom , an aesthetic of black and stripped-back simplicity. Two opposite faces of the same need for identity.
The Britten V1000: the New Zealand genius who beat the factories
In a shed in Christchurch, John Britten hand-built a carbon racing motorcycle with no frame, around his own 999 cc V-twin. The result: four world records and wins at Daytona against the factory machines. Then cancer took him at 45.
Carlos Lavado: the Venezuelan fire of the 250s
Twice 250 cm³ world champion in 1983 and 1986 on Yamaha, Carlos Lavado left his mark on Grand Prix racing with a relentlessly attacking riding style. His titles, his machines, his rivals and his status as a Venezuelan legend.