Mick Walker S Japanese Grand Prix Racing Motorcycles

This book is the fifth in the Mick Walker Racing Motorcycle series. It covers the Grand Prix Motorcycles from Japan.

As this book explains, the Japanese did not suddenly become proficient in the design and development of motorcycles when they first appeared in Europe at the end of the 1950s. Instead, the Japanese had been involved with motorcycles since the beginning of the 20th century. True, early Japanese motorcycles copied Western design - a trend that continued for several years after WWII. But soon they designed a succession of highly innovative machinery, not only to the Grand Prix world's benefit but to the paying 'over-the-counter' customer, too. Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha, plus Bridgestone and Tohatsu, have all built and sold racing motorcycles which the public could also buy and enjoy.

While the history of European ompetition motorcycles has been largely dominated by Italian, British, and German marques, other builders around the continent have also played significant roles from the turn of the century to present. Arranged by nation, this book examines more than two dozen important marques, including Bultaco, CZ, Elf, Husqvarna, KTM, Ossa, Peugeot, and many others. A wealth of rare photography, including a special color section, includes candid shots of the top personalities and the bikes both at rest and at speed.

Under very different political regimes for a considerable period, East and West Germany produced some highly innovative & competitive racing machinery. German motorcycles were often in the vanguard of technical progress & were good enough to win world titles. In this respect, the top names in the solo categories were NSU and Kreidler, while BMW, Fath, Munch, & König did the business on three wheels. Like Japan, Germany was faced with rebuilding a shattered country following World War II. Like the Japanese, they overcame all the problems not only to create an economic miracle, but also to construct world-beating motorcycles. Germany's success contributed to the development of the sport in a wide variety of ways -- engineers, machines, riders, circuits, & even record-breakers.

Author: Mick Walker. Italy has a reputation for style in all things, not least in motorcycles. The first pure-bred Italian motorcycles made their appearance at the beginning of the 20th century and included Bianchi, Borgo, Prinetti & Stucchi and Ferrera. By the 1920s these companies had been joined or replaced by a number of newer concerns. Then came the period of the pentarchia, comprising Benelli, Bianchi, Garelli, Gilera and Guzzi, who fought tooth and nail for a share of the market. The golden age of Italian motorcycling lasted until 1957 when the three largest and most successful teams, FB Mondial, Gilera and Guzzi announced their retirement from the sport. This improved the chances of marques such as MV Agusta, Bianchi, Benelli, Morini and Ducati who continued to fly the red, white and green flag of Italy with considerable success. Italy not only produced a host of world-beating machinery, but also a number of top riders including Carlo Ubbiali, Umberto Masetti, Tarquinio Provini, Libero Liberati and most notably Giacomo Agostini. Contents: Aermacchi, Aprilia, Benelli, Bianchi, Bimota, Cagiva, Ducati, Garelli, Gilera, Laverda, FB Mondial, Morbidelli, Moto Guzzi, Moto Morini, MV Agusta, Parilla, Paton & Rumi. A total of 256 fully illustrated pages.

After World War II, the Japanese motorcycle industry sought to improve competitiveness in the export field against entrenched European marques and racing was seen as the obvious way to improve credibility and gain publicity. Walker looks at the men, the machines and the events.

This full-color book covers every aspect of one of the best-loved classic racing machines, from its beginnings back in Small Heath though the Brooklands days, Trials, the Café Racer scene to the classic scene of today. Lavishly illustrated.

The most famous of all British racing motorcycles, with an ancestry dating back to the very dawn of the internal combustion engine, the 'cammy' Norton is inseparable from the era of British domination in motorcycle racing. It is linked with the legendary heroes of the sport, Jimmie Guthrie, Harold Daniell, Geoff Duke, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood and the age when Britain had the world's finest motorcycle industry. This revised edition of the definitive history contains additional material and traces the design, development, the leading riders and tuners. It presents a superb collection of photographs, many previously unpublished. The Manx Norton covers not only the Manx itself, but also features boardroom battles, Norton's early history, record breaking, sidecars, Formula 3 cars, scrambling (motocross); the Domiracer; racing at Daytona and today's classic scene.