Remo Venturi And The Golden Age Of Motorcycle Racing

This book is about the fabulous sixties and what racing - and life in general -were like in those days. It spans the entire career of Remo Venturi, five-time Italian champion and twice runner-up in the world championship, along with the many anecdotes involved.

An examination of the American Motorcyclist Association's Grand National series, one of the most unique, challenging and exciting motorcycle racing series' on the planet.

Racing Line is the story of big-bike racing in Britain during the 1960s – when the British racing single reached its peak; when exciting racing unfolded at circuits across the land every summer; and when Britain took its last great generation of riding talent and engineering skill to the world.

Traction control? Engine management? Acres of run-off? You’ve got to be joking: motorcycle racing's age of superheroes, 1988-93, was the zenith of two-stroke Grand Prix racing, when macho colonials slugged it out on evil two-strokes capable of 200mph. Even Valentino Rossi acknowledges this period as a special moment in motorcycle racing history, for he grew up watching Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson, John Kocinski, Mick Doohan and Wayne Gardner on TV as they bumped fairings and burned rubber around ultra-fast, lethal racetracks.

This illustrated history jam packed with more than 150 stunning photographs celebrates high performance motorbike racing since the start of the world championship in 1949.The daring exploits of motorcycle race legends Valentino Rossi, Barry Sheene, Casey Stoner and John Surtees are all gloriously celebrated in Moto GP: The Illustrated History. Each racing decade is dissected and discussed, as are the big incidents, top personalities and technological innovations. To complete the book, motorcycle racing's greatest names – including John Surtees, Giacomo Agostini, Kenny Roberts, Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner and young phenom Marc Marquez – provide exclusive personal insights and accounts of what it is like to race at speeds of 180mph. Moto GP: The Illustrated History is a unique book which brilliantly conveys the exhilarating spirit of this popular sport.

When the fledgeling Honda Motor Company wanted to break into Europe, they knew their machines had to prove themselves at the greatest motorcycle race in the world, the Isle of Man TT. At that time part of the World Championship series, the TT attracted the biggest names in the racing world. It was also the toughest and most challenging event of its kind. In 1959, the first Japanese riders to reach the Island experienced a culture shock when they encountered western lifestyles for the first time, and this was only a few years after the Second World War. Yet they won over young hearts and minds, and helped rebuild bridges. Not only that, Honda machines proved themselves reliable – and fast. They were soon picking up race victory after race victory and the likes of Jim Redman, Luigi Taveri and Mike Hailwood were queueing up to ride them. When they walked away from Grand Prix motorcycle racing in 1967, Honda had won everything there was to win on two wheels at the Isle of Man TT. A legend was born, and the Honda name would go from strength to strength. Yet founder Soichiro Honda never forgot how it all started, and the Isle of Man retains a special place in Honda company history.

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.

Until the 1970s, North America was considered a backwater with respect to world championship–level motorcycle road racing. European racers viewed American riders as being less talented and rode around in circles on tracks made of dirt. That all changed when Kenny Roberts exploded onto the Grand Prix racing scene and became the first American to win the world championship in motorcycle road racing's premier class. Roberts' success launched an era of American dominance that lasted for nearly 20 years and still echoes through the annals of the sport. This is the story of the legendary American riders who beat the Europeans at their own game, including Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Kevin Schwantz, Kenny Roberts Jr., and the most recent American world champion, Nicky Hayden. With additional chapters about the American World Superbike champions and those Americans who competed for the World Championship, this is the story road racing fans have been waiting decades to read.