Features

How two men pointed the way to Britain’s racing future, but were eventually beaten by bureaucrats Words by: Pete Parnham Pictures by: Mortons Archive Lincolnshire’s John Kirkby was an extremely able racer and a man of very forthright words and views. In 1966 he was racing his own ex-Tom Philips Vic Camp Ducati, fitted with…

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EVERY now and again there arises a rider who could hop on any bike and blast the hell out of his peers. Mike Hailwood was one, Bill Ivy another. But there’s another example – albeit a much lesser known one – who shared the majestic two-wheeled prowess of both Hailwood and Ivy – Bob Smith.…

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As the world moved into a new decade in 1980, the Transatlantic Trophy (or the Anglo-American Match Races as the series was also known) was about to celebrate its own first decade in existence when the Easter weekend came around. Words: Bruce Cox Photographs: Mortons Archive and Bruce Cox Collection During the previous nine years…

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Drama rears its racing head for Barry Sheene and Giacomo Agostini in Sweden. Words and photographs: Jan Burgers The eighth round of the 500cc World Championship took place at a quiet, open place in the woods of Sweden. Part of the circuit was an airstrip and it was at this very fast part of the…

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There is an old saying that ‘behind every great man there is always a great woman’. But on the motorcycle racing scene, while women have always been plentiful, that saying should be more suitably paraphrased as ‘behind every great rider there is always a great mechanic’. It’s a maxim that was never more true than…

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From our 2016 archive Jan and Hetty Burgers lived the gypsy life, travelling with the Continental Circus during the 1970s and recording some great images of just what it was like to live that exciting lifestyle. In the first in a regular series they remember how hard it was for a young Barry Sheene to…

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When the Davidsons offered him a ride in the 1940s it was a gateway to a life of racing on the ragged edge. And a beach. And alongside life-taking fireballs. By Norm DeWitt Born in West Virginia during the fall of 1925, Paul Goldsmith moved as a teen to the Detroit, Michigan area which, as…

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Having through the years renovated a lovely 16th century Tudor house near Lingfield, Surrey after the competitive part of his career, John now built up a property business, while devoting time to motorsport consultancy, and restoring many of the motorcycles and cars he’d collected or had on loan that were associated with his long career.…

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FROM OUR ARCHIVES Bubba Shobert was following the established American path to the World Championship. A three time AMA flat track Grand National Champion, a US Superbike Championship, and a Honda ride in the 500cc World Championship. Great things were expected, but it was not to be, as Norm DeWitt explains. Photographs: Shobert Collection, American…

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FROM THE ARCHIVES After Chas Mortimer gave Yamaha its first 500cc class win at the last Grand Prix of 1972, riding a 350 twin, the 1973 season marked a new dawn for the Japanese factory with its impressive water-cooled 0W20 in-line-four. Reigning 250cc World Champion Jarno Saarinen would spearhead the factory assault. Yamaha team manager…

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