| |
 |
Isle of Delight - Riding the Isle of Man
By Stuart Barker on 22/11/2010 15:05:11
If the TT is too OTT for you, Stuart Barker discovers there are 48 weeks every year where things needn't be 'Mad Manx'
to be held on public roads in 1904 when the British Government would not, a biker-friendly nation was born.The TT and Manx races may provide some of the best biking entertainment in the world for four weeks of the year, but two-wheelers are welcome all year
|
|
 |
Last Ride of the Summer
By Stuart Barker on 28/12/2002 17:02:21
Having been relegated to a ten year-old Ford Escort for the past few months for reasons to dull to go into, I've now realised how much there is to miss when you've not got a bike
All the signs are there - the smoke wafting lazily from chimney stacks, the yellowing leaves drifting across the roads and my own hot breath clearly visible in the sharp morning air. Yep, it's definitely looking like winter's around the corner again
|
|
 |
Fast Masters
By Stuart Barker on 02/11/2008 14:02:20
Why are some riders faster than others? Is it fear that stops us, a lack of technique or a state of mind? TWO examines what being fast really means and uncovers the secrets of going faster
kph is really easy. The concentration required to do about 140kph in the desert is about the same as you would need to do 200kph on the road.JAMIE DOBB was World 125cc Motocross champ in 2001 and the youngest ever British 125 motocross champion. He has
|
|
 |
The Art of Fast - Six expert secrets
By Stuart Barker on 19/07/2010 15:26:01
There are various different species of rider but with most cases the requirement of speed is essential. Visordown examines why some riders are faster than others, what being fast really means and uncovers the secrets of going faster
on his own turf and you'd see nothing but dust - 70mph across a rutted field can feel like 200mph on the road. Likewise, most riders would be able to reach 180mph or more on a two-mile runway, but it takes a different kind of bottle to travel that fast
|
|
 |
Field of Dreams
By Stuart Barker on 22/10/2007 15:24:09
An empty field and a beaten-up moped. It's how most of us first began our love affair with biking and a rite of passage we will never forget. TWO celebrates the cult of the fieldbike
one would you?The Raleigh Wisp - another first time bike for many - actually started life as a pushbike. Dubbed the RSW16 before Raleigh had the genius idea in 1967 of installing an engine, it only had 1.4bhp on tap and a top speed of 30mph. However
|
|
 |
The Cult of the Fieldbike
By Stuart Barker on 19/11/2010 15:12:40
An empty field and a beaten-up moped. It's how most of us first began our love affair with biking and a rite of passage we will never forget
muddy field or round a council housing estate, great things have been achieved. Some stolen scooter riders have gone on to become world champions and made millions from their riding skills, others have found a life-enriching hobby that has provided more
|
|
 |
Bike Icon: Honda VFR750R RC30
By Stuart Barker on 30/09/2010 14:32:10
Handbuilt in Japan by HRC and available to Fogarty, Hislop and Joe Bloggs, the RC30 was, and is, a little bit special
's worth at the TT and Foggy actually won his first world championship on one as he wrestled the 1988 Formula 1 world crown from Dunlop, then retained it in 1989. The first two World Superbike championships were won by RC30s in the hands of flyin' Fred
|
|
 |
Bike Icon: Yamaha RD350LC YPVS
By Stuart Barker on 17/09/2010 15:54:23
Thrumming through the early Eighties gloom, Yamaha's Powervalve inspired young bikers and future racers alike
children on to bikes - and we're still riding them now. Mission accomplished.YAMAHA RD350LC YPVS1983-19961983: The RD350LC is replaced with the RD350LC2. It features the unique YPVS system and is a totally new machine sharing no parts with the first model
|
|
 |
Face Off - Mackenzie V Hislop
By Stuart Barker on 23/04/2010 09:45:54
In 1998 the fiercest battle between two team-mates took place in British Superbikes. Niall Mackenzie and Steve Hislop set the racing scene alight with their increasingly vicious clashes
star in the BSB paddock and estimates that, including his personal sponsorship deals and prize money, he netted £130,000 during the ‘98 season. Hislop, on the other hand, didn’t get a penny; he agreed to ride for free just to have the chance of a
|
|
 |
Who the Hell is Niall Mackenzie?
By Stuart Barker on 02/08/2010 11:29:31
Niall went from digging holes for the council to being Freddie Spencer’s team mate in five years. In his GP career he scored seven podiums and 28 top-fives. And after 10 years in Grand Prix he returned to the UK and won three consecutive BSB titles
step-thru. Chasing older friends on faster Suzuki AP50s was good early training but he soon upgraded to a Yamaha FS-1E.In 1980, the young Scot bought the bike that would change his life – Yamaha's new RD350LC. When the Scottish ACU announced it would
|
|
