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Rocket Men - The Racing Haslam Family
By Bertie Simmonds on 26/06/2002 15:50:55
The story behind the racing Haslam family
Here's a favourite Haslam anecdote. First race of the season in March 1999 at Brands Hatch and in the 125 race are two Haslams, Ron and his son Leon. Towards the end of the race, Leon is lying in third place with Ron just in the points in the top 15.Suddenly, Leon crashes at Grah...
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Icon: Che Guevara
By Bertie Simmonds on 22/10/2010 16:52:09
A political icon from the Swinging 60s and owner of the second most famous beret in the world (after Frank Spencer's) it's little known that Che was a very keen motorcyclist and biking author. Good on him...
For one very short spell in history during the 1960s, that gay dandy of head-dress - the beret - was actually cool.Before then it had been the national headgear of the French (bad) and after in the 1970s it was to be mocked by the likes of Frank Spencer, but you would not have sc...
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The story of the Honda CBR600 (1987 to 2007)
By Bertie Simmonds on 06/02/2007 11:10:33
When doomsday comes, history will only record one motorcycle in the all-time hall of fame: the CBR600. Now in its 20th year, we chart the success of a biking icon
1987 to 1990 CBR600 (FH/FJ/FK/FL)And so it was born. The 'jelly mould' fairing hid a steel frame, an inline four of 598cc with 16 valves and 70-80bhp, good for a top speed just shy of 150mph. Around 10bhp up and, at 182 kilos, more than 10 kilos down on Kawasaki's then shit-hot G...
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The story of Akrapovic
By Bertie Simmonds on 07/01/2011 13:06:52
From a shed in Slovenia, Igor Akrapovic's exhausts now dominate the world
In just 15 years Akrapovic has come from a one-man-band making exhausts in a shed to being the number one brand worldwide for road-riders and race teams alike.Stories like this generally start with a visionary, and this is no different. Ours is Igor Akrapovic.Igor was working in ...
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Used Review: Honda Varadero
By Bertie Simmonds on 05/04/2008 22:44:23
Too big and pig-ugly is how the Honda Varadero been described but what's it really like to own?
Pity the poor Varadero. Criticised for being ugly, ridiculed for having no fuel gauge and also poo-pooed as being less characterful and capable than its older brother the Africa Twin. But all is not lost. Many owners love the punchy FireStorm motor, the comfort the bike provi...
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Living with a 2003 Kawasaki Z1000
By Bertie Simmonds on 12/07/2003 15:18:14
Uncertainty soon turns to attraction as the big Zed wins over Bert
July 2003I shut the door gently. At last we were alone in the garage. I took a deep breath and uttered that immortal line. 'It's not you, it's me'.You see, I'd chosen the Zed thou' as my long-term bike. My choice. My shout. And I was pleased with that choice, but now after a 200...
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Living with a 2001 Honda CBR929RR Fireblade
By Bertie Simmonds on 26/04/2002 10:59:44
Former TWO magazine editor, Bertie Simmonds, talks about his experience of owning a Honda CBR929RR Fireblade
under lock, key and cover chez Bertie, the Blade started on the button, first time of asking when I fired her up to get back down t0 the office after my time off. And since then I've eventually managed to put another 800 miles on the Blade in the last
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Living with a 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000
By Bertie Simmonds on 10/11/2003 13:54:39
It's big, it's old and a bit of a relic. But enough about Bertie, see how he got on with the monster GSX-R1000
August 2003In just two weeks and a shade over two thousand miles I've tried to give the Suzuki GSX-R1000 as good a thrashing as my pathetic skills could muster, with a track day, a 180 mile-an-hour blast down Bruntingthorpe's two-mile runway, daily commutes and a handful of Sunda...
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Living with a 2002 Aprilia RSV Mille R
By Bertie Simmonds on 12/12/2002 11:48:54
Did Bertie get on with the RSV Mille R, read on for his longterm verdict...
June 2002On your right is the Aprilia RSV Mille R. Bertie Simmonds not pictured. And why wasn't I? Well, I just couldn't do it...Sticking my ugly mug in the picture alongside such a thing of great beauty would have been tantamount to Bernard Manning
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Living with a 2004 Honda CB1300
By Bertie Simmonds on 12/09/2004 15:56:49
Finally a bike that doesn't look like a Bertie's riding a mini moto. Yes it's the mighty CB1300 review
In a bid to bond with his new Honda CB1300 longtermer, Bertie books up on a Brettour and heads for the Ardennes. These postcards turned up a few days laterDear TWO,Things haven't started well. I bent the key to the CB in the helmet lock when I
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