Slow Burn - The Growth Superbikes & Superbike Racing 1970 to 1988

Informationen zum Autor Bob Guntrip discovered that motorcycles could send shivers down his back while he was still in short pants, and has never really recovered. After more than 30 years editing and contributing to sports magazines on three continents, he knows his love for motorcycle racing is total and irreversible. He has on occasion sought cures in science journalism, lesser forms of sport and even interior design; each has lasted no longer than the first bark of an Italian V-twin or howl of a Japanese four to pass his office window. In 2015 Bob tried writing bikes out of his system with his book ‘Racing Line’: his follow up book ‘Slow Burn’ was the inevitable result. Klappentext Slow Burn tells how the big names of the motorcycle industry used Superbike racing to test their street bike designs. The book features the biggest riders: Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, Wayne Rainey, Kevin Schwantz and Eddie Lawson, who started out on big, unruly superbikes, and learned how to powerslide their way around the world's toughest tracks. Zusammenfassung The story of how the Superbike racing motorcycle developed out of the roadgoing sports-tourer to become the protagonist in one of the most successful competitions in all forms of motorcycle sport. As well as offering world championship class competition in its own right, Superbike racing has been a highly competitive training ground for grand prix riders, as well as helping manufacturers, distributors and dealers develop and improve their motorcycles.Superbike racing is to the motorcycle industry what touring car or NASCAR competition is to the car world: race on Sunday, sell on Monday. All the big names were drawn into the sport during its formative years, and have been there ever since: Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, Ducati and Aprilia have all used Superbike racing to test their street bike designs.Some of the greatest riders in the sport – Wayne Gardner, Wayne Rainey, Kevin Schwantz and Eddie Lawson – all started out on big, unruly Superbikes, learning how to powerslide their way around the world’s toughest tracks.It’s all in Superbike – and it’s all in Slow Burn. Inhaltsverzeichnis Introduction: Aide Memoire 1 Sunrise As the 1970s dawned, the four-stroke seemed likely to disappear from international open-class racing altogether; but not before a final flourish – in a new class – led by Britain’s last ailing giants. 2 Green on blue Brazen, brash, irritating to the ear and very fast, the first big-bore two-strokes began to appear in 1972 and Paul Smart was right there when it mattered. 3 Tango Zulu Yamaha’s trim, purposeful motorcycles have formed the backbone of racing for half a century; but there was never a time that emphasized their potential quite like the mid-1970s. 4 Pushing on an open door Finally, F750 had its world championship for 1977 – but it came too late to be much more than a one-make, one-model competition. Little wonder the alternatives were gaining ground. 5 Formula One Problem: the TT is stripped of its world championship status after 1976. Solution: the TT stages its own world championship, and offers one path to cheaper racing. 6 Warriors for the working day At Ontario in 1973, it was called Superbike Production. Soon it would become AMA Superbike, and routinely offer some of the world's tightest racing – just ask Eddie, Freddie, Mike and Wes. 7 Welcome to the jungle "They're hard men here," said Roger Marshall on a visit to Australia for the Swann Series. They were smart too: Superbike racing quickly took root down under. 8 All together now By the middle '80s, the brute power of the air-cooled 1000s was a thing of the past. And as 750s grew stronger, the World Superbike Championship assumed shape and substance. Index...

Product details

• Authors: Bob Guntrip
• Publisher: Veloce publishing plc
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.04.2020
• EAN: 9781787113169
• ISBN: 978-1-78711-316-9
• No. of pages: 256
• Subjects: Guides > Sport > Motorsport, motorcycle sport, bicycle sport, aviation sport; Motorräder: Ratgeber, Sachbuch