Classic Racer takes you so close you can actually smell the Castrol R. With the world's finest archive, and an editorial team who live and breathe the sport, the only way you'll get closer will be to put on your leathers.
When legendary motorcycle journalist Roland Brown approached us with a feature on one very special dirt/flat-track machine, my brain started whirring… Roland had a great story about the rebirth of Kenny Roberts’ famed (and fearsome) Yamaha TZ750 flat-tracker, a liquid-cooled four-cylinder machine that (tried) to lay-down around 100 peaky, two-stroke horsepower on the dirt ovals while competing against the more ‘normal’ 80-or-so bhp air-cooled, four-stroke V-twins. This bike was a short-lived attempt at upping the ante out on the ovals, and the story of how one very special machine was brought back to life is on page 66. My mind was whirring because I recalled seeing an amazing shot from our friend Don Morley, of Kenny literally going around a dirt-track corner on a Yamaha with the front-wheel in the…
You can’t not like Randy Mamola… Brash and brilliant on a bike and the best man never to have won the 500cc world championship. He would race at the very top level initially in the 250cc class and then the 500cc class from 1979 through to his final year in 1992, by which time the legend of Randy Mamola – the clown prince of bike racing – had been formed. Strangely, at the beginning there was just a shy young man who was far away from his home in Santa Clara. Don Morley, who took these photographs, says that – certainly in his early years: “Randy was a painfully shy young man who found it difficult initially to talk to anyone.” How things would change. Halfway through his debut year…
Back in the 1970s, Saturday afternoon telly was magical. You’d be watching ‘World of Sport’, including Speedway then the half-time scores from football before the wrestling with Giant Haystacks versus Big Daddy – with a dash of Mick McManus thrown in (sometimes literally) for good measure. All of this was followed up with an early evening portion of CHiPs, with Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox as Kawasaki-riding California Highway Patrol officers, and one man would be in both shows. That man was Bruce Penhall. As a speedway star for the Cradley Heath Heathens (1978-1982) he’d be on the telly as a sporting star going sideways on his speedway bike, and later would become an actor in the hit American cop show. That’s some transition... Born in California in 1957, Penhall…
Weise Norvik biker jeans offer stylish versatility and exceptional value. Rated AA for safety, they come with discreet RE ZRO armour at hip and knee. Constructed from stretch 390gsm denim with reinforced stitching, these single-layer jeans balance durability and comfort for on and off-bike use all day long. Available in a choice of short, long or regular leg length and women’s sizes too. Find out more at www.weiseclothing.com Across (10,6) (4) Lüzi, Swiss 250cc GP racer in the late 1980s. (3) (11) (4) (2) (9) (5) (9) (5) (7) (4) (4) (7) (3) (4) (6) (10) Down (9,7) (4) (3,4) (11) (3) (7) (6) (9) (11) (3) (4) (9) (6) (7) (4) (4) (3) The answers to last issue’s Classic Racer crossword: Across 1 & 3 Jeremy McWilliams, 9 Experts,…
Classic Racer, Kelsey Media, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs, LN9 6JR. CRletters@mortons.co.uk facebook.com/ClassicRacerMag/ If you want to get in touch… Then please do. We read every letter, email and comment sent to us and we enjoy hearing from you whether you’ve an event coming up, a motorcycle you own or just want to let us know about something you find interesting in Classic Racer’s world. Star letter MOLNAR MAGIC! Dear CR The article in Issue 228 of Classic Racer about the Barry Sheene Manx Norton 500 FW02 may have caused some confusion, so I wanted to use this chance to clear that up. Without Andy Molnar and the team at Molnar Precision Limited these bikes would never have happened, almost every component was made by the Molnar Team and…
Meet Wayne Gardner and Roger Marshall! Two legendary race icons have been confirmed for this year’s Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show, sponsored by Carole Nash, and taking place over October 11/12. Held at the Staffordshire County Showground, the show will welcome Wayne Gardner and Roger Marshall. 1987 500cc world champion Wayne Gardner began his racing journey on a five-dollar dirt bike and quickly rose through the ranks, making his 500cc debut in 1983. Remaining loyal to Honda, the Aussie star achieved major success with Honda Britain, winning his first Grand Prix in 1986. He went on to beat legends Eddie Lawson and Randy Mamola to claim the 1987 World Championship title. Joining him on stage will be none other than Gardner’s best friend, multiple British champion and former Grand Prix rider,…
