Superbikes from Around the World by Revised & updated by Roland Brown with contributions by Mac McDiarmid, Tom Isitt & Kevin Raymond hits the £1 shelf in my shop.
Parragon, 1997, Hardback in dust wrapper.
Illustrated by way of: Colour Plates; Tables;
From the cover: It is a little more than 100 years since the first production motorcycle rolled out of Hildebrande and Wolfmullers tiny workshop to confront an unsuspecting world. That was in 1894, and the machine in question produced a puny 2l/2 horsepower with a top speed of 30mph from a mammoth 1530cc engine. In 1995, motorcycles of half that capacity produce almost fifty times as much power and hurtle to well over five times the speed.
Some of these modern missiles but by no means all of them belong to an exclusive club. To be a member requires no special social status, no old school ties, no peculiar handshakes. It simply demands those qualities which raise a mere motorcycle into the category of superbike.
Certainly, many superbikes have instantly recognisable qualities in common. Most have blistering performance. The majority handle, stop and steer in a way that even Grand Prix racers couldnt match just a few short years ago. Some carry novel technology. All to some eyes, at least, have looks to die for. Some are exceedingly rare, some merely very expensive, whilst some compared to cars of even half the performance are downright cheap.
Perhaps there is no universal way to define superbikes, except by agreeing that they all exude that special something. Instead, turn the page, read on and savour.
Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Dust wrapper very slightly loose otherwise a very well presented copy.
Pictorial boards.
96 pages. Index. 12″ x 9¼”.
This book will be listed, sooner or later, for £6.50 on my delightful website… but get 50% off buying from my blog… below…
