the power and the story…
A few years ago, I reviewed the re-incarnation of the Ducati Supersport (the 939). It was on the A372 across the Somerset Levels (of petrol head infamy – big straights, fast open bends, plenty of tight stuff, with Westonzoyland drag strip conveniently situated en route) when the epiphany happened: the brief and rare manifestation of … Read more
Something old, something new, something for everyone…
High performance bikes make up a tiny fraction of global motorcycle sales. As Honda have pointed out, no Super Cub (sales < 100m), no Fireblade. And yet…
Here’s the most definitive account yet of what actually happened. Massive thanks to the people who helped.
CW Motorcycles’ Dorchester based BMW franchise, one of the longest standing and most respected Solus dealerships in the country, will come to an end next July. This is the story of the end of a very long standing affair.
So what do you get?
Nick went for a ride with Ana Carrasco in Spain, ever nearer in her quest to become motorcycle racing’s first female track world champion….
WEST DORSET TO THE WAKHAN CORRIDOR. AND BEYOND…….
NICK: June 2017. I walk into my local bike workshop in Bridport, W.Dorset, where a very well used Vespa is undergoing an MOT. Mod cons include a stylish Samarkand tapestry seat cover. A pleasant young woman in her mid 20s collects. As she rides off, Clive (proprietor) tells me: ‘That’s Emma, she went from Wotton Fitzpaine to Ulan Bator. Via the Wakhan Corridor. On the Vespa. On her own. You two should have a chat.’
I took his advice. Emma had just got back: she’d been away for two years. This is her story.
Let’s get the prejudice out of the way first. Even if you have little time for pricey bespoke motorcycles, beards, modern Brit cuisine and jeans which retail the wrong side of £350 – all of which can be found at the Bike Shed Motorcycle Club’s generously appointed Shoreditch HQ, the commercial heart of urban hipsterdom – the phenomenon it all represents is worth examining.
The most interesting thing about the climax of the 2015 MotoGP season was that on track events exposed some uncomfortable truths, and in that sense has been very refreshing.
