Racing Line

The sight and sound of an MV-mounted John Surtees in action, at Silverstone in the late '50s, set Bob Guntrip on course for a lifetime spent on and around motorcycles. A career in journalism led to stints on bike magazines in the UK and Australia, firing the passion still further, and, despite later wanderings into cricket, rugby and science writing, it seemed inevitable that Bob would one day return to his first love. The result is this, his first book, documenting the excitement of the 1960s, one of the most dramatic decades in the history of British motorcycle sport.

1. Il grandi piloti inglese The character of 1950s racing and its people; British riders and their backers - promoters, team managers, tuners 2. Blank canvas The evolution of the British circuit. Riding on airfields, parks, grass tracks and between barrack blocks 3. A choice of rivals The tools of champions - evolution of the British single, its development, refinement, performance and rugged durability. The emergence of the 7R AJS, and, finally, the G50 Matchless to challenge the pre-eminence of the Manx Norton; then the Italians - Aermacchi, Paton, Linto - and the first stirrings of the Japanese giant 4. 1960 Mercury (Bob McIntyre) 5. 1961 Man in the Shadows (John Hartle) 6. 1962 Perfero (Alan Shepherd) 7. 1963 The Mint (Derek Minter) 8. 1964 Wild Colonials (Mike Duff) 9. 1965 The Kirby Boys (Bill Ivy) 10. 1966 Eyes front (John Cooper) 11. 1967 Anything, anywhere (Mike Hailwood) 12. 1968 Summertime (Dave Croxford) 13. 1969 Nemesis (Yamaha TR2) 14. 1970 Eclipse (Peter Williams) 15. The Records Who won what, where and when