This is the second volume of the definitive history of one of the world's most exciting sports. In 'Birth of the Grand Prix', we trace the 40-year history of World Championship motorcycle racing. The works teams of Norton, Gilera, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta, BMW, AJS and others are featured during the glorious 1950s when up to twenty multic-cylindered four-stroke machines would be on the grid at a GP. Then the two-strokes arrived on the scene and soon had to be taken seriously as the sights and sounds at the Grand Prix circuits of the world changed. 'The Japanese Arrival' includes footgae of early Japanese appearances in Europe and features for example, to 20,000rpm 50cc racers that screamed around the TT course in the early 1960s, the fabulous 250cc Honda Six ridden by Mike Hailwood, the 125 and 250 V4 Yamahas ridden by Ivy and Read and many more racing marvels. The post-war growth of the Japanese motorcycle industry and their eventual domination of the road racing scene is outlined. |