Royal Enfield's famous motor - 'made like a gun' - hints at the factory's origins, but few appreciate that it is the oldest motorcycle manufacturer in existence that can boast of continuous production. In addition, its famous Bullet can claim the longest motorcycle production run of all time. Greg Pullen charts the rise, fall and rise again of Royal Enfield, from the company's pre-motorcycle beginnings in Redditch, through the impact of two World Wars, the importance of exports to India an...

At 10 o'clock on the twenty-eighth of May 1907 the first Isle of Man Tourist Trophy motorcycle road race began. The riders pushed off on their 500cc single cylinder bikes and ten laps and 158 miles later, Charlie Collier aboard a Matchless would be declared the victor. This book is a history and celebration of the bikes of those early years of the TT races. It covers the events and personalities that led to the creation of the race and its challenging course; the early success of the Briti...

A definitive account of the popular Ducati Desmodue - the reliable, affordable, high-performance motorcycle range that boasts one of the most successful Italian motorcycles of all time, the Ducati Monster, and is still in development today. Including full production histories, comprehensive specification details and owners' experiences, this new book covers the history of Ducati and the rise of the brand in the 1970s and Grand Prix racing with Fabio Taglioni's desmodromic valve engine desi...

The complete story of the legenday Honda V4 motorcycles and the four-stroke engine design that gave them the name. Including full production histories, comprehensive specification details and over 250 colour illustration, the book covers design and development of the first Honda V4, the oval piston NR500, and the VF road models from 1982-1988. Also covered: the iconic sport touring bikes, the VFR750, VFR800 and VFR1200F; the worldwide racing success for Honda Racing Corporation's RC30; the...

With the launch of the new California 1400 in 2013, and actor Ewan McGregor appointed brand ambassador, Moto Guzzi's owners Piaggio are proving their belief in the future and importance of Moto Guzzi. Moto Guzzi - The Complete Story charts the development of the stylish Guzzi bikes and the highs (and lows) of one of the oldest motorcycles marques still in existence. Topics covered include the origins of the Moto Guzzi factory at Madello del Lario - the oldest motorcycle factory in the worl...

Italian motorcycles have a place in history – and many enthusiasts' hearts – out of all proportion to the numbers that have been built. From Moto Guzzi becoming the first non-British marque to win a TT through to Ducati's achievements in MotoGP, they have also been at the forefront of motorsport despite being far smaller than, at first, the British and later the Japanese manufacturers. If the number of motorcycles built by Italian manufacturers is small, the sheer number of Italian motorcy...

BSA was once the world's most successful motorcycle company, manufacturing more machines than any other in the world by the mid-1950s. And yet, after winning the Queens Award to Industry for exports in 1967 and 1968, it collapsed into bankruptcy in 1973. This is an epic story of rise and fall, even by the precarious standards of the British motorcycle industry. With over 170 illustrations, this book recalls the founding of the company and its foray into bicycle and then motorcycle producti...

Harley-Davidson: words that evoke the open American road and the 'Made in America' tradition like no others. The sweeping chopper handlebars, the distinctive throaty 'potato potato' roar of the engine and the unmistakable logo are all emblems recognized the world over. This book expertly ties together the mechanical evolution of the Harley's engines – from the earliest motorized pedal bicycles to the iconic heavyweight twin cylinder V-engines we know and love today – and the social history...

Kevin Baas begins the second edition of his How to Build an Old Skool Bobber book with a little history, the history of bike building at home, as seen through the eyes of a young man watching his Vietnam-Vet father build a chopper at home in 1970. In his fathers eyes, and Kevins as well, the engine and frame should to be old skool - and genuine Harley-Davidson if possible - but the rest can and should come from swap meets, or the sweat of your own two hands.

In the 1960s, Japanese motorcycle manufacturers were eating into the markets in Europe and the United States with genuinely new designs and modern technology. In 1968, Honda dropped its four-cylinder bombshell in the form of the CB750, complete with electric starter, five-speed gearbox and front disc brake. More than that, it offered speed, convenience, reliability and oiltightness, features that were normally mutually exclusive. The first ‘superbike’ had arrived. In this book, Rod Ker tel...

Before the /5 series, BMW had a reputation for producing expensive and idiosyncratic touring motorcycles. But the /5 changed that. Although still expensive, the market was opened to a new world of riders, and during the 1970s the air-cooled boxer evolved into the ground-breaking R90S and R100RS. These were amongst the first motorcycles with factory-fitted fairings and they also offered class-leading performance. Even when BMW decided to discontinue the twins in favour of the new four-cylin...

Saab 99 and 900 is a detailed account of the cars that came from Saab, the aeroplane maker, whose first car - the 92 model - set the standard for advanced design epitomized by the 99 and 900 cars. The author delves deep into the cars' design and history, and into the core Saab values that they carried into production. Topics include: detailed design history of the 99 and 900; year-by-year developments; technically detailed engineering overviews; detailed specifications; advice on owning an...