Press
How many motorbikes do you need?
Has your partner ever asked, "How many motorbikes do you need?" The answer for me has always been, “Just one more,” regardless of how many machines I have. Each has a place in my rational thoughts, although sometimes it’s difficult to justify to my wife, but never my bank balance.
Well the Bantam is just too slow today. The Matchless has decided to leak oil through its valve guides, leaving clouds of smoke in its wake and the BMW needs new tyres and has a flat battery; oh, and by the way the Yamaha is still in bits. So my Suzuki GSX 1400 is my ride for the day. See I told you they were all needed, in fact I might need another one just in case. Just as several of my biker friends, I’m mad about motorbikes and am loathed to sell any of them.
Lightning Strike - Faster than a speeding bullet?
Lazareth launches a motorbike to new heights
The King of Cool needs no introductions
Without question - "The coolest man on two wheels"
We are all aware of McQueen’s great escape escapades and his prowess on two wheels, but there is more to his man than first impressions of a privileged actor. There is something genuinely earthy about his character that appeals to me. He was a maverick that didn’t fit into the traditional Hollywood image, someone that was true to himself. Although he was a star of many blockbusting movies and one of the highest paid in his industry, he never forgot what made him fell alive.
Leaning on a foot peg at the corner of a street
George Formby may not be top of your list as a celebrity motorcyclist, but he was quite a keen and capable rider. His cheeky chappy image, singing his ditties whilst leaning on a lamppost was far removed from the adventurous side of his nature.
Formby married Beryl Ingham in 1923, a fellow performer who became his manager and transformed his act. Although it appeared a loveless marriage, she was certainly the driving force behind his success, making him one of the top paid entertainers of his time.