Top Five of 2012: Bikes
Video: Britten V1000 Racing Motorcycle
The Britten V1000 is a hand-built racing motorcycle built and designed John Britten and his mates, mostly in his home in New Zealand. Exotic, innovative and stunning, it went on to win around the world, and set a few speed records along the way.
Interview: Jeff Leisk
Photo: Tony Blazier
Jeff Leisk deserves legend status in off-road racing, as the first Australian rider to win a world motocross Grand Prix and as runner-up in the 1989 world 500 motocross championship. He retired from motocross at the end of 1990 and raced sprint cars. Jeff is a recent convert to vintage motocross and he’ll be a star attraction at this Easter’s Honda Broadford Bike Bonanza. As part of the festivities, Jeff is bringing the actual Honda’s he rode to multiple national titles. In addition, the 1989 factory RC500 Leisk rode in his last year of international competition will be seen for the first time in public at the 2012 HBBB . We can’t wait to see Jeff out on the track. These days Jeff is general manager of KTM Australia, based in Perth. In this interview he talks about his best race, funniest moment and why he packed it in after 1990.
Video Documentary: The Right Line – an introduction to motorcycle sport
This fabulous documentary is “an introduction to motorcycle sport”. The film explains all the two wheeled disciplines including trials, motocross, circuit and road racing and includes some awesome on-board footage.
Video: A Team of Lambrettas Tackle the 1959 Scottish Six Day Trial
First run in 1909, the Scottish Six Day Trial is one of the oldest and most challenging motorcycle trial events in the world. Riders tackle up to 150 kilometers of treacherous terrain in a day’s work, testing reliability, toughness and endurance as much as skill and speed.
Video: The Most Dangerous Sport in the World
The ’80s may have made themselves out as being DayGlo-pink extreme, and in many ways they were, but when you look back at the inventive and slightly (extremely) mad forms of motorsport of the early 20th century, it starts all starts to feel a little tame.
Interview: Mal Campbell
Mal Campbell has been there and done it all, and still does it in Historic Period 5 racing. Riding for Team Honda in Australia and for HRC he rode all manner of machines, including factory built RS860R Superbikes, the rare oval piston NR750, a factory RS920R V4 and several GP 500 machines. He also raced the unique ELF 500 in the GPs. Campbell won the Castrol Six-Hour, the Swann Insurance International Series, the Australian 500 GP at Bathurst and the national Superbike crown. He raced in the WSBK in Europe, the Le Mans 24-Hours and the Suzuka Eight Hours. In the mid-1980s he was one half of the grand Superbike double, head-to-head with Rob Phillis.
