The Kevlar Kid
23-06-2005, 01:23 PM
Is anyone going to the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend??????
The motorcycle element of the Festival of Speed has gone from strength to strength. This year, the diversity of worldwide motorcycling will be represented with leading iconic brands from around the world in action. From the UK comes an example of all the great names: AJS, Brough, BSA, Greeves, Norton, Triumph and Vincent. As well as the great Honda machines mentioned separately (with riders Freddie Spencer, Mick Doohan, Nicky Hayden, Luigi Taveri, Stuart Graham, Roger Burnett, Mick Grant,Tommy Robb and Ralph Bryans in attendance), there will be a famous representative from each of the other great Japanese manufacturers, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha (with fifteen-times World Champion Giacomo Agostini confirmed to ride the latter); from the USA will come Indian and Harley Davidson machines; and from Germany comes an NSU and DKW, as well several BMWs (see below).
The formidable Italian motorcycle industry will feature prominently, with a rare racing bike from each of Aermacchi, Benelli, Bimota, Cagiva, Ducati, Gilera, Morbidelli (it is hoped that Giancarlo Morbidelli himself will be here), Mondial and MV Agusta. But perhaps most exciting of all is that a Britten motorcycle from New Zealand will make its Festival debut this year. Brainchild of New Zealand engineer John Britten, only ten of these wonderful road/racing machines have ever been built, and perhaps the most famous of all will come to Goodwood – the third factory-owned bike which won the World BEARS series (a British, European and American Racing Series) in 1995. The company was founded by John in 1992 and run by him until his death from cancer in 1995.
In addition, we will welcome back our long-term supporters Honda and BMW, who have provided the mainstay of the Festival's motorcycle entry in recent years. The Festival is the only place in the world where you can witness exotic Hondas in action, and the line-up this year will be exceptional (see separate story). Meanwhile, BMW plans to bring:
1938 BMW 500 Type 255 Kompressor –the ex-George Meier machine on which the maestro achieved the unthinkable by becoming the first non-British rider on a non-British bike to win the Isle of Man Senior TT
1939 BMW R51 RS – rare production racer based on the works R51. Only 17 bikes were supplied to up-and-coming young racers, such as Endre Kozma, who won the 1939 500cc Hungarian Championship on this motorcycle
1976 BMW R90S TT – the bike on which Helmut Daehne beat 24 other teams to win the 1976 Isle of Man TT, becoming the first BMW rider to win since George Meier 37 years previously
2004 BMW GS1150 Adventure – two such machines will be ridden by Star Wars actor Ewan McGregor and his colleague Charley Boorman. This intrepid duo rode around the world on these bikes in 2004, filming their adventure as part of a television documentary.
http://www.goodwood.co.uk/fos/
The motorcycle element of the Festival of Speed has gone from strength to strength. This year, the diversity of worldwide motorcycling will be represented with leading iconic brands from around the world in action. From the UK comes an example of all the great names: AJS, Brough, BSA, Greeves, Norton, Triumph and Vincent. As well as the great Honda machines mentioned separately (with riders Freddie Spencer, Mick Doohan, Nicky Hayden, Luigi Taveri, Stuart Graham, Roger Burnett, Mick Grant,Tommy Robb and Ralph Bryans in attendance), there will be a famous representative from each of the other great Japanese manufacturers, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha (with fifteen-times World Champion Giacomo Agostini confirmed to ride the latter); from the USA will come Indian and Harley Davidson machines; and from Germany comes an NSU and DKW, as well several BMWs (see below).
The formidable Italian motorcycle industry will feature prominently, with a rare racing bike from each of Aermacchi, Benelli, Bimota, Cagiva, Ducati, Gilera, Morbidelli (it is hoped that Giancarlo Morbidelli himself will be here), Mondial and MV Agusta. But perhaps most exciting of all is that a Britten motorcycle from New Zealand will make its Festival debut this year. Brainchild of New Zealand engineer John Britten, only ten of these wonderful road/racing machines have ever been built, and perhaps the most famous of all will come to Goodwood – the third factory-owned bike which won the World BEARS series (a British, European and American Racing Series) in 1995. The company was founded by John in 1992 and run by him until his death from cancer in 1995.
In addition, we will welcome back our long-term supporters Honda and BMW, who have provided the mainstay of the Festival's motorcycle entry in recent years. The Festival is the only place in the world where you can witness exotic Hondas in action, and the line-up this year will be exceptional (see separate story). Meanwhile, BMW plans to bring:
1938 BMW 500 Type 255 Kompressor –the ex-George Meier machine on which the maestro achieved the unthinkable by becoming the first non-British rider on a non-British bike to win the Isle of Man Senior TT
1939 BMW R51 RS – rare production racer based on the works R51. Only 17 bikes were supplied to up-and-coming young racers, such as Endre Kozma, who won the 1939 500cc Hungarian Championship on this motorcycle
1976 BMW R90S TT – the bike on which Helmut Daehne beat 24 other teams to win the 1976 Isle of Man TT, becoming the first BMW rider to win since George Meier 37 years previously
2004 BMW GS1150 Adventure – two such machines will be ridden by Star Wars actor Ewan McGregor and his colleague Charley Boorman. This intrepid duo rode around the world on these bikes in 2004, filming their adventure as part of a television documentary.
http://www.goodwood.co.uk/fos/