THE ART OF THE RACING MOTORCYCLE is an illustrated look at the design evolution of the racing motorcycle. Philip Tooth presents fifty of the best-designed and most enduringly iconic motorcycles ever made, spanning more than a century of motorcycle design. Extensively illustrated with rare archival photographs, the book traces the development of the sport from the earliest French motorcycles to the dominance of British machinery in the 1930s; the exotic Italian and Japanese motorcycles of the 1950s and 1960s; and the increasing influence of American racing in the 1970s and 1980s.
The bikes are presented in chronological order, and the volume is illustrated with studio photographs presenting these machines as works of art and wonders of design, alongside rare and beautiful archival images that place the subjects in the contexts of classic races, rallies, and motorcycle shows. Some of the championship motorcycles featured include the 1902 Manon, the 1922 Harley Davidson 8-valve, the 1935 Terrot 500, the 1948 AJS Porcupine, the 1954 Moto Guzzi V8, the 1965 Honda GP 250, The 1976 Suzuki RK67, the 1986 Cagiva GP, and the 1990 Ducati Supermono.
THE ART OF THE RACING MOTORCYCLE celebrates the integration of style with function, and will appeal to lovers of design as well as more hardcore motorbike enthusiasts.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR / PHOTOGRAPHER: Phillip Tooth has been a journalist for over 20 years. For 10 years was editor of UK magazines Classic Bike, The Classic MotorCycle, and also Motorcyclenews.com before becoming a freelance writer so that he could spend more time with his motorcycles. He now writes for magazines throughout the world, including Klassic Motorrad (Germany), Moto Légende (France), BMW Bikes (Japan), Motorcycle Classics (US), and Motor (Netherlands). Jean-Pierre Pradères ran a studio in Paris where his clients included famous fashion house Hermès, and now devotes his time to photographing motorcycles and bicycles. A regular contributor to Moto Légende (France), his work has also featured in the Guggenheim's The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition and Rizzoli's The Golden Age of the Hand-Built Bicycle.
THE ART OF THE RACING MOTORCYCLE
Phillip Tooth with photography by Jean-Pierre Praderes
Universe Publishing, an imprint of Rizzoli New York
Hardcover / 240 pages / 200 color and black-and-white illustrations / 9½" x 11¾"
ISBN: 978-0-7893-2213-5
Price: $50.00 U.S.
Publication Date: March 2011
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