Motorcycle Racing

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne knows what it is like to live on the edge. The most successful rider in British Superbike history, he is the only person to have won the championship six times. Shakey is a living motorbike legend, with legions of fans across the country. For the first time Shakey tells his life story, from being abandoned as a newborn baby in a London hospital, to multiple brushes with the law and working night shifts on the London Underground to fund his early racing career. 

Joey Dunlop's story is one of towering triumphs and desperate tragedies in almost equal measure. Born poor—dirt poor—with no running water, no electricity, he was the definition of the everyman hero, earning the title 'King of the Roads' in what must be considered one of the world's most extreme sports—motorcycle road racing. And as well as being voted Northern Ireland's greatest ever sportsman, he remains the most loved and most successful road racer of all time.

As 'The Voice' of motorcycle racing for 40 years, commentator Nick Harris became the biggest star not on two wheels in the paddock, and this is his mostly eyewitness, white-knuckle account of MotoGP's scorching 70-year history. The story starts on the Isle of Man in 1949, when Geoff Duke, with his slicked-back hair and one-piece black leathers, became the nation's hero, defying the odds and winning the most dangerous race in the world on a British-built Norton.

Graham Jarvis has been at the top of off-road motorcycling for the best part of 25 years and has competed in hundreds of competitions and races all over the world, from TV's Junior Kick Start in the early 1990s to the fabled and ridiculously perilous two-day Italian event Hell's Gate, which he has dominated in recent years and which is one of motorsport's most feared events. Having excelled at trials and enduro, Graham moved into the high-octane world of extreme enduro, one of the most exhilarating sports on two wheels, in 2011. 

They say I'm hell on wheels. The fastest, hardest, most successful motorcycle racer alive. They say I don't know how to lose - that I always get what I'm after. And I always do, except for her - my illicit obsession. Years ago, I chose fame over forbidden temptation. Back then, she was way too young. Too off-limits. My best friend's little sister and way too good for a rough, dirty street racer like me. Now I'm back - rich, hardened, and fallen from grace after getting kicked off the racing circuit. But Hailey Prescot might just be my saving grace.

Charley Boorman is back on his bike exploring the world's second-largest country - home to some of the most stunning and challenging terrain known to man. Canada is a country of extremes, and Charley knows all about pushing the limits. He goes dirt biking in New Brunswick, dives through old shipwrecks in Tobermory and rides along Butch Cassidy's old Outlaw Trail. He also meets a fascinating mix of people on his journey.

Wayne Bennett is the greatest rugby league coach Australia has ever had. He has won seven premierships and is the greatest man manager the game has known. He is also a living contradiction: Other coaches decry his tactics then attempt to imitate them. Players are desperate to work with him but are left feeling deceived when he cuts them loose. The media disparages him then lavishes him with praise. So who is the real Wayne Bennett? So who is the real Wayne Bennett? Celebrated sports journalist Andrew Webster has been on a mission to find out.

Michael Dunlop is quite simply the greatest road racer on the planet. Brother of William, also an accomplished rider, son of the late Robert and nephew of the late great Joey Dunlop, Michael can fairly claim that racing is in his blood. Now for the first time he talks in depth about his family story, how he got involved in the family business and how he manages to keep getting back on his bike despite all he knows of the deadly risks he encounters every time he crosses the start line.

Told with humor and wit, Scraping Pegs is a bold narrative; including “rules” to help you survive the art of riding and life. Press an experienced rider beyond their glory stories, and they’ll tell you about the miles of nothingness. While showing off their road rash, they may share special moments, cruising down the road to joy, accelerating out of a corner, riding across desert sand, or up a mountain trail.

Dirt bike racers don't let anything stand in their way as they blaze to the finish line. Tight turns, steep hills, or huge jumps - these riders brave them all. Take a look at dirt bikes, how they work, and the races they compete in.