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Motorcycles and History

Motorcycles and History

Murderdrome
Murderdrome
For vintage and classic bike enthusiasts few things are more exciting than the term "board track". The name alone evokes pictures of fearless men on skinny bikes at full speed in dangerous races and this is exactly what this book delivers in an unprecedented way. Open it wide and immerse into the long gone world of board tracks and concrete tracks. Meet the Wrecking Crews and their infamous machines and read about the herioc fights which the various factory racers fought on the wooden or conctete ovals, all illustrated with awesome original photos.
What few know, it all started in France and Germany around 1900 when the first motorcycles wrere raced on ovals which had been nuilt for bicycle races years before that. At the turn of the century bicycle competitions were extremely pupular and ovals were built in all major cities. When the motorccyle races proved even more exciting it didn’t take long an the sport jumped over the Atlantic to the U. S. around 1908.
The men who raced the machines were heroes in those days, capable to tame the iron steeds and to withstand the strain of the high speed competitions. They closely passed the fascinated spectators and death was their constant companion, which was largely used by red-tops to inflame people to watch the events. It didn’t take long for the first severe accidents to happen and after various catastrophic crashs in America, in which both riders and spectators were killed or seriously wounded, the boardtracks were named „Murderdrome“ – which gave the title to this book.
It covers the racing endeavors before WWI and until WWII in France, England, USA and Germany. It also reviews the Vintage board track reenactment scene in Germany on a few pages. Author Thomas Bund relied as much as possible on contemporary sources in producing his work. You can feel that his efforts were not about how much money could be made, but to create the best possible work. This book is a labor of love, and a little obsession.
From the enthusiast for the enthusiast.
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