Leslie Porterfield, shares her thoughts on going fast and what goes wrong when it is just not your day
Bitten by the motorcycling bug
It happened by accident. I bought my first motorcycle at 16 as a cheap mode of transportation, fell in love with it. So, it was something that wasn’t planned, I hadn’t even ridden a motorcycle before as I bought my first one. It was the Yamaha Virago 1000 and it was in a box. It was a very big bike for a 16 year old and I had to fix it to be able to ride it. Many people said that I wouldn’t be able to get it running let alone be able to ride it.
First attempt at the Bonneville Salt Flats
In 2007 conditions were a little rough, very wet. It is very slippery on a good day but it being very wet, it was very sludgy. I had problems with the bike, with the handling of the bike and the back end came around when I was doing about 227mph (365kmph). That’s when it started getting out of shape and then the back end came all the way around and I came off of the bike at about a 110mph (177kmph). I broke seven ribs, punctured a lung and had a concussion. So, it was a crazy time, it was not exactly as planned.
Motivating to get back on the bike
This story is from the January 2018 edition of Fast Bikes India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2018 edition of Fast Bikes India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
John Surtees an Appreciation
The first time I saw John Surtees was at Montlhery where he had come to demonstrate his old 1959 World Championship winning MV Agusta 500 and 350 machines. This was sometime in the mid-1990s and while I couldn’t get to speak with him then, his smooth clean and effortless riding style on the bumpy banking and through the notorious infield made me marvel at his imperious style.
Trump Heaven!
Prior to its public unveiling, we get a sneak preview of the entire experience centre
Black Is Beautiful!
Triumph has obviously used the maxim of “if ain’t broke, customise it” and that’s exactly the approach with extending the runaway streak of its new bestseller – the Bobber.
Timo Resch Head - Sales & Marketing, BMW Motrorrad
Last month BMW Motorrad outlined their plans for the definitive BMW for India – the late to come in 2018 G 310 R and the G 310 GS. Speaking exclusively to Fast Bikes India was Timo Resch, head of sales and marketing at BMW Motorrad. Here are some of the highlights of the interaction between him and Adil Jal Darukhanawala
World's Fastest Widowmaker!
This frighteningly awesome contraption was once the world’s fastest motorcycle and aptly named Widowmaker 7. Created by E J Potter affectionately or aptly termed the ‘Michigan Madman’, this bike was, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the fastest motorcycle in the world in 1973.
Time For India Bike Week
One of the biggest motorcycle events in India – India Bike Week (IBW), is scheduled for November 24-25, this year.
Lazy Rider
The used big bike market may have its pitfalls but when you help your buddies get back on two wheels, it’s fulfilling
The Electrics Are Coming
Ikjot suspects that electrons are going to be the next wave of propulsion medium with heavy emphasis on performance-oriented motorcycles
Character Analysis
What does the word character mean to a biker? Is it a euphemism for unreliability? Does it have any real consequence at all?
Ring Of Fire
Everything you ever wanted to know about MotoGP racing, written brilliantly. A must read...
