Back issues - now available at Big Cartel

Issue 1...

Issues 1 to 8 were on a unique 240mm x 205mm landscape format;9 to 13 were larger (but mainly sold out - scroll down for more details) all now for sale at Benzina World 

Issue 1 Featuring fabulous words on Phil Read, the Guzzi V7 and Ducati’s Paso courtesy of masthead heroes Gary Inman, Mick Phillips and Rupert Paul, using previously unpublished photography. The international flavour of the magazine includes an exclusive interview with Cook Neilson on his win at Daytona in 1977, and Tony Kersbergen’s story of the modern Milano Taranto. The history of the original gets an in depth look, as do the bikes that won the toughest race in the world. Plus a very tasty appreciation of Bob Carlos
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Issue 2...

Issue 2 is (we’re told) even better that issue 1. Same half book, half magazine format, still no ads, still the odd lovely lady, tastefully delivered. Plus Laverda V6 riding impressions, and the truth about the fastest Laverda’s ever found at the TT. Sticking with the Isle of Man, there’s Tony Rutter’s development of the TT2 (as detailed by his personal mechanic) leading on to the F1 roadbike. A smattering of Benelli racers, including Pasolini and the Sei (which raced at the TT, believe it or not), a goodly dollop of Ducati Silverstone and a tasty slice of MV Agustas large and small. HD Aermacchi racers, riding with Dustbin fairings, Guzzi V8s, and touring Europe on a Le Mans in 1976
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Issue 3...

Issue 3 had a new, refreshed look but still the same heavyweight 88 pages that make it feel like a book, especially since there’s not an advert in sight. Never-seen-before images, new perspectives and true scoops – the truth about the Laverda Jota’s success in UK production racing, Frank Scurria on inventing the Ducati 350, and how Guzzi Le Mans rules classic endurance racing. Plus Mike Hailwood’s superstitions, 125 racers and his TT comeback, Giuliano Maoggi and the Motogiro, and the bikes you need to enter the Giro today. For the greasy fingered there’s the building of two Ducati bevels, and what teenage boys always wanted – including sports mopeds. And much more.
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Issue 4...

Issue 4 It’s a Monster – with the story of a 100,000 mile M900 that met Taglioni, through to Tazio Nuvolari’s incredible motorcycle racing success with Bianchi. Also covered are the girls at Goodwood revival, plus racing a Gilera Saturno. Old time Lambretta racer Tony Tessier offers insight into Lambretta’s speed records(!) and an overview of NCR’s history is given perspective by Vicki Smith’s view on her friendship with Rino Caracchi. Plus Jan Leek takes a Guzzi round Lake Como, and the story of the Circuito del Lario. Bits and pieces cover Mods, Darmahs, and why Italian racing bikes often weren’t painted red. Finally Peter Crawford shares Franco Lambertini’s Morini design secrets and the incredible tale of how Morini nearly beat Honda to the 1963 250 world championship with the worlds fastest single. All with the fabulous photography you’d expect from the world’s classiest bike magazine
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Issue 5...

Issue 5 A veritable feast of stuff you didn’t know plus stuff you love. It kicks off with a battle of impressionable youth vs. Ducati 750GT – Richard Skelton (of Funky Moped fame) didn’t stand a chance. Then there’s Inspiring Taglioni: Moto Guzzi’s fabulous Bicilindrica ridden and rated by the legendary Sammy Miller. Plus reminiscing on racing for Mondial and Ducati at the TT Riding a Mondial dirt bike 500 miles through an English winter’s night, and Pat Slinn racing Ducati’s Regolarita on the Isle of Man ISD. Yes, the Pat Slinn who wrenched for Hailwood and Rutter. We’ve been through his photo album with a scanner. It’s good…. Lost marques that deserve remembering, from Frera to Galloni. And more recent forgotten treasure: MV’s water cooled, fuel injected boxer 500/4 designed to lure Ago back to the Agustas, and rebuilding it today. To complete the Agusta fest, the truth about MV’s racing sixes that never were, just because the competition threw in the towel – twice Refurbishing an old Laverda triple (the future’s bright; the future’s orange) and the Morini Settebello and Rebello: beautiful in any language Seaplanes to singles – the Aermacchi story: never mind bikes, they could beat Spitfires. And racing Aermacchi’s pushrod single that could catch MV’s GP bikes. 145mph at the TT And still no ads, just the highest quality printing in the business. 88 pages of pure class – that’s a lot when you flip through every other magazine and realise almost 40% of the pages are advertising. How do we do it? With love and the hope you’ll tell everyone you know to buy a copy.
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Issue 6...

 

Issue 6 Elizabeth Rabb’s Ducati (and lovely ladies) photography project – very Bob Carlos Clarke, and worth the cover price alone. Elizabeth also tells how she did it and what inspires the best bike photographer on the planet. Then there’s what happens next at Guzzi: the recriminations, plans and dreams lined up for the factory’s 90th anniversary. That’s followed by Guzzi’s Paris Dakar racer, then insights into ownership of the Laverda and Morini big trailies: big, clever and very dirty. Next up is a prize-winning Ducati 350 Desmo twin-filler snapped by a fashion photographer, plus details of the restoration, and a comparison with the Ducati 350 singles that never made the showrooms. So we tell you about the MV350 twin you should buy, ideally dressed up as Ago’s four. More? Of course…extracts from a 50s race fan’s photo album, including Geoff Duke pitching his Gilera 500/4 against Liverpudlians on Brit singles. Or how about racing Benelli Seis at the TT, with highlights from a man who did. And how to buy a 1976 900SS from a Frenchman who’ll only send low-res photos: unbelievably, the story has a happy ending. We wrap up with Laverda’s forgotten spaceframed triples and Lambretta’s shaft-driven four stroke 250 V twin: yes, just like a little Guzzi. All on lovely paper, feeling more like a book than the tat they pass off elsewhere as quality magazines. Buy it, and a copy for a friend, and get a free warm-fuzzy feeling. Then enjoyAnd thanks to all who help, contribute and buy: we love you all.
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Issue 9 (7 and 8 sold out - as are 10, 11 and 13)

Issue 9 was in a bigger, A4 format(c12″ x 9″ portrait on the same quality paper) featuring Ian Gowanloch’s Happy Farm, the return of Mark William’s Running Out of Road, drag racing a Ducati Paso, riding a Guzzi 750 on the Circuito del Lario, and a Guzzi Lodola in the Dolomites. There’s a buyers’ guide to the Laverda 750SF, plus the building of a half Ducati 860GT, half Desmosedici Café31 for a TV show.
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Issue 12 - slightly smaller than A4, but 100 pages and quality matt paper

Issue 12 Dutch masters – the story behind the Dutch Ducati maestros: Morbidelli 500, King for a Day – 24 Horas de Montjuich: A scooterist in Rome: Rachael Clegg- Milestones TT Calendar: Mark Williams’ Running Out of Road: The Magic Machines: Ducati Multistrada: Board Track Races – Truth or Dare: Vespa Love: Monza and more.
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Issue 13 - the final countdown. Massimo Tamburini's ideas on underseat silencers, Fidel Castro's Ducati 900SS, the Classic TT, Bol d'Or and Wheels and Waves, plus Moto Guzzi's unbeatable single cylinder racers. Interviews with Ducati Guru Ian Falloon and design Guru Pierre Terblanche plus Enzo Ferrari's motorcycle race team - mainly riding with Rudge
Sold out!

BENZINA 14

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All new, bigger and better than before. At 132 pages it has over 30% more content than ever before and is now really a book rather than a magazine. Features on Ducati Corse's paint shop, Michael Rutter racing a Ducati TT1 at the Classic TT, Guzzi 250s, the Mototrans story, how Ducati started with cambelts in 1964, Spaggiari interview, Pierobon frames, Provini's Morini, building a Laverda V6, racing MV Agusta 500 triples nad much more - including high quality silk paper sections showcasing Phil Aynsley's photography. And free UK postage. You can buy a copy here or to save postage in the US contact Classic Bike Books

All new, bigger and better than before. At 132 pages it has over 30% more content than ever before and is now really a book rather than a magazine. Features on Ducati Corse's paint shop, Michael Rutter racing a Ducati TT1 at the Classic TT, Guzzi 250s, the Mototrans story, how Ducati started with cambelts in 1964, Spaggiari interview, Pierobon frames, Provini's Morini, building a Laverda V6, racing MV Agusta 500 triples nad much more - including high quality silk paper sections showcasing Phil Aynsley's photography.You can buy a copy here

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BENZINA 15
 
40 years ago Mike Hailwood returned to the TT with a very flash collection of Yamahas and an unfancied Ducati 900F1. In fact it was the big bike from Bologna that created the fairytle, and if my Ducati and the TT is a bit  expensive for you, or you're just interested in Mike's return to the Island Benzina is back with issue 14 and The Truth


CONTENTS

40 YEARS
Celebrating Mike Hailwood’s 1978 Formula 1 TT win

THE TRUTH
How Sports Motorcycles took Mike to victory

PATON
Little known marque that can rule the Isle of Man

MV AGUSTA R19
Teasing us with the promise of a 500 four roadster in 1950

TARGET AQUIRED
The MV 750 separated at birth from the Suzuki Katana

I BOUGHT A HAUNTED MOTORBIKE
Nightmares with a Laverda Formula Mirage

A FITTING MOTORCYCLE
Melissa Holbrook Pierson on Moto Guzzi’s Lario and V7II

BEDFORD KZ
Parilla and Bultaco join the Continental Circus

RICHARD MORLEY
Gearbox maestro, Parilla works racer

AN ITALIAN WALKS INTO A BAR
Building winning Ducati flat trackers

AN AUSTRALIAN & AN AMERICAN WALK INTO A BAR
Troy Bayliss goes flat tracking in the USA with Ducati

THE BEST BIMOTA TESI
Probably not the hub centre steered beauty you’re expecting

FLATWHITE v DOUBLE ESPRESSO
350 Morini ,125 MV Agusta and Motobi reviewed

MONSTER MUNCH
25 years on the story of the original M900 at its best

MONZA

The very first races from 1922

IN THE END
you can’t control events - so enjoy the ride

 
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Benzina 16

16 issues in and so we celebrate 16 valve cylinder heads. And why not? It’s 50 years since Benelli felt their 16 valve fours could fill the void Honda had left when they abandoned the grand prix circus. It is also a chance to look for another angle on one of the first and most famous Italian 16 valve motorcycles - Moto Guzzi’s magnificent V8 as a scale model in the Protar story. There’s also the tale of Mike Hailwood’s lost years between leaving Honda at the end of 1967 and his return to the TT. Most assume he was racing cars but in fact there was still plenty of motorcycle action. Oh, and he raced a full season of Formula 1 car racing in 1964 in between winning the 500 world championship. And for those who prefer two strokes, turn to Phil Aynsley’s photo essay from a golden era of grand prix racing.Here's what's in the 240mm x 210mm 100 page paperback book:

50YEARS Benelli try on Honda’s 16 valve boots

WHAT MIKE DID NEXT Hailwood’s time between grand prix Hondas and TT return

WHAT PROVINI DID NEXT Protar scale models and catalogue extracts

1935 SENIOR TT Stanley Woods and Moto Guzzi make history

DIY BICILINDRICA Moto Guzzi built 12. Here’s one man’s alternative

V7 SPORT TELAIO ROSSO The first Italian superbike, from Moto Guzzi

SCOUTING PARTY The Indians built by Italjet for Floyd Clymer and the US market

NIETO Senor Angel Nieto, in his own words

FOUR CYLINDER DUCATIS More of them than you’d think, including a car

DESMOSEDICI Buying and riding a MotoGP bike for the road

LAVERDA SUPERTWIN 90bhp and the beating of big fours with a SFC “750”

500 GRAND PRIX TWO-STROKES A photo essay on the Italian competitors

IN THE END you can only ride one motorcycle at a time

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Well, who thought wI’d make it to issue 17? Some sort of ultimate, and indeed it is: this is the ultimate - as in final - edition of Benzina. I’ve loved the travel and the stories, but in the 9 years I’ve published Benzina I’ve gone from someone who rode a huge variety of Italian motorcycles in a huge variety of ways (including four Moto Giros) to someone who hardly rides at all. I also struggle to come up with new stories of an Italian bent, and feel there’s something of a schism opening up, with Ducati fans especially seeming to only really want to read about their favoured marque. And I don’t blame them, I just thing that well - especially from the Taglioni era -is running dry.
So a huge thank you to all who have bought and contributed to Benzina. It feels like talking to friends more than readers, and it’s also been an immense privilege. I hope you all feel this edition is worthy of the back catalogue. What it will be replaced with is detailed on page 99 - and a free upgrade to those who’ve ordered Benzina 18 unless they’d prefer a refund Greg
Page number/Contents
04 Dept. of curiosities 1: Ducati refitting Triumph cars for the Italian market
06 Dept. of curiosities 2: The 500 Galbusera - a two-stroke V8. In 1938
12 Dept. of curiosities 3: The Major 350, winner of the 2018 Concorso Villa d’Este
14 25 years ago, Claudio Castigioni rebooted MV Agusta V2.0
20 A streetbike named desire: MV Agusta’s F4 RR Corsacorta
26 Model MV Agusta: Perfect quarter scale 500 triple by Glen English
36 Itom: Just 50cc you say? Enough to lap the TT course at almost 60mph
40 The first lady: Beryl Swain, perhaps the first lady in a world championship race
50 Mototemporada: Sixties street racing at Italian seaside resorts
64 Pantah: Tony Rutter, Pat Slinn and Steve Wynne on winning big in 1981
82 Rising from the ashes: Dealer visit to the Ducati factory in 1991
96 Spag bol: because Brits will never ask for ragù alla bolognese
98 In the end: there’s no ending, just a place where you leave the story
99 The Road: the next Big Thing

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My sort of traffic jam - Kawasaki Z1, Triton and Spitfire

Tried to get down to the  Chalke Valley history festival, especially as Saturday included the warbirds as part of the Chalke Valley air show . Sadly the long queue for the festival meant we didn't get in, but instead watched the Spitfires, Hurricane, Sopwith Triplane and more from a field, high above the show. So the traffic jam actually meant we had a better view than the show-goers. Perfect.

 

The approach lane was so narrow that bikes couldn't filter past the cars for much of the way in, which meant chatting to the owners of the Kawasaki Z900 and wideline/Thunderbird Triton below; if only all traffic jams were as entertaining.

Promiscuity

Issue 11 is here, and just back from posting the first copies to the early-bird orders; thank you all. You can buy a copy by clicking here.

But that it has appeared at all might come as a surprise to those who were told issue 10 would be the final copy: Benzina had simply become too much work for a one man band. And then there was a wave of support, specifically from one subscriber: a graphic designer called Shaun Power.

Benzina #11 is a very different – and we think greatly improved – magazine. It’s now 100 pages of beautifully crafted matt paper in a unique 21x26cm (8.3×10 inches) size and, although the focus is still Italian motorcycles, we’ve introduced a little promiscuity, Like there’s a Honda in there. But when Gerald Davison (who ran Honda’s NR500 race team) started telling me the true story of the project (backed up by Ivar de Gier’s interview with the Japanese project leader) it was too good to let go. Basically most of what you thought you knew was wild guesses by journalists frustrated at Honda’s secrecy. The need to hide the truth might have been in part to hide the incompetence of the young aeronautical engineers drafted into the project. The policy was not to let anyone near the NR if they knew anything about motorcycles, in the hope of a blue-sky revolution. One example of this foolishness was a late night call from Japan telling the British mechanics to remove oil from the NR500 Ron Haslam as due to race – they’d discovered an extra 3bhp could be produced if the crank didn’t have so much oil to spin through at 23,000 rpm. What they hadn’t thought about was what would happen when Ron leaned the bike over; the feed was now above the oil level, and the NR blew up. Again.

Other issue 11 exclusives include the true stories of the Targa Florio Motociclista : plus – Laverda SCF750: Axel Budde on his Kaffeemaschines: Phil Schilling’s Ducati F3: Final part of the Ducati 860GTS project: The Moto Guzzi Le Mans that gave Yamaha the finger, plus the MGS-01: Mark Williams’ Running Out of Road: The art of posters, literature and poetry; and more. Buy it – you’ll love it

Taking tea with Bruce Springsteen

 

Snapped this couple, on the Ricoh Arena pitch, as Bruce Springsteen sang his heart out. They unfolded the picnic chairs, got out the Tupperware, and had supper as the other 40,000 people in the room watched the Boss. Surreal.

I never really enjoy Christmas, but last year it really was the longest day: Dr Girlie Nice-Smile bought tickets to see The Boss at the Ricoh on the Solstice. Plus a stay at a nice hotel nearby, full of middle aged couples squeezing into tee shirts and jeans to see if Bruce Springsteen has still got it at 63. And boy, has he. Looks like he still knows it and loves performing to boot. Pulled a request card from the audience with “Play anything” on it and held it aloft with a “I love you people!” Then spotting that the author had written “I’d look good playing your guitar” on the back, pulled her up to prove it.

Best bit for this fan (I fell, aged 15, for Born to Run: still play it – on vinyl – regularly, nearly 40 years after I bought the album) was when Mr S kicked into the title track and the reserved, middle class British audience finally got to their feet. A madman who’d been miming to the stands from the pitch finally hit overdrive - and then fell over. Then came 10^th Avenue, then – unbelievably – She’s the One (at which point everyone seemed to check their smartphones; shame on them). And then the rest of Born to Run; every track. Over seven minutes of Thunder Road, and as Jungleland played out, I seemed to have something in my eye. Nothing from my second-favourite Springsteen album, Tunnel of Love, but then that’s about his breakup with the previous Mrs S, and maybe the lovely Patti Scialfa being on stage (the current Mrs S) had something to do with it; anyway, never mind. We all helped out with Hungry Heart, the quality of Springsteen’s passion carried clearly in Wrecking Ball, and the quality of his voice shone throughout. What a show, what a man. Three hours with nary a break. We went hope elated, and even after two hours queuing for a taxi, no-one complained. We could all die happy now, we’d seen The Boss at his best.

PS - Issue 11 of Benzina out this week; more soon

 

Kawasaki Z1A, Laverda Jota and the Air Ambulance

Don't Panic - it's not what you think. Saturday's
Teas and Cakes was overflow by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance - spooky; after all we only raised £33, so it can't have been the money. Truth is, it passes by regularly on the way south avoiding the military fly-zone of Salisbury Plain. Should have pooped in - Neil's lovely Z1A had even the Italophile's admiring it, and parked next to Jack's Jota it really did highlight two approaches to selling big, fast motorcycles. And once again the Morinis outnumbered everything: Chris's Sport was lovely, but frankly even Dr Girlie Nice-Smile liked Howard's Ducat 750GT best. Ridden a round trip of nearly 400 miles just to drop by and see us, it is a thing of beauty. Only wish I'd bought one when they were three grand. And if you need spares or extras Howard doesn't just ride Ducatis - he's also behind Disco Volante and Widecase, the eponymous Ducati singles’ site .

Enjoy the pix - next event is 6 July, just a £3 donation to the Air Ambulance getting you homemade tea and cakes, a chance to natter with like minded souls and a fine ride through Wiltshire countryside.