Barry Sheene—the two-wheel wonderkid

For a while in the 1970s every young boy dreamed of being Barry Sheene, while every girl dreamed of being whisked off on the back of his bike. His cheeky chappy persona, all Cockney charm and boyish, grinning good looks, was loved and admired by all. But he was more than puff and posing. He was motor racing’s first two-wheel star, winning two consecutive 500cc World Championships in 1976 and 1977, despite a horrific crash at Daytona in 1975, which threatened to end his career before it had got going.

Now a new book, Barry Sheene: Motorcyle racing’s jet-set superstar, written by Michael Scott and published by Haynes Publishing, brings the legend up to date. Featuring many previously unpublished photographs, the book tells Sheene’s story—right up to his untimely death from cancer in 2003—through the eyes of friends, family and racing experts.