Full throttle: The Glory Days of British Motorbikes will be shown on BBC4 at 9pm on October 28.

Lots of interesting stuff, including WD bikes, how they flooded the market with cheap transport and the dispatch riders role in war

My mates WD Norton is in that programme...and his right foot in close up as they filmed while he was riding along.. ....Ian

Full throttle: The Glory Days of British Motorbikes will be shown on BBC4 at 9pm on October 28. It charts the rise of and celebrates all facets of the British motorcycle industry, touching on war hero T.E. Lawrence, aka Lawrence of Arabia, and his fascination with Broughs, then moving through to the lure off the Isle of Man and how the 37-mile road circuit evolved because of a public road racing ban.

British motorcycle manufacturers raised their game with the TT races and models and engineering improved out of all recognition as engines and mechanical components were rapidly developed to cope with the unique handling and performance demands of the IoM circuit.

'Full throttle' also explores the British forces' use of motorcycles during WW2, the despatch riders' roles and, post-war, how the surplus of ex military machines flooded the market and led to cheap two-wheeled - and three wheeled - transport, lightening the outlook of a population blighted by years of war hardship and restrictions.

More period footage and interviews describe the years of the leather-clad 'ton-up' boys and how youth embraced British bikes and their culture.

It sounds a must-see documentary, so make an appointment!

Sorry you non uk guys can't see it, but maybe it's on the web somewhere

Hi Peter,

Thanks to my sattelite provider I luckily can watch BBC 1,2,3 and 4 in Holland...

Regards,

Sven

email (option): snvosselman@gmail.com

Sven

Hi Peter,

Thanks to my sattelite provider I luckily can watch BBC 1,2,3 and 4 in Holland...

Regards,

Sven

email (option): wm20@scorpionvideo.net

there was the classic TT last night very good all the old 1960/70s TT racing bikes should be repeated

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

Well I've looked at the planned programmes for BBC CH4 on the 28th, and I can't find this!

Please confirm the channel etc

Monday 28th BBC4 2100 Timeshift: Full Throttle-The Glory Days Of British Motorbikes 2200 How The West Was Won The history of the North West 200 motorcycle race. Repeated Thursday 2230 and 2330

The Timeshift program just trotted out a lot of the usual clichés, but the Northwest 200 program was really good. All in all though, it reminded me why I've always thought motorbikes are brilliant.
They ought to make a program about how those are old bikers are still into it, restoring and riding those same bikes, spending 100s of hours in the shed, and whole web of contacts and interactions that we involved in. The classic bike movement is as much a phenonoma and social movement as the 50/60s rebels.

I was hoping for a bit more from the Timeshift program. Almost gave up after the first 10 minutes as it seemed to consist mainly of footage of blurred hedgerows and white lines on the tarmac along with excerpts from Lawrence's diary. It got a bit better though and I ended up enjoying it (although the 2 beers I consumed may have helped )

email (option): petercomley@web.de

I was really looking forward to this, but it turned out to be the same old nonsense about ton up boys, Mods v Rockers and social misfits, an hour wasted, except for the interview with the old Dispatch Rider.

I watched it on "catch up" on the cable box last night. I enjoyed it, I just love watching old footage of bikes. Seeing what the teenagers looked like and the bikes they rode, I thought it was great. Considering they crammed British biking history from the 30's-60's into an hour, you couldn't expect much more. Otherwise it would be an hour on 1 part of it.
I've recorded the other program mentioned and I'll watch it tonight

To be honest, I like watching most programs about British bikes, there's not enough like it on TV these days.

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

You guys across the pond have it good! Over here, it's all American Chopper, or that evil show "Cafe Racer TV." I say evil, because it is the worst edited show ever. They film a 15 minute segment and then spread it out over 5 weeks, interspersed with 5 other segments in a half hour program. Each show starts with a perfectly fine bike that gets hacked up with a sawzall and made into a bobber. Oh the humanity!!

Don't worry Kevin, we get all that second hand over here too!! American Chopper started out OK when they actually built motorcycles for a living, but as soon as the show became more about the builders than the bikes, it soon went downhill.

I don't have a television as I think 99% of the output is utter rubbish and mostly anesthesia for the masses. (X Factor celebrity bake off come dancing council rat catcher wife swap auction house build on ice, for example...)
Though that does mean I occasionally miss a good 'un.

However, previous experiences show that anything about motorcycles and their riders put together by non motorcyclists nearly always trots out all the old clichés, be that films, documentaries or even any motorcyclist featured in any other programme....

It's basically someone else interpreting how a motorcyclists mind works and what motivates them and then expressing the views and attitudes that they think you do or don't have...

I have spent a life time as a motorcyclist and have learnt it is a multi facetted interest that attracts people from many different backgrounds and for a host of different reasons..Anything from an interest in history and engineering, the desire to create something or save something, the need to commute, an interest in racing and other forms of motorcycle sport, membership of 'sub cultures', making a fashion or social statement etc. etc. etc.
In other words it is a case of 'multiple shades of grey' and can't be conveniently packaged into a few short programmes by people who haven't studied and understood the entire thing..

I personally feel they would be on firmer ground and make a much more interesting and accurate programme if they stuck to the history of the various companies, their achievments and the products they made and resisted the temptation to portray in an inaccurate, overly stereotypical and simplistic fashion, the way the users of those products act and think....Ian

"X Factor celebrity bake off come dancing council rat catcher wife swap auction house build on ice"

thats a show! for gawds sake dont let the BeeB know.

But you are dead right, one of the really good things about motorcycling is the diverse interests or professions of the others; I have found advice on just about anything from firearms to watches to books and so on from other riders.