A bit out of the comfort zone but when I got my hands on the book Ultimate Collector Motocycles XXL, I really had to write something about this.
Earlier, Ultimate Collector Cars was published, a fantastic book that we also reviewed in detail. Expectations were therefore high.
Again, the number of bikes in the book is limited to 100, only the most special bikes got a place in this masterpiece.
Complete
Often I hear comments that a general book does not go deep enough into one particular car or bike. With an average of 10 pages per bike covered, I would contradict this somewhat. Each bike is discussed in detail and supported by beautiful photography.
Hildebrand & Wolfmüller to Aston Martin AMB001
The oldest bike is an 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmüller and the most recent is the 2020 Aston Martin AMB 001. Each and every one is an extraordinary specimen and this from record-breakers to superbikes and exotic customs.
John Surtees
A large number of the bikes discussed are in private collections and are otherwise rarely, if ever, seen. The 1957 MV Agusta 500 4C, with which John Surtees became world champion, is also discussed. John Surtees has regularly appeared in previous reports we made. For instance, we were able to meet him during one of the Revivals. Surtees may not have been well known to the general public, but so far he is the only pilot to have become both world champion on a motorbike and in Formula 1.
Barry Sheene
Speaking of Goodwood, Barry Sheene also features extensively in the book. There is even a motorbike race named after him during the Goodwood Revival. It is the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy.
So it is not just about the motorbikes themselves. Numerous other famous drivers are also discussed. These include Dario Ambrosini, Tarquinio Provini, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini and Kenny Roberts.
Foreword
The foreword in this book comes from legendary petrolhead Jay Leno. But you can also find interviews with George Barber, founder of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum; Sammy Miller, championship winner and founder of the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum; Ben Walker, departmental director of motorbikes at Bonhams; Paul d’Orléans, founder of The Vintagent; and Gordon McCall, co-founder of The Quail Motorcycle Gathering, the world-famous motorbike competition in Carmel, California can also be found in this reference book.
Charlotte & Peter Fiell
This book, like the book Ultimate Collector Cars and the recently published 50 Ultimate Sports Cars, comes from editors and authors Charlotte & Peter Fiell. Among their various specialisations is the field of transport design in all its various forms. Together, they have written numerous TASCHEN books, including 1000 Chairs, Design of the 20th Century, Industrial Design A-Z, 1000 Lights and Scandinavian Design.
They are two stunners of books that come in a beautiful slipcase and will not look out of place on any bookshelf.
Ultimate Collector Motorcycles
Hardcover, two volumes in slipcase, 28.1 x 36 cm, 9.40 kg, 940 pages.
ISBN 978-3-8365-9543-8