The Motor Bike Show ITV4 (June 2012.)

[John Wakefield]

Did anyone watch The Motor Bike Show on ITV4 tonight, no Greeves but restoration of an XT500 Yam & the new Norton racer. Not a bad programme, but could do with a better presenter than Henry Cole, a right plonker who is a novice as far as motorcycles go, he looks like Charlie Boorman but thats where the resemblance stops, presumably ITV could not afford the real one!!
The programme is also linked to a follow on programme on the IoM TT presented by someone who does know his bikes, Steve Parrish. Some really good shots & coverage of the TT but spoilt with too frequent adverts ever 10 mins or so.

[Brian Catt]

I agree with John, the presenter was a cheap imitation! Far too much time was spent on how to polish the tank.....not enough time on the mechanical side. The wheels were redone by CWS and looked brilliant, but the amount of force needed to hammer the front spindle in was a bit OTT!
Coming to the TT race shown, the real story was the meteoric last laps by Michael Dunlop. He took about 40 seconds off the leader in the last 2 laps to get beaten by about 8 secs, when he was not even in the top 8 places after the first lap. He was really gutted when he realised he could have easily won the race if he had been wound up a bit earlier.
One of my pals is doing camera mounts on the TT bikes, so the on-board stuff is all his responsibility. He also planted the fixed cameras, like those at Bray Hill apex. I've asked for sample pics from him, but all I get are Pub signs.....

[Andy Z]

When he was wacking that spindle with that hammer, he managed to hit the fork leg!!!

I don't know how they can call that ill-prepared racer a Norton, which parts were made by them? Petrol tank perhaps? Not much else though, Spondon frame, Aprillia engine etc......

I do think you're being a bit harsh with gold 'ole Henry Cole though. He has ridden millions of miles on a motorcycle (unbelievable, I know), doing all sorts of biking programmes for the Travel channel. He's no mechanic though. In the Classic bike world its hard to imagine that someone can be a motorcyclist and not have the faintest idea of how the things work!


Cheers,
Andrew

[John Wakefield]

This is Henry Cole's CV http://www.travelchannel.co.uk/ourpr...y%20Cole&ID=32 not much motorcycling in there, & strangly he does not look like Charlie Boorman in that pic. When he has ridden as far as Charlie he might have some street cred. He annoys me further when he keeps calling every one 'mate'

[Colin Sparrow]

Pretty much not watching any other channel this week..

[Brian Catt]

Must be the tennis......!