Foggy On Bikes

Foggy on Bikes

Matthew Miles

FIRST CAME FOGGY, THE UNABASHED AUTOBIOGRAPHY of four-time World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty. Now we have Foggy on Bikes, once again with the help of Neil Bramwell. Also an easy, entertaining read, it’s broken into five sections: What Makes a World Champion, Racing Techniques, Preparation, Racing and Other Types of Bike Racing.

Don’t buy this book expecting a go-fast how-to manual. Rather, it’s Fogarty’s experiences as they relate to the aforementioned subjects, written in the Brit’s pull-no-punches style. “I guess I’m just from the old school,” he relates, “where you get on the bike, open the throttle, go fast, brake later than the next guy, go fast around the corner and win the race.”

It’s also chock full of interesting tidbits you won’t likely find elsewhere, such as Foggy’s first Ducati contract, word for word, and technical specifications on his 1999 title-winning factory 996. Think your chipped-and-piped Duke has some serious get-up-and-go? Try tapping into 166 horsepower and 79 foot-pounds of torque! Racetrack diagrams with personal highs and lows are another nice touch.

Fun stuff, particularly for those of us who enjoy following international roadracing and its interesting cast of characters.