Five motorbikes to get excited about at FOS

With just a week to go until the show kicks off, we thought it would be fun to shine a spotlight on some of the two-wheeled rarities in attendance…

AJS Porcupine

Taking pride of place in the Classic Racing Motorcycles class at Festival of Speed, the 1949 AJS Porcupine is a must see. The 497cc AJS E90S became the first ever World Championship winning bike when Les Graham piloted it to victory 70 years ago this year. The Porcupine – nicknamed for its spiky cylinder head cooling fins – was AJS’ first, and only championship winning bike. Conceived towards the end of WWII, the horizontal-cylindered E90S had to be converted from a supercharger to carbs at the last minute due to a regulation change.

Honda RC142 and RC213V

You can’t check out one without the other. From 1959 to the present day, these two bikes bookend the Honda Racing story.

The RC142 was the manufacturer’s premier TT entry in 1959, five years after Soichiro Honda’s original recce at the race. Honda’s debut attempt, 60 years ago this month, saw five bikes entered into the 125cc Ultra-Lightweight TT race. For a newcomer, the RC142 did remarkably well, with the lead Honda finishing in a point-scoring sixth place, seven minutes behind the winner. Three other DOHC twin-cylinder 125s took seventh, eighth and 11^th positions, demonstrating the strength and reliability of the engine, and winning the team prize.

And few could mistake the RC213V – the bike on which Marc Marquez took the 2018 championship, winning half of the 18 races. Powered by a 1,000cc V4, the high-tech model features innovative technology throughout, including Brembo carbon brakes and top-spec Öhlins suspension. With an output in excess of 240hp, the RC213V has been responsible for five first world championship wins and two second places since its introduction in 2012.

Mugen Shinden Hachi

To electric bike fans, the Mugen Shinden Hachi needs no introduction. Designed especially for the Isle of Man TT, the Shinden has dominated the race since it joined the grid in 2012. Piloted predominately by John McGuinness and Bruce Anstey, with cameos from Michael Rutter, Guy Martin and Lee Johnston, the Shinden has claimed six victories, thirteen podium-finishes and set four records around the 37.73-mile course. Just earlier this month, Michael Rutter pushed the bike to a new lap record of 121.9mph – less than 1mph off the Lightweight TT record.

Arc Vector

You probably won’t have heard of this one, or the man behind it, but the Arc Vector is one of the most out-there bikes around.

Revealed at EICMA last year, the Vector is a limited-edition electric, hub-centre steered motorcycle, with an avant-garde appearance and a £90,000 price tag. It claims to be 25% lighter and boast 30% more capacity than other electric motorcycles on the market. Weighing just 220kg, it develops 133bhp and 292lb ft of torque, with a 362-mile urban range.

Arc founder, Mark Truman, came up with the Vector idea while heading up Jaguar Land Rover’s White Space ideas division, and as a result secured financial backing from JLR.

The concept behind the Vector encompasses a Human Machine Interface, with a bespoke and high-tech helmet and jacket. The former acts both as a key and offers a heads-up display, while the latter can ‘tap’ the rider on the shoulder to alert them of a car approaching from behind.

Ducati Desmosedici GP19

Don’t miss the chance to check out this MotoGP bike with a twist. Piloted by Randy Mamola, the Ducati Desmosedici X2 is the manufacturer’s usual MotoGP weapon, albeit with a postage-postage-stamp sized pillion seat stuck on the back. Forget flying up the M6 on the back of your Dad’s Fireblade, a ride on this is the real deal. The 1,000cc V4 puts out more than 250hp, allowing the bike to reach in excess of 218mph.

The bike is used at MotoGP events and World Ducati Week, giving pillion rides to punters with the proceeds going to charity.

Images provided by Motorsport Images.