Win, Lose or Die: Inside the Lethal Sport of Motorcycle Road Racing and the Isle of Man TT
Stuart Barker
May 2026 · Kings Road Publishing
Ebook
304
Pages
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About this ebook
The Isle of Man TT is not the only motorcycle road race in the world. Far from it. Events like the North West 200 (Northern Ireland's biggest outdoor sporting event, which attracts over 100,000 spectators), the Ulster Grand Prix, the Macau Grand Prix, and the Cookstown 100 are every bit as brutal as the TT, if not more so.
Competitors race around closed public roads at spends of over 200mph, and there is absolutely no room for error. Trees, houses, lampposts, and stone walls are just some of the hazards waiting to catch out the unwary, or the unlucky.
As with the Isle of Man TT, these events provide some of the greatest highs and the most tragic of lows seen in any sporting field, and there are only three possible outcomes for riders: win, lose, or die. It's that basic; it's that savage.
Over the years, some of the biggest names in motorcycle racing have tackled 'pure roads' events, including Geoff Duke, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Joey Dunlop, Carl Fogarty, and even the great Barry Sheene. Their modern counterparts, like John McGuinness and Michael Dunlop, continue to push speeds higher and higher, the risks increasing with every mph gained, year on year. Faster, faster, faster.
Through a host of exclusive interviews with riders, mechanics, team bosses, and race organisers, Win, Lose or Die takes readers behind the scenes of one of the world's most lethal sports, revealing the triumphs and tragedies, the blood, the guts, the sweat, and the tears that are involved in winning a road race. This is extreme sport at its most extreme and the definitive look at the biggest, most lethal, motorcycle road races from around the world.
Competitors race around closed public roads at spends of over 200mph, and there is absolutely no room for error. Trees, houses, lampposts, and stone walls are just some of the hazards waiting to catch out the unwary, or the unlucky.
As with the Isle of Man TT, these events provide some of the greatest highs and the most tragic of lows seen in any sporting field, and there are only three possible outcomes for riders: win, lose, or die. It's that basic; it's that savage.
Over the years, some of the biggest names in motorcycle racing have tackled 'pure roads' events, including Geoff Duke, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Joey Dunlop, Carl Fogarty, and even the great Barry Sheene. Their modern counterparts, like John McGuinness and Michael Dunlop, continue to push speeds higher and higher, the risks increasing with every mph gained, year on year. Faster, faster, faster.
Through a host of exclusive interviews with riders, mechanics, team bosses, and race organisers, Win, Lose or Die takes readers behind the scenes of one of the world's most lethal sports, revealing the triumphs and tragedies, the blood, the guts, the sweat, and the tears that are involved in winning a road race. This is extreme sport at its most extreme and the definitive look at the biggest, most lethal, motorcycle road races from around the world.
About the author
Stuart Barker, born in Galloway, Scotland, graduated from Strathclyde University in 1996 and began working as a motorcycle journalist for Motor Cycle News. Freelance since 2001, he has written for most of the major motorcycling titles and was editor of the Isle of Man TT programme for eight years.
He has written nine books including a bestselling biography of Barry Sheene and a biography of Evel Knievel which is set to be made into a major Hollywood movie. Other works include biographies of Joey Dunlop, Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez and Ragged Edge - a history of the Isle of Man TT. He lives in Kettering, Northamptonshire.
He has written nine books including a bestselling biography of Barry Sheene and a biography of Evel Knievel which is set to be made into a major Hollywood movie. Other works include biographies of Joey Dunlop, Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez and Ragged Edge - a history of the Isle of Man TT. He lives in Kettering, Northamptonshire.
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