Quiz of the Year

We reckon our quiz will keep you amused for a while over Christmas… but if it’s all been too easy, you might as well try to profit from your gargantuan biking knowledge, because we’ve got a cracking day out as a prize.

Test the biking knowledge of you and your mates with these 100 teasers – do it for fun or send your answers in for a chance to win a day at Donington Park with Ron Haslam!

The Ron Haslam Race School has reserved a slot on one of its £249 Premier Courses, which gives you a day at the home of the British GP on a Honda CBR600RR under the tutelage of a legend of the sport.

To take up this prize, you have to be over 18 and have a valid full bike licence.

In which year did Valentino Rossi take his first win in the top GP class, at Donington Park?

A. 1997

B 1998

C 2000

D 2002

In which year was Suzuki’s legendary

GSX-R750 first launched?

A. 1981

B. 1985

C. 1991

D. 1993

What was the new outright lap record set by John McGuinness at this year’s Isle of Man TT?

A. 125.50mph

B. 128.14mph

C. 129.45mph

D. 130.01mph

Which bike did Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cyborg character famously ride in the smash film Terminator 2?

A. Ducati 916

B. Triumph Rocket III

C. Honda NR750

D. Harley-Davidson Fat Boy

Complete this famous ’60s biking ad campaign slogan: “You meet the nicest people on a…”

A Bike

B Harley

C Laverda

D Honda

Who said: “I did everything by the seat of my pants. That’s why I got hurt so much!”

A. Evel Knievel

B. Barry Sheene

C Kenny Roberts

D. Eddie Kidd

What is special about desmodromic valves?

A. …..They run on compressed air

B. They don’t need valve springs

C. They don’t need adjusting

D…..They’re used in rotary engines

In which year did Carl Fogarty win his first World Superbike title?

A. 1990

B 1994

C 1998

D. 1999

In which year was MCN first published?

A. 1938

B. 1955

C. 1966

D. 1971

What was the hero’s name in biking TV show Street Hawk?

A. Stringfellow Hawke

B. Michael Knight

C. Ken Boon

D. Jesse Mach

What bike did Tom Cruise ride in the film Mission Impossible 2?

A. Ducati 999

B. Triumph Speed Triple

C. Harley-Davidson Fat Boy

D. Honda C90

How many GP wins did Mick Doohan amass in his career?

A. 29

B. 38

C. 54

D. 67

In which year was the Isle of Man TT first run?

A. 1907

B. 1919

C. 1936

D. 1954

Which rider was the first World Superbike champion, in 1988?

A. Scott Russell

B. Fred Merkel

C. Raymond Roche

D. Doug Polen

How many cylinders will the Suzuki Stratosphere have?

A. 3

B. 4

C 6

D. 8

When did the Ducati 916 go on sale in the UK?

A. 1989

B. 1994

C 1996

D 1997

Which landmark anniversary did Harley-Davidson celebrate in 2003?

A. 50th

B. 60th

C 75th

D. 100th

Which seaside resort holds its annual beach race each October?

A Brighton

B Blackpool

C Newquay

D. Weston Super-Mare

Which of these bike makers is not Italian?

A Rieju

B. Mondial

C Cagiva

D Laverda

In which country is the Daytona bike week held every year?

A. England

B Isle of Man

C. USA

D. France

Which cartoon character famously featured on Barry Sheene’s  helmet?

A. Popeye

B. Mickey Mouse

C. Donald Duck

D. Sylvester the Cat

Which American sports bike manufacturer uses tuned V-twin Harley-Davidson engines?

A. Motoczsyz

B. Indian

C. Buell

D. Victory

What kind of animal is a ‘Hayabusa’?

A. A bird

B. A deer

C. A lizard

D. A fish

How many British riders have won the World Superbike title since it began?

A. 2

B 3

C. 4

D. 5

In 2004, which tyre firm signed a deal to be the sole supplier of tyres in World Superbikes?

A. Dunlop

B. Pirelli

C. Michelin

D. Bridgestone

What was Kevin Schwantz’s race number?

A 7

B. 19

C. 34

D. 155

How many 500cc gp world titles did Kenny Roberts Snr win?

A. 1

B. 2

C. 3

D. 4

In which year was the Honda Fireblade launched?

A. 1990

B. 1992

C. 1994

D. 1995

How much will the Ducati Desmosedici RR cost in the UK when it goes on sale next year?

A. £15,000

B. £22,350

C. £37,500

D. £50,000

Which rider was the first to break the 100mph lap barrier at the Isle of Man TT back in 1957

A. Bob McIntyre

B Mike Hailwood

C. Geoff Duke

D Les Graham

Which motorcycle featured in the dramatic chase scene in the film Matrix Reloaded?

A Norton Commando

B Triumph Bonneville

C. Ducati 998

D. MV Agusta F4 1000

How big is the engine in the Triumph Rocket III?

A. 999cc

B. 2294cc

C. 1492cc

D. 1664cc

Who won the first World Superbike race of the 2006 season?

A. Troy Corser

B. Troy Bayliss

C. Noriyuki Haga

D. James Toseland

Which Hollywood film star appeared in the 1971  classic biking film On Any Sunday?

A. Steve McQueen

B. Keanu Reeves

C. Peter Fonda

D. Marlon Brando

Who took ‘The Long Way Round’ with Ewan McGregor?

A. Neil Hodgson

B Charley Boorman

C Craig Jones

D. Liam Neeson

On what bike did Lawrence of Arabia have his fatal crash?

A. Vincent

B. Brough Superior

C. BSA

D. Matchless

Which of these Formula One drivers rides a personalised Harley?

A. Michael Schumacher

B. Lewis Hamilton

C. Fernando Alonso

D. Jenson Button

Which make of motorcycle did Marlon Brando’s character Johnny ride in the film The Wild One?

A. Bmw

B. Harley-Davidson

C. Triumph

D. Norton

What is the voluntary top speed limit agreed by the ‘Big Four’ Japanese manufacturers?

A. 200mph

B. 155mph

C. 186mph

D. 170mph

Which of the big Japanese factories celebrated its 50th birthday in 2005?

A. Honda

B. Suzuki

C. Kawasaki

D. Yamaha

What was the name of Erik Estrada’s character in the ’70s/’80s TV series CHiPs?

A. Ponch

B. John Baker

C. Henry

D. Jafo

What does the blue and white BMW roundel logo represent?

A A propeller

B A spinning crank

 C Rotary valves

D A turning wheel

Who is said to have invented the first motorcycle in 1885?

A. Karl Benz

B. Ken Norton

C. William Harley

D. Gottlieb Daimler

Which one of these motorcycle brands came into existence first?

A. Harley-Davidson

B. Indian

C. Exelsior

D. Matchless

Which of the words below does not describe a type of motorcycle?

A. Bobber

B. Chopper

C. Dipper

D. Springer

Which was the first mass-produced motorcycle to come fitted with a disc brake?

A. Honda CB750

B. Triumph Bonneville

C. Suzuki GT750

D. BMW 900RS

What does the word ‘Vespa’ mean in italian?

A. Bee

B. Wasp

C. Sting

D. Fly

What was the first production bike to come fitted with a single-sided swingarm?

A. Honda CB750

B. Ducati 916

C. Triumph Daytona

D. BMW R80GS

In what year were the first of the current reincarnation of Triumphs launched?

A. 1990

B. 1992

C. 1993

D. 1994

Which former Radio One DJ was the first ever presenter of BBC trials show Kick Start?

A. Tony Blackburn

B. John Peel

C. Dave Lee Travis

D. Mike Reid

In the film Silver Dream Racer, who plays Bruce McBride, nemesis of the British GP racer Nick Freeman played by David Essex?

A. Tom Selleck

B. Harrison Ford

C. David Soul

D. Beau Bridges

Sete Gibernau’s grandfather started which famous bike firm?

A. Derbi

B. Gilera

C Bultaco

D. Ducati

Whose famous technique was to “See god, then back off…”

A. Sean Emmett

B. Wayne Rainey

C. Kevin Schwantz

D. Eddie Lawson

Who won both the 250cc and 500cc GP world title in 1985?

A. Freddie Spencer

B. Luca Cadalora

C. Eddie Lawson

D. Wayne Gardner

Which bike manufacturer has made panheads, shovelheads, and knuckleheads?

A. Gilera

B. Indian

C. Harley-Davidson

D. Victory

What was the name of the character that Anthony Hopkins played in the film The World’s Fastest Indian?

A. James Indian

B. Burt Munro

C. Craig Breedlove

D. Andy Green

Which biking star plays in a rock band called Crash?

A. Neil Hodgson

B. Charley Boorman

C. James Toseland

D. Leon Haslam

Which of these premiership football legends is not a biker?

A. Les Ferdinand

B. Ian Wright

C. David Batty

D. Ryan Giggs

Which British rider stood on a 500GP podium for three different manufacturers during his career?

A. Barry Sheene

B. Niall Mackenzie

C. Terry Rymer

D. Roger Burnett

Who designed the Ducati 916?

A. Pierre Terreblanche

B. Massimo Tamburini

C. John Mockett

D. Adrian Morton

Who sang about Motorcycle Emptiness?

A. Inspiral Carpets

B. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

C. Manic Street Preachers

D. Jet

Under the made-up movie paint, what make of bike did steve McQueen ride in the famous chase scene in the film The Great Escape?

A. BMW

B. Ural

C. Triumph

D. CZ

Which company was the title sponsor of the works Ducati WSB team with which Neil Hodgson won the 2003 title?

A. Xerox

B Infostrada

C. Dietmann

D. Fila

The Suzuki GSX-R750L was the first mass-produced Japanese bike to feature which part ?

A. Disc brakes

B. Upside-down forks

C. Monoshock rear suspension

D. Fuel injection

Who has started more British Superbike races than anyone else in history?

A. John Reynolds

B. Michael Rutter

C. Sean Emmett

D. Roger Marshall

What was the nickname given to the fearsome Aprilia RS3 MotoGP machine raced by Jeremy McWilliams and Shane Byrne?

A. The Beast

B. The Earthquake

C. The Terror

D .The Cube

What was the name of the informal club which started at the legendary Ace Cafe back in the 1950s?

A. The Ton-up Club

B. The Rockers

C The Hells Angels

D. The Trumpet Boys

What is the symbol of Italian marque Cagiva?

A. A stallion

B. A lion

C. An elephant

D. A tiger

Which famous political revolutionary rode a Norton?

A. Mao Tse-Tung

B. Lech Walesa

C .Che Guevara

D. Josef Stalin

Which quirk was most obvious on the Yamaha GTS1000 sport tourer?

A. Three wheels

B. No forks

C .Pedals

D. An ashtray

How many cylinders did the race-inspired honda NS400R have?

A. 1

B. 2

C. 3

D. 4
What is the name of Valentino Rossi’s dog, which appears in cartoon form on his bike?

A. Guido

B. Sete

C. Winston

D .Chachi

A mildly rowdy bikers’ party inspired the film The Wild One – but in which real-life town did it happen?

A. Daytona

B. Little Rock

C .Hollister

D. Sturgis

Who was the first rider to officially crack 200mph in GP racing?

A. Darryl Beattie

B. Shinichi Itoh

C. Wayne Gardner

D Mick Doohan

Which of these has not been used as a nickname by Valentino Rossi?

A. Rossifumi

B. The Doctor

C. Valentinik

D. Roman Emperor

Which much-loved commuter/despatch bike earned the nickname ‘the plastic maggot’?

A. Honda CB250

B. Kawasaki GT500

C. Honda CX500

D.Suzuki GS500

How many WSB races did Carl Fogarty win?

A. 38

B. 59

C. 67

D 102

Which of these is an incorrect model?

A. Honda CR500

B .Kawasaki GPX750

C. Suzuki GT500

D. Yamaha TDM250

What unusual design feature links Australian manufacturer Drysdale with Italian firm Morbidelli?

A.Rotary valves on four-strokes

B. V8 engines

C. Hub-centre steering

D. Carbon-fibre frames

What was the name of Peter Fonda’s chopper in the film Easy Rider?

A. Stars ’n’ bars

B. Captain America

C. General Malfunction

D. Uncle Sam

At which track did the short-lived Bimota SB8R score its sole WSB race win?

A .Phillip Island

B .Misano

C. Sugo

D. Brands Hatch

What bike did Tom Cruise ride in the film Top Gun?

A. Ducati 916

B .Harley Sportster

C. Kawasaki GPZ900R

D. Vespa

Who embarrassingly wrote off the last Triumph to win an Isle of Man TT race, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, when a wheelie stunt went wrong?

A .James Whitham

B. Bruce Anstey

C .MCN’s Michael Neeves

D. Charley Boorman

Nicky Hayden’s race number is 69 – why?

A.He won 69 races in his first year of competition

B. He’s a massive James Whitham fan

C.It was his dad Earl’s race number

D .It was randomly assigned to him in his first race

What nationality was the man who founded Triumph?

A .English

B. Irish

C .Welsh

D. German

Which animal featured on Mick Doohan’s race helmets?

A .Koala bear

B. Kookaburra

C .Kanagaroo

D.Crocodile

Which of these well-known car firms has never had a bike bearing its name?

A. Ferrari

B. Lamborghini

C. Bugatti

D .Maserati

What does ‘EXUP’ stand for?

A .Exhaust Under Pillion

B .Exact Universal Power

C .Exhaust Ultimate Power

D .Extra Uprated

What is the major technical innovation seen on the 2007 model of Yamaha’s R1?

A.GPS navigation

B. Semi-automatic gearbox

C. Variable length throttle inlets

D. Traction control

Who defected from east to west in the 1960s, bringing the secrets of the most advanced two-stroke technology of the day?

A. Endel Kiisa

B. Colonel Sevastianov

C .Ernst Degner

D .Harald Bartol

What is the capacity of the new Ducati 1098?

A. 1097cc

B. 1098cc

C .1099cc

D .1150cc

Who was the ‘Girl on a Motorcycle’?

A. Maria Costello

B. Mary-Anne Hobbs

C. Marianne Faithfull

D. Angelina Jolie

The Yamaha R6 was the first road bike to feature which technology?

A. Ride-by-wire throttle

B. Carbon-ceramic brakes

C. Variable valve timing

D. Pneumatic valves

What was unusual about Terry Rymer’s race one win at Thruxton BSB in 1996?

A.He started from the pitlane

B.He didn’t qualify for the race

C.He pushed his bike over the finish line

D.He pitted during the race

Which American biking world champion starred in CHiPs?

A. Fred Merkel

B. Doug Toland

C .Bruce Penhall

D. Scott Russell

The new Ducati 1098 can store how many hours’ datalogging as standard?

A. 1

B .3

C. 5

D. 32

Who was the last rider before Nicky Hayden to wrest a world title from Rossi when he was reigning champ?

A.. Marco Melandri

B. Shinya Nakano

C. Max Biaggi

D. None – Hayden is the first

Which famous son’s father famously baulked Barry Sheene in his titanic scrap with Kenny Roberts on the last lap of the nail-biting 1979 British 500cc GP?

A. Leon Haslam

B. Valentino Rossi

C. Carl Fogarty

D. Fonsi Nieto

The owner of the famous US West Coast Choppers firm has which famous criminal name?

A. Al Capone

B .Billy Kidd

C .Jesse James

D .Charles Manson

Who set pole position for the first ever World Superbike race, at Donington park in 1988?

A. Joey Dunlop

B. Marco Lucchinelli

C. Roger Burnett

D. Bubba Shobert

 Answers to this quiz will be in the January 10 issue of MCN.

HOW TO ENTER

Type all your correct answers in the form of a string of letters, eg ‘ADCADCBABB… etc’, and e-mail it to mcnsport@emap.com by January 6, with ‘QUIZ ENTRY’ in the subject line.

Alternatively, ring your answers on these pages and send them in an envelope to: Sam Bostock, MCN, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA.

The winner will be drawn from a hat of correct entries.

No alternative prizes are offered. The Editor’s decision is final.