Stealing Speed
Book •
Matt Oxley's "Stealing Speed" tells the true story of Ernst Degner, an East German motorcycle engineer and rider who defected to the West in 1961, bringing with him the secrets of MZ's revolutionary two-stroke engine technology.
This technology was then passed on to Suzuki, transforming the Japanese motorcycle industry and revolutionizing Grand Prix racing.
The book explores the complex web of espionage, politics, and personal risk that surrounded this transfer of technology during the Cold War. It details the impact of this technology on motorcycle racing and the subsequent dominance of two-stroke engines.
The narrative captures the high-stakes environment and the individuals who risked everything to gain a competitive edge in the world of motorcycle racing.
This technology was then passed on to Suzuki, transforming the Japanese motorcycle industry and revolutionizing Grand Prix racing.
The book explores the complex web of espionage, politics, and personal risk that surrounded this transfer of technology during the Cold War. It details the impact of this technology on motorcycle racing and the subsequent dominance of two-stroke engines.
The narrative captures the high-stakes environment and the individuals who risked everything to gain a competitive edge in the world of motorcycle racing.
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Mentioned by Matt Oxley, who also wrote the book, as a story about how two-stroke technology came to Japan.
S09E05: MotoGP: Everything You Wanted To Know
