The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

The Britten Bike Story Now Available in NTSC Format for US DVD Players

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1 Man's Dream - The Britten Bike Story

1 Man’s Dream – The Britten Bike Story

A while back, we reviewed One Man’s Dream – The Britten Bike Story, a DVD about the legendary John Britten. I thought it was a fantastic story, but it was only available in the PAL format, which would play on your computer, but if you were in the USA, not in the DVD player for your TV. Well, problem solved, it’s now available in the NTSC format which will work just fine here in the States. They’ve also added closed captions. Smiles all around.

Even better, it’s on Amazon, which is a whole lot quicker than ordering it from New Zealand.

You shouldn’t have any reservations about ordering, just go ahead and get it. It’s really a wonderful story and the DVD is very well done. If you like the bikes and builders you see here and if you’re inspired by the “just get it done” attitude, this is something you won’t want to miss. Great gift for your motorcycle enthusiast friends, too.

Link: Read our review of 1 Man’s Dream – The Britten Bike Story
Link: Get the DVD of 1 Man’s Dream – The Britten Bike Story

Six Britten motorcycles at Sound of Thunder in New Zealand
Six Britten motorcycles at Sound of Thunder in New Zealand

Posted on Filed Under: Motorcycle Builders

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Comments

  1. I don’t even have to read a review or see a preview of this video to know its well worth every last penny it may cost ! The story of Britten is beyond amazing . Much of the technology he created still not equalled by any manufacture . The man was a genius , but like many a genius before him was a bit of a mad man and a lousy business man as well ., But Damn ! The genius part . Buy this video ! Don’t hesitate . Don’t think about it . Don’t even talk it over with the little woman . Just pull out the credit card , pony up to the counter ( virtual or otherwise ) take this baby home ……….. and be flat out … absolutely dumbfounded and amazed

    • Have meet the guy ,seen many of the bikes race(no 2 alike)not mad at all, just a genius

      • ” Mad ” as in mad as a hatter . He was . All geniuses in fact are … and you’re taking things too literally . Read the books and watch the video /

        • im a kiwi ,no need to read books or watch vids,thats for the rest of you not lucky enough to grow up in NZ.And no not mad as a hatter.

          • Thats not what everyone that knew the man personally and on a daily basis has said that I’ve talked to . All of them living in NZ as well . Though I’ve never heard a Kiwi call his country Kiwi . Thats a term usually reserved for those from New Zealand …. not For NZ . Hmmmn !

            • No where in my comments did i call nz a kiwi(are you a f@%kin retard)The company i worked for(fisher & paykel)sponsord John and Aaron Slight.Not uncommen for John & Aaron to turn up with a bike and show off.Mind you Jonn would always talk to you at any bike meet just cause he loved to talk about his bike.Not sure about your third hand comments!John lived 300 odd kms north of me and Burt Monroe about 200kms south,and you sir should unsling your cock and go back to your guitar

  3. excellent news!!! thanks for the heads-up ns.

    to think what else this man may have conceived and realized staggers the imagination.

  4. When the AMA was still racing, at what is now New Hampshire International Speedway, I was able to see one of these beauties close up and personal. To hear it and watch it perform was a treat that you just never forget.
    I wasn’t aware that a video cassette was once available but now I have DVD on its way that situation has been remedied.
    This will be a great excuse to set up an evening of shop racing with some friends. Also know by our group as “kicking tires and telling lies”.

  6. As a New Zealander I was lucky enough to see the Britten race on many occasions. This bike is still one of my all time favorites. There is even a Britten in our national museum in Wellington (Capital City).

    There is also a great book about the man and the bike ,John Britten’ by Tim Hanna (he’s also written one about Burt Munro, Worlds fastest Indian). Really don’t know if it’s available online but it’s a brilliant read.

    Cheers

    • The book ” Britten Motorcycles ” ; by Felicity Price was available in the US and in fact Motorbooks practically gave away their remaining stock at the ridiculous price of $9.99 . I’ve no idea how this book compares to Mr Hanna’s , but I can say its worth owning if you can track down a copy

    • I second that. Tim Hanna wrote a very good book on the mans life. Also highlights that although it was one mans dream, it took a dedicated team a decent chunk of their lives, mostly unpaid, to make that dream a reality.

      Mike Brosnan “Broz” springs to mind in that respect.

  7. Wow! Looks like you guys were happy to see the new format, you bought Amazon’s entire stock. No problem though, more coming right away, so if you missed out, just place your order anyway and they’ll ship as soon as they arrive.

  8. John was by far the brightest star in the custom bike building universe. There is no one that builds 95% of a bike from scratch while developing state of the art techniques and ideas.

    I bought the DVD a couple years ago with no problems using it in my USA DVD player.

    • Some folks were having problems. I think there are some players that will work with any format, some do not, I guess you had one of the good ones. No matter, it will definitely work, now.

  9. I remember when I first caught sight of this bike, I was in the college library looking at some magazines when I saw it. All of these years later I still feel the britton one of the most impressive bikes ever built and Mr Britton did it all himself. I love this site because everyone who comes here loves bikes and tech about as much as the next.

  10. Thanks for this story. I love hearing about people like this it really is inspirational. I can see he was not afraid of a little colour either. I am looking forward to getting the DVD

  11. There is a nice clip on youtube if you search Britten that someone just put up. I saw the bike run at Wigram Field back in 92 or 93, what a machine!

  12. What a motorcycle genius, it is still very sad that he passed so many years ago. I can’t wait to receive the dvd. At my very first vintage motorcycle days in 1996 I saw a Britten from the corner of my eye and shot straight over to it! The Britten is one of the most impressive bikes of all time. The exhaust is just a work of art by itself and what an awesome sound it makes!

  13. When Britten first hit the scene with his bikes, the motorcycling press rightly said they were worthy successors to the great Broughs and Vincents of the past — the superbikes of their day. Britten did things his way and built some of the greatest motorcycles ever. That sensuous exhaust alone is worth the price of admission. He showed what a V-twin should, and could, be. A tragedy that he’s gone; think of what more he could have achieved.

  14. Have owned the VHS copy since it came out, and highly recommend it. Grown men who love motorcycles will be on the floor weeping by the end!

    Was lucky enough to meet the man at Daytona in 1995 where he signed my poster of his bike.

  15. When you consider the number of motorcycle brands that have been resurected like Indian, Triumph etc it’s amazing to think that no start up manufacturer has attempted to manufacture these bikes for the masse’s (high end $$$) The bikes have a timeless beauty and technical advances that still stand up well today.
    Hands up who would buy a street Britten if they could !

    • As far as i know, a street version was in the works with Triumph and Indian when John was still alive. They got bogged down with racing commitments and then John unfortunatey died.
      The estate basically wants to preserve his memory, rather than continue his legacy. As far as I know. Id love to be prove wrong. Proven wrong at 280km/h with pink and blue, a blur against the sky….

  16. I recall talking about John Britten’s creative mind in the Kneeslider before. Years ago, I was at our now defunct local racetrack, Westwood, when I saw this strange but beautiful creation in the pits. What caught my attention was the blue colour and exquisite workmanship of the exhaust system. Closer examination was like opening Pandora ’s Box …..

    The bike was being ridden by a local (Vancouver, BC) fellow, Gary Goodfellow who, it seems, was a friend of Britten. He had the bike to do “sort out” sessions and report his recommendations back to John.

    As I began to look closer, more and more of John’s innovative genius began to emerge. The open belts driving the cams, the fuel injection system (a rarity in those days), the front profile which was a rather bulbous nose sitting on a knife edge. A Ram Air system that took air from the pressurized nose, ran it past the throttle bodies and then through a minimal radiator located almost flat behind the seat to vent into the low pressure area behind the tail cone. Also where the exhaust vented. Genius! By putting air and exhaust into that area minimised the aeronautical drag.

    And the engine …. An amazing creation from a “home workshop”. Narrow, powerful, beautiful song and efficient. On the track, Gary was running second only because he wanted to gather data. It was obvious that at any time he wished, he could have just twisted the throttle to move into a win. By now I’m beginning to realise that I’d been looking at a true piece of motorcycle history.

    Returning to the pits, a couple of guys came over and plugged a laptop cable into a plug near the steering head. Now, you have to realise that, in those days, laptops were virtually unknown. To download data and analyze it on the spot was pure science fiction. Yet, that was what was happening. Trying to get a closer look at the screen was the only time I wasn’t welcome to look.

    I remember going home and reflecting on what I had seen. The great creative mind that built such a machine, so ahead of his time. There were no American manufacturers who would appreciate the technology. If any of the Japanese builders were to have hired Britten and given him freedom in their engineering departments, they would have totally dominated the world’s racetracks. But then, it wouldn’t have worked. The Japanese were never “outside the box” thinkers. They excelled at copying, studying, niggle niggle refining until they slowly approached “perfection”. Throw some totally “off the wall” ideas at them and they freaked.

    The Europeans too were steeped in tradition. Ducati would never look at anything that didn’t have desmodromic valve gear. Moto Guzzi, only if we could turn the engine sideways. Aprillia? Well they were broke (again) and John couldn’t swear in Italian.

    It was shortly after that when John took the Britten to Sebring and was totally blowing away the competition when the fire went out. As I recall, urgent preparation, delays, and a long travel time had conspired to have the Britten team totally exhausted by the time they arrived in Sebring. This resulted in someone (Rumour has it that it was Britten himself) wiring the battery incorrectly and the electrics died. A massive blow to short of money, exhausted team. But hey, setbacks were only part of the game, eh? Sit back, regroup and try again!

    Then I heard about John’s cancer …………

  18. Having seen the Britten race at Pukekohe racetrack near Auckland N.Z. against the factory Ducatis of the day I can say without a doubt that it put those Ducatis to shame. Against Andrew Stroud on the back straight it looked as if the Ducatis suddenly started running on one cylinder only, such was the enormous acceleration difference between the two. Still more than 20 years later I still get goosebumps when I think of the noise that bike made.

  20. Have to fully endorse all the good things said here. Attended Daytona A.H.R.M.A. races in 1995. Saw the 2 bikes that John Britten raced there. Just phenominal.

    Best motorcycle racing event I ever attended, what with Briten and also Team Obsolete with the Honda 6 and MV’s.
    Something like 700 racers there, from allover the World, first time Jim Redman got back on a bike too.

    Trying to post my photos on Flickr.