The Motorbike Show - Specials (2016)

Henry Cole goes on a road trip to California, to uncover the often surprising life of his personal hero. Steve McQueen was Hollywood's best-paid star, but motorbikes and racing, meant much more to him than acting. The documentary features previously unseen archive film and interviews with McQueen's family and friends, producing a fascinating portrait of a motorcycling icon.

Henry Cole embarks on a road trip to California to learn about the fascinating life of his personal hero. Henry delves further into McQueen's turbulent life and the battles he had with Hollywood. He talks bikes with US TV star Jay Leno, rides Steve McQueen's favourite Indian motorcycle and uncovers the secrets behind his famous film, The Great Escape.

Henry Cole tells the story of Triumph, the world's oldest production motorbike brand. He explores the fascinating back histories of their most iconic models including the Bonneville, the Thunderbird and the Daytona and visits the Triumph's state of the art factory at Hinckley to discover how today's bikes are built.

In the second in a series of three specials, Henry Cole tells the story of Norton, the world's greatest racing brand. Starting in a small factory in Birmingham, Norton rose to dominate the Isle of Man TT and the international racing circuit. Featuring interviews with designers, engineers and famous riders such as Trevor Nation, as well as rare archival material, this is a compelling tale.

In the last of a series of three specials, Henry Cole flies out to Bologna in Italy to tell the story of Ducati, Italy's greatest bike brand. Featuring interviews with famous riders such as Carl Fogarty, Henry explores how Ducati's innovative engineering and cutting-edge design enabled them to produce world beating bikes.