A select few events are hailed as the last bastion of their respective motorsports. For motorcycle racing, it's the Isle of Man TT. For rallying, it's the Dakar. And for hill climbs, it's Pikes Peak.

For a time in the motorcycle world, there was a genuine speed war going on. Brands like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Norton, and Kawasaki were all competing with each other to create road bikes that had the ...