Ep. 35: Rennie Scaysbrook, Pikes Peak record holder, motorcycle journalist and racer

Rider Magazine Insider

Our guest for Episode 35 of the Rider Magazine Insider Podcast is Rennie Scaysbrook. Rennie is one of the hardest working motorcycle journalists in the business. He’s Road Test Editor at Cycle News, which cranks out a new issue every week. Rennie travels the world testing motorcycles, and he writes race coverage, news, and features for the magazine. Rennie is also a motorcycle racer who has competed several times in the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, where he set the motorcycle record in 2019. Rennie competes in several race series. He campaigns a Pirelli-sponsored Suzuki GSX-R600 in the Chuckwalla Valley Motorcycle Association series. He races the Roland Sands Design Indian Chief in the Super Hooligan National Championship series. And in June he’ll get his first opportunity to race in the prestigious Isle of Man TT. If that weren’t enough, Rennie is a husband and a father, and his son Harvey was the inspiration for him to write and publish a children’s book called “The Big Book of Motorbikes,” which is available through Amazon. Rennie and I had fun recording this episode after riding more than 300 miles at the Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+ press launch and having a few drinks at dinner. We have an unfiltered, uncensored conversation about Rennie growing up in a prominent racing family in Australia, how he became a motojournalist, and what prompted him to move to America. We also take a deep dive into his experiences racing motorcycles at Pikes Peak – the good, the bad, and the ugly – as well as his preparations for the 2022 Isle of Man TT.