Stealing Speed: The Biggest Spy Scandal in Motorsport History

by Mat Oxley

This is the compelling story of how one of Japan’s biggest motorcycle manufacturers stole a Nazi rocket scientist’s engine secrets from behind the Iron Curtain to conquer the world. In 1961, with the Cold War at its height, East German motorcycle manufacturer MZ was using World War II rocket technology to win Grands Prix, only for rider Ernst Degner to defect and sell the secrets to Suzuki, while his wife and children were drugged and smuggled through the Berlin Wall. The following year Suzuki and Degner made history by winning the world title. Branded a traitor by the communists, Degner suffered horrific injuries in a fiery racing accident and died in mysterious circumstances.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.7/5
Interessante Geschichte, aber für mich zum Teil etwas langweilig vor allem weil ich nicht so viel mit dem technischen Anfangen könnte.

[Phil James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book in a motorbike magazine years ago and meant to read it. It came into my mind recently and so I found it on my Kindle. Brilliant book. Basically it tells the story of the development of the 2 stroke engine in MZ motorcycles in Germany in the 1950s. Eventually one of their riders defected from East Germany with the technology and sold it to Suzuki. It gives a real insight into what it was like to race in the 50s and 60s in motorcycle grand prix as well as an insight this fascinating piece of industrial espionage.

[Jaz Ironside · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've written this book review as if it were a dota 2 patch, because why not.

Book reading update 25.6

Steeling Speed: The biggest spy scandal in motor sport history
189 pages – Nonfiction/story
Started Oct 3 – Finished Oct 23

--- New Heroes
Walter Kaaden
Former state weapons rocket scientist dodges allies bid for freedom and settles for home life in east Germany. Uses engineering knowledge and v1-2 rocket design experience to bring two stroke motorcycle engines to glory.

Attack Type: Range
Complexity: ◆ ◆ ◆

Support - ⟡⟡⟡ Attack - 36-42 Defence - 2.2
Durable - ⟡ BAT - 2.0 Resist - 10%
Initiator - ⟡⟡⟡⟡ Vision - 2000 Move - 275
HP - 489 + 1.9 Mana - 385 + 1.6

Ability Details:
Ultimate – Expansion Chamber
For each second Kaaden has been alive since his last death, gain +1.5% bonus damage amplification globally. On cast, instantly unleash the full stored value as a teamwide global buff. 10 seconds after activation, enemy team also gains 50% of the buff, simulating tech leakage.

ABILITY: Global Aura Channel COOLDOWN: 60 seconds MANA: 300 DURATION: 15 seconds

Aghanim’s Scepter: Enemies receive 100% of the buff immediately, not after 10s, but they cannot benefit from it until Kaaden finishes channelling the buff locking them into a live arms race window.

Aghanim’s Shard: Causes the buff to extend its duration by +1s for every enemy hero affected.



Ernst Degner
Prodigy rider turned state asset, races not just for medals but for escape velocity. Every lap brings him closer to the border and to the moment he will decide which side of history gets the future.

Attack Type: Meele
Complexity: ◆ ◆ ◇

Pusher - ⟡⟡⟡ Attack - 48-52 Defence - 1.0
Nuker - ⟡⟡ BAT - 1.4 Resist - 0%
Escape - ⟡⟡⟡⟡ Vision - 1200 Move - 340
HP - 420+ 1.5 Mana - 345 + 1.1


Ability Details:
Ultimate – Border Break
Degner mounts his prototype racer and begins a high-velocity escape channel toward a target direction. While channelling, he gains Unstoppable (cannot be slowed, stunned, rooted, or body-blocked) but remains vulnerable to damage and displacement. If the channel completes successfully, Degner crashes through the target hero’s inventory and confiscates their most valuable completed item, permanently transferring ownership to his own inventory for as long as he is alive. If Degner dies, the stolen item is dropped at the spot of death.

ABILITY: Target hero channelled COOLDOWN: 120 seconds MANA: 160 DURATION: 4 seconds

Aghanim’s Scepter: For 10 seconds after a successful theft, Degner gains +150 MS and +40% evasion “westward momentum buff”.

Aghanim’s Shard: Every successful theft also burns the target’s neutral slot for 30s.

--- Hero Updates
MZ Motorenwerke Zschopau
• Factory resources decreased
• Innovation suppresion cap increased
• Dyno removed
• Exports disabled.

Stasi / State oversight
• Base level surveillance increased +10
• Punishment window cool down reduced by 50%.
• PR section base increase +5
• New ability: Cheap knock offs.

Suzuki
• Base attack time reduced 50% now 0.5
• New ability: Reverse engineer
• Base stats modified, gains +2 per level on all stats.

Honda
• Passive gold gain increased
• Global shop enabled.
• Prestige modifier added at level 1, 10% increase in gold from kills
• Discount bonus on 4 stroke items 25%


--- Map Updates
• West German metallurgy shop upgraded
• RAF base Silver stone upgraded to GP track
• Spa new highest KD rank.
• Isle of Man TT
• New wall added between dire east and radiant west

--- Economy changes
• New mechanic: Espionage
◦ Production cost reduction for success espionage targets
◦ Increased gold on successful espionage targets.
◦ Failed espionage targets leads to time base reduction in all stats.
• Level bonus on aerodynamic items
• All units now gain basic training in 2 stroke engine technicals.

--- Item Changes
• Secret Alloy Stockpile
◦ New high-tier neutral
◦ + Reliability, + Survivability
◦ Consumes political stability while equipped

• Prototype Tuning Kit
◦ Grants 50% damage bonus until wearer is burnt.
◦ Passive neutral
◦ 25% chance to catastrophically burn wearer resulting in 50% hp loss.

--- Bug Fixes & Known Issues
• Known issue: some engine technicals are repeated.
• Known issue: pacing window between breakthroughs can stall before payoff

--- Patch standouts
• Inspiring two stroke game play and knowledge.
• Daring motor sport espionage in search of better life.
• High-stakes outcomes remain unpredictable until late-game.
• Well designed flow from start to end of match.
• Max RPM upgraded to 25,000
• Interesting cross section of communist map themes.


--- Overall 🏁
An interesting and captivating look at how a rocket scientist turned a dying engine into a 25 year dominance. In addition to an exciting espionage story of escape from east German/Russian totalitarianism.

🏍 🏍 🏍 🏍

4 two-stroke engines out of 5.

[Mary White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Descent read if you’re into motorcycle racing history

Good read, not to much technical jargon (though I wish there was more). The author does a superb job painting the political and economic struggles a race team fought through from behind the Iron Curtain. All
Of this occurs while wild technological advances are being made during the infancy of premier motorcycle racing.

[Iuara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlock Peak Performance with Dodson Motorsport at ATOMIC-SHOP

For those dedicated to pushing their vehicle’s performance to its limits, Dodson Motorsport products—available through ATOMIC-SHOP—are the ideal choice. Known in the motorsport world for creating robust, high-performance solutions, Dodson Motorsport has a proven track record of meeting the intense demands of racing environments. Built on the pillars of durability, precision, and innovative design, Dodson’s products are crafted to meet the needs of car enthusiasts and racing professionals alike who demand superior upgrades.

The Dodson Motorsport Advantage
Dodson Motorsport specializes in performance-driven parts engineered for high-speed racing and powerful driving. With a product lineup that includes advanced clutch kits, customized transmission packages, and other critical upgrades, Dodson delivers reliability and responsiveness under the most extreme racing conditions. These parts are crafted not only to perform but also to maintain consistency where it counts the most—on the track.

Why Opt for ATOMIC-SHOP for Dodson Motorsport?
As a trusted provider, ATOMIC-SHOP offers a comprehensive selection of Dodson Motorsport parts, ensuring genuine, high-quality components for those committed to performance tuning and motorsport excellence. Known for prioritizing quality, ATOMIC-SHOP stocks Dodson’s premier products, making it a go-to resource for anyone seeking to enhance their vehicle’s track capabilities.

Key Product Highlights
High-Performance Clutch Systems - Engineered for racing durability and precision.
Transmission Solutions - Built to manage extreme horsepower and torque.
Differentials & Gear Upgrades - Enhanced for superior stability and control.
These highlights are just a sample of Dodson Motorsport’s range. Partnering with ATOMIC-SHOP, which brings expertise and customer focus, ensures a seamless experience for those looking to unlock their vehicle’s full potential. Whether you’re gearing up for competitive motorsport or personal tuning, Dodson Motorsport products at ATOMIC-SHOP offer unmatched quality and performance for true automotive enthusiasts.

[Wes Fleming · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book with plenty of Cold War intrigue and motorcycle racing action. Oxley clearly has a good grip on the material, but approaches it all a little too casually for my taste. Once the primary subject of the book, Ernst Degner, dies at the end of his story arc (as we all must, as we are mortal), Oxley's bias becomes clear. It is an unwelcome shift in tone as Oxley moves from reporting events and recording history to commenting on it without deep analysis or even acknowledgment of the vagaries of life-altering decision-making by those trapped behind the Iron Curtain in the 1950s and '60s. In other words, to spend over three-quarters of the book making Degner look like a hero to suddenly turn on him and declare him a villain undermines the entire purpose of the book. The final chapter of the book further shifts the tone by going down a long road of motorcycle racing-related technological history that has no clear connection to the rest of the book other than being about two-stroke motorcycles in general. Having spent 85% of the book talking up the East German geniuses, to delve into seemingly random two-stroke information for the final 15% of the book was quite a disappointment.

This review is based on the Kindle edition, as paper copies are few, far between and quite expensive.

The text was riddled with punctuation and grammar errors, which was quite disappointing.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating tale of politics, spycraft, motorcycle racing, engineering and the human experience told really well. It got deep enough in each area that I think people with prior knowledge would still gain from it, but not enough that it was off putting to someone less experiened.

A really fun and interesting read into a lesser known piece of history.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Why? I am interested in the two subjects it covers... World War 2 and Motorcycles. I never knew how two stroke technology took the path it took. Learned a lot reading this book.

[Christian Roeder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining read. However, very annoying that he gets about every German word wrong and pays no attention to names (Anderson becomes Andersen in the next paragraph). Sloppy work.

Still trying to figure out what the epilogue is for. Probably the most boring rambling of history (?) I ever read.

[Bobbi Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool story. The author did a great job balancing historical facts with story telling which made it a page turner. It’s a nice balance between the history of motorbjkes and motorcycle racing and the personal wins and struggles of the people behind it.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two strokes and the wall

Interesting history of development of the two stroke engine in post war east Germany with the background of the Cold War. Desperately needed some better explanation/ diagrams of the few key bits of engineering that were involved

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing story. Mat Oxley, a renowned MotoGP journalist, also happens to be able to write a ripping yarn. You don’t have to be a fan of motorbikes to appreciate the way technology from one area can influence another. Top recommendation.

[Harvey Eldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great storytelling for a non-fiction book. I enjoyed the mentions of other historical events that were occurring at the same time. I feel it could have benefitted from a glossary or explained some terms earlier as it went along for readers who aren’t big on bikes.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book because it's an interesting story - German defectors ending up working for the Japanese during WW2 to try to make their mark at the Isle of Man Time Trial race. However, it's written in such a zig-zag this-then-that-then-this format... solid meh.

[Maureen Tapio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brings the world of MC racing technology to life

Vivid and informative. Highly suggested. I need another 15 words, makes me wonder if "I" counts as a word. I see that it does!

[T. Morgan Spradling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Great book about a great technology. Long live the two stroke motorcycle and the people who race them. Great read.

[Brent Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boom,Ping

Great analysis of 2 stroke evolution and revolution. The fun factor of a fast 2 stroke can not be underestimated. Narrow power bands equal wide fun.

[HVN · Rating 3 out of 5]

three orwell mentions are three to many

[Henry K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical book for gear heads and nerdy types

[andrew p frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic

A great read. Regardless of what you’re interested in this sheds light on the post war years. Makes today’s Netflix “ drive to servive” series seem a little tame.

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, amazing history not covered anywhere else. Highly recommended, bring back the 2 stroke!

[Martin Cochran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible story. I would not be surprised if this becomes a movie at some point.

[Richard K. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

fascinating motorcycle history

Really enjoyed learning about how the two stroke was developed, as well as learning about the international spy-vs- spy games in racing.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

As opposed to Japans Motorcycle Wars, this story is told on a very personal level. Principly concerned with technologies and personalities, the cold war backgound is carefully rendered and always relevant. Relevant too is how all the manufacturers see racing as a vital marketing tool, as they have done since the early 20th century. After the technology is revealed, the book spends most time on the international racing scene in the 60's.

Here, the breathless awe in which riders of the era are held was largely lost on me, but I guess others would know all the names. Racing was SO lethal then, claiming such a large number of lives that I can't admire it. Maybe it was because the war was so recent, and people who had been through it saw life as cheaper than we do now. Or maybe it was the demographic: in my experience most 22-year olds think they are 50 foot tall and rocket proof. Or maybe there will always be adrenalin junkies, the only thing that changes is how they get their fix.

[Jiří · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic reads for anyone who is into motorsports and history. The book provides the racing spirit on the background of technological breaktrhrough as well as major policital events. It's the one to enjoy and easy to read.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this again after a friend's review sent me back to it! My interest in bike racing has grown since my first read, so it probably meant a bit more to me this time around.

I found it a bit too technical for me in places, though explanations were sufficiently clear to at least get a general understanding of the mechanics involved, but on a human level a really good story with an interesting cast of characters - some you care about and some you aren't particularly sorry to see come undone.

Its interesting to see how the two stroke story continues since the book was written and for the technology, its time may be coming around again.

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stealing Speed focuses on a piece of history often forgotten due to the political turmoil that overshadowed it. The story of motorcycle engine development from the 1940s to present day is very interesting with complex characters, moments of action and of course anticipation of the results. The two big weakness of the book are that the chronology of the story skippes around and the author assumes the reader has an understanding of the mechanics of engines, motorycles, and cars.

[borisattva · Rating 4 out of 5]

just finished reading this today.
if you are into any of the following;
1) world war 2 technology (rockets, planes, torpedoes) history
2) motorcycle & automotive racing history
3) evolution of engine technology with explained concepts and functions
4) cold war spy and intrigues history (specifically Berlin dispute)
5) testament of 2 separate humans perseverance with opposing results
you will enjoy this book. fairly a quick read too (3 sittings i think)

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story behind the evolution of the two-stroke engine in communist-occupied East Germany, using Nazi World War II technology from V1 Rockets, and how Suzuki stole that technology from the Soviets in 1960. Suzuki not only stole the technology, but they stole a motorcycle rider as well, leading to them winning a championship in 1961. Great introduction to the differences between two-stroke and four-stroke engines, I couldn't put this book down.

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a good book. I'd often heard the story of how an East German had defected to the West with details of two-strike tuning and snapped up by Suzuki for their motorcycle development. The story was slightly different to what I'd heard, but what a story. It's a really good read, with some excellent descriptions of motorcycle racing of the post-war era. Some of the descriptions of the Isle Of Man TT were fantastic. A highly recommended read.