A small group of racers dominated the motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship during the ultra-competitive era of the late 1980s and early 1990s; they are the Bike Heroes. In an exclusive interview and exceptional archive race footage, this programme recalls highlights of one of the stars of that period, Wayne Gardner. He became Australia’s first World Champion, regularly beating greats like Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz, and was established as a national hero when he won the inaugural Australian Grand Prix. Gardner, talks candidly about his life and career, including his first bike, how he got into racing and the early days of Superbike competition in Europe.We are treated to action-packed footage from his GP highs and lows, including his first win, favourite victory, tension-packed battle for the 1987 World Championship and the injury-causing crashes which blighted his final years. Gardner reveals how close he came to giving up on the crown in his title-winning year, who he considered his greatest rival and why he nearly retired from racing after his traumatic first Grand Prix. Hearing a genuine Bike Hero like Wayne Gardner talk openly about his career is fascinating, and the dramatic film from races like the 1986 Spanish GP, 1987 Japanese GP and, of course, Australian GP in 1989 make this an essential viewing experience.