James May's 20th Century ep05 Inventing the Teenag

The fifth programme, Inventing The Teenager, looks at how, in the 20th century, <br /> the teenager emerged as a separate species. But how? Was it the promise of sex? <br /> The power of pop? Or the pull of a 50cc Japanese two-stroke? James is on a <br /> journey to find out.<br /> <br /> First up is fashion. The 20th century introduced fantastic new fabrics in <br /> fantastic new colours, thanks to synthetic materials such as nylon. James tries <br /> his hand at making some for himself, with some success.<br /> <br /> Close to James's heart, of course, was teenage transport, offering liberation <br /> from parents and the home. When he was a teenager, he always dreamed of owning a <br /> very special motorbike: the Yamaha FS1E ñ the Fizzy.<br /> <br /> "The problem was, of course, that my mother would rather I played with something <br /> like a used hypodermic needle," he says. "The FS1E ñ a motorcycle you could ride <br /> at 16 ñ was just a symbol of death. It was like your son's tombstone placed <br /> before you. It was 'Not Allowed'."<br /> <br /> Finally, he checks out the origins of the

Category: Dirt Bikes/ATV

Tags: james, May, top