Startline Ep 52 - Markus Karlsson: New Dad, newcomer, no giving up

Startline - Road Racing podcast · Jul 23, 2026 · 31m

Markus Karlsson has spent almost his entire life on two wheels.

The 27-year-old Swedish rider received his first motorcycle at the age of two, began racing at seven and grew up surrounded by bikes, with a road-racing father and a mother who served as a motorcycle police officer.

Now Markus is preparing for his biggest challenge yet: making his debut at the Manx Grand Prix in 2026.

In this episode, he tells Beth about building his own 600cc race bike from scratch, travelling repeatedly to the Isle of Man to learn the Mountain Course and the moment his acceptance email made him realise that the…