Classic Bike Hub UK

Bike builder, demon scribbler and so much more, Odgie celebrates one of those ‘special’ birthdays this year. And to commemorate the moment, he’s written an autobiography… From the get-go I have to admit an interest in this book: I’ve long admired and enjoyed Odgie’s exploits and it’s a delight to feature his outlandish machines and…

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Every so often, small scale publishing turns out an absolute gem. We’re delighted to recommend this excellent book about the motorcycle sport scene in Cornwall… ‘Champions 4 Celebration’ is subtitled ‘A profile of Cornish motor sport champions’ which immediately limits its potential readership. This is a shame as it’s a very well written, meticulously researched…

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Kel Boyce looks back upon owning and riding his GT, and compares its engineering to Italian and Japanese machines of the era. Then he decides he quite liked after all… After rebuilding it, I ran the GT for about four years by which time I was ready to move on to something different. The bike…

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Kel Boyce tells us what happened once he’d completed his rebuild, and how he learned to live with an ‘oilfield’… Now the old British motorcycle industry was inherently charitable. It kindly provided us with oily old engines that kept our waterproofs waterproof, rattles and whirrs to keep us awake and a multitude of parts that…

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Kel Boyce lusted after a little Enfield back in the 1970s. Then he bought one. Then he took it apart. And then… it had to be put back together again! It was winter, so I started with the engine rebuild, as the lump could be easily accommodated on the kitchen table. The crankcases were helicoiled…

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Kel Boyce paid £40 for his non-running Continental back in 1979 and, bearing in mind how much work it needed ,that might have been over the top… The first step was to remove the wheels. The hubs and drums seemed OK but the rims and spokes were almost devoid of plating. I set about dismantling…

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Which bike lived in your teenage dreams when you first started riding? Kel Boyce aspired to Enfield’s sporting 250, and he didn’t manage to grow out of it… The Continental GT. What can I say? The dream bike of every learner rider of the mid-1960s. Seen as the saviour of an ailing Royal Enfield company…

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Classic Motorcycle Book News and Reviews We have new books about old bikes and old books about old bikes coming out of our ears. Oh, and the chance to grab a signed copy of the original Daisy’s Diaries… Due to public demand (it’s not often you can say that with a straight face, but in…

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After running-in this traditional-but-modern motorcycle, Fiery Fred finds that his 750 boxer twin behaves almost exactly like a proper classic bike. The ‘Beemer with beansprouts’ has needed some fettling… I bought the CJ new (see previous episodes) and we are now run-in (done in, in my case) and about to ring her neck, as it…

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Fiery Fred bought a new old-style bike in the shape of a Chang Jiang 750. The first thing it did was to break down. Could he solve the problem? The next new day arrived and although I was disappointed not to have succeeded in my epic journey I was determined to get to the bottom…

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