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What did lads get up to, back when BSA Bantams were the motorcycle of choice for youthful despatch riders in the City of London? Daniel Hicks spins a story which might have a sniff of the truth in it… The old man paused and craned his neck as he approached the ancient Egyptian monument. For…

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A little knowledge is supposed to be a dangerous thing. Frank Westworth has a little knowledge, but worries about those with less… Life is packed with famous last words. Also aphorisms, epithets and acronyms, all of which are the stuff of editorial nightmares; less of a concern if you are a higher being – not…

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In the heyday of the British bike industry, everyone had heard of (or bought a bike from) Pride and Clarke in London’s Stockwell Road. Our readers remember them… In the late 1950s you might have been browsing at Pride and Clarke’s showroom, considering the purchase of a BSA Golden Flash for £265.14.5d, or perhaps a…

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Classic bike enthusiasts can often be found in garages and workshops. How can you make the most of your spannering? Karl Bentley muses upon sheds and other places of violence… As the adage goes, it’s not what you’ve got, it’s the way that you use it, and this could be applied to our sheds and…

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The truth can now be told. One-time motorcycle testing journalist, Derek Pickard, reveals the real meaning behind those bland test reports from the 1970s and 1980s… ‘This European motorcycle maker launched its new model in a cultured European way.’ Should read: They shipped the media to a licensed pizza place for a great party. ‘…and…

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Frank Westworth has been thinking back to days gone by, and to AJS and Matchless CSR twins of ancient memory… I’ve been plastering about the West Country aboard a CSR twin of glorious madness for the last several months (in between taking long leisurely holidays, as a chap should), and fell to wondering exactly what…

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More photos from Classic Motorcycling meets Kustom Kuture at Ally Pally… First thing to greet you, before you’ve even joined the queue for tickets. 1954/61 BSA A10 Super Rocket, owend by the current owner since 1971 and now for sale ([email protected]). “Brooklands Flyer”: 1921 Clyno 250 chassis, 1936 Velocette MAC 350 motor, 1922 Albion 3…

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In the grip of nostalgia, you may be tempted to try to find your P&J from years gone by. We’ve found that strategic enquiries works better than the scattergun approach… Every week we receive letters and adverts from previous owners asking to be reunited with their classic bikes. It’s a common theme; I loved that…

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Old bike clubs are right at the core of the classic bike scene. Frank Westworth has belonged to many clubs, but wonders whether the excitement is all too much… Whenever I have paused to think about it, I have always wondered why bike clubs are so popular. Think about this. One of the reasons we…

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That’s no way to treat a classic bike! John Kane revisits a simple land before heroes emerged from the back streets… In 1971 choppers were becoming fashionable in Britain. Lots of 15 year-olds like me had Easy Rider posters on their walls. Peter Fonda and the other one (Dennis Hopper) were the epitome of cool…

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