Features Archives - RealClassic

DMW & Mr Dawson

15th September 2020 RowenaH Features Leave a comment

Founded in 1940 by Leslie ‘Smokey’ Dawson, DMW was a pioneering British bike builder based in the Black Country – the founder of Dawson Motors Wolverhampton. In three decades, the DMW company manufactured some 15,000 motorcycles including many still used for trials and competition. Smokey started out racing motorcycles in the 1930s and then began fitting swinging arm rear suspension…

Almond Tinkler: motorcycle engineer

30th August 2020 RowenaH Features Leave a comment

The article in RC192 about the vintage ohc racer built by the Tinkler brothers in 1927 triggered memories for RC reader John Harrison. He recalls meeting Almond Tinkler in the late 1970s… When I was lived in Liverpool, I worked as a boilermaker for Blackbull Engineering which occupied a workshop next to Langham Engineering. I rode a 1958 Triumph Thunderbird…

Velocette MSS

20th August 2020 RowenaH Features Leave a comment

‘The article in the August issue about a Velo MSS reminds me of an incident that still brings me out in a cold sweat when recalled,’ says RC reader Phil Rich. More than half a century ago he cheekily borrowed a bike, and never said ‘thank you’ properly. Ted, if you’re still out there… My motorcycle timeline began in 1965…

Life after COVID-19: Lessons from past pandemics

6th August 2020 Sam Hewitt Features Leave a comment

With lockdown restrictions easing slightly in UK, this is perhaps a time to reflect on the past months, and look forward to what a world could look like once the COVID-19 pandemic has gone, if ever. Life after COVID-19 investigates past epidemics and their aftermath, seeking to draw parallels with the world of today and examine how the world could…

The Best Classic Bike

19th July 2020 RowenaH Features Leave a comment

Which is the best classic motorcycle of all time? RC reader Andy Bone suggests three candidates which could potentially claim that title… We all know the Norton Commando is the best classic bike… don’t we? The Commando feature in RC194 is a testament to this universally acknowledged truth. My very own Fastback Commando was featured in RC50 – it wasn’t…

Kawasaki W2 650

10th July 2020 RowenaH Buying Guide, Features Leave a comment

RealClassic reader Kevin Lemire is a fan of Kawasaki’s 650 twins, built back in the 1970s. He’s so enthusiastic about them that he owns half a dozen different types of W2… Kawasaki had every right to expect success in 1966 when they took the plunge with Japan’s first large capacity twin, the 624cc W1. After all, the entire postwar British…