Features

CZ Café Racer

by

RowenaH

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15th January 2017

The Ceska zbrojovka company began building CZ motorcycles in 1935, was nationalised in 1946, merged with JAWA in 1948, enjoyed massive success in the 1950s, 60s and 70s in ISDT, motocross and enduro competition, and became a subsidiary of Cagiva in 1992. Cagiva’s scheme was to build new versions of CZ and JAWA models, and…
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Norton Dominator 99

by

RowenaH

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11th January 2017

Back in the 1950s when young men dreamed of a Norton this is probably what their fantasy bike looked like. A ‘stylish high performance roadster with first-class steering, roadholding and brakes,’ Norton were justifiably proud of its ‘zestful and tireless engine, remarkably powerful brakes and a well-subdued exhaust. Steering is in the best Norton…
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Triumph 350 sidevalve single

by

RowenaH

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6th January 2017

Back in 1938 all eyes were on Triumph’s latest innovation, the stunning Speed Twin parallel twin. The marque’s sporting singles had also been sprinkled with Edward Turner’s stardust, and many heads were turned by the handsome Tigers. But most working men selected their regular rides from the ‘De Luxe’ end of the range; the…
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BSA C15

by

RowenaH

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1st January 2017

BSA’s stalwart 250 single used to be the obvious choice for learner riders, back in the 1960s. Fifty years later the unit construction C15 has become another obvious choice – this time as a starter classic, a first British bike. We featured a Ceefer in the magazine last year, which inspired John Blackburn to share…
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Classic bikes at Birmingham, part two

by

RowenaH

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17th December 2016

RC’s roving reporter Richard Jones continues his end-of-year review from the NEC, seeking out quirky and iconic vintage motorcycles at the Classic Motor Show and Motorcycle Live… Here’s something you don’t see every day – a 1938 Norton Superior which was built by Bill Higginson and his friend, Maurice Cross. Apparently all you have…
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Readers’ Rides: the roads he rode

by

RowenaH

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16th December 2016

What inspires you to take your classic bike for a ride? RC regular Roy Smith clocked up many miles during 2016 on the magazine’s Compass Challenge. In fact, he got so into the swing of things that he couldn’t quite stop. So here are some of the other highlights of his riding year, aboard his…
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Classic bikes at Birmingham: part one

by

RowenaH

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16th December 2016

The final weeks of 2016 witnessed not one but two motorcycle shows at the NEC in Birmingham. These featured all manner of vintage motorcycles, classic bikes and modern-day retro replicas which might be of interest to the discerning RealClassic reader. Our roving reporter, Richard Jones, casts a retrospective eye over the highlights at each event,…
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The story behind the Arbuthnot Trophy

by

RowenaH

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14th December 2016

The Arbuthnot Trial is an annual reliability trial for British vintage and classic motorcycles. David Wright explains how this event commemorates a naval officer who died during the battle of Jutland over 100 years ago. The present-day event incorporates ‘the ambience of the 1920s era’ with the emphasis on rigid machines, although later classics are…
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Frank’s Famous Last Words, #41

by

RowenaH

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13th December 2016

On some classic motorcycles, there’s an intriguing lever on the left handlebar. Back in the days before automatic ignition timing, it did something quite important. Frank Westworth has been reminded of its function… A man has been fascinating me on the subject of ignition advance. No no; really. He has, and it actually was fascinating.…
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The Top Mountain Motorcycle Museum

by

RowenaH

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11th December 2016

On his Continental travels, Dave Whiting discovered an amazing motorcycling road. And at the end of it, he found an amazing motorcycle museum, stuffed full of iconic classic bikes and vintage motorcycles… It’s not often I find myself ‘ahead of the curve’ so to speak, certainly not in the classic motorcycle world but this time…
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