Features

  • The story behind the Arbuthnot Trophy

    The story behind the Arbuthnot Trophy

    by

    –

    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…

    Continue reading »

  • Frank’s Famous Last Words, #41

    Frank’s Famous Last Words, #41

    by

    –

    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.…

    Continue reading »

  • The Top Mountain Motorcycle Museum

    The Top Mountain Motorcycle Museum

    by

    –

    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…

    Continue reading »

  • Vintage vehicle survey results

    Vintage vehicle survey results

    by

    –

    The average vintage vehicle travels 1100 miles a year, and there are nearly 300,000 classic bikes on the DVLA’s database. Which classic motorcycle marque do you think is the most popular? Triumph? BSA, maybe? Every five years in recent times, the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs carries out a survey of the historic vehicle…

    Continue reading »

  • James Superswift Two-Stroke Twin

    James Superswift Two-Stroke Twin

    by

    –

      ‘It’s the finest and dandiest 250 you’ve ever seen,’ said the launch publicity about the new Superswift in the autumn of 1961. ‘The James twin you have been waiting for!’ The new machines, priced at £181.18.8, offered ‘thrilling performance matched only by its superb styling and finish… Ride it here, ride it there, ride…

    Continue reading »

  • Win an AJS Model 18

    Win an AJS Model 18

    by

    –

    If you’re looking for a typical British bike, then the single-cylinder four-strokes built by Associated Motor Cycles immediately after WW2 are the obvious choice. Small wonder then that the National Motorcycle Museum chose an AJS Model 18 as one of the prizes in their winter raffle. Honest, dependable and free of phoney pretensions, the Ajay…

    Continue reading »

  • Cafe racer kits for Hinckley triples

    Cafe racer kits for Hinckley triples

    by

    –

    How to transform an old Hinckley triple into a rapid café racer, no spannering skills required. Don’t do it yourself – let an expert take the strain… After years of restoring classics and building specials, Ian at Café Racer Kits found a simple way to share his experience and expertise. CRK started offering modular kits…

    Continue reading »

  • BSA A7

    BSA A7

    by

    –

    BSA twins typically come top of the list in the ‘practical classic bikes’ category. They’re solidly reliable, easy to start and maintain and supported by a good range of specialist spares suppliers. If you’re after a pre-unit machine, then the 500cc A7 is the obvious, still affordable option… The A7 was BSA’s big push into…

    Continue reading »

  • Shed Treasure Hunt

    Shed Treasure Hunt

    by

    –

    A TV team of classic motorcycles enthusiasts are seeking interesting sheds to explore, and old bikes to buy… Cast your mind back a couple of years and you may recall Graham Ham’s mighty ShedQuest during which he travelled the length, breadth and wiggly bits of Britain, seeking out interesting people with fascinating stuff secreted about…

    Continue reading »

  • Royal Enfield Turbo Twin

    Royal Enfield Turbo Twin

    by

    –

    Earlier this year, the VMCC raffled a classic British twin-cylinder two-stroke 250, and we featured the machine back in RC143. Eagle-eyed Enfield aficionado Mark Mumford spotted a few deviations from standard spec… The VMCC’s raffle bike, nicely presented though it is, is really an owner’s version of the Turbo Twin rather than a factory example.…

    Continue reading »