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Phil Speakman started what should have been a straightforward crank rebuild on his stroker, then suffered a strange interlude with aromatic hair care products. Then the whole job went up in the world… The last time I took my MZ ES250/2 Trophy out for a spin, half of Cheshire disappeared under an acrid black cloud.…

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You know how it’s just… so… easy to click a bid in when you’re visiting an online auction? That’s how Jim Algar transformed a mild midlife crisis into a Featherbed Norton Dommi 99… If I said I always wanted a British bike but things like working, marriage, kids and the like always got in the…

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Chapter 5. Wherein two steps forward are followed by a giant step backwards, and Jim Algar gives a nod to Archimedes and the inclined plane… The Dommi has been a bit lonely in the garage, and it’s been a while since I’ve had time to do any work on it. Other things have required my…

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Opinion has been widely divided about the merits of the modern Bonnie Scrambler. BikerBabe has to make her mind up. She loves it. She loves it not… When I first saw the Triumph Scrambler in Shirlaws’ showroom in Aberdeen, it was love at first sight. Decked out in Tornado Red and White with lashings of…

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If you frequent the Message Board then you’ll know that Steve The Toast has been successful in his search for a Sunbeam. But how did this fascination begin, and what did he initially discover? At my age, which is sadly no longer in the spring chicken category, but instead heading nerve-rackingly close to the Associate…

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If the amount your rebuild is costing frightens you, says Derek Foulds, then the solution is simple. Don’t add up the numbers! Can such ignorance be bliss with a Triumph twin? Bought way back in 1976, Derek Foulds’ 1961 Thunderbird had 37,189 miles on its clock before he completely overhauled it. The 6T was a…

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It’s the Moment Of Truth for Dave’s rebuild project. The Tiger is back in one piece and he’s got to get it going. So. Will it start? So this was it, engine oil in, gearbox oil in, ignore the leaks from the gearbox due to no sealant and fit the petrol tank, fuel tap and…

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You might think that taking home a trophy would be enough excitement for one day. But Ian Pointon’s Velo Venom attracted more attention than he expected at the Post-TT meet… What could top being presented with the Best Bike award at the Mallory Park Post-TT race meeting? You’ll find out soon enough. But first, we…

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Some classic bikes stay with you for life. Tony Ayliffe went a-courting on his Ajay, took it on honeymoon, and doesn’t seem to think they’ll ever be parted… It was the 2nd March 1976, I was 20 and had taken the day off work to go in search of a new bike with my mate…

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In part I, Martin Gelder wrote off a BMW R60, then bought an R100S and rode round for a bit before writing that off as well. The story of Common Problems continues… Time passed. The crashed BMW languished under a green canvas cover in the front garden while a Mk1 Le Mans tried to take…

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