News

Every inch of Russ Gannicott’s 250cc Enfield racer has been tweaked and tightened or gas-flowed and lightened. Time to give it a try, then… With the bike finally built we got permission to do our testing at Hurn Airport, and on a sunny February day the Super 5 first burst into life. On first push,…

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Ambassador built small two-strokes during the 1950s and 1960s. This new book should be hugely helpful to any restorer, says Tony Gutteridge… Ambassador’s first production motorcycle was a 197cc lightweight fitted with a Villiers 5E engine. It came out in 1947 with a rigid frame and girder forks, and a three-speed gearbox. This model was…

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You meet the nicest people on a Honda. And Jim Peace… Once upon a time, many years ago, motorcycle engines had proper capacities like 250, 350 and 500cc. And motorbikes knew their place. Two-strokes and Tiger Cubs were for commuting, 350s could be used for modest touring, 500s were more sporting, and 650s and thousands…

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It was big. Really big. Really extremely big for the 1980s. Steve The Toast debates the virtues of blunderbuss motorcycling and Kawasaki’s classic six-cylinder machine… If anyone ever tells you that they have never made a mistake, you would be relatively safe to draw the conclusion that they have never made anything, as the saying…

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Frank Westworth reports from the saddle of a 750 Matchless, and includes a great big chunk of personal anecdote, revealing why he has never been comfortable in a leather hat… Motorbicyclists are a strange breed. We pride ourselves on our individuality; yet we join clubs and wear club regalia. We pride ourselves on our independence;…

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It’s a winner! When Graham Holt’s gleaming Morini 350 appears at events it has a habit of stealing the show… When Graham Holt bought his 1976, 344cc Strada for £1850 some eight years ago it was in pretty good nick. But ‘pretty good’ wasn’t good enough, so Graham set to work and transformed the Strada…

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Nolan Woodbury meets 25 classics from the Ducati Museum, immortalised in this high-class publication… Comparatively small measured against its competition, Ducati has forged an astonishing record on the global road racing stage. Shunning trend (while establishing it) in favour of its 90-degree L-layout, Ducati combined hi-torque, high-horsepower desmodromics with precise handling to win against heavily-funded…

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You might think that a 1931 ex-works Norton racer belongs in a museum, and indeed Steve Lacey’s Manx GP bike had pride of place at Brooklands for a while. It was originally raced by Ron Harris, then ridden by Phil Heath, and owned by Titch Allen. Steve tells its story This CS1 was built by…

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Got an old British bike? Check. Read ‘Jupiter’s Travels’? Check. Must be time for an extraordinary adventure, then. Goat Maison’s Dominator took him halfway around the world… What’s a Norton Dominator 77? They hardly ever mention them in the classic press. Try asking somebody and they’ll probably tell you that you’ve got it wrong and…

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Reg Everett was a 1960s road racer who found himself up against the likes of Mike Hailwood and Derek Minter on works machines, when he was riding a home-built Greeves-powered special. Colin Sparrow recommends Everett’s autobiography… 1960s road racer Reg Everett has teamed up with respected motorcycle writer Mick Walker to bring us his racing…

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