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  • Legends in Their Lifetime, George Brough & Lawrence of Arabia, by Titch Allen

    Legends in Their Lifetime, George Brough & Lawrence of Arabia, by Titch Allen

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    Not your usual history about the usual suspects, says Dave Minton, but the essence of inspiring motorcycling lives distilled for your elucidation… In 1956 I was walking through Preston when an outfit purred past, sounding more docile from its single fishtail pipe than I imagined, in my youth, that any motorcycle had a right to.…

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  • Moto Morini Three and a Half

    Moto Morini Three and a Half

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    Looking for a little latin élan? Something small and perfectly formed in the shape of a Morini 350 might just do the job. Rowena Hoseason has met several of the breed… It was one of those brisk, glowing evenings when I rode my first Morini 350. The air was full of faint shafts of golden…

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  • Motorcycling: An Illustrated Social History, by Roger Fogg

    Motorcycling: An Illustrated Social History, by Roger Fogg

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    A high quality hardback review of motorcycling from 1910 through to 1969, showcasing half a century of British bikes and the people who rode them… I must shout this out straight away: do not be put off by the portentous title! Please. This is a cracking book of elderly photographs of more elderly motorcycles, and…

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  • 1976 MZ TS250/1 Supa 5 – An MZ Abroad – Part 3

    1976 MZ TS250/1 Supa 5 – An MZ Abroad – Part 3

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    After main bearing failure and repair, Phil Speakman finally arrives at his destination in Finland. Now all he needs is an ice-lolly… I didn’t know whether to keep on laughing or start crying with relief, as 48 hours of sickening worry had evaporated to the sound of a healthy 2-stroke tickover. My swollen right knee…

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  • Norton Dominator 99: Chapter Two

    Norton Dominator 99: Chapter Two

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    Chapter Two of Jim Algar’s Dominator Diary, wherein the classic Norton twin gets naked (small children to leave the room, please), and the cylinder head gets the better of him. Twice… At the end of Chapter One, Black Bart was about to tie Polly Pristine to the railroad tracks…oh, sorry, wrong story. At the end…

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  • Post Office Bikes – Part 1

    Post Office Bikes – Part 1

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    Motorcycles have been used, in many different forms, for some 92 years in the UK’s mail and communications industry. Paul Wood explains how motorcycles have worked in the Post Office… Motorcycles and sidecar combinations were among the first vehicles owned by the UK’s GPO. They were used both for carriage of mail and the maintenance…

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  • Harley-Davidson MT350E Army Bike (part 2)

    Harley-Davidson MT350E Army Bike (part 2)

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    Most people buy Army-surplus combat jackets or boots. We bought a whole motorcycle! Rowena Hoseason gets de-mob happy and takes the Snarley onto the street… ‘Just how fast did you think were you going?’ grumbled the Bigger Half as we pulled into the caff on a crisp, brisk morning. Oh no! Had I been riding…

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  • Honda CB400 Twin: Part III

    Honda CB400 Twin: Part III

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    Over in Brazil, Chico Rasia has been making progress with his 1980’s Honda twin. Just a few things to fix… oh, and then a few more… Part II left off with a stalled bike getting pushed back into the garage. Actually, it would stall everytime I’d let it idle, and was running roughly – seemed…

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  • Triumph T150 Trident

    Triumph T150 Trident

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    Roy Bacon gave the early T150 a 5-star rating (otherwise reserved for the pre-unit twins and Thruxton Bonnie). We met two T150 owners who explain what’s so special about their three-cylinder machines… If you happen to browse through the Triumph Motorcycle Buyer’s Guide by Roy Bacon, you’ll notice that very few models achieve a 5-star…

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  • Triumph Motorcycle Restoration, Pre-Unit, by Garry Chitwood and Timothy Remus

    Triumph Motorcycle Restoration, Pre-Unit, by Garry Chitwood and Timothy Remus

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    Chris Spaett of Venture Classics has restored several classic Triumph motorcycles, so he seemed like the ideal chap to review this new book for us… I have restored and been involved in the restoration of many Triumph motorcycles, mainly unit construction 650s but also a few pre-unit machines so whilst definitely not being an expert…

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