Reviews Archives - RealClassic

BSA Bantam

14th May 2021 RowenaH Features, Reviews

Richard Smith recalls his early riding times with BSA’s stalwart two-stroke. He started with a fairly standard D7 Super, but soon the 174cc machine evolved into something a little quicker… My first bike was a Honda C100, the Super Cub; a lovely machine, perfect for learning and nipping around locally. When I left home to start my aero-engineering degree, I…

Royal Enfield Electra-X: Enfield’s underdog

9th May 2021 RowenaH Buying Guide, Features, Retro Classic, Reviews, Your Ride

The Bullet buying guides in RC198 and 199 prompted Keith McKechnie to put electronic pen to paper about his experience with a 2006 Royal Enfield Electra-X. It’s a machine which has become something of an orphan among Royal Enfield enthusiasts, he says: ‘but I’ve grown to like it over the years while sorting out a few problems on the way…’…

RealClassic Reading: Ducati Monster

30th March 2021 RowenaH Features, Reviews

Nearly three decades ago, the first Ducati Monster was unveiled to an admiring public. Since then some 350,000 Monsters have been built. Over time, the Monster’s capacity and configuration has changed considerably. In a substantial new book, Alan Cathcart charts the first half of the Monster’s story… This first volume covers the model’s original conception and its development with the…

RealClassic Reading: The NW200 Road and Race

5th March 2021 RowenaH Features, Reviews

The North West 200 is one of those street-circuit road races which tests both the metal of the machines and the mettle of their pilots. It’s one of the fastest road-based courses on the racing calendar, where bikes average 120mph and can exceed 200mph in places. It’s one of Northern Ireland’s largest sporting events – and in 2019 celebrated its…

RealClassic Reading: Going The Wrong Way

14th February 2021 RowenaH Features, News, Reviews

Part travelogue, part coming of age adventure, this book explores the physical and inner journeys of a young man who left Belfast aboard a café racer Moto Guzzi in the early 1970s… In part this book was irritating because the author did his big trip when he was 21 and 21 year old males are often disinterested in culture, driven…

RealClassic reading: Motorcycles, Mates and Memories

7th January 2021 RowenaH Features, Reviews

In this recent publication, RC member and occasional contributor Bill Snelling reflects on his lifetime passion for two-wheeling in this entertaining, motorcycle-themed autobiography. He recalls the decades of motorcycling mayhem, mud and madness that have characterised his 70-odd years living the dream, from the early days at Arthur Lavington’s Velocette shop to pounding the long-distance trials and the many race…