Reviews

  • The Motor Cycle Passion of Lawrence of Arabia

    The Motor Cycle Passion of Lawrence of Arabia

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    Mention Brough Superiors and TE Lawrence and you run the danger of disappearing under pomp and circumstance. Not so with this charming, enthusiast’s DVD… Are you cheesed off by the snore-ripping attempts by certain bogus video makers who think that they can cash in on our weakness for old motor cycles? I am. I’m steaming…

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  • 1954 Gripen Moped

    1954 Gripen Moped

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    How many classic motorcycles can you partly dismantle and carry home on an aeroplane as excess baggage? Matt Little explains how to brighten up a winter’s weekend in Sweden… When looking around an antique dealer’s barn on a cold, dark, weekend in Sweden, I noticed quite a few nicely mellowed, unrestored Swedish mopeds and motorcycles.…

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  • 'Motorcycling for Women' by Nancy and Betty Debenham

    'Motorcycling for Women' by Nancy and Betty Debenham

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    What was life like for female riders in the 1920s? Mrs Elk recommends a recent reprint of an inter-war classic book… ‘Motorcycling for Women’ was originally published in 1928 and reflects a golden period when there were more motorcycles on the road than cars, and anyone could ride a motorcycle at 14 without passing a…

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  • 1976 MZ TS250/1 Supa 5 – An MZ Abroad – Part 2

    1976 MZ TS250/1 Supa 5 – An MZ Abroad – Part 2

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    Phil Speakman landed in Finland with his MZ’s main bearings knocking louder than his knees. Phil doesn’t speak any Finnish and he was about 150 miles away from the MZ rally he was aiming for. Help? In desperation I’d sent out a request for a mate to put up an emergency call for Finnish help…

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  • Norton Singles

    Norton Singles

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    Remember Howard’s Big 4 which was undergoing a mechanical overhaul? We can now show you the photos of it. And David Yeats explains how the Big 4 got its name, and reveals his own collection of Norton singles… We left Howard’s Norton single with a leaking fuel tap, a non-existent regulator, a deceased drive chain…

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  • Celebrating the Pioneer Run

    Celebrating the Pioneer Run

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    A new book commemorates 75 successful Pioneer Runs from London to Brighton on (very) old bikes… The first ever book on the history of the Pioneer Run® has just been published by the Sunbeam Motor Cycle Club. In its large (A4) format of over 250 pages the copiously illustrated book covers the whole history from…

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  • Harley-Davidson MT350E Army Bike

    Harley-Davidson MT350E Army Bike

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    By popular demand (well, OK, one person) we reveal the pros and cons of buying an ex-Army trailie-bike. Rowena Hoseason actually spent her own money on some old military surplus scrap… Army surplus. What does that make you think of? Sweaty socks, fresh from squaddies’ feet? Dodgy Land Rovers which have been carelessly lobbed out…

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  • Honda CB400 Twin: Part II

    Honda CB400 Twin: Part II

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    Chico Rasia has finally found his chosen classic: an early Eighties CB400. Now all he has to do is to get it to stop. And start. Which to worry about first?… This is the second installment on a series of articles about the Honda CB400 twin – it must only mean one thing: I’ve bought…

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  • 1955 Triumph Speed Twin

    1955 Triumph Speed Twin

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    When is CB350 Paul not CB350 Paul? When he’s Speed Twin Paul, of course. The Speed Twin route to classic motorcycle contentment is not necessarily a straight- forward one, however… A year ago I decided that I must try to own another British bike. I’d only ever owned one previously, and that was a 1952…

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  • Triumph 3TA “Bikini”

    Triumph 3TA “Bikini”

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    Shock-horror! After much online debate, a RealClassic.co.uk reader splashes some cash on a shiny Triumph twin! Paul Webb explains how he’s fallen in love with his second-ever Britbike, and now all his thoughts are golden… Somewhere on this page you should see some photos of my newly acquired Triumph 3TA, one of the rare 1964…

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