Reviews

  • 1979 BMW R100S – Part II

    1979 BMW R100S – Part II

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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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  • 'Classic Motorcycling: A Guide for the 21st Century' by Rex Bunn

    'Classic Motorcycling: A Guide for the 21st Century' by Rex Bunn

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    This book offers a different look at classic motorcycling, one with an international flavour. Steve Wilson has read it, and reports… The author Rex Bunn is an Australian and he writes like one, with energy and laconic wit. He’s a fifty-something inventor (Bunn crankcase breathers, feedback gauges, modified grips, etc) and author, with his own…

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  • BSA B44SS

    BSA B44SS

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    Adrian Hughes always wanted a café racer so he built one from scratch, hoping for a cheap, fast-finish project. Well, at least part of the plan worked My B44 was built entirely from bits and pieces which were purchased from various sources around the country. I have always wanted a café racer, so I set…

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  • 1956 BSA B31 Scrambler Rebuild – Part IV

    1956 BSA B31 Scrambler Rebuild – Part IV

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    Phillip Rashleigh’s off-road project bike suddenly needs suspension. Forks, shocks, tyres, swinging arm – oh, and something to stop the plot might be an idea, too… With the project starting to com together, I sent off gearbox for inspection and, as suspected and expected, the bearings and bushes were all well shot. However everything else…

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  • Bultaco Sherpa

    Bultaco Sherpa

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    BikerBabe has spent quite a while getting her Bultaco trailbike fettled and ready for some winter mud-plugging. So, naturally, it refused to play fair at the first sight of snow… I guess it’s that time of year again. Time for BB to get the Bulto out, make some muddy tracks all over the place, and…

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  • Norton Dominator 99: Chapter Seven

    Norton Dominator 99: Chapter Seven

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    Wherein 50 years of steel pounding on aluminum gives Jim Algar, our Californian correspondent, a hole in his head… and a headache! Up until 1954, Norton twin engines used a cast iron cylinder head. In 1955, they changed to aluminum. Remember that fact; we’ll come back to it in a moment. With the Dominator’s engine…

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  • 1956 Norton Dominator Diary, Chapter 9

    1956 Norton Dominator Diary, Chapter 9

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    Jim Algar’s restoration of a classic Norton twin continues… slowly. Some sundry tasks are accomplished and Jim makes the acquaintance of the World’s Largest Rubber Band… When last we met (yes, it’s been many months; what can I say?), I was waiting for warmer weather to paint my frame. Well, the weather cooperated, so after…

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  • Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500-T

    Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500-T

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    Big wide bars? Chunky tyres? Single seat? Someone at Royal Enfield is going the distance to tempt her into buying a new Electra, reckons Rowena Hoseason. But she’s more likely to get a T-shirt for Christmas… The guys at Watsonian reckon that they’ve created the Trials Electra to reflect Enfield’s historic ISDT successes in the…

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  • Precise In Every Part: The world of Francis Simpson, technical artist, in the 1920s and 30s

    Precise In Every Part: The world of Francis Simpson, technical artist, in the 1920s and 30s

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    When a treasure trove of vintage motorcycle drawings, press cuttings, notebooks and more were discovered, a classic bike enthusiast resolved that they should be shared with the world. So here’s the cream of the crop… RC reader Alan Freke is a regular volunteer at his local village Museum at Frenchay near Bristol and helps to…

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  • Moto Guzzi V1000 Convert

    Moto Guzzi V1000 Convert

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    These days you can buy a bike from Italy and have an old Guzzi delivered direct to your door. Talbot Coleman gave it a whirl In 1999 Talbot Coleman took the plunge after 50 years of owning and riding British bikes and bought an Italian import V1000 Convert, built in 1975. Not only was Talbot…

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