Real Classic

It’s tin time. Tin is tough. Tin should not be damaged by fire. Frank Westworth discovers that you should never believe your own eyes… One of the reasons I was happy to pay out five hundred of Her Majesty’s most excellent pound notes for what may appear to have been a pile of scrap (in this case, appearances were not…

In which starting proves to be such sweet sorrow. During the long months of an Ariel Huntmaster rebuild, Frank Westworth encounters a whole new technique for strengthening a single leg… Where were we? Oh yes. I’d just understood that the Toastmaster’s primary chaincase was never going to be oil-tight, and that there was no point in worrying about it. So…

In which the true virtues of the Ariel Huntmaster gain appreciation and understanding. Frank Westworth remembers why British bikes are very special… Have you looked closely at the frame of an Ariel? Have you ever considered how much work, how much metal went into its construction? These are finely-developed and well-engineered motorcycles, which is too often forgotten in these days…

In which things start to go back together. And come apart again… Frank Westworth understands that patience is a virtue indeed… Do you suffer from feelings of both incredulity and inadequacy when you read most restoration features? I do, and I’m hardly ashamed at all to admit it. I must have read several hundred tales over the years in which…