The Toastmaster Challenge, Part the Sixth

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…

Café Racers en Continent

The 2019 Café Racer Festival at Montlhéry was the seventh iteration of this event and it keeps getting better, says Ian Woolley. It is a magical melange of motorcycles, music, and track rides… Motorcycles come from many genres, many generations and include modern manufactures who bring fleets of their latest offerings for you to try during accompanied test rides. Brilliant…

The Toastmaster Challenge, Part the Fourth

If you’re going to rebuild a burned-out Ariel Huntmaster, then you’re going to need spare parts. Lots of them. We present Frank Westworth’s guide to autojumbling for idiots… What do you do when faced with the realisation that you’ve started a project which is not what you expected? Do you shovel the whole lot into a deep pit and pretend it never…

The Toastmaster Challenge, Part the Third

Is this any way to restore a traditional British classic bike? The story of Frank Westworth’s improbable rebuild continues. Slowly… ‘That’s an Ariel Huntmaster, that is.’ ‘What is? That pile of bits?’ ‘What pile of bits? That’s an Ariel Huntmaster, that is…’ My first Ariel, my first Huntmaster, was not in fact mine. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t ride…